Ethan Song and Lanny Smith of Actively Black delve into the power of business and entrepreneurship as catalysts for social change. Discover the advantages of crafting brands from the ground up– starting first with a movement and community before launching a single product. Gain insights from Lanny as he shares his experience tapping into niche communities and mission driven movements to foster relationships that drive sales and brand equity. This episode also delves into the business of sports, professional basketball and racism in business.
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Links Discussed
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Show Notes:
6:50 - Career ending injury
10:30 - Athlete entrepreneurs
15:10 - Racism in business
20:30 - Building audience
24:50 - Community first approach
29:00 - Brand ambassadors
31:05 - Giving back as a brand
34:30 - Brand collaborations
42:00 - Building relationships
47:00 - Niche audience
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Past guests on the Pop Up Report include Jake Karls (Mid-Day Squares), Joe Parenteau (Fable), Karen Danudjaja (Blume).
Stay tuned for new episodes from upcoming guests including Rami Helali (KOTN), Ryan Babenzien (Jolie Skin), Genvieve Brousseau (Dose Juice) and many more.
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Additional Episodes You Might Enjoy:
Rally Beer Company: Tapping into Passion
Mid-Day Squares: Building the Next Great CPG Brand through Authentic Content
Burrow: Customer Obsession as a Competitive Advantage
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The Pop Up Report interviews DTC and CPG founders to uncover how they fostered and scaled their communities to create profitable businesses. Gain a deeper understanding of the tools, tactics and retention strategies that build true customer loyalty.
Subscribe to the Pop Up Report on Substack or YouTube for more.
E10 Pop Up Active: How Lanny Smith Went From Career Ending Injury to $30M Brand