Cultures within Capitalism

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! 

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! 

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! 

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. 

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.  

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. 

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. 

This month on the pod, I welcome Harry Doull of Keap. Keap was born from a philosophical question: In an always-on world, how can we reconnect with ourselves and restore our balance with nature? This is a very rich conversation about running a business today. Harry shares what it was like to grow up in a castle! (bed and breakfast) and the business lessons he learned (one of my favorite conversations about marketing), how he decided to leave his job at YouTube to start Keap, why he's committed to running a business without social media (3 years going!), how he's navigated going from a partnership to a solo operator (shout out to Steve!), how non-violent communication helped him as a manager, why he was drawn to lean manufacturing, and so much more! You may want to bring a Keap candle into your own life :) (One of my greatest monthly joys!)  Correction: **In this episode, Harry states that Natural Habitats work in Brazil, which should have been Ecuador.**

This month on the pod, I welcome Al Fine of Dame. Dame is committed to changing the way sexual wellness and pleasure are understood and experienced in the world. Wired named Dame one of the most innovative wellness companies of 2020, and Al was named one of Entrepreneur Magazine's 30 under 30. Al shares what it has been like to usher Dame through its first almost-decade of life, the childhood experiences that inspired her to become a sexologist (it has to do with show and tell!), how she started on the path of making great vibrators (she can do it better!), what it's been like to raise millions in a very male-dominated space, why she sued the MTA and so much more! In a time when we could all benefit from prioritizing pleasure, Al shares a lot of wisdom about what it's been like to grow a team, grow a family, and grow as a leader while keeping that ethos front of mind. 

This month, I welcome to the pod Cari Sekendur of Butter Studio and host of the podcast The Spread: Where Sports and Creativity Meet Bottom Line. Cari is a talented designer living out her vision from Berlin. Her work has recently been featured in The Brand Identity, The Creative Review, and AIGA Eye on Design, among many others. A fellow Chicagoan, Cari, shares how her unconventional background led her to launch her studio and have the confidence to pursue her vision of working globally. She shares what it was like to be the small minority of female-founded, queer-led studios and how she marries her passion for design and sports, working with Puma, Women In Soccer, and her much-applauded feature of the 2020 Olympic athletes.  You can find that work and more at Butter Studio.