WDCast

Cramming in patients, barely having time to eat lunch, spending hours at the end of the day writing notes from visits, and so many billing codes. This is not why Rushika Fernandopulle became a doctor. Rushika became a doctor because he wanted to help people and he realized he couldn’t do that given the current healthcare system. In this special episode, WD Partners’ Dan Stanek takes over as host of WDCast and sits down with the founder and CEO of Iora Health – Dr. Rushika Fernandopulle. They discuss what’s broken in the US healthcare system, how Iora Health is attempting to fix it, and what it means to be a human-centered healthcare organization. 1:14 – Rushika’s background & journey3:31 – I’m gonna change the system6:05 – The Iora Health difference10:25 – Human-centered principles12:13 – Value-based payment14:01 – The primary care lever18:20 – Changing the delivery system21:27 – The impact of the pandemic23:20 – The role of technology26:54 – CEO + MD

The digital channel and an on-demand retail world are here, front and center. There isn't a retailer out there who doesn't realize that digital retail is one of, if not THE most important element of their future. The amount of online order fulfillment that retailers are doing today is about 3 times what they were doing a year ago and the physical boxes (aka stores) are becoming less and less practical to fulfill that volume. In this episode we catch back up with Jordan Berke, Founder of Tomorrow Retail Consulting, who we spoke with almost a year ago about the notion of and need for dark stores. Jordan shares his expert opinions and predictions on the true rise of dark stores over the next year and what it means for stores to become fulfillment centers.01:04 – A refresher on Tomorrow Retail 02:06 – An on-demand retail world05:37 – The rise of dark stores (for real)09:10 – Stores as fulfillment centers17:18 – “Blank” from home20:17 – The boardroom’s reaction 24:22 – US vs. Asia (digital adoption)26:47 – Predict

Human Centered Design – type that puppy into google and you’ll get a myriad of definitions and approaches, but this episode’s guest defines it quite simply as using empathy, ideation and experimentation to put the needs of the human (end user) at the center of the problem-solving process. Meet Stephen Wurth, Sr. Manager of Category Experience Design at Purina. He chats with WD Partners’ Lee Peterson on how his team works with retail partners to design solutions in an omni-channel world, how Design with a capital D can (and should) be used as a thinking tool across an organization, and why design thinking is not a linear process. 1:01 – Getting to know Stephen5:00 – Human centered design9:20 – Leveraging design thinking to help solve problems12:15 – The advantage of design led companies18:58 – Cultural ways of working20:27 – How does tech fit into human centered design24:29 – Direct to consumer models29:08 – Why bonobos is killing it33:36 – Predictions for 202136:15 – Advice for public speaking38:00 – Cardinal

Here’s some solid career advice: Identify a brand you have a passion for and seek out an opportunity. That’s exactly what our guest Gina Peterson did. Gina has been with Hershey for the last 11 years and to simply say she is passionate about her work is a massive understatement. Gina is the Sr. Manager of Retail Experience for the confections giant and has an amazing opportunity to identify new opportunities and holistic solutions (beyond selling another candy bar) with retail partners. Gina’s work is grounded in the voice of the shopper and her team partners with Hershey’s retail customers to create and activate playbooks and principles to drive growth in the space. In this episode Gina shares with Lee Peterson (EVP, Thought Leadership & Marketing at WD Partners) what digital first means for Hershey, the impact the great accelerator has had on the CPG industry, and how sweet it is to work at a place you love.1:30 – Hershey in her heart4:58 – A day in Gina’s life7:20 – Insights to activation9:42 – Voice o

We pick up where we left off from our previous episode with Toby Barnes (yes, there was a part 1 episode and yes, you should definitely go back and listen to it if you haven’t already) and Lee Peterson as they discuss the future of retail. They kick off the conversation dissecting the term “digital first” and what Toby thinks it really means and dive into live stream shopping, tik tok, and the good and bad of social media.

Helped launch some of the most innovative Nike concepts and has a British accent? Yes please! Meet Toby Barnes, Retail Futurist and former Nike Exec, in episode one of a two-part series as he discusses the future of retail and stores with Lee Peterson. Toby and Lee dive into the differences between the function of retail versus the function of a store and how retailers must rethink about what they deliver to the customer.

