Chip Wilson is the founder of Lululemon. And wow, he is a fascinating character. Larger than life, an unconventional visionary, but also stubborn and volatile.

Chip had an uncanny ability to spot the next big thing. Not only did he practically invent the athleisure category with Lululemon, but he had built apparel brands around 2 huge trends before that, skateboarding and snowboarding.

With Lululemon, he was ahead on the yoga trend, and led the company to its IPO just 9 years later.

But Lululemon wasn’t just first in yoga apparel, it was one of the first fully vertically integrated retailers, owning the entire supply chain from manufacturing to retail stores. Chip had an axe to grind against many things, and the wholesale model in retail was just one of them.

Chip’s nonconformist approach would lead to many innovations for Lululemon and would inspire the future era of DTC brands. But it would also lead to him being ousted from his own company.

This first episode covers Chip's childhood, and his early entrepreneurial ventures where he would prove a knack for predicting big cultural shifts and building iconic apparel brands around them.

Dr Shannon Klingman knew her new deodorant, Lume, could control body odor unlike any other product on the market. She just needed to get it out there.

But she had no business experience. Development partners all turned her down. And she was 47 years old.

It was all up to her. So she mortgaged her home, cashed out her 401K, and rolled up her sleeves.

4 years later, she would sell Lume to Harry’s for an estimated $100M.

In this episode, I share Dr. Klingman’s journey from a medical professional discovering a widespread misdiagnosis of bacterial vaginosis to an entrepreneur who single-handedly developed and marketed her invention in the face of industry rejection. Despite having no business background, her perseverance led to a viral marketing success, dramatically boosting Lume's sales and leading to its presence in major retailers like Target and Walmart.

This is a story of pure grit and determination. Please enjoy, and if you do, I would greatly appreciate a rating and review!

• 00:00 Welcome to the Obsession Podcast: The Lume Story
• 01:18 The Genesis of Lume: Dr. Shannon Klingman's Journey
• 02:52 From Rejection to Revolution: Building Lume Against the Odds
• 04:43 The Marketing Challenge: Educating the Market on a New Solution
• 05:29 Going Viral with the Harman Brothers: A Risky Bet Pays Off
• 07:47 The Sale to Harry's: A Bootstrapped Success Story
• 08:47 Dr. Klingman's Vision Beyond the Sale
• 10:26 Lume's Expansion and Dr. Klingman's Legacy
• 12:01 Closing Thoughts: The Entrepreneurial Journey of Dr. Shannon Klingman

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Links & further reading

The Capitalism.com podcast interview with Dr Shannon Klingman

This episode of the Obsession Podcast features a deep dive into the life and career of John Romero, a legendary figure in the world of video game design known for his work on iconic games like Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, and Quake.

Kiri is joined by Phillip Jackson, co-founder of Future Commerce, to whom Kiri tells Romero's origin story, from his challenging childhood to his achievements in game design and his significant influence on gaming culture and technology.

Phillip, himself profoundly impacted by the technological advances of the same era, shares his personal experiences related to the gaming industry, the evolution of digital media, and the impact of early gaming innovators like Romero.

Key Themes:

• The Origins and Impact of Doom: We look back at Romero's early life, from a challenging childhood to his monumental contributions to the video game industry. Discover how Doom revolutionized gaming with its technical innovations, including multiplayer gaming, texture mapping, and the creation of a game engine phenomenon.
• The Creation of id Software: Learn how Romero, alongside John Carmack and others, founded id Software, overcoming industry challenges and setting new standards for game development and distribution.
• The Rise of Multiplayer Gaming: A deep dive into how Doom introduced the concept of multiplayer gaming, fundamentally changing how games were played, shared, and enjoyed globally.
• John Romero's Legacy: Despite the professional split between Romero and Carmack, Romero's legacy in the video game industry is undeniable. His story provides invaluable lessons on innovation, resilience, and the importance of embracing one's passion.
• The Multiplayer Brand Concept: Phillip Jackson shares how the principles of collaboration and community-driven innovation in gaming have parallels in today's e-commerce and digital media landscapes.
• A Look to the Future: Reflecting on how gaming continues to evolve and shape culture and commerce, discussing the role of participatory experiences and the ongoing influence of pioneers like Romero.

Links & further reading

• Phillip’s company is FutureCommerce
• Check out the Multiplayer Brand from FutureCommerce
• FutureCommerce’s Visions Summit at MoMA, June 11, 2024
• Doom Guy, by John Romero (book)

Gina Rinehart made her billions as a mining magnate in the remote region of Western Australia. She inherited this business from her late father Lang Hancock, but you'd be quickly scolded for calling her an heiress.

In fact, the Hancock mining empire was in very poor financial shape when Gina eventually claimed her spot at the helm. She turned the company around, expanding its choke on the mining value chain, and replenishing the coffers which had nearly been depleted - first by her spendthrift stepmother, Rose Hancock, and then from many years in and out of court battling Rose for ownership of the companies.

