Spirit Of 608: Fashion, Entrepreneurship, Sustainability + Tech

Business can be heavy. But this week, the Spirit of 608 is all about bringing the light. Just look at our guest's brand name for starters. Next, consider how this female founder went from a bad situation with a former business partner to owning her own space, expanding into a second business and, fast forward to today, occupying a beautiful gallery of a shop in one of San Francisco's most popular neighborhoods all while maintaining a robust online business followed by a legion of loyal Instagram fans. Side note: this isn't something she's done alone. There's her husband and co-founder, as well as a longstanding team -- and they've been by her side since the early days.  Listen to the show for her story and how she's making fine jewelry for people who go beyond the pearl. Use this conversation for inspiration on your own journey toward building a business that's you, through and through. Meet this week's guest, Maria McCarthy, founder of Fiat Lux. Sign up for the PressDope weekly email to get DIY PR tips

In uplifting news, this week's guest is not only bringing to market bras for busty women who want to live active lifestyles (and feel comfortable while doing it, like that's so much to ask), but she's doing it her own way. One day she may be talking to a room full of almost 100 female CEOs, another figuring out how to manufacture ethically and with eco-conscious practices with partners in Sri Lanka, but she's done it without giving up time for health, wellness and the life she wants to lead. Also part of her story: tapping into NASA science and calling on a renowned corset maker who's fashioned pieces for Oprah and other A-list celebs. Listen to the show for her story and how she's changing workout bras for women.  Meet this week's guest, Elyse Kaye founder of Bloom Bras.     Sign up for the PressDope weekly email to get DIY PR tips and The Dope List of media opps, calls for pitches, FEST events and more ways to raise your visibility.

There's no doubt about it: global business is changing rapidly. Along with it, the game of getting -- and staying -- visible is nothing like it used to be. You probably know you need to have a plan for reaching new people and spreading your message that goes beyond outdated PR tactics and blasting your press release to lists of journalists. But what next? This week's episode is all about one strategy that is working wonders for Spirit of 608 clients: networked communities. Sure, you might be thinking, I'm in a few Facebook groups. But here's the reality: it's time to go beyond Facebook groups. They're great for what they are -- we have one at the Spirit of 608 that I encourage you to join to connect with other FEST founders and with me -- but all too often, Facebook groups are just a drive-by, not a destination. Right now Spirit of 608 clients are going beyond Facebook groups and networking in other types of communities to find high-quality, worthwhile opportunities to appear in the media, speak, contribute

This week, we hear from a founder who started out at one of the most recognizable mainstream fashion brands of its era and went on to become a rising star in the industry's burgeoning move towards ecommerce. But then, spurred by earlier experiments in entrepreneurship and a chance collaboration with her future co-founder a at a hackathon, this week's guest left her solid career in fashion with a capital "F" and broke off to start her own company. But instead of design, she chose machine learning and data. On the show, hear how this female founder started a fashion tech company without venture funding -- and why she's a big believer in bootstrapping, even to this day.   Meet this week's guest, Andrea Marron founder of Ragtrades.   Sign up for the PressDope weekly email to get DIY PR tips and The Dope List of media opps, calls for pitches, FEST events and more ways to raise your visibility.

On the debut episode of the newest season of the Spirit of 608 podcast, we're back with an episode that may very well change everything you think you know about manufacturing in China. In this week's conversation from the forefront of fashion, entrepreneurship, sustainability + tech (a space I call FEST), we hear from a founder whose mission to make a better shoe for women's bodies based on her decades of research has led her to establish both an eco-friendly manufacturing process in her U.S. warehouse, but also positive partnerships with factories in China, where some of the most innovative -- and yes, even sustainable -- technologies on the planet have recently become available. So put what you think you know aside and listen into this episode to open your mind and be inspired. Meet this week's guest, Casey Kerrigan, founder of Oesh Shoes. Sign up for the PressDope weekly email to get DIY PR tips and The Dope List of media opps, calls for pitches, FEST events and more ways to raise your visibility.

Getting the word out about your ethical, sustainable brand is crucial to its future -- but growing visibility can be tricky and time-consuming. There's public relations, brand awareness, growth hacking, networked marketing, affiliate relationships, content creation, social media and on and on and on. It's part of my mission to elevate brands who are making positive change in the world. Let me help you get further than where you might be able to go on your own with these top takeaways from the second half of the year. In this this episode of the Spirit of 608 podcast, I'm sharing six PR and brand visibility takeaways from the last six months. Each is something I want you to know, in fact, I really think these are *must-knows* for you and anyone building a mission-based brand today. These aren't vague strategies or marketing hoo-hah. These are things I personally experienced while working one-on-one with FEST brands this year, so you know this is current information, something you can use right now, real a

This week, we dive into a world where sustainable fashion gets experiential. We'll hear from a guest who not only designs using sustainable materials and ethical manufacturing practices, but is taking transparency to an entirely new level through travel. Launching a tour to India this fall, this California luxury fashion brand is not only preaching more positive practices in apparel, but opening up its supply chain to show fans and customers a behind-the-scenes view of how clothes are made. Meet this week's guest, Saloni Shrestha, CEO and designer of AGAATI. Sign up for the PressDope weekly email to get DIY PR tips and The Dope List of media opps, calls for pitches, FEST events and more ways to raise your visibility.

