💚 “Grinchonomics” — The Grinch’s anti-brand. Zegna’s $1K sneaker. Carvana’s crazy stock. +Dreidel Rally

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Best One Yet

Episode Title: “Grinchonomics” — The Grinch’s anti-brand. Zegna’s $1K sneaker. Carvana’s crazy stock. + Dreidel Rally
Date: December 15, 2025
Hosts: Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Nick and Jack deliver their signature, high-energy take on three timely business stories:

• The Grinch’s unlikely domination as a lucrative holiday brand (“Grinchonomics”)
• The wild ride of used car marketplace Carvana and its S&P 500 induction
• Zegna’s $1,100 sneaker and how luxury is built by going slow

They also inject pop culture, stats, and fun detours—including a “dreidel rally” Hanukkah market segment and a trivia challenge—into a brisk 20-minute roundup of headline business news.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Grinchonomics: How the Grinch Became the Holiday’s Most Valuable IP

[06:06 – 09:55]

The Grinch’s Ubiquitous Merchandising Power

• McDonald’s Grinch Happy Meal (green box, socks, pickle fries) “outselling the snack wrap” ([06:27] Jack)
• Grinch-themed aisles at Walmart and meme dominance on Instagram
• “The Grinch is actually everywhere.” ([06:41] Jack)

From Book to Brand Juggernaut

• Originated as a 1957 Dr. Seuss book
• Adapted into three blockbuster films (Jim Carrey in 2000, Benedict Cumberbatch in 2018)
  • Together grossed over $1B at the box office
• Grinch’s reach:
  • #Grinchmas cruises in Australia
  • Universal Orlando’s annual celebration
  • Kids' podcast, traveling live shows
  • Nike’s Grinch basketball sneaker, Kylie Jenner’s Grinch makeup

The Charitable Twist

• “The Dr. Seuss Estate, which collects all these licensing fees, gives 100% of the Grinch’s profits to charity.” ([08:42] Nick)
• Funded causes: education, health, science, conservation, arts

The Grinch’s Unique Brand Lesson

• Anti-heroes create engaging, lasting brands
  • “For your brand to be a hero, it needs a villain. And for it to be a villain, there needs to be a hero.” ([09:20] Jack)
• Iconic pairings: Uber vs. Lyft, Pepsi vs. Coke
• “Consumers respect a heroic brand, but they embrace its villain too.” ([09:51] A)
• Insight: The power of dualities and memorable IP

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2. Carvana’s Wild Comeback and the Customer Problem It Solved

[10:01 – 14:39]

Stock Market Rollercoaster

• Plummeted 99% (2023), then soared 1,000%, now up to $400/share
• Now worth more than Ford, GM, or Chrysler’s owner Stellantis
  (“Not combined, but still impressive.” [11:18] Jack)
• Inducted into the S&P 500

Key to Success: Solving What Everyone Hates About Car Buying

• “There are 43,000 car dealerships in America, but it’s not America’s favorite retail experience.” ([13:27] Jack)
• Customer Problem Solved: Remove price haggling/stress
  • “Their most important innovation is actually their no price negotiation policy. It turns out that policy is the real profit puppy.” ([14:08] Nick)
  • At dealerships: “the price is whatever Jimmy decides to tell you.” ([14:17] Nick)
  • At Carvana: “the price is the price.”
• Americans will pay hundreds/thousands more to avoid dealership anxiety
  • Result: Carvana’s per-car profit ($6k) beats GM, Ford, or Tesla
  • Carvana sold 44% more cars year-over-year, while dealerships were flat

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3. Zegna’s $1,100 Sneaker: Luxury by Being Slow

[16:51 – 21:08]

The New Status Symbol

• The “triple stitch” slip-on sneaker ($1,100): “Looks pretty ordinary actually,” but favored by CEOs and celebrities ([17:32] Jack)
• The pandemic shifted the office dress code—suits now paired with luxury sneakers

Zegna’s Enduring Brand Strategy

• Family-run Italian menswear since 1910, IPO'd but still managed by the Zegna family
• Now worth $2.6B; sneakers sales up 6x from 2019 to 2022

