In this episode of The Retail Pilot, Ken Pilot sits down with visionary entrepreneur Gregg Renfrew, founder of BeautyCounter and now Counter, to explore what it truly means to disrupt an industry—twice.

After building a billion-dollar brand and selling it to The Carlyle Group, Gregg faced the highs and lows of leadership, loss, and redemption. When BeautyCounter collapsed, she made the bold move to buy it back—relaunching as Counter with a renewed focus on transparency, high performance, and sustainability.

Gregg shares her personal journey of reinvention: from navigating private equity to reclaiming her mission, empowering women entrepreneurs, and redefining what clean beauty means today. She also reveals how Counter is using modern tech, authentic storytelling, and a new direct-to-consumer model to reconnect with customers who care about purpose and performance.

If you’re an entrepreneur, founder, or creative leader determined to rise again after setbacks, this episode offers a masterclass in resilience, reinvention, and leading with vision.

Show Notes:

• The environmental wake-up call that sparked Gregg’s clean beauty mission

• How BeautyCounter grew into a billion-dollar global movement

• Lessons from losing control and the courage it took to buy it back

• The strategy and heart behind launching Counter

• Why she dropped “Beauty” from the brand name and what it symbolizes

• The evolution of community-driven commerce and micro-influencer partnerships

• Using AI, tech, and storytelling to deepen customer relationships

• How Counter is reshaping clean beauty standards with integrity

• Gregg’s advice for women raising capital and owning their power in male-dominated rooms

• The importance of humility, courage, and knowing when to reinvent
  

Listen if you love: stories of comeback, entrepreneurship, clean beauty innovation, and women redefining leadership on their own terms.

Subscribe to The Retail Pilot wherever you get your podcasts and visit counter.com to explore the new collection. Use code RETAILPILOT15 for 15% off your first order—exclusive for our listeners. Follow @theretailpilot for more founder stories shaping the future of retail.

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In this episode of The Retail Pilot Podcast, host Ken Pilot welcomes David Lauren, Chief Branding and Innovation Officer at Ralph Lauren. Together, they dive deep into the brand’s 25-year evolution under David’s leadership from pioneering digital storytelling and shoppable windows to launching Ask Ralph, the company’s first consumer-facing AI styling tool. Lauren shares how the balance between creative vision and business discipline has kept Ralph Lauren both timeless and modern, while exploring the future of retail innovation, artificial intelligence, and global brand storytelling.

Listeners will also hear exclusive insights into the company’s hospitality ventures, the magic behind its immersive retail experiences, and a personal look at Ralph Lauren’s legacy, culminating in his recent Presidential Medal of Freedom honor.

If you’ve ever wondered how a heritage brand like Ralph Lauren continues to innovate while staying true to its identity, this episode is a masterclass in vision, leadership, and enduring style.

Show Notes

• Topics covered:

  • The evolution of Ralph Lauren from wholesale to a 70% direct-to-consumer brand

  • How Ask Ralph, the brand’s new AI-powered personal styling tool, is redefining the shopping experience

  • Balancing technology and tradition: using AI without losing authenticity

  • The enduring influence of Ralph Lauren’s creative philosophy and brand discipline

  • Behind the scenes of Ralph Lauren’s innovation milestones from shoppable windows to interactive apps

  • Global expansion and the rise of Ralph Lauren hospitality, including The Polo Bar and Ralph’s in Paris

  • The future of AI in retail and storytelling and why the human touch still matters most

Ralph Lauren’s success story isn’t just about fashion — it’s about vision, storytelling, and timeless innovation.

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to The Retail Pilot Podcast for more insider conversations with retail visionaries shaping the future of fashion, business, and innovation.

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In this episode of The Retail Pilot, Sarah Davis and Ben Hemminger, co-founders of Fashionphile, share the remarkable journey of building the largest online platform for buying and selling ultra-luxury handbags and accessories in the U.S. From its beginnings as a small eBay shop in 1999 to a multimillion-dollar brand with flagship locations in New York and California, Fashionphile has become a pioneer in luxury re-commerce.

Sarah and Ben open up about the early challenges of earning consumer trust, overcoming the stigma around pre-owned luxury, and building a model based on authenticity, innovation, and customer experience.

This episode dives into the mechanics of luxury resale, from authentication and pricing to the customer behaviors driving growth. Sarah and Ben also share candid insights on leadership, entrepreneurship, and what it takes to scale a business from a basement to a global stage while staying true to their vision of making pre-owned luxury both legitimate and desirable.

Together, Sarah and Ben discuss:
• The origins of Fashionphile and how they recognized the opportunity in luxury resale
• The importance of authenticity and dispelling myths about pre-owned goods
• How a 90210 address and Rodeo Drive proximity built credibility with customers
• The difference between Fashionphile’s model and competitors like The RealReal and Rebag
• Why their buyout approach creates stronger customer trust and profitability
• The partnership with Neiman Marcus and now Saks Global, and how it has fueled growth
• Their vision for international expansion and the untapped opportunities in luxury re-commerce
• Leadership lessons from building a family business and keeping a team motivated by vision

Tune in now to hear how Fashionphile is transforming the way the world thinks about luxury resale. And remember — subscribe so you never miss an episode of The Retail Pilot.

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