The holiday season is in full stride at Broad River Retail. On this episode on Stories from the River, Heather Greenwood, Broad River's Director of People and Emelyne Henderson, Broad River's Senior Manager of Experience & Events give us a behind-the-scenes look at Operation Tis the Season, a cherished initiative at Broad River Retail.

It's a Memory Makers Helping Memory Makers program, in which the community comes together to ensure all of the children have something special to open on Christmas Day. Emelyne heads the organization of the program and ensures that every element, from communication, organization, to shopping and putting the gifts into bags, goes flawlessly. This year, the event will serve 37 families and 97 children.

In this episode, we learn the powerful history behind the event which developed after the 2020 pandemic to help Memory Makers who just needed a little extra support during the holidays. Over the last five years, it expanded to assist dozens of families, through an open application process and enthusiastic internal community giving.

The gifts were chosen with the children's interests in mind, and Emelyne will reveal some of this year's themes. This event has become a highlight of the holiday season for the Memory Maker Experience team, and they hope it only grows and helps bring more joy on Christmas Day in the future.

This episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/3XjFff4NR6Q

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Broad River Retail brought this show to you. Visit https://BroadRiverRetail.com

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Welcome back to Stories from the River. December is here, so Charlie Malouf, Broad River's CEO and Stories from the River podcast host is back with a laundry list of updates.

First, we are happy to announce the opening of a brand new store in Easley, South Carolina. A two-in-one, dual concept Ashley Store & Outlet.

https://stores.ashleyfurniture.com/store/us/south-carolina/easley/5149-calhoun-memorial-pkwy/

Even though new store openings are most definitely kind of a big deal around here, the Easley store seemed to have sprouted out of nowhere, and that's all thanks to our incredible team that works tirelessly behind the scenes. Charlie explains the process and acknowledges the team members involved to make this seemingly impossible task come to life. It may look effortless, but thanks to the effort of everyone involved, store number 34 is now live. It will be followed shortly by the iconic, new 3-story Ashley Store & Outlet in Spokane, WA, later this month, and then another new Ashley Store in Moscow, ID, in early 2026

Charlie then moves on to discussing the recently completed 95-Day Challenge and what that means for Broad River's growth. Even though the challenge wasn't technically met all the way, Broad River is still on its way to complete its annual financial goal of reaching $272 million in revenue. This is part of a larger, 6-year goal of growing 12% YoY and reaching a doubling in 2030.

Even though the 95-Day Challenge wasn't fully met, there are some teams that have done an exceptional job, and Charlie takes this opportunity to acknowledge them on the show. Their outstanding performance is what really shines through year over year.

Stay with us as we complete the year with more exciting updates, holiday events, and maybe some remote footage from Spokane, WA, so we can see how that massive store opening is really going.

This episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/LLGgNcAgiXk

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Broad River Retail brought this show to you. Visit https://BroadRiverRetail.com

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Welcome back to Stories from the River. Today we continue our journey behind the scenes of the Ashley's 'Right to Win' Product Knowledge Boot Camp that was held at the Pineville Flagship Store this October. This time, Heather Greenwood, Broad River's Director of People sits across from Kaylee Kirchner, Ashley's AFI trainer.

To start, Kirchner's love and dedication to her craft shine through the episode as she enthusiastically describes what she most enjoys about these trainings (spoiler alert: it's everything!). In all seriousness, Kirchner reveals the origin of the boot camp program, how it came to be, and why it's called "boot camp", its evolution through the years, and her personal experience with it.

She also highlights the passion and drive she found inside Broad River Retail during both 2025 boot camp trainings. She celebrates the unique culture she notices every time she's here and reflects on how Memory Makers experience the training - with a desire to learn, improve, and elevate their product knowledge beyond expectations.

Greenwood and Kirchner truly connect to one another this episode, exchanging success stories from the bootcamp, and light bulb moments of increased confidence amongst the Memory Makers, and the consistent emphasis on improving personal growth and knowledge about Ashley Furniture's competitive advantage.

Enjoy this incredibly delightful episode, and if you're ever interested on becoming a Memory Maker, listen in to some behind the scenes advice from an absolute professional in the industry.

This episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/qrxV5jsdv68

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Broad River Retail brought this show to you. Visit https://BroadRiverRetail.com

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Welcome back to Stories from the River. In this episode, our guest host and Broad River's Director of People, Heather Greenwood welcomes Kelly Villastrigo, a Million Dollar Memory Maker and Home Furnishings Expert, for a behind-the-scenes look at the AFI Boot Camp training at Broad River Retail's Pineville flagship store.

