EP 6: PUTTING ON YOUR POSITIVE PANTS

ep-6-Putting-on-your-Positive-Pants.mp3
Annie Glen Urban Girl 

Michelle: Hey there. I'm Michelle Sherrier and this is the retail whore podcast the stories and lessons from the life and retail. Hi, guys. Happy Wednesday. It's Michelle. And today's episode I like to call Put On Your Positive Pants. I had the pleasure of meeting Annie Glen from Urban Girl Accessories via Instagram over a year and a half ago when we were in a full shutdown. She was lovely enough to give me some time and do a live interview with me. And I had not and I still have not met her yet. It's only been through Instagram and Zoom, but I quickly became a huge fan of her. And if you know her in the industry, you know what I'm talking about. She's probably the most positive person that I've literally ever come across. And it's it's not a bullshit positive. It is literally this is who this person is, which makes her so beautiful and so genuine. Annie has ten locations in San Diego. Urban Girl Accessories is her brand. There are five different concepts within this brand that she and her husband have developed and owned together. And we talk about during the shutdown about how she was able to stay so positive, some of the things that she created to get herself and her business through. And now that we're back open, how she is handling staffing a ten store location when we all know staffing right now is somewhat challenging. So I'm super excited for you to hear this interview. So without further ado, here is Annie from Urban Girl Accessories. Good morning and thank you so much for being here with me. I'm so appreciative of your time because I know you are extremely busy.

Annie Glenn: Oh, I'm so honored to be asked. I'm really, really excited today.

Michelle: I'm so happy. So I asked everybody the same question when we open up, which is How old were you when you first started working and what was your first job?

Annie Glenn: I was 18. It was a summer job between high school and college, and I worked as a stock girl for Nordstrom.

Michelle: Oh, my.

Annie Glenn: Gosh. In in the brass rail. So it was perfect because it was all guys and I was like the only girl working in the back room. So it was so fun.

Michelle: Is that do you think that's part of what propelled you to have stores?

Annie Glenn: I think it got me understanding, like behind the scenes what happens, like, you know, and then you get moved up from like back room to cashier and that's like a huge deal. But I always knew I would say from I think I was like maybe in fourth grade. I always knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur like always, but I thought it would be a flower shop or a catering company. I just wasn't quite sure in first.

Michelle: Areas and fourth grade. That's what you.

Annie Glenn: Wanted to be a caterer. I mean, I didn't cook, but I knew I just wanted to do something for myself.

Michelle: Oh, my God, I love it. I don't think I at fourth grade was thinking that way. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your stores.

Annie Glenn: Okay. Well, I am a mom of two incredible boys and have always sort of put that as my priority above all, everything else. But then when they got a little bit older, I could start venturing out and having more stores and sort of focusing more on work, but still taking the time to. I was always room mom teen mom while balancing having the stores.

Michelle: You still do a really good job of that. Like I always say, like I love seeing the post and tell everybody how old your sons are.

Annie Glenn: I my son Jack is 23 and my son Cooper is 18 and graduating from high. No, he graduated from high school. That's. It's been a whirlwind of a week. He's now out of high school.

Michelle: Congratulations, mom. And tell us a little bit about your stores, because you have because I, I had put out in the email before it looks like four stores when you look at the website, but it's actually ten stores. Yeah, four concepts.

Annie Glenn: We have ten stores. It's five different concepts. We started with American Nostalgia back in 94 as a kiosk because it's all we could afford to do and then just sort of ventured into that one's doing well. Once we could open an actual brick and mortar, then we have San Diego Surf Company, and then that was doing well, so Urban Girl. So now we have three Urban Girl locations and it is my my other baby.

Michelle: Where in your located? In San Diego. Because everyone who's listening to this is listening to it from around the country. So you're in beautiful San Diego. Are they all within, what, a ten mile radius?

Annie Glenn: I would say they are within about maybe like a 15 to 20 mile radius of each other. And it's perfect because they're in three completely different types of locations, which is nice.

Michelle: So with so you have ten locations, five for concepts, five concepts.

Annie Glenn: Five concepts.

Michelle: Yeah. So like are they store, are they street fronts or are they in malls?

Annie Glenn: Are they so five of them are downtown in a very touristy place called Seaport Village. So that's within your park. And then you go into this like meandering, really cool little village with stores. Two of them are at in Delmar at the beach off of one of the main streets across from L'Auberge.

Michelle: I'm so mad I did not have a chance to go into your store when I was down there. I'm supposed to be down there again, but I'm so annoyed that I didn't go in there.

Annie Glenn: Well, there's always a next time. And then to the other. Oh, then one is at a new center called One Paseo, which is incredible, a lifestyle center driven by restaurants and just an incredible place to be. We're so lucky.

Michelle: Oh, that sounds amazing. Oh, I love the new the way malls are evolving now, like going out of the enclosed and all open and parks almost and.

Annie Glenn: Exactly. And then the other two are more of a in a local center. We've got the Trader Joe's. We've got the Starbucks right next door. So, yeah, they're all so different.

Michelle: I don't know how you are going to get into that later, but I don't know how. So that is my next question. So you obviously wear a lot of hats. How how do you keep it? Because I know with me like right now, I have my retail stores that I work for, I have wholesale showrooms. And I also have other projects that are like designing and whatnot. And I know there are moments where I sit and it's like I'm so frazzled and I realize if I don't sit at my desk and I like lay everything out and make lists for each thing, that's kind of what regroups me. But how do you stay centered and how do you balance all of this juggling as well as keeping you? I mean, you still very much have a life balance because I see you at farms with animals and with your sons. I mean, I don't know how you balance all this with ten locations.

Annie Glenn: Well, first and foremost, our staff, like, obviously, we couldn't do it without the most incredible people working with us. But for me, I'm the kind of person where I am just best. When I'm busy, it makes me focus and it makes me do my little calendar and organize. And and I don't know, they always say, you know, give the project to the busiest person, you know. So I find that that's what and you too, like, you're so busy. But, you know, you do it. You're you're organized. You just find a way. But no, I strive on being busy. I don't even I can't stand. Being bored and just not doing anything. Even with like, we'll buy a house and it's like, okay, well now it looks great, so maybe let's sell it and buy a new another one. And then same thing like, you know, we just you just can't I can't sit still, you know, it's just. Yeah, I strive on busyness.

