Dear Elite Reviewer

Carol Xie is the daughter of Jason Xie who owns Purple Dot Cafe in Seattle. Representing her family's business she gives us perspective on what it's like to be a kid growing up around Chinatown, working in the acquired family business, and the general battles to get with the times. Should reviews posted prior to the current ownership still be valid? We also all commiserate about how the hope of government support has been an emotional roller coaster which has ended positively for some but also has brought others to literal tears. There's a lot to unpack here!

Robin Wehl and Clay Martin from Hello Robin join us to talk about what makes a great cookie, their Seinfeldian influences, how words have meaning, and where does the name "Hello Robin" come from? How do you respond when a customer doesn't want the money they spent going towards BLM? At least we all agree on Taco Time and the infamous Mackles'more!

If you or anyone you know owns a small business and is interested in being on, submit the survey on our website at dearelitereviewer.com

Celebrity Chef Melissa Miranda of Musang waxes poetic about Taco Time, discusses developing a solid team through keeping it real and vulnerability, and why she doesn't want to be called "Chef" in her kitchen. At what point is the restaurant industry choose to break free from its past? Probably about now. At what point should Amy join Musang's Little Wildcats program? ASAP.

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Prashanthi reflects on her passion for rice milk, dogs, and how pursuing her dream turned her life into one big coffee break. Also, should sales reps leave reviews? Let's hear what she has to say about that!

Dr. Aakanksha and Mr. Uttam dive into how a lack of representation of their culture pulled them away from their 9-5s to bring the flavor explosion known as Spice Waala. More importantly we dive into how the people from our own cultures can be our own worst enemies... Familiarity can bring out the best/worst in reviewers!

Edmonds' own Karin Butler chats with us about what it's like to evolve as a small business and how growth can mean rejection and acceptance from the same companies as well as opening and closing a retail location. As if running a small business isn't enough, being a black-owned/women-owned business means navigating COVID and social justice issues are just icing on the cake. 

Lois Ko dives into what true entrepreneurial hustle looks like, but she'll tell you why it's overrated. How many samples are too many when you visit an ice-cream shop? Listen in to get the perspective of a true 100% authentic creamery from the U-District's own Sweet Alchemy Ice Creamery!

Welcome to Dear Elite Reviewer! The podcast about small businesses and how online reviews affect them, hosted by James and Amy. Future episodes will feature small business owners who get the opportunity to respond to reviews with their real voices. Each week a different guest will be read one positive and one negative review of James and Amy's choosing. In this introductory episode James and Amy discuss some of the positives and negatives of the online reviewing world, influencers, and a plethora of tangents. We hope you get a feel for the journey we're heading down and join us for future episodes!