1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,760 Speaker 1: I'm off my game today. No, you're not. People are 2 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:05,600 Speaker 1: going to have to start making better content. I think 3 00:00:05,640 --> 00:00:07,160 Speaker 1: we're gonna be talking about this for a long time. 4 00:00:07,240 --> 00:00:10,200 Speaker 1: When you program for everyone, you program for no one. 5 00:00:10,240 --> 00:00:12,280 Speaker 1: I think it's a word purpose driven platform. Like we're 6 00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:15,640 Speaker 1: trying to get to substance. How was that? Are you 7 00:00:15,680 --> 00:00:19,160 Speaker 1: happy with that? This is marketing therapy right now? And 8 00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:26,400 Speaker 1: it really is? What's up? I'm Laura Currency and I'm 9 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:32,000 Speaker 1: Alexa Kristen. Welcome back to Atlantia. We're going away. Yeah, 10 00:00:32,080 --> 00:00:35,600 Speaker 1: we're traveling. We're traveling with Rubio, very high style but 11 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:39,440 Speaker 1: also accessible. I'm just gonna say accessible. What's going on today? 12 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:42,880 Speaker 1: So we have Jen Rubio, co founder of a Way 13 00:00:43,680 --> 00:00:48,080 Speaker 1: Luggage in parentheses. We talked to her about the parentheses 14 00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:50,440 Speaker 1: because they are going to become I think, much much 15 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:53,440 Speaker 1: more than just luggage. UM in a studio with us 16 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:57,520 Speaker 1: today in between flights and a badass away bag. Yeah, 17 00:00:57,560 --> 00:01:00,800 Speaker 1: that Camo Green is awesome. New products coming out. It 18 00:01:00,800 --> 00:01:04,160 Speaker 1: looks like UM. But it's been interesting. We've been obsessing 19 00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:08,039 Speaker 1: over the DTC landscape for quite some time now, having 20 00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:10,440 Speaker 1: a lot of fun watching sort of the cohort of 21 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:14,080 Speaker 1: founders that exist there, trading notes, comparing best practices, and 22 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:16,600 Speaker 1: actually executing on them. I think one of the things 23 00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:18,759 Speaker 1: that I love the Gen talks about in this interview 24 00:01:18,959 --> 00:01:21,360 Speaker 1: that is important I think for marketers to think about 25 00:01:21,440 --> 00:01:25,640 Speaker 1: is how not just brands, but their leadership is living 26 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:27,560 Speaker 1: out the brand. I r L and I think it'll 27 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:31,080 Speaker 1: be interesting to hear how she thinks about marketing, communications 28 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:33,160 Speaker 1: and as much as collaborations and how all of those 29 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:36,679 Speaker 1: things have to reflect the platform before products. Yeah, and 30 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:38,640 Speaker 1: she has like five titles. We were joking around with her, 31 00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:41,920 Speaker 1: but she is also the chief brand officer, and in 32 00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:43,800 Speaker 1: in the beginning like talking to her about like what 33 00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:45,680 Speaker 1: does that really mean? And I think, you know, there 34 00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:47,720 Speaker 1: are a lot of people who are talking about how 35 00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:50,800 Speaker 1: brand is more important and kind of takes a different 36 00:01:50,840 --> 00:01:54,840 Speaker 1: life in DTC, and I think DTC brands are going 37 00:01:54,880 --> 00:01:59,200 Speaker 1: to teach the world of marketing, um really how to 38 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:02,760 Speaker 1: bring brand back and make it meaningful. They are mad 39 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:06,160 Speaker 1: woke marketers. You're into the woke. Yeah, it's like a thing, right, 40 00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:08,960 Speaker 1: So now we woke with Jen Rubio. We'll be right back. 41 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:21,120 Speaker 1: So welcome back. We're in the studio with the most 42 00:02:21,160 --> 00:02:27,280 Speaker 1: fabulous woman in all of travel and more. Probably Yeah. Yeah, 43 00:02:27,520 --> 00:02:29,880 Speaker 1: Roland Deep with her luggage here at the studio in 44 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:32,760 Speaker 1: Brooklyn this morning. It's just the prop. There's nothing in it. 45 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:36,840 Speaker 1: So Jen is the co founder and chief brand officer 46 00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:41,040 Speaker 1: and president of A Way. I'll tell you all of that. No, 47 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:43,400 Speaker 1: we looked it up. I looked it up. Is that 48 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:45,680 Speaker 1: what you go by? Do you go by chief brand officer? 49 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:49,280 Speaker 1: What do you do? They say? A co founder? Yeah? Okay, 50 00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:52,080 Speaker 1: Like what's a chief brand officer? Well, so that's I wanted. 51 00:02:52,160 --> 00:02:54,640 Speaker 1: We wanted to get into that. That's like perfect. What 52 00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:57,560 Speaker 1: is the chief brand officer? I don't know. I literally 53 00:02:57,600 --> 00:03:01,040 Speaker 1: don't know, especially for like a DTC brand, Like, what 54 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:04,600 Speaker 1: is the chief brand officer? Well, you know, brand is 55 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:08,919 Speaker 1: our moat um. You know how many times I said 56 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 1: that when we were seed fundraising and how many vcs 57 00:03:11,480 --> 00:03:14,840 Speaker 1: were like, I don't think so that's hilarious. Yeah, I 58 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:17,560 Speaker 1: think you know what it's Uh, there's been a lot 59 00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:21,680 Speaker 1: of talk lately about about new DTC companies like post Away, 60 00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:24,040 Speaker 1: because I feel like we're phased to phase one. Was 61 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:27,799 Speaker 1: like the warby Parker, like Cobos and like Casper towards 62 00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:30,200 Speaker 1: the end of that and then came like our wave 63 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:33,720 Speaker 1: like Away Glossier, and now there's this new wave, and 64 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:37,200 Speaker 1: I feel like there's a lot of vcs who are like, oh, 65 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:41,360 Speaker 1: brand is a moat DTC and they just start funding them. 66 00:03:41,440 --> 00:03:43,760 Speaker 1: But I start seeing these decks like come my Way, 67 00:03:43,760 --> 00:03:46,680 Speaker 1: and I'm like, but this this isn't a brand. That's 68 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 1: the same deck that we just saw. You actually had 69 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:50,960 Speaker 1: an awesome comment the other day on your I was 70 00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:54,080 Speaker 1: looking at your Twitter and someone said something about, you know, 71 00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:59,080 Speaker 1: vcs or over funding DTC brands, and you said, yes, 72 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:02,840 Speaker 1: brand is start to become like in the minds of vcs, 73 00:04:02,920 --> 00:04:05,000 Speaker 1: like people are thinking about it as just a deck 74 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:08,800 Speaker 1: and a logo and that is absolutely wrong. Yeah, And 75 00:04:08,840 --> 00:04:11,560 Speaker 1: I mean I actually our seed deck was real bad. 76 00:04:11,920 --> 00:04:14,360 Speaker 1: I like made it empower point, like put a bunch 77 00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:16,839 Speaker 1: of bloggers on it and like a picture of the 78 00:04:16,880 --> 00:04:20,480 Speaker 1: globe and I'm not a designer, um, and I was like, 79 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:22,479 Speaker 1: this is a travel brand. But I think you know, 80 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:24,720 Speaker 1: when we were talking about it to the people who 81 00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:28,320 Speaker 1: ended up investing so like Forerunner and Comcast and Excel, 82 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:31,680 Speaker 1: They're like, Okay, we know we're gonna look past this deck. 83 00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:34,159 Speaker 1: And we started talking about what the brand would really 84 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:35,640 Speaker 1: be in terms of like, how are we going to 85 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:37,839 Speaker 1: partner with people, how's the product going to play into it, 86 00:04:37,880 --> 00:04:39,520 Speaker 1: how are we gonna how are we going to talk 87 00:04:39,520 --> 00:04:41,560 Speaker 1: about this in a way that that is really a 88 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:44,919 Speaker 1: brand And I think what a lot of people do nowadays, 89 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:47,159 Speaker 1: and more power to these agencies that do it is 90 00:04:47,160 --> 00:04:49,760 Speaker 1: we'll go to an agency who's like really amazing at 91 00:04:49,760 --> 00:04:53,720 Speaker 1: like at brand identity and brand architecture and like and 92 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:56,039 Speaker 1: like and gives you like a really good like brand bible, 93 00:04:56,760 --> 00:04:59,560 Speaker 1: and they're like, this is it. But then it launches 94 00:04:59,839 --> 00:05:03,160 Speaker 1: like there was not really a community around it, and 95 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:05,520 Speaker 1: everyone's like, oh, what happened? They had such a nice deck. 96 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:09,880 Speaker 1: Having sat on the agency side for the last decade, 97 00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:12,920 Speaker 1: it's interesting to see the transition in terms of where 98 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:16,400 Speaker 1: agencies are filling holes for certain brands and understanding the 99 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:20,599 Speaker 1: value of community, ethos, purpose value, all of those things, 100 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:23,200 Speaker 1: even before they land on what the purpose and the 101 00:05:23,279 --> 00:05:25,640 Speaker 1: value prop is for the product. A Way to Me 102 00:05:25,760 --> 00:05:28,560 Speaker 1: is one of those brands and where you've obviously created 103 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:31,719 Speaker 1: an innovative suitcase, but at the heart of it sort 104 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:34,520 Speaker 1: of the community that you've built around the democratization of 105 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:36,880 Speaker 1: travel and kind of leaning into some of the things 106 00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:40,159 Speaker 1: that the next generation of people is looking for in 107 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:43,760 Speaker 1: equipment to move from city to city. Can you talk 108 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:46,839 Speaker 1: about what that looked like when you were developing the 109 00:05:46,880 --> 00:05:48,560 Speaker 1: brand in terms of where did you want to put 110 00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:52,240 Speaker 1: the emphasis on outward facing. I think we went into this. 111 00:05:53,080 --> 00:05:55,039 Speaker 1: I tell a story different every time because I'm actually 112 00:05:55,080 --> 00:05:57,280 Speaker 1: not sure what came first, like the product or the brand, 113 00:05:57,360 --> 00:05:59,440 Speaker 1: But I think we went to this thinking, if you're 114 00:05:59,440 --> 00:06:02,280 Speaker 1: going to buy utcase, there aren't a lot of great options. 