Podcasts about tractor supply co

In Season 10, Episode 16 of the Remarkable Retail Podcast, hosts Michael LeBlanc and Steve Dennis open with a deep dive into the latest turbulence in the retail world. They tackle the U.S. administration's wobbly trade policies, slowing home sale, and rising inventory risks stemming from ongoing tariffs. They also dissect challenges facing the luxury sector, with Kering posting disappointing numbers and growing concerns around the Saks/Neiman Marcus deal amid financial instability. Meanwhile, Barnes & Noble bucks the trend, announcing 60 new stores in 2025, reinforcing that physical retail remains far from dead.The second half of the episode features a compelling live interview from Shoptalk in Las Vegas with Neil Tenzer, Vice President, Customer Loyalty, Insights and Engagement at Tractor Supply Company (TSC). Neil provides a masterclass in building a robust loyalty program with real impact. He shares his unique journey—from a Nordstrom associate to a strategy consultant to a senior executive at TSC—and how these experiences shape his approach to customer engagement.Neil walks through the evolution of Tractor Supply's Neighbors Club, which now boasts over 39 million members and accounts for 80% of company revenue. He highlights how spending time on customers' properties—understanding their lives firsthand—informs everything from reward program design to personalization strategy. Neil also discusses how TSC thinks differently about loyalty economics: rather than banking on reward breakage, they aim for full reward utilization to deepen customer engagement.Listeners get a firsthand look at TSC's approach to micro-segmentation, omnichannel loyalty, and personalization efforts that bridge online and in-store experiences. Neil offers insights into experimental tactics, the application of agentic AI for personalization, and the cultural commitment at TSC to putting the customer first—literally in every loyalty and personalization decision. The episode closes with Neil's advice to fellow retailers. About NeilNeil Tenzer is Vice President of Customer Loyalty, Insights & Engagement at Tractor Supply Co. where he is privileged to lead the Neighbor's Club - one of the largest and fastest growing loyalty programs in retail! With 38+ M members and $12+ B in sales, the program leverages robust analytics and data science to connect each customer with the most compelling marketing and uniquely relevant offers. Neil has 20 years of experience employing data and analytics to lead multinational organizations through growth and turnaround strategy across the healthcare, consumer, and retail spaces. Neil holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Economics from Indiana University and an MBA from the University of Oxford. About UsSteve Dennis is a strategic advisor and keynote speaker focused on growth and innovation, who has also been named one of the world's top retail influencers. He is the bestselling authro of two books: Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption and Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior retail contributor and on social media.Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada's Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.

#198: Joe Scarlett is the former CEO, President, and Chairman of Tractor Supply Company. He spent nearly thirty years in leadership roles with the company. Today Joe is engaged in teaching and writing about leadership, working in the family foundation, and striving to improve Tennessee.In 1982 Scarlett played a key role in the initiative to return the company to profitability through improved customer service and focused product selection as part of a classic leveraged buyout. He was instrumental in developing the company culture which today is admired and often copied.  In 1994 Joe led the successful effort to take the company public.Tractor Supply Company was honored by Forbes as one of the “Best Managed Companies in America” and Scarlett was recognized as Ernst & Young's Southeast Entrepreneur of the Year. Joe also served twenty years on the board of the nation's largest retail trade organization, including four as its chairman.On the show Joe shares his story of growing up, hard work, common sense, working at Two Guys Discount Store alongside Bernie Marcus who went on to found The Home Depot, leading and growing Tractor Supply Co, focusing on people, listening to the customer, using the corporate jet (aka Southwest Airlines), adapting, over 50 years of marriage, intentionality with your kids, and much more. For more on Joe his book newsletter and foundation check out joescarlett.com as well as scarlettfoundation.org Enjoy the show!

Floresville Chamber of Commerce members and Floresville city officials join Rusty Duncan (fourth from right) Oct. 4 for a ribbon-cutting at Master Duncan's Martial Arts and Five Dragon Tumblers at 534 10th St. (U.S. 181) near Tractor Supply Co. Master Duncan empowers individuals of all ages through martial arts training and top-notch tumbling and gymnastics. For more information, call 830-216-3354, visit masterduncansmartialarts.com, or find the business on social media.Article Link

Robby Starbuck and his team are taking down corporate America's woke, DEI initiatives one by one. Pay attention, cause your favorite company might be full-on woke with DEI initiatives. Robby Starbuck wants to see neutrality in the workplace and when you do some digging many American companies are far from neutral when it comes to DEI policies. With organizations like the HRC (Human Rights Campaign) delivering CEI scores to promote wokeness within the workplace, many American companies will bend over backwards to get a high score. Getting a 100% CEI score means you worship at the foot of the altar of left-wing lunacy. Robby and his team have exposed many of these companies with boycotts and exposes and guess what, they fold. It started with Tractor Supply Co. and they started falling like dominos. Even with the most woke CEO's, like the head of Harley Davidson, after public shame or a plummeting stock, Robby's tactics have corporations dreading the day they receive a letter from him. Featuring:  @RobbyStarbuck  Freedom Fighter Filmmaker/Activist Host | The Robby Starbuck Show -- Available Now! Watch my documentary Front Row Joes or gift it to a friend at the links below. Front Row Joes https://frontrowjoes.movie/ Watch episode one of Front Row Joes now: https://watch.salemnow.com/series/zffpDnKocxu3-trumps-front-row-joes -- Sponsors: Ramp Want $250?? Ramp has easy-to-use cards, spend limits, approval flows, vendor payments, and more. Ramp makes all your spending smarter with seamless integration! Join Ramp now and get $250 upon sign-up. Just go to https://ramp.com/SPICER 4Patriots Get a FREE solar panel when you purchase the Patriot Power Generator 2000X. Just goto https://4patriots.com/SPICER -- Subscribe and ring the bell for new videos: https://youtube.com/seanmspicer?sub_confirmation=1 Listen to the full audio show on all platforms: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sean-spicer-show/id1701280578 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/32od2cKHBAjhMBd9XntcUd iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-sean-spicer-show-120471641/ Become a part of The Sean Spicer Show community: https://www.seanspicer.com/ Follow The Sean Spicer Show on social media: Facebook: https://facebook.com/seanspicershow Twitter: https://twitter.com/seanspicershow Instagram: https://instagram.com/seanspicershow Stay in touch with Sean on social media: Facebook: https://facebook.com/seanmspicer Twitter: https://twitter.com/seanspicer Instagram: https://instagram.com/seanmspicer/ #politics #news #theseanspicershow #seanspicer #conservativemedia #podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's Tuesday, September 3rd, A.D. 2024. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 125 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Kevin Swanson Nicaragua bans another 92 religious groups Daniel Ortega's government has cancelled legal recognition of another 92 religious organizations in Nicaragua. It's all part of a cancellation of 1,651 civil social organizations. That brings to a total of 5,552 organizations that have been blackballed by the Nicaraguan government. Of the most recent cancellations, most prominent are the Episcopal Church of Nicaragua, which has had a presence in the region since 1612, and the Moravian Church of Nicaragua, which was established in 1847. And, to add insult to injury, the Ortega government has announced they will be taxing churches of their monies received from tithes and offerings, at a rate of 10 to 30%, according to La Prensa.   In fact, La Prensa itself lost its facilities to the government in 2022, and 135 reporters have been in exile since then. Mexico, Syria, and Pakistan: Top 3 most dangerous for journalists The nation where it is most dangerous to work in journalism is Mexico, followed by Syria, Pakistan, Yemen, and the Congo. That's according to a recent report from Reporters Without Borders. Denmark and Norway eager to kill more babies Both Denmark and Norway are allowing for more killing of babies, by liberalizing their abortion laws this year.  They have legalized abortion to 18 weeks of pregnancy, up from 12 weeks.  However, Parliament has still to vote on the Norwegian proposal. According to a report from the Council on Foreign Relations, “Since 2020, Argentina and Thailand legalized abortions, with certain gestational limits; South Korea decriminalized abortion; and New Zealand eased its abortion restrictions. … Colombia has made abortion legal on demand up to twenty-four weeks of pregnancy, and Mexico decriminalized abortion as well.  Only Honduras, Poland, and the United States have contemplated more restrictions on abortion of late.” Psalm 46:6-7 says, “The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; He utters His voice, the Earth melts. The Lord of Hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge.” Chinese stock hit another low The Chinese Shanghai Stock Index has hit another low, representing a downward trend since May 2021. The far east markets have failed to improve any since 2006.  Vermont schools bans use of terms: “Sons and daughters” The Vermont Department of Health has issues guidelines, advising public school teachers not to use terms like “Sons and Daughters,” but to prefer gender-neutral terms like kids or children. African Methodist Episcopalians demanding reparations The African Methodist Episcopal denomination is demanding reparations for sins committed by previous generations against African immigrants. The meeting of 15,000 delegates and observers also received video greetings from President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. The denomination voted down an initiative to legitimize homosexual marriage — and remanded the matter back to committee.  God's law, as stated in Ezekiel 18:20, reminds us that, “The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.” Ford, Lowe's Tractor Supply Co, & Harley Davidson renounce DEI Big business is getting cold feet on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs. So far, Ford Motor Company, Lowe's, John Deere, Tractor Supply Co., and Harley Davidson have changed their approaches to DEI policies. More companies are backing away from participating in the pro-homosexual Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index. 68% of Evangelicals plan to vote for Trump A recent Deseret/HarrisX poll found that 51% of Christians and 68% of Evangelicals are planning on voting for Donald Trump in the upcoming election — that despite Trump's announcement he would oppose a federal abortion ban. Separately, a Washington Post-ABC-Ipsos poll found that 78% of white Evangelicals are planning to vote for Donald Trump this November.  That compares to 76% of white Evangelicals voting for Trump in the 2020 election, according to Gallup polling. The HarrisX poll found Catholics are split exactly 46% to 46% on Trump and Harris in the upcoming election.  Reagan movie beloved by moviegoers but despised by liberal critics And finally, Reagan, the new film starring Dennis Quaid as the 40th president, was released over Labor Day weekend. It nearly doubled expectations at the box office, bringing in $9.2 million in total. The film set the record for the largest disparity between an audience score and the critics score. The critics savaged the film with an average Rotten Tomatoes rating of 20%. Meanwhile, the audience scored the film at a 98% approval rating.   My kids and I saw it this past Saturday in San Antonio, Texas along with three friends. It was an inspiring and touching film.  I recommend it highly. Watch the Reagan trailer and get tickets at www.Reagan.movie.   The Boondock Saints movie, released in 2000, produced a 65% divide between critics and audience scores. And the Kendrick Brothers' movie Facing the Giants, released in 2006, produced a 69% divide between critics and audience scores. Close And that's The Worldview on this Tuesday, September 3rd, in the year of our Lord 2024. Subscribe by Amazon Music or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Tractor Supply Co. John Deere. Now Harley-Davidson. Harley-Davidson said Monday that it's ending diversity and other progressive initiatives at the company. Harley-Davidson is the latest major American brand to backtrack from DEI policies it had supported in recent years. Harley-Davidson faced pressure online from Robby Starbuck, a conservative activist who has successfully taken on DEI policies at several American companies. “We are saddened by the negativity on social media over the last few weeks, designed to divide the Harley-Davidson community,” the company wrote in a statement posted on X. The company added that “we have not operated a DEI function since April 2024, and we do not have a DEI function today. We do not have hiring quotas and we no longer have supplier diversity spend goals.”

