The Retail Razor: Blade to Greatness!

S2E10 The Vitamin Shoppe’s Andy Laudato on How Retail Leaders Scale Innovation Without Losing Their Culture Scaling innovation is one of the hardest skills in retail leadership, and it’s exactly what we dig into this episode. Andy Laudato, COO of The Vitamin Shoppe and author of Fostering Innovation, returns to share his playbook for scaling innovation across stores, systems, and teams without los...

S2E9 Future-Proof Skills - Ron Thurston on the human-centric skills AI can't replace Everyone is talking about how AI is transforming retail. Far fewer people are talking about the future-proof skills that technology will never replace, and according to Ron Thurston, almost all of these human-centric skills start on the sales floor. In this episode, hosts Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden sit down w...

S2E8 Andy Laudato, COO of The Vitamin Shoppe, on the leadership philosophy behind every high performing team What does a diode have to do with great leadership? Everything, says Andy Laudato , COO of The Vitamin Shoppe and author of Fostering Innovation . In this episode, Andy joins hosts Ricardo & Casey to unpack the "be a diode" leadership philosophy — a simple but powerful idea that's at th...

S2E7 How pride-based leadership unlocks performance, retention, and emotional commitment This episode of Blade to Greatness dives deep into pride-based leadership with bestselling author and retail culture expert Ron Thurston , whose books, Retail Pride and Human Pride , have reshaped how leaders think about people, performance, and purpose. Ron explains why pride-based leadership is more effectiv...

S2E6- Steve Worthy on simplicity, self‑awareness, and leading with conviction In this episode of Blade to Greatness, we sit down with Steve Worthy , founder and CEO of Worthy Retail Global and host of the Retail Leadership with Steve Worthy podcast, to explore why so many retail leaders unintentionally fall into leadership traps that sabotage clarity, confidence, and performance. Drawing from his...

S2E5 - April Sabral Explains Why Positive Accountability Is the Growth Multiplier Every Retail Leader Needs Positive accountability is more than a leadership tactic; it’s the growth multiplier that separates average teams from high‑performing ones. In this episode, we sit down with bestselling author and leadership coach, April Sabral. She breaks down why positive accountability is the foundation...

S2E4 - The Retail Leader Paradox: Leading Through Uncertainty with Steve Worthy In this episode of Blade to Greatness, we sit down with Steve Worthy , founder and CEO of Worthy Retail Global and host of the Retail Leadership with Steve Worthy podcast, to unpack what he calls the Retail Leader Paradox, the hidden struggle retail leaders face when everyone assumes they’re fine, even when they’re lea...

S2E3- Building the Foundation for Retail Innovation - The Hierarchy of IT Needs In Season Two, Episode Three of Blade to Greatness, Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden welcome Andy Laudato , COO of The Vitamin Shoppe and author of Fostering Innovation . Andy introduces his hierarchy of IT needs, modeled after Maslow’s pyramid, showing how retail leaders must first build a strong foundation before purs...

S2E2 - From Chaos to Confidence: Ron Thurston on Retail Clarity Retail thought leader Ron Thurston joins hosts Ricardo Belmar & Casey Golden to tackle one of the most overlooked yet essential retail leadership skills: clarity . Confusion breeds chaos. But clarity? Clarity builds confidence. Ron explains why retail leaders must communicate with purpose , how clarity drives accountability and ex...

S2E1- How to Empower Your Leadership Skills with AI In this Season 2 premiere of Blade to Greatness , hosts Ricardo Belmar & Casey Golden sit down with renowned leadership coach and author April Sabral to explore how AI is transforming leadership in retail . Far from replacing leaders, AI is exposing poor leadership behaviors while empowering those who lead with curiosity, adaptability, and tr...

S2 Trailer - Retail Executive Leadership & Coaching Insights for the AI Era Welcome to Season 2 of Blade to Greatness —the podcast where retail leaders sharpen their edge. Hosted by Ricardo Belmar & Casey Golden , this series explores the essential skills & qualities every retail executive needs to lead boldly, stay sharp, & stay human in the AI era. In Season 1, we uncovered the f...

S1:E9 Bridging the Gap: Communication from Floor to Corporate with. Ron Thurston In this episode, hosts Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden speak with Ron Thurston , co-founder of Ossy and author of 'Retail Pride' . Thurston shares his wisdom on essential skills for retail executives and discusses empathetic communication between corporate and store teams. He emphasizes the three pillars of success: e...

S1:E8 Cutting Out Negativity - Insights from April Sabral In this episode, hosts Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden welcome April Sabral, founder of retailu.ca and author of 'The Positive Effect' and 'Incurable Positivity .' April shares her insights on the importance of maintaining a positive outlook in retail leadership. She discusses how to deal with negative news and conversations, emphasizing th...

S1:E7 Cultivating Excellence: Positive Culture in Retail Leadership with April Sabral Hosts Ricardo & Casey speak with April Sabral , founder of retailu.ca & author of 'The Positive Effect' & 'Incurable Positivity .' With three decades of experience leading retail brands, April shares valuable insights on the significance of fostering a positive workplace culture & its impact on pr...

S1:E6 Career Advancement Strategies in Retail: Insights from Ron Thurston Ricardo & Casey welcome Ron Thurston , co-founder of Ossy & author of 'Retail Pride ,' to discuss fostering a career development culture within retail. Ron shares his experiences & insights on mentorship & career development - key to retaining retail employees. He discusses recent statistics on turnover &...

S1:E5 Empowering Retail Leaders Through Intrapreneurship - Insights from Jeffrey P. McNulty In this fifth episode of the Retail Razor show 'Blade to Greatness,' hosts Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden speak with Jeffrey P. McNulty , founder and CEO of New Retail Ethos .. Jeffrey shares insights from his 30 years of hands-on industry experience, discussing the essential skills every retail executive...

S1:E4 How to Hire the Right Person in Retail with Ron Thurston Join hosts Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden on the fourth episode of the Retail Razor: Blade to Greatness . This episode features a discussion with retail industry expert Ron Thurston , co-founder of Ossy and author of 'Retail Pride .' Ron shares his insights on transforming retail hiring processes to better connect highly qualified and...

S1:E3 The Power of a Positive Mindset in Retail Leadership with April Sabral In this episode of Retail Razor's 'Blade to Greatness,' hosts Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden speak with April Sabral , founder of retailu.ca and author of 'The Positive Effect' and 'Incurable Positivity .' April shares her insights on the importance of maintaining a positive mindset in the retail industry. Highlighting h...

S1:E2 The Power of Employee Autonomy in Retail with Jeffrey P McNulty In this episode of ' Blade to Greatness ,' hosts Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden sit down with Jeffrey P. McNulty , founder and CEO of New Retail Ethos . Drawing from his 30 years of experience in the retail industry and as a retail research analyst, McNulty shares the critical importance of providing employee autonomy . Key ins...

S1:E1 The Ultimate Guide to Intrinsic Motivation in Retail Leadership with Jeffrey P. McNulty Welcome to our new Retail Razor podcast series - Blade to Greatness ! Each episode we hear from a retail industry leader who shares their sharp insights and cuts of wisdom on how to excel and grow as a retail leader by mastering essential “must have” skills and qualities. In this episode, hosts Ricardo Be...