The Retail Whore

Ronald Carter likes to think of creative styling as an art form: a masterpiece, carefully crafted by imagination and passion. He fell into his career by accident as a struggling actor in need of a side hustle. Ronald was living in Seattle at the time and recalls asking a friend if she knew of anyone who was hiring, and she kindly suggested checking out Eddie Bauer. From there, his retail career to...

Many of you were interested in hearing about how the CMA job came to be, my planning process, and how everything turned out. This week, I’m recapping it all here on the podcast! Starting from the beginning, I talk about how Emily Hoffman (VP of Sales for CMA) reached out to me for some rework projects, then get into the challenges we faced, all the unique design elements, and how it ultimately cam...

Larisa Olson grew up in Chicago, the daughter of an entrepreneur who purchased a failing framing and furniture business and revitalized it. After many crazy adventures, Larisa studied set and costume design in the UCLA master’s program. Over the years, she also spent much time immersed in her father's framing showroom as the showroom coordinator (she had to organize a very chaotic business!) ...

Jason Soejoto is the National Account Manager for Specialty and Independent Business at Duke Cannon Supply Company. Duke Cannon is a one-stop shop for premium men’s grooming goods, and the brand occupies a really unique space within the gifts industry. Hailing from a simpler time, Duke Cannon values things like hard work, family, community, and... bacon! Prior to joining Duke Cannon, Jason was a b...

Sam Chapman started his career as a hairdresser, working for some of the biggest names in the UK. Eventually, he decided it was time to work for himself and opened his own salon. He got a crash course in running a business and learned how to stand out in front of the right customers and encourage them to come back. At one point, Sam’s business was failing to the point where he was on the brink of...

I can’t believe we’ve already said goodbye to 2024!  I like to do solo shows this time of year because it gives me a chance to take a look back at all that happened and also to talk about what I’m looking forward to as we move ahead. If you’ve been following along, this past year was full of challenges, from saying goodbye to our puggle to moving all the way to Oregon. Thankfully, things are slowi...

Hailing from North Dakota, where her nearest shopping opportunity was over 300 miles away, Ashley Alderson longed for a place online to find and shop the boutiques she loved all over the country, together in one place. "There must be a place for shoppers like me who love boutiques to find them all—and a place where boutique owners themselves can connect to find resources & grow," Ash...

Annie Glenn (AKA Urban Girl Annie) started her company, LG Retail Enterprises, back in 1994 and she’s been doing retail ever since. Although she majored in literature in college, Annie’s known she wanted to own her own business from the age of 10. With no prior background in retail, she credits her business success to having great instincts and a lack of fear. Today, she’s a proud entrepreneur and...

Retail icon Iris Fuller opened her store, Fillamento, back in April 1981 and led the Fillmore District neighborhood renaissance in the San Francisco area. In its heyday, Fillamento was three floors at Fillmore and Sacramento and was filled to the brim with furniture, glassware, linens, bath items and eclectic gifts from the whimsical to the practical. After 20 glorious years of business, Fillament...

Mary Liz Curtin is passionate about independent retail. Her knowledge of all aspects of the gift, craft and home industries gives her a unique point of view, encompassing the needs of retailers, vendors and sales representatives. She is also a heck of a retail shopper and loves to crawl malls, discover downtowns and walk through the Web to find ideas and inspirations for her presentations. With ov...

Root Adorned is the brainchild/dream project of Erin Hasler. Erin's love for beautiful treasures began most likely at birth (maybe in the womb?) and has grown ever since. A self-described magpie, easily distracted by anything that sparkles; Erin continues to fill her own home with rugs, plants, pottery and dogs. Her philosophy being that you can never have enough of any of the above. Born and...

Based in Seattle, Andrew Fegler is the brains and beauty behind That’s So Andrew, the sassy gift brand for the girls, gays, and theys. He’s been sailing the entrepreneurial seas for over a decade and has gone from manufacturing, to having a brick & mortar, to creating an exclusive wholesale brand. Now, Andrew’s full circling BACK to open the doors of a POP-UP gift shop! Andrew shares his recen...

