I Have Thoughts... On The Downfall of DEI, Getting Mentored by Emma Grede, and $12M Protein Snacks
The world is falling apart but don't worry, we have celebrity backed popcorn and a new collab launching every day to get you through it
In This Issue
A summary, courtesy of AI
☁️The Kardashian Machine—A candid review of Khloe Kardashian’s new venture.
🎯A Powerhouse Identity Crisis—A closer look at why DEI isn’t the real cause of Target’s ongoing struggles.
👩🏽💼Coffee Chat with Good American CEO— Emma Grede’s best advice on brand building, investing, and making people say “yes” to you in business.
Falling from Khloud 9
I’m a long-time member of the Kardashian fanbase, unfortunately. The most accurate description would be an “I just can’t quit you” loyalty that I’ve tried to shake for the better part of a decade. I watch the show, I buy (some) of the products, and I give an extra two seconds of attention to each Kardashian-Jenner news story. It’s a sickness, I tell you!
So here’s a quick rundown:
Lemme – hated it! But I loved the packaging. I dumped the original branded melatonin and replaced the contents with generic gummies that work much, much better. RIP to No. 8 (iykyk) the best performing, aesthetically pleasing sleep gummies on the planet.
SKIMS – The secret society of Skims lovers is significantly bigger than you’d think. I’ve had plenty of friends, colleagues, and random strangers lean in and whisper their love for the brand in no uncertain terms. It’s the best shapewear-as-regular-clothes I’ve ever worn. Period.
Kylie Cosmetics – What happens when you build an authentic, resonate brand and then realize the money is ALL that matters to you? Answer: Kylie Cosmetics. The rebrand, the exit and rapid buyback, and mindless retail expansion were misguided yet expected. Kris and Kylie seemingly learned their lesson and have been keeping ownership/identity in-house for as long as possible with every brand since.
Poosh – quite obviously an SEO farm for Kourtney Kardashian fans whose woo-woo veers on the trendier side. If Goop is for niche wellness, Poosh is for the less researched, mass market wellness crowd. The only thing the two have in common is high level brand vision and product price point.
…And then there’s Khloud, Khloe Kardashian’s new better-for-you snack enterprise
What We Know: This is more than a popcorn company. The brand has shared their strategic plan of capitalizing on future better-for-you food trends by launching new SKUs in of-the-moment categories as consumer sentiment shifts around what’s healthy and what’s not.
What I Think: Transparency is always valuable when assessing a company’s viability and trade media will always provide more accurate data points than pop culture publications where the interviews and announcements are meant to feed fandom frenzies. The investors backing the brand with $12 million in funding know how celebrity brands work (see: Springdale Ventures’s entire portfolio of celeb “founded” brands). The real team behind Khloud operates as a startup incubator meets venture studio.
Khloe’s Fans Don’t Matter: The Kardashian name is only half the battle. The venture studio-esque part of the business model comes from the KJWB (Kardashian-Jenner-West-Barker) playbook they’ll plug into to galvanize Khloe’s fanbase, but in true incubator fashion what’s really going to drive the business forward is leveraging standard CPG operating philosophies, best practices, and moderate innovation. In simple terms: replicate the standard distribution models, marketing strategies, and revenue benchmarks of other big name, non-celebrity founded companies at scale to (hopefully) win big.
An Exit Is Imminent: Even without the precedent that Rhode Beauty set with its ~$1B acquisition, it’s apparent an exit is the relatively short term goal for Khloud. Other celebrity brands seem to be on this same pathway, most notably Wyn Beauty, the beauty company founded by Serena Williams in 2024, where an exit seems top of mind.
But is it good? Yes. I hate to say it (or do I? I’m not sure) but the White Cheddar flavor is almost identical in terms of taste, texture, and mouthfeel to Smartfood’s version of the same name. The other two options leave a bit to be desired with the Sweet & Salty flavor featuring such an insane amount of cholesterol that the minimal protein benefits you’ll receive per serving are quickly cancelled out by the accelerated risk of heart disease you’re opting into. The most surprising thing about the launch is despite receiving automatic end cap placement in Target stores, the merchandising would have you believe it’s just another popcorn brand among a sea of affordable snack options.
