Today we speak to Alexandre Douzet, the cofounder of Ollie, the human-grade dog food brand that’s disrupting pet food industry.
I was born on the border of Alsace in France. I attended college in France at the University of Brion. After graduating, I moved to New York City and worked there for four years before going to INSEAD, a business school in France. Following graduation I returned to New York City and started Ladders, an online career services resource dedicated to advancing professionals careers. I spent three years at Ladders and through that time was trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my future.
Simultaneously, I realized my dog was gaining a lot of weight. I did a ton of research and concluded there were some companies offering healthy dog foods, but I realized there were no direct-to-consumer brands. Shortly after I was introduced to the co-founder of Ollie by an investor and the rest is history.
As for my personal style:
Jeans Levis
I enjoy wearing different styles for different occasions. I’ll wear
Shirts
I have a simple style when it comes to shirts, and lean more towards polo shirts, like Lacoste, or simple dress down white shirts from Brooks Brothers and Hugo Boss rather than T-shirts.
Suits
My suits range from various styles, but I like custom tailored suits. Bespoke suits are my favorite, Michael Andrews on Great Jones Alley is my go-to spot.
Shoes
I like dress shoes and loafers, specifically high-end boots and loafers. For sneakers, I like urban style sneakers like GREATS. I wear them to work a lot and they are great to walk around in. I also really like Newton sneakers to wear to work and to workout in.
Accessories
My favorite accessory is a nice watch. I wear my Cartier silver watch for a more dressed up look, and for a more casual look, I wear my Garman GPS 920 smart watch.
Outerwear
In between seasonal jackets, I stick to more of an Italian style blazer from Zegna and Canali. I also wear a lot of vests in the colder seasons as well as my ¾ zip Patagonia vest. I also wear my Parka in the colder months.
Cologne
My go-to cologne is Dolce and Gabbana.
Favorite App
My favorite app right now is Instagram with a close second to Facebook. I am very picture and video driven so these apps appeal to me the most. I also enjoy reading the Wall Street Journal on my phone though I used to be an avid reader of The Financial Times. Unfortunately, the FT app isn’t as user-friendly so I haven’t been reading it like I used to.
I am not a big podcast guy, but I really enjoy listening to TED talks.
Next gear purchase
My next gear purchase will be a new bike, called the PremiereBike, which is mainly used for triathlon racing.
