What It Takes to Maintain Youth Culture Relevance with Brie Olson CEO, PacSun

Joining us for the second of three episodes recorded live at last month's Lead Innovation Summit is Brie Olson, CEO of PacSun, a leading lifestyle brand that sells apparel and related items designed for teens and young adults.

In a wide-ranging interview we explore how to be remarkably relevant with GenZ customers. In particular we dig into crowd-sourcing customer insight via TikTok and other social media platforms to inform merchandising strategies, how PacSun's purpose guides their strategy, ways they're breaking down gender barriers online and in-store, and the important role collaborations play in brand differentiation.

We also learn about PacSun's unusual success in the Metaverse, how they maintain a culture of experimentation, and how they plan to stay ahead of fast growing online competition (spoiler alert: it centers on ethical and sustainable production and leveraging the power of harmonized retail). We end getting Brie's take on the criticality of empathy and vulnerability in leadership.

As usual we kick-off with a fast-paced review of the week in retail news, including what recent macro news portends for the future--and what role Barbie, Oppenheimer, Taylor Swift, and Beyonce may play. Then we move on to dissect Amazon's blockbuster quarter and reboot of its grocery dreams, before wondering why Wall Street seems so enamored with Wayfair's decidedly less than awesome earnings report. We also speculate about whether Nike's new fitness studios might rain on Peloton's revamp efforts.

About Brie

Serving as President of Pacsun, the popular youth retailer since 2021, and transitioning to her new role as CEO as of April 2023, Olson has played an instrumental role in building and strengthening Pacsun’s brand through innovative strategies with a Gen Z focus.

As an Innovative, tech-centric retail executive who consistently drives brand strength and revenue growth through game-changing merchandising and marketing initiatives, Brieane leads with creativity, innovation, and a digitalfirst mentality. During her tenure at PacSun, Olson spearheaded innovative collaborations for the LA based lifestyle brand, including working closely with Kanye West and Kendall and Kylie Jenner and launching both Men’s and Women’s shops at Selfridges in 2018 with launch parties hosted by PacSun partners Jerry Lorenzo.

Olson graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a Bachelor of Arts, Mass Communications & Business and attended Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program, where she is currently an AMP Ambassador. She is a board member at Women In Retail Leadership, Shoptalk, Pacsun and Design Thinking for UC schools. She currently resides in Newport Beach, California with her two children, Colette and Rousseau, ages 8 and 10.

About Us

Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, keynote speaker, and bestselling author of focused on growth, innovation, and the impact of digital disruption. He is widely considered one of the foremost and influential voices in the retail industry. You can learn more about Steve on his website. His #1 bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption is available at Amazon or just about anywhere else books are sold. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on Twitter and LinkedIn. You can also check out his speaker "sizzle" reel here.

Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois. You can learn more about Michael here or on LinkedIn.

Be sure and check out Michael's latest venture for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

About Us

Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor and keynote speaker focused on growth and innovation, who has also been named one of the world's top retail influencers. He is the bestselling author of two books: Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption and Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior retail contributor and on social media.

Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the NRF as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2026 and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.