The Retail Whisperer

Jocelyn Songco is the founder and owner of Yarn Farm Kingston, a yarn shop and wine bar in New York's Hudson Valley, two hours north of NYC. Prior to Yarn Farm, Jocelyn worked at a private foundation for over a dozen years, investing in social entrepreneurs in emerging markets, primarily in Africa in the agriculture sector, as well as a handful of years in for-profit finance in NYC. She went to grad school and business school in NY (Columbia) and college in LA (UCLA), grew up in NJ, and is a first-generation Filipino-American.

Jocelyn's been passionate about fiber arts, knitting, crochet, spinning, weaving and sewing, for most of her adult life. Working with entrepreneurs in her prior career inspired her new foray into the retail and hospitality sector in this hybrid business. The wine bar is superbly managed by Jocelyn's boyfriend
Todd. Together they create and offer a welcoming shop and gathering space that appeals to new and experienced fiber artists and curious creatives from the local community and weekenders. Jocelyn and Todd live close to Yarn Farm (4 min drive; 8 min kayak ride) with their two pugs Zorro and Omni.

Here, Jocelyn shares the story of how the Yarn Farm business and brand were created and what led her and her partner to start things up. She dives into the details of the fixturing in her space, how she approached the design, and how she sources products. Jocelyn also shares how she set up the wine bar portion of her business, her budgeting process, and how she came up with the name Yarn Farm.

This episode is sponsored by Patrick & Company, a wholesale sales agency proudly representing nationally and internationally branded companies. Located in the Dallas Market Center, for over 30 years they have been the go-to source for retailers helping to discover those unique, sought-after, and stylish brands.  


What’s Inside: 

• How Jocelyn created the Yarn Farm business and brand
• Jocelyn’s approach to store design and fixturing
• How Jocelyn set up the wine bar portion of the business

Mentioned In This Episode:
Yarn Farm Kingston
Yarn Farm Kingston on Instagram
Yarn Farm Kingston on LinkedIn
Jocelyn Songco on LinkedIn

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Annie Glenn (also known as Urban Girl Annie) started her company LG Retail Enterprises back in 1994 and has been doing retail ever since. Although Annie majored in literature in college, she knew she wanted to own a business since she was 10 years old. 

With no prior background in retail, she credits her business success to having great instincts and a lack of fear. Today, she’s a proud entrepreneur and a mom to two amazing boys, Jack and Cooper. Her hope is that her stores, including Urban Girl Accessories, bring joy and happiness to whoever walks through the doors. 

Jamie Carl is the owner and founder of Serge + Jane in Minneapolis, MN. S+J is a lifestyle boutique featuring men's, women's, kids, pets, vinyl, home + gifts in a 3-story shop (4 including the open-air rooftop where they host fashion shows, trunk shows, pop-ups + always a DJ + dance party)! Jamie spent the first 15 years of her career in retail at Target Corporation. 

Jamie spent the last 9 years there working on and leading the Internal Events Team. She was responsible for Board Meetings all the way up to 10,000-person National Team Meetings with guest speakers, musicians, fashion shows and more! Jamie left the role at Target when she couldn't balance two big jobs within retail in one family and took the opportunity to stay home with her two young boys for several years, all while fine-tuning her vision for the shop and "visually re-merchandising" her house for each holiday!

Michael Schultz is the co-owner and creative eye of Cursive New York, which operates 2 stores in New York City. Cursive is a tightly focused concept with the simple mission of cultivating joy. Michael, along with his husband, Douglas Duncan, have established Cursive as a strong and forward voice in the industry. Cursive offers gift, stationery, home and lifestyle products and is constantly evolving. 

Cursive operated in New York City’s iconic Grand Central Terminal for 11 years and within ABC Carpet & Home for 15 years, until the Covid-19 pandemic upended those long runs. Making lemonade out of lemons, Schultz and Duncan doubled down on New York and opened 2 shops in New York’s West Village neighborhood, 4 blocks apart. One shop is true to the original Cursive vision, while Cursive Home is the brand’s extension into home goods. 

