Since the early 2000s, Amit Sharma has worked with commerce giants like Walmart and Apple to build supply chain infrastructure. In 2012, he founded Narvar. If you've bought anything online in the past few years, you've no doubt interacted with Narvar. Brands like Sephora, Patagonia, Gap and Sonos, ship millions of products per year using Narvar's comprehensive pre-to-post-purchase software.To fulfill the packaging piece of their pixel-to-package promise, Narvar recently acquired Lumi! In this episode, Stephan and Amit talk about the flux in consumer expectations, what it takes for brands to please customers now, and what's next for Lumi and Narvar.Visit the Lumi blog for links and images.

Since the early 2000s, Amit Sharma has worked with commerce giants like Walmart and Apple to build supply chain infrastructure. In 2012, he founded <a href="http://narvar.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Narvar</a>. If you've bought anything online in the past few years, you've no doubt interacted with Narvar. Brands like Sephora, <a href="https://www.lumi.com/wellmade/52-nellie-cohen-patagonia" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Patagonia</a>, Gap and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALx0k40f7hI" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sonos</a>, ship millions of products per year using Narvar's comprehensive pre-to-post-purchase software.To fulfill the packaging piece of their pixel-to-package promise, <a href="https://www.lumi.com/blog/lumi-joins-narvar" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Narvar recently acquired Lumi</a>! In this episode, Stephan and Amit talk about the flux in consumer expectations, what it takes for brands to please customers now, and what's next for Lumi and Narvar.<a href="https://www.lumi.com/wellmade" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Visit the Lumi blog for links and images.</a>

152 What comes next with Amit Sharma, CEO and founder of Narvar

Kendra Pierre-Louis

Climate anxiety is real. Expounding environmental factors and consumer guilt can make it hard to want to click on the latest climate change headline. But, climate reporter Kendra Pierre-Louis has a track record for making climate change coverage go viral. For example, she wrote a story in The New York Times about evil purple urchins.Whenever climate change swoops in in the form of a flood, fire, or fuzzy caterpillars, Kendra is there to follow the story. Despite her "Gloom is my beat" Twitter username, Kendra has a bullish way of making you care about climate change — in her writing and in her reporting on How to Save a Planet. She does it by rooting her reporting in human stories, offering actionable solutions, and making it funny whenever possible.On this episode, she pulls no punches and cracks lots of laughs. Get ready to get real about shifting climate responsibility from consumers to companies, devaluing oil, and being fueled by obligation over hope.Visit the Lumi blog for links and images.

Climate anxiety is real. Expounding environmental factors and consumer guilt can make it hard to want to click on the latest climate change headline. But, climate reporter Kendra Pierre-Louis has a track record for making climate change coverage go viral. For example, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/22/climate/kelp-climate-change-california.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">she wrote a story in The New York Times about evil purple urchins</a>.Whenever climate change swoops in in the form of a flood, fire, or fuzzy caterpillars, Kendra is there to follow the story. Despite her "Gloom is my beat" <a href="https://twitter.com/KendraWrites" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter username</a>, Kendra has a bullish way of making you care about climate change — in <a href="https://www.kendrawrites.com/writing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">her writing</a> and in her reporting on <a href="https://gimletmedia.com/shows/howtosaveaplanet" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How to Save a Planet</a>. She does it by rooting her reporting in human stories, offering actionable solutions, and making it funny whenever possible.On this episode, she pulls no punches and cracks lots of laughs. Get ready to get real about shifting climate responsibility from consumers to companies, devaluing oil, and being fueled by obligation over hope.<a href="https://www.lumi.com/wellmade" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Visit the Lumi blog for links and images.</a>

151 Motivated by obligation with climate reporter, Kendra Pierre-Louis

For Emmett Shine, being in the right place at the right time was never a matter of luck — it was a matter of hustle. It was a practice in leveling up a bit before you're ready, but not overstretching. After designing, building, and strategizing some of the most iconic modern brands — from Sweetgreen and Whole Foods to Warby Parker and Everlane — his design agency Gin Lane closed to pursue Pattern Brands. They're scaling down and venturing out to build a thoughtful collaborative of home brands that are, of course, stunningly functional and instantly essential.In this episode, Emmett cuts right to the chase of what it took to get in the room with legacy fashion brands, the design and marketing strategy that built iconic ecommerce brands, and what he's looking for in new brands for Pattern.Visit the Lumi blog for links and images.

For <a href="https://twitter.com/emmettshine" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Emmett Shine</a>, being in the right place at the right time was never a matter of luck — it was a matter of hustle. It was a practice in leveling up a bit before you're ready, but not overstretching. After designing, building, and strategizing some of the most iconic modern brands — from Sweetgreen and Whole Foods to Warby Parker and Everlane — his design agency <a href="https://www.ginlane.com/work/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gin Lane</a> closed to pursue <a href="https://www.patternbrands.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pattern Brands</a>. They're scaling down and venturing out to build a thoughtful collaborative of home brands that are, of course, stunningly functional and instantly essential.In this episode, Emmett cuts right to the chase of what it took to get in the room with legacy fashion brands, the design and marketing strategy that built iconic ecommerce brands, and what he's looking for in new brands for Pattern.<a href="https://www.lumi.com/wellmade" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Visit the Lumi blog for links and images.</a>

150 Following opportunity with Emmett Shine, Co-founder of Pattern Brands

Amit Gupta

Being ingrained in the tech startup world has taken Amit Gupta down a different path than most. After selling his first company Photojojo in 2014, he started traveling, writing sci-fi, and more recently, building Sudowrite. Sudowrite is an app for creative writers that uses AI to beat writer's block.You're probably familiar with predictive text models offering suggestions for sentences in your Gmail or text messages. Sudowrite is built off of Open AI's GPT-3 model, and it generates word patterns based on learnings from millions of sentences online.Amit's passion for writing took him down the path to build Sudowrite. While Sudowrite predicts the paths for a most immediate future — what words could come next — Amit's optimistic sci-fi imagines a more long term future. In this episode, he talks about breaking away from the dystopian sci-fi status quo, the upside of robots writing your emails, and how to chisel away at creative blocks by using learned word patterns.Visit the Lumi blog for links, charts, and images.

Being ingrained in the tech startup world has taken <a href="https://twitter.com/superamit" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amit Gupta</a> down a different path than most. After selling his first company Photojojo in 2014, he started traveling, writing sci-fi, and more recently, building <a href="https://www.sudowrite.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sudowrite</a>. Sudowrite is an app for creative writers that uses AI to beat writer's block.You're probably familiar with predictive text models offering suggestions for sentences in your Gmail or text messages. Sudowrite is built off of Open AI's <a href="https://openai.com/blog/gpt-3-apps/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">GPT-3 model</a>, and it generates word patterns based on learnings from millions of sentences online.Amit's passion for writing took him down the path to build Sudowrite. While Sudowrite predicts the paths for a most immediate future — what words could come next — Amit's optimistic sci-fi imagines a more long term future. In this episode, he talks about breaking away from the dystopian sci-fi status quo, the upside of robots writing your emails, and how to chisel away at creative blocks by using learned word patterns.<a href="https://www.lumi.com/wellmade" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Visit the Lumi blog for links, charts, and images.</a>

149 Writing a more optimistic future with Amit Gupta, Co-founder of Sudowrite

Reggie James

An online identity is a cyclical existence that feeds on the past. Reggie James calls the pre-Facebook internet "proto-identity." From there, we quickly excelled from profile pages to performative identity, slicing up our full self into concise slivers.Reggie James is the CEO and founder of Eternal, a new kind of identity platform. He's rejecting the comforting nostalgia of what users have "liked," and building a new way forward. In this episode, he challenges what we think about when we think about our online identity, praises the future-thinking theories of game design, and pushes product designers to think beyond the container.

