The Business of Apparel

Your Apparel Brand Is NOT For Everyone! Niche Down to Grow and Build Customer Loyalty In this episode of The Business of Apparel podcast, Rachel discusses why your apparel brand cannot be for everyone. Learn the critical strategy of niching down to a specific target market, which is essential for launching, growing, and scaling your business. Rachel explains that trying to create a product for eve...

How to Instantly Upgrade Your Apparel Tech Sketches Using Adobe Illustrator If you want manufacturers to take you seriously from the very first sketch, your tech drawings have to speak their language. In this episode of the Business of Apparel Podcast, Rachel breaks down one of the most overlooked professional upgrades in apparel design...using stitch and symbol libraries in Adobe Illustrator. Thi...

Why Pop-Ups and Trunk Shows Will Dominate Fashion in 2026 (and How to Use Them to Grow Your Brand) Pop-ups, trunk shows, and IRL brand experiences are back in a big way and 2026 is already shaping up to be the year they dominate the fashion and apparel space. In this episode of The Business of Apparel Podcast, Rachel breaks down why in-person activations are becoming a non-negotiable strategy for...

2026 Planning, Profit vs. Growth, and the 6 Segments Every Apparel Brand Must Understand 2025 taught us some hard lessons. 2026 is about consistency, focus, and finally doing what works. In this New Year's Day episode of The Business of Apparel Podcast, Rachel breaks down what really happened behind the scenes in 2025. What grew, what burned out the team, and why understanding your actual customer...

How to Turn Holiday Returns into Lifetime Customers for Your Apparel Brand Returns don't have to hurt your brand...they can build it. In this short yet powerful episode of The Business of Apparel Podcast, Rachel shares how returns and exchanges, especially during the busy holiday season, can be transformed into a strategic advantage for your apparel brand. Instead of dreading post-holiday returns,...

Wholesale 101: Is Your Apparel Brand Ready to Sell to Boutiques? Are you ready to sell your apparel line into wholesale? Before you jump into boutiques and department stores, make sure your pricing is solid...or risk losing money fast. In this episode of The Business of Apparel Podcast, Rachel breaks down the essentials of launching a wholesale strategy the smart way. From understanding keystone p...

Post-BFCM Profits | How to Decode Your Data & Boost 2026 Sales Black Friday and Cyber Monday are over, but your most important work is just beginning. If you're only looking at total sales, you're missing the bigger picture. This episode of the Business of Apparel Podcast breaks down how to actually read your BFCM data so you can scale smarter, not just harder. Rachel is also diving into what to d...

How to Create an Unboxing Experience That Builds Brand Loyalty Your packaging is more than just a box, it's your brand's first physical impression. If you're not thinking about it early, you're risking delays, legal issues, and missed opportunities to connect with your customer. In this episode of The Business of Apparel Podcast, Rachel breaks down why your apparel brand's unboxing experience coul...

5 Hard Truths That Transformed My Apparel Business in 2025 Let's talk real growth...the kind that hurts a little but changes everything. In this special Thanksgiving episode of The Business of Apparel Podcast, Rachel gets real about the top five lessons she's grateful for in 2025. From massive revenue wins to painful misalignments, she walks us through the hard truths and breakthroughs that reshap...

Come With Me to Do A Live Press Briefing for The Business of Apparel and Unmarked Street! From corporate burnout to leading an apparel education movement — Rachel goes completely off-script in this special live press briefing episode! For the first time ever on the show, Rachel is joined by Ella Ripley Rodriguez, Unmarked Street and Business of Apparel's marketing assistant, to flip the script and...

The Smart Way to Offer Black Friday Discounts Without Killing Your Margins Slashing prices this Black Friday? Stop and listen to this first. If you're discounting without a margin strategy, you're sabotaging your brand. Here's how to sell smarter. In this episode of The Business of Apparel Podcast, Rachel is getting into the nitty gritty of strategic discounting, helping apparel founders avoid the...

Your Black Friday and Cyber Monday Playbook: How Apparel Brands Can Win Without Slashing Prices BFCM (Black Friday Cyber Monday) doesn't have to mean burning your margins or chasing discount chaos. This episode of The Business of Apparel gives you a smarter, more profitable path. Today, Rachel talks about creating a sustainable, profitable strategy for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Whether you're...

