Beyond The Register, with Jeramey Watts

Mary Liz Curtin spent 35 years advising manufacturers, speaking at trade shows around the world, and writing a manual for independent retailers. Then she mortgaged her house, rehabbed a 1941 roller rink in Downtown Clawson, Michigan, named the store after her cat and her dog, and had the whole thing profitable in four months.That store is Leon & Lulu, now one of the most celebrated independent retail destinations in the country, with 15,000 square feet, a disco ball, 300 pairs of vintage skates on the walls, a restaurant next door, and 40,000 people on the email list. And Mary Liz built it without an ad budget. Her first customer acquisition move was hosting a charity fundraiser.In this conversation, she gets into what she actually did right in the opening months, how she thinks about inventory, mistakes, community, and the thing she believes physical retail does that no algorithm ever will.What you'll hear:- How Leon & Lulu was profitable by month four and the financial discipline that made it happen- The "buy it all" decision and how it shaped the store's identity- Why her first move was a charity event when she had no marketing budget- What she says is the most common mistake independent retailers make and why most don't see it coming- The $850K expansion: buying the Clawson Theater and opening Three Cats Restaurant- Why she believes independent retail is one of the most effective cures for the loneliness epidemic in America- What "make every day a party" actually looks like when margins are tight and you're exhaustedSubscribe to Beyond the Register on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts with new episodes every week for independent retailers building something worth keeping.Beyond the Register is brought to you by Genius™ (Link globalpayments.com/genius) from Global Payments, the retail point of sale system designed to help busy store owners track inventory, manage customers and take payments.

John DiJulius III started with three nos: no customers, no money, no employees. He and his wife Stacy opened a hair salon in Cleveland in 1993 surrounded by competitors in every direction. They couldn't out-advertise them. Couldn't out-build them. So they out-loved them and turned that obsession into a customer experience framework now used by Chick-fil-A, Starbucks, Ritz-Carlton, and Marriott.But the lessons John shares here aren't from a boardroom. They're from decades of mistakes: watching rapid growth nearly break his standards, losing his wife and business partner, and learning the hard way that if your business depends on you walking the floor, you haven't actually built a business.On this episode of Beyond the Register, John DiJulius III breaks down exactly how small retailers can close the experience gap, remove the word "no" from their vocabulary, and build something that runs without them.What's in this episode:- Why customer satisfaction is at a 20-year low and why that's a wide-open window for small businesses right now- The "hangover effect" and what it actually means to be the best part of your customer's entire day- What "employee roulette" is and the specific systems John uses to reduce it- The Customer Bill of Rights: never point, never say no, never overshare- Why discounting is a tax you pay for average service and how to price with confidence- How a 2003 book accidentally turned a salon owner into a global speaker overnight- The single most important quote for entrepreneurs and why John says you should pull over to hear itBeyond the Register is brought to you by Genius™ (Link globalpayments.com/genius) from Global Payments, the retail point of sale system designed to help busy store owners track inventory, manage customers and take payments.

When Ally Kirkpatrick opened Old Town Books in 2018, every sign pointed the wrong way: the last indie bookstore in Old Town Alexandria had already been killed by Amazon, she had a newborn at home, $7,000 in savings, and zero retail experience. Her own dad refused to help her look at leases. What she had instead was a decade behind the counter of coffee shops and a conviction that what people were actually hungry for wasn't a product. It was a place.This episode is a masterclass in hospitality-first retail. Ally runs her bookstore the way a great restaurant runs a dining room: front of house, hand-selling the menu, training staff like waitstaff, and obsessing over every sensory detail from the smell of the shelves to what her team wears on the floor. The result: a business that competes with Amazon not on price, but on something Amazon can never build.In this episode:- Why Ally frames her bookstore as "Disneyland for books" and how that mindset changes every operational decision- The front-of-house model that turns booksellers into experts who hand-sell a curated "menu" each season- How Old Town Books competes with Amazon on discovery, expertise, and experience when it literally can't compete on price- Why Ally's best management hire came from the restaurant industry (and why you should steal that playbook)- The book club strategy that built a community of regulars who show up in formal wear to a year-end party- What "placemaking" actually means for your bottom line and why local retail drives up residential rents in your neighborhood- The hardest management lesson: letting go, trusting your team, and what finally forced her to do itFollow Beyond the Register on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts for weekly conversations with independent retailers building businesses worth showing up for.Beyond the Register is brought to you by Genius™ (Link globalpayments.com/genius) from Global Payments, the retail point of sale system designed to help busy store owners track inventory, manage customers and take payments.

