Field Notes for Retail Leaders

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash Hey Leader, Guess what? I forgot to write this newsletter yesterday. Just totally forgot. Oops. And it's my newsletter. It's my business, and I totally spaced it. Forget anything in your job lately? It's okay. It happens to all of us. All we can do is get it done and move on. But here's what I wanted to talk to you about today: What do you do when you give a leader on your team everything you can think of and they're still not getting it? Let's get into it. I...

Photo by Hadi Slash on Pexels Hey Leader, I published this article on my Substack, The Voice of the Frontline, a few weeks ago. I'm sending it to you now because I want to make sure you read it. This year will be weird for all of us. But in retail, it will be extra weird. I want you to have all the facts and have an action plan, so here it is. Take care of each other and remember - you can hit reply to this email and ask me anything. Heads Up, Retail Leaders: It's Going to Be a Weird Year For...

Photo by Steven Aguilar on Unsplash Hey Leader, As a store manager, I taught my team how to do everything. There were very few things that only I could do. I wrote the schedules. I made sure people were being paid correctly. I signed off on new hires. But run-of-the-mill daily tasks can usually be handled by anyone. Heck, I even taught some of my salespeople how to call IT and troubleshoot problems. They always asked me first. I'd see what I could do, but then I'd tell them to call and tell...

Hi. I'm gonna be so real with you right now. I spent the last month working my guts out on a leadership styles course. I was in the final stages of designing the sales page and making the videos. The course was in pre-sale. Guess what? I killed it. I killed the launch. Is that crazy? I spent a month on it. I was super stoked to share this information. I knew it would help leaders so much. But the climate wasn't right. People were not interested in it. Not here. Not now. I had (A LOT) of...

Hey Leader, The wait is over! The Retail Leadership Compass: Find Your True North is in pre-sale! This is a leadership styles training for retail leaders. For a limited time, you can get the entire course for just $72 (that's 50% off the regular price of $144!). This fun & effective mini-course includes: Short, punchy video modules on 4 distinct leadership styles Downloadable PDF + Leadership Styles Quiz Actionable strategies you can implement immediately And much more! This pre-sale price...

Hi Leaders, Get ready to level up! I'm going LIVE on Substack tomorrow with the incredible Steve Worthy to explore all things leadership. You won't want to miss this lively and down-to-earth conversation. We'll be talking about writing reviews and sharing actionable strategies you can implement immediately. Come prepared with your burning leadership questions – we'll be answering them live in the chat! Friday, February 14th Time: 9am PST/ 12pm ESTPlace: Substack app or desktop (new!) Steve...

Hi Leaders, I just got off a Substack Live event with Steve Worthy. We were talking about leading during chaotic times. Leading through change, social unrest, or policy changes is never easy. But leading is almost never easy - we know that. So, what do we do? How do we still lead when everything around us is in a constant state of upheaval or unknown? Here are three things I talked about with Steve today. Talk to someone. We all need people that we can call. Yes, I mean call. Not just text....

Hi Leaders, We're in the third week of January this year already. How are you? If you gave me a big ole sigh, I feel that. Every time I'm like, "How is it ______ already?" I feel like a grandma. But oh well. Lean in. Time flies and keeping it all straight isn't easy. There's a lot going on in the world, and a lot of that change can feel heavy. Rest when you can. Set those boundaries with your team to give you time off. And stay hydrated. This morning I kept feeling like there was not enough...

Hey Leader, How are you holding up? The whole month of January really felt like a 30-day hangover when I was a store manager. You're cleaning up from holiday, trying to make an empty store look full, saying goodbye to seasonal employees, and inventory is staring you square in the face. Sigh. It's a lot, and floor coverage is usually at its bare minimum. It's pretty hard to prep for inventory when you're running the floor with one other person. But somehow, we always make it work. In the hopes...