Keeping Shop: A Brick and Mortar Podcast

Just a little check-in now that life is totally, 100%, unbelievably different. Most of our spaces are closed and we're all treading water, waiting for this nightmare to end. This show is a glimpse into where we at Forty Winks stand with the PPP, what's making us money, and where my head's at as I navigate this. Enjoy....?

Today I’m excited to release my chat with Lisa Mullan, owner and co-founder of Uwila Warrior in Boston, MA. Lisa’s company is leading the charge against uncomfortable underwear; we’ve carried her line at Forty Winks since close to the beginning and our customers come back for it over and over again.  In fact, we have one customer who just wrote and ordered: “every medium you have in that incredible thong.” She was referring to this thong which is in fact, “incredible” if you’re in the market (restocking soon, btw).

Lisa and I talked before coronavirus hit, but there is so much in our chat that’s applicable to what we’re facing right now. I am struck by Lisa’s dedication to creating (and re-creating) the best possible product for her clients and by her decision to focus on steady growth even if it takes a while. She mentions the “long game” a couple of times throughout our chat and even then before I knew we’d have to shutter our store, this struck me as incredibly smart. It’s pretty much the mantra of every brick and mortar business owner; our shops and spaces are rarely an overnight success, right? These are long-term investments for us. Smart brick and mortar bosses don’t open thinking that we’re going to roll in dough immediately, we open because we want to create a space and a community that lasts for a long time. Now more than ever, it’s important to keep our focus on the long game.  What are we doing now to ensure that our businesses will be nimble enough to withstand this game-changer? How are we connecting with our customers, both established and new that will bring them back when our doors open again?

As we navigate this pandemic as small business owners, as our brains are overloaded with loan applications, unemployment claims, past-due bills, and landlord drama, let’s encourage each other to focus on what matters most, creating beautiful connective customer experiences that will last way past this tightest of situations. I’d love to hear how you’re playing the long game. Write to me. And enjoy the show.

Today I have the pleasure of releasing my conversation with Jay Adams co-founder and advisor to Brass, an online and brick & mortar company specializing in quality pieces that simplify and enhance their customer's wardrobes. 

Jay and I connected years ago and she's been a constant source of inspiration for me as she and her business partner, Katie have grown Brass into a thriving and innovative online business. While they've always had short-term pop-up spaces, their first long-standing brick and mortar opened in Boston a few months ago so I’m excited to bring Jay on the show as an official brick and mortar boss.

I was sort of weirded out by releasing conversations recorded pre-Coronavirus, but my friends and colleagues convinced me to keep releasing shows in an effort to keep things as "normal" as possible.  This conversation is actually really timely in that Jay and I talk a lot about eCommerce and how to create strong, vibrant communities within the online space. Now more than ever, we need to be finding ways to reach our clients virtually but not just to sell things to them. Our customers are in need of connection; people are feeling isolated and scared and we're in a unique position to create space for them. These connections and conversations are what will keep us afloat long term. 

Not only does Jay talk to us about creating real connections with our customers, but she also shares what it's like to build an e-commerce platform, to manufacture pieces for lots of body types and how important communication is to a business partnership. Enjoy the show.

Today I have the pleasure of releasing my chat with Ashley Borchard owner of Cobbygoose in Alpena, Michigan. Cobbygoose is a paint your own pottery, canvas and/or wood studio that also specializes in classes, workshops, and events. Brick and mortar business ownership is Ashley’s dream and this is evident in the community she’s created around her space.

Ashley’s road to business ownership is a rough one and she shares her story generously with us. She also shares the downside of buying an established business and offers tips for getting through this process in a graceful, productive way. We talk about the continuous roller coaster of learning on the job and why she looks back at her first months in business with a little bit of embarrassment. She talks about mistake-making and why we need to absorb those mistakes as learning tools.

Right now, I’m writing this from my couch, mid-day, on a day that I should be at Forty Winks. Instead, I’m practicing social distancing in an effort to combat a global pandemic. WTF, right?

I know most of you are doing this exact same thing and probably feeling all kinds of feelings about it. I know I am (more on this later).

Anyway, Ashley and I talk about laying the groundwork for growth even when you’re not sure when and how the growth will happen. Even when you’re not sure your business is going to look the same ever again. Even when you’re terrified, sad and angry. We’ve got to lay that groundwork and move our energy towards preparing for bigger success when the storm has passed. Me personally, I’m giving myself a couple of days to get used to this and then I’m going to tackle some ideas that are going to up-level Winks when we open our doors again. I’m feeling inspired by this conversation for reasons I could never have imagined when I recorded it a few weeks ago. I hope you enjoy it and I hope you’re all okay. xoxo

I’m excited to bring you this episode with Greer Goodman, owner, and founder of Abroad Modern in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Greer used to manage a sweet little children’s shop called Magpie Kids and I met her whilst shopping for baby stuff.  Back then Greer was thinking about starting a very different business than the one she ended up opening (you’ll hear all about this in today’s episode), and she impressed me with her creative yet clear vision for her future business. 

A couple of years later, I realized that Greer had, in fact, opened a shop, but a very different concept from the one she had shared with me way back when.  I knew there was a good story here, so I reached out for an interview. 