Katrina Parris, founder of Nilu Goods in Harlem, joined Keenan Kok-Carlson on Beyond the Register to share how she built an 11-year retail institution out of a simple belief: when you support a maker, you support a community.Nilu is a gift shop on Lenox Avenue in Harlem that has quietly functioned as something closer to a startup incubator. Over the past decade, Katrina has taken makers from kitchen-table batches to retail shelves, including her mailman, who mentioned in passing that he made natural deodorant and eight months later had product in the store with regulars coming back for it. She does this without charging rent, without taking equity, and without a formal program. Just a framework, a set of honest questions, and a willingness to tell founders what most retailers won't.In this conversation, Katrina and Keenan get into:- Why a great product and a great business are not the same thing and the three-tier test she uses to show makers the difference- The homework assignments she gives every maker before she buys a single unit from them- How she pivoted through the 2008 financial crisis, Covid, and near-closure in 2023 using the same core instinct each time- Why she stopped buying wholesale inventory after a decade and moved to an 85% consignment model- The GoFundMe that forced her to go public about struggling, and the brands-in-residency program she built out of that moment- What she learned from 15 years in the floral business about the difference between passion and a viable operationIf you run an independent retail store, if you're a maker trying to understand what a retailer actually needs from you, or if you want to see what community-rooted business looks like in practice, this one is worth your time.Beyond the Register is brought to you by Genius™ (Link globalpayments.com/genius) from Global Payments, the retail point of sale system designed to help busy store owners track inventory, manage customers and take payments.

Most retail and CPG leaders are still asking whether they should use AI. Sabrina Valdez answered that question three years ago, before Super Bowl commercials, before the hype cycle, before most people knew what ChatGPT even was.Today, she helps retail and CPG organizations move from aimless experimentation into scalable, repeatable AI systems, as the Founder of The Next Move Consulting. Her background spans 20+ years on the operator side: buying at PetSmart, running replenishment at Sprouts, making decisions that hit the P&L by Friday. She knows what it's like to stare down a wall of skewed data and make the call.Now she's helping other leaders do the same thing, with AI as the force multiplier.In this episode, Keenan and Sabrina go deep on what it actually looks like to build AI into the fabric of a retail or CPG organization, and why the person most afraid of falling behind might already have the biggest advantage.In this episode, you'll learn:- Why curiosity isn't what actually drives AI adoption (and what does)- The reason the oldest person in your organization has the most potential to be your best AI user- The five levels of using generative AI and why most people are stuck at level one- How to move from "endless pilot phase" to AI that's woven into your daily operations- Sabrina's four-step process for building a 3-to-6-month AI roadmap for retail and CPG teams- What OpenClaw is, why 25% of it is malicious, and why even some AI practitioners avoid it- Why AI is like yoga: you're only competing with you and your mat- Why every business, from dermatologists to C-stores to salons, can start seeing returns quicklyWhether you're a retail owner trying to figure out where to begin, a CPG leader stuck in AI pilot purgatory, or an operator who thinks this isn't for you because you're not "tech-savvy," this one's for you.Sabrina’s website: The Next Move ConsultingThe Next Move Consulting | AI Strategy for Leaders & TeamsdSabrina’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabrina-e-valdezBeyond the Register is brought to you by Genius™ (Link globalpayments.com/genius) from Global Payments, the retail point of sale system designed to help busy store owners track inventory, manage customers and take payments.

