By Michelle Sherrier
4.9
3434 ratings
The podcast currently has 173 episodes available.
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:
Mentioned In This Episode:
Reps Are Local Too
Reps Are Local Too on Instagram
Reps Are Local Too on Facebook
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:
Mentioned In This Episode:
www.curiousworkshop.com
Curious on Instagram
Curious on Facebook
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:
Mentioned In This Episode:
https://thetasteboutique.com/
The Taste Boutique on Instagram
The Taste Boutique on Facebook
Teresa Caldwell on Instagram
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:
Mentioned In This Episode:
http://www.thethumb.com/
The Thumb on Facebook
The Thumb on Instagram
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
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:
Mentioned In This Episode:
Susan Esayian on Instagram
Onederkam Website
Onederkam on Instagram
Eric Velez on Instagram
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.
Jazmin Montalvo is the passionate owner of Frida Bae Co., a vibrant brick-and-mortar boutique where creativity and culture intertwine.
In part two of this conversation, Michelle and Jazmin dive into all things social media, especially TikTok. Jazmin shares how she transitioned her TikTok account from personal to business. Jazmin talks about how going viral on social media helped her dig out of a tough time and how she took a risk on TikTok Live. She also shares her experience working with a business consultant, how much of your creative secret sauce to share with others, and more.
What’s Inside:
Mentioned In This Episode:
Fridabaeco.com
At Home with Jazmin on Amazon
Frida Bae Co. on Facebook
Frida Bae Co. on Instagram
Frida Bae Co. on Pinterest
Frida Bae Co. on TikTok
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.
Jazmin Montalvo is the passionate owner of Frida Bae Co., a vibrant brick-and-mortar boutique where creativity and culture intertwine. As a mother and bonus mom to four daughters, Jazmin is dedicated to raising strong, fearless, and outspoken women, infused with pride in their Mexican heritage.
Jazmin's journey to entrepreneurship was shaped by her deep-rooted creativity and love for art, prominently displayed on the boutique's walls through her own artwork. Her career began in nursing, earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2016 and later a Masters in Nurse Leadership in 2021. However, the challenges of working on the frontlines during the COVID-19 pandemic prompted a pivotal shift in her life.
In October 2022, Jazmin realized her dream with the opening of Frida Bae Co., a size-inclusive women's boutique offering an array of customized products including jewelry, home decor, and apparel like t-shirts and wood signs—all handmade with love. Through her boutique, Jazmin continues to celebrate her culture and empower others to embrace their roots while pursuing their passions.
In part one of this conversation, Jazmin shares the adventure of moving into a new retail space. She walks through her journey of becoming a nurse and her transition to boutique ownership. Jazmin also shares her experience at Dallas Market Center, how she built an amazing table from scratch (with no experience!), what life was like working in nursing during COVID, and more.
What’s Inside:
Mentioned In This Episode:
Fridabaeco.com
At Home with Jazmin on Amazon
Frida Bae Co. on Facebook
Frida Bae Co. on Instagram
Frida Bae Co. on Pinterest
Frida Bae Co. on TikTok
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!
A printmaking graduate from the Ontario College of Art and Design, Michelle Galletta is the founder of Kiriki Press. The idea was inspired by Michelle wanting to make her niece Madeleine an embroidered doll but couldn't find a pattern anywhere. Michelle decided to learn how to embroider so she could make her a set of three owl dolls to play with.
It was difficult to find contemporary embroidery patterns that weren’t overly simplistic, let alone embroidered doll patterns, so Michelle ended up designing her own. As she was making Madeleine’s owls, she became fascinated with embroidery: the vibrant colors, the countless variety of stitches, and the calming effect it had on her.
After several years of improving her embroidery skills (and a ton of design work), Kiriki Press was born. It was developed in the hopes of giving others the chance to make something precious with their own hands. Kiriki Press was launched in December 2012 with seven patterns, and the collection has grown over the years and is currently expanding to include a range of other DIY products.
Michelle was chosen as a featured seller on Etsy and has been a contributor to Mollie Makes books and magazines. The company has been featured in Uppercase, Canadian Living, Chatelaine, Bust Magazine, and Homespun, as well as many other print publications and craft blogs.
Here, Michelle takes us inside her shop and shares how she moved from her prototype dolls into full production. She also talks about how she transitioned from what she thought was her dream job into starting a business of her own. Michelle shares her experience at her very first show, how she handled business growth through the pandemic, and where she finds inspiration.
What’s Inside:
Mentioned In This Episode:
www.kirikipress.com
Kiriki Press on Instagram
Kiriki Press on Facebook
Kiriki Press on Pinterest
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.
Kate Duff is the Founder and Wholesale & Gift Guru at Claxton Consulting. With a deep affection for the industry that raised her, Kate brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and passion. Renowned for her expertise and strong connections within the space, she possesses a unique ability to empower her clients to help them refine their approach. Her guidance and insights are invaluable, whether it's optimizing strategies, cultivating strong partnerships, or filling knowledge gaps.
With unwavering dedication and a nurturing approach, Kate is committed to helping businesses thrive and ultimately level up!
Kate’s been in the industry for over 27 years, and here, she shares how her career has grown and changed over time. Kate and Michelle discuss Kate's transition from retail business owner to consultant and her transformational work with clients. They also discuss relationships with rep agencies, what retailers need to ask vendors for, and how to let the divine take the lead.
What’s Inside:
Mentioned In This Episode:
Claxton Consulting Website
Book: Outrageous Openness
Book: The Big Leap
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