The Hat That Changed Everything: Siegelman Stable

The Hat That Changed Everything: Siegelman Stable

Max Siegelman had a logo before he had a brand — borrowed from his father's harness racing stable, Siegelman Stable. The logo felt like it was meant to be on a hat, so when the pandemic hit, Max put $600 down and started making them. No outside money, no rapid scaling. He funded each production run with returns from the last, built buzz with rappers and shipped hats to the NBA Bubble in 2020. Then in 2022, one of his hats ended up on Kendall Jenner during Paris Fashion Week. Max had 15 minutes to get his website ready and he made the moment count.  Join Ben and Kathleen as they talk to Max about building a luxury brand on legacy and scarcity, why limited drops beat mass production, and how travel fuels the aspirational mystique that makes Siegelman Stable impossible to ignore. These are The Unshakeables. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

BONUS: How Small Businesses Endure for Generations

How do some small businesses stand the test of time? In today’s mini episode, Maya talks with Ben Walter, CEO of Chase for Business and host of “The Unshakeables” podcast, about what helps businesses endure across generations – from adaptability and grit to a deep connection with their communities. This episode was made in partnership with Chase for Business. Listen to “The Unshakeables” here [https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-unshakeables-143335977/]. Listen to our previous conversation with Ben, “Boost Your Resilience At Work.” [https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/a-slight-change-of-plans/bonus-boost-your-resilience-at-work] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Ninety Years of Noodles: Borgatti's Ravioli & Egg Noodles

Christopher Borgatti learned the business from his father. His son, Christopher, learned it from him. Since 1935, four generations of Borgattis have been rolling pasta in the same Bronx shop through the Depression, through WWII, through changing neighborhoods, through the internet age and through a pandemic. The name on the door has never changed. Neither has the commitment to quality.  But legacy does not mean easy. When bird flu sent egg prices through the roof, the Borgattis absorbed the cost rather than pass it on to their customers. When the ravioli machine broke in the middle of Christmas week, their most critical week of the year, they did not close up shop. They fixed it.  Join Ben and Kathleen as they talk with Christopher and Christopher about what it really means to be a neighborhood institution, why putting customers over profits is both a values decision and a business strategy and how a family pasta shop has outlasted nearly a century of American upheaval. These are The Unshakeables. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Unravel, Rebuild, Repeat: OSOMTEX

Patricia Ermecheo always knew she would build something. She just didn’t know what — until she saw mountains of discarded clothing headed for landfills. When she couldn’t find a way to break textiles back down into usable fiber, she built one. That company became OSOMTEX. But building a solution no one else has figured out comes at a cost. The same drive that powered Patricia forward pushed her toward burnout, putting both her health and her company at risk.    In this episode, Ben and Kathleen talk with Patricia about the isolation of entrepreneurship, navigating partnerships with major brands as a small player and why sometimes going backward through the supply chain is the only way forward. These are The Unshakeables. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

The Refugee Who Led a Software Revolution - with Ben Walter

Millionaire-making tech start-ups are most often associated with Silicon Valley. But this software revolution begins on a woman’s kitchen table in rural Britain in the 1960s. Steve Shirley faced extraordinary odds. After escaping Nazi Germany as a child, she later encountered workplace discrimination and endured deep personal tragedy. But she persevered to build a business decades ahead of its time, creating opportunities for hundreds of women. Tim Harford is joined by Ben Walter, CEO of Chase for Business and host of The Unshakeables [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-unshakeables/id1725983618] podcast, to explore the life, legacy and lessons of an overlooked titan of tech. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.