The Nordy Pod – Details, episodes & analysis

Raised in the New York City garment industry, Andrew Rosen learned the tools of the trade from his father, Carl Rosen, the second-generation head of the family-founded business Puritan Fashions Corporation. After his father's untimely death, Andrew became CEO of Puritan at the budding young age of 25. His title changed following the acquisition of Puritan by a well-known, rising star fashion designer and colleague, Calvin Klein. Andrew remained on the executive team and served as president before eventually leaving to take a different CEO position for another well-known designer by the name of Anne Klein—no relation to Calvin. He led that company for six years before getting fired over disagreements in brand strategy. With a little more experience and a lot more clarity of vision, Andrew tested his own mettle by cofounding the company Theory with partner and fashion designer Elie Tahari. In our conversation we discuss the incredible growth of that business, as well as Andrew's subsequent career as an investor and advisor for some of today's leading contemporary brands like Alice + Olivia, rag & bone, Veronica Beard, SKIMS, Good American and many more. We're really happy to call Andrew a friend and super grateful for his knowledge and insights into our business that he's shared over the years. Thanks for tuning in to episode 68. We hope you enjoy it! Did you know that YOU can be on The Nordy Pod? This show isn't just a one-way conversation. We want to hear about what Nordstrom looks like through your eyes. Share your Nordstrom experience, good or bad, by giving us a call and leaving a voicemail at: 206.594.0526, or send an email to nordypodcast@nordstrom.com to be a part of the conversation! And be sure to follow us on Instagram @thenordypod to stay up to date on new episodes, announcements and more.

It may come as a surprise to some people, but the best-selling author of The Nordstrom Way book series is not actually a Nordstrom family member, or an employee, nor has he ever been contracted by us in any way to write these books. Our guest today, Robert Spector, has forged a relationship with our family and company purely out of his own curiosity and interest in exploring successful business practices. He's built nearly his entire career around The Nordstrom Way books and subsequent speaking engagements across the globe on this topic. He's analyzed and dissected our company more than anyone else and has uncovered key defining themes which are universally transferable to audiences in any field of business. We're super grateful for anything and everything that Robert's done to help spread a positive reputation for us out in the world. He's just recently released the latest addition to The Nordstrom Way series which he's titled The Century Old Startup. Go pick up a copy. Tell us what you think! Thanks for tuning in to episode 67. We hope you enjoy it! Did you know that YOU can be on The Nordy Pod? This show isn't just a one-way conversation. We want to hear about what Nordstrom looks like through your eyes. Share your Nordstrom experience, good or bad, by giving us a call and leaving a voicemail at: 206.594.0526, or send an email to nordypodcast@nordstrom.com to be a part of the conversation! And be sure to follow us on Instagram @thenordypod to stay up to date on new episodes, announcements and more.

In this episode, we’re diving deep into the world of Artificial Intelligence. We discuss some of the most exciting applications in our industry and demystify some concerns surrounding this emerging new technology. First, you’ll hear my conversation with two Nordstrom leaders who deal directly with the research and development of AI here at Nordstrom: our Chief Information and Technology Officer, Jason Morris, and our Chief Customer Officer, Ken Worzel. After that, Jason and Ken take turns talking with a couple of highly influential voices in the field of AI from outside of the retail industry. Listen as Jason speaks with Bret Greenstein, a partner in Data and Analytics and Generative AI at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Then, stay tuned for Ken’s chat with Wesley ter Haar, cofounder of the massively successful digital marketing agency Media.Monks, named Adweek’s first-ever AI Agency of the Year. It’s a fascinating and insightful look at this revolutionary technology that’s changing the way we do business. Thanks for tuning in to episode 58. We hope you enjoy it! Did you know that YOU can be on The Nordy Pod? This show isn't just a one-way conversation. We want to hear about what Nordstrom looks like through your eyes. Share your Nordstrom experience, good or bad, by giving us a call and leaving a voicemail at: 206.594.0526, or send an email to nordypodcast@nordstrom.com to be a part of the conversation!

