Bringing Business to Retail
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I remember it like it was yesterday (how can I ever forget). I was drowning in debt, exhausted from pouring everything I had into my struggling business. How did it all go so wrong? Back when I first started out, I was so naive about finances. Despite growing up poor, watching every penny come into and leave my bank account, that all went out the window when I opened my first store. Even with a business degree, accounting was a total mystery to me (I failed accounting - twice!). Register >>HERE
* * * * * * * * Too scared to dream big? * This episode takes you on a wild ride following Stephen Pastor's entrepreneurial journey. Starting out as a DJ in Australia, Stephen stumbled into the neon sign business by chance. You'll hear how he turned a side gig into a full-time venture, finding the courage to take his business international. * Â * Stephen shares gripping tales from those early days, like expanding overseas with just a virtual office in Vegas. Get ready for edge-of-your-seat stories of last-minute orders, tight deadlines, and transcontinental deliveries against all odds. Through the ups and downs of being his own boss, Stephen's passion for facing fears and grasping opportunities shines through. * Â * Beyond the thrilling adventures, Stephen also drops serious wisdom. He offers invaluable lessons learned on diversifying your offerings to find new revenue streams. Stephen shares how he built trust with huge clients like the NFL through outstanding service. And he proves that sometimes in business, you just need to take the plunge to see how far you can fly. * Â * Listen in for an inspiring story of chasing success through courage, tenacity and a willingness to take bold risks. Stephen's journey shows how living your dreams is possible when you follow your entrepreneurial spirit.
Discover the one weird trick freight companies DON'T want you to know! Logistics expert, Carolina Montanez, reveals how to uncover THOUSANDS in hidden shipping costs draining your profits every year. Find out how optimizing your supply chain could transform your bottom line WITHOUT any extra work. Listen now to learn the freight industry secrets that could save your business!
TayTay has left the building, but is it too late to capitalize on her tour? Heck NO!  Truth is, if you’re NOT leveraging TS right now, then you’re missing a huge opportunity. I don’t care if you sell clothes, furniture, beauty, shoes, or even adult toys! (not that I’m suggesting Ms Swift owns the latter…) Billionaire Swifty can sell your products - for free.  Want to know how?  Meet today’s guest on the Bringing Business to Retail podcast, who’s just blown my mind about how PR can be your secret weapon in getting your brand, and your story, the kind of attention it deserves.  Chriss Mannix of Soda Communications has got the GOODS.  After 25 years in the PR game, her no-bulls*** approach is just the wisdom we need to use PR smartly to maximize our business’s opportunities.  Wisdom like: __ __  There’s no reason the next Apple News alert you get can’t have your business’s name on it.  Listen now to find out how YOU can sell more with Taylor Swift! Â
Scale your retail business with marketing secrets from Lululemon and Pottery Barn! Learn how to plan campaigns across channels, focus on newness over discounts, and steal strategies from big brands. Jessica Shirra shares insider tips from working with top retailers. Discover how to stand out from the crowd and drive sales with intentional, multi-channel marketing.Â
In this podcast, I reveal how to avoid buying the wrong products and wasting money through strategic inventory planning and analyzing sales data, trends, and customer requests. Learn my secrets for negotiating the best deals from suppliers and stocking inventory that actually sells fast.
If contracting one of the rarest remaining diseases early in my business taught me anything, it’s this: nobody’s safe from the 4 B’s of Business. Bottleneck. Burn-out. Breakdown. Bankruptcy. It’s common for one to follow the other. If you’re starting to see the warning signs of one, it’s time to urgently find a solution… because the others are close on its heels. In this episode, we’re looking at how these 4 B’s feed off of each other, what we can do to keep them away, and what’s at risk if we don’t take them seriously. We can’t afford to be silent about these risks. And you can’t afford to miss this conversation. Â
Tired of small profits and imposter syndrome? In this podcast, learn how Kristine went from barely breaking even to increasing revenue by 2000% by facing her fears and learning her numbers. Discover her simple tactics for doubling conversions, boosting margins, and way more - all without losing your creative spirit. It's time to stop playing small and start scaling up your store!
Are you still looking to take your retail or e-commerce business to the next level this year? This episode might be the one you need. When it feels like everything has just snowballed and you've got a lot of things to do, how do you know which one to focus on?
