[00:00:00] Welcome to Unpacking the Digital Shelf, where industry leaders share insights, strategies, and stories to help brands win in the ever-changing world of commerce. Hey everyone, Peter Crosby here from the Digital Shelf Institute.
[00:00:25] Moments of great transformation, chaos, and opportunity, as we are in now, require thoughtful and transformational leadership. Now in her 11th year at Danone, Jennifer Angelus has elevated her career from an Associate Manager of Category Strategy and Insights to now leading the Digital, Agentic, and Brand.com Strategies as the Senior Director of Digital Shelf, Ecosystems, and Capabilities at Danone.
[00:00:51] Jen graciously agreed to share with our community how she inspires cohesion, connection, and scale to serve the consumer and drive growth. Jennifer, welcome to the podcast. You are just one of my favorite people in the industry, in e-commerce. So inspiring. So yes, I'm excited to have you on the show. So thank you for being on. We're really grateful. Thank you. I'm so excited. It's amazing to be here. I'm sure you're not surprised for me to be saying that.
[00:01:21] You're also my favorite people. So we're in good company. Thank you. Thank you. I mean, you're our favorites for a bunch of reasons. Just your humanity and kindness and clarity is so wonderful. But also, you've used that to build out an incredible e-commerce team at Danone, and you've expanded your reach. You've really made a business impact. So congratulations to all of that. Like a career in e-commerce is not for the faint of heart.
[00:01:50] And you really set the mark for people. Thank you. Thank you. I tell my team all the time, the only constant is change. So as long as we can embrace that together, we'll all be successful. And that the change being constant is not going to shift anytime soon. So one of the ways that you are able to do that, you're very intentional about your goals for each year.
[00:02:17] You really seem to treat that as a moment for reflection and looking back and then looking forward and how you build out your strategy. So we would love it, you know, first of all, say anything you want about your role at Danone and all sorts of things like that, as I introduced you earlier. But how do you approach the planning for the year now as we're midway through the planning that you've done? So it'd be exciting to talk about. Yeah, that's perfect.
[00:02:47] Thank you, Peter. Maybe I'll start with just what my role is, too, and some of my background to guide, you know, the leader I always aspire to be. So I lead digital shelf ecosystems and capabilities at Danone. Our mission is to bring healthy food to as many people as possible. So for me, it was super important to work for a company where you believe and live the values. So it's really exciting to be a part of that.
[00:03:14] I use that, too, in leading my team because we want to make sure not just health in the sense of the word, but also guiding the team to really live and breathe values for mental health and clarity, like you said, and balance. And so in planning for the year, it was really important for me to start from that place of energy.
[00:03:39] I tell my team all the time, follow the energy, and I wanted to live and breathe that for them, too. So what I did was I organized a 2026 manifestation meeting. They had no idea what that meant when they sent the invite. They're like, what is this? But I asked them to trust me and trust the journey.
[00:04:01] And I asked them to each prepare a slide and take time really to be intentional about the word that they wanted to be their North Star. Because it's really powerful. You know, we're constantly moving, right? I said the only constant is change. So it's important to also take a moment to pause and take time to be present together, slow down, and really breathe to set the right energy and foundation for the year.
[00:04:28] I even asked them, of course, if they'd be comfortable to do a meditation together, right? That requires a different level of vulnerability. And when you're doing that over video, too, it's a little different, right, than sitting in a room with people and doing meditation. So they really had to trust me and trust the journey.
[00:04:50] And one of the most important things that I wanted them to take away is one of my favorite quotes, actually, is that thoughts become things. And if you see it in your mind, you will hold it in your hand. And so I really wanted them to think about that of like, okay, what are they visualizing for the year? I believe in leading the whole person. So not just professionally, but personally, that they need to be aligned for everything to work.
[00:05:20] So what we did is set the intention. Everyone came. They were super excited. Actually, people didn't want to wait to share their word, but they had to. They had to wait. And they took the time and intention, like I said. And so the theme of the meditation that I had for them was to really visualize abundance. And the visualization I gave them was this idea.
