The Retail Whisperer

This week’s guest is actually Michelle’s first guest who is an actual MC Design Collaboration client. Andrea Leslie is not only a savvy human resources professional and entrepreneur with diverse experience including technology (start-ups to Fortune 500), retail, and food/hospitality but also the owner of Maison A, her side hustle located in Morgan Hill, California. Michelle and Andrea will not only discuss her HR philosophy but also finding balance with client calls in different time zones while at the same time buying for her boutique and finally working on her newest hustle - her farm! Andrea is the definitive hustler and we're so happy to have her as a guest. 

Andrea's Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/aleslie/_saved/
Andrea's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-leslie-phr-28440a1/

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Three passions: impeccable design, sensuous aromatics and self-care. 

Having enjoyed a successful career as a brand strategist, My McCarthy created Gavin Luxe as a way to reconnect with herself and unapologetically enjoy the indulgences that made her happy to be alive. Gavin Luxe is My's way of aligning three passions: impeccable design, sensuous aromatics, and self-care. The GL experience is backed by her commitment to normalize luxury and help women meet their own needs without feeling like it's too much.

Get comfortable and take a listen as Michelle & My discuss the ritual of a good bath, advice to young, female entrepreneurs and a very special book that transformed her life after a family member passed. 

Website: http://gavinluxe.com
Instagram: http://instagram.com/gavinluxe
Facebook: http://facebook.com/gavinluxe

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Mindi Miller is, in no particular order, a mother, a sister, a mentor to at-risk teens, a TV producer, a wife, and an ex-wife. She is grateful to have a family that loves her and mostly ignores one in-law who doesn't.

Over the decades, Mindi has pivoted from a lifetime in retail sales - selling products to the mall-goers, to a wholesale representative - selling products to the retailers, to a TV producer - making shows interrupted by companies selling products to the masses. Mindi has overcome a painful divorce, bullying, and most recently survived a deadly car accident. (More on that later!) While recovering from her traumatic injuries, Mindi found personal healing by focusing on creating ways to help others. That's when THE 52-WEEK JOURNAL series began.

Join Michelle & Mindi as they discuss Mindi’s healing journey and the inspiration for the 52-Week Journal Series, which was created as a must-have guide for anyone looking for a solution to help keep themselves on track.

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This week's guest is Barbara Mooney, owner of Daisy’s Mercantile, a boutique filled with necessities, frivolities, and embellishments for everyday life, located in Alameda, California. Barbara has always used her creative gifts in her business endeavors, first as a caterer and event planner, then a baker, and now a shopkeeper. When she was bit by the entrepreneur bug, it allowed her love of numbers and behind-the-scenes action to work hand in hand with her talents to create what Daisy’s has become today, and she never looked back. Michelle & Barbara delve into Barbara’s jump from retail to catering, her merchandising & display style, separating work/home, and her future plans on transitioning from a brick & mortar into 100% online with online classes. Barbara is truly a creative force and this episode really showcases her many talents. 

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/daisys_mercantile/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/daisysmercantile   
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/livinglikedaisy/_saved/   
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/daisy-s-mercantile/?viewAsMember=true

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This weeks guest, Christine Street Gregg owner of Chocolate & Steel, is our 3rd interview in our ‘Life After Anthro’ series. Christine Street is the Founder and Designer of Chocolate and Steel, a jewelry line on a mission to empower women through genuine expressions of acceptance, love and strength with sustainability and giving back woven throughout. Christine has been in the fashion design industry for 24 years – starting out in apparel design, to merchandising, to jewelry fabrication and design. Chocolate and Steel was launched in 2005 with hand drawn illustrations on jewelry.  As Christine and her line evolved she knew that she wanted to do more with it than just make something that looks good.  Chocolate and Steel is now a company that grounds itself in sustainability, empowerment and giving back.  Her company donates profits to environmental non-profits and human rights organizations.

 On this episode, Michelle and Christine discuss lessons and takeaways from her time at Anthropologie, how those lessons play a part in her business today, her favorite part of the job, her best memory as well as her craziest moment working at Anthro - working a Black Friday that will live in her memory forever!

 Website: www.chocolateandsteel.com

Instagram @chocolateandsteel  

Chocolate & Steel Give Back Program

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For those of you who have asked “Exactly what does Michelle do?” This is the episode that is a deep dive into exactly what Michelle does for each client and the role she plays in each of their businesses. She’ll go into detail about Stephen Young, retailers and gift show setups. Informative, inspiring and educational! 