Do you need PR and visibility tips you can use for the holidays and beyond? If so, this episode of the Spirit of 608 podcast is for you. Liza Moiseeva of Scaling Good recently asked me to join her for a Facebook Live inside her Facebook community to talk about growing brand visibility, PR and speaking opportunities for founders during the last weeks of the year and beyond -- and we kept talking for almost an hour. It only made sense to share the conversation with you. Listen in for practical advice you can use right now and recommendations for future planning as you look ahead to 2020. Plus, live questions from FEST founders like you and our answers.  On this week's show, get PR tips for the holidays and behind during a chat with Scaling Good's Liza Moiseeva and Spirit of 608's Lorraine Sanders. Sign up for the PressDope weekly email to get DIY PR tips and The Dope List of media opps, calls for pitches, FEST events and more ways to raise your visibility.

Hot on the sparkling, sequined heels of FEST biz Bow & Drape's recent acquisition news, we're bringing back a popular conversation with co-founder Aubrie Pagano, who helped lead the company from its early days as a custom women's apparel startup to its current life as the go-to for punny casual wear featuring phrases like Goal Digger, You Had Me at Merlot + more. In this #so608 Recycle episode, Aubrie and I talk NYC startup life, fundraising, microfunds for female founders and a lot more. Whatever the size of your company, Aubrie brings a perspective that not only highlights how entrepreneurial paths shift, change and evolve in the most surprising ways, but also points to a future where more women-led businesses have a chance to thrive. Sign up for the PressDope weekly email to get DIY PR tips and The Dope List of media opps, calls for pitches, FEST events and more ways to raise your visibility.

  For the 200th episode of the Spirit of 608 podcast, we had to bring back a special guest, fan favorite, visionary FEST pioneer and all around badass for an update episode looking at what kind of amazing things can happen in a couple years' time. Since the beginning of the Spirit of 608 podcast way back in the fall of 2015 (I know!), we have aimed to inspire, inform and entertain women in FEST so they push on and continue bringing much-needed change to an industry that, while slow to adopt it in the past, is, these days at least, hungrier for it than ever. Listen to this update episode of the Spirit of 608 podcast to hear what happened next for this game-changing guest and her brand, whose entire purpose is to change fashion by creating technology capable of completely transforming textile waste into new fibers and new garments. That in and of itself is cool enough to warrant our FEST-ive fan girling, but when you hear they recently landed $9M in funding, a partnership with Stella McCartney + more, it's hard

Finding FEST-ive manufacturing partners ain't easy, and this week's guest on the Spirit of 608 podcast is here to help streamline the process. Along with that, this recent L.A. transplant shares her story progressing from high-stakes New York PR to a career filled with meaning and purpose after an impactful trip to another country changed everything. Listen in to learn more about the reality of transparency in ethical fashion today, as well as a fun dive into the mysteries of the Enneagram personality categorization system and this week's guest's Instagram game. So much good stuff for your ears to enjoy. Meet this week's guest, Jessica Kelly, founder and CEO of Thr3efold.  Sign up for the PressDope weekly email to get DIY PR tips and The Dope List of media opps, calls for pitches, FEST events and more ways to raise your visibility.

Come with me, FEST friends, into a land where growing your business is a breeze and landing top-tier press is as easy as pie....oh wait, no, sorry. That was a dream I had the other night. Of course we all know none of that is easy. But it is possible. Big picture advice is great, but this week I'm all about the details, so I'm diving into real client campaigns and letting you know what's working -- and what's totally not -- this month. With tools and tech-enabled platforms changing all the time, it's more important than ever to get current information from sources you trust. If you're looking for super practical tips you can use immediately in your DIY PR campaigns and brand awareness-building, open up this episode in your favorite podcast player right now because that's what we're serving up this week.   In this week's solo episode of the Spirit of 608 podcast, I share three things I want you to hear drawn directly from this month's real client campaigns. Listen in for that's working well and what's not, fro

For fans of vintage and secondhand clothing with next to no time to hunt through all the things online to pin the good stuff down, this week’s guest has created nothing short of a true gem in the FEST space. In this episode, you will meet the New York-based, Finnish couple behind the new Google of secondhand style. Meet this week’s guest, Liisa Jokinen, founder and CEO of Gem App. Sign up for the PressDope weekly email to get DIY PR tips and The Dope List of media opps, calls for pitches, FEST events and more ways to raise your visibility.

