Experiences is a podcast about humans creating happy memories through their participation in the experience economy. We discuss how brick and mortar retail is changing rapidly, the clear winners in the experience economy, and visit with brands that are not just surviving, but thriving.
Experiences
Claim This Podcastby Experiences App
10 episodes
Updated Weekly
Accepts GuestsHas SponsorsLocation 🇺🇸
34
Podcast Authority
BetaPoorBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more
Quality34
Social0
YouTube82
Engagement0
Podcast Overview
Experiences is a podcast about humans creating happy memories through their participation in the experience economy. We discuss how brick and mortar retail is changing rapidly, the clear winners in the experience economy, and visit with brands that are not just surviving, but thriving.
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
7/30/2019
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34
Podcast Authority
BetaPoorBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more
Quality34
Social0
YouTube82
Engagement0
8
Excellent Areas
2
Good Performance
9
Growth Opportunities
excellent
Episode Length
23 minutes
Performing excellently!
good
Show Experience
9 episodes over 6.0 years
Recommendations available
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poor
Publishing Consistency
Every 245 days
Recommendations available
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Recent Episodes
April 17, 2026
A Chocolate CEO: Jean Thompson's 23-Year Bet on Herself (and Cocoa Farmers)
<p><strong>Episode: Jean Thompson, CEO of Maeve Chocolate</strong></p><p>What does it take to rescue a chocolate company after a literal earthquake, a departing CEO, and a distributor bankruptcy — all while raising kids and drawing no salary? Jean Thompson, founder and CEO of Maeve Chocolate (formerly Seattle Chocolate), knows firsthand.</p><p>In this episode, Mark sits down with his longtime entrepreneur friend Jean for one of the most candid founder stories you'll hear. After nine years of losing money, taking on home equity loans, and at least one roadside panic attack, Jean built a thriving, values-driven chocolate company — and rebranded it entirely in year 33.</p><p><br><strong>In this episode, you'll hear:</strong></p><ul><li>How a Seattle earthquake in 2001 accidentally made Jean the owner of a failing chocolate company</li><li>Why "this housewife is going to take the company to its knees" became her rocket fuel for years</li><li>The brutal cash flow reality of physical product businesses — and why growth almost killed them</li><li>What Jean saw visiting cocoa farms in Ghana (including tribespeople tasting chocolate for the first time)</li><li>Why she turned down Ferrari of Seattle during her divorce to keep the chocolate company</li><li>The bold, all-or-nothing rebrand from Seattle Chocolate to <strong>Maeve</strong> — named after a fierce Irish warrior queen</li><li>How immersive factory experiences, pop-ups, and a viral book collaboration sold out an entire year's inventory in 36 hours</li><li>Building an "evergreen" company designed to outlast you</li></ul><p><strong>Key Themes:</strong> Founder resilience, ethical supply chains, experiential retail, rebranding, sustainable growth, women in business, the experience economy</p><p><strong>Links & Resources:</strong></p><ul><li>🍫 Maeve Chocolate: <a href="http://maevechocolate.com">maevechocolate.com</a></li><li>🍫 J.COCO Chocolate: <a href="http://jcocochocolate.com">jcocochocolate.com</a></li><li>📍 Factory tours & tastings available at their Tukwila, WA location</li><li>📱 Experiences App (show sponsor): <a href="http://experiencesapp.com">experiencesapp.com</a></li></ul><p>The Experiences podcast is brought to you by the Experiences app — the booking system built for Shopify merchants who sell bookable tours, tastings, classes, and adventures. Free 14-day trial in the Shopify App Store.</p>
August 15, 2025
Creating Tangible Magic: Rachel Lorenz on Medieval Life, Making Stuff, and Reclaiming Human Creativity
<p><strong>🧵 SHOW NOTES</strong></p><p><br></p><p>In this episode of the Experiences Podcast, Mark Sandeno welcomes longtime Experiences app user and endlessly fascinating creator, <strong>Rachel Lorenz</strong>, founder of <a href="https://thecreativecontessa.com">The Creative Contessa</a>. From her home in South Korea (by way of Paris, Heidelberg, and Albuquerque), Rachel shares how she turned decades of medieval living history, culinary arts, embroidery, and historic dance into a thriving experiential business.</p><p><br></p><p>We dive into:</p><ul><li>🛡️ How medieval living history turned into a modern-day business</li><li>🧠 Why she walked away from AI-threatened translation work to double down on creativity</li><li>🍷 What makes “sip and stitch” different from sip-and-paint (hint: actual teaching!)</li><li>🌍 The role of culture, travel, and authenticity in her offerings</li><li>💡 Why hands-on, real-life experiences are a powerful antidote to digital burnout</li><li>🪡 How she’s created a business that helps people feel more human through tactile learning and joyful connection</li><li>🔥 Advice for creatives who want to turn their passion into a business</li><li>🍖 And the medieval dish she swears needs a comeback: Aloes de Mutton</li></ul>“Humans didn’t evolve for virtual. We evolved to make things. To create. To touch and feel and learn with our bodies. That’s what I offer.” – Rachel Lorenz<p>Whether you’re a creator looking to teach your craft, or just someone desperate for something real, this conversation is your sign to try something different.