The Nordy Pod

Soccer is the world's game. It brings together billions of fans, transcends borders, and creates moments that live on for generations. And this year, in 2026, one of the biggest sporting events on the planet has come to Seattle. In this episode we’re exploring the business behind this culturally unifying game—from the incredible impact that it has on the communities that it touches, to the enormous undertaking for our city to be hosting the World Cup. Pete sits down with the Seattle Sounders and Seattle Reign Football Club’s Chief Revenue Officer, Courtney Carter, and Chief Marketing Officer, Ro Vega to discuss the evolution of professional soccer in Seattle, building passionate fan communities, and why the region has become one of the sport's greatest success stories in the US. After that we’re joined by Peter Tomozawa, CEO of Seattle's World Cup Organizing Committee to better understand the scale, complexity, and opportunity that this massive sporting event brings to the Pacific Northwest. Thanks for tuning in to episode 112. We hope you enjoy it! Did you know that YOU can be on The Nordy Pod? This show isn't just a one-way conversation. We want to hear about what Nordstrom looks like through your eyes. Share your Nordstrom experience, good or bad, by giving us a call and leaving a voicemail at: 206.594.0526, or send an email to nordypodcast@nordstrom.com to be a part of the conversation! And, be sure to follow us on Instagram @thenordypod to stay up to date on new episodes, announcements and more.

Rated #1 for the past three years on Forbes annual list of companies with the “Best Customer Service” – a list formed by surveying 158,000 customers over a period of 12 months – The UPS Store has consistently proven an authentic and thoughtful commitment to the improvement of all things most valuable to their customers. And, as you know by listening to the Nordy Pod, improving Customer Service is the top priority for Nordstrom. So, in an attempt to further that pursuit, we felt strongly that Sarah Casalan, President of UPS Stores – a leader who has established and maintained a level of customer service that is considered to be "the best" across all industries – would have more than a few nuggets of wisdom to aid us in our journey. As presumed, insights were gained, and notes were taken. Sarah herself actually has an impressive background in retail, and coincidentally shares a handful of mutual acquaintances with Pete. But the gap between her past and her current role in the world of shipping, printing, and supply chain is not as vast as you might think. In her own words, “we get to serve a profoundly human population in any way”. In their conversation, Pete and Sarah talk about the incredible importance of simplifying your business, innovating from within, and meeting the customer on their terms. Selling clothes or delivering packages, the path to success looks the same: It’s all about making customers feel good. Thanks for tuning in to episode 111. We hope you enjoy it! Did you know that YOU can be on The Nordy Pod? This show isn't just a one-way conversation. We want to hear about what Nordstrom looks like through your eyes. Share your Nordstrom experience, good or bad, by giving us a call and leaving a voicemail at: 206.594.0526, or send an email to nordypodcast@nordstrom.com to be a part of the conversation! And, be sure to follow us on Instagram @thenordypod to stay up to date on new episodes, announcements and more.

Join us for a special trip to the Women's Wear Daily Apparel & Retail CEO Summit, where co-CEOs Pete and Erik Nordstrom talk on stage with the managing editor for WWD, Evan Clark, about the current state of Nordstrom and the broader industry landscape. They discuss their strategy and vision as a newly private company, address the rationale behind the move and outline key areas of focus for the future. Thanks for tuning in to episode 101. We hope you enjoy it! Did you know that YOU can be on The Nordy Pod? This show isn't just a one-way conversation. We want to hear about what Nordstrom looks like through your eyes. Share your Nordstrom experience, good or bad, by giving us a call and leaving a voicemail at 206.594.0526, or send an email to nordypodcast@nordstrom.com to be a part of the conversation! And be sure to follow us on Instagram @thenordypod to stay up to date on new episodes, announcements and more.

Every business leader talks about culture — what it means, how to build it, how to protect it. It’s one of the most important aspects of running any successful organization. And though Nordstrom is a retailer, the fundamentals of culture-building that apply to our business can actually be found in all kinds of seemingly unrelated industries. For our host, Pete Nordstrom, one of the clearest and most inspiring examples of that has always been sports. Pete is a former player and coach for the junior varsity men’s basketball team at the University of Washington — the themes of competition, preparation, and team building continue to serve him today, and will feel familiar to anyone who’s worked to motivate a group of people toward a singular purpose. Whether that’s people on a salesfloor or players on a basketball court. So in that spirit, we’re taking the Nordy Pod on a trip to the University of Washington’s men’s basketball facility to gain leadership insights from Danny Sprinkle, the head coach of the UW men’s basketball team. This life-long Huskies fan has loads of experience coaching for Montana State, Utah State, and now UW, and the cross-over application for our business leaves no room for want. Go Dawgs! Thanks for tuning in to episode 99. We hope you enjoy it! Did you know that YOU can be on The Nordy Pod? This show isn't just a one-way conversation. We want to hear about what Nordstrom looks like through your eyes. Share your Nordstrom experience, good or bad, by giving us a call and leaving a voicemail at: 206.594.0526, or send an email to nordypodcast@nordstrom.com to be a part of the conversation! And, be sure to follow us on Instagram @thenordypod to stay up to date on new episodes, announcements and more.

