Facing the Giants

Scott Kerr is joined by Alexandros Papadopoulos, president of Athens, Greece-based Éteo Goods, which manufactures ultra-premium extra virgin olive oil products. Alexandros discusses his journey from working in tech to building a luxury olive oil business, the olive oil craze in the U.S., positioning Éteo as a luxury brand that's meant to be integrated in our daily lives, its keepsake packaging, and partnerships with Jean-Georges and F.P. Journe Plus: How extreme weather in Europe has impacted the olive oil business. Featuring: Alexandros Papadopoulos, President of Éteo Goods (eteogoods.com)Host:Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone ConsultingAbout Facing the Giants podcast:Luxury entrepreneurs talk about competing with the Goliaths of the industry.Stay Connected: Twitter: @facinggiantspod, @scott_kerr, @silvertone_incEmail: scott@silvertoneconsulting.comDon't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

Scott Kerr sits down with legendary New York City gym pioneer David Barton to talk about the launch is his new luxury gym, GYM U. Barton, who pioneered the gym-as-nightclub aesthetic, discusses how the industry has changed since he first opened his popular namesake gym in the early 1990s, why state-of-the-art technology is key to the member experience, the new paradigm in the post-pandemic gym business, strategies for membership retention, and the new on-premise culinary mushroom café. Plus: Why films by Stanley Kubrick, Fritz Lang, and Orson Welles were design inspirations for GYM UFeaturing: David Barton, Founder of Gym U (gymunyc.com)Host:Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone ConsultingAbout Facing the Giants podcast:Luxury entrepreneurs talk about competing with the Goliaths of the industry.Stay Connected: Twitter: @facinggiantspod, @scott_kerr, @silvertone_incEmail: scott@silvertoneconsulting.comDon't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

Scott Kerr is joined by Barnabas Carrega, co-founder and CEO of GR8 Experiences, a company that specializes in creating once-in-a-lifetime ultra-luxury experiences for the ultra wealthy. Barnabas discusses how an observation he made at Wimbledon inspired him to start the company, GR8's recent highly exclusive event at Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix hosted by award-winning culinary master Massimo Bottura, why UHNWIs are splurging on extreme experiences, and the increased demand for luxe train rides. Plus: The "White Lotus" effect is real.Featuring: Barnabas Carrega, Co-Founder and CEO of GR8 Experiences (thegr8experience.com)Host:Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone ConsultingAbout Facing the Giants podcast:Luxury entrepreneurs talk about competing with the Goliaths of the industry.Stay Connected: Twitter: @facinggiantspod, @scott_kerr, @silvertone_incEmail: scott@silvertoneconsulting.comDon't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

Scott Kerr is joined by David Trewern, founder and CEO of Fliteboard, a luxury personal watercraft company that makes the world's first electric hydrofoil surfboard. One of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2022, Fliteboard provides the sensation of flying over water. A serial entrepreneur, David talks about his journey from running a digital ad agency to launching Fliteboard in 2019, the rising popularity of foiling among wealthy consumers, how the technology works, safety challenges, and the recent launch of its beginner-friendly Flitescooter. Plus: Was Mark Zuckerberg riding a Fliteboard electric foiling surfboard in that infamous July 4th, 2021 viral video?Featuring: David Trewern, Founder and CEO of Flite (fliteboard.com)Host:Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone ConsultingAbout Facing the Giants podcast:Luxury entrepreneurs talk about competing with the Goliaths of the industry.Stay Connected: Twitter: @facinggiantspod, @scott_kerr, @silvertone_incEmail: scott@silvertoneconsulting.comDon't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

Scott Kerr speaks to one of New York City's prominent restaurateurs, Matt Abramcyk, owner of Neighborhood Projects Restaurant Group, about building a restaurant empire and his critically acclaimed new venture The Golden Swan. Matt discusses moving from the finance realm to the hospitality business in the mid-2000s with the opening Beatrice Inn, one of the hottest spots in New York City. Matt also talks about his restaurant group's philosophy of "developing neighborhood experiences," why he saw a gap in the New York restaurant market for The Golden Swan, and his affinity for turning historic buildings into new restaurant concepts. Plus: How does a restaurant achieve "classic" status?Featuring: Matt Abramcyk, restaurateur and owner of Neighborhood Projects Restaurant Group(neighborhoodprojects.com, tgsnyc.com)Host:Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone ConsultingAbout Facing the Giants podcast:Luxury entrepreneurs talk about competing with the Goliaths of the industry.Stay Connected: Twitter: @facinggiantspod, @scott_kerr, @silvertone_incEmail: scott@silvertoneconsulting.comDon't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

