ARCast
ARCast is a bi-weekly broadcast created specifically for professionals across retail and consumer goods companies "in the trenches" analyzing data, drawing planograms, researching shoppers, and more. The concept of “In The Trenches” is intended to build a real community of category management and shopper insights colleagues to share their authentic stories. ARCast brings like-minded individuals with relatable experiences to the table to reflect on their careers, share tips, funny anecdotes, and learnings along the way. "In The Trenches” is a reminder that people are behind it all. We make it happen. Welcome to our podcast.
Episodes
56 episodes
ARCast Anniversary!
On Nov 30, 2022, ARCast was born. Since then, it's been a wild and crazy ride. 52 fantastic career stories as we put the spotlight on colleagues doing compelling work "in the trenches". Thanks to all our listeners and we look forwar...
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Season 1
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Episode 55
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54:59
The Price Is Right
You may want to be the manager who handles all 4 P's and makes decisions across the entire scope of an individual category. Or possibly you are Slava Gendlin. Meet the man who chose to be laser focused on only one: Price.
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Season 1
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Episode 54
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40:42
Billions of Butts
If you have never heard of DUDE Wipes, you soon will - they are everywhere! Follow Susanna as she lands at the doorstep of a supernova, charged with building out their category management practice.
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Season 1
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Episode 53
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33:45
A Winning Combination At Wells
Renee Balliet is a passionate insights leader for over fifteen years, having worked on brands, innovation, product development, and retail. She has made her mark at Wells by building a team of Consumer, Sensory, and Shopper Insights from the gr...
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Season 1
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Episode 52
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51:54
Meet the Mindful Innovator
Listen to the unlikely story of a former Deli Manager whose life turns upside when he meets a monk on the streets of New York. This chance connection (or maybe it was destined) guides Matt Mueller into discovering mindfulness can unlock the doo...
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Season 1
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Episode 51
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52:56
Consumers Are Shoppers First
In a seemingly serious contradiction, Luke Cahill is a self proclaimed introvert who has spoken to thousands of complete strangers. Listen to Real Insight CEO & Chief Nerd as he explains why real conversations with shoppers still matt...
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Season 1
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Episode 50
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38:13
Your BFF Behind The Scenes
Why would becoming a "bestie" make a difference? Discover why Chris chose this route as a means to help organizations find their path forward in omnichannel retail.
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Season 1
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Episode 49
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54:17
Insight Opens Doors
No team can truly be effective until it understands who they serve. Follow Lawrence as he takes us on a journey to learn why it takes real empathy to deliver value for his customers.
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44:21
No More Broad Strokes
We have moved beyond the era of pulling one lever and solving all your problems. The business is more challenging and the shopper landscape is exponentially complex, so we need to think and act differently. Shiraz helps us uncover some cu...
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Season 1
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Episode 48
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41:56
Everything Ends on a Shelf
Frank Castaneda has that classic story of moving from a grocery store clerk to director of category management. Learn how throughout the journey, he always remembered the basics while becoming a leading trusted advisor.
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Season 1
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Episode 47
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28:25
Riding the White Claw Rocketship
Life can be hard when you’re a David among Goliaths. Find out how Justin used critical insights to identify an emerging segment of an age-old category.
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Season 1
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Episode 46
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30:04
Buyers Don't Care About Brands
Early in his career, Simon Dunn worked on a myriad of interesting businesses from Liquor to Produce to Household Cleaners. He learned what drives success between category partners and now wants to share that knowledge with brands from around th...
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Season 1
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Episode 45
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41:40
Ask The Question Beyond The Data
With endless streams of data at our disposal, it is easy to spend your time justifying ways to use it. But Ella's career was cut from a different cloth, shaped by what she lacked. In this episode, discover how starting with a questi...
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Season 1
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Episode 44
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41:35
In Transition? Be Encouraged
From the likes of Pepsico, Dr. Pepper, Kantar and more, Lindsey Gladden has had a major impact across the globe through her expertise in shopper insights. Now we get insights from her about looking for her next role, the state of the market in ...
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Season 1
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Episode 43
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35:03
Give Them The Respect They Deserve
Zel Bianco has focused over 30 years on CPG, honing his software company to make the lives of category managers easier. Now he asks leaders to think differently and join him in this mission. Listen to another compelling episode as Z...
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Season 1
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Episode 42
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45:26
The Day My World Changed
You just celebrated your 30th birthday when suddenly you find yourself leading the Center of Excellence at one of the largest CPG companies in the world. What do you do? Let Alex take you on a ride as he shares this unbelievable sto...
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Season 1
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Episode 41
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48:31
It's OK To Be Afraid
Follow the story of Brandon Warshaw as he goes from The White House all the way to where he is now at Harmonya. Learn how Brandon used a "does it freak me out" metric to assess opportunities along his journey.
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Season 1
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Episode 40
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46:28
Relationships Matter
Nobody values people more than Brian Rutherford. He treasures a career that was "gifted" to him by mentors and looks to pass it along through interactions with customers, shoppers, and teammates. Understand why Brian truly believe...
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Season 1
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Episode 39
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40:30
The 1P Entrepreneur
Seeing a planogram as a summer intern was all it took for Dan Desmarais to be captivated by category management. Over the next 30 years, learning about the data and how it could influence supply chain shaped his career from sales to entre...
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Season 1
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Episode 38
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1:02:21
From Cashier to Category Manager
Initially unsure of her career aspirations, Nina Palazzolo placed herself on the front lines of retail. And fell in love. Learn how Nina navigated through her fascinating journey to where she is today at Kodiak Cakes.
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Season 1
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Episode 37
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34:57
Category Management and the Art of Telling Stories
There is so much value in this interview, we decided to run it again! Take a listen to ARCast's most popular episode.Get in the trenches as James talks to one of the best category managers around, Dan Thaler at Simply Good Foods. Learn ...
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Season 1
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Episode 36
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27:45
The Chairwoman
Stacey Ring-Sanders has been an integral part of pivotal moments in our industry including the meteoric rise of Kashi, the recent transformation of Kellogg's, the turbulent days of COVID, and the expansion of the CMA. Take time to listen ...
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Season 1
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Episode 35
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35:36
From Buyer to Business Maven
Michelle Ojulah orchestrated a decorated career in the UK retail scene, making her mark with founder-led companies such as Cath Kidston, Boden, George and Monsoon. But, entrepreneurism was calling so she decided to make a change. Jo...
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Season 1
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Episode 34
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40:18