WDCast

Let’s give a standing ovation for… Ovation!

DIY assembly furniture, Swedish meatballs, enviable showrooms, & ball pits in Småland… sound familiar? Yes, we are talking about the iconic Home Furnishing store, IKEA. And to make you adore them even more we spoke with Seana Strawn, Head of Home Furnishing Identity & Retail Design, on IKEA‘s quest towards a sustainable planet. Seana comes with 23 years of experience in the home furnishing industry, and she shares her passion for how the brand is embracing climate change as an opportunity and big responsibility. One of the ways IKEA is taking action is through their Circularity Hubs designed for refurbished items only. Listen to the episode to learn more about IKEA’s sustainability efforts, customer-centric practices, and their 5 principles of home furnishing identity.1:20 – Meet Seana2:47 – A Back Story on IKEA5:04 – Test & Learn Approach7:50 – It’s About the People10:19 – IKEA’s Target Customer11:14 – Let’s Talk Sustainability16:19 – A New Circularity Hub22:57 – What’s Next?24:41 – Big vs. Small

Specialty Retail is at a crossroads and a new brand is paving the way for innovation. Jamie Schisler, Chief Comfort Officer of comfort clothing brand – UpWest, is welcomed on to WDCast to discuss the brand’s business model, growth plan, and a new approach to resale retail. The brand’s business model was set up for success from the beginning, with what Jamie refers to as having “all legs of the table.” Unknowingly, this prepared the brand for the soon approaching pandemic and the DTC online store began opening physical stores as COVID restrictions loosened, meeting the consumers where they were according to online sales. Alternatively, the brand’s promise of comfort anticipated consumers’ needs in a time it was craved the most. Learn more about how UpWest is manifesting comfort for consumers and its other creative ventures.1:34 – Meet the Specialty Retail Veteran3:44 – Starting a New Brand6:49 – From FOMO to JOMO9:32 – A Brand Focused on Wellness11:00 – From Online to In-store13:36 – The Growth Plan16:59 – SoH

Do you ever really think about where the products you consume come from? For example, what does it actually take to source, make, and package the tub of butter you pulled from your fridge this morning? Have you thought about the farm, the farmers, the soil, or the agricultural practices that went into that single tub of butter? Probably not. Enter WDCast guest, Julie DiNatale. Julie is the Commercial and Strategic Partnerships Leader for Truterra, the sustainability business of Land O’Lakes, Inc., one of America’s largest farmer-owned cooperatives. Truterra collaborates with forward-thinking farmers, value chain companies, conservation organizations, and ag retailers to help better deliver the future of on-farm sustainability. In this episode, Julie and Lee Peterson, EVP Thought Leadership at WD Partners, dive into obstacles farmers are facing, what Truterra is doing to support on-farm sustainability, and what it’s like to work with the USDA.2:33 – Land O’ Lakes is More Than Just Butter3:53 – 3 Obstacles for

Gen Z'ers have picked up on a shopping "trend" that is paving a new way of shopping for generations to come: shopping used/vintage/resale goods. Why shop resale? We looked to an expert for some answers. Anna is a Gen Z'er in New York City that has shopped used products for most her life – including furniture, clothing, household items, etc. Anna shares her story on how she entered the world of resale and why introducing used sections in stores may be beneficial for retailers in industries across the board. There is plenty of opportunity for retailers both online and in-store to expand their markets by tuning into the latest trends.2:03 – Meet the Gen Z Shopper3:22 – Resale Store vs. Buying New5:26 – Trending Now: Vintage7:57 – Why Shop Used?10:35 – Tiktok's Influence11:50 – C2C Resale15:17 – In-Store or Online?18:06 – It's Just the Beginning

