The DROP: Recent Episodes
2020backstory
The DROP podcast discovers the “down to earth” and the extraordinary in some of the most interesting people you’ll ever meet. Each week we sit down with motivating role models who have a powerful story to tell. From entertaining to inspirational, these stories all drive you to do one thing— drop whatever it is that’s holding you back and go make a story of your own.
How do you leverage challenge culture and use it to build a thriving business with tens of thousands of customers? This week, we sit down with JJ and Erika Peterson from Clean Simple Eats to discuss healthy eating, community, and sustainability. Find out why their business model has grown while so many other healthy eating start-ups have come and gone. Hear them talk through what they learned, how they learned it, and how it’s all contributed to not only building a business, but building up people along the way—all on episode 19 of The Drop.
How do you create a world-wide motorcycle community of 15,000 riders in 340 cities across 35 countries? Jessica Hagget, founder of Hell Babes and The Litas, shares how smashing gender stereotypes, growing with grassroots marketing, and bringing all women with a love for riding together—contributed to creating a successful brand with a soul. Hear Jessica’s take on pushing past boundaries, tuning out doubters, and finding your passion, all on episode 18 of The Drop.
If you’ve ever worn a hat, there’s a good chance you’ve worn New Era. This week we sit down with SVP of Brand at New Era, Mark Maidment, to talk about everything from brand building, to sales, to authenticity. As a sales-trained creative, Mark breaks down how his sales background has impacted everything about his job, and how it continues to influence his career. All that, along with insights on mentors, expectations, and failures—all on episode 17 of the Drop.
How do you turn an at-home project into a multimillion-dollar business? Susan Peterson, CEO, Founder, and Chairwoman of Freshly Picked, walks us through her 11-year journey from making her first pair of baby moccasins at her kitchen table to creating and growing a successful company. Hear her thoughts on “the founder mindset”, women in business, creating a powerful and aspirational brand, the importance of a culture of problem-solving, and more – all on episode 16 of The Drop:
What’s it like to build video games at EA Sports? Or design a shoe with the legendary Kobe Bryant at Nike? Matt Mahar, VP of Product Management at Vivint, talks through what he’s learned from working at some of the world’s top brands. Hear Matt’s take on high-performing teams, work ethic, and creating space away from your job—all on episode 15 of The Drop.
“When they’re sleeping, you’re putting in the work.” With $600 in his pocket, a sales team he personally recruited, and sky-high expectations, Todd Santiago started his Vivint career. Fast forward 20 years and Vivint CRO Todd Santiago has helped turn Vivint into a company worth billions. From pickup games in the Bronx, to getting laid off despite having a Harvard MBA, to leading by partnering, Todd breaks down how he got where he is today, and everything he learned along the way—all on on episode 14 of The Drop.
From small-town Utah, to LA, to the fashion capital of the world, New York City, Fashion Director Sheena Smith takes us through her grueling journey of breaking into one of the world’s most competitive industries. From how to overcome crippling self doubt, to the danger of comparing yourself to what the world tells you you need to be, Sheena unpacks her life in the fashion industry with insights and takeaways that apply to everyone—hear it all on on episode 13 of The Drop.
As a successful entrepreneur running a thriving software startup, perhaps the last thing Justin Grant expected to encounter was depression. He could have tried to ignore it, or live with it, but instead—he made a complete u-turn that changed his life. From tech entrepreneur, to photographer, to painter, Justin finds success in everything he does. Get his take on finding things that move you, protecting your vision, and merging business with passion—all on episode 11 of The DROP.
Direct-to-consumer brands are disrupting everything about e-commerce, and Rhone is no exception. This week we talk with Nate Checketts, founder and CEO of men's active apparel brand Rhone, about how it all started, how he was shaped by sports, and how he’s made an apparel brand centered on 'performance' a huge success. Hear his perspective on business building—all on episode 10 of The DROP.
“Speed is a number, fast is a feeling”. This week, The Drop hits double digits and shakes things up with the owner of lifestyle brand ‘Go Fast Don’t Die’, Brady McLean. Brady started a company, sells apparel, and creates content—but it’s the ethos that he lives by that makes him remarkable. With messages like “safety is fictitious” and “don’t manufacture passion, follow it”, if this episode doesn’t inspire you to live your life without regrets, we’re not sure what will.
Most entrepeneurs don't start out selling expired Hostess cakes to their classmates as a kid, but Kip Rollins was born a salesman. From selling screen printed T-shirts in a parking lot, to creating the behemoth swag company Vox, Kip takes us through the highs, loves, risks, and rewards of being a successful businessman--all on week 8 of The DROP.
This week, Drew Johnson of Gauge Capital talks all things investing. With a Harvard MBA and a history of incredibly successful investments in his rear view mirror, Drew walks us through what it takes to make the right move at the right time. Hear Drew’s insights, successes, and failures—all on week 7 of The DROP.
A $700 bank loan. A plane ticket to Taiwan. No phone, no credit card, and $200 cash. Fast forward 30 years and Vivint Solar CEO David Bywater talks us through that moment and many more that shaped who he is and what he’s built today. Get his take on work ethic, the power of listening, staying optimistic, and betting on yourself—all on this week’s episode of The DROP.
“Get comfortable with being uncomfortable”. This week we talk motivation, confidence, and mental fitness with triathlete and SVP of Human Resources at Vivint, Starr Fowler. Starr takes us through the finish line feeling, pushing yourself beyond what you thought possible, and how to compete against yourself. Hear how that applies to life and business—all on week five of The DROP.
He disrupted two multi-billion dollar industries with entrepreneurial thinking and creative advertising. This week the co-founder of Entrada and Homie, Johnny Hanna, breaks down how he built his businesses from nothing, and how he grew along the way. Hear Johnny's unique take on copy culture and how to develop a growth mindset—all on week 4 of The Drop.
This week Doctor Kaleb Redden, DO, better known as “Doc Thor”, takes us through his journey from bouncer, to roughneck, to doctor, to Titan Games athlete. Hear what he learned along the way, how he used skeptics to fuel his fire, how to sacrifice to create opportunity, and how to find value in every experience—good, bad, and difficult. All that on week 3 of The DROP. ###
From Apple, to Microsoft, to Adobe, this week Joy Durling takes us through 15 years of Silicon Valley tech experience and how it all led to Vivint. In this mini masterclass, Joy breaks down how sports shaped her approach to business, how failure makes you better, how to create a winning culture, and how her ethos on ‘work-life rhythm’ sets her up for success. All that insight on week 2 of The DROP.
From merging sports and sound with Skullcandy to transforming socks into a status symbol with Stance, Clarke Miyasaki has built brands that create cultural movements. So, what’s it like to negotiate eight-figure deals? Work with James Harden and Kevin Durant? Or take a product from unheard to unforgettable? Listen to his story on this week's episode of The DROP.