In this second Retailer Roundtable, we chat about what our three guests have been up to over the last couple of years. Annie, Jamie, and Michael all share the stories of how they started up their stores and how they approach shows. We discuss some of the highlights from the recent Las Vegas show, plans for the upcoming holiday season, and the craziest current in-store trends. We also talk about how everyone approaches sales and handles social media.

This week’s episode is sponsored by Fine Lines, a west coast wholesale rep agency with showrooms in Las Vegas and Seattle representing over 50 fabulous gifts, fashion + home lines.

What’s Inside: 

• How Annie, Jamie, and Michael started their stores
• Plans for the upcoming holiday season
• How to handle social media

Mentioned In This Episode:

Annie Glenn
Urbangirlaccessories.com
Urban Girl Accessories on Instagram

Jamie Carl
Sergeandjane.com
Serge and Jane on Instagram

Michael Schultz
Cursivenewyork.com
Cursive New York on Instagram

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In 2005, Johanna Bialkin moved to San Francisco, seeking solace from the bustle of New York City and her sojourn in digital media. While the allure of SF's tech industry didn't captivate her, the promise of a tight-knit community did. She longed for connections forged in genuine conversations, for friendships nurtured over shared experiences.

It was in this pursuit that Aldea was born — a sanctuary amidst the city's clamor, where stylish home essentials met the warmth of human connection. Inspired by the cozy elegance of "The Apartment" in NYC, Johanna envisioned a space where shopping felt like strolling through a cherished village, where every purchase added a touch of life to one's living space.

The name "Aldea'' ("village" in Spanish) came to Johanna in a dream during my honeymoon in Spain. It spoke of community, of shared bonds, and of a place where strangers become neighbors. With this vision in mind, she set out to bring Aldea to life. Over the years, Aldea evolved into more than just a store — it became a hub of connection, a place of lively parties and with intimate gatherings. Through

recessions, pandemics, and personal tragedies, it's stood as a beacon of resilience, offering solace and inspiration to people who wanted to brighten their homes.

Behind the scenes, Johanna’s journey was one of constant learning and growth. From navigating the intricacies of retail to weathering the storms of entrepreneurship, she embraced the challenges with open arms, knowing that each obstacle was a steppingstone towards Aldea's success. Now, as Johanna and her team stand on the cusp of expansion, they're looking for like-minded people to help their village grow. 

Here, Johanna shares the incredible story of how Aldea was brought to life. She shares all the details of the design and fixturing of her store as well as her ongoing plans for growth and expansion. Johanna and Michelle also discuss how she changes windows and displays, how Johanna created her own franchise, her favorite vendors, and how she weathered the pandemic.   

This week’s episode is sponsored by @salesproducersinc, a progressive business-to-business company representing Gift, Lifestyle, Fashion, Personal Care, & Kids lines selling to retail stores with a mission to create long-lasting, profitable relationships by adding significant value to our Customer, Vendor, and Team partners. For more information, check out their social media or website www.salesproducersinc.com

What’s Inside: 

• How Johanna started Aldea and created her own franchise
• Johanna’s plans for growth and expansion
• Johanna’s favorite vendors

Mentioned In This Episode:
Aldea on Facebook
Aldea on Instagram
Johanna Bialkin on LinkedIn
Aldeahome.com

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SF Mercantile began in 2008 with the objective of producing high-quality San Francisco gifts and keepsakes designed by local artists. Their products celebrate the vibrant and diverse culture that is unique to California, and all of their items are designed by artists who live in the San Francisco Bay area. 

The company was started by Robert Emmons, who saw a niche in the market after working on a project to revamp the gift shops at the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park and Coit Tower. Both of these outlets were in terrible shape, and the assortments consisted of the cheapest of low-end souvenirs (since then the Japanese Tea Garden has been transformed by a new concessionaire, and Coit Tower will hopefully follow suite soon when it changes hands). While trying to plan a new assortment, it became clear that there was a very limited assortment available to retailers and a need for a better line of San Francisco mementos that are trendier, updated and designed by local artists who know and love the city.