Taking a career risks is never easy. But super early on? It's easier in some ways, more challenging in others. But when you have a strong vision, knack for branding and drive to fill a hole in the marketplace, you might just cruise from risk to reward like this week's guest on the Spirit of 608 podcast. Founder of a Los Angeles-based sustainable sleepwear brand that goes from day to know while relying on deadstock fabrics and incorporating zero waste design principles, the voice on the show is one who'll inspire you whether you're just starting out or have been building a business for years. Meet this week's guest, Talia Eve, founder and CEO of Evewear. Sign up for the PressDope weekly email to get DIY PR tips and The Dope List of media opps, calls for pitches, FEST events and more ways to raise your visibility.

In this week's episode, this New York startup founder is back to tell us what's happened since we first spoke, including how she's built a team and grown her company to hold the title of fastest-growing digitally native swimwear brand.

Have you heard about practi-mental? Well, guess what! Probably not, because we're creating that focus here on the Spirit of 608 podcast. In this week's episode, here are four practical and four kinda-sorta woo-woo tips that will help you increase visibility, reach new people and get more earned media in your business.   Yes, sometimes you have to be completely practical. And at other times, being spiritually driven and totally mindset-focused is a must. But most of the times, for most of us, success rests in a careful balance of the two. I'm not going to go on and say I was being particularly balanced while recording this week's show (because, early fall, so much happening omg), but I'm aiming to bring a little peace to your productivity.   In this week's solo episode of the Spirit of 608 podcast, I'm knocking out four top practical tips and super woo woo tactics you can use to get more visibility and success.   Do you have your own strategies for securing awesome PR with success? If so, I'd love to hear abou

This week's podcast guest is all about collaboration - and not in the ways you might think. Yes, her brand, Secession Art & Design, is a gallery, boutique and workspace in San Francisco's Mission neighborhood that's championed the local arts scene for well over a decade. And yes, she's managed to create an untraditional storefront that allows customers to experience curated shows and see the process of art being made in-house -- all on a bootstrapped budget. And it's also true that, for more than four years, Secession was awarded Best Art Gallery by San Francisco Bay Guardian newspaper readers for its continued efforts to push the envelope in exhibitions and wearable art. Last but not least, it has since grown to represent over 50 independent artists and designers. But Secession isn't the only thing Eden has collaborated with others on. Facing the need to continue operating her business as a new mom, she made the bold - yet ridiculously sensible move - to crowdfund her own maternity leave, and has seen r

Get ready, this week's guest has probably one of the most intriguing careers in sustainability thought leadership imaginable. Not only is it full of creativity, it's full of brains, combining behavioral psychology with gamification and analytic thinking to bring new techniques for creating change to entrepreneurs -- including those in fashion. She's not only  the author of the book How to Save the World, host of its sister-podcast, and a speaker on the critical role of creativity, optimisim, and imagination in the craft of social and environmental change, she is also an environmental engineer and software designer. We're impressed that she's combined her passion for the planet and engineering background to  design "Fitbit for the planet" apps that help social impact entrepreneurs and sustainability professionals implement powerful data, game design and behavior-change techniques that create real and measurable change. Her approach is designed to sharply tap into an audience's motivational core. Listen in for

Are you unknowingly sabotaging your own PR and media efforts without even realizing it? Listen to this week's episode of the Spirit of 608 podcast to find out.   During the August hiatus that we take every year to reorganize and improve what we're doing behind the scenes with PressDope and the clients I work with one-on-one, I spoke with so many FEST founders hoping to amp up media outreach and gain visibility during this year's super important Fall retail and shopping season.   And wouldn't you know it, the very same challenges -- and self-sabotaging habits -- kept coming up again and again. After a month of talking to FEST founders and hearing the same things in conversation after conversation, I knew I needed to create an episode to help you stop doing the things that are going to hold you back, no matter how loud you shout when you've got news to share or how many journalists, bloggers and content producers you reach out to with your message.   In this week's solo episode of the Spirit of 608 podcast, I'm

If her name sounds familiar, it's because Elizabeth Cline is one of the world’s leading go-to experts on the consequences of fast fashion, the realities of fashion industry labor and sustainability. Her first book, the critically acclaimed Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion first revealed the impacts of fast fashion on the environment, economy, and society to an American audience and is a founding book of the global ethical and sustainable fashion movement. Today it's even read around the world in seven languages. Now she's back with her much-anticipated follow-up book, The Conscious Closet: A Revolutionary Guide to Looking Good While Doing Good. On this episode of the Spirit of 608 podcast, we talk about The Conscious Closet, Elizabeth's life as an author and entrepreneur and how FEST founders can learn from her experience to not only grow their visibility and businesses, but also make changes in the problematic, but promising global fashion sector. Meet this week's guest, Elizabeth Cline