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Retail Leadership with Steve Worthy
You’ve earned your position. Now let’s make sure you lead like it.
Retail leadership isn’t what it used to be.
And if you’ve been doing this long enough, neither are you.
The job gets bigger. The expectations get louder.
But the guidance? That usually disappears right when you need it most.
And most leaders are left figuring things out quietly while still being expected to have all the answers.
This podcast is for experienced retail leaders who’ve already proven themselves
and know there has to be a better way to lead than just carrying more.
I’m Steve Worthy. I’ve spent over 30 years working across retail — from boardrooms to regional and district markets, through restructures, reinventions, and the parts of leadership no one really prepares you for.
I’ve coached thousands of retail leaders and advised teams that support the retail industry, and this podcast exists for one reason:
To give you the perspective and clarity most leaders are expected to figure out on their own.
Now let’s make sure how you lead actually matches it.
Episodes
91 episodes
Unscripted: Outlasting Doubt, Defining Your Problem, and Being Seen
I wasn't planning on recording this morning. Good thing he did.This unscripted episode covers three things retail leaders are sitting with right now: how to outlast the doubt when you're building something others have al...
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Do You Have the Discipline to Say No? Part 4 of 4
The Discipline to Say No (The Decision That Determines Everything)This is the decision most leaders avoid.After the conferences. After the ideas. After the pressure to “look at everything.” Part IV is about the one...
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Translate Inspiration Into Ownership (Not Initiatives) Part 3 of 4
Part III is about the mistake that kills most conference ideas.Leaders come back with insights, slides, notes, and energy. They share the information. They post about it. They talk about it. And then nothing changes.In th...
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Why Innovation Dies After the Conference - Part 2 of 4
Part II is about the moment most leaders mishandle.After a conference, leaders return energized. New ideas. New language. New urgency. And almost immediately, they start pushing initiatives into an organization that hasn’t chang...
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After NRF: Decide the Real Problem (Part 1 of 4)
After NRF: Decide the Real Problem (Part 1 of 4)Most conferences don’t fail because the ideas are bad.They fail because leaders come back with volume instead of judgment.NRF expands what feels possible. Leadership is de...
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What’s your (one) word for 2026?
There were years when things looked fine from the outside, but they weren’t fine.Professionally, I was doing the work. Personally, I was carrying more than I should have. I had a coach, a tighter inner circle, and the right intentions, b...
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Inside the Retail Executive Mind: A Conversation Founders Need with Ang Nayyar, CEO of StrutFit
If you’re a founder trying to sell into retail, this episode may save you months of missteps. If you’re a retail leader evaluating new technology, it’ll reflect what you often wish vendors understood.In this conversation with Ang Nayy...
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What Happens When You’ve Outgrown Your Role?
What Happens When You’ve Outgrown Your Role?In this episode, I sit down with Ryan Holm from Helzberg Diamonds, and we get right into the real tension many retail leaders feel but rarely talk about — the moment you know you’...
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Every Product Pays Rent!
Retail is not complicated. It is hard work. This episode gets us back to the basics that keep a store alive: profit, time, and turns. I sit down with Maximilian Anderson, founder of SKUMAX, to talk about seeing your true cost of goo...
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Designing Retail Conferences That Actually Teach Leaders!
Conference fatigue is real. The solution isn’t bigger booths. It’s better design.In this episode of Retail Leadership with Steve Worthy, Jamie Hancock — founder of Buying Time and Commerce Futures — breaks d...
Ricardo Belmar: Simplifying Retail’s Complexity
Retail technology often gets lost in hype. But what does it actually mean for leaders on the ground?In this episode of Retail Leadership with Steve Worthy, I sit down with Ricardo Belmar, Producer and Host of The Reta...
NetConV is Changing Grocery eCommerce
In this episode of Retail Leadership with Steve Worthy, I sit down with Lucas Piccinin, founder of NetConV, a platform designed to bring real-time expiration date transparency to grocery eCommerce.We explore how grocers c...
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Most Retailers Are Not AI-Ready!
Everyone’s talking about AI, but few retail leaders are asking the deeper question:Is your company truly AI-ready—or just overwhelmed with data?In this episode, I sit down with,
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Listening is a Leadership Skill
What if your customer feedback system could make you a better leader—not just improve your metrics?In this episode of Retail Leadership with Steve Worthy, we’re joined by Eric Sangerma, Head of Growth at Simplesat—the c...
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Great Stores Still Stop Us in Our Tracks!
Some stores just stop you.You walk in, and for a moment—maybe longer—you forget you're in a place built to sell. You're in something more. A feeling. A point of view. A brand that knows who it is.This episode is a love letter to t...
What Brazil Taught Me About Leadership with Paula Macaggi
Many retail leaders operate with a limited perspective, often assuming that their market’s approach is the gold standard. But in a world where consumer behaviors, technology, and retail strategies vary dramatically by region, leaders who fail t...
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From Sneakers to AI Retail Leadership with Jenna Posner!
AI is transforming retail at an unprecedented pace, and in this episode of Retail Leadership with Steve Worthy, we explore what leaders need to know now. From sneaker culture to digital transformation, Jenna Flatman Posner shares h...
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What Got You Here - Won’t Get You There!
When Retail Stops Growing You, What’s Next?No one tells you what happens when you outgrow your company.You hit every metric, you do everything right, and yet the growth stops. Your company still expects results, but they’re...
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Retail Leaders Are Doing Innovation All Wrong – Here’s How to Fix It - Matt Mueller
Retail leaders talk about innovation, but are they solving the right problems? Too often, companies chase the latest trends—AI, automation, new products—without stepping back to ask: What actually drives transformation?In t...
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Retail - Stop Making Everything So Complicated!
Retail is more complicated than it needs to be, and in this episode of Retail Leadership with Steve Worthy, we cut through the noise with Walter Holbrook, a seasoned retail executive with over 60 years of experience—from stockroom to b...
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From Store to HQ: Building a Common Language for Success
In today's episode, titled "HQ vs. Store: Bridging the Divide," we finish our two-part series - Everything Works at HQ!What can HQ learn from stores?Why is developing a common language between HQ and stores cruci...
Bridging the Divide: Insights from Stores to Transform HQ Strategies
US vs THEM! This battle in retail has been in existence since Retail began. US - Stores vs THEM - Home Office. Why can’t they see eye to eye? What has hindered these two teams from establi...
Outwork, Outlearn, Outlead: Brian Librach's Retail Leadership Roadmap!
Pick up your book: The Retail Leader's Roadmap! HERE!What's up, my friend? You're in for a real treat with this episode featuring Brian. We're going deep into the nitty gritty details of his proven ...
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Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Women of Color in Retail Leadership
Meet Kimberly Lee Minor, a dynamic force in retail leadership with over 25 years of industry experience. She's held pivotal roles in renowned organizations like Footlocker Global, London Fog, and Bath & Body Works. Currently serving as CEO ...
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