This post was originally published in Curious Commerce, by biweekly newsletter on the future of how we shop. Be sure to subscribe to get my next post delivered straight to your inbox! The process for “getting to know” new brands is broken. This topic could fill many books, so I’m…

It turns out it’s pretty easy to lose money. Here’s what brands can do. — This article was originally published via my newsletter, Curious Commerce — a weekly dive into the latest happenings in consumer and retail, through a strategy lens. I’ve been amazed at how quickly the stores in my neighborhood have facilitated a digitally-enabled experience in response to COVID restrictions. Local restaurants are…

A DTC founder shares her observations on what’s next for the industry I’ve been building Keaton for the past two years. We created the Perfect Pant for women, designed with input from 300 young professionals, and we sell online. We’re what has traditionally been called a “DTC brand.” I knew…

The Retail Tree is an elegant framework to understand and interpret sales performance I’ve worked in retail for many years, first as a management consultant and then in strategy. I’ve sold (and helped my clients sell) everything from jewelry to pasta sauce to women’s clothes to cruises. I’ve sold things…

In Spring 2019, I started Keaton after years of struggling to find work clothes that made me feel confident and powerful as a young professional. Our clothes feature easy-care fabrics and functional details based on feedback from hundreds of women. Keaton’s mission goes beyond product design. I learned the hard…

Throughout history, women’s pockets have been associated with periods of progress in women’s rights and with greater gender equality. There are few things more frustrating than putting on a pair of pants and finding that they have unusable, tiny pockets. Some brands even sew pants pockets shut or just put in fake pockets (why?!?). A survey of 80 pairs of men’s and women’s pants found that on average, the pockets in…