Jodi Bricker

Jodi Bricker, CEO OF QUAY AUSTRALIA

Jodi Bricker is the CEO of Quay Australia, a buzzworthy brand aiming to disrupt the monopolized eyewear industry through bold style, affordability, and self-expression. She and her team have cemented Quay’s status as the fastest growing eyewear brand on Instagram and launched a series of celebrity collaborations with some of the most notable names in Hollywood, including Lizzo, Jennifer Lopez, Alex Rodriguez, and Chrissy Teigen.

Jodi honed her leadership skills with brands like Levi Strauss and Gap. She’s an omnichannel retail expert and inspiring leader with a keen understanding of customers, products, and innovation. Jodi has a unique take on what makes a successful candidate and is committed to paying it forward by lifting up women in business.

Listen to the podcast

Highlights from our conversation include

Her early career and how she adapted to a digital mindset (2:33
How she pivoted to working with smaller, growth-oriented teams (4:43)
Why she sees this moment as an acceleration rather than a disruption (6:01)
Her hiring philosophy and why she gravitates toward “athletes” (6:54)
Her approach to leading teams (11:01)
What she looks for in candidates beyond their resume (14:58)
The delicate balance between growing a brand and preserving its culture (17:45)
The challenges and opportunities presented by the COVID 19 pandemic (19:04)
How the Quay team connects to purpose in their work (21:57)
Jodi’s predictions for the future of retail (23:58)
How she empowers other women and the future generation of leaders (27:38)
Her advice to current job seekers (29:20)

SHOW TRANSCRIPT – HOW I HIRE PODCAST WITH Jodi Bricker

Roy Notowitz: [00:00:00] Hello, and welcome to How I Hire, the podcast that taps directly into the best hiring advice and insights. I’m your host, Roy Notowitz, Founder and President of Noto Group Executive Search. We work with notable consumer brands in the athletic, outdoor, fashion, food/beverage, and natural product sectors.

Back in early May, I had the opportunity to sit down virtually with Jodi Bricker, the Chief Executive Officer of Quay Australia, a buzzworthy, millennial-favorite, global eyewear brand. We had a valuable conversation about her journey and how the brand has been dealing with COVID-19. However, because our interview was recorded before the recent Black Lives Matter protests, we didn’t get a chance to do it relevant to how Quay has committed to expanding diversity and representation in their work. Visit quayaustralia.com to learn more about their response.

As CEO of Quay, Jodi is leading the charge on bringing bold style, affordability, and self-expression to customers around the world and aiming to disrupt the monopolized eyewear industry. In 2019, Jodi and her team achieved year-over-year growth in excess of 30%, cemented their status as the fastest growing eyewear brand on Instagram, and launched a series of celebrity collaborations with some of the most notable names in Hollywood, including Lizzo, Jennifer Lopez, Alex Rodriguez, and Chrissy Teigen. I’m excited to share Jodi’s perspective as an omnichannel retail expert and inspiring leader with a keen understanding of customers, products, and innovation.

Jodi and I recently connected over the phone after being introduced by a mutual friend. We covered a lot of ground, including how her experience as an athlete shaped her hiring philosophy, why empowering and mentoring women is a priority in all aspects of her life, and how she and her team are responding to the COVID-19 crisis. Today, we’re going to get into all these topics and a lot more. Jodi, thank you for joining me on the podcast.

Jodi Bricker: [00:02:15] I’m so excited to be here.

Roy Notowitz: [00:02:17] Great. Well, let’s start by talking about your experience. It’s super impressive. You’ve held executive leadership roles at Athleta, Levi Strauss, Gap. I think it’d be interesting for you to start with telling us about your path and how you ended up at Quay.

Jodi Bricker: [00:02:33] I feel really lucky. My second job out of college, I was one of the first five people hired to launch a little brand you might’ve heard of called Old Navy and really set the tone for pretty much the rest of my career, you know, entering a startup environment within a big corporation, Gap brand at the time was huge and behemoth and it really honed my startup mentality and really just, how to go for something when you have a pretty short roadmap, but a lot of great ideas and, you know, really taught me a lot about hustle and work ethic because when you only have a few people, everybody has to do a little bit of everything.

