In this episode of Let’s Talk a Little Shop, the ASD Market Team created a group podcast in order to discuss how ASD makes the magic happen for each show. 

The marketing teams talk about how to make the most of your ASD show experience. Whether you’re an exhibitor or an attendee, watch this video to learn how to use our online tools to find success at ASD, as well as navigate show floor during your time in Las Vegas. And also, get to know the team behind the largest wholesale merchandise show in the U.S.!

ASD Resources:

Show Planner: https://asdonline.com/exhibitor-show-planner/

Matchmaking Services: https://asdonline.com/attendee/matchmaking-service/

Exhibitor Success Resources: https://asdonline.com/exhibitor-success/

Become a Part of ASD Market Week

To learn more about retail buying opportunities and attending ASD Market Week, visit our website where you can register for free. 

Subscribe to Our Podcast

Let’s Talk a Little Shop is available wherever you listen to podcasts. Watch and listen on Spotify, Apple, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, or Audible. Please feel free to leave us a review!  You can also watch the video interviews on YouTube.

In this episode of Let’s Talk a Little Shop, Emilie Lewis speaks with Cole Daugherty, the SVP of Exhibitor Marketing for the Dallas Market Center, about his experience in the trade show industry. They discuss the importance of relationships, collaboration, and in-person events for the success of businesses in the wholesale trade industry.

Highlights

• 0:00:  Cole Daughtery is the SVP of Exhibitor Marketing for the Dallas Market Center with over 20 years of experience in the industry.
• 1:06:  The Dallas Market Center is the world’s most comprehensive wholesale trade resource, housing various product categories such as home, gift, lighting, apparel, and more.
• 3:07: The key lesson learned in the industry is the importance of building relationships between buyers and sellers, and the Market Center serves as a bridge between them.
• 5:20: The Market Center focuses on working together as a community, valuing customers, and sharing their success stories through good storytelling.
• 8:55:9:  Cole’s journey in the industry started with a PR agency, and he joined the Dallas Market Center 22 years ago as the PR director. He has since embraced the industry and contributed to its growth and diversification.
• 10:42: In-person events and meetings are crucial for the industry as they allow for product discovery, relationship building, and the ability to cater to diverse customer needs.
• 12:26: The industry is seeing a mix of product categories and price points across retail as consumers expect a broader range of options from stores.
• 14:20: The generational differences in the industry require a shift in mindsets around trade shows and in-person events, particularly in fashion and gift businesses where younger generations are more involved.

Key Insights

• 🎙️ The success of the wholesale trade industry relies heavily on building and maintaining strong relationships between buyers and sellers. The Dallas Market Center serves as a bridge to facilitate these relationships and support the growth of businesses. (Timestamp: 3:07-5:03)
• 🏢 In addition to being a comprehensive wholesale trade resource, the Dallas Market Center focuses on fostering a sense of community and working together as a team. They value their customers and prioritize good storytelling to share their success stories. (Timestamp: 5:20-8:42)
• 🌍 In-person events and meetings are irreplaceable in the industry as they allow for sensory experiences, such as smelling fragrances or feeling the fabric, which are essential for product discovery and decision-making. Digital support is important, but it cannot fully substitute real-life experience. (Timestamp: 10:42-12:12)
• 🔀 The industry is witnessing a shift towards a mix of product categories and price points as retailers diversify their offerings to cater to consumer demands. Unique and one-of-a-kind products are sought after, allowing retailers to stand out in the market. (Timestamp: 12:26-14:08)
• 👥 The industry needs to adapt to the generational differences, particularly in fashion and gift businesses where younger generations are more involved. Mindsets around trade shows and in-person events need to evolve to meet the expectations and preferences of these younger audiences. (Timestamp: 14:20-16:35)

Become a Part of ASD Market Week

To learn more about retail buying opportunities and attending ASD Market Week, visit our website where you can register for free. 

Subscribe to Our Podcast

Let’s Talk a Little Shop is available wherever you listen to podcasts. Watch and listen on Spotify,

In the second part of Emilie’s interview with Emily Bensen, turns to inspiration and education for small retail businesses, in this episode, they discuss:

• 0:00: How mindset is everything. 
• 3:32: That in order to solve a problem in your business, you understand the cause of the problem in order to find a solution.
• 4:17: How to improve your retail business cash flow by 20% in 90 days. 
• 6:00: When you go to trade shows, come with a strategic buying plan and budget.
• 9:20: Using seasonality to plan your inventory. 
• 13:10: More money means more problems. How to manage your business cash flow when you start to make big money. 
• 17:45: Online vs. in-store, the new balance between stores and e-commerce. 
• 22:00: Understanding changes in shopper behavior and navigating change purchase choices. 
• 25:19: The creativeness of small retail business inspires and influences culture on a wider scale. 
• 28:02: How retail business owners need to design lives that are much more balanced. 
• 32:00: How Alex Hermozi’s $3 million dollar system works. 
• 33:03: You have to learn how to market yourself online. 

