Retail Success Stories – Learning to Level Up with Amy Hart | Episode 78

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Episode Summary:

I am so excited to introduce to you an amazing fellow retailer, shop owner Amy Hart! She is also a part of my Level Up Mastermind group and has taken a few courses with Retail Made Simple.

She was an elementary school teacher first, then started teaching painting classes at a friend’s local store in 2016. In that same store, Amy and her friend started a line of paint by number products and sold it to stores all over the country.

On an infamous trip to England, Amy and her family sat on the idea of opening her own shop. In the meantime, she created toile (pronounced “twall”) which means “linen cloth” or “canvas” in French. Basically a fabric with images. She shared it at a local flea market in the Spring of 2017 and then opened her first little shop in Tallahassee, FL in September of 2017.

When she quickly outgrew her first shop, her family then moved to Thomasville, GA where they found their new location for The Hare & The Hart. A shop with an English/Southern/French decorating style and a huge, amazing community!

It’s hard work to open, run and stay creative. It’s even harder when you know you need some strategic planning and “business back end skill and confidence.” Amy shares how she knew it was time to step into that role in a more confident way. And she did. 

Owning a retail shop doesn’t come without its ups and downs. But after taking Wendy’s courses, and immediately signing up for the Retailer’s Inner Circle, Amy found the tools and resources and more so, the confidence to step fully into her role as CEO. She was able to allow others to help run her business for a short amount of time and not worry. She made incredible brave and great decisions for her business to thrive. Now, the back-end of her business is set up so well that she is able to hand things off to her team and be ok with it.

Listen in to today’s episode and get a real behind-the-scenes look at Amy’s brick-and-mortar shop story and how taking control and realizing the gaps can help you thrive. It’s been so amazing watching her beautifully grow her business by making decisions based on profits, margins, and JOY. 

Check out where she’s been in the retail world and where she’s going.

In This Episode:

[1:17] Fun fact about Amy

[4:47] Amy’s business journey

[24:27] How Amy found Wendy – the rest is history!

[28:57] Amy put her CEO hat on

[32:54] Trust and gratitude

[35:14] What’s next for Amy’s business

[41:03] Amy’s business advice

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A few quotes for you…

“It’s ok to say ‘let me think about it’ so you can really think things through.” – Amy Hart

“I feel confident in my choices and see the big picture now!” – Amy Hart

“You want the hairdressers talking about you and sending people to you!” – Wendy Batten

“Learn to lead well and trust the people you are leading.” – Wendy Batten

Mentioned in this episode:

*The 1st aha moment and course Amy took from Wendy, Retail Made Simple 

*Wendy’s Level Up Mastermind 

Find and follow Amy here:

Website | Facebook | Instagram

Find Wendy – Subscribe, Connect & Share Your Favorite Episodes

For more great content and helpful tips to grow your creative retail shop, visit Wendy’s website. Follow Wendy on Facebook and Instagram, subscribe on YouTube, and don’t forget to share your favorite episodes with other creative retailers.

Ways you can work with Wendy to grow your beautiful retail business here: https://wendybatten.com/work-with-me/

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of the Creative Shop Talk Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts or Google Podcast to subscribe to the show and leave your honest review. 

This podcast is sponsored by my Retailer’s Inner Circle:

If you want to elevate your skills as a shop owner, and have been searching for a community custom-made for you, join us inside the Retailer’s Inner Circle here!