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𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙖 𝙘𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙧, 𝙖 𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙢 𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙭𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙥 𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙧?

𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗸𝗵𝗮 𝗝𝗮𝗶𝗻, Lead Partner for Simon-Kucher’s Consumer practice in North America, joins 𝗥𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹 and 𝗝𝘂𝗱𝘆 𝗦𝗲𝗷𝗶𝗻𝘆 to explore how we develop the judgment to ask better questions. She shares the choices that shaped her own path, from a childhood spent moving between countries to finding confidence at Smith College and choosing consumer work after investment banking.

The conversation brings together the art and science of understanding shoppers: what transaction data can reveal, how experience helps us interpret it, and why familiar explanations still need to be challenged. Shikha also considers how AI can accelerate work while leaving people responsible for understanding and improving the answers.

Drawing on Simon-Kucher’s New American Dream study, she discusses the increasingly personal meaning of success. For students and emerging professionals, that leads to a practical question about purpose: why do you want the opportunity in front of you?

Listen for a conversation about confidence, curiosity and staying open to what you have yet to learn.

𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗸𝗵𝗮 𝗝𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗶𝗼
𝘚𝘩𝘪𝘬𝘩𝘢 𝘑𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘚𝘪𝘮𝘰𝘯-𝘒𝘶𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳’𝘴 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘵𝘩, 𝘨𝘰-𝘵𝘰-𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘺, 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘭, 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘭, 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘺, 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘴, 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘶𝘹𝘶𝘳𝘺. 𝘏𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢, 𝘌𝘶𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦, 𝘈𝘴𝘪𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘓𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘵𝘩. 𝘚𝘩𝘪𝘬𝘩𝘢 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘔&𝘈 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘺. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘔𝘉𝘈 𝘪𝘯 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘨𝘰 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘉𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘉.𝘈. 𝘪𝘯 𝘌𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘚𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦.

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𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘱 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 - 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘣𝘶𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨?

𝗡𝗲𝗶𝗹 𝗦𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀, Managing Director of 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮’s US retail and consumer division, joins 𝗥𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹 and 𝗚𝘂𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻 to explore the people and experiences behind retail’s numbers. He traces his fascination with the industry from childhood visits to 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗟𝗲𝘄𝗶𝘀 to a career combining practical retail experience with research and analysis.

The conversation looks at how Neil brings together customer behavior, store observations and data to understand a business. It also asks where AI can help, which parts of shopping people actually enjoy, and why a longer path to purchase can change how retailers think about conversion and service.

Neil discusses value beyond price, the lessons found in other countries and disciplines, and the opportunities retail offers people with very different interests. For students and emerging professionals, his advice starts with trying things and noticing what captures your attention.

Listen for an analyst’s perspective on the human side of commerce - and a career story shaped by the desire to understand how it all works.

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝗶𝗹 𝗦𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀

𝘕𝘦𝘪𝘭 𝘚𝘢𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘋𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘭𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘋𝘢𝘵𝘢’𝘴 𝘜𝘚 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘏𝘦 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥𝘸𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘺. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘸 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘶𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘰, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘺𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘮 𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 2011 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘤𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘎𝘭𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘋𝘢𝘵𝘢. 𝘌𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘳, 𝘕𝘦𝘪𝘭 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘝𝘦𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘵, 𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘣𝘰𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘑𝘰𝘩𝘯 𝘓𝘦𝘸𝘪𝘴 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘴. 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘭 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘱.

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𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘢 𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘭?

For Shirley Gao, Pacsun’s Chief Digital and Information Officer, the answer starts with the business and the people it serves. She joins Rich Honiball and Gautham Vadakkepatt to trace her path from IBM mainframe development to retail technology leadership—and explain why curiosity about how a company works has remained central to her career.

The conversation explores Pacsun’s work in agentic commerce, the difference between preparing for change and assuming a technology is mature, and focused AI applications that help customers and store associates. Shirley also discusses listening to Gen Z and Gen Alpha, building a community through PSHub, and connecting customer signals with business decisions.

For students and emerging professionals, she offers a practical perspective on an uncertain moment: learn to understand problems, communicate with people, and use AI without surrendering ownership of your thinking.

Listen for concrete retail examples, an honest discussion of what is still developing, and a career story built around continuing to learn.

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗚𝗮𝗼
𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗚𝗮𝗼 𝗶𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘁 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝘀𝘂𝗻, 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲, 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆. 𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝗖𝗜𝗢 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗦𝗘𝗕, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝘀𝘂𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝘂𝗲𝗿, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗜𝗢 𝗮𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴’𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆. 

𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗿, 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝟭𝟮 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗚𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘀?, 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗜𝗢. 𝗛𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹, 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲, 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗿’𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗗𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆. 𝗛𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗮 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

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What does it take to build a business that becomes part of a community?

