Turning Revolve into a fashion powerhouse: Raissa Gerona on rewriting the industry playbook

Joining us this week is Raissa Gerona, President of Brand and Partnerships at Revolve. She's a pioneer of influencer marketing who helped turn the company into one of the biggest names in fashion — and a global brand with more than $1 billion in annual sales. From influencer partnerships and measuring marketing ROI to entrepreneurship, overcoming startup failure, and building confidence as a leader, Gerona reveals what it takes to build a brand that lasts. Plus, launching a haircare brand with Cardi B, working with celebrities like Kendall Jenner and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, and why Revolve is expanding into physical retail. In this conversation, we dive into: 00:00: Introduction 01:30: Raissa's original plans to become a lawyer 02:22: Raissa’s journey from the Philippines to Los Angeles 04:00: How Raissa’s Filipino upbringing shaped her as a leader 10:35: Lessons from failing a business during the Great Recession 15:20: Partnering with Revolve co-CEO Michael Mente 16:55: Joining Revolve after the Alliance Apparel acquisition 18:24: Ad 21:03: Pioneering influencer marketing 24:38: Using influencer marketing to fuel growth 30:53: Why Revolve had to rethink the playbook it helped create 33:26: Staying innovative and reaching younger customers 36:19: What Raissa’s 8-year-old daughter teaches her about trends 38:37: Ad 39:57: Revolve’s IPO 41:15: Overcoming self-doubt and learning to trust your expertise 47:26: Building a haircare brand with Cardi B 51:02: Bringing Kendall Jenner and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley into FWRD’s leadership 52:18: Expanding into physical retail 54:34: Raissa’s journey as a Filipino leader and representation of the AAPI community 56:40: Raissa’s 20-year vision 58:38: Audience question 01:00:30: Rapid-fire round This episode is brought to you by our show sponsors: Quince: get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Download the app for exclusive offers. Mint Mobile: get any plan for $15/month for a limited time at: https://www.mintmobile.com/behindthebusiness (Upfront payment required. Taxes and fees extra. Initial plan term only. Terms apply.) FAIRE: Get 50% off your first wholesale order at https://www.faire.com/BTB (Terms may apply) 🚀 Season 2 of Behind the Business is here, featuring the leaders of brands including Airbnb, Rivian, NYSE, Canva, Samsung, Poppi, Peloton, Revolve, Lucid Motors, PHLUR, The Points Guy and Away. New episodes Thursdays. 👇🏼 SUBSCRIBE + FOLLOW: YouTube: https://bit.ly/YTBTB Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/3IFGuIA Spotify: https://bit.ly/SpotiBTB Amazon Music: http://bit.ly/4pPZZPp 🎙️ About Behind the Business Behind the Business is a Webby & Signal Award-winning, thoughtfully produced video podcast grounded in the belief that business is in fact personal. This is not a fawning interview show. We pair deep research with thorough interviews — asking the real questions and avoiding fluff, while keeping it fun! What’s the toughest day you’ve ever had at work? How did you get started when you practically had no money? Or how do you mentally prepare for a big event? In each episode, guests get into it all — and also connects guests with young founders who send in a question. New episodes Thursdays. About Michelle Toh Michelle is an award-winning international journalist, most recently a longtime reporter at CNN. She's covered top stories in global business, including the chip and trade wars, world-leading IPOs, the corporate response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Europe's energy crisis and China's property crunch. Previously, she was with FORTUNE. She has reported for The New York Times, TIME and South China Morning Post. Instagram: / bymichelletoh TikTok: / behindthebusinessshow #InfluencerMarketing #SocialMedia #FemaleLeader #Revolve #RaissaGerona #Entrepreneurship #Innovator #Disruptor #Apparel #Fashion #AAPI Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices