Best Michelle Royer Podcasts (2024)

1
How to Institute a 4-Day Workweek at a Startup, Featuring Matt Hornbuckle of Stantt 22:05

18d ago22:05

22:05

How can a startup with a small, lean team institute a 4-day workweek? Especially one that has customer service at its core? Matt Hornbuckle, co-founder of Stantt, talks about how Stantt implemented a 4-day work week and what needed to change at his company to make it successful. Topics: How Stantt started the 4-day workweek as a trial Why getting t…

1
How to Build a Marketplace with Innovation at the Core featuring Trisha Bantigue of Queenly 27:30

1M ago27:30

27:30

Everyone knows that markteplaces are hard to build. And apparel marketplaces are even harder. This episode features Trisha Bantigue, CEO of formalwear marketplace Queenly, who talks about how she built a fashion marketplace using tech innovation to create a better, stickier customer experience, in an apparel sector that has historically had low tru…

1
Building the Customer Journey featuring Louisa Schneider of Rowan 37:11

2M ago37:11

37:11

How do you craft a customer journey for brick and mortar retail? How do you get to know your customer deeply? How do you build a company with the customer at the center? This episode features Louisa Schneider, CEO and Founder of Rowan, who will talk about how Rowan built a focus on the customer, from the earliest days through their retail expansion…

1
Getting to a Successful Exit Featuring Ju Rhyu of Hero Cosmetics 30:15

3M ago30:15

30:15

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 …

1
How to Sell a Consumer Product into Costco, Featuring Michelle Razavi of Elavi 36:02

3M ago36:02

36:02

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 o…

1
Building a Brand without VC Dollars Featuring Sarah Kauss of S’well and Amanda Herson of Founder Collective 33:34

4M ago33:34

33:34

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.…

1
How to Sell into Nordstrom, Featuring Niki & Ritika Shamdasani, Co-founders of Sani 36:59

5M ago36:59

36:59

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. Topi…

1
How to Raise a Preseed Round, Featuring Ann Wehren Founder & CEO of In-seam 33:13

5M ago33:13

33:13

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 raisi…

1
Doing Stakeholder Research Pre-Launch, Featuring Ana Rosenstein, CEO of Amante 1530 39:08

7M ago39:08

39:08

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 aperiti…

1
How Brands Think About Retail Tech Featuring Monica Royer of Monica & Andy 39:55

9M ago39:55

39:55

Ever wondered how brands make the decision to implement a particular retail tech product? This episode features Monica Royer, Founder & CEO of Monica & Andy, a baby & children’s apparel brand. Monica gives us an inside look into how she thinks about technology, what types of solutions are interesting to her as a founder, and tips for retail tech fo…

1
Summer Hiatus - And Send Your Thoughts! 1:42

1y ago1:42

1:42

Hi everyone, a quick Retail X Series update for you. There won’t be any new podcast episodes during the summer. Instead, I’m going to take the summer to plan out and record episodes for the fall. But I’d also like to hear what topics you’re most interested in hearing about in future podcast episodes. So if you’ve got a topic or speaker you’d like t…

1
Lessons Learned in Building a Marketplace Featuring Jaclyn Grauman of The Verticale 32:57

1y ago32:57

32:57

Marketplaces are notoriously hard to build. This episode features Jaclyn Grauman, CEO of The Verticale, a social shopping platform that enables customers to discover brands that align with their values. Jaclyn discusses her journey building a DTC marketplace that is focused on brand discovery, the challenges of connecting customers to brands, and t…

1
Should All Startups Raise Venture Capital? Featuring Leigh Sevin of Endear 31:25

1y ago31:25

31:25

For many founders, raising outside capital, including venture capital, is the accepted path. But is this always the case? This episode features Leigh Sevin, co-founder of Endear, a retail clienteling software startup. Leigh and I talk about her fundraising journey, choices they’ve made and how to think about VC versus other fundraising options. Rai…

1
How to Crack the Code on B2B Sales Featuring Casey Golden of Luxlock 44:45

1+ y ago44:45

44:45

Cracking the code on B2B sales, particularly in retail tech, is not easy. This episode features Casey Golden, CEO of Luxlock, an omni-retail experience platform startup. Casey talks about how she targeted her first customers, utilized her network, and how she is now scaling sales after those first efforts. How to utilize your network to build relat…