Send us a Text Message.In this special episode of the New Warehouse Podcast, hosted by Kevin at the WERC 2024 conference in Dallas, we dive deep into the operations and innovations at Tractor Supply Company with guests Gabby Knoll, Manager of MHE and Automation Engineering, and Will Sparks, Director of Inventory Planning Systems and Analytics. These industry experts shed light on the unique challenges and advancements within the retail supply chain, particularly focusing on material handling, automation, and inventory management. Brought to you by Big Joe Forklifts.Support the Show.

While some corporations don't seem capable of figuring out that the American people aren't into woke policies and DEI initiatives, Tractor Supply Co. (TSC) seems to have deduced the secret code into keeping customers, and possibly even expanding their base. According to Filmmaker and journalist Robby Starbuck, TSC was found to have given $100,000 to an activist group that "worked around the clock" to stop deportations under the Trump administration. The group was called "Conexion Americas' and was previously headed by the National Council of La Raza, a George Soros funded organization.

John Stonestreet and Maria Baer discuss celebrating America's independence in a time of political uncertainty and the decline of companies celebrating pride month. Also, what does it mean to be a “Christian nation”?   Recommendations Bad Therapy by Abigail Shrier Great Lakes Symposium: Truth and its Counterfeits Segment 1 - What does it mean to be proud to be an American?  Read the full Supreme Court decision on Trump and presidential immunity Segment 2 - The Fall of Pride Month Breakpoint: Support Drops for Same-Sex ‘Marriage' Tractor Supply Co. backtracks on DEI roles and goals Breakpoint: Is It the End of the Line for Mainlines? First Things: The Fall of Pride First Things: Pride Month Segment 3 - What is a Christian Nation?  New law requires all Louisiana public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments Oklahoma state superintendent announces all schools must incorporate the Bible and the Ten Commandments in curriculums __________ Support the ongoing production of Breakpoint at breakpoint.org/give. Register for The Great Lakes Symposium to attend in person or online at greatlakessymposium.org.

On this Independence Day, discover how the pastors of the American colonies, derisively called the Black-Robed Regiment by the British, boldly taught their congregations the Biblical principles to resist tyranny. Guest host Adam McManus interviews Dan Fisher, author of Bringing Back the Black Robed Regiment: How the 18th century church stood for liberty and why it must do so again. Dan is the co-pastor of Fairview Baptist in Edmond, Oklahoma, a former member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 2012-2015, and ran for Governor in 2018. His vision is that the American church will regain the “spirit” of the original “Black-Robed Regiment,” and once again actively engage in defense of truth and liberty. In an impressive 60-minute, multi-media presentation in full period costume, Dan travels the country to portray these heroic men of American history complete with verified artifacts from our War of Independence. (Check out his schedule). Adam and Pastor Fisher discuss: *  Pastor Peter Muhlenberg of Woodstock, Virginia who took off his black robe in the pulpit, revealing a colonel's uniform, and challenged the men to fight. *  Pastor Jonas Clarke of Lexington, Massachusetts who trained his men to prepare for the April 19, 1775 showdown with the British which led to the shot heard ‘round the world on Lexington Green. *  Pastor James Caldwell of Elizabethtown, New Jersey who brought hymnals to the Minutemen to use for wadding to fight the British. *  Pastor Naphtali Daggett, president of Yale, who rallied 100 students to fight the Redcoats, which led to his capture and brutal treatment. *  Pastor John Treadwell of Lynn, Massachusetts, who kept a loaded Flintlock in his pulpit, and who narrowly escaped death at the Battle of Bennington in Vermont. *  The disturbing similarity between the church in pre-World War II Germany and the American church today.  Both have, by and large, remained silent in the face of evil. This program includes: 1. The World View in 5 Minutes with Adam McManus (Tractor Supply Co. saw the light, The colonial pastors who took a stand against tyranny, Iran sentenced 5 Christians to total of 25 years in prison) 2. Generations with Kevin Swanson (Guest Hosted by Adam McManus)

It's Thursday, July 4th, A.D. 2024. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldview.com. I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark Samuel Adams: “Let His kingdom come!” On this day in history, 248 years ago, the United States Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia.   Largely due to the tireless work of Samuel Adams, who was successful in lobbying seven of the 13 colonies to endorse the plan, independence was made possible for the United States of America in 1776.   Upon the signing of the Declaration, Adams declared, “We have this day restored the Sovereign to Whom all men ought to be obedient. He reigns in Heaven and from the rising to the setting sun, let His kingdom come.” Iran sentenced 5 Christians to total of 25 years in prison Authorities in Iran sentenced five Christians to a total of over 25 years in prison last month. Hamid Afzali received a 10-year sentence. Nasrollah Mousavi, Bijan Gholizadeh, and Iman Salehi each received a 5-year sentence. And Zohrab Shahbazi received a nine-month sentence.  Hengaw, a human rights organization, reports that officials have given no reason for the charges against the Christians. The group noted that although Christians are “acknowledged as a religious minority in Iran, authorities impose severe penalties, especially on those who convert from Islam to Christianity.” Iran is ranked ninth on the Open Doors' World Watch List of nations where it is most difficult to be a Christian.  Conservatives dominated French election France held its first round of voting for its National Assembly on Sunday. The conservative National Rally won 33% of the vote followed by the leftwing New Popular Front at 28% and President Emmanuel Macron's centrist Together bloc at 21%.  Voter turnout was the highest on record since the 1980s. The popular National Rally opposes uncontrolled immigration, supports the growth of French families, and wants to eradicate Islamic ideologies from the national territory.  Daniel 2:21 says God “changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings.”  Federal judge sides with Kansas against Biden's transgender push In the United States, a third federal judge -- Louis Guirola Jr.  -- has halted the Biden administration's push of the unbiblical transgender agenda. A new rule from the Education Department allowed boys, pretending to be girls, to use girls' locker rooms and compete in female sports in public schools. A federal court in Kansas ruled against the Biden administration on Tuesday.  Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach said, “We're pleased the court ruled to rein in the administration's vast overreach. It's unconscionable, it's dangerous for girls and women, and it's against federal law.”  Tractor Supply Co. saw the light Tractor Supply Co. is walking back its support for left-wing causes. The retailer, which sells farm equipment and feed for livestock in primarily rural America, employs 50,000 people across 2,200 stores. To its shame, it rolled out a series of woke initiatives like funding drag queen shows and paying for disfiguring sex changes. After Tractor Supply got an earful of angry pushback from its conservative customer base, it released a statement last Thursday, acknowledging it had disappointed customers. Tractor Supply said it will no longer work with the Human Rights Campaign, the largest lobbying group in the U.S. for sexually perverted lifestyles. The company also said it would eliminate Diversity, equity, and inclusion roles.  I urge you to thank Tractor Supply Co. for seeing the light and returning to their conservative values. Between 7:00am-9:00pm Central, Monday through Saturday, call (877) 718-6750. Or send them an email through a special link in our transcript today at www.TheWorldview.com.   Pro-abortion vandals in Miami held accountable Vandals with the pro-abortion terrorist group, Jane's Revenge, spray-painted threatening messages on the property of a pro-life pregnancy center in Miami on July 3, 2022, just nine days after the Dobbs decision which overturned Roe v. Wade.  First Liberty Institute reports that Heartbeat of Miami has finally reached a settlement in the case the details of which have not been made public. The religious liberty organization said the vandals are being held to account, calling it a big win for Florida's pro-life community.  Jeremy Dys with First Liberty said, “This case is a reminder that no one should suffer violence for simply providing faith-based counseling and baby supplies to women and their babies.”  Isaiah 1:17 says, “Learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow.” Block-Robed Regiment: Colonial pastors who took a stand against tyranny As Kevin Swanson travels and speaks abroad, I guest host for him today on Generations Radio. On this Independence Day, discover how the pastors of the American colonies, derisively called the “Black-Robed Regiment” by the British, boldly taught their congregations the Biblical principles to resist tyranny. Take a listen to my interview of Dan Fisher, author of Bringing Back the Black Robed Regiment: How the 18th century church stood for liberty and why it must do so again. Dan is the co-pastor of Fairview Baptist in Edmond, Oklahoma, a former member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 2012-2015, and ran for Governor in 2018. His vision is that the American church will regain the “spirit” of the original “Black-Robed Regiment,” and once again actively engage in defense of truth and liberty. We discuss: *  Pastor Peter Muhlenberg of Woodstock, Virginia who took off his black robe in the pulpit, revealing a colonel's uniform, and challenged the men to fight. *  Pastor Jonas Clarke of Lexington, Massachusetts who trained his men to prepare for the April 19, 1775 showdown with the British which led to the shot heard ‘round the world on Lexington Green. *  And Pastor James Caldwell of Elizabethtown, New Jersey who brought hymnals to the Minutemen to use for wadding to fight the British. Listen to this important interview with your kids at Generations.org/radio. That's Generations.org/radio. Pro-life father of 11 avoids jail time for his pro-life activism And finally, a pro-life father of 11 will not have to serve prison time despite the efforts of the Biden administration.  The so-called Justice Department was seeking a year in prison for Paul Vaughn for participating in a peaceful protest outside an abortion mill in Tennessee.  Instead, a Tennessee judge gave him a sentence of three years of supervised release. While the Thomas More Society was pleased with the judge's leniency, they still called his conviction a deep injustice.  Following the verdict announcement, the group of pro-life supporters of Paul Vaughn spontaneously broke out in praise to God by singing the Doxology. PRO-LIFE SUPPORTERS of PAUL VAUGHN: (singing) “Praise Him above the Heavenly Host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.” PRO-LIFER: “Alleluia.” (group claps) Vaughn said, “We will appeal to have this unlawful use of the law overturned. We must stand and fight for what is right. We cannot bow down to the lie. Laws have to be grounded in truth. They have to align with the ultimate Lawgiver, who is Christ our Lord.” Close And that's The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Independence Day, July 4th, in the year of our Lord 2024. Subscribe by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

A new MP3 sermon from The World View in 5 Minutes is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Tractor Supply Co. saw the light Subtitle: The World View in Five Minutes Speaker: Adam McManus Broadcaster: The World View in 5 Minutes Event: Current Events Date: 7/4/2024 Length: 9 min.

