The Retail Whisperer

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.

Crystal Vilkaitis is a world-class social media expert and powerful speaker who helps retailers shine online and bring their unique brilliance to the local and global masses. Fueling retailers with confidence to grow their visibility and results, Crystal’s on a mission to help Main Street businesses thrive. She’s spoken on stages around the globe and has shared the stage with industry giants like Martha Stewart, Gary Vaynerchuk, Bethenny Frankel, Brendon Burchard, and more. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Heart on Main Street and Gift for Life.

For more than 15 years, Crystal has been helping retailers boost sales and drive more traffic through social media and marketing. In 2012, Crystal founded Crystal Media, a social media advertising and digital marketing agency. Crystal and her team are passionate about alleviating retailers' frustrations and confusions about social media and online marketing.

Crystal hosts the show Rooted in Retail, covering retail-centric topics like marketing, money, mindset, A.I., and more. Most recently, she launched Crystal Uncorked, a podcast that features inspiring guests and interesting business conversations over a glass of wine. She started the show to share open and honest conversations about her journey and to talk to other entrepreneurs about their experiences. On the podcast, she pulls back the curtain and talks about the highs and the lows of being a business owner.

Here, Michelle and Crystal dive into how our fast-paced age of technology and social media influences the retail industry. Crystal shares insights into how platforms like TikTok are changing how products are sold and how things go viral. Michelle and Crystal also discuss working and traveling with their husbands, holiday marketing strategies, and how AI is changing the game.

What’s Inside:

• How retailers are adapting to the world of social media.
• Holiday marketing tips.
• How AI is changing the retail game.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Crystal Media Website
Crystal on Instagram
Crystal on Facebook
Crystal on YouTube
Crystal on LinkedIn
Rooted in Retail Website

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Ready to Zen? Let's go!

ZenGenius specializes in providing Visual Merchandising, Creative Direction, and Special Events support to retail brands, businesses, and organizations of all types. Going on 25 years, ZenGenius has been a proud part of the creative and retail design communities across the globe.

Michelle and the team kick things off by talking about the beginning of ZenGenius and how it evolved into the powerhouse it is today. The ZenGenius team also shares stories from their projects, including a weed store, and how they approach working with each of their clients. Discussion topics also include leaving the corporate world, prop and inventory management, event and convention planning, and more.

MEET THE TEAM:

Joe Baer is the Co-Founder, CEO, and Creative Director of ZenGenius, Inc., a creative design firm based in Columbus, Ohio, founded in 1999 with Paul Cook. Joe is on the Editorial Advisory board for VMSD, has been a regular judge for the International Visual Merchandising Competition, and created and hosts
the popular Iron Merchant Challenge held annually at the IRDC Conference. Joe now sits on the Advisory Board for the Masters of Retail Studies at Columbus College of Art Design and is on the Board of PAVE Global.

Dedicating much of his career to leading engaging workshops, visual merchandising training programs, and interactive visual challenges, Joe Baer celebrates the art of visual merchandising and inspiring event design in all he takes on. Joe brings along a talented team of creatives that are ready to problem solve and bring "the calm to the chaos," a motto at ZenGenius.

Paul Cook / Co-Founder + Senior Visual Merchandiser
LuAnne Baer / Director of Finance + Operations
Meg Lefeld / Director of Business Development + Senior Project Manager
Stephanie Bair-Garant / Director of Visual Merchandising + Talent
Emily Shirey / Director of Visual Merchandising + Events
Jill Shindler / Event Design Manager
Jalpa Patel / Interior Architect
Jen Dragonetti / Visual Project Manager, NYC

What’s Inside:

• How ZenGenius began and grew into the powerhouse it is today
• How ZenGenius works with their diverse client base
• Insights into prop management and event planning

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. 

Mentioned In This Episode:
ZenGenius Website
ZenGenius on Instagram
ZenGenius on LinkedIn
ZenGenius on Facebook
ZenGenius on TikTok

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Myles Marks is the Chief Creative and Merchandising Officer at DM Merchandising. He attended Georgetown University and then toiled in the LA world for a bit afterwards. Myles has been innovating products within the consumer goods space for the past 25 years.

Myles spent the last 25 years traversing the world of retail and wholesale. He’s committed to exploring the best available merchandising solutions to make programs and products sell. He’s been intimately involved with branding, sourcing, buying, and selling for retailers ranging from the biggest of boxes to a seasonal pumpkin patch.

Michelle and Myles talk about the history of DM Merchandising, from its humble beginnings as a family business to what it is today. Myles shares stories from his time in LA right after college and how he learned the ropes of the industry from his grandfather. Michelle and Myles also discuss his work within the creative side of DM, how the company works with apparel and eyewear, his favorite products released over the past year, and more. 
 

