The Story of a Brand Show

In this episode, I sit down with Forest Bronzan , CEO of Jetset , someone I truly consider a pioneer in the DTC and retention space. We revisit his journey from building and scaling Email Aptitude—one of the earliest agencies dedicated solely to retention and email—to launching Jetset in a completely different economic and technological landscape. What struck me most is how his conviction around r...

In this episode of The Story of a Brand Show , host Rose Hamilton , CEO of Compass Rose Ventures , sits down for a deeply personal and insightful conversation with her daughter, Lexy Hamilton, a sophomore at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business .  What begins as a mother-daughter dialogue quickly evolves into a powerful exploration of how the next generation is thinking about identity, d...

In this episode, I sit down with Juliette Blake , Founder of Moxies , for a powerful and deeply relevant conversation about kids, technology, and what it truly means to build with intention.  Juliette walks us through the growing mental and emotional toll today's attention-driven platforms are having on kids—especially girls—and why parents are desperate for better solutions. With Moxies, she's bu...

In this episode of The Story of a Brand Show , host Rose Hamilton , CEO of Compass Rose Ventures , sits down with Sarah Henry , VP, Head of Content, Influencer, & Commerce at Walmart , for a timely and deeply insightful conversation about how commerce is being reshaped by creators, content, and culture. The episode weaves together personal history—Rose and Sarah previously worked together at The V...

I've always believed that behind every meaningful brand is a deeply personal story, and my conversation with Marianna Sachse , founder of Jackalo , is a perfect example of that.  What stood out immediately was how her journey is rooted in gratitude, craft, and family—particularly the skills passed down from her mother and grandmother. That foundation shaped not only how Marianna sees clothing, but...

In this episode of The Story of a Brand Show , host Rose Hamilton , CEO of Compass Rose Ventures , sits down with Greg Horn , President and CEO, Specialty Nutrition Consulting, Inc., and Managing Director and Partner, William Hood and Company for a deep, historical, and forward-looking conversation about the evolution of the health and wellness industry.  Greg is widely regarded as one of the orig...

In this episode, I sit down with Lauren Gropper , CEO & Co-Founder of Repurpose , whose purpose-driven mission truly inspired me. From surviving a life-changing moped accident to questioning why we use forever-lasting materials for five-minute products, she shares how her passion for sustainability has turned into a movement to redesign everyday essentials from plants rather than plastic. What I l...

In this episode, I sit down with Coulter Lewis , the founder behind Sunday —a brand that's reinventing how we care for our little piece of the earth.  Our conversation begins with gratitude and the early days of Sunday , when it was nothing more than a wild idea and a few people willing to believe in him.   Coulter shares how those early moments of vulnerability, uncertainty, and unexpected suppor...

In this episode, I sit down with Dez Price , the co-founder and CEO of BN3TH , a brand that has completely reimagined what comfort means from the waist down.  What starts as a casual conversation about gratitude quickly turns into an honest look at entrepreneurship—its highs, lows, and the people who show up in the moments that matter.   Dez opens up about resilience, building relationships with i...

In this episode, I sit down with E mma Stallworthy , the inspiring founder behind Your Reformer .  Her story begins with a deeply personal fertility journey that led her to reevaluate how she moved, how she managed stress, and ultimately how she cared for her body. Through Pilates—specifically reformer Pilates —she found physical healing, nervous system balance, and a sense of calm that became lif...

In this episode, I sit down with Katia Rudnick , the founder of Katia Designs , whose jewelry brand has become a powerful source of inspiration, empowerment, and emotional connection for thousands of women.  What begins as a simple moment in a yoga class becomes a life-changing whisper from the universe—one that leads Katia to discover her purpose, unlock her creativity, and build a brand that hel...

In this episode of The Story of a Brand Show , I sit down with the incredible twin sisters and co-founders of LouLou Lollipop, Angel Kho and Eleanor Lee .  From the very beginning, their story pulled me in—the handmade Etsy shop days, walking store to store in Vancouver with nothing but belief and a few samples, and the moment a total stranger at a Las Vegas trade show validated everything they ha...

In this episode of The Story of a Brand , I sit down with Christopher Wu , Co-founder & CEO of Paper Culture , a company that has quietly—and consistently—been redefining what sustainable, beautifully designed paper products can look like. From day one, Paper Culture has stood at the intersection of modern design and deep environmental responsibility, long before sustainability became a cultural t...

