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    macys

    Explore " macys" with insightful episodes like "Morning Retail : Quel avenir pour Macy's ? - 05/03", "Why Brand Continuity is Critical in the Digital Age with John Gregory, Former CDO at Spotify", "Christmas Songs and John Lennon, Wow!", "Marie and Karen Let it Snow" and "Multi-hyphenate-ing: Jackée Of All Trades (ft. Nina Parker)" from podcasts like ""Morning Retail", "Masters of MAX: The Mobile App Experience Podcast", "Coffee Break With Mary B's 5th Son", "Coffee Break With Mary B's 5th Son" and "FANTI"" and more!

    Episodes (48)

    Why Brand Continuity is Critical in the Digital Age with John Gregory, Former CDO at Spotify

    Why Brand Continuity is Critical in the Digital Age with John Gregory, Former CDO at Spotify

    Welcome to this week's episode of Masters of Max with host Tom Butta. Today, Tom is joined by John Gregory, a seasoned professional with a diverse background spanning retail, media, and digital. John has worked with renowned brands like Macy's, Bloomingdale's, AOL, Pandora, and Spotify.

    Throughout the conversation, John emphasizes the importance of brand continuity and delivering a remarkable and consistent customer experience across all touchpoints. He highlights the value of personalization and leveraging listener data in mobile app experiences to create engaging and relevant interactions. John also discusses the significance of balancing performance-oriented marketing with brand marketing to attract new audiences.

    He advises companies to focus on innovation, experimentation, and staying flexible in the ever-changing digital landscape. Overall, this interview provides universal insights and advice for any brand seeking to improve their mobile engagement and app offerings. John's extensive experience makes this interview a must-listen for any company looking to navigate the ever-changing digital landscape.

    Guest Bio

    John Gregory joined Spotify in April 2020 as Global Retail Category Development Officer to lead the retail vertical that supports efforts with key strategic partners in this industry sector. His role advocates Spotify’s platform capabilities to the retail industry, collaborating with internal teams to ensure the best solutions for retail clients are in development and also advising the selling organization on how best to address the needs of all sub-categories within the industry.

    Earlier in his career, John was VP-Retail Head of Industry at Pandora, Retail Category Development Officer at AOL, and Group VP of National Marketing Strategy and Campaign Planning for Macy’s Inc.

    Guest Quote

    "It all comes down to having a continuity between all the expressions of your brand, whether it be a mobile app or in store or even the advertising you may see throughout your daily life. There has to be a common thread of brand continuity to make it make the most sense and keep that experience with the consumer.” – John Gregory

    Time Stamps 

    *(01:16) John's Background

    *(05:01) Proving the value of your users

    *(08:08) Curating the experience for each unique consumer

    *(10:16) Evolving your physical brand to the digital world

    *(12:07) All about experience

    *(16:59) Spotify’s “The Stage Experience”

    *(19:24) Advice for digital native brands

    *(22:34) Rapid Fire Questions

    Links

    Christmas Songs and John Lennon, Wow!

    Christmas Songs and John Lennon, Wow!

    This week is fun with a special guest, Ed who was in the music business and will share his experiences with you today! Enjoy and happy Christmas season!

     -IF YOU LIKE THIS WEEKS EPISODE HELP US GROW THIS PODCAST BY RATING, SUBSCRIBE, AND FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @MARYBS5THSON. FINALLY, PLEASE SHARE THIS PODCAST WITH THOSE YOU LOVE TO HELP US CONTINUE TO CREATE CONTENT FOR YOU TO ENJOY EVERY SUNDAY MORNING OR ANYTIME! 


    Marie and Karen Let it Snow

    Marie and Karen Let it Snow

    This episode is a rerun of a classic episode from last Christmas. Enjoy!

    This week Jeff will share a bunch of thoughts about Christmas, television, life, and memories. This episode is action- packed. He also, offers a sweet tribute to Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac. Enjoy this cup of coffee with Mary B's 5th son this Christmas holiday season.
     
