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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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After being off the sourcing radar for almost a decade, suddenly everyone is starting to talk about Pakistan.

The combination of brands looking to diversify sourcing - and the benefits of having a the entire supply chain from fiber to finished garment in country - is putting a shine on Pakistan and boosting it up the sourcing tier list.

But Pakistan is more than simply another one of the countries where brands used to source until other places became more attractive.

To learn more about the massive opportunities in Pakistan, I reached out to my good friend Will Bettendorf, Director South Asia and Supply Chain Marketing, at Cotton Council International. If anyone knows the real opportunities in a country it’s Will.

He’s spent over two decades working hands on with most of Asia biggest mills and manufacturers . So he not only knows Pakistan, he’s able to accurately compare and contrast the county with all of the other key sourcing nations.

Recently I had the opportunity to join him and his team at a CCI event in Pakistan where I was able to meet some of the industry’s leading manufacturers and buying offices learn about the strategic advantages the country offers - especially as we face a more complex sourcing environment.

In this podcast Will shares his views on why Pakistan is poised to be the go-to place for sustainable apparel sourcing.


USEFUL LINKS:

Learn more about the US Cotton Trust Protocol: https://trustuscotton.org/

Learn more about US Cotton: https://cottonusa.org

Connect with Will Bettendorf on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-bettendorf-61455a5/

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Do people still have employment opportunities in a world increasingly focused on AI?

And if so, where? And what competitive advantage do they have?

Turns out, there are still big opportunities for people in the workplace.

The key is to understand what value humans can offer that technology can’t. And how smart companies will see the strategic advantage of balancing people with AI.

To find out more about where humans have an advantage in an increasingly tech-driven world, I reached out to Ron Thurston, retail consultant and bestselling author.

In his new book, ‘Human Pride’, Ron talks about the critical role people play in the retail sector - from entry level roles to C-suites leadership.

In this podcast Ron is going to share retail-proven insights on

• The importance of human connection in driving that all important customer retention.
• Why retailers need to identify and optimize each employee’s strengths in order to reduce staff turnover.
• How non-linear career paths can be strategic for growth in today’s retail landscape.
• Why people of all ages might want to consider the incredible opportunities in a retail career.

USEFUL LINKS:

Ron Thurston's book "Human Pride" on Amazon

Learn more about Inside Fashion at insidefashionLive.net

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What if you could find a system that maximized luck and generated outsized returns?

A method based on decision science that led you to make better choices - in both your business and personal life.

That’s exactly what Daniel Kang did. He learned how to use asymmetric bets to win scholarships that paid for his education, as well as to raise millions of dollars to fund his startup.

He then used this principle to land a book deal with leading business-book publisher Wiley & Sons.

Today Daniel Kang joins us here to share what he’s learned as the CEO & co-founder of a Y-Combinator backed startup Flowbo, as a venture capitalist at Softbank’s Vision Fund and how what he learned in pilot training taught him about running a business.

His new book “The Super Upside Factor: Asymmetric Principles that Will 10X Your Life” is a practical playbook to maximize luck in life and career.

The book is a must read for anyone looking to apply the principles that have enabled a few companies to outperform - even in challenging environments.

Daniel used asymmetric bets to elevate himself out of poverty and to become a wildly successful entrepreneur and recognized author. Let’s unpack what’s behind this methodology and how we can apply to in our lives.

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