Shows
CX InnovatorsModulate expert shares insight on responsible AI in voice channelsIn this episode of the CX Innovators podcast, Mark Frumkin, director of customer success at Modulate, shares expert insight on how online retailers can deploy AI tools to improve fraud detection, reduce harmful customer interactions and elevate both the agent and the customer experience.The podcast is produced by Networld Media Group and sponsored by Modulate, which provides real-time conversational and voice intelligence technology for customer service and contact centers. Its solutions include ToxMod (real-time detection of harassment and abuse) and VoiceVault (fraud and identity verification through voice), which work in a safeguard agent role against abusive...
2025-10-2926 min
Digital Signage TodayCree LED talks LED solutions for digital displays, IP infringement challengesIn this episode of the Digital Signage Today podcast, produced by Networld Media Group, Judy Mottl, editor of Digital Signage Talk, talks with Jeff Van Houten and Jovani Torres from Cree LED.Cree LED is a well-known leader given its 30-plus years in the OEM LED market and its technology can be found in a wide range of applications, from portable lighting like flashlights, headlamps and bike lights to horticultural systems used in greenhouses and vertical farms.Van Houten is a product manager and Torres is a strategic business developer for Cree LED's High Bright...
2025-07-2814 min
Pizza Marketplace PodcastBright Penny Brewing Co. pairs signature craft beer with pizzaIn this episode of the Pizza Marketplace Podcast, host Mandy Detwiler, editor of Pizza Marketplace, chats with Tory Williams, general manager of Bright Penny Brewing Co. in Mebane, North Carolina.The brand has three locations, all of which operate differently. The main restaurant and brewery is in downtown Mebane where the brand does all its beer manufacturing.Neapolitan pizza is the brand's biggest food seller, with favorites like cheese and pepperoni the favorites. There's a pizza called Family Friendly which has cheese, pepperoni and a local sausage. The 412 is a barbecue chicken, bacon, local hot...
2025-07-0922 min
Restaurant OperatorTaco John's CEO talks balancing innovation with brand's rich historyIn this episode of the Restaurant Operator Podcast, host Mandy Detwiler, editor of QSRweb.com and Pizza Marketplace, chats with Heather Neary, president and CEO of Taco John's which has nearly 400 units in 23 states.Neary took her leadership role last year, but Taco John's has been serving up tacos and its signature Potato Oles since 1969."We're a great legacy brand," Neary said. "We've got second-generation franchisees in the business. We've got a lot of really amazing operators who are here to honor the integrity of the historical brand that's got a lot of legs in...
2025-06-2416 minPizza Marketplace PodcastBlue Moon Pizza ready to take center stageIn this episode of the Restaurant Operator Podcast, host Mandy Detwiler, editor of PizzaMarketplace.com and QSRweb.com, chats with Jordan Krolick, president of Blue Moon Pizza and Jeff Goldt, chief operating officer of Blue Moon Pizza.The Atlanta pizzeria brand, known for its unique hybrid pizzas and passionate customer base, is ready to expand with franchising. Today, it has five units.Looking ahead five years, Krolick said he expects Blue Moon Pizza to be larger."We do have a five-year plan," he said. "Our goal is to start franchising in early 2026."
2025-06-1927 minCX InnovatorsExamining the powerful role music plays in the in-store customer experienceMusic plays a pivotal role in the retail customer experience as well as retailer's success.As Ola Sars, CEO of Soundtrack Technologies, shares with Judy Mottl, editor of Retail Customer Experience, in this episode of the CX Innovators podcast, music has become a CX strategy that can drive customer loyalty as well as revenue.Sars was a co-founder and COO of Beats Music, a subscription streaming service acquired by Apple in 2014 in a $3 billion dollar deal and which eventually transformed into Apple Music.The Stockholm-based serial music tech entrepreneur is a 2024 Billboard International...
