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Steven J. Edelstein, VP of Growth & Partnerships at MyFBAPrep, joins Lara Schmoisman to unpack why most brands fail before they scale—covering pricing strategy, supply chain traps, trade show mistakes, and the future of beauty innovation through personalization and smarter storytelling.

We'll talk about:

• Why pricing strategy must start with your audience—not just your ingredients
• The real margin rules that make or break a brand
• The hidden costs in supply chain and trade shows that drain young businesses
• How copying formulas and white-labeling kills true innovation
• Why personalization and lifestyle-driven products will define the next decade
• The shift from discounts and one-off sales to loyalty and continuity programs
• How to create emotional connection that keeps customers coming back
• The future of beauty: smarter delivery systems, niche focus, and brands that actually solve problems

For more information, visit Steven J. Edelstein's LinkedIn.

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Henry Barton, Global Head of Network & Community at Duel Tech, joins Lara Schmoisman to reveal how the smartest fashion, beauty, and lifestyle brands turn their most passionate customers into unstoppable advocates—and why community is your ultimate growth engine.

We'll talk about:

• Why your most loyal customers are your most powerful marketing channel—and how to activate them
• The difference between brand “fans” and true “advocates” (and why it matters)
• How to find and nurture your brand’s real community—not just followers
• The compounding power of advocacy-driven growth in fashion, beauty, and lifestyle brands
• Real examples of brands leveraging advocacy to outpace competitors without bigger ad budgets
• Why community building should be in the C-suite conversation—not just marketing’s to-do list
• The mindset shift from acquisition to amplification—and why it’s the future of brand growth

For more information, visit Henry Barton's LinkedIn.

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Ken Hughes, known as The King of Customer Experience, joins Lara Schmoisman to share why connection—not product—is the ultimate differentiator in today’s AI-driven world, and how brands can design loyalty that lasts.

We'll talk about:

• Why products and services are now commodities—and why connection is your only real differentiator
• The “goldfish moment” every brand should be creating (and how to scale it)
• How Taylor Swift built one of the most loyal fandoms on earth—and what brands can learn from her playbook
• The danger of “one-night-stand marketing” and the shift from transactional to relational thinking
• Why ROI isn’t enough—and how to build with “desire to invest” instead
• Real-life stories of brands going beyond expectations to create emotional loyalty
• The perfect balance of AI and human touch in customer experience

For more information, visit Ken Hughes' LinkedIn.

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Nader Naeymi-Rad, Founder and Publisher of Beauty Independent, joins Lara Schmoisman to unpack the evolution of the beauty industry—from the death of indie beauty to the rise of professional founders, and what it really takes to build a brand that lasts.

We'll talk about:

• Why the “indie beauty” label is outdated—and what founders need to focus on instead
• The harsh truth about brand exits, celebrity equity, and investor-backed hype
• How Nader accidentally launched a movement that changed the industry
• What really separates a brand from a collection of products
• Why founder stories matter—but only when they're earned
• How to know if you’re building something that lasts (or just playing dress-up)
• The professionalization of beauty entrepreneurship—and why “passion” is not a business plan

For more information, visit Nader Naeymi-Rad's LinkedIn.

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Daniel Scharff, Founder & CEO of Startup CPG and host of a top 0.5% global podcast, joins Lara Schmoisman to talk brand-building, retail truth bombs, and what it really takes to grow in the crowded CPG space.

We'll talk about:

• How Daniel scaled Startup CPG into the most trusted brand community in the industry.
• What most CPG founders get wrong when pitching to retailers.
• The surprising reason brand story is more important than ever (and how to actually tell it).
• Why “overnight success” is the biggest myth in consumer goods.
• The real-life challenges of launching a beverage brand—and hitting 3,000 doors in year one.
• Behind the mic: building a podcast that dominates the CPG space (and what guests really want).
• Lessons from 15 years in CPG—from corporate boardrooms to founder burnout and back.
• The one metric Daniel says every founder should track but most ignore.

For more information, visit Daniel Scharff' LinkedIn.

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Lara Schmoisman and Don Allen, CIO/CISO of Moda Operandi, discuss the evolution of e-commerce, the impact of AI on user experience and SEO, and strategic technology adoption for competitive advantage.

We'll talk about:

• The surprising truth about SEO today—and why organic reach is (almost) a myth.
• Why a "compelling website" is now just "table stakes" in e-commerce.
• The strategic shift: when to build bespoke tech and when to buy off-the-shelf solutions.
• How AI is revolutionizing product tagging and SEO for high-fashion platforms.
• The biggest challenge of migrating to new platforms—it's not the tech, it's the people.
• The key difference between physical and online stores: dynamic personalization.
• Moda Operandi's marketplace strategy: leveraging it for hard-to-store items and new designers.

For more information, visit Don Allen' LinkedIn.

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Lara Schmoisman and Mimi Banks of MB Social dive into real talk about social media strategy, content that converts, and the future of the creator economy—from beauty brands to medical experts.

We'll talk about:

• How Mimi helped turn nail art UGC into one of L'Oréal’s earliest creator strategies.
• The three types of creators you need to understand—and why the labels matter.
• Why good content alone isn’t enough without strategy and storytelling.
• The dangers of AI in influencer marketing—and how to use it responsibly.
• Why brand voice, targeting, and objectives still trump algorithm “hacks”.
• The big shift coming to Instagram SEO—and what that means for creators.

For more information, visit Mimi Banks' LinkedIn.

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Blair Enns joins Lara Schmoisman to unpack what actually works when experts sell their services. From value-based pricing to client alignment, this episode breaks down smart, integrity-driven growth.

We'll talk about:

• The mindset shift that helped Blair move from chasing clients to choosing them.
• What not to include in a proposal—and how to avoid giving strategy away too soon.
• When your sales process is actually shaping the entire client relationship.
• Why real authority isn’t loud—it’s clear.
• How value-based pricing changes everything.

For more information, visit Blair Enns' LinkedIn.

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Board leader and former CEO Chelsea Grayson joins Lara Schmoisman on Coffee Nº5 to break down what actually drives business growth. From managing iconic brands to scaling through economic turbulence, this episode is packed with insights on strategy, governance, and real leadership.

We'll talk about:

• Why hiring too fast after one "good season" could tank your brand.
• The real cost of expanding your footprint—and how to avoid lease regret.
• What founders must understand about content creation in 2025.
• The influencer vs. content creator vs. brand ambassador debate—what actually works.
• Why celebrity brands flop (even with millions of followers).
• What a real board does—and why you need one sooner than you think.

For more information, visit Chelsea Grayson's LinkedIn.

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eCommerce connector and community builder Sara Pereda joins Lara Schmoisman on Coffee Nº5 to unpack how Smarterships became a global force, what makes partnerships actually work, and how to scale with strategy, integrity, and connection.

We'll talk about:

• Why Sara built a global Slack community—and made it paid on purpose.
• The real difference between connecting and collecting contacts.
• How to tell if your partners are helping you grow—or slowing you down.
• The #1 rule of being a super-connector (and why it’s not about you).
• Cultural cues and community-building lessons from running events in 24+ cities.
• What founders and agencies really need from their tech partners right now.

For more information, visit Sara Pereda's LinkedIn.

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