Too many great local businesses fade not from lack of customers, but from lack of a plan. We sat down with Doug and Anne, buyer-operators on a mission to preserve the heart of their community by acquiring small businesses. We explored how owners can exit on their terms without losing what makes their company special.

We start with the landscape: thousands of boomer-owned companies in Northwest Arkansas and beyond are nearing transition, yet most don’t have a documented succession plan. Doug and Anne break down the gap between intention and reality: 70% of owners want to pass the business to their kids, but only about 30% make it happen, and show how a thoughtful three-year runway changes everything. From choosing the path (family succession, management buyout, or third-party sale) to assembling the right local team for valuation, lending, legal, and tax, they map a clear, humane process that protects jobs and community identity.

Then we get practical. They explain how tax strategies that minimize profit today can depress a future sale price, why keeping your manager is critical to continuity, and how simple adjustments, cleaner books, documented SOPs, fair market leases, and stable leadership, raise multiples and buyer confidence. We also talk about culture and leadership development: growing managers who can run the day-to-day, reducing key-person risk, and honoring the brand promise customers rely on. Anne shares why championing women-owned businesses matters, and how inclusive ownership structures and mentorship can widen opportunity and strengthen resilience.

If you’re a small business owner eyeing retirement, feeling burnout, or simply wanting to protect your legacy, this conversation offers an actionable roadmap and real encouragement. 

Subscribe for more conversations with operators, founders, and community builders, and share this episode with an owner who needs a nudge to start their plan. Want us to dive deeper or help you think through options? Leave a review, send a note, and tell us what transition questions you want answered next.

The retail playbook just changed: shoppers still click and scan, but AI agents now browse, compare, and buy on our behalf. We brought together leaders from academia, CPG, platforms, and agencies to break down what that means for brands selling at Walmart and across the modern digital shelf. The big takeaway is simple and hard: trust wins. Trust between people and machines, and trust between models and your product data. Clean attributes, consistent claims, and verifiable signals across PDPs, retail media, and third-party sources are now the difference between being recommended, or ignored.

We dive into the “perpetual moment of truth,” where inspiration, evaluation, and purchase collapse into one seamless flow. You’ll hear how bot-facing content, bullets, tables, certifications, and structured data, helps AI reason and cite your products. We explore generative engine optimization (GEO) versus traditional SEO, why Content Quality Scores keep shifting, and why Walmart’s new item setup will demand complete attribution at creation. Expect concrete tactics: set up agents to monitor rankings and data health daily; build a shared prompt library; reverse-engineer great answers; and run A/B tests that balance keyword search with conversational queries.

New modalities are already here: AI-enabled browsers, vision-plus-voice experiences, and wearable interfaces that parse shelves in real time. That makes consistency across packaging, imagery, and PDP claims critical, especially for safety and dietary needs. Our panel keeps it practical; scope one category, perfect attributes, verify claims, and let auditing agents alert you to drift. Move fast without breaking trust, and treat conversation as the new code your whole team can write. 

If this helped you think clearer about AI in retail, subscribe, share with a teammate, and leave a review to help others find the show.

How does one go from a challenging childhood to a thriving career and a life of purpose? Join DBB as Ron Acosta, a former Walmart executive-turned-Chick-fil-A owner-operator, shares his transformative journey with host Andy Wilson.
 With a career spanning 28 years at Walmart, Ron's story takes us through his remarkable transition from corporate success to a more balanced life that integrates faith and family. 
He opens up about an introspective retreat in Colorado that catalyzed his personal growth and set him on a path of healing and redemption. Get ready to be inspired by Ron's unwavering resilience and the divine interventions that marked his journey.
Ron shares deeply personal stories of overcoming adversity, starting with a childhood shadowed by abandonment, racism, and abuse. 
These early challenges were met with an unexpected glimmer of hope during his time at Walmart, where an encounter with Sam Walton ignited his belief in his own potential. Through faith and counseling, Ron reshaped his life's narrative, finding success and purpose in the business world and beyond. 
As he recounts pivotal moments such as reconnecting with his estranged father and establishing a marriage ministry with his wife, Ron's story becomes a testament to the power of healing and redemption.
Our global reach now extends to 34 countries, thank you to our international listeners for your incredible support! As we look forward to more engaging topics and guests in 2025, we express our heartfelt gratitude to Ron Acosta for sharing his compelling journey with us. 
His story of resilience and faith is both humbling and inspiring, offering valuable insights into how personal growth can strengthen not only individuals but also their families and communities. 
For those eager to learn more, Ron's book "Unstoppable Grace" provides a deeper dive into his life's transformative experiences.