Scott Kerr speaks to Emilia Fazzalari, co-founder and CEO of Cincoro Tequila, a super-premium tequila brand that she along with four NBA team owners (including Michael Jordan) launched in 2019. Emilia discusses how a serendipitous dinner with the four team owners led to the creation of Cincoro and starting a business as a complete outsider in the category. She also talks about the surging tequila demand, getting consensus among the owners on the ideal tequila taste profile, the unique glass bottle design filled with hidden meanings, why a new "Gold" expression was launched, and the Cincoro targeted roll-out strategy. Plus: Breaking through in a storm of celebrity-backed tequilasFeaturing: Emilia Fazzalari, Co-Founder and CEO of Cincoro Tequila and Cincoro Spirits Group (cincoro.com) Host:Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone ConsultingAbout Facing the Giants podcast:Luxury entrepreneurs talk about competing with the Goliaths of the industry.Stay Connected: Twitter: @facinggiantspod, @scott_kerr, @silvertone_incEmail: scott@silvertoneconsulting.comDon't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

Scott Kerr speaks to Jean Dousset, a descendant of Louis Cartier and founder of namesake designer jewelry brand Jean Dousset, about his journey from selling only natural diamonds to fully embracing lab-grown. Jean also discusses training at the most esteemed high jewelers before venturing solo, how his diamond engagement ring creations for Eva Longoria and Amy Adams helped make a name for himself when he was starting out, and why shifting to only lab-grown was a better strategic business move. He talks about why UHNWIs are a prime target for lab-grown diamonds, changing people's minds about lab-grown diamonds firsthand at his new boutique, and why lab-grown diamonds are just as much an emotional purchase as earth-mined natural ones. Plus: What would Louis Cartier say about lab-grown diamonds? Featuring: Jean Dousset, Founder & CEO of Jean Dousset (jeandousset.com)Host:Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone ConsultingAbout Facing the Giants podcast:Luxury entrepreneurs talk about competing with the Goliaths of the industry.Stay Connected: Twitter: @facinggiantspod, @scott_kerr, @silvertone_incEmail: scott@silvertoneconsulting.comDon't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

Scott Kerr speaks to James Gardner, founder & CEO of Grupo Gitano, a growing celebrity-fueled hospitality group whose restaurant and beach club concepts are built through a fashion lens. James discusses his journey from technology to fashion to launching a ritzy seen-and-be-seen bar & kitchen concept on the beaches of Tulum, Mexico. He also talks about duplicating the Tulum experience at its New York City and Miami locations, what he learned about brand building from working with top luxury fashion houses, opening a retail marketplace, and achieving success by taking "big swings and big risks". Plus: The making of Gitano Island on New York's Governors IslandFeaturing: James Gardner, Founder & CEO of Grupo Gitano (gitano.com)Host:Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone ConsultingAbout Facing the Giants podcast:Luxury entrepreneurs talk about competing with the Goliaths of the industry.Stay Connected: Twitter: @facinggiantspod, @scott_kerr, @silvertone_incEmail: scott@silvertoneconsulting.comDon't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

Scott Kerr is joined by serial entrepreneur Julie Macklowe, founder and CEO of The Macklowe, described as the first luxury American single malt whisky brand. Julie discusses how she turned her lifelong love of single malt whisky into an ultra-premium product that she calls "the Birkin bag of single malts." She also talks about her journey from hedge funds to fashion to beauty before her latest venture trying to fill the gap in the American whisky market. Julie describes finding one of the top master distillers to bring her vision to life, launching with a highly limited release of only 237 bottles at $1,500 each, and the inspiration for its collectible-worthy bottle. Plus: Julie talks about the upcoming launch of new whisky product along with an NFTFeaturing: Julie Macklowe, Founder and CEO of The Macklowe (themacklowe.com)Host:Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone ConsultingAbout Facing the Giants podcast:Luxury entrepreneurs talk about competing with the Goliaths of the industry.Stay Connected: Twitter: @facinggiantspod, @scott_kerr, @silvertone_incEmail: scott@silvertoneconsulting.comDon't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

On this episode of Facing the Giants podcast, Scott Kerr speaks with Christopher Hunsberger, co-founder and chief operating officer of Appellation, a new food-centric luxury hotel brand. Hunsberger, a veteran luxury hotelier who was an executive at Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, discusses joining forces with celebrity chef Charlie Palmer to create a new breed of culinary-first hotels. He also talks about the important connection between the hotel's food & beverage offering and the local community around it, how the hotels are thoughtfully designed to make the intersection of culinary and hospitality appear seamless to guests, why Appellation is positioned as an "approachable luxury" brand, and ways it's using technology and data to enhance the guest experience. Plus: Chris shares his thoughts on the future of fine dining. Featuring: Christopher Hunsberger, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Appellation (appellationhotels.com) Host: Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone Consulting About Facing the Giants podcast: Luxury entrepreneurs talk about competing with the Goliaths of the industry. Stay Connected: Twitter: @facinggiantspod, @scott_kerr, @silvertone_inc Email: scott@silvertoneconsulting.com Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

