Taking pride in retail artwork
Strategy for Breakfast

Taking pride in retail

  • S2E11
  • 23:38
  • June 15th 2022

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

Sarah Tijou avatar
Sarah Tijou
Host and Podcast Editor

Sarah's extensive journalism experience spans across BBC Radio 1, BBC World Service, Global Radio, and ITN. Her passion for uncovering and reporting the human element behind every story fuels her mission to provide invaluable insights and intelligence that drive positive change for both organizations and individuals.

As a Presenter and Editor at GDS Group, she continues to harness her storytelling prowess to guide international business leaders through transformative journeys, bringing a unique global perspective to her work.

Beyond her career in the broadcast industry, Sarah's diverse experience as a police call handler, a bar manager, and a ski instructor, underscore her boundless curiosity and love for learning! Whether her summit is a snowy mountain peak or a global conference, she'll certainly be there!

Stephanie Garey avatar
Stephanie Garey
Host and Podcast Producer

After spending 12 years working in the events industry in London, Stephanie moved to Bristol in 2021 to join GDS Group as part of their presenter and content team. Since joining, she's become the Strategy for Breakfast podcast producer, and loves meeting and talking with guests to help our listeners on their transformation journeys.

Her favourite topics to discuss (other than music) are around diversity, environmental issues, and cyber security. 

Fun fact about Steph, she once spoke on the Pyramid stage at Glastonbury before Barry Gibb from the Bee Gees performed, combining her love of speaking and disco. 

Kelley Iuele avatar
Kelley Iuele
Host and Podcast Editor

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.

Colin Cosell avatar
Colin Cosell
Host

An over 20-year veteran of radio and television, Colin Cosell is thrilled to pick up the mic as a co-host for GDS’ Strategy for Breakfast Podcast! As a Master of Ceremonies for GDS Group, Colin has moderated hundreds of roundtable discussions along with several summits and live dinner events featuring corporate executives from some of the world’s largest companies. 

A Stamford, CT native but longtime New Yorker, Colin is also an Emmy Award Winning Broadcaster who moonlights as a stadium public address announcer for the NY Mets (MLB) and NY Riptide (NLL). When he’s not moderating, podcasting, announcing, or hosting, Colin can be found at home cooking with his wife, Julia, and rescue pup, Bagel (who isn’t much help in the kitchen).

Alex Wood avatar
Alex Wood
Host


Alex is an experienced presenter, journalist and content creator who joined the team at GDS Group in 2022. With an extensive background in TV and newspapers, Alex is an expert storyteller with a real knack for connecting with audiences – both physical and virtual. He has hosted numerous B2B events with some of the world’s biggest companies and is particularly passionate about sustainability. 

Ben Thompson avatar
Ben Thompson
Host

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
Tim Cassidy
Host

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.

 

Kristina Cartwright avatar
Kristina Cartwright
Host

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. 

Rebecca Solomon avatar
Rebecca Solomon
Host

    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!