Michelle: So how do you how how do you calm down that? Because I know for me a lot of my grounding happens when I sit outside in our backyard now, like and if I am calm enough, I can read a book. But it's like nine times out of ten, even going through a magazine, I'm like not even reading it because, you know, I keep finding I gravitate back to whatever I'm doing. And it's like I just told my girlfriend, Alyssa, who does the marketing for me. I asked her something and like it came up at three in the morning. She's like, Why at three in the morning? Because I woke up and then you start thinking about stuff and it's like, But how do you where do you find calmness and stillness with you?

Annie Glenn: Yeah, I'm like you. Like, you know how some people can take a bath and relax how I get rid of my bathtub? Like I can't. Like, I don't even want about I can't. So but what I do, my kids crack up because I go outside on the driveway and I literally just find some sunshine and I, I call it Lizard King, but I just, like, literally lay down and, like, just feel the heat come up from the ground and close my eyes, and my kids will come home. And they're like, there she is, Lizard King again, mom. But it's like it's just my tranquility. And then like you, I'm like, okay.

Michelle: I find hilarious. It's your driveway. It's my.

Annie Glenn: Driveway. It's we have the most beautiful backyard. But I just because I still want to see what's going on, I have to see, like, people driving by. I can't just shut down. So I lizard.

Michelle: That's all right. It's kind of like earthing, a little bit like you were in the grass. You'd be earthing.

Annie Glenn: Yes. Put your feet in the sand. Yeah, I'm. I'm earthing on our concrete driveway watching cars drive by and still kind of eyes wide open thinking, okay, I'm going to do that. But I try. I try.

Michelle: Tell me a little bit about your team, because obviously that is your backbone.

Annie Glenn: Oh, gosh, they're amazing. We have one gal that's been with us since she was in high school. So she went to high school. She graduated, she went to college. She graduated. She went to design school. She graduated. She's still with us. So to think we you know, you have to take care of your staff. But I have high school girls, college girls. We've got guys that are in between college and trying to figure out what they want to do with their lives. Lots of moms, lots of empty nesters, you know, just it's a plethora.

Michelle: So you have an age range of like, yeah, the kids to the moms and the empty nesters that I mean, that seems like a really good balance as far as like the universe of a store and like everybody kind of balancing out everybody's personalities and ages.

Annie Glenn: Exactly. And I find that like the young kids. Are great to talk to about, hey, what's like now what's what for an 18 year old is the thing, you know, because I'm 50, right? It's like.

Michelle: Which I can't believe, by the way.

Annie Glenn: I can't believe I turned 50 this year either, because, you know, it's like you you're only you know, they say you're only as old as you feel. And I really feel like I'm 30.

Michelle: Yeah, you don't. I mean. Well, you obviously don't look like it, but it's it's true. It's like I mean, it's weird, though, like, all sudden you're saying I'm 50 and it's super weird because in my head I'm like, I am not 55, but it's like, oh, god, like.

Annie Glenn: Right. And God knows you don't look 55, for God's sakes. Like, I think now when they say like you're 50, I'm like, but that's the new like thirties. So I'm really not 50. It's the new 30 or 40. But yeah, when I got the AARP thing in the mail, I was.

Michelle: Like, Isn't that insulting?

Annie Glenn: I think I threw it away.

Michelle: Sending them to me too. And I'm like, Are you kidding me? Like, although my girlfriend said she's like, I will tell you though, they have really good discounts.

Annie Glenn: Movies I heard movies are really good. I think the day that someone says, Oh, would you like your senior discount? I will die, I think.

Michelle: I don't really see that in your future for a while. Just like, you know.

Annie Glenn: We'll just be like.

Michelle: No asking the kids. I mean, you know, I think that that's the biggest lesson. I think a lot of retailers that are listening can take away because I think that everybody gets super tied up in the ego of I know it all. I don't need to ask you guys. You guys go over there and do your thing. Like, I think a lot of people do not do that. And I think that's the smartest thing that you can do is ask, what do you guys think because you are that age group?

Annie Glenn: Well, exactly. You have to realize that you don't know everything, even though you think you do, because you're the business owner and you must know a lot. But once you can just sort of be humble and realize like, I need to ask everybody everything and it makes you wiser. Knowledge is power. So.

Michelle: I love that. And then your team. How many? How many employees do you have in your brand?

Annie Glenn: So in the heyday, pre-COVID, which I guess we're going to start saying pre-COVID, but we had 60 and now we probably were lucky if we have God. 35 to 40, it's been impossible to hire. I've heard that. It's it's literally ridiculous.

Michelle: Every I mean, the pharmacy is down nine people and we have one another girl going out on maternity leave. Somebody is going to pharmaceutical school like they're going to be down 12 people here very soon. And they cannot get. They finally got one person hired for the gift section. She because Robbie, the owner, wants him trained in both the pharmacy side as far as like stocking the shelves of Pepcid and aspirins and and as well as in the gift side. And three days after three days of training, Aaron, spending all this time with her, the girl said, I think this is just too much for me. Quit. And I was like, wow, all that time. And it's I, I mean, my hope is that it sounds like unemployment is is coming out here soon. Right. But you know, what seems like it was a very good thing for people. It seems like now is a very bad thing.

Annie Glenn: And yeah.

Michelle: And I think also I talked to somebody that had hired a recruiting person and she was asking him, so how much are you paying? And I think they were saying like 15. And she goes, I can't help you. And she goes, Honestly, like, Costco's paying, I think, $18 to $20 an hour just to go get the carts in the parking lot. Oh, my God. And it's wild. It's. It's so. Anyway, so what now with with having that many less employees, I'm guessing business has started to ramp up again because it seems like everybody's on vacation now.

