Archives : Podcasts

SHOW NOTES

Leadership doesn’t sit in a title. It shows up in the rhythm of what you do every week.

Most retail organizations are not struggling because of a lack of talent. They are struggling because of inconsistency, operational noise, and a lack of structure that allows leaders to perform at their best.

In this episode of FRONTLINE FRIDAYS, host Ron Thurston sits down with Shalonda Dean, Founder of Leadership Disrupted Consulting and former retail leader at Prada, Balenciaga, Apple, Tory Burch, and Intermix.

With 25 years in retail, Shalonda has led a $400M portfolio, opened more than 120 stores, and developed over 100 leaders into bigger roles. But what stayed with her most was not the results. It was watching high-potential leaders burn out in environments that lacked clarity, consistency, and support.

Shalonda shares why the industry’s biggest challenge is not performance, but the chaos that surrounds it. She explains how leaders can remove that noise, create consistent operating rhythms, and build cultures where both people and results can thrive.

She introduces her people-to-performance accelerator™, a 12-week framework designed to decode performance gaps, implement consistent leadership practices, and build scalable systems that strengthen culture and retention across every store.

Ron and Shalonda also reflect on their time working together at Intermix, sharing real examples of how listening to frontline teams, aligning leadership, and simplifying communication can unlock performance at scale.

If you’re leading stores, districts, or retail organizations and looking to improve retention, consistency, and results without burning out your teams, this episode offers a clear and actionable roadmap.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• (02:20) Why leadership legacy is defined by the leaders you develop
• (04:10) What servant leadership really looks like in retail
• (06:00) How listening to store teams drives better business decisions
• (08:56) Leading across different markets and adapting to local needs
• (12:15) Why discomfort is essential for growth in leadership
• (14:24) How to build relationships with high-profile and luxury clients
• (16:18) Coaching through curiosity instead of giving answers
• (18:21) Why Shalonda launched Leadership Disrupted
• (20:27) The gap between top-performing leaders and the rest of the field
• (22:02) The people-to-performance accelerator™ framework explained
• (25:40) Why consistency is the key to scaling performance
• (26:30) How to reduce operational noise and free up leaders
• (28:50) The real cause of burnout in retail teams
• (30:25) Leading through disruption and focusing on what you can control
• (32:44) Why executive presence in stores matters more than ever
• (35:01) Leadership as a weekly discipline, not a role

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GUEST BIO

Most retail leaders are asked to choose: hit your numbers or invest in your people. Shalonda Dean spent 25 years proving that’s a false choice.

She led frontline teams and multi-unit operations for Prada, Balenciaga, Intermix, Apple, and Tory Burch. She built a $400M portfolio and delivered the #1 performing region globally. She promoted more than 100 leaders into bigger roles and launched over 120 stores. But what stuck with her wasn’t the accolades. It was watching talented leaders burn out and leave because no one invested in them the way they invested in the business.

She founded Leadership Disrupted Consulting to fix that. Through the People-to-Performance Accelerator™, she helps multi-unit operators and people leaders build the structure and clarity that let their teams perform without the chaos.

In this conversation, Shalonda shares what actually works to retain your best leaders, stabilize store performance, and scale without breaking your culture.

Her message: results and people aren’t a tradeoff. Do both.

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ABOUT FRONTLINE FRIDAYS

Your store teams feel it: more pressure, more change, less time to get it right. FRONTLINE FRIDAYS helps you turn that pressure into impact.

Built for senior retail + hospitality field leaders, each episode features candid conversations with execs from iconic brands, sharing tactics you can use today.

HOSTED BY RON THURSTON. Ron is a global retail leadership expert and two-time bestselling author of RETAIL PRIDE (2020) and HUMAN PRIDE (2025).

Operations doesn’t support the business. It drives it.

Most retail teams are aligned on goals but disconnected in execution. Sales teams focus on revenue. Operations teams focus on tasks. And in between, productivity, profit, and customer experience are lost.