Embracing Slowness: The Secret Sauce

• CEO’s philosophy: “to be the slowest brand in the world.” ([20:19] A)
  • “Because time is the ultimate luxury and we pay a premium for speed, but more for slow.” ([21:08] B)
• Contrast to both fast fashion (Shein) and trendy luxe (Louis Vuitton collaborations)
• Custom suits take 3+ weeks to tailor in Italy
• “This is the only public company we know with a huge custom tailoring business… that is the opposite of the instant gratification we see everywhere else.” ([21:00] A)

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Market & Pop Culture Sidebars

Dreidel Rally: Hanukkah & the Markets

[02:27 – 03:39]

• The S&P 500 historically nudges up 0.1% on average during Hanukkah
• Best Hanukkah ever: 1933, up 10%
  Worst: 1931, Great Depression
• “54% of Hanukkahs end with a higher stock market than they began.” ([03:10] B)
• Hosts coin “dreidel rally”—festival of liquidity!

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Grinch’s Success:
  “Love’s not everywhere. The Grinch is everywhere.” ([06:44] Nick)
  “Surprise, surprise. Hooray. Hooray. Capitalism’s heart grew three sizes that day.” ([08:56] Nick)

• On Carvana’s Disruption:
  “At your local Honda dealership, the price is whatever Jimmy decides to tell you as he walks up to you in the building.” ([14:17] Nick)
  “I got 43,000 problems, but Carvana ain't one of them.” ([14:39] A, referential humor to Jay-Z)

• On Luxury Done Slow:
  “We pay a premium for speed, but we pay more for slow.” ([20:14] B)
  “The CEO insists on doing it the slow Italian way.” ([20:49] B)

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Timestamps for Major Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |-------------------------------------------------|--------------| | The Dreidel Rally: Hanukkah & Stocks | 02:27–03:39 | | Story 1: The Grinch as Antihero Brand | 06:06–09:55 | | Story 2: Carvana’s Comeback & Model Innovation | 10:01–14:39 | | Story 3: Zegna’s $1K Sneakers & Slow Luxury | 16:51–21:08 | | Extra headlines: Ski “Deflation,” Cannabis News, Starbucks Viral Drink, T-boy Trivia | 22:00–24:08 |

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Additional Business Headlines

[22:00 – 23:32]

• Vail lowers lift ticket prices for the first time in years
• Cannabis stocks spike on rumors of federal reclassification by Trump
• Starbucks’ Dubai Chocolate drink sets digital record

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Monday T-Boy Trivia

[23:40]

• They quiz listeners: Highest grossing Christmas movie of all time—answer tomorrow!
• Hints: The nominal winner is recent; inflation-adjusted is 1990s

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Flow and Vibe

The tone is witty, rapid-fire, and packed with puns, analogies, and listener asides (“Besties”, “Yetis”). Jack & Nick maintain friendly banter and sprinkle in pop references to keep things relatable and memorable, despite tackling deeper business strategy themes.

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Key Takeaways

• The Grinch’s Model: Memorable franchises thrive on duality—heroes need villains. Antiheroes like the Grinch are gold for IP, merchandising, and engagement.
• Carvana’s Secret: Solving a hated part of the consumer experience (car price haggling) with transparent, fixed pricing yields explosive customer and investor growth.
• Zegna’s Philosophy: In a world of instant gratification, deliberately going slow—custom, old-world craftsmanship—commands the highest premiums and loyalty.

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For listeners and readers alike, this episode delivers not just fresh news but core business lessons—wrapped in humor and holiday spirit.

Transcript

[A]

Yetis, Nick and Jack here. Before we start the show, we just want to take a moment with you because after we recorded this episode over the weekend, there was just violence worldwide. There were attacks on American troops in Syria and attacks on the Jewish community in Australia during a Hanukkah celebration.

[B]

Each act of gun violence was horrific, and we're thinking of the families affected. Closest to home, though, for us was the attack at Brown University. We have many fans there, many business partners who went there. And Nick, my co host, graduated from.

[A]

College there and as Jack knows from visiting me there, and we both know, Brown is just a truly special place. Its students are this unique combo of creativity, ambition, entrepreneurial spirit. Providence is just this perfect college town. And the campus is magical. You turn a corner, especially this time of year when there's snow on the ground and you could be back in the 1700s. It is timeless. It's like George Washington could walk out of nowhere. It's special.