And you know, really just this, build it as we grow it mentality of try something, learn, fail, fail fast. Try it again. I was apprenticed by some of the greats and Jenny Ming and Mickey Drexler really instilled a merchant and general management mentality. And I’m just really grateful that it was the launchpad for me, it led to my next role, which was starting e-commerce at Gap, Inc.

So getting to start a channel as the channel was emerging back in 2000, really helped me go from being an old school merchant to a new school, digital mindset. Then that took me to Levi’s and Athleta, where I really got to hone my branding skills, product innovation, really, and truly learn omnichannel across wholesale digital retail environments.

And I’d say the biggest takeaway, particularly from those two brands was about how to just be in the consumer mindset and study the customer. So I feel really grateful that after 20 plus years in really big corporate roles, that I chose to go back to my startup roots and switch it up and really lead a brand and a business that has the potential to disrupt retail and that brand is Quay. And so that’s where I am today.

Roy Notowitz: [00:04:36] That’s amazing. How has it been making that transition back to the smaller, more entrepreneurial growth oriented space?

Jodi Bricker: [00:04:43] It was a big leap of faith and I think for anybody out there who’s considering pivoting in their career or trying something that’s way out of your comfort zone, my experience has been, go for it. I’ve honestly never looked back. I know now about myself that I really like working with smaller teams. I love knowing everyone personally. And I love the space of growth, where there’s a ton of possibility and a fair amount of risk and reward. And so it’s really energizing. And I think we’re really at the precipice, particularly in a time like this, where there’s so much unknown, it’s fun to be in a brand that’s really agile and can sort of take advantage of this moment in which I believe is truly an acceleration even more than just a disruption.

Roy Notowitz: [00:05:32] I mean, we’re already experiencing it here. It’s only been a few weeks and we’re already starting to hear clients having conversations about restructuring or rethinking their future. There’s a lot of opportunity that they’re investing in still and a lot of areas that they’re obviously not able to support. So it’s been a mixed bag, I think, but there are acceleration points within each business or within a lot of businesses that we’re starting to see open up already.

Jodi Bricker: [00:06:01] Absolutely. And you know, I’ve been in retail for a long time and there’s been this conversation about the quote unquote disruption of retail and the retail apocalypse and all these buzzwords. And we are right here right now in it, it is happening and there’s really no planning for it. It’s more just leap into it and start to be agile and nimble and react.

So I think because of my past and being in a lot of startup and scrappy businesses from the ground up, it’s a pool I’m comfortable swimming in. I’m okay with some unknown, because I’ve been there before. So I’m really appreciative that I’ve had some of that background in training so I can use it here at Quay.

Roy Notowitz: [00:06:43] It’s like brands have to take the little floaties off now and sink or swim. So how would you describe your hiring philosophy? How did that take shape over the course of your career?

Jodi Bricker: [00:06:54] Well, it’s so interesting. You know, as I was building my own personal brand and story and looking through what made me uniquely me, it really came back to that I’ve always been raised an athlete. I come from a family of athletes. My dad is a tennis pro. We have all played tennis. I come from a long line of professional athletes and I played college tennis. And so I found over time that that has parlayed into who I look for in people that I hire and who have been some of my best teammates and peers are people who represent some of that athlete mindset.

So I think this idea when I really think about what that means, it’s discipline, it’s drive. Athletes tend to hold themselves very accountable. They tend to be very self motivated. I consider them learning machines. They are just genuinely curious about how to constantly refine and build their performance and they make teams better and really great athletes, whether we’re talking metaphorically or true athletes, have great EQ. And I think in a world of today where there’s a lot of unknown and even having to work virtually or work on a bunch of different teams or in a matrix organization, someone who’s got EQ will read the vibe and know how to show up and be a great teammate.

Roy Notowitz: [00:08:22] So you talked about all the different qualities. How do you define an athlete in the context of work?

