I’m so relived to not be operating a retail store right now is what I’ve caught myself thinking.

I said a similar thing after I closed my store in August 2020.

These have been difficult years for retailers, especially small and independent ones who make up the fabric of our communities and main streets.

The shopkeepers who have kept their lights on, shelves stocked, and heads held high through it all deserve a round of applause for the mental, marketing, and operational gymnastics they’ve been through.

If they’ve earned an income and made profit: a standing ovation!

I’m no longer a Shopkeeper and I don’t have to make incredibly hard choices about products, prices, overhead. I’m not in those shoes anymore but I still care — deeply.

I’m feeling hard for the small shop owners and operators who are trying to keep up with tariff updates, timelines, and a barrage of emails from vendors and suppliers. Those who are feeling like they just got over the intensity of doing business during, and after, the pandemic.

I want to offer something. And since I don’t know who’s reading this, and your particular business and situation, I offer these words that really landed for me during a recent yoga class:

Inhale to prepare.

Exhale to execute.

I’m gonna say that again: Inhale to prepare. Exhale to execute.

Both are needed, but doing one before the other sets us up for better results and overall experience.

I see the inhale as a pause: Pause before freaking out about the latest trade policy updates. Pause before making sudden changes that would be harder to revoke.

No knee-jerk reactions allowed.

Give yourself the grace of sitting in an in-between zone before you throw your hands in the air and call it quits, or stress yourself out so much that you burn out, yet again.

There’s a lot in flux, and it’s out of your control. It sucks.

BUT — the ever so hopeful and optimistic but — there’s still soooo much more within your control.

The inhale is a pause plus reflection. This is where you can take personal inventory, and assess your business to see what’s working well, what can be let go, and where the opportunities are. What’s within your control.

Your answers become the solutions for your next best steps.

For your exhale.

When you set up your exhale, you’re better prepared to execute, however trade policies go.

Stay OPEN,

Ana Maria

Let’s get personal 💙

Three things I’d be doing if I still had my store.

I had so much fun joining Johan from Your Number Man as a guest on his podcast. We met through the Polaris Business Development Centre here in South Australia, where I’m a mentor and retail specialist. Press play to hear our chat on all things retail, customer service, and entrepreneurship as personal development!

If you enjoyed this post, you might also enjoy my book:

OPEN: Big Lessons in Small Retail and Living the Shopkeeper Dream

Check it out here

"OPEN is an invitation to take personal inventory and design (or re-design) your personal power beyond the storefront of your professional pursuits. As tactical as it is transparent, this is a must read for any Service Provider, Shopkeeper or Serial Entrepreneur looking to become their best self in life and biz."

— Kj Christensen, Speaker / Author / Strategist