Retail isn’t dying—it’s recalibrating. We sit down with William Brobston of the Brobston Group, to explore the shift from oversized, anonymous stores to smaller, neighborhood spaces where teams know your name and brands feel personal. Drawing from experience across luxury fashion, jewelry, beauty, and home, William explains why e-commerce owns convenience but human connection builds loyalty—and how brands that invest in people, not just product, are pulling ahead.

Key Takeaways:
• Convenience is table stakes — Connection is the moat.
• Invest in people, not just products — Teams translate brand into loyalty.
• Local wins — Smaller formats and mono-brand stores are redefining retail growth.

Our Guest:
William Brobston is a retail leader with experience spanning luxury fashion, jewelry, beauty, and home. Known for building high-performing teams and blending retail anthropology with analytics, he advises brands on how to localize assortments, elevate in-store storytelling, and create community-driven growth in an evolving market.

Host Emily Blumenthal is a handbag industry expert, author of Handbag Designer 101, and founder of The Handbag Awards. Known as the “Handbag Fairy Godmother,” Emily also teaches entrepreneurship at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She is dedicated to celebrating creativity, craftsmanship, and the art of building iconic handbag brands.

Find Handbag Designer 101 Merch, HBD101 Masterclass, one-on-one sessions, and opportunities to book Emily Blumenthal as a speaker at emilyblumenthal.com.

Youtube: / Handbagdesigner101-ihda | Instagram:/ Handbagdesigner

TikTok: / Handbagdesigner | Twitter: / Handbagdesigner

What turns a love of making into an accessories brand people stop you on the street to ask about? We sit down with Anyah Sealy, founder of A by Anyah, to trace a path shaped by global training, hard critiques, and real market feedback. From early beading classes in Ghana to design school in Paris and rotations across major fashion houses, Anyah shares how craft, data, and adaptability combine to create bags that photograph beautifully and hold up in real life.

Key Takeaways:
• Detach ego from product — The customer, not the designer, makes the final call.
• Craft + commerce win together — Material knowledge and pricing discipline sharpen creativity.
• Build heroes, cut the rest — Staying power comes from focus, not excess.

Our Guest:
Anyah Sealy is the founder and creative director of A by Anyah, a handbag brand rooted in global craftsmanship and modern functionality. With training spanning Ghana, Paris, and major fashion houses across menswear, womenswear, and kids, Anyah brings a rare blend of emotional design and market intelligence to accessories built for everyday impact.

Host Emily Blumenthal is a handbag industry expert, author of Handbag Designer 101, and founder of The Handbag Awards. Known as the “Handbag Fairy Godmother,” Emily also teaches entrepreneurship at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She is dedicated to celebrating creativity, craftsmanship, and the art of building iconic handbag brands.

Find Handbag Designer 101 Merch, HBD101 Masterclass, one-on-one sessions, and opportunities to book Emily Blumenthal as a speaker at emilyblumenthal.com.

Youtube: / Handbagdesigner101-ihda | Instagram:/ Handbagdesigner

TikTok: / Handbagdesigner | Twitter: / Handbagdesigner

What makes a bag feel alive after years of use—not just intact? We sit down with Grant Anderson, founder of Uptown Common, to explore how hand sewing, vegetable-tanned leather, and solid brass hardware reshape durability into desire. Grant breaks down why quiet construction details matter more than logos, how pricing honestly protects makers, and what it takes to build products that improve—not disappoint—with age.

Key Takeaways:
• Craft is a practice, not a claim — True quality comes from repeatable habits, not labels.
• Price for reality, not romance — Underpricing breaks makers long before it serves customers.
• Scale without dilution — Apprenticeship and end-to-end making preserve integrity as you grow.

Our Guest:
Grant Anderson is the founder of Uptown Common, a leather goods brand built on hand sewing, vegetable-tanned leather, and heirloom construction. Known for his disciplined approach to craft and pricing, Grant also founded Leather Reserve, expanding access to high-quality Italian leathers for independent makers committed to materials that patina, perform, and last.

Host Emily Blumenthal is a handbag industry expert, author of Handbag Designer 101, and founder of The Handbag Awards. Known as the “Handbag Fairy Godmother,” Emily also teaches entrepreneurship at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She is dedicated to celebrating creativity, craftsmanship, and the art of building iconic handbag brands.

Find Handbag Designer 101 Merch, HBD101 Masterclass, one-on-one sessions, and opportunities to book Emily Blumenthal as a speaker at emilyblumenthal.com.

Youtube: / Handbagdesigner101-ihda | Instagram:/ Handbagdesigner

TikTok: / Handbagdesigner | Twitter: / Handbagdesigner