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.

Patrick Keiser is the Founder and Executive Director of the nonprofit Heart on Main Street. Following a career as a high school educator, Patrick entered the wholesale industry in 2016 with a passion for making a difference in communities.

After several years of learning within the wholesale industry, Patrick believed he could be doing more to help independent retailers. In 2021, he conceptualized the idea of bringing together the efforts of companies and organizations that relied on Main Street businesses to provide more tools, resources, and education to retailers across the country.

With the belief that by supporting the growth and sustainability of independent retailers, you can help create better economic conditions for those in the community, Heart on Main Street was formed in 2022. In its first full year in 2023, Heart on Main Street provided over $60,000 to retailers affected by natural disasters and continues to grow as an organization.

Patrick shares his career journey from a high school teacher to his work with One Coast and Heart on Main Street. He shares how Heart on Main Street grew from just an idea to the organization it is today. Michelle and Patrick also discuss mentorship in the industry and the power of community, how Patrick works with retailers, the story behind his Main Street Monday tours, and what the future holds for Heart on Main Street.

What’s Inside:

• How and why Patrick started Heart on Main Street
• A discussion on mentorship and the power of community
• The story behind Patrick’s Main Street Monday tours

Mentioned In This Episode:
Heart on Main Street on Instagram
Heart on Main Street on Facebook
Heart on Main Street Website
Heart on Main Street on TikTok

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.

Nora’s story began with a pivotal "a-ha moment" in 2004 at her pottery shop just outside of Chicago, Illinois, where she noticed women returning month after month to create platters for various occasions. Curious about where they were storing all these platters, she envisioned a simpler solution—a single
platter for multiple occasions.

Two years later, Nora's brother, Jon, joined her as a business partner, bringing a perfect blend of creativity and development skills to help her grow the company. Family remains the core of Nora’s business, and each member of her team is connected through life’s circle of family and friends.

Nora shares all about her incredible career and personal journey and how it blossomed into her thriving business. She walks through how she came up with her innovative platter concept and discusses the impact of doing signings with customers. Michelle and Nora also chat about how Nora navigates her business since her brother’s passing, advice on building your own brand, and how Nora gives back to the community through her work.

What’s Inside:

• How Nora developed her innovative platter concept
• Advice on building your own brand
• How Nora’s company gives back

Mentioned In This Episode:
Nora Fleming on Instagram
Nora Fleming Website
Nora Fleming on Facebook

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.

In 2023, Nathan Raposo and Spencer Howard of Nathan Spencer Home acquired the Agoura Antique Mart in Agoura Hills, California, after operating locations in San Diego, La Jolla, and Venice. Spencer began selling antiques in the 1990s and operated a design and construction firm in Houston, Texas, that specialized in historic preservation and architectural antiques. After that, he commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Navy’s Civil Engineer Corps and did construction projects around the world.

Nathan owned a home fragrance shop in Boston, Massachusetts, where he handcrafted candles, reed diffusers, and solid perfumes. Prior to that, he was a private hair stylist for a luxury high rise in downtown Boston. They met in San Diego as Spencer was finishing his last tour with the Navy. Together, they created Nathan Spencer Home to combine their love of antiques, gifts, and home decor.

This summer, they are expanding the Agoura Antique Mart by 25% with an additional 2,300 sq. ft. of showroom space at the Whizin Market Square in Agoura Hills, California.

Here, Nathan and Spencer share all about their background and how it influenced their business ventures today. They discuss the details on how their furniture painting techniques got them into antiques and what it’s like at the Agoura Hills Antique Mart. Nathan and Spencer also share insights into their merchandising strategy, how they split their work responsibilities, how they design their stores and manage vendors, and much more.


What’s Inside:

• How Nathan and Spencer’s background led them to where they are today
• What it’s like inside the Agoura Antique Mart
• How Nathan and Spencer design their stores and manage vendors

Mentioned In This Episode:
The Agoura Antique Mart on Instagram
The Agoura Antique Mart on Facebook
www.TheAgouraAntiqueMart.com

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.salesproducersinc.com.

Jason Mauser is the CEO and Founder of Mausser Consulting Inc., a Product Development Think Tank and International and Domestic Sourcing Company founded in 2006. With over 35 years of diverse sales experience, his client list includes Toyota Motors, Cedars Sinai Hospital, LA Dodgers, Disney Corp., Warner Bros., Museum of Contemporary Art, Universal Studios, MGM, Tao Restaurant Group, BOKA Restaurant Group and Patina Restaurant Group. Jason has been mastering these techniques while advising Sales associates for over 15 years.

