00:00.00
retailjosh
Welcome to this episode of retail initiative I'm so excited for this episode I have Sarah and Carrie from girl tribe. They are a fantastic brand doing so much cool stuff and honestly this conversation went in a totally different direction than I expected and we ended up talking about building a healthy partnership and mental health and. Really how to make this thing work in the long haul we touch on the recession and what it looks like to grow a business in the midst of that I really think if you're a retailer and you're serious for're growing this one is going to be so good for you. So we're gonna dive in and if you enjoy this episode I would love if you would please leave a review subscribe. Share it with a friend that definitely helps us so let's get into the episode and we'll see you in a none.
00:00.00
retailjosh
All right? So here with me is Carrie and Sarah hi how's it going I'm so glad you're with me today. Well if you don't know girl tribe. You definitely should they are doing some incredible things in the retail space and i'm.
00:03.92
Carrie
All right? How you we're glad to meet.
00:39.74
retailjosh
Like excited because I think that you know whether you just have a storefront and you're None venturing to online or you've been online for years I think they are ones to watch ah and learn from so I hope that this episode is encouraging for you. Um Carrie Sarah I would love can youa share a little bit about girl tribe and like who you are what the brand is like how you.
00:49.32
Carrie
There It is.
01:19.40
retailjosh
You engage your customers and then we'll dive into it.
01:18.42
Carrie
Yeah, totally so I'm Sarah that's Carrie but people get that confused all the time which is like does it really bother us? Yeah, um, and um and girl tribe it started in 2014 as a women positive graphic t-shirt business and we chose graphic t-shirts because. We didn't have any money. Ah and we we just we had we just figured it out. We just figured out how to do it. Um, and and since 2014 we have grown it organically we haven't had any investment.
02:06.18
retailjosh
I.
02:33.98
Carrie
Ah, we're about to open our none store in Charlotte North Carolina and during the pandemic we grew our ecom like significantly and we also do large scalele pop-up shops featuring hundreds of women on businesses. So we've been doing that since 2015 I got it? Yeah I think so and we started anything else. Um, we produced our own products. Um, like you said we got in the graphic t-shirt business. Um, we started wholesale last year so we're selling to boutiques across the country is on top of kind of everything else. Yeah, that'll do it.
03:34.36
retailjosh
That is Awesome. So What was the None so you started in 2014 at that point where you like mostly in store was it all online like what did it start as or or I guess even let's go bigger picture than that like what was the original idea like what sparked hey let's do this thing. And what actually got you going in it because you said you had no money So I'm sure getting started wasn't wasn't easy like where'd you get the idea and then what made you actually want to get going.
04:26.00
Carrie
Ah, yeah, so well you mean? Yeah, yeah, um, yeah, so um and we both had our own businesses before we started girl tribe together and I had an online dress boutique. Um. And that was that I only purchased from women owned businesses that produced in America and Carrie had a graphic design business and so in 2014 after I had my none daughter. Um I sort of I kind of put that business away and I was kind of like you know. It was a great couple year run and it taught me an awful lot. But what I really was missing was the fact that I'm buying on this six month cycle. Um, you know I'm going to market in January February and I'm not getting that stuff until pretty fall fall winter and I mean. You know Instagram obviously is starting to really blow up influencers. They're changing fads and trends so quickly you can't keep up with it as like as sort of that like kind of old school mentality of of um shopping so I got really frustrated towards the end of my old business because. I could totally see what was trendy now but I couldn't get it, especially not in the avenues that I was purchasing from so. What was really interesting to me I just remember kind of quitting and just saying like I want to make my own thing because people aren't making it quick enough to like what we need to do I mean.
06:50.46
retailjosh
You can.
07:13.52
Carrie
You know you've got zara and all that kind of stuff but like for us I'm like we can do this and so Carrie and I had grown up together. We went to high school and middle school together at a strict catholic school which is why we have a lot of tattoos now because like we're really just rebelling in our late 30 s um, but yeah, so that's that's kind of how we started as well. Yeah I mean so like even digging further into that we Sarah reached out to me in 2012 because she wanted to get an interior design I was an architect at the time we met at Starbucks ended up having an 8 hour conversation um kind of about all of our hopes and dreams at that point in our lives and the end of the conversation was like Sarah wanted to open up a dress shop and I was like well I'm actually starting a graphic design business and we learned a ton of lessons from that and then in 2014 when Sarah was like. Let's start something and really during the whole journey everybody thought like we worked with each other or for each other and owned the company. Both companies kind of together because we were so intertwined in everything we were doing together and so it was just a natural fit and I think from day one we knew we wanted to create a.
