For businesses, being “investment-ready” can unlock the next stage of growth. In this episode of Treyd Secrets, we talk to Aida Jammal, a top product brand investor at eEquity, known for backing successful brands like iDeal of Sweden, NA-KD, and CHIMI. Aida shares key insights on what it takes to build and grow a business that attracts investors in today’s evolving retail landscape.

Listen in on the essential metrics investors look for—like gross margins, inventory turnover, and marketing efficiency—and get actionable advice for preparing your business for fundraising. Whether you’re thinking about raising capital or fine-tuning your strategy, this episode offers practical takeaways to help you succeed.

Produced by More Than Words

Effective inventory management can make or break a business”, says Axel Bukowski, CEO of co-founder of Madden Analytics. So let’s explore the intricate world of inventory planning in this episode of Treyd Secrets, packed with actionable insights. Discover how Madden Analytics is helping brands like Djerf Avenue, Chimi, and Asket make smarter, data-driven inventory decisions that drive growth and profitability. Axel shares learnings from his journey through the fashion and consumer goods industries, discusses the critical KPIs every business should track, and explains how proper inventory management can be the difference between success and failure.
Timestamps

• 00:27 - Why inventory planning matters
• 04:08 - Axel’s journey: BCG to Madden Analytics
• 07:08 - Eyewear lead time challenges
• 12:11 - The impact on cash flow
• 18:47 - In case of poor inventory turnover
• 27:52 - Must-know inventory KPIs
• 34:04 - DTC & wholesale, two different playbooks
• 41:15 - Man vs machine in forecasting
• 44:12 - Axel’s top Treyd secret

In this episode, Peter is joined by Maxim Gellman, the founder, CEO and Chief Stroodler of the London based Eco Tableware company Stroodles. Since gaining global attention in 2019 for its pasta based straws, challenging the notoriously unsustainable drinking straws category, Stroodles product range has grown to include edible cutlery, crockery, and even toys. Stroodles can be found in the UK's most prestigious department stores and sells direct to consumers. The company’s mission is to change sustainability communication and inspire how easy and fun sustainability can be. Maxim also shares the company's financing journey that led to discovering stock finance.


Episode Highlights:

Revolutionizing Eco Tableware: Maxim shares the evolution of Stroodles, from gaining global attention with pasta-based straws to expanding into edible cutlery, crockery, and toys.
Navigating Sustainability: Insights into the challenges and triumphs of sustainability in the retail food industry.
Product Sourcing and Development: A deep dive into the intricacies of sourcing sustainable materials and developing eco-friendly products.
Multi-Channel Marketing Strategies: Maxim shares Stroodles' unique approaches to multi-channel marketing and building a brand with a specific customer base.
Obtaining Finance for Inventory: Understanding the financial aspect of managing inventory-based retail businesses and securing financing for stock and inventory.

Time stamps: 

• 00:23 Maxim Gellman's sustainability vision
• 05:11 The Stroodles concept and product portfolio
• 07:47 Product sourcing and development at Stroodles
• 11:45 Challenges in running an inventory-based business
• 11:56 Stroodles’ multi-channel sales and marketing strategy
• 15:53 Sustainability as a brand differentiator
• 24:25 Financing Growth and the role of crowdfunding of the Business
• 32:24 Maxim’s #1 Treyd Secret: The Power of Serendipity

In this episode, Peter Beckman, CEO and Co-founder of Treyd sat down with business coach, profit strategist and ‘Inventory Genius’ Ciara Stockeland. They discuss the challenges and complexities that inventory-based SMEs face, particularly in managing their finances. 

• The importance of focusing on profitability rather than chasing sales
• Understanding your financials
• How to develop an inventory plan
• Managing growth and debt effectively
• Turn and burn: Why you need to let go of Dead stock
• The considerations for hiring in a growing business. 

