Cookie Plug San Antonio

Franchise owner of Cookie Plug San Antonio. Founded in 2019 and franchised since 2022, Cookie Plug is a hot new fresh-baked cookie company that combines modern art and hip-hop culture to create a unique twist on cookies. Cookie Plug offers twelve daily flavors and one secret flavor every month at each location using only the finest ingredients, including keto options and dog cookies. The Cookie Plug brand appeals to the masses by being uniquely authentic.

We have two stores open. Visit today!
Uptown - https://cookiesuptownsanantonio.cookieplug.com/
Downtown - https://cookiesdowntownsanantonio.cookieplug.com/

Franchise Owner

Nummywade, Inc.

Nummywade is a parent company focused on developing franchise businesses. 

Our first brand is Cookie Plug, a fantastic retail cookie concept out of Southern California. We aim to open several Greater San Antonio Metro stores over the next few years.

We plan to diversify into various brands across different industries as we grow. Some complementary, others exploratory.

Founder/CEO

H-E-B

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
★ Established connections with industry thought leaders, entrepreneurs, startups, academia, and innovation labs to keep up with emerging technologies that could solve current and future business challenges and enhance customer engagement

★ Built relationships with internal business stakeholders such as e-commerce, store operations, real estate, CID, P&A, supply chain, healthcare, marketing, data, and other groups to identify, diagnose and capitalize on improvement opportunities

★ Established strong relationships with senior leadership, IT, product, and digital groups to achieve pilots and technical support while leading strategic planning and resource allocation to align vision

★ Identified and refined current business challenges for possible disruption through ideation of an innovation strategy and a backlog of prioritization solutions while monitoring competitive actions and exploring viable solutions

★ Managed internal stakeholders by liaising with all multifunctional business partners to understand opportunities and surface potential approaches to address compliance, regulatory, and business requirements

★ Supported process pivot to agile methodologies and administered the backlog of identified opportunities and challenges, managed a portfolio of vendors in incubation and defined business cases for innovation pilots with KPI metrics and analytics

★ Discovered, ran agile proof-of-concept tests, pilots, and deployed emerging technologies that provide superior customer experiences, create competitive advantage, and established distinctive capabilities to advance the business across the enterprise

★ Led a team of partners by providing development and coaching while delivering frequent performance feedback

Senior Director, Emerging Technology & Innovation

Microsoft

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
★ Delivered innovative digital pilots and campaigns in emerging digital-to-physical experiences, including a digital advisor solution that drove in-store personal recommendations

★ Collaborated closely with WW Category, Product Marketing, and Channel Management Teams to develop a connected experience strategy and tactics for Microsoft with global retail partners

★ Analyzed and audited assets and shopper journeys globally and within the LOBs to measure effectiveness, identify areas of improvement, and define new areas to build digital capabilities

★ Optimized the online experience by establishing an integrated digital marketing strategy with global standards and best practices while generating a quantitative return on digital investment

★ Mapped shopper journeys by identifying opportunities to integrate and transform traditional retail touchpoints while creating seamless experiences across digital and physical channels

★ Operationalized omnichannel by managing tactical elements of delivering connected experiences and supporting business rhythm by working closely with Channel Management to build out digital-first initiatives

★ Developed guidance for regional digital leads to collaborate with worldwide retail partners, covering all Windows device collections, existing and emerging Hero Features, and new technologies (such as AR/VR/Mixed Reality)

★ Managed creative agencies to design and distribute digital assets for retail partner use, including online banners, social media, landing pages, PDP guidance, demand generation, and post-purchase CRM email

Senior Partner/Channel Marketing Manager - Worldwide Digital Lead, Windows

See's Candies

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
★ Delivered innovative technology solutions that ensured a seamless and delightful shopping experience across all selling channels, including Retail Shops, Business Gifts, Fundraising, and Online

★ Drove the implementation and release of the company's website re-platform on Demandware

★ Monitored and analyzed company performance by keeping a pulse on markets, trends, and the competitive landscape while analyzing results to quantify business benefit/impact and identify business opportunities

★ Led discussions and collaborated with internal cross-functional stakeholders, including Marketing, Retail Shops, Manufacturing, IT, Production, Call Center, and Shipping

Product Manager, Omni-Channel (Berkshire Hathaway)

The Walt Disney Company

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
★ Collaborated with business partners to identify business opportunities and define new enhancements while providing strategic direction to facilitate customer experience flows and business requirements

★ Partnered with Creative and Editorial to build-out wireframes and mock-ups while ensuring flows and requirements were adequately documented and well understood by key stakeholders

★ Engaged in daily scrums to review backlog, help drive priority decisions, and remove roadblocks

★ Executed aspects of omnichannel project plan from conception through Engineering/IT hand-off and worked with the technology team throughout testing to launch and post-launch hyper-care

★ Coordinated with Project Managers to build a detailed plan with input and agreement from all parties, including internal Marketing, Site Operations, Guest Services, and Engineering team, and company-wide partners

★ Enabled cross-functional teams to understand the requirements of marketing, operations, engineering, services, corporate CRM, D23, and Disney Parks

Senior Business Analyst - Digital Innovation, Disney Store USA

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
★ Drove retail innovation and the strategic integration of mobile (web and native apps) in all retail channels, including social/local/geo-based commerce, mobile app marketplaces, omnichannel integration, and new solutions

★ Facilitated the strategic adoption of mobile retail integration initiatives and interactions with 3rd party solutions providers and internal stakeholders (i.e., Marketing, Merchandising, E-Commerce, Digital, Omni-Channel, Finance, Planning, etc.)