2025-05-2820 minDigital Signage TodayDeep dive into digital signage installation at Chicago's Lincoln Park ZooIn this episode of the Digital Signage Today podcast, produced by Networld Media Group, Judy Mottl, editor of Digital Signage Talk, talks with Rob Meiner, a senior solutions engineer with Peerless-AV, about the digital signage project at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago.Peerless-AV's discussions with the zoo revealed the zoo wanted to boost its visitors experience as well as provide more engaging content. Peerless-AV designs and manufactures outdoor displays and TVs, dvLED and LCD video wall systems, integrated kiosks, professional carts and stands.The zoo's indoor Searle Visitor Center installation included four 75-inch Samsung...
2025-05-1920 minPizza Marketplace PodcastDonatos Pizza president, CEO wants it to be the household name in pizzaIn this episode of the Pizza Marketplace Podcast, host Mandy Detwiler, editor of Pizza Marketplace, talks to Kevin King, who recently took over Donatos Pizza last October as president and CEO. Under King's leadership, the brand is embracing strategies to keep it relevant for both new and existing customers amidst rising pricing wars in the pizza industry.Donatos started in 1963 when its founder, Jim Grote, started a small pizza shop in the sound end of Columbus, Ohio based on principles and values that even today make Donatos a standout in the pizza industry.The brand...
2025-04-0920 minRestaurant OperatorCORE Gives helps restaurant employees in needIn our latest episode of the Restaurant Operator Podcast, host Mandy Detwiler, editor of Pizza Marketplace and QSRweb, talks to Jill Chapman, director of corporate partnerships with CORE Gives, an organization that helps restaurant employees in need."CORE is a national non-profit," Chapman said. "We provide financial support to food and beverage service employees in this industry. It's a crisis, whether it's an injury, health issue, a natural disaster, death in the family (or) domestic abuse. Really, honestly there is a need for this because there's so many times that service employees — if one of these things ha...
2025-04-0811 minCX InnovatorsCEO Chris King defines Monster Mini Golf's 'philosophy of fun' CX strategyIn this episode of the CX Innovators podcast, Chris King, CEO of Monster Mini Golf; shares insight on how the indoor family entertainment brand fulfills its 'philosophy of fun' and why it's the center piece of the brand's customer experience strategy.Monster Mini Golf is an indoor family entertainment brand with 30-plus franchise locations across the U.S. and Canada. The entertainment centers offer an 18-hole custom designed blacklight mini golf course, state-of-the-art arcade, party and event rooms with optional laser maze, laser tag, bowling and virtual reality experiences.Subscribe to Networld Media Group's YouTube...
2025-03-2614 minRestaurant OperatorGRUBBRR Guarantee gives kiosk users peace of mindIn this day and age, offering a guarantee with your business plan is nearly a given. For kiosk brand GRUBBRR, the GRUBBRR Guarantee is an integral part of the brand's ethos.In this episode of the Restaurant Operator Podcast, host Mandy Detwiler, editor of Pizza Marketplace and QSRweb, speaks with GRUBBRR Chief Revenue Officer Parrish Chapman about the brand's guarantee.Chapman said the GRUBBRR guarantee is simple: the kiosk brand guarantees its work and stands behind it."We know operators today have a lot of cost pressures, they have a lot of news...
2025-03-2528 minPizza Marketplace PodcastPizza Factory CEO talks acquisition of company, future of brandIn this episode of the Pizza Marketplace Podcast, host Mandy Detwiler, editor of Pizza Marketplace, talks to Mary Jane Riva, CEO of California-based Pizza Factory.The brand was founded in 1985 in two small California towns and will celebrate its 40th anniversary this year. Riva and her husband, Bob, came aboard as franchisees in 1990 and opened five of their own Pizza Factory locations. In 2012, the founders were ready to leave and sold the company to the Rivas."The culture of Pizza Factory is so much about community and it's individuals being able to come and work...
