Aspire with Emma Grede - Andrew Rosen Built Theory and Backed SKIMS – Here’s What He’d Tell Every Founder

Episode Date: September 15, 2026

Andrew Rosen has spent nearly five decades building, investing in, and shaping some of the most influential brands in American fashion. As the co-founder of Theory and an early investor in brands like TWP, rag and bone, Veronica Beard, Alice + Olivia, Good American and SKIMS, he’s also one of Emma's closest mentors.  His advice comes from doing the work — and learning what happens when things don't go to plan.In this conversation, Andrew shares the lessons he took from his father, the setbacks that shaped how he built Theory, and the advice he gave Emma when she was becoming a brand owner. They explore how to trust your instincts, choose the right investors, and build a profitable business with staying power.They get into:Taking over as CEO of the family business in his twentiesLosing control of the company — and what he did nextGetting fired, and why he never saw it as failureThe experience he brought to starting Theory at 40Why profitability has to be part of the plan from the startWhat founders should actually look for in an investorThe lessons he took from his father that still shape how he does business

My guest today is Andrew Rosen, one of the most influential people in American fashion. Andrew grew up in the fashion business. His family's been in it for three generations, and he went on to become the co-founder and CEO of Theory. He's been involved with brands including Frame, Rag and Bone, Alison Olivia, Veronica Beard, TWP, the list goes on and on. As an early investor in both Good American and Skims, he's also been one of my closest mentors, and so I know firsthand how much wisdom he brings to a business. What makes Andrew's so valuable, is that his advice comes from actually doing the work. He started running the family business in his 20s, lost control of that company, got fired from the CEO job at Anne Klein,

and then started over more than once. I loved his perspective on this, and I hope you'll listen for the lesson, not to mention the invaluable advice he took from his own father, Carl Rosen. We get into so much in this episode, including the advice that he gave me at the very beginning of Good American. How can I forget? We talk about what the great brands of the 90s and the early 2000s understood that brands today have simply forgotten and where he thinks that fashion is headed right now. Here's my conversation with my dear friend, the one and only, Andrew Rosen. Getting kids to eat a perfectly balanced diet every day is not always realistic.

Some days are great, some days are not, and most parents are just trying to make the routine a little easier. For parents looking for a straightforward way to support their kids' nutrition, Ella Ola is a well-designed option. It's a tasteless, colourless multivitamin powder for toddlers and kids ages 2 to 11. Each daily sachet can be mixed into whatever they're already eating or drinking. You can stir it into milk, yogurt, juice, oatmeal, even a bit of ketchup. Each sachet has 19 essential vitamins and minerals plus nutrients from 15 organic fruits and vegetables.

It has zero sugar, no artificial dyes or sweeteners, and it's free of the top nine allergens. Ella Ola was developed with paediatricians and it has won the Clean Labelled Project Purity Award, which tests for over 200 toxins and contaminants and verifies products labelling for accuracy. Ella Ola is offering my listeners 20% off your first purchase. Just go to Ellaola.com slash Emma. Discount applied automatically. No code needed. Try it risk-free with Ellaola's 45-day money-back guarantee. Go to Ellaola.com slash Emma for 20% off your.

your first purchase. Andrew Rosen, welcome to Aspire. Thank you. Nice to be here. I am so happy to have you here. You are obviously a dear, dear friend to me, which I feel like should be the kind of opening of this podcast. So everybody knows someone that I would consider an absolute mentor and someone whose

opinion I respect more than most out there, I would say. I really give you a lot of credit from turning definitely me from like a marketeer into more of a brand owner. So I'm going to give you a lot of credit during this interview, but that's the first bit of credit. And for people that don't know you, when I think about you and your career and your legacy and all that you've done,

it deserves a little bit of a roll call. You've been on every side of fashion. You've been involved in so many companies. When I started thinking about how is this episode going to be titled, I was like, the king of American contemporary fashion, the king of New York, like all of these silly things. But let's just do a list of companies

that you've been involved in, that you've advised, that you're on the board of, that you've founded. It's a who's who of American fashion, from theory to rag and bone, Alison Olivia, Veronica Beard, Forensa Shuler, TWP, which I love, by the way, Helmut Lang. Then we have skims and we have frame and we have good American. So it's a lot. And that's not even a full list. The thing that I always think about, whenever I'm about to call you, which is often, is that I get to speak to someone who isn't just an investor who is talking the talk is someone who's walk the walk. And that is why your advice is so, it's just so useful.

Like, whatever I speak to you about on the phone, I then go and do. It's not theoretical. It's not like, oh, you know, I've seen in some data. It's like, here's a fucking thing. And this is what's probably going to work. Well, it's sweet of you to say all that because when I was going on this podcast, I didn't realize what a cultural icon you have become. And all the girls in my office tell me you're going on her podcast. That's going to change your whole career. So, Well, you needed something, obviously. I mean, it's so funny because I have known you for the longest time, and there's been so much change, I think, from those early days.

I knew you, obviously, when you invested in Frame, but I got to work with you at the beginning of Good American because you were one of the initial investors. And I feel like every time I phoned you, I kind of had to put my suit of armour on because I was going to hear something that was going to be really hard. Unfortunately, I'd like to tell the truth. Unfortunately.

Whether it's true or not. I don't know that much has changed, actually. I still feel like I need my suit of armour. Actually, the first time we met was not there, the first time we got involved. When Jens and Eric were working with me, a theory and the branding and all, you tried to convince me that celebrity and influencer was the way to go.

Tried being the operative word. It's really true. Unfortunately, at that point in my career, things had gotten so big that you would get to the owner. And I say, unfortunately, because I would have much rather pitch a market in person. I was like, I could have got that Sid Arthur guy or whoever it was, but they sent me into your office. You had the horse riding on, which I was like, is this the rudest person I've ever met in my life?

Yeah, so you had one eye on me, one eye on the race, and you basically told me why everything I was saying was totally wrong and why that would devalty your brand and you didn't want to do it. Yeah, but the truth of the matter is you were right at the end of the day. I just didn't realize it back then. I love that you say that. That's very, very kind of you. Obviously, you've been on the side of so many businesses in so many different roles. And I wonder what role has taught you the most about whether a business is going to succeed or fail? What's taught me the most is being involved. I'm doing everything that founders are doing every day. And I'm involved in selecting of fabrics and manufacturing and in the retail, in dealing with customers, dealing with wholesale accounts. So I totally understand the business from all facets. And I think that, you know, that started when I was young. And I worked for my dad,

who was a real legend in the industry, a really incredible person. And I started working the warehouse, the factories, and learned the business from the bottom up. That's the way I was brought up. And that's what I'm still doing today. I really want to go back over your career trajectory, because I think the reason that you're such a pivotal investor and you've had so much success is because of all the things that you've done because of your history. But before we go back, I want to understand, like, what do you think is just the biggest mistake that you see brands make these days? I think they try to do everything too quickly. There's sort of a cadence for when things need to happen because brands want to be around a long time. And they look at brands that have been around for

15 years and they've been around two years and they want to do what they do. It's just not going to happen. The evolution of companies is what's important. And where you start, is not where you end up. If you were giving the founders and the entrepreneurs that are listening now, I have a highly ambitious audience. They want it all. They want to be the next skims. They want to be the next big thing.