As my business have grown, my views on spending has definitely changed. In this episode, I share some thoughts from a Facebook Live I did while waiting for a flight to an event. I chat about the treats I now indulge in. I also explain why these splurges provide great return and help me take things to the next level. Hoping this gives you some inspiration for rewarding your own hard work as your business succeeds!
What’s cheaper - keeping a returning customer or finding a new one?  Keeping customers coming back to shop with you again and again is SO much easier (and cheaper!) than the marketing you need to bring in a constant stream of new customers.  And around here, we do things the easy, smart way, not the difficult, expensive way.  I first shared this conversation last year, but it’s so important that I’m assigning it to the top of your 2024 listening list…  … Because if you don’t understand your customers AND the value you bring to them, then you’ve got some big problems on your hands, my friend.  Problems like old stock clogging up space. Empty promotions cost money, not generating profits. Unstable cash flow that keeps you up at night. No sense of where it is you’re going, or how you’re going to get there.  In today’s episode of the Bringing Business to Retail podcast, I’m giving you the tools you need to keep your customers shopping every day of the year, even in the chance of a recession.  These strategies have nothing to do with the news headlines, and everything to do with the value you offer. And guess what? That’s always going to be in your control. Â
Some of my favourite retail and eCommerce origin stories go like this:  Someone stumbles across a problem when they’re trying to buy a product.  They search high and low, but they can’t find a solution to what they’re looking for.  So…  … They make the solution themselves!  Today’s podcast guest, Dionne Keen, did just that. When she couldn’t find any clothes for her 6yo son that offered the quality and variety she was after at a price point that worked, Little Kinfolk was born.  Kids’ clothing is a highly competitive niche with all kinds of low-quality, cheap items - so how was Dionne able to build a killer business that generated more than $30,000 of revenue in just a single weekend?  She found Scale Your Store, and she listened to every secret we had to offer about how to do exactly that.  In today’s Bringing Business to Retail episode, Dionne’s spilling her own secrets about how she was able to not only launch a brand into a highly competitive industry but one that had a full-time salary built in from the very beginning.  Plan your own sell-out weekend in 2024 with this overload of tips and tricks - we won’t even chase you for commission! Â
I'm sorry to tell you this, but you aren't good enough to build a multi-mullion dollar business on your own. Growth comes when you find your key people. And once you find them, you need to encourage them to stay. In today’s episode, I’ll be sharing with you what I’ve been doing over the years and how it has evolved when incentivising your team.
For those of us who own retail and eCommerce stores, December’s all about demands and pressures. Plus, so many of us have found 2023 rough… and it’s so easy to let these situations hold you down. But what I’ve learned is that while you can visit the misery and the frustration, you can’t live there. Visit, sure. Live, no. In today’s podcast episode, I will share with you the simple things I do to get through those tough times that don’t cost a thing but could be the hope you need as we reach the end of this year. If you're feeling like 2023 was a bit (or a lot) rough - here are my words of advice... the breakdown often comes before the breakthrough. You may not see the breakthrough coming when you’re in it, but little by little, it’s on its way.  Tune in to this podcast episode to find that there's a light at the end of the tunnel.
Ok, I’ll admit it: I’m a total TikTok skeptic…  … At least, I was until today’s episode, when my guest Tom Moult changed my mind for good!  If you can’t decide whether or not TikTok is right for your business, this is THE next thing you need to prioritise on your to-do list - because if you’re a skeptic like me, you could be leaving serious money on the table.  In this week’s episode of the Bringing Business to Retail podcast, Tom Moult, co-founder and CEO of Buttr Marketing, shares 3 simple tactics that will convince even the biggest cynics amongst us.  Because TikTok isn’t just another social media platform. It’s a total revolution in customer engagement.  Tom’s here to tell us why an organic presence is the most important investment you can make (yes, before diving into paid advertising!), as well as the secret weapon of a cascading ad strategy that’s alllllll about driving up those results.  So you can either keep thinking TikTok’s just a throwaway platform that’s not for you…  .. Or you can steal Tom’s SECRET STRATEGY and see ACTUAL CASH IN YOUR BANK ACCOUNT from taking it seriously.  This episode has everything you need to leave your doubts behind and start winning on TikTok. You can’t afford to miss it! Â
The kinds of strategies that send Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales through the roof can be used ALL year round in your business…  … And if you’re not using them, you’re leaving money on the table.  Whether you’ve met your goals or not over the recent spending extravaganza, it’s time to keep your foot on the pedal.  Here’s the fuel you need to hit that next stretch goal, the one after that, and the absolutely audacious goal you never thought was possible.  Jump into this week’s Bringing Business to Retail podcast episode to find:  __ __  The hardest decision you’ll have to make is – which one are you going to use first?
