Empathy Before Automation: Ricardo Belmar on Retail, AI, and Leadership

Finding the Fire: Shannon Flanagan on Retail, Resilience and Career Purpose

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2371181/fan_mail/new] A resume can look flawless while the real story stays hidden. We sit down with Shannon Flanagan, a retail and retail tech leader and the founder of Retail Women in Tech, to talk about what actually shapes a career: the messy pivots, the painful exits, the values you violate when you start performing for other people’s scorecards, and the small decisions that quietly change everything. Shannon shares the moment in her mid-20s when organizational change work helped her find a clear purpose: creating the conditions for people to love what they do every day. From there, we unpack three pivotal turns, including a “what did I just do?” detour that later became essential, plus the reality of going through four layoffs and learning to pause instead of sprinting into the next job. We also dig into comparison syndrome, how boundaries can disappear when you become a founder, and why “fit and fire” is a practical test for whether a role is still right. We go deeper on what makes great leaders and great hires in today’s market, especially as AI recruiting filters and endless interview loops reshape the job search. We talk mentorship vs sponsorship, transferable skills, career mobility across retail merchandising, planning, and technology, and why learning isn’t measured by a grade or a title. We close with a powerful perspective reset from a service trip to Honduras and what it teaches about gratitude, joy, and impact. If you care about career growth, leadership, women in tech, and the future of retail technology, listen now, then subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review with the biggest choice you’re making in your career right now. Shannon's Bio Shannon Flanagan is a retail leader, connector, author, speaker, and founder and CEO of Retail Women in Tech. Her career began in retail stores at 18 and has since spanned merchandising, consulting, sales leadership, general management, technology, and executive roles across some of the industry’s most recognized organizations. She has led strategic initiatives as a senior executive at Gap Inc., Lands’ End, and Macy’s, and has partnered with hyper-growth startups and Fortune 500 companies through her work with Accenture, Slalom, Talkdesk, Writer, and retailconnected. Across each chapter, Shannon has stayed close to the human side of retail - the people, teams, customers, and communities that make the industry dynamic. Today, through Retail Women in Tech, Shannon is focused on creating stronger pathways for women across the intersection of retail and technology. Her work centers on connection, career mobility, parity, and helping people build careers with greater intention and purpose. She is also a RETHINK Retail Top Expert, NRF Top 50 Retail Voice, RetailWire BrainTrust member, advisor, and soon-to-be-published author of Choose, Don’t Chase, Your Career. At the heart of her work is a clear belief: when people are supported in doing work they love, the impact reaches far beyond the workplace.

Retail Through a Nomadic Lens: Nick Harbaugh on Global Perspectives and Execution

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2371181/fan_mail/new] Retail works best when execution, perspective, and adaptability come together. In this episode of Retail Relates, Rich Honiball and Judy Sejiny sit down with Nick Harbaugh, a retail construction and execution expert turned global content creator behind The Retail Nomad. With more than 30 years of experience building stores across thousands of locations, Nick brings a rare perspective — one grounded in execution, but expanded through global observation. Nick shares pivotal moments from his career, including the decision to leave traditional retail early, lessons learned from launching his own business, and how hands-on experience shaped his understanding of what actually works in retail. The conversation explores: * Why execution is often the missing link in retail strategy *  How global retail environments differ from the U.S. — and what we can learn from them *  The importance of creativity and differentiation in physical retail *  Why leading organizations stay proactive, not reactive *  How AI is reshaping retail — and where opportunity lies *  What students and emerging professionals should focus on early in their careers This episode offers a practical, experience-driven look at retail from the ground up — and a reminder that new perspective often comes from stepping outside your own environment. 👤 Meet Our Guest Nick Harbaugh is a retail construction, project management, and supply chain expert with more than 30 years of experience in the retail and commercial sectors. Throughout his career, he has led and executed multi-million-dollar projects across fixture installation, store build-outs, remodels, and large-scale rollout programs — working with global brands including Walmart, Samsung, Home Depot, Target, Sephora, Dyson, Mercedes AMG, and many others. Nick co-founded Retail Marketing Services (RMS), growing it into a multi-million-dollar business serving major retail organizations across domestic and international markets. Following the successful sale of his company, he expanded his work globally, consulting across the retail ecosystem and contributing to projects in more than 100,000 locations across 15+ countries. He is an active industry voice, speaker, and member of the Shop! Association, and a recognized leader in retail execution and supply chain collaboration. In 2022, Nick launched The Retail Nomad, a global journey spanning more than 20 countries to document retail environments, share insights, and highlight innovation across markets. His work has earned recognition as a Top Retail Influencer (2023), one of the Top Retail Experts globally for 2024 and 2025, and an NRF Top 50 Retail Voice for 2026.