This is Gina's story - from Lang's discovery of vast deposits of iron ore in Western Australia, to Gina's forgotten childhood spent learning the business, to the many vicious legal skirmishes among members of the family and anyone else who came within firing range of Gina Rinehart.

Gina is far from a universally well-liked figure in Australian business. Her and her late father's political views are polarizing. Although she gives away untold amounts as part of her philanthropic efforts, her money is not welcome to everyone. And after making peace with her own father after many acrimonious years of warring, she is still locked in public battles with three of her four children.

Gina Rinehart was born with an iron spoon in her mouth. You'll hear how the weight of that fortune has left a bad taste for many.

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Check out Essie's business, Quince - creators of audio portraits

The biography I used as source material for this episode: Gina Rinehart: The Untold Story of the Richest Woman in the World by Adele Ferguson, 2012

Please let me know what you think of this episode format! Email me at theobsessionpodcast@gmail.com

Legendary beauty industry mogul Bobbi Brown signed her life away for 25 years in a contract with Estée Lauder, after they bought her eponymous brand Bobbi Brown Cosmetics.  She launched a new beauty brand, Jones Road, the very day her non-compete ended.

Brown stands out among our other "Obsessed" subjects as having a well-balanced life, being well-liked, having a clear direction, an unstinting passion for her field, and a compelling story inclusivity and innovation in the beauty industry.  This episode shares her life story, her life philosophies, daily habits, and the role of luck and timing in her success.

00:00 Introduction: The Story of Bobbi Brown

02:33 Bobbi Brown's Early Life and Career

04:04 The Launch of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics

05:45 The Acquisition by Estée Lauder and Non-Compete Agreement

07:11 Bobbi Brown's Life Post-Estée Lauder

07:51 The Launch of Jones Road

10:03 Bobbi Brown's Philosophy and Approach to Success

11:32 The Role of Luck and Timing in Bobbi Brown's Success

16:03 Bobbi Brown's Life Philosophies and Themes

23:39 Bobbi Brown's Daily Habits and Work Environment

26:17 Conclusion

It's 2004. Kris Jenner has taken Caitlin Jenner from a has-been Olympian with $300K in debt, and turned her life around. They now live in a wealthy LA suburb, with their 6 children in fancy private schools, a bustling public career for Caitlin, and mingling with LA’s entertainment elite on the weekends.

But it’s not enough for Kris. She wants more for herself. And she’s not content for Caitlin to be the only star in the family.

In Part 3 of Kris Jenner’s life story, we’ll learn how Kris skyrockets her family to fame and fortune.

We’ll also learn about 9 key life philosophies that were instrumental in the success of the Kardashian-Jenner family. You’ll see how Kris’ obsession was a necessary ingredient for her success.

Love her or loathe her, Kris can teach all of us a lesson in persistence and reinvention.

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Link here to listen to the all previous Obsession podcast episodes (including part 1 & 2 of the Kris Jenner life story).

You can also find every episode on Youtube. 

Please subscribe to the podcast - it really helps me out!

When Kris Jenner divorces her first husband Robert Kardashian, she leaves the marriage with the shirt on her back and four kids. 

What is a fallen socialite without a penny to her name to do? Find a down-and-out Olympian to reinvent, of course! Within 6 years of meeting Caitlin Jenner, Kris turns both their lives around, establishing the Jenners as  tabloid fixtures, with a slew of brand sponsorships under their belt. 

Just how did she do it?

Part 2 of Kris Jenner's life story shares a key mentor for Kris in her Caitlin Jenner 'glow up' era, and a surprising skill that enabled her to stay on the radar of the Los Angeles social scene and build the foundation for the wider Kardashian-Jenner family's later fame.

Kris Jenner is a polarizing figure. She has undoubtedly achieved worldly success for herself and her family. She came from nothing, and in 2022 Forbes estimated her personal net worth at $200M.  Kris is instrumental in the careers of her children and past spouses, too.  Her daughter Kim Kardashian is estimated to be worth US$1.8 billion by Forbes (as of 2022) and her daughter Kylie Jenner is worth an estimated $680 million  (Forbes, 2023). 

But many people view Kris Jenner as a calculating, single-minded social climber, thirsty for securing fame and fortune through any means possible, including exploiting her children. "Famous for being famous"

And while that sentiment may not be entirely untrue, there's a lot we can learn from Kris Jenner about ambition, and various ways of getting what you want. Even if you view her life goals as vacuous, and some of her life choices as unethical, there's a lot we can learn from Kris' story, in particular how she used her ambition to get what she wanted. 

Part 1 of this exploration of the rise of Kris Jenner covers her childhood, relationship with Robert Kardashian, and the birth of her first four children. Subscribe to the podcast to receive Part 2 & Part 3!