Jodi Bricker: [00:08:28] Athletes perform really well under pressure. And, you know, retail is not for the weak hearted. I think even, especially now that I’m working for private equity who buy brands, but maybe have never been operators in retail, they’re sort of amazed by the level of detail and pace and strategy and execution we have to do all at once. But I think my favorite part about retail is, you know, we are learning machines and athletes because we get a read, we get a report card every day, sometimes a couple of times a day. And so we’re constantly refining what we do by reading that report card.

And so I think that agility and someone that’s able to handle pressure, move swiftly, constantly evolve, raise the bar, stretch, be scrappy. Those are some of the qualities that I have found have always made for great teams and incredible individual performance as well. So I look for those kinds of people when I’m hiring.

Roy Notowitz: [00:09:30] So if somebody hasn’t played a competitive sport or hasn’t been on a team in some way, does that mean they can’t be an athlete in the professional context?

Jodi Bricker: [00:09:40] No, absolutely not. And you know, I don’t love using the same words that other people use, but I think growth mindset, which is being taught everywhere, I think really the essence of that is the same thing I’m describing, which is someone who is constantly learning, evolving, and growing and is able to put back in what they do into how do I do it better next time? Or what did I learn from that? And so to me, that’s really the idea of an athlete in a work environment.

I think a great athlete in the work environment is a collaborator and someone who generates ideas and someone who’s courageous, whether it’s speaking up in a meeting or whether it’s trying something new or building a business case, or quite frankly, a great athlete is someone who’s part of a village that, when someone else is struggling and they’re your cross functional partner, you lean in and help them. And so there’s a lot of different ways to show up as a great athlete. But I think that common thread is, are you willing to grow and learn constantly?

Roy Notowitz: [00:10:44] So as the coach of these professional athletes, how do you sort of optimize each individual as well as the team when you’re thinking about all these different athletes? What I also know about athletes is they’re all competitive. So that could create an interesting dynamic as well.

Jodi Bricker: [00:11:01] Absolutely. And you know, this is not work that I’m done with, I’m a work in progress on this, but I think some of the things I’ve learned from, or I’ve taken from other leaders that I felt were great leaders, or that I’ve observed, you know, first and foremost, I was taught servant leadership.

Don Fisher at Gap, Inc. was the first time I’d ever heard that term and that really means that you’re in service to your employees. They don’t have to bend to you and your style, you should bend to them and their environment. So it starts there. And I just consider my job is about creating an environment for people to thrive.

The things I do the same for everybody is I create enough structure and discipline that people know where to show up and how to show up and what success looks like, but then I try to tailor to the individual person. Not everyone is at the same place. You know, everyone learns differently and likes to be led differently.

And so my job is just to ask as many questions as possible. And I find when I do that and I’ve created the right environment and the right structure, most people on the team tend to answer their own questions. But most of the time, my job is to just get out of the way, you know, once the vision is set and once you’ve set out the goals and the team shares the goals, a great team goes after it. And so my job is to protect them from distractions and get out of the way and let them do their job.

Roy Notowitz: [00:12:29] Do you think that every position within your team has to have that athlete-type profile? You know, how do you determine which positions are, are really critical in that sense?

Jodi Bricker: [00:12:40] You know, I think it really depends on the company and what the company stands for. What the vision and mission is. It depends on what phase of growth you’re in, how big or small your company or your team is. But in general, I have found that when I lower the bar and I don’t hold everyone to this athlete standard, I usually regret it because I find that great athletes like working with other great athletes.

So I tend to use it as a great filter to just say, they don’t have to be the same, but I tend to say, how will they add to this environment? You don’t have to fit in. I don’t think fit is the right word. But when I’m thinking about our culture and our chemistry, how are they going to add to it? Because it’s not a static place, it’s an evolving, flowing thing between a team. And so I’m always looking for that.

Roy Notowitz: [00:13:31] Is there a difference in the type of athlete that was needed, like between Athleta, Levi’s, Gap, and Quay, or is it generally the same across the board?

Jodi Bricker: [00:13:41] You know, like if you think about those three brands, they’re all in different phases of growth and they appeal to completely different age groups and in some cases, gender of customer.