An online identity is a cyclical existence that feeds on the past. Reggie James calls the pre-Facebook internet "proto-identity." From there, we quickly excelled from profile pages to performative identity, slicing up our full self into concise slivers.<a href="https://twitter.com/HipCityReg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Reggie James</a> is the CEO and founder of <a href="https://eternal.plus/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Eternal</a>, a new kind of identity platform. He's rejecting the comforting nostalgia of what users have "liked," and building a new way forward. In this episode, he challenges what we think about when we think about our online identity, praises the future-thinking theories of game design, and pushes product designers to think beyond the container.

148 Making meaning with Reggie James, CEO and founder of Eternal

Tyler Mincey

As more product categories are getting "smarter," are they actually getting better? ﻿Wires, buttons and ports are disappearing from tech devices, meanwhile microchips and apps are being introduced to products that, for decades, have worked just fine without them. ﻿Tyler Mincey is always thinking about the long view of new products. He﻿'s brought his decade of product experience from Apple, ﻿Fictive Kin﻿, and Pearl Automation to the VC, Bolt, and on this episode, he's disassembling generations of past products and optimistically building toward a future that he's excited to invest in.Visit the Lumi blog for links and show notes.

As more product categories are getting "smarter," are they actually getting better? ﻿Wires, buttons and ports are disappearing from tech devices, meanwhile microchips and apps are being introduced to products that, for decades, have worked just fine without them. ﻿<a href="https://twitter.com/tmincey?lang=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tyler Mincey</a> is always thinking about the long view of new products. He﻿'s brought his decade of product experience from Apple, ﻿<a href="https://fictivekin.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fictive Kin</a>﻿, and <a href="https://pearlauto.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pearl Automation</a> to the VC, <a href="https://bolt.io/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bolt</a>, and on this episode, he's disassembling generations of past products and optimistically building toward a future that he's excited to invest in.<a href="https://www.lumi.com/wellmade" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Visit the Lumi blog for links and show notes.</a>

147 Taking things apart with Tyler Mincey, Partner at Bolt

Laura Behrens Wu

Shippo

Accelerated by dire circumstance, ecommerce had record growth over the past year. But behind all those order confirmations and tracking numbers, supply chains and logistics were stretched further than ever.Returning guest Laura Behrens Wu is the CEO and founder of the shipping platform, Shippo and she had a front row seat to watch the rapid growth of brands and shipping providers. In this episode, she's unpacking the past year of shipping from every perspective: consumer, brand, and carrier.Visit the Lumi blog for links, charts, and images.

Accelerated by dire circumstance, ecommerce had record growth over the past year. But behind all those order confirmations and tracking numbers, supply chains and logistics were stretched further than ever.Returning guest <a href="https://twitter.com/LauraBehrensWu" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Laura Behrens Wu</a> is the CEO and founder of the shipping platform, <a href="https://goshippo.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Shippo</a> and she had a front row seat to watch the rapid growth of brands and shipping providers. In this episode, she's unpacking the past year of shipping from every perspective: consumer, brand, and carrier.<a href="https://www.lumi.com/wellmade" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Visit the Lumi blog for links, charts, and images.</a>

146 Shipping is changing with Laura Behrens Wu CEO of Shippo

Kevin Kelly

In his blog post titled My Life Countdown, Kevin Kelly cites a friend's philosophy of approaching your life's projects in 5-year chunks. His newest project, Vanishing Asia has broken this 5-year rule, clocking in at 5 decades.  Every one of his trips to Asia in the past fifty years has led to this 1000-page, three-volume book, capturing 9,000 photos. Kevin is known for being an eloquent futurist, a purveyor of tech and cool tools, and the founding executive editor of Wired. So at first glance, this project may seem like a departure from his work. But in this, his second visit on the Well Made podcast, Kevin shares how this 50-year visual anthology taps into what it means to plan for a payoff that will come after your lifetime.Visit the Lumi blog for links and images.

In his blog post titled <a href="https://kk.org/ct2/my-life-countdown-1/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">My Life Countdown</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/kevin2kelly" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kevin Kelly</a> cites a friend's philosophy of approaching your life's projects in 5-year chunks. His newest project, <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kk-org/vanishing-asia" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Vanishing Asia</a> has broken this 5-year rule, clocking in at 5 decades.  Every one of his trips to Asia in the past fifty years has led to this 1000-page, three-volume book, capturing 9,000 photos. Kevin is known for being an eloquent futurist, a purveyor of tech and cool tools, and the founding executive editor of Wired. So at first glance, this project may seem like a departure from his work. But in this, <a href="https://www.lumi.com/wellmade/6-kevin-kelly" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">his second visit on the Well Made podcast</a>, Kevin shares how this 50-year visual anthology taps into what it means to plan for a payoff that will come after your lifetime.<a href="https://www.lumi.com/wellmade" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Visit the Lumi blog for links and images.</a>

145 Becoming good ancestors with futurist Kevin Kelly

Jeremiah McElwee

For the past few decades, Jeremiah McElwee has not only had a front row seat to some of the most significant growth in the natural products industry, he's been one of the people in the driver's seat. As part of the Thrive Market team since its origin, Jeremiah has led everything from category growth and farm partnerships to product packaging and the shoppable values.To build patient supply chain partnerships and keep an only-the-best product catalog, Jeremiah says they have to take their time, but you wouldn't know it from their 1 million members.Visit the Lumi blog for links and images.

For the past few decades, Jeremiah McElwee has not only had a front row seat to some of the most significant growth in the natural products industry, he's been one of the people in the driver's seat. As part of the <a href="https://thrivemarket.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Thrive Market</a> team since its origin, Jeremiah has led everything from category growth and farm partnerships to product packaging and the <a href="https://thrivemarket.com/all-values" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">shoppable values</a>.To build patient supply chain partnerships and keep an only-the-best product catalog, Jeremiah says they have to take their time, but you wouldn't know it from their 1 million members.<a href="https://www.lumi.com/wellmade" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Visit the Lumi blog for links and images.</a>

144 Sourcing more patiently with Jeremiah McElwee, Chief Merchandising Officer at Thrive Market

There are a number of ways that the wellness industry can feel exclusionary. Sometimes, a product's information is overly complex and other times it's pitched as a total lifestyle overhaul. But sustainable growth is often slow and healthy changes are gradual. In the three years since launching Golde, Trinity Mouzon Wofford is perfecting her knack for balance — between accessibility and quality, between scale and mission, and between business partner and life partner.Visit the Lumi blog for links and images.

