Cultures within Capitalism Holly Howard

This podcast holds very special meaning for me. Susan Povich of the Red Hook Lobster Pound was one of my very first clients and the first client I ever got through cold outreach (you'll have to listen all the way to the end to find out how I did it!). Susan and her husband Ralph, partners in RHLP, are an incredible force and are full of wisdom. Susan takes us back to the beginning, before Brooklyn was a brand before the Brooklyn Flea and Smorgasburg were a nationwide brand. This year marks RHLP's 15th anniversary, and you can celebrate with them all week long at their Red Hook location, at Smorgaburg, and at Rockaway Beach.  Susan shares what it has been like to constantly regenerate after 15 years (theme of the year!), from a small counter to a food truck to a full-service restaurant to the beach. We talk about how beautiful her spreadsheets are and how those kept her running and thriving even during Hurricane Sandy and the Pandemic; what it took to learn how to become a better manager and leader of people, the firm lesson she had to learn from one of her managers, and how their candid feedback transformed her approach; what it's like to work with her husband and raise her kids in the restaurant; and why adaptability is key to sustainability. 

This month on the pod, I welcome Rachel Van Dolsen, Founder of RVD Communications –– Recently Acquired by Band of Insiders. I'm excited to bring Rachel's story of how she built and sold RVD Communications. She is a 2022 graduate of the Business Growth Program and, during graduation, set a goal to sell her company, so I was thrilled to receive an email from her earlier this year informing me that she made that dream a reality.  RVD Communications, an award-winning PR and influencer marketing agency based in New York City, has been acquired by continental amplification agency, Band of Insiders. Run by a talented female C-suite team, Band of Insiders is based in Mexico City and has offices in Colombia, Panama, Argentina.... and now New York.  

In this episode, Rachel shares what it was like to build RVD from a tiny 1-person company to a thriving team. Why having her chart of accounts and bookkeeping cleaned up and ready for review was a key to being able to jump when an interested buyer came along, how she wishes she would have taken the class sooner after she realized how impactful it was to have a clearly defined culture and infrastructure and how that positioned her to be able to find an acquisition partner that was aligned with her values. Rachel is a delight to listen to, she gives so much valuable insight not only on what it takes to sell your company but also on how communications have evolved in the last decade and what you should be thinking about for your own company's communications plan. 

This month on the pod, I welcome Harry Doull of Keap. Keap was born from a philosophical question: In an always-on world, how can we reconnect with ourselves and restore our balance with nature? This is a very rich conversation about running a business today. Harry shares what it was like to grow up in a castle! (bed and breakfast) and the business lessons he learned (one of my favorite conversations about marketing), how he decided to leave his job at YouTube to start Keap, why he's committed to running a business without social media (3 years going!), how he's navigated going from a partnership to a solo operator (shout out to Steve!), how non-violent communication helped him as a manager, why he was drawn to lean manufacturing, and so much more! You may want to bring a Keap candle into your own life :) (One of my greatest monthly joys!)  Correction: **In this episode, Harry states that Natural Habitats work in Brazil, which should have been Ecuador.**

This month on the pod, I welcome Al Fine of Dame. Dame is committed to changing the way sexual wellness and pleasure are understood and experienced in the world. Wired named Dame one of the most innovative wellness companies of 2020, and Al was named one of Entrepreneur Magazine's 30 under 30. Al shares what it has been like to usher Dame through its first almost-decade of life, the childhood experiences that inspired her to become a sexologist (it has to do with show and tell!), how she started on the path of making great vibrators (she can do it better!), what it's been like to raise millions in a very male-dominated space, why she sued the MTA and so much more! In a time when we could all benefit from prioritizing pleasure, Al shares a lot of wisdom about what it's been like to grow a team, grow a family, and grow as a leader while keeping that ethos front of mind. 

This month, I welcome to the pod Cari Sekendur of Butter Studio and host of the podcast The Spread: Where Sports and Creativity Meet Bottom Line. Cari is a talented designer living out her vision from Berlin. Her work has recently been featured in The Brand Identity, The Creative Review, and AIGA Eye on Design, among many others. A fellow Chicagoan, Cari, shares how her unconventional background led her to launch her studio and have the confidence to pursue her vision of working globally. She shares what it was like to be the small minority of female-founded, queer-led studios and how she marries her passion for design and sports, working with Puma, Women In Soccer, and her much-applauded feature of the 2020 Olympic athletes.  You can find that work and more at Butter Studio. 

This month on the pod, I welcome Mandell Conway, founder of Giving Is Like and Coach at Seth Godin's altMBA.  This episode holds a special place in my heart as Mandell is also a founding member of Book Club! Mandell shares his journey from learning childhood lessons from his mother about giving, how that informed his approach to generosity, his very winding path to joining the coaching team at the altMBA, and launching his daily newsletter. 

Though we didn't set out with this intention, in this episode, we arrive at our shared joy of commitment and talk about what it is, what it takes, and why it matters. There's also a lot of basketball talk along the way :). Please enjoy Mandell's generous spirit, sign up for his newsletter, or consider the altMBA, where you can work with him.