And so you always have to start there and Levi’s at the time, you know, multi-billion, wholesaler primarily, and mostly a male customer. Athleta being a[n] older female brand on its way to a billion and Quay being very young and mostly native digital and social. And so what I make sure is that the athletes understand how to be in the customer’s mindset,

Roy Notowitz: [00:14:22] What court they’re playing on.

Jodi Bricker: [00:14:24] That’s exactly it. You don’t have to be the customer, but you have to love the customer. You have to want to solve the customer’s problems and be willing to listen to what they’re saying without your ego of your job getting in the way that’s usually the filter I’ll apply to what type of athlete it might be for that particular brand or business.

Roy Notowitz: [00:14:44] Have you seen these qualities in somebody who maybe came in to your sphere without all the perfect experience and you saw the potential in them and you invested in them in some way? Or are there certain things that they have to have on their resume in each case?

Jodi Bricker: [00:14:58] No, again, it’s rarely a one-off because it’s more about what are they going to bring to the existing team that’s in there? But I prefer someone with potential. I prefer someone with a certain vibe. I prefer someone who’s coachable and willing to learn. And in general, the types of teams that we tend to build, and that thrive where I’ve worked before, are about idea generation. You don’t have to have the best idea, but you have to be someone that participates in the collaborative process because you’ll help us get to the sixth idea, which is brilliant.

I look for all of those things more than one overarching skill. An incredible skill is great, but really if you’ve got more than that and you’ve have built up some of those ways of how do you show up on a team? And do you bring others up with you? That is as important to me than your resume.

Roy Notowitz: [00:15:51] So in hiring over the years, you’ve been doing this awhile, there certainly have been missteps or mistakes. Are there any themes or insights from those experiences that you can share?

Jodi Bricker: [00:16:03] I think the biggest mistake that I’ve made in the past is hiring out of just desperation. You know, when you are desperate and again, you lower the bar or you don’t go through the full process because you feel like, like you can’t go another day without someone hired.

That’s usually a dangerous thing to do. It’s like going to the grocery store when you’re starving. And from that, what I’ve learned is I try to meet with people all the time. And I constantly have a queue of people that I’ve met, that when a need arises or an opportunity rises, I go to that queue and that’s it why networking is so important. You know, that’s something I’d love to emphasize for your audience and particularly the women in your audience. Women are less natural at the type of networking that gets us jobs. We’re really good at social clique networking, which means networking with people we already know.

But the real thing is to network with people you don’t know so that you’re already in their Rolodex by the time that a job comes up.

Roy Notowitz: [00:17:08] ABR: always be recruiting.

Jodi Bricker: [00:17:10] That’s it. That is one of the biggest parts of my job is just constantly meeting people and working with our talent.

Roy Notowitz: [00:17:18] In your recent Forbes interview, you referenced the delicate balance between growing a brand and at the same time, protecting the culture.

You know, how have you been navigating that delicate balance? Because I know it’s hard as you get bigger, you do actually need to have more processes and a little bit more structure and, and roles and responsibilities and more meetings and things. So when you’re thinking about hiring people and when you’re thinking about structuring teams and creating that culture, how does that all come together?

Jodi Bricker: [00:17:45] You know, I listened to one of your latest podcasts. I think it was Dr. Ted Freeman and he made a remark about swimmers who understand the temperature, the pool, and that if the pool is too hot or too cold, it’s going to affect performance. And that’s my job, is to constantly take the temperature. And I do that by asking a lot of questions.

I check in a lot with all levels of the team. I do a lot of skip levels. I walk around and sit next to people, when we were in person. Now I set up 15 minute virtual chats with just different people in different functions. So that I can get a real assessment of how are people feeling and can they continue to be pushed or do they need a break?

And I always think of it as a dance. I’m always in a dance with the team. If the team is dancing a little too slow, I’ll turn up the pace. If the team looks really tired, I’ll bring it back down. And so it’s really just about being on top of the temperature of the org.

Roy Notowitz: [00:18:50] And how are you feeling with the way things are right now with everyone having so many different challenges inside and outside of work, how are you staying in tune with how they’re really feeling?

