Competition for independent retailers is getting tougher every day. Your #1 competitive advantage is providing a great experience for your customers. In this episode of Real Retail TV, I go over the importance of building your bench, aka, recruiting skillfully, and training your staff to sell so that you’re prepared when the holiday season arrives.

As a business owner, you need to take care of yourself first. If you’re neglecting your own needs, your store will ultimately suffer. This means taking time off to relax, reset, and think about the ultimate vision you have for your business by getting out of the day-to-day tasks

In one of my previous episodes of Real Retail TV, I talked about how we created a “Yo-yo boom” when my brother Steve and I owned Mackinaw Kite Company. In this episode, I want to share some of the pitfalls we ran into with our promotions and the tiny tweaks that made a dramatic difference in our sales.

In this episode of Real Retail TV, I highlight 3 local farmers who are doing things right when it comes to keeping great hours, bundling, and sampling to sell. Take these lessons and use them in your store to make more money!

For this week’s episode of Real Retail TV, we’re excited to be sharing a clip from the keynote address from the 2022 Retail Success Summit. In it, you’ll discover the opportunities available today for independent retailers like you. All you have to do is go out and take advantage of them!  

As a store owner dealing with vendors, customers, and employees, chances are you are going to run into annoying situations. I learned this tactic from Ken Barr Jr., a Gallup Certified Strengths coach, who came into the office to work with our team. Once I heard it, I knew I needed to share it with you. The method is simple, yet powerful.

Are you making deposits in your customer’s emotional bank account or are you always making withdrawals? This is such an important aspect of your marketing efforts that many people ignore. You must give to get. 



It takes guts to make changes and try something new, but that’s the only way to get real results. If you are stuck in a rut of complaining or just hoping for the best, it’s time to level up.

How did I get 100+ teenagers to sell millions of dollars worth of Yo-yo’s when I owned the Mackinaw Kite Company? The answer is simple, it all came down to training. When your staff knows what to do and has the confidence and tools to do it correctly, you will be amazed at the change you see and the new freedom you have.

How would you like to take a vacation or sit down for a family dinner without thinking about the stresses of running your store? I have broken it down into 4 Freedoms that every store owner desires: time freedom, mind freedom, physical freedom, and financial freedom. Training is the key to building the business of your dreams.