     -IF YOU LIKE THIS WEEKS EPISODE HELP US GROW THIS PODCAST BY RATING, SUBSCRIBE, AND FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @MARYBS5THSON. FINALLY, PLEASE SHARE THIS PODCAST WITH THOSE YOU LOVE TO HELP US CONTINUE TO CREATE CONTENT FOR YOU TO ENJOY EVERY SUNDAY MORNING OR ANYTIME! 

    Multi-hyphenate-ing: Jackée Of All Trades (ft. Nina Parker)

    Multi-hyphenate-ing: Jackée Of All Trades (ft. Nina Parker)

    This week, jarrett and Tre’vell discuss the pros and cons of having a multi-faceted multi-hyphen career with the help of television journalist and fashion designer, Nina Parker. We get into Nina’s career, overcoming failure, and how she juggles multiple passions all at once. But first, our hosts discuss Keke Palmer’s legal battle with her son’s father.

    Share your thoughts on what you love about the show with us! Speakpipe.com/FANTI

    Mentioned This Week

    Charles Jackson French

    DIS/Honorable Mentions

    jh:

    HM: Victoria Monet’s  7 Grammy Noms (Candice Benbow’s thread on Victoria)   &  Coco Jones’ 5 Grammy Noms

    HM: Kirk Franklin Reunion Tour

    HM: Keith Boykin, All Lives Matter

    TA:

    HM: The Big Holiday Food Fight hosted by Kym Whitley on Max (2021)

    Our Sponsors This Week

    Museum of Flight  “A Queer History of Aerospace” is a new audio miniseries from The Museum of Flight premiering October 24th, It explores the ways the LGBTQ+ community has shaped aviation and space exploration, and the ways the industry has impacted LGBTQ+ community. The ultimate goal is to encourage people who have been left off museum walls of the largest private, non-profit air and space museum in the world, to share their own histories.

    Listen at museumofflight.org/podcast or search “The Flight Deck” on your favorite podcatcher. New episodes every Tuesday!

    Plugs

    Historically Black Phrases

    We See Each Other: A Black, Trans Journey Through TV and Film

    We See Each Other: The Podcast

    The Official Rustin Podcast

    Nina Parker Macy’s Collection 

    Go ahead and @ us

    Email: FANTI@maximumfun.org

    IG

    @FANTIpodcast

    @Jarrett Hill

    @rayzon (Tre’vell)

    Twitter

    @FANTIpodcast

    @TreVellAnderson

    @JarrettHill

    @vivalapalma (Producer Palmira Muniz)

    @Swish (Senior Producer Laura Swisher)

    Laura Swisher is senior producer 

    Music: Cor.ece

    Graphics: Ashley Nguyen

    FANTI is produced and distributed by MaximumFun.org

    Cool Cats Take Manhattan (as Clon Takes The Lead )

    Cool Cats Take Manhattan (as Clon Takes The Lead )

    This episode we welcome Clon, creator of Cool Cats! Find out what's new in the Cool Cats world, including a big  feature in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!

    Links:
    Clon
    Cool Cats
    https://coolcats.com/
    NFTNYC art session
    Michael Keen @NFTicket
    Jennifer Sutto @jennifer_sutto
    NFT Catcher Podcast @NFTCatcherPod
    produced by Andy Cinquino  @ajc254
    NFT Catcher theme music by ItsJustLos
    email : NFTCatcherPod@gmail.com
    NFT Catcher Discord

    Episode 41: Titanic Conspiracy

    Episode 41: Titanic Conspiracy

    The Titanic, the unsinkable ship, sank in 1912. 

    Even in 2023, we are still fascinated by this tragedy and how things could have been different by simply making a few changes to a ship's safety protocols. 

    The conspiracy theories surrounding the Titanic are vast and compelling. Make sure you tune in this week to find out what they are!

    Also make sure you check out the Titanic Guy @raf_avila on Tiktok!

    Stay Smitten! 😻

    Tune in Wednesdays at 10 AM CST!

