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.

S2 Trailer - Retail Executive Leadership & Coaching Insights for the AI Era

Welcome to Season 2 of Blade to Greatness—the podcast where retail leaders sharpen their edge. Hosted by Ricardo Belmar & Casey Golden, this series explores the essential skills & qualities every retail executive needs to lead boldly, stay sharp, & stay human in the AI era.

In Season 1, we uncovered the fundamentals of great leadership:

• how intrinsic motivation and autonomy unlock innovation
• why positivity is fuel, not fluff
• rethinking hiring, career development, & investing in people

Season 2 takes it further with new retail executives & coaching experts—to share actionable insights on:

• Building resilient & adaptable leadership cultures
• Leading through disruption & transformation in the AI era
• Practical coaching strategies for executives & C-suite leaders

If you’re a retail leader, this season will help you sharpen your leadership blade & lead with clarity.

👉 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

About your hosts::

Ricardo Belmar is an NRF Top Retail Voices for 2025 & a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert from 2021 – 2025. Thinkers 360 has named him a Top 10 Retail & AGI, a Top 50 Management, Transformation, & Careers, and a Top 100 Digital Transformation & Agentic AI Thought Leader. Plus a Top Digital Voice for 2024 and 2025. He was most recently the director partner marketing for retail & consumer goods in the Americas at Microsoft.

Casey Golden, is CEO of Luxlock, a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert from 2023 - 2025, and a Retail Cloud Alliance advisory council member. Currently, Casey is the North America Leader for Retail & Consumer Goods at CI&T.

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

S1:E9 Bridging the Gap: Communication from Floor to Corporate with. Ron Thurston

In this episode, hosts Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden speak with Ron Thurston, co-founder of Ossy and author of 'Retail Pride'. Thurston shares his wisdom on essential skills for retail executives and discusses empathetic communication between corporate and store teams. He emphasizes the three pillars of success: empathy, curiosity, and focus. By understanding and addressing the concerns of frontline workers, retail leaders can build trust and foster a collaborative environment. Thurston also highlights the impact of the hiring process on employee satisfaction and the importance of recognizing the distinct roles within a retail organization. Join the conversation as Thurston shares strategies to enhance the retail experience from recruitment to customer interaction.

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

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/RRShowYouTube

Meet your hosts:

Ricardo Belmar is an NRF Top Retail Voices for 2025 and a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert from 2021 – 2024. Thinkers 360 named him a Top 10 Retail Thought Leader, Top 50 Management Thought Leader, Top 100 Digital Transformation Thought Leader, and a Top Digital Voice for 2024. He is an advisory council member at George Mason University’s Center for Retail Transformation, and is the director partner marketing for retail & consumer goods at Microsoft.

Casey Golden, is CEO of Luxlock, a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert for 2024 and 2023, and Retail Cloud Alliance advisory council member. Obsessed with the customer relationship between the brand and the consumer. After a career on the fashion and supply chain technology side of the business, now slaying franken-stacks and building retail tech!

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

S1:E8 Cutting Out Negativity - Insights from April Sabral

In this episode, hosts Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden welcome April Sabral, founder of retailu.ca and author of 'The Positive Effect' and 'Incurable Positivity.' April shares her insights on the importance of maintaining a positive outlook in retail leadership. She discusses how to deal with negative news and conversations, emphasizing the importance of not getting enrolled in negativity and instead fostering productive and positive discussions. April provides practical advice for retail leaders on how to inspire their teams and achieve success even in challenging environments.

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

Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/RRShowYouTube

Meet your hosts::

Ricardo Belmar is an NRF Top Retail Voices for 2025 and a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert from 2021 – 2024. Thinkers 360 named him a Top 10 Retail Thought Leader, Top 50 Management Thought Leader, & Top 100 Digital Transformation Thought Leader, plus a Top Digital Voice for 2024. He is an advisory council member at George Mason University’s Center for Retail Transformation, and is the director partner marketing for retail & consumer goods at Microsoft.

Casey Golden, is CEO of Luxlock, a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert for 2024 & 2023, & Retail Cloud Alliance advisory council member. Obsessed with the customer relationship between the brand & the consumer. After a career on the fashion & supply chain technology side of the business, now slaying franken-stacks & building retail tech!

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

S1:E7 Cultivating Excellence: Positive Culture in Retail Leadership with April Sabral

Hosts Ricardo & Casey speak with April Sabral, founder of retailu.ca & author of 'The Positive Effect' & 'Incurable Positivity.' With three decades of experience leading retail brands, April shares valuable insights on the significance of fostering a positive workplace culture & its impact on productivity & employee retention. She discusses the essential skills leaders need to inspire their teams & stresses the importance of leadership in developing a thriving organizational environment. Learn practical tips on creating a positive culture that motivates employees & improves business outcomes!

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

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/RRShowYouTube

Meet your hosts::

Ricardo Belmar is an NRF Top Retail Voices for 2025 and a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert from 2021 – 2024. Thinkers 360 named him a Top 10 Retail Thought Leader, Top 50 Management Thought Leader, Top 100 Digital Transformation Thought Leader, and a Top Digital Voice for 2024. He is an advisory council member at George Mason University’s Center for Retail Transformation, and is the director partner marketing for retail & consumer goods at Microsoft.

Casey Golden, is CEO of Luxlock, a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert for 2024 & 2023, & Retail Cloud Alliance advisory council member. Obsessed with the customer relationship between the brand & the consumer. After a career on the fashion & supply chain technology side of the business, now slaying franken-stacks & building retail tech!

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

S1:E6 Career Advancement Strategies in Retail: Insights from Ron Thurston

Ricardo & Casey welcome Ron Thurston, co-founder of Ossy & author of 'Retail Pride,' to discuss fostering a career development culture within retail. Ron shares his experiences & insights on mentorship & career development - key to retaining retail employees. He discusses recent statistics on turnover & the significance of addressing scheduling, benefits, & staff shortages. By engaging field teams & creating a culture of feedback & recognition, Ron emphasizes the critical steps leaders can take to improve retention & drive success.

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

Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/RRShowYouTube

Meet your hosts::

Ricardo Belmar is an NRF Top Retail Voices for 2025 and a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert from 2021 – 2024. Thinkers 360 named him a Top 10 Retail Thought Leader, Top 50 Management Thought Leader, & Top 100 Digital Transformation Thought Leader, plus a Top Digital Voice for 2024. He is an advisory council member at George Mason University’s Center for Retail Transformation, and is the director partner marketing for retail & consumer goods at Microsoft.

Casey Golden, is CEO of Luxlock, a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert for 2024 & 2023, & Retail Cloud Alliance advisory council member. Obsessed with the customer relationship between the brand & the consumer. After a career on the fashion & supply chain technology side of the business, now slaying franken-stacks & building retail tech!

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