Over the past five years, Stafford Shurden has travelled across the South to celebrate great food for his "Gas Station Tailgate Review" program. His new book, "Meet and Three," is about his life experiences as a restaurant owner, farmer, and convenience store and gas station food connoisseur.

Hosted by:

Jeff Lenard

About our Guest:

Stafford Shurden, creator of Gas Station Tailgate Review

Shurden is a farmer, restaurant owner and former Justice Court Judge from Drew, Mississippi.

We're sharing insights from a recent road trip/market tour and the big takeaways on what’s new in convenience.

Hosted by:

Jeff Lenard

About our Guest:

Frank Beard, Convenience Retailing Expert

Frank is a Des Moines, Iowa-based marketer, speaker and writer who focuses on the convenience retailing industry. He serves as head of marketing at Rovertown, an app platform for convenience retailers.

A new Transportation Energy Institute report reveals what consumers think about the vehicle technologies and fueling options they're looking for.

Hosted by:

Jeff Lenard

About our Guest:

John Eichberger, Executive Director, Transportation Energy Institute

John has more than 20 years of experience in the fuels industry, including more than a decade leading the Transportation Energy Institute (formerly known as the Fuels Institute). Prior to that, he served for 15 years as vice president of government relations at NACS, with a focus on fuels- and energy-related issues.

Confidence isn't something you're born with—it's something you build. And when you build it, opportunities often can follow in both your professional and personal life.

Hosted by:

Jeff Lenard

About our Guest:

Juan Bendaña, author and keynote speaker

Juan is an internationally recognized speaker (including at the 2024 NACS Show) who helps leaders navigate uncertainty and exponential change by developing the unwavering confidence to thrive in any environment.

As convenience stores continue to advance foodservice, events like the NACS Food Safety Forum are helping industry leaders address traceability, implement new technology and maintaining consumer trust.

Hosted by:

Jeff Lenard and Chrissy Blasinsky

About our Guest:

Evan Powell, Retail Food Protection Manager, Kwik Trip Inc.

Evan Powell is the retail food protection manager at Kwik Trip. He is a graduate of Winona State University (Business Administration/Marketing) and Louisiana State University - Shreveport (MBA).

On July 17, the FDA announced that Juul Labs products are authorized in the market. However, the vape market still has very little clarity, and that was the focus of a July 18 letter from NACS and other groups to President Trump asking for action.

Hosted by:

Jeff Lenard

About our Guest:

Doug Kantor, NACS General Counsel

Doug has served as legal counsel for NACS for more than 20 years, originally as a partner with the law firms Collier Shannon Scott PLLC and Steptoe & Johnson LLP. He has been NACS in-house counsel since 2021. Doug also served as special counsel and deputy chief of staff in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Hybrid/remote workers and regular commuters shop and eat differently, and there are opportunities to craft messages that appeal to each group's interests, according to the findings from a recent NACS consumer survey.

Hosted by:

Jeff Lenard

About our Guest:

Adam Rosenblatt, Founding Partner, Bold Decision

Adam is one of the nation’s leading political consultants sought after for his ability to help clients achieve victory through effective research-based strategies and messaging. He designs and executes cutting-edge quantitative, qualitative, and data analytics programs for campaigns as well as non-political clients like NACS.

To celebrate our 500th episode, we are sharing our most popular episode, a conversation with William Shatner. He has some opinions!

Hosted by:

Jeff Lenard and Henry Armour

About our Guest:

William Shatner, legendary actor and icon

Captain Kirk, T.J. Hooker, Denny Crane, so many TV shows and movies and record albums, the oldest person to fly in space…need we go on?

A look at the key factors that could affect gas prices over the summer-drive season and the second half of the year—and how prices affect consumer behavior both at the pump and inside the store.

Hosted by:

Jeff Lenard

Jeff oversees internal and external communications at NACS. He has conducted over 6,000 interviews with reporters, mostly about fuels-related issues.

Store tours and discussions during the 2025 NACS Convenience Summit Europe in Copenhagen revealed opportunities for retailers to consider, no matter where they do business.

Hosted by:

Jeff Lenard

About our Guest:

Mark Wohltmann, Director, NACS Global

Mark is responsible for the strategic development of NACS Global, a worldwide network that supports convenience retailers and their businesses. He has more than 20 years of experience in research and consulting, with a focus on FMCG/CPG and retail. Mark began his career in the advertising industry, focusing on trade marketing and sales advertising in impulse retail channels at Dorland in Berlin and at Grey and BBDO in Duesseldorf.