[B]

We can't imagine what it's like for that magical bubble to be broken. But we want to let all the Brown bears and American service members and Jewish people out there know that we're thinking of you today. We're here for you. If you want to connect, just send Nick and me a dm.

[A]

So Jack and I made this show the best one yet ever. True. Let's get to it. This is Nick.

[B]

This is Jack.

[A]

Welcome back. It is Monday, December 15, and today's pod is the best one yet. This is a T boy.

[B]

The top three pop business news stories you need to know today.

[A]

Yetis, Jack and I got your daily dose of dope, meaning dividends. Jack, I honestly think this is the best three stories we've ever done.

[B]

Me too.

[A]

What a pod today, Jack, three stories for today's show. What do we got in the T boy?

[B]

For our first story, the Grinch didn't just steal Christmas. He's stealing licensing money from every creative company right now.

[A]

The Grinch became the most valuable IP of the holidays because capitalism loves an anti Hero.

[B]

For our second story, Carvana's used car stock rose 1,000%, then dropped to 99%, and then surged 10,000%.

[A]

And now Carvana is joining the S&P 500.

[B]

We'll tell you how Carvana became the craziest stock of the last five years. And our third and final story. Every man on Wall street wants the same gift this year. Eleven hundred dollars. Zegna sneakers.

[A]

Zegna's business is booming these days because, ironically, they slowed it down.

[B]

But Yetis, before we hit that wonderful mix of stories.

[A]

I mean, like we said, what a mix of stories. No one else is doing that, Mixjack.

[B]

We're all familiar with the Santa rally.

[A]

Ah, the Santa rally. The Wall street phenomenon of stocks going up from Christmas to New Year's.

[B]

But how about Hanukkah? Yeah, how do stocks perform during those eight crazy nights?

[A]

Well, Jack and I called up our bubby, whipped up some chutzpah and dove into the numbers for ya.

[B]

Over the last 100 years, the S&P 500 jumps during Hanukkah by an average of 0.1%.

[A]

Jack, best Hanukkah ever for the stock market. What was it?

[B]

1933. Yep, 10% rebound from the Great Depression.

[A]

But Jack, worst Hanukkah for the stock market. What was it?

[B]

1931. The Great Depression.

[A]

Now besties, our statistics professors told us that stocks have no statistically significant difference during Hanukkah as the rest of the year.

[B]

But 54% of Hanukkah's end with a higher stock market than they began.

[A]

Jack, those numbers ain't kosher, are they, man?

[B]

They sound kosher to me, dude. The greatest Hanukkah gift of all was for your portfolio, Greg.

[A]

Besties, we're hoping this year for a latke lift, a festival of liquidity, or as we call it, the dreidel rally.

[B]

The Dreidel rally because it spins up eight days of gains.

[A]

Yeti's Hanukkah began last night and stocks are already at all time highs.

[B]

This market has got some mitzvah.

[A]

That menorah is lighting up some money. Happy second night of Hanukkah Yetis. Jack, let's hit our three stories.

[C]

Fifteen years before this song, two boys from the northeast met in a dorm. They had an idea to cause a cultural storm. It's the best one yet. But Jack, Nick, that's it. I don't even think they need to practice. 50%. That's a fat tip. T Boy city on your at list. If you know, you know. Cause we read to go. We can't wait no more.

[A]

So just start the show.

[C]

Start the show.

[A]

First a quick word from our sponsor.

[B]

Now a quick break. Switching topics to one of our favorite sponsors, Vital proteins Yeties.

[A]

One of the three T boy team goals next year is to grow huge on YouTube.

[B]

YouTube means video. Video means people looking at us. That means we gotta look good.

[A]

Nick, look at this skin glowing. Jack, look at that hair shining over there. It's thanks to vital proteins which we add to our morning drinks every day.

[B]

For healthy Hair, skin, nails, bones and joint health. If you're watching right now, check out these dimples get it's vital proteins.

[A]

So go to vitalproteins.com to learn more and where to buy.

[B]

Get 20% off your next order by entering promo code T boy at checkout.

[A]

Audible Yetis I just listened to a wild audiobook on my flight back to New York. Here's what it's called. Gods of New York.