Become a Part of ASD Market Week

To learn more about retail buying opportunities and attending ASD Market Week, visit our website where you can register for free. 

Subscribe to Our Podcast

Let’s Talk a Little Shop is available wherever you listen to podcasts. Watch and listen on Spotify, Apple, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, or Audible. Please feel free to leave us a review!  You can also watch the video interviews on YouTube.

In part one of this episode of Let’s Talk a Little Shop, Emilie talks to Emily Benson, Author & Founder, of The Boutique Training Academy, which provides professional retail training for up and coming retail businesses. 

In this episode, Emilie and Emily discuss:

0:26:  Empowering boutique owners to start, grow, and scale their businesses with solution-focused training programs.

4:21:  Transition from studying surface pattern design to working in retail merchandising.

8:22:  Exploring the multifaceted roles in retail departments and the excitement of predicting trends.

12:27:  Transitioning from corporate retail to entrepreneurship with a focus on starting a fashion business.

16:25: Transitioning from corporate to entrepreneurship through innovative retail concepts before the internet era.

18:00: Recognizing the need for independence and innovation in retail industry

20:20: Transitioning from events to retail business, facing challenges in location choice.

24:16: Struggles of transitioning from corporate to entrepreneurship leading to business closure due to lack of happiness and passion.

27:54: The Boutique Training Academy offers professional retail education to aspiring store owners for success.

32:20: 💡 Mindset, margins, and marketing are the key pillars of success in retail business, with mindset being the underlying spiritual aspect. Mindset is often overlooked but plays a crucial role in addressing challenges within a retail business.

Become a Part of ASD Market Week

To learn more about retail buying opportunities and attending ASD Market Week, visit our website where you can register for free. 

Subscribe to Our Podcast

Let’s Talk a Little Shop is available wherever you listen to podcasts. Watch and listen on Spotify, Apple, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, or Audible. Please feel free to leave us a review!  You can also watch the video interviews on YouTube.

In the second half of this interview, Emilie and Tiffany discuss the power of the creator economy, how to work with influencers, and the role of DEI when it comes to the creator economy and the larger trends driving modern culture. 

• 0:22: The creator economy is worth ½ trillion dollars; 165 million creators joined the creator economy in 2022. 
• 0:58: What you need to consider when using influencer marketing as part of your strategy. 
• 3:26: Influencers help fill the top of your funnel, tracking conversions and bringing them through the sales funnel is the responsibility of the  brand. 
• 4:50: You can also use influencers to build affinity and trust for a product and service. 
• 6:20: What it takes to be a successful creator who makes more than $50,000 per year. 
• 8:50: BIPOC creators are greatly underrepresented, they are less likely to get deals or be compensated fairly. 
• 11:00: Tiffany will be hosting seminar and educational sessions at ASD Market Week on social media, working with influencers, and how retailers need to change their marketing strategies. 
• 12:54: How to create solutions and strategies that meet the needs of your brand or company.
• 14:05: The key to successful influencer marketing in co-creation and collaboration.
• 16:48: Using social and creative capital to help BIPOC creators build generational wealth. 
• 21:05: Using BIPOC creators help diversify messages and become more relatable to your customer base. 
• 23:02: From the Little Mermaid to Spiderman, the positive impact of seeing characters of color for younger generations allows them to see themselves as being something more. 
• 25:54: How Budweiser failed in their influencer marketing, they put someone in harm’s way, and that didn’t need to happen. 
• 26:56: Everything comes back to culture and data.
• 31:52: How to take calculated risks with your current audience while talking to new ones. 
• 33:01: If you believe, you dream it, you can make it happen. Don’t be afraid of trying to build a sustainable career. 
• 34:18: Whether you're a creator or a brand, you need to have a point of view. 
• 36:28: You need support and help, build your tribe. 

The Creator Economy by the Numbers and the Role of Data

According to the Rakia Reynolds of Skai Blue Media, the creator economy generates half a trillion dollars in revenue. Emilie and Tiffany discuss how the creator economy is not going anywhere, it’s only going to grow. If you’re a brand or company that wants to work with influencers, the first question you need to ask yourself is what you want from your influencer marketing program. Influencer marketing is a souped up version of word of mouth marketing, it's the very top of the funnel. As a marketer, you want it to be top of the funnel strategy, you want to use it as a validation of your strategy, and to determine if the product you’re pushing is any good. 

