Still in the Fight

S1 E5 (Short) Breaking Down the Building Blocks of Greatness

S1 E2 (Short) Strong Onboarding Leadership

S1 E11 (Short) The Mystery of Items and Ownership

In this episode of Still in the Fight, Art Freedman, Mike Costello (CEO of Costello’s Ace Hardware), and Rob Feiler (SVP of Sales) discuss how to take pro sales strategy out of the boardroom and put it directly onto the sales floor.No two stores are identical—demographics, talent levels, and market opportunities vary widely from one location to the next. The team breaks down how to build a store-specific plan that empowers store leaders, turns your entire staff into pro "scouts," and drives consistent, measurable results.Key Topics Covered:Assessing and developing store talent (and training your team to "scout" for pro opportunities)Analyzing local market demographics—from contractors to property managersSimple, high-impact sales and marketing tactics inside and outside the storeBuilding a "say yes" fulfillment mindset for pro customersTracking Lead Measures (daily actions) vs. Lag Results (revenue targets) to keep teams winningWhether you're running a single shop or leading a multi-store operation, tune in for front-line retail leadership strategies you can put into practice today!Email me today at [email protected]

S1 E8 (Short) The Burden of Saying 'Yes'

S1 E5 (Short) Setting Expectations for Excellence

S1 E3 (Short) Future of Retail and Pro Sales

S1 E2 (Short) Onboarding - Beyond Paperwork

S1 E2 (Short) First Impressions Matter

S1 E1 (Short) Know Your Business History

In this episode of Still in the Fight, Art Freedman, Mike Costello, and Rob Feiler dive deep into the foundation of great retail merchandising: Aisle Accountability and Ownership.Discover why assigning real estate on the sales floor is a game-changer for employee development, how simple routines build a "ready-for-business" culture, and why the golden rule remains: Every item has a home, a price, and an owner. Key Takeaways:Start Small, Grow Fast: How giving new hires ownership of a 4-foot section builds immediate pride and confidence.The Danger of "Group Ownership": Why making store conditions "everyone's job" means it ends up being nobody's job.Coaching on the Front Lines: Transforming store walks from policing into positive reinforcement—and throwing more high-fives.Have a topic you want us to cover? Drop a comment or email Art directly at [email protected]. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and stay in the fight!

S1 E2 (Short) First Jobs and the Pressure to Succeed

S1 E1 (Short) Get Out of the Store and Into the Community

S1 E9 (Short) B2B Sales - Easier Than DIY

S1 E8 (Short) Empowering Retail Employees

S1 E2 (Short) Be the Best Leader in Onboarding

S1 E1 (Short) Embrace Open-Mindedness for Business Growth

In this episode, Art Freedman, Mike Costello, and Rob Feiler tackle a foundational yet frequently misunderstood concept in retail: The BRAND You Represent. Together, they break down why a brand is so much more than just a logo, a family name, or an ad campaign—it is a living, breathing promise made to your employees, your customers, and your community.Tune in as the team discusses how frontline consistency protects your business, why every single job in the organization matters, and how a strong brand culture ultimately benefits everyone on the team.Key TakeawaysBeyond the Logo: Why a brand is a standard and a promise, not just a visual identifier.The Employee Promise: How creating a fair and equitable workplace directly drives exceptional customer experiences.The Cost of Inconsistency: Why one bad interaction can overshadow a thousand great ones, and how customers grade the entire brand.No Unimportant Jobs: Recognizing that every team member—whether on the sales floor or behind the scenes—plays a critical role in upholding the brand promise.Connect & FeedbackWe want to hear from you! If you have feedback, ideas for future episodes, or questions you'd like us to tackle on the show, reach out directly to Art Freedman at [email protected] sure to like, subscribe, and leave a review on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode. Stay in the fight!

S1 E10 (Short) Brand Promise - Employees & Customers

S1 E9 (Short) Pro Sales - The Future of Retail

S1 E8 (Short) A 90-Year-Old With a Broken Window Screen

S1 E8 (Short) When Customers Try to Return Broken Hammers

S1 E8 (Short) Building a 'Yes' Culture

S1 E9 (Short) Hardware Secrets - Building Customer Relationships

In this episode of Still in the Fight, we discuss what “winning” really looks like in a Pro-focused store. It starts with a store manager who makes Pro Sales a priority, develops a clear plan, and keeps the entire team engaged in serving professional customers.We cover the fundamentals of success: setting measurable goals, keeping score, opening new accounts, making regular customer calls, building lasting relationships, and creating a culture where every associate understands that Pro customers are everyone’s responsibility—not just the Pro department’s.When the whole team is focused on helping professionals succeed, Pro Sales become more than a department—they become a competitive advantage.Winning in Pro Sales isn’t about selling more products. It’s about building more relationships.

S1 E8 (Short) Eliminate 'No' to Boost Sales

S1 E9 (Short) Pros Want to Talk to Pros

S1 E10 (Short) A Brand Is a Promise, Not a Logo

S1 E11 (Short) Who Owns This?

