Retail War Games

Recorded live, this episode features Jeff Beck, President and CEO of Stabila, sharing insights from his 25-year career at DeWalt—where he managed a $930 million division—to leading a premier German-engineered hand tool brand. Jeff delivers a masterclass in premium brand positioning, detailing exactly why Stabila completely rejects big-box retailers like Home Depot and Lowe's to protect its price points and avoid business-ruining volume burdens.   He breaks down the realities of managing international trade, navigating recent tariff challenges through tactical price increases, and engineering an impressive April price rollback on products sourced out of China. Jeff also pulls back the curtain on Stabila's highly anticipated "Patriot Series" level set, revealing how his team collaborated with German manufacturing to move a major U.S. 250th anniversary product from concept to first production in just six weeks.  

Recorded live at the Retail Collective Summit, this episode features Ryan Napierski, CEO of Nu Skin, as he outlines his 30-year journey from working in the call center to steering a global corporate empire spanning 50 countries. Ryan delivers an unvarnished masterclass in corporate survival, detailing how a sudden industry-wide ban in China forced the company to completely shift its direct-selling model toward technology investments and integrated brand building. He also shares how a near-fatal backcountry snowboarding accident shattered three vertebrae in his neck and profoundly redefined his leadership lens. The discussion maps out his framework for navigating the rapidly growing $6.8 trillion global wellness economy. Ryan breaks down "Unit Economics 2.0," explaining how AI-driven ad spend is causing a massive inflation in customer acquisition costs (CAC) for direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands. He pulls back the curtain on Nu Skin's strategic $275 million exit of the platform Mavely, proving why nano-influencers with sub-1,000 followers deliver vastly higher conversion rates than expensive macro-influencers. Finally, Ryan addresses the challenge of managing channel conflict as a legacy MLM entity scales into a highly integrated, modern omnichannel strategy.  

Recorded live on the podcast, this episode features Danielle Sabrina, founder of Society 22 PR, outlining her journey from a teenage mother and high school dropout to a corporate trader and agency founder. Danielle delivers an unvarnished lesson in resilience, detailing how hit rock bottom forced her to rebuild her career after a severe corporate burnout and bankruptcy. She reveals the organic origins of her firm, which began after she launched a viral media campaign from a basic phone blog that eventually led to presenting an anti-bullying law to the Supreme Court. The conversation maps out her framework for advanced brand building, urging founders to elevate their public narratives rather than chasing entry-level press features. Danielle breaks down why brands must transition from standard product marketing into unorthodox consumer experiences, emphasizing that removing friction points is the only way to insulate and protect your core cult following in a tense economic market.  

Recorded live at the Retail Collective Summit, this keynote features Crystal Maggelet outlining her journey from a childhood trailer in Willard, Utah, to managing a multi-billion dollar diversified retail empire. Crystal delivers a masterclass in corporate survival, detailing her sudden appointment as CEO of FJM just three weeks into a massive, free-fall bankruptcy in 2008. She breaks down the strict operational discipline and strategic restructurings required to fully repay the company's massive obligations and successfully exit the crisis. The discussion maps out her subsequent focus on expanding Maverick, transforming it from a traditional fuel station into an experiential quick-service restaurant (QSR) powerhouse. She details how organic cash flow fueled their aggressive multi-state growth, culminating in the massive acquisition and total rebranding of 400 Kum & Go locations. Managing a diverse corporate portfolio spanning energy refineries, banking, hotels, and med spas, Crystal delivers the ultimate blueprint on decentralized executive leadership, corporate board structuring, and building a legacy rooted in employee profit-sharing and social impact.  

In this episode, iFIT CMO Raquel Rozas shares her journey from working as an electrical engineer to managing Procter & Gamble's $4 billion Tide North American business, before ultimately transitioning to West Coast tech. Raquel delivers an elite marketing masterclass on the delicate balance of brand heritage, explaining how to protect a brand's core "hard points" while taking calculated risks on its "soft points" to stay modern. She shares wild, behind-the-scenes stories—including doubling a Super Bowl ad budget in a 24-hour crunch to save a campaign—and reveals how she is currently modernizing the 50-year-old NordicTrack brand by transforming it into a hardware-agnostic digital fitness ecosystem.   

