Exploring the Retail Journey: From Executive Training to Director of Technology featuring Allison McCabe

Strap in for an enlightening dialogue with the dynamic Allison McCabe, a respected member of our BrainTrust. Allison's retail journey, which started from Allied Department Store's executive training program, has culminated in her becoming the Director of Retail Technology at Invista. Prepare to be inspired as we unpack her personal life, transition from executive training to consulting, and her global experiences in different retail cultures. 

As we peel back the layers in the second segment, Allison's insights on the importance of understanding customer needs and embracing change in the retail industry will leave you enlightened. Learn from her mantra of avoiding the "that’s not the way it’s been done before" mindset and discover the importance of trying new things in this ever-evolving industry. Listen closely as she shares her consulting experiences and how she leverages her unique background to breathe fresh perspectives into her work.

We proceed to traverse through exciting retail trends with Allison, where she reveals her favorite brands and the importance of inventory investment. Tackle the challenge of returns head-on with Allison's practical solutions. To those just starting out in the industry, there's a nugget of wisdom she leaves for you: "Don't try to do it all alone, and never hesitate to ask for help". And don't rush off after the interview - stick around for some thrilling updates and sneak peeks into our upcoming episodes!

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Connect with Allison on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonnevinmccabe/

RetailWire is the retail industry's premier source for news, analysis, and discussion. With a focus on the latest trends, technology, and consumer behavior, RetailWire provides a platform for industry experts and thought leaders to share their insights and perspectives. Whether you're a retailer, supplier, or service provider, RetailWire is your go-to destination for staying informed and ahead of the curve.

Be sure to leave us a comment and let us know what you think. You might even hear your comment read on the next episode!

To learn more, or to join our Daily Discussions, visit RetailWire.com.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

Welcome to the Retail Wire Podcast hey everyone what's going on.

Speaker 2: 0:08

It's Brian back again with another episode of the Retail Wire Podcast here. I'm really excited for today because we have another one of our Brain Trust members in the studio with me. This person she is well, she's got a ton of experience. I am excited to dig into her journey because I haven't really had too much of a chance to interact with her ahead of this, so this is really kind of a cool opportunity for me to get to know her and you to do the same all in one conversation. So before we get started here, she currently lives in Boston. She's previously been with F&W Media, isis Parenting not that ISIS, it's the good one, talbots and if you've heard of that company, talbots, maybe one or two people know it, which is a cool thing. And she is currently the Director of Retail Technology at Invista. And, of course, she is a Brain Trust member here at Retail Wire. She's been with us for a while. Welcome to the show, ms Allison McCabe. How are you today?

Speaker 3: 1:11

I'm fine. Thank you, brian. Thanks for having me Good absolutely. I need to be here and talk about myself. Don't we all like to talk about ourselves?

Speaker 2: 1:18

You know it's a fun topic, because then you at least know what you're talking about, right?

Speaker 3: 1:23

Some days yeah.

Speaker 2: 1:25

I understand that one it's. Some days are a little more difficult to know than others. So yeah, so you're in Boston. What's it like up there right now? I mean, it's kind of summer right here, so is it as hot and humid there as it is here?

Speaker 3: 1:41

We have a little bit of benefit from the ocean breeze, so it never gets quite as humid as it does in the Midwest or down in Arkansas, which I believe is where you are now right. That's where I am, so we get a little bit more of a break. But you know it's summer, it's hot. We've got a little bit of the smoke from the Canadian wildfires.

Speaker 2: 2:01

Yeah, and it's crazy that it's still going on in some areas and just wow, so well. So what would you say? What's one of your favorite parts of living up in Boston?

Speaker 3: 2:16

Well, when I was little, my family moved all the time, so I moved 10 times by the time I was 18. Okay, so I came to Boston for college and I never left. So I was happy to put down some roots in a city that's got an awful lot to offer, raised my family here with my husband and still enjoying the benefits of being in a city the size of Boston with an airport that gets me everywhere I need to go.

Speaker 2: 2:44

Absolutely. Well, hopefully that airport will get you down to Northwest Arkansas at some point, because we got some stuff coming up that we I think you're going to want to be a part of. So that's great, see if we can get you on a plane, I know how to do that. So you said you got a husband, you got a family, you got kids. So tell us a little bit about them. Did you meet your husband in college or where did you connect to? Yeah bye.

