The Retail Pilot

The Retail Pilot is a series of interviews conducted by Ken Pilot with “Leaders and Legends” of the Retail industry. Ken will focus the conversation on his guests’ career journeys and their greatest career accomplishments and disappointments; gather insight into their leadership styles; learn who inspired them as they progressed through their careers; identify brands they admire; discover challenges they have faced; and talk about where they think Retail is headed and how they are leveraging technology to get there.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Inside Nuts.com: PJ Oleksak’s Journey From Private Equity to CEO
Apr 15, 2025 – 35:53
The Architects Behind Brands You Love: How Red Antler Builds Obsession-Worthy Companies
Apr 1, 2025 – 44:28
From The Studio to the Beauty Industry: John Legend on Music & Entrepreneurship
Mar 25, 2025 – 29:54
From Pottery to Global Design: The Creative Journey of Jonathan Adler
Mar 18, 2025 – 43:10
Power Dressing Reimagined: Sarah LaFleur’s Mission to Simplify Workwear
Mar 4, 2025 – 41:20
Retail Revolution: Dana Telsey on Trends, Tech & the Future of Shopping
Feb 18, 2025 – 35:06
Crafting The Great: A Vision for Modern Vintage with Emily Current and Meritt Elliott
Feb 4, 2025 – 48:49
Unraveling the Fabric of Innovation at Faherty with Alex & Mike Faherty
Jan 21, 2025 – 36:54
Open Air Shopping Innovations: Reimagining Retail with Steve Yalof, President & CEO of Tanger, Inc.
Jan 21, 2025 – 36:33
Rent the Runway 2.0: Redefining the Future of Fashion with Jennifer Hyman
Jan 20, 2025 – 58:33
Cashmere Chronicles: Rachelle Hruska MacPherson and the Lingua Franca Brand
Dec 10, 2024 – 44:51
The Good, The Bad, The Ugly: Jan Kniffen’s Q3 Retail Scorecard
Nov 26, 2024 – 35:07
Disrupting the Health Food Industry One Click at a Time: Thrive Market Founder & CEO, Nick Green
Nov 12, 2024 – 48:44
Unpacking Q3 Consumer Insights With Oliver Chen: Luxury, Beauty, Retail & AI
Oct 30, 2024 – 40:53
Bursting the Skincare Bubble: How Shai Eisenman Set Out to Disrupt the Skincare Industry
Oct 22, 2024 – 35:55
Mickey Drexler: A Mensch and a Mentor at the Helm of Alex Mill
Oct 8, 2024 – 51:51
Simeon Siegel Returns: A Retail Analyst's POV on the State of the Industry
Sep 17, 2024 – 35:54
Tech Talk: Digital Marketing Strategy for Retail Transformation - A Conversation with January Digital Founder & CEO, Vic Drabicky, & Stev...
Sep 10, 2024 – 39:56
Soft Threads, Bold Moves: Mike Natenshon's Journey as the Founder of Marine Layer
Sep 4, 2024 – 45:51
THROWBACK EPISODE - "Burn Rate": How Andy Dunn Built and Exited Bonobos While Confronting Mental Illness
Aug 27, 2024 – 54:15
From Gilt to Glamsquad: Alexandra Wilkis Wilson’s Journey Building Unicorns and Investing in Talent
Aug 20, 2024 – 47:58
Tech Talk: Strengthening Customer Engagement with User-Generated Content (UGC) - A Conversation with brkfst.io Co-Founder & CEO, Joe Yaku...
Aug 13, 2024 – 57:43
Framing Success: Tim Parr on Building CADDIS, the Anti Anti-Aging (Eyewear) Brand
Aug 6, 2024 – 34:57
"Crate Expectations": Leadership Lessons from Crate & Barrel Holdings CEO, Janet Hayes
Jul 30, 2024 – 42:44
THROWBACK EPISODE -- Unveiling the Entrepreneurial Journey of Ryan Babenzien, CEO of Jolie Skin Company
Jul 23, 2024 – 43:29
Style and Substance: Sid and Ann Mashburn's Journey into Retail and Fashion
Jul 16, 2024 – 55:11
Mindy Grossman Returns: How Consello is Creating Authentic and Engaging Brand Experiences
Jul 9, 2024 – 43:34
THROWBACK EPISODE - The Cobbler: How Steve Madden took adversity and personal struggle and built the most recognizable footwear brand in...
Jul 2, 2024 – 39:22
Disrupting the Bedding Industry: Pillow Talk with Scott Tannen, CEO of Boll & Branch
Jun 25, 2024 – 50:04
Ramy Brook Sharp Returns: Growing the Eponymous Brand, Ramy Brook
Jun 19, 2024 – 36:53
Throwback Episode -- The Future of Ear Piercing: Safety and Style with Louisa Schneider, CEO of Rowan
Jun 11, 2024 – 41:32
Leading with Purpose: Hali Borenstein, CEO of Reformation, on Growing a Sustainable Fashion Brand
Jun 4, 2024 – 45:37
Blueprint to Brilliance: Chris Burch on Creating Successful Ventures at Burch Creative Capital
May 28, 2024 – 34:02
Evolution from Fashion Blogger to Designer with Danielle Bernstein, Founder of We Wore What
May 20, 2024 – 49:43
Suited for Success: Revolutionizing Tuxedo Rentals with Andrew Blackmon, Co-Founder & CEO of The Black Tux
May 7, 2024 – 38:05
Live from The University of Michigan MFMS: Gettin' Happy with Peiman Raf, Co-Founder & CEO of Madhappy
Apr 30, 2024 – 39:49
Michelle Wlazlo: Building a Merchandising Strategy for JCPenney's Savvy Shopper
Apr 23, 2024 – 42:10
“Shoe” Business: The Evolution of a Family Brand with Pete Nordstrom
Apr 16, 2024 – 57:31
Beyond the Aisles: Inside Walmart's Fashion Revolution with Denise Incandela
Apr 9, 2024 – 48:12
In Her “Jeans”: The Denim Journey of Amy Williams, CEO of Citizens of Humanity
Apr 2, 2024 – 57:30
Adding It Up With Simeon Siegel: A Top Analyst’s Perspective on Retail
Mar 26, 2024 – 40:40
Nyakio Grieco: Empowering Inclusion and Diversity in the Beauty Industry
Mar 19, 2024 – 51:17
Tommy Hilfiger: The Blueprint for Building an Inclusive Global Brand
Mar 12, 2024 – 36:12
From Chief Underpants Officer to Space Invader: Nick Graham on Innovation and Creativity at Joe Boxer and SPACEONE Industries
Feb 27, 2024 – 34:28
Lori Coulter: Making Waves in Women's Swimwear and Beyond with Summersalt
Feb 21, 2024 – 44:57
An "Intimate" Conversation With Marissa Vosper and Lauren Schwab, Co-Founders of Negative
Feb 6, 2024 – 44:43
Leadership Lessons from a Trailblazer: Jeanne Jackson on Empowering Women, Leading Great Companies, and Adding Strength at the Board Leve...
Jan 30, 2024 – 35:39
Untucked and Unfiltered: Chris Riccobono's Story of Entrepreneurship as the Co-Founder of UNTUCKit
Jan 23, 2024 – 55:57
Stuffed with Wisdom: Sharon Price John on Innovation, Resilience and Leadership at Build-A-Bear Workshop
Jan 16, 2024 – 1:01:42
Tech Talk: Solving the Retail Staffing Challenge with Mike Meyers, Ron Thurston & Sharonda Weatherspoon
Jan 9, 2024 – 46:48