Recorded live at the Retail Collective Summit, this dynamic panel features top state legislators, federal economic advocates, former regulatory chiefs, and prominent venture capital moderators addressing the macro-economic realities of scaling private enterprises. The discussion dives deep into the shifting landscape of corporate funding, uncovering how single-family offices are increasingly acting as direct institutional investors to bypass traditional venture capital bottlenecks. Speakers outline the critical need to transition funding models from traditional enterprise software toward advanced manufacturing and hard technology, shortening volatile supply chains to build a more durable, locally resilient infrastructure. The conversation also tackles the complex tensions between localized regulatory sandbox programs and the massive paperwork burdens imposed by federal agencies on small business operators. Looking firmly 20 to 30 years into the future, the panelists confront the hot-button issue of energy grid infrastructure and mega data center development. They map out the precise policy frameworks required to manage critical minerals and advanced technological disruptions without exhausting local energy or water supplies. It is an essential masterclass on maintaining an elite economic outlook while scaling capital, culture, and community on a global stage.  

In this episode, Cydni Tetro—President of MNTP™ and Advisory Board Member for Swire Coca-Cola—breaks down what it truly means to create transformative products that place the consumer at the center of a brand's narrative. Cydni tracks her career from early B2B enterprise roots to her time as the head of technology commercialization for Disney. She pulls back the curtain on working with Disney Imagineers to turn passive observers into active story participants—developing infrared "glow with the show" Mickey ear hats and building 3D magic mirrors for princess dresses through a meticulous validation process called "play testing". She also recounts her wild entrepreneurial ride with 3D Plus Me, detailing a legendary 60-day sprint where her team rapidly deployed custom scanning infrastructure and retrofitted action figures to launch personalized Marvel and Star Wars merchandise across Walmarts nationwide. Finally, Cydni touches on her corporate turnarounds, explaining how she scaled Brandless from a pre-startup asset to $100 million in revenue over three years and how she currently uses AI as a corporate force multiplier to handle modern industry disruption.  

Recorded live at the Retail Collective Summit, this panel of elite industry leaders and marketing executives dismantles a massive industry fallacy: consumers aren't obsessed with your brand, they are obsessed with themselves. To drive real loyalty, speakers explain why companies must tap into the "identity layer," ritualizing products so that using them says something bold about the consumer's own lifestyle. The discussion delivers an honest reality check on the current oversaturated creator landscape, outlining why transactional brand deals fail and why true marketing conversion requires co-creating authentic content alongside target communities. The panelists also tackle the operational friction of investment strategy, mapping out how to balance short-term performance metrics with long-term brand equity campaigns that require patience to mature. By breaking down the essential connection between product design timelines and upstream marketing teams, this session offers an integrated playbook on how to build a unified brand engine that successfully captures consumer attention and drives sustainable growth. Moderators: Matt Behrend & Daniel Lemaire - Agility Ads Panelists: Kristin Harrer (FMR. VANS, Samsung, T-Mobile, Nike) - Jacob Zuppke (Whisker) - Larry D. Hall Jr. (LHSC Inc) - Nathan Wigglesworth (Wigz)  

In this second installment, Spretail CEO Joshua Ketter shares why he left early retirement after his time at Amazon to lead a multi-billion dollar e-commerce turnaround through the post-COVID supply chain crisis. Joshua delivers a profound lesson on the hardest balancing act in executive leadership: maintaining hyper-efficient business outcomes while extending true human grace and mentorship to struggling employees. Finally, he breaks down Spretail's unique "corporate athlete" culture, explaining how tracking and prioritizing employee sleep cut corporate healthcare costs in half and drastically reduced emergency room visits.   

In this episode, serial entrepreneur Nate Alder shares how he built the global outdoor brand Klymit and launched his new venture, Skavengerz. Nate breaks down how he created his first Klymit prototypes for just $150 by hacking together Gore-Tex jackets, wine preservation valves, and Reebok Pump shoes—proving how extreme capital constraints force the creativity needed to scale a brand to a successful acquisition. He also introduces Skavengerz, a geofencing platform designed to pull families off digital screens and reward them for gathering life experiences in nature. Throughout the conversation, Nate delivers a masterclass on modern startup execution, explaining why rapid iteration velocity is the ultimate predictor of business success today.   

