The Retail Razor: Retail Transformers cover art

The Retail Razor: Retail Transformers

The Retail Razor: Retail Transformers

Written by: Ricardo Belmar | Top Retail Expert
Listen for free

About this listen

 Retail Transformers is your insider’s guide to the visionaries shaping the future of retail! Hosted by RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert & NRF 2025 Retail Voice, Ricardo Belmar, and RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert, Casey Golden, this podcast goes beyond trends and buzzwords to spotlight the executives, innovators, and thought leaders driving real transformation in retail. Whether they’re redefining the shopping experience, revolutionizing supply chains, enabling frontline store teams, or championing the next era of retail tech, these change makers are making a revolutionary impact. Join us as we dive into candid conversations with the people reshaping the world of commerce— from the boardroom to the showroom floor. If you're passionate about innovation, leadership, and the future of commerce, Retail Transformers is the podcast for you. Stay Sharp. Be Bold. Transform Retail. Subscribe today! Part of the Retail Razor Podcast Network: https://bit.ly/RRPNweb Newsletter: https://retailrazor.substack.com YouTube: https://bit.ly/RRShowYouTube LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/LI-RRazor BlueSky: https://bit.ly/TRRSbsky Instagram: https://bit.ly/TRRSinsta Threads: https://bit.ly/TRRSthreads Facebook: https://bit.ly/TRRSface© Copyright 2025 All rights reserved. Careers Economics Management Management & Leadership Personal Success
Episodes
  • AI and the Future of Retail - Dave Finnegan on Identity, Trust, Culture & Human Connection

    AI and the Future of Retail - Dave Finnegan on Identity, Trust, Culture & Human Connection
    Dec 23 2025
    S1E6 From Anthropology to AI: Dave Finnegan on What Retail Leaders Must Understand Now AI isn’t just a technological shift, it’s a cultural revolution. In this powerful episode of The Retail Razor: Retail Transformers, Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden sit down with retail innovation leader Dave Finnegan. Dave is a former CIO of Build‑A‑Bearand CIO/CMO of Orvis, explorer, anthropologist, and member of NRF’s CIO and CMO Councils. Get ready for one of the most thought‑provoking conversations of the season! Drawing from his global anthropology journey and decades of retail leadership, Dave explains how AI is reshaping identity, trust, power structures, and the human experience. This episode goes far beyond automation and efficiency to explore the emotional, psychological, and cultural dimensions of AI adoption. From empathy‑driven leadership to the rising value of authenticity, from the fear of becoming invisible to the need for human connection, Dave offers a blueprint for how retailers can navigate AI with humanity at the center. Key Topics Covered:Why AI is a cultural revolution, not a tech upgradeHow AI reshapes identity, trust, and human behaviorThe emotional barriers to AI adoption inside organizationsWhy empathy is now a top leadership skill for CEOsHow anthropological insights help retailers navigate disruptionThe next generation of consumers as “collectors of experiences”The rising importance of authenticity in an AI‑generated worldHow to build trust in AI‑generated data and insightsWhy human connection becomes more valuable as automation increasesThe role of play, experimentation, and co‑creation in AI transformation If you care about the future of retail, leadership, culture, or AI, this is an essential listen. Subscribe to The Retail Razor: Retail Transformers for more episodes featuring retail innovators, disruptors, and bold thinkers reshaping commerce. Subscribe to the Retail Razor Podcast Network: https://retailrazor.com/Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://retailrazor.substack.comSubscribe to our YouTube channel: https://go.retailrazor.com/utubeGuest info:Dave Finnegan. https://www.linkedin.com/in/davefinnegan/Dave Finnegan is an award winning retail innovator, brand anthropologist, and storyteller with over 25 years of experience leading customer experience, tech and digital transformation. He helped launch Build-A-Bear Workshop (CIO) and later served as Chief Experience Officer at Orvis, driving the brand’s most successful era. Dave now advises brands and investors through roles at BlackFinn, the NRF, and NewRoad Capital Partners. As a brand anthropologist and a member of the Explorers Club, in 2022 Dave dedicated a year to studying human experience. He traveled to every continent—interviewing indigenous leaders from the Amazon to Africa, scientists from Antarctica to the Galápagos, and some of the most interesting people in the world, including the librarian of the world’s oldest library at the Monastery of St. Catherine. He is currently pursuing a master’s in Anthropology at Harvard which is helping him to continue his journey to better understand human experience. Featured in Ad Age Magazine feature article covering Dave’s key partnership with the CMO on delivering meaningful digital experiences, and building a true strategic partnership: http://adage.com/article/cmo-interviews/questions-build-a-bear-workshop-cmo-teresa-kroll/235409/ Chapters:(00:00) Previews(01:30) Show Intro(06:44) Welcome, Dave Finnegan!(07:57) Dave Finnegan's Retail Journey(09:27) Anthropology and Global Experiences(10:47) The Next Generation of Consumers(13:31) AI and Cultural Impact(17:19) Navigating Technological Disruption(22:11) Human Connection in the Age of AI(25:42) Reflections on Past Tech Disruptions(28:40) Reflecting on Technological Evolution(31:03) AI and the Shift in Human Identity(38:04) Empathy and Leadership in the AI Era(44:11) Building Trust in AI and Data(52:20) Show CloseMeet your hosts, helping you stay sharp, be bold, and transform retail:Ricardo Belmar is an NRF Top Retail Voice for 2025 and a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert from 2021 – 2025. Thinkers 360 has named him a a Top 10 Thought Leader in Retail and AGI, a Top 50 Thought Leader in Management, Careers, and Transformation, and a Top 100 Thought Leader in Agentic AI and Digital Transformation. Thinkers 360 also named him a Top Digital Voice for 2024 and 2025. He is an advisory council member at George Mason University’s Center for Retail Transformation and the Retail Cloud Alliance. He was most recently the partner marketing leader for retail & consumer goods in the Americas at Microsoft.Casey Golden, is the North America Leader for Retail & Consumer Goods at CI&T. She is a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert from 2023 - 2025, and Retail Cloud Alliance advisory council member. Obsessed with the customer relationship between the brand and the consumer. Once immersed in fashion & supply chain ...
    Show More Show Less
    54 mins
  • Retail Leadership Lessons with Bobby Johnson – A People-First Culture