★ Led the identification and creation of solutions that fostered the continued incremental growth

Marketing Associate - Mobile & Digital Innovation, Disney Store USA

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
★ Maintained Digital-Out-Of-Home Media for Disney Store Times Square Spectacular - a six-story digital billboard in New York City

★ Managed the day-to-day operational needs and the implementation of internal Disney divisional partners and third-party client accounts by acting as the primary liaison for creative and technical requirements

★ Created sales presentations, pitched, and closed prospective business with internal company partners while documenting sales status and distributing weekly reviews to leadership

★ Administered third party sales partnership with ABC Regional Sales, including reviewing all prospective clients to ensure brand integrity and reviewed and approved final creative deliverables

★ Produced and managed the master content media calendar and tracked all available advertising inventory

Marketing Associate, Franchise Campaigns/DOOH Marketing, Disney Store USA

★ Effectively liaised between Marketing and Creative departments, assisting in asset sourcing and distribution, project deadline management, and overall departmental needs

★ Meticulously collaborated with business managers to source relevant information for marketing campaigns. Managed and maintained creative/photo samples, promotional and retail marketing calendars, and meeting minutes

★ Facilitated the development, assembly, and distribution of marketing collateral. Managed special projects, including in-store photoshoots, Times Square Spectacular systems development, sales, and account management. Directly supported VP, Marketing, and Director, Creative

Marketing/Creative Project Coordinator, Disney Store USA

★ Directly supported President, Walt Disney Records, and EVP/GM, Disney Music Group

Senior Executive Support, Disney Music Group

Bitscribe, Inc.

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
★ Managed HRM operations relating to staff recruitment, employee development, training, and relations; conducted regular evaluations of organization and staff performance, and identified/developed leadership within the organization

★ Oversaw policy development and documentation, including performance management and improvement systems, while promoting a culture that reflected the company's values, encouraged good performance, and rewarded productivity

★ Operated as the primary spokesperson and representative for the organization at all functions

Chief Executive Officer

TrustCommerce®

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
★ Achieved sales goals by consulting with sales executives, relationship managers, and merchants to create and identify payment processing solutions that fulfilled client needs

★ Operated as a technical resource and liaison to sales representatives, relationship managers, and clients

★ Supported sales representatives, relationship managers, and clients to evaluate systems compatibility, determine the proper VAR/gateway, identify the best product set, and create solutions for unique processing needs

★ Engaged Product, IT, and Operations teams to identify and define opportunities that developed or enhanced product features and functionality to meet industry opportunities

★ Pitched and closed leads, generating new clients through cold calling and various prospecting techniques while managing the sales team and training new sales reps on industry specifics, technical data, company policies, and procedures

★ Created specialized marketing materials for new offerings and developed related programs to ensure sales growth

Senior Solutions Consultant

DreamWorks Animation

★  Developed a long-term logistics demand plan, increasing availability while reducing distribution costs

★  Reviewed supply chain systems and practices, made strategic recommendations for improved processes including logistics, product introductions, order and supplier management, inventory management and distribution servicing, supporting financial management goals

★  Reviewed order processing systems, developed and managed KPIs, and circulated to key teams

★  Championed all changes in operating processes in order to optimize capabilities; reviewed and ensured best practices in inventory management; met unique requirements of every studio and production department

★  Managed relationships with over twenty (20) third-party providers, both nationally and internationally

★  Hired and trained supply personnel

★  Also served in Operations for "The Prince of Egypt," and Production Coordinator in the Visual Development department on "The Road to El Dorado”

Head of Supply

Air National Guard Recruiting

★  MICAP (Mission Capability) worldwide deployment readiness for C-130 Cargo Aircraft

★  Supported production functions with an emphasis on maintenance operations, procurement and supply chain logistics, inventory control, and facilities management

★  Generated management plans, procedures, and documentation related to the functional areas

★  Established and maintained metrics and performance indicators to monitor cost, schedule, and performance impacts and provide early detection of emerging problems

★  Continually studied, reviewed, and evaluated team progress

★  Advised the Senior Program Manager of significant actions or problems with recommended solutions

★  Coordinated efforts of in-country subcontractors and labor workforce

★  Served as ARINC liaison for the customer/end-user and in-country subcontractors

★  Maintained wartime readiness through regular training

C-130 MICAP Stock Control Specialist

With over 25 years of experience in entertainment, technology and retail, I am a passionate and creative entrepreneur who leverages my expertise in emerging technologies, innovation and marketing skills to develop magical Guest experiences. Currently, I am the Franchise Owner of Cookie Plug San Antonio, a hot new fresh-baked cookie company that combines modern art and hip-hop culture to create a unique twist on cookies. I am also the President of Nummywade, a parent company focused on diversifying into various brands across different industries.

