FRONTLINE FRIDAYS with Ron Thurston

FRONTLINE FRIDAYS Podcast
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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 and disruptors from the world’s most iconic brands — sharing honest lessons and clear tactics you can start using immediately. Hosted by Ron Thurston, retail leadership expert and two-time bestselling author of RETAIL PRIDE (2020) and HUMAN PRIDE (2025). Season 2 starts September 26, 2025. New episodes every other Friday.

  1. What Boot Barn's Chief Retail Officer Knows About Building Leaders

    5h ago

    What Boot Barn's Chief Retail Officer Knows About Building Leaders

    The best leaders don't just build great stores. They build the people who build great stores. In Season 2, Episode 18 of Frontline Fridays, host Ron Thurston sits down with Mike Love, Chief Retail Officer at Boot Barn, to explore what it really takes to develop the next generation of retail leaders — and why most organisations leave that work to chance. Mike came up through buying, planning, and operations across nearly four decades at some of retail's most formative organisations before taking on stores at Boot Barn. Today, he leads a store network of 550-plus locations with ambitions to reach 1,200 — and he's built a leadership pipeline to match. Nearly half of Boot Barn's district managers came up through the stores. Every regional vice president over the past eight years was an internal hire. Ron and Mike explore Love's Law — Mike's framework for understanding why the skills that get you promoted are rarely the skills the new job needs — and what that means for every ambitious leader on the floor right now. They dig into Boot Barn's Level Up programme, the balance between internal and external hiring, why community investment pays dividends no spreadsheet can capture, and what Mike looks for when he walks into a store and wants to know who the future leaders are. His answer: engage and be curious. Two words. Consistently applied. If you lead people, develop people, or are trying to figure out your own path in retail, this episode is for you. What Boot Barn's Chief Retail Officer Knows About Building Leaders — Frontline Fridays, Season 2, Episode 18 is available now. Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrohqoj-V_gskdgonZVHPSVNYO0K2mtpO Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontlinefridayspodcast/ Mike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-love-2348181/ Ron: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronthurston/ YOOBIC: https://yoobic.com | https://www.linkedin.com/company/yoobic/

    35 min
  2. What 900 Travel Centers Teach You About Frontline Technology

    May 8

    What 900 Travel Centers Teach You About Frontline Technology

    Most technology leaders build for the screen. David Dawson builds for the floor. In Season 2, Episode 17 of Frontline Fridays, host Ron Thurston sits down with David Dawson, VP of Retail and Digital Technology at Pilot Company, to explore what it really takes to build and lead technology that serves frontline teams — not the other way around. With nearly 25 years of experience, David has spent his career building the systems that power Pilot's 900+ travel centers: point-of-sale, payment processing, task management, and digital tools that help cashiers, maintenance teams, and store managers deliver for guests 24 hours a day, every day of the year. He talks about what a 24-7 operation demands of technology, why simplicity is a discipline, and why the best decisions get made closest to the work. Ron and David explore the human side of what Pilot does — including why a Pilot cashier may be one of only one or two human interactions a long-haul truck driver has all day — and what that means for the people behind the counter, the technology that supports them, and the leaders responsible for both. They also dig into the IT Road Trip program, how AI is reshaping frontline operations, and why "simplify, simplify, simplify" is more than a mantra — it's a leadership philosophy. If you've ever wondered what great frontline technology leadership looks like from the inside, this episode shows you exactly that.   How Technology Serves the Frontline: Lessons from Pilot — Frontline Fridays, Season 2, Episode 17 is available now. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontlinefridayspodcast/ David: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveadawson/ | https://pilotcompany.com/ Ron: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronthurston/ YOOBIC: https://yoobic.com | https://www.linkedin.com/company/yoobic/

    28 min
  3. Calm Under Pressure: The Leadership Skill Retail Needs Most

    Apr 24

    Calm Under Pressure: The Leadership Skill Retail Needs Most

    FRONTLINE FRIDAYS S2 Ep.16: Calm Under Pressure: The Leadership Skill Retail Needs Most Pressure isn’t the problem. How leaders respond to it is. In this episode of Frontline Fridays, Ron Thurston sits down with Lesley Hawkins, former Head of Retail at adidas Canada and leadership advisor. Lesley stepped into retail leadership during one of the most challenging moments in modern retail — leading 1,200 associates across 32 stores as teams faced burnout, constant change, and growing disconnection from head office. Instead of pushing harder, she chose a different path: slow down, listen, and rebuild trust from the frontline. By asking three simple questions in every store, Lesley uncovered what teams really needed — and used those insights to reset culture, re-engage teams, and shape a more resilient retail organization. Now, she helps leaders across industries navigate pressure, lead through change, and build teams that can perform without burning out. In this conversation, she shares: how to lead calmly when everything feels urgentthe three questions every retail leader should be askingwhy listening is the fastest way to rebuild trusthow small acts of initiative create powerful cultural shiftswhy “raising your hand” is the key to growth and innovation Her message is clear: pressure is constant — but calm, intentional leadership is what drives performance. 🎧 Linktree:https://linktr.ee/frontlinefridays 👤 Lesley Hawkins:https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesley-hawkins/ 👤 Ron Thurston:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronthurston/ 💡 YOOBIC:https://yoobic.com | https://www.linkedin.com/company/yoobic/

