The phrase “Burn your ships” references a historical event that happened in the year 1519 during the Spanish conquest of Mexico. the Spanish commander, Hernάn Cortéz, scuttled his ships upon arriving in the new world. This act of destroying his own ships sent a very clear message to his men: there was no turning back. … Read more
Business is booming! Sales are up double digits, not over just last year, but the year before that. Great, right? Well, maybe, if it is sustainable. Many businesses are experiencing historically high sales, and many of those same businesses are struggling to attract and retain employees. There have been plenty of news stories, articles, and … Read more
Final part of Retail Level Up’s interview with Lynn Whitbeck, CEO of Petite2Queen and Future Forward Sales, and the co-author of the book Practical Wisdom at Work. Mickey Quinn: You mentioned a phrase I want to explore a little bit more. What do you mean when you say we need to “learn how to manage … Read more
A year ago there were probably thousands of people across the US that had a wish, they had a dream: they wanted to be able to work remotely. Some of those people probably went to their managers and made the request that they would like to work from home and a lot of them heard … Read more
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