Previously, I worked as a Senior Director of Emerging Technology & Innovation at H-E-B, where I established connections with industry thought leaders, entrepreneurs, startups, academia, and innovation labs to identify and capitalize on improvement opportunities and enhance Guest engagement and employee experiences. I also built and led a 20k sq ft innovation lab that tested and validated new technologies, resulting in dozens of successful proof-of-concepts, pilots and implementations that generated process improvements, payroll savings and incremental revenue for the business. 

I have also held leadership roles at Microsoft, Berkshire Hathaway (See’s Candies), Disney, and DreamWorks, where I drove business improvements and sales growth through omni-channel customer-centric experiences, global digital advisor solutions, mobile app development, and digital marketing strategies. 

I am a proud USAF veteran and a keynote speaker who shares my expertise and insights on marketing, technology, and innovation. I hold an MBA from ThePower Business School and a certificate in Marketing from Wharton Online. 

You can contact me via email at michael.j.guzzetta@gmail.com. I appreciate your interest and look forward to connecting with you!

Robotaxis get all the headlines… but the real action is happening with food-delivery robots rolling around like it’s totally normal.

Uber Eats just announced they’re partnering with Starship Technologies to roll out sidewalk robots in the UK, and honestly, this is the most “of course that's happening” thing I've heard in a while.

And I love it!

Because robots on sidewalks aren’t the sci-fi leap people make them out to be... they’re a workflow decision. A cost-curve decision. A city density workaround. And, I think, the timing finally makes sense.

A few things jump out at me...

🤖 Robots thrive where humans get annoyed.
Tiny radius. Repetitive routes. 10-minute hand-offs. Delivery is basically the Olympics of “micro-logistics pain.” These bots don’t get moody when a customer refuses to come outside.

⚙️ Starship’s whole model is built around constraints.
Low speed. Low cost. Low drama. They’re not trying to be R2-D2 rolling at 40 mph through traffic... they’re a glorified cooler (or warmer!) on wheels that shows up on time. And sometimes that’s all a customer wants.

🛣️ Uber finally has the density to make this not look like a gimmick.
Robots only work when you can keep them busy. The UK rollout? It’s happening in places where demand is steady enough for the robots to pay for themselves.

Now… the retail angle.
Because you know I can’t not go there.

Here is my take on what the last mile will look like for retail:

• Micro-fulfillment nodes feeding small-radius delivery bots
• Automated hand-offs for click-and-collect
• “Lights-out” late-night delivery runs that staff would never sign up for
• Predictable delivery windows that don’t tank the P&L

And here’s the epiphany that operators already know... Robots aren’t replacing people. They’re replacing the tasks people hate!

Sidewalk delivery bots are the training wheels for what’s coming in grocery, QSR, and convenience. They're little autonomous helpers that turn the worst 20 percent of tasks into software.

If you’re running retail innovation, now’s the time to watch these UK pilots closely - because what starts with a burrito can end up in a store aisle!

What part of this would you pilot first in your environment?

TechCrunch article link in the comments.

Image: Uber

#EmergingTech #RetailInnovation #Automation #DeliveryRobots #LastMile

Michael Guzzetta

Today hit me right in the heart. ❤️🤍💙

I just got back from my kids’ school’s Veterans Day celebration, where my oldest son, Harrison, sang in the choir and helped present the history of Veterans Day with the Cub Scouts (Boy Scouts of America).

Watching him up there, confident, proud, and standing tall, got me a little choked up. (Okay… more than a little.)

It’s been years since I hung up my own United States Air Force blues, but moments like this pull it all back in sharp focus. The discipline, the camaraderie, the sense of purpose... all the things that shaped who I am today.

Back then, I probably didn’t realize how much those experiences would influence every aspect of my adult life, from how I lead to how I parent and how I show up for others. But it did. It was pivotal, and it made me the man I am today.

Today wasn’t about career milestones or big lessons in innovation. It was about gratitude. Gratitude for those who serve, for the families who stand beside them, and for the little eyes watching and learning what service really means (and they're always watching!).

So proud of my son. So honored to have served. So grateful to still be surrounded by this kind of community.

Here's to all my fellow veterans! Thank you for your service and sacrifice for the freedom we all take for granted. Thank you for being the example and inspiration for the next generation!

#VeteransDay #USAF #ProudDad #Gratitude #Service #CubScouts

👉 Omnichannel Emerging Tech & Innovation Product Leader | Digital Transformation | Ex-Disney, Microsoft, H-E-B | USAF Vet | $500M+ Growth Delivered

🚀 The sidewalk robots aren’t coming. They’re already everywhere... and they're multiplying like Gremlins!

I recently posted about Uber Eats expanding its delivery fleet with Starship Technologies autonomous bots in London. 98% on-time delivery. Lower cost. Fewer failed handoffs.

Basically the kind of reliability humans aspire to, especially on a Tuesday night dinner rush where everyone seems a little 'hangrier' than usual.

And then it got even bigger!

🗽 First: Starship just secured another $50 million to expand across the U.S.
More cities. More routes. They partnered up with Grubhub to deploy a whole lot more little six-wheeled tanks across campuses and neighborhoods.

They’re not a “pilot tool” anymore.
They’re becoming the new backbone of last-mile delivery.