Recorded live at the summit, this panel featuring sports industry experts and elite athletes from the NCAA, NFL, NBA, and MLB addresses a massive missed opportunity for modern retail brands: the fact that while almost all companies spend heavily on advertising, very few tap into the high-conversion power of strategic athlete alignments. Featuring rare insights from sports icons like Greg Oden and Jonathan Lucroy alongside current college standouts, the panelists pull back the curtain on how they define their identities off the field and navigate short career windows. The discussion delivers a reality check on the absolute death of the "forced endorsement," explaining why genuine product alignment and long-term equity models consistently outperform large, one-time checks. The group also tackles the complex mechanics of navigating the current middle-class market of NIL, handling the transfer portal, and managing brand safety through legal moral clauses, serving as the ultimate playbook for modern sports marketing.  Moderators: Russell White (Athlete Advantage) & Ethan Zakarin (Excel Sports)  Panelists: Greg Oden (Former NBA) Jonathan Lucroy (Former MLB All-Star) Austin Collie (Former NFL/BYU Wide Receiver) Eric Mika (Former BYU/Pro Basketball Player) Tiger Bachmeier & Bear Bachmeier (NCAA Football Players)  

In this episode, I sit down with Don Alexander, owner of the nearly 100-year-old family business behind the premium firewood storage brand, Woodhaven. Operating out of Parsons, Kansas, since 1927, this company has achieved what few family enterprises ever do: reaching four generations of continuous family ownership and operation. Don pulls back the curtain on their incredible evolutionary journey, tracing how they started as a raw woodworking and aluminum casting foundry, transitioned into machine tool and equipment design, and ultimately vertically integrated into a massive, consumer-focused manufacturing power house. Throughout our conversation, Don drops incredible operational insights on managing an absolute 100% American-made manufacturing setup. He explains how they navigate volatile steel markets and raw international supply chain pressures—such as how tariffs directly squeezed his bottom line on imported rack covers—and his strategic pivot to bring all textiles back to domestic production. Don also breaks down a fascinating shift in e-commerce behaviors, revealing why consumers buy lower-priced items on Amazon but leave the marketplace to buy higher-ticket items directly from the brand's own website. Finally, he shares the unvarnished realities of running a multi-generational business, outlining his approach to passing an asset down to his sons without forcing a passion, and the ironic secret to surviving for an entire century.

In this keynote session from the Retail Collective Summit on May 4–5, 2026, Stanley 1913 President and CEO Matt Navarro outlines the strategic playbook used to turn a viral, 113-year-old historic icon into a sustainable global lifestyle powerhouse. Matt pulls back the curtain on how the brand shifted its focus from standard hot-beverage vessels to a female-centric "color revolution" that treats hydration as a fashion accessory. He explains that while strategic decisions and early influencer adopters like The Buy Guide sparked their viral growth, long-term brand equity relies entirely on executing an aggressive diversification strategy across products, consumers, and geography. Matt details how Stanley built a massive international footprint—with 40% of its business now outside North America—by stage-gating expansion into structured retail networks across Europe, Asia, and Latin America. He shares how Stanley is systematically expanding into new product categories like mobility, storage, and soft goods. Finally, Matt covers the evolution of high-impact global celebrity collaborations like Karol G and sports icon Lionel Messi, while highlighting the critical integration of chief technology and brand marketing teams to capture the next wave of AI-driven, highly specific consumer search behaviors.  

In this episode of Retail War Games, I sit down with Natalie Roberts, the Director of Business Development at Easy Healthcare Corporation. Natalie transitioned from a corporate background at 3M to join a startup that completely disrupted and dominated the highly competitive fertility landscape with their flagship brand, Premom. We pull back the curtain on how Easy Healthcare achieved rare-air status in consumer goods, delivering over 680 million tests across 150 countries. Natalie explains their ultimate competitive differentiator: a physical-digital flywheel that combines high-quality physical testing products with an incredibly powerful tracking app under one roof. We also dive into the brutal realities of scaling into major retail chains like CVS, how to navigate aggressive payment terms, and why building a bulletproof foundation with smaller retailers is the ultimate way to de-risk your supply chain.  

Recorded live at the Retail Collective Summit on May 4–5, 2026, moderators Sean Reyes and Robert Axon host a powerhouse panel featuring Nate Checketts (Rhone), Matt Navarro (Stanley), Brian Garofalow (Skullcandy), and Nate Alder (Klymit). This session bypasses retail buzzwords to expose how iconic consumer goods brands build fierce emotional connection and community loyalty. The executives open up about their biggest operational hurdles, from Matt Navarro fixing Stanley's crumbling infrastructure during a period of explosive, viral growth to Nate Checketts buying back Rhone from private equity to protect a 50-year brand-first vision over short-term fund cycles. Brian Garofalow reveals how Skullcandy completely flipped a negative brand perception by launching a low-cost, high-impact product partnership with Bose, while Nate Alder details how Klymit used rapid CNC beta testing to give users a sense of product ownership. Together, they deliver a blunt masterclass on navigating Shopify scale, data analytics, and embracing the patient, multi-year journey required to build an authentic legacy brand. Moderators: Sean Reyes & Robert Axon Panelists: Brian Garofalow, Nate Checketts, Matt Navarro, Nate Alder  

In this episode of Retail War Games, I sat down with Gary Mac Herring, owner of Mary Mack's Inc., for a conversation rooted in pure entrepreneurial grit. Starting with a 19-year-old's payphone-operated snow cone stand, Gary explains how the lawless freedom of a 1980s childhood shaped his business philosophy: giving teams the room to make mistakes, get messy, and hustle is the only way to build resilience. Gary pulls back the curtain on cutting out middlemen, sharing the wild story of flying blind to the 2008 Canton Fair to secure direct, handshake-driven relationships with suppliers that established their 20-year manufacturing moat. We also break down a massive retail achievement: how Mary Mack's vertically integrated team successfully launched two entirely separate CPG brands into Target nationwide and a third of Walmart within a single two-week window. From the stark logistical realities of managing national 3PL fulfillment to the humbling "crickets" that often follow a seemingly perfect major industry trade show, Gary drops a phenomenal, low-key masterclass on what it truly takes to sell fun in a box and build an indestructible commercial brand.  

In this episode of Retail War Games, recorded live at the Retail Collective Summit on May 4–5, 2026, Skullcandy CEO Brian Garofalow breaks down the high-stakes reality of global retail expansion. Moving past lifestyle hype, Brian introduces his "home remodel rule," giving founders a blunt reality check on why international scaling routinely takes twice as long and costs three times as much as projected. He walks us through how Skullcandy uses real-time point-of-sale data to evaluate market size to the penny, while warning executives about the massive internal opportunity costs of dividing focus away from their core domestic market. We explore the hidden tactical barriers of global trade, from strict international battery compliance to navigating protectionist protocols like India's manufacturing mandates and MercadoLibre's platform dominance in Latin America. Brian also outlines the unique culture-building investments that keep Skullcandy authentic—such as paying for employee lift passes and reimbursing live concert tickets—ensuring his team genuinely lives the brand. Finally, he shares his personal transition from CMO to CEO, delivering a powerful lesson on learning to conduct the entire orchestra rather than trying to be the best violin player in the room.

In this episode of Retail War Games, I am joined by David Heacock, the founder and CEO of Filterbuy, for an absolute masterclass on what it takes to disrupt a commodity category. David walked away from a career as an options trader at Goldman Sachs to buy a struggling industrial supply house in Alabama, eventually pivoting it into one of the largest direct-to-consumer air filter manufacturers in the United States, on track to clear over $300 million in revenue. David pulls back the curtain on why he views Filterbuy strictly as a logistics business rather than an air filter brand. Because air filters are incredibly expensive and bulky to ship, David solved the scaling equation by building a massive manufacturing and fulfillment network. Spanning nine facilities across the US and Canada, his infrastructure allows Filterbuy to produce 150,000 filters daily and achieve next-day delivery to 80% of the country. We also break down the broken realities of the retail shelf space landscape, why the omnichannel strategy of matching online and in-store pricing is pricing major retailers completely out of the market, and how Filterbuy uses granular zip-code purchase data to prove exactly why traditional big-box stores are stocking the wrong sizes. From expanding into commercial B2B spaces like hospitals and hotels to their massive new push into mini-splits and air purification verticals, David's framework is a masterclass in scale, operational moat-building, and engineering an unbeatable consumer advantage.

In this special episode of Retail War Games, we share the incredible keynote presentation by Robert Pedersen, co-founder and former CEO of ZAGG, recorded live at the Retail Collective Summit on May 4–5, 2026, in Ogden, Utah. Robert delivers an unfiltered masterclass on operational resilience and bold experimentation, revealing how he scaled a hardware brand from a simple mall kiosk into a $265 million public powerhouse listed on the NASDAQ. The core of his message lies in a profound piece of advice passed down by his father: the highway to success is always under construction. Instead of viewing structural challenges or market delays as dead ends, Robert breaks down why entrepreneurs must embrace a "why not?" mindset that prioritizes immediate action and flips every obstacle into a detour toward profit. Throughout the presentation, Robert exposes rare, behind-the-scenes stories of strategic dealmaking and guerrilla marketing. He walks us through how a simple dinner in New York turned into the landmark $105 million acquisition of their up-and-coming rival, iFrogz, effectively protecting their retail market at Walmart and proving completely accretive to their public stock price. He also recounts the wild, legendary marketing plays where he willed massive strategic partnerships into existence, including bringing MC Hammer directly into Apple's corporate headquarters and converting a threatening legal cease-and-desist from Kim Kardashian's attorneys into a highly lucrative global product partnership that landed in Apple stores worldwide. This keynote is an indispensable guide for founders and executives trying to navigate the complex, unpredictable construction zones of modern retail with absolute integrity.  

In this episode of Retail War Games, I'm joined by Jon Klotz, the President of Natural Waterscapes. Jon shares an incredible masterclass on how he took a traditional, boots-on-the-ground environmental construction company and completely pivoted it into a hyper-efficient, 100% controlled direct-to-consumer product powerhouse. We dive deep into why Jon made the high-stakes decision to completely shut down his multi-state construction division to double down entirely on e-commerce and proprietary product development. Jon breaks down a massive macro shift happening right under our feet: the death of traditional Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and the rapid rise of Answer Engine Optimization (AEO). He explains how his team built a cutting-edge web app ecosystem to capture this shift, utilizing third-party watershed and soil data to predict exactly what treatments a customer's pond or lake will need before problems even start—locking in deep customer stickiness and securing margin-heavy sales.  

In this exclusive panel recorded live at the Retail Collective Summit, top-tier founders and retail executives come together to decode the shifting paradigms of high-end consumer behavior. Hosted by local celebrity Lori Prichard (KSL) and moderated by Rebekah Kondrat (Rekon Retail), this masterclass features an unfiltered look into product engineering, supply chain adaptability, and the transition into quiet luxury. We explore how luxury has completely redefined itself in modern retail, moving away from loud, logo-driven status symbols toward emotional resonance, extreme convenience, and tactile comfort. The panelists pull back the curtain on how their respective brands navigate volatile global tariffs, execute sophisticated dynamic pricing, and weigh the multi-million-dollar financial commitments of physical retail vs. wholesale channels. Moderators: Lori Prichard | Journalist & Anchor, KSL - Rebekah Kondrat | Founder & Managing Partner, Rekon Retail Panelists: Lauren Smith | Founder, Smith Luxe - Ashley Neeleman Cole | Founder, Cecelia NY - Blake Brown | Founder/Executive, KURU Footwear - Hyaat Chaudhary | Founder & CEO, Luxome  

In this episode of Retail War Games, I am joined by Jim Umlauf, the founder of 4Knines. Jim is a fascinating operator who spent 20 years at the pharmaceutical giant Merck before pulling the ripcord to turn a weekend-warrior side hustle into a highly efficient, multi-million-dollar pet brand. We explore how Jim completely re-engineered traditional direct-to-consumer operations by shrinking his internal team down to just three full-time people and leveraging heavy intellectual property, including well over 20 patents. But the most mind-blowing part of this episode is how Jim is completely ahead of the curve on AI-driven shopping. He reveals how 4Knines is already generating nearly 10% of its entire revenue directly through large language models like ChatGPT and Perplexity as consumers shift from search engines to AI purchase agents. We also talk about his high-profile contract deals with auto giants like Ford and Mopar, and how to protect profit margins against volatile tariffs.  

In this episode of Retail War Games, I sit down with Ben Baltes, the co-founder and CEO of Toybox. Ben is a brilliant former Microsoft programmer who took a heavily fragmented, complex industrial tool and completely reimagined it for true consumer adoption. We pull back the curtain on how Toybox built a friction-free "click-to-print" software ecosystem that allows kids aged 6 to 12 to print out high-quality toys with the press of a button. Ben shares the reality of moving from an 8-year, highly predictable DTC framework to landing major retail wins—including an insane 20,000-unit sell-out at Sam's Club in just a couple of months. We also dive into the high-stakes world of entertainment licensing with heavy hitters like DreamWorks, Warner Bros, and NASA, and get the honest, unfiltered story of how a legendary appearance on Shark Tank literally saved the business from shutting down.  

