The Nordy Pod

Join me on stage at the Footwear News CEO Summit as I sit down with three of our very best stylists, Jesse James Barnholdt, Gregory Clark and Jeffrey Ola. We do our best to make it abundantly clear to our employees that their success at Nordstrom is in their hands. We give them the leeway to use their best judgment in running their business, and let me tell you, these three men have taken that freedom and run with it. Each of them has raised the bar for what's possible on the sales floor and done it in their own unique and personal way, adding credibility to our reputation and building immensely successful careers for themselves. We are super proud of the heights that they've reached and want to lift them up as examples to the rest of our company. Before that, listen in on my conversation with the cofounder of On, Caspar Coppetti. The story of this brand is particularly interesting because it's so authentically rooted in the entrepreneurial spirit. Innocently enough, Caspar and cofounder Olivier Bernhard only started making shoes to fulfill their own personal running needs. And being based in the relatively small market of Switzerland, they had no idea that it would evolve into the global phenomenon that it is today. But what they did know was that if they could only get runners to try on their shoes, the business would take care of itself—which it did. Professional runners wearing On running shoes began breaking records and speaking out about the incredible benefits they felt, including examples of runners with previous injuries getting back up to speed faster than ever before. But despite On's amazing growth and success, money has never been what drives them. Their motivation remains the same as it was in the beginning. Caspar talks about running as an incredibly emotional experience, with each different environment and circumstance inspiring a new type of product. That's what makes this brand so unique, and why I'm excited to share his story with you today. Thanks for tuning in to episode 36. 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 we’re turning inward to discover more about how we work to sustain a legacy of great service at Nordstrom. You’ll hear directly from Nordstrom customers Paige Siemers and daughter Anna as they share their unique experience shopping in our store. You’ll hear Nordstrom board member Jim Donald discuss how his incredibly successful career, holding leadership positions at big brands like Walmart and Publix, or as CEO of Starbucks, Albertsons, and Extended Stay America, has all been led and informed by a healthy attitude toward service. Then to cap it all off we’ll learn about how the ideas and principles surrounding great service get passed along from store to store through our Senior Vice President for the Rack division, Carl Jenkins. So lean in and listen as we wade deep in the waters of Nordstrom’s efforts to create a culture of service. 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, we're introducing part one of a two-part series all about creating a culture of service. Now, this theme sits close to home for everyone here at Nordstrom, because it's really the defining trait we focus on to create differentiation, and frankly, a reason for being. And it's nice that we have this reputation and a legacy of great service, but our whole battle is remaining relevant and continuously raising the bar. In that regard, I'm super excited to share with you a conversation I had with a remarkably successful restaurateur, and author of the book Unreasonable Hospitality, Will Guidara. I first learned of Will through his TED talk, titled The Secret Ingredients of Great Hospitality. And if you haven't seen it, you need to go check it out as soon as this episode is over. It’s great. Will lays out his own unique philosophy on customer service that goes far beyond the boundaries of his specific industry and speaks directly to our human nature. Will was the previous owner of one of New York City’s top-rated restaurants Eleven Madison Park, which has consistently held a three-star Michelin rating since 2012, and in 2017 was named the number one restaurant in the world. But when describing what his real job is, Will explains that the food, the service and the design of a restaurant are all just ingredients in the recipe of human connection. He proposes that he's not actually in the business of serving dinner. He's in the business of serving memories. Will elevates the purpose of the dining table to a sacred place in which two people grow closer together in relationship with one another, and it's the job of the entire restaurant staff to curate an environment in which that can happen. So much of Will's philosophy resonates strongly with my own, and echoes in the practices that we encourage here at Nordstrom. So, I thought Will would make a perfect guest to help characterize the essential pillars of creating a culture of service. 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 taking a special in-depth look at a segment of our business that most people don’t even know about. We call it Last Chance, and it’s exactly what the name implies. At the very end of the life cycle of our merchandise there exist two stores, one in Phoenix, Arizona and one in the suburbs of Chicago, that serve as our last chance to sell any and all unsold merchandise. They are unlike any Nordstrom store you’ve ever been to. So, to help explain Last Chance we’re going to talk with a repeat Nordy Pod guest, Greg Pender, who is our Senior Manager in charge of profit recovery throughout The Rack and Last Chance stores. Greg is going to take us on a little trip over to our Last Chance location in Phoenix to meet some of the employees that work there, as well as a few customers that frequent the store nearly every single day. You’ll also hear from Marge Arnold, our Last Chance Store Manager in the Chicago area. So, settle in as we take you all the way to the very end of the Nordstrom merchandise ecosystem, to the Last Chance. Thanks for tuning in to episode 33. 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!

