Startups
August 17, 2026 at 2:59 pm
In episode 514 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Lorenzo De Plano, co-founder and CEO of ALP, the leading direct-to-consumer (DTC) nicotine pouch brand, valued at over $1 billion. Listen in as De Plano discusses the genesis and growth of the company (2:15), why launching DTC first provided a sandbox to test and…
March 16, 2026 at 2:04 pm
In episode 503 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Marianna Sachse, founder and CEO of Jackalo, the first circular childrenswear brand focused on creating durable, eco-friendly apparel. Sachse describes her inspiration for founding the brand — a difficulty finding comfortable, sustainable, long-lasting pants and hand-me-downs for kids four and older (2:00). She details…
September 29, 2025 at 5:36 pm
This video features a keynote presentation by Patrick Montgomery, founder and CEO of Kansas City Cattle Company/Valor Provisions, titled "From Service to Steak: Building a Purpose-Driven Brand." Montgomery was a featured speaker at Total Retail Tech 2025 in Atlanta last month. Kansas City Cattle Company didn’t start with a marketing blueprint — it started with…
September 22, 2025 at 8:57 am
Women play an outsized role in the retail industry — not just as consumers, but as employees, innovators, and increasingly as founders. Women influence an estimated 85 percent of consumer spending, and they often bring unique insight into what their customers want, need, and aspire to. That understanding of the consumer has been the foundation…
September 17, 2025 at 8:09 pm
This video features a discussion with Tory Bartlett, CEO of PopUp Bagels, titled "Grip, Rip, and Scale: How PopUp Bagels is Redefining Franchising and the Future of Food" from Total Retail Tech in Atlanta last week. Bartlett was interviewed by Lauri Kien Kotcher, former CEO of Hello Products, The Shade Store, and quip. What started…
September 15, 2025 at 2:31 pm
In episode 490 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Yanni Hufnagel, founder and CEO of The Lemon Perfect Company, an organic lemon water brand. Listen in as Yanni discusses his unconventional career path, transitioning from a college basketball coach to a beverage entrepreneur (2:20). He describes the inspiration behind Lemon Perfect (3:10), growth…
May 12, 2025 at 8:53 am
In episode 481 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Matthew Kelly, founder and owner of Detailing World, the largest selection of professional-grade car detailing products operating over a dozen stores and wholesale nationwide. Listen in as Kelly provides an overview of Detailing World (1:30), why he entered the market with a physical storefront…
November 1, 2024 at 4:36 pm
This video features a keynote from Jane Park, CEO and founder of Tokki, titled "Why Technology is at the Core of My Entrepreneurial Spirit" from Total Retail Tech 2024 in Charlotte, NC. Consumer tech entrepreneur Jane Park, CEO and founder of Tokki, a new line of TikTok-friendly gift bags that are digitally equipped with QR code…
October 14, 2024 at 6:19 pm
Consumer tech entrepreneur Jane Park is CEO and founder of Tokki, a new line of TikTok-friendly gift bags that are digitally equipped with QR code greeting cards. Park spoke at the Total Retail Tech event last month, sharing her career journey — and the influence that technology has had on it. The former Starbucks executive…
October 9, 2024 at 3:02 pm
In the E-Commerce Business Loans: What Sellers Need to Know article, I defined an e-commerce loan, how it works, the pros and cons, and the best candidates for getting traditional funding support. Now, let’s explore other funding options for online sellers. Business Credit Cards Credit cards allow small e-commerce companies to manage daily operational expenses…