Speaker 3: 3:09

Met him in college. I went to a women's college, he went to a technology college and we met at a mixer classic story and have been together ever since. So that that that's that story. I dives while I Work in front of a computer most times, but he's also a software developer, so I do have an in-house expert.

Speaker 2: 3:34

See, that's nice to have that you know it's like if that's similar. My wife is a home organizer and so you know, thankfully she keeps me in line if I ever get too cluttered around here, so yeah, I could use her. Oh right, I tell you, but you actually look pretty organized back there, I'm telling you. So that's some good stuff.

Speaker 3: 3:53

I, I am, I'm part of. The reason I got into retail in the first place is because I'm a right and a left-brain Person, so I'm always. I need a lot of color and creativity in my life, but I also need data. So, yep, that's. I think you'll find that's a common thread with many of us, that we need. Reinforcement. But we need the data to say we're not crazy.

Speaker 2: 4:15

So you know, I, I Definitely understand that. So let's go back when. Where did you get your start? I mean, I'm seeing, you know, if we just looked at your LinkedIn profile, then Talbot's is kind of where it starts at. Is that where you started your journey in retail, or was it before that? What was, what was the entry point for you?

Speaker 3: 4:33

I started in an executive training program with Allied Department Store is that a department store known as Jordan Marsh back then and Spent a number of years there, ending up as the bridge and better sports, where buyer got to travel around the world Doing all kinds of cool things and that's where the visual and the data really, you know, operated in my brain. Then I got to go to Talbot's as the world was of retail is constantly evolving and I went to Talbot's and worked there for a number of years and got involved with the international business as well as catalog stores etc. So I got a really Complete workout in terms of all the different channels because, of course, online business and came into play.

Speaker 2: 5:24

Yeah well, and, and thinking about that, I mean you mentioned going from your your previous role into Talbot's and then mentioning the international side. When you kind of think back on that, what was? Was there anything about that that kind of surprised you about the way, say, that North America Operates versus the rest of the world, or was it pretty much consistent across the board? Or or were there any things that really stood out to you at that time?

Speaker 3: 5:49

Well, I think that people are people. So you know, certainly there are cultural things to adjust to their laws and regulations that you need to be aware of and and Respectful of. But one of the other things is kind of a dollars and cents thing, I think. When you think about taking a brand and putting it in another country, things like pricing you assume are just a conversion process, but they're not.

Speaker 3: 6:20

Hmm, okay you have to look at what the market will bear and like product and price in a way that the consumer there can Appreciate and trust, because otherwise it looks out of sync with what's going on in the four walls around them, so that was a big learning there.

Speaker 2: 6:38

Can you give me a little example of like what's, what's, something like so I'm. This is Admittedly not a strong point of mind of understanding, so what would be like an example of something being different about like that pricing you're mentioning?

Speaker 3: 6:50

So I mean, Talbot's is an apparel company, women's apparel Predominantly, and so you're, you selling blazers and skirts and pants, and you look at a blazer and you think that that's going to be at that point in time. You know $220, but then you take and you convert it into either Canadian dollars or the British pound and you say, okay, well, it should be this, because that's what the conversion rate is. Well, the conversion rates changing every day, so that doesn't work and you really need to be aware of your competition in whatever country you're in, so that you can price at the level where you see yourself fitting and you can't yank it around because consumers don't trust that.

Speaker 3: 7:37

So, that that's. That's what we did it was. It was very successful. It made a huge difference in customer acceptance. As silly as that seems.

Speaker 2: 7:46

But it really did. Absolutely so. So then, so you went from Talbot's. And then where'd you go after Talbot's?

Speaker 3: 7:54

you said so after Talbot's, I I mean I was at Talbot's and I done just about everything. I Learned what I thought I could learn there. I was a managing director and it was time to like shake up my brain a little bit. And I got a call from an old boss who said hey, I know this startup. They're at the intersection of Preschool and prenatal education and they sell a lot of stuff but they don't know what they're doing. Okay, their heart was in the right place, but they just didn't know how to organize and, you know, structure it. So I went in there and it was a blast, but I was working with doulas and you know prenatal experts and all kinds of different kinds of people. But it was a really rewarding challenge yeah, classes and products and had a great reputation in the marketplace as as a play, a way to test product for new parents, and Anyone who's been a parent or a new parent knows how mystifying that world is.

