​Ep 9: How we became retail leaders with Jess Povenmire

We share how we've come to be retail leaders, what has influenced our thoughts on leadership styles, and the lessons in leadership we've learned along the way. This is the first of two episodes on the theme of retail leadership and will be followed by an episode on setting an example.

In this episode:

• What working in retail teaches us about interacting with people
• The pros and cons of starting a project before you feel ready and diving into something you’re passionate about
• Finding small business inspiration on Instagram and using it as a way to reach out to other entrepreneurs you want to collaborate with
• The power of the phrase “just ask”
• The first jobs we had in a leadership role
• How being a manager versus being an associate changes how you view the store
• Chris's background in New and Small Business Management and her experience with microlending
• Our journeys with learning about different leadership styles
• The toughest lessons we’ve learned about leadership and how we dealt with them
• The importance of continuously learning about and developing our thoughts on leadership
• Applying parenting lessons to professional leadership
• Talking things through with a trusted confidant when you need to make a difficult decision
• Our particular leadership styles and how they’ve changed over time

Click to Tweet:

Chris said:

You can help people to grow by pushing them to figure it out themselves.

Jess said:

Instagram is a really interesting way for small businesses to communicate with their customers.

Learning about different leadership styles helps you to communicate more effectively with people.

It’s important to know who your people are and knowing the right people, not just the people who are going to say yes.