Retail War Games

In this episode of Retail War Games, I'm joined by my friend Ben Checketts, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Rhone. We dive deep into the raw, entrepreneurial journey of building one of the most respected premium activewear brands in the market today, and how a focus on community and quality has been their ultimate North Star. Ben and I discuss the philosophy that has guided Rhone from day one:...

In this episode of Retail War Games, we sit down with Michelle Bacharach, CEO and Founder of FindMine, to explore the intersection of artificial intelligence, high-level curation, and the future of fashion tech. Michelle shares her fascinating journey from professional acting in LA to leading a tech revolution that is changing how retailers handle merchandising and customer experience at scale. Th...

In this episode of Retail War Games, we pull back the curtain on the world of high-level visual narrative with Benjamin Willis, Head of Animation at DreamWorks. While our usual focus is on the "war games" of retail and supply chain, today we explore the strategic "architecture" behind some of the most successful animated stories in the world. Benjamin discusses the immense complexity of leading cr...

In this episode of Retail War Games, we are joined by Brynn MacLennan, CEO and Founder of Slate Flosser, to discuss how she is disrupting a category that hasn't seen real innovation in decades: oral care. With a background in industrial design, Brynn transformed a medical necessity into a high-performance consumer product, effectively creating a new category: "Power Flossing". Brynn shares the jou...

In this high-energy closing session of the Retail Collective Summit, we bring together a powerhouse panel of creative disruptors and marketing legends to deconstruct the new rules of brand building. Featuring leaders from Vans, Final Boss Sour, VidAngel, Creatably, and Biggest Agency, this discussion cuts through the noise of traditional advertising to reveal how "Content is the New Commerce." The...

In this episode of Retail War Games, we explore the cutting edge of industrial evolution with Arnaud Daurat, Founder and President of Exxovantage. While much of the retail world is focused on digital software, Arnaud is focused on the physical backbone of the industry: the humans in the warehouse. Exxovantage is bridging the gap between science fiction and operational reality by deploying wearable...

In this high-stakes session from the Retail Collective Summit, industry titans from Lovesac, Purple, TruFru, Perk Energy, Lume, T-ROC, and TPH Global Solutions pull back the curtain on one of the most challenging and rewarding retail environments in the world: Costco. The panel explores the strategic shift from a Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) focus to a true Omni-channel presence. The discussion moves...

In this episode of Retail War Games, we take a deep dive into retail strategy and brand building with Shana Rocheleau, EVP of Strategy and Business Development at Bedgear. Drawing from her background as a merchant for giants like Home Depot and Bed Bath & Beyond, Shana offers a masterclass in shifting a traditional commodity category into a high-performance ecosystem. This conversation explores th...

In this session from the Retail Collective Summit, industry leaders from Nostra, Spreetail, SmartScout, Redo, and Bispoke dive into the rapidly shifting landscape of retail technology. As the cost of building tech drops and innovation accelerates, the panel explores how brands are moving away from "growth at all costs" toward a "profit-first" mentality driven by data accuracy and AI-powered insigh...

Is physical retail dead, or is it the most powerful growth tool for modern brands? In this episode of Retail War Games, Jeremy sits down with Rebekah Kondrat, Founder and Managing Partner of Rekon Retail, to explore the renaissance of the storefront. Rebekah, who has led physical expansion for giants like Warby Parker and Joybird, discusses why digital-native brands are increasingly moving into th...

In this session from the Retail Collective Summit (Panel 9), industry leaders from Baker Tilly, Mett Naturals, Life Cider, Nutriient, and Just Ingredients discuss the evolution of the health and wellness industry. Moving beyond simple shelf presence, these brands are developing holistic ecosystems rooted in radical transparency, rigorous testing, and founder-led storytelling. The conversation expl...

How does a brand evolve from sewing wallets in a basement to raising millions on Kickstarter? In this episode of Retail War Games, Jeremy sits down with Jacob Durham, co-founder of Nomatic, to deconstruct the journey of one of the most successful travel gear brands in the world. Jacob shares the strategy behind positioning Nomatic in the top 1% of crowdfunded projects by prioritizing high-function...

In this session from the Retail Collective Summit, founders and CEOs from Rags, &Collar, Beard Club, Caddis Sports, 47G and Spreetail dissect the shifting balance between D2C and marketplaces like Amazon and TikTok Shop.  The conversation reveals the raw reality of channel profitability, comparing high D2C gross margins against the lower acquisition costs and fulfillment efficiencies found on Amaz...

