S2E2- Building the Foundation for Retail Innovation - The Hierarchy of IT Needs

In Season Two, Episode Three of Blade to Greatness, Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden welcome Andy Laudato, COO of The Vitamin Shoppe and author of Fostering Innovation. Andy introduces his hierarchy of IT needs, modeled after Maslow’s pyramid, showing how retail leaders must first build a strong foundation before pursuing retail innovation. From keeping the lights on to creating value, Andy explains how CIOs can earn credibility, manage risk, and ultimately drive retail transformation.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why IT stability is the foundation for retail innovation
• How CIOs can balance operational excellence with retail transformation goals
• The importance of prioritization and clarity in project management
• Practical strategies for creating value before innovating
• Why data accuracy is critical for AI and analytics success

This discussion is perfect for retail executives, CIOs, IT leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators seeking practical strategies to build credibility and drive sustainable retail transformation and retail innovation!

👉 Stay Sharp. Lead Boldly. Stay Human.

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Guest Spotlight:

Andy Laudato, COO, The Vitamin Shoppe

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewlaudato/

Author, “Fostering Innovation,” available at Amazon: https://a.co/d/d7JxrfJ

Chapters:

00:00 Preview

00:49 Show Intro

02:40 Welcome Andy Laudato - Building the Foundation for Innovation

04:05 Hierarchy of IT Needs

06:29 Creating Value and Innovation

12:27 Balancing Operational Stability and Innovation

16:12 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

16:38 Show Close

Includes music provided by imunobeats.com, featuring Swag, Tag and Brag from the album Beat Hype, written by Heston Mimms, published by Imuno.

S2E2 - From Chaos to Confidence: Ron Thurston on Retail Clarity

Retail thought leader Ron Thurston joins hosts Ricardo Belmar & Casey Golden to tackle one of the most overlooked yet essential retail leadership skills: clarity.

Confusion breeds chaos. But clarity? Clarity builds confidence.

Ron explains why retail leaders must communicate with purpose, how clarity drives accountability and execution, & why frontline retail employees are the most important drivers of customer experience, loyalty, & conversion.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why clarity in retail leadership is more powerful than sharing more information
• How clear communication empowers retail teams to deliver consistent customer experiences
• The difference between information vs clarity
• Practical strategies like daily clarity check-ins to align store teams
• Why frontline employees hold the key to retail KPIs like conversion, retention, & loyalty
• How leaders can course correct when clarity is missing and avoid drowning teams in chaos

Clarity isn’t just a leadership skill — it’s the foundation of retail confidence, accountability, and execution. Tune in to learn how to move your team from chaos to confidence with Ron Thurston’s proven insights.

👉 Stay Sharp. Lead Boldly. Stay Human.

Subscribe to the Retail Razor Podcast Network: https://retailrazor.com/

Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://retailrazor.substack.com

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://go.retailrazor.com/utube

Guest Spotlight:

Ron Thurston, https://www.linkedin.com/in/rthurston/

“Human Pride” available on Amazon: https://geni.us/humanpride

Ron Thurston is a two-time #1 bestselling author of Human Pride and Retail Pride, keynote speaker, and passionate advocate for human potential in the age of AI. Recognized as a Retail Voice by NRF, a Top 100 Retail Technology Influencer for four consecutive years, and a Top Retail Expert for five, Ron also hosts the podcasts Frontline Fridays and Retail Intelligence in Action.

Includes music provided by imunobeats.com, featuring Swag, Tag and Brag from the album Beat Hype, written by Heston Mimms, published by Imuno.

S2E1- How to Empower Your Leadership Skills with AI

In this Season 2 premiere of Blade to Greatness, hosts Ricardo Belmar & Casey Golden sit down with renowned leadership coach and author April Sabral to explore how AI is transforming leadership in retail. Far from replacing leaders, AI is exposing poor leadership behaviors while empowering those who lead with curiosity, adaptability, and transparency. April shares insights from her new book Positive Accountability for Teams and explains why the future isn’t AI vs. people — it’s AI plus people.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why AI is exposing leadership failures, not just process gaps
• Why curiosity will replace control as the defining leadership trait
• The three essential leadership skills for the AI era: curiosity, ideation, and agency
• How to train humans and machines together for better outcomes
• Why adaptability and transparency are non-negotiable for future leaders
• How small retail businesses can use AI to compete with enterprise brands
• The role of positive accountability in driving change management

Subscribe to the Retail Razor Podcast Network: https://retailrazor.com/

Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://retailrazor.substack.com

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://go.retailrazor.com/utube

Guest Spotlight:

April Sabral — Leadership coach, author of Positive Accountability for Teams, and founder of RetailU and Ask April AI. https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprilsabral/

Learn more at www.AskApril.ai. & www.aprilsabral.com

Chapters:

00:00 Previews

00:53 Show Intro

02:57 Welcome April Sabral - AI Gives Leaders the Edge

03:39 The Role of AI in Leadership

04:41 Identifying Leadership vs. Process Gaps with AI

05:46 Training Humans and Machines Together

08:08 Essential Skills for Future Leaders

09:16 Positive Accountability and Change Management

10:42 AI's Impact on Small vs. Large Retail Businesses

12:20 Show Close

Includes music provided by imunobeats.com, featuring Swag, Tag and Brag from the album Beat Hype, written by Heston Mimms, published by Imuno.