09:27.82
retailjosh
And.
09:43.62
Carrie
Lifestyle Brand sorry about that but sorry house texting her on I let her in but I didn't tell her? Um, um so yeah, was you trying a thought there. She's like hello.
10:00.52
retailjosh
Ah, and.
10:21.56
Carrie
Um, so my train of thought that's rule number 4 outsource we go on. Yes, it is it is that's something we learned along the way from a therapist. Um that we see um, share a therapist we share a therapist therapist um but like front you.
10:38.38
retailjosh
Ah.
10:52.62
retailjosh
Do you do a hold on is this like a cost savings thing like you guys go together and split the hour or do you just have the same therapist because both are fantastic.
11:03.80
Carrie
We have oh yeah, yeah, well we we see her separately but we see her together. Um because how close we are um, it's It's basically a marriage and so sometimes like things will sort of start building up. Yeah, and it might not really be between like.
11:31.54
retailjosh
Through.
11:42.52
Carrie
Like Carrie and I are like really compatible. Um and we can usually work through things on our own but it might be something where they're like we're really struggling with um, kind of just anything you know like a so like an offer comes up and we're just really struggling with it and we just need to sort of talk it through with a none party. We don't. Really not a lot of other people in our lives that we can do that with or maybe we're having sort of some type of hr issue because we're growing and we went from None employees to 44 and you know it's like you're like I don't know like you know so so sometimes it's like um, just kind of a sounding board where we can't really get that.
12:28.54
retailjosh
Um, behind.
12:57.20
Carrie
We don't ask our husbands of that because I mean quite frankly like we don't want to hear about their day-to-day work life and like we know they don't want to hear about rz. You know it's like you don't want to bring all that home with you and we have little kids so it's not often that we have that time anyway. So we pay for it. We pay for it together and it's very worth it. Yeah, it's so worth it. So we're always on the same page because we like we've learned through the years we have to be a united front and we might see things from different perspectives which is very helpful but also like how do we and we were always trying to do this I feel like we're always on the same page. We're always trying to say the same thing but like how. Do we communicate? Yeah and understand that we're saying the same thing and then come out as a company as a united front I think there's a reason why you don't see a lot of businesses with like none partnerships because it's really hard. You know, um, but but yeah, so that's why we do it for all those kind of reasons and more.
14:32.98
retailjosh
Um, ah.
14:47.36
Carrie
And yeah, ah.
14:54.00
retailjosh
Gosh I Love I mean so I'm a huge huge huge advocate for like mental health and I really do believe that every single person in the world needs to be in therapy on a regular basis for so many reasons and so is it. Okay I'd love to dive into.
15:06.92
Carrie
Um. Sir. Yeah.
15:25.66
retailjosh
Um, that for a None is like when like at what point did John did you decide like hey let's actually go to counseling together because I think it's a very mature decision that most business owners don't make um, so.
15:36.24
Carrie
Um, oh there was that there was a specific book that it was early on.
15:55.00
retailjosh
Was it. It was it like a conflict that you needed to work through or was it like a proactive thing I Guess what led to that. Originally.
15:56.76
Carrie
Know I think there was a conflict but I but honestly looking back I think we have we were both new moms and we of course like love our children. But when you're growing this other baby. And you're doing it from scratch and we have no one else's help. Um and you're putting so much love and energy into it and it's like it's almost like like I talked to like younger entrepreneurs or you know whatever about like kind of the honeymoon phase of like starting a business like it's so exciting and it's but it's kind of stressful because you're like figuring things out. But I mean you have all these great ideas and you're gonna make it happen because you've decided to do it and it's just like glossy and beautiful sort of like right after that moment ends though you know when you start hiring employees and you you're not making enough money or you know you're working. So many hours a week and you've got a child at home and your husband's kind of like so like I support you but like this isn't sustainable for our lives like that kind of was all the things and then at the same time like when we specifically we were going going through that we were transitioning from Carrie's graphic design business too because we had kind of acquired that. Yeah um, and we were starting to like say like okay, let's start phasing this out. We kind of acquired her staff to what was our none girl tribe staff and um. They were we like were learning how to manage people. Yeah, we had never like tried and we were in an open air office. We're like in a eight hundred Square foot space with like None None None women's yeah time we all have our like Ikea tables. We're still sitting. But like all backed up to each other and these girls are you know they kind of they're kind of getting like you know like this and we're like no, that's not what we stand for and then we're like everyone kind of had different rulebooks and stuff like that and we're like oh my god what are we doing. We don't know how to manage these people. They were driving us crazy. We were driving them crazy. We were terrible leaders. Yeah yeah, we yeah, it was like all a learning process so we went to a conference for inspiration. Um, in New York and in the middle of new. New York I remember just like hysterically crying and being like it's the employee like we were both like it's the employees or us. Yeah, we're like well maybe they can just take it over. We're just like so mean yeah, we're like okay like like back it up great and then we're like we like spend an extra day in New York and had a couple beers and we were like okay like.
