Episode 30: Working through economic downturns and tips for staying motivated in retail with Chris Crouch of Happy Valley

Happy Valley is one of Fiona’s favourite stores in her hometown of Melbourne, for its curated collection of items, for the experience it offers and the community it has cultivated around it. In today’s episode, she interviews Happy Valley owner, Chris Couch. Listen as they discuss how Chris has successfully managed different kinds of businesses (including Polyester Records, Candle Records and the Tramway Pub), and how he is coping as a small business owner during a pandemic. Chris also goes into detail in how he was able to create a community around his business and also the practicalities of how long it's taken him to get the business to a place that he's really comfortable with and he's happy with. Topics discussed in this episode: Introduction [1:20]About Chris Crouch and Happy Valley [1:57]Checking in with Chris [6:05]Describing Happy Valley [7:41]History [10:22]Chris' Upbringing [12:19]The Challenges in the Business [13:43]On Staying Motivated [16:34]Choosing The Stock [20:06]On Brands Featured on The Store [24:19]On Markets [27:47]On Having A 9-5 Job [32:03]Time Management [34:53]On Boundaries [38:58]On Saying no [40:07]The Business During COVID [42:07]On Books [48:42]On Doing The Business Differently [51:59]Tech Tools For The Business [57:44]On Happy Valley's Achievements [1:03:02]Connecting With Happy Valley [1:04:27]Conclusion [1:07:32] Resources mentioned in this episode: Happy ValleyShopifyXero Episode transcript: For a full transcript of this episode go to mydailybusinesscoach.com/podcast/30 This month we're proud to be sponsored by The Finders Keepers.Visit the Finders Keepers Melbourne Design Market from Friday 10 July to Sunday 12 July at the Royal Exhibition Building, Carlton.Book your tickets: Finders Keepers Melbourne ticketsEnter MDB at checkout, then choose the My Daily Business 2-for-1 ticket option to claim your exclusive offer. And don't forget to say hello to Fiona who will be running her own Subject Object stall at the market!  Want to get your #smallbusiness sorted in 2026? Check out our 1:1 business coaching packages from a one-off session to 6-months of coaching.  Want to know more about AI and how to harness it for your small businesS? Join our new monthly AI chat for small business owners. You can join anytime at www.mydailybusiness.com/AIchat Try out my fave AI tool, Poppy AI here and use discount code FIONA.  We also love Descript.  Connect and get in touch with My Daily Business via our shop, freebies, award-winning books, Instagram and Tik Tok.