2025-03-1219 minCX InnovatorsUltronAI founder on how AI, computer vision enhance retail checkout, reduce shrink, optimize operationsIn this episode of the CX Innovators podcast, Marios Savvides, founder, chairman and CTO at UltronAI, offers insight on how AI and computer vision can educe retail shrink, optimize operations and improve the customer experienceSavvides is a leader in AI computer vision, having spent decades working on AI models that solve complex identification challenges. His research in facial and object recognition has been used by the U.S. government and recognized by major global institutions. He is the founder and director of the Trustworthy AI Biometrics Center at Carnegie Mellon University and the Bossa Nova Robotics...
2025-02-2625 minRestaurant OperatorLion's Choice CEO offers secrets to brand's successIn this episode of the Restaurant Operator Podcast, host Mandy Detwiler, editor of QSRweb and Pizza Marketplace, talks with Fred Burmer, CEO of roast beef brand Lion's Choice.Lion's Choice got its start in 1967 and is a legacy brand in St. Louis with 30 restaurants. The brand uses top round roast beef that is hand-trimmed and slow roasted for at least three hours in the restaurant every day."It's really butcher-shop quality," Burmer said. The roast beef is sliced razor thin which gives it a "great flavor and texture that really sets us apart."...
2025-02-2516 minPizza Marketplace PodcastStoner's Pizza Joint CEO talks economy, that kitschy nameIn this episode of the Pizza Marketplace Podcast, host Mandy Detwiler, editor of Pizza Marketplace, talks to John Stetson, CEO of Florida-based Stoner's Pizza Joint.The brand was founded in 2013 in Savannah, Georgia. The first location had a stone oven, which is from where the brand takes its name. Though the brand enjoys its double entendre namesake, there's actually no cannabis involved in the recipes, though Stoner's does use it in its marketing."We kind of pivot depending on the marketing we're in," Stetson said. "If we're on a college campus, I think we're very...
2025-02-1222 minRestaurant OperatorClutch Coffee co-founder offers secrets to competing in saturated marketIn this episode of the Restaurant Operator Podcast, host Mandy Detwiler, editor of Pizza Marketplace and QSRweb, chats with Darren Spicer, co-founder of Carolinas-based Clutch Coffee, which has 13 locations.Spicer said customer experience is one of the things that sets Clutch Coffee apart from competitors."It's from the moment you drive onto the property, and the environment we have and the music that's playing outside, the runner who's outside taking that order face to face, all the way through picking up that drink," he said, adding "and taking that first sip before you leave. That's...
2025-02-0717 minCX InnovatorsA Closer Look CEO shares insight on making a personal customer connectionIn this episode of the CX Innovators podcast, Chris Gillen, CEO and co-owner of A Closer Look, shares insight with RetailCustomerExperience.com editor Judy Mottl on how brands can drive strong customer loyalty through great experiences rather than discounts and sales.A Closer Look helps companies create the kind of connections with customers that last longer than a promotional offer. For more than 25 years, A Closer Look has worked with brands that want to truly understand their customer experience and fix the problems that hurt loyalty and profits. It does this by combining customer feedback with detailed...
2025-01-2935 minCX InnovatorsBatteries Plus COO talks consumer trends, customer experience strategyIn the latest episode of the CX Innovators podcast, Batteries Plus COO Jon Sica shares insight with RetailCustomerExperience.com editor Judy Mottl about the brand's strong growth and customer experience strategy.Sica joined Batteries Plus just about six years ago as the chief strategy and development officer, then moved into the role of chief business officer and became COO in early 2024. He leads a powerhouse team that includes the chief franchising officer, chief information officer, chief technology officer and chief growth officer.Batteries Plus achieved a 23.7% year-over-year increase in total systemwide commercial sales for October 2024...