    Linktree: https://linktr.ee/kittswmitts

    Any ideas for an upcoming podcast?
    Email us! kittswmitts@gmail.com

    Dot Com Bomb: The Sequel? with Special Guest Daniel McCarthy

    Dot Com Bomb: The Sequel? with Special Guest Daniel McCarthy

    This week we take on the question of whether we are on the cusp of a retail disruptor apocalypse, with the help of return guest Daniel McCarthy, Assistant Professor of Marketing at Emory University's Goizueta School of Business and leading expert on customer-based corporate valuation.

    Before Dan joins us we briefly review the similarities between the first wave of online brands that subsequently melted down (remember Pets.com?) and what we've seen with the latest crop of digitally native brands (Warby Parker, Allibirds, Stitch Fix, TheRealReal, et al ) that have seen their valuations collapse and continue to struggle to get on a glide path to profitability. 

    Then Dan joins us to help dissect the underlying (and often challenging) unit economics of these fast growing brands, with a particular focus on Wayfair and Warby Parker. In addition to helping us understand how to better understand the relationship between customer acquisition costs and lifetime value, we learn about "CACulations" and the dangers of "spending up the wazoo."

    But we open with a review of the biggest news of the week, which revealed that the holiday season was not so merry and bright when it came to actually making much money. Target shared some curbside enthusiasm, while delivering pretty tepid results. Best Buy and Macy's lost ground, while warning about a difficult road ahead. Kohl's was exactly the train wreck we've been predicting. We wrap up with hot takes on Nordstrom bailing on Canada, Hanna Andersen's cleverly named resale entry, and Walmart's doubling down on same day delivery.

    We're headed to Las Vegas in March for another edition of Shoptalk. Retailers and brands can get a Shoptalk ticket for a reduced rate of just $1950 rate here using our special discount code RBREMARK1950.

    About Daniel

    Daniel McCarthy is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at Emory University's Goizueta School of Business. His research specialty is the application of leading-edge statistical methodology to contemporary empirical marketing problems. His research interests include customer-based corporate valuation, which he popularized, customer lifetime value, limited data problems, data privacy, and the marketing/finance interface. He is also actively researching the causal effect of actions and events on customer purchase behavior. His research has been accepted and published in top-tier academic journals, including Marketing Science, the Journal of Marketing Research, and the Journal of Marketing. His work has won numerous research awards, including the Lehmann, MSI Clayton, Gary Lillien Practice Prize, and MSI Young Scholar, and been a finalist for many others, including the Paul Green, Hunt/Maynard, MSI/Root awards. His work has been featured in major media outlets such as the Harvard Business Review, Wall Street Journal, FT, Fortune, Barronís, Inc Magazine, the Economist, and CNBC.

    About Us

    Steve Dennis is an advisor, keynote speaker and author on strategic growth and business innovation. You can learn more about Steve on his       website.    The expanded and revised edition of his bestselling book  Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption is now available at  Amazon or just about anywhere else books are sold. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a      Forbes senior contributor and on       Twitter and       LinkedIn. You can also check out his speaker "sizzle" reel      here.


    Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast,       The Voice of Retail, plus  Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor  with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.    You can learn more about Michael   here  or on     LinkedIn. 

    Be sure and check out Michael's latest venture for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

     

    About Us

    Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in April 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..

    Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.


    Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice, a keynote speaker around the world and consumer growth consultant.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast,   The Voice of Retail, plus  Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor , Canada's top food industry podcasts and one of the top management podcasts in the nation according to Apple, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.    You can learn more about Michael  on  LinkedIn. 

    Be sure and check out Michael's Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

    Shift Happens.

    Shift Happens.
    Unto us, a new addition to the gripe session familia has been born!!!! Welcome baby Kam! 

    Today, it’s an episode (mostly) about babies and shoes! Shanea has had her lovely little baby!!!! Yay! We are so excited and happy that mama and baby are home safely! We hope you enjoy this one!!! We sure did! 