    32 min
  4. Leadership Isn't a Role. It's a Weekly Discipline.

    Apr 10

    Leadership Isn't a Role. It's a Weekly Discipline.

    FRONTLINE FRIDAYS S2 Ep.15: Leadership Isn’t a Role. It’s a Weekly Discipline. Most retail leaders are told they have to choose: hit results or invest in people. Shalonda Dean spent 25 years proving that’s a false choice. In this episode of Frontline Fridays, Ron Thurston sits down with Shalonda Dean, Founder of Leadership Disrupted Consulting and former leader at Prada, Balenciaga, Apple, Tory Burch, and Intermix. Shalonda built and led a $400M portfolio, launched 120+ stores, and developed more than 100 leaders into bigger roles. But what stayed with her wasn’t the results. It was watching high-potential leaders burn out in systems that didn’t support them. Now, she’s on a mission to change that. Through her People-to-Performance Accelerator™, Shalonda helps retail leaders remove chaos, create consistency, and build teams that deliver results without sacrificing culture. In this conversation, she shares: why leadership must be a weekly discipline, not a titlehow to remove operational noise so teams can performwhat actually drives retention in today’s retail environmenthow to scale culture across multiple stores and marketswhy results and people are never a tradeoff Her message is clear: when you build the right structure, your people — and your performance — both thrive. 🎧 Linktree:https://linktr.ee/frontlinefridays 👤 Shalonda Dean:https://www.linkedin.com/in/shalondadean/ 👤 Ron Thurston:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronthurston/ 💡 YOOBIC:https://yoobic.com | https://www.linkedin.com/company/yoobic/

    36 min
  5. The Four Pillars of High-Performing Retail Stores

    Mar 27

    The Four Pillars of High-Performing Retail Stores

    The Four Pillars of High-Performing Retail Stores — Frontline Fridays, Season 2, Episode 14 Retail teams don’t fail because of effort. They fail because of disconnect. In Season 2, Episode 14 of Frontline Fridays, 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 — the part of the business often overlooked, but critical to performance. Her perspective is clear: operations isn’t a support function, it’s a profit driver. And most retailers are underutilizing a significant portion of their store teams because of how they think about and communicate with them. In this episode, Monika shares why high-performing stores are built on alignment, not silos, and why the biggest opportunity in retail today sits within operations teams. She introduces her STEP framework — Strategy, Team, Efficiency, and Performance — and explains how leaders can use it to unlock productivity, improve collaboration, and drive results across the entire store. Ron and Monika discuss: Why front-of-house and back-of-house teams often operate in silos — and how to fix itHow operations teams can maximize the top line while protecting the bottom lineWhy communication gaps are costing stores productivity and profitHow to develop operations talent into business-minded leaders If you’re leading stores, districts, or retail organizations and looking to improve performance without adding headcount, this episode offers a practical and powerful shift in how to think about your teams. The Four Pillars of High-Performing Retail Stores — Frontline Fridays, Season 2, Episode 14 is available now. 🎧 Linktree:https://linktr.ee/frontlinefridays 👤 Monika Espinoza:https://www.linkedin.com/in/monikabwo/ 👤 Ron Thurston:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronthurston/ 💡 YOOBIC:https://yoobic.com |https://www.linkedin.com/company/yoobic/