When it comes to influencer marketing, you can look at it from two ways. The first is to fill a sales funnel. As a top of the funnel, you should be able to track the return on the program. The job of the influencer is to post content they make on your behalf. It is your job to bring the person they capture for you through the sales funnel. Brands should be using UTMs and have conversion tracking in place. The second way to leverage influencer marketing is for affinity and sentiment. You may want the affiliation to the product because of the influencers' ties to your target community. And that’s okay, it’s another way to validate if your product is good or not.&

In this episode of Let’s Talk a Little Shop, Emilie talks to Tiffany Hardin of Gild Creative Group, an influencer marketing agency that works with BIPOC creators. Tiffany and Emilie discuss: 

1:30: Build a business around relationships

2:15: Building connections so ideas take root, that’s what influencer marketing is

3:30: Aligning your company to cultural trends through the voices leading them

5:15: Successful influences need to be able to create content that hold audience attention

6:30: If you want to work with brands, you need to be professional and easy to work with

8:30: How Tiffany built her career in music industry and ended up working with the likes of Kanye West and Missy Elliot

14:00: Don’t be afraid to pivot your careers and change direction

18:54: Be bold, be brave, and ask questions. 

23:05: What the world tells you is one thing, what you become is another

27:15: Just because you have a title, doesn’t mean you have all the answers

30:00: You can’t have it all, that leads to burnout

34:09: You can’t be strong and a pillar of strength all the time, you have to learn to ask for help

38:00: Hustle culture needs to die, it’s time to redefine it and become a conscious hustler

40:14: Don’t be afraid of excellence

44:20: Don’t seek validation in others’ definitions of yourself. 

46:23: Imposter syndrome holds many women back, it’s time to change that. 

What It Takes to Be an Influencer

According to Tiffany, anyone can be an influencer. If you want to have a sustainable career as an influencer, you must be able to build and hold an audience, understand how to work with brands, and you have to be able to create content that others find valuable. Influencers have to have good processes and systems in place in order to do this. 

Allow For Self-Discovery and Evolution, You Don’t Know Where It Will Take You

When it comes to your career, you often start off as something “you’ve always wanted to be.” As you move down that career path, you may find yourself discovering that what you set out to become professionally changes. And in fact, you may not want to pursue that career path at all. It’s important to let yourself go through that process of discovery. Let the places you live, the culture that surrounds you, and the opportunities you find there reshape the direction of your career. 

For example, Tiffany had wanted to be a singer. As she pursued her career as a singer, she found that she was drawn more into music business and talent management. She decided to pivot and got a degree in music business management. She then started interning and working under influential talent managers in order to build her skillset. She was able to work under reps for everyone from Kayne West and Missy Elliot. It led to moving to New York City because of an offer that came from her hard work and attitude towards her career. 

Learning to Own Your Time

After years of working in corporate America, Tiffany wanted to better own her schedule and time. The seeds of entrepreneurship started to take root. She moved from music and talent management to working on the brand side of advertising and strategy. From these two careers, she created a way to merge talent management with advertising and strategy, which is the root of influencer marketing. She realized at an early age that time is her most valuable asset. 

As a Woman of Color, it’s Okay to be Be Bold and Hungry

As a woman of color, Tiffany is proud to be viewed as bold and hungry. She talks to Emilie about “when you’re young, you don’t know better – you almost have no filter.” When you’re young, creative expression isn’t something you’ve probably learned to tone down. As you progress in your careers, you learn to play safe, play small, and fi

In this episode of Let’s Talk a Little Shop, Emilie Lewis speaks with Lance Fensterman, CEO of Fanatics Events. Lance is the genius behind ComplexCon, the Star Wars Convention, and ComicCon NY. In this episode, they discuss: 