In this episode of Retail War Games, I sit down with Matthew Holman, the founder of Subscription Prescription. Matthew is a leading expert in helping brands scale their recurring revenue models and build sustainable, multi-channel growth systems. We dive deep into why the retail landscape has completely flipped over the last few years. Matthew explains why direct-to-consumer brands are now racing to get onto physical retail shelves to escape skyrocketing digital customer acquisition costs and build more predictable cash flows. We also crack the code on modern platform trends, discussing the true power of TikTok Shop, the role of Amazon, and why brands must treat new digital channels with a focused, purposeful startup mindset. Key Strategic Insights from our conversation: The Retail Flip: Why direct-to-consumer brands are moving to brick-and-mortar retail to secure predictable purchase orders and escape volatile digital ad costs. The Reality of the Digital Market: Understanding that direct-to-consumer e-commerce only makes up 20% to 25% of all retail sales in the U.S., with half of that market completely dominated by Amazon. Purposeful Multi-Channel Strategy: Why massive retail brands shouldn't just take giant, blind swings on digital, but instead approach new platforms with careful, starter-sized experiments. Cracking TikTok Shop: How to approach TikTok as a content-driven discovery platform, even if your product isn't traditionally "visual" or exciting. Two Distinct Industries: Why traditional brick-and-mortar operations and modern e-commerce require completely separate tech stacks, marketing strategies, and expertise.  

In this episode of Retail War Games, I'm joined by John Mansfield, the Chief Operating Officer of Dogtopia. John is a powerhouse operator with an incredible track record of working with world-class, premium brands. From starting his career as a high school junior at Oakley and staying for 15 years, to operational roles at Porsche and fast-casual dining, John has spent his life learning the ultimate power of brand loyalty. Now at the helm of Dogtopia, John pulls back the curtain on how the company executed an explosive growth strategy, scaling from just 28 locations in 2016 to over 275 franchise locations today. We dive deep into what John calls the "childification of dogs," the shift toward predictable, subscription-based recurring revenue, and how they are using custom wearable tech to completely disrupt the pet care market.  

In this episode of Retail War Games, I sit down with Terri Gelman, the CEO and Founder of E&T Horizons (DecoTeak). Terri has spent over 15 years building a successful, digitally native brand rooted in quality, sustainability, and intimate global partnerships. We explore Terri's journey from starting with children's furniture to becoming a leader in the premium teak market, serving boutique resorts in the Caribbean and homes across the U.S.. Terri pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to manage a supply chain in Indonesia and Vietnam, why she prioritizes handmade craftsmanship over plastic mass production, and how she navigated the "supply chain mess" of the post-COVID era.  

In this episode of Retail War Games, I sit down with Kristin Harrer, a world-class marketer who has spent the last 20 years leading some of the most iconic brands on the planet. From her early days as a collegiate athlete to her time as a Global CMO, Kristin has approached her career as a "corporate troubadour," strategically collecting experiences across tech, hardware, fashion, and CPG. We dive into how Kristin used her JD/MBA background to distill massive amounts of information into persuasive brand arguments and why she believes the "metabolism of the consumer" requires brands to be more focused than ever. Kristin also shares a provocative look at the future of the industry, explaining why she'll never lead a 400-person team again and how AI is fundamentally reimagining the marketing tech stack.  

In this episode of Retail War Games, I'm joined by Wayne Wu, General Partner at VMG Partners, for a deep dive into the 20-year evolution of the consumer brand ecosystem. Wayne shares his incredible personal journey—from being the son of an immigrant engineer in Houston to leading one of the most influential investment firms in retail—and explains why "hard work enables you to make your own luck". We discuss the true meaning behind VMG (Velocity Made Good) and how it serves as a nautical metaphor for navigating the "choppy seas" of brand building. Wayne pulls back the curtain on what VMG looks for in a portfolio brand, the shift from digitally native to pragmatic omni-channel strategies, and why the ultimate competitive advantage for any founder is the ability to evolve.

"We make the coziest products on the planet." In this episode of Retail War Games, I sit down with Hyaat Chaudhary, the Founder and CEO of Luxome, to deconstruct the journey of building a powerhouse luxury comfort brand from the ground up. From surviving two weeks in the Utah wilderness with no food to scaling a global brand without external investors, Hyaat shares a masterclass in patience, precision, and the "human" side of entrepreneurship. We dive deep into the rigorous product development process that defines Luxome. Hyaat explains why he chooses to ignore the industry-standard "investor clock" to focus on creating timeless, high-performance products—like a resort bathrobe that takes four years to perfect. Whether you're a founder looking to scale profitably or a retail leader interested in the future of international expansion, this conversation offers a unique look at what happens when you prioritize brand integrity over rapid, unchecked growth.  

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: the belief that "all ships rise with the tide". We explore how they've navigated the complexities of scaling a global brand while staying rooted in authentic human connections. From the early lessons learned growing up between the East Coast and Utah to receiving career-defining advice from industry legends like Jerry at Nike, Ben offers a masterclass in creative leadership and the power of putting "good vibes" back into the business ecosystem.  

