Rooted in Retail Crystal Vilkaitis

This week I’m talking about episode 81 with Lori Foster where we talk all about using Facebook Lives to market her shop. She has such incredible results and the biggest secret to her success is that she has found a way to make it FUN for her. 


For Lori that means leveraging spontaneous creativity to create her daily live show. This idea might be inspiring and freeing for you - to not have to worry about having a strict plan that you have to follow every single day. For others that might stress you out even more.


The key is to find what makes it fun and interesting for you so that you stick to it and let it grow your business. 


Join me in today’s after-the-show as we talk about:


[00:00] Welcome to After the Show!
[01:47] Lori calls her customers "Divas." This brings them together into a tight community (with mugs and all). Creating that sense of community can be a powerful driver when creating content. What would you call the members of your community?
[04:16] Biggest Takeaway: Leveraging the Power of Spontaneous Creativity
[09:24] Let us help you amplify your results
[12:01] Register for the 2025 EVOLVE Conference!
[13:16] Coming up next week on Rooted in Retail!

Get access to all of the details on our website at https://www.crystalmediaco.com/episodes/using-spontaneous-creativity-in-your-marketing-after-the-show/


Join the Rooted in Retail Facebook Group to continue the conversation - https://www.facebook.com/groups/rootedinretail

Lori Foster has mastered the art of engaging with customers through Facebook Live. Lori shares her journey into live streaming during the pandemic, emphasizing its significant impact on sales and customer connection. She offers insights on how she plans content, engages viewers, and converts live sessions into sales without relying on e-commerce platforms. Lori's strategy of maintaining consistency, being authentic, and offering valuable content has not only allowed her to sell products daily but also to expand her customer base across Canada. 
The episode is rich with advice for retailers on starting their live streams, including practical tips on promoting sessions (without ads), encouraging engagement, and ultimately driving sales (organically).
[00:00] Leveraging the Power of Facebook Lives with Lori Foster of The Dressing Room
[02:48] Welcome Lori Foster, owner of The Dressing Room in Ontario, Canada
[04:15] What originally inspired Lori to do daily Facebook lives at her store?
[08:17] Did Lori have any resistance when she first started to go live?
[09:51] Lori gives us a peek behind the curtain and shares with us how she plans and executes her daily Facebook lives and three pieces of advice for retailers looking to get into doing Facebook lives for their stores. 
[10:07] Tip #1: Be consistent!  If you are not consistent with your show timing, then you're going to lose your audience.  It's that consistency that keeps your audience engaged. 
[16:12] Tip#2: Don't put pressure on yourself. You want to have the show be as organic as possible and just make it fun. Be authentic, you will shine through and your customers will love you.  
[17:26] Tip #3: Keep finding inspiration for your show. Don't make it the same every day. Just have fun with it. If you're having fun with it, your customers are going to be engaged and they're going to love what you're doing. 
[18:51] What kind of challenges has Lori seen with doing these lives all these years every day?
[20:26] Has Lori ever taken a break and what does that look like?
[22:43] Here are four ideas for increasing viewership and engagement in your lives
[26:34] Live-streaming has provided Lori with consistent sales. The beauty of Facebook Live is the fact that you don't always have to have a full house watching live.  As the day progresses, you have people watching the replay and you will get orders all day.
[30:10] How (technically) is Lori facilitating the sale through the live stream? 
[32:55] What are the results that Lori is seeing? Lori says she sells through her lives every single day. She says that when she misses a live, she’s missing out on sharing her products with her customers which means she’s also missing out on sales.
[36:29] Lori Foster's Resilience Round
[41:32] How you connect with Lori
Get all of the resources mentioned in the show on our website at https://www.crystalmediaco.com/episodes/leveraging-facebook-live-for-retail-success-with-lori-foster-of-the-dressing-room/
Join the Rooted in Retail Facebook Group to continue the conversation - https://www.facebook.com/groups/rootedinretail

This week my goal was to help ease your mind when it comes to any worries you may have around the economy, the fact that it's an election year, and that the cost of goods has increased. Paul Erickson was a perfect guest because he has so much experience and has watched these cycles in retail. He offers so much valuable advice.


My biggest takeaway from the episode was “what we focus on expands.” So if we focus on the negativity in the world around us it is only going to appear to grow in our world. But if instead we take that energy and focus instead on our store, our goals, our teams or our customers - we then amplify all of the amazing things in our lives and we get to watch that grow. 


Join me in today’s after-the-show as we talk about:


[00:00] Welcome to Rooted in Retail After the Show
[00:03] This week's guest was Paul Erickson from Management One
[00:54] My biggest takeaway from this episode is "What we focus on expands" - what do I mean by that?
[03:12] I choose to focus on the things that are good so I can amplify the things that I can control. What happens when we put our focus on the things we can control?
[04:21] What happened in my business when I shifted my focus to things I could control?
[07:41] Try this journal prompt for focus
[09:34] Join us for Paul's webinar "The Psychology of Price"
[11:01] Coming up Next Week

Get all of the resources on our website at https://www.crystalmediaco.com/episodes/what-we-focus-on-expands-after-the-show/
Join the Rooted in Retail Facebook Group to continue the conversation - https://www.facebook.com/groups/rootedinretail

Today, we've got an episode that's perfect for anyone feeling the weight of economic uncertainty, the buzz of an election year, or the pinch of rising prices. If you've been wondering how to navigate these turbulent waters and ensure your store not only survives but thrives, then you’re going to love this conversation.