[B]

It's about four men. The four men who ruled New York City the year that you were born.

[A]

Nick, I got to give my parents credit. Check. New York in 1988 was insane. It was like mob bosses, gang fights, and all these subway cars covered in graffiti. It's like seeing how the city was run when my mom was like pregnant with me. I'm blown away by this whole new imagination.

[B]

Now I listen to Audible all the time. Whenever I need a break from news podcasts, I escape to an audiobook and simply push play wherever I left off.

[A]

Because Audible has an incredible selection of over a million audiobooks, podcasts, and audio originals all in one easy app.

[B]

Explore bestsellers, new releases, or find a wild story that takes you back to the year that your mom gave birth to you.

[A]

Yeah, last night while I was doing the dishes, Jack, I listened to a story about the abysmal late 1980s New York Yankees.

[B]

Yeah, I feel bad for your dad. At least the Giants were winning back then.

[A]

Besties. There is more to imagine when you listen.

[B]

Sign up for a free 30 day audible trial and your first audiobook is free. So visit audible.comtboy.

[A]

For our first story. It's the Grinch. Dr. Seuss most villainous creation is also his most lucrative.

[B]

One book, three movies, dozens of other mean businesses. The Grinch shows the power of anti Brands Yetis.

[A]

McDonald's big holiday promo this year wasn't reindeer burgers or Santa sauce. What was it, Jack?

[B]

A Grinch themed Happy meal. Green box Grinch socks, pickle flavored french fries. And it's sold out coast to coast.

[A]

Sold out. In fact, McDonald's senior marketing director said last week, the Grinch meal, it's outselling the snack wrap.

[B]

The Grinch is actually everywhere.

[A]

Yeah, love's not everywhere. The Grinch is everywhere.

[B]

Walmart is dedicating a half of an aisle to Grinch merchandise this year. And Grinch memes are filling half of your Instagram feed this year.

[A]

So besties, pause the pod. Jack and I are looking at the business of the Grinch, as we call it, the Grinchconomy.

[B]

And this Ain't just for who's down in Whoville.

[A]

No, it started 68 years ago. Yeah, the Grinch is old.

[B]

Invented in 1957 by Theodore Seuss. Geisel. Originally it was a book, and eight years later it became a movie with songs.

[A]

Jim Carrey made the live action version in 2000. Benedict Cumberbatch made the animated version in 2018.

[B]

The Grinch took his first step in his IP journey in Hollywood.

[A]

And now two of those movies are in the top 10 on Peacock right now, while the other is in the top 10 on Amazon Prime.

[B]

And combined, those three films grossed 1 billion doll billion in the box office.

[A]

Yet he's the Grinch. It's become its own franchise. Bigger than Rudolph, Home Alone, or Mariah Carey.

[B]

You're a bad banana, Mr. Grinch, as my son likes to say.

[A]

But besties, this is what we found fascinating. You already knew about the Grinch book and the Grinch movies, right, Jack?

[B]

But did you know about the Grinch cruise line?

[A]

Get this, Australia, the country loves the Grinch so much. Carnival hosted 12 Grinchmas in July cruises.

[B]

Just this summer, which are cruises to celebrate the Grinch.

[A]

Oh, and Grinchmas has been happening down in Orlando at Universal's theme park since November.

[B]

There's a Grinch podcast for kids. There's a Grinch traveling live show called the Dr. Seuss Experience.

[A]

Oh, and plot twist. The Grinch has made the full IP journey. It's jumped from media to experiences to now fashion.

[B]

Nike has a Grinch basketball sneaker that was worn in an NBA game earlier this year.

[A]

Jack, I don't want to one up you here, but Kylie Jenner Cosmetics has a Grinch makeup line right now. Yeah, Green.

[B]

The Grinch is a rare IP with multi generation appeal. And now it's one of the most licensed characters of all time.

[A]

And besties, here's the best part.

[B]

The Dr. Seuss Estate, which collects all these licensing fees, gives 100% of the Grinch's profits to charity.

[A]

We're talking education, health, science, animal conservation, and the arts, all funded by the Grinch.

[B]

You gotta support the arts.

[A]

Surprise, surprise. Hooray. Hooray. Capitalism's heart grew three sizes that day.