In this episode of Retail War Games, Jeremy sits down with a staple of Utah broadcasting, Nicea DeGering. With a career spanning over 30 years at ABC4, Nicea shares her journey from being a 29-year-old crime reporter to becoming a pioneer of "infotainment" as the face of Good Things Utah. She offers a rare look into the survival skills required to stay relevant in a transitory business, having suc...

In this strategic session from the Retail Collective Summit, leaders from iconic brands including LoveSac, R.C. Willey, Harmon's Grocery, Christy Sports, and Minky Couture convene to break down the operational challenges of navigating a market defined by uncertainty. The conversation dives deep into how decisiveness and aggression in decision-making allowed companies like LoveSac to anticipate tar...

"Nobody knows how to make 100 million view videos until they just start posting."  In this episode of Retail War Games, Jeremy sits down with Isaac Cook, former Lead Producer at MrBeast, former  producer for the massive Beast Games production and now founder of White Rock Media and Farther Media. Isaac shares the high-stakes tactical lessons learned while managing $2.5 million production budgets p...

In this strategic panel from the Retail Collective Summit in January 2026, we bring together the visionaries behind some of the most disruptive brands in retail to discuss the brutal reality of competition. These leaders share how to handle the moment your "moat" is breached by industry giants and fast followers. We move past the spreadsheets to explore the "Blue Sky" mindset, the danger of restin...

In this episode of Retail War Games, Jeremy sits down with Jason and Meradith Christensen, the husband-and-wife duo behind Blue Unicorn Bar. After building Northstar into one of the largest home security companies in the nation and exiting to private equity, Jason "disrupted himself" to enter the brutal world of CPG.  We dive into the "Willy Wonka" chemistry behind their proprietary manufacturing,...

"Not every dollar is a dollar. Smart money is king." In this session from the Retail Collective Summit, we bring together a powerhouse panel of financial and legal experts to deconstruct the current state of retail funding. Featuring Michael Bennett (Crew Capital), Derek Brown (Attorney General of Utah), and leaders in investment banking, we dive into the mechanics of over 500 M&A transactions and...

In this episode of Retail War Games, we sit down with Atul Vir, the Founder and CEO of Equator Advanced Appliances and author of Underdog Thinking. With a career spanning 35 years and multiple continents, Atul shares how he built a retail powerhouse by identifying the "problems that don't exist" according to industry giants. From surviving economic coups and currency devaluations in Africa to laun...

This is Panel 4 of Retail Collective Summit of Winter 2026, CEOs from Backcountry, Borboleta Beauty, Teton Sports, ARI Bikes, Cariloha, and Mission Belt strip away the AI hype to discuss the cold, hard reality of retail innovation in 2026. For the C-suite, technology is no longer just a shiny new tool—it's an "Ironman Suit" designed to give your workforce more leverage. But there is a catch: as AI...

Cristóbal Murillo left Chile with two suitcases, a bold idea, and a dream: to turn Selk'bag into a global outdoor brand. Today, his wearable sleeping bag is sold across the U.S. and Europe, with collaborations that include Marvel, Star Wars, and some of the biggest entertainment franchises in the world. In this episode, Cristóbal shares how a quirky idea born in Santiago became a worldwide success...

This is not a regular episode. It's Panel 3 of the Retail Collective Winter 2026 Summit, a live session featuring CEOs, founders, and leaders who are actively shaping the future of retail. In this conversation, executives from Demer Box, Nature's Fusions, Rhone, Stance, Mixhers, Lion Energy, Nielsen, and Spreetail unpack one of the most defining tensions for emerging brands today: Should you chase...

AI is reshaping every part of sales, marketing, and revenue operations—and few leaders understand that transformation better than Amy Cook, Co‑Founder and CMO of Fullcast. In this conversation, Amy breaks down how AI is redefining go‑to‑market strategy, why authenticity matters more than ever, and what modern revenue teams must do to stay competitive. From her journey as a single mom rebuilding he...

In this second panel from the January 2026 Retail Collective Summit, industry leaders break down the realities of today's global supply chains—from escalating tariffs and shifting labor markets to the long-term demographic pressures reshaping where and how products can be made. Through candid insights and real-world examples, the panel explores what true supply‑chain resiliency looks like in an er...