For over 50 years our company, Nordstrom Inc., had been a publicly traded entity. Owned by shareholders, traded on Wall Street and largely evaluated by its stock price. That all changed on May 20, 2025, when we—the family, with more than a little help from our friends—bought it back. What does that actually mean? How does that all work? What are the potential risks and long-term implications for the future of the business? These are the questions that we're here to answer today in part one of our two-part series all about how Nordstrom went private. From the outside it may seem like this sort of thing happens relatively quickly. An offer is made, the stock gets bought, the company disappears from the market and that's it! But we can tell you now, having gone through it, the whole process is really a lot more complex than we had initially imagined. All in all, it took about 10 years from when we first started entertaining the thought to when we finally landed a deal. So to set the stage and discuss some of the circumstances that placed us on this path, we've invited back to the Nordy Pod Co-CEO Erik Nordstrom and Chief Merchandising Officer Jamie Nordstrom. We'll also hear from someone who was an absolutely instrumental advisor for us; investment banker, Ken Moelis of Moelis & Company. Together we'll walk you through the entire process from start to finish. We'll discuss some of the main motivations for and future benefits of achieving our goal, as well as some of the most perilous, high-stakes risks involved in the journey of Nordstrom going private. Thanks for tuning in to episode 97. We hope you enjoy it! Did you know that YOU can be on The Nordy Pod? This show isn't just a one-way conversation. We want to hear about what Nordstrom looks like through your eyes. Share your Nordstrom experience, good or bad, by giving us a call and leaving a voicemail at 206.594.0526, or send an email to nordypodcast@nordstrom.com to be a part of the conversation! And be sure to follow us on Instagram @thenordypod to stay up to date on new episodes, announcements and more.

What is Nordstrom's number-one goal? If you're a Nordstrom employee you'd better know the answer, because it's pretty much the first thing that we ask at every state-of-the-company meeting. Invariably when we single out our newer crew members we'll get a mixed bag of pretty good answers. But the truth is, there is only one answer—which is to improve customer service. And it's that word "improve" that we're really focusing in on today. Customer service is our single most important characteristic and the foundation of our whole reputation. But here's the rub: with that shining reputation comes incredibly high expectations. Expectations that rest on the shoulders of each and every person that works at our company, from our salespeople to our store managers, from regional managers all the way up to our executive team. And though we do get a lot of really great feedback about our people stepping up and making somebody's day, we also get our fair share of negative remarks. Times when we've fallen short. When the customer experience doesn't live up to our reputation and the customer's expectations. And yet, it's in those failures—the imperfect moments—that we often find the most meaningful lessons. In this episode we're joined by a series of Nordstrom leaders who know full well the critical importance of continuously reigniting these conversations around our service culture. You'll hear from Co-CEO Erik Nordstrom and Chief Merchandising Officer Jamie Nordstrom, as well as three store managers: Brandon Gross, Stephany Pierce and Ted Reed. You'll also hear from our Vice President General Manager in charge of Nordstrom New York, Chris Wanlass. Listen in to their stories of missteps and mistakes, of moments when our service wasn't exactly what it should have been, and how those moments became turning points and reminders that humility is not at all a weakness, but our greatest strength. Thanks for tuning in to episode 95. We hope you enjoy it! Did you know that YOU can be on The Nordy Pod? This show isn't just a one-way conversation. We want to hear about what Nordstrom looks like through your eyes. Share your Nordstrom experience, good or bad, by giving us a call and leaving a voicemail at 206.594.0526, or send an email to nordypodcast@nordstrom.com to be a part of the conversation! And be sure to follow us on Instagram @thenordypod to stay up to date on new episodes, announcements and more.