[B]

But the Grinch also provides a lesson that brands and creators can learn from.

[A]

Yeah, here's what we're thinking, Yetis. Maybe brand equity doesn't come from a store. Maybe brand equity means a little bit more. So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over at the Grinch?

[B]

For your brand to be a hero, it needs a Villain. And for it to be a villain, there needs to be a hero.

[A]

Yetis the key reason why the Grinch is more viral and lucrative than characters like Buddy the Elf or Mariah Carey. What is it, Jack?

[B]

It's he's a hero. It's that he's an antihero.

[A]

And great brands have even greater antiheroes and that benefits both of them.

[B]

Uber is the antihero of Lyft.

[A]

Pepsi is the antihero of Coke.

[B]

These dual rivalries with a good versus evil subtext are mutually beneficial in business.

[A]

You see, consumers respect a heroic brand, but they embrace its villain too.

[B]

The only weakness of the movie Elf with Will Ferrell is that there's no villain in that movie.

[A]

Don't forget about that South Pole Elf, Jack. Yetis, there is an opportunity for a Grinch to every in business. For our second story, Carvana, a used car marketplace is now worth more than America's three big Detroit car companies combined. Not combined, actually, but still, it's.

[B]

You wish so badly it was combined.

[A]

I really wanted to say combined.

[B]

Here's the turnaround tale of how Carvana went from near bankruptcy to the S&P 500 in just two and a half years.

[A]

Now, Yetis, as you may remember, Jack and I last covered Carvana on this pod back in 2023. And back then, back then we thought this was a wild story, a pandemic winner.

[B]

Carvana Stock was down 99% in 2023, but then rose 1,000% in just months.

[A]

Yeah, we thought this was crazy because Carvana was hugely in debt at the time.

[B]

But then we covered the story because Wall street forgave Carvana of $3 billion of their debt.

[A]

It was a surprise pass, a Christmas story of charity. Because that lease on life for Carvana let it not just survive, but thrive.

[B]

Because in the three years since, Carvana stock has gone from $4 a share to $400 today.

[A]

Its valuation gone from $1 billion then to $100 billion today.

[B]

Today, Carvana, a used car stock you probably have never heard of, is worth more than Ford Motor company. It's worth more than General Motors, and it's worth more than Chrysler's owner, Stellantis. Again, not combined, but still impressive.

[A]

Yet Carvana's growth and its profit margin last quarter bigger than better than Tesla's. That's right. And on top of it all, Carvana just got added to The S&P 500 Club of America's biggest stocks.

[B]

And it just finished a 13 day stock market winning streak. To celebrate it all now, besties, pause.

[A]

The pod for a second and do not buy that stock right now because of this story.

[B]

Don't do it just because of this story. Because at its current price, Carvana stock is quite expensive.

[A]

However, the cars that Carvana sells do not look expensive, relatively speaking. And that's the key to the business model.

[B]

This year, the. The average new car sold in America hit $50,000.

[A]

I mean, Jack, just four years ago, the average new car in America was at $35,000.

[B]

So the huge inflation of new cars is driving more demand for used cars.

[A]

But, Jack, even used cars are not cheap anymore, are they? Man?

[B]

The average car that Carvana sold last quarter was $36,000. And Carvana only paid 28,000 to buy them in the first place.

[A]

Which means Carvana's taken 6,000 bucks in.

[B]

Profit per a $6,000 per car sold. Carvana makes more profit per car than gm, Ford or Tesla. Nick. Besties.

[A]

Carvana doesn't have factories, but they do have an 8 story tall car vending machine. Yeah, that's a real thing. And they got 40 of them.

[B]

That's what excites consumers. Nick, the car vending machine. But the reason investors are so pumped is that their profit margins are getting fatter.

[A]

Let's dive in. In the first nine months of 2025, Carvana's profit margin has grown by half a percentage point.

[B]

Sounds small, but it means that Carvana is raising prices. Customers are still buying.

[A]

And besties, the customers are eating up your margin. That means your business is cooking. Yes, it does. Oh, yes, it does, Jack. So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over at Carvana?

[B]

I've got 43,000 problems, but Carvana's not.

[A]

One wild stat here. There are 43,000 car dealerships in America, but it's not American's favorite retail experience.

