Cultures within Capitalism

Hosted by Holly Howard

Business Entrepreneurship

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Latest episode

Feb 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

This is a podcast looking at all things company culture. Through this series, we’ll speak to entrepreneurs who are part of the Ask Holly How community to understand the different cultures that exist under the broad umbrella of capitalism. We’ll look into how our personal stories impact the cultures we create. Our music is composed and performed by me on the bassoon and Johnny Simon on guitar. It’s inspired by the 5-note pentatonic scale of Scottish folk music in the 18th century - the same time Adam Smith was formulating Capitalism. Our sound engineer is Johnny Simon, and our logo design is by Rodrigo Miguel with illustrations by Rodrigo & Kathleen Scudder. The [w/n] abbreviation is a nod to scientific chart-writing.

Listen to episodes

28 recent

February 5, 202653 min

Live Panel: Post-Social—Growing Your Creative Business Beyond the Algorithms

Post-Social: Growing Your Business Beyond the Algorithms Post-Social is a gathering for entrepreneurs building businesses without relying on social media. In a culture that prizes constant posting and algorithmic visibility, this panel explores what happens when you step away—and what you might gain. Moderated by Martha Williams ( BreakBread World ), with panelists Harry Doull ( Keap Candles ), Holly Howard ( Ask Holly How & Pyramid.work ), and Lee Tilghman ( author, If You Don’t Like This I Will Die ), the evening was a conversation featuring three business owners who’ve either left social platforms or deprioritized them in favor of slower, more intentional growth. Panelists shared real tools and strategies: newsletters, SEO, press, partnerships, in-person events, and word-of-mouth.

April 22, 202549 min

Frederick Woodruff Astrology

This month, I welcome Frederick Woodruff to the pod. Frederick is the founder of Frederick Woodruff Astrology. You can find him here writing about astrology, politics, and culture. We talk all things current astrology, how they can relate to leadership and entrepreneurship, how we find acceptance and the mystical in astrology, and why we're likely in the blackening phase of alchemy. Yikes! I loved this conversation so much, and I personally love working with Frederick for my own chart readings. If you are looking to understand the planets and the bigger picture, you'll find this conversation enriching!

March 6, 20251 hr 12 min

John Sorensen-Jolink of Coil and Drift

This month of the pod, I welcome John Sorensen-Jolink of Coil and Drift . As a fellow dancer, John shares his experience moving through the dance world and into the design world. He gives us insight into what it is like to move through multiple careers, to build a studio and team from scratch, and to continue to follow your creative vision even if that means moving through mediums. John recently released a beautiful film, She Moves In Search Of Feeling , to creatively showcase his lights and his vision of what is possible for how we put our work out into the world. It's an inspiring consideration for how we can think more expansively about what it means to market our work. Thanks to John for bringing so much beauty into the world during this time!

December 10, 202456 min

Spencer Bailey of Time Sensitive and the slowdown

For the final conversation of 2024, I'm so excited to share this episode with Spencer Bailey, co-founder of Time Sensitive and the slowdown . Spencer shares with us what he means by culture forward, sharing my favorite definition of culture thus far: Till-Based Knowledge. I found this conversation a revelation to really think about the value of culture and how it can transform us if we seek it out, intentionally engage with it, and let it turn us over again and again. Spencer shares what it's been like to launch both Time Sensitive and the slowdown, and also what's on the horizon, including the launch of the five-volume series Design: The Leading Hotels of the World from Phaidon, for which he is editor-in-chief. We talk about his path through the world of design and drumming and why soft marketing is a way better path forward than hard marketing. And why everything starts with a metaphorical paradiddle. IYKYK!

November 21, 20241 hr 15 min

Jess Morelli of Palermo Body

This month on the pod, I welcome Jess Morelli of Palermo Body . Palermo has just celebrated their 9th anniversary this past September. Jess lets us in on her personal journey of growing Palermo over the last 9 years. From its very personal inception inspired by her Nona to the present day, where she leads a small team, manufactures in-house, and can be found throughout the US bringing botanical skincare inspired by the vibrancy of Sicily! She shares her insights on what inspires her formulation, what her fundraising journey was like, and how she sees the future of Palermo based on the rapidly evolving DTC landscape! It's such a fun conversation to hear what milestones meant the most to Jess (1K Instagram followers!) to grow beyond the feed and really nurture in-person relationships. Thanks to Jess for sharing these valuable insights for anyone growing an omnichannel business and how you can think about your own evolution!

