Open & Awkward: Shop Talk with Katie and Amanda

Subtitle: Don’t make your muse pay your mortgage  Summary: Amanda opens up about a potential diagnosis and her lack of anxiety about it. Katie gives a shout-out to Amy Stewart's latest book,  The Tree Collectors  (seriously, you need a copy!). Amanda also introduces a new recruit to the Cult of Katie, and Katie reminds everyone that her free 15-minute discovery calls are the perfect opportuni...

Subtitle: Don’t go to the second location Summary: Katie makes a splash by going swimming at the beach for the first time in two years—despite living there! She discusses the joy of seeing how different people interact, unwind, and make use of the beach. Meanwhile, Amanda is planning a Halloween pilgrimage to Disney World because she loves a good dose of immersive magic! They also talk about the i...

Subtitle: There’s more than one way to skin a cat Summary: Amanda goes shopping (which she RARELY does), and it literally changes her life. They discuss fun ways small businesses can set themselves apart from competitors, customers browsing without purchasing, and how being your own goofy self is finally becoming acceptable (and celebrated). Oh, and have you tried a cold plunge yet? Amanda gives h...

Subtitle: So you wanna write a book? Summary: Amanda has an awkward encounter with the OTHER Garden Center in town, sparking a discussion about handling communication with people who have differing opinions. They dive into Amanda’s aversion to going with the flow and the challenges of tech not connecting. Oh, and if you are thinking about writing a book you are going to want to listen to this! Hig...

Subtitle: All Roads Lead to Marketing Summary: Katie and Amanda discuss how it's never a good idea to make people feel dumb. Amanda also shares her secrets for keeping audiences engaged during speaking engagements—spoiler alert: it involves SLUGS! They discuss how people love an incentive, reversing the trend of local business loss and how you can actually use AI as your hype man. Highlights:...

Subtitle: Chew on the Left Side of Your Mouth Summary: Katie has a surprise road trip from Columbus, OH to Wilmington, NC! They discuss how you CAN learn to chew on the left side of your mouth (otherwise known as changing a habit). They also chat about how to get your sparkle back–and how to realize that you even lost it. Plus, they explore the safe feeling in working at a job you know you are goo...

Subtitle: Plot, Plan & Market Summary: In this episode, Katie and Amanda chat about how Aster Gardens is more than just a store—it’s an experience and an inspiring adventure! They dive into the lessons learned from mistakes, the tricky art of deciding when/how/if to put items on sale, and the importance of continuing to always put things into your funnel. And what exactly is “oldest daughter e...

Subtitle: Kindred Spirits and Cockroaches Summary: Katie surprises Amanda with a visit to her store! They discuss Amanda’s creative idea for encouraging support of independent retailers around Aster Gardens. They also chat about the Peter Principle, mind mapping, closing the stress cycle and the positive impact of getting real with people. Oh, and did we mention that  Amanda ordered 100 plastic ...

Subtitle: Change is doable! Summary: Katie and Amanda discuss ways of capturing new customers and audiences by changing your package/messaging. They talk about the high open rates of "ooops" emails, developing your brand's personality, and why we ALL DESERVE to have pleasure in our lives. Highlights: Shrinkflation and how we can use the concept Another fan message Things people will...

Subtitle: Small, potent, amazing, dangerous changes Summary: Katie and Amanda discuss hiring consultants vs. asking your own staff for their suggestions. They talk about the challenges of running a small, women-owned business, people with a scarcity mindset, how not all traffic is good traffic and the patriarchy fest. Highlights: Katie returns from vacation Katie’s other podcast experience Hiring...

Subtitle: Are you in the fold? You should be! Summary: Katie talks about the importance of having your physical address on your socials and Amanda shares her adventures with antique finds — complete with unexpected surprises. They delve into the frustrations of Facebook, the untapped potential of TikTok, and the evolving landscape of social media marketing. Highlights: Are you a small business usi...

Subtitle: Fostering company culture Summary: Brace yourself for candid discussions about setting expectations and the importance of saying NO. They share email marketing strategies and discuss how you can quickly lose your Instagram account, email cadence and segmenting, and mixing up your circuit. Warning: This episode contains more buzz than a cicada chorus! Highlights: Are business cards still...