AI doesn’t win because it’s shiny; it wins because it shortens the path from data to decision. We sit down with Slalom’s Andrew Fano, Jack Rudelic, Erika Pflueger, and Marco Kilongkilong to dig into how generative AI is transforming retail and consumer goods, from product roadmaps and software delivery to supply chain and customer experience. The conversation starts with culture and outcomes, then moves quickly into the real levels: where to inject AI in existing workflows, how to accelerate time to value, and what it takes to avoid the dreaded proof-of-concept graveyard.

Jack breaks down why tapping enterprise data with LLMs speeds answers to employees and customers, improving logistics, HR, and day-to-day operations. Erica shares how teams build higher-fidelity roadmaps and ship faster by using AI to draft requirements, test ideas, and keep priorities moving without adding headcount. Marco leads a candid look at ethics and governance: human accountability, principle-based guardrails, and practical controls for privacy, explainability, and legal risk. Together they outline a simple frame; people, tools, and processes, that turns AI from a demo into dependable, trusted production systems.

We also zoom out to the future of work. Expect more citizen developers as the barrier to building falls, and yes, a credible path toward shorter work weeks as drudge work disappears and creativity scales. The throughline is trust: companies that bake governance into AI from day one will move faster, protect customers and employees, and earn the right to scale. If you’re ready to turn AI into real outcomes, not just experiments, this conversation lays out the playbook. 

Subscribe, share with a teammate who’s wrestling with AI adoption, and leave a review with your top use case you want us to unpack next.

Want a talent strategy that actually moves the numbers? We unpack how to connect mission, vision, and core values to daily execution so your team delivers where it counts: with customers. Drawing on decades inside Walmart and insights from Don Soderquist’s The Walmart Way, we get specific about hiring better than yourself, building a bench for the next role, and protecting mavericks who push boundaries and spark breakthroughs.

We walk through the CASH model: customer, associate, shareholder, to reframe strategic choices in the right order. You’ll hear why three sharp priorities beat a bloated to-do list, how to set high expectations without burning people out, and what it takes to share rewards in ways that unlock ownership. From speeding up P&L visibility to simplifying metrics, we show how execution becomes a strategy, not just a phase, and why alignment starts with the leader when teams slip into the fog.

This conversation is rich with frontline stories: management by walking around that turns associate ideas into action, handwritten recognition that fuels discretionary effort, and moments of real care that bond teams beyond KPIs. We also spotlight community service as a competitive advantage: showing up locally builds trust, attracts talent, and reinforces brand promise where it matters most.

If you lead people or want to, this is a blueprint you can use tomorrow: hire for the next job, cross-pollinate to grow faster, communicate everything, and celebrate the wins. 

Subscribe, share with a colleague who hires or runs ops, and leave a review with the one practice you’ll implement this week.

Big results come from simple rules practiced every day. We sit down with longtime Walmart leader Sam Dunn to unpack the principles from Don Soderquist’s "The Walmart Way" and trace how culture, vision, and speed transformed small ideas into system-wide advantages. From the four basic beliefs, respect for the individual, service to the customer, strive for excellence, and act with integrity, to the rituals that made them real, we share firsthand stories that reveal why these weren’t slogans but a decision system used in tough moments.

You’ll hear how bold vision stayed grounded in details: a better fixture spotted in a competitor store, a people greeter that lifted service and cut shrink, and an open door moment that saved a driver’s career and strengthened trust. We break down the cadence that powered execution, Friday morning management meetings, fast cross-functional solutions by noon, and field-facing updates the same day, plus the early investment in communication tools that carried clarity to every store. Speed shows up as a quiet superpower: closing the books in three days, acting on facts while rivals were still waiting, and iterating faster than the market could respond.

We also talk about the discipline to stick to the basics even while testing new formats, and how leaders can translate these ideas today: get closer to the front line, shorten decision cycles, invest in the right tools, and let shared beliefs guide tradeoffs. It’s a practical playbook for operators, founders, and managers who want a stronger culture and sharper execution without adding complexity. If you’re ready to lead with clarity and move with urgency, this conversation will give you concrete steps and fresh conviction.

Enjoy the episode? Follow the show, share it with a teammate, and leave a quick review. Tell us: which principle will you put to work this week?

A talent shortage can stall a thriving market, or it can spark a movement. We sit down with logistics leaders, program directors, founders, recruiters, and graduates to map how Northwest Arkansas built a reliable pipeline of Walmart-ready professionals and a repeatable path from idea to shelf. From warehouse tech that boosts pick efficiency by 40 percent to a curriculum that teaches real Retail Link analysis, this is a playbook for anyone aiming to break into the supplier world.

You’ll hear how the Certified Retail Analyst program at NWACC formed through a rare three-way partnership: Walmart provided system access and data, the college delivered accredited instruction, and a supplier steering committee defined the exact skills that drive results in category management, account management, and supply chain. A graduate-turned-director explains how that framework has helped more than a thousand people land roles, while a former school psychologist shares a candid look at reskilling into a sales analyst position at a leading confectionery brand, proof that transferable data skills can power a bold career pivot.

