FRONTLINE FRIDAYS with Ron Thurston

What 900 Travel Centers Teach You About Frontline Technology

Most technology leaders build for the screen. David Dawson builds for the floor. In Season 2, Episode 17 of Frontline Fridays, host Ron Thurston sits down with David Dawson, VP of Retail and Digital Technology at Pilot Company, to explore what it really takes to build and lead technology that serves frontline teams — not the other way around. With nearly 25 years of experience, David has spent his career building the systems that power Pilot's 900+ travel centers: point-of-sale, payment processing, task management, and digital tools that help cashiers, maintenance teams, and store managers deliver for guests 24 hours a day, every day of the year. He talks about what a 24-7 operation demands of technology, why simplicity is a discipline, and why the best decisions get made closest to the work. Ron and David explore the human side of what Pilot does — including why a Pilot cashier may be one of only one or two human interactions a long-haul truck driver has all day — and what that means for the people behind the counter, the technology that supports them, and the leaders responsible for both. They also dig into the IT Road Trip program, how AI is reshaping frontline operations, and why "simplify, simplify, simplify" is more than a mantra — it's a leadership philosophy. If you've ever wondered what great frontline technology leadership looks like from the inside, this episode shows you exactly that.   How Technology Serves the Frontline: Lessons from Pilot — Frontline Fridays, Season 2, Episode 17 is available now. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontlinefridayspodcast/ [https://www.instagram.com/frontlinefridayspodcast/] David: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveadawson/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveadawson/] | https://pilotcompany.com/ [https://pilotcompany.com/] Ron: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronthurston/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronthurston/] YOOBIC: https://yoobic.com [https://yoobic.com] | https://www.linkedin.com/company/yoobic/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/yoobic/]

Calm Under Pressure: The Leadership Skill Retail Needs Most

FRONTLINE FRIDAYS S2 Ep.16: Calm Under Pressure: The Leadership Skill Retail Needs Most Pressure isn’t the problem. How leaders respond to it is. In this episode of Frontline Fridays, Ron Thurston sits down with Lesley Hawkins, former Head of Retail at adidas Canada and leadership advisor. Lesley stepped into retail leadership during one of the most challenging moments in modern retail — leading 1,200 associates across 32 stores as teams faced burnout, constant change, and growing disconnection from head office. Instead of pushing harder, she chose a different path: slow down, listen, and rebuild trust from the frontline. By asking three simple questions in every store, Lesley uncovered what teams really needed — and used those insights to reset culture, re-engage teams, and shape a more resilient retail organization. Now, she helps leaders across industries navigate pressure, lead through change, and build teams that can perform without burning out. In this conversation, she shares: * how to lead calmly when everything feels urgent * the three questions every retail leader should be asking * why listening is the fastest way to rebuild trust * how small acts of initiative create powerful cultural shifts * why “raising your hand” is the key to growth and innovation Her message is clear: pressure is constant — but calm, intentional leadership is what drives performance. 🎧 Linktree:https://linktr.ee/frontlinefridays [https://linktr.ee/frontlinefridays]👤 Lesley Hawkins:https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesley-hawkins/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesley-hawkins/]👤 Ron Thurston:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronthurston/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronthurston/]💡 YOOBIC:https://yoobic.com [https://yoobic.com] | https://www.linkedin.com/company/yoobic/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/yoobic/]

Leadership Isn't a Role. It's a Weekly Discipline.

FRONTLINE FRIDAYS S2 Ep.15: Leadership Isn’t a Role. It’s a Weekly Discipline. Most retail leaders are told they have to choose: hit results or invest in people. Shalonda Dean spent 25 years proving that’s a false choice. In this episode of Frontline Fridays, Ron Thurston sits down with Shalonda Dean, Founder of Leadership Disrupted Consulting and former leader at Prada, Balenciaga, Apple, Tory Burch, and Intermix. Shalonda built and led a $400M portfolio, launched 120+ stores, and developed more than 100 leaders into bigger roles. But what stayed with her wasn’t the results. It was watching high-potential leaders burn out in systems that didn’t support them. Now, she’s on a mission to change that. Through her People-to-Performance Accelerator™, Shalonda helps retail leaders remove chaos, create consistency, and build teams that deliver results without sacrificing culture. In this conversation, she shares: * why leadership must be a weekly discipline, not a title * how to remove operational noise so teams can perform * what actually drives retention in today’s retail environment * how to scale culture across multiple stores and markets * why results and people are never a tradeoff Her message is clear: when you build the right structure, your people — and your performance — both thrive. 🎧 Linktree:https://linktr.ee/frontlinefridays [https://linktr.ee/frontlinefridays]👤 Shalonda Dean:https://www.linkedin.com/in/shalondadean/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/shalondadean/]👤 Ron Thurston:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronthurston/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronthurston/]💡 YOOBIC:https://yoobic.com [https://yoobic.com] | https://www.linkedin.com/company/yoobic/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/yoobic/]

