Show Notes:
Another Inner Circle and Accelerator member I’m excited for you to meet, Sylvia Davis, is sharing her retailer journey with us. To say she’s an accidental entrepreneur is an understatement. She had the idea of being a shop owner after years of a career in finance, found a vacant space, and on a spur of the moment, three hours later it was hers back in 2016!
Six years later, Louisville Mercantile now has two locations in her small town of Tennessee (about 4,000 people) and grew from only selling painted furniture to now selling DIY, gifts, consignment, home decor, vintage, and offering workshops. Not to mention she sells online on Facebook every week!
Learn how she grew into a CEO and manages two sister stores. Take in her sound advice on managing it all so beautifully. From hiring, inventory, marketing, standard operating procedures, and knowing her audience – we talk about it all!
“Business is a journey. Failure is not a failure. It’s just a learning opportunity.” – Sylvia Davis
Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Radio Republic | YouTube | PlayerFM | Stitcher | iHeartRadio
A Quick Glance:
[0:55] Sylvia’s retail journey
[7:00] Two stores under one umbrella
[10:01] Sylvia the CEO
[14:36] Standards of Operations
[16:07] Community
[17:46] Struggles
[20:56] Sylvia’s advice
[25:32] What’s next?
About Sylvia:
Sylvia is the proud owner of Louisville Mercantile, a Home Decor, Vintage and Gift shop. She also sells DIY product and hosts classes in her shops. She refers to their shop as “A Modern Day General Store“. She has two brick-and-mortar locations approximately 20 minutes apart. Louisville TN, which is her original location and located in a lake community; and Maryville TN, which has a vintage vibe.
Website | Shop Online | Apple App | Google Play App | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Sylvias’ DIY FB Group
Don’t forget to leave a review on Apple podcasts!
Resources Mentioned:
Sylvia’s DIY Community Group
Retail Made Simple
Level Up Mastermind
Foot Traffic Made Simple
Retailer’s Inner Circle
Related podcasts we think you’ll like:
Episode 120 – Simplifying & Amplifying Your Business with Shop Owner Louise McManus
Episode 113 – Growth & Mindset with Jeff Lee from The Vintage Nest
Episode 93 – How to Wow and Delight Your Customers to Keep Them Coming Back
Episode 91 – The CEO Confessions with Retailers Wendy and Malinda
Episode 88 – Making Pivotal (and scary) CEO Decisions with Retailer Melanie Kolb
Episode 85 – 4 Ways to Wow and Delight Your Holiday Shoppers
Episode 84 – 6 Tips to Help You Amplify Your Team’s Performance This Holiday
For more support from Wendy:
Retail Made Simple – Wendy’s on demand course for shop owners wanting more from their business
Retailer’s Inner Circle – Join Wendy inside the best retailer’s community
Top Sales Playlist
These are a few of my listeners favourite Creative Shop Talk Podcast episodes.
Grab your earbuds and listen in with me!