A lifelong entrepreneur, Tony Drockton ran start-ups in the construction and finance industries before moving on to high fashion. As he built up Hammitt (opens in new tab), a handbag-focused luxury accessory brand, he knew he needed to take a different approach than others in the industry. He embraced a philosophy that welcomed all partners – wholesale, retail, online, offline – with a goal of putting the customer first.

It’s worked for the Los Angeles-based company, which has seen 40 percent growth year over year for the past four years and grown its online direct-to-consumer sales 300 percent.

In this video, Drockton sits down with CXO Talk’s Michael Krigsman and shares some of what he’s learned about customer loyalty, advocacy and creating passionate customers.