What would you say to those that have started something and are in a rush to see it grow, to see it thrive, to see it get across a certain kind of threshold? When I'm starting something or I'm involved with a young company, I may look down the road a couple of years, but I set my sights three to six months. I don't go too far too fast. And I think companies and founders need to understand, as I say, that this is a journey. And it's not something that they have to accomplish overnight.

And, you know, the walk of a thousand miles begins with a single step. And they've got to put one foot in front of the other and get there. And they have to do it with passion. They have to do it with a sense of urgency. integrity. They have to be creative. They have to do all the right things, but they have to do it in the appropriate time. Fascinating that you say that because that would seem to me to astew some traditional advice that is like create a long range plan, see your business five years out. Do you think you have to do both that you want to work so closely in three to six months and have the long range

plan or no? When you're founding your company, the first thing you have to do is survive. And so if you're looking out too far, you're going to miss too much. When I found a theory, I was looking at companies that inspired me. A company like Nike, for example, was, I remember they opened the store on 57th Street. I said, how the hell am I ever going to get there? You're so far away from that, that you have to stay in the present a bit. Ultimately, with theory, we got a long way. I mean, we didn't get to Nike, but I certainly got very far. I always believe you have to be inspired by what other companies are doing, not to copy them, but just to be inspired and motivated by them. I think it's important, but I think you do have to stay in sort of the present.

Yeah, it was great advice that you gave me because I think in the beginning of Good American, especially, we kind of got a bit high on our own supply. Yeah, I remember you wanted to do those bathing suits. He was like, don't do swim. But it was true. And you told me the bathing suits was going to be a great business. It was for one season. It's absolutely not going to be a great business.

And you were right. We can talk about the shoes also. We've got so many mistakes to talk about. We could be here all day. But I do remember something that you said to me, which was that I should listen to my customer because I'm going to need to address what they're saying in the following season.

And you were like, don't be so far out that you're getting carried away on what you think you should be doing because you need to respond. Well, you know, a lot of people compare this season to what it was last year. And I don't look at last year. I'm more to look at what the momentum is

over the last three months. I really don't try to copy what I did last year. I try to evolve and move forward from last year. It's a curse for retail businesses, right? To be 2LY focused. If you think about it, the world is evolving so fast. The consumers are evolving, fashion is evolving,

and companies have to evolve with them. that and those companies that get stuck in trying to repeat what they've done before, they get in trouble. I'm not saying you throw everything out, but you really have to be conscious of evolving with the world. So Andrew, take me back because you're full of wisdom, but you got here in a very specific way. You're actually like a third generation fashion person.

Well, you just talk me through the trajectory of your career because it really is quite fascinating. And I think talk about have so much responsibility. at such a young age that does so much to a person. I mean, my father, as I said earlier, was an amazing man, a great mentor and inspiration for me. And I was new at a young age that I was going to go into his business. I was the youngest of four children.

And it was just always something that I think I knew and he knew was going to happen. Throughout my whole youth, I was doing the kinds of things he liked to do. I was playing golf. I was going to the racetrack with him. I was doing all the kinds of things, though my father was not one of those, you know, kind of dads that would throw the ball with you. I had to participate in what he was doing.

He wasn't participating in what I was doing. But he sort of wanted me to go to college, and I went to college for one year, but I just went to play golf, and that's what I was doing at the time. My uncle came to me, and he said to me, when are you ready to go to work for your dad? I was 19 years old.

So when are you ready to go to work for your dad? dad. I'm going to call your dad and tell him. I said, you can call him today and tell him. My dad was smart because he put me on a program to really learn the business from the inside out. And I started working at a knitting mill in Long Island. I then went to a factory in New Bedford, Massachusetts, worked on the sewing floor, worked in the warehouse, really understood what the whole process of making clothes was all about. And your dad's business was manufacturing, essentially. My father was in the dress business. But he had Gloria Swanson, he had paraphernalia. He had a lot of different companies. I spent about nine months working in the showroom just as a salesman, just learning the business.

But my dad, he used to have me in a lot of meetings that he had with all the big department stores, with whatever he was doing, he had me in the different meetings. So I was acquiring a lot of knowledge along the way. He's then in 1978 got the license with Calvin Klein to make Calvin buying jeans. Tell me how many pairs of jeans were they making? Well, the jeans were $16.50 to $20 wholesale. So that was $35 to $45 to $45 retail. And he was paying Calvin a dollar a pair for every jeanie sold. And he was paying him $20 million a year. So he was selling a lot of jeans.

Wow. Crazy. This is 1970s, early 1980s. I said to my dad, no one in the company understands the men's business here. Why don't I take a shot at running this men's business for you? And I was 22 years old. Crazy. It got off to a little bit of a rocky start.

And I went to my dad and I said, after about six months or nine months, I said, maybe you want someone else to do this. This is, no, I'm sticking with you. And once we went through the first Christmas, took off. And the men's business grew to $100 million within three years. It was crazy. So I had sort of made a reputation for myself at a pretty young age. No doubt. My dad got sick in 1982, and he had cancer.

and the company was doing 300-odd million dollars at that time. Which to contextualize like 1982, I know that year because it's the year of my birth, 44 years ago. So it's like a billion-dollar something company in today's terms, right? It's huge, huge. And you are 26 years old at that point? 26. And my dad passed away a year later. I'm so sorry.

And I had to become the CEO of the company. If I thought about it today, it would be frightening. I think it was just something I knew I had to do and I became the CEO of New York Stock Exchange Company. Did you understand the magnitude of what you were stepping into? No, not at all. Really? No.