• 01:17 Ciara's Journey to Becoming an Inventory Genius
• 03:47 The connection between inventory and profit
• 05:08 Understanding financials and profitability
• 06:57 The impact of improving the gross margin
• 12:04 Understanding conversion rates in brick and mortar stores
• 17:17 The procurement budget and process and the relation to your sales goal
• 20:06 Understanding the role of debt in business
• 23:00 The Importance of focusing on profitable business segments
• 27:20 Ciara’s top tool recommendations
• 28:34 Dealing with dead stock in business
• 31:51 Ciara’s top learning: Chase profit, not sales 
• 35:33 Ciara’s #1 Treyd Secret: The Role of Empathy in Business Success

Got questions? Please contact support@treyd.io or visit www.treyd.io 

Join us on this episode of Teyd Secrets as we delve into the art of modern fashion brand building with Sebastian Brännen, Brand Creative Director at Chimi. Discover how Sebastian transformed Chimi from a sunglasses startup to a multifaceted fashion brand. Learn about the principles of "dopamine culture," the importance of unexpectedness in brand strategy, and the secrets behind their successful collaborations. Whether you're a branding enthusiast or a retail professional, this episode is packed with invaluable insights you won't want to miss.
Timestamps:

• 00:26 Defining a brand: Easy to understand but hard to ignore
• 04:37 The appeal of Chimi and its unique brand energy
• 10:04 Founding principles: Influence of Chimi's core collection today
• 12:00 The impact of the pop culture-fashion connection on Chimi
• 17:29 Timelessness vs. trends
• 19:00 Feeding off local cultural movers
• 27:14 The evolving purpose of retail spaces in fashion branding
• 31:50 Dopamine culture and its impact on Chimi's strategy
• 45:49 Future of Chimi: Innovations and goals for the brand
• 50:01 Sebastian's number one trade secret for successful branding

The plant-based food industry is booming, and we caught up with Sara Berger, CEO of Sproud, “the alternative to the alternative” in dairy alternatives. Discover Sproud's relentless commitment to taste, health, and sustainability while navigating the challenges of scaling a new brand in a fiercely competitive market. Sara explains the ins and outs of the food industry, from distribution to branding, and how young consumers are driving innovation in the space.
Timestamps:

• 00:55 Sara’s background and the Sproud story
• 03:30 2022 wins and Sproud’s European playbook
• 04:25 +30 country expansion and operation 
• 07:30 Scaling a food brand in a world of giants
• 15:00 Young consumers and next gen plant-based 
• 19:30 Planetary boundaries and food innovation
• 22:40 From Big Corp to mission-driven scaleup
• 25:25 The customer feedback-loop challenge for wholesale
• 29:45 Why the Pea protein is the hero of the product 
• 31:00 Sparking brand emotion 
• 33:50 Achieving profitability in the food space 
• 38:08 Sara’s number one trade secret: Keep it simple 

Mantle has achieved cult status in the skincare industry, but like every success story, the journey to getting there was filled with challenges, grit, and a keen ear for customer feedback. We sat down with Josefin Landgård, CEO and co-founder of Mantle, to hear about her entrepreneurial journey, which also includes co-founding the healthcare unicorn Kry. The episode dives into the success of Mantle, from tech-inspired product development, to building a love brand to securing VC funding in trying times. 
Timestamps:

• 01:15 Josefin’s entrepreneurial journey
• 04:45 Disrupting healthcare at unicorn Kry
• 06:40 The Mantle story and mission
• 09:20 The pandemic inception of Mantle
• 16:05 Sprint to skin: tech-inspired skincare development
• 21:00 Building loyalty and a love brand
• 23:40 Sourcing the right ingredients 
• 26:40 Finding the right suppliers
• 27:39 The diverse Mantle channel mix
• 30:00 Nailing VC funding against all odds
• 34:30 The future of Mantle
• 35:20 Josefin’s number one trade secret 

The episode features Stuart Worgan, fractional CFO and co-founder of eClarity. Peter and Stuart discuss the intricacies of financial management in e-commerce. Stuart shares some juicy benchmarks for the most important financial KPI:s for e-commerce and explains the importance of deeply understanding unit economics and setting up a robust financial framework. From the significance of product market fit and founder qualities to the complex dynamics of channel mix, inventory management, and customer acquisition costs, Stuart emphasizes the necessity of financial clarity and foresight. The conversation highlights strategies for negotiating with suppliers, optimizing cash flow, and the potential benefits and challenges of going multi-channel. 

