On this episode of inSpired, Mike Rockefeller, Co-Chief Investment Officer of Woodline, is joined by his colleague Neetu Dhaliwal to sit down with Joe Kudla, Founder & CEO of Vuori, at its headquarters in Carlsbad, California.
Kudla traces Vuori’s path from an Encinitas garage to a global brand, its fabric-first design philosophy, and the decision to build the company on free cash flow.
They explore community as a growth engine, moving into women’s apparel, the plan to reach 300 stores by 2030, expansion into China, and how merchandising discipline protects full-price selling and best-in-class margins. A sharp look at product, brand, and financial rigor.
This is inSpired.
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0:00 inSpired with Joe Kudla
2:10 From an Encinitas Garage to Product-Market Fit
9:02 Pivoting to Direct-to-Consumer and Building Community
12:27 A Fabric-First Philosophy
20:03 Knowing the Customer, Protecting the Brand
26:42 From Men’s to a Dual-Gender Brand
29:48 Partnerships and Scaling to 300 Stores
42:00 Marketing, Brand Equity, and the Return to In-Person
47:16 Industry Lessons, Margins, and What Inspires Joe
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Mike Rockefeller is the Co-CIO of Woodline® Partners LP (“Woodline”), manager of the Woodline | Spire funds. All opinions expressed by Mike and podcast guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of Woodline.Guests appearing on this podcast may maintain, or may have maintained, business relationships with Woodline or its affiliates. The views expressed by any guest do not constitute an endorsement or testimonial of Woodline.This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only, is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any Woodline fund and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions. Funds managed by Woodline, including the Woodline Spire℠ funds, may maintain positions in the securities discussed in this podcast. Any discussion of the past performance of any investment, sector, or market is not indicative of any future results.
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Episode Credits:
Directed by & Artwork Designed by: Brian Thompson / BT Design & Creative ( https://www.btdesignandcreative.com/ )
Produced, Filmed, Edited, and Mixed by: Dillon Mortensen Films ( https://dillonmortensen.com/ )
Music Licensed through: Epidemic Sound
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