Jodi Bricker: [00:19:04] It is really hard. And I am the kind of person that I pick up on vibes. I feel your energy when I’m near you. And so it’s really hard to figure out how to do that through a computer and particularly, you know, through a zoom call with hundreds of people on a Zoom.

It is very lonely. There’s no feedback. It’s hard to present with a lot of energy and everybody’s on mute. So it’s, it’s super difficult. But during this time, what I try to do is just over communicate and communicate through a lot of different forums and vehicles. So, you know, I send an email every Monday with an update.

We send a weekly newsletter. I have a virtual all hands, every single Wednesday. And then I meet with probably 10 different people of the org each week through little 15 minute chats. So, I’m just trying to figure it out as we go along. I send out surveys for lots of Q and A’s in case anybody feels uncomfortable asking questions.

And you know, this week in honor of mental health awareness month of May, instead of having big all hands, we’re going to try to do group meditation and, you know, try to just meet people where they are right now and they aren’t all at work. They’re worried about their families and they’re taking care of their kids. And we’re trying to just find the right mix of work and personal right now.

Roy Notowitz: [00:20:26] That’s great. I love organizations that incorporate mindfulness. We have a few clients that do that. What are the current and most immediate challenges right now with what’s going on with the pandemic?

Jodi Bricker: [00:20:40] Well, first and foremost is just the physical and emotional safety of everybody on the team. So that’s just the first filter that we always look at. Second is making sure that people feel like they know what’s going on. That we are transparent, that they have access to everything they need and everyone that they need. And then clarity of what are our goals when those goals are changing. I mean, in the first couple of weeks, they were changing by the hour.

I feel like, particularly in the digital space, the penetration of e-commerce has gone from 15% to 25%, according to McKinsey, since COVID. That’s 10 years worth of growth, you know, that type of pace is unprecedented. And so I think the biggest thing is how do you keep reading the temperature, bringing your team along and figuring out what excites certain people and when other people need a break or support.

Roy Notowitz: [00:21:41] Yeah. I read that you donated over 30,000 pairs of sunglasses to frontline workers and that some of your manufacturing has shifted towards creating protective goggles for healthcare workers. That’s awesome. Where did these ideas come from? And like, how did you pivot to do that?

Jodi Bricker: [00:21:57] Well, this is the team. This team is incredible, and it all came from them. We had some people on the team that had relatives, friends, neighbors, loved ones, spouses that are healthcare workers on the front line. And so it was very, very real for them. And because of our relationship with our factories in Asia, it’s really interesting, we were there for them when they were in shelter-in-place a couple of months ago, we were sending them toys for their kids and we were doing calls and now they’re there for us and they were right there at the ready to help us convert. And so I’ll tell you that was probably the most motivating thing for every single employee at Quay, to know that we care and it was just do the right thing. And that our team is so quick that they’re able to pull something like that off. So proud.

Roy Notowitz: [00:22:50] Yeah. I mean, it ties to your values and culture, but people want to be part of something that has a purpose and a mission. I mean, that’s, that’s what we want is all of our clients to have that sort of connection. Places where people really want to work because of that.

And so that, that’s amazing that that you’re able to do that. I know you already did a lot of other stuff. I think you had some scholarships and other things.

Jodi Bricker: [00:23:10] Yeah, we did last year, we had an Education is Quay campaign and we gave away 10 $10,000 scholarships to kids for their higher education. Because again, we feel like that’s a right to everyone, honestly. And it’s something right now that not everyone has access to. So in partnership with one of our celebrities, we launched that and it was really incredible to see what came back when we asked kids today to send us a video expressing themselves. And this next generation is unbelievable. I have a hundred percent faith we’re going to be all right as these guys grow up, based on what I saw.

Roy Notowitz: [00:23:52] How do you think consumers and businesses like Quay are going to change after all this is over?

Jodi Bricker: [00:23:58] Well, first of all, I think that, from a customer perspective, the customer is going to get used to shopping online. They’re going to get used to shopping virtually, and many customers are not going to feel comfortable going back out into traditional brick and mortar for a while or until we have a vaccine. And so that will require and demand of us that we figure out things like delivery and what I would say right now, which is pretty cool, I don’t know if this is happening where you live, but in my town, I’m pretty amazed by what all the local restaurants and hair salons and… everyone’s pivoted.