Kim Roxie, Founder and CEO of LAMIK Beauty, joined Keenan Kok-Carlson on Beyond the Register this week to share how she built a national clean beauty brand from a $500 loan, zero investor money, and a willingness to do the work most founders won't.LAMIK Beauty (which stands for Love And Makeup In Kindness) is a clean, vegan cosmetics line made in America for women of color. Kim started with a brick-and-mortar makeup boutique in Houston, ran it for 14 years, closed it in 2018 to go direct-to-consumer, and relaunched it right as COVID hit. Then she did something almost no brand does: she personally drove store-to-store inside JCPenney locations, doing trunk shows for two years straight until they gave her a real shelf.The result: 978% in-store sales growth. Placement in 20+ JCPenney stores, Nordstrom, and Ulta, including as the first Black-owned clean makeup brand on Ulta's platform. A live shopping channel converting at 30%, in an industry where 2-3% online is considered a win.In this conversation, Kim and Keenan get into:The trunk show strategy she used to earn her way into JCPenney without a traditional buyer pitchWhy women of color spend 80% more on cosmetics than any other group, yet receive roughly 10% of shelf space, and the $2 billion sitting inside that gapThe most expensive packaging mistake she made as a product founder and exactly how to avoid itHow she thinks about multi-channel distribution as separate income streams rather than a single betWhy her live shopping conversion rate is 10x higher than her website, and how she built that channel from the ground upThe decision to walk away from a working 14-year business because she saw something bigger that the market neededIf you run an independent retail brand, if you're a beauty founder trying to figure out how to get on national shelves, or if you want to understand how a scrappy, mission-driven company competes without the big-budget advantage, this episode has what you're looking for.Find Kim Roxie on LinkedIn and Instagram at @thekimroxie. Shop LAMIK Beauty at lamikbeauty.com and in JCPenney, Nordstrom, Ulta, and more.And subscribe to the ‘Beyond the Register’ podcast, so you can get every episode the moment it goes live.Beyond the Register is brought to you by Genius™ (Link globalpayments.com/genius) from Global Payments, the retail point of sale system designed to help busy store owners track inventory, manage customers and take payments.

What if you could put a million-dollar consultant on your team for $20 a month?For 30 years, Greg Buzek has been the person retail calls when it needs the unvarnished truth about technology. As founder of IHL Group, he's watched every tech wave hit the industry: barcodes, POS, self-checkout, RFID, e-commerce. He's been cited in the Wall Street Journal. He's appeared on NBC, CBS, and CNBC. He's been named a "Top 10 Influential in Retail." And for three decades, his job has been to separate signal from noise, to tell retailers what actually works and what's vaporware.So when Greg added "Chief AI Orchestrator" to his title, built an AI clone of himself at JustAskGreg.ai, and started telling small retailers that this moment is fundamentally different, Keenan wanted to know why.In this episode, Greg joins Keenan Kok-Carlson on Beyond the Register to share what he's learned about AI's real superpower for small business, why "building your second brain" is the unlock he wishes every shop owner knew about, and the 30-minute starter plan any independent retailer can execute this week.In this episode, you'll learn:- Why Greg, one of retail's most respected tech skeptics, believes this AI moment is fundamentally different- The "second brain" framework: how creating one folder on your computer unlocks near-consultant-level output- How to "clone" the smartest person in your business (usually the owner) so employees stop asking the same 10 questions- Greg's 3-tier AI playbook: when to vibe code, when to build skills, when to brainstorm with the base model- The $20 subscription that's making his team 50x more productive (and why "penny wise, pound foolish" is the single biggest trap small retailers fall into)- The $1.73 trillion inventory distortion crisis, and the practical first AI move small retailers can make to stop the bleeding- Greg's mindset for why creativity + knowledge + AI = superpower, and why the human is still the most important part of the equationWhether you're running a single-location boutique, managing a growing retail brand, or just curious about what AI actually looks like inside a working business, this episode is the practical starting point you've been looking for.Beyond the Register is brought to you by Genius™ (Link globalpayments.com/genius) from Global Payments, the retail point of sale system designed to help busy store owners track inventory, manage customers and take payments.