Villastrigo shares his journey at Broad River, celebrating nearly two years with the company, and highlights what makes Ashley Furniture stand out—particularly the "mom and pop feel" paired with big company resources. They discuss the lessons learned during the boot camp, and Villastrigo shares exactly which insights he plans to benefit most from the most.

They discuss how ongoing training builds confidence, product knowledge, and ultimately translates to improved guest experiences and sales.

This episode builds on the Ashley's 'Right to Win' Product Knowledge Boot Camp series we did earlier this year and proves that consistent learning is not just something we talk about, but a daily commitment at Broad River Retail.

This episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/g44vuka43AA

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Broad River Retail brought this show to you. Visit https://BroadRiverRetail.com

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Happy Thanksgiving, everyone, and welcome back to Stories from the River. As we conclude the Grand Reopening Celebration Series from last month's Mooresville, North Carolina, Ashley Store, we turn to Manny Rodrigues and his guest for the day, Sandy Ruhlin, Broad River's Home Furnishings Expert and Million Dollar Memory Maker.

Ruhlin was around to remember how the store looked years before the remodel, and even though the team at The Lake never stopped winning, she welcomes this new Ashley 7.0 redesign with excitement and joy. The conversation focuses on the impact these new changes have on the showroom's appearance, both agreeing that the improved lighting and polished concrete floor make a huge difference in how the showroom feels and how it's received by the guests.

Ruhlin shares her journey from working in commercial design and architecture in the Chicago area to moving to the Carolinas and finding herself at Broad River. The eye for beauty and design never left her, and she loves helping guests furnish their life's best memories.

The two touch on the new sleep gallery, which streamlines the mattress selection process and showcases the diverse offerings for every guest. As you already know, every mattress sold leads to a Beds for Kids donation, which works on ensuring all children have a bed to sleep on. The team at The Lake prides itself on the new mattress gallery and all the good it will be able to achieve with it.

This episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/T7pbfFsPBPc

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Broad River Retail brought this show to you. Visit https://BroadRiverRetail.com

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Welcome back to Stories from the River. Today, guest host Manny Rodrigues, Broad River's President and COO, sits across from Dan Pieszchala, an 11-year Million Dollar Memory Maker and Home Furnishings Expert at Broad River Retail. In this continuation of the Grand Reopening Celebration series, Manny and Dan reminisce on their connected history together at Broad River Retail that began 11 years ago, and they discuss the Mooresville Store's history and its journey to the new Ashley 7.0 design.

The conversation digs into Dan Pieszchala's inspiring path as a Memory Maker, highlighting his unwavering grit, passion, and the personal commitments that have shaped his 11-year career with the company. Pieszchala shares personal stories of overcoming life's difficulties, while continuing to thrive as a Million Dollar Memory Maker at Broad River.

Pieszchala shares his history, his previous position prior to getting into retail, and discusses his family at The Lake.

This episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Ut3S10efLz4

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Broad River Retail brought this show to you. Visit https://BroadRiverRetail.com

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Welcome back to Stories from the River! Today we continue the Lake Norman Grand Reopening Celebration series, focusing on the newest transformation to Ashley 7.0 in Mooresville, North Carolina. Charlie Malouf, Broad River's CEO and show host, sits down with a Home Furnishings Expert and Million Dollar Memory Maker, Ewa Szmigiel.

Szmigiel shares her journey from Poland to North Carolina, describing the challenges she faced transitioning to life in the United States and how she discovered her passion for working with people in the furniture industry. She talks about her progression through various retail roles, ultimately finding her place as a Memory Maker at Broad River Retail. Joy and fulfillment are important parts of one's working life, Szmigiel describes, and she takes pride in being able to build lasting relationships with guests and her team.

Listening to this conversation, you really get a sense of the special atomsphere at the Mooresville location, Szmigiel is particularly fond of her team dynamics and store leader GM Nathan Jeter. (Listen to Jeter's episode from the Mooresville remodel here: https://youtu.be/Nl607F39JFQ. She continues to discuss the positive impact of the store renovation, focusing on the new sleep gallery and the general updated look of the showrooms.

Stay tuned next week as Broad River's President and COO Manny Rodrigues sits across from two other long-time Mooresville Memory Makers and Home Furnishings Experts as they recount their experience with the latest Broad River store remodel.

This episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Ije4QTfEQhU

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Broad River Retail brought this show to you. Visit https://BroadRiverRetail.com

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Welcome back to Stories from the River! We are continuing our recap series from the Grand Reopening Celebration of our latest Ashley Store 7.0 transformation in Mooresville, North Carolina. In today's episode, CEO Charlie Malouf sits down with Mooresville General Manager Nathan Jeter to discuss the remodel experience and results from the reimagined Lake Norman store, The Lake.