There are a number of ways that the wellness industry can feel exclusionary. Sometimes, a product's information is overly complex and other times it's pitched as a total lifestyle overhaul. But sustainable growth is often slow and healthy changes are gradual. In the three years since launching <a href="http://golde.co/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Golde</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/trinitymouzon/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Trinity Mouzon Wofford</a> is perfecting her knack for balance — between accessibility and quality, between scale and mission, and between business partner and life partner.<a href="https://www.lumi.com/wellmade" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Visit the Lumi blog for links and images.</a>

143 Taking care of yourself with Trinity Mouzon Wofford, co-founder of Golde

The people and ideas that are shaping our patterns of consumption for the better. Hosted by Stephan Ango, co-founder of Lumi.com

Love the Well Made podcast. Stephan does a great job curating exciting and diverse guests. Appreciate the growing sustainability focus. I regularly find myself leaving an episode feeling inspired and excited about what&#39;s next. Keep up the excellent work.

Diamond in the rough

Absolutely love Lumi’s Well-Made podcast. Inspiring, insightful and always enjoyable listens!

Fav podcast

The people and ideas that are shaping our patterns of consumption for the better. Hosted by Stephan Ango, co-founder of <a href="http://Lumi.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lumi.com</a>

Well Made

Aaron Draplin

Aaron Draplin is as iconic as his work for Nike, Esquire and the Obama Administration. While running his companies Draplin Design Co and Field Notes, Aaron has learned a lot about how to work hard while making lasting relationships with all the people who matter. Stephan Ango talks to him about his new book “Pretty Much Everything,” his tendency for optimism, and what how his dad shaped his personality. Visit the Lumi Blog for the full transcript.

<a href="http://draplin.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Aaron Draplin</a> is as iconic as his work for Nike, Esquire and the Obama Administration. While running his companies Draplin Design Co and Field Notes, Aaron has learned a lot about how to work hard while making lasting relationships with all the people who matter. <a href="https://twitter.com/kepano" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stephan Ango</a> talks to him about his new book “Pretty Much Everything,” his tendency for optimism, and what how his dad shaped his personality. Visit the <a href="http://blog.lumi.com/wellmade/6-kevin-kelly" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lumi Blog</a> for the full transcript.

7 Making the Rulebook for Your Life with Aaron Draplin

David Heath

Bombas’ take on the tube sock is engineered for all walks of life, no matter the circumstances. After learning socks are the number one most requested clothing item at homeless shelters, David Heath started the premium sock brand with a giving mission. Bombas donates one pair of socks for every pair sold. The five-year-old company surpassed 10 million sock donations as of November 2018. From the beginning, David established core values grounded in the community and customer experience. In fact, Dave was on customer service duty for the first nine months of the company, taking calls at all hours. Today, he’s piloting solutions, like the Giving Directory to connect customers to the impact a pair of socks can make. Bombas was bootstrapped on Indiegogo and springboard to success after appearing on Shark Tank, but arguably, Bombas’ growth rests on their dedication to giving. On this episode, David recalls how a customer service call lead to their largest single investor (5:43). He shares what it takes to be a good leader at scale, his 75/25 rule, and management philosophy (11:00). David shares how Bombas builds great company culture and their best hiring practices (14:26). He describes how they used feedback to design a sock exclusively for the homeless community (24:16). David shares how he went from searching for community partners to accepting thousands of new inbound requests. (26:26). Stephan and David talk about the challenges of getting B Corporation certified (31:22) and making a social impact (35:43). He also shares the one tip for any ecommerce business appearing on Shark Tank (42:15). Finally, David talks about the tradeoffs Bombas made by planning for profitability rather than seeking venture capital (46:29). Also mentioned on the show:  Out of Control by Kevin Kelly Well Made Episode 6 with Kevin Kelly: Embracing the Inevitable Bombas is hiring!  Links and images from this post are on the Lumi Blog.

<a href="https://bombas.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bombas</a>’ take on the tube sock is engineered for all walks of life, no matter the circumstances. After learning socks are the number one most requested clothing item at homeless shelters, David Heath started the premium sock brand with a giving mission. Bombas donates one pair of socks for every pair sold. The five-year-old company surpassed 10 million sock donations as of November 2018. From the beginning, David established core values grounded in the community and customer experience. In fact, Dave was on customer service duty for the first nine months of the company, taking calls at all hours. Today, he’s piloting solutions, like the <a href="https://bombas.com/pages/giving-directory" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Giving Directory</a> to connect customers to the impact a pair of socks can make. Bombas was bootstrapped on Indiegogo and springboard to success after appearing on Shark Tank, but arguably, Bombas’ growth rests on their dedication to giving. On this episode, David recalls how a customer service call lead to their largest single investor (5:43). He shares what it takes to be a good leader at scale, his 75/25 rule, and management philosophy (11:00). David shares how Bombas builds great company culture and their best hiring practices (14:26). He describes how they used feedback to design a sock exclusively for the homeless community (24:16). David shares how he went from searching for community partners to accepting thousands of new inbound requests. (26:26). Stephan and David talk about the challenges of <a href="https://blog.lumi.com/wellmade/65-meika-hollender-sustain-natural" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">getting B Corporation certified</a> (31:22) and making a social impact (35:43). He also shares the one tip for any <a href="https://blog.lumi.com/wellmade/16-jesse-genet" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ecommerce business appearing on Shark Tank</a> (42:15). Finally, David talks about the tradeoffs Bombas made by planning for profitability rather than seeking venture capital (46:29). Also mentioned on the show: <ul> <li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Out-Control-Biology-Machines-Economic/dp/0201483408" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Out of Control by Kevin Kelly</a></li> <li><a href="https://blog.lumi.com/wellmade/6-kevin-kelly" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Well Made Episode 6 with Kevin Kelly: Embracing the Inevitable</a></li> <li><a href="https://boards.greenhouse.io/bombas" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bombas is hiring!</a></li> </ul> Links and images from this post are on the <a href="https://blog.lumi.com/wellmade/66-david-heath-bombas" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lumi Blog.</a>

66 Making the Greatest Sock Never Sold with David Heath, CEO and co-founder of Bombas

Julie Nguyen

A fridge that's full of Methodology meals isn't stacked with disposable trays. A Methodology fridge is stocked with columns of colorful foods, visible through glass jars.Founder Julie Nguyen knows that the Methodology audience is niche — busy people who value high quality, sustainable ingredients — but since they launched five years ago, she's seen their dedicated customer base grow.Every week with her co-founder Stephen Liu and their R&amp;D team, Julie is sourcing new ingredients, while keeping their supply chain quality consistent. She's testing new menu items while continuing to produce customers' go-to favorites. And she's making health swaps while keeping their meals comforting and fulfilling.In this episode, Julie talks about walking the line between keeping standards incredibly high while staying sustainable, finding a stride with automated marketing, traveling to expand the palate, and her discoveries about people's relationship with food.Go to the Lumi blog for links and images.

A fridge that's full of <a href="https://www.gomethodology.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Methodology</a> meals isn't stacked with disposable trays. A Methodology fridge is stocked with columns of colorful foods, visible through glass jars.Founder <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-nguyen-3115521/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Julie Nguyen</a> knows that the Methodology audience is niche — busy people who value high quality, sustainable ingredients — but since they launched five years ago, she's seen their dedicated customer base grow.Every week with her co-founder <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenliu3/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stephen Liu</a> and their R&amp;D team, Julie is sourcing new ingredients, while keeping their supply chain quality consistent. She's testing new menu items while continuing to produce customers' go-to favorites. And she's making health swaps while keeping their meals comforting and fulfilling.In this episode, Julie talks about walking the line between keeping standards incredibly high while staying sustainable, finding a stride with automated marketing, traveling to expand the palate, and her discoveries about people's relationship with food.Go to the <a href="https://www.lumi.com/wellmade" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lumi blog</a> for links and images.