    Jeff Is Over His Head At Christmas Time

    Jeff Is Over His Head At Christmas Time

    This week Jeff will share a bunch of thoughts about Christmas,  television, life, and memories. This episode is action- packed. He also, offers a sweet tribute to Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac. Enjoy this cup of coffee with Mary B's 5th son this Christmas holiday season.

    -IF YOU LIKE THIS WEEKS EPISODE HELP US GROW THIS PODCAST BY RATING, SUBSCRIBE, AND FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @MARYBS5THSON. FINALLY, PLEASE SHARE THIS PODCAST WITH THOSE YOU LOVE TO HELP US CONTINUE TO CREATE CONTENT FOR YOU TO ENJOY EVERY SUNDAY MORNING OR ANYTIME! 

    Meeting the Moment with Neighborhood Goods' CEO Matt Alexander

    Meeting the Moment with Neighborhood Goods' CEO Matt Alexander

    Our guest this week is Matt Alexander, co-founder and CEO of Neighborhood Goods, recorded live at GroceryShop in Las Vegas. 

    In a wide-ranging and thought-provoking interview, we first learn about the inspiration and evolution of Neighborhood Goods from a big picture vision to three physical locations (Dallas, New York and Austin, with more on the way). We then explore Matt's creative and unique take on concept development, merchandising, story-telling, and more, before moving into his fascinating thoughts on leadership, innovation, and more broadly, how culture affects retail. We wrap up with what's next for Neighborhood Goods (with a bit of existentialist philosophy thrown in for good measure).

    But first we take on the week in retail news, kicking off with a big picture overview of monthly sales and lots of retail earnings reports. We ponder what it all might mean for the near future, particularly as several retailers "pull their guidance." We then offer up quick hits on the decent (Walmart, Home Depot), the bad (Target), and the ugly (Kohl's), while considering whether Macy's "Polaris Strategy" is actually working. We conclude with our thoughts on the coming lay-offs and potential strategic shake-ups at Amazon.

    Steve's Forbes article on Macy's Turnaround Strategy

    Catch Steve and Michael at NRF's Big Show

    Past Episodes Mentioned

    Lori Stillman, from the National Association of Convenience Stores

    Target SVP Nancy King

    The Citizenry's Rachel Bentley and Carly Nance

     

    About Matt

    Matt is the co-founder and CEO of Neighborhood Goods.

    In his spare time, amongst other things, Matt is co-founder of not-for-profit, Unbranded, co-host of Bonanza! on Relay FM, a member of SMU's Dedman Executive Board, and advisor to a number of startups and accelerators.

    Matt has been fortunate to be named as one of Monocle's Top 25 Entrepreneurs, D CEO's Most Influential Leaders, FGI's Rising Stars, and more. Meanwhile, Neighborhood Goods has been named one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies, Chain Store Age's Breakout Retailers, and more.

    About Us

    Steve Dennis is an advisor, keynote speaker and author on strategic growth and business innovation. You can learn more about Steve on his       website.    The expanded and revised edition of his bestselling book  Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption is now available at  Amazon or just about anywhere else books are sold. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a      Forbes senior contributor and on       Twitter and       LinkedIn. You can also check out his speaker "sizzle" reel      here.


    Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast,       The Voice of Retail, plus  Global E-Commerce Tech Talks  ,      The Food Professor  with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and now in its second season, Conversations with CommerceNext!  You can learn more about Michael   here  or on     LinkedIn. 

    Be sure and check out Michael's latest venture for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

    About Us

    Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in April 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..

    Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.


    Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice, a keynote speaker around the world and consumer growth consultant.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast,   The Voice of Retail, plus  Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor , Canada's top food industry podcasts and one of the top management podcasts in the nation according to Apple, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.    You can learn more about Michael  on  LinkedIn. 