[B]

According to a 2016 report that Carvana loves to brag, about 81% of Americans do not like the car buying experience at car dealerships.

[A]

Now, remember, besties, the oldest play in the entrepreneur's playbook is to solve the customer problem.

[B]

The problem with car buying in America is not that people hate buying cars. It's that they hate the price haggling that happens at dealerships.

[A]

Exactly. So we think Carvana's most important innovation is actually their no price negotiation policy. It turns out that policy is the real profit. Puppy.

[B]

At Carvana, the price is the price. They will not change it. At your local Honda dealership, the price is whatever Jimmy decides to tell you as he walks up to you in the building.

[A]

What's going on with that chassis? You see, people, it turns out, will pay hundreds, maybe thousands more to avoid the anxiety of asking a dealer for a price reduction or the stress of thinking you're getting ripped off on that RAV4.

[B]

That's why America's 43,000 car dealerships sold 0% more cars this year than last year. But Carvana sold 44% more cars than last year.

[A]

Jack. I got 43,000 problems, but Carvana ain't one of them. Now, a quick word from our sponsor.

[B]

For the holidays, I'm hosting people every single weekend, and I don't know any of them.

[A]

What is wrong with you, Nick?

[B]

They're actually paid customers. I'm hosting them at my chalet using Airbnb. I actually have two bookings lined up while I'm away bringing in really good money for the holidays.

[A]

Oh, okay, I got it. Yeti Jack's been an Airbnb host for the last couple years. He's got a better rating. Thanks, Santa.

[B]

I'll be at home for Christmas under the Christmas tree. But the day after, I'm heading south to visit the family. And while I'm gone, I'm hosting guests on Airbnb.

[A]

And with the revenue generated on Airbnb, Jack, you're probably booking massages for you and Alex.

[B]

It's an entire little side business. I have an income statement, Nick. It offsets my cost of travel and ensures I'm getting the most of the assets I own.

[A]

It's a write off.

[B]

All of my guests have been super respectful. Not only do I have a five star rating, I've given my guests five stars, too.

[A]

So, besties, treat yourself with the trip and treat someone else with a stay.

[B]

Your home might be worth more than you think. Think find out how [e-mail] host this show is brought to you by BetterHelp.

[A]

You know, Yeti's in my family. We go around the table and we vent about which stock we all wish we'd bought last year.

[B]

Nick and my family, we play flag football. And the losing team has to wear a suit to dinner.

[A]

Well, okay. One more tradition we have over the holidays, Jack. A therapy session. I do the week between Christmas and New Year's.

[B]

The holidays can be great or they can be stressful. Yeah, you're looking forward to next year. Again, that can be great. Or they can cause anxiety.

[A]

So incorporating therapy into the holidays can make them a lot more joyful.

[B]

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[A]

And those therapists have an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 with 1.7 million reviews.

[B]

Tell your therapist what you're anxious about heading into these holidays. Getting it out there will be a huge weight lifted off your shoulders.

[A]

So if you start therapy this holiday, you can support the show by starting it with better help and using the code below.

[B]

This December, start a new tradition by taking care of you.

[A]

Our listeners get 10% [e-mail] tboy that's better.

[B]

H E L p.com tboy.

[A]

For our third and final story, what do Wall street men want for Christmas this year? Well, it's the $1,100 Zanya sneaker, the new status shoe.

[B]

Finance and Silicon Valley love this one one year old Italian brand because the ultimate luxury is time.

[A]

Ah Eddies. The hardest gift. It's for someone who already has everything, but they may not have this yet.

[B]

It's an aspirational gift worn by Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, Andrew Oz Sorkin of Dealbook and CNBC fame and Hugh Jackman of Hollywood and Broadway besties.

[A]

We're Talking about the $1,100 Zegna triple stitch shoe. Jack, what is it exactly?

[B]

It's a slip on leather sneaker that looks pretty ordinary actually. It's got crisscrossing elastics though instead of laces.

[A]

Now to sprinkle on some context here, 20 years ago, men wore a suit and leather lace up dress shoes when they were going to the or they were going to the wedding.

[B]

The dress code was very clear. Now I still wear suits sometimes, but I'm never wearing those leather Allen Edmonds lace up shoes that I got from my banking days.