Innovation and recruiting round out the story. The founders behind AON Invent and Double Dog Display recount the whiteboard sprint that led to the first swipe-activated prepaid card, what we now know as the gift card, and how they now connect inventors with the manufacturing, engineering, and display support needed to win retail placement. An executive search leader from Cameron Smith and Associates reveals how Bentonville’s dense supplier network fuels hiring for Walmart, Target, Kroger, and more, and why the region’s ecosystem lowers risk for both companies and candidates.

If you’re targeting a role in the Walmart supplier community, want to turn a product idea into a retail reality, or need a roadmap to upskill with impact, this conversation delivers practical steps and real outcomes. Follow the show, share with a friend who’s Bentonville-bound, and leave a quick review to tell us what you’re aiming to learn next.

Retail becomes unforgettable when it feels like culture, not just commerce. We sit down with Ryan Hughes of Gratsy to unpack how curated experiences—at home, in the community, and online with creators—turn casual shoppers into true fans. From precision-packed sampling kits to full-blown store takeovers, Ryan shows how a clear objective, smart logistics, and authentic storytelling can move people to try, buy, and share.

You’ll hear the behind-the-scenes of a standout activation with Walmart Connect and ESPN, where a lease space just past the registers morphed into a SportsCenter set, a mini sports museum, and a fan meet-and-greet hub. We talk through how that format makes “store as media” real, even when the product isn’t on the shelf, and how moments of pride and play can influence a whole basket. Ryan also breaks down creator strategy: choosing niche experts when precision matters, partnering with big names when reach counts, and always aligning talent to either awareness or action so the content doesn’t feel forced.

We dig into the culture that powers it all—accountability, creativity, and honest postmortems—plus the grit it takes to keep events calm on the surface when chaos strikes beneath. The “Bunpocalypse” scramble, the Old El Paso x Takis temperature-extremes stunt from Death Valley to America’s coldest spot, and the complexities of food-and-beverage sampling inside Walmart lease spaces all reveal what it means to scale bespoke experiences without losing freshness. If you care about experiential marketing, retail media, creator partnerships, and the operational muscle that makes big ideas sing, this conversation is your blueprint for building moments people remember and measure.

Enjoy the episode? Follow the show, share it with a teammate, and leave a quick review so more builders can find it.

Change moves fast in Bentonville, and this conversation puts you right at the center of it. We connect the dots from Walmart’s early tech shifts—scanning, EDI, and Retail Link—to the next turning point: practical AI that speeds real work, from writing and workflows to design iteration that cuts weeks off development. Along the way, we unpack how tariffs and sourcing strategies are reshaping price points, merchandising, and the mix on the shelf.

We sit down with veteran operator and consultant John Reeves and 5G Consulting CEO Brett Dye to explore what selling to Walmart and Sam’s Club really requires today. The insights cut through hype and get tactical: why store newness still sparks discovery, how e‑commerce should amplify—not replace—core merchandising, and where AI already delivers value in supplier teams. Brett shares the story behind 5G—built on deep Walmart DNA and focused on replenishment, e‑commerce, and sales execution—plus grounded advice for entrepreneurs preparing to pitch: know your core customer, nail the financials, and be retail‑ready down to the UPC.

Expect a frank look at tariffs’ ripple effects, from upper‑tier price lifts to looming pressure on opening price points. We examine diversification beyond China, the realities of nearshoring, and what it would take for U.S. manufacturing to make a meaningful comeback. Throughout, one theme holds: listening, speed, and adaptability win. With Walmart investing in AI training for associates, supplier fluency will become table stakes—just as Retail Link mastery did a generation ago.

If you care about retail strategy, Walmart supplier success, AI in merchandising and design, and smart sourcing under uncertainty, this one’s a must‑listen. Subscribe, share with your team, and drop a review with the biggest change you’re making after listening.

What if the secret to national scale is hidden in a story time circle at your first store? We sit down with founder and CEO Monica Royer to unpack how Monica + Andy grew from a neighborhood, experience-led boutique into a parent-trusted brand now selling online and in 1,200 Walmart locations—without sacrificing organic quality or the brand’s soul.

Monica walks us through the earliest days: a Lincoln Park shop that doubled as HQ and community center, where music classes and new-parent meetups fueled real product insights. Those hands-on lessons set the tone for everything that followed, from fabric choices and fit to bundles that match the rhythm of early parenthood. When the opportunity to go mass arrived, the team had already sequenced the crucial pieces—sourcing, quality control, and a codified set of brand values—to deliver the same standard at scale.

We get candid about the tradeoffs behind the strategy. Monica shares what keeps her up at night, how leading a growing team changes decision-making, and why a great co-founder can be the difference between stalling and moving with conviction. She breaks down omnichannel the practical way: treat DTC as home base, anchor to five core values, and let assortment flex by channel without confusing the customer. Along the way, we explore post-COVID shifts, the risk of playing it safe, and why community is still a better growth engine than ads.