[00:05:47] And actually, the name of the meditation was it's diamonds in the sun. So what happens when you see a diamond in the sun? Well, actually, the sunlight amplifies and acts almost as a prism. And it makes rainbows across the room. Or if you're outside, maybe you'll see it in the grass, wherever. And so from there, we did the meditation. And I asked them was to really think about this year, how they could shine like diamonds in the sun.
[00:06:12] And think about how their work and their behaviors have the same effect as that diamond, right? And how do they transform via their actions and behaviors to create and amplify the results that they want to achieve for the year? Jenna, I just have to applaud you for just the way that you think about the whole human and your team. I just, it's just amazing how you do that. So I just want to, I have to give you that kudos first.
[00:06:42] So I love, I love how you explain that. I think that's super powerful for the team. Now, we don't have to wait too long. Can you tell us what was your word of the year? And why did you choose it? And how does it anchor to your overall strategy? Yeah, I think we need the drum roll, right? I was ready to share it. I'll do the drum roll. Here's my drum roll. I was ready to share it. Just like I said, my team wanted to share it before they could. I was ready to share it before I was supposed to, too.
[00:07:09] Because I, like I said, I always tell my team to follow the energy. So I did the same. And only, I had four words that kept coming to me. Of course, we could only choose one, right? But the four words that kept coming to me were abundance, transformation, catalyst, and accelerate. And these were all things that I wanted to have for the year. But I could only choose the one word that actually encompassed them all.
[00:07:37] And so my word of 2026 is amplify. And this truly does. Amplify is abundance. It's transformation. It's being a catalyst. It's accelerating. And the whole theme for me here is that we need to amplify in order to build the future of commerce with agility, with efficiency, and impact. And this was actually the second year that we did this kind of session.
[00:08:04] And it was incredible in the second year how aligned the full team was because you grow a team over time. And, of course, that's what you dream of, right? That over time your team grows and connects and collaborates together. And so some of the other words in the team were clarity, connect, harmonize, rhythm, scale, and cohesion. And so you can tell from that just the consistency and the magic that that has. And all of our words were very connected, to use one of the words.
[00:08:34] And that truly we're building something really special for the business but also for the team culture. I love so much of what you're talking about is super exciting. And I think about there were so many things running through my head as you were speaking. One of them is that right now commerce, well, and really the world is chaotic.
[00:09:00] And what I find in what your team is talking about is trying to all do what they can do to block out the chaos and really focus on the outcomes. And that sort of harmonization, the cohesion, like those are things that are sort of anti-chaotic.
[00:09:23] And I think one of the things that you talked about earlier was being vulnerable. And I think that is a rare quality in life for many people, but certainly at work. And I love that you give permission through your very essence. Like you're not writing a memo about it.
[00:09:46] You're just showing up as your authentic self and then inviting others to join you, not to be you or be like you, but join with their authentic self. And I'm wondering about your hiring process to find people that you feel like would be willing to. Yes. Do you sort of look for that quality somehow to make sure that you're building a team that will be able to do that together? Yeah, absolutely.
[00:10:14] I, like I say, follow the energy, but also energy is everything. And I've been able to train myself pretty quickly to understand, like, is there going to be a fit based on their also comfort with vulnerability? Because I think in this space, especially, right, we can't operate in a box. We have to be agile. We have to be okay with failing. You know, things are not going to be perfect. We're going to learn together.
[00:10:44] And it's a special quality in a person if they're going to be comfortable with that. Something I also do is starting every one-on-one, and I do this in the interviews as well, is I do an energy check. So, it's really important just for me to lead with the whole person in mind, like we talked about. And so, when I start a one-on-one with an energy check, maybe, you know, sometimes we do a scale one, two, or three. One is the best day ever.
[00:11:13] Three, we need some work, right? And sometimes I'll get answers that are personal or professional or both. Sometimes, and this makes me laugh, my team has taken their own liberty to start with doing 0.5s. You know, it was always one, two, or three. Now I'm getting 0.5s. I also, the other day, got a 1.1, and I was like, wow, we are really, you know, being strategic here.
[00:11:38] But it's funny because it really drives the way I show up as a leader. And if someone is having a day of the three, the conversation is going to look a lot different than if someone's showing up as a one. And so, I do the same thing in the interviews. I actually also, in the interviews, ask for their one word that describes them and their fit for the role. So, you can learn a lot about a person based on the words that they choose.