Ever found yourself in the midst of a pushy sales conversation?  It’s no fun being on the receiving end of it… so why do we think we need to BECOME the pushy salesperson to successfully land a sale?  I don’t know about you, but it’s a big no from me.  There’s a reason sales have such a negative perception around them. Most salespeople?  They suck.  They’re trying to push a sale, all without actually understanding the person they’re talking to.  Their customer isn’t a human - they’re just another number, and another opportunity to make more $$.  Being good at sales DOESN’T mean being good at being pushy.  In fact…  … it’s the total opposite.  In this week’s episode of the Bringing Business to Retail podcast, my guest Bob Marsh takes the whole sales process off the table and reframes it: now, we’re giving customers the ability to make decisions about what they ACTUALLY want… and when they can do that, they BUY MORE!  Your job is to help your customer make a decision. It’s not to pull the wool over their eyes and trick them into spending money with you.  If you’re sick of feeling ‘salesy’, you can’t miss this. Enjoy this episode and leave the sticky sales agendas behind!
Why are we so quick to devalue our own products? Fear of overcharging is a major hurdle for retail and eCommerce store owners, often leading to a discounted race to the bottom. In this episode of Bringing Business to Retail, we're joined by strategic coach and former retail business owner Catlyn Calder. Having successfully built and sold an eco-refill store in New Zealand, Catlyn has firsthand experience in overcoming the challenges of growing a retail business. She shares her journey navigating the highs and lows, and preparing her business for a successful exit within just one year. Catlyn gets real about the money struggles and mindset shifts she battled, from giving too many discounts to not tracking marketing ROI. She also shares her top tips on delegating tasks, staying focused on strategic work, and avoiding the busywork trap. Whether you're just starting out or are a seasoned business owner, this episode is packed with practical insights from the front line. Tune in to learn from Catlyn's journey of turning challenges into opportunities for growth.
Do you know the four things you need to do to triple the value of your business? Sure, you might not be thinking about selling it today… but what about down the track, when seasons change, priorities move, and you’re ready to dream a new dream? Don’t let your hard work crumble into a house of cards. These four steps are free, simple, and can set your business up for a potential future sale for a price that’s not just satisfying… it’s sexy. Dive into this week’s episode to discover the 4 things you need to triple the value of your business. Â
Your customers don’t care about your products.  After all, why should they?  In a world full of countless product options, yours is just another one they scroll past.  Your job, as a retail or eCommerce store owner, isn’t to find the best products.  It’s to give your customers a reason to STOP the scroll, pay attention, and press ‘buy now’.  On this episode of Bringing Business to Retail, I’m joined by powerhouse John Chan from Berge Farrell to talk about the secret weapon you have in capturing your customer’s attention: packaging.   As the most overlooked and least utilised owned channel, packaging is the sales activator you’ve already got lying in your hands. It’s your walking billboard, the first touchpoint your customers have that sells your overall product experience.  We’re talking about how packaging is your silent salesman, what you can communicate through design, the shopper vs the consumer (and how you can meet their different needs and desires), strategic packaging for retailers, and how you can stand out in the crowd through thoughtful packaging tweaks.  Dive into this episode and hear John and I spill on how you can revamp your packaging to influence your customers’ buying decisions - more yay, less nay!
* If you truly believe that you need more customers to grow your business… Then how much time have you ACTUALLY spent creating, marketing and building advertising campaigns that actually focus on driving more traffic to your store or website? *  * In the always-changing world of retail and eCommerce, YOU’VE GOT TO BE NIMBLE TO GROW AND SURVIVE. *  * I’m taking a nimble approach to hacking your customer growth with these three under-used, overlooked strategies to get more customers without spending a single dollar: *  * Cutting through the noise isn’t about a bigger ad spend. *  * It’s about knowing who you’re looking to reach, why, and what will make them pay attention. *  * Jump on into this episode and find new ways to grow your customers without increasing your spend - you’ll be amazed at what you can achieve!
