Retail War Games

In this episode, Brian Garofalow, CEO of Skullcandy, shares his journey from his roots in Southern California to leading a globally recognized brand. He reflects on his early days snowboarding in Big Bear, building a career in action sports marketing, and working with iconic brands like DC Shoes and Ruca. Brian discusses the importance of staying authentic to a brand's heritage while navigating mo...

In this episode, Spencer P. Eccles, Co-Founder and Managing Director of The Cynosure Group reflects on his family's deep legacy and its impact on his values and career. From his father's lessons on resilience, hard work, and giving back, to the rich history of the Eccles family's entrepreneurial journey, Spencer shares personal anecdotes and wisdom. He discusses the importance of stewardship, livi...

Join us as we chat with Aaron Hennings, co-founder of Stance Socks, about transforming socks into a global fashion statement. Discover how Stance disrupted the market through bold designs, high-profile partnerships, and a focus on individuality. Aaron shares key lessons on innovation, scaling a brand, and staying authentic in a competitive space.  

In this episode, Rachel Nilsson, CEO of Rags, shares her entrepreneurial journey, from selling handmade kids' clothing on Instagram to scaling her brand into a successful business. She recounts her early struggles, including financial hardships and navigating direct-to-consumer sales, which helped her develop a passion-driven, authentic approach to building her company. Rachel emphasizes the impor...

    In this episode, Garrett Blood, founder of Arctic Zero, shares the story behind creating a revolutionary healthy ice cream alternative. Garrett explains how a craving for post-gym ice cream led to countless experiments with protein-packed, low-calorie recipes, resulting in a product that appealed to fitness enthusiasts, diabetics, and anyone seeking a guilt-free treat. He highlights pivotal mo...

In this episode, CJ Peterson, CEO of Nature's Fusions, shares a deeply personal journey that led his family into the world of essential oils. Growing up in a large family with limited resources, CJ recounts how his sister's battle with thyroid cancer prompted his parents to explore alternative medicines, despite skepticism and misinformation within the industry. Motivated to uncover the truth, CJ...

In this episode, we chat with the Bradley family, the founders of Fijn Co., a brand offering a healthy, clean-ingredient cocoa mix. What started as a solution to Annie's stomach issues with store-bought hot chocolate evolved into a family-run business that prioritizes health and wellness. After perfecting their recipe over 18 months and sourcing ingredients from the U.S., Fijn is now a beloved bra...

In this episode, Mikel Certudi, CEO and co-founder of Warranty Hive, shares insights from his diverse career, including his time at Omniture and Adobe, where he helped scale the company's revenue from $3 billion to $10 billion. Mikel discusses his entrepreneurship journey, founding companies like Strala, which organized big data for better business insights, and now leading Warranty Hive and Peak,...

In this episode, Chet Linton shares his journey from humble beginnings to becoming a buyer at Nordstrom and now the CEO of Aegix, a SaaS company specializing in incident management solutions. He reflects on the lessons he learned in retail, including the importance of hard work, customer service, and adaptability in evolving industries. Chet also discusses the challenges of leadership, building a...

In this podcast episode, Tyler Dickman, co-founder of Simply Mac, shares his journey as an entrepreneur, starting with his early experiences working in his family's video rental business. He recounts the challenges and successes of building Simply Mac, which grew into one of the largest Apple product resellers in North America. Tyler describes the creative strategies he employed, like branding acc...

  In this episode, Sean Luangrath, CEO of Inergy, shares his journey from escaping Laos as a refugee to becoming a successful entrepreneur and leader in the clean energy space. He recounts life-changing experiences, including his immigration to the U.S., navigating education as an immigrant, and his early professional challenges. Sean discusses his career at Apple, highlighting the company's logis...

In this episode, Sam Alexander, CEO and owner of PMD Beauty, shares his journey of transforming the beauty and skincare industry through innovation and persistence. Sam reflects on the early days of scaling PMD Beauty, leveraging Google AdWords, and harnessing the power of influencer marketing and partnerships with retailers like Neiman Marcus. He recounts pivotal moments, including a feature on ...

