Well Made

FabFitFun built an extensive community of customers and influencers who share their quarterly unboxings all over social media. Daniel Broukhim is the co-CEO and co-founder of the FabFitFun. He believes bringing value to the customer through their full-size products, digital content integrations, and experiential marketing are keys to their growth. On Well Made, Daniel joins Stephan and special guest host, Lumi founder Jesse Genet, to talk about bootstrapping their newsletter business into a physical product sold direct-to-consumer (8:36), how storytelling and building a narrative are part of the FabFitFun DNA (8:06), and why staying intentional positioned them in a crowded subscription space (13:12). They talk about the operational obstacles of curating and shipping a quarterly box (14:01) and the initial challenges of sourcing and selling brands on their business (16:05). They dive into how they’re using data to improve the box experience via personalization (19:17) and lastly, they talk about the influence of his family (28:23) and Los Angeles (37:50). Links and images from this post are on the Lumi blog.

Lauren Sherman is the Chief Correspondent at the Business of Fashion — an online publication delivering industry news on emerging and global brands, designers, and trends happening in retail. From Amazon to Allbirds, the former Forbes reporter and Editor-at-Large at Fashionista, covers why and how people are spending their money on fashion. On this episode, Lauren talks about how traditional retailers are adapting to go direct-to-consumer, how DNVBs can succeed at physical retail, and if brand identity matters. Links and images from this post are on the Lumi Blog.

Tabea Soriano is the co-founder and managing partner at sustainable innovation and consulting agency Futuremade. At Futuremade she advises startups on how to integrate environmental, ethical, and socially responsible strategies into identity and business. Before starting Futuremade, she came from a decade-long product and supply chain background. As the former Head of Product at ethical fashion line, Reformation, she lead the research and development of innovative materials and design. Operationally, she helped establish a more sustainable supply chain. On this episode, Tabea shares how brands can focus in on social and environmental issues, impactful ways to integrate sustainability, and the tools to help establish a baseline at any scale. Links and images from this post are on the Lumi blog.

Maria Thomas has 20 years of tech industry experience. From Amazon to NPR to SmartThings, if there’s one through line in Maria’s career, it’s having the curiosity and vision to help brands get off the ground at an early stage. She’s a seasoned consumer internet pro who experienced the evolution from Web 1.0 to its current state, navigating brands through good and bad times. On this episode, Maria talks about the value of a brand narrative, preparation, and seeing the potential in promising brands. Links and images from this post are on the Lumi Blog.

ThirdLove set out to face two huge challenges in the bra industry: designing a fit for all women and selling it with no risk to the customer. Their solutions — the Fit Finder quiz and try-before-you-buy program — changed how people buy bras online. Early manufacturing mistakes and marketing struggles could have spelled the end for the brand, but ThirdLove found creative, radical solutions. ThirdLove has found success in a better fitting product designed for all women, with a risk-free buying experience, and a brand voice focused on inclusivity, that’s driven by data. On this episode, Heidi Zak talks about lessons she learned from her time at Google, experimenting with retail distribution models, marketing on television, opening a showroom, and the events that changed the course of the company. Links and images from this post are on the Lumi Blog.

Tina Sharkey has dedicated over 20 years to building purposeful online communities. From her role as CEO of the Sherpa Foundry to SVP of online messaging at AOL, she’s passionate about building platforms that enable people to tell their stories. Her latest venture is no different. In July 2017, she and co-founder, Ido Leffler, launched direct-to-consumer brand, Brandless, which sells everyday home and pantry essentials for $3. Brandless’s consumer product line covers everything from pantry goods to beauty products without the overload and markups of traditional grocery aisles. On this episode, Tina talks about reinforcing transparency through packaging, the future of brick-and-mortar retail, and the importance of nurturing the Brandless community. Link and images from this post are on the Lumi blog.

For tech startup Meadow, there hasn’t been a more pivotal time than now. The legalization of cannabis in California marks the end of a modern prohibition era and the beginning of legal grey areas and logistical obstacles that Meadow is hoping to alleviate with their software enterprise. From seed to sale, Meadow Platform streamlines retail, operations, delivery, and data for nearly one hundred dispensaries. On this episode, David gives a brief history lesson on the cannabis industry, shares key metrics Meadow is focused on, and tackles the stigma surrounding cannabis. Links and images from this post are on the Lumi blog.

Co-founders Jesse Genet and Stephan Ango launched Lumi in 2015, and they're excited to share what's next. It's been a year since their last episode so it's a perfect time to loop back, talk about the fundraising process, and answer some of your questions. Links and images are from this post are on the Lumi blog.

Proper Cloth uses technology to power personalization in the form of dress shirts. From the beginning, Seph used technology to guide big decisions for the brand. But even while building the software, Seph and his small team would alternate weekends, fitting clientele in their showroom. They used fittings as opportunities to gather data points and refine their platform. Ten years later, their growth is still as calculated as ever. They're continuously improving their style quiz for a seamless fit while scaling a methodical supply chain and diversifying their catalog for a complete menswear experience. In this episode, Seph shares his bootstrapping experience, why Proper Cloth is building their tools in-house, how they're experimenting with marketing, and what’s in store for the future. Links and images from this post are on Lumi Blog.

Blending her experience in business development and marketing with a healthy dose of ambition, Daily Harvest CEO and founder, Rachel Drori, acquired over 100,000 customers in just three years. After challenging herself to eat healthier, Rachel realized the problem: eating healthy takes time. Daily Harvest is the direct-to-consumer solution, using the freezer as a tool for convenience. She started out in a test kitchen, filling smoothie cups on her own, and now she's expanding her product line to bowls and sundaes using a cold supply chain, and a network of organic farmers. On this episode, Rachel talks about reframing the freezer, fighting food fatigue, cutting through the noise of the grocery industry, and staying hungry as they scale. Links and images from this post are on the Lumi blog