The Safari

John Ballay, the CEO of Knot Standard, Melissa Mash, the Founder and CEO of Dagne Dover, and Nate Checketts, the CEO and Co-Founder of Rhone recently started an initiative called Brands x Better, a group of 27 brands that are united in an effort to raise awareness and funds for various charities that are helping the COVID-19 crisis. We talk about: how the digitally native leaders and the fashion industry as a whole are reacting to the crisis, the changes and innovation that will emerge from this uncertain time, how this initiative pledges to pay it forward to those on the front lines, and more. To learn more about Brands x Better, please visit their website.   Interviewed by Mortimer Singer.

Allie Egan is the CEO of Cynthia Rowley, a leading global lifestyle brand built on the philosophy that fashion should be an adventure. Since joining Cynthia Rowley, Allie has not only headed the brand’s switch to becoming digital-first through e-commerce, retail, and wholesale, but has also carried over the spontaneous spirit of the brand via innovative approaches to sustainability, marketing, and consumer experiences. We talk about: the power of technology and a digital-first approach within the brand, the open showroom and nomadic retail concept, causes the brand stands behind, the power of brand storytelling through collaborations, and more.   Interviewed by Mortimer Singer. 

We all are thinking through how we are going to manage the coming weeks and months. I for one turned to a group of my closest friends and advisors, who happen to also be colleagues and experts in crisis management. The conversation I had was so compelling that I decided to have it a second time but this time recorded. Blly Susman is one of the leading financial minds in the consumer investment banking world; Geoff Lurie is the President of Traub and serial optimization CEO and leader and former CEO of The North Face; similarly Joe Ahearn is Managing Director at Traub who among other things was the CEO of Marvel and ToyBiz.    Between the three of them, they advised the following steps which are catalogued in this episode: Don’t panic: this may cause you to over react and shoot from the hip. Don’t. Plan: Sit down calmly and objectively come up with a plan. Watch your cash position by generating a normalized 13 week cash flow, then stress test it with the daily realities that come your way. Keep mission crytical people at home. Likely all employees will need to stay home.  Do daily or twice daily company conference calls. Make sure those people have remote access. If you are in a part of the country / world where your area has not been shut down, cross train key players so that each can do the other’s job in case one falls ill. THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX: Requests you might never have been able to make of suppliers, landlords, retailers are now all on the table. We are in this together, so people will have to give and take. Don’t communicate false hope to employees. Transparency is key. There is nothing more demoralizing than a second round of layoffs if people have been reassured that they are all secure. Don’t hide the truth from partners, banks, factors, lawyers, suppliers and other key stakeholders. “Honesty is always the best policy.” Said the late Marvin Traub.  If you work to “extend the runway” with an optimization plan, make sure the extension leads to something or somewhere. A debt package, equity infusion, M&A. In other words more stability. I tried to get this out as quickly as possible to be of help to those in need of someone to turn to. Thanks to Geoff, Joe and Billy who dropped everything to do this today as I know they have been dealing with all manner of issues for their respective clients. Stay safe. Morty  

Tata Harper is the Founder of her beauty brand Tata Harper Skincare, a line of natural products merging nature’s botanicals and technology from around the globe to create multi-purpose and multifunctional products that never compromise on luxury. Since launching 10 years ago, Tata has become a leader in not only the beauty industry, but also the consumer lifestyle space. We talk about: the development of her products’ formulas, the importance of rituals in her vision for her brand, the technology behind her products, her entrepreneurial advice, and more.   Interviewed by Mortimer Singer. 

Gabi Lewis is the CEO and Co-Founder of Magic Spoon, the DTC brand upgrading cereals you know and love from your childhood for the modern consumer. Just 10 months into its business, Magic Spoon has reinvented the cereal aisle by masterfully threading the needle between healthy ingredients and colorful, exciting brand marketing. We talk about: the similarities and differences of building EXO vs. Magic Spoon, recipe iterations to create healthier cereal, the evolution of the brand with the consumer, possible strategic alliances with both traditional and non-traditional retailers, and more.   Interviewed by Mortimer Singer. 

John Ballay is the CEO and Co-Founder of Knot Standard, the custom menswear brand known for its tailor made suits. Since it’s conception, Knot Standard’s solution-based brand and strong curation of product has helped it create an impressive global following. We talk about: growing the stickiness of the customer, the influence of hospitality throughout the customer journey, his strategy behind brand partnerships, the brands he admires, and more.   Interviewed by Mortimer Singer. 

Benjamin Witte is the Founder of Recess, a beverage brand and a burgeoning media company on a mission to awaken creativity in all of us. Since 2018, the internet-born retailer has generated an incredible amount of buzz by designing a collection of beverages aimed to help people feel balanced, centered and inspired. We talk about: the idea behind “taking a recess”, his approach to content creation and consumer experiences, the creation of the brand identity and design, the potential of the CBD category, his advice for budding entrepreneurs, Recess’ upcoming product extensions, and more.   Interview by Mortimer Singer.

Julian Steinberg is the Co-Founder of Alliance Consumer Growth. Since 2011, he and his colleagues have built ACG into one of the leading consumer growth investment funds in the United States. They have invested in many household names ranging from Harry’s Shaving, Tata Harper, Shake Shack, Clio, Lola, BarkTHINS, and most recently Hershel. We talk about: his strategy of investing, shifts in consumer behaviors that are influencing today’s brands, how the digital and physical intersect, sectors that excite him at the moment, and more.   Interviewed by Mortimer Singer. 

Matt Scanlan is the founder and CEO of Naadam, a digital native Cashmere company that works directly with herders to create high quality and sustainable knitwear. His approach to building brands that are rooted in understanding consumer psychology has made the companies he leads both highly sought-after and exciting. We talk about: the creation of Naadam, his partnership with Thakoon and Arielle Charnas of Something Navy, the importance of forming brands that reflect consumer identities, the process of building loyalty, and more.  Interviewed by Mortimer Singer.   

Zahra Ahmed is the CEO of DL1961, a sustainable denim brand on a mission to create jeans for the next generation. Centered on the idea of merging technology and mindfully-made products, DL1961 offers jeans using premium materials and innovative fibers alongside the most efficient production methods to ensure a product that looks good also does better for the environment. As a result, DL1961 is one of the fastest rising denim brands today. We talk about: the creation of the DL1961 family business, the marketing strategy behind the brand's impressive growth, various ways the conversation about sustainability is weaved into the business, the new perspectives consumers have about retail, and more.   Interviewed by Mortimer Singer.