Podcast
Beyond The Shelf
Hosted by David Feinleib · EN
This show is an open exploration of the people and process behind E-Commerce. Through conversations with innovators in the space, we learn the stories of these leaders and their strategies for E-Commerce success. You can join our mailing list and access more content at itsrapid.ai.
David's past guests have included: Bryan Gildenberg from the CPG Guys, Todd Hassenfelt from Colgate-Palmolive, Anne Zybowski from Circana, Randy Mercer from 1WorldSync, Jared Taitel from PepsiCo, David Novak from Salsify, Harvey Ma from Albertsons Media Collective, Carter Jensen from General Mills, Pam Perino from Ghirardelli Chocolate, and many more.
25episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Asking Better Questions of Your Data — with John Santaferraro
May 1100:29:14Tap to summarizeThis week, Dave speaks with John Santaferraro. John is the CEO and Head Research Analyst at Ferraro Consulting LLC. With 30 years of experience in AI, analytics, and data management, he brings a wealth of experiences as an industry analyst, marketing executive at HP and ParAccel, and strategic marketing consultant for companies like Google Cloud, SAP, HP, ThoughtSpot, Informatica, and dozens of startups. He is the host of The Digital Analyst podcast with over a million views in 32 episodes. John shares how AI is transforming retail, ecommerce, and digital strategy — from the shift from traditional data stacks to AI stacks, to the rise of agentic AI and AI-powered search.The conversation also explores how leaders can use AI as a strategic thought partner, why AI search is changing discovery and SEO, and what retailers need to rethink as commerce becomes increasingly AI-driven.Connect with John on LinkedInFollow Beyond the Shelf on LinkedInLearn More about It'sRapidGet the It’sRapid Creative Automation PlaybookTake It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI surveyEmail us at sales@itsrapid.io to find out how to get your free AI Image AuditTheme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.comProducer: Jake Musiker
Transcribe →Beyond the Shelf Live from the Digital Shelf Summit: Piyush Chaudhari (Salsify)
May 700:04:31Tap to summarizeWe're LIVE from DSS 2026 in Atlanta! Dave catches up with Piyush Chaudhari, CEO of Salsify, live from the show floor.Piyush unpacks what's driving conversation at the event—AI—and how Salsify is helping brands navigate the shift from digital shelf to agentic shelf, focusing on product discovery, measurement, and efficiency.He highlights Salsify's latest AI innovations, including Angie and the Intelligence Suite, and speaks to the growing It'sRapid–Salsify partnership and new capabilities around sell sheets, flip books, and B2B industrial use cases.Connect with Piyush on LinkedInFollow Beyond the Shelf on LinkedInLearn More about It'sRapidGet the It’sRapid Creative Automation PlaybookTake It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI surveyEmail us at sales@itsrapid.io to find out how to get your free AI Image AuditTheme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.comProducer: Jake Musiker
Transcribe →BTS Live from the Digital Shelf Summit: Kevin Creese (Wastequip)
May 500:04:10Tap to summarizeWe're LIVE from DSS 2026 in Atlanta! First up, Dave catches up with Kevin Creese, Director of Ecommerce at Wastequip.Kevin shares how Wastequip is approaching AI adoption in a practical, operator-first way—focusing on automating repeatable workflows and avoiding overcomplication early on. He also breaks down how their new interactive parts catalog is transforming the way their team manages content and serves customers.Through their partnership with It’sRapid, Wastequip has been able to quickly launch and scale a dynamic catalog experience across hundreds of SKUs—empowering internal teams to manage updates seamlessly through Salsify and deliver a more intuitive buying experience.Connect with Kevin on LinkedInFollow Beyond the Shelf on LinkedInLearn More about It'sRapidGet the It’sRapid Creative Automation PlaybookTake It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI surveyEmail us at sales@itsrapid.io to find out how to get your free AI Image AuditTheme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.comProducer: Jake Musiker
Transcribe →The Leadership Gap in Retail Transformation - with Steve Dennis
Apr 2800:36:39Tap to summarizeThis week, Dave speaks with Steve Dennis, President & Founder of Sageberry Consulting.Steve brings decades of experience across retail strategy, operations, and transformation — and shares a candid look at why so many companies struggle to adapt, even when they know what needs to change.In this episode, he breaks down the challenges of breaking down silos, the leadership mindset required to drive transformation, and why incremental thinking is one of the biggest risks in today’s rapidly evolving retail landscape.He also shares his perspective on AI, retail media, and what separates companies that successfully evolve from those that fall behind.Topics covered: Why retail transformation is so difficult to execute The impact of organizational silos on customer experience The “knowing vs. doing” gap in leadership Why incremental thinking holds companies back How AI is reshaping the retail landscapeConnect with Steve on LinkedInFollow Beyond the Shelf on LinkedInLearn More about It'sRapidGet the It’sRapid Creative Automation PlaybookTake It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI surveyEmail us at sales@itsrapid.io to find out how to get your free AI Image AuditTheme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.comProducer: Jake Musiker
Transcribe →Winning the “Every Shelf” Strategy — with Syndigo's Simon Angove