You know, I usually record these conversations from my fancy podcast studio/office in downtown Seattle, but this time I actually called our guest, Joel McHale, from my home on Mercer Island—a fitting venue for our conversation because Joel also happens to hail from this very same Seattle suburb. Now, as many of you probably know, Joel has gone on to have a very successful acting career in Hollywood. He’s largely known for his sarcastic pop culture commentary on The Soup or his snarky self-centered character Jeff Winger in the critically acclaimed series Community. But long before his face ever broadcast through the glowing pixels of your television screen, Joel had a childhood that wasn’t too far removed from my own. We both played sports through high school and college and happened to know a lot of the same people. Joel, like me, even went to the University of Washington. Now that may be where the similarities end, but while his college experience was tainted by the unorthodox hazing rituals of the rowing team and a questionable sense of brotherhood at the Theta Chi fraternity, Joel always knew that his real family waited for him on stage. Since the seventh grade he loved the theater and looked for every opportunity to meet with like-minded adolescent thespians who inspired and challenged each other creatively. Determined to make a career out of this passion, Joel completed a Master of Fine Arts at the University of Washington and figured that the best place to test out his merits was the entertainment mecca, Los Angeles. And while it took him a few years to get going, Joel is a hustler. Saying yes to everything offered, he’s shown up in television shows and movies in nearly every genre. From bit parts in blockbuster films like Spider Man or starring in the dark romantic comedy Happily, to sitcoms like Will & Grace and the sci-fi phenomenon The X-Files. But despite the breadth of his impressive IMDb page, Joel still worries that each job is bound to be his last. Well Joel, from all of us on the outside, I think you can relax. It seems like you’re doing alright. After my conversation with Joel, you'll hear my chat with a relatively new country music artist by the name of Austin Burke. But it’s not actually Austin’s music that brings him to The Nordy Pod. He’s here as a customer to share a story which took place at our Rack store in Scottsdale, Arizona. The experience moved him so much that he pulled out his phone and started recording as it was happening. He then posted the video for his nearly one million followers on social media. It got shared around enough that we eventually caught wind and loved the story so much that we called him up, and the Nordstrom employees who made Austin’s visit so memorable. Thanks for tuning in to episode 32. 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!

