Creative Retail Talks with Clint O'Rear

Stories covering 144 years and five generations of an iconic yarn brand in the creative industry. From how it got its name to what keeps it strong and growing.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Lion Brand has been around for 144 years
• Lion Brand was the sole supplier of yarn to Target for many years up until Target discontinued the category
• Lion Brand has been on the web longer than Google
• The key to keeping the business within the family and successful is that no family member is forced to be a part of the company. Every member of the Blumenthal family that has worked for Lion Brand did it because they wanted to
• Lion Brand is fueled by a passion for the business and a willingness to change and adapt
• Hiring people that have an interest in yarn and appreciate that Lion Brand is a family business has been the key to integrating non-family member employees into the company
• Lion Brand has been able to build a strong connection with its customer base and is very proud to continue to do that
• Partnering with Vanna White and others has been a huge boost for the visibility of the brand

SUGGESTED ACTIONS:

• Think long term
• Hire people that are a fit for your culture
• Stay passionate about your vision and adapt along the way as needed
• Find interesting ways to increase visibility of your brand!

𝗗𝗔𝗩𝗜𝗗 𝗕𝗟𝗨𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗟, Chairman of the Board of Lion Brand Yarns.

Read the Inc article How I Did It: David Blumenthal

Earliest yarn memory?

Going to the office at 54 Canal Street, at the corner of Canal and Orchard Streets, where we had offices and a warehouse. It was the tallest building on the Lower East Side of New York. I was about 7 or 8 years old and I would sweep the floors and empty the wastebaskets. Going into the office with my father was a really big deal for me.

𝗔𝗗𝗔𝗠 𝗕𝗟𝗨𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗟, VP Brand/Product Development and Digital at the Lion Brand Yarn Company.

You can reach Adam on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/adblumenthal.

𝗖𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗧 𝗢'𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗥, president and owner of Creative Sales Consulting, has worked in the Retail industry since 2000. Clint and his team connect suppliers & retailers in the creative arts industries for stronger relationships and strategic sales growth, in order to bring joy to consumers through artistic creative and decorative products.

For more insightful conversations with leaders in the Arts & Crafts Retail industry visit CreativeRetailTalks.com.

If you'd like to be a guest on the podcast, reach out to Clint O'Rear at [email protected].

______________________

Music:

"Carpe Diem" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Mentoring isn't just talk at Etech Global Services. With a formal program that promoted over 300 people last year, Jim Iyoob and other company leaders mentor the next generation of leaders. Which fits perfectly with Jim's belief that you need to 'get out of the stand and onto the field' with your people.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• You want and have to be intentional about mentoring for it to be truly effective
• Finding the next generation of leaders must be an active, ongoing process
• Etech operates on very similar principles and philosophies as WD-40 with a servant leadership culture. (Listen to episode A Formula to Create Happy Employees...)
• The art of agreeing to disagree is something that has been lost in our culture
• Don't aim for perfection, aim for excellence
• Knowledge is power - Jim reads at least one article every day and encourages his team to do the same.
• Stop fearing failure - if you never fail you never grow.
• Leaders must spend time with their people and must be able to operate on the field instead of just in the stands

SUGGESTED ACTIONS

• Find a mentor, Be a mentor
• Get out of the stands and onto the field with your people to have a full understanding of the environment they're working in
• Read at least one article per day.

______________________

𝗝𝗜𝗠 𝗜𝗬𝗢𝗢𝗕, Chief Customer Officer of Etech Global Services, is a 33-year veteran of the call center/BPO industry.

Jim is a subject matter expert for call center solutions, with specialties including Strategy, CX, Chat, Operations, Training and Developing Leaders, Relationship Management, E-Commerce Strategy and Reporting, Quality Monitoring, AI, IT & Outsourcing and Social Media Strategies. He has helped develop, implement, and retain some of the most successful and award-winning programs.

Jim has co-authored three books with his lifelong friend, mentor, and coach, Matt Rocco (President & CEO of Etech Global Services).

