#5 - Melodie van der Baan, Co-Founder & CEO at Max Retail

#6 - Doug Stephens, Founder & CEO at Retail Prophet

Join us on this week's episode of the Slice of Retail podcast, hosted by Jared S. Taylor! Our Guest: Doug Stephens, Founder & CEO at Retail Prophet. What you’ll get out of this episode: * Doug Stephens discusses the disappearance of mid-tier retail and the rise of retail extremes—luxury vs. budget. * Reveals how resale, duplicates, and aspirational strategies are reshaping consumer markets. * Breaks down AI’s dual role in retail innovation and workforce disruption. * Emphasizes the growing importance of creativity as a key differentiator in an AI-driven landscape. * Shares insights from his upcoming book, The Future of Competition, launching Spring 2026. To Learn More About Retail Prophet: Website: http://www.retailprophet.com [http://www.retailprophet.com] https://prudence.vc/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/retail-prophet/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/retail-prophet/] Guest's Socials: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dostephens/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dostephens/] Show and Host's Socials: Slice of Retail LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/slice-of-retail/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/slice-of-retail/] Jared S Taylor LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredstaylor/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredstaylor/] Slice of Retail is produced by Slice of Media, Inc.

#5 - Melodie van der Baan, Co-Founder & CEO at Max Retail

Join us on this week's episode of the Slice of Retail podcast, hosted by Jared S. Taylor! Our Guest: Melodie van der Baan, Co-Founder & CEO at Max Retail. What you’ll get out of this episode: * Solving the Excess Inventory Problem – How Max Retail helps retailers recover costs from unsold stock. * The Importance of Inventory Turnover – Why poor turnover is the biggest challenge for struggling retailers. * Max Mondays for Success – A simple strategy to maximize sales and maintain fresh inventory listings. * The Future of Retail Staffing – How hiring and training challenges impact small businesses. * A Founder’s Perspective – Melodie van der Baan’s journey from retail owner to CEO of Max Retail. To Learn More About Max Retail: Website: https://maxretail.com/ [https://maxretail.com/] https://prudence.vc/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/joinmaxretail/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/joinmaxretail/] Guest's Socials: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melodie-van-der-baan/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/melodie-van-der-baan/] Show and Host's Socials: Slice of Retail LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/slice-of-retail/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/slice-of-retail/] Jared S Taylor LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredstaylor/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredstaylor/] Slice of Retail is produced by Slice of Media, Inc.

#4 - Mike Robinson, Founding Member & Head of Retail Solutions at The Eighth Notch (T8N)

Join us on this week's episode of the Slice of Retail podcast, hosted by Jared S. Taylor! Our Guest: Mike Robinson, Founding Member & Head of Retail Solutions at The Eighth Notch (T8N). What you’ll get out of this episode: * Mike Robinson’s Journey – From accidental retailer to innovator in retail logistics. * The Three Pillars of Retail – Customer experience, immediacy, and controlled chaos. * The Eighth Notch’s Vision – Optimizing retail delivery density to reduce costs and emissions. * Amazon’s Influence – Why retailers must rethink their approach to efficiency. * What’s Next? – Expanding partnerships and driving industry-wide change. To Learn More About The Eighth Notch (T8N): Website: https://t8notch.com [https://t8notch.com] https://prudence.vc/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/t8notch/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/t8notch/] Guest's Socials: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikerobinsonsf/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikerobinsonsf/] Show and Host's Socials: Slice of Retail LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/slice-of-retail/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/slice-of-retail/] Jared S Taylor LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredstaylor/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredstaylor/] Slice of Retail is produced by Slice of Media, Inc.

#3 - Toju Ogbeide, Founder & CEO at Goodszilla

Join us on this week's episode of the Slice of Retail podcast, hosted by Jared S. Taylor! Our Guest: Toju Ogbeide, Founder & CEO at Goodszilla. What you’ll get out of this episode: * Toju Ogbeide's vision for community empowerment through Goodszilla. * Insights into how Goodszilla drives meaningful social impact. * The importance of aligning business success with philanthropy. * Jared S. Taylor explores how technology can amplify community engagement. To Learn More About Our Guest: https://prudence.vc/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toju-ogbeide-201b2b34/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/toju-ogbeide-201b2b34/] Show and Host's Socials: Slice of Retail LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/slice-of-retail/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/slice-of-retail/] Jared S Taylor LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredstaylor/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredstaylor/] Slice of Retail is produced by Slice of Media, Inc.

#2 - Lanita Layton, FMR Managing Director at HUGO BOSS

Join us on this week's episode of the Slice of Retail podcast, hosted by Jared S. Taylor! Our Guest: Lanita Layton, FMR Managing Director at HUGO BOSS. What you’ll get out of this episode: * Luxury Retail Evolution: Lanita Layton shares her experiences with HUGO BOSS and Berks, leading major transformations in the luxury retail space. * Omnichannel Retail Strategy: She emphasizes the importance of a seamless customer experience across all channels, predicting the rise of customer experience officers. * Exclusivity in Digital Expansion: Layton explores maintaining luxury brand exclusivity while expanding online, discussing the nuances of customer data analysis. * Luxury Storytelling & Personalization: The role of storytelling and hyper-personalization in luxury, with a spotlight on brands like Brunello Cuccinelli. * Breaking into Luxury Retail: Advice for students aspiring to enter the luxury retail industry, including the value of curiosity and strategic internships. To Learn More About Our Guest: https://prudence.vc/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lanitalayton/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lanitalayton/] Show and Host's Socials: Slice of Retail LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/slice-of-retail/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/slice-of-retail/] Jared S Taylor LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredstaylor/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredstaylor/] Slice of Retail is produced by Slice of Media, Inc.