Joining us today is Paul Erickson, Director of Mentoring at Management One. With his extensive experience serving retail clients across the globe, Paul is here to break down the current landscape and offer actionable advice to help you steer your business in the right direction.

So, what does all this mean for your store? How should you prepare? Where should you be focusing your energy to ensure your store thrives? In this episode, Paul's going to dive into some key topics on every retailer's mind: economic ups and downs, how to price your goods, and managing your inventory.

Whether it's focusing on the numbers inside your business or building those all-important connections with your customers, Paul's advice could change how you run your store.

[00:00] Welcoming Paul Erickson
[04:36] Paul's advice for retailers who are worried about the economy
[07:51] What Paul would say to the independent retailer who is worried about the cost of goods increasing?
[09:58] Paul shares one tip for retailers who are considering increasing their prices
[13:15] What economic indicators should retailers watch and how can these guide owners through an uncertain economy?
[24:33] How many weeks or months of inventory should a store be carrying at one time?
[29:16] The most important factor we can control in our retail store
[36:26] What future trends should retailers prepare for to ensure long-term success?
[38:34] Paul's resilience round
[38:39] Best business book
[39:29] Best retail technology
[40:44] How do you keep up with the ever-changing retail landscape?
[41:34] What's a financial foundational best practice?
[42:36] If you were to start your career all over again, what's one thing you'd do differently?
[44:07] What do you think the future of independent retail looks like?

Get all of the resources mentioned in the episode on our website at https://www.crystalmediaco.com/episodes/growing-your-retail-store-in-economic-uncertainty-with-paul-erickson/
Join the Rooted in Retail Facebook Group to continue the conversation - https://www.facebook.com/groups/rootedinretail

In this episode of 'After the Show,' I am going to dive into my key takeaways from my discussion with Kareen Walsh.


I first want to talk about what it might mean if you have an 'exit strategy' mindset even if not planning to exit. But what I really wanted to focus on is the unmatched advantage of creativity in independent retail against giants like Amazon. 


In this episode, I urge you to prioritize your creativity for the health of your business.


[00:00] Welcome to Rooted in Retail: After the Show
[01:12] Some thoughts about exiting your business
[03:12] As an independent retailer you have the advantage of creativity
[05:19] Can you make being creative in your store a priority?
[06:02] Ideas for being more creative with your physical space
[07:10] Final thoughts for this week
[08:39] Coming up Next Week

Catch the full interview here:

Build a Business and Life You Love with Kareen Walsh:  https://www.crystalmediaco.com/episodes/build-a-business-and-life-you-love-with-kareen-walsh/



Join the Rooted in Retail Facebook Group to continue the conversation - https://www.facebook.com/groups/rootedinretail

Are you ready to learn how to craft a business and a life that you truly love? Well, today, we're diving deep into just that with the incredible Kareen Walsh. She’s a friend and mentor who has mastered the art of building a business while staying true to herself.


Kareen's evolution from a people-pleaser to seven-figure business builder is truly inspiring. Through her Evolve methodology, she empowers clients to transition from feeling lost to discovering alignment as they scale their businesses and step into their ultimate visions for their lives and careers.


In this episode, she shares her framework for building that store of your dreams. We'll discuss the power of community engagement, the benefits of partnerships with neighboring businesses, and the game-changing potential of retail technology like Shopify.


Now, get ready for an epic episode filled with actionable strategies for building the business and life you've always dreamed of. This conversation is all about harnessing your unique strengths, embracing continuous growth, and crafting a roadmap to success. 


[00:00] Welcoming Kareen Walsh
[03:20] How does identifying your unique zone of genius translate into tangible benefits?
[08:57] Kareen's advice for getting over the fear of handing off tasks when you hire support
[12:47] How can we identify the changes we need to make in ourselves to align our business goals?
[16:16] How independent retailers can apply Kareen's metholodogy to handle the challenges of running a retail business and cultivate a growth mindset
[21:51] Where you can learn more about Kareen's business intensives
[23:10] What are the first steps independent retailers can take to begin translating their vision into actionable steps that lead to growth?
[28:21] How Kareen nurtures her own growth while also uplifting others to expand their businesses
[31:47] Kareen's resilience round

Links:
Join the Rooted in Retail Facebook Group to continue the conversation - https://www.facebook.com/groups/rootedinretail/

Get all of the resources mentioned in the episode on our website - https://www.crystalmediaco.com/episodes/build-a-business-and-life-you-love-with-kareen-walsh/
Join the Rooted in Retail Facebook Group to continue the conversation - https://www.facebook.com/groups/rootedinretail