Well Made

After leading Entertainment Marketing at Puma and K-Swiss, GREATS co-founder, Ryan Babenzien built his own brand of premium footwear, online. Four years in, Ryan is sharing how GREATS is toeing the line of tradition and trend in retail. On this episode, Ryan talks about scaling influence (4:16). He shares how finding the razor’s edge in growth is an exercise in brand building (10:54) and managing marketing collaborations tightly (11:30). Ryan explains what all great brands have in common (12:56), and how he found the right wholesale partner in Nordstrom (15:51). He talks about GREATS’ design ethos (18:11) and how classics will always drive volume over trends (21:09) — arguing that hype is the enemy of brand (28:27). He shares how they leverage Single’s Day even when they don’t sell overseas (35:30) and their biggest design learning (36:46). Lastly, Stephan and Ryan evaluate cost per wear (47:11) and Ryan’s own set of “greats” (49:20). Links and images from this post are on the Lumi Blog.

Designed to bring the expert to you, Clare simplifies the paint shopping process. The direct-to-consumer brand opts for a focused color selection, user-friendly sample swatches, and an intuitive color picking guide. By bringing together her personal and professional experiences, founder Nicole Gibbons is hoping to build a brand that’s primed for the long haul. On this episode, Nicole explains why she choose to launch with a solution for the entire paint shopping process (6:28). She talks about predicting the lifetime value of their customer (9:56) and shaping a brand that sells to the DIY and professional markets (11:17). She shares the through line in her career (12:57) and how she built an audience at the height of the recession (17:39). She talks about exploring the licensing model, and choosing, ultimately, to operate on her terms (27:30), no matter the challenges (42:01). Links and images from this post are on the Lumi Blog.

Erica E. Phillips covers logistics and global supply chain for The Wall Street Journal, reporting on the latest news affecting retail, manufacturing, and consumer goods. Between increased online buying overhauling supply chain best practices and the escalating US-China trade war, we wanted to talk to her about the effects of ecommerce industry-wide. On this episode of Well Made, Erica talks about the warehouse labor shortage, the ramifications of Amazon’s $15 minimum wage increase (2:16), and how businesses will stay competitive to fill a projected 425,000 warehouse jobs by 2019 (7:52). Erica shares how fulfillment centers are using emojis, Alexa, and applications to train new hires and boost operational productivity (19:44). Stephan and Erica consider why you’re buying stuff from companies you’ve never heard of (30:03). They dive into the security of supply chains as they discuss the Bloomberg article, "The Big Hack" (35:36). Erica talks about the tariffs on $200 billion worth of goods (45:30), the ways importers are dodging these taxes (47:20), and she questions the macroeconomic effects of the trade war (49:42). Links and images from this post are on the Lumi Blog.

Just a few years ago, on-demand meal delivery services were non-existent. Today, you can find brands specializing in everything from smoothies to family dinners. In a crowded space, Freshly is betting on healthy, heat-and-eat, pre-portioned meals. Since founding the subscription meal service in 2012, Michael Wystrach and Carter Comstock have used a growing cold supply chain to deliver fresh food direct-to-consumer, adopting and creating their own systems along the way. On this episode, Michael and Carter share the secret to making fresh foods that travel well (2:11). With recent IPOs, acquisitions, and companies shuttering, Michael talks about the state of the meal kit and food subscription industry, and what it takes to be competitive in the space (3:22). They address some of the criticisms of meal delivery services (9:22). Carter talks about adopting and creating best practices for their cold supply chain (14:32). They talk about rebranding Freshly with early investments (22:26). Finally, they share the learnings that helped them pivot from a diet-specific service to a lifestyle food company (37:54) and what it’s like to work with Nestle (40:32). Links and images from this post are on the Lumi blog.

It's not always easy for women to talk and learn about their periods or reproductive health. LOLA co-CEOs and founders, Alex Friedman and Jordana Kier realized they weren't the only ones confused or curious about the products coming in contact with their bodies. So in 2015, they set out to answer a seemingly simple question: What are tampons made of? LOLA launched with organic, non-toxic cotton tampons and have since built a product line of feminine hygiene and sexual health products. On this episode, co-founder Alex Friedman talks about validating their idea for LOLA with early focus groups (6:31). After recently raising a Series B, she shares how they pitched tampons to male investors (14:00). Alex shares how their transparency is encouraging conversations around taboo subjects (17:32). She shares how she splits roles with co-CEO, Jordana Kier (24:31) and their recent launch, SEX by LOLA (28:23). Alex shares how they put a focus on dialogue (31:00) by building a sex hotline (32:09). Lastly, she opens up about LOLA helping women find their voice (41:50). Link and images from this post are on the [Lumi blog].