From a childhood dream, to a single traveling store, to over 60 retail locations nationwide, Faherty has certainly made a name for itself. It just so happens to be the family name. Twin brothers Mike and Alex Faherty, along with Alex’s wife Kerry, bootstrapped their coastal/urban/beachy clothing brand up from scratch by combining each of their unique superpowers. Mike, as Chief Creative Officer, utilizes his fashion education and prior experience with Ralph Lauren to create high-quality products that you just have to feel to believe. Alex, as Chief Executive Officer, uses his business and finance background to ensure best practices and succeed in an industry that eats money. Kerry, informed by her law and humanitarian background, leads Faherty’s sustainability efforts and community giving strategy as Chief Impact Officer. Their journey is one of a kind and super impressive. We’re really grateful for the opportunity to carry Faherty in our stores and to share their story here with you on The Nordy Pod. Thanks for tuning in to episode 57. We hope you enjoy it! Did you know that YOU can be on The Nordy Pod? This show isn't just a one-way conversation. We want to hear about what Nordstrom looks like through your eyes. Share your Nordstrom experience, good or bad, by giving us a call and leaving a voicemail at: 206.594.0526, or send an email to nordypodcast@nordstrom.com to be a part of the conversation!

For this episode, I’m super excited to share my conversations with two really incredible people in the world of sports. First, you’ll hear a special live recording of my chat with the new athletic director at the University of Washington, Troy Dannen. We invited Troy to come speak in front of a group of our top executives because he’s had a lot of great experience managing large groups of people in complex and high-stakes situations. There’s a lot of crossover application between Troy’s job and really any industry, and I know our team gained a lot of valuable insights from listening to his story. After that, you’ll hear my conversation with a former Nordstrom employee—the founder and CEO of All In Sport Consulting, Dawna Callahan. Her business works to educate and build training programs for people with disabilities, helping to bring more visibility and opportunity to this community of incredibly talented athletes. Thanks for tuning in to episode 56. We hope you enjoy it! Did you know that YOU can be on The Nordy Pod? This show isn't just a one-way conversation. We want to hear about what Nordstrom looks like through your eyes. Share your Nordstrom experience, good or bad, by giving us a call and leaving a voicemail at: 206.594.0526, or send an email to nordypodcast@nordstrom.com to be a part of the conversation!

In this episode, I’m super excited to share the stories of two incredibly talented women who, in their own way and through their own experiences and perspectives, are helping to evolve and improve the way we do business. First, you’ll hear from the founder and CEO of Harlem’s Fashion Row and Icon 360, Brandice Daniel. Through her work, Brandice is building bridges between designers of color and department stores like Nordstrom to create more accessibility and opportunities in the fashion industry. We’re super impressed with the work that Brandice is doing and proud to partner with her in our ongoing commitment to create more diversity in our offering for customers. After that, you’ll meet our new President of Stores here at Nordstrom, Fanya Chandler. This well-deserved title comes after a long career climbing the ladder within our ranks, and we’re extremely lucky to now have her expertise and unique perspective informing our executive team. Thanks for tuning in to episode 55. We hope you enjoy it! Did you know that YOU can be on The Nordy Pod? This show isn't just a one-way conversation. We want to hear about what Nordstrom looks like through your eyes. Share your Nordstrom experience, good or bad, by giving us a call and leaving a voicemail at: 206.594.0526, or send an email to nordypodcast@nordstrom.com to be a part of the conversation!

In this episode we’re turning our attention to a couple of talented young men from very different circumstances, each at the beginning of their careers in two very different industries. What they have in common is that they’ve both been recipients of Nordstrom scholarships. We’ve created and supported several scholarship programs over the years. Some that are more community-based, like our newly added Blake Nordstrom Scholarship in 2022, help to cover basic needs, including housing and food for highly underserved college students in the Seattle area. Others more directly focus on increasing equity and inclusion in the fashion industry, like our contributions to the Virgil Abloh Scholarship through our partnership with the Fashion Scholarship Fund. Today you’ll hear from Joel Bervell, a current medical student at Washington State University, dubbed “The Medical Myth-Buster” by his 1M+ followers on social media. Joel also happens to have spent a summer selling menswear at Nordstrom. After that, I’ll chat with two-time Nordstrom Made Scholar and founder of the brand Hikari no Yami, up-and-coming fashion student and designer Jakarie Whitaker. Joel and Jakarie represent only a couple examples of our efforts to support talented and deserving young people, but their stories prove just how important these investments are, and we’re extremely proud to have played even a small part in helping them to achieve their goals. Thanks for tuning in to episode 54. We hope you enjoy it! Did you know that YOU can be on The Nordy Pod? This show isn't just a one-way conversation. We want to hear about what Nordstrom looks like through your eyes. Share your Nordstrom experience, good or bad, by giving us a call and leaving a voicemail at: 206.594.0526, or send an email to nordypodcast@nordstrom.com to be a part of the conversation!

