Total Retail Talks

In episode 511, Total Retail Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Alex Faherty, co-founder and CEO of Faherty, a certified B Corp™ premium lifestyle apparel brand known for its quality craftsmanship and surf-inspired coastal style. Alex launched the brand in 2013 with his twin brother, Mike, bringing their childhood dream to life (1:00). He shares how Faherty…

In episode 510 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Drew Panayiotou, chief marketing and innovation officer at Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP), a global leading beverage company with a portfolio of more than 150 owned, licensed and partner brands. During the wide-ranging conversation, Panayiotou discusses his marketing transformation initiative, Power Up (2:40), the increase…

In episode 509 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Zaven "Zee" Ghanimian, CEO, and Brooke Brinkman Ghanimian, chief operating officer of Simon G. Fine Jewelry, a leading fine jewelry brand known for innovation, craftsmanship, and timeless design. Listen in as they share the origin story of the family-owned-and-operated business (0:55), why maintaining quality…

In episode 508 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Tyler Lusebrink, head of brand partnerships for retail media network RedVest Media at ACE Hardware, the world's largest hardware cooperative. Listen in as Lusebrink discusses retail media’s rapid growth (1:20) and how measurement is shifting to decision-driven approaches with closed-loop outcomes and real-time optimization...

In episode 507 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Charlie Beer, chief operating officer at Naturepedic, the leading certified organic mattress and bedding company. Naturepedic was started over 20 years ago when the founder rejected conventional crib mattresses containing industrial foam and chemicals, leading to better products like organic cotton (0:55). Since then,…

In episode 506 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Kathy Gagliano, executive vice president of merchandising at Books-A-Million, the second largest bookstore retailer operating more than 220 stores in the United States. The discussion begins with the history of the company, dating all the way back to 1917 (0:55). According to Gagliano, the…

In episode 505 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Tim Parr, founder of Caddis, a cultural lifestyle and eyewear brand boldly celebrating the 40-plus community. Parr shares that he launched Caddis after seeing a cultural and marketing void around aging consumers (3:30). He argues Gen X and older customers are overlooked despite significant…

In episode 504 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Matt Navarro, global president of Stanley 1913, the iconic global lifestyle brand synonymous with premium food and beverage innovation, operated by PMI WW Brands. The discussion begins with talk about Stanley's evolution into a global lifestyle brand (2:00). Navarro explains Stanley's strategy to diversify…

In episode 503 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Marianna Sachse, founder and CEO of Jackalo, the first circular childrenswear brand focused on creating durable, eco-friendly apparel. Sachse describes her inspiration for founding the brand — a difficulty finding comfortable, sustainable, long-lasting pants and hand-me-downs for kids four and older (2:00). She details…

In episode 502 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Mike Hayes, chief commercial officer, Americas at Newell Brands, a leading global consumer products company with a large portfolio of iconic brands such as Graco®, Coleman®, Oster®, Rubbermaid®, and Sharpie®. The discussion begins with Hayes sharing the company's strategic vision behind creating the Customer…

In episode 501 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Nick Lezin, senior vice president of e-commerce and marketing at Ashley, an American home furnishings manufacturer and retailer. Lezin expands on Ashley's strategy for launching a fully transactional shopping experience through artificial intelligence platform Perplexity (1:20), along with the unmet customer needs that its...

We’re excited to share a major milestone for Total Retail Talks: the release of our 500th episode! Since launching the podcast in 2015, we’ve spent more than a decade speaking with hundreds of leading retail executives. We've uncovered insights into the strategies shaping the industry. To mark this moment, our 500th episode features curated clips…

In episode 499 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Mike Natenshon, founder and CEO of apparel brand Marine Layer. Beginning from his desire to re-create a favorite worn-out college T-shirt to founding a successful brand known for high-quality, custom fabrics, Natenshon breaks down Marine Layer's milestones. From opening its first retail store (2:00)…

In episode 498 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Isha Nicole, senior vice president of creative and marketing at Boot Barn, America's largest western and workwear retailer. Tune in as Nicole provides an overview of Boot Barn and her role (1:20) as well as discusses the rise and influence of Americana style (2:15)…

In episode 497 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Rene Federico, head of marketing for the U.S. at Primark, a global  fashion retailer founded and based in Dublin, Ireland. Listen in as Federico discusses Primark's growth in the U.S., focusing on marketing strategies to support this expansion (2:25). She details her role at…

In episode 496 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Ed Evans, CEO of Consumer Cellular, the top-rated wireless provider that provides cell phones and no-contract service plans primarily to those 50-plus. Listen in as Evans details what's driving Consumer Cellular's brick-and-mortar expansion (1:45), the strategy behind determining new store locations (3:40), and building…

In episode 495 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Joe Cano, senior vice president of digital commerce at Lowe's, a FORTUNE® 100 home improvement company. Cano details the company's approach to personalizing the digital shopping experience for both DIY homeowners and professional contractors (1:45). He explains how Lowe's uses real-time data and artificial…

In episode 494 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Kaitlyn Hebert, global chief marketing officer for the Ninja brand of SharkNinja, a leading global product design and technology company. The interview was recorded at Shoptalk Fall in Chicago. Hebert explains how Ninja’s organizational structure and innovation hub speed up product development (2:00). She…

In episode 493 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Liza Lefkowski, vice president and chief merchant of stores at Wayfair,  a leading home and furniture retailer. The interview was recorded at Shoptalk Fall in Chicago last month. Lefkowski discusses Wayfair's strategy of using design, storytelling, and product curation to connect emotionally with customers…

In episode 492 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Debbie Woloshin, chief marketing officer at Stitch Fix, the leading online personal styling service. The interview was recorded at at Shoptalk Fall in Chicago last month. Listen in as Woloshin discusses innovating the product discovery process (1:40) as well as Stitch Fix's "Retail Therapy"…

In episode 491 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Jerry Lin, co-founder of Helix, a leading direct-to-consumer (DTC) mattress and sleep brand, part of 3Z Brands. Listen in as Lin discusses starting the business from scratch 10 years ago (1:30), Helix's newest retail partnership with Rooms To Go (4:00), and ensuring that the…

In episode 490 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Yanni Hufnagel, founder and CEO of The Lemon Perfect Company, an organic lemon water brand. Listen in as Yanni discusses his unconventional career path, transitioning from a college basketball coach to a beverage entrepreneur (2:20). He describes the inspiration behind Lemon Perfect (3:10), growth…

In episode 489 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Paul Weingard, president and CEO of Schylling, the iconic toy company marking 50 years in the industry this year. Listen in as Weingard provides an overview of the company's history and current business (1:30), his 18-year career at Schylling (3:25), and how the brand…

In episode 488 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Kebharu Smith, director and associate general counsel of Amazon.com's Counterfeit Crimes Unit (CCU), a global team working to investigate, find and launch legal action and criminal referrals against counterfeiters. Listen in as Smith provides an overview of the CCU's work to prevent counterfeit product…

In episode 487, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Gregg Brockway, co-founder and CEO of Chairish, the design lover's curated marketplace for the best vintage and used furniture, decor, art and jewelry. Listen in as Brockway details the genesis of Chairish (1:40), his entrepreneurial background and his co-founder wife's retail career (3:05), and what's driving the surge…