For a company to grow, big changes must often be made. Such has been the case for Lively, a digitally native lingerie brand founded in 2015 by Michelle Cordeiro Grant. Since its inception, Lively has had much success navigating the crowded undergarment space, thanks in part to its prioritization of inclusion, community and connection, according to Cordeiro Grant.  A few years into the brand's existence, Lively was acquired by Japanese lingerie company Wacoal in 2019 for $105 million. In August 2022, Cordeiro Grant announced she was stepping down. Kristin DiCunzolo, previously vp of marketing and direct sales at Wacoal America, was appointed Lively's president and CEO.  In her new role, DiCunzolo has ambitious plans to catapult Lively's steady growth. That includes expanding the brand into new categories, diversifying its retail channels and launching it in international markets. Lively is launching e-commerce in Canada later this year.   "Our community has grown with [Lively]. They've aged with us also. But what [the customer] liked when she was 25 might be different almost 10 years later. So we want to be sure [our products] continue to [excite her] while also igniting a new fresh audience," DiCunzolo said on the latest episode of The Glossy Podcast. 

When Olivia Landau started her educational diamond blog in 2016, she had no idea it would transform into the multimillion-dollar brand it is today. The Clear Cut brand, in its current state, officially launched in 2018 and specializes in creating custom rings for clients.  "It was through working with [my co-founder and husband Kyle Simon's] friends when creating their custom rings that I realized most people don't know the first thing about buying a diamond," Landau said on the latest episode of The Glossy Podcast. "[Kyle and I] quickly realized there must be a whitespace in the market, if strangers [in the market for a ring] were trusting me with their life savings. ... That's when we decided to commit full time to making this happen." Though Landua, a fourth-generation jeweler, initially did not anticipate working in the industry, her vast knowledge of diamonds and gemstones has fueled her company's growth. According to Landua, since The Clear Cut's launch, it's doubled its revenue every year. Building off that momentum, the company built a cutting-edge proprietary software system in 2020, allowing it to elevate the customer experience by matching clients with gemologists, while simultaneously scaling backend manufacturing and distribution.  As The Clear Cut continues to capitalize on the wedding boom, Landau and her team are focused on simplifying and further customizing the diamond shopping experience, while continuing to educate customers.