After moving back to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2003 it was time to find a job! I interviewed with some dear friends of mine who owned the cutest boutique toy store. I worked there from 2003 through 2005 and it was one of the toughest but most rewarding experiences. If you’ve ever worked retail at the holidays – you know what I mean! I learned so much about customer service, service with a smile, how hard retail employees work and grassroots marketing skills I still employ in my business today. I also have the utmost respect for anyone who works retail around the holidays! Enjoy the episode!

P.S. Next time you are in a retail store – be extra kind to the person behind the counter – it makes a big difference!

Lessons learned:

• Be willing to wear multiple ‘hats’ – the best people to work with are the ones who say, ‘that may not be my job – but it needs to get done so I will get it done!’
• There is so much power in a smile and ‘please and thank you’ – be positive, be friendly – it makes a big difference
• There is a lot that can be accomplished even if you don’t have a big marketing budget. We started building an email list with a piece of paper and a clipboard – start small! Done is better than perfect.

Additional resources:

• Visit me at KatieLance.com for more info about my speaking, consulting and our #GetSocialSmart Academy
• Follow me on Instagram for more behind-the-scenes into my life and business @katielance