What does it actually take to scale an experience that can't be replicated online?Curry Hagerty, Partner & CEO of HART Jewelry, joins Jeramey Watts on Beyond the Register to answer that question and a whole lot more.HART is a custom charm jewelry brand built around a deceptively simple idea: help a woman choose the symbols that tell her story, then assemble her piece on the spot. It sounds intimate. It sounds hard to scale. And Curry has spent the last five years proving that with the right systems, values, and discipline. You can grow something deeply human without losing what makes it special.Since joining her founder sister Hart in 2020, Curry has helped take the brand from a DTC operation to a multi-city retail business with flagship stores in Charleston, Nashville, and New York… plus wholesale distribution across 200+ boutiques and a partnership with The Gap.In this episode, Jeramey and Curry go deep on what it actually looks like to build, operationalize, and scale a retail brand that leads with meaning over margin.In this episode, you’ll learn- Why HART defines its product as "connection" (not jewelry) and how that changes everything about how they sell- The visionary + integrator partnership model that keeps HART soulful and sharp- How they operationalized a guided, assembled-on-the-spot store experience that holds up at 40-50 customers during peak hours- The pop-up ladder: from suitcase-and-a-table to short-term leases to flagship stores and beyond- Why they said no to rings and what that decision teaches every founder about complexity debt- The Gap partnership: what HART learned about translating premium storytelling onto a mass-market shelf- How EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) gave them the structure to finally stop working in the business and start working on it- Why their marketing team is required to do store floor shifts every month and what that unlocks- The zip code data strategy that helped them understand the physical-to-digital halo effect- "Leap and the net will appear" mantraWhether you're running a retail store, thinking about opening your first location, or building a brand that means something… this episode of ‘Beyond the Register’ is for you.

Why do profitable stores still go broke? Dan Holman has the answer, and it's not what you think.After 35+ years in retail and hundreds of store turnarounds, Dan Holman (CEO of Canadian Retail Solutions and founder of The Wealthy Retailer) has seen it all: boutiques drowning in unsold stock, retailers making million-dollar buying decisions on gut feel alone, and stores with strong sales but zero cash in the bank.His diagnosis? Most retail problems are clarity problems disguised as product problems. In this episode, Dan pulls back the curtain on what really separates thriving independent retailers from those barely surviving.What You'll Learn:- The Inventory Trap – Why inventory (your supposed biggest asset) is actually your greatest liability, and how to stop letting dead stock drain your cash flow- The ABC System – Dan's daily walk-through method for categorizing inventory: what sells at full price (A), what needs presentation help (B), and what needs to be 50% off TODAY (C)- Stop Hiring Salespeople – Why Dan believes the #1 hiring mistake is prioritizing sales skills over service mindset, and why "built to serve" beats "built to sell" every time- The Timing Problem – Why vendors coach you to load inventory months before customers want it, and how to align your buying with actual customer demand (not vendor shipping schedules)- Wants vs. Needs – The psychology shift that changes everything: "Need creates excuse, want creates action." Why retail is about fulfilling desires, not convincing people they need stuff- The 3 Metrics That Actually Matter – Forget revenue (it's a trailing metric). Dan breaks down the leading indicators you should track weekly: Traffic, Conversion, and Average Sale- The Wealthy Retailer Framework – What "retail wealth" really means (hint: it's not just money), and how the WEALTH acronym (Winning, Energized, Admired, Lean, Tenacious, Happy) guides successful store operationsThis episode is packed with contrarian wisdom, tactical frameworks, and the kind of boring-but-brilliant clarity that turns retail chaos into sustainable profit. Whether you own a store, work in retail, or just love understanding what makes businesses tick, you'll walk away with immediately actionable insights.Beyond the Register is brought to you by Genius™ (Link globalpayments.com/genius) from Global Payments, the retail point of sale system designed to help busy store owners track inventory, manage customers and take payments.