Finding Clarity in Complexity: Celeste Risimini-Johnson on Leading Retail at Scale

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2371181/fan_mail/new] Retail leadership at scale is not about volume. It’s about alignment. Celeste Risimini-Johnson operates at the center of one of the most complex intersections in commerce — merchandising, operations, omni-channel execution, and brand strategy — all inside an environment that serves the next generation of consumers. As Chief Merchandise & Operations Officer at Barnes & Noble College, Celeste leads the General Merchandise business inclusive of omni-channel merchandising, planning & allocation, and merchandise information teams. She also oversees store operations, design & construction, and brand partnerships — a scope that requires both creative instinct and operational precision. In this episode of Retail Relates, we explore what it really means to balance creativity with P&L discipline, and how leaders translate vision into execution across cross-functional teams. About Celeste Celeste Risimini-Johnson is the Chief Merchandise & Operations Officer for Barnes & Noble College. She leads the company’s General Merchandise business across omni-channel merchandising, planning & allocation, and merchandise information. Her leadership also spans store operations, design & construction, and brand partnerships — connecting brand, space, and product into a cohesive experience. Prior to Barnes & Noble College, Celeste held senior leadership roles at Lands’ End, Toys “R” Us, The Children’s Place, and Fullbeauty Brands. During her tenure at Lands’ End, she was awarded two Lighthouse Awards for Outstanding Leadership and Results. She is a member of the Women in Retail Leadership Circle and holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Fashion Merchandising from Johnson & Wales University. Her career reflects more than upward mobility — it reflects range. General management. P&L ownership. Merchandising strategy. Product development. Business development. Turnarounds. Launches. Expansions. She is a merchant who understands that brand promise only works when it connects to the consumer — and when the numbers work.

Leading Through Change: Vanessa LeFebvre on Curiosity, Courage and Conviction

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2371181/fan_mail/new] Retail transformation doesn’t start with bold declarations. It starts with listening. In this episode of Retail Relates, Rich Honiball, Tony Wells, and Judy Sedjiny sit down with Vanessa LeFebvre, a global retail leader who has spent her career operating at the intersection of brand, data, and execution. Vanessa shares pivotal moments that shaped her leadership journey — from building Macy’s Backstage into a scalable off-price format, to partnering with data scientists at Stitch Fix, to leading global brands through moments of reinvention and exit. Across each chapter, her philosophy remains consistent: listen first, confront reality early, and connect strategy to the teams responsible for delivering it. The conversation explores: * Why curiosity is a leadership advantage, not a liability * How psychological safety directly impacts performance * The role of data in decision-making — and where it falls short * Why transformation fails when leaders rush past understanding * How to lead teams through change without burning trust This episode offers a practical, experience-driven perspective on leadership, growth, and what it takes to guide organizations through complexity with clarity and care. About Vanessa LeFebvre Vanessa LeFebvre is a global retail transformation and growth leader with deep expertise across merchandising, brand strategy, and operational execution. Most recently, Vanessa served as President of Champion Global, where she helped guide the brand through a $1.2B strategic exit, leading complex P&Ls across wholesale, DTC, licensing, and global markets. She now serves as Global President of Activewear at HanesBrands, overseeing a portfolio that includes Champion, Hanes, Alternative Apparel, and Gear for Sports. Earlier in her career, Vanessa served as SVP, Commercial North America at Adidas, helping scale the region to $6B; President of Lord & Taylor; VP of Women’s Merchandising at Stitch Fix, partnering closely with data scientists; and as the principal architect of Macy’s Backstage, growing the concept from pilot to scale. She began her career at Lord & Taylor and has held leadership roles at TJX Companies and Daffy’s. Vanessa holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, serves on the boards of Soles4Souls and Runway of Dreams, and is a founding member of Chief.

Empathy Before Automation: Ricardo Belmar on Retail, AI, and Leadership

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2371181/fan_mail/new] Retail doesn’t fail because of technology — it fails when leaders lose empathy for the people the technology is meant to serve. In this episode of Retail Relates, Rich Honiball and Guy Courtin sit down with Ricardo Belmar, a retail technology strategist, podcast host, and longtime advisor to retailers navigating digital transformation. Ricardo shares pivotal moments that shaped his career — from building an early “store of the future” concept before it became an industry cliché, to gaining fresh perspective by stepping outside a long-held role, to discovering why empathy and understanding are prerequisites for scalable innovation. The conversation explores: * Why many retail tech initiatives break down at scale * How leaders can avoid groupthink when piloting new technology * The role of empathy in leadership and transformation * Why AI must reinforce fundamentals, not replace them * How students and early-career professionals should prepare for a rapidly evolving commerce landscape This episode is a grounded, experience-driven look at the intersection of technology, leadership, and retail — and a reminder that progress comes from understanding the problem before deploying the solution. 👤 Meet Our Guest Ricardo Belmar is a go-to-market strategist and digital transformation specialist with more than 20 years of experience helping retailers and technology providers deliver elevated customer experiences and optimize business operations. Most recently, Ricardo served as Director of Partner Marketing for Retail & Consumer Goods at Microsoft, where he led partner go-to-market strategy across the Americas. He is the producer and host of The Retail Razor Podcast Network, delivering sharp insights on retail technology, AI, and executive leadership. Ricardo is a founding advisory council member at George Mason University’s Center for Retail Transformation and the Retail Cloud Alliance, a featured member of RetailWire’s BrainTrust, and a perennial Top Retail Expert (2021–2025) as recognized by RETHINK Retail. He has also been named a Top Retail Voice by NRF and a Top Thought Leader across retail, AI, and transformation by Thinkers360. He is a longtime supporter of RetailROI, supporting efforts to help children in need worldwide.