In this episode of Tea with Rich, we welcome guest Rob Garf, a retail and digital insights legend. This is part one of a two part dialog, and is 100% focus on Rob, his history in commerce, and his current role at Salesforce. 

Rob is currently the VP & GM of Retail and Consumer Goods at Salesforce.

We begin with the usual shooting the shit, and then move into the more serious topics where Rob shares his background in retail and digital, starting from collaborating with his dad, his early digital days at LIDS (1999, ish) and as an analyst at AMR Research and IBM. Rob also talks about his journey at Demandware (2011) and the challenges they faced before becoming a successful company. The conversation drifts between personal and professional quite a bit, and wraps-up with a discussion about the first we met and plans to record a Part 2 of with Rob. 

The conversation between Rich Lyons, Rob Garf, and Thomas covers various topics, including their experiences with different platforms and services, the importance of building trust and relationships in business, the balance between work and personal life, and the significance of community and authenticity. 

We also touch on the creation of the Garfie and the phenomenon it has become, and the impact of finding your purpose in life. The conversation is filled with personal anecdotes, insights, and a sense of camaraderie.

We end with a promise to shoot a Part 2, soon, and give Rob a chance to ask questions of Rich and Tea.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Welcoming the Guest

09:02 - Rich gets food poisoning at Taylor Swift in Paris

09:50 - Rob Garf Introduces Himself

10:23 - Rob's Background in Retail and Technology

18:02 - How Rob and Tea Met

19:59 - Rob swears for the first time, I'm pretty sure...

20:34 - How Rich and Rob Met

24:01 - Rob on his current role at Salesforce - GM for Retail and Consumer Goods

25:43 - Rob on Industry Insights and Building Trust and Relationships

27:56 - Rob talks about a proud parenting and travel moment

33:36 - Rob explains the Garfie, and finding his persona online

40:06 - Closing chatter and PSA - there will be another Garfie episode

Peace. -t

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