2025-01-1520 minCX InnovatorsFleet Feet leaders talk aligning marketing with the in-store retail experienceIn the latest episode of the CX Innovators podcast, Victoria Patterson, field marketing manager for the East Coast at Fleet Feet, and Alex Tallman, director of retail experience and education at Fleet Feet, share insight with RetailCustomerExperience.com editor Judy Mottl on how the iconic hospitality and lodging brand is transforming the brand.Patterson's team supports stores in their grassroots outreach initiatives. The key is connecting with local organizations, (medical professionals, gyms, run/walk clubs, hotels) in order to enhance community wellness. Tallman's team is all about ensuring front-line associates are equipped to deliver an experience that...
2024-10-3017 minCX InnovatorsMotel 6 marketing VP talks brand transformationIn the latest episode of the CX Innovators podcast, Jenna Berg, vice president of brand marketing at G6 Hospitality, the parent company of the Motel 6 and Studio 6 brands in the U.S. and Canada, shares insight with RetailCustomerExperience.com editor Judy Mottl on how the iconic hospitality and lodging brand is transforming the brand.In late spring of this year Motel 6 debuted an innovative campaign centered around Garfield which the brand named as its first-ever official Chief Pet Officer. It all came together via a partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment ahead of the Columbia...
2024-09-2527 minCX InnovatorsJCPenney CIO shares CX insight on $1B transformationIn the latest episode of the CX Innovators podcast, Sharmeelee Bala, CIO at JCPenney, shares insight with RetailCustomerExperience.com editor Judy Mottl on how the legacy retailer is approaching a $1 billion transformation.The podcast is an extended conversation that began with an initial interview on RetailCustomerExperience.com.Remember to subscribe to Networld Media Group's YouTube channel to keep up with the latest CX Innovators podcasts.
2024-08-1221 minCX InnovatorsFun.com leader shares customer experience, engagement strategiesMaking the customer experience fun is at least somewhat important for many online and physical retailers, but at Fun.com, it's absolutely paramount. Fun.com, an e-commerce retailer that sells a range of fun products — from Star Wars plushies to t-shirts from the latest Disney hit — as well as being the home of Halloween.com.CX Innovator podcast guest Dianna Lyngholm serves as director of creative services and e-commerce for Fun.com. She directs brand, strategy and development for multiple departments. Her team handles everything from product photography to marketing campaign curation and video content productions, in addi...
2024-06-0511 minRestaurant OperatorHow Biscuit Belly added breakfast catering to its operationsIn this episode of the Restaurant Operator Podcast, host Mandy Wolf Detwiler, managing editor of Networld Media Goup, talks to Lauren Coulter, integrator and chief biscuit eater at Biscuit Belly, a Louisville, Kentucky-based biscuit fast casual chain about the brand's catering program.Many restaurants are expanding their reach with dedicated catering programs. These programs offer restaurant-quality food for events, from corporate lunches to social gatherings. Diners can expect menus tailored to their needs, with options ranging from boxed lunches to full buffets. This trend benefits both restaurants and customers. Restaurants gain a new revenue stream, while customers...
2024-06-0523 minCX InnovatorsCharleston Shoe Company founder talks customer engagementNeely Woodson Powell knows shoes and she knows how important it is to engage with customers to get customers to slip their feet into her iconic shoe wear.In this latest episode of the CX Innovator podcast, produced by Networld Media Group, Powell shares with RetailCustomerExperience.com editor Judy Mottl how customer engagement, and providing 'shoe joy,' has driven success for her national brand of versatile and fashionable footwear.Powell also shares how she hurdled challenges, including COVID-19, to create a multibillion-dollar retail empire. The brand's shoe line, launched 27 years ago, is available online...
2024-04-2622 minRestaurant OperatorGivex's best-in-class POS solution a boon to restaurant brandsIn this episode of the Restaurant Operator Podcast, Networld Media Group Editor Mandy Detwiler chats with Don Smith, director of business development for Givex North America, about the state of the restaurant industry and what's affecting it today. Givex, a best-in-class POS solution, services a number of high-profile brands.Online ordering has grown since the pandemic, and Smith said it has been a "seesaw battle" for many operators. "The more orders they get obviously drives more money to their bottom line," he said. "But the challenge is trying to get more of that dollar for online ordering."