In this episode, I sit down with someone whose inner strength and personal reinvention truly moved me: Angelica Fuentes , Founder & CEO of NOWFUL .  From navigating profound personal challenges to building a wellness system rooted in clarity, self-love, and deep inner work, Angelica shares a journey that is both inspiring and practical. Her story begins with a simple but life-altering moment of gr...

When you think about transformation in beauty, few stories are as fascinating as the one unfolding at Rodan + Fields .  In this episode, Rose Hamilton , CEO of Compass Rose Ventures , sits down with Anncy Rowe , Chief Commercial Officer, who is leading the company through one of the most ambitious reinventions in the industry — evolving from a billion-dollar direct-selling brand into a modern omni...

When you've been in eCommerce long enough, you start to see the cycles — the rise of new platforms, the decline of others, and the constant search for what's next. In this episode, I sit down with Neal Goyal , SVP at PostPilot , to talk about how he's helping brands rediscover one of the most powerful, proven, and now AI-enhanced channels out there: direct mail.  Neal shares how PostPilot is turni...

In this episode of The Story of a Brand Show , my co-host Rose Hamilton , CEO of Compass Rose Ventures , sits down with Mike Fata , Founder and past Chairman & CEO of Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods .  Mike's story is one of personal transformation fueling a movement. What began with his own health journey, losing weight, regaining strength, and discovering hemp seeds, evolved into co-founding a compa...

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Rachel Katzman , the founder of Pvolve , a functional fitness company that's redefining what it means to truly move your body with purpose.  Rachel's story is deeply personal and inspiring. What started as a search for relief from back pain and scoliosis evolved into creating a method that blends functional fitness with resistance equipment, delivering not o...

In this episode of The Story of a Brand Show , I sit down with Lauren Kleinman , Founder of Dreamday and Co-founder of Quality Media . Lauren shares her journey from working at Ritual and Scopely to building not just one, but two thriving agencies that are reshaping how brands approach PR, affiliate, and paid media. Her story is rooted in curiosity, courage, and a clear vision for how the media la...

When it comes to building lasting health and wellness brands, few people have as much lived experience as Raza Bashir . As Chief Innovation Officer at Iovate Health Sciences International , Raza has spent nearly two decades turning cutting-edge science into products that make a real difference in people's lives. From MuscleTech to Hydroxycut , his fingerprints are on some of the most influential s...

I had such a powerful and eye-opening conversation with Lisa Curtis , Founder & CEO of Kuli Kuli Foods .  Lisa shared her incredible journey that began in the Peace Corps in Niger, where she first discovered moringa, a nutrient-packed "tree leaf" that transformed her health.   What started as a simple act of self-care in a rural village has grown into Kuli Kuli Foods , a pioneering superfoods bran...

I had a truly meaningful and inspiring conversation with Jenny Yue , Co-Founder of Ohme Foods . Jenny shared how her personal health journey, such as losing 50 pounds, rediscovering fitness, and building confidence through small daily wins, became the spark that inspired her to create Ohme .  What began as a New Year's resolution to start every morning with a healthy breakfast has now evolved into...

I had the chance to sit down with Steve Booher , the founder and CEO of Always Full , and what an inspiring conversation it was.   Steve's entrepreneurial journey spans decades, from walking away from a "lifetime" corporate job to building multiple companies across engineering, manufacturing, and ag-tech. Along the way, he learned hard lessons about trust, cash flow, and resilience. And now, he's...

From the Archives: Back in May 2024, I had the pleasure of sitting down with J ohn Molloy , Co-founder and CEO of Memo Paris , to explore the fascinating world of fragrance and the art of memory it evokes.  John shared his journey from fashion to perfumery, the courage it took to leave a corporate path, and how he and his wife, Clara , built Memo Paris around the idea of capturing places, emotions...

I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with Angus Rittenburg, Co-Founder and CEO of WYNK , to explore one of the fastest-growing trends in the beverage industry: low-dose THC drinks. Angus shared his incredible journey from engineering at Tesla and SpaceX to launching a scrappy startup with a vision for healthier, more social alternatives to alcohol. What struck me most was how much of WYNK '...