What’s Inside:

• How Myles learned the merchandising industry ropes from his grandfather.
• How DM Merchandising works with their clients.
• Myles’ favorite products from the past year.

Mentioned In This Episode:
DM Merchandising Website
Myles on Instagram
Myles on Facebook
Myles on LinkedIn

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

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Robin Kramer is a brand marketing maven, natural business nurturer, master of relationships, and a sales expert who has an impressive history with leaders in the retail industry who have built their brands on innovative merchandising and strong service cultures. Among these brands is Williams-Sonoma, Inc., where she utilized her operations management background to develop and refine the process of opening new stores during a period of rapid expansion across that organization’s three retail brands: Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, and Hold Everything. Kramer overhauled the store's associate recognition program; she also led the customer service functions for all retail brands, including the development and implementation of service standards in stores and call centers. She went on to implement similar programs and new initiatives at another forward-thinking retail brand, the Old Navy division of Gap, Inc.

​For the past 20+ years, Robin has worked with primarily small, upscale wholesale jewelry brands and designers to bring their products to market, position these niche brands for maximum exposure to their target customers, and build relationships with national and international retailers. One such brand was Dogeared, where she helped them grow from a small company into a well-known jewelry brand with sales growth of over 800% in the five years she was there. She has a keen eye for recognizing products and designs that represent a unique and fresh approach in a crowded and competitive space.

​In 2010, Robin founded Red Boot Consulting, and in 2012, she co-founded Flourish & Thrive Academy, an online business educational platform for jewelry designers worldwide. She has had the pleasure of speaking and moderating panel discussions at various conferences for Flourish & Thrive Academy's F&T LIVE event, NY NOW Retail Renaissance trade show, American Handcrafted trade show, JCK trade show, ISGB (International Society of Glass Beads) conference, SNAG (Society of North American Goldsmiths) conference, and as a featured guest on the Beads, Baubles & Jewels PBS TV Show.

​She has a passion for helping creatives go after their dreams. And for red boots! She divides her time between Sausalito, CA, and Dallas, TX. Here, Michelle and Robin chat about Robin’s amazing career and how it evolved over the years. They discuss how Robin started Red Boot Consulting, how she works with clients, and what her mastermind program is like. The conversation also includes merchandising tips, why businesses need to know their numbers, and the importance of phone calls and great customer service.

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!

What’s Inside:

• How Robin built her extensive sales, marketing, and consulting career.
• How Robin works with clients through her company, Red Boot Consulting.
• Merchandising and customer service tips.
  
  

Mentioned In This Episode:
Red Boot Consulting
Robin on Instagram

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Do you ever wonder who makes those chalkboard signs at Trader Joe's? Well, that's how Benjamin Soto got started—drawing Trader Joe's signs by day and designing band merch at night for Fearless Records.

In 1998, Ben was recruited by Paul Frank to help kick off the massive millennial pop-culture brand Paul Frank Industries. Ben managed the brand creative for about 10 years, which meant involvement with character designs, the tee and fleece program, pajama prints, photoshoots, trade show booths, retail spaces, collaborations/licensed products. They even let him voice Julius the Monkey on the pilot show of Yo-Gabba-Gabba.

In 2008, Disney Animation called and gave Ben the job of helping to create and Art Direct a cartoon based on Evel Knievel's daredevil culture. The Emmy nominated show Kick Buttowski had 52 episodes and aired between 2010-2012. Ben eventually left Disney to partner up with some other entrepreneurs to start the next creative adventure: C-Preme. They had captured "lightning in a bottle" with their 3-D youth bicycle helmet brand, Raskullz. Within three years, they had sold over 3 million helmets and countless other outdoor products. C-Preme sold to Bell Helmets (Easton Bell Sports) in 2014.

Ben stayed on working for Bell Helmets until the next idea hit: a colorful cooler manufactured like a bicycle helmet. Target accepted a huge order; patents were in the works, and before the dust settled, they sold their company to Igloo Products Corp. in 2016. Ben is still at Igloo, managing creative for the cooler brand. You might've seen a little bit of Ben in the VW Playmate bus, retro coolers, eco coolers, licensed coolers, and the packaging and marketing of the brand. Igloo sold to Dometic in 2021 for a lot more money than anyone ever dreamed of.

Michelle and Ben dive into Ben’s amazing career, from Paul Frank to Igloo, and his extensive experience with graphic design. Ben shares stories from past trade shows (before the days of social media) and the wild ride that was Paul Frank in the early days. Michelle and Ben also discuss his transition to Disney, then Igloo, living in Hong Kong, and where Ben looks for inspiration.

What’s Inside:

• How Ben got started at Paul Frank and stories from the early days.
• Ben’s experience working at Disney and Igloo.
• How Ben finds his inspiration.

