Raising the Bar with Alli and Adrian
142 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 2 years ago - ★★★★ - 228 ratingsThe stuff you wished entrepreneurs really talked about. Drybar founder Alli Webb joins forces with her executive coach (and boyfriend) Adrian Koehler to pull back the curtain on the entrepreneurial life—the good, the bad, and the messy. Together, they tackle the conversations people in leadership rarely have in public, interviewing other entrepreneurs and founders along the way to find out what it takes to overcome the obstacles that make most people quit. This is a study on perseverance. So, whether you're just starting out or weighed down by the stress of success, tune in. You might not be as alone as you think.
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Episodes
20. Shit That Bugs Us: You're Late
December 14, 2020 11:00 - 13 minutes - 12.8 MBYou don’t have to work with Adrian for very long before you find out how important being on time is when you’ve made the agreement to meet with him — because it’s not about being late, it’s about keeping your word. Connect with us on Insta: Alli: @alliwebb Adrian: @adrian.k Raising the Bar with Alli and Adrian is a production of Crate Media
19. mindbodygreen: Creating a Platform to Connect Soul & Science | with Colleen Wachob & Jason Wachob
December 11, 2020 11:00 - 45 minutes - 41.7 MBColleen and Jason Wachob were both killing it in their careers, but their high-stress careers were also slowly killing them. So, they decided to create the company that they needed: mindbodygreen. Mindbodygreen has since become one of the leading brands in the health and wellness industry, offering news, science-backed research and advice, functional nutrition coaching, and some of the highest-quality supplements on the market. They believe in a holistic approach to health — one that incor...
18. How a Reformed Criminal is Reforming Criminals (for Free) at The Other Side Academy | with David Duroche
December 09, 2020 11:29 - 1 hour - 63.4 MBDavid Duroche is one of the most fascinating people we’ve ever had the pleasure of speaking to, on or off the podcast. He is currently the Executive Director of The Other Side Academy — but the journey that brought him there is incredible, including nearly two decades in jail. We don’t want to spoil anything else, it’s that good. Now Dave is trying to give other people the second chance he was given at The Other Side Academy, a two-year Life Skills Academy where men and women can come to l...
17. Shit We Love (That Bugs Us): Working Together at Home
December 07, 2020 11:00 - 19 minutes - 18.2 MBMost of us spent a lot of 2020 working from home… with everyone else we live with also working or going to school from home. It’s great to be able to spend more time with the people we love most — but it certainly comes with some challenges! We’ve had to learn new ways to work, and new ways to work together, and we wanted to share some of these tips because, even after the health crisis is over, work is probably never going to be the same as it was before. These new skills will be critical m...
17. Shit We Love (That Bugs Us): Working Together at Home
December 07, 2020 11:00 - 19 minutes - 18.2 MBMost of us spent a lot of 2020 working from home… with everyone else we live with also working or going to school from home. It’s great to be able to spend more time with the people we love most — but it certainly comes with some challenges! We’ve had to learn new ways to work, and new ways to work together, and we wanted to share some of these tips because, even after the health crisis is over, work is probably never going to be the same as it was before. These new skills will be critical m...
16. Get Better, Be Better, Do Better: The SmartyPants Transformation | with Courtney Nichols-Gould
December 04, 2020 11:00 - 58 minutes - 53.5 MBCourtney Nichols-Gould is the Co-Founder & Co-CEO SmartyPants, a leading preventative healthcare brand that values family, authenticity, and a core commitment to our collective well-being. Since launching in 2010, SmartyPants has led the industry in making ingredient choices focused on quality and transparency and wrapping them in a delicious gummy. And since the first bottle sold in 2010, they’ve made a 1-for-1 nutrient grant to Vitamin Angels for every bottle sold to help get life-changing...
15. Bringing Clean Water to the World: From Club Owner to Impact Maker | with Scott Harrison of charity:water
December 02, 2020 11:16 - 1 hour - 62 MBWe were sitting in our kitchen a couple weeks ago when Adrian pulled up this video for us to watch. It went over Scott Harrison’s journey, how he got clarity on his mission to bring clean water to the world, and why he started charity: water to accomplish that goal. 14 later, charity: water has raised over $496 million and funded over 59,000 water projects in 29 countries, providing water for over 11 million people with clean, safe drinking water once all those projects are done. That’s suc...
