While attending the IRCE at RetailX conference in Chicago, Total Retail's Joe Keenan interviewed Daniel Alarik, founder and CEO of Grunt Style, a patriotic apparel brand. During the discussion, Alarik touches on his career shift from the military into retail, what influenced him to start Grunt Style, and why he values hiring military veterans. In addition, Alarik shares his leadership style as well as his thoughts on how company leaders should "train, lead, and mentor" employees to succeed as a team. Grunt Style has seen rapid growth since its founding in 2009, and Alarik says the biggest challenges — and opportunities — lie in stacking his team with people who have experience in a fast-growing company. The discussion also touches on e-commerce trends and Alarik's opinion on the importance of physical retail as well as lifestyle brand events that can convert new customers.