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Today’s guest is Charlotte Rubesa, a comms strategist and the founder of Quiet Media, a print-first magazine exploring a timely cultural question: why, in a world built for constant connection, are so many people craving life offline? From digital overwhelm to the return of tactility, Quiet Media looks at what happens when creators, brands and audiences begin to value depth, intentionality and slower cultural cycles in an environment built for speed and constant output.

We talk about the shift away from always-on culture, the strategy behind launching Quiet Media, the realities of starting a print publication, and what readers can expect from its first edition.

This episode will:

* unpack the broader cultural shift towards engaging with depth versus volume in a world of constant information overwhelm and our desire for tactility

* explain what Quiet Media is and how it came to be

* discuss what it’s like to launch a magazine in 2026

Shownotes & Links:

Read more about the inaugural issue here.

Find Quiet Media for purchase here: https://quietmedia.metalabel.com/inauguraledition?variantId=3

In this episode, we’ll explore what Poppy’s model says about the future of ownership, how the subscription economy is reshaping physical spaces, not just digital services, and why access might just be the new status symbol in modern business culture.

This episode will:

* unpack the broader cultural shift from ownership to access

* explain Poppy’s unique business model

* discuss some of the scaling challenges and future outlook of the sector

Shownotes & Poppy’s links:

Homepage: https://poppyfurnish.com/

Our guest today is Julia Haber, the founder of Home From College, a platform built to bridge the gap between brands and the next generation of talent. From her early days launching experiential pop-ups on campuses across the U.S., to now building a digital ecosystem where students can build skills, portfolios, and professional confidence, Julia has become one of the sharpest voices on understanding what Gen Z actually wants: from work, from brands, and from themselves.

In this conversation, we’ll explore how campus culture is evolving, how Gen Z evaluates brand credibility, and why the next big opportunities for both talent and companies live at the intersection of skills, community, and cultural fluency. We’ll talk about what it really takes to build trust with young people, how to create experiences that matter, and what every brand can learn from the way Julia is designing Home From College.

This episode will:

* Unpack Julia’s path into Campus Culture

* Discuss what drives GenZ into the workplace and what brands can offer today

* Showcase how modern brand building with - not at - communities work

Our guest today hails all the way from Australia: Lily Twelftree, founder of Barefaced Media, a beauty business podcast, and now the creator of Unfiltered, a new recommendations and review-based data platform that sits between consumers and brands. Her work is changing how beauty companies read culture, understand demand, and make decisions — not through hype, but through evidence.

In this conversation, we’re diving into how beauty culture is shifting, how consumers have become the new R&D department, and what it takes to build a data-led platform. We’ll explore how reviews reveal cultural truths and what every brand can learn from Lily’s approach to bridging the gap between consumer reality and brand fantasy.

This episode will:

* Unpack Lily’s path into Beauty

* Examine the gap between Big Beauty Data and Consumer Interest

* Showcase how context beyond immediate data sets in today’s world is king

I’m Felicitas, a brand executive focusing on innovation across brands and products from a cultural insight perspective. Drawn to “what’s trending” and “the next thing” I write about cultural phenomena and forces, and how they impact brand marketing today and tomorrow. If you’re looking to understand the business of culture and trends, this newsletter is for you.

Tobin is the founder of Renae, a line of 100% natural, farm-grown sauces, condiments, and pantry items from Andalucía, Spain. He calls it Healthy Heat: a buzzy, clean warmth that’s as much about wellness and culture as it is about spice.

In this conversation, we’ll dive into what it really means to rebrand ‘heat’, to take a product in a saturated category, and give it new life through re-positioning, design, story, and community. We’ll explore how categories get disrupted, how cultural codes drive consumer behavior, and what every brand can learn from the way Tobin is building Renae Sauce.

Thanks for reading Culture Codes! Join readers from Adobe, LEGO, Airbnb, Net-A-Porter, TikTok, Nike & more by subscribing below for weekly insights:

This episode will:

* Unpack Tobin’s journey from creative producer to founder

* Unveil what most founders get wrong - and one advice to get it right

* Talk about challenges when building a brand in a multi-market environment navigating DTC and retail

Shownotes:

Hello, we’re RENAE. A family of sauces made with ingredients grown in the actual ground under the Andalusian sun. We believe real food cultivated in the right place in the right way tastes better. All our ingredients are sourced from a small network of farmers in southern Spain. All natural, no preservatives, no greenhouses, Fair Trade, handmade, no powders, and no fillers. Our goal is to deliver the cleanest, whole food condiments and pantry items available.