1
Building an Omnichannel Brand Right from the Beginning, Featuring Vanessa Dawson of Arber 32:04

1+ y ago32:04

32:04

Most new brands today want to be omnichannel right from the beginning. This episode features Vanessa Dawson, Founder & CEO of Arber, a startup that specializes in organic plant biologicals. Vanessa talks about why an omnichannel approach was important for her company right from its launch, how she has gotten into wholesale accounts from tastemakers…

1
How to Build a Beverage Brand Featuring Lan Pham of Sang 29:20

1+ y ago29:20

29:20

Building a beverage brand from the ground up? Then this episode is for you. This episode features Lan Pham, who recently founded Sang, a ready-to-drink Vietnamese coffee brand. Lan talks about how she raised money pre-launch, how she thought about distribution, and the marketing activities she planned for launch. How Lan found the right investors f…

1
How to Build an Apparel Brand Featuring Siyana & Andy Huszar 36:45

1+ y ago36:45

36:45

Building an apparel brand, particularly in womenswear, is incredibly challenging. This episode features Siyana and Andy Huszar, who founded and scaled Marcella from zero to success by prioritizing slow, profitable growth. Siyana and Andy talk about their early moments on Etsy to dealing with a COVID pivot to fundraising in difficult environments. T…

1
How to Successfully Sell on Amazon, Featuring Annalisa DeMarta 24:18

1+ y ago24:18

24:18

Should early-stage founders sell their brands on Amazon? And if so, how? This episode features Annalisa DeMarta, who founded and scaled a children’s brand on Amazon, and is also the founder of Ridgeline Insights an agency focused on helping brands succeed on the Amazon platform. Annalisa talks through how built her brand on Amazon, and tips she’s l…

1
Building B2B Partnerships as an Early-Stage Startup Featuring Trisha Goyal of Break the Love 21:00

1+ y ago21:00

21:00

How do you build successful partnerships with big brands when you’re still a startup? This episode features Trisha Goyal, Founder & CEO of Break the Love, an early-stage marketplace that connects lovers of racket sports with underused spaces. Trisha talks through how she built some key B2B partnerships with large, marquee brands by starting small a…

1
Early Stage Fundraising Featuring Anna Palmer of Flybridge Capital 26:19

1+ y ago26:19

26:19

How do you raise a seed round? This episode features VC Anna Palmer, General Partner at Flybridge Capital. Anna talks through how the fundraising market has changed, why founders need to seek out “true believers,” and how to build relationships with VCs. Don't miss this informative episode, whether you’re a pre-seed or seed stage founder (note: thi…

1
Building and Scaling a Consumer App Featuring Genevieve Bellaire of Realworld 25:21

1+ y ago25:21

25:21

You might have heard that building a consumer app is hard, and scaling it is even harder. In this episode, Genevieve Bellaire, Founder & CEO of Realworld, a “super-app” for adulthood, gives her advice on building consumer apps. Genevieve talks through why an app was important for her business, the launch of the app, how she thinks about user cohort…

1
Fundraising for Early-Stage DTC Startups in the Current Environment, Featuring Sarah Foley 35:08

2y ago35:08

35:08

Can DTC companies raise early-stage capital right now? Well, it’s a little more complicated right now. This episode features VC Sarah Foley, Partner at SWAT Equity. Sarah talks through how digitally native brands can raise equity rounds right now, what valuations and round sizes are important to note, and where the market is going. Don't miss this …

1
How to Write a Great Cold Email to an Investor, Featuring Meha Agrawal, Founder & CEO of Silk + Sonder 27:52

3y ago27:52

27:52

This bonus episode of the Retail X Series podcast features Meha Agrawal, founder and CEO of Silk + Sonder, a self-care membership experience for modern women that makes daily and proactive mental wellness easy and fun from the comfort of women’s homes. Meha has raised over $4m in capital to date, with the most recent seed round being led by Redpoin…

1
All You Need to Know About Cap Tables, Featuring Allison Cooper, Corporate Partner at Fenwick &West 36:32

3+ y ago36:32

36:32

"Simplicity is king." Think of this episode of the Retail X Series podcast as your "Cap Tables 101" class. This episode features attorney Allison Cooper, Corporate Partner at Fenwick & West. Allison talks through the importance of keeping your cap table organized even at the earliest stages, how to manage dilution, best practices for option pools a…

1
How to Successfully Crowdfund, Featuring Kate Anderson, VP of Revenue Operations at IFundWomen 37:24

3+ y ago37:24

37:24

This episode of the Retail X Series podcast features Kate Anderson, VP of Revenue Operations at IFundWomen. Kate goes through the critical steps founders need to take to successfully run a rewards-based crowdfunding campaign. She also shares some resources to help founders get started. This episode is a can't-miss for any founder considering a crow…