• 00:10 Meet Stuart Worgen: The financial Godfather of e-commerce
• 02:47 Building a world-class finance team for e-commerce
• 04:47 Decoding the financial success formula for e-commerce brands
• 06:13 The art of product market fit and customer experience
• 07:57 Diving deep into e-commerce unit economics
• 12:27 Strategies for optimizing e-commerce margins
• 19:46 The importance of understanding your marketing metrics
• 26:47 Exploring the marketing mix and customer retention
• 27:54 The shift to multi-channel strategies
• 32:01 Navigating the complexities of multi-channel sales
• 38:08 Understanding the financials: Balance sheets and more
• 42:40 Optimizing supply chain and production
• 46:43 Achieving financial clarity in e-commerce
• 50:42 Stuart’s number one trade secret

In this episode of Treyd Secrets, host Peter Beckman interviews Alicia Shaffer, the self-taught e-commerce expert, and founder of Three Bird Nest, a bohemian-style apparel brand. Alicia shares her journey to success from losing everything and almost being a million dollars in debt to becoming one of the top-selling brands on Etsy.
Alicia attributes her achievement to her relentless hard work and the incessant desire to continually learn more about e-commerce, from algorithms and SEO. Adapting to her customers' preferences and tailoring the brand to reflect their desires has been key success factors. Alicia underscores the importance of creating and applying systems to every aspect of a business to track growth effectively and diagnose issues promptly. She emphasized the need for strategic product pricing and understanding the true cost of offering a product or service.

• 01:13 Alicia Shaffer’s journey to founding Three Bird Nest
• 02:58 The birth of Three Bird Nest and its initial success
• 04:19 The Importance of an exit strategy 
• 08:27 The growth of Three Bird Nest and overcoming challenges
• 16:45 The power of A/B Testing and listening to your customers
• 20:43 The reality of success and the importance of hard work
• 26:18 The transition from Etsy to independent retail
• 28:02 The art of risk management and trust building
• 28:38 The power of relationships in business
• 31:38 The importance of asking for help
• 32:21 Understanding unit economics and pricing
• 33:06 The journey from debt to orofit
• 43:17 Transitioning from Etsy to D2C
• 45:29 The future of Three Bird Nest

Got questions? Please contact secrets@treyd.io or visit www.treyd.io 

In this episode, Peter Beckman sits down with Jacob and Victor Eriksson, brothers and co-founders of the viral TikTok sensation and growth phenomenon, Boxbollen. The innovative duo share their incredible journey from 0 to 30 million USD revenue in 5 years. The episode covers the full journey from the conception of their unique head tethered boxing ball game, to achieving global stardom and venturing into the US market in 2022 and doubling sales in 2023. Dive into the discussion to uncover the secrets behind their skyrocketing sales, the supply chain behind extreme Christmas sales peas and building a successful influencer marketing strategy with top tier profiles. 
Jacob and Victor also share their future vision, underpinned by their overarching mission to bring joy and movement to people's lives. Packed with valuable insights, this episode is a must-listen for anyone keen on entrepreneurship, marketing, and scaling startups.
Timestamps:

• 01:39 Starting out and developing the core product 
• 03:30 The DTC and influencer strategy 
• 07:00 How Christmas became the Boxbollen specialty
• 09:13 Signing John Terry, their first big influencer name
• 12:33 Going big in the US 
• 14:40 The liquidity issue of for a Christmas centric sales cycle
• 15:39 The 2023 US launch thriller
• 19:08 Securing and launching an influencer collaboration
• 23:00 Supply chain challenges and being local
• 25:40 Growing production from 3,000 to 1,4 million units
• 29:40 Channel strategy, DTC vs retail and local variations
• 33:00 The future, the mission and the community sport
• 40:00 The next product launch 
• 41:40 2024 goal: 2 x selling 3 million balls
• 45:23 Beverly Hills hustle
• 48:34 Hyper growth and hyper focus
• 50:50 Balancing business obsession and personal health 
• 53:53 Jacob and Victor’s number one trade secrets

This Treyd Secrets features an insightful conversation with e-commerce and marketing veteran and thought leader Chloë Thomas. The discussion covers the power of ensuring  well connected marketing and inventory strategies. Chloe also dives into tackling overstock issues, highlighting the significance of strategic discounting to maintain business profitability and sustainability. The second half of the episode is focused around the increasing trend of e-commerce brands venturing into wholesale and the challenges around wholesale as a sales channel. 

