Beyond The Shelf

By David Feinleib

This show is an open exploration of the people and process behind E-Commerce. Through conversations with innovators in the space, we learn the stories of these leaders and their strategies for E

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FAQs about Beyond The Shelf:

How many episodes does Beyond The Shelf have?

The podcast currently has 112 episodes available.

Beyond The Shelf episodes:

February 24, 2026 Experiment More and See What Happens— with Tenacity Venture Capital’s Ben Narasin
Dave’s guest this week is Ben Narasin, Founder and General Partner of Tenacity Venture Capital. Ben is a venture capitalist and longtime entrepreneur who invests at the intersection of technology, commerce, and consumer behavior — with a career spent backing (and building) companies that shape how brands sell and operate in a digital-first world.
In this episode, Dave and Ben talk about how the VC lens on commerce has evolved, why “AI strategy” is quickly moving from curiosity to ROI scrutiny, and what founders and operators should do as the pace of change accelerates. Ben shares a pragmatic framework: empower teams to test, pilot, and measure quickly — because you can’t research your way into winning with emerging technology.
Connect with Ben on LinkedIn

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Learn More about It'sRapid
Get the It’sRapid Creative Automation Playbook

Take It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI survey
Email us at [email protected] to find out how to get your free AI Image Audit
Theme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.com
Producer: Jake Musiker
...more
33min
February 17, 2026 Performance Marketing that Drives Incrementality — with Ibotta's Chris Riedy
Dave’s guest this week is Chris Riedy, CRO at Ibotta, where he’s helping evolve promotions and offers into a true performance marketing engine for CPG brands.
In this episode, Chris breaks down why great sales is really about problem-solving, trust, and empathy - not transactions. He shares how Ibotta has evolved from a consumer app into a platform that connects manufacturers, retailers, and shoppers in moments that change behavior.
Dave and Chris also dig into what makes promotions incremental instead of subsidized, how creative and offers can travel across retail media and even into CTV, and why AI and machine learning are most powerful when they help marketers learn faster, not guess better.
Connect with Chris on LinkedIn

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Learn More about It'sRapid
Get the It’sRapid Creative Automation Playbook

Take It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI survey
Email us at [email protected] to find out how to get your free AI Image Audit
Theme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.com
Producer: Jake Musiker
...more
33min
February 10, 2026 Creative Strategy Before Creative Execution — with Matt Gehring
Dave’s guest this week is Matt Gehring, a returning guest on Beyond the Shelf and a seasoned growth advisor, independent brand strategist, and Fractional CMO.
Since first appearing on the show in 2024, Matt has stepped into a new chapter of his career — advising startups and early-stage companies on how to build momentum from the ground up. He brings deep experience from senior marketing and growth roles at brands including Rothy’s, Everlane, Dutch, and Lifeforce, where he’s helped teams navigate the critical 0-to-1 phase.
Dave and Matt dig into what actually drives early growth: building strong customer insight loops, prioritizing focus over channel sprawl, and launching campaigns that balance speed with strategic clarity. Matt also shares why creative strategy often breaks down before creative execution ever begins, and how AI can support ideation and acceleration when paired with clear direction.
Connect with Matt on LinkedIn

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Learn More about It'sRapid
Get the It’sRapid Creative Automation Playbook

Take It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI survey
Email us at [email protected] to find out how to get your free AI Image Audit
Theme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.com
Producer: Jake Musiker
...more
29min
February 03, 2026The Digital-First Approach — with Benedict Enterprises’ Scott Benedict
Dave’s guest this week is Scott Benedict, retail strategist, longtime merchant leader, and former Walmart and Sam’s Club executive with 35+ years across brick-and-mortar, eCommerce, and global retail. Today he runs Benedict Enterprises and serves as part of RETHINK Retail’s advisory group, helping brands and retailers navigate the rapidly evolving commerce landscape.
In this episode, Scott and Dave dive into:
How a “digital-first” assortment strategy is transforming retail
Why leading retailers now build online → store, not store → online
The emerging connection between digital retail media and in-store media
Walmart vs. Amazon’s differing approaches to AI — and why that matters
What solution selling looks like in an AI future
Why foundational data and system integration must come before innovation
The biggest opportunities for brands in 2026 and beyond
Connect with Scott on LinkedIn

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Learn More about It'sRapid
Get the It’sRapid Creative Automation Playbook

Take It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI survey
Email us at [email protected] to find out how to get your free AI Image Audit
Theme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.com
Producer: Jake Musiker
...more
29min
January 27, 2026 Transforming the Digital Shelf with AI - with Nestlé's Gloria DeCoste
Dave’s guest this week is Gloria DeCoste, Director of eCommerce & Digital Shelf Capabilities at Nestlé.
In this episode, Gloria and Dave explore what it means for brands to be present in an AI-driven commerce environment - not just visible, but structured, accurate, and ready for how discovery is changing.
Gloria shares how large organizations like Nestlé are thinking about the content supply chain, why foundational data and consistency matter more than ever, and how AI is reshaping the way products are found, evaluated, and purchased. They also discuss the shift from traditional search to AI-assisted discovery, and why brands that prepare now will have a meaningful advantage as these tools mature.
Connect with Gloria on LinkedIn

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Learn More about It'sRapid
Get the It’sRapid Creative Automation Playbook

