The Nordy Pod

• Ep 97. Nordstrom Goes Private - Part 1: Family First

  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 [email protected] 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.

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• Ep 96. New York Fashion Week with VP Fashion Director Rickie De Sole

  We've been to London. We've been to Paris. We've been to Milan. And for this episode, we're rounding out the "Big Four" and taking the podcast to fashion week in New York! To help tell this story we're handing the hosting duties over to a familiar voice—our de facto fashion field correspondent Rickie De Sole, Vice President Fashion Director at Nordstrom. Rickie takes the reins and dives into the history and influence of New York on the fashion industry with special guest Steven Kolb, CEO of the CFDA—the Council of Fashion Designers of America. The CFDA has been in charge of organizing New York's fashion week calendar since 2014, and it has been instrumental in promoting and guiding established and emerging American designers. We'll also stop by the headquarters of the luxury women's ready-to-wear and accessories brand Altuzarra to speak with the extremely talented founder, CEO and Creative Director Joseph Altuzarra. While in town, Rickie will visit our Nordstrom New York flagship store to connect with a few more of our merchant leaders and discuss the kinds of experiences that you'll find when you walk through our doors during fashion week. And on top of all that, Rickie will take us backstage after the Tory Burch show to meet briefly with Tory and give us a sense of how she's feeling about her collection. Thanks for tuning in to episode 96. 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 [email protected] 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.

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• Ep 95. The Imperfect Retailer & The Quest to Improve Customer Service

  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 [email protected] 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.

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• Ep 94. Designing the Experience: How Physical Spaces Shape Retail

  When you walk into a Nordstrom store, a lot of things are happening at once. The layout, the colors, the lighting—all working together to create a feeling, and that feeling doesn't happen by accident. In this episode we're exploring the incredible importance of a physical environment for retailing through the lens of interior design and architecture to create spaces that are inviting, exciting and so visually engaging that you can't help but come in and stay awhile. You'll hear from the extremely talented architectural designer behind some of the most incredible retail environments for brands like Nike, SKIMS, Cartier, Piaget and Baccarat, as well as some amazing spaces for department stores like us here at Nordstrom. He's a true artist and a super successful entrepreneur who's built his entire design business up from scratch: Rafael de Cárdenas. After that, stick around and get inspired by a return guest to the Nordy Pod, our vice president of store environments in charge of visual merchandising across our entire fleet: Paige Boggs. Thanks for tuning in to episode 94. 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 [email protected] 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.

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• Ep 93. Kenneth Cole: The Intersection of Cause and Commerce

  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 [email protected] 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.

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