120 Trying New Things with Julie Nguyen, CEO and Co-founder of Methodology

Lauren Sherman

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.

Lauren Sherman is the Chief Correspondent at the <a href="https://www.businessoffashion.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Business of Fashion</a> — 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 <a href="http://blog.lumi.com/wellmade/41-lauren-sherman" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lumi Blog.</a>

41 Going Direct to Consumer with Lauren Sherman, Chief New York Correspondent, Business of Fashion

Erin Wallace

Even with sustainability being top-of-mind for many brands, ThredUp's Erin Wallace says, "We're still creating too much." This year, Burberry had so much extra inventory that they burned millions of dollars worth. ThredUp's open letter to Burberry got a ton of traction. In addition to nudging Burberry to end the practice, the letter made it clear that secondhand is a simple way to offset fashion industry waste. If ThredUp's massive distribution center is any indication, the impact of secondhand has gone way beyond the appeal of the treasure hunt. While part of Erin's job as Brand Director is to make the treasure hunt as seamless and as fun as possible, she's also tackling the stale stigma of secondhand, and giving consumers the information they need to make more mindful purchasing decisions. It's no easy feat, but the world of secondhand is more exciting than it's ever been. Find links, images, and show notes on the Lumi blog.

Even with sustainability being top-of-mind for many brands, <a href="https://www.thredup.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ThredUp</a>'s Erin Wallace says, "We're still creating too much." This year, Burberry had so much extra inventory that they burned millions of dollars worth. ThredUp's <a href="https://www.thredup.com/bg/p/shop-secondhand-first" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">open letter to Burberry</a> got a ton of traction. In addition to nudging Burberry to end the practice, the letter made it clear that secondhand is a simple way to offset fashion industry waste. If ThredUp's massive distribution center is any indication, the impact of secondhand has gone way beyond the appeal of the treasure hunt. While part of Erin's job as Brand Director is to make the treasure hunt as seamless and as fun as possible, she's also tackling the stale stigma of secondhand, and giving consumers the information they need to make more mindful purchasing decisions. It's no easy feat, but the world of secondhand is more exciting than it's ever been. <a href="https://www.lumi.com/wellmade" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Find links, images, and show notes on the Lumi blog.</a>

95 Replacing Consumer Behavior with Erin Wallace, Brand Director at ThredUp

Mike Lackman

﻿Trade Coffee ships customers new coffee based on their tastes. It's a subscription, but CEO Mike Lackman says that part s a necessary evil. Some subscriptions help you discover new products while others help you replenish the products you already love. Trade does a bit of both.﻿Mike comes from an operational background and this episode is a deep dive into how Trade approaches each component of their supply chain. From the roaster dashboard to their new compostable bags, every step has been optimized to create a journey that keeps customers coming back.Find more links and images from this episode on the Lumi blog.

﻿Trade Coffee ships customers new coffee based on their tastes. It's a subscription, but CEO Mike Lackman says that part s a necessary evil. Some subscriptions help you discover new products while others help you replenish the products you already love. Trade does a bit of both.﻿Mike comes from an operational background and this episode is a deep dive into how Trade approaches each component of their supply chain. From the roaster dashboard to their new compostable bags, every step has been optimized to create a journey that keeps customers coming back.Find more links and images from this episode <a href="https://www.lumi.com/wellmade/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">on the Lumi blog</a>.

103 Creating a Customer Journey with Mike Lackman, CEO of Trade Coffee

Laura Behrens Wu is the CEO and co-founder of Shippo​, a platform that's powering ecommerce shipping by simplifying the world of parcel delivery. From getting labels to tracking info, Shippo is a platform that's offering competitive, carrier-agnostic, parcel shipping solutions at any scale. There is no one-size-fits-all way to ship, but customers' expectations have changed in the last few years, thanks to Amazon. Amazon has shifted the status quo, and now customers to expect free and fast delivery from businesses of all sizes, without compromising the product or process. Building for this speedy future of ecommerce is where Shippo shines, innovating to reduce friction from the time a customer checks out to the time they receive their package. In this episode, Laura breaks down why shipping dates are pivotal for customers, and how to use shipping to differentiate and grow your brand. Links and images from this post are on the Lumi blog.

Laura Behrens Wu is the CEO and co-founder of <a href="https://goshippo.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Shippo</a>​, a platform that's powering ecommerce shipping by simplifying the world of parcel delivery. From getting labels to tracking info, Shippo is a platform that's offering competitive, carrier-agnostic, parcel shipping solutions at any scale. There is no one-size-fits-all way to ship, but customers' expectations have changed in the last few years, thanks to Amazon. Amazon has shifted the status quo, and now customers to expect free and fast delivery from businesses of all sizes, without compromising the product or process. Building for this speedy future of ecommerce is where Shippo shines, innovating to reduce friction from the time a customer checks out to the time they receive their package. In this episode, Laura breaks down why shipping dates are pivotal for customers, and how to use shipping to differentiate and grow your brand. Links and images from this post are on the <a href="http://blog.lumi.com/wellmade/31-laura-behrens-wu" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lumi blog</a>.

31 Personalizing Shipping with Laura Behrens Wu, CEO and Co-founder of Shippo

Jake Kassan

After two failed business, Jake Kassan started MVMT. MVMT’s minimal, sleek take on watches and accessories in addition to their focused marketing gained them millions of followers. In 2013, Jake bootstrapped MVMT through Indiegogo, and this August, the five-year-old brand was acquired by the Movado Group. Through those early ventures, Jake learned the importance of brand. For MVMT, brand informs, motivates, and guides every part of their business, especially their influencer marketing. On the podcast, we sit down with Jake to talk about the pillars of the MVMT lifestyle (2:15) and creating aspirational content with influencers (3:53). He talks about leveraging Shopify to scale (8:59) and the tools that are important they build in-house (10:15). He shares the most valuable lessons he learned from his failed t-shirt company (31:39) and finding the backbone of a successful business (33:31). Jake talks about not pursuing outside investment (33:55), hacking the crowdfunding system (34:57), and being financially disciplined early on (39:11). Finally, he shares how MVMT will grow their offline footprint with Movado (43:01) and how he’s all in for the foreseeable future (50:08). Links and images from this post are on the Lumi Blog.

After two failed business, Jake Kassan started <a href="https://www.mvmtwatches.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">MVMT</a>. MVMT’s minimal, sleek take on watches and accessories in addition to their focused marketing gained them millions of followers. In 2013, Jake bootstrapped MVMT through Indiegogo, and this August, the five-year-old brand was acquired by the Movado Group. Through those early ventures, Jake learned the importance of brand. For MVMT, brand informs, motivates, and guides every part of their business, especially their influencer marketing. On the podcast, we sit down with Jake to talk about the pillars of the MVMT lifestyle (2:15) and creating aspirational content with influencers (3:53). He talks about leveraging Shopify to scale (8:59) and the tools that are important they build in-house (10:15). He shares the most valuable lessons he learned from his failed t-shirt company (31:39) and finding the backbone of a successful business (33:31). Jake talks about not pursuing outside investment (33:55), hacking the crowdfunding system (34:57), and being financially disciplined early on (39:11). Finally, he shares how MVMT will grow their offline footprint with Movado (43:01) and how he’s all in for the foreseeable future (50:08). Links and images from this post are on the <a href="https://blog.lumi.com/wellmade/63-jake-kassan-mvmt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lumi Blog.</a>

63 Owning Your Brand with Jake Kassan, CEO and co-founder of MVMT

Dan Frommer

There was a time when the idea of shopping online was revolutionary. When you may have called yourself an ecommerce convert and swore to never step foot in a brick-and-mortar store ever again. But the truth is, while Prime Day gets bigger ever year, so does the line outside of Everlane's X retail stores. Dan Frommer knows that change is the only constant in how we shop and what we buy. He launched The New Consumer to track that change. Dan used to be the editor-in-chief at Recode and a reporter at Quartz and Forbes. Now, every other week, he sends out a members-only newsletter with a real point of view to help you digest the ecommerce and retail trade headlines. He's on the Well Made podcast to give us a state-of-the-ecommerce-union report, diving deep into everything from the Harry's acquisition and CBD to globalization and tariffs. Find links and show notes on the Lumi blog.