After many years of designing products for other retailers, Robert decided it was time to leave the corporate world behind and create a product line of his own, so in 2008 he began collaborating with other local designers, partnering with the best factories in the industry, emptying his savings, and then converting his garage into a makeshift warehouse; SF Mercantile was born.

SF Mercantile launched their line with 12 San Francisco themed items in the spring of 2009 and since then have grown their product assortment to hundreds of designs, including San Francisco, Wine Country, Sausalito, East Bay/Oakland, Coastal and General California, as well as New Mexico, Arizona and Lake Tahoe. They also design and produce custom products for customers throughout the US and are currently working on new SF Mercantile designs that will be available later this year.

Here, Robert shares how his career background set the stage for him to build out the SF Mercantile brand. Robert and Michelle discuss the launch of his product line and how it’s expanded over the years. Robert also shares details of his new retail space, how he’s learned to delegate responsibility to others, what holiday looks like for SF Mercantile, and his transformational work within the San Francisco community.

Cadeau Ami Agency is solely a road rep agency of 10+ associates that handle the state of CA, AZ, HI, and parts of Nevada for many of their 23 or so boutique/gift brands, such as Chive, SF Mercantile, Sock it to Me, French Broad Chocolate, Pomegranate, Calypso Cards, Good Juju, Ryland Peters & Small, Kei & Molly and has been a part of the industry for over 30 years now.

What’s Inside: 

• How Robert built the SF Mercantile brand
• All about Robert’s new retail space
• Robert’s work within the San Francisco community

Mentioned In This Episode:
SF Mercantile
SF Mercantile Store on Instagram
SF Mercantile Store on Facebook

Support the show

This week’s episode is sponsored by @salesproducersinc, a progressive business to business company representing Gift, Lifestyle, Fashion, Personal Care, & Kids lines selling to retail stores with a mission to create long lasting, profitable relationships by adding significant value to our Customer, Vendor, and Team partners. For more information, check out their social media or website
www.salesproducersinc.com

Kelly Bristol is Vice President of Business Development at Just Got 2 Have It, a B2B Sales Representative Agency with 5 divisions serving 36 states. She is an accomplished senior leader in the gift and home industry with nearly 25 years of experience in the sector. Prior experience includes almost 20 years working on the National Stationery Show as well as subsequent positions at the Dallas Market Center, Brandwise/MarketTime, and Purchasing Power Plus, a hospital gift shop buying group.

Kelly is a board member of Gift for Life, the gift and home industry’s longest-running, volunteer-led national charitable organization, and is a Founding Partner of the new industry movement, Reps are Local Too!

In this conversation, Kelly shares all the details on the Reps are Local Too movement and how it’s bringing rep agencies together from across the country. Kelly and Michelle dive into the benefits of working with your local rep as a retailer and some of the challenges of buying outside of that process. Kelly also shares her experience at trade shows and how she sees the wholesale industry changing in the future.

What’s Inside:

• Kelly’s work with the Reps are Local Too movement
• The benefits of working with your local rep as a retailer
• How agencies are streamlining the trade show experience

Mentioned In This Episode:
Reps Are Local Too
Reps Are Local Too on Instagram
Reps Are Local Too on Facebook

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This week’s episode is sponsored by Fine Lines, a west coast wholesale rep agency with showrooms in Las Vegas and Seattle representing over 50 fabulous gifts, fashion + home lines.

Along with his partner Bryce, Andrew Gawdun runs the shop curious... in Hermosa Beach, CA. Andrew started his journey in Colorado at a young age before moving to Nevada with family and then Southern Utah for a few years in his early 20’s. He launched himself into the world of photography, where he opened his own business and then relocated it to Southern California.

During the spring of 2012, Bryce and Andrew met at curious... in Hermosa Beach, where Bryce was sanding wood for a table he was building. They started dating, and soon Bryce convinced Andrew to help with the stationery buying for curious… Hermosa Beach. It was all over then. In November of 2015, Andrew and Bryce married as well as started the adoption process.

