What comes first? Hip-hop or culture. It’s hard to say but there is no doubt that hip-hop artists are incredible story tellers, and we at Listen owe a lot of our truth and inspiration to them. Listen in as JoJo, Brentos, and Jeff dig into their early memories with hip-hop, how artists understand brand, and why being mentioned in a hip-hop song is the ultimate sign that you or your product has officially made it. *This was recorded in February 2022. A word from our portfolio: Whether you’re new to the weed party or you’ve been around for a while, Miss Grass is here to light your way. Miss Gra ..read more

Phones... They’re with us through the best of times and the worst. Although times may have been simpler 20 years ago, our devices have certainly helped us simplify our busy lives. From walking your dog to paying your bills to ordering food, one or two clicks gets you pretty far on a phone or computer. And with that, we’ve also seen how one or two clicks can cause some damage. Listen in as JoJo, Rick, and Ryan dig into the ways our devices have helped us come together and divided us, some of our own tech hygiene, and our hopes for the future of technology. A word from our portfolio: Catch Co ..read more

Whether we’re scrolling on social media or shopping or eating or reading the news, we are constantly consuming. It makes up who we are and it’s changing — from digital content to physical items, there has never been more to consume. Listen in as the team dives into conscious consumption, the nine lives of our items, the ongoing rent vs. buy debate, and more.  A word from our portfolio: Public Goods is your one-stop shop for organic and fair trade groceries, safe and sustainable personal care, and plant powered household cleaners. Visit publicgoods.com to check out our latest products. Hos ..read more

If we had a nickel for every time we’ve heard the phrase “timing is everything” we’d have a lot of nickels. Not only is this true for jobs, relationships, life changes… It's also a key ingredient for startups. The best part? You can’t control it. From successes like Uber and Airbnb, to not-so-successes like Webvan and Friendster, JoJo, Brentos, and Jeff dive into how consumer shifts and startup launch timing go hand in hand. A word from our portfolio: Calm is the #1 app for sleep, meditation, and relaxation with proven techniques designed to ease your mind or lull you to sleep in under 10 minu ..read more

It’s that time of year when all of the things you want for the holidays are ✨ magically ✨ showing up in your feed every other post. And even though we’re all kinda used to our phones listening to us, it’s a little different when you start seeing these products in your snail mail. Listen in as JoJo, Ryan, and Jeff talk about how brands are leaning into direct mail and how Facebook and Apple’s privacy updates are changing up the DTC media mix. You already know, we gush over the famous Sears Christmas catalog from years ago.  A word from our portfolio: Slumberkins is a leading children’s bra ..read more

Meta this, meta that. Is it just us, or has it been hard to avoid the term metaverse over the last few months? And although this isn’t a new idea, it’s happening and the screen-based internet as we know it is changing. Strap on your Oculus and listen in as JoJo, Rick, and Brentos talk about the future of how we’ll go to concerts, hang out with friends, spend QT with family, and experience our favorite brands.  Disclaimer: This episode was recorded on October 13, 2021. Pre-Facebook Inc. becoming Meta Platforms Inc. A word from our portfolio: Codeverse is a place where today’s kids invent t ..read more

Gone are the days where you just need a bed, pillow, and blanket to sleep. Now, night time routines are more complex and thoughtful than ever with sound machines, customized mattresses, special glasses, and more — creating an industry that’s worth over $80B. JoJo, Ryan, and Jeff lay it all on the bed to dive into sleep health, the brands winning in this space, and what a world would look like if sleep training continued into adulthood. A word from our portfolio: Calm is the #1 app for sleep, meditation and relaxation with proven techniques designed to ease your mind or lull you to sleep in un ..read more

ICYMI… An online sneaker community, raised a $12.5M Series A to give fans a curated place to navigate the world of shoes. As sneakerheads and community nerds, this opened up the conversation of what it means for a brand to have a community and what it doesn’t. JoJo, Brentos, and Rick unpack the difference in showing up versus showing off and how brands build and sustain community. Bonus points if you’re able to guess how many times we say the word “community”.  A word from our portfolio: Interior Define provides state-of-the-art customization tools, free design guidance and in-home swatch ..read more

You know what they say… do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life. Whoever said that probably didn’t think that in 2021, 33% of kids between the ages 8-12 would be saying they want to be YouTubers when they grow up. So, it was time to talk about how passions are turning into careers. JoJo, Brentos, and Jeff take a trip down creator economy lane and dive into the ever changing world of content, monetization, and community. A word from our portfolio: Catch Co. is on a mission to rescue people from the indoors and creates amazing fishing brands, products, and shopping experiences ..read more

Pandemics and quarantine and kiddos, oh my! As the US passes the one-year mark since the COVID-19 quarantine began, we’re diving into the way this past year has impacted Generation C and their parents — the relationship with each other, new routines, emotional wellbeing, e-learning, and so much more. JoJo, Ryan, and Rick are joined by special guests, Callie Christensen and Kelly Oriard, co-founders and co-CEOs of Slumberkins to dish on the boogers and beauty of quarantine.  A word from our portfolio: Slumberkins is a leading children’s brand promoting early emotional learning. Each of th ..read more