    Retail Leadership Lessons with Bobby Johnson – A People-First Culture
    Dec 4 2025
    S1E5 Retail Resilience & Innovation | Bobby Johnson on Mentorship, Culture, & AI In this episode of the Retail Razor: Retail Transformers Podcast, hosts Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden sit down with retail veteran Bobby Johnson, former people-first COO of BrandsMart and now co-founder of Spinjoy, a groundbreaking wash-and-fold laundry service in partnership with Walmart. Bobby shares his remarkable journey from appliance manager to C-suite executive, leading BrandsMart through decades of growth, resilience during the 2008 recession, and the challenges of COVID. His retail leadership philosophy is simple yet powerful: it’s never about the business; it’s always about the people. We explore:How Bobby grew BrandsMart’s profitability 4X annually by putting people firstThe importance of mentorship and building long-term employee loyaltyLessons in resilience and adaptability during retail crisesScaling people-first retail culture across multiple stores and marketsWhy Spinjoy’s Walmart partnership is set to disrupt the laundry industryHow customer-first convenience services are shaping the future of retail If you’re passionate about retail innovation, retail leadership, and customer-centric transformation, this episode is packed with insights from one of retail’s most experienced leaders. Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes featuring retail innovators, disruptors, and bold thinkers reshaping commerce.Subscribe to the Retail Razor Podcast Network: https://retailrazor.com/Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://retailrazor.substack.comSubscribe to our YouTube channel: https://go.retailrazor.com/utubeGuest info:Bobby Johnson, COO, Spinjoy, https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobby-r-johnson/Spinjoy, https://www.spinjoy.comAs a COO, retail operations executive, and strategic sales leader, I bring an extensive record of success and expertise in creating one of the nation's most robust retail operations, delivering world-class experiences for customers, and driving commercial success in highly competitive markets. I excel at standing up innovative new stores and distribution centers, building engaged, high-performance teams with a customer-first mindset, and helping C-level teams achieve exceptional objectives in short timeframes. Combining a dynamic approach to leadership with the personal philosophy that great people are the cornerstone of every successful company-I work effectively from the front lines to the highest levels of the industry, guiding my teams to tackle the toughest challenges and deliver exceptional value for stakeholders, employees, and the customers we serve. Chapters:(00:00) Previews(01:10) Show Intro(04:06) Meet Retail Transformer - Bobby Johnson(07:39) Challenges and Resilience in Retail(10:58) Mentorship and Leadership Development(18:42) Transition to Spinjoy: A New Venture(22:32) Reimagining Wash and Fold Services(25:29) Location Strategy and Demographics(27:19) Trust and Transparency in Leadership(28:22) Personal Costs of Leadership(30:48) Mentoring the Next Generation of Leaders(34:07) The Future of Retail and AI(36:47) The Pendulum of Technology Adoption(39:48) Final Thoughts and Contact Information(40:57) Show CloseMeet your hosts, helping you stay sharp, be bold, and transform retail:Ricardo Belmar is an NRF Top Retail Voice for 2025 and a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert from 2021 – 2025. Thinkers 360 has named him a a Top 10 Thought Leader in Retail and AGI, a Top 50 Thought Leader in Management, Careers, and Transformation, and a Top 100 Thought Leader in Agentic AI and Digital Transformation. Thinkers 360 also named him a Top Digital Voice for 2024 and 2025. He is an advisory council member at George Mason University’s Center for Retail Transformation and the Retail Cloud Alliance. He was most recently the partner marketing leader for retail & consumer goods in the Americas at Microsoft.Casey Golden, is the North America Leader for Retail & Consumer Goods at CI&T. She is a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert from 2023 - 2025, and Retail Cloud Alliance advisory council member. Obsessed with the customer relationship between the brand and the consumer. Once immersed in fashion & supply chain tech, now slaying Franken-stacks & building retail tech. She is also the Founder of Luxlock, a cross-channel customer experience management platform.Includes music provided by imunobeats.com, featuring Tropikool, from the album Future Beats 2, plus Virtual Apology and New Styles, from the album Shimmer Pop, written by Heston Mimms, published by Imuno.
    Show More Show Less
    43 mins
  • The Playbook for Scaling Startup Innovation with Anna Farberov