Brian has a unique career background, building his foundation in the retail sector before diving deep into the world of healthcare at Banner Health. His foundation offers a fresh perspective on the retail consumer side of the industry. Brian and Dan enthusiastically discuss new and unexpected retailers that are entering the healthcare market and how this can change the game for the patient experience including what services can be offered, how the services are consumed, how they can integrate with their current products/services, and how retailers can benefit by expanding into new markets. Brian is confident that this is the most exciting time to be in the healthcare retail space as the near future promises great innovation.0:57 – Brian's Role at Banner Health1:45 – An Untraditional Path to Healthcare3:36 – Retail as an Advantage5:46 – The Triple AIM7:47 – Transitioning Away From "Patient"10:11 – Big News for Amazon!12:43 – Are Big Retailers a Threat?14:47 – A New Type of Urgent Care18:23 – Dollar General as

With sustainability so top of mind these days, we wanted to turn to some real experts on the topic. We’re not talking about ‘plastic pants made from water bottles’ kind of sustainability, but real meaningful change that corporations (and their design/AEC firm partners

The Fur-ocious Future of the ShopperQR codes and NFC tags, DTC products in CPG, VR and AR…there are plentiful acronyms to navigate when it comes to talk of modern technology in the consumer experience. Lucky for us Shopper Innovation and Experience expert, Kenny Endermuhle, helps us break these terms down and gets us excited about what the future of the pet shopper’s experience holds. Lee and Kenny’s enthusiasm around the amount of innovation that is happening now between the consumer and retailers is contagious. By leveraging VR, retailers can develop a unique and stimulating in-store experience for any shopper through personalization, immersion, and streamlining the customer journey. Nestlé Purina is one of many companies that are exemplifying this right on their store shelves!2:05 – From Sports to CPG5:27 – A Day in the Life of Kenny7:59 – Testing & Learning With VR10:09 – A Note to the VR Doubters12:02 – Building a Virtual Environment14:09 – QR Codes vs. NFC Tags17:13 – Direct to Consumer Goods22:57 –

This week’s podcast sounds a little different (literally!) as we invited on voiceover talent, Jodi Krangle, to discuss her journey into finding her voice and using it to help build an identity for the brands she works with. For some brands, their vocal identity is equally important to their visual identity (think commercials). Jodi’s role is more about acting than it is about the sound of her voice itself because her voice is dependent on the messaging that the client needs communicated to its audience. Listen in to hear how she stepped foot into such an interesting career along with some fun stories from her time in the studio. Interested in hearing samples of her work? Visit www.voiceoversandvocals.com1:40 – Meet the Voice Behind the Talent7:09 – A Background in Music8:40 – Sound as Branding10:14 – To Pitch or Not to Pitch13:53 – Stories on the Job21:10 – Big Stars & Influencers27:10 – Did I Hear You On…?28:47 – Jodi’s Album31:07 – 5 Year Plan34:03 – Lee’s Lightning Round35:57 – How to Connect With Jodi

Clayton Mitchell (Mitch) has a passion for leadership, much attributed to his years spent in the US Navy as he was able to look up to the great leaders surrounding him. He learned that it takes 3 major elements to being a leader: vision, communication, and character. These skills come to play in navigating conflict—a type of conversation that is often failed to be mentioned when it comes to discussing the healthcare industry. Health + Wellness expert at WD, Dan Stanek, points out that discussions surrounding healthcare tend to be collegial. In this episode, Dan & Mitch open up the conversation to critical, and often overlooked topics in the industry including its changing footprint, rethinking its structure, and how other industries can help inform it. 0:59 – A Background that Starts in Aerospace3:22 – What is Health Assurance?5:45 – Where Healthcare is Most Broken8:47 – Changing Footprints12:02 – Jefferson Health’s Mission15:55 – The 3 Elements to Leadership 20:40 – Changing the Pace of the Industry22:50

Activating ideas, experiencing spaces, imagining the new, and pushing innovative solutions partially covers a day in the life of a creative. Brands are constantly facing new challenges given a hybrid environment and a changed (but not dead) retail world. This episode introduces the new WD EVP of Creative, Jay Highland. He serves as a catalyst, challenging clients to think outside the box for solutions and providing them with the tools to do so. Lee Peterson and Jay exchange ideas on their design perspective with an enthusiastic attitude for innovation (and shared love for live music).2:39 – Jay’s Background6:10 – Being an Innovator7:52 – Creative Consulting9:02 – A Day in the Life12:50 – Finding New Opportunity16:46 – “My Brand Sucks, Please Save Me”19:38 – Expanding Empathy24:35 – The Inside Scoop31:50 – A Look into Jay’s Life Outside WD33:29 – Lee’s Lightning Round