2024-04-1915 minRestaurant OperatorRestaurant technology can help lessen burden on restaurantsIn this episode of the Restaurant Operator Podcast, host Mandy Detwiler, managing editor of Networld Media Group and editor for QSRweb.com and PizzaMarketplace.com, talks to Chris Lybeer, chief strategy and marketing officer for Revel Systems, a cloud-based technology provider, about how tech is changing the restaurant industry today.Lybeer said it's an exciting time for technology brands in the restaurant space as more restaurants rely on it in both the front and back of the house."Costs are going through the roof," Lybeer said when asked what some of the industry's biggest challenges...
2024-04-1714 minRestaurant OperatorL&L Hawaiian Barbecue CEO talks diversity, equity and inclusion On this episode of the Restaurant Operator Podcast, host Mandy Wolf Detwiler, managing editor of Networld Media Group, talks to L&L Hawaiian Barbecue CEO Elisia Flores about the brand's diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that Flores says are built into her staff as a whole.
2024-01-0317 min2022-11-0323 min
The Word at Work with Miranda Carls: A Podcast for Christian Professionals4. Uniting Biblical wisdom with high-performance leadership (Guest: Tom Harper, CEO of Networld Media Group and Author)Today’s guest is Tom Harper. Tom is CEO of Networld Media Group, where their mission is to create ROI for leaders in niche industries through high-performance media and events. He’s also the publisher at BiblicalLeadership.com, a website offering free leadership content to pastors and marketplace leaders. Tom and I discuss how leaders can lean on Biblical wisdom to show up as high performers in the workplace. We discuss a few of the many topics from his book, Servant Leader Strong.
LINKS:
Tom's Books: https://www.amazon.com/Tom-R-Harper/e/B001JRUGPC/ref=aufs...
2022-08-2934 min2022-08-2517 min2022-07-1916 min
The Cutting Onions Podcast57. Bobby and Myles talk with Cherryh Cansler, Editor of Fast Casual and VP of Events for Networld Media, about the Restaurant Industry and the Future.Today we feature a super fun conversation with Cherryh Cansler. Cherryh is the Editor of FastCasual.com and the VP of Events for Networld Media. Cherryh leads some of the most attended events in the restaurant industry and provides opportunities for leaders from every restaurant segment to get together, learn from each other, share best practices, and have a whole lot of fun while they are doing it.
In this conversation Cherryh shares her unique insights into the restaurant industry, how things have evolved over the pandemic, and what’s next for fast casual. We also debate wh...
2022-04-2944 min2022-03-0314 min2022-01-1924 min2021-12-2123 min2021-11-1117 min2021-11-0224 min2021-08-1718 min2021-08-0620 min2021-08-0415 min
Restaurant OperatorTackling COVID-19 training on QSRs' front lines, plus menu must-haves for a 'to-go' world - FOOD
2021-07-0129 min
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Restaurant OperatorTeriyaki Madness' CEO on how food that 'makes you feel like a million' fuels brand growth - FOOD
2021-06-1519 min
Restaurant OperatorGimbal’s Matthew Russo explains how location-based marketing can improve services and revenue - FOOD
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Restaurant OperatorSaladworks CEO talks about growing 'green' eating from college campuses to Kuwait - FOOD
2021-06-1024 min
Restaurant OperatorStarbucks franchisee’s tips on going 'off-brand' + why QSRs should go ‘clockless’ - FOOD
2021-06-1015 min
Restaurant OperatorSquaring the square: White Castle VP tells how brand develops new slider spin-offs - FOOD
2021-06-1023 min
Restaurant OperatorSlutty Vegan creator Pinky Cole on brand's soaring popularity as it pushes the plusses of healthy eating - FOOD
2021-06-1016 min
Restaurant OperatorSlim Chickens COO on innovating via potato chip flavors while growing a QSR via Southern hospitality - FOOD
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Restaurant OperatorGranddaddy of marijuana-themed brands, Cheba Hut perfects food-and-fun-first culture - FOOD
