After taking a few weeks completely offline, I'm back! And surprisingly, being out of the loop has been one of the best things I could have done. In this episode, I share why disconnecting from retail media, AI headlines, LinkedIn, and industry news gave me a fresh perspective on both my work and the consumers we're all trying to serve.

I also give you a personal update on my family's move back to Australia, what's ahead for Retail Media Breakfast Club this season, the projects I'm most excited about, and why I'm doubling down on what's already working instead of chasing every shiny new opportunity. If you've ever felt like our industry moves faster than reality, I think you'll enjoy this episode.

This episode is sponsored by GrowthLoop

Timeline

[00:00] What I learned by completely unplugging.

[01:09] Why being "out of the loop" reminded me that industry urgency often isn't real life.

[02:15] Reconnecting with the mindset of the everyday consumer and why that's so important for retail media.

[05:45] An update on my family's move back to Perth, Australia, and settling into our new chapter.

[06:45] Why I'm avoiding shiny object syndrome and focusing on sustainable growth for the rest of the year.

[07:46] The projects I'm most excited about, including funny industry videos, GrowthLoop, Basket Case, and rediscovering Australian retail.

Links & Resources

My personal essay about relocating back to Perth
A huge thank you to the new sponsor for this season, GrowthLoop! GrowthLoop first came on my radar as a named tech provider of Costco Velocity in early 2026. I'm excited to continue collaborating with a company who's making big waves in the RMN space! Learn more about GrowthLoop
My Media Diet
Basket Case! This is a project I’m part of with The Drum and QSIC, an irreverent and lively podcast series talking shop. They also feature some of those silly videos I mentioned. The latest episode dropped last week
I'm sharing comedy skits on Instagram about retail media! Follow along: @retailmediabreakfastclub
Subscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletter
Follow Kiri Masters on LinkedIn

The Books

When dreaming of my European vacation I only had one vision in mind: park my butt on various beaches, eat great food, and read a fat stack of novels. On these metrics, the vacation was a huge success. I didn’t have any luggage space for souvenirs, but I gained some souvenir weight (!!) and made a solid contribution to my Goodreads “read” list. Here are my faves:

Rosie and Imperfect Birds by Anne Lamott. Somehow I missed that this is a 3-part series and skipped the second book. No matter. Both books were gripping portrayals of the ups and downs of family life and are able to stand alone.
The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith. Never got around to watching the film, and I’m really glad I didn’t because the book was excellent. A master feat of taking a very unsavory and unlikeable protagonist and somehow making you want them to succeed.
The Calloway Tetralogy by Jay McInerney. Poignant but entertaining (and at times very funny) character study of a yuppie couple living in New York City, set over several decades. Another example of anti-heroes that you grow to love. Told across four novels which again somehow, I failed to read in order.

I'm Completely Out Of The Loop (Lessons From My Summer Break)

Retail Media Breakfast Club

I'm Completely Out Of The Loop (Lessons From My Summer Break)