Subtitle: When is it time to pivot? Summary: Who is stuck in the sunk costs quagmire? Katie share her $150K mistake and why you should still listen to her. Amanda reveals her new yard organization and why she switched from organizing plants by Latin names. (LOL) They also chat calming people the F down so you can help them. And how everyone wants foxgloves, delphinium, and hollyhocks. Highlights:...

Subtitle: There is also some yodeling Summary: Is intergenerational warfare really necessary? Katie and Amanda say, “No!” They discuss the opportunities they got when they were young lasses growing up and how they get to pass those along to their staff and contractors. They talk more about cringe mountain (The hecklers are all still in base camp. If they’ve scaled cringe mountain they’re not heckl...

Subtitle: What you say to yourself matters. Summary: What would your May self tell your July self? (Especially in the green industry.) This was recorded during crunch time and is airing after the main rush of the season. Katie and Amanda discuss what it’s like to put a body of work into the world - the costs, the benefits, the vulnerability, the growth. For our listeners, your shops and your busin...

Subtitle: Imaginary gift certificates Summary: Amanda gets herself into 437 initiatives. She says she’s not actually ambitious, she just sees big dumb vacuums. How much emotional labor is too much emotional labor in business? Also kind of a lot of swearing. Highlights: How do you handle the impossibly busy times of year Amanda’s Slugs Being a shop owner Podcast feedback Green drinks Amanda’s imagi...

Subtitle: LOOK AT THAT Summary: Green chilis for everyone! Katie talks about lessons learned from her time in New Mexico, including bathrooms. Can you teach people to be creative?  Highlights: Katie shows her giraffe birthday gifts from her mom Discussion about parking Katie’s trip to San Diego, California and Santa Fe, New Mexico Business suggestion: get on scenic drive website/brochure if you’re...

Subtitle: Create a Garden Wonderland Summary: Last in the episode but first in Katie's priority list: Check out the GORGEOUS new book "Garden Wonderland" by Leslie Bennett and Julie Chai. Katie gives a review. (And she's real picky about garden books.) Other topics of discussion include big box garden centers vs. indies, Argylle the movie (Katie loved it even though it was techni...

Subtitle: Make your art Summary: A post-eclipse episode that will still be fun two months later. Katie and Amanda talk about why unscripted social media is important, how Amy Stewart is Katie's Beyonce, and how people who have already summited cringe mountain won't criticize you. The only people who do are still in base camp. Highlights: Eclipse Hydrangea videos Weird art Katie's dogs...

Subtitle: Wired for Novelty Summary: Katie shares her Harry Styles origin story. Amanda brings up the Apple Surcharge when boosting posts from the app and why you might or might not want to boost posts and why if you’re really going to pay money to Facebook, ads are a better bet. Katie and Amanda discuss something actually useful for listeners regarding “convenience fees.” Finally, we talk about t...

Subtitle: There actually IS crying in business Summary: During episode 5 Katie made Amanda cry, but it was a good cry. Katie discussed how she crawled out of her worst year (personally) of business, 2022, and why you might not want to grow your business beyond a certain point. They talked about taking up space in the world of business, owners vs. managers, and Amanda sang, “This Ain’t Taxes,” a co...

Subtitle: Hoist the Sails (to boost your sales!) Summary:  When you plant magic beans, what do you reap? (That got super existential super fast. Well, what do you expect when Amanda is taking business advice from alien mediums? Today Katie and Amanda discuss ways they fill their sails (as in boat sails) to fill their sales (as in money). Katie is the queen of taking workshops, while Amanda is the...

Subtitle: And why things cost $75 Summary: This one’s mostly about community: local community, community with other business owners, what it means to be a part of one’s community. It’s nearly impossible to summarize an episode, but that’s a pretty good one. However, we also cover pricing psychology, Katie manifesting Harry Styles on the cover of Better Homes & Gardens, how classes help you sel...

Subtitle: And customers should want that, too Summary: Why taking the position "I do what I want" is actually good for your customers, why it is important to take a vacation before and after season, plants are good for business, and more nonsense! Highlights: Amanda comes back from a trip to the Epcot Flower & Garden show, and reports on the state of the shop Good landscaping makes y...

Subtitle: It’s about owning a retail store and marketing and also whatever we want Summary: We’re calling this our “pilot episode” because we interrupt and talk over each other incessantly and we didn’t have real microphones. So, you get what you get!   Highlights:  - Amanda’s shop ghost - Why Katie doesn’t look at her personal newsletter metrics - How aggravating it is when people come into the s...