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. The conversation dives deep into the reality of AI in 2026. While many see AI as a magic wand, Michelle argues for the necessity of "Human-in-the-loop" systems to prevent the generation of "slop" and ensure that brand equity remains intact. We discuss why automated curation is the new competitive advantage for omni-channel brands and how to leverage technology without losing the creative soul of a brand.  

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 creative teams through years-long production cycles. We dive into the director's chair to understand how a vision is maintained across thousands of frames, the evolution of storytelling in the age of streaming, and why "imaginary situations" are a vital mental reset for consumers and creators alike. Whether you are building a brand or a blockbuster, the principles of world-building and collaborative strategy remain the same.  

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 journey behind Slate Flosser, from the engineering challenges of succeeding where dental giants failed in the 90s, to building a brand that balances professional dental endorsements with an exceptional user experience. We also dive into the power of strategic collaboration and why founder-to-founder transparency is the key to scaling in today's market.  

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 panel explores the shift from polished, corporate messaging to the raw, high-stakes world of creator-led brands. From the "Mugatu-style" viral marketing of Final Boss Sour to the deep brand equity studies of Vans, these experts share how to capture attention in an era where consumers value authenticity above all else.

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 exoskeletons and robotic assistance designed to augment the human body. Arnaud discusses how these "bionic" solutions are solving the logistics industry's most pressing challenges, from skyrocketing injury costs to chronic labor shortages. We dive into the ROI of ergonomics, the psychology of "human-centric" robotics, and why the future of fulfillment isn't about replacing workers with machines, but empowering them to do more with less physical strain.  

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 beyond simple placement, diving into the "Costco Language," the "Treasure Hunt" psychology of their shoppers, and the brutal operational discipline required to survive a 12-week roadshow or a full-time pallet rotation. Key Executive Insights: The "Costco Language": Why you need experts who speak the internal dialect of Costco to navigate their unique promotion and rotation systems. The Treasure Hunt Experience: How to design packaging and products that create a "get it before it's gone" urgency. Operational Discipline: The reality of managing massive inventory volumes, pallet configurations, and the "last three feet" of the sales floor. The Roadshow Secret: How Lovesac and Purple utilize roadshows not just for sales, but as a massive customer acquisition tool that drives traffic back to their own stores and websites. Relationship Management: The importance of internal advocacy and understanding that a Costco buyer's promotion can change your entire brand trajectory overnight. Panel Participants: David Schmidt (CEO | President, TPH Global Solutions) Brian Kava (President, T-ROC) Shawn Nelson (CEO, Lovesac) Rena Dolman (Founder/Owner, Perk Energy) Jared Olsen (VP Sales, Purple) Dan Griffiths (CEO, Lume) Taz Murray (Co-Founder, TruFru) Whether you are looking to scale into wholesale or optimize your current retail footprint, this panel provides the definitive playbook for winning in Big Box retail.  

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 the "Merchant Mindset"—the ability to oversee massive business categories and manage the delicate balance between brand vision and retail execution. Shana explains how to build a competitive moat through aggressive intellectual property protection, scientific legitimacy, and a "consultative" approach to retail partnerships that optimizes the entire customer journey.  

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 insights. The conversation tackles the "trash in, trash out" reality of AI, explaining why specific, product-level models are essential for avoiding hallucinations and gaining true visibility into profitability and inventory. From managing a $1 billion e-commerce operation to handling returns for over 3,000 brands, these experts reveal the internal metrics—such as Incremental POAS (Profit After Ad Spend) and LTV—that actually define success in 2026.  

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 the physical world to secure long-term customer loyalty. The conversation takes a deep dive into the "Anthropology of Shopping"—the study of how human behavior and psychology dictate the success of a retail space. Rebekah explains that successful retail is not about the transaction, but about creating environments where customers feel comfortable, welcomed, and connected to the brand's story.  

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 explores how these companies maintain a "brand promise" of high-quality, real-food ingredients while navigating global economic pressures like rising whey protein costs and new tariff rounds. From the science behind Paraxanthine to the rise of clear proteins and the impact of GLP-1 drugs on consumer fiber and protein needs, the panelists reveal the strategies necessary to stay ahead of the rapidly shifting wellness curve.  

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 gear that removes friction for people on the move. The conversation explores the critical shift from a startup to a global operation, managing retail partnerships and a complex expansion into apparel. Jacob offers raw insights into why the digital advertising tactics of 2014 no longer apply and how "Innovation over Transaction"—including their massive partnership with Peter McKinnon—became the brand's rocket ship. Whether you are validating a product or scaling a company, this is a masterclass in design, operational resilience, and the entrepreneurial spirit.