I didn't even think about it. It's not even that I didn't understand it. I didn't think about it. You just did it out of obligation? That was just the responsibility that I had. And my dad was, he was sick for about a year before he passed away and over that year he did as much as, he could to help and train me to be prepared for it. The one thing that also happened is he had a

best friend who was a lawyer. And that individual who since just passed away over the last year became like a second father to be. And actually, although I lost my father with this fellow Miles Rubin, I never felt like I didn't have a father. He did, was amazing. But I think that was sort of a factor that that helped me a lot. No doubt. One thing's in life that everything is a straight line up and you know, you're successful through everything. There's a lot of ups and downs and twists and turns. I know how much Miles meant to you because I've known you for so many years and you would always be visiting him and obviously I knew of his passing. I think one of the reasons that you're able to be such a good mentor to so many is because you had one and you had a great example in both your

father before he's passing and in miles that were able to really shepherd you through this unbelievable career that you were having when you were still really just a kid like a 26 year a kid like the idea of taking all of that responsibility and also all the eyeballs that were on you will you just talk a little bit about barry sports and Calvin Klein and what happened when the control of the company changed because that was so highly publicized and known in the fashion business and it could have been something that would sort of kill a person, but it absolutely didn't for you. Yeah, I mean, there was, there's a lot written about all of this, but about a year later, the company started to have some trouble and Barry Schwartz and Calvin Klein decided that

they were going to, in a hostel, take over, take over the company. And was the company having trouble because you were having trouble running it, or was it just like the company had grown so quickly, you know? You know, who knows, who knows? Who knows? whether someone else would have done a better job or not. I think the jeans business is quite cyclical. So when we were in a period, when we were a period where the gene business was great, the company was doing well,

the jeans business got tough. But clearly at 26 years old, I probably missed a few things along the way. Maybe. Maybe. Maybe. So Barry and Calvin roll in and say, no tar. We don't fancy what you're selling. So they,

in a very public manner, made a take over of the company and ultimately took over the company. I was going to leave. And they had hired somebody who I had known before he was the CEO of Saxford Avenue, a fellow by the name of Bob Suslo. And he came in to run the company. The first thing he did was sit down with me for days. And he wanted to understand everything I knew and what was going on with the company. And I remember me, he wrote everything down on a yellow pad with a black pencil. I don't know how many pages of notes he took. But anyway, I had gotten an opportunity to go to work at Ralph Lauren.

I came in and I said to Bob Sussler, I said, listen, these guys don't really want me here. I'm going to go, I got an opportunity to go run one of the Ralph Lauren companies. Stuart Chrysler at that time was a licensee for Ralph Lauren. He said to me, you're not going anywhere. You're staying here with me and you're going to run this company one day. So rather than run away and flee, I said, I'm going to do that. And I ended up staying and working with him. He ended up getting in a disagreement with Barry and Calvin and left. And then they brought in someone else. That didn't work out. And ultimately, I ended up being president of the

company again. I think that was something for me that I just wanted to make a, a statement that my father was right about me being able to run the company. Within the next three or four months, I left and became the CEO of Ancline. I mean, good for you, first of all. I love that. And I always think about that moment could have been like such an embarrassment for you, but actually it turned around completely. In the moment, I just had to deal with everything that happened. There was a lot of bad publicity. There was some good publicity. I just soldiered on, so to speak. And I guess I had enough confidence in myself and my own ability,

and I think that's a tribute to what my father had prepared me for. Absolutely, no doubt. I didn't think twice about any of it. I just really did the best job I could every day I was there. So I ended up leaving and going to work for An Klein. Were you the CEO? I was the CEO. You're still pretty young to be a CEO at this point.

I mean, because Anne Klein, again, big company. I was 29 to 30 years old, yeah. At that point in time, I had been working for 10 or 11 years, and I had accomplished a lot. You know, I was a good merchant. I still am today. I was just about to say that. You are a good merchant. But you did end up getting fired from Anclin, right?

You were there, you got fired. You did Anclim for how many years? Six years. But I was really, I was asking for that. The truth of the matter is it was the best thing that ever happened to me. but I was going through some stuff in my life, and I had a different idea of what Anne Klein should be from the owners. Whether I was right or wrong, it wasn't really, it didn't matter.

They wanted to go in a different direction than I would want it to go. And it was not the easiest moment for sure. What did that experience teach you about failure? That's a good question. I just felt that it wasn't the right place for me. I didn't really see it as failure. I saw it as an opportunity. I just love you so much.

Can I tell you that is like such a male answer? I fucking love it. And if any single woman listening to this podcast right now could just take that right in because your answer could never, ever come from a woman because a woman would have given me a fucking laundry list of all the things she did wrong and why that opportunity was like completely, you know, taken away.

And you're just like, just wasn't the right place for me. Yeah. I didn't really have the luxury of, of having to be too emotional about it. It wasn't going to change. And that's the way it was. And I had to figure out what I was going to do next. What were you going through in your life at that point that was a tumultuous moment?

I was getting divorced from my first wife, getting custody of my kids, and just trying to figure out where I was going. And, you know, it's just one of those things. I just really had to face up to. what I needed to do to support my family. It's kind of amazing to hear you talk about it because you don't talk about this much publicly. But at the end of this, you've done and had this incredible career

while being a single dad raising two kids, two incredible kids who I know extremely well, who are a credit to you. But at the end of the day... They weren't always that way. But they ended up that way. Apparently, they never are. But regardless, you were solely responsible for raising them.

Yeah. You know, my kids were the most important thing in my life, and they needed guidance and direction and love, and that's what I was there for. And it's interesting, you got me talking about all this because this wasn't what we were supposed to talk about at all. And probably I haven't thought about this stuff for years and years, but I think it's okay. I don't mind talking about it. I'm with friends. You know, I always took the attitude that I had a responsibility. And I had to deal with that responsibility and do the best I could. Again, just that's the principles my father left me with. That's who my father was.

That's who I was. And that's what I had to do. The pace of work now is so much faster than it used to be. You can spend the whole day moving between emails, documents, meetings and messages. And at the end of the day, trying to work out what exactly needs your attention. The hardest part is that all the context lives in different places. One details in an email thread, another's in a dock. another came up in a meeting, and if you have to stop what you're doing, open a new tab,

paste everything in and explain the whole situation again, the tool almost becomes another task to manage. That is what feels different about superhuman go. From the makers of Grammally, it works where you already work, right there on the side of your browser so you can get help without switching apps or losing your place. If you're reading a dense document or a long thread, you can highlight what's in front of you and go to pull out the key points. If you're getting ready for a meeting, can help you make sense of the context you already have. And before you send something important, it can help catch details that don't add up, a number, a name, a claim, so that you can follow up with more confidence. The point is that it's already up to speed. You're still in control,

but your AI assistant is right there when you need it, working inside the tools and the sites that you already use. Try Superhuman Go from the makers of Grammally. Find out more at superhuman.com. You've mentioned the word principles and philosophy a couple of times in the short time we've been speaking. It strikes me as like just knowing and working with you that you are such a highly principled person in the terms of the way you do business, the way you make decisions, the way you take on responsibility. Is that something that you're very conscious of or is it so wired into you that you don't even think about it at this point? I think it's something that's wired into me. I don't think about it.

But, you know, I remember my dad said to me one time, I don't understand why all these people are saying they like you. I don't want you to be liked. I want you to be respected. I learned at a very early age that if you wanted to be respected, you had to do the right thing. And that's what I've always tried to do. The right thing may mean different things to different people,

principles and integrity and the way I want to live my life and the way I want to do business. And the way I want people to think of me it's a certain way and that's wired into me. A lot of people aren't going to agree with what I do or how I do it, but as long as I'm comfortable with it,

that's good enough. It's funny that you say a lot of people wouldn't agree because it's really hard to get any shit on you because everybody that you call, even if you've given really harsh, hard feedback in that way that only Andrew does, they really respect you. And I feel like everyone at some point has sat in your office, had a meeting with you, spoken about their business, certainly anyone in fashion in New York.