🌍 Then: Uber Eats and Starship inked a global partnership. Yes, global.
Not “select markets.” Not “future intent.” A real, operational rollout across Europe, the U.S., and beyond.

This is the part most people underestimate... When autonomy becomes reliable in different continents, weather patterns, traffic laws, and city layouts…

It’s not a tech demo. It’s infrastructure.

And if you read last week’s Innovation Blueprint newsletter, you saw this coming.

The data is crystal clear:
🌍 Europe got the early wave... campuses, mixed-use districts, suburban trial zones
🌎 The U.S. is now following the same curve, just faster
📈 Reliability is no longer the question - scale is
💸 And as these fleets grow, delivery starts costing less than curbside

When that flips? Restaurants and grocers will rethink the last mile from the ground up.

Picture this... (read in that dramatic "movie guy" voice)
A world where 30–50% of short-range delivery never touches a steering wheel.
No surge pricing.
No “your driver is circling the block.”
No phone call because they can't figure out where to park.
No $12 service fees for a $4 coffee.

Just low-latency, predictable, machine-to-human logistics.

Here’s how I’m seeing it in the field:
Autonomous delivery isn’t about replacing people.
It’s about removing drudgery, stabilizing cost curves, and giving operators a chance to compete without burning labor minutes on things robots are objectively better at.

And the pace is only accelerating.

If you’re not tracking this, you’re already behind.

Stores don’t need dashboards... they need decisions. And this is one of those moments where the decision is clear.

Links to my newsletter and a couple of supporting articles in the comments.

➕ Follow me for more retail tech insights
♻️ Share with your network to continue the conversation

Image: Starship

#DeliveryRobots #StarshipRobotics #UberEats #RestaurantTech #LastMile #AI #Robotics #RetailInnovation #EmergingTech #InnovationBlueprint

Yesterday, on our way to the annual Cub Scouts campout at Garner State Park, we were 30 minutes from arrival when a deer leapt in front of our car.

The impact destroyed the front end instantly.

Thankfully, everyone was okay, but that moment hit us hard.

We turned around and started the long trek home, only for the car to give out again once we reached Bandera, Texas.

We put the car in neutral and I pushed us into a gas station with the help of two friendly strangers, called roadside assistance, and spent hours at a Burger King waiting for help to arrive.

We didn’t roll into our driveway until nearly 3 a.m… tired, shaken, but safe.

And that’s the part that matters most.

It’s easy to get caught up in plans that didn’t work out… the campout we missed, the hike up Mr. Baldy, the weekend we’d been looking forward to. But moments like this pull everything into perspective.

Stuff can be replaced. Cars can be fixed.
Family? That’s irreplaceable.

So here’s to gratitude in the middle of chaos, and to remembering that “we’re okay” is sometimes the biggest win of all. ❤️

Have you ever had a weekend completely derailed but somehow walked away feeling grateful anyway?

#Gratitude #FamilyFirst #Perspective #CubScouts #LifeLessons #Texas

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I’ve been hearing a lot of people say, “Just Walk Out is dead.”

Nope.
It’s just finally acting its age.

The newest wave of Amazon retrofits (tiny ceiling cameras, lighter sensors, cheap edge compute) shows a shift from moonshot autonomy to practical autonomy. And honestly, retail’s been waiting for this moment.

The first version of JWO was beautiful… but only in the “concept car” sense. Great to look at, impossible to scale across stores with inconsistent lighting, tight ceilings, and a facilities team already stretched thin.

Cool, but impractical.

The new flavor is different.

It’s cheaper.
It’s modular.
It fits into real stores instead of forcing stores to become labs.

And this isn’t just Amazon. You can see it across the field:

AiFi Inc. uses small ceiling cameras with tiny edge models that don’t need a server room. Install time is measured in hours, not weeks.

Trigo is powering full-size autonomous grocery for Rewe and others. Their entire pitch is “retrofit reality,” and it actually works with messy, lived-in store conditions.

Zippin runs concession stands in stadiums and airports with compact overhead units that can flip transactions in seconds.

AWM uses event-driven video processing (ABI) that only computes when a person or cart is in frame, dramatically cutting cost and infrastructure.

The pattern is obvious:
Nobody is chasing perfect anymore.
They’re chasing manageable.

That’s the shift retailers needed.

Because stores never needed Level 5 autonomy. They needed Level 2.5… the kind that speeds up the line, lowers the error rate, and makes the associate’s life easier instead of adding another fragile system to babysit.

Through the Retail Innovation Triangle™ lens:

⏩ Operator Impact: faster lines, fewer mis-scans, less friction.
🎞️ Technical Shift: tiny, cheap computer-vision models beating early JWO’s heavy stacks.
🧪 Pilot Path: start with a 2-aisle zone or kiosk, run 90 days, watch your throughput lift.

Checkout-free retail isn’t dying.
It’s finally getting practical.

This shift is only going one direction… toward simpler, cheaper, and smarter autonomy.

➕Follow Michael Guzzetta for more insights on retail tech.
♻️ Repost to share the trend!

Photo: Amazon

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Amazon

AiFi Inc.