2017 June led to the opening of curious… Kauai. After a truck drove through the new location, a month after opening, they spent the next 4 months refocusing the vibe of the Kauai location and making sure they had better wall security. curious… Kauai reopened November 2017. By May of 2018, Andrew and Bryce flew to Missouri to adopt their daughter Willow.

During the early part of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic swept the globe and altered life and business. Andrew, Bryce, and Willow managed to head back to Kauai for the spring season in early March, but like everyone else in the U.S., they were put under Stay-at-Home Orders. During those two months, they launched their online store and came to the tough decision to downsize from two brick and mortars to just one.

After careful consideration, they closed the Kauai, HI, location just shy of 3 years open. This meant also a move from their home on the island as well. Andrew and Bryce know they’ll return to the island one day, but in the meantime, they’re enjoying life full time in Hermosa Beach, CA.

Here, Andrew shares the history of the store and how it evolved over the years. Andrew and I discuss buying at shows, all of the different departments in store, and the challenges of keeping up with social media. Andrew also shares his thoughts on standing behind your brand and being unique and his buying strategy for the upcoming holiday season.


What’s Inside: 

• The history of the curious… store
• The importance of standing behind your brand
• How Andrew’s planning for the upcoming holiday season

Mentioned In This Episode:
www.curiousworkshop.com
Curious on Instagram
Curious on Facebook

Support the show

This episode is sponsored by Patrick & Company, a wholesale sales agency proudly representing nationally and internationally branded companies. Located in the Dallas Market Center, for over 30 years they have been the go-to source for retailers helping to discover those unique, sought-after, and stylish brands.

Best known as rapper/actor Bow Wow’s mother and manager for most of her career, Teresa Caldwell and her personal style were thrust onto the stage of the public eye when her son became the biggest child star in music and film.

Suddenly in the company of celebrities, pop culture influencers and other fashionistas, Teresa quickly realized that there were women who truly appreciated her fashion sense and aspired to her unique style. In 2012, Teresa decided to share her own personal taste in fashion, launching an online boutique ‘thetasteboutique.atl’ on Instagram, now with more than 43,000 followers.

Having seized an opportunity to occupy the only fashion-focused retail space at The Interlock, a new $450 million retail, office, entertainment and hotel development in west midtown Atlanta. Teresa is poised to bring her unique style to a brick-and-mortar lifestyle brand, aptly called The Taste Boutique.

In addition to discovering curated apparel, home décor and gifts at The Taste Boutique, shoppers will also find Teresa’s own line of ‘TASTE’ lip gloss, as well as her inspirational autobiography, I Once Was Her, which was released on June 26, 2020.

Here, Teresa walks us through her incredible career journey from her celebrity stylist days to starting up her retail empire. She shares all the details on how she curates the vibe in her store and how she switched her strategy when she moved store locations. Teresa also discusses how she decides which gifts to sell in her store, the importance of top-notch customer service, and upcoming fashion trends to look out for.

What’s Inside: 

• Teresa’s experience as a celebrity stylist
• How Teresa curates the vibe and experience in her store
• Upcoming fashion trends to watch

Mentioned In This Episode:
https://thetasteboutique.com/
The Taste Boutique on Instagram
The Taste Boutique on Facebook
Teresa Caldwell on Instagram

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MC Design Academy is designed to be a space where I get to share my expertise with you, where you'll get to learn all about visual merchandising, design, display, retail, and everything in between. Come along as I practice my craft and be sure to like, subscribe, and follow our socials to keep updated. See you in the merchandising land of MC Design Academy!

The Thumb in Scottsdale, Arizona, isn’t your average gas station. It’s also a car wash, retail shop, in-house bakery, wine cellar, and competition-style barbecue restaurant! The food is to die for, and the restaurant was featured on the hit show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. The Thumb’s mission is to offer a new and exceptional customer experience, and it’s safe to say they’re nailing it.