    Be sure and check out Michael's Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

    A Fashion Journalist's Runway To Tech (Adobe)

    A Fashion Journalist's Runway To Tech (Adobe)

    We are joined today by Omenaa Boakye who started her career working as a stylist for sets like CBS to home and lifestyle extraordinaire Martha Stewart and a host of renowned brands including Amazon, Saks, Macy’s and L’Oreal to name a few. The fashion polymath that she is, she has also worked as a fashion journalist writing for publications like InStyle to The Times in the UK. She has always been fascinated by the intersection of digital and tech with the world of fashion. She takes us on her journey to tech, and how her creative background and experiences have become a valuable perspective in the digital world as a product designer and user experience researcher for Adobe.

    Are Small Stores the Answer to Department Stores Woes?

    Are Small Stores the Answer to Department Stores Woes?

    This week we ask the question: can small stores save department stores? And do they, in fact, need saving? Despite the suggestion that the department stores may be rebounding, it is looking more like a dead-cat bounce. In response to decades long declines, Macy's and Kohl's are placing big bets on rolling out smaller stores as a way to revitalize market share growth. We dig into how we got here, why most departments stores have engaged in timid transformations, where we're going and what needs to happen to make a small store strategy work. We also explore Nordstrom's "Local" format strategy and whether a hub and spoke go-to-market strategy may be the way forward. 

    But first we open up with the retail news that caught our attention this week, including our take on what to make of last week's monthly retail sales data and a slew of earnings reports. As we heard from Walmart, TJX, Kohl's and others the vexing question is how they got stuck with so much inventory and what Target smart to take a big hit this past quarter. Then we discuss the new buy online pick up on floor initiative from Yeezy at the Gap, before dipping into a Business Insider story (pay wall) on Amazon's reboot of its physical store strategy. We close with a visit to the Wobbly Unicorn Corner as "disruptor brands" largely continue to underwhelm.

    Thanks to our presenting sponsor, MarketDial!

    GroceryShop discount offer:

    Valid for Retailers and Brands only, use code RBR1950  to access our special rate / ticket price is $US1950.  Offer code  expires 9/22/22.

    Past podcast episodes of note:

    Honey, I Shrunk the Stores

    Amazon and the Fault in Their Stores

    The Mall is Dead (Long Live the Mall)

    Blow It Up? It's Time for The Great Reconfiguration

     

    About Us

    Steve Dennis is an advisor, keynote speaker and author on strategic growth and business innovation. You can learn more about Steve on his       website.    The expanded and revised edition of his bestselling book  Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption is now available at  Amazon or just about anywhere else books are sold. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a      Forbes senior contributor and on       Twitter and       LinkedIn. You can also check out his speaker "sizzle" reel      here.


    Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast,       The Voice of Retail, plus  Global E-Commerce Tech Talks  ,      The Food Professor  with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and now in its second season, Conversations with CommerceNext!  You can learn more about Michael   here  or on     LinkedIn. 

    Be sure and check out Michael's latest venture for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

    About Us

    Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in April 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..

    Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.


    Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice, a keynote speaker around the world and consumer growth consultant.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast,   The Voice of Retail, plus  Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor , Canada's top food industry podcasts and one of the top management podcasts in the nation according to Apple, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.    You can learn more about Michael  on  LinkedIn. 

    Be sure and check out Michael's Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

    Why Does It Take A Crisis for Retailer's to Innovate?

    Why Does It Take A Crisis for Retailer's to Innovate?

    "The future is already here--it's just not very evenly distributed."

    - William Gibson

     

    In this episode we delve into why unremarkable retailers often struggle to make the changes they must until essentially being forced to, as well as what it takes to embrace a true culture of experimentation.

    Among the areas we explore are

    • Whether a retailer's culture is wired to say no or wired to say yes
    • Why many organizations fundamentally misunderstand risk
    • How establishing the innovation habit and an R&D budget can accelerate needed change
    • Which organizations are worth modeling.

     

    But first we open up with retail stories that caught our attention, including a big week in earnings reports from Macy's (not as good as many thought), Wayfair (a big whiff) and Allbirds (not so high flying anymore).

    We also announce plans for a future episode where we answer your questions. Please record your questions at Speakpipe.com/remarkableretail.