And you are a no-holds-barred person. You never tell people what they want to hear. You always are very true for and you're very explicit with that truth. You're not really dressing up because you don't have that kind of time. And yet, you are extremely well-liked. Is there a reason that you think that that's the case with you? You must have. be aware of that reputation. Are you? I think that... I couldn't get anyone to talk shit about you, basically, Andrew.

I made all the calls. I think the environment that you create is important to the success of your business. So I try to be fair with people. I try to be compassionate with people. And as I say, I try to do the right thing. It doesn't mean that it's always the most popular thing, but it's the thing that I think is in the best interest of of the mission ahead. It's nice that people feel that way. And I guess that goes back to the conversation

I had with my father. And people did like me, but more importantly, they respected me. Yeah, I think the site could be true. You know, that's something, as I said, I learned at an early age. And it's something, you know, it's interesting because I'm sure what he said to me, you know, just rolled off his tongue and he didn't think that 50 years later, I was going to remember it and it was going to be, you know, something that had a great impact on my life. Yeah, and a great impact on so many other people's lives, because I think that that is the big thing about you, like your wisdom and your know-how, like you're not a gatekeeper.

You're someone who is willing to share the information, to pass on the knowledge, to show that to other people. And I think that there's been so many people, whether you've invested in the company or not, that have benefited from that wisdom. And you might not think about it like that, but I think it's pretty true of how other people see you. Yeah, but I learned from other people.

And I'm still learning today. And I like to meet young people that founded their businesses or starting their business or involved in their business. And I learn a lot from conversations with them. They learn from me, but I'm also learning from them. I'm now of a generation that really should be retiring. But I have no interest in retiring. I'm still building and going and wanting to do lots more. And the reason that is is because I'm around young people all the time. I'm around young ideas. I'm still interested and curious about that. Yeah, no doubt. I mean, I always find that fascinating about you that you will know about the new hottest handbag startup before I do. And I'm like, oh shit, like, I need to go and get this thing. Or like, you know, you'll call up and you'll be like,

these people are making like injected, molded shoes out of AI algorithm. And I'm like, okay, Andrew, like, let's go and see them. But that is so much a part of you. Like, you are constantly in learning mode. You are absorbing from the young energy all around you. And you've kind of made it your business. to know, to be in the no. You're not like sitting here talking about

Ralph Lauren and Anne Klein anymore, really. Maybe Ralph Lauren because that's still we're all talking about Ralph Lauren again now. I know what a comeback. Amazing. I want to talk a bit about theory because to me, theory was such an interesting business because what you saw,

and actually again, it goes back to your superpowers. You have this incredible way of seeing what's coming down the pipe, like what's actually happening and looking into the future. and you saw that the way women were dressing for work was really changing. Like, I'm curious to understand how you knew that that shift in behavior could actually become a business. So here's what I. This is now 1995, 96, 97. So the world was a completely different place. Cell phones were just coming. The internet was just coming. I understood that people's lives were going to change dramatically.

they were no longer going to be chained to an office. They were going to be moving around and work was going to become a very different thing. I felt that if I could make clothing that matched what the new, you know, paradigm for the working woman was going to be, I was going to have something. And at that time, remember,

I just got fired from Anne Klein. I wasn't really hireable because who was going to hire? me. I actually went on two interviews. One interview was with Linda Wachner. She was a big powerhouse at the time, the CEO of Warnaco, and she had a job for me out in California to run Speedo or one of these, this whole thing she had out there. I wasn't picking up and moving to California. No, no, you don't work in California. I had another interview with Silas Chow and Lauren stroll. You're ready to tend to tell me what's happening. Now I'm really getting into stuff. But I had an interview with Silas and Lawrence. They were looking for someone to run

Peppy jeans. But I don't think they thought I was the right person for that. More not then. So I realized that finding a job was not going to be the way to go. But I wanted to start my own business anyway. I wanted to do something on my own and personal. And Ellie Tohari called me up. Amazing talent. Ellie is an interesting character. I mean, we could go on about that, but we don't need to. But Ellie called me and Ellie said

why don't we get together. I got together with him and he and I sort of hit it off. But I have the ability to deal with people that are a little left of center. And Ellie was definitely left of center. And he's such a nice polite way to put it. You know, he's a creative guy and he's a survivor and, you know, he came here with nothing and built an incredible business and all.

But he was different. And Ellie said, why don't you come and help me run my business? I said, I don't want to help you run your business. I want to start my own business. He says, you will start a business together too. He says, you'll help me run my business, will start a business. And that business was Ellie Tahrir, like the brand. He's an insane brand.

Yeah. It was actually a good situation for me because, you know, know, I could earn some money helping run his business while I started a business that he and I together. That business was theory. And he had been screwing around with lots of these stretch fabrics. And I said to him, why don't we start a company where all the fabrics are made with Lycra and all the clothes we make are going to be out of fabrics with Lycra. And we're going to do it better than anyone else. We're going to have the best fabrics. We're going to have the best fit. We're don't have the best quality. And that was the whole premise. And the idea also that women needed

clothes that were more versatile. And there was nothing more versatile than clothing with Lycra. You could pack it up and it wouldn't wrinkle. And it was so comfortable to travel in and everything seems simple. It seems so simple. But actually when you go back to that time, like it would have been completely revolutionary. There are certain 90s pieces that never really leave fashion. The rugby shirt, the vast, jacket, the relaxed denin, the slim shoulder bag. They come back because they're easy, recognisable and still really useful in a wardrobe. The difference now is in the styling. You don't want to recreate the decade head to toe. You want the reference, but with proportions

and details that feel current. That's what Macy's is doing with the retro revival edit this fall. It's a proper edit of the classic designs worth revisiting, reimagined through a modern lens. The brands leading the edit are the ones that have been doing this kind of thing well for the longest time. That includes Tommy Hilfiger, coach, Levi's and Kenneth Cole. Good American is in there too, which I obviously have to declare an interest in. There are pieces with a little nostalgia, but the way they're cut and styled makes them feel new. Check it out on macy's.com or head to your nearest Macy's store to shop the Retro Revival Edit. I wonder what are some of the decisions that you made a theory that made the business as successful as

it was. Like, now with the benefit of hindsight, what can you look back on and say, like, these were the things? I mean, we spent a long time to get the right fabrics, the right fit, and manufacture them the right way. And the clothes fit perfectly. And from the day we started, the clothes flew off the shelves. I think we went from six million to 20 million to 50 million. The company just took off. And it was also a different era that there was no owning your own store was not something that was even conceivable. There was no internet back then. The internet was just starting. In fact, I have a funny story about that. The guy that started shop up, oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. He was named Bob. And he came into my office. He started in Wisconsin

or something. And he said, I have this, this platform, and I'm going to sell clothes on the internet. And I want you to sell. I said, that's the stupidest idea I remember. Who's going to buy clothes on the internet. That's ridiculous. Off with you. Come back when you have a better idea. I quickly changed my mind, but at first I thought it was a terrible idea. But it's so funny because I mean, obviously both you and I are friends with Natalie Massanay. And she had exactly the same story. Like, walking around telling people you were going to buy clothes off a computer screen, felt bananas, especially expensive things. You were like, yeah, I get it. I'll buy a book. But I'm not spending 150 bucks on a pair of pants. When you think about scaling that business, because

the trajectory was so, like, steep. What did you have to learn when it came to scaling it, like, the right way? The thing is that I started my business. I was 40 years old. So I had a lot of experience. Most people start their business. They never did anything before. Isn't there something to say of that, though, Andrew?

