All In the Family with Sourcing Journal/Rivet
The Hertzman brothers are the yin and yang duo leading Sourcing Journal and Rivet’s sales and marketing teams. Eddie Hertzman, the founder and president of Sourcing Journal, is gregarious and impetuous, while senior director of sales and marketing, Eric Hertzman, tends more to the inquisitive and organized side.
The Long Island-natives born four years apart work side by side in New York City and are regulars on the denim trade show circuit. Media, fashion and denim is an unexpected journey for Eric, whose childhood dream was to become a sports agent. For Eddie, however, it’s exactly where he had hoped to be.
“Eddie always talked about owning his own business. It always came back to being his own boss,” Eric told Carved in Blue.
And the opportunity presented itself nearly 10 years ago. The digitization of media and the apparel industry runs parallel, but in 2009 the two sectors were out of sync. Sourcing and apparel executives were operating with outdated facts and suffering from stubborn ways, while trade media moved on to celebrity headlines and click bait.
Eddie, who was working as a sourcing exec for Synergies Worldwide at the time, saw the need for back-to-basics trade journalism and launched Sourcing Journal as a side-hustle. Designed to become the homepage for sourcing professionals, the online outlet has become a global hub for sourcing, trade, retail, technology and fashion news with more than 80,000 subscribers.
In 2015, Eddie introduced Rivet, a boutique online and print trade publication for the denim industry and denimheads alike.
By then, the company needed a business-savvy mind to lead its marketing efforts, and that’s where Eric came in.
“We went from playing Zelda after school and being on our high school’s varsity bowling team, to working together in digital media,” Eric mused.
The publications were acquired by Penske Media Corporation in 2017 and are now on track for even greater growth. This year, Sourcing Journal will debut a new website design and launch its first international sourcing event in Hong Kong. Rivet will also be refreshed this spring with a new website and elevated print design, and will sponsor the upcoming Kingpins Transformers Summit in Amsterdam.
Carved in Blue caught up with Eric to find out more about his thoughts on joining his older brother’s media business and how working with family might have been fate.
Carved in Blue: What do you enjoy the most about the denim industry?
Eric: I enjoy learning about the science and technology behind denim. I like walking around trade shows and discovering what’s ahead for the next 24 months. Its changed the way I shop—I pay closer attention to where jeans are made and what fibers are used.
Carved in Blue: You and Eddie often work as a team. How do you complement one another?
Eric: We definitely have different styles—even the way we dress and speak— but now that we are here working together, we complement one another and I think that’s why we found a lot of success. We’re a good team. We want to talk to each other. We talk all day about what’s good for the business, what’s bad, what we need to do. We have the same goals, we just take different approaches to achieving them.
Carved in Blue: How are you and Eddie different?
Eric: I would say the biggest differences are that I’m very organized, detailed and data driven. I like to ask questions, I like to learn. He’s a little bit more laidback and talkative—but in a good way. Eddie has always been an entrepreneurial kind of guy.
Carved in Blue: What were the first signs that Eddie had an entrepreneurial spirit?
Eric: We went to art camps and joined art clubs in elementary school. That inspired Eddie to launch a friendship bracelet business. He would make bracelets and sell them to friends and family.
Carved in Blue: What are some challenges with working with family?
Eric: It’s not always easy to listen to your big brother. We have differences of opinion. Like any family, there some sibling rivalry, but he knows I have his back.
Carved in Blue: What’s the best piece of advice Eddie has given you?
Eric: One thing Eddie always tells me is to know your strengths and weaknesses. Try to hone in and master your strengths. Play to your strengths, but understand your weaknesses so you can improve. Always try to learn, grow and teach yourself something new.
Carved in Blue: What do the Hertzman brothers do on days off?
Eric: When the weather is warm, we both enjoy golfing.
Carved in Blue: Did you ever think you would be working with family?
Eric: No. If you would have told me 10 years ago I would be working with my brother, I couldn’t have imagined it. But Eddie talks a lot about fate and how things are meant to be. He always knew he would have his own company and work with family.
Carved in Blue: What do your parents think about their sons working together?
Eric: Our parents are very excited and happy that we work together. They’re very proud of us. I think our parents are happy that we are growing together.
Carved in Blue: What’s the best part about working with your brother?
Eric: It’s nice because we can trust each other. We have one another’s back and we get along very well. We want the same successes and have the same enthusiasm about what we do. He knows I have his best interest and he has my best interest.