• Quality Monitoring in a Contact Center
• The Future of Contact Centers
• Delivering Customer Experience That Matter

You can reach Jim at [email protected], on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimiyoob/, or at https://www.etechgs.com/

𝗖𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗧 𝗢'𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗥, president and owner of Creative Sales Consulting, has worked in the Retail industry since 2000. Clint and his team connect suppliers & retailers in the creative arts industries for stronger relationships and strategic sales growth, in order to bring joy to consumers through artistic creative and decorative products.

For more insightful conversations with leaders in the Arts & Crafts Retail industry visit CreativeRetailTalks.com.

If you'd like to be a guest on the podcast, reach out to Clint O'Rear at [email protected].

______________________

Music:

"Carpe Diem" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

When your company has a Dean of Leadership Development and twelve Character Commitments, you know they take servant leadership seriously. Jim Iyoob, Chief Customer Officer of Etech Global Services, shares the culture that began with a vision "to make a remarkable difference for each other" — clients, team members, and community.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Etech is an outsourced contact center that has organically grown from 400 to 3500 employees that focuses on making a remarkable difference for their customers
• Continuous growth and training are essential for all levels of employees
• Servant leadership comes down to treating your people, customers, and community well to produce a wonderful experience for them
• Etech has a Dean of Leadership, Melissa Wood, that helps design courses for all levels of the company to help with continuous learning and growth
• Jim started as a call center agent at Dunn and Bradstreet and has worked his way up to Chief Customer Officer at Etech with the help of Matt Rocco
• You have to be able to recognize areas you need improvement in and be able to learn from experiences as everything is a lesson
• Leaders develop leaders – You must focus on developing the next generation of leaders if you want sustained success
• More about Etech's Character Commitments

SUGGESTED ACTIONS

• Have a plan for continuous growth
• As a leader, be intentional about developing other leaders
• Read at least 1 article per day – LinkedIn is a great source

______________________

𝗝𝗜𝗠 𝗜𝗬𝗢𝗢𝗕, Chief Customer Officer of Etech Global Services, is a 33-year veteran of the call center/BPO industry.

Jim is a subject matter expert for call center solutions, with specialties including Strategy, CX, Chat, Operations, Training and Developing Leaders, Relationship Management, E-Commerce Strategy and Reporting, Quality Monitoring, AI, IT & Outsourcing and Social Media Strategies. He has helped develop, implement, and retain some of the most successful and award-winning programs.

Jim has co-authored three books with his lifelong friend, mentor, and coach, Matt Rocco (President & CEO of Etech Global Services).

• Quality Monitoring in a Contact Center
• The Future of Contact Centers
• Delivering Customer Experience That Matter

You can reach Jim at [email protected], on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimiyoob/, or at https://www.etechgs.com/

𝗖𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗧 𝗢'𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗥, president and owner of Creative Sales Consulting, has worked in the Retail industry since 2000. Clint and his team connect suppliers & retailers in the creative arts industries for stronger relationships and strategic sales growth, in order to bring joy to consumers through artistic creative and decorative products.

For more insightful conversations with leaders in the Arts & Crafts Retail industry visit CreativeRetailTalks.com.

If you'd like to be a guest on the podcast, reach out to Clint O'Rear at [email protected].

______________________

Music:

"Carpe Diem" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Jim Scatena, a legend in the creative industry, discusses what it's like to work with two of the most creative companies — Crayola and FloraCraft — and the life and leadership lessons he learned.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Keep an eye on your goals. They'll help you make the moves to grow your experience and expand your skills
• Sometimes you can impact your most loyal market by creating a new market. Which turns you to finding new and innovative ways to motivate that original market.
• Invest in making it easier for your customers (large and small) to order from you.
• "Reserve the right to change your mind"— if you realize you're going down the wrong path (even if you chose it) you may need to change directions. Don't let your ego and pride get in the way.

SUGGESTED ACTIONS

• Look at your goals, what skills and experience do you need in order to reach them? Go get it.
• Build a culture of service and dedication where everyone is valued.
• Listen to your customers and consumers, they're the geniuses.
• As the leader, reserve the right to change your mind.