21:04.14
Carrie
When we get home. We have to see someone and we have to work out why we're so frustrated because yeah, you can phase out that staff or you can try to work with that staff or whatever. But we're gonna be the same leaders so is us is it them. You know you don't want to just blame other people you want to feel like gosh. No, and.
21:30.16
retailjosh
Hello.
21:43.60
Carrie
And you know it was kind of us. You know I mean kind of looking back on it. We were asking people that didn't have the skill set to do things we wanted them to do and there was a lot of frustration on that. So so I think really like looking at it from the outside we um, you know and like when you.
21:47.96
retailjosh
Um, yeah.
22:07.74
retailjosh
I.
22:19.86
Carrie
When become a leader you have to sort of start going through like kind of your own childhood trauma and you right? because like who is who's your None leader like your mom and your dad and so you kind of like well how do you manage like a family unit and yeah, so a lot of med cave. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
22:54.64
retailjosh
Gosh That's so powerful I Ah I think that for so many retailers. It's hard. Not even Retailers entrepreneurs in general. Um, like we all want to like naturally be able to just handle all these things that are thrown at us and what I love seeing.
23:16.22
Carrie
This.
23:28.72
retailjosh
And what you've done in your story is it clearly like there have been these moments where it was like no we need. We need to become not just do better but we need to become better like we whether it be through therapy whether it be with each other and your leadership I know for me like I have like.
23:42.36
Carrie
You know.
24:03.46
retailjosh
For my None employee it was 5 years until I was like okay I kind of have an idea of what it's like to manage people in a healthy way and I blamed all the team members and it wasn't until I was like hey there's a common denominator and all these and like all these disgruntled employees and that is me.
24:10.14
Carrie
Um, again.
24:33.98
Carrie
Um.
24:42.44
retailjosh
Maybe I need to become a better leader and quit blaming The these team members who at the end of the day had the best of intentions And yeah.
24:50.82
Carrie
Are right? You have to always assume that people do and that people want to do a good job. Um, but if you're not telling them what to do or what you're expecting of them and or and being realistic about expectations too. You know I mean especially when you do become when you're a solo you know well solo entrepreneur. And then when you bring staff On. You're so used to doing everything from a to Z and then you're like okay so here's the thing that you're going to do and then you're kind of like why aren't they doing more than that because I do to do more than that I didn't complain about it know and then you're like no no, this is the end so you know I think a lot of a lot of what we've been working on. You know, even lately as we're.
25:57.60
retailjosh
Okay.
26:09.68
Carrie
Growing is okay so like not only do we need? Let's say a marketing person but like what does that mean and what do we expect their day to day and how do we like? How do you create like a perform key performance indicator when we've never had those you know we've never worked in corporate office. Um, you know we've. We. Never I mean we had a lot of experience before we started but it was very. We also had very bizarre leadership right? Very yeah like we also worked for small businesses or I worked for nonprofit or like whatever and it's like okay so how do you?? How do you kind of button it up. And create a company culture that you're really proud of that people feel safe in but everyone's really, you know everyone's proud of what they do every day and you can make money right? you know and do it all perfectly with like you know a shoestring budget in no Hr department or actual experience. So That's what we're working on right now. Yeah, but.
27:41.52
retailjosh
I Love it.
27:55.90
retailjosh
I Love that So let's just say that you know so a retailer or an entrepreneur is like hey I I love the progress you've made and what you've done with your team Where should I get start like what would be that that resource is it a book is it counseling. Is it.
28:18.66
Carrie
Smooth.
28:35.20
retailjosh
Like what would you say has been a ah helpful thing.
28:31.50
Carrie
Ah, but ah, what a book but book got it. Well I think one book that did help you was what got you here won't get you there. Oh because I think there are there is like a few points in our journey where we would get stuck. And we'd be like we've been doing this so well. But like we want to get to the next level. How do we get to the next level. Yeah, and it's ah it's who is time' for a book. But I mean I don't read books but we I used to listen to a lot of like entrepreneur podcasts. You know like the.