Even Safeway has figured out prescription delivery in about a month and that probably would have taken them two to five years. So I think that customers will absolutely demand and get used to shopping in their home and having things delivered to their home and doing things virtually over Zooms and I welcome that. I think that’s really cool.

I still think there will be plenty of people that just want to be out in the world and love the experience. And the great thing about our company is that we want to meet our customers wherever and however they want to shop, but it will take us, you know, right now a minute to figure out how are we going to accelerate those things like virtual and delivery and all of that? But it’s a super fun challenge to figure out.

Roy Notowitz: [00:25:26] Personally, I feel like I will definitely think about distance in a much different way, but at the same time, I think I’m going to appreciate the times with friends and coworkers and family so much more when we actually can be in closer proximities.

Jodi Bricker: [00:25:43] Absolutely. And, you know, first of all, I think that the remote workforce is forever changed. Remote working is viable and has changed the way all of us think about work and where we need to live versus where we can work. And so that’s amazing and that’s just another added benefit that a company can offer.

But I think what we’re realizing is whether you’re thinking about your employees or whether you’re thinking about your customers, half of people are like, what are we worried about? I want to get back out there. And the other half are like, I’m not leaving my house again. There’s not a one size fits all. You really have to think about everyone when you’re solving these things.

Roy Notowitz: [00:26:19] Do you have any formal or informal leadership networks that you’re tapping into? Or who are you surrounding yourself with and what advice are you either receiving or giving to other leaders?

Jodi Bricker: [00:26:29] I have formal and informal and, you know, I’m spending way more time on them than I ever did in the past. In the past, they were nice to have, you know, I would have a specific problem and I would go to, you know, we’re backed by Summit, which is a private equity group and it’s got a portfolio of brands. So I could tap into all the CEOs there. I have a bunch of particularly women CEO friends, or women leaders that I reach out to who are just great thinkers.

And I have plenty of mentors and I lean on them a lot, but I now save almost an entire day a week, if not more for those calls and some of them are just, hey, catch up, you know, any ideas can I throw this problem on you and others are, I’m actually reaching out to my network and saying, hey, let’s do a brainstorm on the future of brick and mortar retail. That’s something I’ll take with me forever. I don’t think I need a pandemic for me to realize how valuable this is and how much I should continue doing this, just to be a better leader.

Roy Notowitz: [00:27:30] And how have you been mentoring or empowering other women and maybe the next generation of leaders. Can you speak to that a little bit?

Jodi Bricker: [00:27:38] Taking time out of my week to do a great podcast like this, I hope is part of me paying it forward to anyone that’s listening to this. I’ve done a few webinars where I’m trying to just share, to smaller businesses, some of the things that I’ve learned and because I have a broader network I, again, like to pay it forward.

But I also try to do, even if it’s only 15 minute mentoring calls with people that reach out to me on LinkedIn or even anyone on my team, I think anyone can make 15 minutes for anyone. And so I just encourage anyone out there, don’t be afraid to go back to your old network even if you haven’t talked to someone for a couple of years and check back in. That’s the best way to start practicing networking and particularly finding people who either you have something in common with, or, you know, now a lot of women know that I actually am about paying it forward to other women and so I make time to do that because it really fuels me.

Roy Notowitz: [00:28:41] Yeah. I’ve always invested in the success of other people. Like, that’s my philosophy. Obviously we get a lot of inbound requests, but I do the best I can to, you know, 15 minutes can really make a difference. And especially now I’m feeling like people that are sending their resumes and making contact, and they’re not getting a lot of response because people are really busy or distracted. A simple email or a quick call can make a big difference for somebody. So I would encourage anyone to do that, especially now. In the midst of this pandemic, a lot of companies are implementing, hiring freezes or furloughing or laying people off. What’s your advice to current job seekers?

