Retail is changing faster than most leaders can keep up — and the answers aren't in another tech stack or another deck.
RETAIL IN AMERICA is the show for the people navigating that change: the leaders, the operators, and the builders who refuse to leave the human experience behind. Each week, Ron Thurston talks with the executives, founders, and frontline retailers shaping where the industry goes next — and what it actually takes to lead people, build culture, and grow a business in a store, not just on a spreadsheet.
Season 3 zeroes in on the human edge of selling: why the best retailers still win with people, presence, and craft — and how you can too.
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Inside Walmart’s AI Transformation: Empowering Work Across 1.5 Million Associates
Saison 2 · Épisode 8
mardi 20 janvier 2026 • Durée 26:37
What happens when AI isn’t built for people—but with them?
In this episode of Retail Intelligence in Action, sponsored by Microsoft, Ron Thurston sits down with Dave Glick, Senior Vice President of Enterprise Business Services at Walmart, for a rare inside look at one of the most ambitious, people-led AI transformations happening anywhere in retail.
Dave shares how Walmart is building AI capabilities at true enterprise scale—creating tools and platforms that empower campus associates today and ultimately support more than 1.5 million associates across the business. But this conversation isn’t about automation for efficiency’s sake. It’s about agency, ownership, and removing the friction that keeps people from doing their best work.
You’ll hear how Walmart is deploying:
Super agents that act as a single front door to work—routing tasks, knowledge, and workflows intelligently
Nano agents—small, purpose-built tools often created by associates themselves to solve real, everyday problems
AI-powered capabilities like real-time translation, intelligent prioritization, and workflow automation
One of the most powerful insights in this episode is how adoption actually happens. Instead of pushing new technology onto teams, Walmart created tools people pulled into their work—driving organic adoption, rapid iteration, and genuine enthusiasm. From late-night “vibe coding” sessions fueled by Diet Coke to hackathons where non-engineers build agents in minutes, Dave illustrates how culture—not code—determines success.
The conversation also explores how Walmart balances speed with responsibility. Rather than slowing innovation through fear, the company leaned into clear guardrails, trusted governance, and a shared belief that the biggest risk is moving too slowly. This mindset allows teams to learn fast, improve fast, and scale what works.
While Dave’s focus is enterprise operations, the impact reaches customers in a meaningful way. By reducing friction, eliminating root causes, and lowering operational costs, Walmart strengthens its Everyday Low Price promise—proving that associate empowerment and customer value are deeply connected.
At its core, this episode is a case study in what’s possible when technology and HUMAN PRIDE move together—and why the future of retail will belong to leaders who build AI that elevates people, not replaces them.
Key Takeaways:
Walmart is scaling AI in a way that restores agency and ownership to associates
Over 6,000 associates have been trained to build and deploy AI-driven solutions
Super agents and nano agents are transforming how work gets done—without overwhelming users
Real transformation happens when technology is pulled by teams, not pushed by leadership
Human-centered AI can drive efficiency, engagement, and long-term customer value simultaneously
Microsoft on the Frontline: Retail Intelligence in Action Part 2
Saison 2 · Épisode 7
jeudi 8 janvier 2026 • Durée 15:37
Voices from the Frontline: AI in Action: Episode 2, Part 2
In this episode of Voices from the Frontline: AI in Action, host Ron Thurston takes listeners inside the Microsoft Experience Center in New York City, where frontline work, customer experience, and AI-powered tools come together in real time.
Recorded on the retail floor at the Microsoft Experience Center, this conversation goes behind the counter to show how frontline teams are using technology not to replace human connection — but to strengthen it.
You’ll hear directly from Jasmine, a frontline leader, as she walks through how tools like Microsoft Teams, Dynamics 365, and Copilot work together to remove friction from daily work. From live inventory requests and mobile POS to appointment scheduling and service support, this episode shows how AI helps associates stay present with customers — without breaking the conversation or leaving the floor.
Key moments include:
How real-time “live requests” keep associates connected while serving customers
How Copilot summarizes appointment history so customers never have to repeat their story
How AI-generated notes save time and reduce administrative burden
How intelligent agents support onboarding, training, and process consistency
Why speed, clarity, and confidence matter most on the frontline
This episode also explores the employee experience — showing how AI tools support new hires, enable multimodal learning, and help frontline teams stay organized during high-volume, high-pressure moments.
LIVE in San Diego, CA with Kit Campoy; a voice for the frontlines of retail
Saison 1 · Épisode 24
mardi 24 janvier 2023 • Durée 36:55
Welcome to RETAIL IN AMERICA!
