On Being Creatively Driven - Emily Thompson Of Almanac Supply Co.

Today I have the pleasure of releasing my chat with Emily Thompson co-host of the Being Boss podcast and the owner of Almanac Supply Co. Almanac is a beautifully curated online space that aims to help people live more intentionally with the seasons through hand-poured candles, crystals and seasonally appropriate goodness. Not only does she sell online, but Emily and her business partner Holly, pop-up on select weekends at various spaces around Chattanooga. I've been wanting to have this type of business owner on the show for while; someone that makes and sells in various spaces so Emily was a natural choice, if a little bit of a long shot given how busy this woman is (wow).

A couple of standouts from this chat...Emily and I talk about finding a business bestie AND finding a business partner. What struck me most is just how similar these two endeavors really are. Emily offers two criteria for finding a business bestie and upon reflecting on our chat, I have to say that her guidelines apply to finding a business partner too. In fact, it's perhaps the most succinct advice for finding a partner (or a bestie) that I've heard on the show, so yeah, it stuck with me.

The other resonating point was our chat about side gigs and how they contribute to the overall health of our main hustle. Emily pulls out the big guns by encouraging us to see passion projects as a way of ensuring that we stay creatively fulfilled and better able to show up as the boss of our business. Emily loves Being Boss, just like I love Forty Winks, but we agree that being responsible for other endeavors allows us to bring renewed creativity and energy to our companies.

There is so much good in this chat. Emily shares her thoughts on social media, email marketing and why she'll (probably) never offer a discount. She shares what grounds her throughout the process of running multiple businesses and why being an entrepreneur can be a spiritual practice. I hope you all get as much out of this conversation as I did. Enjoy the show.

Areas of focus:

-Why her success at Being Boss is so dependent on her pursuing other ventures.

-Finding a business bestie. Or a business partner.

-Tips for effective and money-making pop-up shops.

-Establishing boundaries in business partnerships.

-Keeping your ear to the ground about retail space (and not jumping at the first thing that comes your way).

-How to manage more than one business.

-The best ways to offer discounts.

-Spirituality and its role in our businesses.

-Why it takes a really special person to start a brick and mortar.

-Why being super familiar with your numbers doesn't have to be daunting (but is so necessary).

Find more from Emily at www.almanacsupplyco.com and on the Being Boss podcast via your favorite podcast player.

And I've got big news, folks. I booked an Airbnb for the first Keeping Shop retreat. It's a dreamy space in upstate New York and I'll be heading there the weekend of November 9th. I'm so excited to share details with you all as I work them through. For those of interested in jumping on board early on (space is limited), please shoot me an email ([email protected]). As always thank you for listening and thanks for building this community with me.