[A]

And neither are the anchors on espn. Jack, you see, the pandemic changed office dress code and it was a boom for this luxury brand sneakers.

[B]

Zhenya's triple stitch sneaker can be worn in the boardroom and the ballroom without a wardrobe change necessary.

[A]

Yeah. It's now become the unofficial shoe of fly in private. Basically wearing them feels like a yacht.

[B]

That's why Zegna sneaker sales 6x'd from 2019 to 2022.

[A]

And the success of Zegna's $1,100 sneakers have created an entirely new sector of the industry.

[B]

Now Hermes, Berluti and the Row all have sneakers that are selling for the same price as a MacBook.

[A]

So besties Jack and I want to know how is one expensive sneaker doing $160 million of sales for one brand?

[B]

To answer that, you have to study the history of Zegna.

[A]

And to do so, we'll let Alan Alda from the Nothing but the Truth introduced the brand for you.

[B]

Nice suit.

[A]

It's not a suit. It's a zegna. Hand stitched. 15 mil m mil. 15.

[B]

Now when he said 15 mil. Mm, 15. Does that mean the suit cost $15 million?

[A]

If you have to ask Jack, then we can't measure you for one of the besties. Zenya was founded back in 1910 in the Italian Alps, wasn't it, Jack?

[B]

And what Hermes is to ladies handbags, Zegna is now to men's blazers and Armenia.

[A]

Hildo Zegna is still headquartered 5,000ft above sea. They've never moved the headquarters down to Milan.

[B]

Now they did IPO two years ago on the New York Stock Exchange. And yet it's still run by a fourth generation family member of the Zegnas.

[A]

And get this. Just last month they announced a succession plan. And check who's taken over the company.

[B]

A fifth generation of Zegna's.

[A]

So this is what we find fascinating. Despite all these anachronisms, Zegna's numbers have stood the test of time.

[B]

It's worth $2.6 billion on Wall Street. It did $1.6 billion in revenue last year.

[A]

That is half of Burberry. But it beats their rival, Brunello Cucinelli.

[B]

And zegn is up 30% this year. Not just because their 1100 dollars sneaker has become the it gift for the splurge guy.

[A]

Speaking of which, Jack, if you don't want to buy me the sneakers, you could always buy me the stock. It's just 10 bucks a share at this point.

[B]

Fair compromise.

[A]

But if you do buy me the suit, I'm a 42 regular and my right arm is just a little bit longer than my left.

[B]

Okay, shoot it.

[A]

So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over at Zegna?

[B]

We pay a premium for speed, but we pay more for slow yetis. This is wild.

[A]

Zegna's CEO has a stated goal that's the opposite of every company we cover on this pod. It's to be the slowest brand in the world.

[B]

In tech, it's all move fast and break things. It is in fashion and luxury too.

[A]

The low end Shein is super fast fashion. But on the high end, Louis Vuitton is also big on zeitgeisty collabs.

[B]

But for the fourth generation CEO of Zegna, slow is the biggest compliment you can give his brand.

[A]

Because a huge part of Zegna's business is made to match. That's right. Custom suits are still key to Zegna's profits.

[B]

Each suit takes at least three weeks to tailor and ship to the customer. The company could make them in the US which would be quicker, but the CEO insists on doing it the slow Italian way.

[A]

Bassies. This is the only public company we know with a huge custom tailoring business. And that is the opposite of the instant gratification we see everywhere else.

[B]

Because time is the ultimate luxury and we pay a premium for speech, but more for slow.

[A]

Jack, could you whip up the takeaways for us to kick off the week?

[B]

The Grinch is the most valuable holiday related IP there is, and all the profits go to charity.

[A]

The hero villain relationship. Every great brand needs a tanny hero. It's mutually beneficial.

[B]

For our second story, Carvana, the online used car marketplace is now worth more than Detroit's big three.

[A]

The prices ain't negotiable. And. And that's the simple key to Carvana's Success.

[B]

And our third and final story. Zanya makes the $1,100 luxury sneaker that that finance guy was wearing at that holiday party this weekend. Oh, I see. Hey, buddy.

[A]

Timmy, we gotta talk after this Yetis. While every other brand is moving fast as possible, there's value in being slow.