14. Shit That Bugs Us: Text Fighting
November 30, 2020 11:00 - 11 minutes - 10.6 MBScuffles, kerfuffles, bickering: this is just a short list of things that should be left out of all of your text messages and emails. Whether this is in your personal relationships or your business, problems need to be addressed directly through a transparent and compassionate conversation. You’re not going to figure anything out over text, so you’re just wasting your time. Connect with us on Insta: Alli: @alliwebb Adrian: @adrian.k Raising the Bar with Alli and Adrian is a pro...
13. One Potato: The Family That Cooks Together Thrives Together | with Catherine McCord
November 27, 2020 11:00 - 1 hour - 56.2 MBA lot of us see cooking as something that we have to get out of the way (or outsource to someone else); it’s a utilitarian action that we need to get over with so that we can enjoy tasty food or just nourish our bodies (we see you, Soylent folks). But cooking can be the key that unlocks the community in our homes, and our guest is really focused on making it a little easier to connect with our families and nourish our souls over a tasty, healthy meal. Catherine McCord is the Founder of One...
12. Gen Next: Creating the Best Possible Future | with Michael P. Davidson
November 25, 2020 11:31 - 58 minutes - 53.8 MBMichael P. Davidson is one of the most fascinating people on earth, and no matter how cynical you are, we don’t think it’s even possible to hear him talk and not feel inspired about what’s possible. Michael is the CEO of Gen Next, a modern institution comprising a social enterprise membership organization, a venture philanthropy foundation, and a political action committee. Gen Next endeavors to shape ideas and empower an influential community of forward-looking civic leaders to build a futu...
11. Shit We Love: Connection with the Customer (or, Smokin’ What You’re Sellin’)
November 23, 2020 11:00 - 6 minutes - 6.07 MBWe recently enjoyed a little staycation in Malibu to celebrate our first anniversary and we had a surprising experience that we want to share with everyone. We stayed at the Malibu Surfrider, which was awesome and we could do a whole episode on that too, but that's not actually what surprised us on this trip. (We knew it’d be awesome.) We want to tell you about the few minutes we spent in a high-end headshop. This probably isn’t the story you expect to hear from a headshop, and we didn’t exp...
10. GT’s Living Foods: The Spiritually Aligned Kombucha Company (with a 27-Year-Old SCOBY) | with GT Dave
November 20, 2020 11:00 - 48 minutes - 44.8 MBA Himalayan Mother SCOBY entered GT Dave’s home back in 1993, about 20 years before kombucha started to grow as a wellness trend in the Western world. They started brewing their own fizzy, fermented tea… and, honestly, it was kinda weird at first. But when his mom was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer — and then beat that cancer — GT started to take a closer look at this ancient Eastern brew. And the more GT learned, the more he knew that he had to make kombucha more accessi...
9. Rich Orosco: EVP, Brand & Community at LAFC
November 18, 2020 11:00 - 38 minutes - 35.5 MBRich Orosco is a natural visionary and impact leader with a commitment to service, and as part of serving his community, he became an integral part of creating Adrian’s favorite Major League Soccer (MLS) team in the country: Los Angeles FC (LAFC). His dedication to service is infectious, and we know you’re going to be inspired by this conversation. Connect with us on Insta: Alli: @alliwebb Adrian: @adrian.k Resources: Instagram: @lafcrich Check out LAFC Raising the Bar ...