29:39.20
retailjosh
Um.
29:40.54
Carrie
Npr. Yeah how I built color built this. That's like all that kind of stuff and I think there kind of became a point where I was like okay I kind of heard that story before um, you know you kind of go to enough conferences and you're like okay I sort of I sort of heard that like or you just. You want to for me. It was like there was almost always like a moment of stepping away from it because I was like because comparison is the thief of joy right? and so you're like well they're a hundred million dollar business and we're not there yet and like you know I mean I don't know so I mean. I think other resources that have helped us immensely is really just talking to people and getting that like 1 on 1 like asking people to be really honest because that's another thing where like some of those conferences and speeches and pianos and things like that people don't speak about money and or.
31:20.10
retailjosh
I know.
31:36.26
Carrie
You know, actual hard things. Yeah know or like all ah hr issues. Yeah yeah, and you're like okay yeah, but like I got it. But you know you you came from a trust fund anyway. So like you know what I mean or like you or whatever you have a none you like. None in investment and you're not actually profitable right? And that's not really, that's not really what we wanted to do so look at that guy's hair that is impressive. Um, but ah, but yeah I kind of went on to tang it there but that's sort of like are a little soap books on that i. Yeah I think like that's why we started girl tribe in the none place is like so you can find your tribe like or a group of women that you can bounce ideas off of and get perspective. But I also agree with her is like stepping away like taking a minute like instead of just like. Attacking like keep attacking and like running up to the same wall like just take a minute take a breath. Um, kind of like retreat from the problem for a second like it also gives you a good perspective too. It's funny because I think that that like kind of what carries sort of. Ah, like where you're talking about is sort of this sort of newer mentality right? and I think we're seeing and I hate this and I hate even saying this out loud. But I think this is the best sort of like. It can kind of explain what I'm thinking about but like you know there's all these articles. It's like is the fall of girl boss right? and and which is which is just so sexist because those articles are full like of like you know Emily Weiss and things like that and I'm like that's all women right? like there's been plenty of men in that same like. Booming era that created businesses that were never profitable because the Vc and you know it it bloated it too much or whatever. Um, and there is sort of it does seem like there is sort of almost a retreat societally. Like you don't have to hustle every single day all day long to create a successful business and I think sometimes when you get too far into reading those books and it it you just you just become so absorbed with changing things every single day or find new metrics and. You're like at some point you just have to run your business and like go home like wash your underwear and put it up. You know what? I mean like like there's also a human being behind it and I think when we get too far into my business is me I am my business. You know it's.
36:22.86
Carrie
It's like a really unfortunate thing and that thing that we see we see you know founder burnout with that. So that's where we're at currently as well trying not to be birth.
36:38.66
retailjosh
Yeah, gosh I Love that and it's such an important like that creating that separation of um, you know like if my business quote unquote fails. It doesn't mean that I am a failure it means like okay that that was a bad idea or it was executed.
37:03.80
Carrie
Um, the. Um, then.
37:17.64
retailjosh
Poorly one of the 2 and great. So now I can learn and either have a better idea or better execution or whatever. But when we marry that identity it just creates like there's there's almost no win-win. Um, because even if you succeed it's never going to be enough to ah.
37:36.00
Carrie
No well 100% and I think I think in I don't even know what year it was but I think there was a year where we had reached all of our goals. So like we.
37:53.94
retailjosh
Burn the identity that you're after.
38:11.44
Carrie
And not saying they're huge goals but we're like we want to do this. We want to do this we want to do this so we're looking around. We're like oh fuck we we did a we did it so like then we're almost like depressed. Yeah, you're depressed. You're like well so what's so what's next yeah, and you're kind of like we kind of did it. Um, you know I think. Ah, big, kind of light bulb moment for us too. There's these guys in Charlotte they started a laundry business that like it's basically they I don't want to like they just. Close off your front porch wash it and dry it and put it back on your front door but they made like an app with it and it's much more complicated I yeah, definitely butchering it but I remember when we none met up with these guys I mean they're they're probably about None ears younger than us and they had just gotten out of college and. And they were you know in every article they were. They had just gotten their none round of funding and so we're meeting up with them and and they're like they're like oh yeah, we all live in the same house and like we all sleep in the same room. We work downstairs together and I remember Carrie and I left that meeting and I don't remember what else we talked about if I remember being like. That sucks because like we have families like we can't do that you know like we've got babies and husbands and dogs and like we're 10 years beyond them and here we are starting this. So yeah, it feels like you feel like a failure from just a conversation like that too which really sucked. Ah, yeah, and now it's funny because those guys are all getting married and they like till and understand but and they're and they're doing great, but um, but I mean I remember we urge? Yeah yeah, we're like screw those guys all'll living in together we're like and we were like can you imagine if we just lived together and how hard we could work all the time and like you know, but.