The Four Pillars of High-Performing Retail Stores

The Four Pillars of High-Performing Retail Stores — Frontline Fridays, Season 2, Episode 14 Retail teams don’t fail because of effort. They fail because of disconnect. In Season 2, Episode 14 of Frontline Fridays, Ron Thurston sits down with Monika Espinoza, Founder & Principal Operator of Better Way Operations and former retail leader at Louis Vuitton Americas. With more than 25 years in retail, Monika has built her career in operations — the part of the business often overlooked, but critical to performance. Her perspective is clear: operations isn’t a support function, it’s a profit driver. And most retailers are underutilizing a significant portion of their store teams because of how they think about and communicate with them. In this episode, Monika shares why high-performing stores are built on alignment, not silos, and why the biggest opportunity in retail today sits within operations teams. She introduces her STEP framework — Strategy, Team, Efficiency, and Performance — and explains how leaders can use it to unlock productivity, improve collaboration, and drive results across the entire store. Ron and Monika discuss: * Why front-of-house and back-of-house teams often operate in silos — and how to fix it * How operations teams can maximize the top line while protecting the bottom line * Why communication gaps are costing stores productivity and profit * How to develop operations talent into business-minded leaders If you’re leading stores, districts, or retail organizations and looking to improve performance without adding headcount, this episode offers a practical and powerful shift in how to think about your teams. The Four Pillars of High-Performing Retail Stores — Frontline Fridays, Season 2, Episode 14 is available now. 🎧 Linktree:https://linktr.ee/frontlinefridays [https://linktr.ee/frontlinefridays]👤 Monika Espinoza:https://www.linkedin.com/in/monikabwo/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/monikabwo/]👤 Ron Thurston:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronthurston/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronthurston/]💡 YOOBIC:https://yoobic.com [https://yoobic.com] |https://www.linkedin.com/company/yoobic/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/yoobic/]

How to Build a Culture People Don’t Want to Leave

High growth is hard. Sustained growth is harder. Building a culture people don’t want to leave? That’s leadership. In Season 2, Episode 13 of Frontline Fridays, Ron Thurston sits down with Paul Griffin, Founder & CEO of Griffin Strategic Partners and former Global President of Good American and President & CEO of SMCP North America (Sandro, Maje, Claudie Pierlot). Paul began his career on the shop floor in London and went on to scale accessible luxury brands across North America, opening hundreds of stores and driving billions in revenue growth. His leadership philosophy is clear: results follow culture. In this episode, Paul shares why leaders must fiercely protect culture, why retention starts with belonging, and why empowering teams, not managing by committee, creates sustainable performance. He explains what has changed in retail and what hasn’t, and why people remain the foundation of every growth story. Ron and Paul discuss: * Why culture must be intentional and protected * The link between employee experience and performance * How to scale high-touch retail without losing standards * Why choosing who you work for matters as much as where you work If you’re leading stores, brands, or global teams and thinking about retention, growth, and long-term performance, this episode delivers practical leadership insight from someone who’s built it at scale. How to Build a Culture People Don’t Want to Leave — Frontline Fridays, Season 2, Episode 13 is available now. 🎧 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/frontlinefridays [https://linktr.ee/frontlinefridays] 👤 Paul Griffin:https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-griffin-78b486b/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-griffin-78b486b/]👤 Ron Thurston:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronthurston/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronthurston/]💡 YOOBIC:https://yoobic.com [https://yoobic.com] |https://www.linkedin.com/company/yoobic/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/yoobic/]