Recent Episodes

In this episode, Michelle Sherrier opens up about her hands-on experience transforming Lucy’s store and reflects on the deeper role merchandising plays in retail success. From buying strategies to storytelling through displays, she highlights why embracing change is essential when working with a consultant. Michelle also unveils her new monthly Zoom consulting option, designed to bring expert insights to retailers at an accessible price point. We are doing our first-ever open call! You can subm...

Polly Helm was born and raised in Kentucky. She has a BA from Eastern Kentucky University and a Masters in Organizational Communications from Miami of Ohio. In 1994 she left corporate sales and moved from KY to Wisconsin to start two small businesses with her husband—a retail store and a construction company. They did both for about 10 years and then decided to join efforts and focus on the retail store. They have expanded 3 times and today have a 5000 square foot store in a refurbished barn ...

Born in June 1969 and raised in Southwest Washington state, Reshell Douglas grew up surrounded by entrepreneurship, learning the ropes of retail in her family’s bridal salon where she worked in sales, buying, and merchandising. By age 14, she was already attending trade shows as a buyer, and throughout the 1980s she gained hands-on experience in retail sales at Nordstrom, JC Penney’s, and Hickory Farms. In 1990, she married her husband Scott, with whom she recently celebrated 35 years, and in 20...

Amber Baker is the creative force behind Sandy Bottom Candle Co., a coastal-inspired candle brand she launched five years ago with a mission to bottle up the essence of coastal living in a cleaner burning soy candle. What began as a hobby at home quickly turned into a full blown business. Known for its signature layer of beach sand in each jar, it is a nod to its breezy, ocean-born roots. In 2023, Amber expanded her vision by opening up Boho Bungalow, a brick-and-mortar shop that brings toget...

Susan and Michelle reconnect for another insightful episode of Shelf Talk! They start by sharing their experiences from recent gift shows in Vegas and New York, and how they both took the time to decompress and recharge at home. Susan reveals the challenges and excitement of managing holiday decor for new stores, including dealing with inventory mishaps. The duo dives deep into merchandising strategies, emphasizing the importance of sales reports in driving successful displays and the value o...

In this episode I’m bringing you behind the scenes of what life and business have looked like lately — from the whirlwind of travel and shows, to returning home, resetting, and preparing for an exciting fourth quarter. I open up about lessons learned, new projects, and the power of trusting your gut when things no longer align. What’s inside Lessons from show season and why walking away from misaligned opportunities was the best decision A behind-the-scenes look at working with a new retail cl...

Gauge and his wife opened their business just over two years ago with a simple idea: support local makers and small businesses while crafting a few products of their own. That 'few' quickly turned into more… a lot more. Today, they make and sell over 300 different items—everything from all-natural cleaning solutions to DIY kits. As you can probably tell, Gauge has a bit of an ADD approach to creating, constantly dreaming up new ideas! In January 2024, they took a leap of faith and expanded into ...

Cass is a luxury line of leather goods designed and made in California by Debra Szidon. A Jersey girl who now calls California home, Debra blends East Coast sophistication with West Coast ease in every design she creates—from leather handbags to interior spaces and botanical elements. The idea for Cass began with a vintage handbag Debra had held onto for years. Its shape, structure, and simplicity always seemed to work, always seemed to get people talking. When she decided to restore the bag ...

Meghan Wagner is the owner of The Go Girl Shoppe, a unique retail store located in Mebane, NC. She began her entrepreneurial journey in 2012 with a mobile shop on wheels, offering a curated selection of home décor and gifts. In 2014, she opened a brick-and-mortar location in Raleigh, NC, and after 8 successful years, relocated to a larger store in Mebane in 2019. As a local to Mebane, Megan wanted to bring a little happiness to the corner of downtown, with a shop that constantly evolves with new...

Linnaea is the passionate owner of a beloved Santa Cruz institution that has evolved into a creative hub for American-made art, design, and feel-good goods. She first joined the store as a 16-year-old seasonal hire in 1993 and, 16 years later, celebrated her anniversary by buying the business. Since then, Linnaea has honored its legacy while transforming it into Artisans & Agency, a space that champions craftsmanship, community, and connection. With a degree in art history, Linnaea brings a c...

Andrea Hoffer is an experienced Talent Acquisition & Management strategist and entrepreneur, passionate about building exceptional teams. As the founder of aha! Talent Experts, she has helped businesses across the country improve recruitment processes, align hiring with company culture, and develop employer brands that attract top talent. With over 30 years of experience in recruitment and nearly two decades as a successful business owner, Andrea understands firsthand how great hires drive lo...

Bob Negen is a retail powerhouse, co-founder of WhizBang! Retail Training, and creator of Retail Brilliance , a cutting-edge educational platform for independent retailers. With a storied past as a kite shop owner and over two decades helping retailers master everything from sales to strategy, Bob joins Michelle for a deep, honest, and inspiring conversation. From weathering tariff chaos to elevating team sales performance, this episode is a must-listen for any retailer navigating today’s unp...