There was a time when the idea of shopping online was revolutionary. When you may have called yourself an ecommerce convert and swore to never step foot in a brick-and-mortar store ever again. But the truth is, while Prime Day gets bigger ever year, so does the line outside of Everlane's X retail stores. Dan Frommer knows that change is the only constant in how we shop and what we buy. He launched The New Consumer to track that change. Dan used to be the editor-in-chief at Recode and a reporter at Quartz and Forbes. Now, every other week, he sends out a members-only newsletter with a real point of view to help you digest the ecommerce and retail trade headlines. He's on the Well Made podcast to give us a state-of-the-ecommerce-union report, diving deep into everything from the Harry's acquisition and CBD to globalization and tariffs. <a href="https://www.lumi.com/wellmade" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Find links and show notes on the Lumi blog.</a>

94 Converting Shoppers into Buyers with Dan Frommer, Founder of The New Consumer

Eric Edelson

The tile industry moves slowly, but when Eric Edelson joined the Fireclay Tile team, he was set on speeding things up. They were making a phenomenal product and it felt like they’d hit their limit in wholesale. In a sort of eureka moment, Eric penned a new manifesto/business model for a going direct to consumer. That was in 2008.With new flexibility and freedom, Fireclay Tile has experimented with all kinds of upcycled materials (from toilets to monitors), software for customization, sample processes, and sustainability initiatives. In 2015, they became the first tile company to be B Corp certified. Even in the midst of a pandemic, they didn’t lose speed. They were prepared with a plan of action, grounded in their core values: the health and safety of employees, business and client stability, love and kindness. ﻿Go to the Lumi blog for links and images.

The tile industry moves slowly, but when <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericedelson/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Eric Edelson</a> joined the <a href="https://www.fireclaytile.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fireclay Tile</a> team, he was set on speeding things up. They were making a phenomenal product and it felt like they’d hit their limit in wholesale. In a sort of eureka moment, Eric penned a new manifesto/business model for a going direct to consumer. That was in 2008.With new flexibility and freedom, Fireclay Tile has experimented with all kinds of upcycled materials (from toilets to monitors), software for customization, sample processes, and sustainability initiatives. In 2015, they became the first tile company to be B Corp certified. Even in the midst of a pandemic, they didn’t lose speed. They were prepared with a plan of action, grounded in their core values: the health and safety of employees, business and client stability, love and kindness. ﻿Go to the <a href="https://www.lumi.com/wellmade" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lumi blog</a> for links and images.

119 Knowing What it Means to Be a Good Business with Eric Edelson, CEO of Fireclay Tile

Jen Gotch

Ban.do is a lifestyle brand geared toward fun. That takes shape in the form of cheeky graphic tees, colorful planners and flashy sunglasses,  born from the creative mind of Jen Gotch, the Chief Creative Officer of Ban.do. Often, Jen's voice is synonymous with Ban.do's, but she's built an incredible list of her own 167k Instagram followers. On her feed and Instagram stories, she holds nothing back. She's extremely open about her obsessions, crushes, and deep dark late night thoughts. Even in the business of disco balls and glitter, being successful in business (and in life) requires some brutal real talk. On this episode, Jen talks about her fearless approach to social sharing, the relentless pursuit of an audience, the crazy growth of the Ban.do, and Jen's big ideas about the future of what the brand can be. To see photos and get links from this episode, go to the Lumi blog

<a href="http://Ban.do" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ban.do</a> is a lifestyle brand geared toward fun. That takes shape in the form of cheeky graphic tees, colorful planners and flashy sunglasses, born from the creative mind of Jen Gotch, the Chief Creative Officer of <a href="https://www.bando.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ban.do</a>. Often, Jen's voice is synonymous with <a href="http://Ban.do" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ban.do</a>'s, but she's built an incredible list of her own 167k Instagram followers. On her feed and Instagram stories, she holds nothing back. She's extremely open about her obsessions, crushes, and deep dark late night thoughts. Even in the business of disco balls and glitter, being successful in business (and in life) requires some brutal real talk. On this episode, Jen talks about her fearless approach to social sharing, the relentless pursuit of an audience, the crazy growth of the <a href="http://Ban.do" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ban.do</a>, and Jen's big ideas about the future of what the brand can be. To see photos and get links from this episode, go to <a href="http://blog.lumi.com/wellmade" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the Lumi blog</a>

27 Getting Serious About Fun with Jen Gotch, Chief Creative Officer of Ban.do

Nellie Cohen

Worn Wear

Nellie Cohen oversees Patagonia’s Worn Wear program. Worn Wear encourages people to do more with the clothing they already have through repair, reuse, and responsible recycling. They do this by offering trade-in credits for pre-owned Patagonia merchandise that’s then resold online at a discount. While a smaller operation, Worn Wear is part of Patagonia’s larger commitment to ethical environmental responsibility. More than that, the program is about the true stories of people and their Patagonia gear and preserving the planet in a small way. On this episode of the podcast, Nellie shares the origins behind Worn Wear (6:24). She illuminates on the process of launching their ecommerce site (10:58), managing the logistics behind all the program elements (13:07), and creating cross-functional trainable systems (14:23). Nellie talks about the revenue goals of the program (17:56). Stephan asks about the organizational systems and values that enable Patagonia to implement programs like Worn Wear (23:10). Nellie shares how they’re still a scrappy startup under a larger parent company (34:43). They get big picture with sustainability in ecommerce and its impact on Patagonia (35:44); and finally, they dive into Patagonia’s case study on plastic packaging for garment delivery (38:48). Links and images from this post are on the Lumi Blog.

Nellie Cohen oversees Patagonia’s <a href="https://wornwear.patagonia.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Worn Wear</a> program. Worn Wear encourages people to do more with the clothing they already have through repair, reuse, and responsible recycling. They do this by offering trade-in credits for pre-owned Patagonia merchandise that’s then resold online at a discount. While a smaller operation, Worn Wear is part of Patagonia’s larger commitment to ethical environmental responsibility. More than that, the program is about the true stories of people and their Patagonia gear and preserving the planet in a small way. On this episode of the podcast, Nellie shares the origins behind Worn Wear (6:24). She illuminates on the process of launching their ecommerce site (10:58), managing the logistics behind all the program elements (13:07), and creating cross-functional trainable systems (14:23). Nellie talks about the revenue goals of the program (17:56). Stephan asks about the organizational systems and values that enable Patagonia to implement programs like Worn Wear (23:10). Nellie shares how they’re still a scrappy startup under a larger parent company (34:43). They get big picture with sustainability in ecommerce and its impact on Patagonia (35:44); and finally, they dive into Patagonia’s case study on plastic packaging for garment delivery (38:48). Links and images from this post are on the <a href="https://blog.lumi.com/wellmade/52-nellie-cohen-patagonia" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lumi Blog</a>.