SOME SHOPS THAT CARRY RENAE: SUPER (Madrid), La Meulerie (Marseille), Heatsupply

I’m Felicitas, a brand executive focusing on innovation across brands and products from a cultural insight perspective. Drawn to “what’s trending” and “the next thing” I write about cultural phenomena and forces, and how they impact brand marketing today and tomorrow. If you’re looking to understand the business of culture and trends, this newsletter is for you.

From her early days in investment banking at Goldman Sachs to senior leadership roles at Estée Lauder, Benefit Cosmetics, and Biossance, Karen has built a career at the intersection of business growth, creative brand storytelling, and international expansion.

Now at Allies of Skin, she is guiding the brand’s next chapter of global growth, with a focus on innovation, efficacy and cultural resonance in the fast-evolving beauty landscape.

In this conversation, we’ll explore Karen’s career journey, her philosophy on building culturally relevant brands, and what it takes to lead with impact in today’s global beauty industry.

Thanks for reading Culture Codes! Join readers from Adobe, LEGO, Airbnb, Net-A-Porter, TikTok, Nike & more by subscribing below for weekly insights

This episode will':

* Unpack Karen’s leadership journey to Global President in Beauty Innovation

* Demonstrate the innovative founder spirit behind Allies of Skin

* Talk about what it takes to drive cultural relevancy for brands of all sizes

Shownotes:

Allies of Skin - Nicolas Travis powerful Founder Story

Hero Product range incl growth factor serum

Allies of Skin Celebrity Fans

I’m Felicitas, a brand executive focusing on innovation across brands and products from a cultural insight perspective. Drawn to “what’s trending” and “the next thing” I write about cultural phenomena and forces, and how they impact brand marketing today and tomorrow. If you’re looking to understand the business of culture and trends, this newsletter is for you.

Thanks for reading Culture Codes ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Thanks for reading Culture Codes! Join readers from Adobe, LEGO, Airbnb, Net-A-Porter, TikTok, Nike & more by subscribing below for weekly insights

This episode will:

* Unpack the Resale Boom and what’s driving it

* Talk about culture-driven brand building for marketplace driven brands

* Showcase how trends and real consumer behavior turned creative platform and campaigns

Shownotes:

* New Again - Vinted Brand Platform

* House of Vinted Activation

* Too Many - Brand Campaign

* Re-Invinted https://www.stinkstudios.com/work/vinted-re-invinted

* Alexa Chung’s Wardrobe

I’m Felicitas, a brand executive focusing on innovation across brands and products from a cultural insight perspective. Drawn to “what’s trending” and “the next thing” I write about cultural phenomena and forces, and how they impact brand marketing today and tomorrow. If you’re looking to understand the business of culture and trends, this newsletter is for you.

Thanks for reading Culture Codes ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Amy shares her journey from Apple to TOMS, highlighting how brands can authentically engage with communities to build meaningful connections. This episode will:

* Discover the secrets behind successful brand storytelling

* Explore the shifting role of purpose today

* Unpack new engagement models that are community and participation driven

* Navigate the evolving landscape of consumer expectations in 2025 in an AI world

Tune in to learn how to create a brand that resonates deeply with its audience.

Shownotes:

* TOMS Wear Good Campaign

* Edelman 2025 Brand Trust Study

* Topicals WNBA campaign

I’m Felicitas, a brand executive focusing on innovation across brands and products from a cultural insight perspective. Drawn to “what’s trending” and “the next thing” I write about cultural phenomena and forces, and how they impact brand marketing today and tomorrow. If you’re looking to understand the business of culture and trends, this newsletter is for you.

Thanks for reading Culture Codes! Join readers from Adobe, LEGO, Airbnb, Net-A-Porter, TikTok, Nike & more by subscribing below for weekly insights: