The Story of a Brand Show

In Part 2 of this Feature, Thyme Sullivan and Denielle Finkelstein, Co-Founders of The Organic Project or TOP, continue sharing their story of building the new standard in feminine hygiene care.   In Part 2, Thyme and Denielle discuss Their success with their PR strategy, Why they dressed up as Tampons, Why tampon monopolies avoid transparency, Why they want to build a brand without fear-mongering but more to give women a choice, The challenge in launching a plant-based applicator tampon, The TOP Moat, Why they consider their competitor's peers instead, Their entrepreneurial role models, What happened when Megan Rapinoe soccer star met the TOP Founders, and so much more.    Join us while Ramon Vela interviews Thyme and Denielle and listen to them share the inside story of their brand.   For more on TOP visit: https://toporganicproject.com/     Justuno -  justuno.com/ramon Pattern89 - pattern89.com/pod Retention Science - RetentionScience.com

When Thyme Sullivan and Denielle Finkelstein, Co-Founders of The Organic Project or TOP, started researching the tampon industry, they realized that the category hadn't really evolved in years. It lacked transparency as companies who made tampons were not required to disclose ingredients such as toxins in their products. Combine this with the fact that they were at a crossroads in their careers after years of successful executive corporate leadership; they felt that now was the time to do something that had a purpose and what was more purposeful than driving social change for their daughters and for the next generation of women. This is their story.    In Part 1, Thyme and Denielle discuss The TOP origin story, Why sourcing product was difficult, Why making it personal can make a difference, The challenge of raising capital as a mature woman entrepreneur, Why you need to surround yourself with incredibly supportive people, Why they were determined to do things their way, What steps they took to raise capital, How to create a brand that connects emotionally with their customers, The 3 driving factors moving TOP forward, and so much more.    Join us while Ramon Vela interviews Thyme and Denielle in Part 1 of this episode and listen to them share the inside story of their brand.   For more on TOP visit: https://toporganicproject.com/     Justuno -  justuno.com/ramon Pattern89 - pattern89.com/pod Retention Science - RetentionScience.com

Please note we recorded this remotely over a month ago in the height of the pandemic, some of the audio is spotty but the wisdom is real. In this Feature, Chase Fisher, Founder & CEO at Blenders Eyewear, give us his candid, and sometimes vulnerable, perspective on life during the height of Coronavirus as well as the inside story of this amazing eyewear brand. Plus, while much of this interview is based on our collective experience facing COVID-19, I was struck by how much of what Chase discusses can also be applied to any moment of crisis.    In Part 2, Chase discusses Consumer behavior post-COVID-19, Teaming up with non-profits to give back, Why consumers want a brand they can lean into, Advice for Brand Owners, What authenticity means to Blenders, Storytelling and Blenders, Why you should practice introspection and self-improvement, More advice for entrepreneurs, and Why hard work outpaces intelligence in business and so much more.    Join us while Ramon Vela interviews Chase in Part 2 of this episode.   For more on Blenders Eyewear visit: https://www.blenderseyewear.com/     Gorgias -  Gorgias.link/story Fenix Commerce - https://www.fenixcommerce.com/ Retention Science - RetentionScience.com

Please note we recorded this remotely over a month ago in the height of the pandemic, some of the audio is spotty but the wisdom is real. For Chase Fisher, Founder & CEO at Blenders Eyewear, COVID-19 redefined a crisis. What we thought was a crisis may not have been so bad. But more importantly, it helped us determine what was important in life. Get an inside look at how this founder coped with the pandemic, how it affected the business, and what he would do if he were president.    In Part 1, Chase discusses The disadvantages of having a product that isn't an Essential item, The advantages of being born online, The acquisition of Blenders, The Skillset that Chase is trying to improve, Why the value of being radically and uncomfortably transparent is critical, Why it's important to find a support group as a single founder, The skillset needed for new entrepreneurs, Advice for entrepreneurs, What Chase would do as President, and so much more.    Join us while Ramon Vela interviews Chase in Part 1of this episode and gets the inside story of this amazing brand.   For more on Blenders Eyewear visit: https://www.blenderseyewear.com/     Gorgias -  Gorgias.link/story Fenix Commerce - https://www.fenixcommerce.com/ Retention Science - RetentionScience.com

Note:  Hey everyone, please note we recorded this remotely over a month ago, some audio is spotty but the wisdom is real.  

Are you struggling to discuss Racism with your kids? Do you want to have conversations with them around sensitive topics such as Empathy, Depression, Anxiety, and more? Listen to Part 2 of this Feature as Jelani Memory, founder at A Kids Book About, shares his story and the story of a new kind of Publisher disrupting how children's books are made.

