Cultivate Workplace Passion

“At Zappos Adaptive our passion is to make our customer’s life easier, we completely focused on a market that has been underserved, all because of one amazing customer interaction.”
– Saul Dave, Senior Director of Enterprise Systems, Zappos.com

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The Changing Face of Retail

Insights from SAP, Cult Branding and Life is good.

“For retail, it’s no longer about buying stuff and putting it in the window. Those days are over.”
-Bert Jacobs, CEO of Life is good

Today’s retail landscape has changed (drastically!).

Our goal is to help clients create authentic brands that win in this new retail space. A large part of the work we do with clients is research-based: consulting on existing data, guiding new research with a customer focus, and completing our Customer Playbook—a tool that provides a comprehensive understanding of the customer within the context of the business and industry, guiding decision making and future research.

Join us at the SAP Retail Executive Forum and find out how we and these 10 visionaries have embraced the new normal to cultivate businesses that thrive instead of just survive.

  • Dick Johnson – Chairman, President, and CEO of Foot Locker
  • BJ Bueno – CEO of The Cult Branding Company
  • Jim Sinegal – Co-founder and Director of Costco
  • Doug Wood – CEO of Tommy Bahama
  • Betsy Atkins – Three-time CEO and serial entrepreneur
  • Paul Fipps – CIO & EVP Global Operations of Under Armour
  • Scott Galloway – CEO of L2 and professor at NYU Stern
  • Andrea Weiss – CEO of The O Alliance
  • Leslie Sarasin – CEO of Food Marketing Institute
  • Matt Shay – CEO of National Retail Federation
  • Scott McKain – CEO of The Distinction Institute
  • Robin Lewis – CEO of The Robin Report

See you in New York!

Best regards,

BJ Bueno + SAP Retail

Retail Executive Forum 2017


You know the big names. You read the news. You stay up-to-date on what’s happening in retail.

But hearing insights from top retail CEOs and industry thought leaders in person is a totally different experience – and we’re betting that you’ve probably never had the chance to hear from 11 of the most successful retail leaders, all in one place

Until now, that is.

We’re so excited to share this line-up of C-level SAP Retail Executive Forum presenters – because they’re the type of leaders who don’t color inside the lines. They build their brands and run their organizations with confidence. And they know how to deliver exactly what their customers want.

Today’s retail landscape has changed (drastically!), but these 11 visionaries have embraced the new normal, and their businesses aren’t just surviving; they’re thriving.

Intrigued? Register today to join us in New York City on October 17–18, and hear from:

  • Dick Johnson – Chairman, President, and CEO of Foot Locker
  • BJ Bueno – CEO of The Cult Branding Company
  • Jim Sinegal – Co-founder and Director of Costco
  • Doug Wood – CEO of Tommy Bahama
  • Betsy Atkins – Three-time CEO and serial entrepreneur
  • Paul Fipps – CIO & EVP Global Operations of Under Armour
  • Scott Galloway – CEO of L2 and professor at NYU Stern
  • Andrea Weiss – CEO of The O Alliance
  • Leslie Sarasin – CEO of Food Marketing Institute
  • Matt Shay – CEO of National Retail Federation
  • Scott McKain – CEO of The Distinction Institute
  • Robin Lewis – CEO of The Robin Report

Plus, check out our updated agenda to see what we have planned for you. Don’t miss out!

* Note: The messaging and content for this year’s Retail Executive Forum will be targeted towards an executive audience. Because of the focus on executive leadership development, invitations are limited to business leaders at the director level or higher.

See you in New York!

Best regards,

BJ Bueno + SAP Retail

True Excellence

The companies that survive longest are the ones that work out what they uniquely can give to the world—not just growth or money but their excellence, their respect for others, or their ability to make people happy. Some call these things a soul.
—Charles Handy, “The Search for Meaning” in Leader to Leader

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How to Stay on Brand

By Retired Chief Marketing Officer of Kohl’s Department Stores, Julie Gardner

Every Journey requires some kind of compass—a sense of where one is headed and an assurance that one is on the right path. Continue Reading

Maximizing Brand Equity


Brand Equity can be defined as the commercial value that derives from consumer perception of the brand name of a particular product or service, in other words, the value premium that a company generates from a product with a recognizable name when compared to a generic equivalent. Think Apple’s new iPhone X price starting at $1000 compared to a generic smartphone. Continue Reading

The SCHEELS Way

Steve M. Scheel, CEO of Scheels, and a few associates were recently featured in the Fargo INC! article “HOW TO BUILD A BUSINESS THAT WILL LAST, THE SCHEELS WAY.”

What does it take to make a 115-year-old company a great place to work and shop?  

Scheels’ success can be tied back to the exceptional people who approach their job EVERY DAY as “owners” with Purpose, Pride, Passion, Personality, and Performance.

Any leader can learn from the Scheels Team. Click the link here to read the full article.

The Hidden Truth About Creativity

“Choose a job that you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” I think we’ve all heard that before. But, I think it’s bullshit. I love cooking, owning restaurants, and working with people every day. But, it’s very difficult at times. It’s long hours standing on your feet, doing repetitive tasks. It’s late nights and early mornings. It’s being behind the scenes. And, it’s a thankless job sometimes. But, it’s something that I truly love. It’s something that brings me happiness every day and it’s a happiness that I can share.

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