Before we start, check out this week’s podcast featuring Keith Moneymaker from Sweet Dreams in North Carolina. Keith is a great retailer and shares some stories on how he is making it happen in his market so give it a listen and make sure to have a pencil handy because he throws out some really good ideas!

Ever since Kinsley and I started working with the Nationwide Marketing Group we have been exposed to some things that have had a profound impact on me.

1. It all started when I met Jeff Rose at a dinner that I was invited to by my good buddy Jason Mehl, formerly of Metro Mattress. They introduced us to Mike Whitaker and things started to evolve in a great way. Then I met Tom Hickman, got reconnected to Chad Fisher, was introduced to the best bigfoot actor ever Johnny Lamp, had dinner with Dean Hanby, did a podcast with Jennifer Danko and have worked closely with the awesome crew at PrimeMedia. Later we met Amy Croom and Rob Stott and started to work with them on their sponsorship with Dos Marcos, and the circle continues to grow. All of this to say that every single person we met inside of this organization was 100% committed to serving their member; the rock stars of this industry also known as the independent retailer.  Kinsley and I have learned a lot after spending time with some of these business owners and that exposure has really influenced where Dos Marcos is today.
2. Many of the independent retailers out there have a major advantage in their markets. For some they just don’t realize that or if they do, they don’t fully understand how to capitalize on it.
3. One of the best ways to grow as a person or a business is to look at the best practices of others that are where you want to be. The PrimeTime events have taught me how important it is to network inside of this industry. Retailers are hungry for knowledge and they depend on each other when it comes to good information that can help them grow their company.
4. There is a real spirit of abundance in the middle of it all. People wanting to help each other get better and we have tapped into that in a big way.

When Kinsley and I were at the PrimeTime event in New Orleans, we gave a speech at Mattress University about driving foot traffic to the retailer’s doors. During that talk, we asked all 400 people in the room to tell us about a successful marketing event that they actually used to generate traffic to their stores. They wrote them down on note cards and passed them in, and those ideas that have inspired us to write a Book.

We can’t share the name of it just yet but I can tell you that the book is complete, in the hands of our publisher and it will likely drop the first week of December. We will have a paperback, digital version, and an audiobook all ready to go at the same time so no matter how you like to consume a book, we’ve got you covered. I’ve always wanted to write a book so this is a solid checkmark on the bucket list and I’m really excited to share it with this audience.

So what’s it about? Consider the following questions.

• Is your business a place that sells things to your customers, OR, do you have a large following of raving fans that prefer you over all others? Fans that will consistently shop with you no matter what, even if you are a little more expensive?
• Do you have a deep understanding of how your customers see you? How do your employees see you? Are you clear on how you want to be seen? Why does it matter and how can you leverage this perspective to bring you to a place you have never been?
• How well do you connect with the people you do business with? Why is this one of the most important things you should be focused on as you push past 2020?
• What are the levers you should be pulling to grow your company? Are you missing any?
• What does the future of retail look like and are you ready for it?
• Are the people in your company creative enough to bring in a consistent stream of new ideas? How do you create that culture?

Answers to these questions fill the pages of our new book and they are based on real-life examples from over 70 different independent retailers that are killing it in their markets every single day.

The stories in this book will surprise and delight you, they will make you laugh, they will make you uncomfortable, they will touch your heart, and hopefully, they will inspire you to use something you’ve read to make a meaningful change to your own Business.

If you would like to add your name to the list for updates on the book, you can do that at THIS LINK. The people that sign up will get an advance email with details on the drop date and if you are one of the first 100 people to buy the book at the special rate, we will send you a signed copy along with two INDESTRUCTIBLE Dos Marcos shot glasses so check it out.