    40 min
  6. How to Build a Culture People Don’t Want to Leave

    Mar 13

    How to Build a Culture People Don’t Want to Leave

    High growth is hard. Sustained growth is harder. Building a culture people don’t want to leave? That’s leadership. In Season 2, Episode 13 of Frontline Fridays, 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 scale accessible luxury brands across North America, opening hundreds of stores and driving billions in revenue growth. His leadership philosophy is clear: results follow culture. In this episode, Paul shares why leaders must fiercely protect culture, why retention starts with belonging, and why empowering teams, not managing by committee, creates sustainable performance. He explains what has changed in retail and what hasn’t, and why people remain the foundation of every growth story. Ron and Paul discuss: Why culture must be intentional and protectedThe link between employee experience and performanceHow to scale high-touch retail without losing standardsWhy choosing who you work for matters as much as where you work If you’re leading stores, brands, or global teams and thinking about retention, growth, and long-term performance, this episode delivers practical leadership insight from someone who’s built it at scale. How to Build a Culture People Don’t Want to Leave — Frontline Fridays, Season 2, Episode 13 is available now. 🎧 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/frontlinefridays 👤 Paul Griffin:https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-griffin-78b486b/ 👤 Ron Thurston:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronthurston/ 💡 YOOBIC:https://yoobic.com |https://www.linkedin.com/company/yoobic/

    30 min
  7. 30-Day Blueprint for Running Great Stores

    Feb 27

    30-Day Blueprint for Running Great Stores

    Retail will always face disruption. Great stores still win. In Season 2, Episode 12 of Frontline Fridays, host Ron Thurston sits down with Rachel Williamson, Chief Strategic Retail Advisor at Running Great Stores Retail Consulting, to break down her 30-day blueprint for running high-performing stores in any environment. From tariffs and global pandemics to AI and shifting customer expectations, Rachel argues that disruption isn’t new. What matters is what leaders can control inside their four walls. Drawing on decades of experience transforming underperforming divisions into top performers, she shares the fundamentals that never change: disciplined self-leadership, clear expectations, behavioral accountability, and operational urgency. Rachel explains why telling teams to “get conversion up” isn’t a strategy, why KPIs are simply numbers driven by observable behaviors, and why modeling standards on the floor matters more than announcing goals in a huddle. She also challenges traditional hiring assumptions, making the case for hiring for attitude and training for skill, and unpacks how urgency, when defined as focus and purpose rather than panic, fuels operational excellence. Ron and Rachel explore the real tension between store teams and digital demands, why only 39% of employees feel their manager cares, and how clarity and care directly impact customer experience and revenue. This conversation is practical, unfiltered, and rooted in lived retail leadership, not theory. If you’re leading stores, districts, or frontline teams through change, growth, or performance pressure, this episode offers a field-tested roadmap for building stores that execute consistently and perform at a high level. 30-Day Blueprint for Running Great Stores — Frontline Fridays, Season 2, Episode 12 is available now. 👤 Rachel:https://www.linkedin.com/in/runninggreatstores54/ 👤 Ron:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronthurston/ 💡 YOOBIC:https://yoobic.com |https://www.linkedin.com/company/yoobic/

    42 min
  8. The 3 Questions That Define Great Retail Leadership

    Feb 13

    The 3 Questions That Define Great Retail Leadership

    Most leadership frameworks try to add complexity. The best leaders do the opposite. In Season 2, Episode 11 of Frontline Fridays, host Ron Thurston sits down with Corinne Suarez, VP and Head of Retail at Marine Layer, to unpack the principles that have guided her through more than two decades of frontline leadership across some of retail’s most iconic brands. From leading massive store fleets at Old Navy and American Eagle to scaling a fast-growing, high-touch brand like Marine Layer, Corinne shares why great leadership ultimately comes down to a few non-negotiables: respect, care, fairness, and dignity. She reflects on the three questions that define every strong leader–team relationship: Do you care about me? Can I trust you? Are you committed? and explains how these questions become practical tools for navigating conflict, building trust, and scaling leadership at any size. Ron and Corinne explore what it really takes to lead at scale without losing humanity, how to translate strategy for the end user on the floor, and why investing in people consistently delivers better business outcomes than any process or tool alone. They also dig into the future of retail, where technology should eliminate friction, not create it, and where physical stores remain essential for connection, storytelling, and emotion. If you’re leading teams through growth, change, or complexity, or thinking about how to build a retail career that lasts, this episode offers grounded perspective from someone who has done it at every level. The 3 Questions That Define Great Retail Leadership — Frontline Fridays, Season 2, Episode 11 is available now. 🎧 Watch on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrohqoj-V_gskdgonZVHPSVNYO0K2mtpO 👤 Corinne:https://www.linkedin.com/in/corinne-suarez/ 👤 Ron:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronthurston/ 💡 YOOBIC:https://yoobic.com | https://www.linkedin.com/company/yoobic/

    33 min
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About

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 and disruptors from the world’s most iconic brands — sharing honest lessons and clear tactics you can start using immediately. Hosted by Ron Thurston, retail leadership expert and two-time bestselling author of RETAIL PRIDE (2020) and HUMAN PRIDE (2025). Season 2 starts September 26, 2025. New episodes every other Friday.

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