The Grit Blueprint Podcast
Tech, Service, And The Co-op Edge: Marianne Thompson, Sponsored by Do it Best Group
October 14, 2025 Length: 23 min Watch on YouTube (opens in a new tab)
Live from a packed Market floor, Stefanie Couch talks with Marianne Thompson, Do it Best's Executive Vice President of Transformation and Integration, about tech, service and the co-op edge on The Grit Blueprint Podcast. Marianne explains how vision-led change, AI and co-op scale help independents out-execute giants.
About This Episode.
I sit down with Do it Best’s Executive Vice President of Transformation and Integration, Marianne Thompson, live from a packed Market floor to unpack how vision-led change, AI, and co-op scale help independents out-execute giants. From last minute 2x4 runs to smarter planograms, service remains the moat while data becomes the drawbridge.
Topics we cover
- • Why transformation beats simple integration
- • Aligning teams on vision, why, and roles
- • Lessons from 38 years across store ops and supplier sales
- • First principles thinking in a traditional industry
- • AI for customer insight, personalization, and voice agents
- • Faster, more accurate blueprint takeoffs
- • Competing with big-box tech and pro focus
- • Co-op leverage: e-comm, Toolbox, marketing, merchandising
- • Flexible planograms tuned to local demand
- • Storytelling as a growth engine for independents
- • Advice to a younger leader: follow passion, embrace grit
Key Takeaways.
- Transformation beats simple integration, and teams need alignment on the vision, the why and their roles.
- AI supports customer insight, personalization and voice agents, and it makes blueprint takeoffs faster and more accurate.
- Service remains the moat for independents, from last-minute 2x4 runs to smarter planograms, while data becomes the drawbridge.
- Co-op leverage in e-commerce, marketing and merchandising, plus flexible planograms tuned to local demand, helps independents compete with big-box tech.
- Marianne's advice to a younger leader is to follow passion and embrace grit.
Questions and Answers.
How can independent retailers use AI?
Marianne Thompson, Executive Vice President of Transformation and Integration at Do it Best, points to AI for customer insight, personalization and voice agents, along with faster, more accurate blueprint takeoffs.
What gives independents a co-op edge?
The episode pairs co-op scale with service, which remains the moat for independents. Co-op leverage includes e-commerce, marketing and merchandising, along with flexible planograms tuned to local demand.
What experience does Marianne Thompson bring?
She shares lessons from 38 years across store operations and supplier sales, along with first principles thinking in a traditional industry.
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