8. Shit That Bugs Us: First Impressions
November 16, 2020 11:00 - 11 minutes - 10.3 MBWe recently had an experience at a restaurant we went to for the first time that was… less than ideal. So, we’re going to share what went down, where it went wrong, and how you can make a better first impression on your customers. What shit bugs you? Send us a DM on Instagram and we might talk about it in a future episode! Connect with us on Insta: Alli: @alliwebb Adrian: @adrian.k Raising the Bar with Alli and Adrian is a production of Crate Media
7. How to Break Free of Negative Beliefs & Become a Super Attractor: Manifestation for Left-Brain Thinkers | with Gabby Bernstein
November 13, 2020 11:00 - 46 minutes - 42.7 MBGabby Bernstein changed Alli’s life... and that’s really not hyperbole at all. Her book “Super Attractor” shifted her perspective in a time when she was feeling stuck and desperately needed that little nudge towards a different mindset. Adrian, on the other hand, is relatively new to the world of Gabby Bernstein. So we ended up approaching this interview from two sides — a fangirl and an entrepreneur who is just always looking for better ways of living, working, and thinking — and we think t...
6. TreePeople & Climate Justice: Prescriptions to Heal Communities | with Cindy Montanez
November 11, 2020 11:00 - 44 minutes - 40.6 MBCindy Montanez is the CEO of TreePeople and a record-breaking change-maker: at 25, she was elected as the youngest mayor and councilmember of her hometown of San Fernando, and at 28, she made history by becoming the youngest woman elected to the California State Legislature, where she became a champion for the environment, sustainable urban planning, and social justice. Cindy continues to dedicate herself to climate justice, now furthering the TreePeople movement and helping to transform the...
5. Shit That Bugs Us: “Sorry You Feel That Way”
November 09, 2020 11:00 - 5 minutes - 4.98 MB“I’m sorry you feel that way.” Has anyone ever said that to you? Have you ever said that to someone else? Business, personal, just walking down the street talking to a stranger: no one ever wants to hear that. What shit bugs you? Send us a DM on Instagram and we might talk about it in a future episode! Connect with us on Insta: Alli: @alliwebb Adrian: @adrian.k Raising the Bar with Alli and Adrian is a production of Crate Media
4. How to Pitch to a Shark, Hustle Porn, & Investing in Entrepreneurs of Color | with Mark Cuban
November 06, 2020 11:00 - 54 minutes - 49.8 MBYou probably all know who Mark Cuban is — a star of “Shark Tank,” a billionaire entrepreneur, and a rockstar investor — but we wanted to uncover a side of Mark that you won’t see on TV. From how to get your pitch noticed to “Sharknado” to why Mark won’t be your mentor, we cover a whole lot in this conversation. Connect with us on Insta: Alli: @alliwebb Adrian: @adrian.k Resources: Mark Cuban’s blog: blogmaverick.com Twitter: @mcuban Facebook: facebook.com/markcuban/ gett...
3. Supporting Community & Feeding the Family Next Door | with Claire Babineaux-Fontenot
November 04, 2020 11:00 - 59 minutes - 54.5 MBClaire Babineaux-Fontenot is one of the most impactful leaders in the country—and you’ve probably never heard of her. Now the CEO of Feeding America, she was a top tier international leader at Walmart before she decided to dedicate her life to making sure kids are fed. Claire is truly what we’d call an impact leader. She’s taken all of her skills, intellect, power, and ambition that she picked up in the corporate world and aimed it at the social sector to make the most good for others. Fee...
2. Shit That Bugs Us: Bait N’ Switch
November 02, 2020 11:00 - 13 minutes - 12.5 MBAs business leaders and mentors, Alli and Adrian have seen just about every strategy for launching, scaling, marketing, selling, and leading a business. Some of it works, some of it doesn’t — and some of it bugs the shit out of us. So, we’re going to do these “Shit That Bugs Us” episodes to call out these all-too-common tactics and strategies that drive us nuts. Our goal isn’t to complain, although we will, but to help other people identify their blind spots and ways they can do better. An...
1. Guy Raz: Curiosity, Telling Human Stories, & The Lost Episodes of “How I Built This”
October 30, 2020 16:04 - 1 hour - 59.4 MBYou probably know Guy Raz from hosting one of the most popular podcasts ever, NPR’s How I Built This. You might even have started following Alli because you heard her on the show. But we don’t think you’ve ever heard Guy like this. We feel so attached to the guests on How I Built This because Guy is able to extract genuine human stories from people who we sometimes see as superhuman — the entrepreneurs and innovators behind some of the biggest brands in the world — allowing us to underst...