Trigo

Zippin

Dion Broeken

Thrilled to share a new milestone… I just earned my Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt certification! 💛

For me, this isn’t just another credential, it’s a powerful new tool for how I think about:

🗺️ Reducing friction in customer journeys
🗑️ Removing waste from retail + operations workflows
📈 Turning messy, real-world problems into measurable, repeatable improvements

Innovation can’t just be shiny objects and cool tech. It has to work at the process level too… in the store, in the DC, in the contact center, and in the field.

I’m excited to bring this improved lean mindset into my innovation work:

🔬 Designing experiments with even clearer baselines and targets
🤝 Partnering with operators using a shared language of defects, variation, and root cause
⏫ Making sure “new” also means better, faster, and more reliable

Big thanks to Russell Levy, Tri-County Career Academy, and Veterans Transition Support for a practical, hands-on program that connected the dots between theory and real-world application.

Onward to more data-driven, operator-approved innovation! Let’s go!! 🚀

#LeanSixSigma #YellowBelt #ContinuousImprovement #ProcessExcellence #Innovation #RetailInnovation #OperationalExcellence #CX #DataDriven #AI #FutureOfWork

Retail loves to talk about “future of work,” but there’s a quiet shift happening in warehouses that feels a lot more… real.

Brightpick just rolled out lights-out order fulfillment.

As in, the robots run the warehouse overnight with the lights off while the humans sleep!

No hype. No sci-fi soundtrack. Just robots pulling orders at 2AM so your morning shift walks into a cleaner slate.

And honestly? This is the kind of innovation that actually sticks.

Most robotics stories fall into two buckets:
1️⃣ The glossy demo that looks great in a pitch deck
2️⃣ The real, boring, operator-approved stuff that cuts miles, cuts errors, and cuts labor hours

Brightpick is clearly playing in bucket #2.

Here’s why it matters:

When your night shift becomes a software setting instead of a hiring crisis, the entire workflow changes.

📈 You reduce the “we’re behind before the day even starts” feeling.
✅ You boost throughput without burning out your team.
🦾 You shrink the picking error rate because a robot doesn’t get tired at 3:17 AM.
📦 And robots can cut miles walked by double digits overnight.

This is the evolution I’ve been expecting:

Robotics stops trying to impress people and quietly starts doing the work nobody else wants.

And here’s the longer-term indication:

Whatever becomes normal in the warehouse shows up in retail 18–36 months later.

🗺️ First, it’s pick paths.
📦 Then it’s stock movements.
🤖 Then it’s autonomous assistance for the annoying, repetitive tasks inside the store that never make it onto the innovation roadmap.

Brightpick isn’t building the future of warehouses... they’re building the future of retail labor math.

And the curve is headed one direction:

Less human exhaustion, more human decision-making.
Less busywork, more value work.

This is exactly the kind of robotics shift operators have been waiting for… practical, predictable, and actually usable on Monday morning.

♻️ If this got you thinking, share it. More people in retail should see where this is going.
➕ And follow me for more emerging tech and operations insights.

Image: Brightpick

#RetailInnovation #EmergingTech #WarehouseAutomation #Robotics #SupplyChainTech #AIinRetail #OperationsInnovation

Brightpick robots are operating in a dark warehouse.

Retail doesn’t need more “Omnichannel.” It needs Omnipurpose! (did I just coin a new phrase for retail!?)

I’ve spent the last decade watching teams chase the same finish line: “Be everywhere the customer is.”

But here’s the thing… being everywhere isn’t a strategy.
Being USEFUL everywhere is!

And thanks to the wave of AI, edge sensors, lightweight robotics, and all the weird little chips showing up in places you’d never expect, the game is shifting fast.

Here are the three changes I’m seeing up close:

1. Awareness is turning into anticipation
Stores aren’t just reacting anymore.
Tiny edge models are spotting shelf gaps, reading intent, and adjusting in real time.
It’s like the building finally "waking up"

2. Channels are becoming relationships
The app, the store, the cart, the kiosk... they’re not separate touchpoints.
They’re nodes in a conversation.
Retailers that treat them that way are already seeing faster decisions and happier guests.

3. Uniform is out. Adaptive is in.
Not every store needs the same layout, same tasks, same playbook.
Tech is giving retailers permission to behave more like ecosystems and less like templates.

And honestly, this is where the fun starts for operators.
Because once your channels have purpose... real purpose, everything else gets easier: labor, inventory, workflows, experience.

Which of these three shifts is the biggest barrier in your world right now: tech, mindset, structure, or data?

➕ Follow for more retail innovation insights.
♻️ Share with your network to spark the conversation.

#RetailInnovation #EmergingTech #CX #RetailOps

Happy Thanksgiving, friends!

One thing I’ve learned over the years, especially in tech and retail (where the pace never really slows down) is that the real blessing isn’t the work itself. It’s the people we get to do it with.

I’ve spent most of my career surrounded by teams that became something a lot closer to family. The kind of people who show up when things break at 7 AM, who work a store shift on Black Friday when it’s not their actual job (I’m lookin’ at you, Disney Store ELFs!), who laugh with you during the chaos, who push you, who support you, and who make the tough days feel a little lighter.

