with Bob & Susan Negen
Big dreams are exciting – but they don’t build themselves. In this powerful session, we’ll break down the core skills, mindsets, and business structures you need to bring your vision to life. From leadership habits to foundational systems, team culture to profit-driving routines – this is how your dream starts to take shape.
Lindsey Roberts, HarQuin Bookkeeping
Lindsey Roberts, owner and founder of HarQuin Bookkeeping, will discuss best practices for reviewing and understanding your Profit and Loss Statement and Balance Sheet, including how to:
You’ll learn how to establish healthy checks and balances to make sure you are protected against theft and negligence. These include internal controls, separation of duties, and regular review. We’ll also teach you how to get the most out of your reports by customizing them for your retail business.
Lindsey Roberts is one of the nation’s top-rated QuickBooks Elite Pro Advisors and the owner and founder of HarQuin Bookkeeping and Consulting Services. Her mission is to equip retail owners to grow their businesses sustainably and thrive in an ever-changing economy. Lindsey always welcomes the opportunity to share her expertise and help business owners achieve their goals and reach their dreams.
HarQuin and their family of industry-specific brands (retail, boutique, dance, gym, non-profit) has been providing affordable, quality bookkeeping, consulting, payroll, and sales tax services since 2008 and serve over 1000+ businesses yearly.
Paul Erickson, Management One
Studies have shown that 95% of shopping decisions happen in our subconscious. Join Paul in unearthing your customers’ subconscious behaviors and biases to improve sales and profits in your store. You’ll learn:
Paul Erickson presently serves as Director of Retail Education with Management One Inc. Widely recognized for his talents as a retail educator, Paul has conducted seminars and workshops at retail trade shows and has been featured in Fortune Magazine, Women’s Wear Daily, MR Magazine, and on the CBS Evening News. Based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota, he has served retail clients throughout the United States and around the world.
Melodie van der Baan, Max Retail
Becoming vital in your community goes beyond selling products or services. It’s about building lasting relationships, contributing meaningfully to local causes, and consistently demonstrating commitment to the community’s well-being. By integrating these strategies, business owners can position themselves as indispensable community assets, fostering loyalty and ensuring long-term success. You’ll learn how to:
Melodie van der Baan’s journey began as a distributor and independent retailer, where she developed a unique understanding of the intricate dance between supply and demand. She recognized the crippling impact of unsold inventory on profitability, spurring her evolution from distributor to tech innovator as the co-founder of Max Retail. Her remarkable journey has been spotlighted in Forbes, Apparel News, Inc Magazine, Yahoo!Finance, US News, MarketWatch and Insider.
Max Retail was designed specifically to rescue your excess stock and transform it into cold, hard cash. No more staring at stagnant inventory for months on end—it’s time to turn it into more money, more time, and less stress with Max Retail.
Nick McHenry, OneShop
Discover how to drive real sales growth by engaging personally with your existing customers through email, text, and social media. See real-world examples from top-performaing retailers who have done it in their stores. You’ll learn:
Nick began his journey on the retail floor and then spent 10 years working in wholesale for luxury brands such as Giorgio Armani and Philipp Plein. Nick’s favorite thing is helping brick-and-mortar retailers leverage digital marketing tools and connect with customers through shoppable video, photo, and text. All that, of course, leads to better customer relationships and higher sales conversions. As the Founder and CEO of OneShop, Nick is usually busy leading his team, but when he’s not, you can find him playing the drums or posting retail memes on TikTok.
Susan Negen, WhizBang! Retail Training
It’s not if, it’s when. Bad stuff – big or small – is going to happen in the life of your business. You can’t avoid it, but you CAN prepare to make the impacts less severe and easier to deal with. In fact, just a little bit of planning can make a world of difference to protect your business, your employees, and your family.
with Bob & Susan Negen
Every customer that walks through your door is a golden opportunity. A well-trained, engaged sales team can turn each interaction into a Perfect Purchase for your customer and a loyal, enthusiastic fan for you. Learn the key techniques and mindsets that turn great service into increased sales and differentiate your store from the ho-hum competition.
The Platinum Mastermind Group Panel
In this panel, you’ll hear firsthand from retail leaders who’ve mastered the art of growing sustainable, profitable businesses. From clever marketing tactics to effective leadership, these trail blazers will share the strategies that have worked for them, the mistakes they’ve learned from, and how they keep evolving to stay ahead of the curve.
A Conversation with Ari Weinzweig, Co-Founder, Zingerman’s Community of Businesses
Great customer service isn’t just about transactions – it’s about relationships. In this special conversation, Ari Weinzweig, co-founder of Zingerman’s, will join Bob and Susan for a heart-to-heart discussion on how they built thriving businesses by turning customer service into a true love story.