Bob Love dreamed of playing professional basketball when he was a little kid. Listening to games over the radio he would practice his jump shot, tossing a rolled-up ball of his grandfather’s smelly old socks into a wire coat hanger he stole from his grandmother's closet. Humble beginnings for a man who would later become one of the greatest players of all time. Honing his skills through high school, Bob was destined for more than his small Louisiana hometown could offer. And despite struggling with a debilitating speech impediment, he became the first person in his entire family to go to college. After graduating Bob spent the first year of his professional career playing in a minor league, earning the Rookie of the Year award and making him very difficult for NBA recruiters to overlook. Bob’s dream of playing in the NBA was finally realized in 1966, playing a few short years in Cincinnati, then in Milwaukee, until he eventually found a long-term home with the Chicago Bulls. During his nine-year stay with the Bulls, Bob led the team in scoring for seven straight seasons, had three All Star appearances and set multiple records, some that still stand to this day. He still holds third place in points scored for the Bulls, just under Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, and his is one of only a handful of retired numbers hanging in the United Center today. As a kid I remember watching Bob play on TV and interestingly enough he wound up playing a portion of his last season in the NBA in 1977 with the Seattle Supersonics. But his life took a dramatic turn after his basketball career ended. Bob says he found himself in an unfamiliar city, struggling to find work. The speech impediment that plagued him his entire life didn’t affect his ability to score points, but it did make it near impossible to find a job off the court. The next chapter of Bob's life would actually bring him to Nordstrom of all places, working downtown in our restaurant washing dishes and bussing tables. And though I wasn’t old enough at the time to be a part of the decision making, I look back with admiration as my Dad and the other Nordstrom leaders took notice of Bob’s situation and offered to send him to speech therapy. This in turn gave Bob more opportunities to grow, and confidence to move back to Chicago to work for the Bulls as their Director of Community Affairs. Now Bob regularly speaks in front of large crowds about his experiences playing basketball and overcoming this life-long handicap. I’m just super grateful for the chance to speak with Bob after all this time to hear about his journey, and I know you’re going to enjoy listening to his story. After my conversation with Bob, you’re going to get a taste of one of the more delicious portions of the business as we talk with our Vice President of the Restaurant Division, Vince Rossetti. Thanks for tuning in to episode 31. 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 taking a special trip over to the Hawkeye State, which is Iowa for those who don’t know, to visit two different Nordstrom facilities that are crucial links in our supply chain. First, we'll head to our fulfillment center in Cedar Rapids where the folks are celebrating 25 years of service. Then we'll stop into our distribution center in Dubuque to help them celebrate 30 years. Each of these locations has been absolutely essential to the growth of our business, particularly with the rise of online shopping and an increased demand for speed. These teams process enormous amounts of merchandise from thousands of vendors to nearly 350 Nordstrom stores in over 200 cities across the United States, fulfilling online orders shipped straight to your home and fielding droves of returns, which in itself could be an entire episode. Literally everything we sell goes through these buildings, from shoes to apparel, accessories and jewelry and a whole slew of home goods. It's a mammoth undertaking and these guys manage it all extremely well. So, we're going to stop in to share our appreciation and sit down with several employees to learn about what it's like to be part of the massive machine that is the Nordstrom supply chain. Thanks for tuning in to episode 30. 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've got a bit of a theme going on, centered around an amazing organization that's had an enormous impact on so many lives, including mine, and that's the Seattle Children’s Hospital. Later in the show we're going to talk about a benefit show that my wife and I created called SMooCH, which stands for Seattle Musicians for Children's Hospital, and to help tell that story I've brought in my good friend and return guest to The Nordy Pod, CEO of SubPop, Megan Jasper. But before that, I want to introduce you to another good friend of mine, an incredibly accomplished and remarkably compassionate individual, CEO of the Seattle Children's Hospital, Dr. Jeff Sperring. Now, I've wanted to have Dr. Sperring on the show for quite a while now, and not just because he's a fantastic CEO, but because Seattle Children's Hospital has had a particularly significant impact on my life. But comparable to my respect for the hospital itself is my esteem for the man who strives to maintain its reputation as one of the best children's hospitals in the country. For Dr. Sperring, becoming a physician was a dream that he chased down since the fifth grade. Raised in a family that displayed and encouraged service, he developed a strong desire to do good in the world. To pay for medical school, Dr. Sperring joined the Navy and, after training, served as one of only three pediatricians caring for roughly 4,000 Navy and Marine children on an army base in California. He then transitioned to Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, where his superiors recognized his aptitude for leadership and recruited him into hospital administration, first as their Chief Medical Officer and then as their CEO. Dr. Sperring began zeroing in on potential dream jobs and took a swing at an open position as the CEO at Seattle Children's Hospital. It’s apparent that Dr. Sperring deserves each new opportunity he's been given as he talks about the incredible sense of purpose that accompanies his job. I'm super grateful to have had the chance to get to know him, and I'm certainly glad people like him exist in this world. Thanks for tuning in to episode 29. 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!