Take It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI survey
Email us at [email protected] to find out how to get your free AI Image Audit
Theme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.com
Producer: Jake Musiker
...more
28min
January 20, 2026 How Regional Retailers Can Win in Retail Media — with DIGITS’ Dave Glaza
Dave’s guest this week is Dave Glaza, Founder & CEO of DIGITS Agency and a retail media pioneer who helped launch Target’s original Cartwheel loyalty app.
In this episode, Dave and Dave discuss why most retail media budgets fall short, how shopper data can be turned into real commercial outcomes, and what it takes to build a competitive retail media network in fragmented, mid-market environments. They also explore testing versus “tried and true” tactics, the role of CTV and influencers, and how AI-driven product discovery may reshape retail media over the next few years.
Connect with Dave on LinkedIn

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Learn More about It'sRapid
Get the It’sRapid Creative Automation Playbook

Take It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI survey
Email us at [email protected] to find out how to get your free AI Image Audit
Theme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.com
Producer: Jake Musiker
...more
27min
January 13, 2026 Functional Foods in an Omnichannel World — with Kettle & Fire’s Niccolò Gloazzo
Dave’s guest this week is Niccolò Gloazzo, Senior Director of Media & Omnichannel at Kettle & Fire, the brand that helped pioneer shelf-stable bone broth and functional soups.
Niccolò shares how Kettle & Fire grew from a digitally native brand into a national retail presence, and what it takes to manage DTC, Amazon, retail media, and in-store growth as a single, connected system.
The conversation covers why starting in DTC can create leverage across other channels, how reviews and content portability drive performance, and how retail media has evolved into a full-funnel growth engine. Niccolò also shares how seasonal moments, creative testing, and AI-driven planning are shaping the brand’s approach to modern commerce.
Connect with Niccolò on LinkedIn

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Learn More about It'sRapid
Get the It’sRapid Creative Automation Playbook

Take It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI survey
Email us at [email protected] to find out how to get your free AI Image Audit
Theme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.com
Producer: Jake Musiker
...more
28min
January 06, 2026Creative Finds the Audience — with Salt Media’s Jordan Witmer
Dave’s guest this week is Jordan Witmer, Managing Director of Retail Media & Consulting at Salt Media, where he helps brands unify creative, data, and performance across today’s fragmented retail media landscape.
Jordan’s journey spans Black & Decker, Hershey, and Johnson & Johnson (now Kenvue), giving him a rare, full-funnel view of how commerce, media, and measurement intersect.
In this episode, he and Dave unpack:
Why ROAS isn’t dead — it’s just misunderstood
How to balance brand goals and item-level data for smarter optimization
The shift toward campaign-first creative that adapts across every platform
Why physical retail is making a comeback in an AI-saturated world
Connect with Jordan on LinkedIn

Follow Beyond the Shelf on LinkedIn

Learn More about It'sRapid
Get the It’sRapid Creative Automation Playbook

Take It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI survey
Email us at [email protected] to find out how to get your free AI Image Audit
Theme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.com
Producer: Jake Musiker
...more
33min
December 30, 2025 REWIND: Reimagining Creative for Today’s Shopper — with PepsiCo’s Jared Taitel
This episode originally aired on October 31, 2023. We'll be back with a brand-new episode of Beyond the Shelf on 1/7/26. Happy Holidays!
Dave sits down with Jared Taitel, Director, eCommerce Marketing at PepsiCo, for a wide-ranging conversation on scaling creativity in one of the world’s most complex digital commerce environments.
Jared shares how PepsiCo approached creative automation early - and how the partnership with It’sRapid helped his team move away from one-off asset creation toward a more scalable, repeatable model across thousands of SKUs. The conversation explores what it takes to operationalize creative at enterprise scale, without sacrificing quality or brand standards.
Dave and Jared also discuss Jared’s unconventional path from the music industry into marketing leadership, the mindset shifts required to navigate constant change, and how emerging technologies, including generative AI, are reshaping retail media, content production, and team workflows.
Connect with Jared on LinkedIn

Follow Beyond the Shelf on LinkedIn

Learn More about It'sRapid
Get the It’sRapid Creative Automation Playbook

Take It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI survey
Email us at [email protected] to find out how to get your free AI Image Audit
Theme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.com
Producer: Jake Musiker
...more
42min
December 23, 2025 REWIND: Elevating Digital Commerce Content at Scale — with Mondelēz’s Eric Altschul
This episode originally aired on April 1, 2025. We'll be back with a brand-new episode of Beyond the Shelf on 1/6/26. Happy Holidays!
Dave sits down with Eric Altschul, Director of Digital Commerce Content at Mondelēz International, to discuss how one of the world’s largest CPG companies approaches digital content, automation, and the digital shelf.
Eric shares how eCommerce evolved from a secondary priority into a core function at Mondelēz, the role content plays in shaping shopper experiences across retailers, and why mobile-first visuals and PDP optimization are critical to winning online. He also discusses how partnerships - including Mondelēz’s work with It’sRapid - help teams automate and standardize content creation across thousands of SKUs while meeting retailer-specific requirements.
Connect with Eric on LinkedIn

Follow Beyond the Shelf on LinkedIn

Learn More about It'sRapid
Get the It’sRapid Creative Automation Playbook

Take It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI survey
Email us at [email protected] to find out how to get your free AI Image Audit
Theme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.com
Producer: Jake Musiker
...more
29min

FAQs about Beyond The Shelf:

How many episodes does Beyond The Shelf have?

The podcast currently has 112 episodes available.