Annie Glenn: Yeah. So between having less employees and same exact story, you train them and then they're like, Oh, you know, I got offered this other job and it's like $17 because we're at like 15, right? Which is like you're just coming back from dealing with COVID and all of that. And then people want $20 an hour and you're like, I can't do that, you know? So, yeah, it's just, it's. It's just crazy. I don't even know I don't know what we're going to do because we're ramping it up. Our sales are amazing, like everybody's just out now. Yeah, but I think we're going to have to cut back hours, which is like a knife in the heart because. Oh, my God, what hours do you cut back? Like you need to make the money? But here you are. You can't staff and you do. And then they quit because something better came along. It's it's like the struggle is so real right now with staffing.

Michelle: I'm guessing you obviously are on the floor is like how do you split your time? Like do you just pick a store that's down a person or do you hit multiple stores a day? I mean, this is where like, I often wonder where people have multiple locations, like how you how you split your time. I mean, because you're a working owner, it's not like you're sitting in an office like you guys go over there and do your thing. I mean, how how do you do that? Right.

Annie Glenn: Well, you just kind of keep your fingers crossed that you're not out of town when the ball drops and they need someone and then you just have to you just don't open the store, which is just devastating. But with ten, it's like and, you know, a couple of hours downtown require like in the heyday when we had.

Michelle: Staff.

Annie Glenn: It required 5 to 6 employees. So yeah, San Diego staff is a really big space and with several doors. And so when it's busy we need like six people. And at this point we're like, we're lucky if we have two. So that's right. So it's like you can't win for losing. It's just, you know, but, but I always am like, we're lucky to be open. Thank goodness for that. You know, that would be the worst thing ever if we still had to be closed.

Michelle: So yeah.

Annie Glenn: We do what we can and cut back the hours a little bit, hire people that maybe we're like, well, they'll, they'll be good, you know, to make sure nobody steals anything. I mean, we've kind of like come down to that, but luckily our staff is incredible. I mean, and they put in so much time, you know, it's it's incredible.

Michelle: That's amazing. I love hearing I love hearing that because you've always I mean, you've always praised them. Like, I know when we went live, it was like, you know, it's your staff. And I don't think enough retailers speak as highly about their employees and put as much heart into it as I feel like sometimes you really need to, especially when you're a small business and you're not really a small business anymore with ten locations. And one thing I had said this morning in stories is like you are like hands down, the most positive person. You know, Bonnie from sales producers, the one who made our introduction, who I adore and I work for now. And she always said you were super pleasant. And then now following you and getting to know you and doing our like even in the dead of closure, you still had some positive spin on it. And then it was like it was such a breath of fresh air that it was like like I went from talking to people about COVID and kind of being there as a listening person about like what was going on. I'm so sorry. And it will get better. And then all of a sudden you come on and it's like, Oh my God. Like, that's what I feel like. Everybody needs to. I mean, not that everybody can do that at the time. And I'm sure you have moments that you're not, but you always stood out because of your light. I mean, this positive. And so how have you always been like this or how how do you stay so positive? I mean, like literally everything is sunshine and you never know.

Annie Glenn: It's not you know, I think I've just always been in fact, I remember in high school, people would say, God, you're always so like peppy, stop it. I was like, I can't help it, you know? I don't know. I think I've just always been so grateful for everything that I've had. I mean, and. And I think. You know, just. You know, I haven't there have been times like when you're younger where you don't have everything and then you see how hard family works and and struggles and then it just makes you appreciate the little things so much. So every day I always find something to be grateful for. So I think through gratitude comes positivity. And so if you can just find one thing every day that you're grateful for, it changes. That moment. Maybe it's a minute, maybe it's all day. It just sets your tone.

Michelle: Do you have a gratitude practice?

Annie Glenn: I don't. Okay. Well, okay. I am one of those people when it hits 11, 11 and I see it. I always say what I am grateful for.

Michelle: I love that.

Annie Glenn: And I just always have. I mean, I'm going to get a tattooed on my arm one day. 11. 11. Yeah. I mean, literally, I have a little thing that I say every time and oh my God, if it lines up like on my phone and on my computer and on a thing, I have to look at all three of them all at once. Like, I'm kooky that way, but it's but it makes me stop in my tracks and just say thank you.

Michelle: That's me. My gratitude practice is every morning I've started it falls aside sometimes, but is to list out ten things I'm grateful for. And it's true. I mean, even like it doesn't even have to be big things even. It's like, I'm so grateful for this delicious cup of hot coffee. I'm so grateful that my car gets me to and from these locations every day. I mean, and it does definitely change because there's days where you are so bitter, like something is like like I was like we're we just got back from Atlanta. I was so bitter at Amazon and like, honestly, and it was like during that whole week, I wasn't doing my gratitude practice because it was like it was, it was get up, go to the showroom, you know, do what you're doing. And I just I lost practice of it. And it's like I look back on that now and it's like, wow, I really should have.

Annie Glenn: That's when you needed it.

Michelle: Because I honestly was like, I, I, I've never had that happen where we had something planned. We're waiting for it from Amazon. We've had a week to get it and it still never came. I've never had that. And I left the showroom so sad and so upset because it was like the main display and it was like the first thing you saw and I was so upset. But it's like, you know, now looking back at, there was a lot of great things that we did do, but I just so hung up on that and it's like, I really certainly would've been a lot better if I was saying my gratitude list because I think in the moment it would have made me change the way I was looking at it. So you're very you're very right about that.

Annie Glenn: Finding silver linings, too, right?

Michelle: Yeah. So it's hard, though, sometimes. I mean, that's why I always ask people like, how do you find that? Because there's sometimes it's like, I would like to think I'm happy and peppy all the time, but there are moments where it's like you get kind of down, down about something. And it's like for me, Dave, really, my husband has a really good job about like, well, tell me something good to happen in your day to day. And that helps one. It makes you talk about it when you're so closed up and angry about something or upset about something, it makes you talk about it. It's like but it's like I do wonder how you put like if you have a bad day, like how you pull yourself out of it.

