Creative Shop Talk Podcast Episode 238 | Behind the Counter: Building Community Through Beautiful Spaces with Lisa Wrixon
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In This Episode:
What would happen if you built a business centered entirely around what you love and what you believe your community is currently missing? We’re about to find out!
In this truly inspiring episode of the Creative Shop Talk Podcast, I’m sitting down with Lisa Wrixon, the visionary and CEO behind thestylewell and Lewellyn, two boutique shops in North Vancouver. From her roots in art history to leading retail operations for major brands, Lisa’s journey is a masterclass in turning passion into purpose. Discover how she built a thriving business centered on beautiful design, community engagement, and a curated customer experience—all while staying true to her values and vision. If you’re an independent retailer looking for actionable insights and motivation, this episode is for you!
Episode Highlights:
- We dig into Lisa’s Background: From studying art history to managing merchandising and retail operations for top brands like The Body Shop and Indaba Trading.
- thestylewell Origin Story: A dream sparked by a love for beautiful, curated spaces, culminating in a thriving home decor business in North Vancouver.
- Running Two Shops: Lisa owns thestylewell, focusing on home decor, and Lewellyn, a sister shop for fashion and accessories.
- Building Community: The importance of hosting workshops, events, and pop-ups to engage with the local design and retail community.
- Curating Success: Balancing simplicity, aesthetics, and strong operational practices to create a loyal customer base.
- Biggest Lessons: The value of staying true to your brand while taking calculated risks to grow.
Takeaways for All Independent Retailers:
- Invest in your community and prioritize relationships over transactions.
- Curate your offerings with a strong focus on aesthetics and what resonates with your ideal customers.
- Don’t overcomplicate operations—simplicity and clarity can fuel success.
- Collaborate and share knowledge generously to foster growth in your industry.
Lisa is an active member of the Retailer’s Inner Circle program. Join smart retailers like Lisa inside this program this year.
“I opened a shop for me because I couldn’t find what I wanted. Now, I create the need for others.” -Lisa Wrixon
Related podcasts we think you’d like:
Episode 237: Retailer Success Series: Cindy’s Journey to Building a Thriving Bead Store
Episode 217: Best of Retailer Success Series: Simplifying Your Retail Business with Louise McManus
Episode 179: Retailer Success Series: Jess Gebauer, on Using Unique Marketing and Sales Strategies
About Lisa and thestylewell:
thestylewell is curated and owned by Lisa Wrixon, an innovative and dynamic creative professional who relishes in inspiring, delighting and engaging customers. As a lover of all things beautiful, Lisa has years of experience as a residential Interior Designer, wholesale home décor brand strategist and Manager of Retail Operations for leading Canadian Retailers.
But it is her love of all things pretty, that are created with care, and her vision of creating meaningful moments in people’s homes that has driven her to open thestylewell. thestylewell aims to provide beautiful decorative pieces, hand selected by Lisa with the intent to enhance a living space, be admired and desired, shared or possessed for oneself.
Follow along with Lisa, thestylewell and Lewellyn : thestylewell Website | Lewellyn Website | thestylewell Instagram | Lewellyn Instagram
About Your Host, Wendy Batten:
In case we haven’t met yet, I’m Wendy, a small business coach and founder of The Retailer’s Inner Circle, where I help other independent shop owners learn how to gain the right business skillsets to see more profits, paychecks, and joy as they navigate running their retail business.
Through online classes, business coaching programs, speaking, and a top-ranked podcast, I’ve helped hundreds of retailers around the globe reclaim their dream and see the success they want from their beautiful shops. My signature private coaching community, The Retailer’s Inner Circle, has helped retailers around the world build their retail business skill sets and confidence.
I am proud to have been featured in several major publications, including my own business column in What Women Create magazine. I have been privileged to be a guest on top-ranked podcasts and sought-after as a guest speaker and teacher for several brands, associations, and communities that are passionate about the success of independent retailers.
When I’m not coaching, you will find me either DIYing and renovating my very imperfect old crooked cottage by the sea in the UNESCO World Heritage town of Lunenburg, NS, or blogging about our travel and RVing adventures and the weird fun things we get up to in our coastal village. I’d love to invite you to check out one of my free resources for real retailers at https://wendybatten.com/free-resources/
For more support from Wendy:
Retailer’s Inner Circle – Join Wendy inside the best retailer’s community
Wendy’s FREE Resources for shop owners
Hang out and connect with Wendy on IG
All of Wendy’s programs and services for shop owners can be found HERE.
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