In the world of fashion, there are a handful of names that do more than just design clothes—they shape conversations. Our guest today is someone who's done exactly that. Founder, chairman and creative director of the immensely popular fashion brand that shares his name: Kenneth Cole. Not only is Kenneth a wildly successful fashion designer and entrepreneur—he's also a bold voice for social change, and an influential supporter and advocate for HIV research, mental health awareness and several other human rights initiatives. Since launching his brand Kenneth Cole Productions in the early '80s out of a trailer on the streets of New York to becoming globally recognized for blending great style with meaningful purpose, Kenneth has been intentionally crafting a business that feels deeply personal. Kenneth talks about the steps he took to bring attention and credibility to his fledgling startup shoe company, what it's meant to him to be able to use his platform for good and why creating impactful messaging that lingers can be the absolute best thing for your brand. Thanks for tuning in to episode 93. We hope you enjoy it! Did you know that YOU can be on The Nordy Pod? This show isn't just a one-way conversation. We want to hear about what Nordstrom looks like through your eyes. Share your Nordstrom experience, good or bad, by giving us a call and leaving a voicemail at 206.594.0526, or send an email to nordypodcast@nordstrom.com to be a part of the conversation! And be sure to follow us on Instagram @thenordypod to stay up to date on new episodes, announcements and more.

Our guest for this episode is an incredible artist and a master of mimicry. You've seen her face and all the faces she's put on. Settle in for Pete's conversation with film and TV star, and recurring cast member on Saturday Night Live, Chloe Fineman. Chloe has acted in a long list of TV shows and films both comedic and dramatic—films like Babylon, Megalopolis, the hilarious Hulu original Summer of 69 and the upcoming Disney franchise sequel Freakier Friday. But aside from all that, did you know that Chloe is also a huge fan of fashion, and in particular of Nordstrom? We're excited and super grateful that Chloe has agreed to partner with us for this year's Anniversary Sale marketing campaign, and while she was around we decided to ask if she'd be willing to come chat with us on the Nordy Pod. (She said yes!) After Pete's conversation with Chloe, make sure to stick around and hear the story of a loyal Nordstrom customer by the name of Melanie King who contacted us recently with a really nice story about her experience shopping in one of our stores. Thanks for tuning in to episode 91. We hope you enjoy it! Did you know that YOU can be on The Nordy Pod? This show isn't just a one-way conversation. We want to hear about what Nordstrom looks like through your eyes. Share your Nordstrom experience, good or bad, by giving us a call and leaving a voicemail at 206.594.0526, or send an email to nordypodcast@nordstrom.com to be a part of the conversation! And be sure to follow us on Instagram @thenordypod to stay up to date on new episodes, announcements and more.

Early in 2024 more than 2,000 people showed up to our Nordstrom store on 57th Street in New York. Not for a celebrity fragrance launch. Not for a new shoe drop. But for a live taping of a podcast. And it wasn't The Nordy Pod. It was a podcast called The World’s First Podcast, hosted by our guests for this episode, sisters Sara and Erin Foster. But to be honest, their podcast isn't even the main reason we've invited them to be on our show. The Foster sisters have had an incredibly diverse career in seemingly disparate industries. Daughters of legendary music producer David Foster, Sara and Erin grew up in Los Angeles surrounded by celebrity and showbiz. They found opportunities in the early 2000s acting in film and television, which Erin parlayed into comedy writing, and they both eventually built on to begin co-producing projects like a reality TV spoof based loosely on their own lives, called Barely Famous, and more recently the Netflix show Nobody Wants This starring Kristen Bell and Adam Brody. Aside from that they've had notable success investing in tech companies like the widely used dating app Bumble, and in 2019 launched a venture capital firm called Oversubscribed Ventures that focused on early-stage, disruptive technology startups. But what really makes them relevant in our world is their entrance into the contemporary fashion retail space. Born from a playfully snarky one-off t-shirt designed with the words Favorite Daughter, Erin and Sara have built and grown an impressive women's clothing brand that totally fits their personalities, and that purposefully and unapologetically aims to round out their wardrobes. The brand stands out from the crowd without chasing trends or leveraging fast fashion, but rather by producing clothes that customers actually want to wear—and at a price point that's actually accessible. In this conversation we explore the trappings of their celebrity-adjacent upbringing, how the effects of nepotism have impacted their journey for better and for worse, and how Favorite Daughter has become one of the hottest new brands on the Nordstrom sales floor. Thanks for tuning in to episode 89. We hope you enjoy it! Did you know that YOU can be on The Nordy Pod? This show isn't just a one-way conversation. We want to hear about what Nordstrom looks like through your eyes. Share your Nordstrom experience, good or bad, by giving us a call and leaving a voicemail at 206.594.0526, or send an email to nordypodcast@nordstrom.com to be a part of the conversation! And be sure to follow us on Instagram @thenordypod to stay up to date on new episodes, announcements and more.