Thank You for Understanding (TYFU)

If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. But even the team ups with the best intentions can lead you astray. This week, Beth and Marilla explore collaborations in their many forms. But, they don't name names. Contact us and share YOUR story at  tyfupod.com . Follow us on Instagram @tyfupod . Like us on Facebook .

TYFU began with an introductory episode. Beth and Marilla explained that a big part of owning a small business is being able to put on a brave face even when the back room is on fire. Now that they're going into business together...got a match? Contact us and share YOUR story at  tyfupod.com . Follow us on Instagram @tyfupod . Like us on Facebook .

Beth and Marilla were busy recording this week's episode when suddenly the cops showed up! Luckily, no one from TYFU was arrested. The cop was just Marilla's sister, Grace Lipker, coming by to share stories about scams and scammers both inside and outside the world of small business. Contact us and share YOUR story at  tyfupod.com . Follow us on Instagram @tyfupod . Like us on Facebook .

Contention, rivalry, clashes, disputes, discord, no matter how you describe it, people have a lot of different reactions to confrontations. This episode, Beth and Marilla talk about the sorts of confrontations small businesses owners deal with every day. Contact us and share YOUR story at  tyfupod.com . Follow us on Instagram @tyfupod . Like us on Facebook .

Contact us and share YOUR story at  tyfupod.com . Follow us on Instagram @tyfupod . Like us on Facebook .

What happens when a small local business, beloved in it's community, suddenly changes hands? On this episode, John Edson from Bostrom Farms Butchershop House and Smoke House returns to TYFU to talk about customer responses and staff experiences when new owners take over an established business.

Do you turn left, or do you turn right? In this episode, Beth and Marilla talk about how their stores are laid out and why. We'll probably hear more about this in the future as they start laying out a store together! Contact us and share YOUR story at  tyfupod.com . Follow us on Instagram @tyfupod . Like us on Facebook .

Two heads are better than one, right? Partnerships are common in business and there are lots of kinds of partners. Some might offer capital, a crucial skill set, industry knowledge, or emotional support. But, different visions and personalities can make thing go south in a hurry. In this episode, Beth and Marilla talk about the pros and cons of partnerships and agree that two heads are usually NOT...

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 (...