On Target 🎯
Speaking of Target, they just launched their most successful designer collaboration ever. Foot traffic is at an all time low, the CEO is floundering under board director pressure, and their stock (NYSE: TGT) is trending downwards. Yet practically all of the 300+ pieces in the Kate Spade x Target collection sold out in minutes.
Target’s primary customer archetype is fairly obvious. They have a specific set of values (liberally conservative), expect a certain kind of shopping experience (elevated but easy, everyday convenience) and are uninterested in the “wokeness” of our modern era. They didn’t like the Pride collection but hated the backlash even more. They were disappointed by the DEI rollbacks but felt the boycott is an overcorrection. They're a true moderate in many ways and that’s hurting Target deeply. We’ve seen how fickle appealing to the middle of the road crowd can be *cough cough* and without a course correction in sight there’s no way to stop the bleeding.
Coffee Chat with Good American Co-Founder and CEO and SKIMS Chief Product Officer Emma Grede
This is part of my Digital Mentorship series where you get insights, advice, and actionable inspiration from amazing CEOs, investors, and influential people without ever having to send an awkward cold email to an industry leader you admire. Every person worth meeting has treasure troves of insights available at your figure tips. It just takes a little bit of digging.
Emma Grede’s ecosystem is ever growing. If you’re a founder or investor dying to get on the phone with Emma, here’s your chance to gain just as much value without having to send a cold email.
She’s shared so many words of wisdom on her various platforms that you could create an entire curriculum guiding you through how to adjust your investment strategy, tips for reimagining your go-to-market, or learn the often misunderstood first steps to securing a celebrity partnership.
Luckily I did the hard part and created the syllabus for you. Grab a pen and paper, put on some headphones, head to your local coffee shop, and get to work. Happy learning!
The EMMA GREDE Curriculum:
A career roadmap for building a multi-million dollar personal brand 👼🏽
Format: Podcast
Publication: Second Life with Hillary Kerr
Episode: “Emma Grede, Good American Co-Founder and CEO”
The secret to increasing average order value (AOV) and lifetime customer value (LCV) for consumer brands 🤐
Format: Podcast
Publication: Goop with Gwyneth Paltrow
Episode: “Emma Grede on Unapologetic Ambition”
How to leverage your network to get what you want 📲
Format: Podcast
Publication: Friends & Family with Aurora James
Episode: “Getting a ‘Yes’ In Business with Emma Grede of Good American”
Where and when to hustle in your career 🧠
Format: Podcast
Publication: Aspire by Emma Grede
Episode: All of them! (launched May 2025)
How to impress, inspire, and engage with investors to secure cultural and financial capital 🏆
Format: TV Show
Program: Shark Tank (airing on ABC and streaming on Hulu )
What To Watch:
Season 13: Episodes 1, 14, 18, and 22
Season 14: Episodes 5, 14
Season 15: Episodes 9, 13, and 19
What resilience and purpose-driven business development really looks like 💪🏽
Format: TV Show
Program: Side Hustlers (streaming on Roku, Prime Video, and Apple TV)
Episode: All of them! 10 episodes (5 per season)
Daily motivation and words of wisdom ☀️
Format: Social Media Profile
Account Name: @EmmaGrede
What’s Next?
I have thoughts on… Weight Watchers going bankrupt, Rhode’s acquisition, Phia Gates launching a shopping app, and Lewis Hamilton championing Black dandyism at the Met Gala.
Sources: Hot Smart Rich ICYMI, Forbes, Puck, Emerging Brands Podcast with Kelly Bennett, It’s All Happening CPG, Morning Brew, Brand Baby by Bethany Paris Ramsey, Brand Baby by Caroline Albro, Inc. Magazine, Island CEO, The Cut.