Speaker 2: 9:04

I'm still trying to figure it out.

Speaker 3: 9:06

Yeah, years later.

Speaker 2: 9:06

I'm still trying to figure it out.

Speaker 3: 9:08

I got news for you. You never figured out, but we're comfortable with it. I think that's it.

Speaker 2: 9:14

Yeah, you have to kind of become comfortable with the constant chaos and constant change, right? Yes, yes parenting that's also retail.

Speaker 3: 9:22

So I was just gonna say change is a key element of comfort. If you're not comfortable with change in retail, you're not going to like it.

Speaker 2: 9:33

Yeah, no, that's gotta be very rewarding right to come into an industry like that and, and specifically that was ISIS parenting correct. Right, that's what you're talking about snow being about the goddess of fertility.

Speaker 3: 9:45

So yes, it was.

Speaker 2: 9:47

I want to make sure that people know we're good.

Speaker 3: 9:49

This is you know she actually laid claim to that name. Yeah, so, yeah, that's so it was great, it was great. And then.

Speaker 2: 10:02

I was just gonna say, like you think about the, what you said there of how their heart was in the right place. They had a great product, they were already making good sales and everything, but they really didn't have the firm grasp on what they were doing from a structural organization. So you think of not only them, but you think of how many retailers currently exist in that exact same space or in that same status right now that maybe they've got a great product, they have sales under their belt already, people love them, they've got a good name and their mission is very honorable, right, but then they still need you. They still need that extra person to step in. What would you say is kind of the best indicator or maybe the best way for an organization like that to go? Hey, I've been thinking about it. I think this is what we need. What's the easiest way for them to jump in?

Speaker 3: 11:05

Is it just find someone like you, or Well, I think it always helps to have expertise, so I think it's important to know what you don't know. I will also say that I think a recurring theme throughout my journey in retail has been inventory management, and that sounds dry, but it's actually very multifaceted and too many people going into the world of merchandising think that more is more and it's not and I think that's sort of overwhelming the world at the moment in terms of the supply chain chaos and then the fear of not having enough.

Speaker 3: 11:52

I was an economics major in college and so supply and demand has always been in the forefront of my thought, and more is not more. It's okay to create a little demand with a little scarcity of supply, and so those are the kinds of things that I bring to the table as a merchant and in inventory planning.

Speaker 2: 12:18

Is there. I mean just thinking about that. You're right, there's nothing wrong with having a little bit of scarcity. Obviously you don't want to decimate your supply chain, but it helps create that desire for the product right. And so say, if someone, if an organization is listening to this right now and they're like man, that really sounds like me, is there a piece of advice that you would give them a first step of kind of how they could maybe start approaching their supply chain, or specifically the inventory, like you were saying, the inventory management?

Speaker 3: 12:56

The first thing I always do is look at what I have, make sure it's organized in a way that I can digest the data and understand where the sales are coming from and what the factors are that lead to the success of that merchandise. So hierarchy and attribution are really critical of merchandise, and so if you don't have the exact thing they want, you may have something very close, provided you understand where your demand is coming from.

Speaker 2: 13:30

Yeah, yeah, you truly have to understand their need, and I think of if anybody's listening to this that's into web development or web design. You think of Google Analytics and the different analytics platforms that are out there. If you don't understand where your traffic is coming from on the website, then you're doing yourself a disservice. To keep building more of the website, you need to figure out where that traffic is coming from. You really need to jump in and understand that. And so, in the similar vein, yeah, it sounds like if people need, if you're not sure where those sales dollars are coming from, or if you're not sure when we said this, I think there was a rise in this then that would be probably the best way to start. It sounds like.

Speaker 3: 14:16

Yeah, I really think it boils down to data management Just making sure you're merchandise and your data is organized in a way that you can draw conclusions. Yeah, absolutely. If you're involved with analysis, paralysis and you've got it segmented too many ways, that's just as bad as having it not segmented enough.

