Welcome to Retail Rookie
If we’re playing the game of life, we’ll probably feel like a rookie at any given moment.
When it came to living my Shopkeeper Dream, it was a game with wins, misses, and many lessons.
I owned and operated my dream store for five years. Through my experiences and observations, I’ve become acutely aware of the Rookie wins and misses in other entrepreneurs, specifically in other independent Shopkeepers.
My goal with this newsletter is to celebrate the wins and misses of the independent retail journey.
Why? Because wins and misses teach us what alignment feels like, what needs attention, and how to course-correct. That is, if we’re paying attention to our lives and the games we get thrown into — or put ourselves in.
Retail Rookie is a place to share stories and topics that didn’t make it into the final draft of my book (launching March 12, 2024!).* A book that’s part memoir and part keen observations on living the Shopkeeper Dream.
I’ll also share thoughts on relevant retail happenings, experiences, and industry trends because I have an itch to scratch, and my scratching may be helpful to/enjoyable for you.
Owning and operating a retail store was not my ultimate calling, but it was my greatest lesson and catalyst for personal growth. It was an experience that taught me how to take personal inventory (i.e., pay better attention to find alignment) and take inspired actions.
So here I am on Substack, the result of an inspired action.
And while I may be a former Shopkeeper, I’m an eternal lover of small shops. I have a big heart for the independent retailers who make up the fabric of our communities. This space is a way of playing in and expanding that love.
Thanks for spending time here.
*Retail Rookie was an early title for my upcoming book, but it wasn’t the right fit. Rather than throw out a good name, I decided to repurpose Retail Rookie into a newsletter to celebrate and commiserate the experiences in independent retail entrepreneurship—experiences that can make Shopkeepers feel like rookies in their businesses from time to time. Though we learn best by doing, I hope that my notes and stories can help Shopkeepers feel like seasoned veterans more often than not.