Thank You for Understanding (TYFU)

Sign, sign, everywhere a sign! We use signs around our businesses for customers and employees. Some are our own tags and shelf talkers. Some are for community events. Some we have to hang up because various governments say so. In this episode, Beth and Marilla talk about all kinds of business signage and whether it conveys what we intend. Sometimes signs say more than we think! Contact us and shar...

Season 4 has arrived! We'll be recording in an exciting new location from time to time and welcoming two adorable, if preverbal members to the team. But first, Beth and Marilla ponder not being everybody's cup of tea AND drop some big news for Kelly and you! Please share Thank You for Understanding (TYFU) with your friends and be sure to subscribe for future episodes and rate and review us on your...

We are about ready to begin production on Season 4 of TYFU, but we couldn't let our THREE YEAR anniversary go by without acknowledging the milestone. Beth is on vacation, so it's up to Marilla to break to break the news to our producer that they have visiting other podcasts on the side. Too Bad for Kelly Walker. In January, Beth and Marilla traveled to Trumansburg to guest on the excellent FLX Flo...

Surprise! In the midst of the busiest season in retail, Beth and Marilla return to the Red Room Studio for a bonus holiday podcast. There's a little Today in Retail, some reflection on the season, and a whole lot of TYFU. Please share Thank You for Understanding (TYFU) with your friends and be sure to subscribe for future episodes and rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform. Contact u...

The end of our third season is here. As we look back on our 55th (!!!) episode of TYFU, we're feeling one emotion stronger than others. Gratitude. This week, Beth and Marilla reflect on the things they are grateful for as they head into the choas of the holiday season in retail, but not before Marilla shares an epic Today in Retail. Please share Thank You for Understanding (TYFU) with your friends...

We've talked a lot about branding over the years. Marilla created one brand and then, unexpectedly, another. Beth's been thinking a lot about branding lately. This week, Kyle Knobel (who incidentally creates all of TYFU's great graphics) joins Beth and Marilla for a talk about what we mean by "brand" and how small details make a big difference. Would anybody like a New Coke? Please share Thank You...

Please share Thank You for Understanding (TYFU) with your friends and be sure to subscribe for future episodes and rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform. Contact us and share YOUR story at tyfupod.com . Follow us on Instagram @tyfupod . Like us on Facebook .

Some business owners are fearful of taking on debt. Others take a more "devil-may-care" approach to borrowing money. In this episode, Michael Scaglione of Finger Lakes Federal Credit Union talks to Beth and Marilla about good debt vs bad, how to know the difference, and how to use debt as a tool for growing small businesses rather than as a life raft for rescuing them. Please share Thank You for U...

We all agree that it takes a certain type of person to succeed in small business, but do we all agree on what type of person that is? This week, Beth and Marilla consider the essential personality characteristics shared by different kinds of micro business owners. Please share Thank You for Understanding (TYFU) with your friends and be sure to subscribe for future episodes and rate and review us o...

We are encouraged by how many listeners contact us to say TYFU makes them feel less alone as a small business owner. We are all in this together and want each and every one of us to succeed. Well, except for that one place down the street. We're going to bury that place! This week Beth and Marilla talk about their experiences with competition, healthy and...otherwise. Please share Thank You for Un...

We've talked about knowing when it's time to walk away from a business. Handing that business off to somebody else, particularly family, is a whole different matter. This week, Sarah Eighmey from one of our favorite wineries, Anthony Road , joins Beth and Marilla to talk about passing a business from generation to generation. Please share Thank You for Understanding (TYFU) with your friends and be...

What happens when you feel like your small business is taking more than it's giving? How do you deal with employee burnout, customer burnout, or your own sense of overwhelm? In this episode, Beth and Marilla discuss how to handle those inevitable moments when you feel like giving up. Please share Thank You for Understanding (TYFU) with your friends and be sure to subscribe for future episodes and...

"Dress for the job you want, not the job you have." As a small business owner, the job you have is (hopefully) the job you want, so what is one to do about a dress code? Do you dress for the vibe of the store? Do you dress to impress your customers? How do you tell your employees to dress?!! Tricky questions one and all, but Beth and Marilla don't shy away from any of them in this episode. Please...