Annie Glenn: Oh, I, I'm a crier. Oh, like I like I will just and I've come to the point now where I'm like, I'm okay with it because before I'd be like crying, like hiding. Like, I don't want my family to be sad that I'm sad about something. But now I'm just like, I'll cry, get it out. You know, whether it's happy tears or are just like over COVID, just crying, like, yeah, like what's going to happen, you know? And then you get it out and then you think, What can I do? And then and I want to show the boys also that it's okay to have emotions, to be happy and grateful and to be sad and sometimes feel hopeless and that you can come out of that.

Michelle: That's a great example, you know. So I would guess you have very balanced boys.

Annie Glenn: I have to say. I there I mean, it sounds like a mom brag, but they're freaking amazing. And I take a tiny bit of credit just for teaching them like make good choices and be kind. Like two of the things that I would tell them every day from when they would little itty bitty going to their friends houses preschool up until even just when they left this morning to go rock climbing. I was I always say, make a choice as guys and be respectful, be kind.

Michelle: Because I love that.

Annie Glenn: It gets thrown back in my face, though, because I'll be like having a moment and they're like, Mom, kindness matters. Of course. I'm like, Oh, God, you're right. Okay.

Michelle: I love that. Yeah, I, my mom raised my brother and I and my brother like I don't remember growing up with something. My mom was a working mom, so she wasn't. We were. I hate to say it somewhat. Latch kid, latchkey kids. She'd go off to work, but I love hearing that because it's just like I feel like you probably have created the most amazing husbands or boyfriends for some lucky girl.

Annie Glenn: And that's that I will often tell them if I'm it's not easy to parent, but I'm doing this because, you know, first of all, let's say one of them is a little sassy. I'll say, well, you can't speak to people that way, and I want you to know how to speak to your girlfriends and your wives and your future wives. So I feel that moms of boys have a very big responsibility to teach them how to treat women, you know, how to treat women right. And respectfully. And that, yes, women should be getting paid what they're getting paid. So it's always at the dinner table conversation of because they see me working and realizing it's not the fifties. Like, it's not like your slippers aren't going to be by the door for you with a drink handed to you. You know, I hand me a drink. You know.

Michelle: I've been gone all day. I like my dress, my glass of wine, please.

Annie Glenn: Yeah. Like, although, ask me what's for dinner. One day I'm going to come home and I'm going to say, Hey, guys, and I do this. What do you guys make me for dinner?

Michelle: I love it.

Annie Glenn: There's a balance, so I've taken that very seriously, raising them to be good boyfriends and friends and.

Michelle: And husbands. That's amazing. Now, so you guys do you did they come home and live back at home when or do they still live at home or did they come back during COVID? Because I know a lot of kids that were in college all of a sudden were back living like Melissa, who owns Brentwood Gifts. She both of her kids came home from college and she was like, honestly, it was the best time of my life. Like, every night we had dinner together. I mean, it was it was, I think, the biggest gift of COVID of having her kids back.

Annie Glenn: Yeah, that was that was my silver lining of COVID. Was that so? My oldest one, you know, they had Chris went and scooped them up from school, from college. He was at Willamette in Salem, Oregon, getting ready to graduate and boom March, everybody had to leave. And so he didn't actually get to have a graduation, which is so sad. So he came home. He's still home because his job that he was supposed to start in September in Japan obviously got pushed. So now he is hoping to they're holding his position. And so now he's hoping to go in September.

Michelle: Where is he? What's he going to do in Japan?

Annie Glenn: He is working. He got a job for the government there as he is a liaison for the foreign dignitaries that come.

Michelle: That's amazing.

Annie Glenn: I know. And he's fluent in Japanese, reads it, writes it, thinks in it, dreams in it. It's crazy to me.

Michelle: Wow. I lived in Japan for half a year. Yeah, I worked there. I was the majority girl. I was a model. I got a contract, which is great. That's the reason why I didn't graduate high school. Because I quit. I quit school. My dad hired a Japanese reading and speaking Jewish lawyer who went through all my contracts to make sure because so many girls go over there and the Yakuza ends up taking them into them. So he went through had all the contracts done. But I was 17. I quit school and I'm like, I went off to live in Japan and when I came back it was like, Please, I've been living on my own in Japan. I'm making money. I'm not going back to high school, which is stupid. But that's how he will. I mean, it's so it's such an amazing country. I mean.

Annie Glenn: Oh, he loves it. He loves it. So he's really looking forward to actually going. I mean, just the fact that he graduated with a job is incredible. And the fact that they're holding his position, he has a house there like that. They're waiting for him to move into. And then he just graduated from high school last week and he will head off to school in September when Jack leaves. So.

Michelle: My gosh, you're going to be an empty nester.

Annie Glenn: Both at the same time, leaving, not being staggered. That's going to be hard for me, but but getting this year, if anything, also for them to connect as brothers like they're rock climbing together today like that, that's everything. Because I've always told them that's like your best friend for life. You will always have each other. You can always complain about your your mom being too strict because you know you have each other. Always. I'm an only child, so I don't have that.

Michelle: That's going to be. Oh, man. But I mean, that's I guess the gift of COVID is having your kids together for the last year and a half before it'll almost be almost two years. Right. By the time they both leave.

Annie Glenn: Yeah. Yeah. Having Jack home to see Cooper graduate my 50th birthday. There was so much going on this year that he would have missed that. It's hard to be upset because I have that.

Michelle: Yeah, that's a great, great way to to think about it. So with COVID and you everyone, I hate the word pivot because we used it so much, but obviously everybody had to pivot in their own way. Tell me about because I know what you did to pivot, but I want to hear you talk about how you pivoted because you were pretty quick in doing it and it was like crazy successful.

Annie Glenn: Yeah. Yeah. Literally the day we closed the stores, all ten. One day that day, I was like, Oh my God, we have ten stores of inventory. What the heck? And like shipping coming. So I just thought, what can we do with what we have? You know, and obviously stores aren't open, so it's going to have to be web based. So and at that point, none of our websites were really.

Michelle: That was what I wasn't asking was were your websites up and running?