In this episode of FRONTLINE FRIDAYS, host 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 — working side by side with store teams to understand how the business actually runs. Her perspective is clear: operations teams are not task-executors. They are profit drivers. And most organizations are underutilizing a significant portion of their store talent because of how they communicate, train, and position these roles.

Monika explains why high-performing stores are built on alignment, not silos, and why the biggest opportunity in retail today sits within operations. She introduces her STEP framework — Strategy, Team, Efficiency, and Performance — and shares how leaders can use it to close gaps, improve execution, and drive measurable results without increasing headcount.

Ron and Monika discuss how retail has evolved into a more complex, multi-channel environment, why operations has become more critical than ever, and how small operational decisions — from product placement to process design — can directly impact revenue and client experience.

If you’re leading stores, districts, or retail organizations and looking to improve performance, productivity, and team alignment, this episode offers a practical and actionable perspective from someone who has built it from the inside out.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

(03:20) Why retail teams operate in silos — and how it impacts performance
(05:04) How operations drives both revenue and profitability
(06:10) The untapped 20–30% of store teams and how to unlock it
(08:21) Why the role of operations needs to shift from task to client impact
(13:51) How retail builds entrepreneurial thinking at every level
(15:15) The disconnect between front-of-house and back-of-house teams
(16:29) How small operational changes can improve productivity and sales
(18:57) The STEP framework: Strategy, Team, Efficiency, Performance
(27:22) Why strategy often breaks before it reaches stores
(30:41) Why frontline teams should be involved in decision-making
(35:39) Where leaders should start to improve store performance

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GUEST BIO

Monika Espinoza serves as Principal Operator at Better Way Operations, driven by a core belief: behind every successful retail brand is an operational heartbeat that deserves to be elevated. That heartbeat is the in-store operations teams who serve associates and clients to drive business forward, and Monika’s passion is unlocking their extraordinary potential.

With +25 years in retail leadership and most recently at Louis Vuitton Americas, Monika has built her career on recognizing that front-line teams possess insights and capabilities that can catapult an organization’s performance. She doesn’t lead from a desk; she’s on the floor, side-by-side with store teams, listening, learning, and translating their real-world experiences into operational excellence.

Her approach transforms how organizations view operations headcount.  Monika elevates operations talent by showing teams they’re not just task-executors but profit drivers whose daily decisions directly impact profitability.  

She weaves pragmatic strategies that honor the intelligence and expertise of front-line professionals, creating training and development that empowers rather than cycles. For Monika, operational excellence starts with recognizing that the people closest to clients hold the keys to pragmatic growth and seamless client experiences.

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ABOUT FRONTLINE FRIDAYS

Your store teams feel it: more pressure, more change, less time to get it right. FRONTLINE FRIDAYS helps you turn that pressure into impact.

Built for senior retail + hospitality field leaders, each episode features candid conversations with execs from iconic brands, sharing tactics you can use today.

HOSTED BY RON THURSTON. Ron is a global retail leadership expert and two-time bestselling author of RETAIL PRIDE (2020) and HUMAN PRIDE (2025).

SHOW NOTES

People don’t stay because of perks. They stay because of culture.

Revenue growth, store expansion, IPOs, and global scale don’t happen by accident. They happen when leaders build environments people want to be part of.

In this episode of FRONTLINE FRIDAYS, host 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 open 350+ stores globally, scale accessible luxury brands across North America, and drive billions in revenue growth. His perspective is clear: culture is not a soft idea. It is the foundation of sustainable performance.

Paul explains why leaders must fiercely protect culture, why misaligned behaviors must be addressed in the moment, and why empowered teams outperform directed ones. He shares how retail has become more sophisticated and faster, but why the fundamentals remain unchanged. People power results. Teams take care of customers. Leaders take care of teams.

Ron and Paul discuss what it really takes to scale high-touch retail without losing standards, how to create belonging that drives retention, and why choosing who you work for matters as much as choosing the brand itself.