52 Celebrating the Stories We Wear with Nellie Cohen, Patagonia's Worn Wear Manager

Kerry Cooper

Rothy's

Kerry Cooper has 20 years of executive retail expertise. She helped build cornerstone ecommerce platforms for Walmart and she’s lead marketing and operations for ModCloth and Levi’s. Now, as President of Rothy's, she’s stepping into a new challenge of expanding the sustainable shoe startup globally. Rothy’s makes stylish, close-knit flats from the fibers of recycled plastic bottles. The massive appeal of their shoes goes beyond functionality, their 3D knitting is less wasteful than the cut-and-sew approach. As consumer demand for eco-conscious footwear skyrocket, Rothy’s is strategically separating themselves from the sustainable shoe pack by expanding to China where their locally owned factory churns out their slip-on by the minute. On this episode, Kerry talks about how sustainability is sewn into Rothy’s (13:50). She shares her polarizing views on raising capital and learning from investment mishaps (15:10). She talks about building products and teams at companies of all sizes — from 60 employees to 1.5 million. (18:50). Kerry shares what she loved about leading teams at Walmart.com (22:21): the value of servant leadership (27:30) and institutionalizing correction of errors. (29:11). Lastly, she talks about how Rothy’s is finding its footing in the Chinese market (32:00) by learning how to best market to overseas customers and leaning into the digital ecosystem of WeChat, Tmall, and KOL influencers (35:21). Also mentioned on the show:  How China’s Recycling Bans Have Impacted The Fate of Curbside Recycling in the U.S. 11 Strategies to Make Your Packaging More Sustainable Lumi Sustainability Properties Well Made Episode 62 with Ryan Babenzien: Moving the Rock from Zero to One Wirecutter Rothy's is hiring!  Link and images can be found on the Lumi Blog.

Kerry Cooper has 20 years of executive retail expertise. She helped build cornerstone ecommerce platforms for Walmart and she’s lead marketing and operations for ModCloth and Levi’s. Now, as President of <a href="https://rothys.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rothy's</a>, she’s stepping into a new challenge of expanding the sustainable shoe startup globally. Rothy’s makes stylish, close-knit flats from the fibers of recycled plastic bottles. The massive appeal of their shoes goes beyond functionality, their 3D knitting is less wasteful than the cut-and-sew approach. As <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-18/everlane-targets-allbirds-with-its-own-sustainable-sneaker-brand" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">consumer demand for eco-conscious footwear</a> skyrocket, Rothy’s is strategically separating themselves from the sustainable shoe pack by expanding to China where their locally owned factory churns out their slip-on by the minute. On this episode, Kerry talks about how sustainability is sewn into Rothy’s (13:50). She shares her polarizing views on raising capital and learning from investment mishaps (15:10). She talks about building products and teams at companies of all sizes — from 60 employees to 1.5 million. (18:50). Kerry shares what she loved about leading teams at <a href="http://Walmart.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Walmart.com</a> (22:21): the value of servant leadership (27:30) and institutionalizing correction of errors. (29:11). Lastly, she talks about how Rothy’s is finding its footing in the Chinese market (32:00) by learning how to best market to overseas customers and leaning into the digital ecosystem of WeChat, Tmall, and KOL influencers (35:21). Also mentioned on the show: <ul> <li><a href="https://www.lumi.com/blog/china-recycling-bans-national-sword-blue-sky" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How China’s Recycling Bans Have Impacted The Fate of Curbside Recycling in the U.S.</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.lumi.com/blog/11-strategies-to-make-your-packaging-more-sustainable" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">11 Strategies to Make Your Packaging More Sustainable</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.lumi.com/blog/release-notes-sustainability-properties" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lumi Sustainability Properties</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.lumi.com/wellmade/62-ryan-babenzien-greats" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Well Made Episode 62 with Ryan Babenzien: Moving the Rock from Zero to One</a></li> <li><a href="https://thewirecutter.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wirecutter</a></li> <li><a href="https://rothys.com/careers" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rothy's is hiring!</a></li> </ul> Link and images can be found on the <a href="https://www.lumi.com/wellmade/81-kerry-cooper-rothys" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lumi Blog</a>.

81 Turning All the Dimmers Up with Kerry Cooper, President of Rothy's

Susan Tynan

For founder Susan Tynan, the MVP version of Framebridge had to be maximum, not minimum. If they wanted people to feel confident sending invaluable art and artifacts for custom framing, there was no way around it. They had to launch knowing that they could get it all right the first time. Getting it right the first time meant building out a full factory, several rounds of fundraising, and most recently, launching two retail stores in their home city, Washington D.C.Listen in to hear how Susan sweated the details to build confidence through experience and how she's reverting back from her tech instincts to get to the root of efficient manufacturing.Find more links and images from this episode on the Lumi blog.

For founder Susan Tynan, the MVP version of <a href="https://www.framebridge.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Framebridge</a> had to be maximum, not minimum. If they wanted people to feel confident sending invaluable art and artifacts for custom framing, there was no way around it. They had to launch knowing that they could get it all right the first time. Getting it right the first time meant building out a full factory, several rounds of fundraising, and most recently, launching two retail stores in their home city, Washington D.C.Listen in to hear how Susan sweated the details to build confidence through experience and how she's reverting back from her tech instincts to get to the root of efficient manufacturing.Find more links and images from this episode <a href="https://www.lumi.com/wellmade/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">on the Lumi blog</a>.

101 Solving a Worthy Problem with Susan Tynan, CEO and Founder of Framebridge

Daniel Broukhim

FabFitFun

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.

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 <a href="https://www.lumi.com/wellmade/42-daniel-broukhim-fabfitfun" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lumi blog</a>.

42 Subscribing to a Community with Daniel Broukhim, co-CEO and co-founder of FabFitFun

Lindsay Dahl

In the U.S., federal regulations are lagging decades behind the science of the beauty industry. That's why Beautycounter hired its own lobbyist. The last time the beauty industry had a significant regulatory update was in 1938, so Beautyconuter founder Gregg Renfrew hired Lindsay Dahl to lead the charge and bring U.S. beauty regulations into this century. As a self-proclaimed "professional agitator" and veteran public health lobbyist, Lindsay is in the trenches. She travels back and forth to D.C., holding strategic meetings with elected officials, and presenting Beautycounter's science-backed issues and proposed solutions. In just five years since she started as the Beautycounter SVP of Social Mission, Lindsay has already helped pass laws that have changed how beauty products are regulated — and this is only the beginning. Find links and show notes on the Lumi blog.