At Zingerman’s, Ari realized early on that in order to deliver an exceptional customer service experience, day in and day out, they’d need to focus on more than “just” customer service. He will share the key elements that contribute to a culture of great service at Zingerman’s. Join us to equip yourself with tools and techniques for improving customer service and go back to your business with plenty of resources to adapt and put to use right away.
Bob & Susan Negen
What’s the secret to transforming an ordinary customer visit into something extraordinary? It’s all about creating WOW moments. In this session, we’ll break down 19 proven tactics to help you deliver exceptional service and experiences that leave a lasting impact.
From personalizing the shopping journey to offering unexpected surprises, you’ll learn how to craft experiences that will turn one-time shoppers into loyal fans. Get ready to discover the actionable steps you can take to create your own WOW effect at every touchpoint.
Beverly Cornell, Wickedly Branded
Marketing today feels like a never-ending storm—social media, SEO, content, branding, email funnels… The harder you work, the stronger the storm gets. But what if more marketing isn’t the answer? In this engaging, story-driven session, discover why most entrepreneurs stay stuck in the cycle of overwhelm—and how to finally break free. You’ll learn:
BONUS: Attendees will walk away with a mini ‘brand clarity’ exercise they can use to refine their messaging on the spot!
Beverly Cornell is the Founder & Fairy Godmother of Brand Clarity™ at Wickedly Branded, where she helps entrepreneurs escape marketing chaos and awaken their brand magic with clarity and confidence. Her signature framework, The Path to Brand Magic™, has helped hundreds of business owners step out of overwhelm and into bold, aligned marketing.
With nearly 30 years of experience in branding and marketing, Beverly has worked with Fortune 500 companies, tech startups, and purpose-driven solopreneurs to create brands that stand out and attract the right clients.
Christyne Gray, She Profits Now
In this session, Christyne Gray will guide you through a transformative approach to running a profitable retail business by using her Financially Fabulous framework. You’ll get the tools, insights, and actionable steps to move your business toward greater financial health and profitability, all while maintaining a balanced approach to both personal and professional growth. Here’s what you’ll learn:
Christyne Gray is a retail business financial management coach, accountant, and tax specialist who empowers independent small business owners to achieve financial health and profitability. As the founder of She Profits Now, a professional services firm, and the creator of the Financially Fabulous Coaching Program, Christyne combines expert financial services with a holistic coaching approach to help retailers optimize their business operations.
She Profits Now offers specialized financial services, including bookkeeping, tax planning, and business valuation consultations, providing clients with actionable data and insights to drive profitability. The Financially Fabulous Coaching Program focuses on helping entrepreneurs take a strategic, data-backed approach to financial decision-making, with a strong emphasis on mindset, profitability, and long-term business sustainability.
Ulla Hald, FAVES
Make every buying trip count! In this session, you’ll learn how to approach your buying trips with a plan that saves time, curbs overwhelm, and helps you build an inventory assortment that truly resonates with your customers. Walk away with practical tools to buy smarter, boost profits, and align your assortment with what matters most.
You’ll learn:
Ulla Hald is the Founder and CEO of FAVES, a modern buying and planning platform helping independent retailers make smarter, more strategic inventory decisions. With a background in technology — including her early days at Apple — Ulla has spent her career building digital tools that empower businesses to work more effectively. Inspired by the creativity, resilience, and community impact of independent retailers, she created FAVES to bring clarity, confidence, and data-driven tools to the art of buying. Ulla speaks regularly on retail innovation, digital transformation, and the power of technology to support small business success.
Scott Cunningham, Merchant Mastery & Social Lite
Discover the proven growth strategies used by 7- and 8-figure Shopify brands to thrive in today’s hyper-competitive e-commerce landscape. In this actionable session, Scott Cunningham will walk you through his foundational framework that has generated over $150M in revenue for Shopify stores in the last year alone. You’ll learn:
Scott Cunningham is an award-winning e-commerce sales expert, entrepreneur, and speaker who has helped thousands of Shopify stores master their sales positioning with his Offer Harmonics framework.
Scott’s agency, Social Lite, was honored with the Agency of the Year Award from DigitalMarketer.com in 2022 and is acknowledged as one of only a few Klaviyo Platinum Partners worldwide. Merchant Mastery is the leading mentorship program in sales and marketing for Shopify stores. As certified Shopify Experts, our team has helped over 1,000 independent store owners compete and scale in the online marketplace. Merchant Mastery was recognized as the best-selling e-commerce system on Thinkific in 2022.
Pete Mohr, Simplifying Entrepreneurship
Being exit-ready isn’t about selling tomorrow – it’s about building a business that thrives whether you’re there or not. In this session, Pete shares the strategies every independent retailer should use to reduce owner dependency, boost business value, and create more freedom today. You’ll learn how to:
Pete is a retailer, Certified Exit Planner, Kolbe Certified Coach, and business strategist who owns Shoetopia, a pair of independent shoe stores in Ontario. He works with owners across North America to build scale-ready, exit-ready businesses that deliver profit and freedom – so you can exit the business at maximum value, when you’re ready.