Annie Glenn: No, none of them. We had them all, you know, but websites are rough, like to manage. And and and we're so used to brick and mortar that it's just almost like you have to have somebody just managing the websites. But I thought, my God, we have like hundreds of thousands of dollars of inventory, something. So literally that day I was like, Well, I'm just going to like get together. Like, I think I'll call it a mystery box. So I went online and I looked to see if anybody was even like doing mystery boxes or anything like that. And, and there was like one random site doing like a, hey, it's a sticker box of like, it wasn't even up and running. And I was like, okay, no, there's nothing and there's nothing. So then I thought, I'm going to do a mystery box of happiness because people are so sad right now. And, you know, if I sell one, I made maybe one person happy in such a dark time. And then got it. Literally got the boys. Help me do the website. Got it.

Annie Glenn: I mean, it was it was so bad to when I go back and think about what the pictures look like and oh, my God. But I saw so many of them and was working from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. every single day like a maniac going to the stores like and it's a mystery box, which is great. But then there's a lot of pressure because you want to make sure it's really good. And so I swear, I probably lost money a little bit on these mystery boxes because I was like, Oh, I want them to be so happy and I'm going to put this and I'm going to put that, and I'm like, Wait, now that's like $100 mystery box. But they paid $50, but it's okay. Pack it all up. You know, put candy in there on the top and a little thank you note. And, you know, but it kept my mind busy and it it brought in money where we had literally no income for months. Zippo. And it's it. It got me through COVID. Like, just keep my mind busy.

Michelle: Did was it your. Was it your regular customers or was it people that just happened to find you? I mean, how did you market that? Because I mean, I was following it on Instagram, so I knew you were doing it, but it was all sudden. The other part, too, is that I didn't I don't I haven't been following you for my screen for like since the beginning, but it seemed like, like all sudden you were on live like hi guys. Like talking about people and it's like you broke so many barriers as far as like, I'm just going to go out there and just do this like and it was, it was so refreshing to see. But I how how did you get it out there or was it most of your client base that was buying it?

Annie Glenn: So yeah, I had never done like a Facebook like live or video. I didn't even know how to do it. I didn't I didn't know what I was doing, honestly. So I would go to the store and I'd be like, Okay, hey, guys. Annie here. Don't forget to wear your mask. Don't forget kindness matters, you know? But I basically just put it on Instagram, then connected it to the Facebook, put it out for my friends. So I would say the first round on that first day was friends. And I was like, Och, that's so awesome. But now that's going to end because how many friends do I have? Like, I can't expect my friends to keep buying them, but then they would send them to people. And then those people were like, What is this? And I have a little card that goes in there with all the information, the website and stuff. So then those people wanted to send them to other people and it's like that commercial, right? The, the old shampoo commercial and so on and so on and so on. And, and then it was like then like somebody that we're friends with has a business and, and he's a mortgage broker and they were crushing it like certain people were doing great. And then he had me send boxes to like all of his clients. So that was a really good one. And, and it just kind of everybody it was word of mouth. I didn't do ads. I've never done an ad like for that. It was just, yeah, word of mouth and just me going on there like, hey, guys, thanks so much. And then every time I did a video, I realized the videos are huge.

Michelle: Like, Yeah.

Annie Glenn: People will sit there and they will watch that video and people were bored. So they would watch that video, you know, and then they're like, okay, well, and I was so thrilled with how many people were buying them for themselves. That's that a lot like.

Michelle: Yeah.

Annie Glenn: Because they couldn't.

Michelle: Yeah. I mean it's, you know, I've said this before like during shutdown, like I was so starved for being in a retail situation I was going to like because my clients are Bristol Farms and Lazy Agar, so I was going to Lazy Acres literally like almost every day, just so I could comb the aisles and I buy a candle and and it's all stuff that I work, the people I work for. But just to be in that environment and come home and bring a candle and burn a candle, and it's like, I can totally understand why people were buying it for themselves. I mean, it's. What else were you going to do? You can go get a massage. You couldn't get a manicure. You couldn't get your hair done. I mean.

Annie Glenn: Right, right. And then we were actually candles were a big, big thing. But then it came a point where we were running out of candles. So then I started making candles.

Michelle: Really? Oh, my God. I didn't even know that.

Annie Glenn: Yeah. So many of the candles that I had that did really well, I just don't have time to make them anymore. Wait.

Michelle: Okay, that's so much I need to unpack right now that I know. So where. Where did you get the vessels and the labels? Like. Like, what do you tell?

Annie Glenn: I literally went to, like, candle science and bought like vessels and then I went to like the printing thing online and I designed labels and I did like city candles. And so I had like San Diego, del Mar, Carmel Valley. Then I had like a beach candle and then I and now of course, I have like a whole room full of wax and vessels and like 8000 scents. And the boys are like, Are you going to make candles? And like, I will be happy if I never make candles again because, oh my God, between packing the boxes, I was like stirring the wax. And then they had to set and labels and oh, if I made the labels crooked and like, Oh, God, I have to redo it.

Michelle: Oh, my God. Now you have a new appreciation for why candles cost that. They do.

Annie Glenn: Yeah, totally. Like I. Yes, I'll be happy never to make candles. But they did really well because we had them on the website and I sold out of them over and over again. And it was like I mean, I was really proud that I, I can make a candle now. So there's.

Michelle: That. Well, it does make me think you need to hire somebody to do that for you at your house so you can keep them in the store.

Annie Glenn: I'm I'm going to support other people now who make incredible candles that is so time consuming, then they have to, like, sit forever. Oh.

Michelle: Do you know Mara from Fine Lines?

Annie Glenn: I love. Love.

Michelle: Of course. So Mara is was creating a candle line and Mara gets she's so obsessed with details. I mean, like crazy, like she must have tested like scent-wise man she because she was going to make them for my wedding as the gifts and she got so obsessed with the smell and it wasn't right. And I forget what it was. She was like, I just I don't think I can do this, but wow. Okay. But I love her for that because she is so detail and it's like she I got to ask her about that because all sudden I haven't heard about her candles for a while.

Annie Glenn: Oh, probably. What happened with. Like I'm never doing that again. Like I have thousands of vessels left. I can't even look at them.

Michelle: So with all these changes and the pivoting you have kept, I'm assuming you've kept the mystery boxes and happened to expand it on them as well.

