Four different retail businesses. Four completely different niches. One identical complaint.

"I feel like it's not working."

In this episode, we unpack why so many retail and ecommerce founders misdiagnose marketing problems and how that mistake quietly erodes profit.

When sales dip, most retailers assume:

• Customers are not spending

• The offer was wrong

• The discount was not strong enough

• The marketing agency dropped the ball

But feelings are not facts.

This episode walks you through why emotional decision-making is one of the most expensive habits in retail and how to shift to data-first diagnosis before changing strategy.

And this applies beyond marketing.

If you are making inventory decisions based on what you think will sell, instead of validated demand, the same risk applies.

A pre-sales approach allows you to test demand and generate revenue before committing to stock. You can learn more about that at https://salenaknight.com/toolkit

If you want stronger retail marketing performance and smarter inventory decisions without sacrificing margin, this episode will show you where to look first.

What does hunting for Airbnb properties have to do with buying inventory?

More than you think.

In this episode, I break down how searching for rental properties to grow my Airbnb portfolio completely reframed how retailers should approach inventory buying.

When I inspect a property, I do not ask, Do I like it? I ask:

• Will it generate cash flow?

• What is the risk?

• How quickly will I see a return?

• What happens if demand shifts?

Yet when many retailers place inventory orders, they lead with emotion. They buy because they love it. Because it feels safe. Because the sales rep convinced them. Because it sold last year.

Inventory is not decor. It is not a hobby. It is not a vote for your personal taste. It is an investment.

In this episode, you will learn:

• How to evaluate products like income producing assets

• Why buying based on feelings damages profitability

• The financial lens you must use before placing any order

• How to reduce risk while increasing margin and cash flow

If you want to improve sales, increase cash flow, and stop tying up money in slow moving stock, this episode will change how you buy forever.

Ready to sell before you order? Get the Pre-Sales Campaign Toolkit: https://salenaknight.com/toolkit

You know that moment when you place a stock order and feel equal parts excited and anxious. You've done the maths. You've picked the colours. You've crossed your fingers.

And then the stock arrives… and it doesn't sell the way you hoped.

In this episode, Salena breaks down why ordering stock on hope is one of the biggest reasons retailers end up with cash stuck on shelves, reactive marketing, and constant discounting. You'll learn why selling should never be the reward for ordering, how treating selling as the starting line changes cash flow, and why most retailers aren't bad buyers – they're just starting in the wrong place.

This isn't about buying less or playing it safe. It's about flipping the order of operations so you stop guessing what will work and start making buying decisions based on proof, not belief.

Inside the episode:

• Why ordering stock first quietly creates cash flow pressure

• The difference between customer interest and real demand

• How slow-moving inventory leads to fear-based buying decisions

• Why discounting trains customers to wait instead of buy

• How selling before ordering reduces risk and pulls cash forward

• Why selling is the filter – not the reward – for ordering stock

Ready to sell before you order? Get the Pre-Sales Campaign Toolkit: https://salenaknight.com/toolkit

Emma thought she was "doing marketing." She posted. She emailed. She showed up when she could. And then everything went quiet.

When she finally ran a promotion, nobody responded.

In this episode, Salena Knight breaks down why inconsistent marketing doesn't just slow growth – it actively works against you. You'll learn the three invisible costs of inconsistency that most retailers never factor in, why your promotions fall flat after a quiet period, and how inconsistency trains customers to forget you exist.

This isn't about posting more or working longer hours. It's about building a repeatable marketing system that keeps you visible, trusted, and top of mind – even when operations get busy.

Inside the episode:

• Why inconsistent marketing resets customer awareness back to zero

• How silence quietly erodes trust with your audience

• The "abandoned cart of attention" and why your message never sticks

• Why three posts is never enough (even if it feels repetitive)

• How to fix inconsistent marketing without adding 20 more hours to your week

Many store owners assume cashflow problems come from marketing or pricing. In reality, some of the biggest profit leaks are hiding inside your product strategy.

