The Retail Whisperer

This week’s guest is Jeannine Braden / Creative Director & Co-Founder / Le Superbe California. From long time Los Angeles fashion insider Jeannine Braden, stylist, consultant and former owner of the much-loved Santa Monica boutique, Fred Segal Flair, comes LE SUPERBE (or The Beautiful) “From the Southern California Side of Else-Wear."

 Michelle & Jeannine jump right in to discuss everything from celebrity styling, the lost art of the customer relationship, lessons learned from many years in the retail industry and her love letter to LA skate & surf culture – her brand, Le Superbe California. Thank you Jeannine for taking time out of your busy schedule!

 LE SUPERBE is a Los Angeles fashion brand that stays true to its California roots, while unleashing your personal flair. It's Ready-to-Wear sprinkled with subliminal seeds of the surf culture along the sandy beaches of Southern California. The must-have pieces change with the seasons but stay true to a stylistic freedom that embraces an effortless mix of new and vintage, high and low. Operating on instinct and impeccable taste, the Los Angeles designers draw inspiration from the streets of Hollywood, all the way from Venice to Malibu. The goal is always a fabulous stylist's rack of coveted pieces.

 Jeannine Braden and well-known designer, William Beranek (William B), know what it takes to move fashion forward. Jeannine Braden serves as the Creative Director and named the line after the street where she grew up on in Venice, California. Jeannine and William have transitioned from living together to working together. The two have a wonderful son and when it was time to call it quits, they “consciously uncoupled…so very LA.

 Website: http://www.shoplesuperbe.com/
Jeannine Braden IG: http://www.instagram.com/jeanninebradenla
Le Superbe IG: http://www.instagram.com/lesuperbecalifornia/
Jeannine Braden FB: http://www.facebook.com/jeannine.braden/
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jeannine-braden-a0222a8/
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/jeanninebraden/_saved/

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We have all dealt with what we perceive as a failure. Failure can be useful. We can learn from it, gain new insights, and do better next time. The right kind of failures give us new information & teach us something that gets us closer to our goals.  On this week’s episode, Michelle opens up, with her trademark honesty, on what lessons she has taken away from her “failures” and how that has helped her grow both professionally and personally.

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We LOVE a #hustler and this week’s guest Brea Menees, owner of Chaxel certainly falls under that header! Brea is a 31-year-old California native, married for 4 years with 2 frenchie babies and has a Fashion Degree from Sacramento State. Michelle & Brea sit down in person and discuss how Brea went from graduating with a fashion degree, to working in tech to ultimately building her own online boutique! She truly is an inspiration on making that leap by jumping in feet first and figuring it out along the way. 

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Stella grew up in Ohio and studied Economics and Japanese at Princeton University. Stella made a career change at 30 from investment banking to fashion. She moved from San Francisco to New York where she worked her way up at iconic American brands Liz Claiborne, Limited Brands, Henri Bendel and Ralph Lauren.

Stella always fantasized about moving to California. She vividly remembers the debut of Beverly Hills 90210 and wanting to have a life of pool parties. After 7 years in both San Francisco and New York, she felt she won the career lottery by getting a job as the Director of Retail at a private equity company that invests in the leisure space in the Palm Springs area. Stella spent 8 years as the Director of Retail at KSL Resorts, buying for 5 Star, 5 Diamond and resorts on the National Historical registry including The Hotel Del, La Quinta Resort, Arizona Biltmore, The Homestead, Grand Wailea, Miraval, The Grove Park Inn, La Costa, and Monarch Beach Resort.

Catering to a guest on vacation is a passion for Stella. Her mission is to give that guest a physical manifestation of their time of leisure so they can keep that memory alive. Life presented a crossroads to Stella when her company relocated to Irvine. Stella had found her home in Rancho Mirage and needed to create her own way. This is when Rancho Relaxo was born.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ranchorelaxoca/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RanchoRelaxoCALI
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoqnA0XRjY9cUeW016NEVGg
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/54284245/admin/
Invest: https://ranchorelaxoca.com/invest-in-rr/
Corporate Events: https://ranchorelaxoca.com/corporate-events/

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This week’s guest is Catherine (Cat) Hildner, creator, designer and heart & soul behind Kitty Meow® Boutique (@kittymeowboutique). Michelle & Cat will be discussing, among other things, the beauty of 'F' Bombs, Cat’s blogs, video content, her KMB educational programs, her upcoming Ultimate Product Party conference and how she finds that work/life balance we all seek to achieve. Cat is truly a powerhouse and we are so grateful she took time out of her busy schedule not only as a business owner but as a wife, momma to two gorgeous little ladies + one little dude, and self –proclaimed Customer Service Queen!