If you’ve ever had a team like that, you know exactly what I mean…

Today’s one of those rare pauses where the emails stop buzzing for a minute and we actually get a little space to sit with how much abundance is hiding in plain sight. Stuff we don’t say out loud enough. Stuff we blow right past because we’re already sprinting toward the next thing. [Cue “Flight of the Bumblebee” playing in the background]

So here’s me pausing to say it. [record scratch - music stops… dramatic, I know!]

I’m grateful for every colleague, partner, mentor, and friend who’s been part of this journey… past and present. From my first real gig with the USAF to today. You’ve made the work fun, the hard moments lighter, and the wins bigger.

I’m grateful for the people behind the scenes who never get tagged on LinkedIn but make everything possible.

And I’m grateful that we get the chance, every so often, to slow down long enough to notice the good we’re standing in.

If you’re celebrating today, I hope you get a little rest, a warm meal, and a moment with the people who fill your emotional tank.

If you’re working today (retail, hospitality, frontline teams… thank you, you’re the real MVPs), I hope someone makes your day a little easier and don’t forget to smile!

Wishing you and your families a day full of gratitude, connection, and whatever pie calls your name first. 🦃🥧

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Sentient Storefront isn’t coming “someday.” It’s already here.

This week, I visited VenHub Global’s new AI-powered Smart Store at the LAX Metro Transit Center, and it’s one of the clearest signs yet of where retail is headed.

No cashiers. No checkout.
Just a space that senses, decides, and responds in real time.
And it’s part of a much bigger pattern we’re seeing across industries, from Hilton’s Connected Rooms to Delta Air Lines’s Parallel Reality Displays to Chipotle Mexican Grill’s predictive kitchens.

Different companies. Same evolution:
Environments that learn. 🧠

The more autonomous our systems become, the more we need human empathy to guide them.
Tech sets the stage.
People create the magic. ✨

🎥 Here’s a quick look. If you want the full story, this week’s newsletter breaks it all down... 👇

🔗 https://lnkd.in/gzt4cfuA

📬 Follow me for weekly stories that explore how technology, creativity, and human experience intersect.

Most people hear “AI in retail” and picture some glossy future demo.

But this week, Centric Software announced something a lot more practical, and honestly, a lot more interesting.

They’re showing up to NRF 2026 with 100+ real AI use cases already running across planning, pricing, sourcing, and product creation. Not visions. Not vapor... actual tools teams are using to move faster and make better decisions.

The part that stuck with me was that they’re framing it as “AI with intent.” Meaning AI that fixes real work, not AI that looks good on a PowerPoint deck.

Anyone who’s spent time inside a retailer knows the real problem isn’t AI… it’s the messy data that lives in twenty different places and answers to no one. Bad data is the bad guy.

Centric is basically saying, “Yeah, we’ll untangle that so your AI can actually do its job.” And that’s where this becomes interesting... because that’s the bottleneck nobody likes talking about.

Why should anyone in retail care?

Because if even a fraction of what they’re promising is true, this could actually move the needle where it matters!

⏩ Faster assortment decisions
🏷️ Smarter pricing without waiting for someone to pull a report
📊 Better forecasting that doesn’t require a secret decoder ring
🛠️ Visual tools that let teams react in real time instead of next season

This isn’t theoretical transformation. This is “your teams get hours back every week and you stop missing obvious stuff” transformation.

When NRF rolls around, I’d keep an eye on this one... especially if you’re leading planning, pricing, merchandising, product creation, or anything tied to the seasonal calendar.

If you’re heading to their booth, go in with one simple question. 

“Show me where this actually saves my team time or money.”

If they can answer that clearly, we’re looking at a legit shift in how retail decisions get made.

Retail doesn’t need more AI hype. It needs AI that respects the work and simplifies the workload so humans can focus on great customer service!

Looks like Centric is trying to build exactly that.

Image: Centric Software

#retailinnovation #AIinRetail #NRF2026 #storeops #merchandising #productlifecycle

One of the smartest lessons I ever learned about innovation came from a conversation at Walt Disney Imagineering. 🪄

I was touring the Imagineering R&D center, awestruck by the advancements in audio-animatronics. I saw the an all-new robotic head for the Abraham Lincoln animatronic and early concepts of new robotics for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. But the major standout was the Spider-Man Aerial Stunt Robot (Stuntronic). It literally did a flip through the air into a net… no cables! 🕷️

That’s when one of the Imagineers said something that stuck with me:

“Innovation isn’t about inventing new things. It’s about re-imagining what already brings people joy.”

That line changed how I approach every project since… whether it’s retail, QSR, or any other emerging tech applications.

Because too many brands chase the next big thing instead of building deeper magic into what already works.

Here’s what Imagineering gets right (and every brand can learn from it):

1️⃣ They start with emotion, not efficiency. Every innovation must feel human.

2️⃣ They prototype and iterate with real-world feedback vs. endless PowerPoints.

3️⃣ They obsess over the invisible. The best guest tech disappears into the story.

If you’re leading innovation, here’s the takeaway:

Don’t just make things smarter.
Make them feel more alive. ⚡️

Check out the behind-the-scenes video in the comments! It’s just 1min and totally worth it! 👇

💬 What’s one company you think does this well today?

