Morning Brew Daily

Jonathan Neman, the Co-Founder and CEO of sweetgreen, joins us today to discuss how the brand’s mission — to inspire healthier communities by connecting people to real food — drives each step of its growth. We dive into sweetgreen's decision not to franchise, their strict sourcing criteria, and how they build intimacy with customers at scale.

….and it’s having an even worse decade. Today we’re breaking down why that matters.

Last week, Alden Global Capital, a hedge fund infamous for buying local newspapers and slashing their budgets, closed its $633 million purchase of Tribune Publishing, promptly ousting the Chicago Tribune CEO. Elahe Izadi, a reporter for The Washington Post, joins us today to discuss the specs of the deal, why the local news business model is broken, and the consequences we will face if we let local news die.

Looking for an appetizer for Business Casual? Check out Alex's other business pod, Founder's Journal.

The podcast world has seen tons of big money moves in the past month. From Apple and Spotify releasing in-app paid subscriptions, to Facebook building its own podcast player, to media giants buying the rights to big name shows. 

Today, we’re doing a temperature check on the podcasting industry with Nick Quah, the writer of Hot Pod newsletter. Nick is telling us his takes on how new podcast platforms compare to Patreon, the influx of celebrities in the space, and the companies who are controlling the majority of the industry’s capital.

We’ve seen some pretty great rebrands over the past few years, from Oatly moving from niche Swedish brand to the American dairy industry's rival, to Drunk' dropping the "donuts" in its name. Today, we dig into the strategies, considerations, and challenges of rebranding with Arianna Davis, the Senior Director of Editorial & Strategy of Oprah’s recently relaunched lifestyle brand, Oprah Daily. 

Oprah’s brand began as O, the Oprah Magazine, and with the help of Arianna, launched a digital extension in 2018 that became the fastest growing website launch in Hearst history. This year, Arianna led a relaunch of the entire brand, now called Oprah Daily. All the while, she also penned What Would Frida Do? A Guide to Living Boldly.

MSCHF, the company behind the infamous Lil Nas X Satan Shoes (you know, the ones that incited a lawsuit from Nike) knows a thing or two about going viral. MSCHF is a counterculture art collective that releases its products exclusively via drops, almost all of which go viral instantly. From Birkenstock shoes made out of cut up Birkin bags, to a laptop loaded with malware programs, MSCHF knows no bounds.

Going viral might be the cheapest, most effective marketing tool...but it usually happens by accident, and sometimes not for good reason. Today, Daniel Greenberg, founding team member and CRO of MSCHF, joins us to explain how MSCHF has mastered going viral on purpose and why it embraces the bad publicity as much as the good. He'll break down the importance of evoking a reaction, why there's a story behind each drop, and how MSCHF engages with its competitors.

In 2020, only about 3% of VC funding across the US went to Black founders. Our guest today, Jarrid Tingle, is determined to change that stat. Jarrid is the Founder and Managing Partner of Harlem Capital Partners, a VC firm dedicated to closing the funding gap for female and minority founders. The firm’s goal is to invest in 1,000 diverse founders over the next 20 years, and they’re well on their way.

Jarrid believes the funding disparity for Black founders stems from the lack of diversity of VC investors and partners. Today, we dive into how his VC firm is tackling the issue from the inside out, the role that brand storytelling plays in furthering its mission, and what young people in business today can do to help close the gap.

Atlanta Falcons linebacker Brandon Copeland takes personal finance as seriously as he takes his NFL career. Off the football field, beyond his own money management, Copeland serves as a financial advisor and teaches a financial literacy course at The University of Pennsylvania.

Cope joins us today to tell us about his strict saving habits, the importance of making financial literacy your own responsibility, and the role that discipline plays in both football and finance.

The transition from the athlete world to the business world is not historically an easy one. Today, MLB legend Alex Rodriguez joins us to break down how he so successfully transferred his skills from the ball field to the boardroom to build his company, A-Rod Corp. He’s telling us about the importance of accountability, building long term relationships with mentors, and surrounding yourself with the right team.

Brand storytelling is one of the most powerful marketing tools, serving as a bridge between a business and its consumers. A well-crafted narrative can make even the most unsexy companies seem compelling. On this episode, we’re talking to Kerstin Emhoff, the CEO of award-winning production companies PRETTYBIRD and Ventureland. You may recognize their viral commercials for Uber and Facebook, among others. 

Today, she’s telling us about the impact of strong storytelling, how to craft an authentic brand narrative, and what makes commercials go viral. She’ll also be telling us about her efforts to support underrepresented talent in the entertainment industry.

Drop culture, streetwear, and livestream video shopping—three things we may not be cool enough to break down for you ourselves. That’s why Aaron Levant, the CEO of NTWRK, is joining us today. He’ll be telling us about the effectiveness of drops as a marketing tool, why he thinks the current retail industry is dying, and how he’s changing the online shopping game by incorporating livestream video into the experience.

P.S. Didn’t you hear? Vowels aren’t cool anymore.