Most restaurant stories start the same way: long nights in a hot kitchen, missed family time, and a hope that “one day” it will all be worth it.Carrie Morey chose a different path.In 2005, as a new mom who hated her corporate job, she took her mother’s biscuit recipe and started shipping frozen biscuits from her basement. She made one clear decision from the start: the business would be built around her life and her family, not the other way around.Nearly twenty years later, Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit:- Produces 20,000 handmade biscuits a day- Ships nationally through DTC and grocery retail- Runs two long-standing biscuit shops in Charleston- Has catering, subscriptions, two cookbooks, and a PBS series (How She Rolls)And Carrie still defines success as being profitable, present for her family, and excited to go to work.In this episode of Beyond the Register, we dig into what that actually took. You’ll hear:- How she launched “mail-order biscuits” in 2005- Why brick-and-mortar came later and on her terms- What peak season in a tiny shop really felt like- The costs of growing too fast and too wide- The later-stage surprise about people and profit- How she defines success today- A simple framework for founders, especially parents- The family story behind Callie’sIf you’re trying to grow something meaningful without sacrificing your entire life to it, this conversation with Carrie Morey is a blueprint and a reality check.Listen before you say yes to your next opening, expansion, or “can’t miss” opportunity.Beyond the Register is brought to you by Genius™ (globalpayments.com/genius) from Global Payments, the retail point of sale system designed to help busy store owners track inventory, manage customers and take payments.

Everyone is telling small retailers the same thing right now: Get on Amazon. Add AI to everything. Copy what the “winners” did. Sucharita Kodali thinks that’s a dangerous way to run a business.She’s a VP and Principal Analyst at Forrester, a former operator at Disney, Toys“R”Us, and Saks, an early e-commerce insider, and one of the sharpest, most candid voices in retail. When the industry gets drunk on the latest tech buzzword, she’s usually the one saying, “Slow down. Who actually benefits here?”In this episode of Beyond the Register, Sucharita gives small retailers a clear, research-backed filter for navigating Big Tech, AI, and bad advice.We get into:- Why Amazon, Meta, and other platforms are your “landlords,” not your partners- Survivorship bias and the danger of only studying winners- The harsh reality that it’s still “the product, the product, the product”- AI that actually helps small retailers vs AI theater- Section 230, fake reviews, and why “wonky” internet laws matter to your store- Her blunt warning on AI regulation- The next 5–10 years for independents: more micro-businesses, not fewer- Her own path from comedy ambitions to retail analystListen to this conversation with Sucharita Kodali before you sign the next contract, chase the next “must-have” tech, or go all-in on a platform you don’t control.