Top headlines for Wednesday, July 3, 2024Nikki Hiltz, a nonbinary athlete has qualified for the Olympic Games, while Sydney-McLaughlin Levrone thanks God for breaking a world record. We also dive into the Supreme Court's upcoming case on age verification for adult sites and discuss Tractor Supply Co.'s recent shift away from LGBT and progressive initiatives.Subscribe to this PodcastApple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle PodcastsOvercast⠀Follow Us on Social Media@ChristianPost on TwitterChristian Post on Facebook@ChristianPostIntl on InstagramSubscribe on YouTube⠀Get the Edifi AppDownload for iPhoneDownload for Android⠀Subscribe to Our NewsletterSubscribe to the Freedom Post, delivered every Monday and ThursdayClick here to get the top headlines delivered to your inbox every morning!⠀Links to the NewsTransgender runner Nikki Hiltz qualifies for Paris Olympics | SportsDocuments revealing Hamas' plans for Gaza civilians to join Oct. 7 massacre uncovered by IDF: reportSydney McLaughlin-Levrone: 'Anything is possible in Christ' | SportsSupreme Court to decide Texas age-verification law for porn sites | PoliticsDemetrius Grosse, Martin Bishop share story behind Sound of HopeChristian man sentenced to death for blasphemy after Muslim riot | WorldGold Star families condemn Biden for denying US troop deaths | PoliticsTractor Supply Co. abandons LGBT, woke ideology amid backlash | Business

The famous Judy Garland song from “Meet Me in St. Louis,” “The Trolley Song,” has found new life 80 years later as an unlikely PRIDE anthem. But first, Tractor Supply Co. bowed to pressure from the right and will stop all diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, (DEI), saying they “disappointed their consumers and have taken feedback to heart.” Corporate America continues to go back into the closet and it is their own doing for not hiring experts in the LGBTQ+ space to craft programs and messaging. Finally, a Tennessee bakery sends care packages to people having gender affirming surgery.Apple Podcasts: apple.co/1WwDBrCSpotify: spoti.fi/2pC19B1iHeart Radio: bit.ly/4aza5LWTunein: bit.ly/1SE3NMbYouTube Music: bit.ly/43T8Y81Pandora: pdora.co/2pEfctjYouTube: bit.ly/1spAF5aAlso follow Tim and John on:Facebook: www.facebook.com/focusgroupradioTwitter: www.twitter.com/focusgroupradioInstagram: www.instagram.com/focusgroupradio

Show #2185 Show Notes: Ray’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100070021352938 Tractor Supply CO ends DEI and climate efforts: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/tractor-supply-ending-dei-climate-184651012.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall Stop World Control: https://stopworldcontrol.com/ Supreme Court Chevron ruling: https://www.scotusblog.com/2024/06/supreme-court-strikes-down-chevron-curtailing-power-of-federal-agencies/ Supreme Court Jan 6 ruling: https://www.scotusblog.com/2024/06/justices-rule-for-jan-6-defendant/ Bible Instructions in […]

Ep 626SHOW NOTESGet the best “wake up and kick butt” coffee fromBLACKOUT COFFEE https://www.blackoutcoffee.com/?p=HyctD1sS3Use promo code JAY20 at check out for 20% offBe Prepared with JASE Medicalhttps://jasemedical.com/?rstr=21099Use Promo code SHELDON10 for a $10 Discount!Keep your online activity hidden with the best VPN. Get a HUGE DISCOUNT at NordVPN with this special link!https://bit.ly/NordVPN-JaySheldonGet healthy with all natural fruits and veggies!Start today!Brickhouse Nutrition https://bit.ly/JaySheldonBrickhouseAll New, All-American designs!Check out our new show merchandise!https://the-jay-sheldon-show.printify.me In today's show:The Trump Train Rolled Through Joe Bidenhttps://x.com/kylenabecker/status/1806558952567488547 Replacing Biden https://thepostmillennial.com/prominent-liberals-msnbc-cnn-pundits-suggest-joe-biden-must-be-replaced-after-dismal-debate-performance  Good Job Joe. Here's Your Cookie https://x.com/TPostMillennial/status/1806530807026122972  Pathetic https://x.com/greg_price11/status/1806522851329253446   Seems Like a Good Idea, but it's Not!https://x.com/IanJaeger29/status/1806386168193294401  TikTok user says Walmart grocery bill nearly quadrupledhttps://thepostmillennial.com/tiktok-user-says-walmart-grocery-bill-nearly-quadrupled-in-just-two-years Wokest Wash Aroundhttps://www.dailywire.com/news/wokest-wash-around-doves-campaign-against-normalcy-continues Tractor Supply Co. Ditches Everything Wokehttps://redstate.com/brandon_morse/2024/06/27/tractor-supply-co-ditches-everything-woke-declares-it-wont-ever-touch-dei-or-pride-celebrations-n2176074 Ecuadorian illegal immigrant suspected in murder of 21-year-old on her birthdayhttps://thepostmillennial.com/ecuadorian-illegal-immigrant-suspected-in-murder-of-21-year-old-on-her-birthday-burying-her-in-syracuse-park It's hard for men to get abortionshttps://thepostmillennial.com/time-magazine-claims-florida-law-makes-it-hard-for-men-to-get-abortions GOAL! https://x.com/buitengebieden/status/1805296121809424707  Contact Your Representatives. Let Them Know!https://www.congress.gov/members Please subscribe to the podcast at: iTunes:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-jay-sheldon-show/id1568836253Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/2HNQU8yshneTCb0K1Q6cS0 Buy my book!https://www.facebook.com/WillyandTheWarthog https://www.amazon.com/dp/1320055001/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_dp_VjSStb0E2RTDG26W Or Just Send me money ‘cause you love me!https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/TheJaySheldonShow Social MediaTikTok: @JaySheldonTikTok Twitter: https://twitter.com/JaySheldonShow Truth Social https://truthsocial.com/@JaySheldon Facebook @jay.sheldon Instagram @ItsJaySheldon Email us at show@jaysheldon.comDISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed on this show are the host's and do not reflect the opinions of guests or advertisers. This show does not promote drug use or violence in any manner, but we do promote free thinking and the absolute freedom of speech.

On today's LIVE! Daily News, we have information on the alleged arsonist who was arrested yesterday. TxDot announced lane closures for a new construction project, and Texas Parks and Wildlife announced some good news for fishermen during the July 4th holiday.In Sports, see how our West Texas schools did at the State 7-on-7 tournament in College Station this week.Finally, Bob Bluthardt from Fort Concho stopped by the studio to discuss the upcoming West Texas Art Show happening right now. In case you missed it, here are some of the biggest news stories from today:2024 Fall Youth Flag Football Registration Open (06/28/2024)Texas Parks and WIldlife to Stock Concho River on July 3 (06/28/2024)PETA to Unveil ‘E(n)d Shearin' Sheep Statue in San Angelo After Legal Challenge (06/28/2024)Miles' Bid for Three-Peat Falls Short at 7-on-7 State Tournament (06/28/2024)San Angelo Native Competes in Food Network's ‘BBQ Brawl' (06/28/2024)Arson Suspect Attempted to Burn Down Ex's Residence (06/28/2024)CLUE #2: Cypher Released in Summertime Search for Silver Scavenger Hunt (06/28/2024)Don't Forgive the Liberal Media for Lying About Biden (06/28/2024)Legend "Texas Jack" Died Today in 1880 (06/28/2024)Tx DOT Announces Lane Closures for New Construction (06/28/2024)Voting Rights for Women of Texas Advanced on this Day in 1919 (06/28/2024)Heat Advisory in Effect, Scorching Weekend Ahead (06/28/2024)Arson and Felony Firearm Possession Top Booking Report (06/28/2024)Pfluger: Re-Electing Joe Biden is a National Security Threat (06/28/2024)Tractor Supply Co. Abandons 'Woke' Corporate Policies Just in Time for the 4th of July (06/27/2024) 

Myriah explains the critical role of collaboration, innovation, and adaptation in overcoming industry challenges. She emphasizes the value of integration and partnership, as well as cohesive teamwork across departments and with vendor partners. Welcome to Elevating Brick and Mortar. A podcast about how operations and facilities drive brand performance.On today's episode, we talk with Myriah Kingen, Director of Facilities Management at Tractor Supply Company. For more than 85 years, Tractor Supply Company has served the needs of recreational farmers, ranchers, homeowners, gardeners, pet enthusiasts and all those who enjoy living Life Out Here. Tractor Supply is the largest rural lifestyle retailer in the U.S., ranking 291 on the Fortune 500.Guest Bio:With over two decades of diverse experience spanning facilities, construction, and procurement, Myriah possesses a demonstrated proficiency in multi-site asset and portfolio management across various sectors, including traditional and non-traditional retail, as well as healthcare. Her commitment to innovation, strategic thinking, team empowerment, and fostering an enjoyable work environment defines her professional ethos. Currently serving as the Director of Facilities at Tractor Supply Company, Myriah leads a dynamic team supporting all repair and maintenance activities across Tractor Supply and Petsense by Tractor Supply locations. She brings a wealth of industry insight and leadership, reflected in her 18-year engagement with the ConnexFM association, where she has contributed extensively to committees, councils, and served as Board Chair in 2019. Beyond her professional endeavors, Myriah finds solace in travel and adventure, having trekked through four countries, including a memorable 60-mile journey over 13 days in Nepal's Everest region. Her upcoming expedition to trek Mont Blanc further underscores her passion for exploration and challenge.TIMESTAMPS**(00:59) - About Tractor Supply**(01:47) - Myriah's journey**(07:51) - Articulating the industry's value**(09:22) - Connex FM**(12:44) - Women in the industry**(17:14) - Navigating the industry's challenges**(28:45) - The consumer of the future**(34:05) - Where to find Myriah**(34:44) - Sid's takeawaysSPONSORServiceChannel brings you peace of mind through peak facilities performance.Rest easy knowing your locations are:Offering the best possible guest experienceLiving up to brand standardsOperating with minimal downtimeServiceChannel partners with more than 500 leading brands globally to provide visibility across operations, the flexibility to grow and adapt to consumer expectations, and accelerated performance from their asset fleet and service providers.LINKSConnect with Myriah on LinkedInConnect with Sid Shetty on LinkedinCheck out the ServiceChannel Website

 A bunch of companies saw their share prices boom during the pandemic. Peloton surged because no one could go to gyms. Zoom jumped because no one could go to the office, and so on. Since then, many of these companies have come crashing down back down to earth. However, one pandemic winner that has yet to see its stock price mean-revert is Tractor Supply Co. Its shares have been up about 270% since their 2020 lows. The retailer has ridden a demographic and cultural shift as more Millennials move away from cities and decide to become hobby farmers growing their own chickens, vegetables, and fruit. In this episode, we speak with CEO Hal Lawton about the Tractor Supply business model, including how it's bucked the post-pandemic pattern and what it's doing to lock in customers for the long term.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Floresville police are requesting assistance from the public to identify two individuals suspected of walking out of the Tractor Supply Co. store on U.S. 181 in Floresville Jan. 29 without paying for merchandise valued at 5.63. According to Floresville police Sgt. George Ortiz, the two suspects, whose images were caught on security video, took two airsoft guns — which shoot plastic pellets — and two knives. They drove off in a dark-colored four-door vehicle. Call the Floresville police at 830-393-4055 if you think you know who the suspects are.Article Link

Floresville police are requesting assistance from the public to identify two individuals suspected of walking out of the Tractor Supply Co. store on U.S. 181 in Floresville Jan. 29 without paying for merchandise valued at 5.63. According to Floresville police Sgt. George Ortiz, the two suspects, whose images were caught on security video, took two airsoft guns — which shoot plastic pellets — and two knives. They drove off in a dark-colored four-door vehicle. Call the Floresville police at 830-393-4055 if you think you know who the suspects are.Article Link

Floresville police are requesting assistance from the public to identify two individuals who walked out of the Tractor Supply Co. store on U.S. 181 in Floresville Jan. 29 with four items they didn't pay for. According to Floresville police Sgt. George Ortiz, the two suspects, whose images were caught on security video, took two knives and two airsoft guns — which shoot plastic pellets — with a total value of 5.63. They drove off in a dark-colored four-door vehicle. Anyone who may know the identity of either or both individuals is urged to call the Floresville police at 830-393-4055.  Article Link