Speaker 2: 14:42

Yeah, if you have all the data but yet you're overwhelming yourself and not able to move on that data then, it's definitely. It's just as bad as not having it in the first place.

Speaker 3: 14:52

Exactly exactly. So then after I left Dices I went into a publishing company that again was selling merchandise and I was dealing with working with all kinds of extremely talented people deer hunters, quilters, knitters, rocket scientists, literally and they were all trying to wrap their arms around products that could augment their publishing business, so that was really fun. It was really fun because people want to learn what they don't know in most cases.

Speaker 2: 15:35

And.

Speaker 3: 15:36

I wanted to learn what they knew. I mean, I can't be a rocket scientist, but I could help them with determining the quantity of glasses they needed for the eclipse.

Speaker 2: 15:46

Yeah, absolutely, what's thinking of that time? You know you're talking about publications and kind of better understanding what they're looking for, was there something that stood out to you as like hey, that was kind of surprising, but I really enjoyed that element. Or you know, like you're talking about the finding the glasses, or maybe learning about deer hunting or anything else like that, was there something that kind of took you off guard that you're like wow, I guess I'm more into that than I realized I am.

Speaker 3: 16:13

Yeah, you know, it's kind of like peeling back an onion. You think you've got a focus on certain things that interest you and then the more you learn about it. I mean, I didn't know about deer lure that was based on, I guess. I guess deer go where they mark their trees with their orbal, with their eyes, and so there was this whole product that was built around that.

Speaker 3: 16:41

that was a huge win, because I just wanted to use it because it would attract the deer, so I didn't know that very well, but I learned that.

Speaker 2: 16:53

See, I hated admitting that because I grew up in Kansas in the middle of, like you know, deer hunting territory and everything. But no, I had no idea. That's really fascinating.

Speaker 3: 17:01

Yeah, it was, and there was one man who did it in his garage. And it was, you know, a rare commodity and in high demand. So there was a little bit of supply and demand there going on.

Speaker 2: 17:16

Yeah, oh, absolutely.

Speaker 3: 17:18

So that was fun and talking to him was fun, trying to make him understand what I was trying to do with. But that's the human connection, you know.

Speaker 2: 17:26

Yeah, absolutely so. Then you ended up from there going to Invista, is that right?

Speaker 3: 17:32

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 17:33

That was the next step for you. So what took you out of publishing and into Invista? Tell, what does Invista do, I guess.

Speaker 3: 17:43

So Invista is a consulting firm, predominantly supply chain oriented. My particular part of the universe is on the merchandise planning side of things, because that's definitely part of the supply chain. I was always that client on the other side of the table that had these people coming in and speaking in a dialect that I didn't understand when it was time to upgrade systems, etc. Well, I mean, you just don't do it enough to ever get versed in it.

Speaker 2: 18:23

Yeah, and when you do it, then the times that you do need it you have to really understand the deep dive. But then the time between that is between.

Speaker 3: 18:35

Yeah, so when I started thinking about you know, I've been thinking about consulting for probably about five or six years because it had always intrigued me but I wasn't quite sure how to get started with it. But then it kind of a light bulb went off and I'm like I can be the translator for the people that, like me, never really got good at it because I didn't do it enough to understand it. Yeah, and so I think you know my first client. I think the big aha moment for me was when one of the buyers looked at me as we were talking about something and she said you really understand what I do, don't you?

Speaker 2: 19:18

Yeah.

Speaker 3: 19:19

And I said, yeah, I've been in your chair, I really do understand and I want you to be successful, so I'm not going to lead you astray.

Speaker 2: 19:29

Yeah, well, that's got to feel really good, right, the validation, and that it's like your customer actually sits there and says, hey look, you actually understand it, they can put faith in you. Right, they can definitely understand, and I think that's where you know. Going to a broader picture of retail, I think that's what majority of retailers desperately need, whether or not they realize it or admit it. You know, they just need to be heard, they need to be understood, but they also need to understand as well. And so to find that person who is capable of coming in, and you've been on both sides of the table, kind of like we're saying here that you've seen from the client side what is needed and what you're wanting to get at, but then you're also seeing from the provider side of what's available, what's possible, and you know the technology side. So you marry those two together and the understanding that positions you so perfectly to be a great consultant, right?

