Thread started as a simple fix for a bulky wallet. Eleven years later, McKenzie Bauer and her husband have built it into a brand with lanyards, bags, and a launch in Target.
In this episode, McKenzie Bauer, co-founder of Thread Wallets, shares how a Kickstarter-inspired idea grew into an expressive accessories brand.
McKenzie and host Frank Dolce talk about how customers inspired the lanyard and lip balm holder, how she and her husband balance data with gut instinct, and her advice for anyone thinking about starting a business.
Key Timestamps:
[02:06] The Idea Behind Thread: A Minimalist Wallet With Personality
[08:50] Going All In After a Crossroads at the End of 2014
[18:00] Turning a Common Product Into a Statement Piece
[20:53] Treating Everyone Like an Influencer
[25:41] How Customers Inspired the Lanyard and Lip Balm Holder
[29:18] Who Is the Thread Customer?
[32:34] Lessons From Launching 15 Products in One Year
[40:43] Marketing Campaigns That Worked, Including “Steal This Wallet”
[43:03] Why the Customer Should Be the Hero of Your Story
[45:12] Working With Your Spouse: Communication and Defined Lanes
[49:57] Advice for Aspiring Founders
📦 ABOUT KNOW YOUR SHIP
Know Your Ship features conversations with the builders, founders, and leaders behind growing companies. Presented by eHub, a platform for e-commerce shipping and logistics.
Optimize your shipping logistics: https://www.ehub.com
Connect with McKenzie:
McKenzie’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mckenzie-bauer/
McKenzie’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mckenziebauer/
Thread Wallets: https://www.threadwallets.com
Thread Wallets Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thread_wallets/
Thread Wallets YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@threadwallets
Thread Wallets LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thread-wallets/
Powered by www.ehub.com
8 Oct 2026
How to Build a 7-Figure Brand Around Community
Chris Lang didn't build a brand first. He built a community, and the brand followed.
In this episode, Chris Lang, co-founder of Fresh Chile Co., shares his path from growing up on a Cherokee reservation in extreme poverty to building one of the most community-driven e-commerce brands in the country.
Chris and host Frank Dolce talk through the moment he realized he was overcommitted across ten different businesses, why he walked away from several of them to refocus on what actually mattered, and how giving customers a reason to care, not just a reason to buy, has shaped everything he builds.
Key Timestamps:
[02:01] — Growing Up on a Cherokee Reservation
[05:37] — Starting His First Shopify Brand to Help Local Schools
[08:15] — How a Family Chili Recipe Became a Business Partnership
[13:51] — Running Ten Businesses at Once
[17:17] — Deciding What Kind of Entrepreneur He Wanted to Be
[24:03] — "You Don't Have a Brand Until You Have a Community"
[32:24] — Giving Customers a Reason to Care, Not Just a Reason to Buy
[40:18] — How a Childhood Love of Baseball Cards Built His Content System
[43:40] — Why He Believes in Shopify's Community Over Everything Else
📦 ABOUT KNOW YOUR SHIP
Know Your Ship features conversations with the builders, founders, and leaders behind growing companies. Presented by eHub, a platform for e-commerce shipping and logistics.
Optimize your shipping logistics: https://www.ehub.com
Connect with Chris:
Chris's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrislangsocial/
Chris’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrislangsocial/
Chris’s X: https://x.com/ChrisLangSocial
Fresh Chile Co. Website: https://freshchileco.com/
Fresh Chile Co LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fresh-chile/
Fresh Chile Co Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefreshchileco/
Fresh Chile Co YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@freshchile
Powered by www.ehub.com
2 Oct 2026
How to Sell Value Over Price (And Close Bigger Deals)
From sewer pipes to sales pitches, Romm Jackson's career has been anything but conventional.
In this episode, Romm Jackson, Head of Sales at Modo Studios, shares how an unplanned career path shaped the way he sells. His journey took him from leading a Planet Fitness location through COVID to working in industrial manhole repair and overseeing international call centers at TravelPass, with each role teaching him something new about people and persistence.
Romm and host Frank Dolce also discuss the power of needs-based selling, how Modo stands behind its ad work with a performance guarantee, and why face-to-face relationships remain at the heart of his approach.
Key Timestamps:
[01:42] — What Modo Studios Does
[06:13] — Behind the Scenes of a Kylie Jenner Brand Shoot
[12:28] — An Unplanned Path Into Sales
[14:28] — Growing a Planet Fitness Through COVID
[17:18] — Leading by Example in Industrial Manhole Repair
[23:10] — Overseeing 13 International Call Centers at TravelPass
[26:08] — Overhauling the Sales Training Program
[31:23] — Selling Value Over Price
[33:56] — Performance-Backed Ad Packages
[39:36] — Why Face-to-Face Networking Still Wins
[45:17] — What Sets Modo Apart
📦 ABOUT KNOW YOUR SHIP
Know Your Ship features conversations with the builders, founders, and leaders behind growing companies. Presented by eHub, a platform for e-commerce shipping and logistics.
Optimize your shipping logistics: https://www.ehub.com
Connect with Romm:
Romm's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/romm-jackson
Modo Studios LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/modo-studios/
Modo Studios Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modostudios
Modo Studios website: https://modostudios.com/
Powered by www.ehub.com
Inside a recent episode
"My MBA in a Box": How Chapter 11 Built a Billion-Dollar Brand
Published 19 Mar 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] And so there isn't always a clear answer for, when you do this and when you do that, some of it's gut instinct, some of it's learned through experience, some of it's learned through books and mentors and things like that. But fundamentally, back to first principles, the capacity to exercise judgment and not be paralyzed by choice, to make decisions even in uncertainty and to literally make decisions and move forward. That capacity is the fundamental capacity, I think, that allows someone to continue to move up, you know, let's call it the success ladder, whether that means in title and responsibility or whether it means in, you know, financial outcome or the quality of the relationships around us, right? […]
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