115 00:06:02,279 --> 00:06:04,320 Speaker 1: You can spend like a thousand dollars on a bag 116 00:06:04,400 --> 00:06:06,560 Speaker 1: and it might be cool and all designed, but it's 117 00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:08,120 Speaker 1: not like when you spend like a thousand dollars on 118 00:06:08,200 --> 00:06:10,080 Speaker 1: a nice handbag. You're not like, oh I love this, 119 00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:13,920 Speaker 1: or you are spending less money, but you know it's 120 00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:16,080 Speaker 1: going to break. And you know, having come from Morby 121 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:18,719 Speaker 1: Parker and um my co founder stuff was at Casper 122 00:06:18,760 --> 00:06:21,200 Speaker 1: at the time, we're like, Okay, maybe luggage is one 123 00:06:21,240 --> 00:06:23,800 Speaker 1: of those industries where we can do high quality product, 124 00:06:23,839 --> 00:06:26,560 Speaker 1: lower price point, cut out the middleman, all of that stuff. 125 00:06:26,920 --> 00:06:29,080 Speaker 1: But then I think as we were looking into it, 126 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:33,960 Speaker 1: what really resonated with me more as the chief brand 127 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:39,440 Speaker 1: officer um is that, like no one was talking about travel. 128 00:06:39,520 --> 00:06:41,880 Speaker 1: So you have all these incumbent brands that are like, 129 00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:45,359 Speaker 1: look at our ballistic nylon and look at these wheels 130 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:47,680 Speaker 1: and look at the zippers, and this is something that 131 00:06:47,720 --> 00:06:50,160 Speaker 1: people take with them on every trip. People are super 132 00:06:50,200 --> 00:06:51,920 Speaker 1: annoying when they talk about travel. It's like all they 133 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:54,280 Speaker 1: talk about. It's all they post pictures of. So how 134 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:56,760 Speaker 1: come no one's talking about that? Yeah, and the art 135 00:06:56,800 --> 00:06:59,520 Speaker 1: of packing in the I mean there's so it's like 136 00:06:59,520 --> 00:07:03,080 Speaker 1: it's like to true like art and lifestyle. And I 137 00:07:03,080 --> 00:07:06,000 Speaker 1: think if it wasn't for that opportunity, I don't know 138 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:09,080 Speaker 1: how far I personally would have gotten in this because 139 00:07:09,080 --> 00:07:12,360 Speaker 1: I'm not like super stoked about like, hey, here's like 140 00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:15,640 Speaker 1: a suitcase. And I love our product obviously, we like 141 00:07:16,040 --> 00:07:19,920 Speaker 1: we poured like everything into into designing it and making 142 00:07:19,920 --> 00:07:23,000 Speaker 1: it perfect. But if there wasn't a way to market 143 00:07:23,080 --> 00:07:24,760 Speaker 1: it or talk about it in the sense of a 144 00:07:24,840 --> 00:07:26,920 Speaker 1: larger brand, I don't know how far we got in 145 00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:29,120 Speaker 1: a Way suitcase. And I gave it to Laura and 146 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:32,760 Speaker 1: all my friends. Yeah, and all my friends are obsessed 147 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:36,400 Speaker 1: with their Way suitcase, all of them obsessed into the 148 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:39,800 Speaker 1: actual physical product. Are they buying into the brand. Yes, 149 00:07:39,960 --> 00:07:43,920 Speaker 1: they're buying into the physical product. They love the brand. 150 00:07:44,560 --> 00:07:48,280 Speaker 1: The brand is so much a part of the physical products. 151 00:07:48,400 --> 00:07:50,840 Speaker 1: It's so and it's so intertwined. And I think the 152 00:07:50,880 --> 00:07:53,280 Speaker 1: way we've done it is that we went we went 153 00:07:53,440 --> 00:07:56,120 Speaker 1: so narrow on the product in the beginning, where it's 154 00:07:56,120 --> 00:07:59,040 Speaker 1: like we're not going to make ten suitcases for ten 155 00:07:59,080 --> 00:08:01,640 Speaker 1: different types of travel or whenever we're gonna make. We 156 00:08:01,760 --> 00:08:03,880 Speaker 1: literally went out saying this is the one perfect suitcase 157 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:06,560 Speaker 1: for everyone. And now there's like a few different versions 158 00:08:06,560 --> 00:08:08,480 Speaker 1: based on what we've learned about our customers. But we 159 00:08:08,520 --> 00:08:10,960 Speaker 1: went so narrow on the product. We literally launched with 160 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:14,840 Speaker 1: one products in one size and four colors. We're like, 161 00:08:14,920 --> 00:08:17,800 Speaker 1: we'll see um. But then we went so wide on 162 00:08:17,840 --> 00:08:21,400 Speaker 1: the brand. So from the beginning we couldn't get the 163 00:08:21,400 --> 00:08:25,200 Speaker 1: domain and we still don't have it. Um dot com 164 00:08:25,240 --> 00:08:27,400 Speaker 1: it's a way travel dot com, but we had like 165 00:08:27,400 --> 00:08:29,400 Speaker 1: Away Luggage dot comment is like this, we can't do 166 00:08:29,440 --> 00:08:32,040 Speaker 1: Away luggage dot com. It's like two narrow and we're 167 00:08:32,040 --> 00:08:34,200 Speaker 1: just thinking about it. We always talked about ourselves as 168 00:08:34,240 --> 00:08:36,640 Speaker 1: a travel brand, even though we had literally one bag, 169 00:08:37,040 --> 00:08:40,760 Speaker 1: and I think that's what made the brand feel so ingreened. 170 00:08:41,240 --> 00:08:44,120 Speaker 1: I was with someone the other day and it was 171 00:08:44,160 --> 00:08:46,199 Speaker 1: with a group of people and someone like hadn't heard 172 00:08:46,200 --> 00:08:48,800 Speaker 1: of a Way, which means you probably just haven't been 173 00:08:48,800 --> 00:08:52,640 Speaker 1: targeted on Instagram yet. But he was like, oh, maybe 174 00:08:52,640 --> 00:08:54,360 Speaker 1: I have in a Way suitcase and someone else in 175 00:08:54,360 --> 00:08:56,120 Speaker 1: the group was like, no, if you had one, you 176 00:08:56,160 --> 00:09:00,480 Speaker 1: would like you don't just like have one, and you're like, okay, um, 177 00:09:00,559 --> 00:09:02,719 Speaker 1: and then he was like, oh, yeah, well I did 178 00:09:02,880 --> 00:09:07,440 Speaker 1: research um luggage for weeks and uh, I was like 179 00:09:07,720 --> 00:09:09,439 Speaker 1: searching over the place. I had ton of reviews and 180 00:09:09,480 --> 00:09:12,000 Speaker 1: I ended up buying one and I was like, which 181 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:13,360 Speaker 1: one did you get? And he was like I don't know. 182 00:09:13,440 --> 00:09:15,600 Speaker 1: And I'm like, how do you research something for three 183 00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:18,120 Speaker 1: weeks and you don't even know what brand you end 184 00:09:18,200 --> 00:09:22,360 Speaker 1: up buying thinking something? So I mean that's the kind 185 00:09:22,360 --> 00:09:25,200 Speaker 1: of stuff that we are. There's so much low hanging fruit, 186 00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:28,040 Speaker 1: like in the luggage industry. But then for us for 187 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:30,480 Speaker 1: it to be like, you know, we don't have experience 188 00:09:30,520 --> 00:09:32,400 Speaker 1: in the luggage industry, we had to do a ton 189 00:09:32,440 --> 00:09:34,320 Speaker 1: of research and like partners a lot of experts to 190 00:09:34,320 --> 00:09:37,240 Speaker 1: make the product really good. But like what we're passionate 191 00:09:37,240 --> 00:09:40,360 Speaker 1: about is travel. I think that's what's allowed the company 192 00:09:40,400 --> 00:09:43,120 Speaker 1: and the team to to grow so quickly. The discovery 193 00:09:43,120 --> 00:09:45,960 Speaker 1: thing is interesting because the amount of times, like especially 194 00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:48,839 Speaker 1: as somebody coming in and I haven't been married yet, 195 00:09:48,880 --> 00:09:50,840 Speaker 1: so I had never had a shower where I was 196 00:09:50,880 --> 00:09:56,000 Speaker 1: gifted at luggage, sort of those preconceived notions of when 197 00:09:56,040 --> 00:09:59,480 Speaker 1: you're supposed to get your first set. We went full 198 00:09:59,520 --> 00:10:01,720 Speaker 1: fledged and to our corporate jobs, like all of us 199 00:10:01,720 --> 00:10:03,920 Speaker 1: sitting around the table, like on the road all the time. 200 00:10:03,960 --> 00:10:06,640 Speaker 1: The amount of pieces of luggage that I've gone through 201 00:10:06,720 --> 00:10:10,240 Speaker 1: over the course of my career is nuts, but it's interesting. 202 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:13,040 Speaker 1: Like the discovery process was always like I was in 203 00:10:13,160 --> 00:10:15,480 Speaker 1: Home Goods or t J Max, or like my mother's like, 204 00:10:15,520 --> 00:10:19,640 Speaker 1: here's an extra carry on, or like my mom always 205 00:10:19,720 --> 00:10:23,480 Speaker 1: gives it to you. What is that the basement? And 206 00:10:23,480 --> 00:10:27,120 Speaker 1: my mother buys like a set and gives my husband 207 00:10:27,120 --> 00:10:28,959 Speaker 1: and I like the big one. She's like, now that 208 00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:31,320 Speaker 1: we've had a kid, She's like, but those are those 209 00:10:31,320 --> 00:10:34,360 Speaker 1: are all I feel like traditional ways of passing down 210 00:10:34,440 --> 00:10:37,000 Speaker 1: this thing that you needed when people didn't used to 211 00:10:37,040 --> 00:10:38,880 Speaker 1: travel at the capacity or right that I'm sure some 212 00:10:38,960 --> 00:10:41,480 Speaker 1: of us are and I think it's interesting just as 213 00:10:41,520 --> 00:10:43,600 Speaker 1: you're you're talking through it and like the discovery of 214 00:10:43,640 --> 00:10:47,480 Speaker 1: this guy and going through this research, you change the 215 00:10:47,559 --> 00:10:52,280 Speaker 1: way I think our generation thought about buying this thing, 216 00:10:52,840 --> 00:10:55,480 Speaker 1: and that they actually do think about it now. It's 217 00:10:55,480 --> 00:10:58,040 Speaker 1: not even people who just who travel a ton who 218 00:10:58,040 --> 00:11:00,720 Speaker 1: think about it. Because I was traveling when I worked 219 00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:02,560 Speaker 1: at All Saints. I was traveling to all of our 220 00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:05,360 Speaker 1: stores all over the world, like two hundred thousand miles 221 00:11:05,360 --> 00:11:07,760 Speaker 1: a year, and I still had I don't even know 222 00:11:07,760 --> 00:11:10,080 Speaker 1: what brand of luggage, Like, I just had it, like 223 00:11:10,160 --> 00:11:12,960 Speaker 1: my mom gave it to me, and it was likely 224 00:11:13,080 --> 00:11:16,400 Speaker 1: the last thing I thought about. And I think people 225 00:11:16,520 --> 00:11:20,160 Speaker 1: are now seeing it as part of They're like, I'm 226 00:11:20,200 --> 00:11:22,240 Speaker 1: literally carrying this thing with me around the world. It's 227 00:11:22,240 --> 00:11:25,240 Speaker 1: time to think about it. You're getting in you know, 228 00:11:25,520 --> 00:11:28,000 Speaker 1: what's the identity that you're you're moving like it is 229 00:11:28,040 --> 00:11:30,120 Speaker 1: an identity thing. Yeah, for sure. I mean like you 230 00:11:30,160 --> 00:11:31,520 Speaker 1: wouldn't buy car and be like, I don't know what 231 00:11:31,600 --> 00:11:34,400 Speaker 1: kind of car. I have research it for three weeks 232 00:11:34,440 --> 00:11:40,600 Speaker 1: and I'm not sure where I So you So you 233 00:11:40,679 --> 00:11:43,439 Speaker 1: were speaking at Social Media Week yesterday. You were key 234 00:11:43,440 --> 00:11:46,079 Speaker 1: noting a lot of tweets, and I think a lot 235 00:11:46,080 --> 00:11:48,560 Speaker 1: of people have been asking this question, like is a 236 00:11:48,640 --> 00:11:54,480 Speaker 1: way more than suitcases? And we know, yes, it definitely is. 237 00:11:54,600 --> 00:11:56,760 Speaker 1: But I would love for you to kind of talk 238 00:11:56,760 --> 00:12:01,000 Speaker 1: