When Ken Hicks took the helm as CEO of Foot Locker in 2009, the company was on the brink: the economy was in shambles, sales had cratered by nearly a billion dollars, and the decline of indoor malls spelled further doom. But within three years, Hicks led Foot Locker to a stunning $2 billion rebound. His strategy? A renewed focus on storytelling—connecting th ... Show More
Aug 13
The Way Up, Episode 6 - Nixta Taqueria
They fed neighbors during a storm — and ended up winning a James Beard Award.In this episode of The Way Up, Guy Raz meets Edgar Rico and Sara Mardanbigi, the couple behind Nixta Taqueria in Austin, Texas. What started with resilience in the face of disaster became a nationally ac ... Show More
23m 6s
Aug 6
The Way Up, Episode 5 - Green Apple Books
Pop-up shops, clever T-shirts, and made-up holidays — all in the name of keeping indie books alive.In this episode of The Way Up, Guy Raz sits down with Pete Mulvihill, co-owner of San Francisco’s iconic Green Apple Books. While big-box retailers dominate the market, Pete and his ... Show More
21m 16s
Feb 2025
80. Going-Out-of-Business Sales
Behind that 70% off sign, there’s a liquidation consultant trying to maximize retailer profits. Zachary Crockett seeks a deal. SOURCES:Bradley Snyder, executive managing director at Tiger Group.Zac Rogers, associate professor of supply chain management at Colorado State Universit ... Show More
16m 46s
Aug 2023
Craig Brommers (AEO) | A Lesson in Marketing to Generation Z
Jim's guest today on The CMO Podcast is Craig Brommers, the Chief Marketing Officer at American Eagle Outfitters, the ubiquitous, youth-focused clothing and accessories retailer. American Eagle Outfitters, AEO for short, has about 1,000 stores globally and about 40,000 associates ... Show More
51m 35s
May 27
Undoing a $5 Billion Acquisition and Building a Durable Standalone Plaid (with Plaid CEO Zach Perret)
We sit down with Zach Perret, CEO of Plaid, to discuss the remarkable journey of Plaid and the broader fintech landscape over the past several years. Zach takes us blow-by-blow through journey of almost getting acquired by Visa, the challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic… ... Show More
1 h
Nov 2024
The Great Luxury E-Commerce Reckoning
In 2024, luxury e-commerce faced a harsh reckoning. A pandemic-era boom gave way to a bruising downturn that exposed deep-seated weaknesses, as rising marketing costs, excessive discounting, outdated technology management and intensifying competition hit profitability.
MatchesFa ... Show More
26m 27s
Jul 2024
S2E11: Online Retail and the Modern-Day Consumer with Former Amazon Executive Dave Clark
For our July episode, co-hosts Ted Stank and Tom Goldsby speak with Dave Clark, former CEO of worldwide consumer business for Amazon. In two decades at Amazon, Clark, a graduate of UT’s MBA program, helped build one of the most extensive supply chain operations in the world, with ... Show More
38m 24s