If you happened to catch the 2021 film House of Gucci starring Lady Gaga and Adam Driver, based on the dramatic real-life events of the Gucci family, then you also caught an interesting glimpse into the life of Domenico De Sole. But that's really just the tip of the iceberg. Born in a small Italian town to a General of the Royal Army, Domenico grew up knowing nothing about fashion, and says "it's a one-in-twenty-billion chance" that he’s wound up where he is today. Beginning his career as a lawyer after graduating from Harvard Law School, Domenico eventually entered the employ of one Rudolfo Gucci during a chaotic time when the family was fighting over shares of the business. Through a series of extraordinary events Domenico landed a much larger role in the company, taking over as CEO of the Gucci Group, ultimately saving it from near bankruptcy. Simultaneously Domenico championed a promising new up-and-coming fashion designer from America by the name of Tom Ford. And after leaving Gucci, Domenico helped Tom build his own brand from scratch, nurturing the company into a multi-billion-dollar business. That seems like enough to earn Domenico a place in the fashion hall of fame, but it still doesn't even scratch the surface of his impact on the industry. Our conversation took place at an annual convention for the National Retail Federation, and we had a limited time to speak on stage, but quite honestly, you couldn't cover half the stuff this man has done even if you had all day. But we managed to cover a lot of ground in our chat, so settle in for a taste of the incredible life of Domenico De Sole. Thanks for tuning in to episode 28. 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!

Gucci Westman has loved makeup since she was a little girl, seeing smiles on the faces of classmates as she gave makeovers on the bus ride to school. She pursued that passion, studying cosmetics in college and later moving to Los Angeles where she became a highly sought-after makeup artist for film and fashion magazines. She worked on projects with director Spike Jonze and has done makeup for big-name celebrities like Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Anniston and Gwyneth Paltrow to name a few. This early success earned Gucci the artistic director position with established cosmetic giants Lancôme and Revlon, eventually launching her own beauty brand, Westman Atelier, with husband David Neville, a very successful and talented fashion entrepreneur in his own right. David has garnered industry respect and multiple awards through his previous partnership running fashion brand rag & bone and lends his business expertise to the couples ambitious beauty brand which offers customers 100% all-natural products at the highest eco-friendly and ethically sourced manufacturing standards. Gucci says creating Westman Atelier would’ve never worked without the implicit trust and teamwork between her and David, a mutual respect that becomes obvious if you spend any amount of time with them. You’re going to love listening to their story. Thanks for tuning in to episode 27. 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!

Inspired by the provocative lyrics of the influential hip-hop group NWA, an adolescent Ben Haggerty immediately fell in love with the genre, and soon became laser-focused on a career as a rap artist. Under the alias Macklemore, he slowly gained a loyal following through an emerging underground Seattle hip-hop scene and exposure through the local independent radio station KEXP. In collaboration with friend and producer Ryan Lewis, Ben’s career reached an entirely new level after the release of their massively successful album The Heist. Ushered by the viral music video for their hit song "Thrift Shop" and assisted by alt radio DJs across the US, Macklemore and Lewis launched to the top of the Billboard charts and won multiple Grammy Awards for Best New Artist, Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance. Ben has continued to grow and collaborate with some of the industry’s top talent, expressing gratitude for his platform to speak about important issues and opportunities to make a positive impact on his community. In our conversation, Ben talks about the intensity of immediate fame, the absolute joy of performing, and the inherent entrepreneurial spirit responsible for his success. And on a surprisingly related tangent, you golfers out there can thank him for creating a whole new aesthetic to brandish out on the green. Thanks for tuning in to episode 26. 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!

Well folks, we’ve made it to another year, which also happens to mark the completion of one whole year of The Nordy Pod. We’ve had a lot of incredible guests on the show and heard some pretty remarkable stories from employees and customers alike. So, to celebrate the first anniversary of The Nordy Pod, we thought we’d take you on a little trip down memory lane to visit some of our favorite moments from 2022. Thanks for tuning in to episode 25. We hope you have a great holiday season and a happy New Year! 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!

