It’s time for some more real talk with Maria Toliopoulos! Maria, Vice President of Real Estate Strategy at Ulta Beauty, brings her Real Estate and leadership strategy to today’s talk. Chris and Maria discuss the convergence of the physical retail space and online retail, and how Amazon’s move to brick-and-mortar locations and, the pandemic provided two pivotal moments for retailers to bring change and innovation to their real estate strategies. Maria also shares where she finds her passion for r...
Jul 08, 2021•46 min•Season 1Ep. 122
It’s time for some REAL TALK with Rick Helfenbein! Rick is a Retail & Fashion Industry Consultant, and former Chairman, President and CEO of the American Apparel & Footwear Association. With over 20 years of experience in fashion retail and manufacturing, Rick shares his take on the fashion industry today, and where it’s going tomorrow! Listen in as he shares industry trade trends, and the surprising opportunities inflation can bring to fashion retailers.
Jul 06, 2021•32 min•Season 1Ep. 121
Today’s guest is Kris Smith, Vice President of Real Estate Development for Hand & Stone Massage Franchise Corporation Kris’ enthusiasm and dedication to his franchisees is hard to ignore! In this episode, Kris shares his own unique experience as a former franchisee and how it impacts his role as a VP. Chris and Kris discuss the value in multi-unit operators, building the franchisee-franchisor relationship, and the benefits of a member-based business.
Jul 01, 2021•35 min•Season 1Ep. 120
Today’s guest is Mike Todryk, CEO and founder of Armor Coffee Co. Mike and Chris discuss the importance of customer loyalty, choosing faith over fear during uncertain times, and what success really looks like. Mike also shares his powerhouse, three pillar business strategy with us. Listen now!
Jun 24, 2021•38 min•Season 1Ep. 119
Rick Kueber, the CEO of Sun Tan City, and a franchisee of Buff City Soap and Planet Fitness joins our host Chris Ressa to discuss the importance of a good track record and knowing your trade area. Rick shares a story about a Buff City Soap deal in Charleston, WV, giving us a textbook example of the saying “there’s no deal until there’s a deal.”
Jun 17, 2021•36 min•Season 1Ep. 118
"You can make a major impact on the retail landscape if you have a working formula” Our guest today is Alan Barocas, former Sr. EVP of Leasing at GGP and former SVP of Retail at Gap Inc. Listen to the compelling way Alan brings retail knowledge to leasing strategies, and what he has to say about co-tenancy and improving work culture!
Jun 10, 2021•54 min•Season 1Ep. 117
Today's guest is Jennifer Rude, Franchise Developer at Dairy Queen. She jumps on the podcast to discuss the future of DQ Franchises and shares an inspirational story about a Dairy Queen in Brainerd, MN that shows how "paying it forward" can catch on like wildfire, even during a pandemic. Listen now!
Jun 03, 2021•26 min•Season 1Ep. 116
Getting a lease resolved in 30 days, a brand new prototype & a new beginning for Five Below... Zach Minteer, VP of Real Estate at Five Below, joins us on today's podcast. Zach shares a story about opening a new prototype for Five Below in Downingtown, PA where timing is EVERYTHING! Listen to his episode now to find out how he navigated risks and challenges that appeared while making this deal.
May 27, 2021•55 min•Season 1Ep. 115
What's one thing most people agree with that you do not? Listen in now to hear Brad Williamson's fun answer to this question along with everything there is to know about the current operations of HTeaO.
May 21, 2021•32 min•Season 1Ep. 114
Wondering what's going on in the world of office real estate today? Check out this new episode with Ken Ashley, Executive Director of Cushman & Wakefield.
May 13, 2021•37 min•Season 1Ep. 113
Dave Lasus, the current CEO at Heart + Paw, joins our host, Chris Ressa to take a deep dive into the future of Heart + Paw and shares a story from his past about an Insomnia cookie deal at Temple University. Listen now!
May 06, 2021•45 min•Season 1Ep. 112
Today's guest is Drew Schaul, VP of CBRE. Listen in as he shares the story of opening a new Psycho Bunny at Tysons Corner in Tysons, VA.
Apr 30, 2021•34 min•Season 1Ep. 111
Today's Real Talk Series guest is Ryan Dempsey, Managing Partner at East End Group. Listen in as Chris and Ryan go over the Top 3 Things To Consider When Hiring A Facilities Maintenance Company.
Apr 27, 2021•26 min•Season 1Ep. 110
"The regional retailers are expanding we just don’t get the headlines…” Our guest today is Joseph Kallen, CEO at Busy Beaver Building Centers, Inc. Listen to the unique way Joseph is handling the inventory at Building Beavers Building Centers and what he has to say about thriving regional retail brands!
Apr 23, 2021•43 min•Season 1Ep. 109
Want to learn more about solar energy? This is the perfect episode for you! Chris sits down with Bluesky Utility to discuss the 5 things that people don't know about solar.
Apr 20, 2021•44 min•Season 1Ep. 108
43 Walmarts in 36 months… Karren Hutton proves the impossible is possible in today’s story about opening up the last of the 43 Walmarts. Listen in now to hear her incredible story and how she got it all done just in time for opening day!
Apr 16, 2021•42 min•Season 1Ep. 107
It's time for some more REAL TALK, with Gautham Vadakkepatt, Founding Director of The Center For Retail Transformation. Learn all about how he's influencing his students to push the boundaries of retail.