  In this podcast episode, Alex Bean, Co-founder of Divvy, shares his entrepreneurial journey, from growing up in a family of entrepreneurs to co-founding a successful fintech company. Alex recounts pivotal moments, including the risks he took, the challenges of navigating the highly regulated banking space, and the innovative solutions Divvy implemented to streamline expense management for busine...

  In this podcast episode, London Lazerson shares his evolution from failed sketch comedy attempts to viral digital content creation. His journey began with a humorous video about blowing the world's largest bubble, which received 80 million views. He later shifted focus to Tesla-related content, garnering 100 million views in a year. Hired as a creative director at an ad agency in 2018, he gained...

In this episode, we sit down with Johnathan Ruggiero, CEO and founder of Manly Bands, to explore how he's revolutionizing the wedding ring industry with bold innovation and creativity. From crafting rings out of meteorites, World War II rifles, and even Fender guitars, to forging meaningful partnerships with iconic brands like Jack Daniels and Harley-Davidson, Johnathan shares the journey of turni...

In this episode, Paul Stone, CEO of Sportsman's Warehouse, shares his incredible career journey, starting at age 15 and working his way up through retail giants like Walmart and Sam's Club. He discusses lessons learned in leadership, navigating complex retail landscapes, and driving customer-centered transformations. Paul also dives into the unique passion behind outdoor retail, emphasizing the im...

In this episode, Vivien Bohme, founder and CEO of Bohme, shares her inspiring journey from growing up in an immigrant household to building a successful fashion retail brand. She reflects on how early responsibilities shaped her entrepreneurial mindset, including advocating for her family and managing household logistics at a young age. Vivien discusses the challenges and strategies behind Bohme's...

In this episode with Justin Drage, VP of Solutions 2 Go and founder of Gadget Gaurd, he shares his entrepreneurial journey in the screen protection business. He recounts how his team began by filling a gap in the market for screen protectors, initially working out of his home and relying on trial and error to create products. They built partnerships with retailers and leveraged distribution networ...

In this podcast episode, Brad Lunt, CEO of Goat Guns, discusses the evolution of his company, which specializes in highly detailed, 1/3 and 1/4 scale model guns that serve as realistic, non-functional replicas. These miniature guns, which are customizable and often painted to resemble historical military models, have found a niche market among gun enthusiasts, hobbyists, and collectors. Lunt expla...

In this episode, Dustin Tate, Executive Vice President of Cariloha, shares the fascinating story of how his career journey led him to help build the global retail brand Cariloha, known for its sustainable bamboo-based products. From his early days working in luxury hospitality to his time in Mexico, where he worked on the front lines of retail, Dustin details how Cariloha was born out of an innova...

In this podcast episode, Ryan Moss, CEO of Little Giant Ladders, shares his journey from an entry-level role sweeping floors to leading the company. Ryan recounts how he initially joined Little Giant after working in construction and, over the years, has been deeply involved in nearly every part of the business. He reflects on the challenges and triumphs of building Little Giant's brand, including...

Utah Governor Spencer J. Cox discusses the state's impressive growth and collaborative culture, which has positioned it as a top business destination with a strong economy and 12% growth in recent years. He attributes Utah's success to a "coopetition" mindset, where mutual success is prioritized over competition, creating a business-friendly environment supported by cooperation and a non-zero-sum...

In this podcast episode, President of Covesmart, Mark Stokes discusses how the company has simplified the home security industry with its affordable and easy-to-install DIY system, aiming to eliminate the hassle associated with traditional setups. He emphasizes Covesmart's approach of using an e-commerce model and online content creation rather than relying on sales reps, making the buying process...

In this engaging episode, we sit down with Jeremy Andrus, CEO of Traeger, who emphasizes the importance of authenticity in both personal and professional life. Jeremy shares his philosophy on interweaving life's experiences with business, asserting that success comes from being true to oneself and creating a brand that resonates with that truth. He discusses the culture he's built at Traeger, exem...

In this episode of Tru Tone, hosts Sean Hunt and David Andora take us through their journey of creating the perfect vintage-style Christmas lights—lights they always hoped to find but could never quite get. Starting as a side project, Tru Tone's unique, vintage-inspired lights quickly gained traction, selling out in their first year. Sean and David talk about the overwhelming response, their DIY b...