41:00.74
retailjosh
Um.
41:28.40
Carrie
What we learned I think from that as well is like trying to make enough money or hiring enough people to take those duties So it's not just us doing every single thing. No and so that they could yeah you know, empowering them to like take this project and run with it. Yeah and like remove just us.
41:53.42
retailjosh
Are.
42:06.22
Carrie
Right? and removing yourself from the equation like so you're not so tied into like girl trivis me ah the success and failure and like once you've hit the successes Now you're like oh shit like yeah I've got nowhere to go? Yeah, ah.
42:31.16
retailjosh
Yeah, it's a it is amazing. How like when I mean Gosh I've gotten to work with like so many amazing retailers that are way further along than you know even I Then even I then I am or whatever and.
42:59.28
Carrie
Yeah.
43:08.98
retailjosh
All of them the common trait among every single one of them is how underwhelming it was when they reached what was once their wildest dreams. Um and but I think the the at least for me and and I would love your input on this as well. The.
43:17.24
Carrie
No yeah idea. Yeah.
43:41.40
retailjosh
Takeaway is not like don't have wild dreams or don't taste after these things. But I think it's building in like ah a and I was about to say attitude of gratitude but I do not want to rhyme but like at Rhythms of gratitude of like being grateful for wherever you are along the.
43:39.74
Carrie
I know.
43:58.22
Carrie
Yeah.
44:20.40
retailjosh
Journey because otherwise it like there's always just going to be a next level that and look like I'm I don't know you but like it's never enough and I will always want to keep growing and growing and growing. But if I don't do that with with rhythms of Gratitude. It becomes this like all consuming unhealthy I can't enjoy life because I'm chasing the next thing like what does that look like I Guess how have you been able to reach those goals and still enjoy Business. You know you mentioned that it wasn't.
45:24.24
Carrie
And.
45:31.76
retailjosh
Maybe what you thought it would be like what does it look like for you to still enjoy business after reaching those goals like what what changed for you in that process.
45:45.48
Carrie
I think None thing that Carrie and are both doing a lot this year especially um, kind of coming down from sort of the covid. Um, ah, frenetic energy of trying to keep this place afloat and we didn't just. Keep it a flow. We invented literally every single thing during that time and we just I mean we looked at like shut down we were like this is gonna be awesome like we were almost like right? we like rolled up our sleeves and I was like we've been waiting for this like literally caring I've always been like like. Because we started doing this kind of like post recession. We were like god we could have crushed it during the recession you know are like you know we're like okay, let's do it while things are quiet and like really dig into it. So ah, we ran on adrenaline you know 2020 I know everyone did um but we it was totally. And completely and utterly nuts and I think that whole summer we just drank like warm lacrox and like cheese crackers because like we would we there's nowhere to go. We just haven't have a lot of those like in our like warehouse and anyway, um, so you know like last year was about kind of rebuilding. Opening popups back up saying yes to sort of any opportunity that came our way that felt well like the right thing and then this year and also building our team and then this year we're like okay, well like we're building this life. We have to build ourselves back into it. We have to build our families back into it. So. We've really been stepping away like Carrie just got back from two week complete vacation I I haven't really been in the office. It's like March I was just been like whenever like you know my husband's parents live at the beach and like you know.
49:03.56
retailjosh
That's awesome.
49:18.58
Carrie
Well so Sarah has trade met marked as it as a hot mom summer and I think so I starting to do all the things that I've never had time for or energy. You know like I got an air fryer. Like my like everyone knows that like if you go to Sarah's house there's no food and you know and I've always sort of pride of myself I'm like oh I'm so busy I'm an entrepreneur like whatever and like I'm like oh I want to like kind of dive into being more domestic. Yeah, like slowing it down like that's where I think we're finding. Happiness is the ability to slow down and things still run and enjoy life.
50:26.86
retailjosh
I love that gosh I have 2 things I want to ask about and different directions I'm coming back to that but something you said that I am so curious on it and I actually think is very applicable to now was you said shutdown happened and you were like.
