From the sandy beaches of Australia to the bustling walkways of international fashion, Brian Smith has masterfully navigated his entrepreneurial journey with audacity, resilience, and a surfer’s spirit. Born with an insatiable passion for surfing, Brian has not only ridden waves but also the tides of the business world. A chartered accountant turned innovative entrepreneur, he spotted the untapped potential of sheepskin boots and introduced them to California. This marked the genesis of UGG, a brand that faced its share of rejections, only to emerge as an icon in the footwear industry, thanks to Brian’s unwavering faith and tenacity. Today, UGG is more than just a brand; it’s a global phenomenon that has redefined comfort and style in footwear. Generating billions of dollars in annual sales, UGG stands as a testament to Brian’s vision, perseverance, and entrepreneurial prowess. In this interivew, I speak to Brian Smith, Founder of UGG. We talk about his entrepreneurial journey, why it’s important to see businesses through the lens of life stages, and what it takes to build a global brand with incredible consumer loyalty.

Thought Economics

Jacqueline Gold CBE is Chief Executive of Ann Summers and Knickerbox and is renowned for managing a business run by women, for women. Jacqueline is an activist for women in business, championing female entrepreneurs and, through sharing her own experiences, aims to better the working environment for women. Her attitude towards female empowerment and gender equality inspires countless generations of women to pursue their dreams and celebrate their successes, not least her 11-year-old daughter Scarlett. In this exclusive interview, I spoke to Jacqueline Gold CBE about her incredible entrepreneurship journey with Ann Summers and her work empowering women in the workplace.

Thought Economics

To learn more about how to build the brand of an entrepreneur, I caught up with Gary Vaynerchuk- one of the world’s most recognised entrepreneurs, with (at the time of writing) over 1.32 million twitter followers, over 1.22 million facebook fans and many videos on youtube with more than 500,000 views.

Thought Economics

A conversation with Troy Carter, the strategist and manager behind household names like Lady Gaga, John Legend, Meghan Trainor and Miguel; who is also a serial-entrepreneur and investor with holdings in companies including Spotify, Warby Parker, Songza, Dropbox, Fab and Uber.

Thought Economics

In these exclusive interviews, we speak to Claudia Schiffer (a globally renowned model, icon andbusinesswoman), Robin Givhan (Pulitzer Prize winning fashion writer and former special correspondent for Newsweek/Daily Beast) and Dov Charney (CEO and Founder of American Apparel). We discuss the very fundamental questions of ‘what’ fashion is, and how it has become such an important part of human culture and identity. Digging deeper, we also look at issues ranging from brand, to sexuality and even the business of fashion itself.

Thought Economics

An Interview with Interbrand Chairman, Rita Clifton In February 2012 in a paper titled, “The Role of Brands in Human Culture” I noted the significance of branding in our world.  To illustrate this, we should note that the top 10 global brands (as measured by the Interbrand index) have a…

Thought Economics

Guest article written for AllAboutAlpha.com – the official publication of the  Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) Association Originally posted at: http://allaboutalpha.com/blog/2012/04/26/the-brand-of-hedge-funds/ With almost US$2 Trillion under management, the hedge fund industry is a significant component of the global financial market.  To put their size in context however, it is important to…

Thought Economics

In these exclusive interviews, we speak to Professor Philip Kotler (S.C. Johnson & Son Distinguished Professor of International Marketing at the Northwestern University Kellogg Graduate School of Management and described as ‘the most influential marketer of all time’) and Martin Lindstrom (Chairman and founder of Buyology Inc, who was voted one of the World’s 100 Most Influential people by Time magazine). We discuss the nature of ‘brand’ and ‘branding’ together with the role branding plays in our economic and social world.

Thought Economics

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