Who here has spent all day shopping at Market and realized, quite painfully, they wore the wrong shoes?
My guest today got her “retailer start” by going to Market to help her mom sell furniture. There she began her under-the-table shoe business by hooking up other women who were shopping with her comfortable shoes from Mexico.
I can’t wait for you to meet a fellow creative retailer, Neely Powell, the founder of Charleston Shoe Company.
After going to shoe design school, Neely opened her first store in Savannah in April 2010, borrowing the first and last month’s rent from her mother. By July of that year she opened a second store on King Street in Charleston. Now she has 26 locations and as a wholesale product line in 300 boutiques.
This is so impressive because she did it with very little marketing budget, a baby on her hip, and not many employees.
In this conversation, she shares how she attracted customers to her store wearing two different shoes… how the power of referrals built her empire … and why the store atmosphere is so crucial to the customer experience.
I know you’ll find so much inspiration and encouragement from hearing her “accidental shopkeeper” journey. She’s overcome many obstacles but her fighting spirit is always willing to turn failure into opportunities.
“I love to say I’m a 22-year-overnight success because this didn’t all happen yesterday.”
Links Mentioned in this Episode:
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 dreams 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
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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XO Wendy