[00:12:06] And then it's fun once they're hired to see how that word shows up for them because so far, it's all aligned. When you think about Amplify, you share that there are specific things that, you know, you and your team, I'm sure, like, talk through what that meant.
[00:12:26] And so, where you would put your focus, where does that word really come up in the things that you are looking to achieve, the outcomes that you all want personally and professionally? And I think the first one that you mentioned was being content and certainly the evolution of content in this AI-fueled age.
[00:12:48] Where does Amplify come into play in that notion, in that moment? Yeah, I love that. And AI, my team laughs now because I've always said amazing and now I'm starting to do like AI-mazing and we'll see if that one catches on.
[00:13:11] But before, for content specifically, before we can even define the evolution of content with AI, my ask to the team was first to understand how the path to purchase is transforming. So, instead of just saying, oh, we have to do AI, well, no, first we have to be laser focused on defining what AI in the shopper journey is. And then only then are we able to build the roadmap for optimization.
[00:13:39] So, it's really this idea of learning first and then executing. And that's a good example of Amplify, right? Think back to the diamond in the sun analogy, right? Everyone wants to get to that prism of rainbows. First, you have to be the diamond. You need to take the time to learn. And then you can actually have the insights that are going to amplify your impact. Because when you get to execute, everything is coming from a very strategic place.
[00:14:08] And then it just multiplies. And Jen, how do you balance the noise, right? Like, you sit across a lot in your role. And you're working with your team, your leadership, the consumer, the retailers, right? And there's so many different priorities. And you want to be able to amplify everything in a good way. But, like, how are you managing the hype of AI, just, like, everything that kind of changes in the commerce space? And how are you prioritizing that?
[00:14:37] I love that. Well, so one thing we're doing is creating an internal steer code to connect the dots across all of the stakeholders. Because I actually, it's easy to say be the diamond and then have all the rainbows, right? But what you need first is to understand all of your stakeholders' goals and objectives. Because if you don't have a common goal and everyone's got their own little diamonds and they want to amplify something,
[00:15:05] then you're never actually going to be able to amplify the results that you want to achieve for the business. So, for me, my number one goal and priority is always relationship building across the business and understanding where people are coming from. Because I think when you're in the times of change like this and certainly with AI constantly evolving, the storytelling becomes really, really important. So, you know, what are you understanding for signals?
[00:15:36] How are you taking those signals and what do they mean? Are they aligned with the business? How do you get them to be aligned? You know, where do you want to prioritize? And so, the first thing you have to do to actually be successful is to know all of your stakeholders' objectives. Because AI is something that spans the entire business. So, within my team, we're not just Digital Shelf anymore. We're also brand.com. And now brand.com is one of the biggest levers in influencing LLMs.
[00:16:06] And so, it's really about rethinking the model. And I tell my team, we got to keep building the machine. So, we built the machine for Digital Shelf. How do we build it for brand.com? And the first thing you have to do is learn. Like I said, learn and connect with other people so that you can have a common goal. And then move to execute. And, you know, what you're listing off, taking on brand.com,
[00:16:32] the evolution and potentially explosion of content for the context of the shopper, all of that. It's a lot. It's, you're already, your team, you know, imagine sometimes when they come in with threes, it's because of overwhelm. And then figuring out, all right, how do we get to a place where you can operate?
[00:16:57] And I'm wondering whether AI is part of what you're envisioning to help amplify the work of your team across more destinations and also more shopping journeys fueled by context. Are you thinking about how that automation or amplification is going to happen helped by AI? Yeah, I think we have a lot.
[00:17:22] Every, the whole industry I've seen, I'm part of many shared groups is that we all need to learn how to automate things. So I think that's where the amplification will happen longer term is what are the workflows that you need? How do we connect this team to that team? How can AI be our assistant to get this done faster or differently, right? It can be either. I think AI helps us in the three words I said, agility, efficiency, and impact.