Businesses are just now realizing the importance of digital, but consumers have known this for a longtime. What was once an afterthought or bolt-on solution for brands, has become the place that people go to first when beginning their buying journey. Even when they don’t know that they actually want to buy something. Our guest this week built his company on knowing that a brand makes their first impression online. Joey Zornes, Co-Founder and Creative Director at Bonfire Red, sits down with Lee Peterson to talk all things digital. From staying up on trends, to the beauty of digital storytelling, and the role of digital in the physical space, Joey shares why his company was built on a digital first mentality.

We haven’t met anyone with a resume like Nita Rollins. She’s a journalist, meets film and art critic, meets marketer, meets critical studies major, meets cultural semiotician and futurist. And a doctor. Did we mention she’s a doctor?! While the organizations she’s associated with are impressive to say the least, Nita is on a new adventure. A company she launched called Stylograph—at a fundamental level, it’s a full-service organic content marketing consultancy, but with Nita at the wheel, it’s so much more. In this episode, Lee Peterson and Dr. Nita Rollins discuss how she got to her current career of choice, why it’s important for her to bring her personal passions into her everyday work, how brands (at least the good ones) recognize the importance of being a publisher, and her love of a beautiful head scarf.1:50 - One of the most interesting resumes in the world9:55 – The world could use Nita Rollins16:40 – Talk to us about Stylograph22:07 - The modern expression of a brand24:20 - The juxtaposition of Jumbo

A self-taught artist, dad, avid reader, project doer, music lover and self-proclaimed imperfectionist, Joey Monsoon joins Lee Peterson in this week’s episode to discuss his process when creating art, how he handles criticism, what his legacy looks like and why children are the artists we should be watching and encouraging the most.

The customer is in charge. This isn’t a new idea, but it is new to the world of healthcare. As consumers have grown accustomed to receiving products at the speed of light, when and how they want it, the question becomes…how does this translate to healthcare? How can healthcare become personalized? A product with a service that you receive and interact with on your terms. Let us introduce you to this week’s podcast guest: Brian Slusser. Brian is the founder and CEO of Health In Motion Network. His company has a clear goal: to organize local providers (using innovation) onto a common patient platform in order to provide healthcare on-demand. He joins Lee Peterson to discuss the ins and outs of healthcare, how the global pandemic has brought these issues to the forefront and how is company is helping to solve them.

In a mere 8 weeks, we’ve seen a 5-year step change in American’s shopping behavior when it comes to everyday essentials. And it’s not stopping anytime soon. Consumers will continue to increase their reliance on online shopping in the coming months, and this week’s guest predicts that retailers will see over 50% of their growth and total sales coming from digital channels. Jordan Berke an ex-Walmart executive and Founder of Tomorrow Retail Consulting, joins Lee Peterson to discuss the trends he lived through while leading Walmart’s China eCommerce & Digital Operations and why brands must adapt their approach to digital transformation within the store environment and throughout the customer journey.

Healthcare in general is 15-20 years behind retail. The industry has had the luxury of doing things on their terms instead of their patients’ (or as this week’s guest calls them—customers) terms. While a shift toward customer-centric healthcare has been mounting, the recent pandemic crisis has catapulted the industry into major change. For example, telehealth has come to the forefront, with forced adoption for both patients and doctors as many states enacted stay-at-home orders. In fact, some people will have no desire to go back to in-person doctor visits after experiencing the convenience of telehealth. This week, Dan Stanek, EVP at WD Partners, joins Lee Peterson to discuss the shift for the health and wellness industry to focus around the customer need states and changing demands.

Grocery stores have been hard at work figuring out ways to get customers in and out, replenish shelves and keep associates safe. They’ve been able to muscle through it so far, but there are many operational considerations and logistics to finetune including labor, technology and equipment. The demand of curbside pick-up, delivery to home, and contactless payment is changing the industry not only today but in the future in ways that are yet to be seen. Retailers have changed their operations more in the last 6 weeks than they have in the last 10 years and things are just getting started. In this episode, Joanne Heyob, SVP Operations Strategy & Design, joins Lee Peterson to discuss how brands have to experiment with different ways of shopping (pick-up, delivery, showroom) to meet the needs of their customers and what operations considerations come into play along the way.