In this episode, I welcome back to the podcast  Sophie Abrahamsson, President of Americas @ Bambuser.  With Sophie is Julian Guevara, Senior Vice President of Direct to Consumer with What Goes Around Comes Around.  I had the opportunity to visit Julian's store in SoHo recently and was super impressed by the business, their live-streaming studio and the team behind this innovative retailer.  One quick note: I had a mic gremlin early in the interview with Shopie's mic, but I resolved it quickly for the majority of our time together. Let's listen in now!Thanks to Stream Commerce for their support in making this episode happen. About SophieEducation: Bachelors Degree in Media & Communications from Università degli Studi di Firenze.Experience:  +10yr of international experience from e-commerce and marketing within retail. Marketing manager for LUISAVIAROMA, Head of Digital for & Other Stories and various business development positions at H&M group. About KentI help innovative digital companies tell their story and build relationships with prospective and established clients and partners. I've spent the last twenty years providing market analysis, research & thought leadership, market development and consulting services within the ecommerce technology and digital marketing community.Current focus: Globalization via cross-border ecommerce, marketplaces and international retail expansion. Co-founded the Global eCommerce Leaders Forum to foster community among and provide education to digital professionals with international growth objectives.My 20+ years of experience in the digital commerce and marketing industry and strong personal connections have provided me with opportunities to stay ahead of the curve and explore "what's next" for my clients and our audiences.My research, content marketing & thought leadership skills coupled with my strong client interface skills allow me to define & execute next-generation marketing and commerce strategies & improve business performance. Specialties/Skills: Market Research, Communications, Strategy, Planning, Best Practices, Trend, Data and Competitive Analysis, Public Speaking, Writing and ExpressionAbout JimJim Okamura is Partner with McMillan Doolittle - The Retail Experts. Jim has more than 25 years of consulting experience focused on the retail industry, including 20+ years in digital transformation strategies for retailers, brands and retail-related companies. Specializations include cross-border & global ecommerce and organization design for digital transformations. Through our global alliance, Ebeltoft Group, we have deep retail expertise in more than 20 countries.Clients include Wahl Clipper, Gap, adidas, Hunter Fan, Bassett Furniture, Giant Eagle, Federated Coop, Harley-Davidson, Baccarat, DSW, Tractor Supply Co., MasterCard, Verizon Wireless, Neiman Marcus, Navy Exchange, Lands' End, Microsoft, The Body Shop International, L Brands, Timberland, Media Markt, Lowe's Companies, Pep Boys, Crate and Barrel, Loyalty One, VISA, and Cadillac Fairview.Jim is a Co-founder of the Global E-Commerce Leaders Forum, a community and conference series focused on global and cross-border ecommerce. Digital Retail Globalization, such as riding China's ecommerce growth wave, is important for brands, retailers and distribution partners of all sizes.Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada's top retail industry podcast,       The Voice of Retail, plus  Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor  with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.    You can learn more about Michael   here  or on     LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's latest venture for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

Greetings and welcome to Season Three of the Global eCommerce Leaders #podcast, picking up from the New York edition of the Global eCommerce Leaders Forum, where I met and chatted with some of the most interesting global commerce leaders in the world live in person in the Stream Commerce podcast studio, gathered as part of the thriving GELF community.This season is brought to you by Stream Commerce, a full-service consultancy that ideates, strategizes, and executes growth marketing solutions for our clients. They partner with people and brands they believe in to create websites that are deeply committed to the user experience and drive omnichannel digital transformation. As the world changes, they listen, and they deliver world-class e-commerce websites on Shopify Plus.In this episode kicking us off for our third season, GELF co-founders Kent Allen and Jim Okamura take us through what they heard on the stage and in the hallways of GELF NYC 2023 and get us ready for GELF LA, February 22, 2024.  About KentI help innovative digital companies tell their story and build relationships with prospective and established clients and partners. I've spent the last twenty years providing market analysis, research & thought leadership, market development and consulting services within the ecommerce technology and digital marketing community.Current focus: Globalization via cross-border ecommerce, marketplaces and international retail expansion. Co-founded the Global eCommerce Leaders Forum to foster community among and provide education to digital professionals with international growth objectives.My 20+ years of experience in the digital commerce and marketing industry and strong personal connections have provided me with opportunities to stay ahead of the curve and explore "what's next" for my clients and our audiences.My research, content marketing & thought leadership skills coupled with my strong client interface skills allow me to define & execute next-generation marketing and commerce strategies & improve business performance. Specialties/Skills: Market Research, Communications, Strategy, Planning, Best Practices, Trend, Data and Competitive Analysis, Public Speaking, Writing and ExpressionAbout JimJim Okamura is Partner with McMillan Doolittle - The Retail Experts. Jim has more than 25 years of consulting experience focused on the retail industry, including 20+ years in digital transformation strategies for retailers, brands and retail-related companies. Specializations include cross-border & global ecommerce and organization design for digital transformations. Through our global alliance, Ebeltoft Group, we have deep retail expertise in more than 20 countries.Clients include Wahl Clipper, Gap, adidas, Hunter Fan, Bassett Furniture, Giant Eagle, Federated Coop, Harley-Davidson, Baccarat, DSW, Tractor Supply Co., MasterCard, Verizon Wireless, Neiman Marcus, Navy Exchange, Lands' End, Microsoft, The Body Shop International, L Brands, Timberland, Media Markt, Lowe's Companies, Pep Boys, Crate and Barrel, Loyalty One, VISA, and Cadillac Fairview.Jim is a Co-founder of the Global E-Commerce Leaders Forum, a community and conference series focused on global and cross-border ecommerce. Digital Retail Globalization, such as riding China's ecommerce growth wave, is important for brands, retailers and distribution partners of all sizes.Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada's top retail industry podcast,       The Voice of Retail, plus  Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor  with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.    You can learn more about Michael   here  or on     LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's latest venture for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

Tractor Supply Co. has grown from a small mail order business set up in the 1930s into the biggest farm and ranch retailer operating in the US. Along the way, its share price has soared from around $1 in the 1990s to well over $200 today. The company has managed to tap into a wave of enthusiasm for hobby farming, pet care and rural living, with its revenues jumping 70% between 2019 and 2022. So what accounts for the success of Tractor Supply, such that analysts have referred to it as "one of the most interesting retailers on the planet"? And can it keep up the rapid growth? In this episode we speak with Bryant University Trustee Professor of Management Michael Roberto, who just published a Harvard Business School case study on the company.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Thursday October 12th, the Global Ecommerce Leaders Forum (GELF) community will be back in New York City live and in-person for another full day of learning, sharing and networking. Join global ecommerce leaders from leading DTC and retail brands for keynotes, breakout sessions, peer/executive discussions/meetups and networking as we return to Convene Midtown Westin October! In this episode, GELF co-founders Kent Allen and Jim Okamura give us an exclusive preview of the fantastic speakers and thought leadership that is part of the agenda for the GELF NYC 2023 forum.  I'll be there in the StreamCommerce podcasting studio chatting with the key industry players that bring this community alive!Are you a retail ecommerce leader interested in speaking at GELF NYC 2023 on Thursday, October 12th? If so, please contact the GELF producers by emailing speak@globalecommerce.coAs always, GELF NYC 2023 is a retailer/DTC brand-only, sponsor-only event. If you are a cross-border solution provider, an ecommerce platform or marketplace operator, software company, agency, data aggregator, logistics provider or other global ecommerce solution or service provider interested in sponsoring and attending GELF NYC '23, we would love to have you join us as a sponsor. Please contact sponsor@globalecommerce.co About KentI help innovative digital companies tell their story and build relationships with prospective and established clients and partners. I've spent the last twenty years providing market analysis, research & thought leadership, market development and consulting services within the ecommerce technology and digital marketing community.Current focus: Globalization via cross-border ecommerce, marketplaces and international retail expansion. Co-founded the Global eCommerce Leaders Forum to foster community among and provide education to digital professionals with international growth objectives.My 20+ years of experience in the digital commerce and marketing industry and strong personal connections have provided me with opportunities to stay ahead of the curve and explore "what's next" for my clients and our audiences.My research, content marketing & thought leadership skills coupled with my strong client interface skills allow me to define & execute next-generation marketing and commerce strategies & improve business performance. Specialties/Skills: Market Research, Communications, Strategy, Planning, Best Practices, Trend, Data and Competitive Analysis, Public Speaking, Writing and ExpressionAbout JimJim Okamura is Partner with McMillan Doolittle - The Retail Experts. Jim has more than 25 years of consulting experience focused on the retail industry, including 20+ years in digital transformation strategies for retailers, brands and retail-related companies. Specializations include cross-border & global ecommerce and organization design for digital transformations. Through our global alliance, Ebeltoft Group, we have deep retail expertise in more than 20 countries.Clients include Wahl Clipper, Gap, adidas, Hunter Fan, Bassett Furniture, Giant Eagle, Federated Coop, Harley-Davidson, Baccarat, DSW, Tractor Supply Co., MasterCard, Verizon Wireless, Neiman Marcus, Navy Exchange, Lands' End, Microsoft, The Body Shop International, L Brands, Timberland, Media Markt, Lowe's Companies, Pep Boys, Crate and Barrel, Loyalty One, VISA, and Cadillac Fairview.Jim is a Co-founder of the Global E-Commerce Leaders Forum, a community and conference series focused on global and cross-border ecommerce. Digital Retail Globalization, such as riding China's ecommerce growth wave, is important for brands, retailers and distribution partners of all sizes.Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada's top retail industry podcast,       The Voice of Retail, plus  Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor  with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.    You can learn more about Michael   here  or on     LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's latest venture for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

Floresville police are asking the public to help identify a suspected shoplifter. According to Floresville police Detective Raul Guerrero, a man entered the Tractor Supply Co. store at 540 10th St. (U.S. 181) in Floresville June 30 and left with a chainsaw valued at 2.79. “He was in the store for a good amount of time and placed a chainsaw in a basket and walked out the front door,” Guerrero said, adding that the man took other items, not valued, as well. The suspect is described as a thin, white man who wore blue jeans, a blue-and-white checkered shirt, and...Article Link

Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a homesteader? A growing number of people are turning to self-sufficiency and sustainability in their way of living. However, homesteading can seem intimidating, especially when social media portrays it as an exclusive lifestyle requiring acres of land and living off the grid. The good news is that it doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing lifestyle! In this episode, learn how Stephanie Thurow and Michelle Bruhn, co-authors of the book Small Scale Homesteading and absolute BFFs, are making homesteading accessible to everyone—no matter how much land you have. They share their experiences with gardening, chicken keeping, maple sugaring, and more, all while living on less than an acre in the suburbs of Minneapolis.In this episode, we learn:[06:43] Stephanie & Michelle's homesteading journey[13:08] The challenges of gardening in different regions (know your last frost date)[16:24] How Stephanie & Michelle's friendship and shared interests led to their book “Small-Scale Homesteading”[17:55] Where can you find a range of cold-tolerant crops for your fall and winter gardens?[19:58] Where can you find the perfect wind chimes to add a touch of beauty and mindfulness to your surroundings?[17:51] What is the role of community in their homesteading journeys?[24:32] What is the difference between gardening and homesteading?[26:40] What inspired Michelle and Stephanie's move from gardening to homesteading[30:50] Tips for transitioning from gardening to homesteading[40:21] Michelle on seed starting[43:36] What are the easiest seeds to save?[44:59] How can you preserve your homegrown food?[46:45] Fermentation vs pickling[48:36] What is water bath canning?[51:21] Things you should know about raising chickens![01:01:13] Further homesteading stories and experiences from Michelle & StephanieMentioned in our conversation:Book by Stephanie Thurow & Michelle Bruhn Small-Scale Homesteading: A Sustainable Guide to Gardening, Keeping Chickens, Maple Sugaring, Preserving the Harvest, and MoreCan It & Ferment It: More Than 75 Satisfying Small-Batch Canning and Fermentation Recipes for the Whole YearWECK Home Preserving: Made-from-Scratch Recipes for Water-Bath Canning, Fermenting, Pickling, and MoreWECK Small-Batch Preserving: Year-Round Recipes for Canning, Fermenting, Pickling, and MoreFood Preservation Cookbooks by Stephanie Thurow: Chicken Pens at Tractor Supply Co.For honest tips and recommendations on raising your own chickens,check out the full show notes and blog here!Thank you to our episode sponsors:Territorial Seed CompanyGrowing your own food does not have to be difficult! Skip the lines at the garden center and let Territorial Seed Company deliver top-of-the-line, healthy and hardy plants right to your door. They have a great line of pre-grown plants, an expansive seed catalog, and over 40 years of experience delivering the best seeds and plants for everyone's garden. Whether you are looking for leafy veggies, flowers or edible plants in either seed or seedling form, Territorial Seed Company has your back.Get 10% off by visiting territorialseed.com/growingjoy - discount applied at checkout.Wind River ChimesBring more peace, serenity, and magic into your home with chimes. Wind River is a Virginia-based company creating premium handcrafted and hand-tuned wind chimes for over 35 years. If you are looking for a new way to grow joy in your life and find a moment of peace, a Wind River chime is the perfect addition for your home or garden. Plus, it's a perfect personalized gift for your loved ones!Visit windriverchimes.com and use code GROWINGJOY to receive free engraving on all Corinthian Bells wind chimes.Follow Stephanie:WebsiteInstagramFacebookYouTubeFollow Michelle:WebsiteFacebookInstagramFollow Maria and Growing Joy:Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants) by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha LeungJoin the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet! Get your FREE 2-week trial here!Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!Instagram: @growingjoywithmariaTiktok: @growingjoywithmariaSubscribe to the Growing Joy Youtube channel! /growingjoywithmariaWebsite: www.growingjoywithmaria.comPinterest: @growingjoywithmariaOur Sponsors:* Check out Quince: https://www.quince.com/Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Laughers, whether you live near and far you can win BIG! Only 5,000 tickets will be sold. Join me and my friends from Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance aka HDR to get all the details on these exciting prizes that include vehicles, electronics, vacation packages, outdoor gear and up to $20,000 in cash! Learn how buying your raffle gives you TWO chances to win and is a win-win! You can walk away with cash money, prizes, vehicles or a trip and all the funds from this raffle are used for community projects, downtown improvements, provision of grants to businesses, Grants, Public Art, Festivals, Events & Destination Marketing. Now in its seventh year, our friends at HDR have heard feedback from the community and have answered by giving away more lump sums of cash this year! With something for everyone, find out about the trip to Milan, Italy; the 3 cars they are giving away from Steven Toyata; Myers Ford and Bob Wade Subaru; a Speakeasy Party courtesy of Jack's Hideaway; a Traeger Timberline XL Wifi Wood Pellet Grill from Rockingham Ace Coop; a Blackstone Flat Top Griddle Grill with full package from Tractor Supply; a 20-foot Tracer Camper from Dove's Camper Sales; a 12 Capacity Chicken Coop from Tractor Supply Co.; 4 foot Stained Glass personalized art piece from Barbara Camp at Oasis; a message package from Restorative Massage & withSimplicity and more! Don't miss learning how even if you don't live in the Shenandoah Valley or do not want the prize you won, you can take the option of half the cash value of the prize!!  Plus, find out how you can win MORE when you do “Early Bird Drawings” giving yourself more chances to win. Bonus, hear more specific examples on the delightful direct impact the raffle funds have and can help the community!”Good Luck Everybody”.. Cheers!  Friendly City Fortune Mega Raffle Website: https://downtownharrisonburg.org/friendlycityfortune/ Facebook: Downtown Harrisonburg Instagram: @downtownharrisonburg Laughers, get a discount & take PrePOPsterous Gourmet Popcorn with you! Located in Bridgewater, VA ~ Use code LAUGH15 To purchase to visit:  https://www.prepopsterous.com/ To learn more about X2 Comedy & Buy Tickets to a show: Visit: https://www.x2comedy.com/ Facebook & Instagram: @x2comedy

739: Our broadcast today comes from our recent Metis Strategy Digital Symposium on the topic of mastering the human side of digital transformation. The panelists who spoke about this topic were Rob Mills; Chief Technology, Digital Commerce, and Strategy Officer of Tractor Supply Co.; and Jennifer Hartsock, Chief Information and Digital Officer of Cargill. The conversation was moderated by Metis Strategy Partner and Central Office Lead Michael Bertha. Rob addresses his role as a strategic facilitator within Tractor, speaks to influencing the prioritization of technology during M&A, and explains how he is building product management capabilities within the organization. Jen discusses the challenges of change management, the emphasis she places on her “platinum rule,” and driving change among her C-Suite level peer group.

739: Our broadcast today comes from our recent Metis Strategy Digital Symposium on the topic of mastering the human side of digital transformation. The panelists who spoke about this topic were Rob Mills; Chief Technology, Digital Commerce, and Strategy Officer of Tractor Supply Co.; and Jennifer Hartsock, Chief Information and Digital Officer of Cargill. The conversation was moderated by Metis Strategy Partner and Central Office Lead Michael Bertha. Rob addresses his role as a strategic facilitator within Tractor, speaks to influencing the prioritization of technology during M&A, and explains how he is building product management capabilities within the organization. Jen discusses the challenges of change management, the emphasis she places on her “platinum rule,” and driving change among her C-Suite level peer group.

In this episode Athena gives a shout out to the Canadians for their Canada Convoy 2022 and how they showed the world how to do it! We also break down the Drag Queen Grooming shows that keep happening in Texas. We go down the rabbit hole concerning Tractor Supply Co funding some of these disgusting drag shows for kids, the WEF donations by Tractor Supply and the connections to Jeffery Epstein. We discuss Bill Gates and his all out assault on eggs and the fact he has money sunk into a company that produces fake eggs. We also get into the FBI disinformation organization called Hamilton68 and the Twitter docs just released that call this scam organization out.   Hamilton68 Article https://www.racket.news/p/move-over-jayson-blair-meet-hamilton   Mega Thread on the Shot Injured Victims https://saidit.net/s/ConspiracyTrace/comments/a4hz/vaccine_injury_super_compilation_120_records/   Eggs, Hens and Bill Fucking Gates is Evil https://thetruthpatriots.com/farmers-chickens-stop-laying-eggs-he-makes-his-own-feed-and-boom-bunch-of-eggs-video-inside/   Drop in Fertility Report https://www.initiative-corona.info/fileadmin/dokumente/Geburtenrueckgang-Europe-EN.pdf

Hello, and welcome to the Voice of Retail podcast! My name is Michael LeBlanc, and I am your host. I believe in the power of storytelling to bring the retail industry to life. Each week, I'll bring insights, perspectives, and experiences from some of the retail industry's most innovative and influential voices.   This podcast is produced in conjunction with Retail Council of Canada.Kent Allen and Jim Okamura, co-founders of the successful Global eCommerce Leaders Forums and community, are back on the podcast sharing their expertise and providing us with a timely update on the state of cross-border and global eCommerce, including a view to China, Europe, LATAM and where retailers and brands should focus when looking for international growth.More information about the Global eCommerce Leaders Forum in LA here About KentI help innovative digital companies tell their story and build relationships with prospective and established clients and partners. I've spent the last twenty years providing market analysis, research & thought leadership, market development and consulting services within the ecommerce technology and digital marketing community.Current focus: Globalization via cross-border ecommerce, marketplaces and international retail expansion. Co-founded the Global eCommerce Leaders Forum to foster community among and provide education to digital professionals with international growth objectives.My 20+ years of experience in the digital commerce and marketing industry and strong personal connections have provided me with opportunities to stay ahead of the curve and explore "what's next" for my clients and our audiences.My research, content marketing & thought leadership skills coupled with my strong client interface skills allow me to define & execute next-generation marketing and commerce strategies & improve business performance. Specialties/Skills: Market Research, Communications, Strategy, Planning, Best Practices, Trend, Data and Competitive Analysis, Public Speaking, Writing and ExpressionAbout JimJim Okamura is Partner with McMillan Doolittle - The Retail Experts. Jim has more than 25 years of consulting experience focused on the retail industry, including 20+ years in digital transformation strategies for retailers, brands and retail-related companies. Specializations include cross-border & global ecommerce and organization design for digital transformations. Through our global alliance, Ebeltoft Group, we have deep retail expertise in more than 20 countries.Clients include Wahl Clipper, Gap, adidas, Hunter Fan, Bassett Furniture, Giant Eagle, Federated Coop, Harley-Davidson, Baccarat, DSW, Tractor Supply Co., MasterCard, Verizon Wireless, Neiman Marcus, Navy Exchange, Lands' End, Microsoft, The Body Shop International, L Brands, Timberland, Media Markt, Lowe's Companies, Pep Boys, Crate and Barrel, Loyalty One, VISA, and Cadillac Fairview.Jim is a Co-founder of the Global E-Commerce Leaders Forum, a community and conference series focused on global and cross-border ecommerce. Digital Retail Globalization, such as riding China's ecommerce growth wave, is important for brands, retailers and distribution partners of all sizes. About MichaelMichael is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc. and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada and the Bank of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, Today's Shopping Choice and Pandora Jewellery.   Michael has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. He has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions with C-level executives and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels. ReThink Retail has added Michael to their prestigious Top Global Retail Influencers list for 2023 for the third year in a row. Michael is also the president of Maven Media, producing a network of leading trade podcasts, including Canada's top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail. He produces and co-hosts Remarkable Retail with best-selling author Steve Dennis, now ranked one of the top retail podcasts in the world. Based in New York, Conversations with CommerceNext is a podcast focusing on retail eCommerce, digital marketing and retail careers with episodes talking with C-level executives operating in the U.S. and internationally. Based in San Francisco, Global eCommerce Leaders podcast explores global cross-border issues and opportunities for eCommerce brands and retailers. Last but not least, Michael is the producer and host of the "Last Request Barbeque" channel on YouTube, where he cooks meals to die for - and collaborates with top brands as a food and product influencer across North America.

Matthew Rubin is the Senior VP and General Manager of Petsense by Tractor Supply, a specialty pet retailer owned and operated by Tractor Supply Company. Founded in 2005 to meet the needs of pet owners primarily in small and mid-sized communities, the company was acquired by Tractor Supply Co. in 2016, and now has close to 200 stores across the United States.Loyalty360 CEO Mark Johnson met with Rubin to discuss the brand's Neighbor's Club loyalty program and the recent rebranding of Petsense by Tractor Supply.