Like, so many people feel like they should start a business when they're 26, 27, and it's like... I tell everyone, experiment on someone else's money. Don't experiment with your own. By that time, I knew... what to do and how to do it. I was sort of inventing a whole new category of business and I had to learn things about that, but I knew how to design clothes,

I knew how to manufacture clothes, I knew how to merchandise clothes, I knew all the department stores, I knew all the press, I knew all the ingredients that it took to be successful. The big advantage was, as I said, I'd done it before for years and now was doing it for myself. Did you know that theory would become

as big as it actually did? Not at all. So what was your thinking? Because you kind of get six years into starting the company and then you decide, I'm going to sell a meaningful pace. Well, there's a reason for that. I had a partner. And I thought it was better and safer to sell the company,

have the money and not have the partner. And Ellie, there's nothing bad about Ellie. I think Ellie is a great guy. And Ellie has got a lot of great qualities. but he's not always the easiest. And when 9-11 happened, you know, business became very tough after that. And Ellie's business got very tough. And he had to use the financing of theory to support his business,

which I had no problem with. He was my partner. I couldn't say no to him. I didn't really want to do it or like to, but I had to do it. And I realized at that time that... Well, technically, like you were... just being a good partner, though. No, you wouldn't have had to do it. I mean, two companies, two separate companies, you were a good partner.

Well, he helped me when I needed help. I was certainly going to help him when he needed help. Fair. I mean, that wasn't an option. I realized that I was not 100% in control of my fate. And I thought it was better for both him and I that we got the money. Because the business started with nothing. and we sold it for at that time a lot of money. A pretty penny. Yeah. So you then get to take some money off the table and you decide to stay on in the business

for a bloody long time after that. I'm wondering, like, what did staying in a business for that amount of time teach you about being a good leader and a good businessman? I made a deal with the Japanese that I was going to stay for one year. They were the money partner. Misty and I from fast retailing who...

Unicado. I don't need to explain. All bow down. Couldn't have had a better buyer, acquire, I guess. He was Mr. and I then, but he wasn't the Misty and I of today. His business was smaller, maybe three or four billion at that time. He came in and my closest friend at that time was a fellow by the name of Ricky Sasaki. And Ricky was sort of the intermediary between Missy and I and myself or fast retailing myself.

Ricky, unfortunately, had passed away maybe now 15 years ago, but he was another amazing person and a really close friend of mine. But he was the one that made the introduction to Mr. and I. And Ricky had theory in Japan. I have licensed theory in Japan to him, and he had built a big business there. And so Ricky was the one that had met Mr. and I and had sort of put the deal together. and they had agreed with me that I was going to stay one year and I had a one-year contract and after the year was up, they didn't want me to go,

I didn't want to go and I never had another contract. No way. Never had another. You just stayed on for how long? 15 years. I mean, it's unbelievable. It wasn't really hard because Misty and I was, uh, was, is still an incredible, inspiring leader.

He's incredibly intuitive. 15 seconds is an eternity to him to make a decision. I mean, it's just incredible. And I learned a lot from him, a lot. I was learning for the whole 15 years I was there. I think at the end, he wanted to have more control of the business, and rightfully so, his son who had been working there all the time, was ready to take over.

And it was time I left. But for the 15 years that I was there, you know, I think he respected. me and I greatly respected him. He couldn't have made a situation easier for a founder to stay and continue running the business. And he's incredible. I think that so many of the founders that you interact with would say a similar thing about you. Like you couldn't make it easier to be a founder in a business that you've invested in. And you obviously learn an enormous amount for him. What do you think that people right now underestimate about building a brand and scaling a brand,

given all your years of experience, everything that you saw from taking over from your father, to being at the helm of that company, to moving into Ancline, to then starting theory, what are the biggest things that you see that are just not talked about enough? I think it's all about the integrity. The integrity of the company you create, the product, the experience, the methodology of doing business. I mean, it all has to be done with great integrity. And it's not just about making sales. I mean, sales are easy to make. It's about really creating something that's worth something at the end of the day that really last. It's way more than just how much sales you bring up. I want to be proud of the work we do. I want the

people in the company to be proud of the work that we do. And I want them to be proud when they say this is the company I work for. How do you institute that, though, Andrew? Because even as you say that and you talk about integrity and I feel like it's a word that people throw out a lot, but you really live it. How do you bring in what you know so intrinsically, what you've learned from all the amazing people that you've had around you, and make that of value within the company that everybody else lives by? Like, how do you actually ensure integrity within product, integrity within how customers come in and see the brand? It's just what you do every day. It's just every decision you make, how you run your business. You know more maybe than I do about what people think

of me and the business I run, but I try to be fair and consistent and inspiring. I mean, I think that's, again, something I learned from my father. My father made work fun, and he was inspiring, and he made it like people wanted to give 150%. And he was giving 160%. I believe that, you know, you have to work just as hard as anyone in the company, still even if at my age and my success or whatever,

I try to work as hard as the hardest working employee in the company. Yeah, I mean, I feel like I can see that with you because, I mean, even when we have a board meeting, like you care so much about product. One of my favorite Andrews stories is when I was trying to show you, like some new stuff that we were doing, and you go for a row in this very particular way. Like when you show Andrew's stuff, he goes, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, that's a hit.

that's not a hit. Don't do that. Do more of that, but in that way. But like you have that. Like you know you can just leap through a thing and you will feel it immediately. But do you think it's that like that you've stayed so close? Like you haven't kind of gone up here

and just down the boards and just down the investing and just down the advising that you're still like in it? I think that helps, but I don't read fashion magazines. I don't look at fashion. It's just something I feel. I've been around it for so long, and I suppose that my senses and my, you know, I have my own

algorithms that are going on in my mind. So when I see a product or someone discusses an idea with me, I'm going through a whole checklist in my mind as to whether that's going to work or not. It's just something intuitive. I see things differently than other people do. And it's frustrating to people because I want to go left and they want to go right. And I said, no, we have to go left. Or usually you know what you say. You're like, go right. Just remember what I said about going left.

