Retail Relates

Retail transformation doesn’t start with bold declarations. It starts with listening.

In this episode of Retail Relates, Rich Honiball, Tony Wells, and Judy Sedjiny sit down with Vanessa LeFebvre, a global retail leader who has spent her career operating at the intersection of brand, data, and execution.

Vanessa shares pivotal moments that shaped her leadership journey — from building Macy’s Backstage into a scalable off-price format...

Retail doesn’t fail because of technology — it fails when leaders lose empathy for the people the technology is meant to serve.

In this episode of Retail Relates, Rich Honiball and Guy Courtin sit down with Ricardo Belmar, a retail technology strategist, podcast host, and longtime advisor to retailers navigating digital transformation.

Ricardo shares pivotal moments that shaped his career — from building an early “store of the future...

How do you build brands that actually solve real problems?
For entrepreneur Kevin Lavelle, the answer begins with curiosity, character, and the courage to act.

Kevin first broke onto the scene as the founder of Mizzen+Main, the performance fabric dress-shirt brand that changed modern menswear and grew into a national success with partnerships ranging from Phil Mickelson to L Catterton. But his newest venture, Harbor, began with...

From NIKE to The Estée Lauder Companies — and now the football fields of Northern Ireland — Michael Smith has built a career around people, purpose, and progress.

As the former CIO of Estée Lauder, a 22-year NIKE executive, and a C-suite leader across multiple Fortune 500 companies in sports, fashion, beauty, and pharma, Michael shares how leadership principles transcend industries. He reflects on lessons from mentors, the power of ...

Strategy gets headlines; execution wins seasons.

From West Point to the helm of PetSmart, Ken Hicks has built a leadership legacy defined by discipline, empathy, and execution. Before leading billion-dollar turnarounds at Foot Locker and Academy Sports + Outdoors, his first retail job was far simpler — filling bags of dirt at a local nursery, where he learned the patience and precision that still shape his leadership philosophy toda...

What makes a store truly memorable - and why do some spaces feel alive while others feel transactional?

In this episode of Retail Relates, we have a conversation with Elisa Servais, a retail design expert, researcher, and consultant whose journey has taken her from Shanghai, London, and Brussels. Elisa’s work bridges academia and practice, exploring what makes in-store experiences valuable and how design can foster empathy, connecti...

What happens when data becomes more than a tool and starts to shape how we lead, learn, and listen?

In this episode of Retail Relates, Rich Honiball and Guy Courtin sit down with Katherine Black, Partner at Kearney and one of RETHINK Retail’s Top Retail Experts for 2025. Katherine’s career has taken her from Capital One to dunnhumby, KPMG, and now Kearney - helping global retailers turn customer data into meaningful loyalty and long...

What happens when a chef becomes a changemaker? For Robert Irvine, transformation starts with discipline, purpose, and service.

From the Royal Navy to Restaurant: Impossible, Robert has built a career helping others overcome the impossible—whether turning around struggling restaurants or creating mission-driven brands like FitCrunch, Robert Irvine Foods, and Irvine’s Spirits.

In this episode, he shares lessons on leadership, technolo...

What makes a place unforgettable? For Kevin Kelley, it’s not about style or awards—it’s about how spaces shape human behavior and bring people together.

Kevin Ervin Kelley, AIA, is a behavioral design architect, co-founder of Shook Kelley, and author of Irreplaceable: How to Create Extraordinary Places That Bring People Together. For more than three decades, he has worked with brands like Harley-Davidson, Whole Foods, Kraft, and USA...

What does it take to turn a flip flop into a lifestyle brand? For Jeremy and Lila Stewart, it meant grit, resilience, and a belief that comfort, color, and community could reshape an industry.

Inspired by their time in Indonesia and frustrated by stagnant footwear options, the Stewarts launched Hari Mari in 2012. What started with crayon drawings and focus groups quickly ran into real-world challenges: supply chain failures, defecti...

How do you build PR platforms that move culture? For Erin Hawker, it meant starting with grit, finding the white spaces in fashion, and turning visibility into value.

As the founder of Agentry PR, Erin has shaped campaigns across fashion, lifestyle, and entertainment since 2010. She’s also the creator of New York Men’s Day, a showcase built to spotlight emerging designers and bring new energy to the menswear calendar. Her work combi...

What happens when sports, music, and food collide? For Alan Miller, it’s where culture transforms into connection.

As founder of COLLiDE Agency, co-owner of the Portland Pickles, and CEO of Official League, Alan has built his career at the intersection of passion and possibility. From campaigns for Converse and Dr. Martens to collaborations with bands like Fall Out Boy, Alan shows how premium, story-driven products turn casual fans ...

What does it take to revive an American icon? For Stephanie Stuckey, it meant reacquiring her family’s struggling roadside brand, embracing grit, and turning nostalgia into momentum.

Founded in 1937 by her grandfather, Stuckey’s became synonymous with pecan log rolls and quirky highway charm. At its peak, the company had over 350 stores, but decades of decline left it nearly forgotten. In 2019, Stephanie brought it back into family ...

What does it take to evolve from Marine Corps infantry officer to CMO and board leader? In this episode of Retail Relates, Tony Wells shares the lessons that carried him from the Marine Corps to the C-suite.

Tony’s career spans senior roles at Nissan, Visa, Schneider Electric, ADT, 24 Hour Fitness, USAA, and Verizon, where he most recently served as Chief Media Officer. Today, he’s a Venture Partner at AZ-VC and serves on the boards...

What happens behind the scenes to get that package to your doorstep? Guy Courtin pulls back the curtain on the hidden world of retail logistics in this eye-opening conversation about supply chain innovation, technology adoption, and what consumers never see.

As a veteran supply chain expert with 25 years of industry experience, Guy brings refreshing clarity to complex topics. He explains how the digital revolution has comp...

Where does true retail innovation happen today? According to Liz Allison, CEO of luxury salon and spa brand Tricoci, it's happening at the intersection of experience and commerce.

Liz's remarkable journey from JCPenney retail trainee to scaling a billion-dollar Sephora business to transforming Neiman Marcus offers a masterclass in retail evolution. Throughout our conversation, she shares candid insights about piv...

In this captivating episode, we sit down with Roger Lee, the visionary CEO of TAL Manufacturing. With decades of experience in the garment industry, Roger provides a unique insight into how TAL Manufacturing integrates sustainability into its core practices. He shares the company’s impressive journey towards carbon neutrality by 2050 and its pioneering efforts in made-to-measure clothing, which not only reduces waste but enhances c...

What if the future of retail isn't just about selling products but about building deep, meaningful connections? Join us as we welcome Dominick Miserandino, CEO of RetailWire, who opens up about his unique journey through digital media and modern retail. His career, shaped by pivotal experiences from Wall Street to the mentorship roles he embraced during the pandemic, is a testament to the power of treating people as individual...

Discover how Sheryl Adkins-Green, a seasoned business executive, turned her diverse career experiences into a leadership and brand strategy masterclass. From her early retail days to her transformative roles at Kraft Foods, Citigroup, and eventually, at Mary Kay, Sheryl shares pivotal career moments and the unique challenges she faced. This episode promises valuable insights into maintaining healthy professional relationships, less...