She Lost Everything. Then Built a $50 Million Dollar Business.

In this episode, Salena Knight explains why the products you regret buying can be some of the most valuable data in your retail or ecommerce business. It is easy to focus on best sellers, products that sold out, and suppliers that performed well. But your clearance section, old stock, and products that have been sitting in the warehouse can tell you just as much - and sometimes more - about your buying decisions. Salena walks through how to look beyond "it didn't sell" and identify what actually went wrong. Was the product itself the problem? Did you buy too much? Was the colour selection wrong? Was the price too high? Did demand only appear after a significant discount? She also explains why clearing old stock isn't enough. If you don't understand the buying decision that created the excess inventory, you risk making the same decision again with a different product. You'll learn how to: Use old stock as buying data Distinguish between a product problem and an overbuying problem Look at sales performance alongside discounts and timing Identify patterns across seasons and product ranges Recognise assumptions that influence your buying decisions Turn disappointing inventory into a lesson for future buying Ask better questions before repeating a buying decision The key takeaway: You've already paid for the stock. Make sure you get the lesson from it, too.

You found the perfect product. You know your customers will love it. So you buy it. But what if that isn't enough to make it a good buying decision? In this episode, Salena challenges the way retailers think about inventory and explains why buying isn't just about finding products that fit your brand or that you believe will sell. Every dollar you put into stock is a dollar that can't be used somewhere else in your business, which means every product needs to earn its place. Salena walks through how to think about inventory as an investment, why your revenue and profit goals should influence your buying decisions, and why the speed at which a product turns back into cash matters just as much as whether it eventually sells. You'll also hear how one retailer discovered that the brand they thought was performing well wasn't the whole story. Once they looked more closely at the individual products, they found that bright prints were selling much faster than the plains and neutrals. That kind of insight can completely change what you choose to buy next. If you're heading into a major buying season and want to make decisions based on more than instinct, this episode will help you look at your inventory through a much more commercial lens. Register for the free Q3 Masterclass Series here.

In this episode, we're talking about a problem a lot of retailers are feeling right now: getting customers to your website is costing more, so how do you make more money from the traffic you already have? Krisztian Kiraly, International Partnership Manager at OptiMonk, joins us to unpack the idea of "conversion before acquisition" - improving the customer experience and conversion rate before simply spending more to acquire additional traffic. We talk about why independent retailers and ecommerce businesses can't win by trying to outspend massive marketplaces like Amazon, Temu and SHEIN, and what they can do instead. A big focus of the conversation is the changing role of the product page. As customers increasingly discover products through Google, Google Shopping and AI tools, they may arrive directly on a product page without ever visiting the retailer's homepage. That means your product page needs to do much more than list a product. It needs to sell it. Krisztian shares five areas retailers should focus on to improve their product pages, including better imagery, benefit-led headlines and stronger trust signals. We also get into AI-powered personalisation and how retailers can make the experience more relevant based on where customers came from, what they've viewed and what they're likely looking for. In this episode, we discuss: Why rising acquisition costs are putting pressure on ecommerce profitability The "conversion before acquisition" mindset Why your product page is becoming your new landing page and salesperson The role of reviews, testimonials, customer photos and videos in building trust How AI is changing the customer journey What hyper-personalisation can look like in ecommerce How to get more revenue from the traffic you're already paying for Free audit and consultation: ConversionLift AI consultation

What does it take to build a retail business that is profitable, deeply connected to its community, and still growing years after opening? In this episode, Salena chats with Jill Schuler, CEO of The Stitchery Studio, a fabric shop and studio that has grown from one person's dream into a thriving creative community. Since opening in 2017, Jill has taken a considered approach to modern textiles, combining retail with education, creativity and connection. The result is a business that gives customers a reason to keep coming back, while continuing to evolve and grow. And the numbers are worth paying attention to. Jill shares how The Stitchery Studio has grown sales by 30% and increased profit by 40%. But this episode isn't simply about the numbers. Jill shares what sits behind that growth, including the importance of building the right team, creating experiences customers value, expanding into new areas such as leather work, and staying committed to a vision that is genuinely her own. Jill also talks openly about why she started the business in the first place. For her, retail is about bringing together her passion for craft and community with a need she saw around her: creating connection and countering isolation and loneliness. If you're a retailer looking to grow without losing sight of what makes your business different, this conversation is full of practical ideas to take away. If you're building a retail business that you want to be both profitable and meaningful, this episode is worth a listen. Register for the free Q3 Masterclass Series here.