Our guest this week is Hal Lawton, the President & CEO of Tractor Supply Co, a truly remarkable retailer that has delivered some of the strongest results of any brand during the past few years.  We explore Hal's diverse journey from McKinsey, to Home Depot, to eBay, to Macy's and on to Tennesee-based Tractor Supply Company. the nearly 85 year old company that now does over $14 billion in annual sales through over 2,150 stores. We learn about Tractor's "life out here strategy" and the critical distinction between being a lifestyle retailer vs. a category focused brand. We go deep on the strategic benefits of intense customer focus, strong day in and day out execution, not having larger stores, and embracing the blur of digital and physical. Hal also underscores the importance of constant reinvention and how Tractor stays one step ahead of the customer by investing in their stores and rapidly evolving their business model.  But first we open with our hot-takes on the past week in retail news, including a surprising US GDP report and how interest rate increases are driving an accelerating slow down in the housing market. We also dig into the very disappointing earnings--and spooky outlook--from Amazon, before turning our attention to Meta, which continues to incinerate cash in its quest to figure out what the Metaverse is. Then we briefly touch on Elon's Twitter takeover and Bed, Bath & Beyond's naming of a "permanent" CEO. About HalHal Lawton has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Tractor Supply Company since January 2020 and is a member of the Company's Board of Directors. During his tenure at Tractor Supply, Hal has led the Company through a period of unprecedented growth while introducing its Life Out Here strategy to drive sustainable growth.Previously, Hal served as President of Macy's from September 2017 to December 2019. As President, he had responsibility for all aspects of the Macy's brand, including merchandising, marketing, stores, operations, technology and consumer insights and analytics. Prior to that, Hal was Senior Vice President, eBay North America from August 2015 to September 2017. In that role, he oversaw all aspects of eBay's Americas business unit, including marketing, merchandising, operations, business selling, consumer selling and advertising, as well as global responsibility for shipping, payments, risk and trust. Before joining eBay, Hal spent 10 years in various leadership roles at Home Depot, where he most recently was Senior Vice President for merchandising. Hal was responsible for elevating Home Depot's Internet business. Prior to that, Hal was an associate principal at McKinsey & Co., providing strategic advice to executive teams in consumer-packaged goods and manufacturing industries.Hal holds dual bachelor's degrees in Chemical Engineering and Pulp and Paper Science Technology from North Carolina State University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Virginia. Hal has served on the board of Sealed Air (NYSE: SEE) since 2019. He serves on the NRF Board of Directors and is a member of the Business Roundtable.About UsSteve Dennis is an advisor, keynote speaker and author on strategic growth and business innovation. You can learn more about Steve on his       website.    The expanded and revised edition of his bestselling book  Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption is now available at  Amazon or just about anywhere else books are sold. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a      Forbes senior contributor and on       Twitter and       LinkedIn. You can also check out his speaker "sizzle" reel      here.Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada's top retail industry podcast,       The Voice of Retail, plus  Global E-Commerce Tech Talks  ,      The Food Professor  with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and now in its second season, Conversations with CommerceNext!  You can learn more about Michael   here  or on     LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's latest venture for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

Our interview guest is Rod Sides, Deloitte Insights Leader and Retail Partner at Deloitte LLP; he discusses specific consumer data from their 37th annual holiday survey and how retailers can capitalize on what is expected to be a big year for gift cards and resale products. In news, Tractor Supply Co. sets a new sales record and closes on a deal with Orscheln that may also benefit a fellow farm and home chain. Additionally, we look ahead to another investment by Simon.

A solid and detailed process is always going to be critical to scalability. But you can't hone in on your process and refine anything if you are not mapping your process and paying attention to the small details. This is equally true for the process of creating physical or digital marketing assets. Julie Volpi, Director of Marketing Operations at Tractor Supply Co., knows she needs to lean into change when leading her team. Join us as we discuss: Investing in a true process mapping for marketing ops Changing customer habits- don't assume they never shift Leading a team that understands change

There's a reason why people say no one likes change. But for Kimberley Gardiner, Chief Marketing Officer at Tractor Supply Co, change is what she's learned to thrive on and how she makes the greatest impact. Kimberley knows what it's like to be the only woman in a room full of executive leaders, and she's had to learn how to be authentic and boldly share her ideas, even if they were unpopular at the time. From being able to do this, she's found more happiness and satisfaction from work than she could have imagined. Kimberley has a broad background in the automotive industry, previously having worked as SVP & Chief Marketing Officer for Volkswagen and Mitsubishi - and for Kia Motors America in marketing. She's skilled at innovation and is a creative thinker. Her role as a change agent was a perfect fit for Volkswagen's electric vehicles and the push for their adoption by the mainstream. In this podcast, Kimberley explains why leaders should be bold about asking for advice and tells us what she does every day that leads to her success. She also shares with us how to overcome failures, learn to say no, and what success habits helped her achieve her goals. Visit https://www.iambeyondbarriers.com/ where you will find show notes and links to all the resources in this episode, including the best way to get in touch with Kimberley. Highlights:   [02:53] Kimberley's career journey [07:55] Embracing being a change agent [10:27] Managing your personal brand [13:24] Don't be afraid to ask for advice [16:17] Building your board of personal directors [17:52] Kimberley's daily success habits [22:50] Overcoming failures and setbacks [27:17] Executing and achieving your goals [31:48] Learning to say no [35:30] How to embrace change [40:08] Kimberley's advice to our listeners Quotes: “You build business relationships like friendships, tell a little about yourself, ask for 5-10 minutes, and be very specific in your ask.” – Kimberley Gardiner  “When you encounter a failure, think about what you can learn from it rather than replaying the event over and over in your head. Put the record player away and move forward with the lesson.” – Kimberley Gardiner “Positioning success in terms of how it ladders up in the long term will help you be more successful in the short term.” - Kimberley Gardiner “By saying yes to everything you shortchange the things that are really important to you.”- Kimberley Gardiner  “The more you paint that picture early on, of what change can look like in the future, in a way that a person or team can relate to - saving you time, helping with turnover, achieving goals faster, and ultimately being more profitable, with a smaller footprint, the more people will be excited about the opportunity ahead.” - Kimberley Gardiner  About Kimberley Gardiner: Kimberley Gardiner, Chief Marketing Officer, Tractor Supply Company As the former Senior Vice President of Marketing & CMO at Volkswagen Group of America, Inc, Kimberley was responsible for leading brand marketing for VW, including building on the momentum generated by the introduction of Volkswagen's first all-electric SUV, the ID. 4. Kimberley brings more than 20 years of automotive and marketing experience to her current role (joined Tractor Supply Co in July 2022). She recently served as the Chief Marketing Officer for Mitsubishi Motors North America and Kia Motors America, where she directed marketing efforts for the brand. Previously, she served as CMO and Vice President of Operations for 5th Kind, a global digital asset management company. She is known for being an innovative thinker with a passion for helping drive change in the automotive industry – a great fit for helping push for mainstream adoption of electric vehicles led by Volkswagen. Kimberley holds a bachelor's degree from Mills College and an MBA from Indiana University. Links: LinkedIn: kimberley-sweet-gardiner

Roian Atwood, Senior Director of Sustainability at Tractor Supply Company, joins the converstaion to discuss the largest rural lifestyle retailer in the country's approach to stewardship of the lifestyle it refers to as “life out here,” which could help forge important changes of habit in those communities. Tractor Supply Company has aligned its very aggressive sustainability targets with the Paris goals of cutting overall emissions by 50% by 2030 and to be carbon neutral by 2040, a decade before most companies that have set goals. Roian also dives into the complexities of recycling packaging and the materials, such as steel palettes used to deliver tractors, that the company uses.Retailers, as we've heard frequently on this show, are keystone influencers in the shape of a new sustainable economy. The choices retailers make when stocking their shelves determine the choices consumers have. Tractor Supply Co. is working to electrify all its operations in a move away from fossil fuels and is already ahead of its original CO2 emissions and renewable energy goals. Founded as a mail order company during the Depression, Tractor Supply is also thinking through how the transition to ecommerce may change its physical interaction with customers, as well as drive the addition of recycling services at stores to bring customers in on a regular basis. You can learn more about Tractor Supply Co.'s sustainability goals at https://corporate.tractorsupply.com/ESG/stewardship/default.aspx

In this special episode GELF Co-Founders Kent Allen and Jim Okamura take us through a recap of the GELF event held recently in 2022. If you liked this podcast, you can follow us on Apple iTunes, Spotify, Amazon music podcast channel or your favorite podcast platform, please rate and review with a five star rating and be sure and recommend to a friend or colleague in the retail and cross-borders commerce industry.I'm Michael LeBlanc, Founder and President of M.E. LeBlanc and Company Inc. and you can learn more about me on LinkedIn, and you can learn more about the Global E-Commerce Leaders Forum and continue to keep up with the latest on cross-border commerce online at https://www.globalecommerceleadersforum.com/Safe travels everyonePhoto by Jonathan Gonzalez on UnsplashAbout Us Kent AllenI help innovative digital companies tell their story and build relationships with prospective and established clients and partners. I've spent the last twenty years providing market analysis, research & thought leadership, market development and consulting services within the ecommerce technology and digital marketing community.Current focus: Globalization via cross-border ecommerce, marketplaces and international retail expansion. Co-founded the Global eCommerce Leaders Forum to foster community among and provide education to digital professionals with international growth objectives.My 20+ years of experience in the digital commerce and marketing industry and strong personal connections have provided me with opportunities to stay ahead of the curve and explore "what's next" for my clients and our audiences.My research, content marketing & thought leadership skills coupled with my strong client interface skills allow me to define & execute next-generation marketing and commerce strategies & improve business performance.Specialties/Skills: Market Research, Communications, Strategy, Planning, Best Practices, Trend, Data and Competitive Analysis, Public Speaking, Writing and Expression Jim OkamuraJim Okamura is Partner with McMillan Doolittle - The Retail Experts. Jim has more than 25 years of consulting experience focused on the retail industry, including 20+ years in digital transformation strategies for retailers, brands and retail-related companies. Specializations include cross-border & global ecommerce and organization design for digital transformations. Through our global alliance, Ebeltoft Group, we have deep retail expertise in more than 20 countries.Clients include Wahl Clipper, Gap, adidas, Hunter Fan, Bassett Furniture, Giant Eagle, Federated Coop, Harley-Davidson, Baccarat, DSW, Tractor Supply Co., MasterCard, Verizon Wireless, Neiman Marcus, Navy Exchange, Lands' End, Microsoft, The Body Shop International, L Brands, Timberland, Media Markt, Lowe's Companies, Pep Boys, Crate and Barrel, Loyalty One, VISA, and Cadillac Fairview.Jim is a Co-founder of the Global E-Commerce Leaders Forum, a community and conference series focused on global and cross-border ecommerce. Digital Retail Globalization, such as riding China's ecommerce growth wave, is important for brands, retailers and distribution partners of all sizes. About MichaelMichael is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. He has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions with C-level executives and participated on thought leadership panels worldwide.  Michael was recently added to ReThink Retail's prestigious Top 100 Global Retail Influencers for a second year in  2022. Michael is also the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts, including Canada's top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus the Remarkable Retail with author Steve Dennis, Global E-Commerce Tech Talks and The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.  Most recently, Michael launched Conversations with CommerceNext, a podcast focussed on retail eCommerce, digital marketing and retail careers - all available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music and all major podcast platforms.   Michael is also the producer and host of the “Last Request Barbeque” channel on YouTube where he cooks meals to die for and influencer riches.