    Dan Pink's New Book The Power of Regret

    Michael's interview with Dan on The Voice of Retail #podcast

    Steven Pressfield's The War of Art

    Central Market rolls out curbside pick-up (2018)

     

    About Us

    Steve Dennis is an advisor, keynote speaker and author on strategic growth and business innovation. You can learn more about Steve on his       website.    The expanded and revised edition of his bestselling book  Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption is now available at  Amazon or just about anywhere else books are sold. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a      Forbes senior contributor and on       Twitter and       LinkedIn. You can also check out his speaker "sizzle" reel      here.


    Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast,       The Voice of Retail, plus  Global E-Commerce Tech Talks  ,      The Food Professor  with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and now in its second season, Conversations with CommerceNext!  You can learn more about Michael   here  or on     LinkedIn. 

    Be sure and check out Michael's latest venture for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

    About Us

    Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in April 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..

    Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.


    Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice, a keynote speaker around the world and consumer growth consultant.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast,   The Voice of Retail, plus  Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor , Canada's top food industry podcasts and one of the top management podcasts in the nation according to Apple, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.    You can learn more about Michael  on  LinkedIn. 

    Be sure and check out Michael's Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

    The Beginnings of Purpose (ft. Davin Salvagno, CEO, PurposePoint + Co-Founder, Purpose Summit)

    The Beginnings of Purpose (ft. Davin Salvagno, CEO, PurposePoint + Co-Founder, Purpose Summit)

    The Beginnings of Purpose (ft. Davin Salvagno)

    The inaugural show of Season Two of Playmakers introduces our central mission: to live on purpose.

    OPENING QUOTE:

    “If each of us could see the difference and the impact we make every single day through the work that we— not have to do, but the work that we get to do— then we would never work a day in our life.”

    —Davin Salvagno

    GUEST BIO:

    Davin Salvagno is the founder and CEO of PurposePoint, having previously served in leadership roles at Costco, Macy’s, and CVS Health. He is also the co-founder of the Purpose Summit, the world’s largest purpose-centric event which this year will be held in May at the University of Notre Dame football stadium. Davin is also a thought leader whose book Finding Purpose at Work is essential reading for anyone who wants a career and life filled with purpose and intention.

    Show Links:

    CORE TOPICS + DETAILS:

    [5:44] - Defining Impact

    Davin gives us a clear, concise, and memorable definition

    Davin defines impact as ‘when your life in some way, shape, or form enters the life of another in an indelible way.’ Indelible means your impact cannot be expunged, cannot be erased. When thought of this way, impact takes on a massive sense of responsibility.

    [10:31] - Be Before You Do

    Leaders start with who they are, not what they want

    Davin says that “Great leaders be before they do.” That means that before leaders begin making requests and moving resources, they first must live their purpose, embrace their gifts and talents, and find their ‘why.’ Without that, they’re just managers— not true leaders of others or even themselves.

    [24:44] - Lessons from Rocky

    Lessons on moving forward from our favorite fictional boxer

    In a recent installment in Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky franchise, Rocky Balboa tells his son, “It’s not about how hard you can hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.” What could we accomplish in our lives and careers if we got back up just one more time after being knocked down by circumstances or mistakes? When we find our purpose, we have the inspiration to find out.

    [31:10] - What Good Looks Like

    A powerful North Star to follow

    Davin Salvagno has spent his entire career on the hunt for ‘what good looks like’— so much so that he named his podcast after that search. When we look around us for true acts of goodness, whether in our personal lives or in the behavior of great organizations, we discover guiding principles we can follow to transform our lives and the lives of others for the better.

    [36:03] - The Purpose of Every Company

    Hint: it’s not making money

    If you want to launch or grow an organization around purpose, ask yourself these questions— how is it making a difference? How is it altering the course of people’s lives or moods in some positive way? As Patrick Lencioni says, ‘The purpose of every company is to improve the quality of human life in some way.’ If you focus on that first, other important measurements like profits, growth, and more will follow— and you and your organization’s members will be more fulfilled along the way

    RESOURCES:

    Follow Davin:

    Follow Paul:

    SHOW PARTNER:

    The WHY Institute

    Are you ready to find your ‘why’? Our partners at the WHY Institute have created the single most high-impact assessment for finding your personal why in life and work. In just five minutes, discover more about who you are, how you think, and why you do what you do than any other personal assessment available.  