Apr 2100:23:32Tap to summarizeThis week, Dave speaks with Simon Angove, CEO of Syndigo.Syndigo’s acquisition of 1WorldSync marks a major shift in how brands and retailers manage product data, content, and the entire commerce experience.In this episode, Simon breaks down the strategic rationale behind the deal, the growing complexity of the digital shelf, and why “every shelf” — from in-store to AI-driven discovery — now matters more than ever.He also shares how AI is evolving from experimentation to real operational workflows, and what brands need to do today to stay competitive in an increasingly machine-driven buying environment.Connect with Simon on LinkedInFollow Beyond the Shelf on LinkedInLearn More about It'sRapidGet the It’sRapid Creative Automation PlaybookTake It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI surveyEmail us at sales@itsrapid.io to find out how to get your free AI Image AuditTheme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.comProducer: Jake Musiker
Transcribe →BTS Live from Syndigo Connect: Russ Dieringer (Stratably)
Apr 1700:09:56Tap to summarizeWe're live from Syndigo Connect 2026! In this BTS Live miniseries, we'll be featuring interviews some of the best and brighest minds in in the digital commerce space, right from the show floor. Connect with Russ on LinkedInFollow Beyond the Shelf on LinkedInLearn More about It'sRapidGet the It’sRapid Creative Automation PlaybookTake It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI surveyEmail us at sales@itsrapid.io to find out how to get your free AI Image AuditTheme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.comProducer: Jake Musiker
Transcribe →BTS Live from Syndigo Connect: Tim Sullivan (Syndigo)
Apr 1600:04:51Tap to summarizeWe're live from Syndigo Connect 2026! In this BTS Live miniseries, we'll be featuring interviews some of the best and brighest minds in in the digital commerce space, right from the show floor. We continue the miniseries with Russ Dieringer, Founder and CEO of Stratably. He joins Dave to break down what’s real vs hype when it comes to AI and agentic commerce, where brands are seeing traction today, and why strong data foundations remain critical to unlocking meaningful impact.Connect with Tim on LinkedInFollow Beyond the Shelf on LinkedInLearn More about It'sRapidGet the It’sRapid Creative Automation PlaybookTake It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI surveyEmail us at sales@itsrapid.io to find out how to get your free AI Image AuditTheme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.comProducer: Jake Musiker
Transcribe →REWIND: Breaking the Digital Shelf Bottleneck — with Acosta Group’s Joe Lamberson
Apr 1400:30:30Tap to summarizeThis week we're replaying our 3/10/26 episode with Joe Lamberson, Director of Digital Initiatives & Partnerships at Acosta Group, to discuss how brands can modernize digital shelf execution and keep up with rapidly rising retailer expectations.With Acosta supporting thousands of brands across retail and ecommerce, Joe has a unique perspective on the operational challenges brands face—from content creation and item setup to retailer scorecards and image requirements.A major theme of the episode is the Acosta × It’sRapid partnership, and how automation is helping brands scale digital shelf content creation while maintaining quality and compliance.They discuss:Why digital shelf content refresh has become an always-on processHow AI is helping brands break the speed / quality / cost tradeoff in content creationThe growing importance of mobile hero images and retailer scorecardsHow Acosta works with technology partners like It’sRapid to help brands scale content executionWhy image creation, visual analytics, and automation are becoming essential capabilitiesWhat generative search and AI could mean for product discoverabilityConnect with Joe on LinkedInFollow Beyond the Shelf on LinkedInLearn More about It'sRapidGet the It’sRapid Creative Automation PlaybookTake It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI surveyEmail us at sales@itsrapid.io to find out how to get your free AI Image AuditTheme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.comProducer: Jake Musiker
Transcribe →BTS Live from Shoptalk: Kiri Masters (Retail Media Breakfast Club)
Apr 1000:05:48Tap to summarizeWe wrap up our BTS Live at Shoptalk Miniseries with Retail Media Breakfast Club's Kiri Masters, who talks with Dave about the next phase of retail media.As AI reshapes the shopper journey, Kiri explains why traditional ad formats — especially sponsored product ads — may become less central, and how retailers will need to rethink monetization and customer experience.She also shares perspective on emerging AI shopping experiences and why the industry is still in a rapid test-and-learn phase. Connect with Kiri on LinkedInFollow Beyond the Shelf on LinkedInLearn More about It'sRapidIs your PDP ready for AI? Get Your Free PDP Readiness AuditTheme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.comProducer: Jake Musiker
Transcribe →BTS Live from Shoptalk: Daniel Torres Dwyer (The FMCG Guys)
Apr 800:05:34Tap to summarizeIn this BTS Live Minisode from Shoptalk, Dave speaks with Daniel Torres Dwyer of The FMCG Guys about key themes emerging from the event.While AI continues to dominate the conversation, Daniel points to a more nuanced reality — where excitement is balanced with caution as brands navigate uncertainty and evolving market conditions.He also shares thoughts on emerging AI-driven commerce experiences and where they may — or may not — deliver real impact.Connect with Daniel on LinkedInFollow Beyond the Shelf on LinkedInLearn More about It'sRapidIs your PDP ready for AI? Get Your Free PDP Readiness AuditTheme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.comProducer: Jake Musiker
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