If you’re building a consumer brand, this conversation is a field guide to scaling without drift: start close to the customer, make quality non-negotiable, sequence your operations before you widen distribution, and preserve the story that made people care in the first place. Subscribe, share with a founder who needs a nudge, and leave a quick review to tell us which insight you’ll use this quarter.

Retail is changing aisle by aisle, and we’re walking through the shift with a front‑row view. We dig into how Walmart moved from years of heavy investment to a true “harvest” phase, where technology finally meets day-to-day usefulness. From electronic shelf labels and RFID to in-store retail media and traffic analytics, we show how the store itself is getting smarter, and how that intelligence translates into better value, faster trips, and clearer choices.

We connect the dots between brick-and-mortar strength and e-commerce integration, where curbside and delivery turn every supercenter into a forward-deployed node. That shift demands a packaging revolution: cases and primary packs designed for robots to pick, place, and palletize in both regional fulfillment and microfulfillment. Expect more squared formats, less air, and fewer damages, which improves margins and speeds. Along the way, we highlight Sam’s Club momentum, scan-and-go, a cleaner layout, seasonal impact upfront, and a rising health focus that stretches from small appliances to functional ingredients, while private label evolves beyond opening price point into feature-rich value.

Then we look ahead. With a documented price gap supporting the “save money” pillar, the next edge is “live better” through contextual, AI-driven guidance. Imagine a commerce agent that plans around real life, bill cycles, game nights, and family dinners, while honoring EDLP and personal preferences. That’s where the lines blur among shopping, media, and lifestyle, making the experience feel like problem-solving instead of errands. Still, the cultural guardrail matters: avoid hubris, stay humble, and keep decisions anchored to the customer’s mission.

If you enjoy thoughtful, on-the-ground analysis of how tech, merchandising, and operations come together, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share with a friend who geeks out on retail, and leave a quick review to tell us what you want to hear next.

Step into a Springdale store and club with us and see why Walmart’s growth streak feels unstoppable. We break down what’s actually happening on the floor: clearer sight lines, displays that teach as much as they sell, and end- caps that can host a $5 deal and a $250 mixer without confusing the shopper. The result is a shopping journey that feels like landing on a well-designed website, intuitive, discoverable, and built to nudge you into the right aisles.

We unpack the engine behind the scenes too. Walmart’s “second productivity loop” blends profitable e-commerce, retail media, membership, and marketplace to fuel the classic flywheel of traffic, expense leverage, and price leadership. That strategy shows up as lean inventory with strong in-stocks, faster turns, and a floor where marketing finally stands shoulder to shoulder with merchandising. You’ll hear how the spark, typography, and iconography now frame supplier storytelling, and why co-branding is the new entry ticket for displays, packaging, and promotions.

Assortment is where the balance becomes obvious. Challenger brands and premium names have real presence, while private labels like Bettergoods and Member’s Mark read like quality badges, not just opening price points. Beauty feels like a specialty shop, toys like a specialist aisle, and housewares like a curated home store, without losing the fast-moving value play that built the business. If you’re a supplier, you’ll leave with clear steps: design displays that educate, align visuals to the retailer’s system, and plan retail media to amplify in-aisle stories. If you’re a shopper, you’ll recognize why the trip just feels better.

Like what you heard? Follow the show, share this episode with a teammate, and leave a quick review to help more retail pros find us.

Change doesn’t wait for us to feel ready, and that’s exactly where real leadership begins. Andy sits down with Elise Mitchell, CEO-turned-coach and bestselling author of Leading Through the Turn, to unpack seven hard-earned principles for guiding teams through uncertainty without losing your grip on what matters. From a personal “intervention” during hypergrowth to an unforgettable motorcycle lesson about focus and risk, Elise shows how to balance realism with optimism and keep your eyes on the line you want to exit.

We dig into accepting reality as the gateway to progress, making decisive calls when data is incomplete, and communicating in a way that creates context, connects the dots, and builds confidence. Elise goes deep on fear, fear of failure, of losing control, of not having every answer, and explains why courage must come before confidence. You’ll learn how to remove roadblocks that slow change, including the uncomfortable moment when the leader is the roadblock, and how to “ride loose” during people challenges so you can read the room, address conflict early, and stay present under pressure.

Then we shift to staying close to your people with genchi genbutsu: go and see for yourself. Get out of the tower, visit the frontline, praise effort as well as results, and create a culture of try where experiments are safe and learning beats perfection. Instead of rescuing, ask catalytic questions that return ownership to your team. Elise closes with practical cognitive tools, reprioritizing, distancing, identity-based motivation, and reframing, to help you manage yourself, show up as your ideal self, and keep momentum when the turn gets tight.