Carole Gibbons is the retail manager and buyer and started her career at The Thumb 8 years ago. Erica Lassetter is also a retail manager and has been with the company for 11 years. Here, they share how the gift portion of The Thumb has evolved since they joined. Carole and Erica also discuss their career backgrounds, how they design the retail floor and approach shows, how they prepare the store for the holidays, and much more.


What’s Inside:

• How The Thumb’s gift space has evolved over the years
• How Carole and Erica approach shows and buying
• How rising costs influence pricing in the retail shop

Mentioned In This Episode:
http://www.thethumb.com/
The Thumb on Facebook
The Thumb on Instagram

Support the show

This week’s episode is sponsored by Fine Lines, a west coast wholesale rep agency with showrooms in Las Vegas and Seattle representing over 50 fabulous gifts, fashion + home lines.

I’m back with another solo show to catch you up on what’s been going on these past few months! Here, I’ll talk a little about some of the experiences I’ve had over the summer, which flew by so fast. Between our move to Oregon and a super busy summer season, things have been a whirlwind, and holiday and winter show season is just around the corner. I share how things have been since the move, highlights from my summer travels, and more.

What’s Inside:
A catch up on my busy summer season and what’s on deck for fall and winter

Mentioned In This Episode:
MC Design Collaboration on Instagram
Fine Lines Showroom on Instagram

Support the show

This week’s episode is sponsored by @salesproducersinc, a progressive business to business company representing Gift, Lifestyle, Fashion, Personal Care, & Kids lines selling to retail stores with a mission to create long-lasting, profitable relationships by adding significant value to our Customer, Vendor, and Team partners. For more information, check out their social media or website www.salesproducersinc.com

Susan Esayian is a native of the Pacific Northwest, and she’s been working in the gift industry professionally for 26 years in a variety of roles. From merchandising Kitchen-Aid mixers, buying fine tableware and even carrying a four-poster bed up a mountainside for a catalog photoshoot... and that was just in the first 10 years!

Since then, she’s kept herself immersed in the gift industry as a buyer for a hospital gift shop and merchandiser for several wholesale showrooms and retailers. Retail is not just a job for Susan, but a career that she’s inspired by and passionate about more every day.

Fabian Navejas was born and raised in LA and is a self-taught creative leader and a bona fide retail nerd. With more than 25 years of multi-unit management experience in the retail home furnishings industry, he still feels he’s in the beginning stages of his career. Currently, Fabian is a gift merchandiser and buyer for A.C. Vroman's, Inc., one of the oldest independent bookstores in the country, is 128 years old. A.C. Vroman's operates two bookstores in the Pasadena area and owns Book Soup in West Hollywood, CA, another independent bookstore founded in 1975.

In addition to working at A.C. Vromans, Fabian, is also the founder of Onederkam.com, which is a small eCommerce gift and home accessories store. He also occasionally works on a variety of TV productions, doing everything from set dressing to working in the props department to being a shopper for the art
department. Fabian also worked at IKEA North America in several markets and as a district manager for 
Z Gallerie.

Eric Velez is a confident, competent, and imaginative interior designer with extensive experience in residential and commercial spaces ranging from 300k to 2m. With an excellent commercial approach to solving problems, Eric has a proven ability to create fresh solutions for the renovation of interior spaces or new construction.

During his journey as an interior designer for the past 8 years, Eric has succeeded in all design projects, no matter how large or small. He believes that by having a broad understanding of people’s living situations and needs in their everyday lives at home, you’re able to design great solutions.

In this merchandiser roundtable, we’re chatting live from Las Vegas and digging into what everyone’s working on. We also talk about how retail is a business of relationships and how interacting with others live at a show enhances the whole experience. Our roundtable discussion also includes a little about how each guest built their career and some really funny stories along the way!

What’s Inside:

• A roundtable discussion on the world of retail and merchandising
• The value of the live-show experience
• How each member started and grew their career 

Mentioned In This Episode:
Susan Esayian on Instagram
Onederkam Website
Onederkam on Instagram
Eric Velez on Instagram

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