Episode 90 hits hard. While insolvencies shake Australia’s retail scene—with big names like Jeanswest and Mosaic Brands biting the dust—Mal breaks down what’s really causing the collapse: strategic debt, digital irrelevance, and a dangerous addiction to discounting.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. Across the Pacific, e.l.f. Cosmetics just dropped a jaw-dropping $1B on Rhode, Hailey Bieber’s skincare brand. Why? Because cultural capital and community beat catalogue codes and clearance bins.

In this episode, Mal unpacks:

• Why Australia’s retail mid-market is cracking under the pressure

• The slow fade of Jeanswest and what it teaches us about brand neglect

• What e.l.f. really bought with $1B—and why Rhode’s audience-first model is the future

• Tactical moves every founder and operator must make now to survive (and thrive)

It’s not about being everywhere. It’s about mattering somewhere.