#InnovationBlueprint #DisneyExperiences #RetailInnovation #EmergingTech #Leadership #CustomerExperience

This is what real accessibility in tech looks like. 👑

AI shouldn’t sit behind walls of jargon or gatekeeping… it should be something anyone can experiment with, learn from, and build into their own story.

Love what Miri Rodriguez and the team are doing with Empressa AI. It’s not just another “AI tool,” but a space for women to explore how AI can actually fit into their lives and goals.

No hype. Just empowerment that feels grounded. So awesome… go ladies! 💃

🔥 empressa.ai

#AIForGood #WomenInTech #Innovation #Empowerment #EmergingTech

Introducing Empressa, a new kind of platform designed to make AI accessible, practical, and empowering for women everywhere.

Empressa brings together tools, guidance, and community... everything you need to start using AI in a way that feels natural and aligned with your goals. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a leader, a creative, or simply curious, this is a space where you can explore what’s possible with AI at your own pace.

We believe AI shouldn’t belong to a select few. It should belong to all of us. Because when women harness technology, they don’t just use it... they redefine what it can do.

Step into the future today at empressa.ai

This is such a smart brand move. Thanks for sharing, Jason Recher!

The Walt Disney Company didn’t just bring attractions into Fortnite, they translated storytelling into a new kind of experience economy.

It’s what happens when an iconic brand stops thinking of itself as a place and starts thinking of itself as a platform.

This isn’t “marketing in the metaverse.”
It’s ecosystem thinking meeting fans where they already are and expanding the story world across generations and mediums.

Can’t wait to see what happens when digital parks start feeding into real-world experiences.

Imagine unlocking a MagicBand+ reward in the game that shows up in the park. 🔁✨

Vice President - Segment Content Creation & Digital Integration at Disney Parks, Experiences and Products

🕹️ 70 years later..... Disneyland -> Fortnite 

🏝️ 🏰 "Some of the most iconic attractions at Disneyland Resort have been reimagined in an exciting new way…in Fortnite! For the first time ever, you can now jump into Fortnite to visit Disneyland Game Rush, Disney’s first Fortnite island inspired by the Disneyland Resort! Experience the magic of Disneyland park and Disney California Adventure park attractions in a series of unique Fortnite mini-games." - Melissa Lee 

Full details in comments ⤵️

Unpopular opinion: Retail doesn’t need more brainstorms. It needs more heists! I’m not talking about stealing products. I’m talking about stealing proven tech strategies from other industries and adapting them for retail brilliance.

This week’s Innovation Blueprint covers 4 tactical moves worth swiping:
 🎮 Gamified loyalty (from gaming)
 🎧 AI personalization (from streaming)
 ✈️ Dynamic pricing (from hospitality)
 🤖 Retail automation (from manufacturing)

These are battle-tested, ROI-loaded plays just waiting to be re-skinned for stores, teams, and customer journeys.

⚡ Think of it as the ultimate innovation shortcut. The good kind of "theft."

Would you try one of these in your org?
Drop a ✅ or ❌ and tell me which one you'd pilot first.

📰 Read the full issue here.
🔄 Please share with your network to spread these ideas.
➕ Don't forget to follow and subscribe for more!

#RetailInnovation #AIinRetail #DynamicPricing #CrossPollination #InnovationBlueprint

View newsletter: The Innovation Blueprint

💡 What Retail Can Steal from Other Industries (Part 2) Last month, we went full Ocean’s Eleven, pulling off a clean innovation heist across healthcar

Open article: The Retail Innovation Heist: 4 Cross-Industry Tech Moves to Steal🕵️ by Michael Guzzetta • 7 min read

The Retail Innovation Heist: 4 Cross-Industry Tech Moves to Steal🕵️

🚀 I’ve been scanning quarterly reports, and something thing jumped out at me.

Tencent had a surprisingly strong quarter: 15% revenue growth and a huge bump in gaming (+15% domestic, +43% international). Advertising was up too, thanks to better AI-powered targeting.

But, to me, the most interesting part isn’t the numbers.

Tencent is weaving generative AI into everything from gaming, to ads, to services… even content creation tools. They’re not “experimenting.” They’re building AI into core revenue engines.

I posted yesterday about Duolingo taking a similar approach. It’s a big (and smart) bet! And for anyone in retail, that’s worth paying attention to.

If a platform with billions of monthly users is using AI to deepen engagement, personalize experiences, and create new touchpoints… it’s only a matter of time before those expectations spill into stores, QSR, loyalty apps, theme parks, you name it!

It raises a fun question:

Which part of the customer journey do you think is most ripe for this kind of intelligent, immersive layer?

Checkout? Loyalty? Post-purchase? In-store discovery?

I’d love to hear where you think the next big AI-driven leap in retail experience will land.

Check out my latest edition of The Innovation Blueprint! This week was not a normal week in AI. Three different storylines all pointed in the same direction: the ground is shifting. Fast!

⚡Jeff Bezos walked back into an operating role for the first time since 2021.
🦉Duolingo is leveling up its AI engine.
🛰️A startup launched an H100 into orbit.
🌍And the World Economic Forum basically said, “Earth’s compute layer is about to tap out.”

If you work in retail, tech, product, or innovation, this is one of those weeks you want to bookmark. Because these aren’t random stories... they’re tells.

