I’ve been trying to figure out how to put this week into words… and I’m not sure a normal event recap could ever do it justice.
RetailClub AI Festival, you were something special. 🌊🥥☀️
I came home completely exhausted and somehow completely recharged at the exact same time.
Three days outside along the Pacific. Music playing. Meetings overlooking the ocean. New ideas. New friendships. A LOT of fresh coconuts 😂. And some of the most thoughtful, energizing conversations I’ve had in a long time.
Yes, we talked about AI. A lot.
Where retail is going. How customer expectations are changing. What AI can actually do today. And what becomes possible when we stop thinking incrementally about what comes next.
But what I’ll remember most is the people.
The conversations that started as 15 minute meetings and turned into something much bigger. The laughs. The stories. The “wait… what if we did THIS?” moments. Conversations over coconuts, dinners, walks down the boardwalk, and yes, even a few meetings with our toes practically in the sand.
There’s something pretty magical about getting people together in person.
You can schedule the meeting. You can plan the agenda. You can match the right people.
But you can’t manufacture that moment when two people genuinely connect.
And there was SO much of that this week.
Every conversation planted a little seed. Some will turn into business. Some into partnerships. Some into friendships. Some might become something none of us can see yet.
That might be my favorite part.
To everyone I met this week, thank you. I genuinely loved getting to know you, learning from you, laughing with you, and hearing what you’re building and thinking about. I cannot wait to keep these conversations going.
And getting to experience it alongside Mike Bohnett, Joel Mountain, Joe Murphy, Michael Spence, LeighAnne Manwiller made it even better, with so much love for the entire delight.ai team who helped bring it all to life. So many laughs, great conversations and memories packed into just a few days.
Huge kudos to the RetailClub team for creating something so uniquely their own. You went beyond the typical event experience and created a setting where genuine connection just seemed to happen naturally.
And to Harrison Goldfarb and Windansea Coconuts… absolute legends!!! The lines at Booth 112 spoke for themselves. You brought a whole lot of delight to delight.ai this week.
I left Huntington Beach with a very full camera roll, completely exhausted in the best way, and somehow an even fuller cup.
Lots of seeds planted.
Now comes the really fun part… nurturing them. 🌱
Until next time, Huntington Beach. ✌🏽
#retailclub #ai #cx #delightai #retailai