Trailer
October 29, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.7 MBThe stuff you wished entrepreneurs really talked about. Drybar founder Alli Webb joins forces with her executive coach (and boyfriend) Adrian Koehler to pull back the curtain on the entrepreneurial life—the good, the bad, and the messy. Together, they tackle the conversations people in leadership rarely have in public, interviewing other entrepreneurs and founders along the way to find out what it takes to overcome the obstacles that make most people quit. This is a study on perseverance. So...
Baby2Baby: Hollywood's Favorite Philanthropy
May 01, 2020 07:30 - 58 minutes - 67.6 MBMichael and Alli sit down with Kelly Sawyer Patricof and Norah Weinstein, presidents of Baby2Baby, a group that provides low-income children with diapers, clothing, and basic necessities. Known for its stylish galas and A-list ambassadors (Jessica Alba and Drew Barrymore, among others), Baby2Baby has become one of L.A.'s most high-profile philanthropies! Kelly and Norah discuss the inception of Baby2Baby, the "diaper divide," and how everyone can help children living in poverty. Learn more a...
Emily and Meritt: Fashion's Favorite Friendship
April 24, 2020 07:30 - 31 minutes - 36.3 MBYou can thank Emily Current and Meritt Elliott for the boyfriend jeans in your closet. After making the jump from styling to designing, they started Current/Elliott and became denim darlings of the fashion world. Since selling their line, the ladies have expanded their brand into home decor and launched The Great, a multi-category line that embodies their trademark "whimsical Americana" aesthetic. The duo joined Alli and Michael to trace their early styling days to how they're building their...
Anine Bing: Influencer-Turned-Designer
April 10, 2020 07:00 - 45 minutes - 105 MBAnine Bing has become the go-to designer for models and actresses off-duty since leveraging her social media platform into a namesake label. Like all great founder stories, the Danish-born model and former rock 'n' roll singer launched her fashion line from the garage of her Los Angeles home. Now, she's opening brick-and-mortar stores across the U.S. and Europe. Anine sat down with Alli and Michael to discuss building a business with your spouse, and how she turned Insta-fame into a brand. ...
Chriselle Lim: Fashion's Busiest Superinfluencer
March 27, 2020 07:30 - 55 minutes - 63.8 MBChriselle Lim is one of those OG influencers who joined YouTube in 2010 and now counts 3.2 million followers across social media with a staff of 13 people in her downtown L.A. office. What sets her apart, though, is how she's been able to translate that following into a diverse business portfolio. The Korean-American influencer, who started the popular blog and YouTube channel The Chriselle Factor, has gone on to found the branded content studio CINC studios, a namesake fashion label, and Bu...
Laura Wasser: Hollywood Divorce Attorney Turned Entrepreneur
March 20, 2020 07:30 - 51 minutes - 59.2 MBDubbed "the disso queen" by TMZ, Hollywood divorce attorney Laura Wasser has represented everyone from Ashton Kutcher to Kim Kardashian to Stevie Wonder. In her 20+ years practicing Family Law in Hollywood, the one thing she’s certain of is that all is fair in love and war. While known for handling high-profile, high-net-worth dissolutions, Laura is also the founder of It's Over Easy, an online divorce platform that gives divorcing couples an accessible and affordable resource to dissolve th...
Ritual: Disrupting The Vitamin Industry with Katerina Schneider
March 13, 2020 07:00 - 35 minutes - 82.7 MBKaterina Schneider was four-months pregnant when she set out to raise money for her subscription-based vitamin company aimed at delivering clean, science-backed, vegan-certified multivitamins made for women, by women. Since it's founding in 2015, Ritual has sold more than 1 million bottles of vitamins to become the first direct-to-consumer brand in the vitamin supplement industry. Founder and CEO Katerina joins Raising The Bar to talk fundraising while pregnant, being a "habit company," trac...