On this episode of Facing the Giants podcast, Scott Kerr speaks with Vanessa Barboni Hallik, founder and CEO of B Corp certified woman's luxury fashion brand Another Tomorrow. Vanessa discusses pivoting from finance to fashion, launching the brand during the pandemic, its three pillar value system that guides business decisions, meticulous sourcing policies, translating the digital native brand's ethos into a physical store, and rolling out a resale platform using digital IDs. Plus: How Another Tomorrow uses smart transparency technology to gain trust with customers Featuring: Vanessa Barboni Hallik, Founder and CEO of Another Tomorrow (anothertomorrow.com) Host: Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone Consulting About Facing the Giants podcast: Luxury entrepreneurs talk about competing with the Goliaths of the industry. Stay Connected: Twitter: @facinggiantspod, @scott_kerr, @silvertone_inc Email: scott@silvertoneconsulting.com Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

On this episode of Facing the Giants podcast, Scott Kerr with down with entrepreneur Charlie Clifford, co-founder and director at ROAM, a direct-to-consumer premium luggage brand that allows people to completely customize the look of their suitcase. Clifford, who founded world-renowned Tumi in the 1970s, talks about finding a gap in the upper end of the luggage market that sparked the idea for ROAM. He also discusses how the customization platform works, building a profitable business model through a "patience strategy" and long-term commitment to the brand, the changing relationship between travelers and their luggage, and purposely not playing in the smart luggage arena. Plus: How he has navigated both Tumi and ROAM through a number of existential crises that would normally cripple a travel-related company Featuring: Charlie Clifford, Co-Founder and Director at ROAM (roamluggage.com) Host: Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone Consulting About Facing the Giants podcast: Luxury entrepreneurs talk about competing with the Goliaths of the industry. Stay Connected: Twitter: @facinggiantspod, @scott_kerr, @silvertone_inc Email: scott@silvertoneconsulting.com Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

On this episode of Facing the Giants podcast, Scott Kerr talks to Kate Swanson, founder and CEO of ENSEMBL, a direct-to-consumer super-premium cookware brand with products that feature detachable handles to optimize space. Kate discusses her journey from attorney to entrepreneur and how Ensembl's radically redesigned cookware competes with both the high-end rivals and a slew of new DTC brands. She also talks about why men have been early adopters of the brand, navigating the recent choppy waters of the DTC world, battling post-pandemic "cooking fatigue", taking a thoughtful approach to marketing, and exploring retail partners. Plus: Kate explains why she looks to Dyson for inspiration. Featuring: Kate Swanson, Founder and CEO of ENSEMBL (getensembl.com) Host: Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone Consulting About Facing the Giants podcast: Luxury entrepreneurs talk about competing with the Goliaths of the industry. Stay Connected: Twitter: @facinggiantspod, @scott_kerr, @silvertone_inc Email: scott@silvertoneconsulting.com Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

On this episode of Facing the Giants podcast, Scott Kerr speaks with beauty industry veteran Veronique Gabai, founder and CEO of her eponymous fragrance line. Veronique discusses why she left her role as Global President of Estée Lauder Company to start her own fragrance brand and the strategies she took to successfully launch during the pandemic. She also discusses why the fragrance market has been booming, the accelerating growth of niche scents, positioning her brand in a crowded field, her approach to creating scents inspired by her childhood on the French Riviera, and the role 'perfume therapy' plays in her new Aroma collection. Plus: The learnings she applied from creating hugely successful designer scents (by Donna Karan, Tommy Hilfiger, and others) to creating her own fragrances. Featuring: Veronique Gabai, Founder and CEO of Veronique Gabai (veroniquegabai.com) Host: Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone Consulting About Facing the Giants podcast: Luxury entrepreneurs talk about competing with the Goliaths of the industry. Stay Connected: Twitter: @facinggiantspod, @scott_kerr, @silvertone_inc Email: scott@silvertoneconsulting.com Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

On this episode of Facing the Giants, Scott Kerr speaks with Stephanie Sarka, co-founder and CEO of 1 Atelier, a direct-to-consumer luxury accessories brand that combines old-fashioned craftsmanship and modern technology to allow customers to design their own luxury handbags from scratch. Stephanie discusses how hearing from women's dissatisfaction with the ubiquitous nature of popular luxury handbag brands inspired her to start the company. She also talks about how 1 Atelier is the only luxury accessories brand practicing on-demand production, its proprietary customization technology, how customers wanted their handbags customized coming out of the pandemic, the brand's stylist network, and the company's inherently sustainable business model. Plus: 1 Atelier's in-store presence at Nordstrom and Bloomingdale's Featuring: Stephanie Sarka, Co-Founder and CEO of 1 Atelier (1atelier.com) Host: Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone Consulting About Facing the Giants podcast: Luxury entrepreneurs talk about competing with the Goliaths of the industry. Stay Connected: Twitter: @facinggiantspod, @scott_kerr, @silvertone_inc Email: scott@silvertoneconsulting.com Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