Susan and Michelle are back with another action-packed episode of Shelf Talk! In this conversation, they kick things off with a quick catch-up and get into what it’s like working alongside their husbands, including a juicy business conversation about a car wash. They dive into plans to collaborate with sponsors and grow the community, what’s in store for the upcoming show season, and the impact of tariffs. Susan and Michelle also tackle submitted questions from fellow retailers on signage and s...

Steven Henke is the Chief of Brand Marketing at DAP Health.DAP Health is an advocacy-based community health center in Palm Springs, CA, serving over 88,000 patients. It provides comprehensive medical and mental healthcare, STI testing and treatment, dentistry, pharmacy, and lab services. A wide array of wraparound services enables patients to experience optimal health—these include social services, support groups, alternative therapies, and other wellness offerings. DAP opened one of California...

Sara Vaskov has been in the San Luis Obispo retail scene for over two decades. She began working at Hands Gallery 22 years ago and became the owner in 2016, leading the shop through years of growth and evolution. Beyond running a thriving small business, Sara is deeply involved in community advocacy. As a board member of the Downtown SLO Association, she played a key role in lowering parking costs through her work on the Parking and Access Committee. Sara has also been an active participant in ...

Misty Stachel is the founder and owner of 85 Local, a carefully curated boutique that blends locally made goods with unique, high-quality finds from beyond Arizona. With a passion for retail and community, Misty has created a shopping destination where customers can discover one-of-a-kind gifts, stylish apparel, and must-have home accessories—all while supporting small businesses. At 85 Local, Misty focuses on thoughtful curation and an elevated shopping experience, helping customers find the p...

Emma Lewis is the owner of Rare Form and The Twentieth, both based in Chicago. Emma works to digitally restore and reinterpret 100-year-old designs to create unique greeting cards, stationery, and more. Through her work, her goal is to empower and affirm others with a brand that combines vintage images with unapologetic contemporary feminist language and over-the-top messages of affirmation. The Twentieth is a stationery, gift, and design brand that brings historical maximalism together with...

Susan and Michelle join forces again for another episode of Shelf Talk! Here, they kick things off with a recap of Susan’s recent trip to New Orleans and all the fun shops she explored while there. Next, they share some of their favorite displays found on Instagram and discuss their stand-out design elements and features. Susan and Michelle also discuss how you can recreate these displays in your own store, plans for booking upcoming shows, Mother’s Day display details, and more. Ask Miche...

Gloria Chou is an award-winning PR strategist and host of the top-rated Small Business PR Podcast. Known for her untraditional yet proven approach to PR which makes visibility and access to media accessible for anyone, Gloria helps BIPOC and female founders get featured organically in top-tier media without needing PR connections or a large following. experience through her signature CPR Pitching Method. Gloria’s strategies have earned small businesses in nearly every industry niche over a bill...

Marrin Costello is an American businesswoman, designer, and brand architect. Her career as a creative began at age seven, after receiving a bead kit for Christmas. Selling her creations at local San Francisco Bay Area craft fairs and local boutique retailers while in grammar school, Costello's love for both business and fashion was realized at a very young age. Less than a decade later, a childhood hobby has transformed into a global luxury lifestyle brand — with jewelry at its core. While stud...

Caroline Weaver is an obsessive shopper, former specialty shop owner, and creator of The Locavore Guide. During her years as a shopkeeper, she yearned for a resource to help others understand what it actually means to "shop small" and to share information about why it’s better for everyone. In a world of algorithms and convenience, most of us have lost touch with the ways in which shopping acts as a gateway for community building. Caroline spent a year walking hundreds of miles through every bo...

Andrew Fegler is the brains and beauty behind That’s So Andrew, the sassy gift brand for the girls, gays, and theys. He’s been sailing the entrepreneurial seas for over a decade and has gone from manufacturing to having a brick & mortar to creating an exclusive wholesale brand. Now, he’s full-circling back to open the doors of a pop-up gift shop! In this conversation, Andrew brings us up to speed on an eventful, busy season and his plans to turn his holiday pop-up shop into a year-round venture...

Welcome to Shelf Talk: a brand new, add-on segment inside the Retail Whore Podcast! In this new once-a-month segment, Michelle and co-host Susan Esayian dive into all things merchandising and design. Both Michelle and Susan have strong backgrounds as buyers and merchandisers in retail and wholesale gifts. On Shelf Talk, you’ll have the chance to submit your burning merchandising questions and get answers straight from the experts! A native of the Pacific Northwest, Susan Esayian has been worki...

Dan Jablons heads up Retail Smart Guys, a premier consulting company for independent retail. Dan studied at the Ohio State University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and Production. Throughout his career, he’s worked with big-name retailers like Walmart, Target, JC Penney, American Apparel, Betsey Johnson, Donna Karan, Jimmy Choo, and many others. Dan also worked for a clothing manufacturer where he piloted vendor-managed inventory programs, a leading point-of-sale...