Leadership

A Q&A With Jeannine D’Addario, SVP, Chief Customer Officer, Guitar Center
August 30, 2017 at 3:19 pm

Melissa Campanelli, Total Retail's editor-in-chief, recently interviewed Jeannine D'Addario, senior vice president, chief customer officer at Guitar Center. D'Addario joined Guitar Center earlier this month, and will oversee the retailer's strategic marketing, brand vision and customer brand experience. Melissa Campanelli: Tell…

Why Changing Course ‘Later’ in Your Career Life is Actually a Good Idea, Part 2
August 30, 2017 at 12:11 pm

This is part two of a two-part series on changing course in the late stage of your professional career. You can read part one here.  What Are the Wins? The positives of making a career change are obvious. Most people are giving something back in some way while gaining a good deal personally. Many really…

Managing Results is Half the Leader’s Job. The Other Half: Managing Workplace Values
August 23, 2017 at 3:45 pm

How well is your business performing today? Whether you're a healthcare practitioner, health food and product retailer, or manufacturer, I’ll bet you know exactly how your business is performing. You track sales, results, profits and more, every day. How well is your business operating today? In other words, how do people treat each other in…

Macy's Hires eBay Exec, Cuts 100 Jobs in Management Shake-Up
August 22, 2017 at 11:24 am

Macy's has poached an eBay executive as it shakes up its management and cuts 100 jobs in an effort to reignite slumping sales at the department store chain. Hal Lawton, senior vice president of North America at eBay, will join Macy's on Sept. 8 as president. The company is expanding its customer insights and data analytics…

The Wild, Compelling Story of Saddleback Leather's Growth
August 14, 2017 at 11:11 am

In episode 105 of Total Retail Talks, Dave Munson, founder and CEO of Saddleback Leather, a manufacturer and retailer of leather goods, including bags, briefcases, luggage and more, recounts the brand's humble beginnings in Mexico, details what has enabled it to grow into a thriving online retailer that does more than eight figures in sales…

Game Changers: David Yeom, Co-Founder and CEO, Hollar
August 11, 2017 at 3:24 pm

This interview originally appeared in the cover story of Total Retail’s Summer issue, Game Changers. In this excerpt from the cover story, David Yeom, co-founder and CEO of Hollar, an online dollar store, was interviewed.  Total Retail: Where did you get the inspiration to launch your company? David Yeom: The early inspiration for Hollar is…

Game Changers: Miki Racine Berardelli, CEO, KIDBOX
August 11, 2017 at 3:04 pm

This interview originally appeared in the cover story of Total Retail’s Summer issue, Game Changers. In this excerpt from the cover story, Miki Racine Berardelli, CEO of KIDBOX, was interviewed. Berardelli discusses why she believes in the future of subscription commerce, her style of leadership, and much more in this wide-ranging Q&A.

Game Changer: Heidi Zak, Co-Founder and CEO, ThirdLove
August 11, 2017 at 3:03 pm

Total Retail's summer print issue featured its annual cover story, Game Changers. This year featured interviews with seven entrepreneurs and companies disrupting the retail industry, including Heidi Zak, co-founder and CEO of ThirdLove, a retailer of the best-fitting bras and underwear. In this interview, Zak discusses many topics, including how she plans to scale the business for growth, the retail technologies that she has her eye on, what traditional retailers can learn from her business, and more.

The Other ‘I’
August 11, 2017 at 3:00 pm

The concept of emotional intelligence (EI) has been around for some time. Have you ever wondered, “Do I have it?” If you’re considered a strong, likeable leader and looked upon as an authority figure, chances are you’ve evolved to become smart and skilled at navigating the company hallways. But do you shine in this area…

4 Ways Executive Ego Can Destroy Company Culture
August 9, 2017 at 1:53 pm

One of the greatest challenges retail executives face is striking a balance between the tasks required to maximize productivity and the people skills necessary to create a culture where customer service and excellence are the norm. Far too many retail executives become so mired in the short-term “bottom line” that they neglect to nurture the…