Jenny Crittenden, CEO of Retail Alliance, and Matthew Wagner, Ph.D., Chief Innovation Officer at Main Street America, join Rich Honiball and Jaime Lynn Curley to explore the people, possibilities, and responsibilities behind Main Street retail.

Both guests found their way into this work through unexpected opportunities and people who encouraged them to take a chance. Their stories open a conversation about what local retail offers customers, communities, and those considering a career or business of their own.

From a neighborhood coffee shop to the decisions behind an open sign, Jenny and Matt examine how relationships shape the experience of a place. They also discuss how AI-assisted search and social recommendations are changing the challenge of being found, and why successful ownership calls for listening, learning, and help from others.

For students, emerging professionals, business owners, and anyone curious about the future of local commerce, this is a candid look at what it means to build something whose impact reaches beyond the front door.

Key takeaways

• Main Street offers several ways into commerce. Jenny and Matt describe unexpected career paths, the value of mentors, and opportunities to develop skills across many parts of a business.
• A place can become part of the reason people visit. Matt’s neighborhood coffee-shop example explores the connection between a purchase, a shared experience, and community life.
• Ownership extends beyond the shop itself. Serving a community creates relationships and responsibilities that influence how owners lead and make decisions.
• Being found deserves attention alongside being good at what you do. Jenny raises questions about how small businesses appear in AI-assisted searches and how people discover them through social recommendations.
• The personal demands deserve attention too. Both guests discuss the complexity behind daily operations; Jenny describes the pressure of caring for a business, a team, and a family.
• Independence still requires other people. Their advice includes understanding local needs, finding mentors, listening to employees and customers, and seeking perspectives beyond your own.

About Jenny Crittenden

Jenny Crittenden is CEO of Retail Alliance, where she supports retailers through education, advocacy, and connections. Her background includes more than sixteen years in the Main Street ecosystem and leadership of the Main Street Preservation Trust in Gloucester, Virginia. There, her work earned national accreditation and a Main Street Forward Award for recovery initiatives that included an e-commerce platform for downtown businesses. She also represented small brick-and-mortar retailers on Virginia’s Governor’s Business Task Force. Jenny brings experience in community revitalization, entrepreneurship, and helping business owners find the resources and relationships to grow. 

About Matthew Wagner, Ph.D.

Matthew Wagner, Ph.D., is Chief Innovation Officer at Main Street America, where he leads research, new business support, and the development of tools and approaches for the Main Street network. His career spans downtown revitalization in Sheboygan Falls and Racine, Wisconsin; community affairs and redevelopment leadership at SC Johnson; and teaching entrepreneurship at the University of Wisconsin–Parkside. A Fulbright Specialist Scholar, Matt holds a doctorate focused on economic development and entrepreneurship. His work connects research with the practical challenges of supporting small businesses and the communities around them. 

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A resume can look flawless while the real story stays hidden. We sit down with Shannon Flanagan, a retail and retail tech leader and the founder of Retail Women in Tech, to talk about what actually shapes a career: the messy pivots, the painful exits, the values you violate when you start performing for other people’s scorecards, and the small decisions that quietly change everything.

Shannon shares the moment in her mid-20s when organizational change work helped her find a clear purpose: creating the conditions for people to love what they do every day. From there, we unpack three pivotal turns, including a “what did I just do?” detour that later became essential, plus the reality of going through four layoffs and learning to pause instead of sprinting into the next job. We also dig into comparison syndrome, how boundaries can disappear when you become a founder, and why “fit and fire” is a practical test for whether a role is still right.

We go deeper on what makes great leaders and great hires in today’s market, especially as AI recruiting filters and endless interview loops reshape the job search. We talk mentorship vs sponsorship, transferable skills, career mobility across retail merchandising, planning, and technology, and why learning isn’t measured by a grade or a title. We close with a powerful perspective reset from a service trip to Honduras and what it teaches about gratitude, joy, and impact.

If you care about career growth, leadership, women in tech, and the future of retail technology, listen now, then subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review with the biggest choice you’re making in your career right now.

Shannon's Bio

Shannon Flanagan is a retail leader, connector, author, speaker, and founder and CEO of Retail Women in Tech. Her career began in retail stores at 18 and has since spanned merchandising, consulting, sales leadership, general management, technology, and executive roles across some of the industry’s most recognized organizations.

She has led strategic initiatives as a senior executive at Gap Inc., Lands’ End, and Macy’s, and has partnered with hyper-growth startups and Fortune 500 companies through her work with Accenture, Slalom, Talkdesk, Writer, and retailconnected. Across each chapter, Shannon has stayed close to the human side of retail - the people, teams, customers, and communities that make the industry dynamic.