So...TYFU is ready to make you a deal. Listen to our latest episode and we'll throw in the previous episode for FREE. Okay, okay...they're free all of the time, but some people just love to get something on sale. This week, Beth and Marilla talk about how they feel about PUTTING something on sale. Please share Thank You for Understanding (TYFU) with your friends and be sure to subscribe for future...

Owning a small business means hard work, long hours, and lots of stress. Fortunately you can hire good people, delegate some of that work, gain back some time, and sit back and worry about all of the things that might go wrong if you're not personally taking care of everything. This week, Beth and Marilla explore why, with such trustworthy employees, it's still so very hard to delegate tasks in th...

Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life. That means owning your own business is like taking a permanent vacation, right? RIGHT? This episode, Beth and Marilla talk longingly about taking a real vacation on the eve of Marilla departing for Europe. Please share Thank You for Understanding (TYFU) with your friends and be sure to subscribe for future episodes and rate and review us o...

Only two things are certain in life: death and taxes. At TYFU, we never want to be downers, so this week we talk about death. A listener and customer of Beth's suggested the topic. John Edson from Bostrom Farms Butcher Shop and Smokeshop joins Beth and Marilla in the Red Room Studio to talk about the surprising ways death can affect small business owners. Please share Thank You for Understanding (...

Beth raised a child as a small business owner. Our guest this week, Rachel Orlyk, who co-owns Staving Artist in Penn Yan, NY, raised a child as a small business owner. So, the big question is when will Marilla start a family? (Actually, no. That's not the question, and people should stop asking it.) In this episode, we talk about the trials and the joys of raising a family as a small business owne...

It seems like one day, you're opening the doors for the first time, and the next you've been a beloved local institution for decades. People in our hometown of Geneva, NY miss Area Records. Longtime owner Mikel George joins Beth and Marilla to talk about how and when he knew it was time to close up shop and the big and little factors involved in that decision. Please share Thank You for Understand...

Why sweat the backstabbing, undercutting, competing, copying, litigating, hiring, firing, and quitting when it's all "just business?" In this episode, return guest , Joe Kennedy of The Linden Social , joins Beth and Marilla to talk about the ethical and emotional implications of a phrase we've all heard (and perhaps ever uttered ourselves.) Please share Thank You for Understanding (TYFU) with your...

A listener recently wrote in and complimented us on our 10th anniversary of the podcast. We responded that we're only in our 3rd season. They said, no. They're sure we've been running this podcast for 10 years. This week, Beth and Marilla talk about gaslighting from mundane mistakes to alarming accusations. Please share Thank You for Understanding (TYFU) with your friends and be sure to subscribe...

Sometimes customers come in to buy a book. Sometimes customers come in to refill a jar of spices. Sometimes customers come in and unload a big load of emotional baggage. This week, Beth and Marilla compare notes on the cost of being an accidental counselor to their customers. Please share Thank You for Understanding (TYFU) with your friends and be sure to subscribe for future episodes and rate and...

Are you up to date with all of the cool, new social media platforms? What even ARE all of the cool new social media platforms? This week Beth and Marilla go in depth about social media. What's worked and not worked for them? How much time should be spent using it? And, is it worth it? Please share Thank You for Understanding (TYFU) with your friends and be sure to subscribe for future episodes and...

TYFU is back with Season 3! We thought about throwing a big party, but events...well...they're a lot. This episode, Beth and Marilla talk about what's good, what's hard, and what's unexpected about putting on events. Please share Thank You for Understanding (TYFU) with your friends and be sure to subscribe for future episodes and rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform. Contact us and...

We reached out to you, our listeners, and invited you to ask us anything. You responded. What sordid truths come to light? Listen and find out as we wrap up our second season! Please share Thank You for Understanding (TYFU) with your friends and be sure to subscribe for future episodes and rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform. Contact us and share YOUR story at tyfupod.com . Follow...