This podcast is part of The RETAIL IN AMERICA tour, my year-long journey to discover incredible retail heroes all across the country, celebrating our retail culture, community, and careers. Go to retailpride.com or IG @retail pride to see it all, including past podcast episodes, playlists, and future cities on tour.
Kit Campoy is a retail leader turned freelance writer and one of the most prominent voices for frontline retail teams on LinkedIn.
After graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Merchandising, she wanted nothing to do with retail management and had aspirations of being a stylist on photo shoots.
Then, a funny thing happened; she realized that she was good at leadership and liked it.
A move to San Diego landed her at Old Navy. A two-story behemoth where she was hired to plan shipments/merchandise, then a transition to PacSun, where she learned retail leadership 101. She quickly moved to a Store Manager position and worked for the company for five years.
A jump to Lucky Brand, then Anthropologie, and finally, Tilly's Store Manager, Carlsbad, at the Forum for nine years. Running that building with hundreds of people over the years and close partnerships with vendors and leaders at the home office was the honor & privilege of her career.
She ultimately left retail in February 2022 and is now a solo entrepreneur who does freelance writing and ghostwriting and writes two weekly newsletters. You can find her on LinkedIn daily, advocating for retail leaders and frontline employees.
You can connect with Kit on LinkedIn, DeSo, and Twitter. Give hustle-culture a break, and join her weekly and Kit writes personal essays on .
LIVE in San Diego, CA with Tony Drockton, Founder of HAMMITT
Saison 1 · Épisode 23
mardi 10 janvier 2023 • Durée 41:29
Welcome to RETAIL IN AMERICA!
This podcast is part of The RETAIL IN AMERICA tour, my year-long journey to discover incredible retail heroes all across the country, celebrating our retail culture, community, and careers. Go to retailpride.com or IG @retail pride to see it all, including past podcast episodes, playlists, and future cities on tour.
This conversation was recorded live in our Airstream in San Diego, CA, with Tony Drockton, Founder and self-proclaimed Chief Cheerleader of Hammitt, a genuine American luxury brand based in Los Angeles.
A lifelong entrepreneur, beginning with an MBA from Bowling Green in his home state of Ohio, Tony established his pattern of success early, through his start-ups in the construction and finance industries, before moving into this crazy fashion business.
Tony took the reins at Hammitt in 2008, overseeing its transformation from a best-kept hometown secret to a digital and retail phenomenon.
Tony is a philanthropist, speaker, mentor, and lifelong entrepreneur, but mostly, he loves experiencing the zest and wonder of life and brings all of that to this conversation. Enjoy!
A huge thank you to the three title sponsors fueling the RETAIL IN AMERICA tour and this podcast.
Spotify AdvertisingSpotify is the #1 podcast platform in the US and has grown to over 420M monthly unique registered users around the globe, over half of which are supported on the ad platform. Spotify advertising will help you reach and target your audience across devices, locations, and formats.
is a Frontline Employee Experience Platform. It’s an all-in-one mobile app that provides Retail leaders and their frontline teams with inclusive communications, mobile learning, and digitized task management - all in the flow of work.
LIVE in Napa Valley, CA with Nic Wiessler, Founder of WiesMade
Saison 1 · Épisode 22
mardi 13 décembre 2022 • Durée 36:11
Welcome to RETAIL IN AMERICA!
This podcast is part of The RETAIL IN AMERICA tour, my year-long journey to discover incredible retail heroes all across the country, celebrating our retail culture, community, and careers. Go to retailpride.com or IG @retail pride to see it all, including past podcast episodes, playlists, and future cities on tour.
This is a very entertaining episode because we are not recording in the Airstream; we are live in the design studio for WiesMade in Napa Valley, CA because I wanted to see the roots of the operation - and it's literally a historic barn behind Nic's home!
Nic Wiessler didn't start his career as the founder of the premium denim and knitwear brand WiesMade. Because before he was even considering launching his brand, he was a very successful retail leader for over 20 years with some of the country's most exciting and innovative companies.
It started at GAP, where he ran the stock room at his local store. When Nic graduated college, he took on other leadership roles in retail with Lucky Brand and later as the District Manager in Northern California for Restoration Hardware (RH). In 2009 he took on a DM role with Cole Haan and ultimately became the Head of Retail, overseeing 90 stores as they de-coupled from Nike.
Nic joined me at Bonobos in 2014 as part of a team that built it from a scrappy small group of 10 stores into a large 42-store fleet. Most recently, he was in the Director of Retail role at Guideboat, where he spent time in the design room working with their lux outdoor apparel line.
