Retail Retold

It is time for some Real Talk with Liza Amlani!  Liza is a retail insider with over 20 years of experience in fashion retail and merchandizing and is the Principal and Founder of Retail Strategy Group, a firm dedicated to up lifting the entire retail process.  Listen in as she shares how her firm helps retailers dramatically improve...

Caroline Harrelson ,  Retail Recruitment Consultant Specialist for The Retail Coach, shares what it is like to work for local municipalities to bring retail to their communities. Listen in to hear how she helped connect Grant’s Kitchen & Grill, a casual restaurant with one location, to a new market, and an investor to partner with! Giving a small business owner th...

7-billion-dollar donut industry and growing! We have a double header in today’s episode! Andy Kmiec, Vice President of Development at Duck Donuts, shares his story about opening an unconventional Auntie Anne’s location in Orlando, and Duck Donut’s new endeavor into the drive-thru business model in Harrisburg, PA. Listen in now to hear how he got the deals done with pe...

Opening a new location in 45 days, just in time for Christmas! Eli Gurock, co-owner of Magic Beans, a baby gear and toy retailer, and Youtuber with over 22M views joins us on today’s podcast. Eli shares his story about opening a new location in Cambridge MA filling the space previously occupied by a specialty toy store just weeks before the Christmas shopping season. Listen to his e...

It’s time for some more real talk with Maria Toliopoulos! Maria, Vice President of Real Estate Strategy at Ulta Beauty, brings her Real Estate and leadership strategy to today’s talk. Chris and Maria discuss the convergence of the physical retail space and online retail, and how Amazon’s move to brick-and-mortar locations and, the pandemic provided two pivotal&nb...

It’s time for some REAL TALK with Rick Helfenbein! Rick is a Retail & Fashion Industry Consultant, and former Chairman, President and CEO of the American Apparel & Footwear Association. With over 20 years of experience in fashion retail and manufacturing, Rick shares his take on the fashion industry today, and where it’s going tomorrow! Listen in as he shares industry trade trends, an...

Today’s guest is Kris Smith, Vice President of Real Estate Development for Hand & Stone Massage Franchise Corporation Kris’ enthusiasm and dedication to his franchisees is hard to ignore! In this episode, Kris shares his own unique experience as a former franchisee and how it impacts his role as a VP. Chris and Kris discuss the value in multi-unit operators, building t...

Today’s guest is Mike Todryk, CEO and founder of Armor Coffee Co. Mike and Chris discuss the importance of customer loyalty, choosing faith over fear during uncertain times, and what success really looks like. Mike also shares his powerhouse, three pillar business strategy with us. Listen now!

Rick Kueber, the CEO of Sun Tan City, and a franchisee of Buff City Soap and Planet Fitness joins our host Chris Ressa to discuss the importance of a good track record and knowing your trade area. Rick shares a story about a Buff City Soap deal in Charleston, WV, giving us a textbook example of the saying “there’s no deal until there’s a deal.”

"You can make a major impact on the retail landscape if you have a working formula” Our guest today is Alan Barocas, former Sr. EVP of Leasing at GGP and former SVP of Retail at Gap Inc. Listen to the compelling way Alan brings retail knowledge to leasing strategies, and what he has to say about co-tenancy and improving work culture!

Today's guest is Jennifer Rude, Franchise Developer at Dairy Queen. She jumps on the podcast to discuss the future of DQ Franchises and shares an inspirational story about a Dairy Queen in Brainerd, MN that shows how "paying it forward" can catch on like wildfire, even during a pandemic. Listen now!

Getting a lease resolved in 30 days, a brand new prototype & a new beginning for Five Below... Zach Minteer, VP of Real Estate at Five Below, joins us on today's podcast. Zach shares a story about opening a new prototype for Five Below in Downingtown, PA where timing is EVERYTHING! Listen to his episode now to find out how he navigated risks and challenges that appeared while making this deal.

What's one thing most people agree with that you do not?  Listen in now to hear Brad Williamson's fun answer to this question along with everything there is to know about the current operations of HTeaO. 

Wondering what's going on in the world of office real estate today? Check out this new episode with Ken Ashley, Executive Director of Cushman & Wakefield.

Dave Lasus, the current CEO at Heart + Paw, joins our host, Chris Ressa to take a deep dive into the future of Heart + Paw and shares a story from his past about an Insomnia cookie deal at Temple University.  Listen now!

Today's guest is Drew Schaul, VP of CBRE.  Listen in as he shares the story of opening a new Psycho Bunny at Tysons Corner in Tysons, VA. 

Today's Real Talk Series guest is Ryan Dempsey, Managing Partner at East End Group. Listen in as Chris and Ryan go over the Top 3 Things To Consider When Hiring A Facilities Maintenance Company.  

"The regional retailers are expanding we just don’t get the headlines…” Our guest today is Joseph Kallen, CEO at Busy Beaver Building Centers, Inc. Listen to the unique way Joseph is handling the inventory at Building Beavers Building Centers and what he has to say about thriving regional retail brands!  

Want to learn more about solar energy? This is the perfect episode for you! Chris sits down with Bluesky Utility to discuss the 5 things that people don't know about solar. 

43 Walmarts in 36 months…  Karren Hutton proves the impossible is possible in today’s story about opening up the last of the 43 Walmarts. Listen in now to hear her incredible story and how she got it all done just in time for opening day!

It's time for some more REAL TALK, with Gautham Vadakkepatt, Founding Director of The Center For Retail Transformation. Learn all about how he's influencing his students to push the boundaries of retail.

Today's guest is Shawn Saraga, VP of Business Development for BarBurrito Restaurants. Shawn shares insights on BarBurrito expanding down into the US after finding continued success in Canada. Learn how they plan to set themselves apart from the Chipotles and other fast-casual Mexican food brands in the United States as well as what it took to move into one of their first locations in the states, i...

It's time for some Real Talk with Andre Harris! Andre is a culture transformation leader and game-changer with over 25 years of experience in creating customer-centric cultures where customers are loyal and employees are engaged. Listen in as she goes over 5 Tips for Landlords to Improve the Customer Experience for Their Tenants.

Today's guest is Larry Haber, Managing Partner of CRE at AGMB, LLP. Larry represents both tenants and landlords, focusing primarily on commercial lease negotiations , restructurings, reviews and audits in addition to real estate acquisitions, dispositions, construction contracts and due diligence advisory services.  Larry and Chris discuss MYKITA opening in NYC as well as the Top 3 Commercial...

Real Talk Series #30 with Neely Tamminga, CEO of DISTILL Advisory. Learn about the Top 4 Economic Influences On Today’s Consumer!