[00:17:52] AI is going to help with all three of those things over time, right? It's just about how do we utilize it as a tool to do that? And then, like you said, amplify the work we're doing. So I think it's changing so rapidly from all the conversations I've had. We're all learning together. So if anyone has a silver bullet, I hope they call me so I can learn from them too. If anyone will have the silver, well, there is no silver bullet. We should just get that out of the way right now.
[00:18:20] But certainly this community that you are such a vibrant part of, that's where the answers are going to come from, us figuring it out together. If only there was a silver bullet they would make, or an easy button, that'd be great. That's probably less violent than a silver bullet. Yeah. That was actually my biggest takeaway from the Digital Shelf Summit this year, though, was the idea of together. You know, this can't be done in silos.
[00:18:46] This can't be done in teams, just one person alone or even one company alone. As an industry, we need to drive the transformation. And with your community, the Digital Shelf Institute is truly driving that change. And I'm proud to be a part of that. So thank you. We're so happy to have you, Jen. So we're talking a lot about the impact and the outcomes. And a lot of that comes back to measurement, right?
[00:19:15] Everybody always asks for measurement, whether it's around AI or the Digital Shelf or anything that you're doing. So how are you thinking about measurement and how are you using Amplify as a way to kind of think about your overall strategy there? Well, the first thing is that you truly always need your foundational KPIs and scorecarding to actually make informed decisions and drive insights into action.
[00:19:40] But now what's new for measurement is that you need to understand the more qualitative side of execution. So I think historically, you know, everything is green. It's funny. Someone on my team says it's green lights, right? We all want the green lights. But on the qualitative side of things, you need to truly understand, is it content effective? Are we answering now in LLMs? Are we answering the questions?
[00:20:07] And how are we measuring AI's impact on the path to purchase? We can't just look at a number or green light. We have to really know what are the signals that are important to shoppers? And then how are we evolving our strategy according to these insights? So it's been really fun to see how measurements really rapidly evolve, not just from a number or the quantitative side, but the qualitative side of the work that we're doing. Can I dig into the word signal?
[00:20:37] Signals for the shoppers. That was the phrase you used, I think. Like, what are the signals for the shoppers? What does that mean in your mind? Yeah. Yeah. It's actually been a fun one to learn about because I think it's a new buzzword. You should do a whole session learning, Peter, on the new buzzwords as part of this ad word. And one is signals. Yeah. Right?
[00:20:59] I was actually reflecting on this the other day because a signal is usually something that lets you know something's coming, right? You're in a car. You turn on the signal. You're going to turn right. You're going to turn left, et cetera, right? But in AI, signals are understanding, like, what are the things that are happening now? Like, what are the behaviors that people are searching for, the questions they're asking, the themes now?
[00:21:26] Now, the signal that's going to tell you what's going to happen, right, is hopefully conversion, right? And that's where you have to connect the dots on what that signal is, what is the behavior happening now, and how does that connect to your brand or your products to actually drive the conversion? So it's been interesting to think about just that word in general and how it's changing in this new AI space.
[00:22:19] Yeah. There was one which was, you know, does this ship in a cold pack? It turned out 21% of consumers thought that was important, but it wasn't anywhere in the listing. And so finding these, oh, I can up this by 20%. I could up this by 16%. This is 8% of shoppers care. And you add all that up, and that's where your growth is going to come from.
[00:22:45] And that's daunting, but also exciting that that can be possible, that you can sort of uncover these signals that you've never had the ability to be able to uncover before. Exactly. And with the emergence of brand.com influencing LLMs so much, this idea of consistency is a massive mindset shift, right? Because brand.com is not only a marketing tool for consumers.
[00:23:14] Now you have the LLMs as a stakeholder and what's important to them. And so it's really shifting this mindset of what the behaviors are and how are we going to impact them? And can we talk a bit about effectiveness? Because you did mention that. I feel like effectiveness is one of those metrics that doesn't have a very clear definition. And I think effectiveness can mean different things for different brands and different retailers.
[00:23:40] And I know it can be like quality of images, and there's a lot of different factors. But I'm curious, how are you thinking about effectiveness now? And has that changed over the past year with AI and everything that's kind of come out? Well, I think one of the biggest learnings we're seeing across the industry for AI is that the path to purchase is collapsing.