Speaker 3: 20:26

Yeah, well, one would hope it's worked well, and I really do enjoy it, because every we all want each other to be successful. We all, you know we're all better off when we all win. So that's even competitors.

Speaker 3: 20:44

Yeah, even competitors. And in talking with the software providers, you know some of them are in their particular little bubble too, and they don't quite understand why the client is insisting on something or asking for it. One of the things that happens a lot is a client will come in and say well, I want you to do this because it's the way we've always done it and that's when I go, but that's not maybe what you want to do going forward. Let's think about it. Yeah, so, and that's the whole change element again, get comfortable with change. I say life without change is boring, and I really do believe that there's lots to be learned and lots to be gained by trying new things.

Speaker 2: 21:28

There is, and you know it's funny because that's. I often say that that's one of the most dangerous phrases out there as well. That's just not the way we do it. You know or? That's not the way it's been done before, because it's like well, yeah, but if the way you'd done it before was working, you wouldn't need me right. Right.

Speaker 2: 21:46

Wouldn't need me to come in and be helping you right now. So if we're going to go backwards, you can. You know not to be rude, but you can do that on your own, you don't need me. So I'll save us both some time and money here and you have fun. But if you're looking to make the bigger change and really, you know, jump in and do something differently and get different results, then by all means let's go, let's move forward on this.

Speaker 3: 22:09

So and I do know from you know, being in the merchandising world for as long as I have that it's an independent group. They were very opinionated. We want what we want when we want it and not always open to suggestions, so there's nothing wrong with that. Clearly, people have to make decisions, but part of decision making is learning when to ask for help.

Speaker 2: 22:40

Yeah, my grandpa would always say that there's some mountains just aren't worth dying on. Right you gotta know. You got to know when enough is enough and you got to back off a little bit. Was it the other phrase of you don't have to show up to every fight you're invited to?

Speaker 3: 22:57

That's another good one, oh yeah.

Speaker 2: 23:00

So well. So when we look back, I guess kind of thinking of you know you mentioned there's been some challenges in there. There's specifically dealing with people who maybe don't want to see a different way or they're not quite ready to release yet. Right, they're not ready to kind of shake up the way that it's been done before, I guess taking the focus off of them. What is something that you've learned about yourself during that process? Or maybe like how you approach those topics with them, right, how do you grow past that with them? And sometimes I understand you probably won't be able to lead certain people out of the funk they're stuck in, right. But as you kind of think of how you've grown in your own understanding and how you approach them, what do you see?

Speaker 3: 23:51

Well, I first of all identify with stubborn individuals who have a very, what they believe to be a very informed opinion, because they didn't get there by accident. Right, and if I were to say to my younger self be more open to other people's input, ask for it, you know, don't make them force it on you. But then you know somebody early in my director career, talbot, said to me you know, people don't want to be treated how you want to be treated. They want to be treated how they want to be treated. So learn that about them. Yeah.

Speaker 3: 24:40

And I thought that has stood me in good stead through many, many interactions with people, because just because I believe something doesn't mean someone else has to believe it the way I do.

Speaker 2: 24:53

Yeah, yeah, I think that's very wise, that's very, that's very, very wise.

Speaker 3: 24:58

Yeah Well, you'd hope with a little bit of time we all figure it out. But the other thing is never think you know it all because you don't.

Speaker 2: 25:05

Yeah, I love that saying that if you think you're the smartest person in the room, it's time to change rooms. You need to find a better room.

Speaker 3: 25:14

Very true.

Speaker 2: 25:16

Like that's where you always want to be a student, right. You always want to be learning, you always want to be challenging your own, what you think are absolutes right, because maybe you think it's a certain way, but you only think it's a certain way because of the way you've always experienced it right. In the same way that we can get upset with a client or a boss or a subordinate or anybody saying you know well, that's just the way it is, that's the way it's always been, or that's the way we do it, it's easy to get in that rut ourselves and say, well, that's, I've seen it work this way before, so obviously we're going to try it again this way and it's going to get the same results Dang it.

