Business vs. Brand | Nadaam & Building What Money Can't Buy with Matt Scanlan

Matt Scanlan, co-founder of Nadaam, joins us to talk about the wild origin story behind his cashmere empire, including the time he stuffed $2.5M into 32 shopping bags and trekked into the Gobi Desert. We unpack how Mongolia reshaped his understanding of value, sustainability, and what it means to build a business that’s both ethical and profitable. From nonprofit roots to running three fashion brands at once, Matt shares his take on “millennialist capitalism,” navigating scale without selling out, and why gratitude and equity matter in business. We get into brand-building, viral storytelling, and the real talk behind partnerships, hiring, and economic curveballs. Topics Covered: The Gobi Desert cashmere story Brand-building, creativity, and why you can't rush it Brand doesn't equal business Getting so many "no's" to get to "yes" Running multiple brands at once Searching for external validation only to learn it's an inside job Hiring, firing, and what Matt is really good at Navigating scale, values, and consumer tension Luck vs. timing in startup success Follow Nadaam on Instagram: ⁠  / naadam.coand  ⁠ online: ⁠https://naadam.co/⁠ Thank you to our sponsors, Monark & Co (monarkandco.com) and to The Big Favorite (thebigfavorite.com) - Take 15% off your first order with code: SAYMORE15 and wear it under your Nadaam!