The Glossy Podcast Glossy

Digiday Media's WorkLife is proud to present season three of The Return, a podcast about the modern workforce, with this season focused on middle management.
Last season, we heard what it’s like for Gen Z to enter the workforce for the first time in a post-pandemic world. We highlighted themes like why values are so important to Gen Zers, whether or not they are loyal to their employers, how they use TikTok for career advice, what it means to be a young professional who is a boss to older workers, and so much more.
This time, we’re hearing from the population of workers that some argue is the backbone of a successfully-run organization: middle management. They are the ones who are navigating those RTO mandates, welcoming a new generation of workers that have a different approach than those who came before them, the rise of artificial intelligence – the list goes on.
In season three of The Return, we speak to middle managers themselves to hear beyond their everyday stresses of the job, but what they need to guarantee everyone they manage has what they need to be the best at what they do. C-suite, listen up because they need your help too.
We dive into how middle management stress is a decades-long issue (there are New York Times headlines dating back to 1971), how the wrong people are being chosen to be managers which is leading to the rise of “accidental managers,” what it’s like to have hard conversations and having to be a therapist at times, where people are finding support as a middle manager, and how AI is impacting the job of a middle manager.
With a Q+A format, you will hear in-depth conversations with folks including Colette Stallbaumer, Microsoft’s general manager of Microsoft 365 and Future of Work Marketing, Rob Pierre, former CEO of advertising services platform Jellyfish, and Emily Field, partner at McKinsey & Company who co-authored “Power to the Middle: Why Managers Hold the Keys to the Future of Work,” to name a few.
Season three of The Return is hosted by Cloey Callahan, senior reporter at Digiday Media’s WorkLife, and produced by Digiday Media’s audio producer Sara Patterson.
Subscribe to the WorkLife podcast now on Apple Podcasts – or wherever you get your podcasts – to hear the first episode on Tuesday, April 23.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi is joined by Glossy managing editor Tatiana Pile and Digiday Media audio producer Sara Patterson to break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week.
Viewership of women’s basketball skyrocketed last year, with the women’s NCAA championship game eclipsing the men’s counterpart. So, on this special episode, Sara and Tatiana give a report from the Orange Carpet at the WNBA Draft. We also talk about the growing popularity of women’s sports and the potential impact on fashion as these players secure major brand deals.
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In 2015, Jimmy, Lan and Conrad Sansone launched The Normal Brand, a fashion company focused on easy, comfortable clothing suitable for both workdays and weekends. In the nine years since, without outside funding, the brothers have opened 11 stores — in cities including Nashville and Indianapolis — and entered partnerships with retailers including Nordstrom and Von Maur. The Normal Brand, which is based in St. Louis, now sells in 500 stores nationwide.
Among the brand’s differentiators are its proprietary ultra-soft fabric, Puremeso, and its on-call influencer network — Sansone family members, including Lan, have large social followings and are regularly featured in brand marketing. The Normal Brand has seen 40% annual revenue growth since its launch, Jimmy Sansone said on the Glossy Podcast. 
Also on the podcast, Jimmy and Lan Sansone discuss The Normal Brand’s strategies for fueling growth, navigating challenges and maintaining a “humble, hungry and smart” team. 
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On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and international reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week.
This week, we talk about Allbirds' precarious financial situation, including how it got there; Hermès’s efforts to expand its watch business and the impact of “Cowboy Carter” on fashion's cowboy and Western aesthetics.
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In December 2020, mid-pandemic, husband-and-wife duo Ricardo and Marina Larroué combined their career experiences — his centered in the financial sector and hers including fashion director roles at Style.com and Barneys — and started the shoe brand Larroudé.
Based on its unique approach to the footwear industry — namely, selling accessibly priced, luxury-quality, “it” girl-perfect shoes — it wasn’t long before consumers and retailers took notice. And it’s safe to say it’s since hit its stride.
“On our own website, we've been growing 4-5X, depending on the month,” CEO Ricardo Larroudé said on this week’s episode of the Glossy Podcast. “And the percentage of [repeat customers] buying from our website alone is north of 20%.”
Also on the podcast, Ricardo Larroudé discussed Larroudé’s other differentiators including its vertical production and marketing processes, its rapidly growing online marketplace, and its global workforce, which has grown from five people to 120. 
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On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week.
This week, Express is reportedly on the verge of declaring bankruptcy. Meanwhile, PVH Corp and its subsidiary brands Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger had a tough earnings report, and Amazon laid off dozens from its physical retail technology division.