50:32.28
Carrie
Um, okay.
50:53.98
Carrie
Um, like in a weird way. Yeah, um.
51:05.88
retailjosh
Stoked You were like we were made for this. This is our moment and you are in and in hindsight like we look back and we see that there was tremendous opportunity for growth in retail and I think a lot of people took advantage of that. But I think that's something we can say in hindsight and we can say ok that this is a result.
51:22.48
Carrie
Ruby pen.
51:30.46
Carrie
Great.
51:42.32
retailjosh
Um, but I also can say like we're headed into what looks to be a recession and a difficult period and I think a lot of people are really nervous and you're saying we could have crushed it in a recession explain that mindset of like we're going to set down. We're made for this. Not what we're gonna do. But you are ready.
52:01.52
Carrie
Um.
52:20.52
retailjosh
What how did you feel that way cause I think a lot of people struggle to stay positive and not even just stay positive but like actually get excited. Ah, that's so rare. So how did you.
52:21.64
Carrie
That. Yeah I mean I think I think hes cries like None time during the recession I think literally we each cried one time and I was like I remember being in the chick-fil-a line and like crying and I was like that is the saddest shit ever sorry I know it was a cousin does so I'm crying while I'm getting like. You know devil french fries and and I'm like life is fine Sarah like you're okay, you're safe and I think it was just sort of like oh like you know if we have to lay these people off we will and we'll bring them back or whatever you know I think um, i. I kind of think a we're at we were the perfect age during the the pandemic um, and and I say that because we were both financially stable. We both have husbands that have stable jobs and we live our private lives the same way we've we lived our business and that so we've always kept cash. So we've never been in debt personally or professionally yeah and you know professionally we had never taken a loan so we went into the reset and what are we saying we went into the pandemic. We went into March Twenty Twenty and we had a couple hundred thousand dollars in cash.
54:35.48
retailjosh
I.
54:58.88
Carrie
You know? and so we knew that we could float it. We could float the business for six months without you know we keep paying people. You know we stopped paying ourselves but that was just because we just didn't need to take it. Yeah know I wonder like we've always been risk averse. Yeah, and so we um.
55:28.20
retailjosh
More.
55:37.28
Carrie
You know we definitely like lost money in the beginning but it was kind of like well everyone else is losing money like I didn't really like feel. Um and then that year we had wanted to grow online and so was kind of like well that's the only thing we can do right now. So like let's do it and we sold ourselves. You know that's what we started doing live selling on Facebook and a couple of months of that really saved us. Um and then getting really kind of clever with laws and like Carrie and I I mean. Have a construction background I was in construction for None ars and I have my interior design degree Kerry was an architect. Um, so I mean I'd like to say like we have this really weird like skill set where we can like sort of like understand how to read documents and and I and I think sort of honestly that sort of disciplinary brain that we had. Were able to sort of say like oh well even just because the shutdown is affecting events doesn't mean we can't open and ah like the storefronts are open so that's when we opened like a small storefront above our storefront that was like a mini popup so we were able to get our pop-up vendors. And actual space I mean it was just kind of like we were kind of reading between the lines not like definitely not breaking rules remember that catholics. Yeah or we're definitely not to break a rule or a law ever ever ever. She's the slowest driver I'm not even kidding you I'm like like I push down on her right leg when we're driving I'm like please.
58:02.76
retailjosh
Um, in.
58:32.14
retailjosh
Ah.
58:34.82
Carrie
Like this. It's a Yll line but she's still but she still requires me to drive everywhere. So well you know I'm busy. So um and you know I think we also we had buddies that had um, ah to go back to like the like the recession kind of comment.
58:46.84
retailjosh
Um, it's so funny.