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>🧵 Learn More About Rachel</strong></p><p><br></p><p>🔗 Website: <a href="https://thecreativecontessa.com">https://thecreativecontessa.com</a></p><p>📺 YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@TheCreativeContessa">The Creative Contessa on YouTube</a></p><p>📍 Based in South Korea | Online + in-person workshops available</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><strong>🛍️ Powered by ExperiencesApp.com</strong></p><p><br></p><p>Want to turn your unique skills into bookable experiences?</p><p>The <a href="https://experiencesapp.com"><strong>Experiences App</strong></a> makes it simple to host workshops, tastings, classes, or anything in between — directly on your Shopify site.</p><p>✅ No clunky plugins</p><p>✅ On-brand, onsite, with full control of your customer data</p><p>✅ Free 14-day trial. No credit card required.</p><p>If you’re in the business of hosting people, Experiences App is for you.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>🎧 Listen & Subscribe</strong></p><p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/experiences/id1478181824">Apple Podcasts</a> | <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6kv0s8MJupchfegzHExFh1?si=90fcc38f1bb44c12">Spotify</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@experiences_app">YouTube</a> | <a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/496392ac-e8fb-47df-a0e6-ba303a23ad0d/experiences">Amazon Music</a></p><p><strong>Leave us a review if this episode inspired you!</strong></p><p><br></p>
August 7, 2025
Avoiding Buses and Buffet Lines: Reinventing Travel with Zach Smith of Anywhere.com
<p><strong>Welcome to the Experiences Podcast!</strong></p><p>Mark Sandeno sits down with longtime friend and fellow adventurer <strong>Zach Smith</strong>, founder of <a href="https://anywhere.com">Anywhere.com</a> — a global travel platform that’s redefining how we explore the world.</p><p><br></p><p>In this episode, we go deep on:</p><p>🌍 <strong>The origin story</strong>: How Zach went from body surfing and hammocks to building one of the most thoughtful travel companies in the world</p><p>🔁 <strong>From chance meeting to startup launch</strong>: The unlikely business plan that began with a dusty office in Costa Rica</p><p>🤝 <strong>Why co-created travel matters</strong>: Personalized trips, informed travelers, and meaningful connections with local cultures</p><p>💡 <strong>The Anywhere model</strong>: Tech-enabled, human-powered itineraries that deliver immersive, regret-free experiences</p><p>⚖️ <strong>Mass travel vs. mindful travel</strong>: How convenience and cost miss what great travel is really about</p><p>🌱 <strong>What’s next</strong>: New geographies in development (Greece, Morocco, Italy, Mexico) and how Anywhere continues to scale with integrity</p><p><br></p>“If price and convenience are all that matter, we should all be eating at McDonald’s.” – Zach Smith<p><br></p><p>Whether you’re a traveler looking for deeper experiences or an entrepreneur building something that matters, this conversation will challenge your thinking on what modern travel should be.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>🌐 Learn More</strong></p><ul><li>Visit: <a href="https://anywhere.com">https://anywhere.com</a></li><li>Follow Anywhere on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/anywhere/">Instagram</a> and <a href="https://www.trustpilot.com/review/anywhere.com">Trustpilot</a></li><li>Try planning your own trip: <a href="https://anywhere.com">anywhere.com</a></li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>Sponsored by ExperiencesApp.com</strong></p><p>Are you a retailer looking to offer bookable in-person experiences?</p><p>Forget clunky third-party booking tools. <a href="https://experiencesapp.com"><strong>ExperiencesApp.com</strong></a> lets you sell appointments, classes, and events natively through your Shopify store.</p><p><br>→ Free 14-day trial, no credit card required.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>🎧 Listen & Subscribe</strong></p><p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/experiences/id1478181824">Apple Podcasts</a> | <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6kv0s8MJupchfegzHExFh1?si=90fcc38f1bb44c12">Spotify</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@experiences_app">YouTube</a> | <a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/496392ac-e8fb-47df-a0e6-ba303a23ad0d/experiences">Amazon Music</a></p><p><strong>Leave us a review if this episode inspired you!</strong></p>
10 total episodes available
Deep-dive analytics for Experiences
Frequently asked questions
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- What is Experiences?
- How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates weekly.
- Where can I listen to this podcast?
This podcast is available on 9 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
- Does this podcast accept guests?
No, this podcast does not typically feature guests.
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