The wrong inventory strategy can slow down a growing brand.

In this episode, Izzy Rosenzweig sits down with Brian Berger, Founder and CEO of Mack Weldon, to discuss how inventory decisions shape supply chain resilience. Brian shares how he built a diversified manufacturing network, managed inventory risk, and created a supply chain that could adapt as the brand expanded.

Learn how to make smarter inventory bets, balance cash flow with product availability, and reduce supply chain risk as your business grows.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How to build flexibility into your supply chain before problems happen
• Why product expansion requires more than just customer demand
• Why omnichannel matters when building a sustainable consumer brand

Highlights

(00:00) Meet Brian Berger

(05:16) Going all in on entrepreneurship

(09:25) How D2C shifted from growth to profitability

(13:06) Building a diversified supply chain

(15:06) Managing product expansion and inventory risk

(18:06) How flexible materials shorten lead times

(20:36) Locking prices during tariff uncertainty

(25:03) Brian's advice for future founders

Resources:

Izzy’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/izzy-rosenzweig-13653846/

Brian's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-berger-7101aa/

Mack Weldon’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mack-weldon/

Mack Weldon's website: https://mackweldon.com/

Even a great factory can't fix bad product design.

In this episode, Izzy Rosenzweig talks to Henrik Johansson, Co-Founder and President of Gembah, to discuss what it takes to prepare a product for manufacturing. Henrik shares how thoughtful product development, technical documentation, and early collaboration with manufacturers help brands avoid costly mistakes and bring better products to market.

If you're launching a physical product, this episode provides a blueprint for getting product development right before production starts.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What founders can do before manufacturing to set their products up for success
• How prototypes should be used throughout the product development process
• How to structure factory relationships so you own your product design

Highlights

(00:00) Meet Henrik Johansson

(05:04) What is a good tech pack?

(09:03) Sampling problems aren't about bad factories

(11:37) The factory conversation brands skip

(16:54) Factories should be partners, not vendors

(20:05) Where AI can't be trusted with tech packs
(23:58) How to spot your next product

Resources:

Izzy’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/izzy-rosenzweig-13653846/

Henrik's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hjohansson/

Gembah’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gembah-inc/

Gembah's website: https://gembah.com/

Sourcing products has always been one of the most complex parts of building an e-commerce brand.

Between finding factories, creating tech packs, and managing supplier relationships, the process is still surprisingly manual.

In this episode, Izzy Rosenzweig talks to Anthony Sardain, Founder and CEO of Cavela. Anthony breaks down why sourcing has remained manual for so long, and how AI is starting to change that. He explains what it could mean for brands to move from idea to finished product faster than ever.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why sourcing is fundamentally a data and coordination problem
• How AI can help brands move from idea to production faster
• What the future of "prompt to product" manufacturing could look like

Highlights:

(00:00) Meet Anthony Sardain

(04:17) Why sourcing is a data problem

(05:20) How AI creates better product specs

(12:04) The future of prompt-to-physical product

(16:20) Why Alibaba is being replaced by AI-powered sourcing

(24:04) How AI could change physical product creation

Resources:

Izzy’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/izzy-rosenzweig-13653846/

Anthony's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sardain/

Cavela’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cavela/

Cavela’s website: https://cavela.com/