Beyond The Shelf – Details, episodes & analysis

This week Dave is joined by Molly Hjelm, Corporate Vice President & Head of Retail Media at Ace Hardware's RedVest Media, . Molly shares what it takes to build a retail media network from scratch, while honoring the voice of thousands of independently owned stores.

She breaks down what hyperlocal really means (it’s not just geography), how she applied learnings from grocery and dollar, and why in-store activation still matters in a digital-first world.

Connect with Molly on LinkedIn

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Theme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.com

Producer: Jake Musiker

This week on Beyond the Shelf, we’re joined by Carter Zwick, Partnerships and Insights Lead at Snag, a retail activation platform helping brands get in front of the Gen Z shopper with smarter sampling and real-world insights.

College students are some of the most valuable—and most overlooked—shoppers in the market today. So how do you reach them early and build brand loyalty that lasts?

Carter shares how his own caffeine habits were shaped in a college dorm room, why brands need to meet students where they are (physically and emotionally), and how to turn sampling into something measurable, actionable, and long-term.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why the college campus is one of the most powerful—and underutilized—marketing arenas
• How early brand experiences shape long-term loyalty
• What new brands can do to win share from legacy competitors
• Why product sampling isn’t just for awareness—it’s a long game

Connect with Carter on LinkedIn

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Theme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.com

Producer: Jake Musiker

Dave’s guest today is Tim Wilson, Chief Revenue Officer at ProductWind, a platform helping brands use influencer marketing to drive real results—especially in retail environments like Amazon and Walmart.

Tim’s career has spanned eComm, tech, and analytics—with past roles at CommerceIQ, Pattern, and 1010data. In this episode, he shares what he’s learned about launching products, winning with algorithms, and why influencers aren’t just for top-of-funnel anymore.

We dig into:

• How to “market to the algorithm” and why it matters for PDP visibility
• The rise of AI-driven search and the battle for the top 5 organic spots
• How ProductWind helps brands use creators to build momentum
• Why ROAS is harder to come by—and how to improve it before you spend
• How influencer marketing can make retail media more efficient

And yes, Dave pitches a hot sauce brand. (It actually sounds kind of good.)

Connect with Tim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothywilson/

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Theme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.com

Producer: Jake Musiker

This week’s guest is Paco Underhill, renowned behavioral researcher, retail anthropologist, and best-selling author of Why We Buy.

Paco has spent decades studying how and why we shop—and what our behavior reveals about the changing nature of retail. In this episode, he and Dave dig into:

• How physical stores are evolving in a digital-first world
• The surprising shopper trend reshaping the beauty category
• What AI can’t replicate when it comes to in-store experiences
• The friction points modern brands must solve to win customer loyalty

Whether you're in eCommerce, store design, or brand strategy, this conversation is packed with timeless insights from one of retail’s most influential thinkers.

Connect with Paco on LinkedIn

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Theme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.com

Producer: Jake Musiker

What do rocket science and commercial operations have in common? More than you think!

In this episode, Mir Zaman, Vice President of Commercial Operations at Spectrum Brands, shares what he brought with him from the aeropsace industry to Amazon—and now to one of the most diverse brand portfolios in consumer goods. From challenging legacy systems to scaling creative content across categories like pet care, home improvement, and garden, Mir offers a clear blueprint for modern growth.

We also dive into:

• Lessons from nearly a decade at Amazon (and how to keep that entrepreneurial spirit alive in big companies)
• Building a center of excellence that still feels like part of the team
• The power of two-way door decisions—and knowing when to test, pivot, or go all-in
• Why AI will only work in CPG if it’s tailored to different stages of maturity

Connect with Mir on LinkedIn

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Learn More about It'sRapid

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Theme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.com

Producer: Jake Musiker

This week we’re joined by Meghan Corroon, Co-Founder and CEO of Clerdata. In a world full of spend reports, inflated ROAS claims, and buzzwords like "directional" or "efficiency," Clerdata helps brands see clearly which investments are moving the needle - and which are just noise.

Meghan brings a deeply analytical mindset (honed through time at the Gates Foundation and beyond) and mixes it with real-world brand empathy. The result? A grounded, accessible conversation on what it takes to really measure media impact, make smarter cross-channel decisions, and bring teams together around the data that matters.