about where is a way going? And so is it 239 00:12:01,080 --> 00:12:07,079 Speaker 1: easier for a brand like Away DTC to actually quickly 240 00:12:07,160 --> 00:12:11,400 Speaker 1: move into other areas in an industry? So I think 241 00:12:11,480 --> 00:12:15,160 Speaker 1: we are uniquely positioned because I mean, travel is so broad, 242 00:12:15,240 --> 00:12:17,600 Speaker 1: it's so easy, and it's it's so fun, right. I 243 00:12:17,640 --> 00:12:19,840 Speaker 1: think there's a lot of things like you know, Casper 244 00:12:19,920 --> 00:12:22,640 Speaker 1: wants to be like a sleep brand. They're not a 245 00:12:22,640 --> 00:12:25,880 Speaker 1: mattress brand, wellness brand. Well, I mean, I'm starting to 246 00:12:25,920 --> 00:12:29,840 Speaker 1: get in. There's so many directions. But but inherently, like 247 00:12:29,920 --> 00:12:36,880 Speaker 1: people don't talk about sleep that much or um, so 248 00:12:36,920 --> 00:12:39,640 Speaker 1: there's like there's a whole movement around that. But travel 249 00:12:39,720 --> 00:12:42,679 Speaker 1: was such an easy thing to plug into. So I 250 00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:45,200 Speaker 1: do think that we can attribute a lot of like 251 00:12:45,280 --> 00:12:48,240 Speaker 1: the excitement around it to that and like travel on 252 00:12:48,280 --> 00:12:51,000 Speaker 1: Instagram and all these things that just like marry Airbnb, 253 00:12:51,160 --> 00:12:55,000 Speaker 1: I mean, the industry has thing for us again because 254 00:12:55,040 --> 00:12:58,440 Speaker 1: we went so wide with the brand and people were like, Okay, 255 00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:00,559 Speaker 1: here's like a cool travel brand. Oh, they only make 256 00:13:00,600 --> 00:13:04,120 Speaker 1: one thing, I'll buy it. Um. But I think through 257 00:13:04,160 --> 00:13:06,560 Speaker 1: a lot of the things we've done, like the marketing, 258 00:13:06,679 --> 00:13:08,960 Speaker 1: like the way we do social media, like the events 259 00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:10,600 Speaker 1: we do in our store, all of that stuff, people 260 00:13:10,600 --> 00:13:13,360 Speaker 1: are like, oh, this is inherently like a travel brand, 261 00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:15,720 Speaker 1: so it's not weird. When we um like what we 262 00:13:15,760 --> 00:13:17,760 Speaker 1: did last year we went to Paris Fashion we can 263 00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:20,160 Speaker 1: did a pop up hotel, people were like, oh, Away 264 00:13:20,440 --> 00:13:23,600 Speaker 1: is doing a hotel? Makes sense. If we did something 265 00:13:23,679 --> 00:13:25,880 Speaker 1: with an airline, people say that makes sense, I would 266 00:13:25,920 --> 00:13:28,160 Speaker 1: get on that plane. So I think. I think just 267 00:13:28,240 --> 00:13:30,760 Speaker 1: the way we talk about travel has allowed all of 268 00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:33,520 Speaker 1: those doors to kind of be open to us. And 269 00:13:33,559 --> 00:13:35,439 Speaker 1: when we do want to go into other things, like 270 00:13:35,480 --> 00:13:37,760 Speaker 1: when we did a magazine, um, and a lot of 271 00:13:37,760 --> 00:13:40,560 Speaker 1: people are doing so you do quarterly so just Casper 272 00:13:40,920 --> 00:13:43,800 Speaker 1: like a quarterly print magazine. But people are like, Okay, 273 00:13:43,840 --> 00:13:46,160 Speaker 1: there's a bunch of travel magazines out there. They don't 274 00:13:46,160 --> 00:13:48,000 Speaker 1: really appeal to me, but like, I like a way 275 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:49,880 Speaker 1: as a brand, so I'm going to read what they 276 00:13:49,880 --> 00:13:52,240 Speaker 1: have to say. And the magazine has been doing really well. 277 00:13:52,320 --> 00:13:55,280 Speaker 1: There's like the ad revenue has been great, like it 278 00:13:55,320 --> 00:13:57,440 Speaker 1: reaches a really targeted group of because it goes in 279 00:13:57,480 --> 00:14:00,040 Speaker 1: every suitcase, so it reaches a really targeted group of 280 00:14:00,040 --> 00:14:02,760 Speaker 1: people that you know are about to travel so um. 281 00:14:02,800 --> 00:14:04,880 Speaker 1: And and the content is great because that's not our 282 00:14:04,880 --> 00:14:07,320 Speaker 1: main business. So we're like, let's just talk about whatever 283 00:14:07,360 --> 00:14:09,079 Speaker 1: we want. Yeah, let's talk about what we think is 284 00:14:09,120 --> 00:14:14,520 Speaker 1: cool and yeah in a way representing an idea. I 285 00:14:14,559 --> 00:14:17,199 Speaker 1: think it's really is really interesting that and you know, 286 00:14:17,720 --> 00:14:22,680 Speaker 1: broader than just luggage or product or. We have a 287 00:14:22,760 --> 00:14:26,760 Speaker 1: couple editors, they're from they're all from Conde. We have 288 00:14:26,840 --> 00:14:31,040 Speaker 1: a lot of our contributors amazing Bilze. No, actually we 289 00:14:31,240 --> 00:14:33,400 Speaker 1: didn't go to any of the travel magazines, but we 290 00:14:33,480 --> 00:14:36,920 Speaker 1: have just have like amazing writers who worked for other 291 00:14:37,040 --> 00:14:39,640 Speaker 1: big magazines but never get to talk about this stuff. 292 00:14:39,800 --> 00:14:43,120 Speaker 1: So um. So we're like a little retreat for them. 293 00:14:43,800 --> 00:14:46,640 Speaker 1: When we launched that, we were like, Okay, at its worst, 294 00:14:46,640 --> 00:14:49,920 Speaker 1: we have a really cool editorial site, and at its 295 00:14:49,920 --> 00:14:52,120 Speaker 1: best it could be its own business. But since that 296 00:14:52,240 --> 00:14:54,720 Speaker 1: was not the goal from the beginning, we could focus 297 00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:56,720 Speaker 1: on the content that we wanted to put out. And 298 00:14:56,760 --> 00:14:59,040 Speaker 1: I think that's the same thing, Like, it's really good 299 00:14:59,040 --> 00:15:01,040 Speaker 1: if we if we look at ways of travel brand, 300 00:15:01,040 --> 00:15:05,680 Speaker 1: But our core monetization strategy is selling luggage. It's really 301 00:15:05,680 --> 00:15:08,000 Speaker 1: a platform to do so many other things, so we 302 00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:10,160 Speaker 1: can you know, we're not going to go buy a 303 00:15:10,200 --> 00:15:12,440 Speaker 1: ton of real estate and open a bunch of hotels, 304 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:14,760 Speaker 1: but like, what do we know about the experience in 305 00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:16,640 Speaker 1: the brand and what people want to do that that 306 00:15:16,680 --> 00:15:18,640 Speaker 1: could make a really great hotel experience and who do 307 00:15:18,680 --> 00:15:21,000 Speaker 1: we partner with to do that? And because people love 308 00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:23,440 Speaker 1: the brand, it's not it's not weird for them to 309 00:15:23,480 --> 00:15:25,760 Speaker 1: stay there. Like who doesn't have If you don't have 310 00:15:25,760 --> 00:15:28,560 Speaker 1: wonder Less, you're missing a chip right in my opinion, 311 00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:31,560 Speaker 1: right exactly. And I think everyone has their own way 312 00:15:31,600 --> 00:15:34,920 Speaker 1: of traveling, which we recognize. We haven't been like we're 313 00:15:34,920 --> 00:15:37,600 Speaker 1: for business travelers or were for like super luxury traveling. 314 00:15:37,880 --> 00:15:40,400 Speaker 1: We just we know everyone I know, like even one 315 00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:42,800 Speaker 1: person has a few different ways of traveling, you know, 316 00:15:42,840 --> 00:15:44,840 Speaker 1: like how I travel when I go to see my 317 00:15:44,880 --> 00:15:47,520 Speaker 1: boyfriend versus like when I'm traveling for work. It's it's 318 00:15:47,520 --> 00:15:49,920 Speaker 1: like it's totally different, totally different. Yeah, I was going 319 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:52,000 Speaker 1: to say earlier, and you both hit on it. This 320 00:15:52,120 --> 00:15:54,200 Speaker 1: idea that what you built and what I think a 321 00:15:54,240 --> 00:15:57,280 Speaker 1: lot of your cohort in the DCC space you talked 322 00:15:57,280 --> 00:16:01,640 Speaker 1: about Glossier and Casper in this whole family of brands, 323 00:16:02,040 --> 00:16:04,360 Speaker 1: is that you all are creating platforms before you're thinking 324 00:16:04,360 --> 00:16:07,520 Speaker 1: about product. Product just happens to be one tenant of 325 00:16:07,560 --> 00:16:10,280 Speaker 1: this larger platform. So it's giving you the space to 326 00:16:10,360 --> 00:16:12,360 Speaker 1: kind of go in and say content stands up next, 327 00:16:12,840 --> 00:16:14,920 Speaker 1: or you know, who knows you might move into a 328 00:16:14,920 --> 00:16:18,280 Speaker 1: completely different line of things within that category, Which is 329 00:16:18,280 --> 00:16:21,880 Speaker 1: what we're getting to. How much is your community informing that? Right? 330 00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:24,360 Speaker 1: So you know we've seen you know, messaging that you've 331 00:16:24,400 --> 00:16:27,320 Speaker 1: put out where like the pink suitcases backed by popular demand. 332 00:16:27,760 --> 00:16:30,560 Speaker 1: You went and partnered with Carl Kloss to create this 333 00:16:30,920 --> 00:16:33,960 Speaker 1: partnership around you know, her initiative with code with Class. 334 00:16:34,440 --> 00:16:37,160 Speaker 1: How much is a community informing what those pillars become 335 00:16:37,560 --> 00:16:39,920 Speaker 1: and how are you evolving the product as a result. 336 00:16:40,360 --> 00:16:43,840 Speaker 1: I mean, they they're informing everything. So I think we 337 00:16:44,120 --> 00:16:46,560 Speaker 1: kind of It was really hard for me the beginning. 338 00:16:46,560 --> 00:16:48,640 Speaker 1: It was like a big not at all. I was like, no, 339 00:16:48,800 --> 00:16:51,720 Speaker 1: this is what they want and it was actually like 340 00:16:51,840 --> 00:16:53,920 Speaker 1: such a blessing. My co founder it was in business 341 00:16:53,920 --> 00:16:57,000 Speaker 1: school and she was really into focus groups and research 342 00:16:57,040 --> 00:17:00,080 Speaker 1: and surveys um, and then we get there's all and 343 00:17:00,200 --> 00:17:03,280 Speaker 1: I like, huh, that's weird, um, But they do. They 344 00:17:03,800 --> 00:17:06,399 Speaker 1: do inform everything because I really think, you know, I 345 00:17:06,400 --> 00:17:10,160 Speaker 1: think when people think DTC, they're like, Okay, the advantage 346 00:17:10,240 --> 00:17:12,560 Speaker 1: is in you're cutting out the wholesale markup and it's 347 00:17:12,600 --> 00:17:15,600 Speaker 1: like the product price advantage and you're getting the data. Yeah. 348 00:17:15,640 --> 00:17:18,199 Speaker 1: The real advantage that people don't think about is like 349 00:17:18,240 --> 00:17:21,320 Speaker 1: that feedback loop. So so if we sold our luggage 350 00:17:21,320 --> 00:17:25,080 Speaker 1: and department stores, we would just get a report like monthly, quarterly, whatever, 351 00:17:25,240 --> 00:17:27,880 Speaker 1: saying here's what sold, here's what didn't sell. You're getting 352 00:17:27,880 --> 00:17:31,959 Speaker 1: it back. Here's the return rate if that, and you 353 00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:35,600 Speaker 1: have no idea why anytime someone returns or exchanges a suitcase, 354 00:17:35,920 --> 00:17:38,000 Speaker 1: we know exactly why, Like there are things we can 355 00:17:38,080 --> 00:17:41,280 Speaker 1: work on. How would we have known that, you know, 356 00:17:41,359 --> 00:17:43,639 Speaker 1: maybe the straps inside the bag could have been like 357 00:17:43,680 --> 00:17:46,119 Speaker 1: an inch longer, but people tell us that. And I 358 00:17:46,160 --> 00:17:49,479 Speaker 1: think also because we started putting it into practice really early, 359 00:17:50,200 --> 00:17:53,080 Speaker 1: people see things like okay, we did a limit edition 360 00:17:53,119 --> 00:17:54,840 Speaker 1: of the paint. They wanted it, so we made it. 361 00:17:55,119 --> 00:17:57,040 Speaker 1: So now people are like, oh, they listen, so they 362 00:17:57,040 --> 00:17:59,919 Speaker 1: give us even more So it just we just have 363 00:18:00,600 --> 00:18:02,879 Speaker 1: I think the problem that we have, which is a 364 00:18:02,880 --> 00:18:05,320 Speaker 1: great problem to have, is like there's so much feedback 365 00:18:05,359 --> 00:18:08,159 Speaker 1: to go through and there's so much data to analyze, 366 00:18:08,280 --> 00:18:10,840 Speaker 1: and how do you make sure that Okay, if you 367 00:18:10,880 --> 00:18:13,040 Speaker 1: have like two cohorts of customers