Hardware Podcasts

How I Built Resilience: Bayard Winthrop of American Giant

How I Built This · 22 Apr 2021 · 30m

What this episode covers

Bayard Winthrop, founder and CEO of American Giant, discusses building a domestic apparel supply chain for hoodies, t-shirts, and jeans, and how the company navigated the pandemic by pivoting to work-from-home comfort wear. He details the challenges of sourcing materials like wool and flannel within the US, the strategic decision to prioritize long-term brand durability over rapid venture-backed growth, and the financial risks taken during the company's early days. Winthrop also reflects on how the crisis forced a shift in his management style from micromanagement to empowering his team, while leveraging relationships with suppliers like Carolina Cotton Works to maintain operations.

Most relevant to

companies scaling up

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
American Giant, Forever 21, H&M, Carolina Cotton Works, Pepsi-Cola, Outdoor Voices, Vuori, Walmart, U.S. Bank
Also
Don Kendall, Slate Magazine

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