Most people hear “Oprah’s Favorite Things” and think overnight success. Bobby Djavaheri hears it and remembers packing thousands of bread makers himself during COVID, loading them into his truck, and racing to FedEx.Bobby is the president of Yedi Houseware Appliances, a 40 year old family business that went from fine china and teacups to air fryers, pressure cookers, and bread makers that Oprah loves. Under his leadership, Yedi sold more than 50,000 air fryers in a single Black Friday promotion and landed on Oprah’s list close to a dozen times.Then the freight bills and tariffs hit.In this episode of Beyond the Register, we walk through what actually happened behind the headlines.You will hear:- How a 93 year old immigrant father built the foundation of the business, and why Bobby could not walk away even when tariffs hit 145 percent- The reality of “tariff whiplash” when import duties jump from a few hundred dollars per container to five figures overnight, and why Bobby now leaves cable news on in the office just to hear what policy might impact his cost of goods that day- The unglamorous survival tactic he calls “SKU normalization”(cutting entire product lines, shifting from big appliances to plates, bowls, and mugs, and rebuilding the line around what can actually survive tariffs) - A detailed look at Yedi’s product strategyhow they use Amazon and Google search data, then build “total package” appliances with accessories, manuals, and recipes so customers are not intimidated by things like sous vide and air frying - What really happens when Oprah’s team selects your productfrom the decades-long relationship with O Magazine’s creative director to the surge of orders, the prep calls, and the founder literally taping boxes on the warehouse floor - The supply chain nightmare of 2021Bobby standing in an empty warehouse on 60 Minutes, calling freight companies “pirates of the sea,” paying 35,000 dollars per container instead of 2,000, losing over a million dollars in profit, and watching one of his containers fall overboard in rough seas - His honest hindsight on that seasonincluding why his advice now is to “sit this one out” if the economics are that distorted, or front-load inventory early if you see the storm coming - How his view of overseas manufacturing evolved after decades of trips to Japan, Korea, Italy, and China, and what it took to turn dreaded factory visits into long term partnerships- The side story of Wine Turtlea small, allocation focused wine venture he runs on the side for mental stimulation more than money - What actually keeps him goingfrom his father’s example to his two young sons, and the uncomfortable truth about how heavy small business ownership can feel when you are the one answering emails at night and wondering if you should just be an employee insteadThis is not a “how I built this” fairytale. It is a very real look at what happens when you inherit a family business, modernize it, grow it, and then get blindsided by forces you cannot control.If you run a product business, import anything, or have ever had the thought “maybe it would be easier to just get a job,” this conversation will feel very familiar and very useful.Listen to the full episode of Beyond the Register with Bobby Djavaheri, and share it with one operator in your life who is quietly carrying more than they let on.Beyond the Register is brought to you by Genius™ (Link globalpayments.com/genius) from Global Payments, the retail point of sale system designed to help busy store owners track inventory, manage customers and take payments.

Most reality TV contestants come home and sign brand deals. Dan Cox came home and signed leases.After The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise, Dan didn’t sell detox teas with his face on the label. He opened five Total Nutrition stores in Las Vegas and California, stood behind the counter, and talked to thousands of customers about what actually worked.Those conversations turned into MetCon (for performance) and Wellthy (for everyday wellness), a house of supplement brands built on clean ingredients, radical transparency, and almost zero ad spend. Now, Wellthy is launching nationwide in GNC, and Dan has done it without paid influencers, founder theater, or cutting corners on the supply chain.In this episode of Beyond the Register, Jeramey digs into what it really takes to run a wellness retail business in 2026.You’ll hear:- Why going from two profitable stores to five stretched locations nearly broke the business, and what Dan would tell his younger self about speed and expansion- How in-store body scans, lifestyle interviews, and confused looks at “rip your face off” fat burners led to the branding and positioning of Wellthy- The moment Dan realized many “top” supplement brands couldn’t answer basic questions about ingredient sourcing or extraction methods, and how that pushed him to control his own supply chain- Why Wellthy has grown mostly through word of mouth, with no influencers on payroll and almost no ad budget, and what that means for product design and customer experience- How he left his stores for a month to film Bachelor in Paradise, including the contract clause that let him check emails twice a week on a producer’s phone- The three-year path to landing a national GNC launch, from walking Expo West as a nobody to negotiating a nine-month exclusive- How an Ironman mindset, a back injury from a drunk driver, and becoming a dad all changed the way he thinks about resilience, focus, and what is actually worth saying yes toIf you’re a retailer, CPG founder, or operator who cares more about customers than clout, this conversation is the best playbook.Listen to the full episode of Beyond the Register with Dan Cox, and share it with the one person in your life who is thinking about opening “just one more” store.

