The skills that help someone get promoted to a management role, or the skills that an entrepreneur uses to build and run a successful business, are often skills that are tied specifically to their profession. In the retail industry, people who are great in sales, or have exceptional merchandising skills, often find themselves promoted into … Read more
Have you ever felt you were just so busy that you didn’t even have time to stop for gas? And what happens when you fail to do that? You are likely to find yourself stranded, on the side of the road, in the middle of nowhere, very frustrated with yourself, and everybody else is extremely … Read more
Several years ago, I was the Director of Store Operations for growing retailer that had won an award for great customer service. We had received an invitation to speak at one of our vendor’s user conference. I went to my boss to ask if I would be allowed to present and he said “No, I … Read more
Brick-and-mortar retailers have been challenged over the past decade or so to innovate, adapt, or face the inevitable death of being a dinosaur. As consumers have become comfortable with shopping for their wants and needs online, the fate of brick-and-mortar retailers has been on uncertain ground. With what has been happening in the first half … Read more
Managing a retail organization is challenging. When looking at the P&L, the eye often gets drawn to those big line items, one of the biggest often being store labor. It’s tempting to set an expectation to save a percent or two on the labor budget. It‘s a big number, so even though the percent is … Read more
We’re getting close to that time of year when we are giving thanks and giving gifts. In the spirit of the season of giving, consider giving something unique and very valuable: the gift of feedback. Chances are, you are in a position at work, or in your personal life, where you have some form of … Read more
There are plenty of things a brick-and-mortar retailer might be scared of in our current environment, but let’s get one thing clear, right from the start: Amazon isn’t one of them. Sure, Amazon is big, so big one might think “how can I possibly compete with that?”. If you linger for too long in that … Read more
When I was first promoted to the role of President and CEO, I became very familiar with the phrase “It’s lonely at the top.” Anyone who has made the move from the role of a worker on the team, to be the one in charge of the team, knows it can be a challenging transition. … Read more
The movie Horrible Bosses was released in 2011. It was rather crude, but also pretty funny. It made me realize things could be a whole lot worse in the workplace. That said, I still have a few good stories of some of my own horrible bosses. Very early in my career I had a boss … Read more
I was promoted to the management level very early in my career. I was all of 20-something, when I was promoted to manager, and I thought I was a pretty big deal. I had the title, responsibility and the authority. I quickly learned that I wasn’t as big a deal as I first thought. Operational … Read more