From Airbnb to Uber, creative agency Ueno is designing digital experiences for Silicon Valley's biggest tech companies. Founder Haraldur Thorleifsson is on Well Made sharing how the most important part of their process has nothing to do with design. On this episode, Halli talks about building trust with first-time clients (14:25) and teaching brands the role of agencies (17:39). He shares how collaboration and fostering personal relationships are important to their process (21:23). He talks about not wanting to be boxed into the same design style (25:59). As Ueno continues to boom, Halli talks about restructuring their company to be autonomous without his direct oversight (27:36). At the same time, he’s learning how to encourage creativity and bring geographically spread out teams together (30:01). Finally, Halli talks about overcoming alcoholism (38:30), taking things to their extremes (39:42), and bringing his big visions for Ueno to life (40:50). Links and images from this post are on the Lumi Blog.

In 2011, Max Temkin and several friends crowdfunded one of the most successful games on Kickstarter — Cards Against Humanity. On Well Made, Max is talking about Blackbox, the shipping company he co-created after realizing how difficult shipping a wildly popular physical product could be. On this episode, Max talks about creating his own rules about doing business (4:54). He shares how they build Cards’s sometimes-inappropriate-but-always-hilarious brand of writing into the company (13:39). He shares more about Blackbox (23:30) and what they learned from shipping one of the most funded Kickstarter games (26:28). Even after rapid growth, Max talks about the growing pains of their startup (28:58). Max discusses the games he’s created and what he's playing nowadays (52:25). Finally, Max shares how a good game (and business) is all about creating a rich narrative. Links and images from this post are on the Lumi blog.

After a decade-long career in the editorial makeup industry, Gloria Noto, would found her own makeup and skincare line, NOTO Botanics, in 2016. Her all-natural full body collection of uni-sex oils, serums, and skin tints are multi-use and formulated for everyone. Her brand is a platform for education, activism, and inclusive brand messaging — all things she felt were missing in the wellness world. Even as NOTO grows, it’s Gloria’s vision of openness and authenticity that defines the line. On this episode, Gloria talks about pursuing a creative career full-time (11:48). She shares how the makeup industry has changed with social media and paid advertising (13:53), and the importance of using queer, multi-racial, and gender-fluid imagery in the beauty space (15:16). Gloria talks about the stigma of makeup for men and aging for women (16:33). With her brand growing, she gets real about the tough manufacturing and hiring choices she’s facing (23:32). Gloria’s shares her big ideas for the future of NOTO Botanics (29:09) and how she's running an instinctive business (32:55) and embracing her whole identity (36:40). Links and images from this post are on the Lumi blog.

Tom Gerhardt and Dan Provost are the founders of Studio Neat, a design company making gadgets and tools through Kickstarter. Their first campaign, the Glif tripod mount, helped launch other Kickstarter hardware back in 2010. Since then, they’ve crowdfunded seven more projects, everything from the Cosmonaut to the Neat Ice Kit. Their products are simply designed and delightful to use. On this episode, Tom and Dan share how a diverse product offering and slow-but-steadfast audience growth are tenets of running their business (7:00). Stephan, Tom, and Dan ponder being generalists versus specialists (12:17). Tom likens Studio Neat to a band (16:04). They talk about growing their email list through Kickstarter (21:18) and the long tail benefits of selling through Amazon (22:40). They talk about the creative process of making practical products (25:10) and how a product story is important (28:05). They explain why outsourcing works for their small operation (40:44), and finally, they talk about jealousy as a source of inspiration and motivation (48:25). Link and images from this post are on the Lumi blog.

In 2012, CEO and founder Eliza Blank bootstrapped The Sill through a Kickstarter campaign and started the ecommerce business locally — hand-delivering indoor potted plants around New York City. Six years later, The Sill is shipping everything from ferns to succulents nationwide. When plants are your product, the information to keep them alive becomes part of the product offering. By taking the guesswork, and ultimately friction, out of buying and caring for plants, Eliza and her team are seeing the community (and sales) flourish. Their goal? To make the experience enjoyable, even for the sorest of green thumbs. On this episode of the podcast, Eliza shares how The Sill is making the plant buying process approachable and directional through guidance and a growing supply chain (11:31). She goes through The Sill’s major business milestones and transitions (18:23), and how the brick-and-mortar business shaped how they marketed and sold their products online (20:54). She talks about outgrowing her bootstrapped business (22:31), acting on ambition (24:51), and investing in a solution-oriented online shopping experience (27:40). Finally, Eliza shares how they’re building beyond the zeitgeist of plant parenthood (41:50). Link and images from this post are on the Lumi Blog.