The Mooresville Ashley store has been around for over 17 years, and its success was never questionned. Nathan Jeter and his winning team have stood out in the Company. However, this fall, the team at The Lake welcomed a long-awaited remodel of their beloved store to the Ashley 7.0 model. Expanding the Sleep Shop to twice its size and reinventing the showroom with the fresh 7.0 design will only help this team reach new heights in the coming season.

In today's interview conducted in the showroom following the ribbon cutting held last month on October 7th, we get an insight into what Nathan and his team think about the brand new remodel. The conversation explores the journey leading up to the ribbon cutting, and they reminisce about the seventeen years since the store first opened, its journey to where it is now and the various wonderful Memory Makers who got it to this moment. Jeter particularly reflects on the instrumental impact that Renee Bradley has had on the store and how helpful Tim Sayles was during the construction process.

In a surprising move, the Mooresville store managed to win Store of the Month, the presigious Yoda award, twice amidst the construction. Jeter credits this to his team of Memory Makers. He remarks that the team's resilient mindest, strategic planning, and the support of both long-term Memory Makers as well as some newcomers help make the Mooresville store the award-winning location.

Stayed tuned for other conversations from this event as the stories will highlight Mooresville Memory Makers and their strength, resilience and ability to thrive during chaos.

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Nl607F39JFQ

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Broad River Retail brought this show to you. Visit https://BroadRiverRetail.com

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On October 7, the Mooresville store (also known as The Lake) reopened its brand new doors, with a bang and a ribbon cutting! On today's episode of Stories from the River, we bring you the energy and atmosphere from right before the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Broad River leaders attended and spoke at the event, honoring the current and past leadership of the store.

Today, we are joined by Tony Barr, Corporate Chaplain of America, who leads us into the event with prayer and gratitude. Charlie Malouf, Broad River's CEO, takes the stage next, reminiscing on the store's history, acknowledging the ongoing dedication and resilience of the Memory Makers, past and present, to make this store what it is today.

Next is Manny Rodrigues, Broad River's President and COO, who shares the stage with Dan Pieszchala, a long-time Million Dollar Memory Maker and Home Furnishings Expert whose dedication to the team is palpable. (Stay tuned for a full interview with Dan, coming later this month to the channel.)

We hear from Tim Sayles, Broad River's Director of Facilities and Construction, and Lynn Knowles, Director of Merchandising and Visual Impact, and the two share their stories of how the store really came together.

Coach Stacey McCormick, EVP of Retail Performance, takes the stage next and thanks the hardworking team, both past and present, for creating in The Lake an extraordinary store. He highlights the sheer determination of the Memory Makers in Mooresville, winning the prestigious Store of the Month Yoda award, not once, but twice, during the construction process.

We also hear from Chris Berrier, Area Manager and the multi unit leader for this store, who takes a moment to thank Renee Bradley for her past leadership in the store, and tells a story of hitting a very important milestone back in the day.

Nathan Jeter, the General Manager at The Lake, takes the stage next and expresses all of the gratitude towards the leadership team and his own Memory Makers. Nathan has been looking forward to this renovation for years, and now that it's finally happened, he's ready to accelerate his success at the store. Hear from Nathan next week, during a full interview, here on Stories from the River.

Kim Harkness ends the episode with community impact. Broad River's partnership with Beds for Kids is super important, and on this opening day, an additional donation to Beds for Kids was made.

Enjoy this episode, as well as the next four interviews from the Grand Reopening of the Mooresville location.

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/1Wu83f4FaTE

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Broad River Retail brought this show to you. Visit https://BroadRiverRetail.com

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In this episode of Stories from the River, we revisit the semi-annual Fall Sleep Summit, an event Broad River holds at the Charlotte Motor Speedway to help Home Furnishings Consultants level up their sleep sales game.

Today you will hear from six Memory Makers as they recap their experience at the 2025 Sleep Summit.

Christian Sonander and Domaniek Greene from the Boulevard Believe

Jose Gonzalez from the Albemarle Aces

Ken Wilcox from the Special Forces

Kensley Phillips from the Flagship Enterprise

Nasir Park from the Raleighwood Legends

They discuss why this event is important to them, what their favorite thing they've learned is, and how they plan to apply this new knowledge to future success.

Learn about the nuance of selling sleep, why sleep is important, and the transformative impact Memory Makers can have on guests' lives. They recount memorable experiences and past success stories that have left a permanent effect on them.

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/e-Wj-y-Ap7c

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Broad River Retail brought this show to you. Visit https://BroadRiverRetail.com

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