5 Years Later: How Many FEST Brands Persisted, Pivoted, IPO'd? What Percent Are Still Operating Today?

It’s the 250th episode of the Spirit of 608 podcast! For this milestone episode, I’m getting all analytical on you and checking in on the status of the first 25 brands to be on the show. I tallied up how many are still operating, who has shut down, who’s pivoted or shifted and who’s IPO’d — and it’s more than one! That would have been pretty unbelievable to me back in 2015 when I started the show. But the FEST space has come a long way, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. Want to know how business in FEST has performed versus business in general? Oh yes! Then listen to this episode — I was really surprised at some of the things I found when I compared the fates and current states of the first 25 businesses I covered, and I think you will be too! With that in mind, after dropping the numbers on how many businesses persisted, pivoted, IPO’d — and how that percentage stacks up against businesses across industries — I break down the common characteristics of the ones thriving today and the reasons I see for the others shutting down. Then I’m giving you predictions for the next five years. I see a couple of undeniable trends that have been coming down the pipe for a while finally approaching feasibility when it comes to the infrastructure needed to support them not only as concepts but as viable business models — and that means these ideas that have been pretty impossible to build businesses on are finally coming to fruition (one is even being touted as a potential $5T market — wut?! See my Instagram for more on that). Plus, I walk you through two distinct brand ethos buckets that I think you’re going to see most of the successful consumer-facing companies of the next five years swimming in. The TLDR? Listen in for the numbers, the common threads in the successes and failures and my predictions for what’s next. <3 <3 <3 Oh hey there! Please help the podcast out and leave us a rating and review on iTunes. This stuff is key to the show's success, and I appreciate you helping me play the game. <3 <3 <3 HOW TO LISTEN: Listen online: Just press play above or subscribe via RSS to receive all new episodes. iOS, iPhone, iPad: Subscribe via iTunes or download the Apple Podcast app and subscribe by searching for Spirit of 608 in the app. Android: Download the free Stitcher app and search for Spirit of 608 in the app. Be on the Podcast: Ask Spirit of 608 a Question Find more episodes featuring women at the forefront of FEST online at www.Spiritof608.com.