Ep 48. The University of Washington's Foster School of Business

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!

Core to Nordstrom's values is our commitment to leaving the world better than we found it. We're proud to partner with a number of different organizations that help us do this. In 2023 we will donate over $12M to 350+ different charity organizations in communities we serve across the United States. So, in the spirit of the giving season, we're using this episode to highlight some of the folks involved with two important causes we've supported over the past several years: Operation Warm and Shoes That Fit. First, we'll hear from Heather Connolly, the VP of Partnerships at Operation Warm, about how the organization provides brand new coats to children in underprivileged communities all across the country. Then we'll catch some of the excitement at an Operation Warm distribution event in the Seattle area with our very own field correspondent, Kent Worthington. After that we'll hear about our second giving partner from Amy Fass, the Executive Director and CEO at Shoes That Fit. Similarly, Shoes That Fit provides new name-brand athletic shoes to kids in need in all 50 states. 2023 marked our 13th year partnering with Shoes That Fit, and together with our customers, we raised more than $1.1 million and donated more than 50,000 pairs of shoes to kids in our local communities. To top it all off we'll hear from loyal Nordstrom customer and Shoes That Fit supporter Kenji Morinaga. This episode is chock-full of good feels and great people, and we hope it adds a little extra warmth to your holiday season. Thanks for tuning in to episode 50. 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 opening up a time capsule from the year 1998. Placed in the wall near our front entrance, it commemorates the grand re-opening of the new flagship store in downtown Seattle. That year would also hold another huge milestone moment for Nordstrom that would change the way we do business forever: the creation of Nordstrom.com. Listen as we dive deep into the origins of our digital storefront with one of the founding leaders of Nordstrom.com, Bob Schwartz. We'll also explore the continued evolution of this digital landscape and where Nordstrom.com stands today with our current President of Digital and Customer Experience at Nordstrom, Miguel Almeida. But before all that, you'll hear from one of our brand partners that just happened to be visiting us recently from Germany, Carl Seibel of Josef Seibel shoes. Thanks for tuning in to episode 49. 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 on a bit of a field trip out to my alma mater, the University of Washington. We were invited here to the Foster School of Business by Dr. Marty Matthews who's a professor of marketing—and she also happens to be a Nordy Pod listener. She emailed me awhile back letting me know that she's actually been assigning Nordy Pod episodes as homework in a few of her classes. So, we thought it might be a fun idea to go in person and speak to her students for the show. First, we sit down with Professor Matthews herself to learn a little bit about her background and then we head over to the classroom to meet with her marketing students. And I've got to say, I love whenever I get the chance to hear from young people about their experience with Nordstrom. They've always got interesting stuff to say, and I often gain useful insights that I can take back and share with our team. So, we're super excited to get the opportunity to get a glimpse into these bright young minds, eager to dive into the wide world of business. Thanks for tuning in to episode 48. 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!

Ben Gorham has had a particularly interesting journey to entrepreneurship. Having spent his entire young life pursuing a career in basketball, it may come as a surprise that he ended up creating a super successful luxury and fragrance brand. But Ben's ambitions to play basketball were stifled by a technicality in international contracts, cutting his professional career short. Then, by a chance meeting Ben turned to an entirely different industry. Since setting the groundwork for a fragrance business, experimenting with smells through candle making out of his own kitchen, Ben's obsession has grown into a massive luxury brand found in huge retail stores across the globe. Nordstrom has had a lot of success doing business with BYREDO for a long time now and we're super excited that he's come to Seattle to visit and talk with our teams about even more growth. And since he was in the building, I asked him to come into my office to chat with me on the podcast. After my conversation with Ben, we're going to do something that we always talk about at the end of every episode, but we’ve yet to actually feature on the show, which is to address some of the negative feedback that we sometimes get. Former employee and long-time customer of Nordstrom, Vicki Redding, has agreed to come on the show and share her perspective on the ways in which Nordstrom has changed—and not for the better. Thanks for tuning in to episode 47. 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!