As part of a very special holiday edition of The Nordy Pod, we've pulled together a variety of different Nordstrom leaders, from Events to Visuals to sales floor Department Managers, to give you a 360-degree view of all the things we do to give our customers a memorable holiday experience. You'll learn a bit about each of their positions, and also hear a few fun and bizarre stories from seasons past. And to top it all off we've even convinced Santa to take a break from his busy schedule to tell us about his experience coming to Nordstrom and meeting with children of all ages. So, grab a cup of hot chocolate and a warm blanket, and cozy up for some good ole holiday fun, the Nordstrom way! Thanks for tuning in to episode 24. We hope you have a great holiday season and a happy New Year! 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!

At this point you’ve undoubtedly caught wind of my side hustle as a bass player, and more generally my love for the unique community of musicians in and around Seattle. So in the spirit of that fondness, I’m super excited to share my conversation with local alt-rock legend and former lead singer for the band The Presidents of the United States of America, Chris Ballew. Chris started playing music from a very young age and, in the fertile soil of the Seattle music scene, had no trouble assembling bands of like-minded punk rock compatriots. One such band being the aforementioned—and super successful—The Presidents of the United States of America. You likely remember their catchy riffs and somewhat silly lyrics from hit songs like “Lump” and “Peaches” in the mid '90s, defining a style that even Madonna recognized as taking great care to appear as though they didn’t care at all. But the rise of The Presidents wasn’t Chris’s first brush with fame. Having found his way onto the tour bus of an up-and-coming singer/songwriter by the name of Beck, Chris learned valuable lessons about the music business and his own relationship to it. Chris isn’t interested in sacrificing time away from home and family to chase the spotlight. He’d rather enjoy the act of being creative in the moment. What happens after that is out of his hands. Thanks for tuning in to episode 23. 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!

If you enjoyed the last episode, you’ll be pleased to hear that we've compiled another great batch of mailbag submissions for you. Stories from job interviews to weddings and funerals, all the way to an Emmy Awards party wardrobe malfunction. And where some of these stories involve an interesting and unique problem for us to solve, others involve instances where we quite honestly just dropped the ball. We'll be the first to admit we're not perfect, which is why customer feedback is so valuable to us. Not only do we want to be made aware of our mistakes, but we also want to acknowledge our employees that go above and beyond to make a situation right. Passing these stories on through our company helps to strengthen our service culture, which ultimately makes us better. They also just make for great podcast material! So once again, settle in for more interesting stories from the Nordstrom Mailbag. Thanks for tuning in to episode 22. 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!

If you’ve been listening to The Nordy Pod for any amount of time, you’ve likely heard our speil about sending in your personal Nordstrom stories. Well, for this episode we’re finally tearing open the proverbial ‘Nordstrom Mailbag’ to share a few stories that have really stood out. You’ll hear a scent obsessed customer with an interesting business proposition, a wedding guest’s downhill battle with a staircase, a couple's race against the clock to catch a cruise ship, and a mischievous former employee recalling the good ole’ days. We had a lot of fun following up with these mailbag submissions, and we hope these stories inspire you to think back on your favorite Nordstrom experience and share it with us. Who knows, you may end up in a future episode! Thanks for tuning in to episode 21.  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!

This has come up a few times on The Nordy Pod. It’s no secret that I’m a sports fan, and particularly of basketball. I played a lot growing up, I’m involved in a mentorship program for the men’s basketball team at my alma mater The University of Washington, and for a short time, I was even a part-owner of the Seattle Supersonics and the Seattle Storm. So it should come as no surprise that I jumped at the opportunity to talk with Sue Bird, arguably the greatest athlete to ever play the game. And I’ve got to be honest, I was a little nervous before talking with Sue because she is such a big deal. I mean, her career is just filled with national and world championships. To give you some context, Sue was a 2 time State Champion in high school, she’s a 2 time NCAA Champion, she’s a 4 time WNBA Champion, she’s the WNBA’s all-time leader in seasons played, games played, assists, and All-Star appearances, she’s a 5 time Olympic gold medalist, a 4 time FIBA World Cup gold medalist, and I could go on and on. But aside from her amazing achievements on the court, she’s also an incredible social advocate for equality in women’s sports and women in general. We look back on Sue’s childhood to the source of her competitive spirit and hear about important lessons in leadership learned along the way. I had a really great time talking with Sue, and I know you’re going to love listening to her story. After my conversation with Sue, we’re going to give you a sneak peak at the next episode as we open wide the Nordstrom Mailbag! Thanks for tuning in to episode 20.  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!