59:09.38
Carrie
We had a buddy that had a ah resale shop like a luxury consignment shop and I remember her saying ah that the recession years were her best years ever. So so that sort of mindset was like well people are always going to spend money right. There just are like especially and I think especially in the lifestyle that we're in now. Um, and so you can either be the person that you can stay in your lane and you can say this is what we've always done or you can say well people are making money over there I'm gonna go over there. Um, and then because we both were in construction and commercial architecture during the recession. We saw how hard hit those industries were yeah because they're all built on loans and you know the interest rates and and doing things one way and not being able to pivot. can't you can't I mean what are you gonna do slow down a job site like you know so what happens is that like a full labor force gets laid off so we were like okay so what are what are some sort of opportunity to be able to be more pliable around those those moments I mean this upcoming thing. Yeah. Sure hope it's not really happening I don't know I mean talk to me in six months warren're probably won't feel differently. Um, yeah, we'll stay herere. Not the best way we can. Yeah and I think our company. We've always been really nimble and always on the pulse of like what's happening and pivoting like I mean that's like what. Honestly, we're really good at his pivoting and it and that's one of the things that typically excites us is like something new and shiny. So it like pandemic happened it was like new and shiny. Let's f and go you know like we're like I mean no was it really so merry and like. Oh my god like you thank god her husband was already literally a prepper and so we definitely had like paper towels and toilet paper which was so nice because Derek um he like he's always been like that he was. He was also excited. He was ready. Yeah, um.
01:03:10.40
retailjosh
Ah.
01:03:24.74
Carrie
But you know I had two little kids at home then all son aren't going to school and yeah husband has to work from home. But I can't because I have to go into the office I mean and we have to say we'll have our own stories right? and we're so we're like putting our capes on every day. Yeah, like my grays are showing because I can't go to the salon and the world is crumbling and sad and. Dangerous around us. It was Horrible. Um is horrible I mean but I think that that kept us like that light kept us going. Yeah yeah.
01:04:07.22
retailjosh
Who.
01:04:18.12
retailjosh
Yeah I I love that you know because it seems like there were these at least in your story like there's these 2 coexisting things like there was one side where you were scared like there was a thing to be scared of and um, you know I have a business coach who's like her big thing is like just do it scared.
01:04:37.36
Carrie
And little.
01:04:49.44
Carrie
Ah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
01:04:57.40
retailjosh
Just like be scared but just do it anyway. Um, and that existed and then there was a genuine excitement and I don't think those cancel each other out. It seems like those just coexisted and you move forward anyway. And yeah so I think that search.
01:05:08.26
Carrie
Know. Yeah yeah I mean you know I think I do I don't want to sound like ah like so shortsighted by any means because there are definitely industries that I think it couldn't do that. They just couldn't.
01:05:44.20
retailjosh
The.
01:05:42.56
Carrie
You know in events is one of them food and beverage. Obviously I know there's you know like travel that just they only do it one way they can only do it one way and and I think also kind of keeping our eye on that and these are these are things that have like small margins So like what can we do to continue to have bigger. Margins you know and so trying to learn from those things apply them to our business and see our therapist. Yeah yeah, we have.
01:06:39.64
retailjosh
Yeah I love that? Um, okay, and so the last thing I want to ask about because I think we started to go this was outsourcing because you mentioned how important this is. We've talked a lot about building a team. Um, what I think this is an area that a lot of retailers really struggle in.
01:07:07.74
Carrie
Um, totally anything.
01:07:18.42
retailjosh
Um, is giving control to their team like what did that look like for you at None Um, and then I guess like what are you starting to work through now that is enabling you to finally step away like you talked about.
01:07:36.26
Carrie
Yeah I would say I'm probably the worst delegate like ah 2021 my word was delegate. You know how people pick a word then they try and live up to it that your mind was delegate. Um, and I like I personally find a ton of value in working. Um, but also i. All of our business. You know it's like your baby. So you're very tied to it. So it's like if I'm not running it then who am I and what is you know? What are all these things. So I think it was for me personally it was a ton of baby steps to get there and like release the control but like. Our company is thriving because we have delegated because we have put these women and let them do their thing like your brain space can only handle so many things and luckily there's 2 of us so we could 2 prong the approach but like at some point like for us to get to that next level there was that was like. Was 0 way of that happening without us like actually yeah I'm an amazing delegate she is I really like I that's why I don't drive you see like like I'm like no I'm not gonna do that. But um.
01:09:52.84
retailjosh
Dismissed.
01:09:56.50
Carrie
But you know I mean obviously we we have a team that's in-house and in our stores and um and then obviously we use you know like we have our retail consultants that you know that we meet with once a month that we talk to all the time that are constantly reading through our numbers and telling us what to buy? What's a discount what to dive into. Um, what the trends are how we're doing because Carrie and I are horrible at math. So like really early on that was like the none thing we needed help with was like math and accounting. We have an accountant we have a bookkeeper um, those things were just. Terrible at or not interested in it. Um, you know I ah got we have like a very temporary or part time cfo that comes in and sort of gives us like full picture stuff. Um, we have like a ads. Team yeah, an ads team now. Um, so we have production teams. Obviously I mean so I try not to do anything every day. Um, and I think that's important. But I mean you know it's like if you can afford it get childcare help if you can afford it get someone to clean your house because like yeah. You've got it. You've got to figure out how to how to get to the next level and you got to have people to do it. You just do you do? I mean there are definitely people you know that can make a ton of money on their own. You know that would be awesome, but we haven't figured that one out we need people help.
