![Taking pride in retail artwork](https://images.pod.co/d6kNkfr4ySbqdc37xQBNP_XU4eXyE-cCBBCS5NPiJQE/resize:fill:600:600/plain/artwork/3bc88dd4-06fe-4f82-926c-d0dbac3d3f18/strategy-for-breakfast.jpg)
The retail industry is bouncing back after a tumultuous 2 years dealing with the effects of the pandemic, supply chain issues and the great resignation.
So why is it more important than ever for retail executives to take pride in their work? Balve Bains and Michelle Brown speak to Ron Thurston, an Amazon number 1 bestselling author with extensive experience leading retail operations for America’s most prominent brands.
He’s part way through a year-long tour called “Retail In America,” and joins us live from an airstream trailer to discover the real retail heroes across the country, and the latest industry trends since we last spoke. Let us know what you think in the comments or email [email protected].
Discussion points
- What’s new in retail since we last spoke in Sept 2021??
- Why has taking pride in your retail career has never been more valued?
- Why is brick and mortar retail so important today?
Get in touch
- Connect with Ron Thurston
- Connect with Balve Bains
- Connect with Michelle Brown
- Or email [email protected]
Resources mentioned in this episode
- GDS Group – Meet the Boss roundtables
- GDS Group – Retail summits
- If you want to join our community of executives leading the way in business and digital transformation, sign up here: The Leading Provider of Virtual Executive Events & Summits | GDS Group
Strategy for Breakfast
Is data really the new oil? Is AI going to take our jobs? And is remote work here to stay?
Welcome to Strategy for Breakfast: the podcast about real business challenges based on real business conversations.
Featuring opinion, facts, stories and stats around today’s most interesting business and technology topics, Strategy for Breakfast provides the perfect start to your day: insights from inside some of the world’s leading organisations, brought to life by our award-winning team of presenters.
Each episode contains powerful and practical insights to help you grow as a leader, with lessons collected from the C-level, VP and senior director level leaders attending GDS Group events – providing you with the intelligence your company needs to make better decisions.
Strategy for breakfast: the most important meal of the day.
GDS Group is a global events, research and technology services company dedicated to helping our clients meet the challenges posed by a fast-moving, disruptive business environment.
Meet the Hosts
![Kelley Iuele avatar](https://images.pod.co/OHeeukpHAcjlMzOQfkhJ7_nL_oagV2BQa9ms4jZQ8yg/resize:fill:600:600/plain/avatar/48a5232a-c790-457f-b3e7-86aa450214ed/7ab9d2f2-22b0-4ea9-b160-d26c134b54ad.jpg)
Kelley dreaded the obligatory “When I Grow Up” speech in elementary school. Couldn’t sleep for days leading up to it. All those eyes on her? Judging her? She hesitated even raising her hand in class, knowing the heat she’d feel across her cheeks when she spoke.
So it made perfect ironic sense she grew up to be a TV reporter, delivering the news in front of thousands.
What shifted? Kelley learned the power of story! We’ve all got one, and we all love to listen to a well-told one. Through her work in TV news, corporate America, the nonprofit world, and now moderating and hosting GDS events with business executives from around the globe, Kelley has been passionate about presenting information and stories in compelling, empathetic language.
![Ben Thompson avatar](https://images.pod.co/8k2pIbtbttURog02BdKIPKwneJDSonrS86C1hnzYWf8/resize:fill:600:600/plain/avatar/ffa32ebe-6860-4167-a88d-eaa863affaf3/78fdc610-c213-4170-a2df-f5238d7e856d.jpg)
As a journalist, editor and presenter, Ben has been writing and speaking about business, people and technology for the past 20 years. As Editor-in-Chief of Business Management magazine and host of Meet the Boss TV (as well as work for The Guardian and Bloomberg, amongst others) he’s interviewed some of the biggest names in business, spoken at international events and hosted countless roundtable discussions – a far cry from his early days working on music and skateboard mags. And while his love for music remains strong, it’s fair to say his best skating days are probably over.
Editor and Presenter at Meet the Boss
![Tim Cassidy avatar](https://images.pod.co/3o-wCJKt0MN2Z7mfMn57NKrA9awpAl3PrPVdjdvxlxw/resize:fill:600:600/plain/avatar/b0d2ed52-30d2-42e0-8424-801e9066c18b/a4321fb6-9ed2-4af6-8f24-86e23b6bb6af.jpg)
Tim is an Emmy award winning journalist who writes, hosts and moderates conversations surrounding digital transformation for GDS Group and Meet the Boss around the globe. Prior to joining GDS Tim worked as a television news reporter and anchor at affiliates WENY, WUHF, WBRE and News 12 Westchester.
Tim currently resides in New York City and looks forward to the conversation that helps you solve your biggest transformation challenges.
![Rebecca Solomon avatar](https://images.pod.co/s-DEq1ZCXg-KkQHzAos9E9d5nsFwNAO_spUzjs3NgQI/resize:fill:600:600/plain/avatar/27d2f20e-2bcf-40f5-82c0-08fdf4ce9b7f/d2634dc9-3cc6-4f8d-a984-6c7109573799.jpg)
Curiosity, compassion and an appetite for answers, Emmy award-winning television veteran, Rebecca Solomon, is thrilled to bring her journalism skills to GDS Group. Prior to GDS, Rebecca spent nearly 20 years as a TV journalist, working as a reporter and anchor in newsrooms across the United States. In 2019, Rebecca’s dream of landing a gig in the world’s largest market, NYC, came true! At WPIX 11, Rebecca covered all stories from the pandemic, to protests, politics and entertaining events happening around the region.
Rebecca’s excited to take her passion for storytelling and connecting with the Strategy for Breakfast Podcast audience! And when she’s not working, she’s spending time with her growing family, in her beloved community just outside of Manhattan. Rebecca enjoys fitness, getting creative in the kitchen and Broadway!
![Kristina Cartwright avatar](https://images.pod.co/UA6OQwHVNyTn3IFgoVTpBheXeO7uQhk3WPC0Yl_YYUA/resize:fill:600:600/plain/avatar/6e140702-95bc-4d62-ba3f-19f6a5ec6b63/081204f2-3179-4d24-99b2-86fe7635a84e.jpg)
Kristina Cartwright is a senior editor and presenter for GDS Group & Meet the Boss. In this role she travels around the world hosting a wide variety of b2b events speaking with C-level executives about their digital transformation projects. She also moderates several successful digital summits, webinars, and virtual roundtable discussions. Kristina is the new co-host on the podcast, “Strategy for Breakfast.” On the show she interviews guests and provides colorful commentary surrounding hot topics including innovation, security, and cloud migration. Kristina is an Emmy Nominated Reporter in New York with a background in TV News.
Prior to joining GDS she worked as a reporter and anchor for News 12 Networks serving the tri-state area. Kristina resides just outside of busy Manhattan with her rescue dog, Ellie.