If you’re navigating change, leading a messy people problem, or just need a fresh dose of practical courage, this conversation will meet you where you are and move you forward. Subscribe, share with a leader who needs it, and leave a review with your top takeaway so we can keep bringing you conversations that sharpen your edge.

Change doesn’t just test a strategy; it tests a leader. With Elise Mitchell in the chair, we go straight at the hard stuff: why your brain fights change, how to flip from threat to opportunity, and the exact conversations that pull a team out of frustration and into forward motion. Elise brings a rare mix of neuroscience, hard-won CEO lessons, and clear frameworks you can use today, including the five questions that reset a stuck team and three core principles for leading through uncertainty: embrace reality, be decisive, and connect the dots.

We unpack how to recognize an away mindset, quiet the amygdala, and fuel the prefrontal cortex so you can think clearly when the stakes rise. From there, Elise shows how to make courageous decisions without perfect information, cooling emotions, widening inputs, and sharpening discernment to balance risk and reward. Her story about selling her firm grounds the theory in real trade-offs leaders face with their people, clients, and communities on the line.

Communication becomes the force multiplier. We explore the cascade of messaging, from inner circle to broader team to clients, and a simple three-step frame to create context, connect individual roles, and cultivate confidence without pretending certainty. The throughline is trust: you’ll only lead people as far as they trust you. Earn it by telling the truth, inviting participation, and showing your work. We close with a teaser for part two: removing roadblocks, including the uncomfortable moment when the leader realizes they are the bottleneck.

If this sparked a new way to lead through change, follow the show, share it with a leader who needs it, and leave a quick review so others can find it. What’s the one decision you’re ready to “break glass, pull handle” on this week?

Want a peek behind the scenes of how your pancakes get more protein, your coffee stays responsibly sourced, and your receipt keeps shrinking? We sit down with Walmart VP Tasha Tandy, once a third-degree black belt and small business owner, who now leads Breakfast, Baking, and Commodities, to explore how discipline, empathy, and smart partnerships turn shelves and screens into real customer value.

We talk through the nuts and bolts of price leadership and why “better-for-you” shouldn’t cost more. Tasha explains the surge in functional eating, protein, and fiber inclusion, and the clean label movement reshaping ambient grocery. She shares how her team co-creates exclusives with suppliers, uses multi-sourcing to protect availability, and designs products for the right channel from day one, whether that’s a digital shelf, a fulfillment center, or a local store for same-day pickup. The holiday “Bake Center” takes center stage as a seasonal playground for flavors like pumpkin and peppermint, paired with operational rigor to keep millions of cans, mixes, and turkeys moving efficiently.

We also dive into responsible sourcing with a timely look at coffee. With crop pressures elevating prices, Tasha outlines how Walmart and Sam’s Club leverage scale to secure supply while protecting farmers through transparent, ethical sourcing. Throughout, the throughline is culture: people-led and tech-powered, grounded in listening to operators and customers, and focused on building trust through consistent prices and relevant products. You’ll come away with an insider’s view of how merchandising decisions get made, and how a martial arts mindset helps teams persevere, iterate, and deliver.

If this conversation resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review telling us which seasonal flavor you want to see next.

The floor is buzzing in downtown Bentonville, but the real signal is trust. We step into Slalom’s Innovation Day at The Record to explore how a local-first consulting model, a practitioner mindset, and a world-class partner ecosystem turn AI from flashy demos into business outcomes. From quick, no-code agents that capture leads on a phone to a lakehouse foundation that unifies data for analytics and governance, the conversations focus on what customers actually need—and how fast they can get there without sacrificing safety or ethics.

Saint Fults, General Manager at Slalom, lays out Slalom’s ethos: take on the hardest problems with a local team you know by name. That proximity changes everything—strategy becomes concrete, timelines get tighter, and results get measured in customer impact. Marco Kilongkilong, Senior Principal at Slalom, dives into trusted AI, unpacking why governance, responsible inputs, and clear design choices are the bedrock of adoption. John Mathis, Managing Director at Slalom, zooms out to the big picture: leaders are drowning in options, so the path forward is to pick practical use cases, start small, and ship value quickly while protecting privacy and staying compliant.

Partners bring the engine. Databricks explains how the Data Intelligence Platform and Agent Bricks lower the barrier to agentic systems so non-technical teams can orchestrate tasks and content with real guardrails. Salesforce shows how a unified platform lets business users build AI-powered workflows rapidly—no code required—while highlighting zero-copy data sharing across providers like Google and Databricks to finally unlock end-to-end insights. Throughout the night, one theme keeps returning: the future belongs to teams that blend clear governance, solid data foundations, and human-centered change.

If you’re navigating AI hype, looking for your first high-impact win, or rebuilding trust with tech that actually works, this conversation offers a roadmap you can use tomorrow. Subscribe, share with a colleague who’s stuck at “pilot,” and leave a review with the AI use case you want us to unpack next.

