CLIENTS

Take a look around

Go behind-the-scenes with featured clients and their five star reviews

CLIENT NAME:
Tiffany Ju

POSITION:
Founder & CEO

COMPANIES:
Chunks Hair Accessories

SECTOR:
Fashion Accessories

“I'm definitely the creative brain in the business and kind of the one that always likes to see the big picture. So sometimes it's hard for me to get down to the details of things. Chris really helped me clarify some of the quality control issues we were having, along with inventory management, and then structuring the team. Their roles and responsibilities, recognizing each team member's strengths and weaknesses, and where and how they would be used best.

Chris is such an expert, especially when it comes to money and getting into the nitty gritty stuff. We looked at operations and pricing and team structure and leadership – all those things. It was really nice to kind of just have her come on, almost like a partner, to kind of refine what I was already doing and the direction I was already going in.”

POSITION:
Owner

CLIENT NAME:
Danielle Hulton

COMPANIES:
Fuel Coffee & Books, Ada’s Technical Books & Cafe

SECTOR:
Coffee, Books

“I have grown a lot in the last 10 years. My background is as an engineer, so my business very much grew out of passion rather than training or experience. I've always had a very specific vision of what my businesses could be, but I think what was missing was a lack of knowledge on retail operations. And I now know that working with experts like Chris is how I can quickly make up for that lack of knowledge.”

Different systems of how to predict inventory, when to order, how much to order, all of that, were things that I didn't know very well. I was considering going back to school to learn these things, but I actually ended up learning them in a more effective way through working with Chris, because she has such a specific, targeted knowledge base specifically around retail business.”

CLIENT NAME:
Jenn Charoni

POSITION:
Community Development Specialist

COMPANIES:
The City of Seattle

SECTOR:
Office of Economic Development

“Chris was the perfect partner for our pricing and inventory course for small business owners. She was extremely organized, thoughtful, communicative and sensitive to the needs of our participants.

For many of our participants, the material we were covering was new and complex. Chris was able to balance the needs of those new to the information and meet them where they were in their understanding, while still moving the class forward through a high volume of material. Chris was also careful to consider how comfortable participants were in talking about finances, which can be vulnerable and emotional. She made sure to address needs, questions and interests of participants throughout the course.

The material she produced for the course was available in multiple formats and extremely high quality! She offered many ways to participate, to match business owners’ schedules and learning styles. I would highly recommend working with Chris and would love to do so for future projects!”

POSITION:
Co-Founder / Seattle Restored Participant

CLIENT NAME:
Alpaja Rajbhandari

COMPANIES:
Ekadesma

SECTOR:
Slow Fashion

“Chris has truly transformed the way I think about and run my business. Her guidance on inventory, stock flow, and retail strategy helped me move from overwhelm to clarity and confidence. As a one-woman small business, having her support made all the difference. I highly recommend her coaching — every small business owner needs someone like her in their corner.”

POSITION:
Co-Founder / Designer

CLIENT NAME:
Brittany Freeman

COMPANIES:
Freeman Seattle

SECTOR:
Menswear

“I [needed] help building a cost of goods sold work sheet for each of our Freeman styles to advise in pricing and also managing not only our store inventory from other vendors but supplies related inventory that we use for production!

The experience as a whole is an eye opening way to think about how to make our inventory work for us. Merchant Math helped me to look at pricing and inventory from multiple aspects! Chris teaches the lessons in an easy to follow and fun way. The information and lessons are all explained in a super approachable way, and also there's an amazing amount of detail covered in a few short weeks. The way everything is presented made it super easy and relevant to apply to my own business."

CLIENT NAME:
Taylor Eberhardt

POSITION:
Owner

COMPANIES:
Lou Collective

SECTOR:
Womenswear

"I chose Merchant Math because of the program's convenience/curriculum and the fact that Chris was so well-versed in retail inventory. I felt like she really could teach me so many new things and also reinforce previous knowledge I had back from business school. The class helped me to feel confident in my plans to buy for my new store and made sure that I was prepared for all I needed to start and run a successful business."

POSITION:
Founders

CLIENT NAME:
Bill Waiste and Rachel Flores

COMPANIES:
p.o.p. candy co.

SECTOR:
Candy

“Fulfilling customer orders and production typically take priority in our day-to-day operations, so bigger projects that would take us to the next level usually get short-sheeted. We feel good about keeping our customers happy, but our growth goals for performance, sales, and market presence are not being fully met. Enter, The Merchant Map.

Chris’ system teaches you an approach to business planning that systematically focuses on the mission of your business. The prioritization tool clears the clutter and helps reveal those projects that are actually best aligned with your business, brand, customer, and values. Really smart stuff.

If you work with Chris to learn and adopt The Merchant Map, you will be better prepared to build the business and brand you envision.”

CLIENT NAME:
Mia Allyn

POSITION:
Artist

COMPANIES:
Mia Amanda

SECTOR:
Ceramics and Textiles

“When it comes to planning and sticking to my calendar I struggle with being consistent. I start strong then fizzle out. In hindsight, I can see that none of the tools I had tried before actually helped me clarify my priorities and organize my resources.

Taking The Merchant Map workshop has opened my eyes and given me my confidence back! I’m learning how to prioritize my time and money, become more organized, and work smarter not harder. I’m asking the hard questions that I had always glossed over because my business had been profitable.

I know myself and I will fall ‘off the wagon’ at some point - but now I have real skills to reign it in and get back on a profitable path. This business know-how and creative control is something I’ve never had before.”

POSITION:
President

CLIENT NAME:
Kristen Rask

COMPANIES:
Urban Craft Uprising

SECTOR:
Craft Shows

“As a fan favorite instructor, Chris has shared her expertise with our campers [at Camp Thundercraft] on a variety of topics over the years. While always keeping it topical and different, we know our campers leave her class feeling inspired and more confident to take action.

We have heard many campers over the years express gratitude to Chris for offering advice that was invaluable to them in their growth. We are always thrilled to have Chris join us at camp and are forever grateful for her support. Cannot recommend her enough.”