What’s the biggest mistake Jeramey made in retail? How do you stop running your store into the ground without stepping away completely? Is drop shipping worth it? And how do you actually make your tiny boutique feel like a destination?This week on Beyond the Register, Jeramey flips the format and answers the questions that flood his DMs, inbox, and conversations with retailers across the country.No guests. Just hard-earned answers from someone who’s been in the back office, under fluorescent lights, wondering if it’s all going to work.In this solo Q&A episode, Jeramey shares:- The #1 mistake he made early in his career (and what he’d do differently now)- How to delegate without losing control- How to fix inventory chaos before it drains your margins- A simple way to make your shop feel like a stage (on a tight budget)- What inspired Beyond the Register and why most retail advice misses the point- A real talk moment about burnout, doubt, and the emotional weight of running a storeIf you’ve ever felt alone behind the counter, this episode is for you.Whether you’re a seasoned shop owner or just getting started, you’ll walk away with practical strategies, hard truths, and the kind of support this industry rarely gives out loud.

Melissa Austria didn’t launch Gotstyle because she loved fashion. She did it because she was sick of men dressing like crap.Two decades later, she’s built one of Toronto’s most original, enduring retail brands, and she’s still doing things her way.In this episode, Melissa joins Jeramey to talk about the real work of building a high-touch retail experience in a world obsessed with convenience. She shares the hard truths most retailers avoid: what to do when your core shopper starts aging out, why most retailers have no clue how to manage inventory risk, and how “community” is your moat.Melissa opens up about the early missteps (including signing her first lease without a lawyer), the decision to shut down her flagship store just weeks before the pandemic hit, and the lessons she’s still learning as Gotstyle experiments with AI, content creation, and a brand-new menswear kit for younger shoppers.If you care about staying relevant, designing real customer experiences, and building stores that actually last, this one’s for you.Inside this episode:Why “guys dress like shit” became her reason to start GotstyleThe one thing every new retailer needs to understand (but usually avoids)Her go-to rule for honesty in the fitting roomHow to keep your store relevant when your original customer base is aging outThe real value of legendary in-store eventsWhy she only does consignment on the women’s sideWhat retailers can learn from dating, community-building, and AI

Most stores are built for transactions. The great ones are built for connection.In this episode, Jeramey sits down with Amanda Stierwalt-Green, Product Manager at Global Payments and former shop owner, to unpack how independent retailers can create memorable, profitable, and deeply human experiences (without needing massive budgets or big-box scale).Amanda doesn’t just advise small businesses. She champions them, and she’s lived the grind herself. Whether you’re running a boutique, launching a pop-up, or trying to turn foot traffic into loyalty, her insights are tactical, grounded, and energizing.Inside the episode:- How themed collections, events, and in-store storytelling build trust and drive sales- The secret to balancing store aesthetics with function and flow- What your store layout should accomplish the second a customer walks in- How small shops can win customer loyalty by doing what big chains can’t- Why culture, collaboration, and community still matter in retail and how to lead with them- Simple ways to make people remember your store (and come back for more)Amanda brings so much clarity, warmth, and battle-tested experience and this conversation will leave you thinking differently about what great retail looks like today.

Most stores are designed to sell. Very few are designed to connect.In this episode of Beyond the Register, Jeramey sits down with Sandy Hernandez, founder of The Retail Muse + A Store Is Born and a 15-year veteran of retail innovation, to unpack what actually makes a store stick in someone’s memory (and keep them coming back).Sandy has helped global brands like Adidas, H&M, Unilever, and Nestle to rethink their physical spaces. Today, she works with indie retailers and DTC founders to turn shops into storytelling machines that feel more like theater than transaction.This episode covers:- The first principle of unforgettable store design- Why your staff might need improv training- How to use scent, sound, and space to trigger emotional memory- What Coach got right with its in-store transformation- Why pop-ups are learning labs, not just marketing stunts- The best way to test a market before going all in- What metrics to track (besides just sales)- And the two store fixes Sandy says every retailer should prioritize this yearIf you’ve ever wondered how to make your store feel alive, human, and worth visiting again: this one’s for you.🎧 Listen and subscribe to Beyond the Register wherever you get your podcasts⏱️ Timestamps00:00 – Intro: Sandy’s mission and retail philosophy02:15 – What makes a store truly memorable05:10 – The Peak-End Rule in store design07:35 – How Coach rebranded through in-store experience09:00 – Aesthetics vs. function: how to balance11:15 – Mistakes DTC brands make on launch day13:30 – Why pop-ups are underrated test labs16:20 – How long should a pop-up really last?19:50 – Collaborations as local growth tools22:45 – Real examples of successful collabs25:45 – Programming as a retention strategy30:10 – Which store metrics actually matter33:15 – Using product assortment to tell a story37:00 – Designing with scent, sound, and emotion39:00 – Training staff to create “worlds”42:00 – Empowering employees to go off-script44:45 – Sandy’s two retail fixes every store needs