[B]

But besties, this pod's not over yet. Here's what else you need to know today.

[A]

First, if you're thinking of skiing this winter, for the first time in years.

[B]

Vail actually lowered ticket Resorts, which owns 42 mountain resorts, is cutting their single day lift ticket by 30% this year.

[A]

Massey's. This is huge because in the last 25 years, lift tickets have risen three times faster than inflation.

[B]

They're basically forcing you to buy the ski pass, but finally they're taking a chill pill.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, Ski flation. It's coming down. Oh, by the way, Jack and I have been working on a ski story out there. If you want us to do it, comment, French fry in the comments, or.

[B]

Pizza wedge, whichever's more appropriate for your abilities.

[A]

And second, cannabis stocks surged on Friday on a report Trump will reclassify marijuana.

[B]

At the federal level. Cannabis is still the same illegal category.

[A]

As heroin today, but Tilray's stock jumped 30% on Friday. Although there have been years of false starts on federal decriminalization of marijuana.

[B]

False eyes, if you will. Although the report said that Trump would sign an executive order today.

[A]

And finally, Starbucks just revealed its most viral drink of 2025. Here it is.

[B]

Dubai chocolate, the Middle Eastern pistachio flavored drink got 50 million views across social media, which is the most of any of Starbucks's flavors.

[A]

Now, remember, Shake Shack also launched a Dubai chocolate shape that was also so popular, they brought it back for a second limited time run.

[B]

When two publicly traded companies go viral, you know that that trend is a profit.

[A]

Puppy TikTok trends, they can be a profit. But now, time for the best fact yet, which because it's Monday, means T boy trivia. What do we got, Jack?

[B]

What Christmas movie did the best at the box office?

[A]

What is the highest grossing Christmas movie of all time? And Jack, what's the one caveat here?

[B]

We want both nominal and adjusted for inflation.

[A]

Jack used to be an econ ta, so he insisted on a nominal and an inflation adjusted answer for today's show.

[B]

So here's your only hint. The nominal one is more recently, partially because of inflation, and the real one is from the early 1990s.

[A]

The answer is on tomorrow's show. Yetis, you look fantastic out there. And Jack, you are looking fantastic too, for the second night of the dreidel rally. It's a thing. Oh, the statistics show it's a thing.

[B]

After this podcast, I'm listening to Adam Sandler's Onyx.

[A]

Okay? And then after you do and you make some money in the market, Jack, for those Zegna sneakers. I'm a size 11 and my left foot's just a little bit longer than my right.

[B]

No, it just feels that way. Cause you're only wearing one shoe.

[A]

Besties, you look fantastic out there. Remember to follow us and give us five stars to help grow the show.

[B]

Nick and I will see you tomorrow.

[A]

Can't wait. And before we go, a congratulations to Bethany and Nee, who just got married down in lovely Orlando. Guys, let's see the picks. Congratulations.

[B]

Congratulations. Happy birthday to Odin Rider in Conifer, Colorado, who's got a new pet gecko that we'd love to know the name of.

[A]

Yeah, I'd love to know the name of that guy. And Cam Kelly, aka Yammies down in Cave Creek, Arizona is the best mom ever to an 8 week old baby and has got the best birthday yet.

[B]

And a big shout out to Alvaro Alvarez And Amaya, who's 6 and listening in Jacksonville, Florida, on the way to school right now.

[A]

You got this. Amaya and Phil Snell down In Wichita can't, Kansas has got an 18 year anniversary. Congratulations, guys.

[B]

And a big shout out to Andrew Pinto who did 4600 minutes of T Boy this year. Top 2% of listeners.

[A]

And he did it down in Coco Mamba, Bolivia. That officially makes Andrew our biggest yeti in Coco Bamba, baby. I would love for us to be corrected on that.

[B]

Jack. This is jack. I own stock of ford and lyft. Nick owns stock of nike and shake shack. And we both own etfs of the s&p 500 and stock of apple. If you like the best one yet, you can listen ad free right now by joining Wondery and the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts.

[A]

Prime members can listen ad free on Amazon Music. And before you go, go tell us.

[B]

A little bit about yourself by filling out a short survey at wondery. Com Survey.

[A]

We want to get to know you.