What happens when you’re willing to invest $3,000 on a trade show while your competitors stick to $150 local markets? Lisa Sjöblom found out – and it changed everything.
How Natalie Trains Her Customer to Buy – Natalie Santini
You don’t need a massive team or a viral TikTok to build a multi-seven-figure business. What you do need is a strategy that trains your audience from day one to do what you want them to do—buy.
In this episode of the Bringing Business to Retail Podcast, I’m joined by Natalie from So Hungry Hippie. She’s gone from being a nurse and military veteran to running a thriving eCommerce brand that sells out launches, turns free patterns into sales machines, and uses her personality and consistency—not gimmicks—to build loyalty and repeat purchases.
We unpack how she took her audience on a journey from freebies to full-priced products, why she doesn’t waste time on trends, and the surprising way she uses live shows to convert new and existing customers into raving fans.
If you’ve ever felt like your sales are stuck, or that your audience is watching but not buying—this episode will flip the switch. Natalie proves you don’t need to shout louder… you just need to show up smarter.
This one is full of practical gold—so grab a notebook, because by the end of it, you’ll know exactly how to start training your audience to convert.
Let’s dive in and take your business from busy to booming.
—Sal
Stop Gambling With Your Promotions
I’ll be honest with you – I used to be guilty of this too. I’d get all excited about a new promotion, pull some round number out of thin air like $50,000, and declare “THAT’S my goal!”
Then I’d spend the entire promotion crossing my fingers and hoping for the best.
Here’s what I’ve learned: Hope is NOT a strategy, gorgeous.
Last week, I worked with one of our Scale Your Store Accelerator retailers who had her heart set on a $10,000 promotion. She had 150 units of a $40 product ready to go. Sounds reasonable, right?
Except when I grabbed my calculator (like I always do), the math told a different story. 150 units × $40 = $6,000 maximum. Not the $10,000 she was dreaming of.
But here’s the thing – we didn’t give up on her goal. We got strategic.
Instead of hoping people would magically spend more, we reverse-engineered exactly what needed to happen. To hit $10,000 with 150 units, her average order value needed to be $66.67. So we planned strategic upsells, bundles, and add-ons that made sense for her customers.
The result? She didn’t just hit her $10,000 goal – she smashed it.
This is the power of working backwards from your goal instead of crossing your fingers and hoping for the best. When you stop guessing and start calculating, you move from wishful thinking to a real, achievable plan.
Ready to ditch the crystal ball and grab your calculator? Your next promotion deserves a strategy that actually works.
Sal
Want to learn the exact formula I use to reverse-engineer profitable promotions? Listen to Episode 479 of the Bringing Business to Retail podcast.
Work Less, Earn More – The Power of Being the Most Expensive – Catalina Viau
What if being the most expensive in your market wasn’t a risk—but a strategy?
In this powerful episode of the Bringing Business to Retail podcast, I sit down with Cat, founder of a 7-figure photo booth business, who made a bold decision early on: she wasn’t going to be affordable—she was going to be premium. And not just in price, but in experience, positioning, and service.
Together, we dive into what it really means to charge more and still book out, how to shift your mindset when you’re not your own target customer, and what premium clients are truly looking for (spoiler: it’s not just a better product—it’s time, trust, and ease).
Cat opens up about her journey from broke and burned out to fully booked and in control, the behind-the-scenes pitfalls of premium pricing, and how she now helps other entrepreneurs charge what they’re worth. We also explore how selling to wealthy clients helped Cat scale her business, build a team, and launch a second revenue stream—all while working less.
If you’re tired of chasing price-shoppers, second-guessing your rates, or constantly being “busy” but not profitable, this episode will shift your thinking and show you what’s possible when you step into your value.
Let’s talk about building a business that feels as good as it looks.
Sal x
Why Holding Onto Potential Could Ruin Your Business
I didn’t want to release this episode.
I recorded it in the middle of a storm — personally and professionally — and honestly, it felt too raw to share.
But the truth is, I waited too long to make the hard calls in my business. I held onto team members because I believed in their potential, not their performance. I convinced myself we were just going through a rough patch. That things would get better. That people would step up.
Spoiler alert: they didn’t. And while I was busy avoiding discomfort, I ended up drowning in the tasks I thought I’d moved past — and my business paid the price.
This episode is for every leader who’s found themselves stretched too thin, stuck in the weeds, and wondering why everything feels heavier than it should. It’s for anyone who’s hesitated to act because they didn’t want to be the “bad guy.”
I’m sharing the lessons I learned the hard way — from the cost of inaction, to the weight of optimism, to the shift I had to make to finally lead with clarity instead of fear.
If you’re holding things together with duct tape, hoping it’ll last just a little bit longer… this is your sign.
— Sal
Selling to Rich People
What can a rich man handing off a trash wrapper teach you about business?
More than you’d think.
In this episode, I share a game-changing moment that completely redefined how she thinks about selling premium products and services. From luxury hotels to $150 dog treats, this episode uncovers what wealthy customers really value—and how most businesses are missing the mark.
You’ll learn:
– Why selling to the middle market is a dangerous game
– What high-value customers expect (and are willing to pay for)
– How to reposition your business to attract premium buyers
– The mindset shift that could triple your revenue
Whether you’re in retail, ecommerce, or any service-based business—this episode will challenge your thinking and show you how to finally charge what you’re worth.
Sal
The Investments That Changed My Business—And the Ones That Nearly Broke It
Actionable growth strategies for scaling your retail and e-commerce business.
Investing in your business—it feels like the right thing to do, right? But what happens when you spend thousands on coaching or programs… and see zero results?
No ROI.
No progress.
Just frustration.
In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on my own journey: the tens of thousands I spent, the mistakes I made, and the hard lessons learned about getting the right help at the right time in your business. Whether you’re just starting out, stuck in the messy middle, or scaling to seven figures and beyond—this one’s for you.
What you’ll learn:
✔️ How to spot the wrong investments before you make them
✔️ Why the help you need changes at every stage of business
✔️ What actually moves the needle (and what’s just noise)
✔️ How to invest smarter—without wasting time or cash
If you’ve ever wondered “am I spending in the right place?”, this episode will give you the clarity and confidence to make smarter moves and grow your business faster.
Overwhelmed by Your To-Do List? Here’s How AI Helped Me Take Back Control
Too many tasks, not enough time, and zero direction—opening Asana felt like staring into a year’s worth of chaos. Total leadership fail.
In this episode, I break down how I used ChatGPT—not as a distraction, but as a tool—to ask myself the tough questions that cut through the noise, stopped the busy work, and helped me get laser-focused on what actually matters.
What you’ll learn:
✔️ The four AI-powered questions that instantly helped me prioritize
✔️ How to separate urgent from important (and stop wasting time)
✔️ The Eisenhower Matrix—your new productivity superpower
✔️ Why calendar blocking is the secret weapon you’re not using
If you’re drowning in tasks and feel stuck in the procrastination loop, this episode is for you. Let’s get you back in control.
———–
💡 Introduction – The Overwhelm Is Real [0:01]
🤖 Why I Turned to AI for Help [2:00]
📝 Step 1: What’s Actually on Your Plate? [5:00]
⏳ Step 2: What’s Wasting the Most Time or Money? [12:00]
🚀 Step 3: The One Task That Will Set You Back in 6 Months [15:00]
📈 Step 4: Future-Proofing – What’s Critical for Scaling? [18:00]
📅 The Power of Calendar Blocking & Deep Work [21:00]
🎯 Final Takeaways – How to Stay Focused & Take Action [24:30]
Ready to ditch the overwhelm and start making real progress? Hit play now! 🚀
Sal
Inventory Math: The Business Mindset That Will Save You Thousands
Are You Paying Rent on Your Own Inventory?
What if I told you that some of your inventory is quietly draining money from your business every single month—without you even realizing it?
And what if I told you that freeing up cash flow in your business has nothing to do with selling more, running ads, or tweaking your pricing—but everything to do with understanding when your stock stops making you money?
So when Christine broke it down for me, I was hooked.
Here’s the deal: Every SKU you own is paying rent.
Whether it’s sitting in a fulfillment center or in the corner of your office, at some point, that inventory shifts from being an asset to a liability. And the longer it sits, the more it eats into your profit.
I used to think of inventory as something that just existed until it sold. But after this conversation, I see it differently—and I think you will too.
Listen in and let me know what you think.
Sal
00:01 – The real cost of inventory nobody talks about
04:25 – How long should you really keep stock?
09:40 – The inventory mindset shift that changes everything
15:30 – When to discount, when to restock, and when to cut it loose
22:10 – The formula for knowing exactly when a product stops making you money
Can the Moon Really Boost Your Revenue? – Lucy Bloomfield
I went into this conversation with a very healthy dose of scepticism. But as Lucy explained how women’s hormonal cycles impact spending habits—and how financial markets have long documented the influence of lunar phases—I couldn’t help but lean in.
Here’s the gist: there are certain times of the month that are the prime time for selling—your customers are more inclined to buy, spend impulsively, and say yes to your offers.
There are other times – not so much. That’s when resistance is higher, spending slows, and conversions take more effort.
She’s been tracking sales data across multiple businesses, and the results? Eye-opening.
