Richer Retailer - Scaling Retail Stores Past 7 Figures

Sales are coming in. Just... slower and harder to get than they used to be. If you've felt like you're working just as hard as last year but getting less for it, Cathy wants you to know: it's not you, and it's not just a feeling. In this solo episode, Cathy breaks down what's actually happening in retail right now, a cautiously warm environment where spending is up but transactions per store are d...

Chelsea Jones has spent over 20 years building websites for some of the most recognizable names in retail; J.Lo Beauty, Liverpool Los Angeles, Chroma Wellness, and more. As co-founder of Sunny Road, a Shopify Platinum agency, she works with retail brands every day and sees exactly where they're leaving money on the table. In this episode, Chelsea and Cathy get into what's actually happening in AI...

In Part 1, Cathy and Joey talked about clearing the calendar. Going from 38 meetings a week to 11. Identifying what was water, what was food, and what was mushroom coffee. Part 1 was about seeing the problem clearly. Part 2 is about what you actually do with the space once you have it and why most people quietly fill it right back up. Joey is back, and this time they go into the practical framewor...

Cathy had 38 meetings a week and no open space on her calendar. She couldn't eat lunch without it being scheduled around something else. Her business was growing, she was delegating, and she still couldn't get ahead. Then she started working with Joey Gourdji and got it down to 11 meetings a week. Joey is a coach at Conversion Engineering, the agency she runs with her husband Ross. She spent a dec...

July is slow. Every store owner knows it. So when Jesse McNaughton, co-founder of Lift Bridge Yarns in Fairport, New York, decided to run a four-day Anti-Prime Days campaign instead of just waiting for things to pick up, she wasn't sure what would happen. She ended up with a 286% increase in sales. Jesse opened Lift Bridge Yarns four months before the pandemic, with a six-month-old baby at home an...

You have built something real. The inventory, the team, the loyal customers who come back year after year. What happens if all of that gets wiped out not by a bad buying decision or a slow season, but by a hurricane, a flood, a fire, or a ceiling that collapses the day before your biggest event? Most store owners have never thought about it. And the ones who have faced it will tell you: there is a...

You have done the math. You know the metrics. Now comes the part where it gets real. This is Part 3 of the Inventory Engine Workshop, the Q&A. Cathy and Coach Maven Dana Connell open the floor to the questions store owners actually lose sleep over. What do you do when your open to buy says one thing and your gut says another? How do you handle reorders when the cash just isn't there? What does...

Your floor can look full and your bank account can still feel empty. That is not a mystery. It is a math problem. And once you see the numbers behind it, you cannot unsee them. This is Part 2 of the Inventory Engine Workshop. Cathy and Coach Maven Dana Connell are back, and this time they get into the metrics, the ones that tell you, without any guessing, exactly how healthy your inventory really...

Inventory is not a guessing game. It is a financial tool. It's wealth building in real time. And if you've ever felt like money moves through your store but you can't quite track where it goes, this episode is for you. This is Part 1 of a special live workshop episode. Cathy sat down with our very own Coach Maven Dana Connell, retail professor at Columbia College Chicago and former buyer for Marsh...

If you've ever felt the tension between posting pink pictures and party invitations while the world feels like it's on fire, this episode is for you. Cathy's guest today is Lauren, founder of three boutiques in the Chicago area; Pink Slip and two locations of Parker James. Eighteen years in, she has built exactly what so many retailers dream of: a true destination where people don't just shop, the...

If you've been online this week, you've probably seen something about tariff refunds. And if you're anything like most store owners, you either glazed over thinking it was government bureaucracy you don't have time for or you got a little excited thinking a check might be headed your way. This episode is for both of you. Cathy cuts through all the noise, breaks down exactly what's happening, who i...

You pour everything into your store, your time, your energy, your heart. And yet, somehow, the financial freedom you're working toward still feels just out of reach.  If Part 1 lit a spark in you, get ready because Part 2 is where things get really personal. Cathy sits back down with her friend and personal financial planner Kaitlyn Carlson for a continuation of one of the most important conversat...