Jodi Bricker: [00:29:20] First and foremost, I would say learn. There is so much free content out there right now. And, you know, listen to a podcast a day or find some people to follow on Instagram that have good points. You know, it’s a perfect time to just reflect and take time to say, what are you actually interested in and where are your skill gaps? And see if you can go fill them in or point yourself in the right direction so you’re very targeted when you are looking for a job that you’re looking for one that fills in what you want to do next. Again, I just want to double down, particularly for women, just practice networking, even if it’s just reach out to a friend and say, will you just introduce me to three people?

You know, that’s one way to do it, is email five people and say, will you introduce me two people each? And it spreads like wildfire. You know, I think that the way the world is set up now is really about networking. I have found that now that’s how most opportunities come my way. And so, you know, just take some time to do that and do it for someone else. I think when you do it for someone that is more junior to you, it helps you understand then how to do it yourself going forward.

Roy Notowitz: [00:30:35] I think anyone who’s been successful knows and remembers the people that helped them along the way and I think it’s important to reflect on that and not feel like it’s an inconvenience when people reach out. Just to really think about it as they’re reaching out because you’ve accomplished something and they are interested in, you know, taking a minute to get your advice. My recommendation to people is to think about that interaction and do your research and be specific instead of general in terms of that outreach.

Jodi Bricker: [00:31:04] Totally agree.

Roy Notowitz: [00:31:05] So at some point we’re gonna return to whatever the new normal is, and this is hopefully going to be in the rear view mirror. So how are you imagining or thinking about your own future and career at Quay and then beyond?

Jodi Bricker: [00:31:17] You know, for me, I’m excited to just be in this moment. And I think that’s what this moment is teaching me is there’s no way to preplan all of this. It hasn’t landed yet. And I’m actually having the time of my life because I’ve never been so energized and learning so much. And I’m learning a ton from this team and I’m learning a ton about being a CEO during a time like this.

So I just kind of want to go deeper into that and really play it all out. You know, we’ve got a lot of big product and celebrity launches and cool things going on at Quay. So. I’m hungry to just see the vision through.

Roy Notowitz: [00:31:59] I know, I was Googling you, obviously, prior to this and you’re at like all these Hollywood parties with Chrissy Teigen and it looks like you have such a fun time and such an exciting brand to be a part of.

Jodi Bricker: [00:32:11] It is one of the funnest, buzziness brands and, you know, again, the team really sets me up for success on that. I’m not even going to tell you the amount of hair and makeup and what goes into all of that. It is, it looks way more fun than the six hours it takes to look that way. I have empathy for all the celebrities.

Roy Notowitz: [00:32:31] I was looking at some of the products. I don’t think I could pull off the Hindsights or the Electrics. How do I do that? Or should it not even try?

Jodi Bricker: [00:32:38] I’m going to break this down for you. So first of all, there is a face shape that you have, and you can go to quay.com and you can figure out your face shape. Honestly, there are some styles that some people are more comfortable in once, you know, your face shape, but to be honest, my favorite thing about our brand is that anyone can rock any style.

And that’s the whole thing about our brand value prop, is that it’s really about confidence and just owning it. And we’re at a price point that just lets you try on four or five different personas and personalities. And that’s what’s really fun. You know, every day I just put on something and you know, it’s fun. It’s fun to just sort of put on a little bit of a character each day, but when in doubt, just go try some blue light glasses. We’ll hook you up, we’ll get you started there.

Roy Notowitz: [00:33:22] Okay. Well, I’ll take a look on your website. I know you can try them on. So I’ll try that. How can listeners connect with your brand or with you if they want to reach out?

Jodi Bricker: [00:33:31] So they could go to quay.com. They can find us @QuayAustralia on Instagram. They can find me on LinkedIn, Jodi Bricker, and they can find me on Instagram @Jodi.Bricker. And I hope that, you know, they will reach out and I loved doing this and I’m happy to do it again in the future when things go to the next place.

Roy Notowitz: [00:33:50] This has been great. I would definitely love to do a followup down there road and talk even more in depth about some of those concepts that you covered today and I, I really appreciate the time that you took and I look forward to keeping in touch in the months ahead.

Jodi Bricker: [00:34:04] Same. Thanks so much, Roy.

Roy Notowitz: [00:34:05] Awesome. Thanks Jodi.

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