We are here at ShopTalk 2025 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas and seeing and hearing all about the latest in retail, e-commerce, and more.

How much are your product returns costing your business—and how much opportunity are you leaving on the table by treating returns as a cost center instead of a competitive advantage?

Today, I’m excited to welcome Katherine Lehman, CMO of ReturnBear, a leader in reverse logistics and sustainable returns solutions. At ReturnBear, she’s helping brands turn returns from a logistical headache into a strategic advantage.

RESOURCES

ReturnBear: https://www.returnbear.com

Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Boston, August 11-14, 2025. Register now: https://bit.ly/etailboston and use code PARTNER20 for 20% off for retailers and brands

Don't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150

Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom

Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.show

Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com

The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow

The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

We are recording live at Qualtrics X4 in Salt Lake City and seeing and hearing all about how to create and enable amazing customer experiences.

If the student experience is the heart of a world-class academy, what happens when you realize there is room for improvement—and what do you do about it?

Today’s guest is Mike Milliron, Chief Operating Officer at IMG Academy Campus. Mike has played a key role in reimagining and transforming the student experience at IMG Academy, aligning student and employee experiences to create a seamless, enriching environment for everyone on campus. We’re going to dive into how they integrated feedback loops, broke down internal barriers, and shifted the entire campus culture toward an experience-first approach.

RESOURCES

Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Boston, August 11-14, 2025. Register now: https://bit.ly/etailboston and use code PARTNER20 for 20% off for retailers and brands

Don't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150

Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom

Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.show

Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com

The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow

The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

We are recording live at Qualtrics X4 in Salt Lake City and seeing and hearing all about how to create and enable amazing customer experiences.

Today we’re going to talk about enabling and accelerating customer experience success by augmenting your teams and processes with AI.

To help me discuss this topic, I’d like to welcome Isabelle Zdatny, Head of Thought Leadership for XM Institute at Qualtrics.

RESOURCES

Qualtrics: https://www.qualtrics.com

Qualtrics Report: https://www.qualtrics.com/news/qualtrics-report-executives-are-hesitant-to-lead-in-ai-transformation-putting-up-to-1-3-trillion-at-risk/

Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Boston, August 11-14, 2025. Register now: https://bit.ly/etailboston and use code PARTNER20 for 20% off for retailers and brands

Don't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150

Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom

Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.show

Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com

The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow

The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

This episode is brought to you by Landrum Talent Solutions, a national recruiting firm specializing in marketing and HR positions.

We’ve talked about volatile job markets before on this show, but has it been anything like what is currently going on? What should marketers looking for employment be expecting, and what should employers looking to hire be looking out for in the months ahead?

Today we’re going to talk about the current state of hiring for marketers, and how communication execs are responding to the latest developments in the world while still needing to get their work done.

To help me discuss this topic, I’d like to welcome back to the show Sue Keith, Corporate Vice President at Landrum Talent Solutions.

RESOURCES

Landrum Talent Solutions: https://www.landrumtalentsolutions.com

Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Boston, August 11-14, 2025. Register now: https://bit.ly/etailboston and use code PARTNER20 for 20% off for retailers and brands

Don't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150

Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom

Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.show

Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com

The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow

The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

We are here at ShopTalk 2025 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas and seeing and hearing all about the latest in retail, e-commerce, and more.

If customer acquisition costs are rising and conversion rates are falling, how will your brand survive the next wave of digital disruption—and who’s already getting it right?

Today, I’m thrilled to be joined by Jean-Christophe Pitié, Chief Marketing and Partnerships Officer at Contentsquare. Jean-Christophe brings a wealth of experience helping brands navigate the evolving digital landscape. Contentsquare works with top brands like The North Face, Clarks, Rhone, and Bose to optimize digital experiences and drive better business outcomes.