If you’re leading stores, districts, or global brands and thinking about retention, culture, and sustainable growth, this episode offers a grounded, practical view from someone who has built it at scale.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• (02:00) Why starting on the shop floor shapes better executive leaders
• (06:07) How retail growth worked before ecommerce and social media
• (10:17) What has changed in retail — and what hasn’t
• (12:36) How to build culture intentionally across 100+ stores
• (15:23) Why leaders must call out culture when it’s working — and when it’s not
• (16:19) The direct link between belonging and retention
• (18:08) Why results follow people, not the other way around
• (22:11) The balancing act of accessible luxury: speed plus high-touch service
• (24:35) Why choosing the right leader matters as much as choosing the right brand
• (30:27) How to empower teams without managing by committee
• (31:55) Why empowered teams don’t wait for direction — they take ownership

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GUEST BIO

Paul Griffin is an international brand leader and strategic operator with a proven record of shaping and scaling influential names in accessible luxury. Over two decades, he has driven more than $3B in revenue growth, opened 350+ stores globally, and built profitable, high-equity brands with strong enterprise value.

Most recently, as Global President of Good American, Paul redefined the brand’s model for scale—strengthening DTC performance, launching a new retail concept, and expanding wholesale partnerships with Macy’s and ASOS.

Previously, as President & CEO of SMCP North America (Sandro, Maje, Claudie Pierlot, Fursac), he led the brand’s evolution from early market entry to leadership in accessible luxury with 250+ boutiques and key partnerships with Saks, Bloomingdale’s, and Nordstrom. He collaborated with KKR to deliver double-digit CAGR and a successful IPO on Euronext Paris.

Earlier, Paul launched Ted Baker North America, establishing a profitable platform across the U.S. and Canada and elevating the brand into a global force in premium contemporary fashion.

Originally from London and now based in Miami, Paul advises high-growth fashion, luxury, and consumer brands on strategy, expansion, and value creation worldwide.

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ABOUT FRONTLINE FRIDAYS

Your store teams feel it: more pressure, more change, less time to get it right. FRONTLINE FRIDAYS helps you turn that pressure into impact.

Built for senior retail + hospitality field leaders, each episode features candid conversations with execs from iconic brands, sharing tactics you can use today.

HOSTED BY RON THURSTON. Ron is a global retail leadership expert and two-time bestselling author of RETAIL PRIDE (2020) and HUMAN PRIDE (2025).

SHOW NOTES

Retail doesn’t struggle because leaders lack effort. It struggles when fundamentals get buried under noise.

Tariffs. AI. Labor shortages. Digital disruption.
Retail has always faced headwinds. What hasn’t changed is what great stores require to win: disciplined leadership, clear expectations, consistent behaviors, and operational urgency.

In this episode of FRONTLINE FRIDAYS, host Ron Thurston sits down with Rachel Williamson, Chief Strategic Retail Advisor at Running Great Stores Retail Consulting, to unpack her 30-day blueprint for running great stores.

Drawing on decades of experience leading high-performing field teams and transforming underperforming divisions, Rachel explains why store leaders remain the most important role in retail. She argues that while leaders can’t control macro disruption, they can control how their four walls run every single day.

Rachel breaks down why KPIs are simply numbers driven by observable behaviors, why “get conversion up” isn’t a strategy, and why urgency, defined as focus and purpose rather than panic, fuels operational excellence. She also challenges common hiring assumptions, making the case for hiring for attitude and training for skill, and explores how clarity and care directly impact customer experience and revenue.

Ron and Rachel discuss the real tension between stores and digital fulfillment, the importance of modeling standards on the floor, and why teaching teams to “see what you see” transforms performance at scale.