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

Mentioned In This Episode:
Benjamin Soto portfolio
Paul Frank
Kick Buttowski
Raskullz
Igloo

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A native of the Pacific Northwest, Susan Esayian has been working in the gift industry professionally for 26 years in a variety of roles. She’s done it all, from merchandising Kitchen-Aid mixers to buying fine tableware. She even carried a four-poster bed up a mountainside for a catalog photoshoot... and that was just in the first 10 years!

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

Michelle and Susan talk about retail, merchandising, including the good, the bad, and everything in between. Susan shares her retail journey, complete with a ton of fun stories, from the very beginning to where she is today. They discuss how she took the leap from the corporate world to freelancing, the importance of hospital gift shops, retail displays, and much more. 

What’s Inside:

• How Susan made the leap from the corporate world to freelancing.
• Stories from Susan’s merchandising journey.
• The importance of hospital gift shops and retail displays.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Susan on Instagram
Susan on LinkedIn
MC Design Academy on YouTube

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Whether you're a chef or a retailer, self-care can be a difficult concept to grasp at times amid the endless 16 hour work days that are at times your reality. Michelle and Chef Amber sit down to talk about how they've learned to care for themselves while still being bad*sses in their respective careers.

Chef Amber believes in the transformative power of food, both for physical health and emotional well-being. Her culinary journey began after earning a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management from Auburn University. She honed her skills in Southern Italian cuisine and later became the executive chef at Mediterraneo in Hermosa Beach, California, where she worked for almost a decade.

During her time at Mediterraneo, Chef Amber discovered the healing potential of food, leading her to a personal transformation. This newfound insight drove her to pursue education in food therapy, with a mission to help others change their lives through nourishing meals.

Chef Amber also shares her own journey of overcoming an unhealthy relationship with food, aiming to inspire others with her story. Her focus is on helping women heal their relationships with food and body image through private coaching, bodywork, and cooking classes. She recently released her cookbook, "Sexy Nourishing Food," available online and at her restaurant, The Source Cafe in Hermosa Beach.

Chef Amber's Website
Chef Amber's Instagram
Chef Amber's Facebook

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Today on The Retail Whore, Michelle and Monica connect and share who business owners can make the most of social media to grow their business.

Monica Little left her corporate job to pursue her own dreams and built a multiple 6-figure organic skincare small business. She created Etsy Algorithm Secrets and Product Biz Academy to guide other handmade small business owners along the path of turning their hobby and passion into a successful and profitable business. She’s the creator of the Grounded, Grateful & Growing journal; a 2-month planner & mindset journal for business owners who want to become the best version of themselves that's needed to reach their goals and dreams. She’s also the host of The Product Biz Podcast where she share stories of growing her own business to help others let go of perfection and overcome the fear of failure that is holding them back, so they can start taking aligned action with their own small business. Monica’s passion is to create a community of small business owners that are ready to put in the work in order to see their dreams come to life.

Website
Instagram

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This week we welcome Hilary Meehan, Co-Founder / CEO Mirthos. She believes in creative living, making life the perfect juicy delight of your wildest dreams & inspiring more people to enjoy this glorious mess called life (*there's a card for that!)

She’s developed a line of enthusiastic & encouraging greeting cards to help share this with the wild & fancy weirdos who need to hear it most.  After almost 2 years of operating under her own name & with a “no holds barred” aesthetic, Hilary took a pause to marinate upon the growing cacophony.  It was then that Mirthos Paper was distilled into the tonic you now enjoy.

Mirthos is a word created by Hilary from the word mirth, of course, and paired with ideas of pathos, logos, and ethos - pathos, in particular.  Indeed, Hilary is a word nerd as much as a papernerd.  “Mirthos is like pathos - but on the happy side - please use excessively”!

Michelle & Hilary discuss all aspects of art, flow and creativity and how it relates to retail and merchandising.

Website
Instagram

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This week’s guest is Mary Liz Curtin, owner of Leon & Lulu, Detroit’s own award-winning, 15,000 square foot, lifestyle store – which was originally a roller rink! Mary Liz is passionate about independent retail. Her knowledge of all aspects of the gift, craft and home industries gives her a unique point of view, encompassing the needs of retailers, vendors and sales representatives. She is also a heck of a retail shopper and loves to crawl malls, discover downtowns and walk through the Web to find ideas and inspirations for her presentations.

With over 35 years of hands-on experience in the gift and home industries, Mary Liz is an internationally acknowledged expert in independent retail and has advised numerous manufacturers on marketing, sales and management issues with her unique brand of Sales and Marketing Therapy.

Michelle & Mary Liz cover so much in this episode we know you are going to enjoy it as much as we did!

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

Support the show