Welcome to The Voice of Retail. I'm your host Michael LeBlanc. This podcast is brought to you in conjunction with Retail Council of Canada.

I’m celebrating my 300th episode of the podcast with an interview with a celebrated retail innovator in Canada, co-founder of the innovative, award-winning Frank & Oak, Ethan Song.

Ethan joins me with Frank & Oak in the rearview mirror to talk about thoughts on post-COVID retail and his latest venture, RareCircles’. His mission with RareCircles is to empower a new generation of entrepreneurs and brands to build deeper relationships with their communities through NFTs and blockchain technology.   But what does all that even mean? Why should retailers even pay attention to NFTs and Web 3.0?   Ethan gives us the 101 and then the advanced lesson on what comes next.

Thanks for tuning into this special episode of The Voice of Retail.  If you haven’t already, be sure and click subscribe on your favourite podcast platform so new episodes will land automatically twice a week, and check out my other retail industry media properties; the Remarkable Retail podcast, the Conversations with CommerceNext podcast, and the Food Professor podcast.  Last but not least, if you are into BBQ, check out my all new YouTube barbecue show, Last Request Barbeque, with new episodes each and every week!

I’m your host Michael LeBlanc, President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company & Maven Media, and if you’re looking for more content, or want to chat  follow me on LinkedIn, or visit my website meleblanc.co!  Have a safe week everyone!

About Ethan

I am a builder of technology and companies. I’m passionate about understanding human behaviour and creating digital solutions and products that have the potential to make things 100x greater. I’m deeply interested by the large-scale transformation that is reshaping industries today. I believe in the power of technology and business as a force for good.

My previous company, Frank And Oak, is a leading apparel brand focused on sustainability and climate change. I’m extremely proud of our commitment towards not only reducing our carbon footprint but towards promoting conservation. As Frank And Oak’s CEO, I also led the efforts to create a highly personalized digital shopping experience that is powered by artificial intelligence. Frank And Oak has been named the most innovative company In retail by Fast Company as well as the fastest growing company by Deloitte Fast50. I'm grateful for the amazing team we built and the top tier investors that believed in us.

Prior to this, I was involved in building strategic plans and technology strategies for companies like Rio Tinto, Van Houtte, Domtar, the Ottawa Hospital and the SAQ. Born in China, I’ve lived and worked in most continents and have built a true appreciation for the richness of our world.

My interests reside in Web3, Commerce Enablement, Consumer and Financial services.

I am currently working on a new company and investing in early stage start-ups.

About Michael

Michael is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. He has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions with C-level executives and participated on thought leadership panels worldwide.  Michael was recently added to ReThink Retail’s prestigious Top 100 Global Retail Influencers for a second year in  2022.

Michael is also the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts, including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus the Remarkable Retail with author Steve Dennis, Global E-Commerce Tech Talks and The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.  Most recently, Michael launched Conversations with CommerceNext, a podcast focussed on retail eCommerce, digital marketing and retail careers - all available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music and all major podcast platforms.   Michael is also the producer and host of the “Last Request Barbeque” channel on YouTube where he cooks meals to die for and influencer riches.

Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur.  He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. 

Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada’s Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google.  He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.

Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.

Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer.  If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael’s cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.

Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.