🧃001: The Juicy Chat - Josanta Gray Emegano of Aisle Be Ready
What really happens in retail...
In this series, I’m chatting with insiders across beauty, retail, wellness, and investing — the ones in the trenches. This isn’t your typical “tell me how you did it” interview. I’m asking ✨ what you wish you knew, 😬 what got messy, 👀 what people never see - hoping to provide deeper insight into what often looks seamless from the outside.
Each conversation follows a 5-question format, plus two recurring bonus questions I ask every guest. If there is someone you think would be great for this series (or you), message me 😊.
My first chat is with Josanta Gray Emegano of Aisle Be Ready, she is a force in growth and retail [Instagram]. For years, getting into a retailer (Sephora, Ulta, or Target - for beauty), has been a major milestone, but it is hard to stress how this ‘golden ticket’ is not a straightforward path to success nor is it necessarily a given that once a brand gets into retail does it mean it will succeed.
🔴 JUICY BYTE: In one sentence — what sums up your experience in retail? Why you are a superstar? 😉🔵 Josanta: I'm known as the "Olivia Pope of Beauty" — when the stakes (and shelves) are high, I help brands navigate, negotiate, and nail their retail strategies.🔴 JUICY BYTE: Tell me about a retail launch that totally blindsided the founder. What went down?🔵 Josanta: We were launching into 10 stores, so we purchased 10 fixtures to showcase our products. During setup, one fixture was damaged while the store team was assembling it — and even though it wasn’t our fault, we were still responsible for the cost with no credit or replacement. The founder was blindsided that something like this could happen — especially when budgets were already stretched thin.🔴 JUICY BYTE: What’s one thing about retail buyers or shelf space that brands constantly misunderstand?🔵 Josanta: Shelf space isn't given — it's taken. For your brand to get in, someone else's brand has to get out, so your point of difference better be crystal clear and compelling.🔴 JUICY BYTE: What’s a backend or ops detail that’s way more brutal than founders expect?🔵 Josanta: Replenishment can get chaotic fast — viral moments (like a Kardashian mention or Shark Tank appearance) are amazing, but they can wreck your forecast and inventory plans overnight.🔴 JUICY BYTE: What mindset shift is non-negotiable when going from DTC to retail?🔵 Josanta: Retail won’t make you rich overnight — margins get way tighter, and you have to scale smart, not just fast.🌟🌟🌟BONUS ROUND🌟🌟🌟🔴 JUICY BYTE: What’s a product you resisted buying... and now you can’t live without?🔵 Josanta: I’m a proud Beyhive member — normally I’m first in line for anything Beyoncé — but when it came to Cécred I actually waited for all the reviews to come out before purchasing. And now I’m hooked. She got me (again).🔴 JUICY BYTE: What’s a brand you’re low-key obsessed with right now — and why?🔵 Josanta: Naked Wardrobe — I’ve been following them since 2016, and I genuinely love their clothes. They’ve been there for me through every season — from regular fits to maternity to postpartum — and I love how they’ve evolved right alongside me as a customer. Three sisters built it steady, stayed in their lane, and they've expanded with Nordstrom and now have a brand-new HQ in LA.Thank you for reading along!
💡 Stay tuned for more!
- Anne