Annie Glenn: Yeah. So I thought like, why get rid of this? You know, it obviously has slowed down, which is fine by me. But yeah, now we have like a mystery box of for birthdays, for teens, for tweens, adults. We have a thank you box. We have a house warming box. And they all different levels of pricing.

Michelle: And they're all still mystery where people don't know what they're getting.

Annie Glenn: So I love that it's a win win because you have to if you're not if it's not a mystery, then you have to make sure you have enough of each product because you're photographing it. Right. And what if that what if that's nobody wants that product. People love not knowing what they're getting. That's great. I love that. I love it. And so for me, it was key to make sure what they're getting is really good. And so even like the $50 mystery box, you get like $60 worth of product during COVID, you got like $100 worth of product. But, you know, they're they're really great boxes and they're fun. I curate every single one which people people will come into the store and say, Do you guys sell your mystery boxes here? And they're like, No. You know, the owner comes in and literally I literally will like go through each store and be like, Mary, what would Mary like? Mary lives in Tennessee, so I love.

Michelle: That.

Annie Glenn: Everything through. And I'm like, Well, let's see. They said it's her birthday and that she's turning 53. Well, I fit every box. It's probably more work than I than it should be, but I love doing it.

Michelle: I think that's a difference of like people to just throw a bunch of crap in a box and it's like, I don't, I mean, like literally running to the store and just like, we'll never see them again and the throw it in. But the fact that you care me well, you care. And that's but but the fact that each one is curated and that much thought goes into them, I mean, that, that, that obviously has a lot to do with the success. I mean, it's.

Annie Glenn: Yeah, I think so. I mean, I think people receive them and then they're like, oh my gosh. And so often I'll get the from the person who sent it. How did you know she liked Purple? How did you know she loved avocados? How did you know that? Sometimes I do get, like, a little sense for, like, oh, I need to put this in there. Like, you know, it's so interesting, but. But I haven't had a bad review yet, so knock on wood.

Michelle: I'm going to ask you a favor, see if we can do this to promote it. Is it do you want to donate a mystery box? And then we'll do a contest for the podcast before in conjunction with your release because it's like this is making me want more now.

Annie Glenn: Yeah, of course.

Michelle: Yeah. Okay, good. I will have all that information in the show notes for everybody. And then we all know the show season is coming up, which I'm so excited just to go. I mean, I've been doing shows and going to shows the whole time and everyone's like, Aren't you afraid to fly? I'm like, Not really, because there's no one on the plane. And it's like, it was nice to keep kind of going for it. So are you excited for show season?

Annie Glenn: I am. I am not going to do August because I'll be with I'm Taking the boys. We're doing like a mother son trip.

Michelle: Where you guys going?

Annie Glenn: To Nebraska, where I grew up. And I am looking so forward to Vegas in January.

Michelle: Are you so you're so you're not going to do any of the. Any of the shows. Good for you. I mean, it's like obviously you're still. So how do you if you're going in January, obviously a few seasons to buy through, are you going through reps or catalogs or because you sell apparel and gifts? You've got both ends.

Annie Glenn: Yeah. So for all the surf brands, the reps we deal with, the reps and everything now they've done like videos online. Instead of actually going into the stores and showing the lines, that's how they've pivoted right and probably learned that that's easier to do. So they just YouTube a video of each item, somebody wearing it. Although I miss like real people like I miss it and I like I would love to sit across from you face to face and do this right. But so for gifts, I deal with reps. I'm always like you searching and scouring social.

Michelle: You're funny how you'll circle something in my Instagram stories like that dress.

Annie Glenn: Yeah that's that's why I can't when I'm earthing I'm still looking at things like circling like, you know, but yeah, I mean, I'm just my birthday's in January, so I always make that Vegas show. I take girlfriends from high school and along with some of the managers and we just make it like a big party. It's just.

Michelle: Yeah. So this giant posse you have cruising through the gift show, do you guys do magic as well?

Annie Glenn: I haven't done magic since finding the first product for our kiosk in 1994.

Michelle: Wow. I love magic, though. I want.

Annie Glenn: To go. I want to go now. I really just want to go.

Michelle: It's I mean, you know, for me and I've always said this, like the gift industry, the gift shows like Vegas is pretty much the only one that's local now for us. But back in the day, magic in the apparel shows just have so much more energy to me. Like they there's music and there's, there's the DJs and there's game areas and there's some kind of installation art going on. And I've always said like the gift industry, I feel like needs to do that because it for me I always phrase is like the gift industry is like old ladies and cat sweaters and then the magic like is so much more alive, like fashion, the displays, the music is always loud. Like you'll go into some of the gift shows. There's no music playing, which is my biggest piece. And it's like. Are you open? Is it okay if I'm in here and there's, like, no energy? And it's that phrase, like, Fred Segal always said, energy creates energy. Open your boxes on the store, on the floor. That gets people. And that's true. And it's like that. I mean, so I'm surprised you haven't done magic that long.

Annie Glenn: It has been so long. But you're so right about music, because how many of us have been working in the store when the music goes out and you're like, Oh, my God, I can hear the person walking in the store. I need music. Must have music. And did you ever go to ASR?

Michelle: Yes. Oh, my gosh. Annie okay. So I used to have stores, I used to have stores at Fred Segal and two of them were men's and it was like Quicksilver Spot Sport 26, Red Pirate's Surf, like all these old I mean, I'm dating myself all about. Do you remember you'd go and it was literally like people are drinking at 9 a.m. like like Stussy was like Stussy was like lining up shots at like nine in the morning and I was like 27 then I'm like.

Annie Glenn: Yeah, yeah.

Michelle: I came back one hour and I was married at that time to Mike. And Mike would do the shows with me because he used to have a skateboard shop, so he came back with me and all this stuff starts arriving. I'm like, What is this? And he's like, You don't remember that? That was like five drinks in and you were like, Whoa, let's do it.