who want different things, 368 00:18:13,040 --> 00:18:14,359 Speaker 1: like how do you do it? So now we're in 369 00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:17,760 Speaker 1: that phase of of how to listen. But I think 370 00:18:17,880 --> 00:18:20,159 Speaker 1: because from the beginning, we've always listened to people, and 371 00:18:20,160 --> 00:18:22,440 Speaker 1: that's how we designed the product. Like when we're like, Okay, 372 00:18:22,440 --> 00:18:24,440 Speaker 1: if we're gonna make one bad, we can't screw this up. 373 00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:28,720 Speaker 1: So we interviewed hundreds of people about like the weirdest things, 374 00:18:28,720 --> 00:18:31,639 Speaker 1: like we would like watch people pack because people are 375 00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:34,280 Speaker 1: really bad at describing that. Um. But that's how we 376 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:38,040 Speaker 1: designed our first product, and so that's like inherently been 377 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:40,880 Speaker 1: part of of our model. Like listen. I think it's 378 00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:44,200 Speaker 1: it's it's cool to be like a director consumer entrepreneur 379 00:18:44,320 --> 00:18:46,720 Speaker 1: right now. And I think that people who are going 380 00:18:46,760 --> 00:18:48,880 Speaker 1: into it being like Okay, I'm going to start a 381 00:18:48,920 --> 00:18:53,160 Speaker 1: warby Parker for whatever, they don't think about the feedback loop. 382 00:18:53,200 --> 00:18:54,919 Speaker 1: They don't think about all of the other things that 383 00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:58,760 Speaker 1: actually are what makes a director consumer brand because you're 384 00:18:58,600 --> 00:19:00,760 Speaker 1: You're like, you don't become a director because brand, because 385 00:19:00,760 --> 00:19:04,359 Speaker 1: like distribution is easy. There were so many opportunities in 386 00:19:04,400 --> 00:19:06,800 Speaker 1: the beginning and still now we're like, if we turn 387 00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:08,840 Speaker 1: this on, or if we partner with this, or if 388 00:19:08,880 --> 00:19:11,919 Speaker 1: we just sell whole sales with this partner, and they're like, 389 00:19:11,960 --> 00:19:16,720 Speaker 1: they're good partners. That's an easy million dollars on top. 390 00:19:17,440 --> 00:19:19,160 Speaker 1: But but you have to have a long term view 391 00:19:19,160 --> 00:19:21,840 Speaker 1: of like your customer relationship and your community and all 392 00:19:21,880 --> 00:19:24,040 Speaker 1: of that stuff. And I think I think a lot 393 00:19:24,080 --> 00:19:27,960 Speaker 1: of people right now are starting brands and then they 394 00:19:28,000 --> 00:19:31,800 Speaker 1: get approached by you know, like a traditional retailer, like 395 00:19:31,840 --> 00:19:34,560 Speaker 1: a big name department store, and it's like very easy 396 00:19:34,600 --> 00:19:36,400 Speaker 1: to want to say yes to that, but you don't 397 00:19:36,400 --> 00:19:38,120 Speaker 1: think about what you're giving up in the long term. 398 00:19:38,280 --> 00:19:40,879 Speaker 1: That's the most surprising feedback you've gotten in your loops. 399 00:19:41,720 --> 00:19:46,240 Speaker 1: Oh god, Uh. What's been surprising is how particular people 400 00:19:46,280 --> 00:19:49,680 Speaker 1: are in giving their feedback. And I'm like, um, I'm 401 00:19:49,720 --> 00:19:51,840 Speaker 1: like a lazy survey taker. I have to do all 402 00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:54,680 Speaker 1: the things. They never put any comments. We get like essays, 403 00:19:55,200 --> 00:19:57,480 Speaker 1: essays of stuff, And I think it goes back to 404 00:19:57,640 --> 00:20:00,200 Speaker 1: like we're sitting around in the office like a, hey, 405 00:20:00,200 --> 00:20:02,239 Speaker 1: what do we do with this? You know, like how 406 00:20:02,280 --> 00:20:05,800 Speaker 1: do we actually synthesizes? But UM, but it's been amazing 407 00:20:05,920 --> 00:20:08,359 Speaker 1: the all these people are that we're really good like 408 00:20:08,400 --> 00:20:13,159 Speaker 1: test takers, UM, because they the detail in these essays 409 00:20:13,280 --> 00:20:16,040 Speaker 1: is incredible. So you were talking about kind of like 410 00:20:16,119 --> 00:20:19,280 Speaker 1: parsing out the feedback and the data. We don't talk 411 00:20:19,280 --> 00:20:24,720 Speaker 1: about data a lot, especially with chief brand officers, co founders, entrepreneurs, presidents. 412 00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:27,800 Speaker 1: Do you guys have like a like a little kick 413 00:20:27,840 --> 00:20:31,040 Speaker 1: ass group of analysts and data scientists that they're all 414 00:20:31,080 --> 00:20:33,520 Speaker 1: so much smarter than me. I'm like, this is cool. 415 00:20:33,600 --> 00:20:41,240 Speaker 1: Can I get a summary UM TABLEW Like, I'm going 416 00:20:41,280 --> 00:20:43,280 Speaker 1: to leave the Slack channel and you can just tell 417 00:20:43,359 --> 00:20:46,960 Speaker 1: me to take a picture of UM. We have to 418 00:20:46,960 --> 00:20:49,760 Speaker 1: have a data team, we have an insights team UM. 419 00:20:49,920 --> 00:20:53,160 Speaker 1: And what we've been really tried to be really good 420 00:20:53,160 --> 00:20:56,080 Speaker 1: about is like is that they don't operate on their own. 421 00:20:56,119 --> 00:20:58,320 Speaker 1: They're not just like looking at numbers and like looking 422 00:20:58,359 --> 00:21:02,480 Speaker 1: at feedback base sickly. Everyone is super involved in the feedback. 423 00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:05,920 Speaker 1: So even UM, like our our customer experience team, they 424 00:21:05,960 --> 00:21:09,359 Speaker 1: get tons of emails like from all these customers who 425 00:21:09,359 --> 00:21:12,000 Speaker 1: are now their best friends. They like funnel that in 426 00:21:12,040 --> 00:21:14,800 Speaker 1: all the right places. So anytime a customer says something 427 00:21:15,280 --> 00:21:18,200 Speaker 1: about the product, like it goes right to the product team. 428 00:21:18,280 --> 00:21:21,439 Speaker 1: Uh So it doesn't feel like there's clusters of people 429 00:21:21,440 --> 00:21:23,720 Speaker 1: who just look at the data and that's it. That's 430 00:21:23,720 --> 00:21:25,680 Speaker 1: what a lot of people get hung up on doing. 431 00:21:25,720 --> 00:21:28,359 Speaker 1: Like they're collecting data, they're collecting insights, and then nothing 432 00:21:28,359 --> 00:21:33,240 Speaker 1: ever happened. And that's like an organizational issue as well 433 00:21:33,280 --> 00:21:35,960 Speaker 1: as like just a mindset issue, right, Like it's like 434 00:21:36,040 --> 00:21:39,280 Speaker 1: how you staff, but it's also about creating those pipelines 435 00:21:39,280 --> 00:21:41,520 Speaker 1: and saying that there's a little bit this should be 436 00:21:41,560 --> 00:21:43,720 Speaker 1: three dimensional. Yeah, it can't just be like a pool 437 00:21:43,760 --> 00:21:48,760 Speaker 1: of data, right, like the data sets that you're getting consequentially, 438 00:21:48,920 --> 00:21:51,439 Speaker 1: like based on credit card data in store data, like 439 00:21:51,720 --> 00:21:56,960 Speaker 1: everybody has at some point similar sets. And let's be 440 00:21:57,000 --> 00:21:59,520 Speaker 1: really like they're the bigger companies are doing a much 441 00:21:59,560 --> 00:22:04,959 Speaker 1: better job collecting that stuff, but the problem is they 442 00:22:04,960 --> 00:22:07,440 Speaker 1: don't know what to do. We actually probably have less 443 00:22:07,520 --> 00:22:10,960 Speaker 1: data right now and like less sophisticated ways of looking 444 00:22:10,960 --> 00:22:14,200 Speaker 1: at it. But the thing that makes the most difference 445 00:22:14,240 --> 00:22:16,040 Speaker 1: is that it goes to the teams that can do 446 00:22:16,080 --> 00:22:18,280 Speaker 1: stuff about it. So like now we have our product 447 00:22:18,280 --> 00:22:21,119 Speaker 1: design teams and designing stuff for for next year, and 448 00:22:21,160 --> 00:22:23,080 Speaker 1: they're like, when we like piloted this bag with a 449 00:22:23,080 --> 00:22:25,200 Speaker 1: group of people, here's like all the stuff they said, 450 00:22:25,440 --> 00:22:28,119 Speaker 1: and they actually incorporate that in there. So we have 451 00:22:28,200 --> 00:22:32,400 Speaker 1: some of the most data minded like designers and creatives, 452 00:22:32,760 --> 00:22:36,280 Speaker 1: which before away they're like, I don't know this existed. 453 00:22:36,320 --> 00:22:38,040 Speaker 1: How did you get this info? Do you think that's 454 00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:41,359 Speaker 1: a theme like that's coming in the industry more that 455 00:22:41,560 --> 00:22:44,160 Speaker 1: we're going to be able to have like the creative 456 00:22:44,200 --> 00:22:47,919 Speaker 1: side and the kind of more scientific side like working 457 00:22:47,960 --> 00:22:52,800 Speaker 1: together for marketing, and that's going to drive product I hope. So, 458 00:22:53,280 --> 00:22:55,080 Speaker 1: I hope. So. I mean, I think a lot of 459 00:22:55,080 --> 00:22:56,960 Speaker 1: why it is the way it is is because of 460 00:22:57,720 --> 00:23:00,600 Speaker 1: my relationship with my co founder. I mean she I 461 00:23:00,600 --> 00:23:03,359 Speaker 1: can't remember which one is which, but left brain, right brain, whatever. 462 00:23:03,840 --> 00:23:07,399 Speaker 1: We're so each other's opposites. And in the beginning it 463 00:23:07,480 --> 00:23:09,480 Speaker 1: was really easy because there's all these things that we 464 00:23:09,560 --> 00:23:12,040 Speaker 1: had to do and it was very clear who had 465 00:23:12,080 --> 00:23:14,719 Speaker 1: to do which thing, um, and we were like we 466 00:23:14,720 --> 00:23:17,440 Speaker 1: weren't trying to land grab anything, and and I think 467 00:23:17,560 --> 00:23:19,800 Speaker 1: obviously I know stuff. Maybe not obviously, but I do 468 00:23:19,880 --> 00:23:21,919 Speaker 1: know stuff about the business, and she does know stuff 469 00:23:21,920 --> 00:23:25,480 Speaker 1: about the brand. But because we kind of like let 470 00:23:25,520 --> 00:23:28,359 Speaker 1: each other naturally go into that, just naturally go into it, 471 00:23:28,400 --> 00:23:30,199 Speaker 1: like we just got to be really good at it. 472 00:23:30,560 --> 00:23:32,680 Speaker 1: And what we've done is like build out teams. You know, 473 00:23:32,720 --> 00:23:34,160 Speaker 1: it started out just the two of us. Now there's 474 00:23:34,160 --> 00:23:36,320 Speaker 1: like a hundred and fifty people, but we've like built 475 00:23:36,320 --> 00:23:38,639 Speaker 1: out teams that that kind of reflect that. And but 476 00:23:38,760 --> 00:23:40,679 Speaker 1: because we work so closely together, they all have to 477 00:23:40,680 --> 00:23:43,480 Speaker 1: work so closely together. Even the way we um we 478 00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:45,480 Speaker 1: struck her marketing is a little bit different. So we 479 00:23:45,600 --> 00:23:48,520 Speaker 1: have we have a VP of Growth Marketing who's like 480 00:23:48,640 --> 00:23:51,879 Speaker 1: paid acquisition, retention, all that stuff, and then we have 481 00:23:51,920 --> 00:23:54,159 Speaker 1: a VP of Brand Marketing. UM so we don't have 482 00:23:54,200 --> 00:23:57,280 Speaker 1: one CML. But even like everyone on our acquisition team 483 00:23:57,320 --> 00:23:59,480 Speaker 1: is like, we're looking at these acquisition costs and they 484 00:23:59,520 --> 00:24:01,320 Speaker 1: would be way hire if it wasn't for all the 485 00:24:01,320 --> 00:24:03,399 Speaker 1: stuff that the brand marketing team is doing, and all 486 00:24:03,400 --> 00:24:05,359 Speaker 1: the brand market team does really cool stuff, but it 487 00:24:05,359 --> 00:24:08,200 Speaker 1: has to get amplified somehow. So I think it's we've 488 00:24:08,280 --> 00:24:11,240 Speaker 1: kind of really taken that like that like art and 489 00:24:11,320 --> 00:24:14,359 Speaker 1: science approach to everything out a way, like like the 490 00:24:14,400 --> 00:24:16,600 Speaker 1: brand marketing team and the creative teams like have to 491 00:24:16,600 --> 00:24:19,480 Speaker 1: look at how their stuff performed, like they think about 492 00:24:19,560 --> 00:24:22,600 Speaker 1: r y. So it's it's like a we definitely train 493 00:24:22,800 --> 00:24:26,240 Speaker 1: people and create the frameworks for them to think about 494 00:24:26,280 --> 00:24:29,480 Speaker 1: it that way. But um, but I think that's what's 495 00:24:29,560 --> 00:24:31,720 Speaker 1: allowed us to do this. I think DTC is actually 496 00:24:31,720 --> 00:24:33,639 Speaker 1: going to teach the industry