Midland Shop: Staying Authentic As A Small Business In L.A. with Co-Owner Paige Appel
March 06, 2020 08:00 - 44 minutes - 102 MBMidland Shop is known for its curations of ethically-made, artisan, quality goods. With two locations in Los Angeles, Midland now has its eye on ramping up its e-commerce division and expanding beyond the coastal market. And while co-founder Paige Appel jokes that this is her third career (she was in film and event planning before Midland blossomed), the shop is ready as ever to learn how to scale the brand to a larger, online market. Alli sat down with her longtime BFF Paige to hear all a...
LIVELY: How A Former Victoria's Secret Exec Disrupted the $13B Lingerie World
February 28, 2020 08:00 - 35 minutes - 82 MBIn just 48 months, founder and CEO Michelle Cordeiro Grant flipped her “leisurée” (lingerie and leisure) startup and sold the fledgling company for $85 million. As a former Victoria's Secret executive, Michelle realized that the $13 billion lingerie category in the U.S. alone was dominated by this one brand with one point of view. So she decided to create an inclusive, digital brand to redefine what comfort and sexiness meant to the Millennial woman. Michelle joined Raising The Bar to talk a...
Ramy Brook: Day-To-Night Fashion From a Self-Trained Designer
February 21, 2020 08:00 - 38 minutes - 88.1 MBThough Ramy Brook Sharp's high school wasn't too happy about her shortening her skirts and restyling her jeans, this was the beginning of Ramy's self-trained foray into fashion designing. Fast-forward to 2010 and she's creating prototypes of six tops and one dress and debuting them at a trunk show at her sister’s home in New Jersey. This eventually leads to Bergdorf Goodmans placing their first order. Since then, Ramy Brooks has become a national fashion label known for its signature use of ...
Take New Ground: The Secret Weapon of the Leaders You Admire Most with Adrian Koehler
February 07, 2020 08:00 - 1 hour - 161 MBExecutive coaching is at the forefront of business culture today. From founders in the startup stage to senior executives at multinational corporations, more people in leadership positions are seeking out "coaches" to help them take their performance to a new level, and Adrian Koehler has been involved at every stage of the business ladder. Adrian coaches executives and entrepreneurs in the art and science of personal engagement for themselves, their teams, and clients. He joins Alli and Mic...
Gabby Reece: The Former Model and Pro Volleyball Player Dispels the Myth of the Personal Brand
January 31, 2020 08:00 - 57 minutes - 131 MBThough it's been decades since Gabby Reece first started out as a pro-beach volleyball star and Nike's first female spokesperson, the 6' 3” powerhouse hasn't slowed down. As a wife, mother, author, business entrepreneur, and fitness professional, Gabby is taking her influence to new heights with a podcast called "The Gabby Reece Show," all about life's biggest questions and obstacles. Gabby meets up with Alli and Michael to talk about life as a teenage model, what it was like during the era...
Private Equity: Learn How to Raise Capital with Drybar’s Largest Investor
January 24, 2020 08:00 - 1 hour - 147 MBIn 2012, two years after its first store opened, Drybar announced that it had closed $16 million in financing with private equity firm Castanea Partners. Since then, Drybar has raised more than $50 million in venture capital to date. And just last month, Drybar sold its product line for $255 million in cash to Helen of Troy, a consumer group with a portfolio that includes OXO, Braun, and Hot Tools. It's been a long journey, and there's no one better to discuss the ups and downs of Drybar's m...
Argent: The Pantsuit Startup Outfitting Hillary Clinton & Kamala Harris
January 17, 2020 08:00 - 43 minutes - 99.4 MBSali Christeson spent a decade in the Bay Area's fin-tech scene where she struggled to find clothes that were bold, practical, and professional. In 2016 she founded Argent, a workwear company for women focused on function and style. As CEO, Sali has one goal in mind—to tackle the workwear-joy gap. Today, Argent has raised $4 million in seed money and gained fans from Hollywood to Capitol Hill. Pieces feature functional elements like reversible suits, media and stylus pockets for everything f...
Brittany Driscoll: What It's Really Like To Leap Into Entrepreneurship
January 10, 2020 08:00 - 44 minutes - 103 MBIt's been 10 months since Squeeze opened their books to usher in the next generation of affordable massage studios and begin #TheFeelGoodRevolution. But it all hasn't been oohs and aahs. Co-founder and CEO Brittany Driscoll rejoins the podcast to break down the real struggles (and rewards) of starting a business from the ground up and making sure it flourishes. Alli and Brittany sit down to swap personal stories about how their lives have changed since opening Squeeze, life lessons learned a...