After two years of work, he will launch his brand WiesMade this month, which exclusively sources every piece from "dirt to denim" in the USA, and Nic is now working directly with two mills to develop his own fabrics for his brand.
LIVE in Malibu, CA, with Ted Harrington; think like a hacker!
Saison 1 · Épisode 21
mardi 29 novembre 2022 • Durée 35:01
Welcome to RETAIL IN AMERICA!
This podcast is part of The RETAIL IN AMERICA tour, my year-long journey to discover incredible retail heroes all across the country, celebrating our retail culture, community, and careers. Go to retailpride.com or IG @retail pride to see it all, including past podcast episodes, playlists, and future cities on tour.
This is an extraordinary episode filled with incredible takeaways from my great friend, Ted Harrington.
Ted has many titles, including the #1 best-selling author of HACKABLE, the Tech Done Different podcast host, and the Executive Partner at Independent Security Evaluators (ISE), the company of ethical hackers famous for hacking cars, medical devices, web applications, and password managers. Ted and his company have helped hundreds of companies fix tens of thousands of security vulnerabilities, including Google, Amazon, and Netflix.
Ted has been featured in over 100 media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, and Forbes. His team also founded and organizes IoT Village, an event whose hacking contest is a three-time DEF CON Black Badge winner.
And just last month, he delivered his first TedTalk!
But most importantly, he’s a man with great wisdom that he generously shared with me as we sat together a recent morning while the Airstream was parked in Malibu.
Don’t miss this conversation, as you may discover you’re a hacker too!
A huge thank you to the three title sponsors fueling the tour and this podcast:
LIVE in Malibu, CA with Misti Blasko from John Varvatos/All Saints and John Gregory from Spotify
Saison 1 · Épisode 20
mardi 15 novembre 2022 • Durée 41:50
Welcome to RETAIL IN AMERICA!
This podcast is part of The RETAIL IN AMERICA tour, my year-long journey to discover incredible retail heroes all across the country, celebrating our retail culture, community, and careers. Go to retailpride.com or IG @retail pride to see it all, including past podcast episodes, playlists, and future cities on tour.
Misti Blasko and I were introduced early last year through Kristen Conklin, who was guest number 1 on this podcast. She is a big fan of RETAIL PRIDE and wanted us to meet, and here we are!
John Gregory and I also met in early 2021; he interviewed me for the internal teams at Spotify Advertising about how to speak to retail executives in the selling process. He was an early advocate of my mission for the Retail in America Tour, and Spotify Advertising is now a title sponsor of my tour.
Please enjoy the conversation, it’s a great one, and contact me directly here to nominate a retail hero for this podcast, host a retail networking or book signing event in your city, or say hello!
The podcast team includes:
Live in Palo Alto, CA with Jill Grande from Tiffany & Co.
Saison 1 · Épisode 19
mardi 1 novembre 2022 • Durée 41:53
Welcome to RETAIL IN AMERICA!
This podcast is part of The RETAIL IN AMERICA tour, my year-long journey to discover incredible retail heroes all across the country, celebrating our retail culture, community, and careers. Go to retailpride.com or IG @retail pride to see it all, including past podcast episodes, playlists, and future cities on tour.
Today I am LIVE from the Airstream in Palo Alto, California, with Jill Grande, a Senior Director with Tiffany & Co.
Jill grew up in fashion because on Sunday mornings, when the other kids watched cartoons, she watched runway shows! She has led teams as small as 6 to groups of over 50, turning the poorest-performing businesses into record-breaking powerhouses.
Jill has traveled the world developing teams, diagnosed pain points in the fashion industry's most essential flagships, and proudly built fashion's biggest names alongside some of the industry's greatest leaders.
Full disclosure, Jill and I have known each other for over 12 years! I was the newly hired DM for Tory Burch for the west coast, and she was the GM of the store in Valley Fair Mall. Jill went on to open the Flagship on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, and I recruited her to work for me again at Saint Laurent as the Store Director of Valley Fair Mall, back where it all began.
Today, she is the Senior Director at Tiffany & Co. at Stanford in Palo Alto, California.
In 2019 also asked Jill to be a contributor to RETAIL PRIDE, and I'm proud to have been able to include her wisdom. You will no doubt hear how our connection and friendship run deep.
Please enjoy the show and contact me directly to nominate a retail hero for this podcast, host a retail networking or book signing event in your city, or say hello!
Live in Portland, OR with Josh Hagquist from prAna
Saison 1 · Épisode 18
mardi 18 octobre 2022 • Durée 40:39
Welcome to RETAIL IN AMERICA!