As the daughter of a restaurant operator, Joanne Heyob started off her extensive career in restaurants at the early age of 16. Her lifelong experience in restaurants and retail have been an integral part of the operations team here at WD. Joanne has spent countless hours in parking lots– observing drive-thru lines and counting cars, as well as overseeing back of house operations. In this episode, Joanne recommends four key ways that restaurant operators can adjust their drive-thru strategy to give the consumers what they want. Who knew it wasn’t all about 3-story, robot operated, elaborate drive-thrus? To learn more about Joanne’s piece on drive-thru innovation, download the free POV: https://www.wdpartners.com/pov/drive-thru-break-through/2:27 – Joanne’s early career 4:26 – A day in the life at WD6:09 – Drive-thru Break-through10:49 – Intuitive Wayfinding12:12 – App Adoption13:35 – Automation 16:57– Guest Journey Reimagined20:10 – What makes Joanne mad in the industry?22:53 – Bold predictions25:20 – Lee’s li

This episode of WDCast hits home, literally, as we talk about the success story of a well-known shopping center here in WD’s home base: Columbus, OH! We invited CEO of Easton Town Center, Jen Peterson, to share how the space has transitioned from a shopping center to a welcoming neighborhood that has something to offer every guest. Strategizing vendors and fabricating experiences throughout the space are two integral pieces that make this shopping center earn #1 in the country by Chain Store Age. Warning: Listening to this episode will get you in the holiday shopping spirit. Listen now!1:49 – Meet Jen5:12 – The town of Easton Town Center7:00 – Strategizing Tenants9:53 – The Shopping Center of the Future11:10 – Multiple Choice of the Shopping Experience12:37 – Advice From Jen18:11 – The Man Behind the Curtain21:23 – Christmas ‘2122:24 – Coming Soon27:28 – Predictions for the New Year29:02 – Getting Outdoors

When you think of Big Tech in healthcare, who comes to mind? Microsoft probably isn’t one of the first contenders on your list, however, this well-known tech company is making great strides in problem solving and innovation within the health care sector. In this week’s episode, we invite Neil Jordan of Microsoft to educate us on how the company is doing just that. Neil offers a refreshingly optimistic approach to the future of healthcare and technology as he and Dan Stanek discuss topics including the consumer experience, emerging technologies, retailer relationships, and more.1:05 – Background on Neil3:20 – What Does Microsoft Have to Do With Healthcare?5:45 – Highlights of Microsoft in the Health Sector10:00 – Emerging Technology13:32 – Who Is Advanced in Tech?17:09 – Problem Solving in the Industry20:44 – The Importance of the Consumer Experience26:23 – Neil’s Crystal Ball of Predictions31:31 – Let’s Talk Costs34:24 – An Optimistic Viewpoint

New York native, avid-traveler, co-founder of influence group, and apparently also a natural at podcasting, we introduce to you Michael Owens! Influence group produces invite-only leadership retreats, virtual roundtables and custom content in a variety of industries. WD invited Michael on to this week’s episode to discuss all things Spaces. As you may have heard, we are attending RestaurantSpaces, RetailSpaces, and HealthSpaces LIVE. Michael exposes how influence group has had so much success in hosting these destination conferences, and many more, including how they have thrived through a period of virtual events during the pandemic.1:13 Meet Michael5:38 Going Virtual9:38 Spaces! Spaces! Spaces!14:46 Store Within a Store?22:47 Warby Parker – A Model for Success26:10 Healthcare Gone Retail30:11 Conference of the Future34:56 Michael asks Lee Who’s Killing It?38:49 Impact of Work From Home41:53 Roadtrips, Playing Music, & Boxing