Folks, I can't wait to share this conversation with you. Leonard Lauder is one of my all-time favorite people in our industry and a true legend. But despite being a member of the founding family and a major player in the growth of the multibillion-dollar Estée Lauder company, Leonard's really just a humble, down-to-earth guy. Now, to give you a little context on the size of the Estée Lauder company, you've likely used, or at least heard of, several of the massively successful beauty brands they've created or acquired since their conception. Brands like Clinique, MAC, La Mer, Bobbi Brown, Aveda, Jo Malone London, Tom Ford Beauty, Smashbox, Origins ... you get the picture. But this behemoth of a beauty company hasn't always been a household name. Leonard speaks fondly of early memories sitting in his highchair watching his parents mix beauty creams from their own kitchen. Since that time, Estée Lauder has revolutionized the cosmetics industry in so many ways that it's hard to imagine where we'd be without them. Leonard was a joy to talk with, and his story is filled with amazing insight for business leaders and laymen alike. After my chat with Leonard, we'll head over to our New York flagship store to chat with a super-talented salesperson by the name of Gregory Clark. Clark, as he goes by, has exceeded even his own expectations of what's possible in the men's shoe department by remaining humble and listening to the good advice of successful people around him. Thanks for tuning in to episode 19. 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 going to hear from a few highly influential Nordstrom leaders, each helping to strengthen our culture in their own unique way. First, you'll hear from our Executive Vice President for Designer, Men's and Women's Apparel, Sam Lobban. We've wanted to have Sam on the podcast for a very long time now, because he's a super-interesting guy with a big job, and he's had a very unique journey through the fashion industry. Sam's interest in fashion first grew through its intersection with music in the London club scene, and he started working in retail as soon as he was old enough to work. Though he was mainly looking for a discount on clothes, he found a real passion for the job and has created a very successful career from it. He's gained a lot of great insight into the business as a whole and has become a real tastemaker in the industry—so much so that he randomly gets approached by iconic celebrities just because they like his style. But what's particularly valuable to us is his strong customer-centric philosophy and positive influence on the men and women he leads. As Sam puts it, "I'm really just a shop-floor guy." He's made a huge impact on our company and we're lucky to have him on our team. After that we'll hear from our Men's Fashion Director, Jian DeLeon. He's another super-talented guy whose role is to help connect Nordstrom to the larger cultural conversations around trend and fashion. He works with Sam and our buying teams to translate these conversations into meaningful stories for our customers. To wrap it all up, we'll learn about the service and selling power of social media from one of our top salespeople, Jesse James Barnholdt. He's found a way to expand his business far beyond the four walls of the store to reach customers all over the U.S. And he's found a way to do it in such a genuine and authentic way with customer relationships as the main focus. So, grab your notepads! This episode is packed full of quality insight into what makes successful retailing today. 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!

You likely already know Steve Madden’s name, either from the iconic "Big Head Girl" commercial from the late '90s or from seeing it printed on the side of the shoes sitting in your closet. But if it's not for the shoes, you may have heard his name mumbled through the lips of a drugged-up Jonah Hill in the big-budget Martin Scorsese film The Wolf of Wall Street. Seemingly out of nowhere, Steve Madden became one of the biggest names in the shoe business of the '90s and early 2000s. But the company's meteoric rise to fame met a brick wall when Steve took some seriously bad financial advice from a childhood friend, resulting in criminal convictions and a few years in prison. Steve tells his side of the story and further exposes his struggles with drug addiction in the documentary film Maddman: The Steve Madden Story and his reveal-all book The Cobbler. Since his release from prison in 2005, Steve has worked hard to put his life in order and get his company back on the right path. I've known Steve for a while now, but it's been a real pleasure getting to know him better through this conversation, and I know you're going to enjoy listening to his story. Thanks for tuning in to episode 17. 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!