Simplifying Entrepreneurship helps business owners move from operator to owner using proven frameworks like the 6 Ps and the Leadership Trio, turning chaos into clarity so they can enjoy the life they’ve built their business to support.
Bob & Susan Negen
Giving triggers gratitude, and gratitude leads to action. In this session, we’ll explore how reciprocal marketing strategies can create a virtuous cycle of value between you and your customers. Discover ways to build trust, surprise and delight, and foster loyalty, all by giving more upfront – and watching the growth flow back to you.
with Bob & Susan Negen
It’s fast. It’s fun. It’s fiercely full of ideas. In this high-energy showdown, your hosts Bob and Susan go head-to-head, sharing one powerful retail idea per minute for 30 minutes. From marketing moves to operational upgrades, sales boosters to leadership tips – this rapid-fire session is packed with actionable takeaways you can put to work right away. Who wins the rumble? You do – when you leave with a notebook full of gold.
Bob & Susan Negen
If you’ve ever found yourself frustrated with your team, wondering “Why don’t they just get it?” you’re not alone. The truth is, most team issues come down to this: unclear expectations and inconsistent training. Learn how to fix that by creating a simple, repeatable system for teaching your team exactly what “great” looks like. Whether you’re onboarding a new hire or coaching a seasoned employee, you’ll build competence, accountability, and confidence into every role. No more guessing, repeating, or micromanaging – just a team that gets it.
Bob & Susan Negen
In retail, profits are the result of more than just selling. They come from smart choices, savvy systems, and understanding the numbers that drive your business. This high-impact session will show you 12 actionable ways to boost your profits – and put more money in the bank!
Dan Holman, Retail by CRS
Retail success is about more than just numbers; it’s about understanding the story behind those numbers. Dan dives into key metrics and insights every retailer should be tracking to drive sustainable growth and customer loyalty. This session will cover how to:
Dan is a 30+ year retail veteran, award-winning business coach, and the CEO of Canadian Retail Solutions, a Retail Operations Partner guiding independent retailers across North America to grow sales, boost profitability, and build cash-positive businesses through smart strategy and The Wealthy Retailer® framework.
Retail by CRS helps independent retailers grow profitably with smart inventory planning, retail software, and hands-on consulting. Since 1991, we’ve focused on real relationships, practical solutions, and results that impact their bottom line.
Jennifer Ann Johnson, True Fashionistas
Ready to stop being invisible and start getting noticed? This workshop will give you the exact steps to turn your business into a media magnet. If you skip this, you’ll miss the chance to transform from “just another business” into the go-to expert your industry and your community can’t stop talking about. You’ll learn how to:
Jennifer Johnson is a renowned small business coach who empowers small businesses to achieve their goals without sacrificing their well-being. Once a national model and actress, she pivoted to build a $50 million+ resale empire with True Fashionistas, Florida’s largest lifestyle resale store.
Jennifer knows the struggle of juggling business growth, personal branding, and a life you love. That’s why she built a roadmap for success, The Confident Entrepreneur. She is the author of the Amazon bestseller “Grace & Grit: Becoming a Confident Entrepreneur” and host of the award-winning The Confident Entrepreneur podcast.
Crystal Vilkaitis, Rooted In Retail
This is a session you can’t afford to miss – literally. Discover the AI tools, strategies, and mindset shifts that are saving indie retailers thousands in expenses and earning them even more in sales. You’ll walk away with future-forward best practices, jaw-dropping tech tools, and real-life use cases that will help you work smarter, market better, and reclaim your time. You will:
Crystal Vilkaitis, known as The Wolf of Main Street, is the founder of Rooted in Retail and the Independent Retailers Association (IndERA), two platforms advancing the future of independent retail through resilience, innovation, and community. She hosts the Rooted in Retail podcast, sharing real-world strategies and inspiring stories to help retailers thrive. A dynamic speaker, Crystal is known for her bold approach to modern retail and unforgettable customer experiences.
Susan Negen, WhizBang! Retail Training
What’s REALLY happening in your store when you’re not around? Get ready to find out with your very own Secret Shopper program! This easy to execute system helps you uncover the real scoop on your customers’ experiences and take charge of your service game. Your customers will thank you for it!
Bob & Susan Negen
As the world becomes more digital, detached, and transactional, independent stores have a powerful advantage: soul. In this session, we’ll explore how authenticity, connection, and personal expression can be your superpower in a sea of sameness. Learn how to infuse your brand with meaning, show up with heart, and create a store that feels like home to your community. The future isn’t generic – it’s personal.
Bob & Susan Negen
You’ve imagined a bigger, bolder, better future for your business – and now it’s time to bring it to life. In this high-energy closing session, you’ll get one final dose of wisdom from each of our speakers and build your personal action plan so you can hit the ground running the moment you return to your store. It’s time to take the next step – your future starts now.