Mary Bligh and Jessica Giancotti are lifelong friends and passionate designers with over 20 years of combined experience. They founded Lily & Marigold Home + Design on a shared belief: women can thrive in their careers, embrace motherhood, and create beautiful, functional spaces that truly feel like home.  At Lily & Marigold, Mary and Jessica believe a beautiful home should be accessible t...

In this solo show, Michelle recaps her 40th high school reunion and what it was like to geek out over retail with her former classmates… without her old insecurities. She catches everyone up on what’s been going on since the move to Oregon and living life at a much slower pace. Michelle chats about burnout and why it’s important to recharge to stay creative, store standards and your role as a merc...

Ken Lain is known by his friends as 'The Mountain Gardener'. His weekly garden advice is featured by Prescott Living and Prescott Woman Magazines, the Daily Courier, Prescott eNews, and Signals AZ Newspapers. Ken is passionate about plants, creative landscape design, and spreading the good news that gardening is healthy and fun. Ken dreamed of owning his own business after graduating fro...

Jocelyn Songco is the founder and owner of Yarn Farm Kingston, a yarn shop and wine bar in New York's Hudson Valley, two hours north of NYC. Prior to Yarn Farm, Jocelyn worked at a private foundation for over a dozen years, investing in social entrepreneurs in emerging markets, primarily in Africa in the agriculture sector, as well as a handful of years in for-profit finance in NYC. She went...

Annie Glenn (also known as Urban Girl Annie) started her company LG Retail Enterprises back in 1994 and has been doing retail ever since. Although Annie majored in literature in college, she knew she wanted to own a business since she was 10 years old.  With no prior background in retail, she credits her business success to having great instincts and a lack of fear. Today, she’s a proud entreprene...

In 2005, Johanna Bialkin moved to San Francisco, seeking solace from the bustle of New York City and her sojourn in digital media. While the allure of SF's tech industry didn't captivate her, the promise of a tight-knit community did. She longed for connections forged in genuine conversations, for friendships nurtured over shared experiences. It was in this pursuit that Aldea was born —...

SF Mercantile began in 2008 with the objective of producing high-quality San Francisco gifts and keepsakes designed by local artists. Their products celebrate the vibrant and diverse culture that is unique to California, and all of their items are designed by artists who live in the San Francisco Bay area.  The company was started by Robert Emmons, who saw a niche in the market after working on a...

This week’s episode is sponsored by @salesproducersinc, a progressive business to business company representing Gift, Lifestyle, Fashion, Personal Care, & Kids lines selling to retail stores with a mission to create long lasting, profitable relationships by adding significant value to our Customer, Vendor, and Team partners. For more information, check out their social media or website www.sal...

This week’s episode is sponsored by Fine Lines, a west coast wholesale rep agency with showrooms in Las Vegas and Seattle representing over 50 fabulous gifts, fashion + home lines. Along with his partner Bryce, Andrew Gawdun runs the shop curious... in Hermosa Beach, CA. Andrew started his journey in Colorado at a young age before moving to Nevada with family and then Southern Utah for a few years...

This episode is sponsored by Patrick & Company, a wholesale sales agency proudly representing nationally and internationally branded companies. Located in the Dallas Market Center, for over 30 years they have been the go-to source for retailers helping to discover those unique, sought-after, and stylish brands. Best known as rapper/actor Bow Wow’s mother and manager for most of her career, Ter...

MC Design Academy is designed to be a space where I get to share my expertise with you, where you'll get to learn all about visual merchandising, design, display, retail, and everything in between. Come along as I practice my craft and be sure to like, subscribe, and follow our socials to keep updated. See you in the merchandising land of MC Design Academy! The Thumb in Scottsdale, Arizona, i...

This week’s episode is sponsored by Fine Lines, a west coast wholesale rep agency with showrooms in Las Vegas and Seattle representing over 50 fabulous gifts, fashion + home lines. I’m back with another solo show to catch you up on what’s been going on these past few months! Here, I’ll talk a little about some of the experiences I’ve had over the summer, which flew by so fast. Between our move to...

This week’s episode is sponsored by @salesproducersinc, a progressive business to business company representing Gift, Lifestyle, Fashion, Personal Care, & Kids lines selling to retail stores with a mission to create long-lasting, profitable relationships by adding significant value to our Customer, Vendor, and Team partners. For more information, check out their social media or website www.sal...