Keeping Shop: A Brick and Mortar Podcast Rachel Wentworth

Just a little check-in now that life is totally, 100%, unbelievably different. Most of our spaces are closed and we're all treading water, waiting for this nightmare to end. This show is a glimpse into where we at Forty Winks stand with the PPP, what's making us money, and where my head's at as I navigate this. Enjoy....?

Today I’m excited to release my chat with Lisa Mullan, owner and co-founder of Uwila Warrior in Boston, MA. Lisa’s company is leading the charge against uncomfortable underwear; we’ve carried her line at Forty Winks since close to the beginning and our customers come back for it over and over again.  In fact, we have one customer who just wrote and ordered: “every medium you have in that incredible thong.” She was referring to this thong which is in fact, “incredible” if you’re in the market (restocking soon, btw).

Lisa and I talked before coronavirus hit, but there is so much in our chat that’s applicable to what we’re facing right now. I am struck by Lisa’s dedication to creating (and re-creating) the best possible product for her clients and by her decision to focus on steady growth even if it takes a while. She mentions the “long game” a couple of times throughout our chat and even then before I knew we’d have to shutter our store, this struck me as incredibly smart. It’s pretty much the mantra of every brick and mortar business owner; our shops and spaces are rarely an overnight success, right? These are long-term investments for us. Smart brick and mortar bosses don’t open thinking that we’re going to roll in dough immediately, we open because we want to create a space and a community that lasts for a long time. Now more than ever, it’s important to keep our focus on the long game.  What are we doing now to ensure that our businesses will be nimble enough to withstand this game-changer? How are we connecting with our customers, both established and new that will bring them back when our doors open again?

As we navigate this pandemic as small business owners, as our brains are overloaded with loan applications, unemployment claims, past-due bills, and landlord drama, let’s encourage each other to focus on what matters most, creating beautiful connective customer experiences that will last way past this tightest of situations. I’d love to hear how you’re playing the long game. Write to me. And enjoy the show.

Today I have the pleasure of releasing my conversation with Jay Adams co-founder and advisor to Brass, an online and brick & mortar company specializing in quality pieces that simplify and enhance their customer's wardrobes. 

Jay and I connected years ago and she's been a constant source of inspiration for me as she and her business partner, Katie have grown Brass into a thriving and innovative online business. While they've always had short-term pop-up spaces, their first long-standing brick and mortar opened in Boston a few months ago so I’m excited to bring Jay on the show as an official brick and mortar boss.

I was sort of weirded out by releasing conversations recorded pre-Coronavirus, but my friends and colleagues convinced me to keep releasing shows in an effort to keep things as "normal" as possible.  This conversation is actually really timely in that Jay and I talk a lot about eCommerce and how to create strong, vibrant communities within the online space. Now more than ever, we need to be finding ways to reach our clients virtually but not just to sell things to them. Our customers are in need of connection; people are feeling isolated and scared and we're in a unique position to create space for them. These connections and conversations are what will keep us afloat long term. 

Not only does Jay talk to us about creating real connections with our customers, but she also shares what it's like to build an e-commerce platform, to manufacture pieces for lots of body types and how important communication is to a business partnership. Enjoy the show.