______________________

𝗝𝗜𝗠 𝗦𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗔 I've spent my entire career (since 1976) in the creative industries!

You can reach Jim at [email protected] or on LinkedIn.

𝗖𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗧 𝗢'𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗥, president and owner of Creative Sales Consulting, has worked in the Retail industry since 2000. Clint and his team connect suppliers & retailers in the creative arts industries for stronger relationships and strategic sales growth, in order to bring joy to consumers through artistic creative and decorative products.

For more insightful conversations with leaders in the Arts & Crafts Retail industry visit CreativeRetailTalks.com.

If you'd like to be a guest on the podcast, reach out to Clint O'Rear at [email protected].

______________________

Music:

"Carpe Diem" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Creative Industry legend, Jim Scatena, reveals the secret to trade show success and looks ahead at trade shows, supply chain management, and the need for innovation in the craft industry.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The real success of trade shows comes from focusing on networking and education
• Meetings between suppliers and retailers at trade shows are valuable, but it's also valuable for suppliers to meet with digital content creators
• AFCI and NAMTA are combining to create a bigger, more educational trade show
• • Next one — Orlando in April — Art Materials World Featuring Creativation
• The craft industry overall is doing a great job of improving supply chain logistics and management
• The biggest weakness in the craft industry is the lack of innovation — there is a need for more newness
• Consumers are more likely to try and cross over into different types of arts and crafts than they used to be
• Listen to your consumer and be creative in meeting their needs
• Treat everybody with kindness, 1+1=3

SUGGESTED ACTIONS

• Come back and engage with the industry at the new combined trade show in April — Art Materials World Featuring Creativation
• Develop and promote new ideas to keep your sales and sales in the industry growing overall
• Meet the needs of consumers by listening to their needs.

______________________

𝗝𝗜𝗠 𝗦𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗔 I've spent my entire career (since 1976) in the creative industries!

You can reach Jim at [email protected] or on LinkedIn.

𝗖𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗧 𝗢'𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗥, president and owner of Creative Sales Consulting, has worked in the Retail industry since 2000. Clint and his team connect suppliers & retailers in the creative arts industries for stronger relationships and strategic sales growth, in order to bring joy to consumers through artistic creative and decorative products.

For more insightful conversations with leaders in the Arts & Crafts Retail industry visit CreativeRetailTalks.com.

If you'd like to be a guest on the podcast, reach out to Clint O'Rear at [email protected].

______________________

Music:

"Carpe Diem" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Creative Industry legend Jim Scatena on the importance of being engaged in your community, the power of content creators, and stories of industry connections.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Take care and look out for your community
• Mentors are a necessity for success
• Wilton launched in JCPenny, not in the Craft channel
• Wilton success was largely attributed to having a direct connection to the consumer
• Organic consumer recommendations for a product are more powerful than an ad run by a company
• Craft companies must take advantage of social media trends and do everything they can to connect with consumers tied into those trends

SUGGESTED ACTIONS

• Focus on others, not just yourself.
• Get involved in mentoring — find one and be one
• Develop your social media strategy, and use it to connect with consumers organically

______________________

𝗝𝗜𝗠 𝗦𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗔 I've spent my entire career (since 1976) in the creative industries!

You can reach Jim at [email protected] or on LinkedIn.

𝗖𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗧 𝗢'𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗥, president and owner of Creative Sales Consulting, has worked in the Retail industry since 2000. Clint and his team connect suppliers & retailers in the creative arts industries for stronger relationships and strategic sales growth, in order to bring joy to consumers through artistic creative and decorative products.

For more insightful conversations with leaders in the Arts & Crafts Retail industry visit CreativeRetailTalks.com.

If you'd like to be a guest on the podcast, reach out to Clint O'Rear at [email protected].

______________________

Music:

"Carpe Diem" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Retail Authority Michael Barker Shares His Philosophy On How Happy Customers + Happy Employees Always Leads To Healthy Business

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Happy Customers + Happy Employees = Healthy Business

• If you reduce employee turn 20% you increase profits by more than 20%
• Happy employees make Happy customers

AVID Insights creates a Health ID score to measure the level of satisfaction and engagement of both employees and customers.