October 18, 202445 min

Adam Brand of M&S Schmalberg

This month, I'm so excited to have Adam Brand of M&S Schmalberg on the pod. I met Adam while working with the Garment District Revitalization program in NYC a few years back. M&S Schmalberg is a 108-year-old (yes, you read that correctly) fabric flower manufacturer with the most fascinating and inspiring story. Adam, now at the helm of this multigenerational business, is a total joy to speak with. He shares with us the story of his grandfather's survival of the holocaust, his journey to NYC, the integration into a new family, a new way of life, and the path of creating something that has lasted over a century. Adam, of course, has fascinating stories to tell about how much NYC has changed, the state of domestic manufacturing, what it's like to work with your family, and so much more. I even try to get him to brag about their work on HBO's The Gilded Age, Bridgerton, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. I'm certain you've seen M&S's work, whether a red carpet, a Broadway show, or a period drama. You can visit the factory and I encourage you to reach out to Adam to do so!

August 1, 20241 hr 12 min

Rebecca Atwood, Artist and Designer

This month on the pod, I welcome Rebecca Atwood . Rebecca is a rare talent who is able to carve out paths as both an artist and designer. In this episode, Becca shares what it was like to grow her business from her apartment in Brooklyn to her current studio in Charleston, SC. Becca shares lessons from working in her parent's restaurant on Cape Cod as a teenager, how she found herself at RISD, and how she eventually launched her own company. We talked about what it was like to build a team and a culture for the first time and how she leans on her values, systems, and planning to continue growing. Becca shares what it was like to become a mother and lead when three out of her four team members were on parental leave at the same time(!), how she and her husband moved the business down south during the pandemic, how she prioritizes culture and team building and invests in her employees, and why her creative practice is so valuable to her business.

May 21, 2024Episode 2059 min

Alex Daly and Ally Bruschi of Orchard Street

This month on the pod, I welcome Alex Daly and Ally Bruschi of Orchard Street . You may remember Alex Daly as the very first guest on this podcast back in 2022, and now she is back with her partner Ally as they launch Orchard Street—a seed fund that invests in workplace-shaping ideas—pairing funding with deep strategic advising around Comms, Operations, and Culture Building. Alex and Ally tell us about their journey into VC and how they were able to create such a solid infrastructure and culture at Daly that they were profitable enough—both in monetary resources and time—to launch this new seed fund as General Partners. They take us behind the scenes of their partnership at Daly and at Orchard Street, sharing what they've learned about VC and how they want to change the culture of investing and growing companies. They've also got a new Substack, Cherry on Top , launching June 4th. This will be a monthly publication dedicated to exploring the ins and outs of everything that modern businesses need to truly shine. If you've ever wondered what it's like to build a thriving culture and solid infrastructure and how that allows your creative ideas to continue to flourish, Alex & Ally share their experience of making it all happen.

April 23, 2024Episode 191 hr 0 min

Susan Povich of Red Hook Lobster Pound

This podcast holds very special meaning for me. Susan Povich of the Red Hook Lobster Pound was one of my very first clients and the first client I ever got through cold outreach (you'll have to listen all the way to the end to find out how I did it!). Susan and her husband Ralph, partners in RHLP, are an incredible force and are full of wisdom. Susan takes us back to the beginning, before Brooklyn was a brand before the Brooklyn Flea and Smorgasburg were a nationwide brand. This year marks RHLP's 15th anniversary, and you can celebrate with them all week long at their Red Hook location, at Smorgaburg, and at Rockaway Beach. Susan shares what it has been like to constantly regenerate after 15 years (theme of the year!), from a small counter to a food truck to a full-service restaurant to the beach. We talk about how beautiful her spreadsheets are and how those kept her running and thriving even during Hurricane Sandy and the Pandemic; what it took to learn how to become a better manager and leader of people, the firm lesson she had to learn from one of her managers, and how their candid feedback transformed her approach; what it's like to work with her husband and raise her kids in the restaurant; and why adaptability is key to sustainability.

April 2, 2024Episode 181 hr 3 min

Rachel Van Dolsen, Founder of RVD Communications –– Recently Acquired by Band of Insiders

This month on the pod, I welcome Rachel Van Dolsen, Founder of RVD Communications –– Recently Acquired by Band of Insiders . I'm excited to bring Rachel's story of how she built and sold RVD Communications. She is a 2022 graduate of the Business Growth Program and, during graduation, set a goal to sell her company, so I was thrilled to receive an email from her earlier this year informing me that she made that dream a reality. RVD Communications, an award-winning PR and influencer marketing agency based in New York City, has been acquired by continental amplification agency, Band of Insiders. Run by a talented female C-suite team, Band of Insiders is based in Mexico City and has offices in Colombia, Panama, Argentina.... and now New York. In this episode, Rachel shares what it was like to build RVD from a tiny 1-person company to a thriving team. Why having her chart of accounts and bookkeeping cleaned up and ready for review was a key to being able to jump when an interested buyer came along, how she wishes she would have taken the class sooner after she realized how impactful it was to have a clearly defined culture and infrastructure and how that positioned her to be able to find an acquisition partner that was aligned with her values. Rachel is a delight to listen to, she gives so much valuable insight not only on what it takes to sell your company but also on how communications have evolved in the last decade and what you should be thinking about for your own company's communications plan.