Today, through Retail Women in Tech, Shannon is focused on creating stronger pathways for women across the intersection of retail and technology. Her work centers on connection, career mobility, parity, and helping people build careers with greater intention and purpose.

She is also a RETHINK Retail Top Expert, NRF Top 50 Retail Voice, RetailWire BrainTrust member, advisor, and soon-to-be-published author of Choose, Don’t Chase, Your Career. At the heart of her work is a clear belief: when people are supported in doing work they love, the impact reaches far beyond the workplace.

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Retail works best when execution, perspective, and adaptability come together.

In this episode of Retail Relates, Rich Honiball and Judy Sejiny sit down with Nick Harbaugh, a retail construction and execution expert turned global content creator behind The Retail Nomad.

With more than 30 years of experience building stores across thousands of locations, Nick brings a rare perspective — one grounded in execution, but expanded through global observation.

Nick shares pivotal moments from his career, including the decision to leave traditional retail early, lessons learned from launching his own business, and how hands-on experience shaped his understanding of what actually works in retail.

The conversation explores:

• Why execution is often the missing link in retail strategy
•  How global retail environments differ from the U.S. — and what we can learn from them
•  The importance of creativity and differentiation in physical retail
•  Why leading organizations stay proactive, not reactive
•  How AI is reshaping retail — and where opportunity lies
•  What students and emerging professionals should focus on early in their careers

This episode offers a practical, experience-driven look at retail from the ground up — and a reminder that new perspective often comes from stepping outside your own environment.


👤 Meet Our Guest

Nick Harbaugh is a retail construction, project management, and supply chain expert with more than 30 years of experience in the retail and commercial sectors.

Throughout his career, he has led and executed multi-million-dollar projects across fixture installation, store build-outs, remodels, and large-scale rollout programs — working with global brands including Walmart, Samsung, Home Depot, Target, Sephora, Dyson, Mercedes AMG, and many others.

Nick co-founded Retail Marketing Services (RMS), growing it into a multi-million-dollar business serving major retail organizations across domestic and international markets. Following the successful sale of his company, he expanded his work globally, consulting across the retail ecosystem and contributing to projects in more than 100,000 locations across 15+ countries.

He is an active industry voice, speaker, and member of the Shop! Association, and a recognized leader in retail execution and supply chain collaboration.

In 2022, Nick launched The Retail Nomad, a global journey spanning more than 20 countries to document retail environments, share insights, and highlight innovation across markets. His work has earned recognition as a Top Retail Influencer (2023), one of the Top Retail Experts globally for 2024 and 2025, and an NRF Top 50 Retail Voice for 2026.

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Retail leadership at scale is not about volume.
It’s about alignment.

Celeste Risimini-Johnson operates at the center of one of the most complex intersections in commerce — merchandising, operations, omni-channel execution, and brand strategy — all inside an environment that serves the next generation of consumers.

As Chief Merchandise & Operations Officer at Barnes & Noble College, Celeste leads the General Merchandise business inclusive of omni-channel merchandising, planning & allocation, and merchandise information teams. She also oversees store operations, design & construction, and brand partnerships — a scope that requires both creative instinct and operational precision.

In this episode of Retail Relates, we explore what it really means to balance creativity with P&L discipline, and how leaders translate vision into execution across cross-functional teams.

About Celeste

Celeste Risimini-Johnson is the Chief Merchandise & Operations Officer for Barnes & Noble College.

She leads the company’s General Merchandise business across omni-channel merchandising, planning & allocation, and merchandise information. Her leadership also spans store operations, design & construction, and brand partnerships — connecting brand, space, and product into a cohesive experience.

Prior to Barnes & Noble College, Celeste held senior leadership roles at Lands’ End, Toys “R” Us, The Children’s Place, and Fullbeauty Brands. During her tenure at Lands’ End, she was awarded two Lighthouse Awards for Outstanding Leadership and Results.

She is a member of the Women in Retail Leadership Circle and holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Fashion Merchandising from Johnson & Wales University.

Her career reflects more than upward mobility — it reflects range. General management. P&L ownership. Merchandising strategy. Product development. Business development. Turnarounds. Launches. Expansions.

She is a merchant who understands that brand promise only works when it connects to the consumer — and when the numbers work.

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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, to partnering with data scientists at Stitch Fix, to leading global brands through moments of reinvention and exit. Across each chapter, her philosophy remains consistent: listen first, confront reality early, and connect strategy to the teams responsible for delivering it.

The conversation explores:

• Why curiosity is a leadership advantage, not a liability
• How psychological safety directly impacts performance
• The role of data in decision-making — and where it falls short
• Why transformation fails when leaders rush past understanding
• How to lead teams through change without burning trust

This episode offers a practical, experience-driven perspective on leadership, growth, and what it takes to guide organizations through complexity with clarity and care.