Recent Reviews

Brownaloni

Great Interview

I found the interview to be real, casual, insightful and engaging. Ken ever think about getting a TV show?
Sheryl@bostonproper

Ken and Sheryl

It was my pleasure to be a guest on The Retail Pilot - Leaders & Legends podcast. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation and the opportunity to connect with your audience. The growth of your podcast and the positive feedback from the retail community is truly exciting to witness. I hope that my insights and experiences added value to your show and that the information we discussed was informative and engaging for your listeners. It's always a fantastic feeling to know that our conversation might have helped in attracting talented individuals to the retail industry. I'll be sure to share the podcast with my associates and on my social media networks. Your show is a valuable resource, and I want to ensure that as many people as possible can benefit from the insightful discussions you host. Thank you once again for having me as a guest, and I look forward to more exciting conversations in the future. Here's to the continued success of The Retail Pilot - Leaders & Legends podcast!
FishCANYC

Amazing guests and Incredibly insightful

Ken’s industry knowledge and experience coupled with the outstanding guests make for great content.
Perkprincess1

Great interview style Master of all things retail

I have enjoyed all of Ken’s interviews on The Retail Pilot both for the interesting retail and career-focused content, personal stories about his guests, and humor and wit throughout the conversations. Each Monday I look forward to the next episode drop.
Jbr1111

Top quality

What a gem of a podcast!
RunToMusic

Leaders really open up to Ken Pilot

This podcast is so good because leaders know that Ken gets the industry. The conversations flow naturally, honestly, and transparently, and they seem to go quickly. Ken asks great questions that you were thinking yourself. He seems to really know his audience. The interview with Marc Merrick was incredible..vulnerable, inspirational, interesting..just great.
Hellothere1215

A wonderful showcase of retail legends!

I love tuning into these episodes each week! They are filled with so much knowledge, humor and incredible stories. Such a great collection of retail legends! 👏
pilotfamilyy

Humor + retail

The host has a great way of incorporating humor into the conversation. It makes it an easy listen and an engaging discussion.
jperks74

Essential listening for anyone in the retail industry!

Great interviews with the best and brightest in the retail industry. Ken has the gift of gab and gets the most out of his guests. I come away from every episode having learned something new that I’m going to apply to my job. Can’t wait for more episodes to drop. Keep up the good work!