Annie Glenn: Oh, my God, I miss ASR. Like, that was my first experience. So we opened San Diego Surf Co, but before that we had to do a PR to get the brands. And I remember going to the first days, our show and I was, yeah, I was probably like, I don't know, old like 30, you know, what would have been like? They're all like 18, 19, 20, right? And I remember it like thinking, this is so incredible. And Volcom, I think it was Volcom was going around like spraying flour all over everyone and like white flour because they were plain white lines. And I was like, Where am I? And give me a drink, this is great. And then you go to the gift shows. You're like, I'll have a bag of Fritos.

Michelle: And so that explains I mean, it's so true. I mean, man, that would that I'm so sorry. Just so many good time. I still love like my reps. I still see some of my reps like Brett from you. I'll still see because they mean now even that area now of this show like magic because it's now everything's pulled together. So it's great. It's like you don't have to go to like this item. It's a little still spread out, but it's not like where it was like in six different hotels and six different trams and six different taxis. But it's fun to run through those areas and still say hi to everybody because it's like, hi.

Annie Glenn: Still doing it. They're all all of the guys and girls are still our reps. But life has changed for them because they were single and now they're married with multiple children. So it's been really fun to see them go through that transition of party guy.

Michelle: Yeah.

Annie Glenn: Like parent to husband to parent. Yeah. Still friends. It's so great.

Michelle: I love it. What are your what are some of your favorite gift trends and favorite apparel trends that are going on right now?

Annie Glenn: So favorite gift trends, I would say I've always it's kind of always been a favorite thing, but I love personalized gifts like, you know, a charcuterie board with an initial monogrammed items. I really think there's just so much stuff out there that if you can make it personal to someone, that's going to be their favorite gift. You know, those are my favorite gifts. When someone is taking the time to go and pick out the napkin set that's got a G on it or the charcuterie board. And then also I love what I bought. Cooper And then ended up buying more. I love leather, just leather. Anything to me is good because it never gets old. It wears so beautifully. I bought the my crew, my family, passport holders. It holds a passport and your vaccine card and they're like handmade leather. Oh, my God, they're so beautiful. And that they'll use forever, you know? So I really think that. Through all of this. I've learned that simple. Is better. You know. And then for clothing. Same thing. Like just basics. I'm full. I'm so into just basics. Like, well, like a white tank top and some cutoff shorts and some Havana flip flops. And so at the store. So you just show me, right? And like you, a white usually this. It's like our uniform. So at the store, it's like I just love when I see the basics. So like Z Supply, I really love we love their tanks. Just, just simple, simple basics that you can throw on a really cool jacket, a cool pair of shoes. But I just really love denim and just like black white top.

Michelle: So do you follow any of the. Because yesterday I had a chance to go downtown. I live in Redondo and I've been born and raised in Manhattan Beach and Manhattan Beach downtown has become like. It's a whole thing now. It's like it's it went from like, like most small beach towns from like the cute little, Joe's cottage. Like, they're all gone. And it's like these really high. There's two local stores that have been there forever. And I love the store. One's Wright's and one's Beehive. And Nancy and her, I think they're still married. Her husband owned them. And they've they've been in Manhattan Beach since the beginning and going in their store. Like she follows the trends more. They're not surf. They're high, high end. Like Isabel Marant, like beautiful, beautiful lines. But like, the trends are going to me two different ways. There's like the boho girl, which that's me. And then I was in Venice last week and I went into one of the stores and it's like the trend of all of the big puffy sleeves, big pixie collars, baby doll, like like baby doll. Like it looks like a it is a huge trend right now. I'm like, wow, I don't know if I could even grasp on to that. So because you buy a lot of surf lines, but you still buy some like little avant garde lines, like not the Z supplies avant garde, but you still buy other brands. Like, are you do you follow some of the trends or are you pretty much going with, like you're saying, basics that are easy that anybody can wear them? It doesn't have to be the fashionista girl or.

Annie Glenn: Yeah, I mean, I would say like because of COVID, everybody was wearing like the joggers and like the comfy stuff and we're trying to kind of although it still does really well. I'd like to kind of see those. Yeah, I'm kind of scared of the sweatsuits, like, so I would say we're still basic. Like, you know, there isn't anything that's too crazy that we have like you. It's like, I love the boho look, you know, the, like the skirts, but not like the short, teeny, tiny things I love, like the longer floral, just just really easy and and clean and elegant in its own way. But and then the surf brands are great. Like, that's that's as crazy as we get is like if Billabong comes out with like a leather or something, we're like, okay, we'll get like three pieces of it because I'm sure it's not going to sell like the basic.

Michelle: Stale.

Annie Glenn: Bread and butter basics.

Michelle: Who are some of your brands that you are currently selling in the stores that are doing well?

Annie Glenn: Clothing or gifts?

Michelle: Both.

Annie Glenn: So for gifts, I would say right now we have this line of pillows that I have custom for the zip codes and the cities. So there's the custom thing again, right? Those are crushing it. So that's and they're out of South Carolina. I think it's called Southern Charm.

Michelle: Are they embroidered? Are they hook?

Annie Glenn: They're they're they're just oh, they're embroidered. They're embroidered. They're so cute. And they're just like a toe pillow with a slate gray, embroider on it, embroidery on it. And so then I just ordered now the tea towels that have like the, the zip and the city. So those are doing really well. Oh and cocktail stuff because everyone's a drunk now.

Michelle: So.

Annie Glenn: Cocktail stuff I cannot keep in like all the room like, like we have this great line. It's like I think it's called Candy Crush, but it's like they're, they're rims rumors for like margaritas. There's a local company out here that makes it's called crafted cocktails. They make all the cocktail mixes.

Michelle: You've really expanded on the food. I love. I love seeing that.

Annie Glenn: Yeah. Oh, my God. It does so well. And then, of course, like natural life still does. Incredible for us at Urban Girl like incredible.

Michelle: And that still has that has that positive message. Yeah very on brand for you for sure.

Annie Glenn: Yeah. It's been a staple for well since 2007 we've had so you know just anything nome I love obviously which is why that store that you were in, I know like so fast, such a key.