Discover the remarkable journey of collaboration between Procter & Gamble and Walmart in our latest podcast episode featuring industry expert Tom Muccio. Unpacking the pivotal moments that shaped this partnership, we delve into the complexities of change management, shared objectives, and overcoming resistance. As Tom shares his experiences from Cincinnati to Bentonville, he draws important lessons on fostering transparency and trust within organizations. 

Our discussion reveals insights about the One Company Model, a revolutionary approach emphasizing unity over competition, and how this framework can benefit modern businesses. Moreover, Tom elaborates on the five dragons that leaders often confront, such as corporate fog and bureaucratic hurdles, exposing the pain points that can stifle innovation and collaboration.

The episode is packed with practical strategies designed to inspire leaders to embrace servant leadership, humility, and the art of testing new ideas. Join us for a thought-provoking exploration into what it takes to navigate challenges in the corporate landscape, build effective relationships, and ultimately drive success for all parties involved.

Don't miss out, subscribe, share, and leave your thoughts on our conversation as we continue to explore transformational leadership and business relationships in upcoming episodes!

This episode recaps the Embark Retail Innovation Summit, a part of Retail Innovation Week, a gathering that highlights the energy, collaboration, and authenticity driving the future of retail.

Northwest Arkansas emerges as more than Walmart’s backyard—it is a thriving hub of retail innovation. “There is no better place to talk retail than Bentonville,” says Kristen Rodgers of Plug and Play, whose role as a “corporate matchmaker” embodies the event’s collaborative spirit. At the Embark Retail Innovation Summit, executives from companies like L’Oreal and Accenture connected with founders of breakthrough brands such as Lifeway Foods, Black Paper Party, and Trash Ice Cream, creating meaningful opportunities for conversation.

What set the event apart was its intimacy. “You’re getting to actually spend time with people,” notes RetailWire CEO Chase Binnie, contrasting it with larger conferences. That closeness allowed for deeper discussions about retail’s challenges, opportunities, and values. The transformation of Bentonville itself mirrors these themes: innovative, sustainable, and increasingly diverse.

A recurring message throughout the Embark Retail Innovation Summit was authenticity. From speakers to founders, many emphasized that growth only matters if relationships remain genuine. As a Black Paper Party founder Jasmine Hudson reflected, “None of this matters if you’re void of just being nice and kind and genuine.” The University of Arkansas also contributed by bridging academia and industry, helping students bring fresh ideas into the marketplace.

From established CPG leaders to agile startups, this recap of the Embark Retail Innovation Summit captures the collaborative energy reshaping the retail landscape. Subscribe to hear more insider perspectives and join the conversation about how authenticity and community are defining the next wave of retail transformation.

What happens when warehouse chaos meets artificial intelligence? Sean McCarthy, co-founder and CEO of BackOps.ai, joins the Warehouse Whisker Warriors to reveal how agentic AI is transforming supply chain communication and problem resolution.

Drawing from his experience at Amazon Shipping, McCarthy identified a critical gap in warehouse operations: while systems existed to capture issues, humans still had to manually gather information across multiple platforms to solve problems. BackOps' solution utilizes an agentic AI framework that operates concurrently across systems, rather than following the linear paths of traditional Robotic Process Automation (RPA).

The magic happens when a warehouse issue arises, missing pallets, damaged goods, shipment discrepancies, and the AI simultaneously checks carrier systems, vendor portals, warehouse management systems, and even contacts stakeholders. This parallel processing dramatically accelerates resolution times while maintaining accuracy and working through existing communication channels like phone, email, or messaging apps.

Most impressively, the AI sounds remarkably human. During demonstrations, even experienced professionals have mistaken the BackOps AI for a human agent. This natural communication style helps overcome the hesitation many feel toward AI systems, especially in relationship-driven industries like supply chain management.

For companies concerned about removing humans entirely, BackOps offers flexible human-in-the-loop options while providing measurable ROI from day one. The system also builds predictive analytics capabilities, helping identify recurring issues with specific carriers or vendors before they become problems.

Ready to see how AI can transform your warehouse operations? Contact Sean directly at sean@backops.ai or visit www.backops.ai to schedule a demo and experience firsthand how their system is creating the future of intelligent supply chain resolution.

Ever wonder why some stores convert browsers into buyers while others struggle despite decent foot traffic? This eye-opening conversation with Mark Ryski, founder of HeadCount Corporation and author of Store Traffic is a Gift, reveals how retailers and brands are missing a massive opportunity hiding in plain sight.

At its core, store traffic represents the ultimate denominator and demand signal for physical retail. Yet surprisingly, only about half of retailers today actually track it properly, instead relying on transaction counts that miss crucial insights about non-buying visitors. Mark explains why this oversight leads to misaligned staffing, missed conversion opportunities, and ultimately, lost sales.

