How Catherine Connolly saved American textile maker Merida

Catherine Connolly made the move from tech to textiles in 2007, when longtime Merida owner Dr. Hiram M. Samel asked her to join the Fall River, Massachusetts-based company as CEO. Six months within her new role, the stock market crashed and lost nearly half of the company’s revenue channels overnight. Connolly shares how she saved the company by restructuring its distribution model from retail to trade-only, as well as why she believes the internet is a great thing for the elevation of design—and why designers will be among its biggest benefactors. This episode is sponsored by Universal Furniture.