If you’re leading stores, districts, or frontline teams through growth, change, or complexity, this episode offers a practical roadmap for building stores that execute consistently and perform under pressure.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• (03:01) Why disruption is constant in retail — and what leaders can actually control
• (09:15) Why great stores start with disciplined self-leadership
• (10:54) Why store managers are the most important leaders in the building — and the company
• (18:42) The Gallup data on clarity and care — and how it impacts customer experience
• (22:08) Why “get conversion up” isn’t a strategy — and how behaviors drive KPIs
• (24:58) Why hiring for attitude beats hiring for experience
• (28:54) The difference between coaching and directing — and why questions matter more than commands
• (31:50) Why urgency fuels operational excellence — without creating burnout
• (33:05) How teaching your team to see what you see raises standards across the store
• (36:28) The tension between stores and digital orders — and what it reveals about incentives and ownership
• (39:53) Why this 30-day blueprint works for aspiring leaders, store managers, and district leaders alike

BONUS CONTENT

• Subscribe to Rachel’s substack

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GUEST BIO

Rachel Williamson is a strategic retail leader who has spent her career mastering the art of running great stores. Known for transforming underperforming projects, divisions, and teams into top performers, she has driven record-setting results and consistent revenue growth for multibillion-dollar companies. As founder of Running Great Stores Retail Consulting, Rachel partners with brands in the US and UK to design and implement strategies that create operational excellence and exceptional customer experiences. An in-demand speaker, coach, and podcast host, she is passionate about developing leaders and helping retailers unlock their full potential.

If you’re not already following Rachel Williamson’s Substack (https://runninggreatstores.substack.com/subscribe), now’s the time — she’s giving away five signed copies of her new book, 30 Days to Running Great Stores, and it’s full of actionable insights for retail leaders.

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ABOUT FRONTLINE FRIDAYS

Your store teams feel it: more pressure, more change, less time to get it right. FRONTLINE FRIDAYS helps you turn that pressure into impact.

Built for senior retail + hospitality field leaders, each episode features candid conversations with execs from iconic brands, sharing tactics you can use today.

HOSTED BY RON THURSTON. Ron is a global retail leadership expert and two-time bestselling author of RETAIL PRIDE (2020) and HUMAN PRIDE (2025).

SHOW NOTES

Strategy has never been the problem. Execution is where things fall apart.

Retail is full of smart ideas, bold plans, and well-intentioned strategies. But once those ideas leave the boardroom and hit the field, they often unravel in the handoffs, the overload, and the messy middle between intention and reality.

In this episode of FRONTLINE FRIDAYS, host Ron Thurston sits down with Kevin Ertell, CEO of Mistere Advisory and a veteran retail operator, to unpack why most strategies fail at execution, and what field leaders can do to change that.

Drawing on more than 30 years of experience across Tower Records, Borders, Sur La Table, and Nike, Kevin shares why execution is always a people challenge before it’s a process one. He introduces The Six Cs of Execution, a practical framework designed to help leaders slow down to speed up, bring clarity to complexity, and turn strategy into something teams can actually act on day to day.

From co-creation and clarity to communication and coaching, this conversation explores how leaders can create the conditions for execution to succeed, especially under constant pressure. Ron and Kevin dig into the realities of frontline leadership, from navigating cross-functional chaos to building trust, ownership, and momentum on the shop floor.

If you’ve ever rolled out a strategy that made sense on paper but didn’t stick in stores, this episode breaks down where things went wrong, and how to build execution that lasts.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• (01:28) Why Kevin’s career started on the frontline, and how those early experiences shaped his view of execution
• (05:22) Why most strategies fail, and why execution is the real competitive advantage
• (06:24) What surprised Kevin after interviewing 60+ operators across industries about execution
• (09:06) The Six Cs of Execution, and how they’re split between “setting the stage” and “showtime”
• (10:42) Why slowing down upfront is the fastest way to move later
• (12:26) What Hamilton can teach leaders about piloting, iteration, and getting strategy ready for the real world
• (14:04) Why execution breaks down in the messy middle between HQ and the frontline
• (15:14) How co-creation builds alignment, commitment, and ownership on the floor
• (17:38) Why clarity around the “why” and the “what” matters more than controlling the “how”
• (19:02) How field leaders can apply the Six Cs in a single day, not just during big transformations
• (21:17) What “early, loud, and continuous” communication really looks like in stores
• (31:21) A real-world example of getting execution wrong, and how rebuilding with frontline input changed everything
• (35:21) One thing leaders can do tomorrow to improve execution without adding more work