    The best part? It’s completely free for Playmakers listeners. Are you ready to find our WHY in just five minutes? Take your assessment now.

    FREE ASSESSMENT

    ABOUT PLAYMAKERS: ON PURPOSE:

    The Playmakers: On Purpose podcast is an all-access pass to a purpose-centered tribe of leaders in business, sports, and life who are on a mission of meaning and impact. The show takes purpose from an out of reach North Star to a practical and tactical exploration of how we can step into each day, ON PURPOSE, where life no longer happens “to us”, it begins to happen “for us”. 

    From the Why Coach of the San Francisco 49ers to your coach, take a seat at the table with sports industry executive, #1 bestselling author, personal transformation expert, turned senior leader and advisor to PurposePoint and the Why Institute, Paul Epstein, in this inspiring, yet immediately actionable podcast. 

    From formative stories pre-purpose to personal and professional transformation’s post-purpose, each show will share a high-energy, prescriptive blueprint to ignite impact and drive inner success, fulfillment, and purpose no matter your starting point. It’s time to meet Paul at the 50 and get ready to live and lead ON PURPOSE.

    Learn more at: PlaymakersPod.com

    ABOUT DETROIT PODCAST STUDIOS:

    In Detroit, history was made when Barry Gordy opened Motown Records back in 1960. More than just discovering great talent, Gordy built a systematic approach to launching superstars. His rigorous processes, technology, and development methods were the secret sauce behind legendary acts such as The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross and Michael Jackson.

    As a nod to the past, Detroit Podcast Studios leverages modern versions of Motown’s processes to launch today’s most compelling podcasts. What Motown was to musical artists, Detroit Podcast Studios is to podcast artists today. 

    With over 75 combined years of experience in content development, audio production, music scoring, storytelling, and digital marketing, Detroit Podcast Studios provides full-service development, training, and production capabilities to take podcasts from messy ideas to finely tuned hits. Here’s to making (podcast) history together.

    Learn more at: DetroitPodcastStudios.com

    ABOUT THE HOST:

    Paul Epstein may not be a hard charging running back on the actual football field, but his list of high-profile wins in the world of sports will have you thinking that he could be.

    Paul has spent nearly 15 years as a pro sports executive for multiple NFL and NBA teams, a global sports agency, and the NFL league office. He’s transformed numerous NBA teams from the absolute bottom in league revenue to top-two in financial performance. He’s broken every premium revenue metric in Super Bowl history as the NFL’s sales leader. He opened a billion-dollar stadium, helped save the New Orleans NBA franchise, and founded the San Francisco 49ers Talent Academy.

    He's since installed his leadership and high-performance playbook with Fortune 500 leaders, Founders and CEOs, MBAs, and professional athletes.

    Now, as a global keynote speaker, #1 bestselling author, personal transformation expert, turned senior leader and advisor to PurposePoint and the Why Institute, and host of the Playmakers: On Purpose podcast, Paul explores how living and working with a focus on leadership, culture, and purpose can transform organizations and individuals anywhere to unleash their full potential.

    Learn more about Paul at PaulEpsteinSpeaks.com

    CREDITS:

    Exploring Plant Medicine with Puja Raman

    Exploring Plant Medicine with Puja Raman

    In this episode of Talking Smack 415, Jamie the Great & I chat with Puja Raman.  Puja shares her recent experiences with plant medicine and how it has helped her:

    •  manage her anxiety
    •  quit drinking
    • become more secure around other women 
    • become comfortable saying no 
    • create more space for herself with her kids

    Her journey has been so powerful that she never thought she could be this happy. Her dream is to help people integrate this healing into their lives.  

    If you're interested in learning more, Puja would love to connect.  Email her: pujalu@gmail.com