That's usually what happens. I do that too. If somebody feels strongly in something, I'll let him go do it. But I just have sort of an intuitive sense. And I think that was something because I grew up with my father bringing clothes home. I can remember bringing boxes of Beatles T-shirts and hats and all the kind of stuff he was making at the time and bring him to the hat. and us looking through them.

And, you know, I just always was trained that way. It's in your bones. Do you have the same type of gut instinct for people? I feel that way about people also. I mean, I don't know whether I'm as good at that as I am the other thing. But, yeah, I sort of operate a lot from my instincts. And my instincts with people, my instincts with product, my instinct with making decisions, very much so. have you learned when it comes to hiring people about the type of person that can be successful

and additive in an organization? Some people work laterally. Some people work linear, right? I deal much better with lateral thinking people. The linear thinking people have a little bit of trouble with me because I think very laterally. People have to be able to see things from that kind of perspective. And the only companies that I've not been successful, with is when I really didn't get along with the people that were running them. I really had a very different opinion and they didn't understand what I was saying and they were super defensive about what I was saying and how I was saying it. But, you know, it just, that's the ones that didn't work out.

But the ones where we've gotten along have worked out really well. And gone along is very different from agreeing all the time, right? Because I feel like you have been so useful to me and in the businesses that we're involved in together because you have your opinion, but it isn't something where you're like, it's my way or the highway. You're going to offer your experience. But I also feel like you saved me from a lot of shit, even if I've gone against what you told me to do. But I respect. People have a different opinion, and that's okay. And if they want to go that way, even if I'm their partner, it's all right. I mean, I don't have to be right all the time. And I don't have to only see things my way either.

I feel always so happy that I had the investor base that I did because in in one way, like, I feel like so many things that you do. You know, I had like one camp of people that would talk about like a different way of thinking about growing a business. And I always, you know, in my very naive way, I was like, I had like this sort of younger group of investors and I had the old group of investors. And you were very clear in your training. You were like, Emma, if you don't have profit, you don't have a company.

Like, it's just that simple, right? And in a way, when I came up, like, thinking about the start of good of America, which is a decade ago now, it wasn't, that wasn't the timing. The timing was like, chase the top line, like, plow money into digital marketing. And you literally looked at the numbers and you were like, here's why this is not going to work, which wasn't the prevailing wisdom, which wasn't how everyone I could see around me that was being successful was doing. I mean, I've been running a business almost 50 years now and be responsible for running a business.

And, you know, you have to have gross profit. You have to have a bottom line profit. And if you don't have that, you're not going to own much of the business when you get finished. But were you never seduced by that moment where you saw all of these brands becoming massive overnight successes and thought, I want to be a part of that? Not really. I mean, I don't think there are any rules and fashion as I see. said earlier, people run their business is completely different. You know, everyone runs the business a little different. And that's what makes the industry so interesting. I've always

tried to have a few guiding principles and who I want to work with and what I think is successful. It doesn't, it doesn't all, like all the companies I'm involved with, they all run differently. No doubt. And the products is all different. But they're all competing against each other too. Which I always find so fascinating. Obviously, I know I'm your favorite. So I'm a feel totally fine about it. Even like the interesting thing is at theory, I was investing in companies that were directly competitive with theory. Yeah.

And as you do now, I mean, you have so many companies in the same space. Yeah. They all do it differently. Like, I don't mix. The only thing that's common in the companies is me and Hussein, who's my CFO. Love Hussein. Shout out to Hussein, by the way. Hussein's going to do it about Hussein.

No, Hussein is unbelievable. amazing. I take the holidays very seriously. I plan meticulously around work so that while I'm away, I'm taking real time off to recharge and enjoy my life with the people closest to me. Summer holiday in particular is one of the few windows where I can be properly indulgent with time. And this summer, we were home in London, then in Switzerland, which is just one of those places where the beauty completely takes you over. We spent our days hiking and on the Swiss National holiday, we got really festive and joined in on all the local celebrations. Travel is also where some of my best ideas come from. There's just something about stepping into a different pace of life

and seeing how other people live that gives you a completely fresh perspective. I also think there's another big opportunity in being away. Maybe you're travelling for work or you're going away for a few weeks. If your home is going to be empty, listing it can be a smart way to earn extra money while you're gone, giving you something to put towards your next adventure. It's especially useful when something big is happening in your area and travellers are looking for a place to stay that gives them a more local experience. Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at Airbnb.com slash host. When it comes to your health, there's a big difference between trying to piece things together on your own and having access to legitimate care.

That is one of the reasons hers is so interesting. Weight loss by hers gives you access to licensed providers online so you can understand what options may be appropriate for you and get a personalized treatment plan if prescribed. Through Heirs, eligible patients can access FDA-approved GLP-1 options, including the Weigovie pill and the Weagovi pen. Wegeovi is designed to support weight management when combined with a diet and exercise, and hers connects you with a licensed provider who can determine whether treatment is right for you. Everything happens online through hers, and if prescribed, your medication is delivered right to to your door. The support also goes beyond medication. Weight loss by hers includes access to 24-7

messaging with your care team plus in-app lifestyle and nutrition support like recipes, meal plans, fitness videos, sleep content and so much more. Ready to reach your goals? Visit forhers.com slash aspire to get personalized affordable care that gets you. That's F-O-R-H-E-R-S dot com slash aspire. Forhers.com slash aspire. Weight loss by hers is not available in all 50 states. Weigovie is the registered trademark of Novo Nordisk AS. To get started and learn more, including important safety information, where Govi clinical study information and restrictions, visit forehers.com. I want to talk to you a little bit about you as an investor, Andrew as an investor. So many founders that I speak to have really difficult relationships with their investors. They never quite find

the reason that they've parted with so much or they're footing and how to work with their investors. You mentioned earlier that the companies you have the best relationship with are those where you've actually just established a great relationship with the founder. What do you advise people when they go out and they find an investor? How do you interact with an investor in a way that is going to be fruitful for the relationship? What do you tell people? I think, first of all, what kind of investor are you looking for? are you looking for an investor or are you looking for a partner?

If you're looking for an investor, that can be difficult because they're investing in you unless you deliver what you committed to them you're going to deliver, they're not going to be happy. And when they're not happy, how are they going to perform? I think the most important question to ask is, if you're a founder, what's going to happen if the business has some trouble and how are you going to react to that? and how are you and I going to work together? The key thing is not when business is good.

The key thing is when business is not good. And there's always going to be that period where business is not good. I mean, it just doesn't go always. There's always problems. And even in the best companies. And I think what founders need to realize is what's the investor I'm having going to do when things aren't exactly the way that I put them on the piece of paper. Which is so difficult, right, because I feel like you're in such a, like, a dog and pony show of show and tell when you're out to investors.