You're running a successful store. Revenue is coming in. You're reinvesting, growing, doing all the things. So why doesn't it feel like you're actually getting ahead? This is the episode Cathy has been waiting to record because the conversation you're about to hear completely changed the way she thinks about money. And she knows it's going to do the same for you. Cathy sits down with her friend an...

What's the most powerful thing you can do to grow your business? It's not another spreadsheet, Facebook ad, or reel. It's sitting across the table from someone who truly understands the journey. In this heartfelt and energizing episode, Cathy sits down with Angie Noll; bookkeeper, profit strategist, and fellow entrepreneur for a conversation that started over fish and champagne and turned into som...

Welcome to a favorite episode of the Richer Retailer! In this Q2 check-in, Cathy dives into what this quarter really means for independent retailers. From focusing on your top customers (“thumbs”) to creating value through clarity and thoughtful merchandising, Cathy shares actionable strategies to help you convert browsers into buyers and buyers into lifelong fans. She also explores trends shaping...

What does a global conflict have to do with your retail store? In this episode, Cathy breaks down the ripple effects of the March 2026 crisis in the Strait of Hormuz and why events like this always make their way into retail. From rising fuel costs to shifting consumer behavior, these global disruptions can feel overwhelming… but they don’t have to control your business. Instead of reacting with p...

In this episode, Cathy welcomes back PR expert Gloria Chou to talk about one of the most powerful (and overlooked) ways small businesses can get visibility without spending thousands on PR agencies. Gloria reveals why gift guides aren’t just for the holiday season and how entrepreneurs can get featured in them all year long. Even better, she shares how the rise of AI-powered shopping and search ma...

Retail is changing faster than ever and ignoring generational shifts is no longer an option. In Part 2 of this conversation, Cathy Wagner welcomes back RETAILMavens coach and retail professor Dana Connell to move from theory to action. If Part 1 helped you understand generational differences, this episode focuses on what independent retailers should actually do about it. Dana shares practical ways...

Generational shifts aren’t coming… they’re already here. In this episode, Cathy Wagner sits down with Columbia College Chicago retail professor and RETAILMavens coach Dana Connell to unpack what shifting generations mean for independent retailers today. Dana brings 35+ years of retail and teaching experience to the table, sharing how Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha shop different...

In this episode, Cathy shares a powerful reminder every retailer needs to hear: you are not behind, you are becoming. If you’ve found yourself looking at your goals, numbers, or plans and thinking “I should be farther along,” this conversation is for you. Cathy walks through why progress isn’t linear, why discomfort often means growth is happening, and how staying committed even when results aren’...

In today’s Q&A-style episode, Cathy Wagner answers real financial questions from independent retailers inside the RETAILMavens community. She breaks down the financial framework every store owner needs to understand without accounting jargon and tackles one of the most stressful challenges in retail: negative cash flow during peak buying seasons. What You’ll Learn in This Episode Why retail is...

Welcome to Episode 69: A Retailer’s Guide to Margins. In this episode, Cathy Wagner dives into the simplest shift that can dramatically increase your cash flow: understanding gross margin (maintained markup) and raising your initial markup so you keep more money from every sale without working harder. What You’ll Learn in This Episode The difference between gross margin (maintained markup) and ini...

Welcome to Part 5 of the Million Dollar Store series! In this final episode of our Million-Dollar Store series, Cathy Wagner dives into the most important system of all: Titanium Leadership. This is about who you become as a CEO before what you do. Cathy breaks down how million-dollar store owners think, decide, and show up differently and why identity always comes before action. You’ll learn how...

Welcome to Part 4 of the Million Dollar Store series! In this episode, Cathy Donovan Wagner breaks down “The Magic of Marketing” the core system she’d use to grow a million-dollar store by creating unforgettable customer experiences and building a world people want to be part of. This is a tactical, no-fluff episode focused on what actually drives traffic, conversions, and repeat sales: focusing o...

Welcome to Part 3 of the Million Dollar Store series! In this episode, Cathy Donovan Wagner dives into one of the most misunderstood and most powerful elements of building a million-dollar retail business: Your team. After laying the foundation with cash confidence and inventory strategy, this conversation shifts to what truly allows a business to scale sustainably: Building a team that runs with...