2021-06-1023 min
Restaurant OperatorNekter CEO talks about Whole Foods, customer evolution + staying 'juiced,' 9 years in - FOOD
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Restaurant Operator&pizza CEO talks about restaurant worker pay, brands as community unifiers - FOOD
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Restaurant OperatorQuizno's, Taco Del Mar CEO on going 'shopping' in the QSR brand supermarket - FOOD
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Restaurant OperatorCoolgreens VP talks about brand's growth beyond its Central US borders in 2019 - FOOD
2021-06-1023 min
Restaurant OperatorDQ on all things frozen 'n' sweet + Pancheros' fresh 'bake' on Mexican heat - FOOD
2021-06-1031 min
Restaurant OperatorKeeping tabs on Top 100 winners' traits plus Oracle expert's pandemic-era performance tips - FOOD
2021-06-1026 min
Restaurant OperatorHungry Howie's pushes its borders, while Lavu puts a premium on online promotion - FOOD
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Restaurant OperatorGolden Chick president promises 500 stores, Netsurion on speeding up contactless pickup - FOOD
2021-06-1033 min
Restaurant OperatorGolden Chick CEO's Southern slant on quick chicken + QSR packagers' infatuation with fast casual - FOOD
2021-06-1035 min
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Restaurant OperatorFrom homelessness to selling $1K sandwiches: The story of Ike's Love & Sandwiches - FOOD
2021-06-1024 min
Restaurant OperatorFrom food trucks to popping pearls, Wetzel's Pretzels CEO sees bright future - FOOD
2021-06-1022 min
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Restaurant OperatorFreddy's tackles 'hospitality through a speakerphone' + lawfirm unravels confusion surrounding stimulus funds - FOOD
2021-06-1030 min
Restaurant OperatorFirehouse Subs CEO on surging sandwich sector quality + pleasant surprises - FOOD
2021-06-1026 min
Restaurant OperatorDippin' Dots exec gives out the scoop on 'Ice Cream of the Future's' future - FOOD
2021-06-1026 min
Restaurant OperatorDine-in … delivery … drive-thru? Rave Restaurant Group president talks fulfilling diners' druthers today - FOOD
2021-06-1018 min
Restaurant OperatorDillas Quesadillas founder on the value of following 'Jennifer' while feeding the 'Gator' - FOOD
2021-06-1022 min
Restaurant OperatorDel Taco exec on making it in Mexican QSR category + Taziki's CEO relays business benefits of creating calm - FOOD
2021-06-1034 min
Restaurant OperatorDelivery-only wings brand takes flight with a little lift from Uber Eats data - FOOD
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Restaurant OperatorChurch's, Texas Chicken CEO relays value of bringing a 'franchisee's grit' to top job - FOOD
2021-06-1032 min
Restaurant OperatorChicken Salad Chick + Steritech on scooping up accolades for menu simplicity, food safety - FOOD
2021-06-1025 min
Restaurant OperatorKFC US CEO on building a better bucket of chicken + Chowly CEO on streamlining third-party delivery - FOOD
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Restaurant OperatorCheckers/Rally's CEO predicts post-pandemic fast food resurgence + Lavu CEO on QSRs' digital path forward - FOOD
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10 Talent LeaderTalkEpisode 17: Tom Harper, CEO of Networld Media GroupThe phrase “servant leader” has become almost a cliché. The current economic, social, health and political challenges we face call for an updated understanding of leadership and a new perspective on serving with strength as a leader. In this episode, Tom Harper will help you raise your leadership game.Tom is the co-founder and publisher of Networld Media Group, a B2B media company that publishes online industry news and produces executive summits in retail, banking, mobile payments, digital signage, restaurants, and Christian leadership.Networld currently operates 11 websites and four executive summits, and produces podcasts, webinars, custo...
2020-09-0935 min