What if one simple word could transform your customer experience?In this episode of Still In The Fight, Art, Mike, and Rob explore the power of "Yes." They discuss why great organizations look for ways to help customers rather than reasons they can't, and how empowering employees to say "yes" builds trust, loyalty, and long-term relationships.The conversation centers around one of their favorite leadership principles: "It takes two to say no, but only one to say yes." Instead of making customers fight through unnecessary barriers, leaders should create a culture where solutions come first and "yes" is the default whenever possible.Whether you're serving customers, leading a team, or making decisions every day, this episode will challenge you to remove obstacles, empower your people, and create experiences that keep customers coming back again and again.

Empathy in Customer Service

Seeing Money in Bagged Goods

Understanding P&L for Business Success

Budgeting: The Key to Success

Setting Expectations for Excellence

Business Readiness Walks: Asking the Right Questions

Embrace Pro Sales or Face Decline

What if every customer who walked into your business left feeling welcome, important, confident, and appreciated?In this episode of Still In The Fight, Art, Mike, and Rob introduce E.C.E.T.—Every Customer, Every Time—a practical approach to creating a consistent customer experience. They discuss how building intentional systems and habits ensures that every customer receives the same exceptional level of service, regardless of who helps them or what day they visit.The goal is simple: create an experience so positive that customers do three things—they shop more often, spend more money, and tell their friends.The conversation also explores how the same principle of consistency applies beyond customer service—to meetings, communication, coaching, and the everyday disciplines that build strong teams and lasting cultures.

In this episode of Still in the Fight, Art, Mike, and Rob introduce one of the most powerful mindset shifts in retail leadership: See Money.Every display, every fixture, every sign, every shopping cart, and every piece of inventory represents an investment. Even damaged merchandise and outdated displays have a financial impact. The leaders who consistently win are the ones who train themselves—and their teams—to recognize that every asset deserves attention because every asset represents money.This conversation explores how changing the way you see your store changes the way you lead it, operate it, and ultimately improve profitability. It's a practical discussion about building a culture where everyone understands that protecting assets, maintaining standards, and paying attention to details aren't just housekeeping—they're smart business.When you learn to see money, you'll make better decisions, create a better customer experience, and build a more profitable store.

The Business Readiness Score is a simple but powerful tool that measures how prepared your store is to win every day.Each of the five Ready for Business fundamentals is scored on a scale of 0–10:    •    In Stock    •    Signage    •    Product Displays    •    Housekeeping    •    Customer ServiceThe five scores are added together for a total possible score of 50.A score of 40 or higher generally indicates that a store is well prepared for business and is losing little, if any, business because of execution. Stores scoring below 40 have opportunities to improve the basics that matter most to customers.The purpose of the Business Readiness Score is simple: increase focus on the few things that have the greatest impact on retail success. When leaders consistently measure, discuss, and improve these five fundamentals, they create better customer experiences, stronger sales, improved inventory accuracy, and a culture of operational excellence.You can’t improve what you don’t measure. The Business Readiness Score helps every leader know where to focus next.

Ready for Business isn’t complicated—but it does require discipline.In this episode of Still in the Fight, we break down the five fundamentals that create a store customers want to shop and employees are proud to work in:• Be in stock.• Sign every product with a price.• Display merchandise the way customers will use it.• Keep shelves, overheads, and back rooms organized and easy to count.• Wrap it all together with outstanding customer service.When these basics are done consistently, serving customers becomes easier, inventory becomes more accurate, and sales naturally follow.Winning at retail doesn’t start with big ideas. It starts with being Ready for Business—every customer, every day.

What separates great retail organizations from the rest? Strong Pro Sales doesn't happen by accident—it happens through relationships, consistency, and a commitment to serving professional customers. In this episode, Art Freedman, Mike Costello, and Rob Feiler share practical strategies and real-world experiences to help leaders build a Pro Sales culture that drives growth and earns customer loyalty. Real conversations. Real retail. Real leadership.

Most companies think onboarding ends after the first day or first week. Great leaders know that's when it really begins.In this episode of Still In The Fight, Art Freedman, Mike Costello, and Rob Feiler discuss why onboarding is one of the most overlooked drivers of long-term success. They share real-world stories and practical ideas on how to welcome new team members, build confidence, create meaningful connections, and set people up to succeed from day one.Whether you're leading a single store or an entire organization, you'll walk away with actionable insights that can improve retention, strengthen culture, and help new employees become engaged, productive members of your team.Because great teams aren't hired—they're developed.

Every journey has a starting point. In our first episode of Still In The Fight, we share how three people from different backgrounds—consulting, executive leadership, and sales—came together through decades of friendship, trust, and a shared passion for helping people grow. We talk about the experiences that shaped us, why we decided to start this podcast, and what you can expect from future conversations. If you've ever believed that leadership is a journey of continual learning, this is where our story begins. Welcome to Still In The Fight.