Employee engagement is the #1 driver of customer satisfaction.

95% of products are developed with ZERO research - a huge mistake!

Key areas to research

• Product development
• Shopper satisfaction

Research data must be reviewed for quality to be accurate and useful.

AVID Insights creates a Health ID Score for both shoppers and employees to measure engagement and satisfaction.

If you can take a shopper's Health ID Score up by 10%, they will spend 37% more.

AVID Insights process

• Ask the questions — Right questions, in the right way, to the right people
• Analyze the data - critical
• Display the results - how you display is part of the analysis

AVID is a high value, low cost model for research and insights.

SUGGESTED ACTIONS

Measure employee engagement and create a culture that creates happy employees.

Measure customer satisfaction and listen to their feedback.

Do research and get consumer insights before launching products.

______________________

𝗠𝗜𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗘𝗟 𝗕𝗔𝗥𝗞𝗘𝗥 Since starting a mail-order company while in college (before the Internet was a thing), Michael has spent his entire career in retail-related companies. Whether developing new CPG products, conducting consumer research for national chain stores or marketing ecommerce software, his goal is simple - empower retailers to differentiate themselves and drive measurable results.

While at Momenta, Michael built a consumer research team that drives the company's product innovation and provides shopper insights to national retailers. He now serves as CEO of AViD Insight, a web-based platform that enables retailers and suppliers to leverage real-time consumer and employee insights to drive growth and profitability.

You can reach Michael at [email protected] or www.avidinsight.com.

𝗖𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗧 𝗢'𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗥, president and owner of Creative Sales Consulting, has worked in the Retail industry since 2000. Clint and his team connect suppliers & retailers in the creative arts industries for stronger relationships and strategic sales growth, in order to bring joy to consumers through artistic creative and decorative products.

For more insightful conversations with leaders in the Arts & Crafts Retail industry visit CreativeRetailTalks.com.

If you'd like to be a guest on the podcast, reach out to Clint O'Rear at [email protected].

______________________

Music:

"Carpe Diem" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Creative Industry Icon Joann Pearson shares why in creating there are no mistakes, just happy accidents.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• In creating there are no mistakes, just happy accidents!
• As you learn in the creative process, share and help others learn. Be open to learning from those who will share with you.

SUGGESTED ACTIONS

• For Suppliers and Retailers - listen to the suggestions from creative experts to help develop new products. Share new product ideas before it goes to market to get feedback and input.

______________________

𝗝𝗢𝗔𝗡𝗡 𝗣𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗦𝗢𝗡 After spending over 30 years as the Manager of Creative Services at Michaels, Jo has retired to St Louis, close to family. Jo's career has taken her all over the United States teaching, demonstrating and appearing on TV. Jo was a regular on Aleen's Creative Living TV, appeared on Good Morning America, Handmade by Design and was a Judge on TLC's "Craft Wars" starring Tori Spelling. Jo has authored numerous craft instruction books and videos and is currently selling Creepy Doll lamps and Piano Key Angels at a small boutique close to home.

You can reach Jo at [email protected] She would love to hear from you!

𝗖𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗧 𝗢'𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗥, president and owner of Creative Sales Consulting, has worked in the Retail industry since 2000. Clint and his team connect suppliers & retailers in the creative arts industries for stronger relationships and strategic sales growth, in order to bring joy to consumers through artistic creative and decorative products.

For more insightful conversations with leaders in the Arts & Crafts Retail industry visit CreativeRetailTalks.com.

If you'd like to be a guest on the podcast, reach out to Clint O'Rear at [email protected].