Kelly Leveque: Nutritionist To The Stars (Re-Release)
December 27, 2019 08:00 - 44 minutes - 104 MBKelly Leveque is the woman who Jennifer Garner, Jessica Alba, and Busy Phillips turn to when they need help balancing blood sugar and demanding schedules. Kelly unveils to Alli and Michael the inner workings of her consulting business and how she went from mapping genomes for oncologists to staking her claim as one of Hollywood's most sought-after nutrition experts. Plus, she shares her secret wellness and diet tips, including the ones she uses as Alli's health coach.
Tappan: Reinventing the Art Scene For a Digital Generation
December 20, 2019 08:00 - 39 minutes - 91.2 MBFounded in 2012 by painter Chelsea Neman Nassib, Tappan is a slick, modern platform for emerging artists to display and sell their work online. Since its launch in 2012, Tappan has successfully democratized the art scene for a digital generation, fostering the careers of emerging artists by giving them an online platform to sell their work, tell their story and reach collectors worldwide. Chelsea caught up with Michael and Alli to talk about how she went from student to Millennial founder, ...
Nekter Juice Bar: Creating The Starbucks of Juice
December 13, 2019 08:00 - 43 minutes - 101 MBAfter a successful career in the infomercial industry, founder and CEO Steve Schulze turned his attention to the nascent juicing trend and opened the first Nekter Juice Bar in 2010. Today, the all-natural juice and smoothie franchise boasts more than 150 locations in 15 states and has grown in revenue to over $40 million. Steve sat down with Alli and Michael to explain how a fresh product and franchise model have helped it expand, tech innovation and partnerships at Nekter, and running a bus...
Belly Bandit: Supporting Moms With Stylish Shapewear
December 06, 2019 08:00 - 48 minutes - 112 MBMoms all over the world have the Caden sisters to thank for normalizing post-pregnancy shapewear. It all started in 2008 when Lori Caden's sisters were sick of hearing complaints about the new mom's post-baby belly. So Lori, Jodi, and Kari developed the first doctor-recommended, postpartum compression wrap, the Belly Bandit. Thanks to its list of die-hard celeb fans like the Kardashian sisters, Christina Aguilera, Jessica Alba and more, Belly Bandit products now include C-Section Recovery Un...
Chriselle Lim: How To Pivot From Superinfluencer to Entrepreneur
November 29, 2019 08:00 - 49 minutes - 113 MBChriselle Lim is one of those OG influencers who joined YouTube in 2010 and now counts 3.2 million followers across social media with a staff of 13 people in her downtown L.A. office. What sets her apart, though, is how she's been able to translate that following into a diverse business portfolio. The Korean-American influencer, who started the popular blog and YouTube channel The Chriselle Factor, has gone on to found the branded content studio CINC studios, a namesake fashion label, and Bu...
Emily Schuman: Cupcakes and Cashmere (re-release)
November 29, 2019 05:00 - 57 minutes - 131 MBEmily Schuman has built a thriving lifestyle company on the coattails of Cupcakes and Cashmere, a website she created just 10 years ago. As an OG fashion blogger, she walks Alli and Michael through her career's trajectory, from making the tough decision between staying at AOL or diving headfirst into her burgeoning blog (spoiler alert: she took the risk) to eventually licensing products and launching an e-commerce platform. She maps out the do's and don'ts of building a personal brand and ho...
Kentucky Straight Ice: Converting Ice Cubes Into Cash
November 22, 2019 08:00 - 41 minutes - 96.6 MBEntrepreneur Rich Finck could sell ice to an Eskimo, literally. That's because his company Kentucky Straight Ice specializes in handcrafted, stunningly clear, luxury beverage-ice. A family-owned company based in Louisville, KY since 2015, Kentucky Straight Ice is designed to enhance the "on the rocks" experience for Bourbon, Scotch, Whiskey, and the entire premium spirits class. Rich visited Alli and Michael to talk all things Kentucky bourbon and how he came up with his crystal-clear busine...