BONUS CONTENT

• Pre-order Kevin Ertell‘s book here: https://a.co/d/4BDk15j

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GUEST BIO

Kevin Ertell is a veteran executive and trusted advisor with more than 30 years of experience leading transformations at brands like Nike, Tower Records, and Sur La Table. As founder and CEO of Mistere Advisory, he helps companies of all sizes bring clarity, alignment, and action to their strategies. Known for his straight talk, practical insight, and ability to cut through complexity, Kevin draws on deep experience across leadership, operations, and digital growth to help teams turn ideas into results. When he’s not helping companies get unstuck, he’s likely playing bass, cooking for family, or following Cleveland sports with stubborn optimism.

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ABOUT FRONTLINE FRIDAYS

Your store teams feel it: more pressure, more change, less time to get it right. FRONTLINE FRIDAYS helps you turn that pressure into impact.

Built for senior retail + hospitality field leaders, each episode features candid conversations with execs from iconic brands, sharing tactics you can use today.

HOSTED BY RON THURSTON. Ron is a global retail leadership expert and two-time bestselling author of RETAIL PRIDE (2020) and HUMAN PRIDE (2025).

SHOW NOTES

Retail has never struggled with ideas. What it struggles with is adoption.

Retail has never struggled with ideas. What it struggles with is adoption.

Rolling out new tools, systems, and ways of working is easy on paper. Getting frontline teams to believe in them, trust them, and actually use them is where most initiatives break down.

In this episode of FRONTLINE FRIDAYS, host Ron Thurston sits down with Missy Poole, executive leader, board member, and former senior operator at Apple, Ralph Lauren, Gap Inc., and West Elm, to unpack what real adoption looks like on the frontline, and why trust, not technology, is the deciding factor.

Drawing on decades spent leading in stores, not just designing strategy from HQ, Missy shares why leaders move too fast, where adoption efforts fail, and how the most successful rollouts are built collaboratively with frontline teams from day one. From peer-led adoption to slowing down under pressure, this conversation reframes change management as a leadership responsibility rooted in connection, listening, and belief.

If you’ve ever rolled out a new tool and wondered why it didn’t stick, this episode explains what went wrong, and how to do it differently next time.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• (07:23) Why great frontline leadership starts with being alongside your teams, not managing from a distance
• (10:54) Missy’s go-to playbook for understanding what teams really need when entering a new environment
• (12:40) How vulnerability and lived experience build trust faster than authority ever will
• (14:07) Why technology adoption succeeds when leaders focus on impact, not features
• (17:18) The mistake leaders make when they force technology into human relationships
• (18:41) How data and proof points help teams believe in new tools without losing authenticity
• (21:30) Why moving too fast is the fastest way to create resistance on the frontline
• (22:30) How acknowledging mistakes can rebuild trust and accelerate adoption
• (24:02) What authentic leadership looks like after decades in the field
• (28:27) How Apple reshaped Missy’s approach to feedback, bias, and positive intent
• (30:30) How to scale trust, feedback, and performance across large frontline teams
• (36:18) Missy’s advice for leaders rolling out new tools in 2026: collaborate early, build the why together, and show up on day one

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GUEST BIO

Missy Pool specializes in building dynamic teams focused on profitable sales growth and client connections. She has supported customer and employee engagement, merchandising, store operations, real estate, planning, and distribution in both luxury and mass categories.

Currently, she focuses on strategies that positively impact employee and customer experience through digital training and communication platforms. She has held corporate leadership roles at Apple, Ralph Lauren, and Gap Inc.

