Author

Deborah Patton

Deborah is inspired by big ideas and pursues people, places and events that provide that magical glimpse of brilliance challenging the status quo. When she is not running The Robin Report you can find her hiking and boating in the Adirondacks with her husband Jon; gardening as a volunteer in the Riverside Park Conservancy; helping families, alongside her son Sam, make their original versions of his 44 Daughters dolls; walking the Hudson River Greenway from Battery Park to the Little Red Lighthouse; writing books (The Truth About Transformation), stories, and leadership articles; failing miserably trying to train her two irresistible young English Springer Spaniels; reading with enthusiasm the papers her son Max writes for his Master’s in philosophy; supporting her local museums and gardens—and being intellectually energized by the madness and magic of living in New York City.

Born in St. Louis, she has worked professionally in Los Angeles and New York. Her early career was spent directing marketing and producing events during the golden days at upscale magazines: Town & Country, HG, Connoisseur, Seventeen, Modern Bride. Changing gears, she was editorial director of the Gault Millau America city guides, bringing the iconoclastic voice of Christian Millau and nouvelle cuisine to the American market … and reuniting her with her second hometown Paris, where she went to L’École de Louvre to study art history during college at Pitzer College, the behavioral sciences/social justice school in the Claremont Colleges system. Pivoting to Nielsen Business Media, she ran corporate communications/marketing for their 56 magazines and 86 trade shows. She also pioneered Applied Brilliance, a multidisciplinary, thought leadership conference focused on emerging trends and macro shifts that impact us professionally and personally. The Robin Report connects all the threads in Deborah’s life through the cultural and sociological role that retail plays in our lives.

2024 Crave Retail Radicals Collage of winners

The 2024 Crave Retail Radicals: A&F, Ace Hardware, Chewy, Ulta Beauty, and Walmart

Announcing the winners of the 2024 Crave Retail Radicals Awards: visionaries from A&F, Ace Hardware, Chewy, Ulta Beauty, and Walmart.
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cityscape with 2025 RLC Global Forum logo

The 2025 RLC Global Forum: Rebuilding a Shared Future

In a world defined by unrelenting change, shaping the future of retail has never been more urgent—or more complex. Yet, global leaders uniquely positioned at ...
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Macy's

Macy’s PJ Singh: A Profile in Shared Purpose

PJ Singh at Macy's says cultural and tech changes, backed by engaged employees, are crucial for boosting customer experience and growth.
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Paris Retail Still Has That Je Ne Sais Quoi

Learn more about paris retail and the four Parisian grandes dames stores that are impressive, memorable, and experiential adventures.
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World Retail Congress 2024

Postcards from Paris: Reflections on World Retail Congress 2024

World Retail Congress 2024 convened leaders addressing AI's impact, geopolitical challenges, and the pivotal shift towards customer-centric strategies.
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Shoptalk 2024: Tech Talk in a Retail Agora

Shoptalk 2024 explored retail's future with tech innovations like Gen AI and AI-driven personalization. Unified commerce and customer-centricity were key.
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Tarek Müller

Behind the Scenes with Scayle Super-Entrepreneur Tarek Müller

What does it take to make a startup endure? Success in the global digital marketplace does not come easily or overnight to most entrepreneurs. In ...
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Welcome to the 3D Century

If you’re looking for a quick way to become an overnight expert on 3D and emerging technologies in the fashion retail industry, check out the ...
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