 Show links

MC Design Collaboration

Instagram: @mcdesigncollaboration

Bristol Farms

Instagram: @bristolfarms

 Stephen Young

Instagram: @stephenyoungshowroom

Peking Handicraft

Instagram: @pekinghandicraft

Grand Canyon West

Instagram: @grandcanyonwest

Muse House Retreat

Instagram: @musehouseretreat

Serendipity

Instagram: @serendipity

Sales Producers

Instagram: @salesproducersinc

 Litt Concept House

Instagram: @littconcepthouse

 Burt’s Pharmacy

Burt’s Pharmacy

 Rock Paradise

Instagram: @rockparadisethestore

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From press in Martha Stewart Living to Marie Claire to being sold in Urban Outfitters to Neiman Marcus, Soul Addict, a farm-first & woman-owned organic Hemp CBD Company continues to inspire us in part 2 of our 2 part interview with owner, Laura Armstrong. Get comfy as she & Michelle discuss how her business spiked during the 2020 pandemic and the inspiration & journey behind converting a 1950's motorcycle garage into their first brick and mortar retail store.

OUR WEBSITE - https://www.theretailwhorepodcast.com/
OUR INSTAGRAM - https://www.instagram.com/theretailwhorepodcast/?hl=en

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This week’s guest is Laura White, founder and CEO of Soul Addict, a conscious CBD line & majority women-owned hemp farm she runs with her business partner, Maxwell Gaudin. She launched Soul Addict in her ‘soul city’ of New Orleans after using CBD & cannabis to help empower her struggle with anxiety and depression since her early teen years. Shortly after, Laura made the decision to pack up her things in her favorite place and make the move back to her hometown in the rolling hills of Western North Carolina to start one of the first licensed Hemp Farms in her state. 

Michelle & Laura discuss many topics in this 2-part interview from - How CBD is used in the wellness community to explaining what full spectrum is to setting up her own retail space and incorporating her specific vibe – to name a few!

As her and her team focus on growing Soul Addict CBD as a nationally recognized cannabinoid wellness brand, Laura is committed to sharing education and access to CBD & Cannabis for mental health, the importance of organic & sustainable agriculture, microbiome health, trying to coin the term ‘agriculturally transparent’(slowly, but surely!)- what that even means and how we can empower feeling better our feelings through conscious CBD and cannabis consumption. Most recently she and team SA launched their new ‘IRL shop’ concept, an in-real-life retail space experience based on the brand’s ethos and mission in the digital world.

OUR WEBSITE - https://www.theretailwhorepodcast.com/
OUR INSTAGRAM - https://www.instagram.com/theretailwhorepodcast/?hl=en

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This week’s interview is with Chris Willard from The Great Gift & Paper Co. Chris began her career as a registered nurse where medicine was her first love. At that time, as crazy as it sounds, there weren’t a lot of nursing opportunities fresh out of nursing school so rather than working in the hospital unit of a local prison, she took a job with Johnson & Johnson as a sales rep. After working as a sales rep for a very long time, one day she decided to open up a retail boutique and the rest is history. The Great Gift and Paper Co. is a boutique that has evolved from my brick-and-mortar store La Belle Maison. The name change to The Great Gift and Paper Co. arose to be more reflective of what my shop morphed into--more gifts and paper. Take a listen to Chris’ journey from working with Johnson & Johnson, raising a family all while continuing to build what is now The Great Gift & Paper Co. Chris is truly a hustler and inspiration to us!

Website: https://www.greatgiftandpaper.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greatgiftandpaper/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/giftandpaperco/

OUR WEBSITE - https://www.theretailwhorepodcast.com/
OUR INSTAGRAM - https://www.instagram.com/theretailwhorepodcast/?hl=en

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This week’s interview is the second in our series ‘Life After Anthro’. My former intern, Samantha Davis, is now a successful entrepreneur within the birth industry, and has spent the last four years, along with her husband, building and connecting with local industry leaders to help improve the quality of postpartum care to new mothers within the Southern California area. She has continued to develop their team of experts to accommodate the ever-growing demand for placenta encapsulation as a unique, but necessary, postpartum care resource. Her business began just after the birth of her daughter, and subsequently, towards the end of her career at Anthropologie; the end of an era, but the beginning to an exciting new chapter! She currently resides in Los Angeles County with her 4-year-old daughter and husband. 

 Company Info:
Mommy Made Encapsulation SoCal
IG: @MME_Southerncalifornia
E: [email protected]
P: 626.759.2619

OUR WEBSITE - https://www.theretailwhorepodcast.com/
OUR INSTAGRAM - https://www.instagram.com/theretailwhorepodcast/?hl=en

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