If you don’t have a game plan for the holiday shopping period, you’re leaving tens of thousands of dollars on the table - AND THERE’S NO CHANCE FOR A DO-OVER. With so much doom and gloom in the media about ‘how terrible it is for retailers’ right now, it’d make sense if you felt like your customers were more likely to keep their wallets in their pockets… … But SPOILER ALERT THAT’S NOT WHAT THE DATA is saying SPENDING IS UP! And customer wallets are indeed open. Our Retail Academy retailers are telling us about record-breaking months in their retail and eCommerce businesses in every single one of our weekly meetings. They’re KILLING it across the board. I went digging into the data to find out HOW, and the numbers I found won’t just surprise you, but they’ll completely change how you approach the holiday shopping period. When 70% of your income can take place in just a few short months, this opportunity is just too big to miss. Join me in this week’s podcast to look at what you need to do RIGHT NOW to set up your profit and revenue for the next 12 months. This is not a drill!
I can’t believe I got to interview a guy who looks like The Rock, only to find that his whole background was JUST like the Rock in Ballers - only instead of NFL players, he’s helping eCommerce businesses to make millions! What a perfect storm! Ok, to be honest, I don't have a crush on The Rock… but I’m absolutely giving my guest for this week’s episode, Wayne Richard, kudos for building a massive money empire. If you want to learn how to make money, hit play right now. You’ll get all the secrets you need from Wayne ‘could-be-the-Rock’ Richard, and then some. The co-founder of Bean Ninjas, Wayne’s never met a financial problem faced by an eCommerce business he couldn’t solve. Grab your notebook, people - Wayne isn’t here to play, but he IS ready to spill the beans (see what I did there?).
* It's 7:59 am, and I'm just about to hop on to our daily team meeting. Our meetings are pretty light-hearted, we share a joke, walk through issues that have come up and review what's happened over the last 24 hours. * When my coach told me I HAD to implement them, I did so begrudgingly. * But, he was right. * Daily team meetings have changed our business and really increased team engagement. * But I got a little complacent... * Because the meetings were going so well, I stopped looking at our daily CEO dashboard. * Cue end of month, I grabbed the figures and I was a little shocked that half of them were missing. * It was at this point, I could have gotten really annoyed and called the team to task. * But the reality is, is my job. * And when the team don't perform, it's my responsibility. * Â * Learning to become a leader isn't like learning your times tables. * It's a trial and error thing. * There will be times when you slip. * There will be things you suck at but still have to do. * SO I wanted to share with you the 4 areas of leadership that I find myself tripping up over and over again, through the 15+ years I've been in a leadership role. * To show you that even though I've been doing this for years, I still sometimes get it wrong. * BUT, a great leader knows the signs and corrects the course as soon as possible. * So the team stays on track. * And they respect you for it.
How prepared are you for the upcoming spend-fest that is the holiday season? Are your advertising and marketing campaigns ready? Or are you just going to rely on what you’ve always done (hint: that’s NOT going to work this year)? Joining me to uncover where and when to invest your money to maximize your sales this holiday season in this collaboration episode with the National Online Retailers Association (NORA), Sam Thompson (Bench), and Ming Kang Chen (Sheet Society).
Who doesn't want a sale? As a consumer, its always a yes! But as a business owner, its usually a no. But there will sometimes come a time that you need to get rid of your stock and get that cashflow boost to get new things in. Join me and Ashley as she shares how she got rid of her stock and generated $60,000 in just a few days!
Who doesn't want to make $17,500 in just 5 hours? Listen to one of our conversations over at the recent The Retail Academy Live and find out how Cynthia made this happen!
Have I ever told you the story about how I hired someone to work in my shop, and about a year later, found out she’d started her own online business the week after she got the job in my store.....essentially selling the exact same stuff?  Find out... -why she WASN'T a bad hire -who to hire as your business grows -the simple equation for the right hire (almost) every time Â
Last week, I had the opportunity to talk with a fabulous retailer in New Zealand about her business. Â She was doing well... She had significantly increased revenue since purchasing the business... She went on to tell me about how she listens to the podcast on her drive into the shop and excitedly tells her team about what she learned and all the things they need to implement. Â I'll admit, it's always heartwarming and flattering to hear someone say they get value from the podcast. But, even though I had that warm fuzzy feeling in my heart, ALARM BELLS were going off in my head... Â Because this was THE EXACT SAME SCENARIO that I had once found myself in. And it was one of the worst days of my business life. Â Listen in for what happened next.
Want to know how to reclaim hours of your work life and get stuff done FAST (and even on autopilot?) In this episode, you'll learn from one of the founders of AI, Josh Bachynski, on how you can use AI to streamline your Retail/Ecom Store.