• 2:40: How Lance fell into ‘Fandom’ event marketing
• 4:00: You don’t know what you can learn when you say “YES”
• 5:15: How Lance launched ComicCon NY, Pax, and the Star Wars events with Lucas Films
• 06:50: What it takes to succeed in pop culture trade shows isn’t the same as consumer or B2B events
• 7:00: How to leverage fandom to build successful, professionally run events
• 8:45: Success in new verticals doesn’t happen overnight
• 9:57: How divergent, non-traditional models can be developed under corporate structures
• 10:48: Going rogue; when it’s time to ask for forgiveness rather than permission
• 12:28: Being prepared to manage tension when you’re going against the grain
• 13:50: Taking calculated risks is different than being disruptive
• 15:30: Understanding the subculture of fandom
• 16:17: How these deeply passionate communities build their lives and identities around pop culture
• 17:23: The only want to be successful in marketing to fans, involves two things:  exclusivity and immersive experiences
• 19:48: The dynamics of certain subcultures; often, a company only has one shot to get their attention 
• 22:14: Being human; owning your company’s actions wins with fandom audiences
• 24:40: What makes Fanatics Events different from other organizations
• 28:10: How to build different, more bespoke, event types for passionate fan communities
• 30:50: How to plan successful niche events
• 31:49: Using demographics, psychographics, and interests to create audience personas
• 33:52: Know who your audience is, listen to what they want, and give it to them
• 36:10: A look at the Star Wars franchise, creating extensions of a high-ticket event offer via apps and digital platforms in order to expand access. 
• 41:46: When it comes to live events, you have to have a successful team.
• 43:00: A successful team is built on the types of people in your type of environment. 
• 48:00: Pushing yourself to learn in order to build your skillset
• 51:00: There’s brilliance in always staying hungry. 
• 53:54: Always make sure you’re having fun. 
• 54:29: Creating fun is creating kindness, 1 million people at ComicCon shows this philosophy works. 

Become a Part of ASD Market Week
To learn more about retail buying opportunities and attending ASD, visit our website where you can register for free. 

Subscribe to Our Podcast
Let’s Talk a Little Shop is available wherever you listen to podcasts. Watch and listen on Spotify, Apple, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, or Aud

Welcome to the latest episode of Let’s Talk a Little Shop. Emilie interviews Jeremy Bergstein of The Science Project. The Science Project is a digital innovation firm that works with world class brands such as Nike, Kiehl's. Uniqlo, Chanel, Calvin Klein, the Simon Group, Bloomingdale's, and Kate Spade to create digital experiences into physical store locations, and vice versa. In this episode, they discuss: 

00:00: Meet Jeremy Bergstein

02:58: What Makes a Brand Special

03:44: What is a Conversion-Based, Creative Agency?

05:20: How Great Marketers Balance Creative and Data

06:00: Jeremy’s Origin Story: From NYC Science Teacher to Luxury Brand Strategist

11:30: Speaking and Connecting with Customers Requires Constant Reiteration

12:15: You Must Use Data to Inform Your Customer Conversations Online

13:00: You Can’t Build a Successful Business on a Shaky Foundation

15:15: The Disruptive Nature of AI

16:37: How AI Processes Data

18:00: Consumers Are Just Starting to Experience AI’s Power

21:00: Use Cases of AI in Retail - Product Discovery and Attribution

24:23: As AI Progresses, Retailers Will Have to Adapt

27:00: Evolving Digital Experience to Amplify Consumer Experience

30:00: How Lady Gaga Used Digital to Tell Her Fans’ Stories

31:18: The Considerations for Moving into Digital from Physical Retail, and Vice Versa

33:27: Facilitating Brand Conversations at Every Touch Point

35:37: Dynamics of Running an Agency - Hiring, Operations, and Cash Flow

38:00: It’s Important to Have a Specific Expertise and Focusing on Your Core Strengths

iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-lets-talk-a-little-shop-as-98858049/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2mgelnENS1iwGAvtjpSxPB

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/lets-talk-a-little-shop-asd-market-week/id1632235057

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/cbe2abe2-da10-4d9e-9ac6-33773d68f45b/episodes/c5924847-ec35-4199-bc52-71aabcb966e4/let's-talk-a-little-shop-asd-market-week-welcome-let's-talk-a-little-shop-a-podcast-for-small-retailers-asd-market-week

Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Welcome-Lets-Talk-A-Little-Shop-A-Podcast-For-Small-Retailers-ASD-Market-Week-Podcast/B09VHWTKGV

In this episode of Let’s Talk a Little Shop, Emilie Lewis interviews Jamie Grossman, the founder of PRTNR Recruiting Firm. 

PRTNR Recruiting Firm isn’t the traditional placement agency, they specialize in full-time job placements in consumer lifestyle industries. And unlike many recruitment firms, Jamie doesn’t work with just anyone. She only works in her zone of excellence and her company’s strengths. 

In their conversation, Emilie and Jamie start off by discussing:

• How to debunk misconceptions when it comes to recruiting,
• Mindful recruiting practices,  and only taking on candidates or clients that fit your zone of excellence,
• And why It’s okay to turn away business and/or refer it out.