Circular, back & forth, roundabout and all the ways in between getting to what’s next after all of this won’t be a straight line for many brands. The idea of testing & learning has never been more necessary. As the landscape continues to change how are consumer expectations also changing as they embrace the idea of ‘contactless shopping’ and begin to reengage in a physical shopping experience. Jody sees the ‘wins’ as being the brands walking the talk. Those that are helping their communities, customers & associates in a purposeful way. In this episode, Lee Peterson & Jody Wasbro, SVP Strategy & Experience Design at WD Partners, discuss trends like delivery, order ahead, and BOPIS that have been accelerated due to the crisis, as well as the opportunity for brands to blur the lines of their offering (services, products, community involvement) to come out on top.

Whole Foods is known for quality, education and localization and as the Sr. Director of Store Design, Gabby Rosi has played a major role in the customer experience and aesthetic of the brand. For the past 26 years Gabby has been working for a brand that she loves and has been involved in the design and creation of nearly 100 stores. Her artistic roots go deep as both her mom and dad are artists and her grandmother was an opera singer who traveled the country in the 30s. Gabby, a fellow Chicago native, joins Lee Peterson this week to discuss her career, the growth of Whole Foods and the importance of stores.

If you weren’t implementing BOPIS before this pandemic, you definitely are now! Mostly because you weren’t given a choice;) But that’s okay, because there is no time like the present to learn, adapt and do it all again. The time is now for brands to invest in their BOPIS programs—what does this crucial service look like for a specialty store, a grocery store and a restaurant? This week Jeff Arps, Sr. Director Business Development at WD Partners joins Lee Peterson to discuss what the post-covid shopping experience looks like, what brands are already winning at it and why restaurants need more than a drive-thru to make it in this new and crazy time.

Imagine getting a call from your friend about an upcoming trip you have planned to Wuhan, China in which he tells you, ‘hey buddy you might want to wait a couple weeks and see how this whole virus thing shakes out.’ That’s exactly what happened to Zak Dychtwald, a self-proclaimed Coronavirus Refugee. But Zak’s relationship with China goes back way farther than last December, Zak is an expert on the post 90’s generation in China (what we call millennials in the states). In fact, he’s done Ted Talks on it (google it, it’s amazing), he’s written a book on it and he’s even started a company about it (The Young China Group). This week we’re honored to have Zak join Lee Peterson where they discuss many things including the cultural divide between Hong Kong and mainland China, the sea change in China in the past years and how we’re seeing both the best and the worst of the Chinese government in response to Covid-19, and the stress test taking placed between young people and the Chinese government.

The man, the myth, the legend. We may be biased, but our special guest this week is our own CEO Chris Doerschlag. Leader of over 400 people, architect by trade, father to 8 kids, son of 2 immigrants, music junkie, and a creative wizard in the kitchen…Chris has some stories to tell! This week Chris joins Lee Peterson where he shares his philosophy of working with and managing people, why understanding human nature helps him empower others, his vision for WD, and so much more.

As one of the thought leaders behind the podcast Business Wars Daily, Elaine Appleton Grant has insight into the trends, technology, opportunities and threats impacting our world today. A longtime journalist and entrepreneur at heart, Elaine joins Lee Peterson to discuss a myriad of subjects from her prediction of the podcast phenomenon, to the importance of sustainability, and how AI is already a part of our daily lives.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably used some form of BOPIS (buy online pick-up in store), ship from store or ship to store. Retailers are pulling out all the stops to get goods to their customers on their terms. Yet most companies are ‘bolting-on’ the operation of these services, and not properly assessing or accounting for the additional needs (space, associates, product) of these growing orders. Well that’s where this week’s guest comes into play as Lee Peterson talks with Joanne Heyob, SVP Operations & Strategy Design at WD Partners. Joanne shares how her team works with brands to understand the floor plan, product flow, peak traffic times and so much more in order to create seamless experiences for the associates and customers.