[00:24:02] So this idea of attention and how are you capturing attention in that time and back to signals, what are the signals in that moment that are most important? It's massive, right? You have to rethink your go-to-market strategy. You have to understand what are the levers that people care about and what matters to them now because they're spending time with discovery. And ultimately, you want the conversion, right?
[00:24:30] And so how are you rethinking the funnel to be able to deliver on that? And effectiveness and understanding their attention is going to be a foundation for that. But attention, I think, is the key word there, right? Like what does attention mean for your brand on a Walmart versus an Amazon versus a Target versus a Kroger? Like I think the signals and attention are two โ that's another buzzword, attention that I'm hearing a lot of people talk about because it has so many different facets.
[00:24:58] And if you don't understand your persona really well, you can't get down to the meatiness of either attention or signal. Exactly. You have to know your audience. And that's changing with AI, right? Your audience is now a question, not a key word. And that's a fundamental mindset shift. That's where I keep coming back to that word context. And the context will shift sometimes in milliseconds.
[00:25:26] You know, the temperature, you know, it's going to be 100 degrees in Boston this week, which is a rare event. And it's freaking June. So not pleased. But that changes my context for a bunch of different things that I might be interested in. And if that isn't picked up and then if that isn't dealt with by the products that I'm interested in because it's going to be so freaking hot.
[00:25:56] But now you have the opportunity to do that. And I guess that's what excites me so much is being able to figure out the systems, the processes that will take advantage of those, you know, microscopic shifts as more quick, more quickly than your competitors is where the opportunity can be. Yeah. I think in that instance, your signals are comfort and convenience. You want to be comfortable as fast as possible. So how do you get there?
[00:26:25] Well, it's an only house. They'll have Evian water so we can keep everyone hydrated. There you go! Look at that. Covered. Now, I know last year, I think one of your big words was elevate. Yes. Yes. And that matters not only, and as does Amplify, matters not only to your internal teams, but also all your partners.
[00:26:49] The entire ecosystem that's swirling around this consumer and how can you amplify their impact. And so I'd love to know about how your team, when they sit down together, think about the partnerships and how to almost influence amplification with the people that you want to win with. I love that.
[00:27:17] And it's actually a really interesting progression to go from elevate to amplify, right? Spending last year, like, okay, do we have the right partners? Do we have the right tools? Do we have the right strategy? What are our goals and objectives? So then amplifies, you know, well, okay, great. We have that foundation. Now, how do we take it to the next level? So it's been really fun to see that transformation.
[00:27:43] And I came into this year really focused on elevating those operations of the team and really amplifying the impact of all the foundations we set last year. So what I actually did was a different approach to the team objectives. And instead of defining the objectives top down, which is pretty traditional, you know, we have the overall objectives and then, you know, they cascade.
[00:28:10] Instead, I asked my leadership team to build me. I didn't give them a template. I really gave them the opportunity to, again, be vulnerable and be creative and be strategic and build me their ideal and their vision for a 2026 plan on a page. Because truly they're experts and what do they want to accomplish and how. And in many of these instances and a lot of what I talked about today, the how is many times even more important than the what.
[00:28:39] And then from there, if you're building the right team culture, that really enables you to amplify the success. And then, you know, you can't do it in a vacuum, right? So once you have that plan on the page, you do draw that connection to the top down cascaded objectives. And that's really where the magic happens.
[00:29:02] Because you can ask the questions like, is our vision and our objectives, are they aligned with what we need to go and accomplish? And so that was really fun to see that come to life. And I did also ask my team to focus on what I'm calling our three Ps. And in the past, it was people, process, and technology.
[00:29:28] But this year, I evolved that to people, process, and partners. Because we really need to know who are the people and what are the processes and who are the partners. Because the partners, they enable the technology too, right? And that will enable us to accomplish our goals. And then lastly, I did ask them to be focused on what I mentioned previously, which is agility, efficiency, and impact.
[00:29:54] And I think if we have that strong foundation, then we're going to get that diamond in the sun and really be able to amplify our results for Danone. I love that. As I'm listening to you, I think I'm so struck by the progression that's indicated by elevate. And then you can't amplify unless you were successful.
