Welcome back for Episode 4 of The Nordy Pod! I’m Pete Nordstrom, president of Nordstrom and your host for this podcast, in which I take you up to the 6th floor of the Nordstrom corporate headquarters for an in-depth look into our company that has endured since 1901. In this episode, I talk with founder and CEO of Vuori Clothing, Joe Kudla. Joe’s journey is a prime example of what it takes to chase down your passion, especially when everyone around you is telling you that you’re crazy. Joe left his high-level position at a small but successful business to go start a new one in an extremely competitive and unpredictable industry. Against the advice of his close friends and family, Joe felt that he needed to do this for himself. Growing up as an athlete, he never felt the opportunity to express his wildly creative spirit lying beneath the surface. But when he dipped his toe into the fashion world, he knew it was where he belonged. Joe shares some great insight about endurance and hard work that I think we could all apply to our own lives. After my conversation with Joe, you’re going to hear one of the most fabled stories of Nordstrom history. My cousin Jamie and I, accompanied by an amazing audio recording of Jamie’s late father Jim Nordstrom, recount the famous “Monkey Story”, from a time when a handful of Nordstrom stores actually had live monkeys on display in the children’s shoe department. What could go wrong? Thanks for tuning in! We hope you enjoy it! Did you know that you can actually 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 us an email to nordypodcast@nordstrom.com to be a part of the conversation!