And together, they point to a future where AI stops being a feature… and becomes infrastructure.

I pulled all of it together in this week’s edition of The Innovation Blueprint.

👇 Would love to hear your take! Which of these moves will matter most in 5 years?

#AI #EmergingTech #AIInfrastructure #SpaceTech #OrbitalCompute #TechTrends #RetailInnovation

🤖 Jeff Bezos Has Re-Entered the Building (And It Changes Everything About AI) There are “AI announcements”… and then there’s Jeff Bezos stepping back

Open article: The Weekly Blueprint: Bezos Builds Again, Duolingo Levels Up, and Compute Goes Cosmic 🚀 by Michael Guzzetta • 5 min read

The Weekly Blueprint: Bezos Builds Again, Duolingo Levels Up, and Compute Goes Cosmic 🚀

Some days I walk a store and think, “Yeah… this place is starting to behave more like an app than a building!” And honestly? That’s when retail gets fun again. Sounds sci-fi, right? It's not...

Three companies jumped out at me this week because they’re not chasing hype. They’re fixing the real stuff that slows teams down.

🏬 Walmart has been using real time data to stay ahead of customer demand. Weather shifts, local patterns, things that actually affect how people shop. It’s not flashy stuff by any means.... It just works. And you can start to feel the difference. It's subtle, but it's there

🛒 Caper took the shopping cart and gave it a brain. No theatrics. Just a smoother trip around the store and fewer moments where people get stuck waiting. I’ve seen this play out in my own innovation lab environments and it changes the flow and the customer experience in a big way.

📊 EDITED keeps showing how useful it is when retailers match what’s happening inside the store with what’s happening in the marketplace. When your decisions are based on hard data instead of last month’s guesswork, you move faster, you tend to waste less and your teams stop fighting fires... 

All three of these examples remind me of something simple. When the store uses real-time data an behaves like a system instead of a set of aisles, the whole operation loosens up.

✅ Fewer surprises.
✅ Cleaner handoffs
✅ Better timing all around.

If your team has tested anything lately that made the store feel a little more “alive” I’m always curious to hear about it!

#RetailInnovation #EmergingTech #StoreOps #CustomerExperience

Retail doesn’t need “more automation.” It needs better choreography.

Walmart’s been turning more of its stores into micro-fulfillment hubs, and it’s changing the whole vibe of what a store is.

Not a building.
Not a channel.
A living operational system.

And honestly? This is the part most teams might miss...

When you drop robotics, computer vision, and smart routing inside the four walls, you don’t just speed things up. The entire workflow snaps into place.

📦 The backroom isn’t a daily fire drill
🅿️ Curbside isn’t held together by willpower and sticky notes
🚗 Delivery windows stop slipping like wet soap

It’s wild how fast the chaos calms down once the inventory starts behaving like a system instead of a stubborn teenager.

And this pattern shows up everywhere!

When we launched Microsoft Synchronized Shopping at Harvey Norman in Singapore, the store only came alive when the digital signals finally matched the physical reality.

The tech mattered… but the orchestration mattered more.

That’s what I’m watching heading into 2026.

The invisible layer that decides what gets done, in what order, with what inputs, and by whom.

Stores don’t win because they look futuristic.

They win when they behave like systems.

Image: Walmart

#retail #automation #storeops #innovation #ai

Retail keeps trying to fix checkout by making it faster. But speed isn’t the problem anymore. Emotion is!

We’ve spent years polishing tap-to-pay, walk-out, don’t-make-me-talk-to-anyone flows. And sure, those matter. Nobody is begging for a longer line.

But here’s what you notice when you’ve walked stores for most of your career.

Two customers can have the same basket and need completely different experiences to walk out happy.

One wants to get in, get out, and be left alone because their day is already on fire.

Another needs clarity or reassurance or even a small spark of “hey, someone actually thought about me.”

Retail keeps optimizing the scanner and the payment flow. Meanwhile, the thing that shapes the experience is the customer’s state of mind.

That’s the part that gets ignored.

The shift coming next isn’t about speed. It’s about stores that can read context and adapt without making a big production out of it.

Think tiny vision models or sensors quietly adjusting the lane experience. Nothing creepy. Nothing dystopian. Just a store that reacts like a good cast member at Disney or a seasoned partner at H-E-B. Someone who notices what you need before you have to say it.

The operator version might look something like this:
🏃‍♀️ Stressed parent? Fewer prompts. Cleaner flow.
🧭 Confused shopper? A guided assist pops up.
⭐ Loyalty member? A moment that feels personal instead of “hey, here’s a random coupon.”
🧘 Someone having a rough day? A friction-free exit instead of one more annoyance.

That’s what I mean by emotional checkout. 
And it’s closer than people think!

If I were piloting this tomorrow, I’d pick a mid-volume store, set up three “modes,” and let the system adapt based on data points the store already has. Keep it invisible. Let the customer feel understood without feeling watched.

The goal isn’t faster lines... the goal is better moments!

Alright, retail friends. If you could redesign checkout from scratch, what emotional ingredient would you build in first?

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#RetailInnovation #CustomerExperience #RetailTech #OperatorMindset #FutureOfRetail

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