Missy connects people and businesses for mutually beneficial partnerships and supports new businesses in building brand identities and engaging customers. She is passionate about assisting female entrepreneurs in implementing technology systems and HR guidelines for efficiency, growth, and customer relationships. Growing up as a female leader in a professional environment, she has established deep roots in her community, impacting the arts and local businesses.

She serves on the Executive Committee of the Madison Ave BID board, the Board of FIT, co-chairs the City Harvest Gala, and mentors for mentoro.org. She also believes strongly in prioritizing health and inspiring others through her health journey. 

Missy enjoys traveling to emerging countries where she can immerse herself in the culture and learn about the people and places she visits for perspective and find ways to support.

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ABOUT FRONTLINE FRIDAYS

Your store teams feel it: more pressure, more change, less time to get it right. FRONTLINE FRIDAYS helps you turn that pressure into impact.

Built for senior retail + hospitality field leaders, each episode features candid conversations with execs from iconic brands, sharing tactics you can use today.

HOSTED BY RON THURSTON. Ron is a global retail leadership expert and two-time bestselling author of RETAIL PRIDE (2020) and HUMAN PRIDE (2025).

SHOW NOTES

The biggest gap in retail leadership today isn’t talent or ambition — it’s the pressure to lead without the tools, support, or space to grow.

In this episode of FRONTLINE FRIDAYS, host Ron Thurston sits down with Steve Worthy, founder of Worthy Retail and creator of one of the most comprehensive global leadership studies in retail today. Together, they unpack the realities behind leadership readiness, the rise of burnout, and the paradox every frontline leader feels: being expected to know everything while rarely being asked what they actually need.

With decades of experience coaching leaders at every level — and fresh data gathered from hundreds of retail respondents worldwide — Steve breaks down the deeper leadership capabilities today’s teams are craving. Not more routines. Not more checklists. But real coaching, emotional intelligence, psychological safety, and development that matches the pace of store life.

Ron and Steve explore why only a small fraction of leaders feel fully prepared, why retainability now matters as much as retention, and how AI will reshape decision-making, confidence, and leadership growth over the next few years. They also dig into what organisations get wrong about leadership training, and what it looks like to build cultures where people feel seen, supported, and able to lead with clarity.

If you’ve ever stepped into a leadership role and felt the weight of expectation before the training arrived, or wondered why so many new managers burn out, this conversation offers the roadmap.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• (02:07) Why Steve launched a global retail leadership study and the early signals that pushed him to do it
• (05:22) Leaders don’t want more routine training — they want depth, emotional intelligence, and self-awareness
• (07:22) The moment retailers realised the development gap: frontline leaders are asking for C-suite-level skills
• (09:06) The Retail Leader Paradox: expected to know everything with nowhere safe to ask for help
• (10:02) Why only a small fraction of leaders feel prepared and how culture and fear widen the gap
• (14:56) How AI changes leadership confidence and decision-making — and why leaders need clarity before tools
• (17:29) Why 85% of AI projects fail and how retailers often solve the wrong problem first
• (19:17) Retention vs. retainability: why people stay when they see themselves in the company’s long-term vision
• (21:40) The first move every organisation should make: get an outside perspective to uncover the real leadership gaps
• (32:14) Steve’s two-minute self-reflection exercise that reveals the number one thing holding leaders back

BONUS CONTENT

• Join The Campus – a learning community created to equip senior leaders to identify and solve YOUR specific leadership challenges.
• Read the blog: The Leadership Paradox: Expected to Know, Afraid to Ask

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GUEST BIO

Steve Worthy believes a leader’s first job is to define reality – to understand the specific problem their leadership and their business exist to solve. Without that clarity, leaders and organizations fail to progress.

As Founder and CEO of Worthy Retail Global, Steve helps senior retail leaders step out of noise, see what truly matters, and lead with grounded confidence. Over his career, he has worked for and alongside some of the largest brands in retail. What I’ve learned is clarity scales. Teams don’t follow energy – they follow clarity. When leaders get clear, everything starts to move.