This podcast is part of The RETAIL IN AMERICA tour, my year-long journey to discover incredible retail heroes all across the country, celebrating our retail culture, community, and careers. Go to retailpride.com or IG @retail pride to see it all, including past podcast episodes, playlists, and future cities on tour.
What do being in a rock band, coffee, craft beer, and sustainable outdoor apparel have in common? Josh Hagquist will tell you! We spoke together in my Airstream at an RV park south of downtown Portland, and he is a man full of wisdom about life and leadership.
Josh Hagquist is the Head of Retail for prAna, based out of San Diego. We were introduced to each other because prAna is one of the emerging brands under the Columbia Sportswear umbrella and a customer of KWI.
A bit about Josh; after college, he plunged into the music world to tour, put out records, travel with his friends, and follow his passion for all things music almost exclusively for six years. He then landed with Starbucks and said he was" lucky to have some fantastic mentors and leaders who helped shape my ethos surrounding the customer experience and team building."
After Starbucks, he worked for almost ten years with Stone Brewing, managing multiple locations, building high-performing teams, and telling the Stone story to hundreds of thousands of patrons. His retail and life journey brought him to prAna in 2021, where their passion for the outdoors and sustainability was something that resonated with him.
You will hear how he still puts out records, plays the occasional show, and loves to make music. He is also an avid hiker, backpacker, and explorer, usually found on a random trail or remote road somewhere with his camera looking for obscure historical stuff! Enjoy the conversation.
Live in Seattle, WA with Dayna Brown from EVO
Saison 1 · Épisode 17
mardi 4 octobre 2022 • Durée 46:19
Welcome to RETAIL IN AMERICA!
This podcast is part of The RETAIL IN AMERICA Tour, my year-long journey to discover incredible retail heroes all across the country, celebrating our retail culture, community, and careers. Go to retailpride.com or IG @retail pride to see it all, including past podcast episodes, playlists, and future cities on tour.
I'm excited to be back live with guests as we make our way down the West Coast for the next couple of months. Today, we are sitting together in my Airstream, parked in northern Seattle on Lake Pleasant. It's a gorgeous setting in this vibrant city.
Dayna Brown is a native Californian like I am, raised in LA, working for over a decade in what she considers a career defined by retail, but it has led to so much more.
She went into retail sales because of her love for apparel and styling, but what she found along the way was a career inspired by how to help people feel good in their skin, help find out who they are in the world, and own it.
She has spent time with businesses, including Nordstrom, Bonobos, BCBG, and The Collected Group, until she had the opportunity to diversify and challenge her fashion background with EVO in the outdoor industry. Today, she is the Senior District Manager for this Seattle-based company.
And lastly, a huge thank you to the three title sponsors fueling the RETAIL IN AMERICA tour and this podcast.
Spotify Advertising Spotify is the #1 podcast platform in the US and has grown to over 420M monthly unique registered users around the globe, over half of which are supported on the ad platform. Spotify advertising will help you reach and target your audience across devices, locations, and formats.
The takeaway is clear:
AI isn’t replacing frontline teams — it’s elevating them.
When technology works quietly in the background, people can focus on what matters most: serving customers, solving problems, and creating meaningful human connection.
This is what Retail Intelligence in Action really looks like — not in theory, but on the floor, in the moment, with real people.
🎙️ Featuring frontline insights from Microsoft
📍 Recorded at the Microsoft Experience Center, NYC
Thank you to the three title sponsors fueling the RETAIL IN AMERICA tour and this podcast.
Spotify Advertisingis the #1 podcast platform in the US and has grown to over 420M monthly unique registered users around the globe, over half of which are supported on the ad platform. Spotify advertising will help you reach and target your audience across devices, locations, and formats.
YOOBIC is a Frontline Employee Experience Platform. It's an all-in-one mobile app that provides Retail leaders and their frontline teams with inclusive communications, mobile learning, and digitized task management - all in the flow of work.
KWIis the industry's only true turnkey omnichannel platform for specialty retailers.
With over 35 years of experience, let KWIhelp you execute flawlessly with the features that matter most, including endless aisle, clienteling, mobile checkout, inventory management, e-commerce, and more.
Contact me directly here to nominate a retail hero for this podcast, host a retail networking or book signing event in your city, or say hello.
Keep your retail pride strong, and I will see you on the road!
KWIis the industry's only true turnkey omni-channel platform for specialty retailers.
With over 35 years of experience, let KWIhelp you execute flawlessly with the features that matter most, including endless aisle, clienteling, mobile checkout, inventory management, e-commerce, and more.
Contact me directly here to nominate a retail hero for this podcast, host a retail networking or book signing event in your city, or say hello.