Speaker 3: 25:56

Yeah, well, I do have the benefit of moving a lot when I was young, so I did have to constantly reenter new processes et cetera. But you know, to take it back to retail wire, one of the things I enjoy about that and I've been following retail wire for a number of years is I love the interaction and, you know, the wisdom that so many people bring, but also a different perspective, because no one answer is right. There's perspectives and you really need to draw on all those perspectives to get to the best place.

Speaker 2: 26:31

Yeah, how did you get connected with retail wire? What was your first exposure to us? Do you remember?

Speaker 3: 26:39

I don't know if it popped up in a feed. Somewhere I saw a reference and I just clicked through and I started getting the newsletter. I'd say it's been a number of years, yeah, and then every once in a while I couldn't help myself but comment. And then in this last few months I've gotten much more involved. But I really, really enjoy it. I really enjoy it.

Speaker 2: 27:03

Yeah, I was going to say you're a recent addition to the Brain Trust, right, yeah, so you joined it this year. Yeah, yeah, that's, that's been really cool. So it's funny because we both joined retail wire this year, which is so. You know, that's all right. We're the newbies and and we're learning to continue to grow, so, so I'll tell you, yeah, like you kind of touched on a little bit ago, but you know, talking about flexibility, talking about kind of that, that desire to continue to grow. But you know, well, actually before before I asked that one, I'm gonna go back and say what brands are you following right now? Because I'm really dying to know. But, being the new person, the new kid on the block here, it's like I feel like there's several, the brain trust members that I kind of know who they're following. Right, I know, I know what they're excited about. But what are you excited about in retail right now? Like, is there a certain topic or a brand or anything that you're just like, wow, this is. I think this is hot right now.

Speaker 3: 28:05

I'm I've been very interested in the the transition of the D2 DTC world into the four walls and just broadening their channel base. I think that's been fascinating for me, so I read everything and anything I can get my hands on about that. You know there's a lot of information that translates across all the channels, so I found that interesting. I also, as I said a little bit earlier, is this need for people to really, or businesses to really get a grip on how much inventory is the right amount of inventory.

Speaker 2: 28:44

Yeah, yeah, I think that's good investment.

Speaker 3: 28:47

It's a huge investment and if you get it wrong, yeah, you can find a price to sell it, but it hurts.

Speaker 2: 28:54

Well, and not only that, but I mean one of the, you know, the big challenges that we've been dealing with recently is the idea of returns. Right, because? Because not only do you have to deal with inventory, you have to deal with inventory that is sitting somewhere out in the ether for two, three, four weeks. You know, maybe it's in a customer's house and they just haven't returned it to you yet, or maybe it's in a, you know, lost in a FedEx truck somewhere, who knows?

Speaker 3: 29:19

Being your own four walls and you don't know where it is.

Speaker 2: 29:22

Yeah, you gotta have the right tracking for it, and then there's some great organizations out there working on stuff like that. Yes, but but yeah, that's that's definitely I'm excited to see and not to not to, you know, overhype a Current topic, but I'm excited to see how we supplement that idea with the AI or machine learning side To really help streamline. Like I say, I know of a couple of examples. We actually were at a conference recently and and Met a couple folks that that are directly working in this space to help Streamline the efficiency of returns, and it's just fascinating to see kind of what's possible now and to think what's Going to be possible in another six months or now. So yeah.

Speaker 2: 30:02

I'm really excited for that.

Speaker 3: 30:04

Yeah, and it it still goes back to data Yep, always a key element of it. So 100%.

Speaker 2: 30:12

Not only having it but, like you're saying, knowing how to read it, knowing where, Making sure it's clean, it's not a mess.

Speaker 2: 30:18

Yeah, yes, so, getting back to the last question, I always love to love to ask if there was, if you go back in time and give yourself that one piece of advice I know, like I say, I know you touched on it briefly, but just so that way We've got that what, what would be one piece of advice you would go back and give to younger Allison jumping into your retail career, or maybe the, the section where you started seeing the consulting or Whatever landmark you want to choose. If you could go back and kind of inject something along your journey, what would that be?

Speaker 3: 30:56

I Think it's, it will still go back to don't think you Need or should do this all by yourself that there are people out there. There are many, many people who want you to succeed, because that's part of how they succeed. And Don't think that asking for input is A sign of weakness, because it's not. It's a sign of confidence. If you're willing to do that, so absolutely. That would be my big thing.