this, like even how to 497 00:24:33,760 --> 00:24:35,960 Speaker 1: organize in a different way. It makes it really hard 498 00:24:35,960 --> 00:24:37,919 Speaker 1: for hiring, though I will say it doesn't think it 499 00:24:37,920 --> 00:24:40,240 Speaker 1: really look at maybe you want to bring in like 500 00:24:40,520 --> 00:24:43,240 Speaker 1: industry veterans with more experience to help guide a lot 501 00:24:43,280 --> 00:24:47,000 Speaker 1: of the kind of early like young, super hungry, like 502 00:24:47,040 --> 00:24:49,720 Speaker 1: ambitious people we've hired. But then it's like they don't 503 00:24:49,760 --> 00:24:53,160 Speaker 1: know how to work within the structure. So that's that's 504 00:24:53,200 --> 00:24:56,440 Speaker 1: like a common theme in the industry. I think that 505 00:24:57,080 --> 00:24:59,280 Speaker 1: people have been trained on these traditional models and then 506 00:24:59,280 --> 00:25:02,360 Speaker 1: they get in these artup environments where the ethos has 507 00:25:02,400 --> 00:25:05,640 Speaker 1: flipped from transaction to more value exchange in the sense 508 00:25:05,680 --> 00:25:09,320 Speaker 1: of like content and creation and development and making, and 509 00:25:09,440 --> 00:25:12,119 Speaker 1: like those things don't necessarily always translate and they're on 510 00:25:12,240 --> 00:25:14,960 Speaker 1: equal levels now, like, so so there's a there's a 511 00:25:15,040 --> 00:25:16,760 Speaker 1: there's a big gap. I think there's people who have 512 00:25:16,920 --> 00:25:19,720 Speaker 1: kind of grown up and climbed the ladders and worked 513 00:25:19,720 --> 00:25:21,800 Speaker 1: in a lot of different startups, and there's people like 514 00:25:21,840 --> 00:25:25,480 Speaker 1: there's like traditional marketers who are experienced with like bigger 515 00:25:25,520 --> 00:25:28,159 Speaker 1: budgets and more platforms and kind of I mean, you 516 00:25:28,200 --> 00:25:31,160 Speaker 1: don't want to throw away all of like traditional marketing, No, 517 00:25:31,240 --> 00:25:32,600 Speaker 1: I don't have to know how to do that. But 518 00:25:32,640 --> 00:25:35,159 Speaker 1: then there's a gap of like, okay, so how do 519 00:25:35,280 --> 00:25:39,480 Speaker 1: startups find really senior people who understand the way startups 520 00:25:39,480 --> 00:25:42,320 Speaker 1: work but also but can like bring that team into 521 00:25:42,560 --> 00:25:45,000 Speaker 1: into moving into bigger budgets. A lot about like the 522 00:25:45,080 --> 00:25:48,280 Speaker 1: unicorn effect of like those people who have the traditional 523 00:25:48,440 --> 00:25:51,320 Speaker 1: chops have been in the industry and where they understand 524 00:25:51,320 --> 00:25:54,080 Speaker 1: how to pull the levers on that channel mix, but 525 00:25:54,200 --> 00:25:57,840 Speaker 1: have the guts and the creativity and the flexibility to 526 00:25:58,040 --> 00:26:00,720 Speaker 1: challenge the way that model exists it right, so they 527 00:26:00,760 --> 00:26:04,000 Speaker 1: know how to manipulate media in a way in which 528 00:26:04,240 --> 00:26:07,320 Speaker 1: it can then translate for the next business and you're 529 00:26:07,320 --> 00:26:09,320 Speaker 1: thinking about business in a different way. I think you'll 530 00:26:09,320 --> 00:26:11,080 Speaker 1: start to see a lot of these director consumer brands. 531 00:26:11,240 --> 00:26:13,120 Speaker 1: As we all grow, as we spend more and more 532 00:26:13,160 --> 00:26:16,320 Speaker 1: money on marketing. I mean we still work in a 533 00:26:16,359 --> 00:26:18,520 Speaker 1: really lean and scrappy way, but like the budgets are 534 00:26:18,520 --> 00:26:22,440 Speaker 1: getting bigger, we totally reach more people. What's going to 535 00:26:22,560 --> 00:26:25,160 Speaker 1: happen is not that we take people used to those 536 00:26:25,200 --> 00:26:27,800 Speaker 1: budgets and to those media mixes and like bring them 537 00:26:27,800 --> 00:26:30,720 Speaker 1: into our organization. It's like it's like our teams trying 538 00:26:30,720 --> 00:26:31,919 Speaker 1: to figure out how to do that stuff for the 539 00:26:31,920 --> 00:26:33,840 Speaker 1: first time. You're gonna go I mean you're gonna grow, 540 00:26:34,040 --> 00:26:36,399 Speaker 1: You're gonna and you're gonna grow your people. Yeah, into 541 00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:38,720 Speaker 1: that exactly. So you a lot of people talk about 542 00:26:38,720 --> 00:26:41,080 Speaker 1: the DTC space, and us two co host on a podcast, 543 00:26:41,119 --> 00:26:44,760 Speaker 1: we can attest to this. You know, DTC was fast 544 00:26:44,800 --> 00:26:47,520 Speaker 1: and furious in the podcast space. Early on. It was 545 00:26:47,560 --> 00:26:49,320 Speaker 1: like the long standing joke like if you don't think 546 00:26:49,600 --> 00:26:52,479 Speaker 1: cast for use in a way, you know, brush your 547 00:26:52,480 --> 00:26:54,960 Speaker 1: teeth with a quip like you haven't listened to it. Yeah, 548 00:26:55,000 --> 00:27:00,680 Speaker 1: DTC is basically basically yeah podcast industry. So but it's 549 00:27:00,720 --> 00:27:03,399 Speaker 1: interesting in that you guys were figuring out how to 550 00:27:03,440 --> 00:27:05,840 Speaker 1: be scrappy, but there was also this loyal listener base 551 00:27:05,920 --> 00:27:09,360 Speaker 1: there that was willing to convert. Was that a benownced 552 00:27:09,440 --> 00:27:11,760 Speaker 1: thing in sort of the early bets that you placed 553 00:27:11,800 --> 00:27:15,639 Speaker 1: with your I'm assuming scrappy startup marketing budget or was 554 00:27:15,640 --> 00:27:18,120 Speaker 1: it a proxy of just like efficiency, like how are 555 00:27:18,119 --> 00:27:21,080 Speaker 1: you plotting your marketing plan? You're two years old out 556 00:27:21,119 --> 00:27:23,320 Speaker 1: of the gate and now you're I can't believe you 557 00:27:23,440 --> 00:27:28,200 Speaker 1: out on Broadway with this like insane billboard. You know? Activation, 558 00:27:28,600 --> 00:27:31,160 Speaker 1: what's been the evolution of of how you're thinking about 559 00:27:31,200 --> 00:27:35,800 Speaker 1: your marketing budget and planning. I think um Our our 560 00:27:35,880 --> 00:27:37,879 Speaker 1: team has done an amazing job and that they really 561 00:27:38,160 --> 00:27:42,560 Speaker 1: they're like portfolio managers and they come up over and over. 562 00:27:42,640 --> 00:27:46,359 Speaker 1: By the way, this is amazing that word. A lot 563 00:27:46,400 --> 00:27:48,000 Speaker 1: of the traditional markets, like you guys must spend a 564 00:27:48,040 --> 00:27:50,400 Speaker 1: lot of money on on Facebook and Instagram, and like, yeah, 565 00:27:50,480 --> 00:27:53,199 Speaker 1: we do. But it's like I think I live in 566 00:27:53,320 --> 00:27:58,400 Speaker 1: fear of um building an entire brand or business around 567 00:27:58,400 --> 00:28:01,520 Speaker 1: one platform. And and as we've seen, like what happens 568 00:28:01,520 --> 00:28:03,919 Speaker 1: when they change their algorithm, what happens when like you 569 00:28:03,960 --> 00:28:08,080 Speaker 1: can't reach those people anymore? What happens when like Congress 570 00:28:08,119 --> 00:28:10,719 Speaker 1: is like getting involved. There's always going to be like 571 00:28:10,920 --> 00:28:13,359 Speaker 1: big ways to reach a lot of people and to 572 00:28:13,480 --> 00:28:15,720 Speaker 1: do it really effectively. And I don't think those will 573 00:28:15,800 --> 00:28:19,639 Speaker 1: change overnight that I think you're really like screwing yourself 574 00:28:19,680 --> 00:28:23,320 Speaker 1: over if you're not thinking about other things. So from 575 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:26,359 Speaker 1: the beginning, it wasn't like, Okay, pere's our budget. It's 576 00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:28,560 Speaker 1: not that big, let's just throw it onto one platforms. 577 00:28:28,600 --> 00:28:32,240 Speaker 1: We're always experimenting, you know, as we've raised more money, 578 00:28:32,520 --> 00:28:34,760 Speaker 1: as we have we've sold a lot more suitcases, as 579 00:28:34,800 --> 00:28:36,960 Speaker 1: we want to reach more people, we want to be 580 00:28:36,960 --> 00:28:39,640 Speaker 1: able to turn those things on, but without having tried them, right, 581 00:28:39,840 --> 00:28:42,040 Speaker 1: So it's not like one day we're gonna be like, oh, 582 00:28:42,040 --> 00:28:44,160 Speaker 1: we're gonna we're gonna go on TV. You know, we 583 00:28:44,200 --> 00:28:46,720 Speaker 1: are going to start doing like big national TV buys. 584 00:28:46,760 --> 00:28:48,760 Speaker 1: But over the last year they've been testing a lot 585 00:28:48,800 --> 00:28:51,360 Speaker 1: of stuff and like like remnant buys and like local 586 00:28:51,440 --> 00:28:54,120 Speaker 1: markets and um and testing creative on there. So we're 587 00:28:54,160 --> 00:28:57,800 Speaker 1: never We're never throwing money at something without having tried 588 00:28:57,840 --> 00:28:59,680 Speaker 1: it and tested it. And that was the thing with 589 00:28:59,760 --> 00:29:01,640 Speaker 1: pod casts. I think in the beginning there was a 590 00:29:01,640 --> 00:29:04,320 Speaker 1: lot of like early testing a couple of podcasts here 591 00:29:04,360 --> 00:29:07,880 Speaker 1: and there, um figuring out what kind of podcast creative 592 00:29:07,880 --> 00:29:10,480 Speaker 1: work for us, or or what kinds of listeners were 593 00:29:10,480 --> 00:29:13,240 Speaker 1: really into the product, And then when we were ready 594 00:29:13,280 --> 00:29:16,840 Speaker 1: to make more meaningful investments in like podcast advertising, we 595 00:29:16,920 --> 00:29:18,720 Speaker 1: knew how we wanted to do it. So I think 596 00:29:19,360 --> 00:29:23,480 Speaker 1: even today there's so many different things that we're trying 597 00:29:23,520 --> 00:29:26,360 Speaker 1: out and not in like a huge meaningful way. But 598 00:29:26,680 --> 00:29:29,080 Speaker 1: when we are ready to go into it big, it's 599 00:29:29,080 --> 00:29:31,120 Speaker 1: a lot less risky for us. Why TV, Why are 600 00:29:31,120 --> 00:29:34,080 Speaker 1: you going into TV? It's been really good for us, 601 00:29:34,240 --> 00:29:36,840 Speaker 1: it's been really efficient. So Comcast is one of our 602 00:29:36,920 --> 00:29:39,920 Speaker 1: early investors. They have an amazing program. I'm not sure 603 00:29:39,920 --> 00:29:42,000 Speaker 1: if it's just before their portfolio companies, but it's like 604 00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:45,440 Speaker 1: this accelerate program that helps brings like us get into 605 00:29:45,560 --> 00:29:49,160 Speaker 1: TV and they kind of guide you through, like here's 606 00:29:49,160 --> 00:29:51,000 Speaker 1: how you make a direct response AD and now we 607 00:29:51,000 --> 00:29:53,000 Speaker 1: talked to Lindy Acarino about this when she was on 608 00:29:53,040 --> 00:29:56,080 Speaker 1: the show. Yeah, it's amazing, UM and we it's like 609 00:29:56,760 --> 00:29:58,520 Speaker 1: like everyone at the startup, like none of us have 610 00:29:58,560 --> 00:30:01,680 Speaker 1: ever had experience in TV. But then you start testing it, 611 00:30:01,760 --> 00:30:04,120 Speaker 1: you start to do small buys, and I think what's 612 00:30:04,120 --> 00:30:05,600 Speaker 1: been really great for us is that we're not just 613 00:30:06,160 --> 00:30:08,080 Speaker 1: doing like a TV buy and you're like, well, I 614 00:30:08,120 --> 00:30:10,840 Speaker 1: hope it works. But they help you a lot with 615 00:30:11,280 --> 00:30:15,720 Speaker 1: attributing UM the commercial to sales and UM and seeing 616 00:30:15,720 --> 00:30:18,200 Speaker 1: if it's really working. And in our early test it's 617 00:30:18,240 --> 00:30:20,400 Speaker 1: been really great. So I think we're gonna go every brand. 618 00:30:20,920 --> 00:30:25,320 Speaker 1: Every marketer just went what right? Yeah, it's crazy. I 619 00:30:25,320 --> 00:30:27,240 Speaker 1: couldn't even explain it to you would be really embarrassing 620 00:30:27,240 --> 00:30:29,800 Speaker 1: because now our data teams listening to this, you're like, 621 00:30:30,440 --> 00:30:33,000 Speaker 1: what she's talking about. I think when you're a startup 622 00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:35,400 Speaker 1: and you've limited budgets, you want to make sure what 623 00:30:35,440 --> 00:30:38,040 Speaker 1: you're spending money on works. And I think that's why 624 00:30:38,080 --> 00:30:41,200 Speaker 1: Facebook and Instagram are so great because they give you 625 00:30:41,240 --> 00:30:43,200 Speaker 1: all of that data back and it's easy to like 626 00:30:43,280 --> 00:30:46,160 Speaker 1: go to your marketing manager and be like, it's working, 627 00:30:46,360 --> 00:30:48,640 Speaker 1: let's put more money into it. I don't know, we 628 00:30:48,720 --> 00:30:51,360 Speaker 1: just we'd like to like to make things in that 629 00:30:51,680 --> 00:30:55,360 Speaker 1: on on the TV side, because it's interesting. So many 630 00:30:55,440 --> 00:30:58,640 Speaker 1: brands that I've encountered over the last twelve eighteen months 631 00:30:58,640 --> 00:31:01,640 Speaker 1: who are early stage age we can't be on TV. 632 00:31:01,840 --> 00:31:04,479 Speaker 1: We don't have enough money. And and I'm always like 633 00:31:05,080 --> 00:31:09,160 Speaker 1: wrong thought because in reality and I think, you know, 634 00:31:09,200 --> 00:31:11,400 Speaker 1: it's interesting that Comcast is partnering in in that way, 635 00:31:11,400 --> 00:31:13,080 Speaker 1: and I think we're going to see more and more 636 00:31:13,520 --> 00:31:16,240 Speaker 1: networks try to figure out how to partner with brands 637 00:31:16,280 --> 00:31:18,600 Speaker 1: like you to set yourselves up for success of the future. 