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Breaking the Hedonic Treadmill

Future Commerce
Future Commerce
Episode • May 12, 2023 • 45m

Joy Howard's Early Majority is defying conventional eCommerce norms by building in public with their community. In this episode, learn about Joy's ethos for redefining brands with a “punk rock ethos,” the challenges of creating a unique online experience, and how Early Majority’s mission to redefine the good life is resonating with customers seeking a more meaningful, eco-conscious lifestyle. Listen now!

Street to Summit: Culture is What Makes Brands

  • {00:05:12} Why do so many outdoor brands make cool stuff for men and then have a women’s line that is pretty lame? There are cool outdoor women who want cool outdoor apparel, too
  • {00:09:17} Building in public is a slower way to grow a brand, but Joy views the enjoyable pace as a foundation for longevity
  • {00:11:53} “As soon as you decide that you're going to build community, you automatically have to have humility and you automatically have to submit to where everybody else wants to go too. Not in a herd or sheep-like way, but in a way that's deeply collaborative and mindful and listening.” - Joy
  • {00:18:19} The aesthetic of the brand helps to tell the story of who Early Majority is as a community-centered brand that sells apparel, and it so many ways, there is a distinctively different story being told
  • {00:25:44} The new counter-culture is actually looking for the right kinds of limitations and boundaries and structure
  • {00:31:22} Having a membership program within the brand was one very intentional way of addressing economic equality and providing accessibility for more people to be able to enjoy the product
  • {00:37:30} “Probably the scariest thing about everything that I've done so far and what really is against the grain is having that little bit of friction in the funnel up front.” - Joy
  • {00:42:21} The future of commerce is more cooperative, more supportive, and more offline, where people are able to find their community and their place in commerce in life-giving ways.

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Future Commerce Podcast: eCommerce, DTC and Retail Strategy • Breaking the Hedonic Treadmill • Listen on Fountain