Keep your retail pride strong, and I will see you on the road!
Nic is a Northern California native, went to school at Sonoma State University, and enjoys everything the beauty of the Northern California coast has to offer, including free diving, spearfishing, and surfing.
Enjoy the episode, and please support Nic as he launches his new brand by subscribing at https://wiesmade.com
A huge thank you to the three title sponsors fueling the RETAIL IN AMERICA tour and this podcast:
Spotify Advertising Spotify is the #1 podcast platform in the US and has grown to over 420M monthly unique registered users around the globe, over half of which are supported on the ad platform. Spotify advertising will help you reach and target your audience across devices, locations, and formats.
YOOBIC Over 300 companies in 80 countries trust YOOBICto drive their retail performance at scale, get real-time visibility into multi-location business execution, digitized task management, and more.
KWIis the industry's only true turnkey omni-channel platform for specialty retailers.
With over 35 years of experience, let KWIhelp you execute flawlessly with the features that matter most, including endless aisle, clienteling, mobile checkout, inventory management, e-commerce, and more.
Spotify AdvertisingSpotify is the #1 podcast platform in the US and has grown to over 420M monthly unique registered users around the globe, over half of which are supported on the ad platform. Spotify advertising will help you reach and target your audience across devices, locations, and formats.
YOOBICOver 300 companies in 80 countries trust YOOBIC to drive their retail performance at scale, get real-time visibility into multi-location business execution, digitized task management, and more.
KWIis the industry's only true turnkey omni-channel platform for specialty retailers.
With over 35 years of experience, let KWIhelp you execute flawlessly with the features that matter most, including endless aisle, clienteling, mobile checkout, inventory management, e-commerce, and more.
A huge thank you to the three title sponsors fueling the RETAIL IN AMERICA tour and this podcast.
Spotify Advertising Spotify is the #1 podcast platform in the US and has grown to over 420M monthly unique registered users around the globe, over half of which are supported on the ad platform. Spotify advertising will help you reach and target your audience across devices, locations, and formats.
YOOBIC Over 300 companies in 80 countries trust YOOBICto drive their retail performance at scale, get real-time visibility into multi-location business execution, digitized task management, and more.
KWIis the industry's only true turnkey omni-channel platform for specialty retailers.
With over 35 years of experience, let KWIhelp you execute flawlessly with the features that matter most, including endless aisle, clienteling, mobile checkout, inventory management, e-commerce, and more.
And a huge thank you to the three title sponsors fueling the RETAIL IN AMERICA tour and this podcast.
Spotify AdvertisingSpotify is the #1 podcast platform in the US and has grown to over 420M monthly unique registered users around the globe, over half of which are supported on the ad platform. Spotify advertising will help you reach and target your audience across devices, locations, and formats.
YOOBIC Over 300 companies in 80 countries trust YOOBICto drive their retail performance at scale, get real-time visibility into multi-location business execution, digitized task management, and more.
KWIis the industry's only true turnkey omni-channel platform for specialty retailers.
With over 35 years of experience, let KWIhelp you execute flawlessly with the features that matter most, including endless aisle, clienteling, mobile checkout, inventory management, e-commerce, and more.
Please enjoy the conversation, and contact me directly here to nominate a retail hero for this podcast, host a retail networking or book signing event in your city, or say hello!
A huge thank you to the three title sponsors fueling the RETAIL IN AMERICA tour and this podcast.
Spotify Advertising Spotify is the #1 podcast platform in the US and has grown to over 420M monthly unique registered users around the globe, over half of which are supported on the ad platform. Spotify advertising will help you reach and target your audience across devices, locations, and formats.
YOOBIC Over 300 companies in 80 countries trust YOOBIC to drive their retail performance at scale, get real-time visibility into multi-location business execution, digitized task management, and more.
KWIis the industry's only true turnkey omni-channel platform for specialty retailers.
With over 35 years of experience, let KWIhelp you execute flawlessly with the features that matter most, including endless aisle, clienteling, mobile checkout, inventory management, e-commerce, and more.
YOOBICOver 300 companies in 80 countries trust YOOBIC to drive their retail performance at scale, get real-time visibility into multi-location business execution, digitized task management, and more.
KWIis the industry's only true turnkey omni-channel platform for specialty retailers.
With over 35 years of experience, let KWIhelp you execute flawlessly with the features that matter most, including endless aisle, clienteling, mobile checkout, inventory management, e-commerce, and more.
Please enjoy the conversation, and contact me directly here to nominate a retail hero for this podcast, host a retail networking or book signing event in your city, or say hello!
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