Tequila Regrets & Billion-Dollar Bets: Hailey Bieber’s Rhode vs Australia’s Retail Woes

Episode 90 hits hard. While insolvencies shake Australia’s retail scene—with big names like Jeanswest and Mosaic Brands biting the dust—Mal breaks down what’s really causing the collapse: strategic debt, digital irrelevance, and a dangerous addiction to discounting.But it’s not all doom and gloom. Across the Pacific, e.l.f. Cosmetics just dropped a jaw-dropping $1B on Rhode, Hailey Bieber’s skincare brand. Why? Because cultural capital and community beat catalogue codes and clearance bins.In this episode, Mal unpacks:Why Australia’s retail mid-market is cracking under the pressureThe slow fade of Jeanswest and what it teaches us about brand neglectWhat e.l.f. really bought with $1B—and why Rhode’s audience-first model is the futureTactical moves every founder and operator must make now to survive (and thrive)It’s not about being everywhere. It’s about mattering somewhere.