Healthcare is an ever-expanding industry. It’s an evolving market that craves innovation. The industry has shifted from “can we do this” to “how do we do this.” Consumers are seeing changes in how patients receive care, new technology use, and structural changes in the industry itself. We invited Chris McFadden to chat with us on these essential topics. Chris is managing director of healthcare at KKR, a leading global investment firm. He joins WD’s Dan Stanek to discuss the latest emerging topics in the healthcare industry, and what role the industry plays in the overall portfolio of the company.1:00 Meet KKR’s Chris2:33 KKR’s role in healthcare4:17 What characteristics are valued as an investment?6:28 Landscape changes11:39 Pros and cons of home health18:13 Big tech companies + healthcare22:55 The challenge of how24:39 The pandemic’s lasting effects28:30 A conversation about industry structure

It all started with a good business model, some incredible people, and a cheesy gordita crunch. Meredith Sandland began her unexpected entrance into the restaurant industry as an executive at Taco Bell, then transitioned to work for the ghost kitchen role model: Kitchen United. Her extensive experience in the industry has led Meredith to publish a book, Delivering the Digital Restaurant, where she explores the digitization of the industry and the massive disruption facing American restaurants. (check it out here: https://amzn.to/3iCyfM6) Tune in to hear Meredith and Lee elaborate on ghost kitchens, sociology of consumers, and the future of restaurants.2:38 Introducing Meredith3:51 A transition to Taco Bell10:58 How Covid shifted the restaurant industry14:11 Kitchen United ghost kitchen21:25 Dominos as the original ghost kitchen24:00 Meredith’s book release27:50 Sociology and food32:13 Reigniting Taco Bell’s growth34:35 Who’s killin’ it?41:32 Public speaking tips from Meredith

The House of Sports – Where DICK’s Sporting Goods turn the “What ifs” into “What is.” What if they have a location that has unique experiences for athletes? What if they have a different service model? Senior VP of In-Store Environment, Visual Merchandising & House of Sport at DICK’s Sporting Goods, Toni Roeller, articulates her thoughts with WD Partners’ Lee Peterson. WD Partners had the privilege to be a lead strategist and creative partner for the retail company in developing an experiential store. Listen in to hear how the company’s perpetual optimism and forward-thinking has advanced their brand over the past year or so, alongside their plan to continue this growth moving forward.1:36: Meet Toni4:39 DICK’s Sporting Goods as essential business10:30 House of Sports14:57 “The Field”17:37 A different type of store20:55 What’s in the pipeline?23:36 Who’s killin’ it?26:23 2022 predictions29:18 An avid hockey fan

Wawa convenience stores have stood the test of time, with roots that go over two centuries back. The company began as a dairy farm in rural Pennsylvania and is recognized today as a well-known quick stop for coffee and fuel, now operating in 68 regions across the United States. In more recent years, Wawa was faced with a “Super Challenge” – how to operate both a manufacturing facility and storefront under one roof. Creating convenience in retail has become the name of the game over the past year or so as retailers were forced to shift their strategies to maintain business. In this episode, director of construction at Wawa Inc., Terri Micklin, waxes eloquently about how their company has grown from a food-first retailer to the full-scale convenience store we know it as today.

Almost two years ago Walmart opened its first Walmart Health in Dallas, Georgia. Twenty-four locations later, the retail giant continues to embody the latter half of their company tagline: Save money. Live better. In this week’s episode we bring back Dan Stanek, EVP and Health & Wellness lead at WD Partners, to talk with Marcus Osborne, Senior Vice President of Walmart Health, about the growth of Walmart Health and their approach to delivering healthcare services to markets in need. Hint: they start with the consumer and built their services, pricing and accessibility around the individual. :55 – Getting to know Marcus6:32 – What makes the Walmart model unique11:35 – Offering a mix of services17:24 – Assessing markets based on net health needs24:16 – Healthcare is a tough business28:37 – An omnichannel approach to healthcare33:31 – Where will Walmart Health be in 5-10 years