1
How to Build a Brand to Profitability, Featuring Dave Spandorfer, Co-founder & CEO of Janji 33:02

3+ y ago33:02

33:02

This episode of the Retail X Series podcast features the story of Janji, and how co-founder & CEO Dave Spandorfer built this DTC startup in a saturated market, while focusing on profitability, and not multiple venture capital fundraising rounds. Dave shares his take on what he and his co-founder did well, and how being scrappy helped build Janji to…

1
How to Build Your DTC Brand For Launch Featuring Sara Adam Slywka, Co-founder & CMO of Nestig 32:30

3+ y ago32:30

32:30

This episode of the Retail X Series podcast covers the branding and marketing building blocks for successfully launching your DTC startup, from creating the brand identity to pricing to launch tactics and more. Sara Adams Slywka, Co-founder & CMO of Nestig, shares her experiences in being scrappy, some do's and don'ts and some of the hard choices s…

1
How to Successfully Pitch a VC, Featuring Mac Conwell of Rare Breed Ventures 38:57

3+ y ago38:57

38:57

This episode of the Retail X Series podcast features is all about the do's and don'ts when pitching a venture capitalist. Mac Conwell, Managing Partner at RareBreed Ventures, talks about what VCs are looking for, what you should ask a VC in your first meeting and demystifies what "traction" really means at the early stages. If you're a founder abou…

1
How to Create a Great Pitch Deck Featuring Jenny Fielding, Managing Director of Techstars 37:02

3+ y ago37:02

37:02

This episode of the Retail X Series podcast features an in-depth conversation about how to create a great pitch deck, particularly aimed at preseed and seed stage companies. Jenny Fielding, Manager Director of Techstars and General Partner of The Fund, talks about how to build a deck and why the elements of the deck are so important. Jenny has seen…

1
How to Choose an Accelerator/Incubator Featuring Jackie Trebilcock, Managing Director of New York Fashion Tech Lab 34:26

3+ y ago34:26

34:26

Welcome to Season 2 of the Retail X Series Podcast! This episode of the Retail X Series podcast features an in-depth conversation about choosing an accelerator or incubator program, featuring the Managing Director of New York Fashion Tech Lab, Jackie Trebilcock. Jackie gives her tips and advice to founders trying to understand what criteria they sh…

1
Kirk Keel, Co-founder & Co-CEO of Stantt, Talks About Offline Strategies for DTC Brands 48:38

4y ago48:38

48:38

This episode of the Retail X Series podcast features an in-depth conversation about offline sales strategies for DTC brands including pop-ups, wholesale and bricks & mortar, with Kirk Keel, Co-founder & Co-CEO of Stantt, a menswear brand. Kirk talks about how Stantt built up their wholesale business to over 400 stores, including specialty stores an…

1
Elana Reinholtz, Founder & CEO, Bird + Stone Talks About Early Stage DTC Acquisition 40:02

4y ago40:02

40:02

“Understand your customer like a friend.” This episode of the Retail X Series podcast is an in-depth conversation about fundraising and building a business with Elana Reinholtz, Founder & CEO of Bird + Stone, a cause-based jewelry company. Elana talks about her building her brand, how she built it starting with an Etsy shop and how she stays in tou…

1
Melanie Elturk, CEO of Haute Hijab, Talks About Fundraising 49:56

4y ago49:56

49:56

“Investors are looking for a reason to say no.” This can’t-miss episode of the Retail X Series podcast is an in-depth conversation about fundraising and building a business with Melanie Elturk, CEO of Haute Hijab, talking all about her brand, how she built it and how she’s raised multiple rounds of outside capital. Melanie shares her story of how s…

1
Carolyn Rush, Head of Brand & Strategy at Robyn, Talks About Building Your Brand 28:23

4y ago28:23

28:23

“Brand is your point of view and marketing is its extroverted cousin.” This episode of the Retail X Series podcast is an in-depth interview with Carolyn Rush, formerly of Worn, a brand agency, and now Head of Brand & Strategy at Robyn, talking about all things branding. Carolyn shares her take on early stage brands, how to think about branding at t…

1
Daniel Ramirez-Yunque & Aditya Khilnani, Co-founders of Mobley, Talk About Fundraising 43:05

4y ago43:05

43:05

This episode of the Retail X Series podcast is an in-depth interview with the two co-founders of Mobley, a DTC furniture rental startup. Daniel Ramirez-Yunque and Aditya Khilnani share their experiences about fundraising at the pre-seed and seed stage for their company, with tips and advice for early stage founders. Topics: - Timing and traction th…