638 00:31:19,280 --> 00:31:22,880 Speaker 1: Where yeah, early days remnant inventory mascale allows you to 639 00:31:22,880 --> 00:31:26,440 Speaker 1: get super niche in specific environments, etcetera. But at the 640 00:31:26,480 --> 00:31:29,080 Speaker 1: same time, you know you might be able to place 641 00:31:29,160 --> 00:31:32,280 Speaker 1: one big bet throughout the entire year with an insane 642 00:31:32,280 --> 00:31:34,680 Speaker 1: story and insane creative I e. In the Super Bowl, 643 00:31:35,000 --> 00:31:38,400 Speaker 1: in you know, some other tent pole award show throughout 644 00:31:38,440 --> 00:31:40,240 Speaker 1: the year where your customer where you might be gift 645 00:31:40,240 --> 00:31:44,120 Speaker 1: bagging influencers, I don't know, but point being interesting and 646 00:31:44,120 --> 00:31:46,880 Speaker 1: that nobody had that experience. So your first preconceived notion 647 00:31:47,360 --> 00:31:49,640 Speaker 1: at a startup is like, I can't be there because 648 00:31:49,640 --> 00:31:52,240 Speaker 1: I don't have enough money. But that's exactly I think. 649 00:31:52,240 --> 00:31:54,120 Speaker 1: If you look at Okay, well, how much money you're 650 00:31:54,120 --> 00:31:57,760 Speaker 1: spending on your shitty Facebook act. So if you if 651 00:31:57,760 --> 00:32:01,120 Speaker 1: you only have early days, you'll have a couple hundred 652 00:32:01,120 --> 00:32:04,480 Speaker 1: grand to spend. The return on like two grand of 653 00:32:04,520 --> 00:32:07,480 Speaker 1: like of TV could be a lot bigger than two 654 00:32:07,840 --> 00:32:10,720 Speaker 1: grand of like weird Facebook ads that you haven't tested. 655 00:32:11,200 --> 00:32:12,920 Speaker 1: So I mean, I think I think just we look 656 00:32:12,960 --> 00:32:16,080 Speaker 1: at everything from an r OI perspective, and that's easier 657 00:32:16,120 --> 00:32:19,080 Speaker 1: to analyze if if you are getting data, and I 658 00:32:19,120 --> 00:32:20,880 Speaker 1: think not everyone knows how to get data from all 659 00:32:20,880 --> 00:32:24,080 Speaker 1: the places they're advertising. But it's like, I think there's 660 00:32:24,120 --> 00:32:27,200 Speaker 1: there's a lot of safe options for marketing, but if 661 00:32:27,200 --> 00:32:29,520 Speaker 1: you're not, Like, if you don't do it early on, 662 00:32:29,560 --> 00:32:31,160 Speaker 1: you're never going to be ready to do it because 663 00:32:31,200 --> 00:32:32,400 Speaker 1: it's not like one day you're gonna be like, oh, 664 00:32:32,440 --> 00:32:35,760 Speaker 1: I have a thirty million dollar budget to do this, 665 00:32:35,840 --> 00:32:37,480 Speaker 1: but we've never done it before, so you're going to 666 00:32:37,520 --> 00:32:40,000 Speaker 1: be scared to go into TV. I think I want, 667 00:32:40,720 --> 00:32:42,640 Speaker 1: I want to flip it to to the big brands. 668 00:32:42,760 --> 00:32:45,640 Speaker 1: I mean the big brands. Actually, is this the case 669 00:32:45,760 --> 00:32:48,280 Speaker 1: every every CMO is going to barf? But like, is 670 00:32:48,360 --> 00:32:54,200 Speaker 1: this the case for limiting budget, proving stuff out, really 671 00:32:54,240 --> 00:32:59,240 Speaker 1: really testing. Everybody talks about test, iterate, right, fail, succeed, 672 00:33:00,040 --> 00:33:01,920 Speaker 1: ranch off and go from there. I mean, but if 673 00:33:01,960 --> 00:33:05,120 Speaker 1: they do it with everything with our retail stores, we've 674 00:33:05,120 --> 00:33:07,880 Speaker 1: like we've never signed a long ways every time we go. 675 00:33:08,200 --> 00:33:09,920 Speaker 1: I mean, I mean even the most obvious things were 676 00:33:09,960 --> 00:33:11,800 Speaker 1: like I think a store would do well in New York. 677 00:33:11,880 --> 00:33:14,120 Speaker 1: We're like, O, hey, let's test it. So you sign 678 00:33:14,160 --> 00:33:16,120 Speaker 1: a short term lease and you figure out if it works, 679 00:33:16,120 --> 00:33:18,080 Speaker 1: you figure out how big it needs to be. We 680 00:33:18,120 --> 00:33:20,520 Speaker 1: have a flagship store now on Lafayette and Bond, but 681 00:33:20,560 --> 00:33:23,920 Speaker 1: we started with like with a little store on Houston 682 00:33:24,080 --> 00:33:27,400 Speaker 1: and Lafayette. There's like six hundred square feet. Were like 683 00:33:27,440 --> 00:33:30,080 Speaker 1: too small. We figure out why people were shopping for 684 00:33:30,120 --> 00:33:32,440 Speaker 1: the bags, and then we did like a bigger store 685 00:33:32,440 --> 00:33:34,200 Speaker 1: in Soho and we're like, we don't need to be 686 00:33:34,240 --> 00:33:37,120 Speaker 1: in Soho because we figured out we were like a destination. 687 00:33:37,320 --> 00:33:38,880 Speaker 1: So by the time we are signing a long term 688 00:33:38,960 --> 00:33:41,360 Speaker 1: lease and doing a bigger build out, we we know 689 00:33:41,640 --> 00:33:44,320 Speaker 1: and we're not disguessing and we haven't signed a ten 690 00:33:44,400 --> 00:33:46,320 Speaker 1: year lease and like throwing like two million bucks down 691 00:33:46,360 --> 00:33:48,920 Speaker 1: the drain. I think the way big brands think about it, 692 00:33:49,640 --> 00:33:51,200 Speaker 1: they're like, O, we're going to test and iterate, but 693 00:33:51,240 --> 00:33:55,080 Speaker 1: their tests cost but ten million dollars. Yeah that's not 694 00:33:55,120 --> 00:33:57,440 Speaker 1: that's not really but like, yeah, a million dollars. But 695 00:33:57,440 --> 00:33:59,960 Speaker 1: I think there's a fundamental difference between return on investor 696 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:01,960 Speaker 1: in verse return on insight, because what you were just 697 00:34:02,000 --> 00:34:05,160 Speaker 1: talking about in terms of figuring out why people are 698 00:34:05,240 --> 00:34:07,360 Speaker 1: navigating to the store in a certain way, why the 699 00:34:07,440 --> 00:34:10,200 Speaker 1: location and the context of that environment is going to 700 00:34:10,320 --> 00:34:13,279 Speaker 1: move a certain volume of sales. Some of the bigger guys, 701 00:34:13,280 --> 00:34:16,359 Speaker 1: you see, they're just looking at the price and the 702 00:34:16,400 --> 00:34:19,480 Speaker 1: margin and thinking about the rate and where can I 703 00:34:19,480 --> 00:34:22,799 Speaker 1: squeeze the most money to reach this mass people, as 704 00:34:22,800 --> 00:34:25,520 Speaker 1: opposed to saying, what is the context and the story 705 00:34:25,600 --> 00:34:27,799 Speaker 1: that I'm telling him? What is that lifetime value then 706 00:34:27,800 --> 00:34:31,279 Speaker 1: that I'm extracting from a consumer, I don't know if 707 00:34:31,400 --> 00:34:34,120 Speaker 1: enough people are measured on on the lifetime value. And 708 00:34:34,160 --> 00:34:36,480 Speaker 1: I think I think that is one of the great 709 00:34:36,560 --> 00:34:40,600 Speaker 1: things about DTC companies ventured backed is that all vcs 710 00:34:40,600 --> 00:34:42,600 Speaker 1: I want to talk about is lifetime values. Everyone watch 711 00:34:42,640 --> 00:34:45,080 Speaker 1: in that position, that's all they want to talk about. So, 712 00:34:45,160 --> 00:34:46,680 Speaker 1: I mean, I think there's a lot of things wrong 713 00:34:46,800 --> 00:34:49,359 Speaker 1: with that, But one of the great things is that 714 00:34:50,160 --> 00:34:53,440 Speaker 1: all all of these d DTC marketing teams look at 715 00:34:53,480 --> 00:34:56,759 Speaker 1: that and they have a longer term view of these 716 00:34:56,760 --> 00:35:00,319 Speaker 1: things versus cmos who are like a public company needs 717 00:35:00,360 --> 00:35:03,640 Speaker 1: who are trying to get their quarterly numbers up right. Yeah, 718 00:35:03,640 --> 00:35:05,279 Speaker 1: and it's like they don't care about LT because they're 719 00:35:05,280 --> 00:35:06,759 Speaker 1: not gonna be even to that company. And if you 720 00:35:06,760 --> 00:35:11,040 Speaker 1: know that's I mean, yeah, a whole another show. It's 721 00:35:11,080 --> 00:35:13,920 Speaker 1: a whole another freaking show. Tell us about how you 722 00:35:13,920 --> 00:35:17,040 Speaker 1: guys think about partnerships, because you've done some really interesting partnerships. 723 00:35:17,520 --> 00:35:19,120 Speaker 1: You started with like the n B A is like 724 00:35:19,160 --> 00:35:20,799 Speaker 1: one of the one of the big and I was 725 00:35:20,840 --> 00:35:23,720 Speaker 1: like actually shocked that away did something with the NBA. 726 00:35:23,840 --> 00:35:26,080 Speaker 1: Can you like kind of talk about like what led 727 00:35:26,120 --> 00:35:29,080 Speaker 1: you into the kind of by the way that you've 728 00:35:29,080 --> 00:35:31,120 Speaker 1: done the Data and Growth market team is like breathing 729 00:35:31,120 --> 00:35:34,080 Speaker 1: a sigh, really for like, okay, can stop talking about this? Yes, 730 00:35:34,120 --> 00:35:37,560 Speaker 1: So partnerships has been a huge part of what we've done. 731 00:35:37,760 --> 00:35:38,920 Speaker 1: This was one of the things that when we were 732 00:35:38,960 --> 00:35:41,960 Speaker 1: first raising money, we talked about partnerships a lot as 733 00:35:42,040 --> 00:35:45,480 Speaker 1: part of like building the brand. And everyone was like, huh, 734 00:35:45,520 --> 00:35:48,880 Speaker 1: but where's the logo And I'm like, okay, God, here's 735 00:35:48,920 --> 00:35:55,400 Speaker 1: it's on the deck next to the next. But we 736 00:35:55,480 --> 00:35:58,440 Speaker 1: talked about partnerships that we we talked about that's what 737 00:35:58,520 --> 00:36:00,680 Speaker 1: it's going to make this a lifestyle. And because it's 738 00:36:00,680 --> 00:36:03,600 Speaker 1: like okay, like it's your luggage, but everyone travels. There's 739 00:36:03,600 --> 00:36:05,839 Speaker 1: so many people who can talk about it, and we've 740 00:36:05,840 --> 00:36:08,680 Speaker 1: really tried to capitalize on that. So I think one 741 00:36:08,920 --> 00:36:10,960 Speaker 1: one of the things I'm really proud of that the 742 00:36:11,000 --> 00:36:13,480 Speaker 1: brand has been able to do is like we've partnered 743 00:36:13,520 --> 00:36:17,520 Speaker 1: with people from the n b A to Carly Class 744 00:36:17,520 --> 00:36:22,719 Speaker 1: to the minions like Minis. But it's just like all 745 00:36:22,800 --> 00:36:26,680 Speaker 1: different people that we're reaching. So even when when we 746 00:36:26,680 --> 00:36:28,960 Speaker 1: were thinking about creating the product, we're like, how do 747 00:36:29,040 --> 00:36:32,880 Speaker 1: we make this a platform for collapse and for and 748 00:36:32,920 --> 00:36:36,080 Speaker 1: for working with other brands. The suitcase lends itself really 749 00:36:36,080 --> 00:36:38,480 Speaker 1: well to that because you can change the color, change aligning, 750 00:36:38,600 --> 00:36:40,439 Speaker 1: do a lot of fun stuff with the packaging, change 751 00:36:40,440 --> 00:36:43,560 Speaker 1: the destination. Yeah, and and and like for campaigns, it's 752 00:36:43,560 --> 00:36:45,680 Speaker 1: really easy. So I mean, we just see a ways 753 00:36:45,680 --> 00:36:47,799 Speaker 1: of platform for for doing a lot of this. I'm 754 00:36:47,840 --> 00:36:49,000 Speaker 1: just going to say that. I mean, at the end 755 00:36:49,040 --> 00:36:51,040 Speaker 1: of the day, when you were talking about not investing 756 00:36:51,040 --> 00:36:54,920 Speaker 1: in any platform, you are, Yeah, we are the platform. 757 00:36:55,000 --> 00:37:00,840 Speaker 1: And I think that UM for US partnerships goes beyond 758 00:37:01,080 --> 00:37:05,080 Speaker 1: product collaborations now. So for example, for the NBA UM 759 00:37:05,640 --> 00:37:09,160 Speaker 1: if I'm remembering, they reached out to us about doing something. 760 00:37:09,280 --> 00:37:11,480 Speaker 1: We timed it with All Star Weekend. We took our 761 00:37:11,520 --> 00:37:13,840 Speaker 1: product and we said, how can we change this product 762 00:37:13,840 --> 00:37:16,560 Speaker 1: in a way that can speak to the audience, And um, 763 00:37:16,600 --> 00:37:18,239 Speaker 1: it's a texture of a basketball. Have you guys seen 764 00:37:18,280 --> 00:37:20,480 Speaker 1: it in real life? So it's a texture of a basketball. 