BRAVE COMMERCE

Our LEGO Agency’s Jennifer Berry on Building Connected Commerce Beyond Channels

In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Jennifer Berry, VP of Our LEGO Agency, Commerce & Digital at The LEGO Group. Jennifer shares how LEGO is rethinking its operating model—bringing creativity, commerce, and retail together under one in-house agency to deliver more connected, audience-first experiences.They explore why consumers don’t see channels the way organizations do, how LEGO is designing seamless ecosystems across DTC, retail partners, and physical experiences, and what it takes to balance long-term brand building with real-time cultural relevance. From immersive retail to evolving PDPs and the role of AI in freeing teams to focus on higher-impact creative work, the conversation shows how leading brands are operating in a world where brand and transaction moments are no longer separate.Key takeawaysMost organizations are still structured around channels, but consumers aren’t. That gap is where performance is lost.Growth comes from orchestrating brand, media, and retail into a single performance ecosystem.The immediate role of AI isn’t to replace creativity—it’s to streamline processes so more time can be spent on creative and high-impact work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mizkan’s Amy Luke Busker on Breaking Silos and Leading Through Change Without Losing Direction

In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Amy Luke Busker, Chief Commercial Officer at Mizkan America, about what it takes to drive growth in today’s increasingly complex commerce landscape.Amy shares how expanding the commercial function beyond sales and marketing is reshaping how organizations operate, and why growth requires alignment across teams. She discusses silos, shared KPIs, and how teams move from fragmented ways of working to a more unified approach. She also explores how leaders can navigate rapid change—from shifting consumer behavior to more algorithm-driven discovery—while bringing entire organizations along for the journey.Key takeawaysCommercial growth is a team sport; success comes from aligning sales, marketing, R&D, and supply chain, not operating in silos.Shared KPIs matter, but impact comes from changing how teams work, not just how performance is measured.Breaking silos starts with shared priorities, structured planning, and bringing the full organization along. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sephora’s Zena Arnold on Navigating Trends, Shaping Discovery, and Marketing at the Speed of Culture

In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Zena Arnold, Chief Marketing Officer at Sephora U.S., about how one of the world’s most influential beauty retailers stays at the center of culture in an industry that moves at lightning speed.Zena shares how Sephora discerns which trends represent fleeting moments versus real behavioral shifts, why beauty discovery has become continuous in the age of creators and social feeds, and how the company balances digital personalization with high-impact in-person experiences like SEPHORiA. She also discusses how Sephora approaches AI—from powering skin scans and product discovery to enabling more relevant personalization—while remaining thoughtful about how new technology enhances, rather than dilutes, the client experience.Key takeawaysNot every trend deserves a brand response; successful marketers build systems to filter signal from noise.Beauty discovery is now continuous, requiring brands to show up consistently across creators, culture, and community.The strongest brand partnerships come from clear identity and products that fill a true consumer white space. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Teva Pharmaceuticals’ Dipesh Patel on Building Digital Capabilities in a Trust-First Category

In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter sit down with Dipesh Patel, Senior Director, Digital Transformation & Ecommerce, Global OTC at Teva Pharmaceuticals, to discuss what it takes to drive transformation in a category where trust, accuracy, and regulation shape the pace of change. Dipesh shares how his background in mathematics and early experience in retail influence his approach to problem-solving, ambiguity, and digital transformation.They also explore Dipesh’s move from Unilever to Teva, including the difference between operating in a mature consumer goods environment versus building capabilities in OTC. The conversation also dives into AI’s role in content creation, why speed alone isn’t enough in healthcare, and how brands can use stronger systems and guardrails to scale content while maintaining control.Key takeawaysAI can scale content production, but strong guardrails and human oversight remain essential.In healthcare and OTC, brands must balance digital speed with trust and regulatory rigor.Building digital capabilities from scratch requires a different mindset than optimizing mature systems. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Total Wine & More’s Brian Gelb on Intent-Based Leadership and Retail Growth in a Challenging Alcohol Market

In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter sit down with Brian Gelb, Senior Vice President of Wine and Concierge at Total Wine & More, to unpack how a retailer is gaining share while the broader alcohol market faces headwinds. Brian shares how his military background shaped an “intent-based leadership” approach that pushes decision-making down, builds ownership, and requires teams to arrive with a recommendation, not just an issue.They also discuss what often breaks down between suppliers and retail partners, why bringing real customer insights to the table changes the quality of joint business planning conversations, and how Total Wine stays focused on service, selection, and sharp pricing, while expanding into non-alcoholic, THC-infused, and emerging functional beverage segments.Key takeawaysIntent-based leadership drives accountability by empowering teams to own decisions and defend their reasoning.Retailer–supplier alignment improves when both sides start with customer insights and shared strategy.Share growth in a challenging market comes from disciplined focus on experience, assortment, and price. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.