At Kitty Meow you can shop beautifully designed paper & party goodies based on your mood: WITTY (edgy, saucy, semi-inappropriate) or SWEET (thoughtful, charming, and well...sweet!) The Kitty Meow® brand is fun, FIERCE, & designed to make women feel confident, empowered, and courageous enough to take the bull by the horns in life with thoughtful details! You can catch her weekly episodes of the Dreams to Plans Podcast (@dreamstoplanspodcast) where Cat & co-host @mygirlfriendrenee give valuable, honest, and hilarious content for creative, small businesses everywhere.  You can also learn with Cat about all things running a profitable, product based business through KMB Educational Programs and the Ultimate Product Party Conference- all based on helping women who have product based businesses build a brand with tons of personality.

 If you are interested in attending Cat’s Ultimate Product Party 2-day conference, use PROMO CODE RETAILWHOREUPP at checkout for $50 off your ticket

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After 3 weeks of doing setups & buying at both the Las Vegas Winter Market & LA Mart Winter Market, Michelle has had time to decompress and reflect on the do’s and don'ts of how to act in someone’s showroom or someone’s retail space. From set up display tips (Architecture first!) to basic showroom cart etiquette, Michelle unpacks it all in this highly informative episode. 

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A family who travels together, stays together. The Litt family has traveled the world for fifty years, antiquing in over 35 countries! As direct importers, they went on too many buying trips to count. With weekly shipments coming into their retail store, "Mitchell Litt Home" always had something new for customers and designers to discover. The couple worked together 7 days a week, passionately growing their successful namesake business. Fortunately, their eldest son had the privilege (at the time, more like "obligation") to join his parents on these trips for well over half of those years. Naturally, after watching his parents, Kevin's interest and eye for seeking out beautiful antiques and objects developed. With the opportunity at such a young age, he created a career for himself in furniture design, manufacturing, and retail. Kevin has owned and operated factories, overseen all aspects of manufacturing, and developed and designed products. Together with his wife, he is excited to carry on the Litt family legacy into this new venture.

Dina Litt has spent over twenty years in advertising with a focus on brand partnerships & sales. Prior to her advertising career she spent her mid-teens and early twenties at the famous Fred Segal, Santa Monica.  Combined with a passion for design and going through a home renovation of her own, Dina brings a natural eye for home styling, working with clients, and love for collaborations. 

Some topics Michelle covers with The Litt's are their journey in taking over the family business, how COVID changed their business for the better, how their experiential retail events continue to create connections through retail and their process in seeking out an influencer who is not only a good fit for their brand but also fits within their budget. Kevin & Dina bring a wealth of industry knowledge, an eye for quality, dedication to sustainability, and vision for today's modern lifestyle. Our hope with this episode is that you walk away with ideas on how to stay inspired as well as creative ideas on how to continue to elevate your brand.

Website: https://www.littconcepthouse.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littconcepthouse/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littconcepthouse

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Web Studios West has been building websites, e-commerce solutions, social media platforms, and custom software for over two decades. This week's guest is Shiloh Pettyjohn is Co-Founder and Senior Vice President of Sales for Web Studios West. Over time Shiloh has become an expert in the field of online retail, website operations, e-commerce hosting, and internet security. He has built and aided thousands of businesses of all shapes and sizes over this time to have smooth running and successful online operations. Michelle and Shiloh jump in and discuss, among other things, the benefits of eCommerce to retailers, the different platforms available and eCommerce trends for 2022. A must-listen-to episode for anyone looking to jump into the eCommerce world! 

Website: https://webstudioswest.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shilohpettyjohn/
Web Studios West Contact: https://webstudioswest.com/contact/

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On this week’s episode, Michelle, on-site in Las Vegas for multiple client show set-ups, will be sharing her tips & tricks on the most effective way to attend a gift show. From day 1 strategies, to packing the right snacks, to getting off the re-ordering hamster wheel, this episode is chock full of tips that Michelle has learned from her many years as a buyer! Grab a note pad (tip #3!) and be ready to write down some helpful tips for your next gift show. LA Mart Winter Gift + Show began 1/16/22 & Las Vegas Gift + Home starts 1/23/2022.

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This week’s guest is Jenny Livits, the founder of Pink Lagoon, a boutique located in Solana Beach, California, and Wardrobe Design and Styling by Jenny Livits, a holistic personal styling business that helps teach women that styling is a journey of self-exploration and learning to radiate beauty and confidence from the inside out. Michelle & Jenny discuss how the Pink Lagoon stylist program works, the principle behind the program and how by creating a solid foundation of basic pieces – from a great white tee to the perfect skinny jean to an essential black dress – Pink Lagoon helps clients create a well-edited wardrobe that allows your closet to constantly evolve.

Jenny is also the host of the Style & Soul podcast and when she isn't busy with her multiple business ventures, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two girls.

Website: https://www.wdsbyjennylivits.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wds_byjennylivits

Website: Pink Lagoon

Website: Wardrobe Design & Styling Services
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wds_byjennylivits

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