Ever Forward Radio

This episode is brought to you by Timeline Nutrition and Pique Teas. Julie Wainwright is the powerhouse founder behind The RealReal, the luxury resale juggernaut she launched at 53 after being publicly shamed for the failure of Pets.com. In this episode, Julie tells the full story—how she bounced back, took on Amazon by doing what they wouldn’t, and faced off against Chanel in a high-stakes industry lawsuit. She opens up about navigating sexism in boardrooms, creating value from secondhand fashion, and why the future belongs to bold founders, not safe CEOs. Follow Julie @realrealjulie Follow Chase @chase_chewning ----- In this episode we discuss... 00:00 - Julie Wainwright Introduces The RealReal 00:35 - The Founder vs. CEO Mentality 03:00 - Raising $700M: A Story of Persistence 06:08 - Turning Around Berkeley Systems & Pets.com 09:03 - Why Founders Must Embrace Possibility, Not Logic 10:14 - PE vs. VC: Who Should You Trust With Your Startup 13:25 - Starting The RealReal at 53 After Total Rejection 16:04