1
Meghan Cross Breeden, Partner at Amplifyher Ventures, Talks About Fundraising 34:20

4+ y ago34:20

34:20

This episode of the Retail X Series podcast is an in-depth interview with Meghan Cross Breeden all about fundraising at the earliest stages. Meghan shares her tips and advice about fundraising at the pre-seed and seed stage. Topics: - The definition of pre-seed vs. seed fundraise - Valuation rules of thumb - What it means to be a venture-backable c…

1
Irene Ryabaya, Co-founder of WarmIntro, Talks About B2B Sales 33:43

4+ y ago33:43

33:43

This episode of the Retail X Series podcast is an in-depth interview with Irene Ryabaya, Co-founder of WarmIntro. Irene shares her experiences growing B2B sales for her company, from her very first pilot customer to today - and all the lessons she's learned along the way. Topics: - How to get that critical first pilot customer. - Why enterprise cus…

1
Rachel Wexler, Angel Investor, Talks About Pre-seed Fundraising 31:11

4+ y ago31:11

31:11

In this episode, Rachel Wexler talks about the nitty gritty of fundraising. Think of this episode as your "Fundraising 101" class, all about how to raise outside capital in a pre-seed or early stage round. Topics: - How angels evaluate companies at the earliest stages - What entrepreneurs should be prepared with at pre-seed, including team, tractio…

1
Mona Bijoor, Partner at Kings Circle Capital, Talks About How Startups Can Navigate Uncertain Times 26:52

4+ y ago26:52

26:52

"Panic doesn’t help.” This can’t-miss episode (recorded on 3/24/20 in the midst of New York's lockdown) features Mona Bijoor, entrepreneur, investor, best-selling author and startup advisor, talking about what startups should be doing right now in the current uncertain environment to make their businesses stronger, as well as fundraising advice and…

1
Del Johnson, Principal at Backstage Capital, Talks About Preparing for Your First Fundraise 40:02

4+ y ago40:02

40:02

This episode of the Retail X Series podcast is an in-depth interview with Del Johnson, Principal at Backstage Capital. Del shares his thoughts and advice for early stage founders raising outside capital, including how the VC process works, how to be best prepared to raise money and what he looks for in the investments he makes. This is a must-liste…

1
Meha Agrawal, Founder & CEO of Silk + Sonder, Talks About Getting Traction Before Your Raise 38:28

4+ y ago38:28

38:28

This episode of the Retail X Series podcast is an in-depth interview with Meha Agrawal, Founder & CEO of Silk + Sonder. Meha shares her experiences with bootstrapping her company to get to product/market fit before raising her first round of outside capital. She has great tips for founders that have physical subscription products and are looking to…

1
Meg He, co-founder of Aday, Talks About DTC Acquisition 34:41

4+ y ago34:41

34:41

This episode of the Retail X Series podcast is an in-depth interview with Meg He, Co-founder of Aday. Meg shares her experiences with getting her early customers for her apparel brand, especially before there was a lot of money to spend on customer acquisition. She has great advice for early stage DTC founders who are looking for the best ways to a…

1
Jacquelyn Ward, Co-founder of Our Story Bridal, Talks About Getting Traction Before You Raise 22:54

4+ y ago22:54

22:54

This episode of the Retail X Series podcast is an in-depth interview with Jacquelyn Ward, Co-founder of Our Story Bridal. Jacquelyn shares her experiences with bootstrapping her company to profitability before raising the first round of outside capital. She has great advice for founders in the DTC space and those that have bricks and mortar presenc…

1
Leigh Sevin, Co-founder of Endear, Talks About Getting Your First B2B Sales 29:16

4+ y ago29:16

29:16

This episode of the Retail X Series podcast is an in-depth interview with Leigh Sevin, Co-founder of Endear. Leigh shares her experiences growing B2B sales for her company, from her very first pilot customer to today - and all the lessons she's learned along the way. Topics: - How to get the critical first enterprise pilot customer. - How to conver…

1
Amanda Patterson, CEO of The Call List, Talks About Getting Your First B2B Pilots/Sales 28:27

4+ y ago28:27

28:27

This episode of the Retail X Series podcast is an in-depth interview with Amanda Patterson, CEO of The Call List. Amanda shares her experiences and thoughts in growing B2B sales for her company, from her first enterprise customer to today - and all the lessons she's learned along the way. Topics: - How to get the critical first enterprise pilot cus…