And it is a great story! Greer shares how she found her true brick and mortar calling while on a trip to India. We talk about friendship, values and the importance of cultural exchange.  We talk about sourcing, inventory planning and Greer’s unique talent for being able to merchandise her store in her head. 

Greer shares her fear that the mundane parts of brick and mortar business ownership will burn her out, zap her creativity and hurt the longevity of her business.  I think a lot of us can relate to this.  How many times have you had a free day or a slower week ahead of you and promised yourself that you were going to tackle a big, yet unexciting project only to find yourself on the other end having done nothing but busy work and Instagram scrolling.  You may have just experienced this real pain-in-the-ass component of business ownership during the retail hell we call January. I know that I had a lot of expectations set around how much I would get done after the holidays; I swore 2020 would be different and that I would tackle everything with a clear mind and a real zest for the mundane.  I did…okay.  Because it’s hard to feel motivated around things the bore us or even that overwhelm us.  Greer and I flesh this out a bit and encourage each other to just keep tackling the boring/hard/scary stuff as a way to get back to what lights us up.

At its core, Greer’s business is beautiful and genuine. Abroad Modern is a values-driven model that doesn’t pat itself on the back.  Greer is doing great things that mean something. This interview is of value and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

I’m very excited to be sharing the first episode of the spring season of Keeping Shop with you! Today I’m speaking with Stephanie Campbell of Blue Willow Boutique in Maryville, Missouri. When we connected, I knew nothing about Stephanie or her shop so I got to discover her story right along with my listeners. Stephanie tells us all about why she started her shop; it has to do with a big move for love, a community forced to find gifts at Walmart and the desire for real, honest community creation.

Stephanie shares her tips for creating a trusting work environment and building a staff that will go to bat for you over and over again. She shares the way she makes sure she pays her bills, pays herself and makes sure she’s profitable so that she can do things like open a second store, which she just did a few months ago.

A big thought-provoker that I took from this episode is the concept of giving clients what they want even when your concept would point you in another direction. Stephanie experienced this, and Meredith and I did too. For both of our businesses (and I’m sure so many others) within the first month our customers let us know, (loudly) what they wanted to see on our shelves. And we had a decision to make; would we continue stocking for the business that we envisioned, OR would we move in the direction our clients wanted us to take. For both of our shops, this switch up was successful, (Stephanie even says that it saved her business!) but there’s such emotional component of scrapping elements of your concept and starting to move in another direction. Stephanie shares what helped her through this decision and how it not only benefitted her shop financially but also served to build the type of community she longed for. There is so much value in this episode and I’m so excited to kick off this round of Keeping Shop with my chat with Stephanie. Enjoy.

Hey friends,

Hey friends.  This podcast was supposed to be a little different, but you know...life.  Instead, I’m sharing what went well in 2019, what didn't go so hot and where I’m taking the show in 2020.  I’m also revealing my word of the year and the habit I’m trying to form to keep my head clear(er). Thanks for listening and thanks for another great year.  ️

Today I'm speaking with Melissa Solis, owner of Front Row Cosmetics in Raleigh, North Carolina. Not only does Melissa run a brick and mortar, but she's also the creator behind all the products she sells. Melissa and I connected on Instagram (where else these days?) and I immediately knew I wanted to have this make-up creating mastermind on the show.

Melissa started her career working in accounting for a robotics company and working for MAC on the weekends. Eventually, she started to work as an on-set makeup artist where she encountered an actress who was allergic to just about everything in Melissa's make-up kit. It was a game-changer for Melissa who started researching clean beauty and eventually created her own clean line of makeup. A brick and mortar space followed.

Melissa and I talk about money, budgeting and how she built her business while keeping her finances on track. She encourages us to take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself and hit me with my biggest takeaway of the conversation which is...to continue to haul ass for pop-ups. Not going to lie, this was a little bit of tough love for me, because I find pop-ups a little exhausting and not always super lucrative. Ultimately though, a chance to get in front of new sets of eyes and to sell to new people is truly invaluable. Not all success comes in the form of money.

Melissa's incredibly positive and talking to her was inspiring in so many ways. I hope you find as much value in Melissa's words as I did. Enjoy the show.

Be sure to check out Front Row Cosmetics at www.frontrowcosmetics.com

and on Instagram at @frontrowcosmetics

Just a little update, I'll be releasing the next show the week after Christmas instead of two weeks from now. I wish us all some time to enjoy the ones we love and to just breathe after our wild holiday seasons. Thank you for being here.

Today I'm speaking with Sonia Rife, owner of Revival Vintage in Austin, Texas. Sonia started her shop in a 480 square foot space and grew it into a thriving, 2800 square foot, multi-vendor space that delights vintage lovers from all over the country. 

It was Sonia's Instagram that caught my eye because she styles her pieces in a really simple and beautiful way that makes you want to buy everything shown and just set it back up in your living room. I was thrilled when she agreed to share her story with this community.  

Our chat features real advice about managing to-do lists across the team, being patient as your business grows and what to do with middle-of-the-night money panic. Sonia also shares a story about a tarot reading that took some of the pressure off of her as she built her career.  This story resonated with me because I started my company in my 20's and while that makes me super proud, the amount of pressure I felt (and still feel in many ways) was sometimes pretty crushing. I think a lot of people feel like if they don't do it "young" they'll never do it and that's simply not true. If you ever feel like this then this conversation will hit close to home.  Enjoy the show.