Retail doesn’t break at the register. It breaks upstream.In this episode of Beyond the Register, I sit down with Rohan Shah, Co-Founder & CEO of Conduit Commerce, and former Co-Founder of the unicorn startup Extend, to unpack the biggest blind spot in modern retail: your supply chain.Rohan has built companies at the intersection of retail and infrastructure. His new venture, Conduit, is fixing what most retailers don’t realize is broken: how you access, manage, and fulfill inventory without blowing your margins.We talk about:Why most drop shipping today is low-quality junk (and how that’s about to change)What Amazon actually gets right (it’s not just Prime)The real reason retailers struggle with demand forecastingHow “ghost inventory” lets small retailers sell more without stocking moreWhat to look for in a reliable distributor or supplierAnd why founders need to stop chasing big ideas and start with the ones they’re uniquely suited to buildWhether you’re a boutique owner trying to expand assortment, or a mid-size retailer tired of slow fulfillment and surprise stockouts, this episode is packed with clear takeaways you can apply immediately.⏱️ Timestamps00:00 – Intro and Rohan’s mission to “consolidate the world’s inventory”01:30 – Why drop shipping is broken and how to fix it04:45 – The hidden potential of U.S.-based distributors07:50 – Why legacy systems are the bottleneck in modern supply chains10:15 – What Conduit is building (and why it’s working)13:50 – What makes a reliable supplier or distributor17:10 – Why demand forecasting is getting harder every year20:30 – “Customers are loyal to the product, not the retailer”23:00 – What ghost inventory is and how it helps28:00 – How small retailers can compete with Amazon on service34:20 – Speed, trust, and the future of delivery42:30 – Rohan’s founder advice: why you matter more than the idea46:30 – Building from lived experience vs outsider insight48:45 – Final takeaways for retailers🎧 Listen to the full episode of Beyond the Register wherever you get your podcasts.

Most retailers think a loyalty program will fix their business. But here’s the truth: loyalty only works when your business already has a strong foundation.In this episode, Jeramey sits down with Richard Schenker (the architect of Canada’s iconic Shoppers Optimum program) to unpack what loyalty is really about. And why most programs fail.Richard has led loyalty and customer engagement at Hudson’s Bay, Air Miles, Bond Brand Loyalty, and now runs Loyal Strategy Consulting. He’s helped brands like Sephora turn everyday customers into lifelong advocates.You’ll learn:Why points and rewards are easy to copy (and rarely move the needle)How to build emotional loyalty that lastsThe 4 human drives that power all customer behaviorReal examples from brands like Sephora, Dairy Queen, and KLMWhat small retailers can do today to compete without big budgetsHow AI is changing the loyalty game (and what to do about it)Why you should design loyalty programs around staff, not just customersAnd how to avoid the most common mistakes retailers make when launching or revamping loyalty programsThis is not another “customer retention hacks” episode. It’s a tactical, no-fluff conversation with one of the world’s leading loyalty strategists, designed specifically for small and mid-size retailers.If you’ve ever wondered:→ Should I even have a loyalty program?→ How do I compete with big brands on retention?→ What would actually make customers fall in love with my store?This one’s for you.