In the U.S., federal regulations are lagging decades behind the science of the beauty industry. That's why <a href="https://www.beautycounter.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Beautycounter</a> hired its own lobbyist. The last time the beauty industry had a significant regulatory update was in 1938, so Beautyconuter founder Gregg Renfrew hired <a href="https://twitter.com/lindsaydahl?lang=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lindsay Dahl</a> to lead the charge and bring U.S. beauty regulations into this century. As a self-proclaimed "professional agitator" and veteran public health lobbyist, Lindsay is in the trenches. She travels back and forth to D.C., holding strategic meetings with elected officials, and presenting Beautycounter's science-backed issues and proposed solutions. In just five years since she started as the Beautycounter SVP of Social Mission, Lindsay has already helped pass laws that have changed how beauty products are regulated — and this is only the beginning. <a href="https://www.lumi.com/wellmade" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Find links and show notes on the Lumi blog.</a>

93 Fixing Broken Beauty Laws with Lindsay Dahl, SVP of Social Mission at Beautycounter

Alex Matisse

Scaling a craft brand isn’t easy, not only on manufacturing, but company values and ethos. Alex Matisse's company East Fork is producing traditional pottery that’s distinctly modern while forging a big, ambitious path forward. East Fork makes sought-after stoneware using clays from the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Their minimalist mug is so popular that it sells out in minutes. East Fork plates and bowls come in seasonal glazes that mirror the energy of a family kitchen and the blanket warmth of a cup of cocoa. Co-founders Alex Matisse, his wife Connie Matisse, and friend John Vigeland are craftspeople at their core, but now they’re bringing their art to the masses by turning their simple handmade forms into scalable production methods. On this episode, Alex shares how East Fork is growing big but staying small. Alex talks about the turning point when they bought a gas kiln from the Netherlands (7:30). He shares the insistent design process of The Mug (9:29). He gets real about the blunt impact he felt as the CEO when East Fork grew to 50 employees (10:39). He talks about keeping rituals like their bi-weekly team lunches (16:30). Alex discusses his high aspirations to grow beyond Heath and into the realm of Homer and Laughlin (18:22). He talks about why they started hiring photography and marketing roles in-house (30:02). Alex talks about standing on his own in spite of the expectations and legacy of his family name (32:25). Also mentioned on the show:  Heath Ceramics The Homer Laughlin China Company Everybody Matters: The Extraordinary Power of Caring for Your People Like Family by Bob Chapman Well Made Episode 45 with Helen Rice: Breathing Life into Brands The cut-outs by Henri Matisse Why funky ’70s-style fonts are popping up on brands like Chobani and Glossier by Eliza Brooke  Link and images can be found on the Lumi Blog.

Scaling a craft brand isn’t easy, not only on manufacturing, but company values and ethos. Alex Matisse's company <a href="https://eastfork.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">East Fork</a> is producing traditional pottery that’s distinctly modern while forging a big, ambitious path forward. East Fork makes sought-after stoneware using clays from the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Their minimalist mug is so popular that it sells out in minutes. East Fork plates and bowls come in seasonal glazes that mirror the energy of a family kitchen and the blanket warmth of a cup of cocoa. Co-founders Alex Matisse, his wife Connie Matisse, and friend John Vigeland are craftspeople at their core, but now they’re bringing their art to the masses by turning their simple handmade forms into scalable production methods. On this episode, Alex shares how East Fork is growing big but staying small. Alex talks about the turning point when they bought a gas kiln from the Netherlands (7:30). He shares the insistent design process of The Mug (9:29). He gets real about the blunt impact he felt as the CEO when East Fork grew to 50 employees (10:39). He talks about keeping rituals like their bi-weekly team lunches (16:30). Alex discusses his high aspirations to grow beyond Heath and into the realm of Homer and Laughlin (18:22). He talks about why they started hiring photography and marketing roles in-house (30:02). Alex talks about standing on his own in spite of the expectations and legacy of his family name (32:25). Also mentioned on the show: <ul> <li><a href="https://www.heathceramics.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Heath Ceramics</a></li> <li><a href="https://fiestafactorydirect.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Homer Laughlin China Company</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Everybody-Matters-Extraordinary-Caring-People/dp/1591847796" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Everybody Matters: The Extraordinary Power of Caring for Your People Like Family by Bob Chapman</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.lumi.com/wellmade/45-helen-rice-fuzzco" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Well Made Episode 45 with Helen Rice: Breathing Life into Brands</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2014/matisse/the-cut-outs.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The cut-outs by Henri Matisse</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/4/10/18302108/noticed-70s-fonts-serifs-chobani-flesh-glossier-play" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Why funky ’70s-style fonts are popping up on brands like Chobani and Glossier by Eliza Brooke</a></li> </ul> Link and images can be found on the <a href="https://www.lumi.com/wellmade/82-alex-matisse-east-fork" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lumi Blog</a>.

82 Kilning It with Alex Matisse, co-founder of East Fork

Emily Sugihara

Things are getting weird at Baggu, and that’s a great thing. The Standard Baggu has been around for 12 years, but the company is still finding ways to grow and experiment. By trusting their experiences, founder Emily Sugihara and her team are finding confidence and empowerment in their brand voice and values. Baggu doubled their team size in a span of a year. On the show, hear their approach to hiring and training and implementing processes while preserving the heart of the brand with an influx of new hires (11:24). More than a decade in business, Emily illuminates how they recently delineated their company and product values (13:02). She shares how establishing those values boosted performance management and empowered more decision making among employees (19:26). Emily talks about finding freedom in their product designs through experimentation and worrying less about expectation (24:37). Baggu is taking incremental steps towards sustainability. Hear their efforts in sourcing ripstop nylon made of 40% recycled materials (34:50). Finally, Emily talks about embracing long-term thinking, growing the equity of the brand (45:59). Follow Baggu on Instagram. Also mentioned on the show:  Well Made Episode 30 with Emily Sugihara: Making a Really Nice Thing Asana The Great CEO Within by Matt Mochary Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity by Kim Scott Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs by John Doerr The New One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson M.D. Principles: Life and Work by Ray Dalio Katrina Lake, Stitch Fix founder and CEO, says trying to find people who fit in is the ‘anti-diversity’ Well Made Episode 52 with Nellie Cohen: Celebrating the Stories We Wear Patagonia’s Plastic Packaging – A study on the challenges of garment delivery No online shopping company can figure out how to quit this one plastic bag Super Baggu Seminars About Long-Term Thinking Podcast  Links and images can be found on the Lumi blog.