The conversation takes a fascinating turn when Mark reveals how dramatically conversion rates can vary within the same retail chain – from as low as 30% to as high as 75%. These "super converting" stores hold the secrets to chainwide improvement, offering practical lessons that can be replicated across locations. For brands and suppliers, understanding traffic patterns provides leverage when negotiating promotional opportunities and helps quantify the true exposure their products receive.

Perhaps most compelling is Mark's perspective on friction in the shopping journey. While retailers endlessly discuss the importance of reducing friction, most lack effective methods to measure it. Conversion rates provide that measurement, highlighting exactly when and where customers abandon their shopping journey. By tracking hourly traffic and conversion, retailers can pinpoint precisely when friction occurs and take targeted action to address it.

For anyone involved in physical retail – whether you're managing stores, developing products, or analyzing performance – this conversation will transform how you think about traffic data and its strategic value. Tune in to discover practical ways to treat traffic as the precious gift it truly is and unlock the full potential of your physical retail presence.

What happens when high-achieving leaders neglect to lead themselves? In this eye-opening conversation, executive coach Irene Ortiz-Glass pulls back the curtain on the hidden struggles of top performers and reveals the profound connection between personal history and leadership effectiveness.

Irene shares her powerful personal journey from childhood trauma to corporate success to complete burnout, demonstrating how our origin stories shape our leadership approaches. "What got you here didn't start today—it started 10, 20 years ago," she explains, highlighting how early experiences create the mindsets we bring to our leadership roles.

The discussion explores our "maladaptive" modern work environment, where constant connectivity and back-to-back meetings trigger chronic stress responses that impair decision-making. Leaders who thrive have learned to be intentional about energy management, creating clear boundaries while maintaining high performance. Irene provides practical insights on creating psychological safety for teams, explaining how threat responses trigger the "amygdala hijack" that prevents authentic engagement and strategic thinking.

For listeners feeling overwhelmed, Irene offers a starting point: ask yourself what you truly want, examine your core values, and honestly assess whether your daily activities align with those values. "The happiness factor in life is feeling connected to what matters to you," she notes, challenging the notion that success requires sacrificing personal well-being.

Whether you're leading a team through organizational change or seeking greater balance in your own leadership journey, this conversation provides both the neuropsychological framework and practical tools to become more effective. Ready to transform your approach to leadership? Start by understanding your own story.

The retail media landscape is undergoing rapid transformation, with AI technology reshaping how brands connect with consumers on retail platforms. At the forefront of this revolution stands AdFury.ai, a groundbreaking startup built from day one as an artificial intelligence company focused on solving retail media's most pressing challenges.

Becca Shaddox and Brandon "BV" Viveiros join the podcast to share their journey building AdFury.ai. With Becca's 17 years of technology experience at Walmart and BV's extensive background spanning from Nokia to Saatchi & Saatchi X, this leadership team brings uniquely relevant expertise to the retail media AI space. What sets them apart isn't just their impressive credentials, but their firsthand understanding of the inefficiencies and opportunities in retail media advertising.

AdFury's AI platform addresses a critical pain point for brands and agencies: creating relevant, high-performing display advertisements for retail media networks with unprecedented efficiency. Rather than requiring creative teams to produce countless variations of ads manually, their system allows brands to upload assets and guidelines once, then leverages generative AI to produce optimized creative at scale. The platform incorporates a continuous feedback loop, learning from performance data to improve future creative generation.

Starting with Walmart's retail media network but with plans to expand to other retailers, AdFury.ai is strategically positioned in Northwest Arkansas—the retail capital of the world. This location provides invaluable access to brands, agencies, and retail partners, creating a perfect environment for rapid iteration and growth. Their roadmap includes expanding beyond static display ads into video, connected TV, and social media formats.

For brands struggling with the complexity and resource requirements of retail media advertising, AdFury.ai represents a compelling solution that lowers barriers to entry while improving performance. As both retail media and AI continue their explosive growth, this team is uniquely positioned at the intersection of these transformative technologies.

Ready to transform your retail media advertising? Visit https://www.adfury.ai/ to learn how their AI platform can help your brand achieve greater efficiency, consistency, and performance in the rapidly evolving retail media landscape.

The business landscape is transforming before our eyes. What began as marketing buzzwords—sustainability, transparency, and brand purpose—have rapidly evolved into essential elements of successful commerce. But why this shift, and what does it mean for the future of retail?

In this illuminating conversation, Scott Benedict welcomes Bryan Welch, a veteran media and brand leader spearheading the Consumer Impact Summit coming to Bentonville this September. Together, they explore how purpose-driven commerce is reshaping consumer expectations and business practices worldwide. Welch offers a fascinating perspective: business as a concept is relatively young—only about 250-300 years old—and has been in a kind of "adolescence" where maximizing profit was the sole priority. Now, as consumers demand more, business is maturing into a more conscious, multifaceted approach.

