On this episode of What Just Happened, host Christine Russo sits down with retail veteran Matt Marcotte to unpack leadership, culture, and the very human side of running iconic brands.

Russo keeps the conversation lively and sharp, cutting through corporate jargon with her signature edge:

• Employees as customers: Russo seizes on Marcotte’s idea of treating staff as your first customer and if brands skip over the people who deliver the experience, everything else is at risk to fall apart.

• Commission conundrum: Is there a tension retailers face balancing morale when paychecks are impacted.

• Tech toys vs. real tools: From “magic mirrors” to flashy in-store screens, Russo and Marcotte remind us that tech should enable human connection, not gather dust.

• Retail as a Sensory Journey: What IF retail organizations were structured differently?

• Culture = performance: Listen to the discussion in reaction to AT&T’s culture comments.

And yes, she even manages to work in a swipe at the New York Mets while giving Gap’s Richard Dixon credit for bringing joy (and selfies) back to the brand.