Things are getting weird at <a href="http://www.baggu.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Baggu</a>, and that’s a great thing. The Standard Baggu has been around for 12 years, but the company is still finding ways to grow and experiment. By trusting their experiences, founder Emily Sugihara and her team are finding confidence and empowerment in their brand voice and values. Baggu doubled their team size in a span of a year. On the show, hear their approach to hiring and training and implementing processes while preserving the heart of the brand with an influx of new hires (11:24). More than a decade in business, Emily illuminates how they recently delineated their company and product values (13:02). She shares how establishing those values boosted performance management and empowered more decision making among employees (19:26). Emily talks about finding freedom in their product designs through experimentation and worrying less about expectation (24:37). Baggu is taking incremental steps towards sustainability. Hear their efforts in sourcing ripstop nylon made of 40% recycled materials (34:50). Finally, Emily talks about embracing long-term thinking, growing the equity of the brand (45:59). <a href="https://instagram.com/baggu/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Follow</a> Baggu on Instagram. Also mentioned on the show: <ul> <li><a href="https://blog.lumi.com/wellmade/30-emily-sugihara" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Well Made Episode 30 with Emily Sugihara: Making a Really Nice Thing</a></li> <li><a href="https://asana.com/customers/baggu" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Asana</a></li> <li><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZJZbv4J6FZ8Dnb0JuMhJxTnwl-dwqx5xl0s65DE3wO8/mobilebasic" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Great CEO Within by Matt Mochary</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Candor-Kim-Scott/dp/B01KTIEFEE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity by Kim Scott</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Measure-What-Matters-Google-Foundation/dp/0525536221/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=2VRGJKLD12RBC&amp;keywords=one+minute+manager&amp;qid=1551468267&amp;s=digital-text&amp;sprefix=one+minu%2Cdigital-text%2C175&amp;sr=1-2-spons&amp;psc=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs by John Doerr</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/New-One-Minute-Manager/dp/0062367544/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=the+one+minute+manager&amp;qid=1551468356&amp;s=digital-text&amp;sr=1-1-spons&amp;psc=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The New One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson M.D.</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Principles-Life-Work-Ray-Dalio/dp/1501124021" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Principles: Life and Work by Ray Dalio</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.recode.net/2018/5/30/17385438/katrina-lake-stitch-fix-code-conference-interview-diversity" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Katrina Lake, Stitch Fix founder and CEO, says trying to find people who fit in is the ‘anti-diversity’</a></li> <li><a href="https://blog.lumi.com/wellmade/52-nellie-cohen-patagonia" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Well Made Episode 52 with Nellie Cohen: Celebrating the Stories We Wear</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.patagonia.com/blog/2014/07/patagonias-plastic-packaging-a-study-on-the-challenges-of-garment-delivery/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Patagonia’s Plastic Packaging – A study on the challenges of garment delivery</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/1/31/18203972/polybags-plastic-online-shopping-meal-kits-patagonia" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">No online shopping company can figure out how to quit this one plastic bag</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.theshopdesignbuild.com/pier/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Super Baggu</a></li> <li><a href="http://longnow.org/seminars/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Seminars About Long-Term Thinking Podcast</a></li> </ul> Links and images can be found on the <a href="https://blog.lumi.com/wellmade/71-emily-sugihara-baggu" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lumi blog</a>.

71 Getting Weirder with Emily Sugihara, CEO and founder of Baggu

Casey Armstrong

ShipBob

Logistics is one of the most complex pieces of running an ecommerce company. Cost-effective shipping solutions that don’t compromise customer experience are not one-size-fits-all, and keeping up with the expectations set by Amazon Prime is a constant struggle. Most often, 3PLs (third-party logistics service), are responsible for storing and shipping products for ecommerce. Casey Armstrong is the Chief Marketing Officer of ShipBob, a 3PL that operates a growing network of distribution centers in major U.S. cities. They’re helping ecommerce businesses run a flexible and speedy supply chain. With tools getting more sophisticated, Casey says long term success comes back to actionable customer data. On this episode, Casey answers fundamental questions businesses should ask when outsourcing their fulfillment. He shares the cost structure of 3PLs and gives insight into best practices around geography and vendor management. Casey talks about deciding what’s important for your business when splitting inventory, kitting, and shipping cold or bulky items (9:36). He gives indicators for when an ecommerce company should outsource fulfillment (23:46). Instead of solely focusing on the top funnel, Casey gives different levers brands can pull from to improve their bottom line (37:32). With companies like Shopify and Instagram reducing barriers to stay close to the wallet, Casey and Stephan talk about the future of the ecommerce stack, navigating new technologies, and improving instant, one-click checkout (42:25). Also mentioned on the show:  Well Made Episode with Paul Munford: Building on Greenfields Well Made Episode 73 with Jenny Gyllander: Testing Things Rebel Girls Case Study My Calm Blanket Case Study iloveplum Case Study  Links and images can be found on the Lumi Blog.

Logistics is one of the most complex pieces of running an ecommerce company. Cost-effective shipping solutions that don’t compromise customer experience are not one-size-fits-all, and keeping up with the expectations set by Amazon Prime is a constant struggle. Most often, 3PLs (third-party logistics service), are responsible for storing and shipping products for ecommerce. Casey Armstrong is the Chief Marketing Officer of ShipBob, a 3PL that operates a growing network of distribution centers in major U.S. cities. They’re helping ecommerce businesses run a flexible and speedy supply chain. With tools getting more sophisticated, Casey says long term success comes back to actionable customer data. On this episode, Casey answers fundamental questions businesses should ask when outsourcing their fulfillment. He shares the cost structure of 3PLs and gives insight into best practices around geography and vendor management. Casey talks about deciding what’s important for your business when splitting inventory, kitting, and shipping cold or bulky items (9:36). He gives indicators for when an ecommerce company should outsource fulfillment (23:46). Instead of solely focusing on the top funnel, Casey gives different levers brands can pull from to improve their bottom line (37:32). With companies like Shopify and Instagram reducing barriers to stay close to the wallet, Casey and Stephan talk about the future of the ecommerce stack, navigating new technologies, and improving instant, one-click checkout (42:25). Also mentioned on the show: <ul> <li><a href="https://blog.lumi.com/wellmade/70-paul-munford-leanluxe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Well Made Episode with Paul Munford: Building on Greenfields</a></li> <li><a href="https://blog.lumi.com/wellmade/73-jenny-gyllander-thingtesting" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Well Made Episode 73 with Jenny Gyllander: Testing Things</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.shipbob.com/blog/rebel-girls/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rebel Girls Case Study</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.shipbob.com/blog/my-calm-blanket/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">My Calm Blanket Case Study</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.shipbob.com/blog/iloveplum/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">iloveplum Case Study</a></li> </ul> Links and images can be found on the <a href="https://blog.lumi.com/wellmade/76-CASEY-ARMSTRONG-SHIPBOB" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lumi Blog</a>.

76 Delivering Like Amazon with Casey Armstrong, Chief Marketing Officer at ShipBob

EMILY SCHILDT

The grocery store model hasn’t adapted with how people shop. Traditional big box stores stock up on everything under the sun and rely on small margins based for big cart sizes. With traditional grocery stores struggling and US consumers being slow to adopt online grocery, Emily Schildt saw an opportunity to prioritize discovery over convenience as a way to help people find brands they actually love.Pop-up Grocer is a highly curated 30-day activation featuring grocery brands that get an A+ for innovation, nutrition, and design. Emily has thoughtfully positioned Pop-Up Grocer to be an exciting space that leaves people wanting more. Just ahead of their Venice launch on February 7, she is sharing the careful balance between curation and discovery, the importance of location, and the paths envisions for Pop-Up Grocer in the future.Find more links and images from this episode on the Lumi blog.

The grocery store model hasn’t adapted with how people shop. Traditional big box stores stock up on everything under the sun and rely on small margins based for big cart sizes. With traditional grocery stores struggling and US consumers being slow to adopt online grocery, Emily Schildt saw an opportunity to prioritize discovery over convenience as a way to help people find brands they actually love.<a href="https://www.popupgrocer.co/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pop-up Grocer</a> is a highly curated 30-day activation featuring grocery brands that get an A+ for innovation, nutrition, and design. Emily has thoughtfully positioned Pop-Up Grocer to be an exciting space that leaves people wanting more. Just ahead of their Venice launch on February 7, she is sharing the careful balance between curation and discovery, the importance of location, and the paths envisions for Pop-Up Grocer in the future.Find more links and images from this episode <a href="https://www.lumi.com/wellmade/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">on the Lumi blog</a>.

108 Culling Through the Clutter with Emily Schildt, founder of Pop-Up Grocer

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