    The Playbook for Scaling Startup Innovation with Anna Farberov
    Nov 20 2025
    S1E4 - From Pilot to Scale: How Anna Farberov Drives Innovation at PepsiCo Labs In this episode of the Retail Transformers Podcast, hosts Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden talk with Anna Farberov, GM of PepsiCo Labs, about how one of the world’s largest CPG companies scales startup innovation from pilot to enterprise-wide transformation. Anna shares her journey from finance and strategy into corporate innovation leadership, revealing how PepsiCo Labs built a structured playbook for startup partnerships that achieves a remarkable 50% success rate. She explains how to avoid innovation theater, define clear KPIs for pilots, and separate AI hype from real agentic AI solutions that deliver measurable ROI. You’ll learn: How PepsiCo Labs partners with startups to solve real-world challenges Why KPIs and clear business cases are critical for scaling innovation Navigating the dynamics of corporate vs. startup innovation cultures How to identify AI hype vs. real solutions in startup pitches Why integrating multiple startups is often key to solving complex problems like digital twins What makes a startup pitch stand out—and what founders should avoid Whether you’re a startup founder, a corporate innovator, or curious about retail and CPG innovation, this episode offers actionable insights from one of the industry’s leading voices. Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes featuring leaders transforming retail, technology, and innovation. Subscribe to the Retail Razor Podcast Network: https://retailrazor.com/Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://retailrazor.substack.comSubscribe to our YouTube channel: https://go.retailrazor.com/utubeGuest info:Anna Farberov, GM, PepsiCo Labs. https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-farberov/Anna leads PepsiCo’s global engagement with technology companies - from emerging disruptors to the world’s largest enterprises. She partners with senior executives to identify, test, and scale solutions that are reshaping how PepsiCo operates across data, AI, manufacturing, supply chain, and logistics. Her work accelerates growth and drives transformation across one of the world’s largest consumer goods companies. Anna brings a unique blend of expertise in strategy, finance, commercial execution, and venturing. Earlier in her career, she led commercial initiatives across consumer, customer, and marketing functions, including new product launches, go-to-market design, and demand creation. She also built a foundation in finance at Procter & Gamble, holding roles in operations, commerce, and strategic planning. Prior to PepsiCo, Anna was a senior executive at Israel’s largest holdings company, where she led corporate strategy, investments, and the development of new growth platforms. This background in strategy and venturing now informs her work at PepsiCo Labs, where she builds models that connect corporate scale with technological disruption. A frequent speaker at global conferences, Anna shares perspectives on how leaders can harness technology ecosystems, bridge business and innovation, and lead organizations with clarity and impact in times of rapid change.Chapters:(00:00) Previews(01:03) Show Intro(05:06) Welcome Anna Farberov(07:02) Challenges and Risks in Innovation(09:27) Building a Systematic Playbook(11:41) The Importance of Clear KPIs(13:04) Navigating Corporate and Startup Dynamics(17:50) Secrets to Successful Innovation(20:46) What Makes a Startup Stand Out(25:17) Avoid Insulting Your Audience(26:19) Relevance of AI in Startups(27:18) Identifying Real AI Solutions(29:52) Integrating Multiple Startups(31:45) Future of Innovation and Technology(33:35) Balancing Innovation and Business Operations(36:46) Avoiding Innovation Theater(41:10) Advice for Future Innovators(44:45) Show CloseMeet your hosts, helping you cut through the clutter in retail & retail tech:Ricardo Belmar is an NRF Top Retail Voice for 2025 and a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert from 2021 – 2025. Thinkers 360 has named him a a Top 10 Thought Leader in Retail and AGI, a Top 50 Thought Leader in Management, Careers, and Transformation, and a Top 100 Thought Leader in Agentic AI and Digital Transformation. Thinkers 360 also named him a Top Digital Voice for 2024 and 2025. He is an advisory council member at George Mason University’s Center for Retail Transformation and the Retail Cloud Alliance. He was most recently the partner marketing leader for retail & consumer goods in the Americas at Microsoft.Casey Golden, is the North America Leader for Retail & Consumer Goods at CI&T. She is a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert from 2023 - 2025, and Retail Cloud Alliance advisory council member. Obsessed with the customer relationship between the brand and the consumer. Once immersed in fashion & supply chain tech, now slaying Franken-stacks & building retail tech. She is also the Founder of Luxlock, a cross-channel customer experience management platform.Includes music provided by ...
    Show More Show Less
    46 mins
No reviews yet