765 00:37:20,480 --> 00:37:23,640 Speaker 1: And all of my friends were into sports were like, oh, 766 00:37:23,680 --> 00:37:26,520 Speaker 1: it's a basketball. Cool. And all of my like fashion 767 00:37:26,560 --> 00:37:28,640 Speaker 1: friends were like, oh, I love this pebbled mother and 768 00:37:29,040 --> 00:37:32,400 Speaker 1: oh my god, it's not pebbled moather. But okay. But 769 00:37:33,560 --> 00:37:36,160 Speaker 1: but I think what we've been able to do is, 770 00:37:36,200 --> 00:37:38,480 Speaker 1: like what the partnerships have been able us to do 771 00:37:38,560 --> 00:37:40,920 Speaker 1: is really look at this as more of an accessory. 772 00:37:41,520 --> 00:37:46,880 Speaker 1: So we have people who will buy multiple suitcases of 773 00:37:46,880 --> 00:37:49,279 Speaker 1: the same size. They must not live in New York. 774 00:37:52,280 --> 00:37:54,400 Speaker 1: We have customers who have like three or four carry 775 00:37:54,400 --> 00:37:57,160 Speaker 1: on because they see the collapse and they're like, oh wait, 776 00:37:57,239 --> 00:37:59,320 Speaker 1: that's really cool and it's a limited edition. I wouldn't 777 00:37:59,320 --> 00:38:01,439 Speaker 1: be a part of that. That's been awesome for a brand. 778 00:38:01,480 --> 00:38:05,120 Speaker 1: I think is we are going to continue doing more partnerships, 779 00:38:05,320 --> 00:38:07,840 Speaker 1: and I think the way we look at everyone travels, 780 00:38:08,120 --> 00:38:11,000 Speaker 1: but you know, how do you reach travelers in the 781 00:38:11,080 --> 00:38:15,360 Speaker 1: music industry or travelers in the literally can't come up 782 00:38:15,360 --> 00:38:17,279 Speaker 1: with another industry right now, and then we look at 783 00:38:17,480 --> 00:38:20,440 Speaker 1: what brands and people are really relevant in that space, 784 00:38:20,480 --> 00:38:22,600 Speaker 1: and then we do something with that. You know, it's interesting, 785 00:38:22,640 --> 00:38:24,759 Speaker 1: you know, thinking about the idea of a destination and 786 00:38:24,840 --> 00:38:28,279 Speaker 1: obviously you serve a utility, but I'm interested in where 787 00:38:28,320 --> 00:38:30,640 Speaker 1: you can move into it as a service. Right So, 788 00:38:30,760 --> 00:38:34,440 Speaker 1: like I would love for Jen Rubio and Code to 789 00:38:34,520 --> 00:38:37,640 Speaker 1: come and like pack my suitcase. I would love for 790 00:38:37,680 --> 00:38:41,200 Speaker 1: you to kind of you you do have fabulous style, 791 00:38:41,640 --> 00:38:44,279 Speaker 1: but also just you know, as you think about the platform, 792 00:38:44,320 --> 00:38:47,360 Speaker 1: does the suitcase just then become the shell for what 793 00:38:47,600 --> 00:38:49,719 Speaker 1: is inside it and where it goes? And then does 794 00:38:49,760 --> 00:38:53,239 Speaker 1: that completely broaden that platform in terms of what those 795 00:38:53,239 --> 00:38:56,000 Speaker 1: collaborations could be your products that you develop. In the 796 00:38:56,000 --> 00:38:57,880 Speaker 1: early days and you're starting out, there are smart luggage 797 00:38:57,920 --> 00:38:59,840 Speaker 1: brands that were like had an app that could like 798 00:39:00,080 --> 00:39:01,399 Speaker 1: tell you what to do, but it's like you get 799 00:39:01,400 --> 00:39:03,560 Speaker 1: track your bag, track your bag. You could do all 800 00:39:03,560 --> 00:39:06,239 Speaker 1: this stuff. And in the long term, if you think 801 00:39:06,239 --> 00:39:09,640 Speaker 1: about it, if that had worked and people cared enough 802 00:39:09,640 --> 00:39:11,759 Speaker 1: about this brand to find out what their app was 803 00:39:11,760 --> 00:39:14,040 Speaker 1: going to say about where they were going like it 804 00:39:14,040 --> 00:39:17,399 Speaker 1: could have been really cool, but they're like, no one 805 00:39:17,440 --> 00:39:19,200 Speaker 1: really cared what those brands had to say about their 806 00:39:19,239 --> 00:39:23,720 Speaker 1: travel destinations because they were inherently just making like Kickstarter products. 807 00:39:24,440 --> 00:39:27,440 Speaker 1: It's funny because we've totally shied away from that, and 808 00:39:27,480 --> 00:39:29,759 Speaker 1: we we were adamant that we didn't want to make 809 00:39:29,800 --> 00:39:31,480 Speaker 1: an app, we didn't want to make all these all 810 00:39:31,480 --> 00:39:34,400 Speaker 1: these platforms that were unnecessary. But now we have the 811 00:39:34,440 --> 00:39:37,480 Speaker 1: brand where if we did do that, people would be 812 00:39:37,560 --> 00:39:41,000 Speaker 1: like now and again it would be like, yeah, yeah, 813 00:39:41,040 --> 00:39:43,600 Speaker 1: it makes sense, but we didn't lead with that. But 814 00:39:43,680 --> 00:39:45,239 Speaker 1: now like we've kind of set ourselves up to be 815 00:39:45,280 --> 00:39:46,759 Speaker 1: able to do that. I'm not saying we're going to 816 00:39:46,960 --> 00:39:49,160 Speaker 1: like that's that's not in the road map right now. 817 00:39:49,600 --> 00:39:52,440 Speaker 1: But I think what's been interesting is because of the 818 00:39:52,480 --> 00:39:54,640 Speaker 1: way we talk about it, because of the campaigns that 819 00:39:54,680 --> 00:39:57,760 Speaker 1: we shoot. We have people calling like our customer service 820 00:39:57,840 --> 00:40:00,560 Speaker 1: number and being like, oh, we saw you did um, 821 00:40:00,600 --> 00:40:03,320 Speaker 1: like a photo shoot like in Panama? Where should I stay? 822 00:40:03,360 --> 00:40:06,040 Speaker 1: Like what hotel was that? And we're like so weird 823 00:40:07,640 --> 00:40:09,239 Speaker 1: now and our team is amazing, like we'll call you 824 00:40:09,320 --> 00:40:11,920 Speaker 1: right back, or like or people will just call and 825 00:40:11,920 --> 00:40:14,640 Speaker 1: ask for recommendations like everywhere they see that we post 826 00:40:14,719 --> 00:40:17,279 Speaker 1: and UM and I think it is that community and 827 00:40:17,320 --> 00:40:20,160 Speaker 1: like they do trust us too to pack a certain 828 00:40:20,200 --> 00:40:23,319 Speaker 1: way or to or to experience destinations a certain way 829 00:40:23,520 --> 00:40:27,600 Speaker 1: that lets us kind of explore the experience and the 830 00:40:27,600 --> 00:40:30,160 Speaker 1: service side of it. So you guys should totally partner 831 00:40:30,400 --> 00:40:35,080 Speaker 1: with UM Andrew Steenthal and get you know, text rax no, 832 00:40:35,160 --> 00:40:36,560 Speaker 1: I want but I want to do like tex rex 833 00:40:36,640 --> 00:40:39,839 Speaker 1: for travel you text rax baby. I want to talk 834 00:40:39,840 --> 00:40:42,399 Speaker 1: about where to partnerships lead as something that we've talked 835 00:40:42,400 --> 00:40:44,160 Speaker 1: a lot about and we're kind of obsessed with, is 836 00:40:44,200 --> 00:40:47,799 Speaker 1: like when you start putting IP together, right when you 837 00:40:47,880 --> 00:40:52,080 Speaker 1: start kind of like, um, this is like GMO right 838 00:40:52,200 --> 00:40:56,720 Speaker 1: of brands basically like splicing brands together and creating something 839 00:40:56,800 --> 00:40:59,880 Speaker 1: new brands and products. I mean, are you guys exploring 840 00:41:00,040 --> 00:41:02,840 Speaker 1: going a lot deeper in the kind of definition of 841 00:41:02,920 --> 00:41:05,560 Speaker 1: partnership for a way. Yeah, And so we actually haven't 842 00:41:05,560 --> 00:41:08,000 Speaker 1: even touched that yet. What we've done is we have 843 00:41:08,239 --> 00:41:10,759 Speaker 1: a product that's a platform from other things. And we 844 00:41:11,239 --> 00:41:13,719 Speaker 1: hate the word leverage, but we leverage other people's audiences 845 00:41:13,760 --> 00:41:16,760 Speaker 1: and their tastes to affect our product. But we haven't 846 00:41:16,760 --> 00:41:20,160 Speaker 1: even touched. Like what happens when away and another band 847 00:41:20,200 --> 00:41:22,680 Speaker 1: like create a new product together. What happens when we 848 00:41:22,719 --> 00:41:26,160 Speaker 1: take like our travel expertise and experience in our community 849 00:41:26,360 --> 00:41:28,560 Speaker 1: and apply that to someone else's product. We can't. We 850 00:41:28,640 --> 00:41:32,040 Speaker 1: haven't done that. It's just been about changing away product 851 00:41:32,080 --> 00:41:33,680 Speaker 1: and a lot of times like the way it looks 852 00:41:34,000 --> 00:41:36,120 Speaker 1: and telling a story around the person we're partnering with. 853 00:41:36,200 --> 00:41:37,960 Speaker 1: So I think we're just like at the tip of 854 00:41:38,000 --> 00:41:41,320 Speaker 1: the iceberg with that stuff. But now that people want 855 00:41:41,360 --> 00:41:44,080 Speaker 1: more from us, like is it um? You know, like 856 00:41:44,160 --> 00:41:45,800 Speaker 1: we have We have people all the time going to 857 00:41:45,840 --> 00:41:48,040 Speaker 1: our store is saying, Okay, well, I'm I'm traveling on 858 00:41:48,080 --> 00:41:50,200 Speaker 1: this trip. I also need like a great pair of 859 00:41:50,360 --> 00:41:52,959 Speaker 1: like noise canceling headphones, or like what do I wear? 860 00:41:54,480 --> 00:41:57,600 Speaker 1: I would follow in a minute if you told me, Alexa, 861 00:41:57,800 --> 00:42:00,680 Speaker 1: this is cute, comfy you should be wearing you were 862 00:42:00,719 --> 00:42:03,239 Speaker 1: on this plane. This is your plane outfit. There's like 863 00:42:03,320 --> 00:42:05,480 Speaker 1: pride in plain outfits. By the way, Yeah, and it's 864 00:42:05,600 --> 00:42:08,400 Speaker 1: get down to science. You don't want pride in plain outfit. 865 00:42:11,280 --> 00:42:15,240 Speaker 1: You look adorable. You could hop out everyone paying pants. 866 00:42:15,680 --> 00:42:17,759 Speaker 1: You know. It's interesting because you were talking about like 867 00:42:18,239 --> 00:42:21,880 Speaker 1: the community of DTC and how you're leveraging each other's audiences. 868 00:42:22,280 --> 00:42:24,040 Speaker 1: If we could just pivot for a second, because I 869 00:42:24,080 --> 00:42:25,680 Speaker 1: think as a founder, one of the things that I've 870 00:42:25,680 --> 00:42:29,959 Speaker 1: always admired and I'm fascinated about you and Emily Weis 871 00:42:30,000 --> 00:42:33,600 Speaker 1: at Glossier and Whitney over at Bumble is the accessibility 872 00:42:33,680 --> 00:42:36,160 Speaker 1: and willingness to let people into the world as your 873 00:42:36,960 --> 00:42:40,040 Speaker 1: experiencing it with your brands and your products in real time. 874 00:42:40,239 --> 00:42:42,759 Speaker 1: You're personal, I mean you also like you're out there 875 00:42:42,840 --> 00:42:46,520 Speaker 1: at Jennifer. It keeps me sane, though, does it? Like 876 00:42:46,600 --> 00:42:48,560 Speaker 1: it's such like an old millennial thing to say, like 877 00:42:49,120 --> 00:42:51,520 Speaker 1: just like being authentic, But it is sometimes when I'm 878 00:42:51,560 --> 00:42:54,480 Speaker 1: going crazy and I'm like I'm on fifty flights this year, 879 00:42:54,560 --> 00:42:56,400 Speaker 1: and I'm like, you know what this is, Like I 880 00:42:56,440 --> 00:42:59,560 Speaker 1: need to stop complaining and like this is like what 881 00:42:59,600 --> 00:43:01,040 Speaker 1: I love and what I want to do. And I 882 00:43:01,040 --> 00:43:04,720 Speaker 1: think people are really like we're all like everyone you mentioned, 883 00:43:04,760 --> 00:43:07,799 Speaker 1: we're all living our brands like we are, you know, 884 00:43:07,840 --> 00:43:11,719 Speaker 1: like Whitney is Bumble, like Emily is Glossier. Like we 885 00:43:11,800 --> 00:43:14,719 Speaker 1: all really believe in in what we're talking about and 886 00:43:14,760 --> 00:43:17,320 Speaker 1: what we're selling. And I think I think people can 887 00:43:17,520 --> 00:43:20,480 Speaker 1: can tell and I've become influencers in your own right 888 00:43:20,719 --> 00:43:24,600 Speaker 1: in those specific industries. And then I think also representatives stuff, 889 00:43:26,080 --> 00:43:28,160 Speaker 1: but I think also representative of a genre, of the 890 00:43:28,200 --> 00:43:31,600 Speaker 1: next wave of brand. And like as you're talking, I'm 891 00:43:31,600 --> 00:43:34,200 Speaker 1: trying to go through some of the mega conglomerate portfolio 892 00:43:34,280 --> 00:43:37,279 Speaker 1: brands and like a camp pinpoint who the executive is 893 00:43:37,280 --> 00:43:39,920 Speaker 1: and b can't think about like how they're living out 894 00:43:39,960 --> 00:43:45,160 Speaker 1: that brand, like Leaya Coca. Yeah, even if you think 895 00:43:45,200 --> 00:43:48,160 Speaker 1: about like even Mike Dubitt from Dollar Ship Club, like 896 00:43:48,200 --> 00:43:50,560 Speaker 1: he put himself out there like it wasn't on social media, 