Sean Feeney

How do we find the perfect balance between...

the accountability of team members, but also having a place that they're coming to every day proud, knowing that it might not be the thing that they do forever, but while they're with us, can they get inspired like we did to do something that they want to do forever?

That could be to be in this industry forever, which we're fortunate to have.

But it could also be while they're with us to get inspired in a way and to feel in a good place that they can say, I'm going to go be a jewelry maker because that's what I really want to do.

I'm going to go be an artist because that's what I really want to do.

I'm going to go to law school.

It's always just trying to find the balance of what we're really trying to do at the end of the day.

I think it hit me right in the face that I get inspired by people love brands when they understand why those brands exist, not what they are.

And when I walked around Salomeo that day in May of 23,

I got hit in the face with why they do this.

And I read about it.

I listened about it.

I saw in the stores in New York, but I was able to experience this authentic brand that was built for a reason and a mission and not just about what it was.

Never was I inspired the way I was when I walked around Sola Mayo with team members of Brunello Cucinelli and the pride that they had for the stories that they told about Brunello, about the history of the brand and him and his family.

but also about what they do for it and how excited they were.

I remember watching people in the warehouse, the headquarters, working so hard in this beautiful, bright, airy, healthy environment.

And people were working so hard.

And some of these tasks were

Their jobs, looking at garments that were put together by people 25 yards away who are artisans, are masters of crafts, and they're opening boxes looking at these beautiful garments.

looking for flaws and doing it with smiles.