Nordstrom has had the great pleasure of participating in an organization called IGDS: The Intercontinental Group of Department Stores, which connects some of the biggest retailers across the globe to learn and grow from each other. Along the way, we’ve gained a lot of great relationships, one of which we’re excited to feature on the show today. Scott Fyfe is the current CEO of iconic Australian department store David Jones. Since joining the company in 2020, he has helped resuscitate this historic brand back from near extinction. Scott talks about some of the strategic moves he’s initiated and talented teams he’s assembled to put David Jones back on the road to profitability. It’s a great conversation that any struggling retailer can learn from and one of the reasons why the IGDS is so valuable—to share ideas and learn from some of the greatest businesses in the world. After that, you’ll hear my conversation with loyal Nordstrom customer Lili Tomovich, who shares her experience sheepishly returning a pair of well-worn athletic shoes. Thanks for tuning in to episode 53. We hope you enjoy it! Did you know that YOU can be on The Nordy Pod? This show isn't just a one-way conversation. We want to hear about what Nordstrom looks like through your eyes. Share your Nordstrom experience, good or bad, by giving us a call and leaving a voicemail at: 206.594.0526, or send an email to nordypodcast@nordstrom.com to be a part of the conversation!

In this episode we're sharing a special live recording of The Nordy Pod from on stage at a conference for the International Council of Shopping Centers. My guest: innovative retail mall developer and operator, Rick Caruso. Now, if you've ever actually visited any of Rick's properties, you've likely noticed that there's something different about them. Rick and his team at Caruso are extremely mindful about creating environments that transport you to a better, and definitely safer place. Caruso is responsible for some of the most incredible shopping centers in California, including The Grove at the iconic Farmers Market in Los Angeles, The Americana at Brand in Glendale, The Commons at Calabasas, The Promenade at Westlake, The Lakes at Thousand Oaks, Palisades Village in Pacific Palisades and the Rosewood Miramar Beach in Santa Barbara. Nordstrom has had a great relationship with Caruso as they've been very hospitable hosts for several of our stores. I'm super grateful that Rick agreed to come chat with me at the ICSC conference. He has a really unique and valuable perspective on some of the big hurdles we face today in our industries. I think you're going to learn a few things from this conversation. Thanks for tuning in to episode 52. We hope you enjoy it! Did you know that YOU can be on The Nordy Pod? This show isn't just a one-way conversation. We want to hear about what Nordstrom looks like through your eyes. Share your Nordstrom experience, good or bad, by giving us a call and leaving a voicemail at: 206.594.0526, or send an email to nordypodcast@nordstrom.com to be a part of the conversation! And, be sure to follow us on Instagram @thenordypod to stay up to date on new episodes, announcements and more.

To kick off the new year we thought it would be fun to take a little stroll down memory lane and look back at some of our favorite Nordy Pod moments from 2023. We've had a lot of fun making this thing and chatting with all the fascinating people that have agreed to come on the show. Fashion icons like Domenico De Sole, Anna Wintour and Will Welch, incredible fashion designers like Simone Rocha and Erdem, successful brand partners like Gucci Westman and David Neville of Westman Atelier, Caspar Coppetti of On running shoes, Anastasia Soare of Anastasia Beverly Hills and Ben Gorham of BYREDO. We've also had the great pleasure of chatting with a slew of really amazing athletes and entertainers like former NFL wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks Doug Baldwin, former NBA All Star of the Chicago Bulls Bob Love, Grammy award-winning hip-hop artist Macklemore and TV and film star Joel McHale. We're proud to highlight some of our employees that have used Nordstrom as a platform to build really impressive careers. For example, three of our very best salespeople: Jesse James Barnholdt, Gregory Clark and Jeffrey Ola. This year has also taken us out of the studio and into some really interesting places, like our distribution and fulfillment centers and to the very end of our merchandise food chain, to our Last Chance stores. We've also shared several really great customer experiences on The Nordy Pod, including a bit of negative feedback. Overall, it’s been a really fun year and we're really proud of what we've been able to put together, so we hope you enjoy this special look back at The Nordy Pod in 2023. Thanks for tuning in to episode 51. We hope you enjoy it! Did you know that YOU can be on The Nordy Pod? This show isn't just a one-way conversation. We want to hear about what Nordstrom looks like through your eyes. Share your Nordstrom experience, good or bad, by giving us a call and leaving a voicemail at: 206.594.0526, or send an email to nordypodcast@nordstrom.com to be a part of the conversation!