In this episode of Real Retail TV, I share one of the biggest takeaways from our recent Platinum Mastermind Group meeting. The truth is, there is no silver bullet to creating a great culture. Its all of the little things that add up over time that create

With the holiday season quickly approaching, it's important to recognize that you do not have to have storewide discounts associated with your promotions. The best retailers have a robust calendar of promotions and events that don’t include markdowns. The

One lesson you need to learn as a retailer is that selling isnt sleazy. In fact, when done correctly, selling is just another form of great customer service. When youre interacting with your customers, the end goal should always be to get them to the pe

This is one of the most important lessons you can learn as an entrepreneur. You are not your business. The success of your business does not determine your value. Its important to remember that there are so many other parts of you that make up who you ar

In this episode of Real Retail TV, I share one of the best ways to get your holiday shoppers coming back long after the season is over. The opportunity to turn casual shoppers into lifelong customers is huge and Blizzard Bucks makes it far less challengin

In this episode of Real Retail TV, I share some of my favorite ways to build your margins for the holidays. Often retailers focus on building sales alone without giving much thought to margins. The holiday season is a great time to not only boost your sal

Competition for independent retailers is getting tougher every day. Your #1 competitive advantage is providing a great experience for your customers. In this episode of Real Retail TV, I go over the importance of building your bench, aka, recruiting skill

As a business owner, you need to take care of yourself first. If you're neglecting your own needs, your store will ultimately suffer. This means taking time off to relax, reset, and think about the ultimate vision you have for your business by getting out

In one of my previous episodes of Real Retail TV, I talked about how we created a "Yo-yo boom" when my brother Steve and I owned Mackinaw Kite Company. In this episode, I want to share some of the pitfalls we ran into with our promotions and the tiny twea

In this episode of Real Retail TV, I highlight 3 local farmers who are doing things right when it comes to keeping great hours, bundling, and sampling to sell. Take these lessons and use them in your store to make more money! The post 3 Local Legends Ser