897 00:43:50,640 --> 00:43:53,920 Speaker 1: but he did. He did that video and people are like, oh, 898 00:43:53,960 --> 00:43:57,560 Speaker 1: he's like he's behind this. But because it is trending now, 899 00:43:57,600 --> 00:44:00,400 Speaker 1: there is a wave of brands of like people selling 900 00:44:00,440 --> 00:44:02,879 Speaker 1: stuff that they don't care about. But I think those 901 00:44:02,920 --> 00:44:05,120 Speaker 1: things will weed themselves out. Yeah, they will, and they 902 00:44:05,160 --> 00:44:07,920 Speaker 1: will and it's like and they're almost like falling a 903 00:44:07,960 --> 00:44:10,040 Speaker 1: playbook and there's a portfolio. And I do think in 904 00:44:10,080 --> 00:44:12,480 Speaker 1: the long run they won't laugh. They won't laugh. That's 905 00:44:12,520 --> 00:44:14,440 Speaker 1: what the vcs though. I mean, at the end of 906 00:44:14,440 --> 00:44:17,080 Speaker 1: the day, right, like anyone who's funding you guys has 907 00:44:17,360 --> 00:44:20,200 Speaker 1: is looking at what is the DNA and the personality 908 00:44:20,320 --> 00:44:23,759 Speaker 1: of the founders, what the smart braces. I think a 909 00:44:23,760 --> 00:44:26,480 Speaker 1: lot of them are also just looking at what's the 910 00:44:26,600 --> 00:44:29,160 Speaker 1: LTV and what are the margins and how much is 911 00:44:29,160 --> 00:44:31,000 Speaker 1: going to cost to acquire people. I can't tell you 912 00:44:31,040 --> 00:44:34,040 Speaker 1: how many vcs were like not down for a way 913 00:44:34,080 --> 00:44:38,879 Speaker 1: because they're like, the purchase frequency is low. Yeah, I mean, well, 914 00:44:38,920 --> 00:44:41,759 Speaker 1: you've got people buying for carry ons. On one hand, 915 00:44:41,800 --> 00:44:44,439 Speaker 1: we have people buying for carns. But also it's like, Okay, 916 00:44:44,480 --> 00:44:46,440 Speaker 1: who cares what the purchase frequency is low? Because we're 917 00:44:46,440 --> 00:44:48,480 Speaker 1: building a bigger brand, that's right, which will have more 918 00:44:48,480 --> 00:44:52,120 Speaker 1: products and services like stay tuned. Yeah exactly where such 919 00:44:52,120 --> 00:44:55,759 Speaker 1: a short term way of thinking. Yeah, it's interesting. Should 920 00:44:56,200 --> 00:44:59,640 Speaker 1: all right now this time our game general? What would 921 00:44:59,680 --> 00:45:04,080 Speaker 1: you kill meetings? Yeah? I know, I read that you 922 00:45:04,160 --> 00:45:07,560 Speaker 1: were doing a lot of walking meetings even that and 923 00:45:07,680 --> 00:45:09,320 Speaker 1: that Now, I just I think there's some things that 924 00:45:09,360 --> 00:45:11,920 Speaker 1: are very necessary that like you need to see in person. 925 00:45:12,120 --> 00:45:14,879 Speaker 1: I would say, like nine meetings are unnecessary. We're big 926 00:45:14,880 --> 00:45:19,440 Speaker 1: slack users. I think like it also helps people be 927 00:45:19,480 --> 00:45:22,759 Speaker 1: more concise and give more context and be really thorough. Also, 928 00:45:23,200 --> 00:45:25,359 Speaker 1: how come when people schedule a thirty minute meeting. They 929 00:45:25,360 --> 00:45:28,200 Speaker 1: think it has to be the full thirty minute. Sometimes 930 00:45:28,239 --> 00:45:30,239 Speaker 1: it's over in ten minutes and they're like, okay, what 931 00:45:30,280 --> 00:45:36,680 Speaker 1: else should we talk about? Like, so, what are you buying? Oh? God, 932 00:45:36,680 --> 00:45:39,640 Speaker 1: what am I not buying? Let me tell you about 933 00:45:39,640 --> 00:45:44,040 Speaker 1: this product Slip. They make eyemass and silk pillowcases, which 934 00:45:44,080 --> 00:45:47,319 Speaker 1: is like the sounds really bougie but good for the hair. 935 00:45:47,680 --> 00:45:50,279 Speaker 1: It is amazing and it's it's kind of embarrassing because 936 00:45:50,320 --> 00:45:53,920 Speaker 1: it's soft. Yeah, it's soft. It's just slip like s 937 00:45:54,080 --> 00:45:56,200 Speaker 1: l I P. Yeah. I love them. So they like 938 00:45:56,400 --> 00:45:59,520 Speaker 1: cool your eyes down and deep huff and stuff. They're 939 00:45:59,560 --> 00:46:02,160 Speaker 1: just nice, like they don't they're not too tight. So yeah, 940 00:46:02,160 --> 00:46:04,520 Speaker 1: that's that. You get off to travel with them. Yeah, 941 00:46:04,600 --> 00:46:07,000 Speaker 1: they're in my bag right now. I literally travel with 942 00:46:07,120 --> 00:46:09,680 Speaker 1: a silk pillow case. And when I get to a hotel, 943 00:46:09,719 --> 00:46:13,000 Speaker 1: I also read this really disgusting article and like on 944 00:46:13,120 --> 00:46:15,520 Speaker 1: like mites and things like that. So anyway, I am 945 00:46:15,640 --> 00:46:19,560 Speaker 1: in pillowcase. It's the little luxuries you guys. But I 946 00:46:19,680 --> 00:46:21,640 Speaker 1: found out about them because we sell them at the 947 00:46:21,680 --> 00:46:24,319 Speaker 1: Away store and we're always sold out and people are 948 00:46:24,320 --> 00:46:26,200 Speaker 1: always asking about them and I was like, wait, what 949 00:46:26,320 --> 00:46:29,319 Speaker 1: is this? What is this lip? You know where I'm 950 00:46:29,360 --> 00:46:32,440 Speaker 1: going after this? What would you do yourself not away? 951 00:46:32,920 --> 00:46:34,640 Speaker 1: Like if do you ever say if I was away 952 00:46:34,640 --> 00:46:38,600 Speaker 1: from away, if you were out of office? Yeah? Am 953 00:46:38,600 --> 00:46:42,840 Speaker 1: I doing so well? This is a way related. But 954 00:46:43,200 --> 00:46:44,920 Speaker 1: I take a lot of pride in the fact that 955 00:46:45,000 --> 00:46:48,359 Speaker 1: we don't use like agencies. We do everything internally, and 956 00:46:48,400 --> 00:46:52,160 Speaker 1: I want to like fully extend that, like retally integrate 957 00:46:52,160 --> 00:46:53,920 Speaker 1: that if you will. But I mean I wish you 958 00:46:53,920 --> 00:46:56,520 Speaker 1: could make our own furniture and pictures for stores. I 959 00:46:56,560 --> 00:46:59,880 Speaker 1: think there's just so many inefficiencies and like the creative stuff, 960 00:47:00,520 --> 00:47:03,279 Speaker 1: and um, I think one of the big things was 961 00:47:03,320 --> 00:47:05,680 Speaker 1: that we didn't work with an agency in the beginning 962 00:47:05,800 --> 00:47:07,960 Speaker 1: to do our branding, and I saw how well that 963 00:47:08,000 --> 00:47:09,920 Speaker 1: worked out for us because it's like part of our 964 00:47:10,000 --> 00:47:11,640 Speaker 1: d n A. So I want to do that with 965 00:47:11,680 --> 00:47:15,160 Speaker 1: everything now. Um so like all like industrial design, like 966 00:47:15,160 --> 00:47:18,239 Speaker 1: create your own lamps, create your own front everything. I 967 00:47:18,280 --> 00:47:21,960 Speaker 1: actually see that for you guys be amazing, like a 968 00:47:22,160 --> 00:47:24,880 Speaker 1: just a massive I mean we uh, we just signed 969 00:47:24,880 --> 00:47:28,399 Speaker 1: a lease on a big new office and like we're 970 00:47:28,400 --> 00:47:31,000 Speaker 1: gonna have like our own photo studio and um, maybe 971 00:47:31,040 --> 00:47:35,279 Speaker 1: our own podcast room. Everybody's everybody's doing it. Everyone's doing it. 972 00:47:35,840 --> 00:47:38,879 Speaker 1: We have a very d i y spirit. Well don't 973 00:47:38,880 --> 00:47:41,000 Speaker 1: ever lose it. So, as a woman on a mission, 974 00:47:41,520 --> 00:47:46,680 Speaker 1: last question, two years into a super successful DTC brand, 975 00:47:47,239 --> 00:47:50,080 Speaker 1: what is your advice, not just to entrepreneurs, but particularly 976 00:47:50,080 --> 00:47:52,640 Speaker 1: to women. I think you have to really want to 977 00:47:52,680 --> 00:47:54,879 Speaker 1: do it. And I know that sounds so trite. I'm 978 00:47:54,920 --> 00:47:57,200 Speaker 1: just I'm seeing so many because we get a lot 979 00:47:57,239 --> 00:48:01,560 Speaker 1: of like uh like request for advice meetings and people 980 00:48:01,560 --> 00:48:04,680 Speaker 1: are starting their own thing or investors were sending companies 981 00:48:04,680 --> 00:48:07,480 Speaker 1: our way just to get our thoughts on it. And 982 00:48:07,480 --> 00:48:10,000 Speaker 1: it is so evident and so much of what I 983 00:48:10,040 --> 00:48:13,080 Speaker 1: see that like people are doing this because they looked 984 00:48:13,080 --> 00:48:16,520 Speaker 1: at like they did some competitive analysis and and they 985 00:48:16,560 --> 00:48:18,200 Speaker 1: saw a space in the market and they don't give 986 00:48:18,200 --> 00:48:20,879 Speaker 1: a shit about it. Like, if we didn't really love this, 987 00:48:21,360 --> 00:48:24,520 Speaker 1: it would not be good. What's one brand that you're 988 00:48:24,600 --> 00:48:27,399 Speaker 1: so hot on other than like slip like from a 989 00:48:27,440 --> 00:48:31,240 Speaker 1: brand from a brand standpoint where you're like, fuck, they're cool. 990 00:48:31,560 --> 00:48:33,520 Speaker 1: We can I tell you this is like the lamest 991 00:48:33,560 --> 00:48:37,120 Speaker 1: answer because it's so obvious, but I can't tell you 992 00:48:37,200 --> 00:48:41,680 Speaker 1: how much like Nike continues to impress me. And this 993 00:48:41,760 --> 00:48:45,680 Speaker 1: is why because if you like, you have a Louis 994 00:48:45,680 --> 00:48:49,319 Speaker 1: Baton over there and like splurt on it, you're like, 995 00:48:49,520 --> 00:48:52,439 Speaker 1: love this bag. Use all the time. If you walked 996 00:48:52,480 --> 00:48:54,399 Speaker 1: on the subway and every single person had that bag, 997 00:48:54,440 --> 00:48:57,080 Speaker 1: you'd be like, oh fuck, Like that's it's like not 998 00:48:57,160 --> 00:48:59,719 Speaker 1: as special. Nike is one of those brands that like 999 00:49:00,800 --> 00:49:04,200 Speaker 1: has withstood the test of time. If every single person 1000 00:49:04,920 --> 00:49:07,920 Speaker 1: in this building had Nikes, you wouldn't think they were 1001 00:49:08,000 --> 00:49:11,160 Speaker 1: less cool. You'd be like, oh, cool, everyone has Nikes. 1002 00:49:11,480 --> 00:49:15,200 Speaker 1: And I think, um, they can partner with like really 1003 00:49:15,280 --> 00:49:19,000 Speaker 1: high fashion, like kind of more mass and and they're 1004 00:49:19,040 --> 00:49:21,239 Speaker 1: still cool. I think it's like it is so hard 1005 00:49:21,280 --> 00:49:24,240 Speaker 1: to be like a mass market, so hard but cool brand, 1006 00:49:24,840 --> 00:49:26,839 Speaker 1: and I think they've done. I mean, I think that's 1007 00:49:26,920 --> 00:49:29,640 Speaker 1: what that's what I want for a way. Hopefully you're 1008 00:49:29,680 --> 00:49:32,080 Speaker 1: on your way. Yeah, that's that's because we we really 1009 00:49:34,280 --> 00:49:36,360 Speaker 1: But I think it's like, um, it's easy to be 1010 00:49:36,400 --> 00:49:38,920 Speaker 1: cool when when you're like luxury and expensive and exclusive. 1011 00:49:39,000 --> 00:49:40,879 Speaker 1: It's like how do you how do you stay cool 1012 00:49:40,880 --> 00:49:44,000 Speaker 1: when everyone has it? Yeah, that's right that we're going 1013 00:49:44,040 --> 00:49:45,759 Speaker 1: to drop the MinC kind of people get in touch 1014 00:49:45,800 --> 00:49:49,279 Speaker 1: with you, or listen to you or outside of our podcast, 1015 00:49:49,880 --> 00:49:53,680 Speaker 1: or chat with you. Gen Rubio. If you don't have it, 1016 00:49:53,719 --> 00:49:57,640 Speaker 1: away back, get one. I need one. Um. Thank you 1017 00:49:57,640 --> 00:50:01,000 Speaker 1: so much for being here bad guys. Thank big thanks 1018 00:50:01,000 --> 00:50:04,000 Speaker 1: to Jen Rubio. She came here in between her like 1019 00:50:04,120 --> 00:50:06,879 Speaker 1: crazy travel. Yeah, she's all for a European tour. She's 1020 00:50:06,880 --> 00:50:09,680 Speaker 1: already done fifty flights, she said, and already this year. 1021 00:50:09,719 --> 00:50:11,440 Speaker 1: But I loved her inset on the way out how 1022 00:50:11,440 --> 00:50:14,200 Speaker 1: do you find calm in the crazy? And she does 1023 00:50:14,239 --> 00:50:16,880 Speaker 1: not go on WiFi while in flight. I actually think 1024 00:50:16,920 --> 00:50:18,839 Speaker 1: it's actually one of the smartest things to do. I'm 1025 00:50:18,840 --> 00:50:22,080 Speaker 1: always like a crazy person, like typing and like I 1026 00:50:22,120 --> 00:50:24,360 Speaker 1: am NG people, I am ing. It's like when you 1027 00:50:24,440 --> 00:50:26,160 Speaker 1: used to have a beeper and there was no pay phone. 1028 00:50:26,640 --> 00:50:28,839 Speaker 1: Big thanks to our friends and family at Panoply. Laura 1029 00:50:28,880 --> 00:50:32,560 Speaker 1: Morris are badass female Padua and we can't not thank 1030 00:50:32,680 --> 00:50:35,920 Speaker 1: Andy Bowers and Matt Turk all of our friends and 1031 00:50:35,960 --> 00:50:44,719 Speaker 1: family out there working it in Atlantia. Full disclosure. Our 1032 00:50:44,760 --> 00:50:45,680 Speaker 1: opinions are our own.