Through The Campus, our membership community, Steve provides a practical environment where leaders learn to simplify decisions, align their teams, and communicate expectations. Leaders come away with clarity that improves conversations, strengthens culture, and moves the business in a direction everyone understands.

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ABOUT FRONTLINE FRIDAYS

Your store teams feel it: more pressure, more change, less time to get it right. FRONTLINE FRIDAYS helps you turn that pressure into impact.

Built for senior retail + hospitality field leaders, each episode features candid conversations with execs from iconic brands, sharing tactics you can use today.

HOSTED BY RON THURSTON. Ron is a global retail leadership expert and two-time bestselling author of RETAIL PRIDE (2020) and HUMAN PRIDE (2025).

SHOW NOTES

The strongest retention strategy in retail isn’t a program or a perk — it’s a person who shows up with purpose.

In this episode of FRONTLINE FRIDAYS, host Ron Thurston sits down with Billy Kissel, Head of Stores for the East at Office Depot, to break down why visibility, presence, and culture-building matter more than ever. With 35+ years across brands like Gap, J.Crew, West Elm, and Office Depot, Billy has led teams through every kind of market shift — and the through-line is always the same: people stay when leaders lead with intent.

Billy and Ron revisit their full-circle journey, then go deep on what it actually takes to retain today’s frontline teams. From protecting store time on the calendar, to recognising wins in real time, to closing the loop on feedback with radical transparency, Billy shares the practices that have transformed cultures and lifted performance across hundreds of stores.

They also examine the real drivers of retention — why compensation is only one piece of the puzzle, how visibility builds trust, and why being physically present (or on camera) still matters in a hybrid world.

If you’ve ever wondered why some teams stay loyal and others churn, or what frontline-first leadership looks like in practice, this conversation is a masterclass.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• (01:58) How Ron and Billy first met and built one of their strongest early teams
• (04:22) Why compensation matters — but culture is still the core of retention
• (05:14) The New York moment that reshaped Billy’s view on paying top performers
• (08:08) Why presence and visibility are non-negotiable for effective leadership
• (09:45) How Billy scales presence across hundreds of stores and large teams
• (11:02) How being seen and humanising leadership builds trust at every level
• (12:31) Turning frontline feedback into action — and closing the loop with clarity
• (16:15) Why celebrating “winner’s laps” reinforces culture and boosts retention
• (20:00) How one internal promotion transformed a previously unmotivated region
• (30:31) Billy’s one action every leader should take tomorrow to improve retention

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GUEST BIO

In this episode of FRONTLINE FRIDAYS, host Ron Thurston sits down with Billy Kissel, Head of Stores for the East at Office Depot, to break down why visibility, presence, and culture-building matter more than ever. With 35+ years across brands like Gap, J.Crew, West Elm, and Office Depot, Billy has led teams through every kind of market shift — and the through-line is always the same: people stay when leaders lead with intent.

Billy and Ron revisit their full-circle journey, then go deep on what it actually takes to retain today’s frontline teams. From protecting store time on the calendar, to recognising wins in real time, to closing the loop on feedback with radical transparency, Billy shares the practices that have transformed cultures and lifted performance across hundreds of stores.

They also examine the real drivers of retention — why compensation is only one piece of the puzzle, how visibility builds trust, and why being physically present (or on camera) still matters in a hybrid world.

If you’ve ever wondered why some teams stay loyal and others churn, or what frontline-first leadership looks like in practice, this conversation is a masterclass.

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ABOUT FRONTLINE FRIDAYS

Your store teams feel it: more pressure, more change, less time to get it right. FRONTLINE FRIDAYS helps you turn that pressure into impact.

Built for senior retail + hospitality field leaders, each episode features candid conversations with execs from iconic brands, sharing tactics you can use today.

HOSTED BY RON THURSTON. Ron is a global retail leadership expert and two-time bestselling author of RETAIL PRIDE (2020) and HUMAN PRIDE (2025).