[00:30:24] So I'm just thinking about is part of the process that you're able to, before you pick your next word, is there some reflection on what did we accomplish this year, like towards our elevate goals? Like, do you have a moment of celebration? Or maybe, okay, well, we only got 80% of the way there. But, you know, I mean, I'm just wondering that process to sort of progress beyond, you know, to a different level. Yeah.
[00:30:52] Yeah, it's funny you say that because I'm, you know, halfway through the year now starting to think like, okay, how, what's going to be my word next year, you know, because we keep just pushing the envelope and we will have a reflection point as a team as, you know, we get into the second half of the year. And I'll probably ask my team in Q4 to ask them to start thinking about their word for 2027 because it is so, so important to set intentions.
[00:31:22] If you don't set the intention, it's like setting an objective, very similar. But my team has come to me and said, you know, here I was in this meeting, I heard the word or, you know, like once you say something and you focus on it, it starts to show up.
[00:31:38] It starts to amplify and it's been pure magic just to have my team come to me and say, you know, all the things I set to do already halfway through the year, they're showing up for them and they're showing up for them too. And so that is to me something to keep celebrating. And of course we can officially celebrate, you know, when we do all the things and keep, keep executing with excellence.
[00:32:06] But for me, I celebrate when I see these even small moments and small wins where their words are showing up and, or we feel like we're getting the clarity, like one of their words or we're connecting or we're building a rhythm. All the things and how they happen every day, that's truly going to define our success. Yes. And I have had the pleasure of Jen now seeing your career for the past. I was thinking about it. I think it's been four or five years that we've known each other.
[00:32:34] And when we first got connected, you were also kind of like building out like, what is this digital show playbook? And like, how am I thinking about it? And what you have built as a strategy, as a team, how you have like really brought the organization along with you to be more omni-channel and to just think in a more future focused way is absolutely incredible. And I have had a front row seat to watch you and I just have to give you such kudos for that.
[00:33:02] And I know your team loves working with you because I work with them and they love you. So I just have to give you a big round of applause for all the work that you've done over the past four or five years. It's been pretty incredible. Thank you. Well, I have to say I'm learning from the best. So I'm very thankful for that. So thank you. Thank you so much. I want to know, you don't have to tell me right now, but I want to know your words. I'm super curious. This could be fun to do as a community, right?
[00:33:31] Oh, I have to pick a word now. Oh, actually, no, wait, I did. I did pick a word for this year. My word for this year was context. Oh, perfect. That was my January word. You said it. Because it was at the end of last year. I mean, obviously, AI was happening back in 2025 too. But we were talking a lot more about context. And that was my word of 2026. So I think it makes sense.
[00:33:57] It would be so fun to do like a recap of all the 2026 words. Go ahead, Peter. No, no, sorry. I was just thinking as you've been talking, I had thoughts of what your next word could be. But I don't want to like, I don't want to, I don't want to, I don't want to. But anyway, just as another progression of word, because I, yeah, anyway. Peter is the king of words.
[00:34:23] Like, seriously, he is like, so use him as a resource. Yeah. So exciting. Jen, so much of this, so much of this journey is, gosh, dictated by, and necessarily so by numbers. And what have you done to me for me lately is, and all of those things.
[00:34:51] It's easy to get, to start a one-on-one and go right to the, all right, what, what's happening over here? And the, I just love the intention that you put from the beginning, the investment in it throughout the year. That, that's really, that's just amazing humanistic leadership.
[00:35:15] And it's just a, it's just a pleasure to, to be able to even hear about it. And I hope that our listeners, you know, everyone has to find their way of leading and inspiring and connecting people. But I hope, and I'm sure, that they find this, what you've shared today to be really important and useful to hear about. So thank you, as always, for, for sharing with our community. Thank you. I hope so, too.
[00:35:43] And it's truly an honor. So I appreciate that opportunity. Thank you. Thanks so much. And we can keep amplifying together. Yes. Ooh, I love it. I love it. Thanks so much, Jen. Thank you. Thanks again to Jen for amplifying her leadership approach for us. DigitalShelfInstitute.org is the digital home for all the best practices in the digital and agentic era. So become a member. Thanks for being part of our community.