So you're only ever trying to talk about the upside. And you shy away from ever even imagining a moment of downtime. But that's when it comes down to character and integrity and who am I in business with and for what reasons. But I don't ever consider myself an investor in any business. I'm a partner. As a partner, I have a different responsibility than an investor. and for me, I'm not looking about how much money I'm going to make and how quickly I'm going to sell it. I'm looking at how we're going to build something that we can be proud of.

And is that a criteria for you to get involved in a business? Because I'm sure some people are just looking at the check. They're like, great, the check comes from somebody like Andrew Rosen. But I wonder if that's always implicitly understood from the other side. I mean, the best companies that I invest in and the companies that are super, super small. I invested in Alice in Livia. It was 500,000. They're going to do 300 million. What? I invested in Raggedbone. They were doing, you know, a million and a half dollars. I just want to say for the record that you were in Good American and Skims before they even started.

So I'm just putting myself in that list of success stories. Thank you very much. Just in case you weren't going to mention them. Andrew. Good old skims. Skims makes us all happy. Skims will make us all sleep at night. That's what we say. If we only knew then what we knew was going to happen.

Should have got a fucking would have. If we could only just make a million skims. That makes everything else look bad. I know. Which is actually such a curse in a way, isn't it? It's so funny because, again, because we're coming up on this big anniversary, we've got America. I'm like, that's an incredible company. It's just that everything pays.

into insignificance when you have something that's a total outlier. How do you even focus on the smaller, more emerging things when you have all of this unbelievable stuff in your portfolio? And Andrew, like, when you don't need the money anymore? I mean, I don't think things are always about money. Clearly. But that's easy to say when you have a lot of money. Yeah.

But even when you don't have money, it's still about the passion of being able to do something well. If you do something well, the money will come. And I guess it's easy to say now, but I mean, there was a time that, you know, money was a little tighter than it is currently. But I don't know. I just, I love my work, so I'm lucky. I discovered recently that I was a workaholic. You didn't know that?

Who told you? I didn't really know that. Are you absolutely kidding? You'll take a call at like 11 o'clock at night. And I make calls at 11 o'clock, good night too. We fucking know. But I actually just realized that, that I have more enjoyment at work than I do in lots of other places. But I think I realized that because I stopped playing less golf now.

And I stopped playing golf is a big distraction for me. Huge distraction. So I was able to work hard. I'm only saying it like this because my husband has just taken up golf, which you know, you were like, welcome to being a golf widow. I was like, yeah, like literally I'm on my own all the time. Golf is a huge distraction. But it's interesting because I always think about fashion as being like a bit of a hobby for you.

Like you love it so much. But you are someone that despite being a workaholic, you have a very full life. You fish. You have the horses. Andrew is obsessed and owns a lot of race horses. You have golf, which took up a lot of your time. You have this big family life, right? You're a grandfather.

Your daughter has two kids. You have this incredibly successful family. You're really like the person that so many people rely on in some way. So even though you're a workaholic, you're a very well-rounded sort of family man with a lot of hobbies. I have a lot of hobbies and I have a lot of responsibilities. But there's time for everything. What do you think that great fashion businesses of like the 90s and the early 2000s understood that brands now have maybe forgotten a little bit? Back then, you have to understand that brands were about making the best product.

And they didn't have to worry about marketing it. They didn't have to worry about selling it. They just had to make the best product. They were experts in designing and manufacturing and merchandising. I think today the business has gotten a lot more complex because not only do you have to worry about that stuff, you have to sell it. You have to create the content. So you have to be a retailer, you have to be a media company, you have to create content.

So it's a much more complicated business today. Yeah, I think you're completely right about that. And it becomes a distraction for small companies. It's more complex and it takes a greater understanding of the whole now. Yeah. Before you only understood half because you had magazines and you had retailers to do part of the job for you. Yeah, there was a much more established. of recognized system and that system is kind of broken,

meaning that there's then a bit of a free-for-all and land grab. I think for those companies that understand it, it's very liberating. Do you still believe that... I think it's better today, by the way. I was just going to say, do you think there's still as good your chance

for the good stuff to come through? Oh, I think it's better today. Why? Because there were so many gatekeepers? There were so many different channels and, as you say, gatekeepers, yeah. I think it's much... A brand can really tell its story from beginning to end.

today and really authentically and the consumer sees a pure experience of the brand, not someone else's point of view. It feels to me like it's never been easier to start, but actually to have longevity, to have staying power still remains like elusive to so many companies. I don't know if I can remember like the new brands of three years ago because they seem to come up and they go away. So what do brands need to do to actually create a meaningful, long-lasting business? You've got to do the right thing over and over again. And you've got to make product that's unique and different and that inspires the consumer. You can't just make what everyone else is making. For me, brands that start in one category of business and try to go to another category

of business, just because this is successful in shoes doesn't make them successful in handbags. And I think a lot of clothing companies, they want to go into shoes, they want to go into bags, they want to go into jewelry, and they want to do this, that. Most of the time it doesn't work because there's no authenticity and there's no expertise. I've stuck to clothing mostly because I'm an expert when it comes to clothing. When it comes to making shoes, I have no edge. Sorry, I'm laughing because we all know about my failure in shoes. I'm just going to take it squarely on the chin over here.

You know, there is a moment now when things are going so good in a brand that you're like, let me just do all the things, you know? And it was such a massive lesson for me because it wasn't until the failure of shoes that I understood what Good American was about. That's the honest truth. I thought I could pretty much do any category so long as I told a story around inclusivity. Like that's what was in my head. I was like, this business is about inclusivity.

I learned after that this business was about fit and, and fabrication, period, end of. And I could not just apply that to any old category. So the most important lesson you learned is from your failure, which is absolutely correct. You never learn anything when you do it well. It is true. It is absolutely so true. Don't do it well. I want to know if you were starting a business from scratch today, what kind of business would you start? I've been busy with TWP as of late, so I haven't really thought about starting something new because I'm right in the midst of what's going on there. You always find something. I have a few new companies that I have my eye on that I'm going to get involved in. New places that

I'll get a discount. How exciting. I like when a company has the ability to get known really quickly. And there's a lot of these influencers that really know how to cut through and be able to get their message across. And I think there's a real opportunity in some of them have not only the ability to understand how to cut through, but they also have a flair for fashion. You're doing an influence of business without me? How rude. Who is this? Who's this bitch? So there's a few of those that I'm sort of interested in experimenting with it. I think there's actually a bunch of really good ones out there now. And some that definitely are going to like make it over that hump of like just selling to their immediate audience.

I have something different to offer than other people because it's not really the money. Money is easy to get from a lot of people, but I'll have a point of view about, you know, what makes a clothing company successful. And there's not just one formula, but I mean, I think you have to be able to navigate the landscape. So I'm very interested in maybe one or two of these things and starting up, starting some new things. It's hard to start a company from scratch. It's really hard. Super hard. Do you caution against it? What would you say that somebody needs? If I'm investing in a company from scratch is a mistake.