Speaker 2: 31:26

And I think that's that shows that you're looking out for everyone's best interest in that circumstance, because you, you could easily Clench your fists and and just run head first back into that wall again, right, and just go, you know, I'll figure it out. I'll figure it out, it'll be me and I'll get the, I'll have the challenge. I don't want to burden anybody else with the challenge and and then whenever you get done, well, I get the, I get the credit for it, right. But you know, what's funny is we think about things, I think a lot like that and we think that that's going to be at be the outcome. It's like, well, I don't want to burden someone.

Speaker 2: 32:00

I've heard that a lot more recently too, especially with younger generations Well, I don't want to bother you With this. So I'm just gonna figure it out myself and I'm going you're not bothering anybody. Like we're, like you said, we're all in this together. And it's funny how how we can say that in so many different elements of life, in society and culture and everything else, and then we like to huddle, we, we like to huddle through the pain ourselves and it's just like man, it's bring others along in that journey. It goes a lot faster. It goes a lot easier, that's for sure.

Speaker 3: 32:31

Yeah, don't prolong the agony, it's not necessary. So.

Speaker 2: 32:38

Well, allison, thank you so much for taking time with me today. This has been a great time. Just to get to chat with you a little bit, get to know more about you, is there? Do you have any parting thoughts for us, anything that we didn't get to, that You're like? I was just dying to say this.

Speaker 3: 32:52

Oh, you know we, you know the minute, you and these things. There's always six more things that pop into your brain. But I mean Clearly, I love what I do. I really enjoyed the business and I want people to be successful. And I want to be there to help them.

Speaker 2: 33:09

So two last questions for you. One. So I'm dying to know. What are we looking at behind you there? What do you got? You got a lot of stuff organized.

Speaker 3: 33:17

This is. This has got fabric, it's got yarn, it's got office supplies it and it folds up into a nice little cabinet. But you know, I live in Jamaica Plain in Boston, massachusetts. They don't have a ton of space so we have to make it out count.

Speaker 2: 33:34

Yeah, I think that's super cool. Now I was just like there's gotta be some materials there, so I was just oh yeah, that's the stuff yours, I would assume.

Speaker 3: 33:42

Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2: 33:43

So good, so good. The second and last question that I've got for you is if people want to connect with you further after this, is it okay if they reach out through LinkedIn, or is there a better position for them to reach out through a website?

Speaker 3: 33:56

It's easy to find.

Speaker 2: 33:58

Cool. So, I'll make sure and tag you, I'll put your connection down here, your link in the description of this episode, and we'll make sure. And if you do reach out, be sure and leave a note in the description and we'll make sure. And if you do reach out, be sure and leave a note in the connection request letting her know that you heard about her on the Retail Wire podcast, so she'll know that you're actually a real person and not just trying to tell her something.

Speaker 3: 34:20

You just read my mind, thank you.

Speaker 2: 34:23

We're going.

Speaker 3: 34:24

I don't know if I'm right.

Speaker 2: 34:27

No, real people, real connections. We love that. We love that here in Retail Wire, and so you know that's why we do this series. And just to wrap up, if you have enjoyed this conversation here, first of all, if you're listening to us on any podcasting platform audio only format you can actually go and see what we're talking about. On our YouTube channel it's on the Retail Wire YouTube channel, but also, if you are watching us on YouTube right now and you want to just subscribe to us on your podcasting platform, maybe you don't care about seeing everything that's going on.

Speaker 2: 35:00

Maybe you just want to hear the good nuggets of information that we've got. Find us on all your favorite podcasting platforms. Be sure and hit that subscribe button. Turn on your notifications, because we got a lot more episodes coming up, including some great information from different companies, different brands, Talking about different topics. We've got stuff coming up from different conferences that we're going to, so you're not going to want to miss a part of it. We have more great conversations with people like Allison here, and we're going to enjoy every single moment of it. So if you do have any questions for any of these episodes whether it's this one or past or future. Leave a comment down below. We would absolutely love to answer that for you. You might even hear your answer or your question read off in a future episode. So we will see you next time here on the Retail Wire Podcast and catch you soon.