The Stanza

Subscribe to The Stanza, a newsletter at the intersection of investing, hospitality & fashion. This episode is sponsored by Peoplevine - the best hospitality CRM software. Check out why Peoplevine is used and loved by the best private members clubs and book your free demo here."Everything he touches turns to gold" - this is what a brutally honest friend said to me about today's guest, Raphael Farasat. Raphael is the founder of award-winning Truffl Agency and co-founder of Last Crumb Cookies, the viral luxury cookie brand. He's worked with the likes of Tesla, LinkedIn, and Heineken, and as the creative director behind really cool upcoming consumer brands such as Better Bagel, Barcode Drinks, Boba Ice Cream, Jean Dousset, and more. We chatted about the power of metaphor when it comes to building a world for a brand, his creative process, and taking a contrarian approach when it comes to marketing and storytelling. Every founder building a consumer facing business - whether that's a cpg brand, hospitality group, or marketplace - can benefit from this interview. Episode highlights Raphael's creative process A networking strategy that brings aligned opportunities Applying the scarcity model from streetwear to cookies How to create a contrarian brand that people love Metaphors and consumer psychology How to create a membership program that fosters customer loyaltyConnect with Raphael on IG: @raph_More on Truffl Agency: https://truffl.com/Try Last Crumb cookies: https://lastcrumb.com/

Subscribe to The Stanza, a weekly journal for investors & entrepreneurs in the creative industries: https://www.thestanzamedia.comToday's guest is Julia Baldet, an investor at BC Partners, a large cap European private equity fund. Prior to BC Partners, Julia was an investor at Manzanita Capital, where she was the sole associate working on the $1B sale of Byredo to Puig in 2022. While at Manzanita Capital, Julia also managed some of their other investments, such as Diptyque, Space NK, and Susanne Kaufmann. In addition to investing at the institutional level, Julia is an angel investor in Konvi, The Edit LDN, and Kimai.We chatted about how she created the career she desired, her insights from investing in consumer brands, and her advice for those wanting to break into consumer PE.*Huge thanks to BC Partners' compliance team for giving us the green light to do this interview!Episode Highlights: How Julia carved her career path into luxury consumer investing Byredo: deal process & dyamics Why Puig was the right buyer of Byredo Julia's insider perspective of the luxury beauty business What makes a $billion beauty brand prime for acquisition? What type of capital partner beauty & fashion entrepreneurs should seek How Julia sources angel investment opportunities Julia's investment criteria (company & founding team) Advice for aspiring luxury consumer investorsConnect with Julia on LinkedInCheck out her essay for the blog Data Driven InvestorFollow The Stanza on IG/TikTok: @thestanzamedia