Supergoop!: Turning SPF Into $40 Million
November 15, 2019 22:11 - 44 minutes - 103 MBSupergoop! founder Holly Thaggard is the queen of sunscreen. She never intended to build a $40-million company sold in Sephora, Nordstrom, and Bluemercury until a close friend of hers was diagnosed with skin cancer. In 2007, she launched her brand with the goal of creating an SPF that everyone would want to wear every single day. With sunscreen is at the forefront of Supergoop!, Holly's mission is to prevent skin cancer and premature aging with her products. She met up with Michael and Alli ...
The Giving Keys: Unlocking A Social Impact Company
November 08, 2019 07:00 - 39 minutes - 36.6 MBThe Giving Keys are repurposed key necklaces stamped with inspirational words like FEARLESS, HOPE, STRENGTH, and COURAGE. When the wearer of the key encounters someone else who needs the message—they are encouraged to give it away and share their “pay-it-forward” story. Seen on celebrities like Taylor Swift and Nina Dobrev, the Giving Keys is not your average accessories brand in Los Angeles. That's because founder Caitlin Crosby started the company to employ those transitioning out of hom...
Sugar Paper: On Becoming The Best Stationery Company In The World
November 01, 2019 21:37 - 55 minutes - 51.4 MBSugar Paper, Los Angeles's premier goods shop and custom letterpress stationery company, was born in 2003 when college pals Chelsea Shukov and Jamie Grobecker started designing custom letterpress cards after graduation as a hobby. Now, Sugar Paper is carried in 1,500+ shops around the world and has storefronts in Brentwood, Newport Beach, and Marin. With a commitment to bespoke, local, and hand-made pieces, the Sugar Paper brand has won over celebrities from Reese Witherspoon to Zac Efron an...
The Clear Cut: Selling Diamonds In Your DMs
October 25, 2019 07:00 - 34 minutes - 32.5 MBEngagement ring company the Clear Cut has sold millions of dollars in diamonds over Instagram's direct messages since launching in 2018. By creating tailor-made jewelry and demystifying the buying process for a new generation, they've disrupted an industry and paved the way to become the next Tiffany & Co. Co-founders Olivia Olivia Landau and Kyle Simon, who met as students at the Gemology Institute of America (aka GIA) and married this year, have grown their business 100% quarter-over-quart...
Maya Brenner: Spinning Success Out of 14k Gold
October 18, 2019 20:57 - 47 minutes - 44.6 MBMaya Brenner’s eponymous jewelry line first caught the public’s attention more than 20 years ago, while the jeweler was still creating pieces out of her studio apartment and working full-time as a social worker. Specializing in fine, 14K gold jewelry, Maya Brenner Designs boasts a slew of celebrity admirers, including Meghan Markle who first revealed her relationship with Prince Harry thanks to Maya's Asymmetrical Letter Necklace's "MH" initials. The LA-based jeweler caught up with Michael a...
Afterpay: The Millennial's Answer to Buy Now, Pay Later
October 11, 2019 07:00 - 41 minutes - 38.7 MBFive years ago, Nick Molnar had a theory that recession-scarred Millennials would prefer to spend their own money and spread their purchases across a series of payments rather than use a loan or credit card. His Australian company Afterpay—which operates similarly to a layaway system where consumers buy a product and pay it off in four installments—has since spread to the U.S. and is now worth billions. The 29-year-old co-founder global chief revenue officer visited Alli and Michael to talk ...
Three Day Rule: Modern Day Matchmaking
October 04, 2019 07:00 - 46 minutes - 43 MBTalia Goldstein officially started her matchmaking company Three Day Rule in 2010, but she’s been setting people up since she was in high school. Today, Three Day Rule employs 50 matchmakers who arrange dates in 10 major cities in the U.S. These matchmakers combine tech with human intuition, meeting with each of their clients and potential matches in person and using facial-recognition software to help improve the search. Founder Talia joined Raising The Bar to share how she went from office...