Use AI in Your Apparel Brand (Without Losing Your Voice or Identity) AI is reshaping how customers shop and how founders build. From virtual try-ons to AI-assisted sketching and content workflows. Today, Rachel shares how to use it wisely without sounding like a bot. In this episode of the Business of Apparel Podcast, Rachel breaks down the most practical ways apparel brands can leverage AI today,...

The Anatomy of A Product Page That Actually Sells: Boosting Converstions with Strategic Storytelling Most apparel brands think a product page just needs a few photos and a price tag, but that thinking is costing you sales. In this episode of The Business of Apparel, Rachel breaks down the real anatomy of a product page that converts, from visual storytelling to size guides that slash return rates....

How to Find the Right Manufacturer for Your Apparel Brand (Without Wasting Time or Money) Think finding a manufacturer is as easy as a Google search? Think again. In this episode of The Business of Apparel, Rachel breaks down the crucial process of sourcing and interviewing manufacturers the right way, so you don't waste thousands of dollars or end up with unsellable inventory. With 25+ years in t...

Should Your Brand Be on TikTok? A Real Talk for Apparel Entrepreneurs Wondering if TikTok is the right move for your apparel brand? Or is it just another distraction? This episode breaks it down with real advice rooted in what actually works for small product-based businesses. In this episode of The Business of Apparel podcast, Rachel expands on a hot topic raised during a recent office hours sess...

Why Sustainability Is the Future of Apparel: How New Laws & Tariffs Are Changing the Industry Fast fashion is losing its grip and the shift is accelerating...FAST. In this episode of The Business of Apparel, Rachel breaks down the rising tide of sustainability in the fashion industry. From changing tariff laws to game-changing EU regulations and the fall of influencer-driven fast fashion, the appa...

Are You Really Ready for Q4? How to Prep for Your Biggest Revenue Season + 2026 Planning Are you underestimating Q4?? In this episode of The Business of Apparel Podcast, Rachel is giving a wake-up call for fashion founders who haven't fully prepared for the busiest, and most profitable, time of year. Rachel takes you behind the scenes on why Q4 can make or break your revenue goals, and why now is...

When Overwhelm is Present: Leading Through Change, Burnout & Breakthroughs What if the growth you dreamed of is finally here, but it's arriving as burnout, resistance, and overwhelming transition? In this episode of the Business of Apparel, we unpack what real leadership looks like when everything shifts at once. We're talking about navigating intense change, both personally and professionally, as...

Firing Fast: Hard Truths Every Apparel Leader Needs to Hear Firing someone is never easy, but avoiding it can be even worse. In this raw episode of The Business of Apparel Podcast, Rachel is flipping the conversation from last week's hiring advice to the tough reality of letting people go. Rachel shares the real, behind-the-scenes experience of managing a toxic employee at a major apparel brand an...

Why You Need To Hire Before You're Ready: A CEO's Guide to Strategic Growth Don't wait until you're drowning to hire! In this episode of The Business of Apparel Podcast, Rachel is going into the CEO mindset around building a powerful team before you need it. Whether you're a solopreneur juggling it all or a growing apparel brand ready to scale, this conversation will change how you think about hir...

How to Run A Powerful Company Meeting That Aligns Your Team and Grows Your Business Think your team knows where the business is headed? Think again, unless you're holding company-wide meetings like this. In this episode of the Business of Apparel Podcast, Rachel walks us through exactly how she structures biannual "all hands" gatherings at Unmarked Street. From clarifying the mission and values to...

Celebrating Apparel Entrepreneurs Who Are Crushing It!  4 Inspiring Success Stories from The Board What happens when you combine real-world industry expertise with dedicated, determined apparel entrepreneurs? You get results that blow expectations out of the water. In this special celebration episode of The Business of Apparel Podcast, Rachel spotlights four Board members who are making incredible...

How to Create A Capsule Wardrobe Strategy: Save Time, Make Money & End Closet Stress In this week's episode of The Business of Apparel, Rachel is hitting pause on the heavy stuff and diving into something fun, practical, and surprisingly profitable: the capsule wardrobe. Rachel shares how a well-curated closet can help you eliminate decision fatigue, stop overspending, and even earn money through...

5 Critical Mistakes Successful Fashion Brands Never Make (Do These Instead!) In this powerful episode of The Business of Apparel, Rachel is flipping the usual script. Instead of talking about what you should do to grow a fashion business, we're diving into what mistakes successful apparel brands absolutely avoid. From product development to customer targeting, Rachel walks us through the five most...