Speaker

Cameron hits the nail on the head.  Maybe growing up devising ways to win at poker (taking lots of money from my friends), selling fake IDs for school money, starting a business to sell synthetic golf greens, starting a business to sell laptops to consulting companies, starting a business to sell computers to kids (moonlighting) were all stepping stones to preparing me for Crown.

Patagonia - Kevin Churchill (The art and science of merchandising)

Patagonia Stats:
    •    $400m total.  Wholesaler & Retailer & eRetailer
    •    $85m eRetail

Notes:
    •    Merchants & Merchandisers are stewards of the Brand
    •    Online Merchandising is a business person with an online lens
    •    You can certainly make the merchant smarter with data, but seasoned veterans often abandon data in deference to their gut.
    •    55% art, 45% science (from poll)
    •    Must maintain the emotional connection to customers

Scott Wingo: ChannelAdvisors: How Does Amazon Do It?

Amazon's Flywheel: Growth, surrounded by selection and traffic, driven by lower costs through buying power, driving better customer experience.

Historically, Amazon is a price follower.  Only matching a lower price if they are undercut, and they believe they can make money at it.

    •    Traffic has doubled from 60m to 130m buyers between 2006 and 2010.
    •    Selection has quadrupled from $3b to $12b in selection of products

• We sell Digital Transformation (or Advantage) and we Satisfy Customers
• Where will your shoes be (will they be on the Mat?) - Wrestling analogy.
• Great leaders create leaders, not followers.
• 5 | 10 | 5.  The bottom 5 are there because of attitude or aptitude.  They also neutralize the top 5.  
• Everybody wants to be a part of something special.  
• Winners do things they don't like to do.  Average people follow their likes and preferences.
• Winners aren't afraid to fail and play to win, even if they might lose.  Average people play not to lose