Companies dream of building that amazing product that does all kinds of incredible things or has a cool user interface.

It all about the wow factor.

However what customers usually want - or what they’ll actually buy - is a simple product that gets the job done.

This disconnect is at the heart of why many businesses get lots of media attention, but not quite so many sales.

Today we’re joined by Tobi Ogunmoyero , a Certified Scrum Product Owner who helps organizations turn complex ideas into products customers value.

He has delivered large-scale platforms across finance, public services and early-stage technology ventures and leads product vision and roadmaps at Sleekabyte Technologies.

In this podcast he’ll be talking about the early signs of product debt. How to lower overheads. And what metrics we need to watch to when managing product debt.

USEFUL LINKS:

Connect with Tobi Ugunmoyero: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobi-ogunmoyero-18302762/

Learn more about Inside Fashion: https://insidefashionLive.net

Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

Many people dream of starting a fashion brand.

The combination of a doing something creative with the glamour and energy of catwalk shows and photo shoots can be intoxicating.

What isn’t always obvious - at least for new designers or for people outside of the industry - is the challenge of starting from scratch.

It’s not only about growing your brand. It’s about doing everything yourself - from designing to sewing - and the business side.

And it’s not only in the fashion industry. Starting a business can be very rewarding, but you need to be able to play the long game to reap those rewards.

Meet Sofia Georgia Rothman, a rising star on the New York design scene. Her collection has a growing following of young consumers - like her - who want high quality garments with a sense of personal style.

In this episode she shares a ‘raw and real’ look at what it’s like launching a brand - and taking it from being a personal project into a business.

USEFUL LINKS:

Follow Sofia Georgina Rothman: @sofiageorgiarothman

Learn more about Inside Fashion: https://insidefashionLive.net

Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

Today supply chain success is driven by a combination of speed, reliability and innovation.

The concept is easy to understand. Executing on this is where it gets tricky.

Especially in a global landscape that seems to be constantly changing - with no indication of settling down any time soon.

Today we’re joined by Sean Coxall, chairman of 707 Limited, a leading provider of worldwide sourcing options and innovative supply chain solutions. Previously, he served as President of Li & Fung’s Branded Fashion and Sportswear Group.

With a major focus on speed and innovation, both in terms of product and new business models, Sean pioneered the use of digital technology in particular through the use of virtual sampling.

In this podcast, he’ll be sharing what he sees as both the challenges - and the opportunities - in an apparel supply chain that is quite a lot different from what it was a few short years ago.

Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

In the face of rising competition from new brands, more demanding consumers and ever present cost pressures, it’s not easy to run a successful brand.

Thus it’s not surprising that more brands are losing momentum or are stuck in slump that isn’t being solved by changing creative directors, altering their DNA or adding new lines.

In many cases, that’s actually made things worse.

To get a better understanding of what where brands are going wrong - and were a few are getting it right - I reached out to Glenn McMahon, a C-suite apparel industry executive who helps brands establish clear creative vision while driving EBITDA growth and margin expansion.

In this episode he shares where brands have gone wrong - and what leadership might do to get them back on track. Glenn also talks about what he sees as a game-changing AI development that the industry can’t afford to overlook.

Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

The retail landscape has becoming increasingly challenging with more brands struggling not only with top line growth but also with bottom line performance.

The easy excuse is blame the economy. Tariffs have shaken up the entire supply chain- from sourcing through to retail pricing.

And yet some retailers are outperforming the market.

Why?

To learn more about what’s standing in the way of retailer performance, I reached out to my long time friend and colleague Walter Holbrook.

Walter is leading retail consultant with a sharp understanding of exactly what successful retailers are doing right - and why others are struggling to keep up.

In this podcast he discuses the often overlooked problems that are preventing retailers from hitting sales goals and draining profits.

Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

Activewear continues to be a a top performing apparel category with consumers worldwide having a seemingly insatiable appetite for both the look and the comfort aspect that defines sports garments.

After such a long successful run, how will activewear maintain its lead position in a highly competitive industry. And amongst consumers who are constantly presented with ‘the next big thing’?

I reached out to my long time colleague Louisa Smith, trend researcher and activewear development expert to gain insights into what might be next for this category.

She shared some of her insights into what continues to drive activewear, how performance properties are now key in ready-to-wear - and what might be next for sports apparel and performance textiles.

Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

In an increasingly competitive retail landscape, more brands are looking for new markets with high growth potential.

That’s put the GCC (Gulf Cooperative Council) region on more brands’ radar.

The region includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, nations that have strong spending power and continue to invest in retail development.

In this episode of A Seat at The Table we’re sitting down with Dr. Heike Lieb-Wilson, a trusted advisor and market expansion strategist for global brands entering the GCC and MENA region.

With over a decade of hands-on experience in the UAE - and more than 40 years in international business - she combines strategic clarity with deep regional insight.

As the founder of Brightly Labs LLC in Dubai, Heike helps premium European brands navigate complex entry challenges, from licensing and localization to retail growth and partner vetting.
Her agent-based model offers brands a low-risk, high-impact pathway to scale in the region - backed by trusted networks and proven frameworks.

Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

What happens when an apparel guy decides to found a tech company?

A game-changing concept that can drive retail sales - and build customer engagement, that’s what can happen.

And it is exactly what one smart entrepreneur did.

Meet Jeff Gray, Founder and CEO of RoboArt Labs, a pioneering AI-powered platform that is transforming how retailers engage with their customers. He is also a co-owner of Creative Apparel Concepts, a company he co-founded over 25 years ago that develops and manufactures apparel and sleepwear programs for major retailers such as Target, Walmart, and Disney.

With decades of experience running an apparel company, leading sales strategies, and overseeing product development and manufacturing, Jeff is now at the forefront of AI-driven customization.

Through RoboArt, he’s giving e-commerce retailers a completely new kind of experience—one where customers can easily generate stunning AI art, personalize it with text, photos, or logos, and order it to be printed on-demand with no inventory required.

Before we get started, if you looking to stay ahead of newest technology that’s revolutionizing the apparel industry - as well as gain critical insights about fast growing markets, key developments in sourcing and how brands are reacting to the market, then you might want to take a look at Inside Fashion.

Each month you’ll get vital information delivered in a reader-friendly format so you can get up to speed - without spending all day reading. You can learn more at Inside fashion live.net.

Now let’s find out more about what Jeff is doing with AI - and how it helping retailers drive sales.

Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm