Salena Knight 0:02
Hey there, and welcome to the bringing business to retail podcast. If you're looking to get more sales, more customers, master your marketing, and ultimately take control of your retail or E commerce business, then you're in the right place. I'm Celina Knight, a retail growth strategist and multi award winning store owner whose superpower is uncovering exactly what your business requires. To move to the next level. I'll provide you with the strategies, the tools and the insight you need to scale your store. All you need to do is take action, ready to get started?

Salena Knight 0:52
Hey there and welcome to today's episode of the brainy business to retail podcast 346% increase in profit? Is that something that you'd like? What about double your conversion rate online?

Kristine Zwick 1:07
Sounds good?

Salena Knight 1:09
How about a 147% increase in revenue? I am down for that. Put all those things together. And what have you got? You have got a success story. And today, you are going to hear exactly how Christine has managed to do all those things, and so much more in just what is it three months? So well. Christine?

Kristine Zwick 1:36
Hey, thank you for having me. All

Salena Knight 1:38
right. So before we get into the nitty gritty, why don't you tell people how did you even end up in retail, let alone getting these amazing results?

Kristine Zwick 1:48
Yeah, well, I actually have my degree in clothing, textiles and merchandising, so fashion has just been a love of mine. And, you know, I'm, that was a long time ago, I'm 36. And life has life has taken me down some different roads. And I didn't end up pursuing having a boutique until about five years ago. And it's always been a dream of mine. And I just knew there was a lot I didn't know, even though I had that background, and I had great internships, it's completely different from running your own business. So yeah, so that's how I ended up sort of into the scale your store world was I was on the search for someone who knew what to do, because I didn't know what to do. You know, somehow the algorithm Gods brought you into my feet, and I was like, I'm in this is what I need. Okay,

Salena Knight 2:57
let's, I feel like you've really underestimated a lot of the experience that UK with. So in the time between graduating from with your fashion degree, and opening a boutique,

Kristine Zwick 3:09
what were you doing in between? Yeah, so Well, I thought I wanted to be a buyer for a department store. So I ended up interning with Nordstrom for a bit and didn't really like.

Salena Knight 3:26
So like the big department store. I didn't like the buying side.

Kristine Zwick 3:31
I didn't like the big department store. I think it was like, you know, wasn't quite like the vibe I was trying to go for. And I was I was at one of their, like flagship stores. I was in Chicago on Michigan Avenue, which is like a huge, you know, shopping Magnificent Mile is what they call it. And then from there, I thought well, let me try, you know, PR and so I moved to New York and interned in PR and with some trend forecasting firms and somehow found my way into the marketing side of it. And ever since then, I've been working in marketing. And so, you know, that's really what my background is. So I felt I felt like I was having success in marketing but there was always like a pole to have my own thing. And I you know, when I gave got out of college, I had like a little vintage online store for a little bit and I've tried like the Drop Shipping thing and I've tried a whole bunch of things and always felt this calling to have my own boutique, and just, you know, never made it happen. And I the marketing side got me into you know, some really cool experiences and partnerships. And on the side I was always I'm an artist and so I was making art and I got to you to design products for Michael Kors and I had my art featured and anthropology and always like, kind of in like the fashion world, but not, you know, not really going full force, it was always like something I did on the side. And, you know, I just always felt the calling to like, to really dive in and like, have my own thing. And so I was actually designing products for a brand over the past two years. And last March, I actually got laid off. And wow, I yeah, I was, I was devastated. You know, I thought, Oh, I'm just, you know, I'm designing on the design side, I'll design products, you know, that'll be what I do. And then, you know, getting laid off, it's like a punch in the gut. And I was just really devastated. And I'd had, you know, my brand curated dry goods, just as this hobby that I was doing. I was in a spot where I was like, you know, I have this space in my life. Now. Not I don't have this job. What do I want to fill that with? And the common thread over the past, you know, decade and a half since I graduated college was that I always wanted my own boutique. And so around September, I decided to you know, take some money that I had saved up and just do it. And yeah, it was a I was going blind going in blind when you say that. But realistically, you

Salena Knight 6:39
came with so much experience. And this is something we see the marketing thing I have to kind of chuckle about because so many people in our programs come from a marketing background. And they're like, Oh, I had the marketing thing nailed back. Yeah. And it's your own business. It's like, your brain just disappears. It

Kristine Zwick 7:00
literally like, and I'm like, you know, and I think that that's what really like drew me in was that this wasn't a marketing course. And I think that I have had like so much resistance to like marketing courses, because I'm like, I know all that. And I've tried it and like, it's just never really came into anything. But yeah, it's funny when you say like, when it's your own stuff. It's like you're like a beginner again, and you have no idea what you're doing.

Salena Knight 7:34
I'm curious, what made you like considering you had and you are really underplaying your success, I will just have to say, considering you've had this success, we how many people can say that their art has been featured. When you've had collaborations with Michael Kors, anthropology people wouldn't die to be able to say that. And you just like, Yeah, this thing happened. I'm curious. Why did you not go? You know what? I've had a bit of success here. And yes, the Bridgette thing is, you know, that's kind of great. But realistically, if I really put my effort into this thing I could, I could make it really, really work for me. I'm sure that I know that you have goals, and I'm sure you will. You had did you have? Okay, let's just get it here. Let's get into the nitty gritty. Christine, did you have ever have a goal of someone that you really, really wanted to work with in the fashion industry?

Kristine Zwick 8:28
You know, like, anthropology was that brand. But you know, it's funny, and I think it just speaks to like, having impostor syndrome is that I look at my resume, so to speak, and I'm like, it sounds great. But like,

Salena Knight 8:44
so what, like, it was just lost.

Kristine Zwick 8:48
Yeah, and it's just, you know, it just kind of happened. Yeah, and I think the, this, the funny part of it was, even though I kind of like, you know, check these brands off my list, it was like, there was still I still wanted something more, you know, I never, I always kind of wanted to have my own business and like, be my own boss, and not pursue that corporate life, even though I found myself in the corporate world. You know, I always felt that poll to just break out on my own. So you took the leap, you have this little side business,

Salena Knight 9:28
and you decided to put the money that you'd saved in and go all in? What happened?

Kristine Zwick 9:36
Well, you know, at first it was I had a little bit of like a taste of success, so to speak, I had, you know, friends and family that supported me and I was making sales here and there and I, but it was never enough to like, make a living off of and I just kind of hit over roadblock where I was just like, you know, what do I, what do I do? And you know, when it's when it's your own money or investing into your business, you're like, I can't spend another dime until I know what that dime needs to be spent on. And

Salena Knight 10:14
what's my return? Gotta be if I spend the dime? Yeah, what am I glad?

Kristine Zwick 10:18
You know, when you're just watching these, like your reserves are lower. And you just like, you know, I, I didn't want to lose money without making money. And I just didn't know what I was doing with it. Really? Yeah. And so that's kind of where I was when I ended up in your world.

Salena Knight 10:41
I have a question when you when you jumped all in? Did you know what success look like? Because I'm going to put my sound strategists hat on here and say, like you said earlier, so many people from the outside would be like, Oh, my gosh, Christine, you have seen so much success, and you're just kind of like, it just kind of happened. It's life. And I mean, it's very humbling to say that. But by the same token, I can see that if you had said like, if my ultimate goal was to work with anthropology once you've done it, the celebration that comes with that, and that feeling of, Oh, my goodness, I'm here, I've made it, this was the thing I always wanted. And the great part is, then you go, Okay, what's next? But you're just kind of like, it just happened. So I want to know, when you went into business for yourself, and you jumped all in? What was the goal? Like what was going to be success to you?

Kristine Zwick 11:39
You know, what's funny is that the only goal I had was, Can I pay the bills? And can I pay my salary? I didn't know what that number was. But I was like, you know, I'll know it when I can pay the bills, and I can get myself a salary that'll be success. And what's funny is that I had my, you know, my strategy call with Jennifer on your team. And she was like, Well, what's your goal? I'm like, I don't know, like six figures, which is like, why I was like, I don't know. Just, like a good number. I don't know, you know, and, and I think that that was like, part of the issue, right? Is that, like, I didn't know where I was going. And I'm just like, a Creative At Heart. So I'm just like, we don't wherever the world takes me, you know, I just follow.

Unknown Speaker 12:27
That's why the book takes you.

Kristine Zwick 12:33
Literally, that and I was like, you know, I need to have more more solid idea of like, where I want to go with this. And just, you know, I was just like, fine by the seat of my pants. You know, it's

Salena Knight 12:44
funny, that initial call that our high, we call like the high level team. So they're, their whole job is is to ask you some questions and find out but like to help you uncover what are the things that are holding you back? Like they're not, they're not going to help you implement the strategy, their whole thing is just, they're really good diagnosticians. Is that a word? It's what it is now. They're really good at diagnostics. And that's what we pick them for. And it's funny because you are not alone. When you say, I didn't know what I wanted, I would say, because I review a lot of those calls, I would say 97% of people can't actually answer that question. And it is one of the first things we do inside of scale your store is, what do you actually want? Because if we don't know what it isn't, you don't know what it is? How the freaking heck do we put something in place to get to get you to that point? Yes,

Kristine Zwick 13:34
exactly. So yeah, I had no idea.

Salena Knight 13:39
From that call when you went away? What were you thinking?

Kristine Zwick 13:42
I was thinking that I had learned more in that 30 minutes talking to her dad, and, you know, five years of trying to do it on my own, you know, she really helped me drill down, like, where in my business, I should focus. And like you said, like, you know, diagnosing it, but not really telling you the how to and and it was just helpful to know like, what, like, what I should even be looking at what should I focus on? And like, I feel like I because I'm creative. I have so much fun on like, the buying side, the styling side, you know, like, setting up like, you know, social media posts.

Salena Knight 14:22
This money thing. This is a story about

Kristine Zwick 14:25
the money. All right, exactly. And it's like, no, I'm out. Yeah, the dollars follow the sense. Yeah. And I had no sense. Okay,

Salena Knight 14:36
so you had your call with Jen on our team and you realize that one, you're kind of not sure what you what this business even needs to do for you to make it a success. What were you like, Where was your business out? And you don't have to reveal anything that you don't want to reveal. But in terms of where was your business at with regards to how you feel it was giving back to you and how much it was? taking from you.

Kristine Zwick 15:01
Yeah, well, I looked at my numbers actually hadn't pulled up because I was like, you know, like, what sounds gonna be there? Before and after. So if I'm looking at, let's just say q3. So, q3 of last year, what I put, like, what was outgoing was about three times what was incoming, and q4, and we've had this conversation and, you know, but I almost I was like, literally $75, from breaking even. And I had never broke even in my business ever, like, I was always sort of funding it to keep it afloat. And the sales side was just, you know, not not working. And I was always like, you know, what's not working, what's not working, I just, I can't turn a profit. I can't break even I don't know, you know, what I'm doing. And that was like, the big aha moment for me was that holy crap, like, I can actually, like, be in the black.

Salena Knight 16:11
And already things have changed from you having to fund the business. You know, in terms of numbers, I have seen people who are in eight figures. So we're talking 10 million plus businesses were owners are still putting money in, which is just Yeah, it seems absurd. There are businesses that we speak to have multiple, seven figure businesses where the owners are still having to put money in and you think, if I hit a million dollars, I'm sipping my tires on the beach in the Caymans. The reality is, that's not how it works, my friends. Right, right. Yeah. Just that just that realization that you can break even chain. Yeah, I mean, you told me that changed your entire mindset.

Kristine Zwick 16:56
Totally, it made me I was on the verge of giving up. I was like, You know what, this hasn't done anything for me in five years? Like, when do I move on and then just dive into the corporate world? And that's my life, you know, and I thought to myself, I'm gonna give it one last try. And I'm really going to try this time, and I'm really going to try to learn what I don't know. And I was like, and I told you, I was flabbergasted when I did my numbers, and I was like, like, I might actually have something here like, this might actually work. After years of just like, you know, it's just a little hobby. It's, you know, a little extra cash here and there. But, you know, it was it. Like, I honestly, like don't know how to describe the feeling other than just like shock and awe. And

Salena Knight 17:52
I'm sure, just excitement about the fact that you did this, we didn't do it, you just got the knowledge. That's all you literally took the knowledge and you put it into play. So you get you get all the kudos for everything that

Kristine Zwick 18:09
Well, I had, you know, several moments where I was like, Oh, shit, this Can I curse? Or it's like, oh, shit, like, this works. Like, you know, and I've had several moments like that over the past few months. So quick

Salena Knight 18:26
question before you started. scale your store? Were you actually tracking anything?

Kristine Zwick 18:32
No, not? Really not? Absolutely not. Um, I was tracking it in the sense of like, you know, I, I do I, you know, I've like QuickBooks for my accountant was about as much as I was, like, tracking it, you know, like, categorizing things. And then, at the end of the year, like, you know, what are my taxes? I wasn't tracking it in the sense of like, okay, what's incoming, what's outgoing? What does every week look like? Like, you know, we talked about the foundation figures and all that stuff? Not at all. Not at all. I was like, Uh, alright, tax seasons here.

Salena Knight 19:09
Where the heck am I getting the money for that?

Kristine Zwick 19:14
Time for sale? Yeah.

Salena Knight 19:18
And it was funny, like, one of the things we had in our conversation before we jumped on here was talking about how even just between that conversation and this conversation, changing your mindset, because I'd said to you, if you were tracking those numbers on a daily basis, or even a weekly basis, that's $75, that you were hitting that goal that you wanted, you would have put that extra social media post out, or you

Kristine Zwick 19:41
would have put that, like, I know, I want to kick myself. This is why

Salena Knight 19:46
having a goal is so important. And it's kind of this is where I was getting to when I was saying earlier on that goal of like working with anthropology, the success and the elation that you feel when you have actually written down this is something that I want All right. And then you get there. It's like,

Kristine Zwick 20:02
Yeah, I'm good. All right, right. Right. And it's Yeah. And we talked about it, but I was like, that is one sweater. Yeah, exactly.

Salena Knight 20:16
It's like less than one sale type thing. Yeah. But

Kristine Zwick 20:20
you know what, this quarter, I'm determined, I am determined this quarter is going to be the one.

Salena Knight 20:25
And do we have a goal in place? We have a number written down on your 90 day plan. You

Kristine Zwick 20:30
know, I love when you ask that, because I should know better. And I should have one. But no, I, well, I okay. No, I don't have it written down. I have it in my head of what I think I would like, okay, just based on, you know, I have some pop ups coming up. And you know, what, my average sales aren't kind of what my goals are for those pop ups. But no, I haven't, you know, made it official and written it down. And this

Salena Knight 21:02
is the perfect segue, I am going to read out a post that you put inside of our group, because to me, one, the numbers are fantastic. But I want you to pay attention to the first line. And the last line. So this is what Christine recently wrote inside of our Facebook group. It's interesting, looking back at what I wrote down at the start of my journey here, I think I was too timid with my goals. I wanted to increase revenue year over year by 25%. I'm currently up 147%. over last year, my conversion rate at the start was 1.44%. It is now 3.27 On my freaking gosh, that's amazing. My gross margin is up 4%. And my profit is up 346%. I say all that to say, I have learned to aim higher. I now have my foundation figures clear. So I know exactly what I need to aim for. So I think you need to take this a little bit more. But I think you need to take your own advice there. Because I do you said that you were very clear on what you need to aim for. And that at the beginning, you were aiming maybe just a little bit shy. So let's just dig into that here. You get the part therapy session, part mentoring session, part Christine's story on this episode. Tell me why you haven't written that number down like he knew I was gonna ask you that question somewhere along the line. I was gonna ask you. I

Kristine Zwick 22:41
don't have a good answer. But I think it's because I'm honestly afraid. I'm still afraid I'm not going to hit it. And I think it's like, it's safe if I never say it out loud. Right? Like, if I never make it official, like I can never not hit it because I never said it, you know? And yeah, like I don't I don't have a good answer for it other than just, you know, I just keep thinking like, what if I don't? What, even though that

Salena Knight 23:16
would happen? If you didn't though? If you feel your average $500 strategize.

Kristine Zwick 23:23
Yeah, and I would just work harder I would do you know, I would just try again. But I think that that's just, you know, I keep talking about impostor syndrome. But I just think that that's like something that I struggle with a little bit even though I have, you know, I have I have things to prove me wrong, that, you know, I can set goals and beat them. And yeah, I think I think it's just like a mind over matter type of thing. Yeah. Because what happens

Salena Knight 23:54
if you what happens if you hit those goals? What happens if you do better than those goals? And you never wrote

Kristine Zwick 23:59
them down? Right. Anthropology

Salena Knight 24:02
all over again. You know, I will let you leave that down.

Kristine Zwick 24:15
Gosh, yeah, it's, you know, and you're right. And I do need to get clear on what I actually want to achieve. Yeah, and I just, I just need to get over that hesitation. And that fear. I think it's just

Salena Knight 24:32
a number on a piece of paper. Like the only power it has is the power that you give it.

Kristine Zwick 24:39
Yeah, you're right. You're right. Yeah,

Salena Knight 24:42
I usually am on this stuff. Yeah. That's why I'm here and now that you're saying that you have to get clear on what it is you want. I think you probably seem to do that on a you seem to reflect quite regularly on oh my gosh, I did this thing. What's the next thing? Okay, maybe we're not Writing it down yet. And maybe we're not celebrating as much yet. But you have you have done a lot of celebrating inside the Facebook group and oh mg it makes my heart sing. I love the breakthroughs. I love hearing it. And, you know, my thing is validation. And so when you guys are taking the information that I've given you and you're seeing these results, I'm like, Oh my gosh, this is everything I'm here for in life. Yes,

Kristine Zwick 25:23
yes. It's been amazing. It's been amazing. All

Salena Knight 25:27
right. So what are the plans? What would you what is your anthropology equivalent? Now? What is ready dry goods, if everything worked out, amazingly. And we were sitting down, let's go 12 months from now. And we're sharing a glass? Yeah, we're sharing a bottle of champagne. And I'm like, Christine, you have done such amazing stuff this year, I am so proud of you. What does the future look like? What are we talking about? While we're having that glass of champagne?

Kristine Zwick 25:55
I think the future for curated dry goods is having a brick and mortar and I we chatted about it. And I wasn't sure if I want to just do ecommerce or a brick and mortar or both? Well, you know, obviously, I would have both. But I've really enjoyed doing pop ups and meeting my customers like I have really, it's hard work. But I've really enjoyed it. And I have my eye on a few, like spots around town that I would love to have is like the first brick and mortar for curated dry goods. So I think if in a year from now, if if I have the money to do that, that would be above and beyond my, like expectations. A bit timid me wants to be like break even.

Salena Knight 27:00
That's happening, that's already happened. I'm sure that that's probably already on its way to happening. One to q1. So I think we can throw that one out the window, because that is just playing safe. And you're playing small because you're just like, Well, hey, doesn't happen, then I won't feel bad about myself.

Kristine Zwick 27:16
I know. I know I am. And yeah, I think if in a year from now, if I'm like, Hey, I found the spot. I can afford it. It's the next step I want to take. I would feel over the moon. Awesome. Do you have your work reverse engineered that? I have reverse engineered? What my salary? What? So I still have I'm still doing design? Fund, you know, some of this. And so I've I've worked out the key wise you. Girl. That would be that would be amazing. So I worked out like what, what I would want to earn to step away from everything and put 100% into this and pay the expenses, and then pull a salary. What I haven't done though, with those numbers is put in like what rent would be on a on like a spot or what like a build out would be? What? So you? Yes, exactly. So there's a lot more that I need to add into it. And we had talked about it. And you You know, I told you my number and you're like that's that's kind of low. And I was like, yeah, probably is.

Salena Knight 28:47
I didn't go back and check that number because I still think it was very low.

Kristine Zwick 28:52
Yeah, I think I think what I'm cuz I was still on the fence, you know, like if I wanted to just be ecommerce or have both. And now that I think like I just feel my heart calling me to have a brick and mortar. And I think I want to go back and you know, look at some of the spots that I have my eye on, put that rent in there, build out all that stuff and then see what see what pops out. And then I'd have a better idea of like what I need to aim for, I think. Yeah, and

Salena Knight 29:24
once you write it down, it's just math, right? It just, it's just yeah, calculating the numbers. And I mean, so much of I think what gets people into trouble is they think they're not very good with numbers. But actually, a lot of this stuff is basic, it's just you how many sales do I need to get how many people do I need in the door to get this many sales to make this much money like basic, basic math that I mean, we give you a calculator, you just put the numbers in and it tells you the answer.

Kristine Zwick 29:51
But I've got all the calculator spreadsheet

Salena Knight 29:58
so going this is only been How long has it been three months? Four months? It's yeah, I think,

Kristine Zwick 30:03
my college and was in September. And so I think I started implementing, I would say like mid October. That's three. Yeah, basically three

Salena Knight 30:15
months. Yeah. And to see those kinds of results in three months, you really need to give yourself a pat on the back.

Kristine Zwick 30:24
I'm no good at that.

Salena Knight 30:26
That's right, we will do it for you. Is it because it was only three or four months ago? Looking back? What would you say to yourself? But the day before you had that call, which in? What would you say to yourself, if you were sitting, if you didn't ever get on that call? And you were looking at your business? And you're deciding that you did want to make that make a go of it? What would you say?

Kristine Zwick 30:48
Well, I can tell you what I did say to myself, and it was that I, I would lose more money than I then it would cost to invest in this and learn what to do. And I mean, the cost of it is what, like a rack of inventory. And it's like, you know, I can't spend that money on a rack of inventory if I don't even know what the heck to do with it, you know, and so that was, that was my, you know, come to Jesus moment, so to speak of just like, I can't spend, I'm gonna lose money if I don't invest in this. And I just, I just couldn't lose any more money. It's kind of where I was at. And so I had nothing to lose really, I had so much to gain

Salena Knight 31:31
that came with the money back guarantee. So realistically, you literally

Kristine Zwick 31:34
write. Exactly, exactly.

Salena Knight 31:37
I love that you were open enough to think that and you didn't come with the ego of like I have been in this in I've been in the fashion industry since I got out of college. Hello, Nordstrom. Hello, Anthropologie. Hello, my Bike People. Do you not see how fabulous I am. You literally left all that ego out the door, and you went, just tell me what I need to learn. And yeah, I'm the first one to say what I teach is not rocket science. Like, you can probably Google 90% of the stuff that I tell you. But you need to know what to Google. And you need to know when to go. And you need. There's only so many ways you can do so many things. It's you know, retail has been around for a very, very long time. And apart from the digital side of things, it's the same stuff. got stuff to sell, find the people to buy it, like best.

Kristine Zwick 32:26
And I and I did Google. I have like, PDFs, I've got ebooks, I've got regular textbooks, I've got all kinds of things. And I just could never I could never make it work the way I hoped that it would until until scale your store. Oh, that is so nice to hear. Yeah, it's really been a game changer. And you know what they say? Like, it seems? It seems simple in hindsight, right? Because you like, it seems so obvious now that you know it. But I really was just, I was I was so I, regardless of my experience, I was so green when it came to running my own business and being the CEO of my business. And I just, I was just a blank canvas. And I was like just telling you what to do. And I won't do it, because I don't know

Salena Knight 33:23
what I'm doing. I love that too. I love that mindset. Whenever somebody says that I'm like you, you can work with us because and that is not to say that I think I'm smarter than anyone else, or that our team is smarter. It's just that openness to learn. Because I'm the same thing. Like I spend a lot of money on agencies and masterminds. And I'm like, you just tell me what I need to do. We'll put it AB tested. If it doesn't work, we move on to the next thing. But realistically, if I just do the same thing I'm doing today, and not do and if it's a problem. So let me just caveat that if something's working fine, just leave it working fine. But if something's a problem, and you don't make any attempt to try and change it, then what will ever change? Like the exam? Nothing. So I'm like, if this is my problem, this is my theory of constraints. This is the area I need to work on. You just throw the ideas at me. Let's give them a go. Let's see what sticks. Yeah.

Kristine Zwick 34:16
Yeah. And I think really, like the mindset was like, what's it gonna hurt to try it? What's it gonna hurt to do like exactly what she says? raise my prices by 10% Let's get most

Salena Knight 34:27
of how you did it. There's no money involved. Like we don't ask you to strain any money on anything.

Kristine Zwick 34:33
Right, right. And it's it's amazing because it's just like, you know, these these simple tweaks really made a big impact in my business.

Salena Knight 34:43
Yeah, hello 346% increase in profit.

Kristine Zwick 34:47
It's great. Well, let me like, let me give you another percent because I'm looking at it now on my cash flow. Look at

Salena Knight 34:53
seven numbers.

Kristine Zwick 34:56
Except for that goal, don't have that number. But you So looking at 2022, q4 versus q4 of last year, the percentage increase of incoming dollars is 1,896.44%. Oh

Salena Knight 35:15
my gosh, did we celebrate with a glass of champagne? He ready to go? I don't know that number.

Kristine Zwick 35:23
I, like I hadn't shared it in the group because I was like, Yeah, I'm trying not to be annoying in the group to love

Salena Knight 35:30
you in the group. You just keep sharing in the group, people. Okay, great. So to our coach to our strategic coaches, they're like, What is Christine doing? Like, I want to do what she whatever she's doing, just tell me and I'll do it. It's a you don't get to see behind the scenes I see behind the scenes. Yeah, it's it's

Kristine Zwick 35:46
like it's been. I mean, that number sounds like a joke. But it really is, it was, it's insanity. Just what we call little tasks. And to do's and stuff has just made a monumental shift, and how I do business and what my business has been able to do for me, and

Salena Knight 36:05
what it can do in the future. Because every sale that you have is helping someone, every product that you sell, somebody walks away thinking, I'm going to look great, I'm going to feel I feel so much better in these clothes. Like I love the fact that when I put this piece of clothing on, I feel good. And yeah, that's our ultimate goal. Really, I mean, there are people out there who are ready to make money, whatever it takes, I'm happy to make money, and I'm happy for you guys to make money. But in the process, we kind of want to make our customers happy along the way, like, we're not drop shipping, from China to people who will never see we're like, we want you to feel good. So we have a mantra, which is the more money I make, the more people I serve. And so if you make more money, what that really means is you've made a hell of a lot more people more happy in the way they feel the way they dress, their their confidence levels, all those kinds of things.

Kristine Zwick 37:01
Yeah, when I have listened to them money, meditation several times, I like walk on the treadmill, I listen to it, and like it's safe for me to be wealthy. You know, one of the things, one of the things that keeps playing in my mind and gives me a little bit of encouragement is there's a line in there of like, the more money I have, the more people I can help. And like I would really love to someday set up a scholarship for like young women who want to start a business or go into a creative field or anything like that, because it's like, you know, just encourage entrepreneurship. And like, I would love to do that someday. And so when I think about how much money I want to make, like I want to make enough to be like, Hey, your college is paid for, you know, and just see somebody else who has that dream, be able to pursue it. And

Salena Knight 37:56
just think, when you do that, and that just like I get goosebumps when people say that, because that is the whole point. Like, yeah, people say that it is like greedy to make money. And I want to get off the treadmill of hustling. Making money doesn't have to be hard. Yes, you have to put in the work, especially at the beginning. But you just said earlier, the money is in the boring, monotonous stuff, the tasks and the to dues that realistically, most of the time someone else can do it if we just got our ego high horse and let loose on the control reins a little bit. But everyone's like, yep, yep, that's me. But that is the part where I love the people we work with, because realistically what they want to do apart from help their customers is pass all this knowledge on. And so all these things you've done, and now things that you have in your little brain bank, that you might sit next to somebody who is currently in college, and you'd be saying, Yeah, do you really want to work with anthropology? I want you to write that down. Write that down right now. I don't care if it's a note in your phone, but you are writing that down. And what are you going to do to celebrate when that happens?

Kristine Zwick 39:04
Yeah, yeah. And it's just, I, I look forward to that. Like I you know, that that is something that has been like other you know, I I like money, I want money. You know, I want to live that I want to write it down. I know oh my gosh, like if I could if I could get over my ego and

Salena Knight 39:28
that's not I don't think that is ego. I think that is fear. That's completely different. You do not see you know that you know everything. You're just a bit scared to write it down and they're very, very scared.

Kristine Zwick 39:39
You know, what's funny is I have a friend of mine, she makes jewelry. And she she and I had met, you know, doing pop ups a couple years ago and she's finally got her brick and mortar like the past year or so. And we had dinner and I was telling her you know, like things I want to do in my business and what style be me. And she actually said to me, like, it sounds like you're afraid. Like, I'm hearing a lot that you're afraid. And I was like, I think I am like, and I, you know, I just gotta get over that.

Salena Knight 40:12
Write it down like, like, I'm not I'm not a journal, but I can totally appreciate that just writing it down sometimes when you just what is the worst thing that can happen? And that's something you always come back to like, what is the worst thing that can happen? If I try this thing? And it doesn't work? What is the worst thing I haven't? I'll feel bad for a couple of days. You're not losing your house over this at the moment. Like, I'm going to feel like I didn't do anything. But you know what, I will have a whole bunch of data, I have a whole bunch of data that I go back and I can extract what worked? What didn't work? Why didn't the thing work out the way that I thought that it would? Maybe I just chose the wrong product. Maybe I didn't send all those emails. So I think I think I'm gonna say this. And I don't say it very often blindness. I think this is sometimes when men do so much better at business, because there's quite often not emotion attached. They're just like, what do we need to do to make the money? Okay, go and do it. And we're like, am I gonna hurt someone in the process? Am I going to have to put my eyes on somebody? You know, am I going to have to have a hard conversation with my agency who are not doing the things that we're trying to? We're trying to keep everybody happy? Yeah, you can't keep anyone happy if you're not in business.

Kristine Zwick 41:21
Right? Exactly. And I think the biggest thing I've learned is like, Just do it. Like, just try it, just do the thing. And like, and it's paid dividends in doing it. And so I think just taking that mindset going forward of like, like you said, like the success is in doing the everyday tasks doing those, those to dues. And it's just it's made such a big difference. And I do. I think that slowly, but surely, the fear is leaving, I'm a little more likely there will be that. I know I need it, I need it.

Salena Knight 42:01
All right, do you have any more parting words of wisdom, although I feel like this whole episode has been words of wisdom to people who, it doesn't matter whether you're just starting out, it doesn't matter if you're at six figures, or seven figures, or eight figures or nine figures, so much of what you've said, I'm sure that people relate to certain parts of it. And my goal with the podcast is just putting that do the information, the knowledge of the stories out there. So you can say, Oh, this is what Christine did know what, maybe I could try it, or Christine really struggled with writing that number down, like, I'm gonna, I'm gonna be in there a solid, or I'm gonna write the number down. I'm gonna be with those, write that number. Just add it. I feel like every I don't know about you. But with every podcast I listen to, I always walk away with something like, it could just be a little, a little tidbit. Like, oh, I could try that or do that, or just an admiration for someone or inspiration. But that's the whole point of learning. We love learning, we would not be business owners, if we weren't prepared for the challenges, and we didn't want to learn. Yeah, yeah.

Kristine Zwick 43:06
And I think like, you know, my parting words would just be like, what do you what do you have to lose? Like, you know, what do you have to lose? Most of us say nothing? What's the worst that could happen? You know, you're gonna spend money anyway. You know, you're gonna have expenses for your business. And yeah, what have you got to lose? And like, in my experience, you just have so much to gain, you know, and I've gained so much and even just aside from the money, just the insight of just, you know, I think I might know how to run a business now.

Salena Knight 43:38
And maybe we flip that maybe we stop asking ourselves, what are we going to do? What's the worst that can happen to be? What's the best thing that could happen? Like, what is the best outcome? That could happen? Yeah, me making this decision? Because then we're focused on the positive rather than the negatives. Exactly.

Kristine Zwick 43:54
I know I need to write I need to like, do my money mantra. You need

Salena Knight 44:01
to go and get your journal you creative person you and you need to write this stuff down.

Kristine Zwick 44:05
I know I have like a like a board on my wall and I and right now it actually says it is safe for me to be wealthy and to have more money than I that is like the that I'm focusing on right now. But yeah,

Salena Knight 44:18
on that board now you need to go and write what key ones goals are. Yes. What's the target? Target?

Kristine Zwick 44:25
I'm doing it tonight. I'm doing

Salena Knight 44:29
I was gonna say you can do this. So did you get off this call? All right. I think that is the perfect place to wrap up this episode. Thank you so much for sharing your story. I I get so much out of it. But I'm sure everybody else is listening. And if people would love to see what the curated dry goods store has to offer, where can they find you?

Kristine Zwick 44:47
You can find me at curated dry goods.co online and on social media at curated dry goods.

Salena Knight 44:56
Awesome, Christine, you keep up the fantastic work and you do not stop telling us about all these amazing goals because they make my heart sing. And the best part is they're inspiring hundreds of other people to go out and stretch, stretch themselves to take what you've done and put it in place in their own business. So you're already doing that inspiration part and you don't even know it. Oh, I

Kristine Zwick 45:18
appreciate it. It's been great for me too.

Salena Knight 45:23
So that's a wrap. I'd love to hear what insight you've gotten from this episode, and how you're going to put it into action. If you're a social kind of person, follow me at the Selenite. And make sure to leave a comment. And let me know. And if this episode made you think a little bit differently, or gave you some inspiration, or perhaps gave you the kick that you needed to take action. Then please take a couple of minutes to leave me a review on your platform of choice. Because the more reviews the show gets, the more independent retail and E commerce stores just like yours, that we can help to scale. And when that happens, it's a win for you. A win for your community, and a win for your customers. I'll see you on the next episode.