Somewhere in your product catalogue, there's revenue you're missing, sitting in data you're not tracking. In this episode of Bringing Business to Retail, Salena Knight sits down with Leon Bart-Williams, a former Amazon sales leader and founder of a retail technology platform, to talk about how the world's biggest retailers use product data to make decisions, and how independent retailers can use the same thinking. Leon draws on his time at Amazon and NBCUniversal to explain why looking past top-line sales numbers reveals hidden profit, shows you why customers pick one variant over another, and changes how you buy and merchandise stock. He built Akikumo after watching brands at Amazon hit a ceiling they couldn't see past: "At Amazon, I had the pleasure of watching brands get on the platform, grow fast, and change their lives. But I also saw brands not figure out how to scale past a certain size because they couldn't keep up with their own catalog growth. Akikumo is my attempt to fix that. I want product-based business owners to have the same intelligence that big retail teams have without needing a team of analysts to make it happen." In this episode, you'll learn: Why your product catalogue is hiding revenue you're not seeing How Amazon uses product-level data to drive sales and profitability The difference between sales data and product intelligence Why tracking variants, attributes and customer behaviour leads to better buying decisions How better product data improves merchandising, marketing and inventory planning Practical ways to make more profit from the stock you already have Resources mentioned: Akikumo: www.akikumo.com Shopify app: apps.shopify.com/akikumo

What if the biggest mistake you ever made in your business wasn't actually a mistake at all? In this episode, Salena shares the story of the most ridiculous purchase she ever made for her retail store - a box of decorative sew-on barrettes that had absolutely no place in an eco baby boutique. Nearly 20 years later, she found them again while packing up her house, and they reminded her of one of the biggest lessons every retailer needs to learn before peak season. As Q4 approaches, retailers everywhere are making critical buying decisions. Should you reduce your order to fit your cash flow? Should you borrow to buy more stock? Should you play it safe? Salena explains why most retailers are making these decisions based on instinct instead of strategy, and why that could cost far more than a few slow-moving products. If you've ever overbought, underbought, or second-guessed your inventory decisions, this episode will help you approach peak season with a completely different perspective. Register for the free Q3 Masterclass Series here. 

Jennifer Ann Johnson knows what it's like to lose everything and start again. After rebuilding from the ground up, she created True Fashionistas into a $50 million resale business while discovering that confidence isn't something you're born with. It's something you build. In this conversation with Salena Knight, Jennifer shares the lessons she's learned about resilience, leadership, business growth, personal branding, and creating long-term success without losing yourself in the process. We discuss: Jennifer's journey from model and actress to entrepreneur Losing everything and rebuilding from scratch Growing True Fashionistas into a $50 million business Why confidence is built through action The importance of personal branding Leadership lessons for growing retailers Building a business that supports your life instead of consuming it Practical advice for entrepreneurs navigating setbacks Connect with Jennifer Ann Johnson Website: https://www.truefashionistas.com Personal Website: https://www.jenniferannjohnson.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truefashionistasresale Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/truefashionistasresale Resources Grace & Grit: Becoming a Confident Entrepreneur The Confident Entrepreneur Podcast Ready to grow your retail business? Register for Salena Knight's Q3 Webinar Series Masterclass here.

What would you do if your orders suddenly quadrupled in just a few weeks? For one retailer, a simple change to her shipping strategy delivered exactly that. Orders surged, the Shopify notifications kept coming, and it looked like she'd found the perfect way to increase sales. But was it really a win? In this episode, Salena Knight shares the story behind a coaching call that uncovered what was really happening beneath the surface. While the increase in orders looked like a huge success, the numbers told a more nuanced story, highlighting why every retailer needs to look beyond revenue before making decisions. You'll discover why shipping strategies can have a dramatic impact on customer behaviour, how to evaluate whether a change is genuinely improving your business, and the key metrics every retailer should monitor before celebrating an increase in sales. In this episode, you'll learn: The shipping change that led to a fourfold increase in orders. Why higher sales don't always mean higher profits. How customer buying behaviour changes when you adjust shipping thresholds. The metrics you should review before making pricing or shipping decisions. How to use data to make more profitable business decisions. Whether you're considering offering free shipping, lowering your shipping costs or reviewing your pricing strategy, this episode will help you make decisions that grow both your sales and your profits. Save your seat for the free webinar series here

Playing it safe feels responsible. It feels sensible. But what if it's the thing keeping your business from growing? In this episode, Salena shares one of the most pivotal moments in her retail journey, and unpacks why the safe decision is often the most expensive one a business owner makes. From setting conservative revenue goals to avoiding difficult conversations, underpricing products, and under-ordering best sellers, you'll learn how loss aversion shapes the decisions you make every day. Those decisions can feel logical in the moment, but they often carry a hidden cost that limits what your business is actually capable of. Drawing on psychology, real client conversations, and lessons from her own business, Salena explains why awareness is the first step to breaking the pattern, and how aiming beyond your current circumstances can lead to a completely different outcome. If you've been waiting for the right time to make a change in your business, this episode will help you see what waiting is already costing you.