On this episode of Facing the Giants, Scott Kerr speaks with Luis Torres, co-Founder of Freud Cigar Co. about the recent launch of the luxury cigar brand inspired by one of the most famous cigar smokers - Dr. Sigmund Freud. Luis talks about how they secured the Freud name and introducing a "SuperEgo" line to keep with the theme, why it's positioned as a luxury brand, and generating awareness in a crowded premium cigar market. Plus: Why Freud Cigar Co. hired the "Bob Dylan" of the tobacco industry Featuring: Luis Torres, Co-Founder of Freud Cigar Co. (freudcigars.com) Host: Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone Consulting About Facing the Giants podcast: Luxury entrepreneurs talk about competing with the Goliaths of the industry. Stay Connected: Twitter: @facinggiantspod, @scott_kerr, @silvertone_inc Email: scott@silvertoneconsulting.com Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

On this episode of Facing the Giants, Scott Kerr speaks with Gamze Ates, founder and CEO of My Beachy Side, a mission-driven luxury resortwear brand handcrafted by underprivileged women from Turkey and Syria. Gamze discusses how she creates economic and growth opportunities for these disadvantaged women, the brand's sustainability practices, scaling a handmade production business, and collaborating with hit Netflix series "Emily in Paris" for the show's first capsule collection. Featuring: Gamze Ates, Founder of My Beachy Side (mybeachyside.com) Host: Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone Consulting About Facing the Giants podcast: Luxury entrepreneurs talk about competing with the Goliaths of the industry. Stay Connected: Twitter: @facinggiantspod, @scott_kerr, @silvertone_inc Email: scott@silvertoneconsulting.com Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

On this episode of Facing the Giants, Scott Kerr speaks with artist and entrepreneur Paula Crown about the recent launch of AspenX, a new retail and experiential luxury lifestyle brand that captures the spirit of wealthy hotspot Aspen, Colorado. Crown, whose family owns the Aspen Skiing Company and iconic uber-luxe resort The Little Nell, discusses her vision behind the brand, collaborating with Prada on a line of eco-friendly winter wear, competing in a crowded field of luxury skiwear brands, and the relaunch of the highly sought-after AspenX Mountain Club and the benefits of paying a $275,000 initiation fee. Plus: A 'snow beach' pop-up in partnership with acclaimed photographer Gray Malin Featuring: Paula Crown, Artist and Entrepreneur, AspenX (aspenx.com) Host: Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone Consulting About Facing the Giants podcast: Luxury entrepreneurs talk about competing with the Goliaths of the industry. Stay Connected: Twitter: @facinggiantspod, @scott_kerr, @silvertone_inc Email: scott@silvertoneconsulting.com Newsletter: brilliantcut.substack.com Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

On this episode of Facing the Giants, Scott Kerr sits down with Jean Lin, founder and creative director of Colony, a new kind of co-op platform for New York City’s thriving community of independent furniture, lighting, textile, and object designers. Jean discusses how she laid the ground-work for Colony in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy and the hurdles independent designers come up against with traditional galleries. She also talks about how Colony gets independent designers noticed to interior designers and collectors, her curation process, its consulting wing, how the co-op makes money and whether she wants to scale the business. Plus: Why independent designers thrived during the pandemic Featuring: Jean Lin, Founder and Creative Director at COLONY (goodcolony.com) Host: Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone Consulting About Facing the Giants podcast: Luxury entrepreneurs talk about competing with the Goliaths of the industry. Stay Connected: Twitter: @facinggiantspod, @scott_kerr, @silvertone_inc Email: scott@silvertoneconsulting.com Newsletter: brilliantcut.substack.com Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

On the premiere episode of Facing the Giants, Scott Kerr speaks with Nathalie Dionne, founder and creative director of Thalie Paris, a new French sustainable luxury leather goods brand that uses innovative materials like recycled salmon skin waste from local sushi restaurants, Mexican cactus leaves, and upcycled leathers from dormant stocks. Nathalie discusses how the Thalie Paris brand was 'born' during COVID lockdown, the design and production process behind creating her sustainably sourced collections, how the brand invites its customers to "feel Parisian", her growth and distribution strategy, and the Thalie virtual showroom. Plus: Lessons learned as an entrepreneur Featuring: Nathalie Dionne, Founder and Creative Director of Thalie Paris (thalieparis.com) Host: Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone Consulting About Facing the Giants podcast: Luxury entrepreneurs talk about competing with the Goliaths of the industry. Stay Connected: Twitter: @facinggiantspod, @scott_kerr, @silvertone_inc Email: scott@silvertoneconsulting.com Newsletter: brilliantcut.substack.com Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!