The $1.7 Trillion Retail Mistake | Jabeen Zaidi & Andrew Pierce

Most brands are still shouting into the void with more ads, more screens, and more generic product pages, then wondering why customers tune out. We sit down with Jabbeen Zadie of Spring AI to talk about a different path: treat experience as the real product, and use AI to make it personal, fast, and measurable.We unpack Glass, Spring AI’s “phygital” experience layer that lets shoppers generate an AI version of themselves using the product in a real-world context. That sounds playful, but it targets serious business problems: attention, engagement, and conversion. Jabbeen shares why personalization is no longer optional, how customization can drive 4.2x higher conversion, and why the buying moment is really about aspirational identity. If customers can see themselves as the character inside the brand story, confidence goes up and hesitation drops.Then we follow the money: missed experiences that don’t convert, add-on sales unlocked by showing the full look, and the hidden margin killer that rarely gets enough airtime: returns. We talk about how interactive experiences can make customers far less likely to return items, how smart sizing reduces friction, and why retail teams often hesitate to adopt new tools even when the upside is obvious. We close on how brands can start small, run a trial, and use analytics to keep optimizing the experience over time.If you care about retail innovation, AI personalization, virtual try-on, and real conversion lift, subscribe, share this with a retail leader, and leave a quick review telling us what brand experience actually won your loyalty.About Board of AdvisorsBoard of Advisors is an invite-only community of entrepreneurs, CEOs, investors, and executives dedicated to helping one another grow personally and professionally. Through quarterly events, strategic introductions, peer-to-peer mentoring, and a culture built on giving first, BA creates an environment where leaders can solve problems faster, build meaningful relationships, and unlock new opportunities. When you're in the right room, anything is possible.Subscribe for more conversations with members of the Board of Advisors community as we continue releasing exclusive interviews recorded live from our Q2 Dallas event.#BAPodcast #BoardOfAdvisors #BACommunity #Entrepreneurship