But like TWP I started from scratch. But I started TWP A because I had an amazing confidence in Trish. And Trish, I think, I'm going to do a little sales pitch now. Trish, I think is probably the best American designer that hasn't been discovered yet. I mean, she has created a whole new language of American sportswear. I mean, the style of the clothes, the, the, the, the, the, the combinations of what she's doing is incredible. Investing in companies being partners in companies, you have to do things the way the founder wants to do them.

No doubt. And Trish and I sort of founded this together. And she does what she does very, very, very well. And I have complete confidence in that. And I do what I do. and she has complete confidence in that. And so we work really, really well together. And it's been like a really rewarding thing.

I said to my wife the other day, I wonder what life would have been like if I hadn't started this. I think that there was something missing. I think that you would have found something else because there's no way you would have been fishing and on the golf course. Yeah, but investing in, you know, founding a company, it's different. It's different. And it's hard.

And, you know, we started from scratch and I had enough confidence that, I funded the whole thing myself. And we didn't go out to raise any money. And I didn't want to have the responsibility of that. And started and to really, you know, have the success that we've had. It's been really rewarding. I was going to say, but it's really working right now, right now, right? Really working.

I mean, it's really, it's super exciting. You know, it gave me an opportunity to sort of start over again. I think it's inspiring that at this sort of season in your life, you're still finding things that excite you this much. I've learned a lot differently now of how I want to run the business. Like, I'm more teaching the people what to do than doing it myself. And I'm way more tolerant of the mistakes than I used to be. But at TWP, I'm there and I know everything that's going on.

But I'm definitely much more of a mentor and a teacher and letting other people really do the heavy lift. I'm not doing much heavy lifting. It makes me laugh that you say that because I swear to God I got my show invite from you. But okay, Andrew. You're really like light touch over there. He's wrangling, he's in here, he's doing the clubs. I think it's amazing.

Again, like I said, I love that at the end of the day, you really care about the product. And it's very, very clear that you want to make something that is excellent and something that you can be proud of. And when you have that opportunity, that's what excites you. It isn't the other side of things because again, it's like you clearly don't need to do this. You don't have to do it. You do it for love of the thing, love of the game, love of the product, love of the whole situation.

And, you know, you have clearly a great thing going on there. So I'm really happy for you. But, you know, that's what I was, you know, I was born that way. And my father, my grandfather, that's the way it was. As you get older now, and you could be doing a lot of other things with your time, like do you think about how work will stay in, what family means, as you're now this like involved grandfather, like, where are you in your head with that? Now I understand why you're so good is because you really are extremely intuitive about what's going on.

I definitely am thinking about where everything fits in, but I'm still super passionate about the work. And I think I'm super passionate about the work because I'm really looking forward to what's coming tomorrow and I'm not looking at what was here yesterday. In my golf game, I understand that this was as good as it's going to get. And through my whole life playing golf, I always thought I could get better. Now I realized that isn't going to happen.

And I'm less interested in it. But in the work, I still believe in what's going on in the future and the opportunities of the future. So I'm still balancing my work and my passions and my family. And it all fits in one nice, neat little box. That's a really great way to think. about it. You still got places to go. I still have places to go. Andrew, if people could take just one thing from your story, what would you actually want it to be? I just want people to understand that I really care and that I have a lot of compassion and

commitment to the community that I'm involved in. Maybe I'm not somebody who's going to be involved in lots of committees and different community things and so on. But the community that I'm involved with those people that are connected to me, I'm incredibly committed and passionate and responsible to and for. What are you still aspire? Your husband is one of those, by the way. Isn't he? Definitely. Are you on the phone every single day? I'm always like, who you on the phone to? Andrew. Actually, it's an interesting question before I I asked you my last question. I'm interested.

What do you think that you saw in me when I first met you? Like, was there anything there or do you just think, oh, like I take a punt? Like, what do you think? Ambitious and smart. I'll take it. It was an ambition that was, yeah, burning a hole in things. That's true. That's true.

I'll take it. What do you still aspire to be or to become? Hopefully it's already happened, but no, what has happened is enough. I don't really need any more, but I want my horses to run faster. I want the fish I'm catching to be bigger. I still want my golf game to get back to where it was. I mean, I want to enjoy my life, and I want to spend it with the people that are meaningful to me. and, you know, I'm definitely still ambitious,

maybe not quite as ambitious as you, but still ambitious. I just want to enjoy my life. And I want to do things that, that, you know, inspire me. Andrew, I'm going to move you to rapid fire. It's quick run. What's the first thing you do in the morning? Call my horse train is in England. Is that the first thing you do?

Is that the time difference? Absolutely. Oh, you've got to get on that. You've got to get on it. Definitely. Last thing you do at night? I read the TDN, Therbread Daily News. These horses are taking over.

The TN. The horses start in the morning and close at night. What is the best way to get into fashion right now? If you're a young person graduating from school and you want to get into fashion, find a company that inspires you. If you want to start your own company, do it with clothing that, you know, were products that inspire you. There's no rule here.

Just find something you love. And do it. And do it. What's the best advice you've ever been given? I think it was what my father said. People don't have to like you. They have to respect you. It's a really good one.

Okay, you're going to hate this question, but I'm going to ask it anyway. If you had to give this chapter of your life a title, what would it be? I don't, I don't, I'm, that's a little, too final for me. That's a good enough answer.

We're not giving it a name. Andrew Rosen, thank you for being on Aspire. Thank you. It's so good. You're so amazing, Andrew. If you're loving this podcast, be sure to click follow on your favorite listening platform. While you're there,

give us a review and a five-star rating and share an episode you loved with a friend who will be so grateful. Aspire with Emma Greed is presented by Odyssey. I'm your host, Emma Greed. Our executive producers are Ashley McShan, Derek Brown and me. Executive producers from Odyssey are Asha Saluja and Leah Reese Dennis. Producer KK.Sublime.

Stephen Key is our senior producer. Sound design and engineering by Bill Shorts. Angela Paluso is our Booker. Original music by Charles Black. Video production by Phil Sweetek and Carlos Delgado. Social media by Olivia Holman, Catherine Bale. Special thanks to Brittany Smith, Sydney Ford. my team's at the lead company and WME.

Josephina Francis, Hillary Schuff, Eric Donnelly, Kate Hutchinson Rose, Tim Mekyll, Evan Cox, Kurt Courtney, Andrew Steele, Sean Cherry and Lauren Vieira. If you have questions for me, you can DM me at Aspire with Emma Greed. Greed is spelled G-R-E-D-E, that's AspI-R-E-R-E with Emma Greed. Or you can submit a question to me on my website, emagreed.me. Thank you.