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 Amazon.The panel explores tactical "Trojan Horse" plays—using marketplaces for demand capture and customer acquisition, then driving that traffic back to branded sites for premium experiences and long-term loyalty. From navigating the "nerves" of TikTok Shop to the importance of "lean and mean" operations, these leaders share why being where the consumer already exists is the ultimate competitive advantage. Finally, the group discusses the future of retail operations, including the strategic use of 3PL partners and the role of AI in streamlining creative testing and SEO. Whether you're building a brand moat or optimizing for higher LTV, this episode provides a masterclass in staying nimble in a volatile market.  

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 successfully navigated her role through seven different station owners.The conversation explores the profound shift in local media—from the strict lines of 90s traditional news to the personality-driven, community-focused landscape of today. Nicea breaks down why local storytelling remains essential even in the age of social media, describing the early days of her show as a "community gathering place" that functioned like Facebook before Facebook existed.Beyond the industry shifts, Nicea speaks candidly about the personal toll of being in the public eye. She discusses her evolution from trying to please every social media critic to finally embracing her own authenticity, concluding that "the only person I'm good at being is me". Whether you are a brand looking to tell your story or a leader navigating a changing industry, this episode is a masterclass in staying power, authenticity, and the art of human connection.  

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 tariff crises and pandemic shifts, transforming obstacles into opportunities to onshore production to American soil through automation. Throughout the episode, the panelists explore the tension between adopting new technologies like Artificial Intelligence for inventory forecasting and the absolute necessity of preserving the human experience and personalized service that defines traditional retailers. From the evolution of a brand that began selling blankets out of the back of a car to the management of industry giants with 94-year histories, this panel provides a roadmap for maintaining a clear "North Star" in the face of economic volatility and changing consumer behaviors.  

"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 per video and leading teams of over 1,000 people on set. We dive into the granular "science of the click"—from why the shape of a smile on a thumbnail can drive millions in revenue to why the CEO of McDonald's recently went viral using nothing but an iPhone. Isaac breaks down the strategic void many retail brands face: spending millions on massive sponsorships while neglecting the authentic, raw content on their own digital channels that actually builds long-term consumer trust. Whether you are a founder scaling a $5M brand or an executive at a billion-dollar enterprise, this conversation pulls back the curtain on the world's most successful content engine to show you how to turn digital attention into a measurable retail advantage.  

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 resting on a healthy P&L, and the tactical maneuvers required to launch a brand in Target and Walmart while staying under the radar of multi-billion dollar competitors.  If you are a founder or executive navigating a crowded market, this conversation is your playbook for constant reinvention and long-term dominance.  

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, the logistical nightmare of shipping real chocolate in the summer, and how they landed major retailers like Harmon's and Associated Food Stores in record time. From the high-stakes pivot of a tech founder to the molecular science required to create a "fluffy" protein bar without additives, this conversation reveals what it truly takes to scale a premium brand while maintaining total control over production.  

"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 $3B in managed assets. We move past the basics to discuss the "Deep Tier Supply Chain Finance," the reality of the 2026 legislative budget impacts, and why your choice of investment partner is more critical than the valuation itself.  

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 launching the first combo washer-dryer in the United States, Atul discusses the DNA of an entrepreneur who refuses to stop being the underdog. We dive into the complexities of global supply chains, the "Trust Test" in customer service, and why the future of retail appliances belongs to those who prioritize intuitive innovation over massive marketing budgets.

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 lowers the barrier to entry for "slop" content and low-cost competitors, the ultimate competitive advantage has shifted back to authenticity and In-Real-Life relationships. In this episode, we tackle: The Trust Mandate: Why every tech implementation must pass the "Trust Test"—does it build or erode the relationship with your customer?. The Era of AI Search: Preparing for the shift from SEO to AI-driven shopping patterns and the upcoming Shopify-ChatGPT integration. Operational Unlocks: How to use AI to automate administrative "busy work," from interpreting handwritten orders to accelerating curriculum development. The Omnichannel Resurgence: Why digitally native brands are returning to physical showrooms and "air-conditioned curtains" to win the customer's heart. High-Stakes Forecasting: The reality of demand planning across 1,200+ SKUs and why "two sources of truth" (Human + AI) are better than one.  

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, what it took to break into the U.S. retail ecosystem, and how he navigated licensing deals, distribution challenges, and the shift from wholesale to D2C. We also dive into his first-ever trip to Patagonia, the decline of iconic trade shows like Outdoor Retailer, and how TikTok and social commerce have reshaped Selk'bag's growth.