Join me on stage at the Footwear News CEO Summit as I sit down with three of our very best stylists, Jesse James Barnholdt, Gregory Clark and Jeffrey Ola. We do our best to make it abundantly clear to our employees that their success at Nordstrom is in their hands. We give them the leeway to use their best judgment in running their business, and let me tell you, these three men have taken that freedom and run with it. Each of them has raised the bar for what's possible on the sales floor and done it in their own unique and personal way, adding credibility to our reputation and building immensely successful careers for themselves. We are super proud of the heights that they've reached and want to lift them up as examples to the rest of our company.

Before that, listen in on my conversation with the cofounder of On, Caspar Coppetti. The story of this brand is particularly interesting because it's so authentically rooted in the entrepreneurial spirit. Innocently enough, Caspar and cofounder Olivier Bernhard only started making shoes to fulfill their own personal running needs. And being based in the relatively small market of Switzerland, they had no idea that it would evolve into the global phenomenon that it is today. But what they did know was that if they could only get runners to try on their shoes, the business would take care of itself—which it did. Professional runners wearing On running shoes began breaking records and speaking out about the incredible benefits they felt, including examples of runners with previous injuries getting back up to speed faster than ever before. But despite On's amazing growth and success, money has never been what drives them. Their motivation remains the same as it was in the beginning. Caspar talks about running as an incredibly emotional experience, with each different environment and circumstance inspiring a new type of product. That's what makes this brand so unique, and why I'm excited to share his story with you today.

Thanks for tuning in to episode 36. We hope you enjoy it!

Did you know that YOU can be on The Nordy Pod? This show isn't just a one-way conversation. We want to hear about what Nordstrom looks like through your eyes. Share your Nordstrom experience, good or bad, by giving us a call and leaving a voicemail at: 206.594.0526, or send an email to [email protected] to be a part of the conversation!