Jamie goes on to share how the hiring and Human Resources practices are changing. She shares that before the pandemic, job candidates once got sick and vacation days; now she’s seeing mental health days added to those offers. 

Traditional Thinking Is Killing Your Company Culture

Now that people are returning to offices, she’s also seeing the WFH model being challenged by senior leadership because they want people back in the workplace. 

Jamie advises that companies really take a hard look at how companies are operating in 2024 and beyond. 

Rethinking Hire Slow, Fire Fast

When it comes to hiring in 2024, Jamie recommends that companies be very specific in their job descriptions and expectations in the roles they’re hiring for. 

Emilie and Jamie also talk about the hire slow, fire fast mentality. The onboarding process is extremely important, so setting your candidates up for success needs to be taken into consideration before you extend an offer. 

Three Signs of Great Talent

Jamie goes on to share the three signs of great talent. Great talents has:

• Excellent follow through, 
• They always arrive early, 
• and they clearly communicate. 

These are the people you want to keep because they’re going to constantly deliver beyond your expectations. 

Hiring for Trade Shows

When it comes to trade shows, companies can and should apply the practices as well. There are companies and recruiters that now specialize in trade show recruiting. People who understand how to represent a company at a show are in high demand. 

Future of Hiring

Hiring in 2024 isn’t going down, but it is changing and pivoting. People are scaling back to find the right people, but jobs haven’t decreased.  Jamie is also seeing strong, female leaders are starting to step up and be seen. 

The future of the workplace includes transparency, clear lines of communication, and empathy. If you don’t have those, you’ll lose out. 

Become a Part of ASD Market Week

To learn more about retail buying opportunities and attending ASD, visit our website where you can register for free. 

Subscribe to Our Podcast

Let’s Talk a Little Shop is available wherever you listen to podcasts. Watch and listen on Spotify, Apple, iHeart Radio, 

Season 3 of Let’s Talk a Little Shop is here! This season, your host is Emilie Lewis, the VP of Marketing for ASD Market Week. 

At ASD, our team sees that the retail landscape is changing. So for Season 3 of Let’s Talk a Little Shop we wanted to focus on “What’s Important.” The next 10 episodes are dedicated to discussing what is happening retail business, trade shows, and the events now, and what’s important to focus on. 

In this episode, Emilie interviews David Levich of Sun-Staches on how he built a retail brand based on fun, connection, and conversation. David shares his brand’s origin story, what it was like to build a company on less than $500, how he learned to embrace failure and success, and so much more. 

Listen or watch as Emilie and David’s conversation that talks about: 

• How David’s Childhood Experiences Inspired Him to Become an Entrepreneur
• David’s Biggest Fear Was Being Broke; How He Overcame Negative Money Stories
• Seasonal Sales Require Creative Marketing and Sales Tactics
• Sun-Staches’ Origin Story; Hollywood and Hip Hop Shaped the Brand
• How to Pivot Your Business in a Recession
• Offering 10,000 Pairs of Kanye West’s Shutter Shades to Claire’s for Free
• David’ Wife Demanded He Answer the Open Casting Call for Shark Tank Experience 
• The Shark Tank Process took 10 Years, not 10 Minutes
• Daymond John Chose to Them over Mark Cuban
• Daymond Trusted David to Build the Company; Not Micromanaging Was Critical to their Success
• Your Business Needs Values; Moral and Ethics are Not Negotiable
• You Have to Take Care of Your Customers, Vendors, and Employees
• The Balance of Success and Failure; You Win Some, You Lose Some
• Taking Calculated Risks in 2024
• In Financially Risky Times, Look at Impulse, Price Sensitive and Best Sellers to Drive Merchandise Sales
• It Takes Years to Develop a Business; You Can’t Just Do One ASD Show, You Must Invest in at Least 4 Shows (2 Years)
• ASD is an Order Writing Show, You Diversify Your Distribution and Types of Accounts
• No Matter How Great the Digital Landscape is, Face to Face Interaction and Seeing Products is Critical to Retail
• Starting with $200, eBay and Putting in the Time
• Believe in Your Product or Store, You Can Find Success 
• If You Have Brick and Mortar, You Need Great Customer Experience
• If You Go Online, You Need to Learn to Talk to and Entertain Your Customer

Become a Part of ASD Market Week

To learn more about retail buying opportunities and attending ASD, visit our website where you can register for free. 

Subscribe to Our Podcast

Let’s Talk a Little Shop is available wherever you listen to podcasts. Watch and listen on Spotify, Apple, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, or