My guest today is Jens Grede. Jens is the co-founder and CEO of Skims, the shapewear and clothing brand he co-founded with his wife Emma Grede and Kim Kardashian. Our conversation left my head spinning. Jens has this remarkable ability to be both creative and commercial. He puts brilliant frameworks into plain terms and knows consumer like the back of his hand. Jens explains how pop culture is the only remaining hack to the consumer economy in our fragmented media landscape and describes today’s cultural shift as "clamoring for comfort" in uncertain times. We discuss individual voices trumping institutions, moving at the speed of culture rather than corporate planning cycles, and why big brands will increasingly win. Please enjoy this fascinating discussion with Jens Grede.
For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.
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Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com).
Show Notes:
(00:00:00) Welcome to Invest Like the Best
(00:05:18) The Power of Pop Culture in Business
(00:09:28) The Role of Individuals vs. Institutions
(00:11:27) Cultural Shifts: From Hip Hop to Country
(00:18:36) The Resurgence of Fallen Brands
(00:24:33) The SKIMS Origin Story
(00:33:42) Building a Strong Product and Brand
(00:36:14) The Partnership with Kim Kardashian
(00:49:18) Effective Content Creation in Popular Culture
(00:50:55) Decision Making in Real-Time
(00:51:35) Leveraging Popular Culture for Brand Success
(00:57:28) The Role of Networks and Individual Voices
(01:14:38) The Future of Status and Digital Influence
(01:16:20) Investing Insights and Long-Term Views
(01:20:39) Scaling SKIMS and Future Plans
(01:23:52) Reflections on Entrepreneurship and Personal Growth
(01:29:49) The Kindest Thing Anyone Has Ever Done For Jens