Welcome to Global eCommerce Tech Talks,  I'm your host Michael LeBlanc. Live from my podcasting studio high above the Vegas sands during Shoptalk 2022, I sit down and talk about the latest news and developments in the global eCommerce industry with two of the sharpest minds in the space.Kent Allen and Jim Okamura, consultants, advisors, industry analysts and co-founders of the Global Ecommerce Leaders Forum, are back as my special guests in-person together for an exclusive interview in my Las Vegas podcast studio.  We catch up and talk about the latest developments in global commerce, including the moves China is making internationally, the echo-boom of worldwide eCommerce and the upcoming GELF LA event on April 21, which is open to all retailers to apply to attend.If you liked this podcast you can follow us on Apple iTunes, Spotify,    Amazon music podcast channel or your favourite podcast platform, please rate and review with a five star rating and be sure and recommend to a friend or colleague in the retail and cross-borders commerce industry.I'm Michael LeBlanc, Founder and President of M.E. LeBlanc and Company Inc. and you can learn more about me on www.meleblanc.co, and you can learn more about the Global E-Commerce Leaders Forum  and continue to keep up with the latest on cross-border commerce online at https://www.globalecommerceleadersforum.com/ Kent AllenI help innovative digital companies tell their story and build relationships with prospective and established clients and partners. I've spent the last twenty years providing market analysis, research & thought leadership, market development and consulting services within the ecommerce technology and digital marketing community.Current focus: Globalization via cross-border ecommerce, marketplaces and international retail expansion. Co-founded the Global eCommerce Leaders Forum to foster community among and provide education to digital professionals with international growth objectives.My 20+ years of experience in the digital commerce and marketing industry and strong personal connections have provided me with opportunities to stay ahead of the curve and explore "what's next" for my clients and our audiences.My research, content marketing & thought leadership skills coupled with my strong client interface skills allow me to define & execute next-generation marketing and commerce strategies & improve business performance.Specialties/Skills: Market Research, Communications, Strategy, Planning, Best Practices, Trend, Data and Competitive Analysis, Public Speaking, Writing and Expression Jim OkamuraJim Okamura is Partner with McMillan Doolittle - The Retail Experts. Jim has more than 25 years of consulting experience focused on the retail industry, including 20+ years in digital transformation strategies for retailers, brands and retail-related companies. Specializations include cross-border & global ecommerce and organization design for digital transformations. Through our global alliance, Ebeltoft Group, we have deep retail expertise in more than 20 countries.Clients include Wahl Clipper, Gap, adidas, Hunter Fan, Bassett Furniture, Giant Eagle, Federated Coop, Harley-Davidson, Baccarat, DSW, Tractor Supply Co., MasterCard, Verizon Wireless, Neiman Marcus, Navy Exchange, Lands' End, Microsoft, The Body Shop International, L Brands, Timberland, Media Markt, Lowe's Companies, Pep Boys, Crate and Barrel, Loyalty One, VISA, and Cadillac Fairview.Jim is a Co-founder of the Global E-Commerce Leaders Forum, a community and conference series focused on global and cross-border ecommerce. Digital Retail Globalization, such as riding China's ecommerce growth wave, is important for brands, retailers and distribution partners of all sizes. About MichaelMichael is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. He has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions with C-level executives and participated on thought leadership panels worldwide.  Michael was recently added to ReThink Retail's prestigious Top 100 Global Retail Influencers for a second year in  2022. Michael is also the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts, including Canada's top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus the Remarkable Retail with author Steve Dennis, Global E-Commerce Tech Talks and The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.  Most recently, Michael launched Conversations with CommerceNext, a podcast focussed on retail eCommerce, digital marketing and retail careers - all available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music and all major podcast platforms.   Michael is also the producer and host of the “Last Request Barbeque” channel on YouTube where he cooks meals to die for and influencer riches.

Welcome to The Voice of Retail. I'm your host Michael LeBlanc. This podcast is brought to you in conjunction with Retail Council of Canada. Live from my podcasting studio high above the Vegas sands during Shoptalk 2022, I sit down and talk about the latest news and developments in the global eCommerce industry with two of the sharpest minds in the space. Kent Allen and Jim Okamura, consultants, advisors, industry analysts and co-founders of the Global Ecommerce Leaders Forum, are back as my special guests in-person together for an exclusive interview in my Las Vegas podcast studio.   We catch up and talk about the latest developments in global commerce, including the moves China is making internationally, the echo-boom of worldwide eCommerce and the upcoming GELF LA event on April 21, which is open to all retailers to apply to attend.Thanks for tuning into this special episode of The Voice of Retail.  If you haven't already, be sure and click subscribe on your favourite podcast platform so new episodes will land automatically twice a week, and check out my other retail industry media properties; the Remarkable Retail podcast, the Conversations with CommerceNext podcast, and the Food Professor podcast.  Last but not least, if you are into BBQ, check out my all new YouTube barbecue show, Last Request Barbeque, with new episodes each and every week! I'm your host Michael LeBlanc, President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company & Maven Media, and if you're looking for more content, or want to chat  follow me on LinkedIn, or visit my website meleblanc.co!  Have a safe week everyone!Learn more and sign up for the GELF LA event here:https://www.globalecommerceleadersforum.com/la2022/Photo by NASA on UnsplashAbout KentI help innovative digital companies tell their story and build relationships with prospective and established clients and partners. I've spent the last twenty years providing market analysis, research & thought leadership, market development and consulting services within the ecommerce technology and digital marketing community.Current focus: Globalization via cross-border ecommerce, marketplaces and international retail expansion. Co-founded the Global eCommerce Leaders Forum to foster community among and provide education to digital professionals with international growth objectives.My 20+ years of experience in the digital commerce and marketing industry and strong personal connections have provided me with opportunities to stay ahead of the curve and explore "what's next" for my clients and our audiences.My research, content marketing & thought leadership skills coupled with my strong client interface skills allow me to define & execute next-generation marketing and commerce strategies & improve business performance. Specialties/Skills: Market Research, Communications, Strategy, Planning, Best Practices, Trend, Data and Competitive Analysis, Public Speaking, Writing and ExpressionAbout Jim Jim Okamura is Partner with McMillan Doolittle - The Retail Experts. Jim has more than 25 years of consulting experience focused on the retail industry, including 20+ years in digital transformation strategies for retailers, brands and retail-related companies. Specializations include cross-border & global ecommerce and organization design for digital transformations. Through our global alliance, Ebeltoft Group, we have deep retail expertise in more than 20 countries.Clients include Wahl Clipper, Gap, adidas, Hunter Fan, Bassett Furniture, Giant Eagle, Federated Coop, Harley-Davidson, Baccarat, DSW, Tractor Supply Co., MasterCard, Verizon Wireless, Neiman Marcus, Navy Exchange, Lands' End, Microsoft, The Body Shop International, L Brands, Timberland, Media Markt, Lowe's Companies, Pep Boys, Crate and Barrel, Loyalty One, VISA, and Cadillac Fairview.Jim is a Co-founder of the Global E-Commerce Leaders Forum, a community and conference series focused on global and cross-border ecommerce. Digital Retail Globalization, such as riding China's ecommerce growth wave, is important for brands, retailers and distribution partners of all sizes.About MichaelMichael is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. He has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions with C-level executives and participated on thought leadership panels worldwide.  Michael was recently added to ReThink Retail's prestigious Top 100 Global Retail Influencers for a second year in  2022. Michael is also the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts, including Canada's top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus the Remarkable Retail with author Steve Dennis, Global E-Commerce Tech Talks and The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.  Most recently, Michael launched Conversations with CommerceNext, a podcast focussed on retail eCommerce, digital marketing and retail careers - all available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music and all major podcast platforms.   Michael is also the producer and host of the “Last Request Barbeque” channel on YouTube where he cooks meals to die for and influencer riches.

Our interview guest is Rod Sides, vice chairman of Deloitte LLP and their U.S. retail, wholesale, and distribution leader. He rejoins the podcast to discuss their yearly back-to-school and back-to-college surveys and how consumers are choosing where to spend and what to spend on. In news, in a follow-up from last week's show, we touch on Tractor Supply Co.'s latest earnings, a proposed deal involving the Piggly Wiggly banner, and we look ahead to Ulta's partnership with Target slated to launch in the coming days. The Deloitte Back-to-School Survey may be accessed here: https://bit.ly/3eRYRba The Deloitte Back-to-College Survey may be accessed here: https://bit.ly/3hZTIzJ

Our interview guest is Tim Baynes, CEO and co-founder of Compatio. He joins us to discuss how retailers who specialize in multi-component products (like bike shops and outdoors retailers) can effectively leverage e-commerce to boost their reach while retaining the associate expertise element key to the in-store experience. In news, we look at Sherwin-Williams, whose first-quarter growth was fueled largely by a continued uptick of sales to DIY customers in their retail stores. And, we look ahead to a growing store-in-store program between Tractor Supply Co. and a popular workwear brand.

Tractor Supply Co. is the largest rural lifestyle retailer in the United States today. Thanks to the right tech, they're able to offer customers convenience, choice, and safety in a difficult time. Joining us to discuss is their very own Glenn Allison (VP of Technology and Innovation) and Bill Benedict (Wireless Architect). Vincent Rendoni hosts.

Jason Savino announces that he has been voted in as a Chamber of Commerce serving Old Bridge, Sayreville and South Amboy Trustee. He discusses the ribbon cutting ceremony for a new local business in our community, Tractor Supply Co. in Old Bridge. Jason then does a deep dive into the return of a legend: the Ford Bronco. Learn more about the history of the generation of Broncos, an update on the 2021 Ford Bronco and when we will see it in showrooms and Jason's seven coolest things about the 2021 Bronco family. He finishes the episode with his week 3 NFL picks: Shelby F-150 sized, Explorer sized and EcoSport sized. Jason is 5-1 with these Ford sized picks so far this season against the spread.

This week Jessa tells about her experience in Tractor Supply Co. She also gives you the real experience of hearing the egg song! Don't forget to try out the "Chicken Trail Mix" recipe! Website: https://thechucklingchicken.wordpress.com

What is Green Goo, what hurdles did that face in the beginning and how are they helping people live better quality lives today. I got all the tea from one of the Co-founders Jodi. This woman-owned business is turning quite a few heads on the market. I personally love their products and gained so much inspiration from their story. Web: www.greengoo.com Follow: @greengoohelps About the brand: It was 2008 when we bought the original company from Nan, an herbalist and icon in California. My sister, Jen, was growing and wildcrafting calendula, chamomile, and a whole host of other herbs. While she was studying to become a certified herbalist and permaculturist, she would dry these herbs on an old screen door then use the warmth of the sun to infuse them in oils over the course of a full moon cycle. These infusions were used to create healing salves which were sold at local farmers' markets. At the time, Jen was also working as a midwife. She would often work throughout the day making salves in her kitchen, followed by night sessions assisting with childbirths. In 2009, Jen and Chris, who would later become her husband, moved to Idaho where they continued to make salves while working other jobs. Our mom, Kathy, and I would travel from Texas, where we lived and worked, to Boise, in order to help Jen with production, and we would also stay to sell salves at the various markets and festivals. Back then we were called Sierra Sage Herbs. And so it went on like this for a while, our family buzzing around the homestead, working around the clock, plant oils covering almost every surface and the scent of flowers wafting through every room. As sales grew, we gathered a small, but determined group of people to help us. We rented a small warehouse and moved some of the production out of Jen's kitchen. At this point, we were still mostly making salves for farmers' markets, festivals, family, and friends. The response to our products was incredible -- our salves were a hit! -- and we realized that we needed a website to help customers find our goods in between various markets and festivals. Luckily, our Mom, a self-taught graphic designer and website developer, came to the rescue. Then, in February 2012, while on vacation with the entire family in Hawaii, we gathered together for an “official” meeting that would change the course of our business. We had just received a request to put our products on the shelves at NGVC, which was our FIRST order from a natural food chain store. They were asking for price sheets and UPCs, which of course we promised, but did not have at the time. It was in this moment that we decided to shift our company from kitchen production and farmers' markets to something bigger. Our business continued to grow and in 2015, not only were our products in the gift bags at the Oscars, but we also participated in our first Outdoor Retailer show, where we received a big break working with Duluth Trading Company. At that point, we knew it was time to go all in. We did a brand refresh and changed the name of our product line from Sierra Sage to Green Goo. We made the collective decision to leave behind our former jobs and move our families to Colorado to be together in one place. And that's where we are now, in a little town called Lyons in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. We outgrew our first workspace pretty quickly, and we now have two office spaces, a warehouse, and a farm, where we live and develop our salves and other body care products. We've found our way into a pretty amazing group of retail stores, including Walmart, CVS, Target, Safeway, Tractor Supply Co., Meijer, and HEB, among many others. We now have around thirty employees, a group that includes family, friends from college, Lyons natives, and people we'll be friends with for the rest of our lives. We've come a long way since those early days, and it seems like every time we think we're going to hit a ceiling, we find more room to grow. We can't deny, nor would we want to, that a big part of our story is all of you. Whether it was the early adopters of the products in Idaho or the amazing families approaching us at farmers' markets looking for help, we wouldn't be here without you. We appreciate every bit of customer feedback and support, and we work every day to produce a line of products that will make us proud and make your life better. We're writing our next chapter right now. Please stay tuned as we learn and grow and continue to spread goodness. About the show: ► Website: http://www.ashsaidit.com ► Got Goli Gummies? https://go.goli.com/1loveash5 ► For $5 in ride credit, download the Lyft app using my referral link: https://www.lyft.com/ici/ASH584216 ► For discount Pangea Products: https://embracepangaea.grsm.io/ashsaiditmedia3226 ► Want the ‘coldest' water? https://thecoldestwater.com/?ref=ashleybrown12 ► Become A Podcast Legend: http://ashsaidit.podcastersmastery.zaxaa.com/s/6543767021305 ► Review Us: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ash-said-it/id1144197789 ► SUBSCRIBE HERE: http://www.youtube.com/c/AshSaidItSuwanee ► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/1loveash ► Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashsaidit ► Twitter: https://twitter.com/1loveAsh ► Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+AshSaidItMedia ► Blog: http://www.ashsaidit.com/blog ► Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/1LoveAsh/ ► Newsletter: manage1.com/subscribe?u=2a2ca3b799467f125b53863http://ashsaidit.us11.list-c8&id=a6f43cd472 #atlanta #ashsaidit #ashsaidthat #ashblogsit #ashsaidit® Ash Brown is a gifted American producer, blogger, speaker, media personality and event emcee. The blog on AshSaidit.com showcases exclusive event invites, product reviews and so much more. Her motivational podcast "Ash Said It Daily" is available on major media platforms such as iTunes, iHeart Radio & Google Play. This program has over half a million streams worldwide. She uses these mediums to motivate & encourage her audience in the most powerful way. She keeps it real!