Jason has an extensive background in sales, and his book’s title is just perfect for this podcast: Don’t Shut the Fck Up! Here, he shares all about his history, how he’s flipping the script on sales, and how the book came to be. Jason also talks about how to recognize your own authority, how to prevent wasted effort and avoid bad clients, how Jason uses his tactics in his own life and business, and more.

What’s Inside:

• All about Jason’s book, Don’t Shut the Fck Up.
• How to prevent wasted effort and avoid problematic clients.
• How Jason uses his tactics in life and business.
  
  

Mentioned In This Episode:

Don't Shut the Fck Up on Instagram
Don't Shut the Fck Up on TikTok
Don't Shut the Fck Up on Facebook
Work with Jason
Don't Shut the F$ck up!: Transform Your Selling Mindset: 15 Questions and Answers for Ultimate Sales Success!

In my monthly solo shows, I’ll be filling you in on what’s been happening in my world, what projects I’m working on, and updates on any exciting news. I’ll also be talking about industry best practices, and in this episode, I’ll share with you how I like to tackle store flips step by step.

I also share some of the new projects I’m getting into, including webinars, which I’m really excited about. I’m also going to be offering consultation calls soon, so stay tuned for more information!

What’s Inside:

• How to tackle store flips
  
  

Mentioned In This Episode:

MC Design Collaboration on Instagram
The Retail Whore Podcast on Instagram
The Retail Whore Podcast on TikTok
MC Design Collaboration on TikTok

Kate Murray is the owner of Quick Brown Fox Letterpress, based in the Hudson Valley of New York. Quick Brown Fox makes quirky cards with perfect puns the old-fashioned way: one color at a time, one card at a time, on turn of the century letterpress machines.

To pay her dues, Kate worked in two amazing NYC letterpress studios for more than 10 years. When the opportunity came up to salvage and restore two presses, both in pretty bad shape, Quick Brown Fox Letterpress was born. Most of the cards that you see on Kate’s website are printed on the press that was in the worst shape, Goldie the Golding Jobber.

Years and years later, Kate is constantly adding to my line of quirky, pun-filled letterpress greeting cards. Each card is painstakingly printed one at a time, one color at a time, with immaculate registration on a late 19th Century and early 20th century letterpress. Some people may say, "11 colors for one card?! That's a lot of colors!" But Kate always says, "There's no such thing as too many colors."

Here, Michelle and Kate talk about the Greeting Card Association, the merger of Noted and Gifted, and the old San Francisco Now show. Kate also shares how she wound up taking over Noted without show experience, how this year’s show will be different from last year’s, what retailers can expect at the show, how to sign up, and more.

What’s Inside:

• All about the merger of Noted and Gifted
• Teasers for this year’s Noted Expo
• What retailers can expect at the show

Mentioned In This Episode:

Attend Noted+Gifted
Noted Expo on Instagram
Greeting Card Association on LinkedIn
Greeting Card Association on Facebook
Quick Brown Fox Letterpress Website

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.salesproducersinc.com.

Sisters Cliona and Laragh Standún run a boutique destination store in Galway, in the West of Ireland. The family business was established by their grandparents in 1946 and has undergone many changes over the past three generations. From a general country store catering to local people’s daily needs to a world-renowned tourist destination. Nowadays, the business caters to both international and local customers as well as having a global reach on its online platform.

Both sisters worked in retail elsewhere before they teamed up together in 2012 and brought their previous experience as well as their individual skills to grow the business and work on achieving their shared vision. The sisters would say that their strengths are like ‘chalk & cheese’ which makes for the perfect duo. With both having over 20 years’ retail experience, they eat & breathe everything retail and are always trying to advance their business and continue to grow in an ever-changing and competitive environment.

In 2017, they expanded and opened a second store in a nearby town called Oughterard, which has

been a success and has allowed them to double that retail space within 5 years. The business has gone through its fair share of ups and downs throughout its almost 80 years. The family had to adapt to many economic changes over the years in order to remain competitive and relevant.

Cliona and Laragh are the podcast’s very first international listeners, and here, they share how they’ve grown their family business to what it is today. The Standún sisters also discuss how they divide up their workload, how they tackle their buying, what it’s like to attend an international gift fair, and more.

What’s Inside:

• How Cliona and Laragh have grown their family business
• How the Standún sisters tackle buying and other responsibilities
• What it’s like to attend an international gift fair
  
  

Mentioned In This Episode:

Standún on Instagram
Standún on Facebook
Standún Website

• How Amy’s theater background influenced her work in merchandising
• Amy’s insights into the art of visual merchandising
• Why displays are a big reflection of your brand