How can small business owners, developers, real estate agents, and investors collaborate together in a meaningful way and curate mixed-use developments where small shops can thrive.  

Today we’re joined by Barry Greene, CEO of Shades of Moss Plant Shop and Founder of Mint City Connect. Shades of Moss, named Charlotte’s best plant shop in 2020, is a one-stop-plant-shop where customers have the opportunity to become educated on plants and work with a designer to curate plants to fit their space. Barry’s latest initiative Mint City Connect, strives to connect black-owned businesses with investors, commercial real estate groups and developers in order to shed a light on the affordable commercial real estate crisis happening within the city and to assist black-owned businesses open brick-and-mortar storefronts.  

Listen along as we take a deep dive into how Barry has curated his following and amassed wide-spread success within his first year of operation, the why behind Mint City Connect and what he hopes to achieve through this initiative, and how micro-retail is changing the retail game.  

When your teams mentality shifts, your culture gets defined.  

Today we’re joined by Mark Quinn, President & CEO of Sibose LLC, and Mark Kinsley, CEO of Englander Sleep Products. This dynamic duo recently released their latest book Come Back to Bed: Attract more foot traffic and make people fall in love with your store. Come Back to Bed answers the age defining question: what does it take for today’s independent retailers to survive and thrive?  

Listen along as we discuss how independent retailers can drive more foot traffic to their brick-and-mortar stores and why it’s important for retailers to create an experience for consumers that’s better than what they can accomplish online.  

What keeps a customer from purchasing in store or at all?

Today we’re joined by Carlos Aragon, Vice President of Client Success and US Channel Performance for IPSOS. IPSOS, a global market research firm, has launched its Consumer Health & Safety Index, an inaugural health and safety benchmarking study that evaluates how retailers are operating amidst COVID-19. 

Listen along as we discuss the future of contactless handoff with click to collect sales, how the pandemic will continue to shift the why behind consumers behavior, and why health and safety is still the most important factor for consumers.

Has South End always been at the center of innovation?

Today we’re joined by Megan Gude, Vice President of South End for Charlotte Center City Partners. She manages programs to activate public and private spaces, enhance public infrastructure, promote the neighborhood’s best attributes, and connect people and businesses.

Listen along as we discuss South End’s innovative roots that began with the Gold Rush of 1892. An industrial corridor and four light rail stops later, it has become a buzzing metropolis for retail, office, and residential.

Pre-pandemic restaurants were all about the experience and were coming up with creative solutions to the public’s growing trend to spend their money on an experience rather than an object.

Since March 2020, restaurants have been placed under strict orders to either close entirely, open for take-out only, offer outside seating only, and/or open at limited capacities. Restaurant owners have gotten creative with how to service their customers and remain profitable amongst strict measures and the growing global health crisis.

Listen along as our guest host, Kate Yates, takes you on a deep dive to discuss what restaurants are doing to stay afloat among orders to either stay closed or pivot to outdoor dining only

How do you break into a retail sector where 90% of the market is owned or controlled by one company?

Today we’re joined by Johnny Freeman, Founder and CEO of Johnny Fly Co. Johnny Fly was founded in 2011, with a hand full of designs and an ambitious objective: to create wearable artwork and one-of-a-kind items that represent a unique individuality that can only be found in nature. The brand was formed from humble beginnings with a scattering of tee shirts and a passion to create something truly original.

Listen along as we discuss how Johnny built a brand at dining room table that now ships to 89 different countries, the why behind wooden, eco-friendly sunglasses, and what it looks like to take the plunge from being a direct-to-consumer brand to having your own brick-and-mortar store. 

How does artificial intelligence (AI) tie into the rapidly changing retail landscape?

Today we’re joined by Bram Warshafsky, Founder of Shelfgram. Shelfgram’s platform provides increased in-store visibility and a suite of competitive intelligence tools to better understand how products look, perform, and compete on the shelf.

Listen along as we discuss "the why" behind Shelfgram’s innovative AI technology, the next big changes coming to the grocery ecosystem, and how brands can understand what happens when your strategy turns into execution.

Why are economists saying Charlotte will be a net winner coming out of the current pandemic? 

Today we’re joined by Clayton Sealey, or as you may know him on social media, CLT Development. Together we’ll discuss why secondary markets are winning the Pandemic. 

Listen along as we discuss what markets will come out on top after the government shut downs, why we’re seeing people move out of major US markets to move to secondary cities, and how secondary and tertiary markets are seeing an acceleration of of new residents and developments.

Why should developers be pushing forward with their projects through the pandemic?

Listen along as Jason Thomas and I discuss all things development in the pandemic, what office space will look like at the tail end of this, and the spotlight that is being created on second tier cities.

What thought work and strategy are behind how brands identify unique differentiators for their product?

Today we’re joined by Michael Keplinger, Director of Strategy and Managing Partner for SmashBrand. SmashBrand is the only agency in the world that designs, tests, and optimizes brands and products with real consumers — so that before it hits the shelves, their clients know the increase in preference and sales impact.

Listen along as we take a deep dive into how a brand can track purchasing behaviors among consumers to better their packaging and brand awareness, what brands are getting it right, and take a look at what is driving the modern-day customer.