The co-lab career stories

Lexie is a creative project manager and producer with twelve years of experience, over 500 completed shoots, and published content that has reached more than 16 billion people worldwide.She has overseen tens of millions in annual production budgets and led high-visibility 360 campaigns, including years in-house at CHANEL for the US Market, with work spanning VOGUE, NIKE, and some of the most iconic brands in the world. She is also the co-founder of STILETTO, a post-production company based in New York City, where she continues to take on freelance creative projects of distinction.In this episode, Rachel Swanson sits down with Lexie to trace her career from fashion marketing at SCAD to leading campaigns for Versace and Chanel. Lexie opens up about the power of side projects, building a business around trusted collaborators, and why she sees AI as an operational asset rather than a creative threat.

Lindsay Denninger is an award-winning writer, editorial director, celebrity interviewer, two-time Jeopardy! contestant, and storyteller who magically turned a love for nostalgic pop culture into a job. She's worked with brands like Kate Spade New York, Ann Taylor, UNIQLO, and Amazon, and she's currently the Copy Director at SPANX. She lives on Long Island with her family.In this episode, Suzy West chats with Lindsay about navigating a winding career between freelance and full-time roles. Lindsay shares how she builds brand voice, the story behind her Gossip Girl book, and advice on taking creative risks while trusting your own taste.

Suzi West has built her career at the intersection of commerce and creativity — translating brand identity into physical space, and experiences that drive sales. From the halls of L Brands and Knitwell Group to founding her own boutique, Collier West, she has lived every side of the industry. A former director with a rare combination of corporate leadership, entrepreneurial experience, and boutique instincts, she consults under the name The Retail Sherpa. She’s the reason your credit card jumps out of your pocket.In this episode, Lindsay Denninger chats with Suzi, a marketing and retail veteran who went from "retail grad school" at L Brands to launching her own luxury boutique, and learned hard lessons about identity, reinvention, and knowing when to walk away.