______________________

Music:

"Carpe Diem" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Rich Ezra shares how Schitt's Creek inspired a new product line that has hit an emotional chord with fans of the show, plus how competing against mega brands inspired Lion Brand to find unique and innovative ways to carve out a niche.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• When competing against mega brands with huge advertising dollars you have to find unique and innovative ways to carve out your niche.
• You have to focus on the fundamentals of connecting with the consumer.
• Chief Marketing Officer = Chief Customer Officer — to understand what the consumer wants.
• The job of Marketing is to put a strategy together to drive sell-thru on the shelf.
• The customer will decide in 3 seconds if they're going to stop and pick up the product to engage.
• Lion Brand's goal is to give back to help repair the world
• • Hat Not Hate started by Shira Blumenthal to bring attention to the problem of bullying
  • Mental Health America to help support mental health through crafting
  • Skein Tones: yarn for all skin colors to make dolls with a heart of inclusivity
• Schitt's Creek yarn product line — started as an idea that has hit an emotional chord with fans of the show.
• Emerging trends
• • Edutainment through virtual classes - people want to learn in a fun way through a combination of education and entertainment

SUGGESTED ACTIONS

• Life lesson — the more calm you are in a situation, the more impact your words have.
• Life lesson — don't be afraid to be vulnerable and admit when you are wrong.
• Career advice for someone younger — take time to say "thank you" and be appreciative, and take time to enjoy your successes.

______________________

𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗛 𝗘𝗭𝗥𝗔, an executive and strategic leader, serves as a key advisor to provide marketing and branding support to leading companies. Leveraging a combination of critical and creative thinking, Ezra partners with his clients to establish and take brands to new levels of awareness and success.

You can reach Rich Ezra on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardezra.

𝗖𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗧 𝗢'𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗥, president and owner of Creative Sales Consulting, has worked in the Retail industry since 2000. Clint and his team connect suppliers & retailers in the creative arts industries for stronger relationships and strategic sales growth, in order to bring joy to consumers through artistic creative and decorative products.

For more insightful conversations with leaders in the Arts & Crafts Retail industry visit CreativeRetailTalks.com.

If you'd like to be a guest on the podcast, reach out to Clint O'Rear at [email protected].

______________________

Music:

"Carpe Diem" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Abby Glassenberg's journey started as a blogger and dollmaker. The journey then evolved to the business side of the craft industry, eventually launching Craft Industry Alliance, while still running her sewing business.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Craft Industry Alliance (CIA) is made up of businesses of all sizes, from small Etsy shop owners to large companies.
• CIA provides Community, News, and Education for their members.
• They have a monthly member roundtable to help members connect and discuss current events and provide a support system.
• There is also a Facebook Group for CIA members to interact and share info together.
• Abby and her team publish a weekly newsletter to share relevant business updates in the craft industry.
• They have a monthly webinar to increase education to share info on key topics relevant to owners of craft related businesses.

Future of the creative industry

• A lot of crafting happening on TikTok, which is inspiring the younger generation of crafters and makers!
• Retailers will offer more experiences, expertise, and community in stores to stay relevant.

Challenges for the creative industry

• Will be important to learn and implement e-commerce online presence to interact with consumers directly

Future of Craft Industry Alliance

• Continue to grow community! (ex. Regional Zoom Meetings)
• Expand news content to help expand membership

SUGGESTED ACTIONS

• For retailers, make brick and mortar stores more experiential and a place to build community
• For retailers and wholesalers, continue to learn and implement e-commerce strategy and increase your online presence
• Go to CraftIndustryAlliance.org to learn more about the association and to see what benefits are available to members.

______________________

𝗔𝗕𝗕𝗬 𝗚𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗘𝗡𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗚 co-founded Craft Industry Alliance and now serves as its president. She's a sewing pattern designer, teacher, and journalist. She's dedicated to creating an outstanding trade association for the crafts industry. Abby lives in Wellesley, Massachusetts.

You can reach Abby Glassenberg on Instagram at @craftindustryalliance or at CraftIndustryAlliance.org.

𝗖𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗧 𝗢'𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗥, president and owner of Creative Sales Consulting, has worked in the Retail industry since 2000. Clint and his team connect suppliers & retailers in the creative arts industries for stronger relationships and strategic sales growth, in order to bring joy to consumers through artistic creative and decorative products.

For more insightful conversations with leaders in the Arts & Crafts Retail industry visit CreativeRetailTalks.com.

If you'd like to be a guest on the podcast, reach out to Clint O'Rear at [email protected].

______________________

Music:

"Carpe Diem" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/