Jyothi Rao is the CEO of INTERMIX, a fashion brand for women. After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Business and Marketing, Jyothi joined The Gap Inc., where she would spend 16 years of her career ascending its ranks, serving in different capacities, and handling various brands. In 2014, after working as the EVP GM of Glit, Jyothi returned to Gap to become the CEO of INTERMIX—then a Gap portfolio company—and led the organization’s transformation into the leading omnichannel fashion boutique that it is known as today.
Jyothi joins me today to discuss the power of culture in successfully growing a business. She shares her journey at The Gap and explains why INTERMIX became an independent company. She explains the value of staying with a company longer and why organizations should foster creativity and innovation. Jyothi also describes how she led the company through the height of COVID-19 and shares her advice for Entreprenistas who want to rebuild and reinvent their organization’s culture.
“The culture you build determines the talent that comes in and the talent that you keep. Talent and culture are the foundations of a successful business.” - Jyothi Rao
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Free Virtual Event Series with Shopify
Do you have an e-commerce business or are you thinking about launching one? We are excited to announce that we're launching a free virtual event series with Shopify to give small business owners the tools and motivation they need to get their e-commerce store up and running.
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Hosts
Stephanie Cartin is a serial entrepreneur, investor, podcast host, community builder, and a champion for women founders. She created the Entreprenista League, a community for women founders, to provide resources and support necessary at all business stages. She’s also the Co-founder of Socialfly, one of the first social media marketing agencies, as well as Entreprenista Media and Pearl Influential Capital which was recently acquired by Cherub. Stephanie has shared her journey managing her health challenges with Multiple Sclerosis, Infertility, and a complicated pregnancy and is an advocate for women going through similar challenges. Her story and businesses have been featured on the Today Show, Bloomberg and Forbes. Consider Stephanie your biggest business cheerleader.
Courtney Spritzer is an accomplished entrepreneur, investor, podcast host, and advocate for women founders. As Co-Founder and CEO of Socialfly, a social-first digital agency launched in 2012 and acquired in 2024, she has helped shape the industry with innovative strategies. She co-founded the Entreprenista League, a community for women founders, offering essential resources and support for all stages of business growth. Courtney’s entrepreneurial journey and business insights have been highlighted in top publications like Entrepreneur.com, Bloomberg, and Forbes.
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Highlights
- Jyothi’s journey at The Gap Inc.
- The marriage of economics and fashion and Jyothi’s early days at The Gap
- The advantages of joining a portfolio company
- The normalcy of job-hopping today and why people need to stay at a job longer
- What it was like to bring INTERMIX online for the first time
- The importance of building culture that fosters creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship
- Tips for anyone who wants to rebuild and shift an organization’s culture
- Jyothi’s interview process to assess if a candidate is a culture-fit
- Her day-to-day responsibilities as the CEO of INTERMIX
- Why INTERMIX decided to become an independent company
- How Jyothi led her team and managed business processes during the first few months of COVID-19
- The advantages and challenges of remote-working
- What’s next for INTERMIX