The discussion reveals how younger generations are fundamentally changing the retail equation. Gen Z and Gen Alpha consumers rarely make purchasing decisions without considering broader impacts, and they're willing to forego products entirely if they believe consumption would harm society or the environment. Meanwhile, digital platforms have democratized access to consumers, allowing purpose-driven brands to share compelling stories directly with their audience. As Welch aptly notes, "Today every company is a media company," and those with authentic missions have particularly powerful stories to tell.

The Consumer Impact Summit (September 16-18 at The Ledger in Bentonville) will bring together approximately 300 attendees and 45 speakers from companies ranging from multinationals to innovative startups. Topics will include sustainable supply chain management, impact-focused financial relationships, innovations in packaging, and more—all centered on the belief that commerce can and should make a positive difference in the world.

Want to be part of the retail revolution that's creating positive change? Join forward-thinking leaders at the Consumer Impact Summit and discover how your business can thrive while making a meaningful impact. Register at https://consumerimpactsummit.com/

Northwest Arkansas stands as a testament to what's possible when talent, opportunity, and collaboration converge in unexpected ways. What began with Walmart's explosive growth has evolved into a dynamic ecosystem that many now recognize as the retail value chain capital of the world.

"This region pedals downhill," explains Graham Cobb, managing partner at Emeraude, capturing the forward momentum that characterizes the area. Unlike communities that coast on past successes, Northwest Arkansas constantly pushes forward, embracing innovation while building on its core strengths. These strengths include an unparalleled density of supply chain expertise and a business culture where accessibility trumps hierarchy.

The ripple effects of this environment are evident in the entrepreneurial ventures taking root. Fieldbook Venture Studio, with managing partner Josh Stanley, exemplifies this spirit, having launched five startups focused on different aspects of the retail value chain. From connecting brands with retailers to product innovation for consumer packaged goods companies, these ventures leverage the region's unique advantages while creating new opportunities for growth.

What truly sets Northwest Arkansas apart, however, isn't just business opportunity but quality of life. As Graham articulates with his philosophy to "help folks earn more, learn more, and live well," the region offers a holistic approach to success. Mountain biking trails, world-class art museums, and a vibrant culinary scene complement the professional advantages, creating an environment where work and life enhance rather than compete with each other.

For those curious to experience this ecosystem firsthand, Embark Retail Innovation Summit on September 16th offers a perfect entry point. Featuring CPG founders, retail experts, and thought leaders sharing their stories in an intimate setting, the event embodies the collaborative spirit that has made Northwest Arkansas successful. Beyond formal sessions, this event is one part of the greater Retail Innovation Week that is hosting events all through September 15th to the 18th, where attendees can explore the region's outdoor offerings, cultural institutions, and network with industry peers in a relaxed environment.

Whether you're an established CPG brand looking to innovate or an entrepreneur seeking fertile ground for your next venture, Northwest Arkansas offers unique advantages worth exploring. Use promo code BEACON for 25% off Embark Summit tickets, with proceeds benefiting the Chamber of Commerce.

What separates truly effective leaders from those who merely manage? Leadership expert Steve Graves reveals the answer with three powerful differentiators that will transform how you approach leadership challenges.

"Facilitating is not leading," Graves explains, challenging the common misconception that collaborative leadership is always effective leadership. While facilitation ensures everyone feels heard, true leadership requires making definitive calls on direction, speed, risk tolerance, resource allocation, and culture—sometimes against popular opinion. This becomes increasingly crucial as leaders ascend organizational hierarchies, where feedback diminishes while decision complexity multiplies.

The conversation takes a fascinating turn when Graves reveals his second insight: "No strategic plan will self-execute." Drawing from decades coaching CEOs across industries, he's witnessed brilliant strategies fail simply because they remained documents rather than becoming action plans. Andy Wilson reinforces this with compelling stories from his Walmart career, highlighting how execution culture made the difference between market leaders and followers.

Perhaps most counterintuitively, Graves asserts that "inspiration is not a substitute for leadership." While inspirational qualities benefit leaders, they cannot replace the sometimes difficult work of confrontation and accountability. The most effective leaders balance "a whisper in the ear, a pat on the back, and a kick in the tail"—knowing when each approach serves their team best.

Wilson shares a powerful example from his time with Sam Walton, revealing how the retail legend's humility became his greatest leadership strength. By recording store associates' ideas, ensuring follow-up, and implementing improvements, Walton created an execution machine where frontline insights drove company-wide innovation.

Whether you're leading a small team or a global organization, these timeless principles will help you avoid the "incremental descent into poor judgment" that derails even promising leaders. As Graves concludes, "People only implement what they understand and buy into," and creating that understanding is the essence of leadership that delivers results.