Experiences

Experiences is a podcast about humans creating happy memories through their participation in the experience economy. We discuss how brick and mortar retail is changing rapidly, the clear winners in the experience economy, and visit with brands that are not just surviving, but thriving.

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Episodes

Creating Tangible Magic: Rachel Lorenz on Medieval Life, Making Stuff, and Reclaiming Human Creativity

🧵 SHOW NOTES In this episode of the Experiences Podcast , Mark Sandeno welcomes longtime Experiences app user and endlessly fascinating creator, Rachel Lorenz , founder of The Creative Contessa . From her home in South Korea (by way of Paris, Heidelberg, and Albuquerque), Rachel shares how she turned decades of medieval living history, culinary arts, embroidery, and historic dance into a thriving experiential business. We dive into: 🛡️ How medieval living history turned into a modern-day busin...

Aug 15, 2025•32 min•Ep. 9

Avoiding Buses and Buffet Lines: Reinventing Travel with Zach Smith of Anywhere.com

Welcome to the Experiences Podcast! Mark Sandeno sits down with longtime friend and fellow adventurer Zach Smith , founder of Anywhere.com — a global travel platform that’s redefining how we explore the world. In this episode, we go deep on: 🌍 The origin story : How Zach went from body surfing and hammocks to building one of the most thoughtful travel companies in the world 🔁 From chance meeting to startup launch : The unlikely business plan that began with a dusty office in Costa Rica 🤝 Why ...

Aug 07, 2025•37 min•Ep. 8

Nathan Woods - The Ministry of Welcome

The Ministry of Welcome: Creating Meaningful Experiences Through Hospitality With Nathan Woods and Mark Sandeno In this episode, Mark Sandeno sits down with Nathan Woods, a hospitality expert and founder of The Ministry of Welcome, to explore the transformative power of authentic hospitality in business and life. From driving truck parts to revolutionizing customer experiences at major brands, Nathan shares his journey and insights on creating meaningful connections through intentional welcome. ...

Dec 19, 2024•48 min•Ep. 7

Building Community Through Wine - Jennifer Halleck of Halleck Vineyard

Building Community Through Wine: Jennifer Halleck of Halleck Vineyard Episode Overview A conversation with Jennifer Halleck about the journey of building Halleck Vineyard, their approach to wine-making, and how they've built a thriving community around their wines. Key Moments Origin Story (1990-2000) Jennifer and Ross Halleck moved from Bay Area to Sebastopol in 1990 Purchased 5 acres, but could only plant 1 acre due to forest coverage One of the first vineyards in Sebastopol Hills area (Russia...

Oct 28, 2024•36 min•Ep. 6

Heather Swan - The Yarn Queen of Yarncom

Ever wonder how a passion for yarn could transform into a thriving business and vibrant community? In this episode, we unravel the story of Heather Swan, aka "The Yarn Queen," who left her corporate career to pursue her love of fiber arts. Discover how she built Yarncom and the Midwest Fiber Festival from scratch, navigating challenges and weaving together a loyal customer base. Whether you're a crafting enthusiast or an aspiring entrepreneur, this conversation is bound to inspire and offer valu...

Aug 01, 2024•53 min•Ep. 5

Jeff Pennypacker - Sweet and Savory Classroom

I had an amazing conversation with Jeff Pennypacker of Sweet and Savory Classroom, a cooking school experience based in Chatanooga, TN. He and his wife run a very successful cooking school and he shared some tasty insights for any retailer who offers (or wants to) experiences. And, if you're a cooking school, don't pass up this episode as it has some very particular advice for you. Send me your feedback, suggestions, and musings to mark@experiencesapp.com. I'd love to hear from you as long as yo...

Jun 26, 2024•39 min•Ep. 4

Pre-booked retail experiences are better

Sure, you can hope that people just show up and start to shop in your store (or chain if you're a retail magnate). But it's much more effective to bring people together through pre-booked experiences - because this is what consumers want. Mark and Chip discuss the mindset and method behind adding pre-booked experiences to your retail offering. And if you're wondering if this applies to what you do...it most certainly does!

Aug 26, 2022•31 min•Ep. 3

How to be in the business of happiness as a retailer

Mark and Chip discuss the future of the Experiences podcast, retailers' power to curate happiness and thrive, and some other things. At the beginning of this episode, Mark mentions that the first episode is coming down, but then we looked at the stats, and you know what? People are actually downloading it. So this episode makes Mark and Chip sound like liars. This episode is sponsored by the Experiences App, the only real choice for retailers that want to offer booked experiential commerce seaml...

Jul 18, 2022•36 min•Ep. 2

Why are all the stores closing?

From Lululemon to the candle business, everything is changing because of the Internet and what consumers value. Even though traditional retail is being wiped out, something better is replacing it that will actually get you back in your car instead of waiting for UPS to show up. The Experiences podcast is sponsored by Experiences™. You can find us at experiencesapp.com Show music by Anonymous420 from FreeMusicArchive.org

Jul 30, 2019•29 min•Ep. 1

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