Podcast Summary: PacSun's Youth Advisory Council | Fast Five Shorts

Podcast: Omni Talk Retail
Date: September 18, 2025
Hosts: Chris Walton (A) and Anne Mezzenga (B)

Overview

This episode examines PacSun's announcement of the industry’s first Youth Advisory Council (YAC), a strategic initiative granting Gen Z members direct input into the company’s leadership decision-making processes. The hosts analyze the council’s potential impact, discuss parallels in the broader retail and media landscape, and debate whether PacSun's move is truly innovative or simply an iteration of broader engagement trends.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What Is PacSun’s Youth Advisory Council?

• Direct Access & Decision-Making: The YAC gives select young people access to PacSun’s strategic conversations, unlike traditional ambassador programs.
• Recurring Engagement: Youth members regularly meet with executives, discussing leadership topics and offering generational insights and new ideas (00:00-00:35).

Quote [00:13] – Chris Walton:
“The Youth Advisory Council … grants selected members direct access to PacSun’s strategic decision making processes and a spot at the leadership table.”

2. Is the Youth Council a Smart Move?

• Anne’s Take: 100% Buy-In (00:49-02:39)
  • References “Z Suite” panels at conferences where Gen Z shoppers are grilled on habits—a huge draw for retailers eager for insight.
  • Draws parallels to fashion media hiring influencers as editors for their follower reach and insights.
  • Argues PacSun gains valuable product development feedback while leveraging influencers’ built-in audiences.
  • Highlights the mentorship aspect as a substantive benefit for participants.

Quote [01:11] – Anne Mezzenga:
“Those rooms are packed every single time. Because every retailer and every solutions provider … is looking for this type of insight to really understand what this next generation is looking for.”

Quote [01:58] – Anne Mezzenga:
“...they’re taking well-known influencers who are … devoted following. They’re getting insights into how to develop that right product for the rest of their demographic, and then they’re also putting that content out. ...This is a brilliant, brilliant move.”

3. Is the Youth Council Truly Unique?

• Chris’s Counterpoint: “Not That Unique, Unless” (02:39-04:13)
  • Skepticism of Impact: Notes that many companies claim to engage youth, but often it’s performative (e.g., brief, ineffective meetings).
  • The Differentiator: What impresses him is the council’s composition—real, high-impact influencers with “bona fide” followings.
  • Startup Board Analogy: Compares PacSun’s approach to creating a ‘startup advisory board’—integrating actively invested voices rather than passive board members.
  • Potential for Broader Industry Impact: Suggests this could be a new model for influence at the board level, moving beyond “old white guy” directors.

Quote [03:35] – Chris Walton:
“It’s less of an advisory council … it’s more to me like an advisory board, like of a startup, where you’re bringing these people in, you’re potentially getting them equally yoked to the success of PacSun.”

4. Leadership & Culture: Why This Works for PacSun

• Anne’s Perspective: CEO Brie Olson Deserves Recognition (04:13-04:47)
  • Credits PacSun’s CEO for fostering a culture that enables the YAC’s effectiveness.
  • Emphasizes such initiatives require internal support—not just flashy concepts.

Quote [04:15] – Anne Mezzenga:
“Brie Olson … gets a lot of, should get a lot of kudos for this move. She is consistently an out of the box thinker and built a culture … that supports things like this being successful.”

5. Can This Model Work Elsewhere?

• Chris: It Should—And Culture Is the Obstacle (04:47-05:08)
  • Argues every retailer must adapt to engage younger generations. Lack of effectiveness signals a broader cultural failure.

Quote [04:58] – Chris Walton:
“If you can’t make an idea like this work, you kind of suck. And your culture needs to change.”

• Anne: Culture Change Comes First (05:08)
  • Stresses that companies need to fix internal culture before expecting new ideas to succeed.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [01:11] Anne Mezzenga:
  “Those rooms are packed every single time … to really understand what this next generation is looking for.”
• [01:58] Anne Mezzenga:
  “To me this is a brilliant, brilliant move and they’re giving some great mentorship opportunities.”
• [03:35] Chris Walton:
  “It’s … like an advisory board, like of a startup … getting them equally yoked to the success of PacSun.”
• [04:15] Anne Mezzenga:
  “Brie Olson … built a culture at her organization that supports things like this being successful.”
• [04:58] Chris Walton:
  “If you can’t make an idea like this work, you kind of suck. And your culture needs to change.”

Key Timestamps

• 00:00-00:35: Introduction and outline of PacSun’s YAC announcement
• 00:43-02:39: Anne’s full-throated endorsement and context from broader retail/media trends
• 02:39-04:13: Chris’s critique and the differentiator of influencer involvement
• 04:13-04:47: Anne’s thoughts on PacSun leadership and enabling culture
• 04:47-05:08: Chris and Anne on scaling this approach and the vital role of internal culture

Episode Takeaways

• Youth voices are now being brought into the heart of business strategy—differentiated by authentic, high-impact influencer involvement.
• Success depends fundamentally on culture—leadership must champion and integrate youthful perspectives, or no structural change will stick.
• PacSun is seen as a true innovator in this space, with their approach serving as a potential model for the wider industry—if others can adapt their cultures accordingly.