EP 150: BRANDING IN A NEW GENERATION WITH ALEC SAMMANN

The Retail Whore

This episode is sponsored by Patrick & Company, a wholesale sales agency proudly representing nationally and internationally branded companies. Located in the Dallas Market Center, for over 30 years they have been the go-to source for retailers helping to discover those unique, sought-after, and stylish brands.
Alec Samman is the President and CEO of Peepers, a 4th generation family run eyewear company. Alec and his sister Lindsay joined the business as owners a little over ten years ago, and they have continued to uphold the high standards of design, innovation and customer connection that have become associated with the Peepers brand.
Under Alec's leadership, Peepers has grown exponentially by over 2500% to become a multi-channel business, expanding its distribution into over 7,000 stores nationwide as well as having a large and growing presence online, direct to the consumer. Peepers has opened offices in California and Hong Kong and has substantially grown its headquarters in Indiana in terms of space and employees.
In 2019, the Company debuted a large, state-of-the-art distribution facility as part of its headquarters footprint. During the time that Alec has been CEO, Peepers has been named one of "Inc. 5000 Fastest
Growing Companies" 10 times, one of the "Best Places to Work in Indiana" 7 times, and has made the coveted "Oprah's Favorite Things" list 7 times.
Alec has been proud to establish a well-received philanthropic program called "Peepers for Teachers," where the company donates money, school supplies, and eyewear and offers volunteers to support teachers throughout the US. Before joining Peepers, Alec held several roles within the sales organization at CDW, a Fortune 500 information technology provider.
While at CDW, he was named a President’s Club winner for being a top sales producer. Alec was inducted into the YPO (Young Presidents’ Organization) in 2019. He has served on several local non-profit boards, including the Notre Dame School Foundation and is currently the Vice Chair of the Reader & Sunglass Division at the Vision Council.
Alec holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Marketing from Indiana University.
Here, Alec shares his insights into what it was like to build the Peepers brand and his experience transitioning from a corporate sales career into the family business. Michelle and Alec also discuss how Peepers has evolved over four generations, an inside look at the Peepers company culture, and what it was like to get recognized by Oprah.
What’s Inside:

• Alec’s experience transitioning from a sales career into the family business
• How Peepers evolved over four generations
• An inside look at the Peepers company culture

Mentioned In This Episode:

Peepers on Instagram
Peepers on TikTok
Peepers on Facebook
Peepers Website