Apr 14, 2021•27 min•Season 1Ep. 106
Today's guest is Shawn Saraga, VP of Business Development for BarBurrito Restaurants. Shawn shares insights on BarBurrito expanding down into the US after finding continued success in Canada. Learn how they plan to set themselves apart from the Chipotles and other fast-casual Mexican food brands in the United States as well as what it took to move into one of their first locations in the states, in Howell, MI.
Apr 08, 2021•38 min•Season 1Ep. 105
It's time for some Real Talk with Andre Harris! Andre is a culture transformation leader and game-changer with over 25 years of experience in creating customer-centric cultures where customers are loyal and employees are engaged. Listen in as she goes over 5 Tips for Landlords to Improve the Customer Experience for Their Tenants.
Apr 06, 2021•33 min•Season 1Ep. 104
Today's guest is Larry Haber, Managing Partner of CRE at AGMB, LLP. Larry represents both tenants and landlords, focusing primarily on commercial lease negotiations , restructurings, reviews and audits in addition to real estate acquisitions, dispositions, construction contracts and due diligence advisory services. Larry and Chris discuss MYKITA opening in NYC as well as the Top 3 Commercial Real Estate Trends from an attorney's perspective. Listen now!...
Apr 02, 2021•43 min•Season 1Ep. 103
Real Talk Series #30 with Neely Tamminga, CEO of DISTILL Advisory. Learn about the Top 4 Economic Influences On Today’s Consumer!
Mar 30, 2021•38 min•Season 1Ep. 102
Today's guest is Ahmad Ashkar, Falafel Inc. Founder. Ahmad has also served as the CEO and Chief Investment Officer of the Hult Prize Foundation, graduating more than 2.1M impact entrepreneurs from 121 countries and directly deploying $100M in capital with indirect funding of $1B+. Listen in to hear Ahmad's entrepreneurial perspective on the food and beverage industry, why he created Falafel Inc. and to learn about the unique impact his company has on the lives of refugees.
Mar 26, 2021•41 min•Season 1Ep. 101
Today's guest is Sandford (Sandy) Stein, Forbes Contributor & Founder of RETAIL SPEAK on LinkedIn. In 2014, Sanford launched RETAIL SPEAK™, a LinkedIn platform for sharing ideas on all things retailing. This is on the heels of the introduction of his book RETAIL SCHMETAIL™ ONE Hundred Years, TWO Immigrants, THREE Generations, FOUR Hundred Projects. The combination textbook/memoir was awarded an IBPA Benjamin Franklin Silver Award in 2015. "In the age of Amazon, Sandy Stein reminds us why ret...
Mar 18, 2021•49 min•Season 1Ep. 100
Today's guest is Ron Thurston, Best Selling Author of RETAIL PRIDE, Vice President of Stores at INTERMIX and Board of Directors at GOODWILL. Are you still stuck in the mindset of location, location, location? Ron may change your mind in this week's episode!
Mar 12, 2021•36 min•Season 1Ep. 99
Real Talk Series #29 : Retail Supply Chain Today's guest is Andrew Cox, Senior Retail Analyst at FreightWave. Chris and Andrew take a deep dive into the world of freight and logistics as they discuss The Top Trends in The Retail Supply Chain. 1. Divergence in Delivery Strategies 2. Supply Chain Strategies (BOPIS, Curbside PickUp) 3. Low Inventory Levels
Mar 09, 2021•30 min•Season 1Ep. 98
Mike Morris, Principal at Cana Development, joins our host Chris Ressa to discuss all things related to food halls and food hall development. Wondering about the current state of food halls, how they differ from food courts, or how The Local Oyster landed its location in Baltimore, MD? Listen now!
Mar 05, 2021•54 min•Season 1Ep. 97
We're taking a virtual trip all the way to Nigeria in this latest episode of Retail Retold! Nike Majekodunmi shares her bootstrapping, entrepreneurial journey with us as well as walking us through the process of setting up her Nuts About Cakes location in Lagos, Nigeria. Listen now to hear Nike's fascinating story!
Feb 26, 2021•37 min•Season 1Ep. 96
We have a special Real Talk Series Episode today with two guests! This is a combined episode with two full-length interviews. First up is Jeremy Goodrich, Owner of Shine Insurance Agency. His segment is all about Real Estate Insurance. Second is Stephanie Saunders, Partner at United Claims Specialists. Her segment is a deep dive into the role of Public Adjusters. Listen in for some fascinating insights on the two related topics!
Feb 23, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 95
Today's guest is David Rodgers, owner of Kitchen House Coffee in St. Louis, MO. The coffee house is an extension of Paul Whitsitt & Rodgers' nearby urban farm, Kitchen House Farm, named for the old kitchen house or summer kitchen that still stands on the property. The vision for Kitchen House Coffee is centered around the idea of finding a country respite in the city - a repurposed, urban space focused on sustainable product. Listen in to hear how David made the decision to step out of the c...
Feb 19, 2021•43 min•Season 1Ep. 94
Heidi Owen West is a true retail inspiration! She's taking over Saratoga Springs, NY with not one but three shops in walking distance from one another. Listen in to hear how she's powered through 2020 and has differentiated her customer's retailing experience.
Feb 12, 2021•36 min•Season 1Ep. 93