01:12:36.58
retailjosh
Right here.
01:12:48.48
retailjosh
Um. Yeah, I'm not quite there yet.
01:13:01.32
Carrie
Yeah, yeah, yeah, but I like a tick talker. Maybe you know what I mean like ah know. Ah yeah, um.
01:13:08.60
retailjosh
Yeah I love it. Um, okay so here's my last question so someone Dms you and they're like hey I want to meet up I just want to pick your brain. And they are like just wanting this one piece of advice if you had to share like None thing for a retailer that it's looking to grow is there any like big thought that you would leave them with or thing that they should be thinking about or a question they should be asking ah to encourage a retailer who's looking to grow their business.
01:14:10.90
Carrie
Um, I mean None piece of advice that we just took a minute ago for ourselves is to just start like I think people get so wrapped up and like oh well I have to have this perfect website and I have to have this perfect branding and I have to have this perfect space and I have to have the perfect close like just start because like. You're not going to have any of that until you start like right now we're working on something and we were I feel like we've been dragging our feet and then today Sarah's like we just need to start this I'm like yep and we need to take our own advice. You know because I delegate it to her. Ah, but ah yeah. I would say get your money right? and I think that's where especially like from just like a boutique business standpoint and that's where like our retail guys come in so handy but um so many people get into fashion retail any I mean any type of retail. Because they love that product. They love it so much because they are great consumer of that product but like it comes down to dollars and cents you over buy you have no money left your customer has already seen that you've got stale inventory. You just have to get your money right? You just have you have to get in front of it.
01:16:03.66
retailjosh
Home.
01:16:36.88
Carrie
And I think a lot of people are afraid to do that because they don't want to.. It's Scary. You know and kind of going back to like your childhood and how you know yeah your family perceive money and I think there's a lot of sort of that sort of ah thing that we can really get hooked up On. Um, sort of a fame feasts or famines where I think they've got to get your money right? You got to understand how to make money like it just doesn't just happen. No Ah, people don't just give you money? No I've learned. Ah so you have to figure out how to make this.
01:17:33.96
retailjosh
I will.
01:17:46.20
Carrie
Into a little bit more into a little bit more and then reinvest in a little bit more you have to figure out that need help.
01:17:58.20
retailjosh
I love it. That's such good advice.
01:19:15.30
retailjosh
Hey so as we wrap up I'd love want to thank you for being here. Um I'd love if you could just share like how can people find you I enjoyed this and I hope other people want to follow you now and and learn more about what you do so.
01:19:14.90
Carrie
Elaine. You got that.
01:19:24.70
Carrie
Um, funny.
01:19:46.84
retailjosh
Um, where can we find your business where can we find you on social.
01:19:47.40
Carrie
Oh um, you can find us at http://girltricode.com that's Ceo at the end. Um or you can find us on Instagram at girlt tripeco yeah, or girl supply girl dot supply. What is that what is our handle. Um, it doesn't it doesn't matter you don't worry. No and or shot girlry pop. Yeah so we have like a couple accounts. Yeah, we have a couple busy shopgirlt try pop up dot com and shopgirltri pop up would be that and then girl supply Dot Ceo would be the website and then unsurere the Instagram i.
01:20:32.28
retailjosh
We'll find it and we will put it in the show notes.
01:21:04.58
retailjosh
I Love it? Well what we will put all of this in the show notes for you. Thank you for being here I really enjoyed this conversation I will see you next time.
01:21:04.74
Carrie
Girl that supply I think so too in know what to talk to you. Thank you so much. Yeah, appreciate. And.
00:00.00
retailjosh
Before you go I don't know if you're anything like the retailers that I talked to but a lot feel like growing online sales is like running on a hamster wheel where you're running and you're running and you're running. But you're not gaining the traction that you'd hope. And yet some make it look really really easy and what is it about those people well after working with None retailers to grow their online sales I've put together the 5 key strategies of None figure retail. Ah, all in a free on-demand training that as a listener of this show I'd love to offer you. You can get access to this exclusive training at http://secretsofretail.com/podcast again, that's http://secretsofreretail.com/podcast see you there.