Time stamps:

• 00:50 Chloë Thomas's Journey in e-commerce
• 03:46 Fundamental marketing principles and the evolution of e-commerce and marketing
• 05:53 The importance of stock management in E-commerce
• 07:48 The interplay of marketing and inventory management
• 13:42 The challenge of overstock and its impact on marketing
• 17:45 Strategies for balancing brand promotion and overstock clearance
• 24:47 The importance of seasonal stock management
• 25:39 Understanding the cash flow in business
• 26:16 Shifting from abundance to scarcity mindset
• 27:12 Leveraging marketing strategies for stock management
• 29:42 The shift to wholesale and its implications
• 32:09 The role of wholesale in E-commerce
• 37:27 The future of E-commerce and wholesale
• 40:34 The challenges and strategies in managing wholesale
• 40:58 The evolution of e-commerce businesses
• 43:52 Chloë’s number one Trade Secrets
  
  
  Got questions? Please contact secrets@treyd.io or visit www.treyd.io 
  
  

In this Treyd Secrets episode, host Peter Beckman is joined by André Wendt, Global Sales Director for Swedish-American fashion house and celebrity brand BLK DNM (yes, Kim and Kanye wore BLK DNM leather jackets at their wedding). Discover BLK DNM's commitment to ethical consumer behavior through blockchain technology and the impact on supply chain and supplier relationships. The conversation covers sales, marketing, wholesale strategy, challenges in inventory-based retail, and BLK DNM's approaches to customer retention and international expansion. Wendt explains what the high end department stores demand from brands and emphasizes the importance of personal relationships.
Time Stamps: 

• 00:40 The story of BLK DNM
• 05:32 The History and relaunch of BLK DNM
• 07:25 BLK DNM’s Blockchain Technology
• 09:12 The impact of sustainability on brand strategy
• 11:59 Challenges in supply chain and fashion wholesale  
• 18:37 The role of personal relations in retail partnerships
• 20:35 Requirements from the largets department stores
• 24:57 The future of BLK DNM: Retail strategy and expansion
• 31:56 The Intersection of fashion and technology in BLK DNM
• 36:48 André's #1 Treyd Secret: Create a positive future vision

Scaling a food brand in FMCG is notoriously tough—breaking into major grocery chains from day one? Nearly impossible. But that’s exactly what Daniel Warence, CEO of Mino Market, did.
In this episode of Treyd Secrets, Daniel shares how Mino bypassed the traditional slow-burn retail journey and went straight to national distribution. He breaks down the high-stakes strategy behind securing retail partnerships, the supply chain chaos of scaling fast, and why getting listed is just the beginning.

• How Mino landed on Sweden’s biggest grocery shelves in under a year
• Why do store managers, not retailers, control your shelf space
• The hidden psychology of in-store sales and how social media influences shopping behavior

This episode is a must-listen for anyone in retail, FMCG, or brand-building, packed with raw insights on what it really takes to scale a high-growth consumer brand.

Expanding globally is one of the biggest challenges—and opportunities—for ambitious founders. In this episode of Treyd Secrets, CEO & Co-founder of Treyd, Peter Beckman sits down with Magnus Grimeland, CEO and Founder of Antler, a global early-stage VC that has backed 1,300+ startups worldwide. Magnus, who previously co-founded Zalora, Southeast Asia’s leading fashion eCommerce platform, shares his journey from Norwegian Navy special forces to Harvard, McKinsey, and building companies that scale across continents.

Listen in as Magnus breaks down the mindset, resilience, and strategic moves needed to take a business beyond borders. From navigating payment infrastructure in emerging markets to hiring the right teams and outpacing competition, he shares real lessons from building companies in Europe, Asia, and beyond.

Whether you’re thinking about scaling internationally or just want to hear firsthand insights from a global VC leader, this episode is packed with actionable takeaways to help you grow.

Tune in now to hear Magnus’ #1 trade secret for building businesses that last.