Advertise on podcast: Total Retail Talks

In episode 518 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-In-Chief Joe Keenan Interviews Bear Mayer, founder and CEO of BRUCE BOLT, a family-owned sports equipment brand based in Austin, Texas. Mayer looks back on his entrepreneurial beginnings, touching on the valuable business lessons his father imparted on him (00:55). He discusses the rapid growth of BRUCE BOLT…

In this episode of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Chris Hurt, president and CEO of Build-A-Bear Workshop, a beloved multigenerational brand focused on its mission to "add a little more heart to life," known for its stuffed animals. Hurt discusses his career start at Polo Ralph Lauren and American Eagle Outfitters, and the…

In episode 516 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Drew Cook, president of organic, sustainable apparel brand Pact, and Matthew Merrilees, CEO, North America at global e-commerce platform Global-e. Cook delves into the challenges of maintaining a successful international business amidst rising tariffs (3:36), while Merrilees discusses the common mistakes made amongst brands…

In episode 515 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Andy Hunter, founder and CEO of Bookshop.org, a certified B Corp online book retailer supporting independent bookstores. Listen in as Hunter explains the book retailer's mission and revenue-sharing marketplace model (0:47), his career journey that led to launching Bookshop.org (2:40), and what's driven its…

In episode 514 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Lorenzo De Plano, co-founder and CEO of ALP, the leading direct-to-consumer (DTC) nicotine pouch brand, valued at over $1 billion. Listen in as De Plano discusses the genesis and growth of the company (2:15), why launching DTC first provided a sandbox to test and…

In episode 513 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Jim Corso, director of real estate at James Avery Artisan Jewelry, a Texas-based vertically integrated, family-owned company offering finely crafted jewelry designs for men and women. Listen in as Corso provides an overview of the jewelry brand and his role (0:55), the catalyst for…

In episode 512, Total Retail Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Allison Cullman, senior vice president of marketing at Hint, one of the largest unsweetened flavored water brands in the U.S. Listen in as Cullman discusses Hint's refreshed brand positioning and its new “MMMMM Water™” marketing campaign that leans into emotional branding, cultural relevance and desire (1:00).…

In episode 511, Total Retail Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Alex Faherty, co-founder and CEO of Faherty, a certified B Corp™ premium lifestyle apparel brand known for its quality craftsmanship and surf-inspired coastal style. Alex launched the brand in 2013 with his twin brother, Mike, bringing their childhood dream to life (1:00). He shares how Faherty…

In episode 510 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Drew Panayiotou, chief marketing and innovation officer at Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP), a global leading beverage company with a portfolio of more than 150 owned, licensed and partner brands. During the wide-ranging conversation, Panayiotou discusses his marketing transformation initiative, Power Up (2:40), the increase…

In episode 509 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Zaven "Zee" Ghanimian, CEO, and Brooke Brinkman Ghanimian, chief operating officer of Simon G. Fine Jewelry, a leading fine jewelry brand known for innovation, craftsmanship, and timeless design. Listen in as they share the origin story of the family-owned-and-operated business (0:55), why maintaining quality…

In episode 508 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Tyler Lusebrink, head of brand partnerships for retail media network RedVest Media at ACE Hardware, the world's largest hardware cooperative. Listen in as Lusebrink discusses retail media’s rapid growth (1:20) and how measurement is shifting to decision-driven approaches with closed-loop outcomes and real-time optimization (3:00).…

In episode 507 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Charlie Beer, chief operating officer at Naturepedic, the leading certified organic mattress and bedding company. Naturepedic was started over 20 years ago when the founder rejected conventional crib mattresses containing industrial foam and chemicals, leading to better products like organic cotton (0:55). Since then,…

In episode 506 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Kathy Gagliano, executive vice president of merchandising at Books-A-Million, the second largest bookstore retailer operating more than 220 stores in the United States. The discussion begins with the history of the company, dating all the way back to 1917 (0:55). According to Gagliano, the…

In episode 505 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Tim Parr, founder of Caddis, a cultural lifestyle and eyewear brand boldly celebrating the 40-plus community. Parr shares that he launched Caddis after seeing a cultural and marketing void around aging consumers (3:30). He argues Gen X and older customers are overlooked despite significant…

In episode 504 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Matt Navarro, global president of Stanley 1913, the iconic global lifestyle brand synonymous with premium food and beverage innovation, operated by PMI WW Brands. The discussion begins with talk about Stanley's evolution into a global lifestyle brand (2:00). Navarro explains Stanley's strategy to diversify…