The Retail X Series Podcast Sapna Shah

When you’re just starting up your company, it may feel too early to be thinking about a future potential exit. But how does that exit ultimately happen? This episode features Ju Rhyu, co-founder and CEO of Hero Cosmetics, who sold her company for $630 million dollars to a strategic acquiror. Ju will talk about the decisions she and her co-founders made along the way that ultimately led them to a great outcome.
Topics:
Why a focus on what your ultimate outcome is important for how you set up your business from the beginningHow bootstrapping and a deep focus on profitability set up Hero for successWhen and why Hero thought outside investors would be helpful The key metrics that the co-founders of Hero focused on to be ready for exitHow the co-founders decided it was time to exitHow the exit process works, including if founders stay post-acquisition or notThe emotional side of selling your startupWhy a focus on fundamentals is the most critical thing you can do in your own companyMusic by Eino Toivanen, kongano.com
 
 
Learn more at Retail X Series and follow @retailxseries on Twitter and Instagram.
To submit a pitch or to find out more about Sapna Shah, check out Red Giraffe Advisors.

How can a startup with only two full-time employees sell their food product into Costco? This episode features Michelle Razavi, Founder & CEO of Elavi, a startup that specializes in gut-friendly, low-sugar dessert spreads. Michelle will tell us all about her journey getting her product into Costco.
Topics:
When in Elavi’s growth did Costco appear on their radarWhy Costco was a fit for Elavi, and how they got in the front doorHow Elavi managed diligence and leaned on advisors for helpWhat steps Elavi had to take to be ready to sell into CostcoWhat is a Costco roadshow and how Elavi managed itKey metrics that Michelle and her co-founder tracked during roadshow daysHow Elavi turned the roadshow into a purchase order What launching in stores required – including more financingWhy doing the research and being prepared is so critical when considering wholesale salesMusic by Eino Toivanen, kongano.com
 
 
Learn more at Retail X Series and follow @retailxseries on Twitter and Instagram.
To submit a pitch or to find out more about Sapna Shah, check out Red Giraffe Advisors.

How do you build a successful large consumer brand without raising any VC dollars? Is VC the best fit for consumer brands? This episode features Sarah Kauss of iconic water bottle brand S’well and Amanda Herson, General Partner at Founder Collective – a founder and investor both talking about when VC is right for consumer brands, and when it isn’t.
Topics:
How Sarah started her brand S’well and how Amanda become a VCWhy Sarah didn’t raise VC funding for her company – and how she thinks about that nowWhat Sarah had to do since she had no VC dollars (spoiler – she had to get to profitability)All the ways in which Sarah had to be scrappy How Sarah got into retail accounts early on Why Amanda and Founder Collective say that VC can be dangerous and is a “VC is a hell of a drug”When VC is a good fit for a consumer brand in the early daysWhat needs to change in the ecosystem to change the current investor hesitation around consumer businessesGreat advice from Sarah and Amanda on other options if VC doesn’t work for your consumer companyWhy picking the right partners is so important – in venture and other areas     Music by Eino Toivanen, kongano.com
 
 
Learn more at Retail X Series and follow @retailxseries on Twitter and Instagram.
To submit a pitch or to find out more about Sapna Shah, check out Red Giraffe Advisors.

Selling into wholesale accounts is a really different proposition than selling through your own DTC channel. This episode features Niki & Ritika Shamdasani of Sani, an apparel brand inspired by South Asian culture. They walk us through how they built their brand, pitched to Nordstrom, made their launch at Nordstrom successful and so much more. 
Topics:
How two sisters started the Sani brandHow they turned a warm intro into a pitch meeting by utilizing their strengthsHow they prepared for the first meeting at Nordstrom – and what went into their deckHow working with a big brand can be different than your expectationsWhy studying the Nordstrom supplier website was so critical for their successHow Sani set up their manufacturer for successHow Sani supported the Nordstrom launch How much time and effort it takes to work with a wholesaler like NordstromWhat’s next for SaniMusic by Eino Toivanen, kongano.com
 
 
Learn more at Retail X Series and follow @retailxseries on Twitter and Instagram.
To submit a pitch or to find out more about Sapna Shah, check out Red Giraffe Advisors.

Fundraising at the early stages is hard, and it’s been especially difficult over the last year or so – and even more so for a solo founder. This episode features Ann Wehren of In-seam, a private marketplace and sourcing toolkit for connectors whose relationships power the luxury fashion industry. She walks us through her step-by-step guide to raising a pre-seed round from VCs, from how she found warm intros, dealt with all the no’s, confirmed a lead investor and filled out her round.  Note: this episode was recorded in November 2023.
Topics:
How Ann launched her company with friends and family fundingWhy she decided to raise outside capital versus bootstrapping – and managing timingWhy the financial models she built were critical in her decision-makingHow Ann prepared for the fundraising process as a solo founder How she built a list of 250 warm intros and how she sent them out How Ann managed the process (including the no’s) with investors to gauge interestHow she secured the lead investor she wanted - not the first one that offered termsWhat Ann did to keep herself motivated  through the processResources Ann recommends:Class Rebel: Fundraising 101 ($99)Kelly Nyland’s How to Fundraise (free)Financial modeling help (hire someone if you don’t have the excel skills)Music by Eino Toivanen, kongano.com
Learn more at Retail X Series and follow @retailxseries on Twitter and Instagram.
To submit a pitch or to find out more about Sapna Shah, check out Red Giraffe Advisors.

How do you do customer research before launching your product? This episode features Ann Rosenstein, CEO of Amante 1530, a newly launched aperitif brand. Ana tells us how she developed Amante 1530 from the ground up, based on the research she did early on – both with bartenders and end customers. 
How Ana’s background led her to launching an aperitif brandHow she identified a hole in the aperitif marketThe critical research insights Ana gained from talking to bartenders and learning from them – on the product and the packagingHow Amante 1530's brand identity came out of intense study of other brands How Ana and the founding team came up with the name of the brandAna’s previous startup failure – and how that helped her with Amante 1530How you should build a product that all the stakeholders (not just the end consumers) will loveMusic by Eino Toivanen, kongano.com
 
Edited by Deven Shah
Learn more at Retail X Series and follow @retailxseries on Twitter and Instagram.
To submit a pitch or to find out more about Sapna Shah, check out Red Giraffe Advisors.