About Jean-Christophe Pitié

With 20+ years of experience in international marketing and partner engagement, Jean-Christophe Pitié is committed to supporting companies of all sizes in their digital transformation. Passionate about technology and retail, he spent two decades at Microsoft, where he had the opportunity to contribute to the cloud transformation and launched Microsoft 365 as well as leading Microsoft Stores. Today, as Chief Marketing and Partnerships Officer at Contentsquare, his main mission is to drive customer demand in markets around the world, continue to grow the company's rich partner ecosystem, and bring holistic customer experience insights to more teams worldwide

Resources

Contentsquare: https://www.contentsquare.com

Contentsquare case studies:

https://contentsquare.com/customers/the-north-face/

https://contentsquare.com/customers/zenni-optical/

Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Boston, August 11-14, 2025. Register now: https://bit.ly/etailboston and use code PARTNER20 for 20% off for retailers and brands

Don't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150

Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom

Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.show

Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com

The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow

The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

We are here recording live at Medallia Experience at the Wynn in Las Vegas, and have been seeing and hearing some amazing things about how AI can enhance the customer experience as well as enable teams at organizations to create more meaningful connections with customers.

Today we’re going to talk about how AI can help to create better experiences for customers before, during, and after their interactions.

To help me discuss this topic, I’d like to welcome Fabrice Martin, Chief Product Officer at Medallia.

RESOURCES

Medallia: https://www.medallia.com

Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Boston, August 11-14, 2025. Register now: https://bit.ly/etailboston and use code PARTNER20 for 20% off for retailers and brands

Don't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150

Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom

Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.show

Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com

The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow

The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

We are here at Medallia Experience at the Wynn in Las Vegas and seeing some examples of amazing customer experience and employee experience and the latest updates from Medallia.

Companies often separate Customer Experience (CX) and Employee Experience (EX) into different silos, but what if the real key to competitiveness and long-term success is in fusing the two together? How can organizations integrate CX and EX to create better customer interactions, drive employee engagement, and unlock real business value?

Joining me today is Sasha Fard, Country Lead for Customer Experience Management at Capital One.

RESOURCES

Capital One: https://www.capitalone.com

Medallia: https://www.medallia.com

Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom

Don't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150

Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.show

Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com

The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow

The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

We are here at eTail Palm Springs and seeing and hearing the latest and greatest in e-commerce and retail.

AI and automation are transforming retail operations, from customer experience to supply chain efficiency. But as we move into 2025, retailers face increasing tariffs, labor shortages, and cost pressures. How can AI not just improve margins but actually reshape the way retailers operate to stay competitive in a rapidly changing landscape?

Joining me today is Nick Stuart, US Consumer Products Senior Analyst at RSM, where he focuses on AI and automation’s impact on the retail industry. Nick brings deep expertise in customer experience, supply chain optimization, and workforce efficiency, helping businesses leverage AI-driven solutions to scale and improve margins.

RESOURCES

eTail Palm Springs: https://etailwest.wbresearch.com/

Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom

Don't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150

Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.show

Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com

The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow

The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

We are recording live at Qualtrics X4 in Salt Lake City and seeing and hearing all about how to create and enable amazing customer experiences.

It’s important to collect customer experience data, but if it’s not driving change across your organization, is it really helping your business? Today we’re going to talk about making meaningful cross-functional change, using CX research and data as a guide.

I’m joined by Adam Hagerman, Director of UX Research for Employer Products at Indeed. Adam has led transformative efforts at Indeed to turn customer experience research into cross-functional strategic change, driving real improvements in both user satisfaction and product success.

Indeed: https://www.indeed.com

Qualtrics: https://www.qualtrics.com

Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom

Don't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150

Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.show

Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com

The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow

The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

We are recording live at Qualtrics X4 in Salt Lake City and seeing and hearing all about how to create and enable amazing customer experiences.

How long would you like to wait to get customer insights? Weeks or minutes? Today we’re going to talk about how increasing the speed to insights can be a game changer for brands, and how synthetic feedback allows rapid testing and on-demand marketing intelligence..

To help me discuss this topic, I’d like to welcome Ali Henriques, Global Director of Edge at Qualtrics.

RESOURCES

Qualtrics: https://www.qualtrics.com

Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom

Listen to The Agile Brand without the ads. Learn more here: https://bit.ly/3ymf7hd

Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.show

Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com

The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow

The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company