What is Green Goo, what hurdles did that face in the beginning and how are they helping people live better quality lives today. I got all the tea from one of the Co-founders Jodi. This woman-owned business is turning quite a few heads on the market. I personally love their products and gained so much inspiration from their story. Web: www.greengoo.com Follow: @greengoohelps About the brand: It was 2008 when we bought the original company from Nan, an herbalist and icon in California. My sister, Jen, was growing and wildcrafting calendula, chamomile, and a whole host of other herbs. While she was studying to become a certified herbalist and permaculturist, she would dry these herbs on an old screen door then use the warmth of the sun to infuse them in oils over the course of a full moon cycle. These infusions were used to create healing salves which were sold at local farmers' markets. At the time, Jen was also working as a midwife. She would often work throughout the day making salves in her kitchen, followed by night sessions assisting with childbirths. In 2009, Jen and Chris, who would later become her husband, moved to Idaho where they continued to make salves while working other jobs. Our mom, Kathy, and I would travel from Texas, where we lived and worked, to Boise, in order to help Jen with production, and we would also stay to sell salves at the various markets and festivals. Back then we were called Sierra Sage Herbs. And so it went on like this for a while, our family buzzing around the homestead, working around the clock, plant oils covering almost every surface and the scent of flowers wafting through every room. As sales grew, we gathered a small, but determined group of people to help us. We rented a small warehouse and moved some of the production out of Jen's kitchen. At this point, we were still mostly making salves for farmers' markets, festivals, family, and friends. The response to our products was incredible -- our salves were a hit! -- and we realized that we needed a website to help customers find our goods in between various markets and festivals. Luckily, our Mom, a self-taught graphic designer and website developer, came to the rescue. Then, in February 2012, while on vacation with the entire family in Hawaii, we gathered together for an “official” meeting that would change the course of our business. We had just received a request to put our products on the shelves at NGVC, which was our FIRST order from a natural food chain store. They were asking for price sheets and UPCs, which of course we promised, but did not have at the time. It was in this moment that we decided to shift our company from kitchen production and farmers' markets to something bigger. Our business continued to grow and in 2015, not only were our products in the gift bags at the Oscars, but we also participated in our first Outdoor Retailer show, where we received a big break working with Duluth Trading Company. At that point, we knew it was time to go all in. We did a brand refresh and changed the name of our product line from Sierra Sage to Green Goo. We made the collective decision to leave behind our former jobs and move our families to Colorado to be together in one place. And that's where we are now, in a little town called Lyons in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. We outgrew our first workspace pretty quickly, and we now have two office spaces, a warehouse, and a farm, where we live and develop our salves and other body care products. We've found our way into a pretty amazing group of retail stores, including Walmart, CVS, Target, Safeway, Tractor Supply Co., Meijer, and HEB, among many others. We now have around thirty employees, a group that includes family, friends from college, Lyons natives, and people we'll be friends with for the rest of our lives. We've come a long way since those early days, and it seems like every time we think we're going to hit a ceiling, we find more room to grow. We can't deny, nor would we want to, that a big part of our story is all of you. Whether it was the early adopters of the products in Idaho or the amazing families approaching us at farmers' markets looking for help, we wouldn't be here without you. We appreciate every bit of customer feedback and support, and we work every day to produce a line of products that will make us proud and make your life better. We're writing our next chapter right now. Please stay tuned as we learn and grow and continue to spread goodness. About the show: ► Website: http://www.ashsaidit.com ► Got Goli Gummies? https://go.goli.com/1loveash5 ► For $5 in ride credit, download the Lyft app using my referral link: https://www.lyft.com/ici/ASH584216 ► For discount Pangea Products: https://embracepangaea.grsm.io/ashsaiditmedia3226 ► Want the ‘coldest' water? https://thecoldestwater.com/?ref=ashleybrown12 ► Become A Podcast Legend: http://ashsaidit.podcastersmastery.zaxaa.com/s/6543767021305 ► Review Us: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ash-said-it/id1144197789 ► SUBSCRIBE HERE: http://www.youtube.com/c/AshSaidItSuwanee ► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/1loveash ► Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashsaidit ► Twitter: https://twitter.com/1loveAsh ► Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+AshSaidItMedia ► Blog: http://www.ashsaidit.com/blog ► Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/1LoveAsh/ ► Newsletter: manage1.com/subscribe?u=2a2ca3b799467f125b53863http://ashsaidit.us11.list-c8&id=a6f43cd472 #atlanta #ashsaidit #ashsaidthat #ashblogsit #ashsaidit® Ash Brown is a gifted American producer, blogger, speaker, media personality and event emcee. The blog on AshSaidit.com showcases exclusive event invites, product reviews and so much more. Her motivational podcast "Ash Said It Daily" is available on major media platforms such as iTunes, iHeart Radio & Google Play. This program has over half a million streams worldwide. She uses these mediums to motivate & encourage her audience in the most powerful way. She keeps it real!

In this episode, the host of Fried Chicken Wednesdays invites their first guest to join the show, Sam. Sam joins in on the conversation about a new business in town, summer camps, and vacations. Sam reveals the celebrity sponsor for Tractor Supply Co, and with guesses like Larry the Cable Guy, Billy Ray Cyrus, and Jeff Foxworthy, you won't believe who has their own product line at Tractor Supply Co. Finally, Ryan talks about his strange Disney-themed dream where he and Luke were thrown in prison by Micky Mouse. But don't forget the Soft Serve where we find out what luxury food used to be served in prisons. ---This episode is sponsored by Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Option Block 350: TWTR Risk Reversal Rundown Trading Block: Interesting intra-day activity, but ended up closing basically unchanged. VIX cash back in the 11 handle range. A resurgence in Twitter. A banner day for Valero. Odd Block: Calls trade in PowerSecure International, Inc (POWR), calls roll in Ashland Inc. (ASH), puts trade in SM Energy Co. (SM), put spreads roll in Tractor Supply Co. (TSCO), puts trade in MagicJack Volactec ltd. (CALL). Mail Block: Listener questions and comments Question from JG - Hi guys! Love the show(s), I like really really love the show(s). Last Option Block you mentioned us providing our trades and you dissecting them. Just happens to be a very opportune time because I am currently in a trade and I'll provide my analysis and would like to hear you guys discuss. Question from Roger Edwards - Hi. Unusual options activity has drawn my attention to company A, which led me to discover that it's a takeover target by company B. Of course takeover timing is the big challenge. I know that company A has an upcoming ex-div date. Is an ex-div date relevant (factored into takeover timing) at all? Is there any advantage in company B timing its takeover of company A before or after the ex-div date? I'm just trying to use whatever information I can to select the right option expiration. Thanks so much. Question from Kaiserdog76 •  - "The Dumbest Investor In the World"  - Made good money on UA stupids and FB. Played for a bounce in IWM using options. As that one looks like it has the most room to run. Decent jobs numbers and the "Goldilocks" rally continues. - P.S. Rock Lobster would be proud of me. I even traded a couple Apple calls for a nice pop….Oh, Bita,bita,bita,bita........ Gotta love those China Tech stocks that Retail usually has no clue about. Excellent heads up. Maybe I will look for a bottom and get long again. I had bought 100 shares back when it was trading at $30. In less than a week I was up $600 and figured it could go down just as fast as it went up. Sold and never looked back. I might be breaking some rules here but I like to circle back to winning trades after I feel enough time has passed. Is that a bad habit? I do not have % stats or anything but I know that many have worked more than once. Thanks for refreshing my memory on BITA!   Around the Block: Andrew is amazed. Short trading week next week. Not expecting too much activity. Look out for early cash-settled indexes. Be prepared.

Option Block 350: TWTR Risk Reversal Rundown Trading Block: Interesting intra-day activity, but ended up closing basically unchanged. VIX cash back in the 11 handle range. A resurgence in Twitter. A banner day for Valero. Odd Block: Calls trade in PowerSecure International, Inc (POWR), calls roll in Ashland Inc. (ASH), puts trade in SM Energy Co. (SM), put spreads roll in Tractor Supply Co. (TSCO), puts trade in MagicJack Volactec ltd. (CALL). Mail Block: Listener questions and comments Question from JG - Hi guys! Love the show(s), I like really really love the show(s). Last Option Block you mentioned us providing our trades and you dissecting them. Just happens to be a very opportune time because I am currently in a trade and I'll provide my analysis and would like to hear you guys discuss. Question from Roger Edwards - Hi. Unusual options activity has drawn my attention to company A, which led me to discover that it's a takeover target by company B. Of course takeover timing is the big challenge. I know that company A has an upcoming ex-div date. Is an ex-div date relevant (factored into takeover timing) at all? Is there any advantage in company B timing its takeover of company A before or after the ex-div date? I'm just trying to use whatever information I can to select the right option expiration. Thanks so much. Question from Kaiserdog76 •  - "The Dumbest Investor In the World"  - Made good money on UA stupids and FB. Played for a bounce in IWM using options. As that one looks like it has the most room to run. Decent jobs numbers and the "Goldilocks" rally continues. - P.S. Rock Lobster would be proud of me. I even traded a couple Apple calls for a nice pop….Oh, Bita,bita,bita,bita........ Gotta love those China Tech stocks that Retail usually has no clue about. Excellent heads up. Maybe I will look for a bottom and get long again. I had bought 100 shares back when it was trading at $30. In less than a week I was up $600 and figured it could go down just as fast as it went up. Sold and never looked back. I might be breaking some rules here but I like to circle back to winning trades after I feel enough time has passed. Is that a bad habit? I do not have % stats or anything but I know that many have worked more than once. Thanks for refreshing my memory on BITA!   Around the Block: Andrew is amazed. Short trading week next week. Not expecting too much activity. Look out for early cash-settled indexes. Be prepared.