In this episode, Salena unpacks three subtle but costly mistakes that drain cash even in businesses with strong sales and loyal customers. These issues compound quietly over time.

You'll learn why premium customers do not buy premium in every category, how to calculate true landed cost properly, and where opportunity cost is silently eroding your profit. This episode is a must-listen as you reorder stock and plan for growth in 2026.

Most retail and ecommerce business owners are exhausted, busy, and still stuck. Not because they're bad at business, but because they're spending their time in the wrong category of work.

In this episode, Salena breaks down the difference between BAU work and CEO work and introduces a clear, practical time allocation framework designed specifically for independent retailers and ecommerce founders.

You'll learn:

• Why being busy does not equal progress

• The four categories of CEO work and where your time should actually go

• How most business owners are unknowingly trapping themselves in operations

• A realistic 90-day time allocation target that does not require disappearing from the business

• Three actions you can take this week to start shifting out of firefighting

If you feel like you're doing everything but still not moving forward, this episode will give you clarity and a way out.

TikTok can be a money-printing machine for retailers — if you know how to feed it properly. In this episode, we break down why most brands fail on TikTok Shop and how to build a strategy that actually converts views into sales.

What You'll Learn

• Why TikTok is nothing like Amazon or Meta ads, and how to rethink your entire marketing approach for disruptive, scroll-based buying behavior.

• The simple product formula that wins on TikTok — identifying the right pain point, showing the solution visually, and pairing it with an irresistible offer.

• How to test content at scale, stop chasing trends, and build a repeatable system that compounds into serious revenue over time.

When the product becomes the star and the strategy stays simple, TikTok stops feeling chaotic — and starts making you money.

Bringing Business to Retail is the podcast for retail and e-commerce owners who are ready to stop guessing and start making money on purpose. Each episode delivers sharp strategy, real-world stories, and practical insights to help you scale smarter and more profitably.

What You'll Learn

• How to think like a CEO, not just a store owner, so every decision you make is rooted in profit, clarity, and long-term growth.

• Proven retail and e- commerce strategies that improve cash flow, margins, and inventory decisions without overcomplicating your business.

• How to detach emotionally from stock and results, treat business like a game, and make money feel lighter, simpler, and more fun.

Because when you understand the game of business, making money stops being stressful — and starts being strategic.

Grab the free 5X CEO Scorecard to audit your business in under five minutes and instantly see where to focus next: selenainight.com/scorecard.

What if you could steal the marketing secrets behind powerhouse brands like Lululemon and Pottery Barn, and use them to grow your own retail or ecommerce business?

In this episode, Sal sits down with fractional CMO Jessica Shirra, who has led global campaigns, shaped iconic brand identities, and helped companies of all sizes create marketing that builds true community. Jessica breaks down the strategies big brands rely on, and more importantly, how you can adapt them without big budgets, huge teams, or agency-sized resources.

From brand storytelling to customer experience, innovation, and emotional connection, this conversation reveals the real levers that move the needle in modern marketing.

If you're ready to market your business with the clarity, intentionality, and confidence of the world's top brands, this episode is a must-listen.

— Sal

As the holiday season reaches its peak, this re-run of one of our most-loved episodes is the perfect pause-and-reset moment. If you're heading into 2026 wanting to get more sales and more customers, this episode is where you start.

Sal breaks down three simple but powerful strategies retailers consistently miss — and they're some of the easiest ways to boost visibility and bring in better customers. Whether you're bricks and mortar, ecommerce, or both, these are grassroots tactics that work even when traffic slows and budgets tighten.

✨ In this episode: • A mindset shift that removes the "I need more customers" panic • The overlooked platform filled with your best buyers • A collaboration opportunity sitting inside your supplier relationships • A real-life example of a no-ad event that pulled in new customers fast

A short episode, a big payoff — and the perfect reset as you head into the new year.

Grab the 5 Minute CEO reset - salenaknight.com/reset