About Vanessa LeFebvre

Vanessa LeFebvre is a global retail transformation and growth leader with deep expertise across merchandising, brand strategy, and operational execution.

Most recently, Vanessa served as President of Champion Global, where she helped guide the brand through a $1.2B strategic exit, leading complex P&Ls across wholesale, DTC, licensing, and global markets. She now serves as Global President of Activewear at HanesBrands, overseeing a portfolio that includes Champion, Hanes, Alternative Apparel, and Gear for Sports.

Earlier in her career, Vanessa served as SVP, Commercial North America at Adidas, helping scale the region to $6B; President of Lord & Taylor; VP of Women’s Merchandising at Stitch Fix, partnering closely with data scientists; and as the principal architect of Macy’s Backstage, growing the concept from pilot to scale. She began her career at Lord & Taylor and has held leadership roles at TJX Companies and Daffy’s.

Vanessa holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, serves on the boards of Soles4Souls and Runway of Dreams, and is a founding member of Chief.

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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” concept before it became an industry cliché, to gaining fresh perspective by stepping outside a long-held role, to discovering why empathy and understanding are prerequisites for scalable innovation.

The conversation explores:

• Why many retail tech initiatives break down at scale
• How leaders can avoid groupthink when piloting new technology
• The role of empathy in leadership and transformation
• Why AI must reinforce fundamentals, not replace them
• How students and early-career professionals should prepare for a rapidly evolving commerce landscape

This episode is a grounded, experience-driven look at the intersection of technology, leadership, and retail — and a reminder that progress comes from understanding the problem before deploying the solution.

👤 Meet Our Guest

Ricardo Belmar is a go-to-market strategist and digital transformation specialist with more than 20 years of experience helping retailers and technology providers deliver elevated customer experiences and optimize business operations.

Most recently, Ricardo served as Director of Partner Marketing for Retail & Consumer Goods at Microsoft, where he led partner go-to-market strategy across the Americas. He is the producer and host of The Retail Razor Podcast Network, delivering sharp insights on retail technology, AI, and executive leadership.

Ricardo is a founding advisory council member at George Mason University’s Center for Retail Transformation and the Retail Cloud Alliance, a featured member of RetailWire’s BrainTrust, and a perennial Top Retail Expert (2021–2025) as recognized by RETHINK Retail. He has also been named a Top Retail Voice by NRF and a Top Thought Leader across retail, AI, and transformation by Thinkers360.

He is a longtime supporter of RetailROI, supporting efforts to help children in need worldwide.

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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 something far more personal — a failed baby monitor and a sleepless night that showed him how much families needed better, safer technology.

In this conversation, Rich Honiball and co-host Jamie Lynn Curley sit down with Kevin to explore the mindset behind a founder’s second act: how to stay grounded while scaling, how to hire for character over credentials, and why great companies start by listening deeply to the people they serve.

Whether you’re building a brand, leading a team, or navigating your next chapter, Kevin’s story is a powerful reminder that the best ideas often come from the problems closest to home.

Listen now to hear Kevin’s journey from performance apparel to family wellness — and what he’s learned along the way about innovation, resilience, and building with intention.

Kevin Lavelle Bio

Kevin Lavelle is an entrepreneur, investor, and brand builder known for transforming simple insights into category-defining companies. He is the Co-Founder and CEO of Harbor, a sleep-technology company built to improve family well-being through secure, reliable smart monitoring. The idea for Harbor emerged from a personal experience that exposed critical failures in existing solutions, inspiring Kevin to build a safer, more intentional system for parents and children.

Kevin is also the Founder and Chairman of Mizzen+Main, the menswear company that disrupted traditional apparel by introducing the world’s first performance fabric dress shirt. Under his leadership, Mizzen+Main attracted investment from L Catterton, launched partnerships with iconic athletes such as Phil Mickelson and JJ Watt, and expanded into hundreds of retail locations across the United States. His work helped redefine modern menswear and reshaped expectations for comfort, versatility, and performance.

A graduate of Southern Methodist University with a degree in Engineering Management, Kevin began his career at Oliver Wyman and Hunt Consolidated before launching Mizzen+Main in 2012. He has also served as Senior Vice President at Stand Together and remains an active mentor and advisor to early-stage founders.

Kevin’s philanthropic work includes partnerships with the Navy SEAL Foundation, The Travis Manion Foundation, and 31 Heroes, reflecting his longstanding belief that business can and should be a platform for service. He lives in Dallas with his wife and their two children.