  In Part 2 of this episode, Jelani discusses What his books are meant to do, Why children's lives are so complicated and nuanced, Why kids need books like these, Advice for Entrepreneurs, Why you should solve problems that matter, How they are disrupting how Children's books are made, Why there is no better feeling than when you have a great conversation with your child, The vision and future of A Kids Book About, so much more. Join us while Ramon Vela interviews Jelani in Part 2 of this episode and listen to him share the inside story of a brand.   For more on A Kids Book About visit: https://akidsbookabout.com/     The Shoppy Awards: https://theshoppyawards.com/ (20% discount use SOB20) Attentive - https://www.attentivemobile.com/ Enquire Labs - https://www.enquirelabs.com/commercefocused Retention Science - RetentionScience.com

As a Father and POC, Jelani Memory, founder at A Kids Book About, knew first hand how hard it was to have difficult conversations with your kids on racism.  But if he found it difficult and other adults had the same issue dealing with emotions and sensitive subjects, imagine what kids are going through? That's why he created a new kind of publisher that addressed big topics such as racism, anxiety, empathy, Feminism, belonging, depression, body image, and more to help grownups have fearless conversations with kids

  In Part 1 of this episode, Jelani discusses The brand's origin story, Jelani's entrepreneurial journey, Why he wrote the first book for his kids, Why product at its core is about Story, Why Kids are ready to discuss challenging topics, Why he wants his brand to have meaning, Why they sell conversations not books, The two choices for an Entrepreneur, How the Writing a Book in a Day process works, and so much more. Join us while Ramon Vela interviews Jelani in Part 1 of this episode and listen to him share the inside story of a brand.   For more on A Kids Book About visit: https://akidsbookabout.com/     The Shoppy Awards: https://theshoppyawards.com/ (20% discount use SOB20) Attentive - https://www.attentivemobile.com/ Enquire Labs - https://www.enquirelabs.com/commercefocused Retention Science - RetentionScience.com

In Part 2 of this Feature, Kiran Jade, Founder, and CEO of Wolven continues sharing the inside story of her sustainable activewear and swimwear brand that's combining art, sustainability, functionality, and beautiful designs. Here's the rest of the story.   Join us while Ramon Vela interviews Kiran in Part 2 where she discusses Why they chose to use fabrics made from post-consumer plastic bottles, How there's a pound of plastic in every sale, Why their goal is to help address the problem of single-use plastics, How to design and manufacture clothing with sustainable fabrics, How their clothes are meant to last and use from the yoga studio to the street, What they use sacred geometry in their designs, The Wolven Moat, Why it's important to live by their values, Advice for entrepreneurs, and so much more.    For more on Wolven visit: https://wolventhreads.com/     Justuno -  justuno.com/ramon Pattern89 - pattern89.com/pod Retention Science - RetentionScience.com

When Kiran Jade, Founder, and CEO of Wolven, was in Art School, she realized that she wanted to marry her passions together and that meant marrying art with Yoga and business and what she came up with was the creation of wearable works of art that were both sustainable and sexy. This idea eventually became Wolven, a sustainable activewear and swimwear brand that's combining art, sustainability, functionality, and beautiful designs. Here's her story.   In part 1, Kiran discusses The story of art school and the Wolven brand idea, Why sustainable textiles were so important, Working with a co-founder who is also her romantic partner, How the Founders deal with the stress of business and love, What role Yoga played in the business and how it has helped her maintain her health as a founder, Why her Brand is as much about wellness as it is about apparel, How the brand was affected by COVID, Why the brand focused on community vs transaction, Why she decided to build a lean brand and why that decision is helping them through this pandemic, and so much more.    Join us while Ramon Vela interviews Kiran in Part 1 of this episode and listen to her share the inside story of his brand.   For more on Wolven visit: https://wolventhreads.com/     Justuno -  justuno.com/ramon Pattern89 - pattern89.com/pod Retention Science - RetentionScience.com

In Part 2 of this Feature, Denise Lee, Founder at Alala, continues telling the story of this amazing athleisure wear brand, where women can be comfortable being who they are.    In Part 2, Denise discusses The role of Luck in Entrepreneurship, How she raised friends and family money, The process of starting a brand, The key to networking is building relationships, Be specific when asking for advice, Don't be shy about talking about your brand idea, How a Brand Deck helped her grow her brand, Fashion is the power of great clothing, Why Alala gives her a platform for issues she believes in, The problem when brands say one thing but do another, The vision and future of Alala, and so much more.    Join us while Ramon Vela interviews Denise in Part 2 of this episode and gets the inside story of this amazing brand.   For more on Alala visit: https://alalastyle.com/     Gorgias -  Gorgias.link/story Fenix Commerce - https://www.fenixcommerce.com/ Retention Science - RetentionScience.com

For Denise Lee, Founder at Alala, being an immigrant to this country at 18 from Singapore was difficult. She came from a place where people looked similar to a country where she found herself in the minority. She felt out of place and her uncomfortableness made her feel powerless and lack confidence. However, it was this experience that would eventually drive the values of inclusivity, diversity, and empowerment in her athleisure wear brand, where women can be comfortable being who they are.    In Part 1 of this feature, Denise discusses Who is Alala, Why she uses real women as models, Why inclusivity is part of the Alala story, Why her brand is meant to show the power of all women, Why some brands ignore the plus-size market, Why consumers must see themselves in your brand, Why age diversity is important, Denise's immigrant story, Grew up as a child to entrepreneurs, Why you should be comfortable being different, Diane's entrepreneurial journey, How she learned about brands from J. Christopher Burch, and Why things happen for a reason, and so much more.    Join us while Ramon Vela interviews Denise in Part 1of this episode and gets the inside story of this amazing brand.   For more on Alala visit: https://alalastyle.com/     Gorgias -  Gorgias.link/story Fenix Commerce - https://www.fenixcommerce.com/ Retention Science - RetentionScience.com