Episode highlights:

• Defining incrementality (without the jargon): Meghan breaks down why it’s not just a buzzword — and how true incrementality can drive smarter decisions.
• Why retail media measurement is still so messy — and how brands can start untangling it without blowing up their workflow.
• The reality of cross-functional data meetings: what works, what doesn’t, and how to avoid death by dashboard.
• The Amazon trap: Why brands often over-index on tried-and-true media investments (and what they’re overlooking).
• How Clerdata helps teams think more like scientists — challenging assumptions, testing tactics, and shifting from gut to growth.

Connect with Meghan on LinkedIn

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Theme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.com

Producer: Jake Musiker

What if you could swap out your influencer campaign…for a NASA astronaut?

This week on Beyond the Shelf, Eric Sheinkop, CEO of The Desire Company, breaks down why expert-led content is outperforming traditional UGC and influencer videos—and how his team built a community of world-class experts to power high-converting content across Target, Sam’s Club, Best Buy, Amazon, and more.

We get into:

• Why shoppers are craving real expertise at the point of purchase
• How expert-led videos improve conversion—and build trust
• What makes PDP video different from social or UGC
• How neuroscience and FTC compliance factor into Desire’s content process
• The ROI of going video-first—and how brands can scale without burning out

Connect with Eric on LinkedIn 

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Theme music: "Happy" by Mixaud

Producer: Jake Musiker

This week we’re joined by Rocquan Lucas, VP of Content at Groceryshop and Shoptalk, where he leads speaker recruitment, agenda development, and content strategy for two of the most influential retail events in the world.

Rocquan shares his journey from interning at Internet Week NY to curating high-impact events attended by thousands of the biggest names in CPG, grocery, and tech.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How to design content for 5,000+ attendees – Rocquan shares the mix of research, instinct, and collaboration that goes into building a world-class agenda for Groceryshop and Shoptalk.
• Behind the scenes of speaker selection – From CEOs to challengers, hear how the team curates speakers who bring both credibility and fresh perspective.
• Why editorial integrity matters – Rocquan explains why Groceryshop avoids pay-to-play programming—and how that creates trust with both attendees and speakers.
• The trends shaping 2025 events – GenAI, retail media, and unified commerce are in—but so is creating content that resonates across functional silos.
• What makes a great on-stage moment – Practical advice for presenters: come prepared, have a point of view, and remember you’re there to connect—not recite.

Connect with Rocquan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rocquan/

Get the It’sRapid Creative Automation Playbook: https://itsrapid.ai/creative-workflow-automation-playbook/

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Email us at sales@itsrapid.io to find out how to get your free AI Image Audit

Theme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.com

Producer: Jake Musiker

This week we’re joined by Alicja Spaulding, Founder of Status: Alpha, who helps marketing leaders operationalize AI, digital transformation, and creative agility.

Alicja started her career in the music industry—cutting her teeth in the early days of digital disruption—and has since built brands in architecture, food, and now AI-enabled strategy. She’s worked with startups and mid-market manufacturers alike, helping them become more nimble, less siloed, and more prepared for what’s next.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How to build marketing teams that are ready for rapid change
• The difference between automation and AI strategy
• Why AI isn’t your strategy—it’s your foundation
• How to think about large language models (and when not to)
• The power of working yourself out of a job

Connect with Alicja: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicjaspaulding/

Get the It’sRapid Creative Automation Playbook: https://itsrapid.ai/creative-workflow-automation-playbook/

Take It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI survey: https://www.proprofs.com/survey/t/?title=ffgvd

Email us at sales@itsrapid.io to find out how to get your free AI Image Audit

Theme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.com

Producer: Jake Musiker

We're off this week, so we're re-airing Dave's interview with Walmart Connect's Diana Finster from earlier this month. They discuss:

• Walmart’s approach to closed-loop measurement and omnichannel ROI
• How to balance scale and precision in media strategy
• The launch of Walmart Connect’s Display Advertising API—and how partners like It’sRapid are helping advertisers move faster
• What great creative looks like, and why it’s core to performance
• What Diana is focused on heading into Cannes 2025

We'll be back next with with a brand-new episode of Beyond the Shelf!

Connect with Diana: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianabethge/ 

Get the It’sRapid Creative Automation Playbook: https://itsrapid.ai/creative-workflow-automation-playbook/

Take It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI survey: https://www.proprofs.com/survey/t/?title=ffgvd

Email us at sales@itsrapid.io to find out how to get your free AI Image Audit

Theme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.com

Producer: Jake Musiker