Michelle: They do such a good job of mixing because part of what I love about Nancy Stores is that all of her props are like vintage. So Rice is like the mom, and it's like Isabel marant, like dress and like but their props are like, she's got an old swordfish that's mounted, she's got a long board that's mounted. But all of her props and those pieces that make that store so special, all vintage. So Beehive has the junior, younger, hipper. Props and that's that vibe of that store. But like that little vintage gnome I love because she scours the flea markets for that stuff.

Annie Glenn: Yeah. Urban Girl, Carmel Valley has I found some incredible Austrian gnomes that are huge, made out of stone that are from the, like, the thirties or something. Wow. And so I have. And they're so heavy. Thankfully, nobody can steal them. But I get people that are always like, Can I buy that? I'm like, No, you can't. So, I mean, mud pie always does well, you know, and then I just trying to find like a lot of local companies, like I've got a candle company that now exclusively makes our city candles for us and no one out there anymore. Yeah, yeah. They're like, Oh, my God, I'm never going to make candles again. But because we are ordering so many from them. Wow.

Michelle: Yeah. Apparel lines that you love, apparel lines that you love.

Annie Glenn: Z Oh, cool. Z I love, you know, we're so, so sort of brand oriented that I mean, we do have the you now, which I'm excited about. We have that in. We can only have it in a couple stores because there's a viewer nearby here so we can have it down at Seaport Vizsla. I still love RVCA. The artwork on RVCA is so cool and you know, and then of course, like my son's brand, we have Beach.

Michelle: Brad's on that. That's great.

Annie Glenn: Yeah, it's so he's worked on that for so long and now he'll go to Santa Clara Love U School of Business and he's that's what he's going to work on.

Michelle: So that's the 18 year old's line. Yeah, that's great. Congrats, Mom.

Annie Glenn: Yeah.

Michelle: And it's selling well.

Annie Glenn: Yeah, he just ordered, like, 200 more hats, all different colors. Now he's working on a new design for a hat. He's got t shirts in the works and his website, but his Instagram Beach City Co has like. I don't know. A million something crazy. That's crazy that, like. So, so big. So now he has Beach City women's or girls. So yeah.

Michelle: We'll put a link in the show notes for him as well in case somebody wants to look it up and see if they'd like to because he's doing wholesale, correct?

Annie Glenn: Yeah.

Michelle: So we'll put that in the show notes. So last couple of questions. We're all creative. Where do you find your inspiration while you're listening?

Annie Glenn: Oh, well, I'm listening. I'm like you. I scroll, I'm constantly scrolling. I can't stop, like looking at Instagram and stories, and then I'll find something in the background. Like, What is that? And then Googling what? Like purple vase that has. And then just life in general, like, you know, just looking outside, seeing what people are doing and, and listening to my friends like what they want and what they're looking for. And, and, and then just what, you know, internally, like, what am I looking for? What niche do do I need to fill? And then I'll kind of start scrolling looking to see what's out there. You know, you can't carry everything, but you got to narrow it down a bit. But yeah, I would say and I'm a good like you, I love magazines, I'm constantly looking at magazines to get some inspiration.

Michelle: I'm like, I'm so overdue. I literally buy them like I did. Here's my whole Instagram about a month ago, and it was it was probably $200 in magazines. And I still have half because I buy international and I buy like I find food magazines, just like I find grocery specialty grocery stores super inspiring. And even if I take out like, like the display I created for Roc Paradises we're doing, they've all the stones, little stones, but they have a bunch that are big chunk stones and it's grown so much now that I have to figure out how we binning all this stuff. So I'm constantly like trying to figure out. So I found, I found this amazing grocery display and then we just drew it out and we send it to the fabricator that's in Mexico. And then he sent it back. But it's like it's like the inspiration is taken from a grocery store and it's like, so I'll get like food magazines. I get fashion magazines because honestly, like, the trends in fashion show up. They show up in the gift world almost two years later. So I always kind of pay attention to that. And, and I don't know, I travel. I mean, like, there's so much I find, but I literally am so behind in my magazines. It's like, that's part of what I'm hoping I get to do this afternoon, but I highly doubt it because I get so spun out and so A.D.D. that it's really hard to focus.

Annie Glenn: Like, look at what I'm looking for. I think travel is a and we haven't had that. So I think for me that used to be a really big inspiration. Like the boys went to Peru of Congo and then brought me back all this alpaca stuff and I'm like, alpaca. One of my employees used to always say to me before we'd go to a show and what's going to be the next new thing, you know? And we would sit there and like over dinners and try to be like, Is it the octopus? Is that the llama? You know, what could it be? And of course, it's been the octopus, it's been the llama, the alpaca corn. Yeah. Like, you know, it's going to be drinking stuff, you know, it's so it's always fun to, like, you know, play that game before a show. What's the next new thing going to be? But travel travel's huge. We're going to Hawaii at the end of the month and I am just so excited to be inspired again. The sights, the smells, you know, the.

Michelle: Smell of Hawaii. I just you get off that plane and that perfumed air, it's just there's nothing that can take you back faster than that smell.

Annie Glenn: Exactly. It's like it's like plume area is in. It's just wafting in the air. They're afraid.

Michelle: Wind.

Annie Glenn: Yeah, exactly. So I've come back from Hawaii before with like, okay, I'm going to do a coffee section. I'm going to do like these like plastic sandals that you buy in Hawaii for five bucks. So I found that company years ago and now they're expensive. But, you know, the inspiration of, like, flowers and there's a Hawaii fudge company I love, so I would bring that in, you know? So just I think travel, I think people are going to be more inspired now because we can venture out. It's exciting.

Michelle: We we're trying to figure out what we're going to go for because we have the little house in Baja and I love it, but it's like I want to like I was saying, I want to get on an airplane and go not to work, but to go to a beach with turquoise water. And it's warm and warm air. And and that that is what I want. So because I've been traveling for work since, you know, three months into quarantine, I was already back on a plane and that I really like that. Just the Hawaii like the tradewinds and that smell. It's like and that inspiration you get from that, like all those little weird ABC stores, like.

Annie Glenn: There's, Oh, I love those cool.

Michelle: In there that I love.

Annie Glenn: It's like I love I'm already like. I'm going to get let's see, I'm going to get a Hawaiian shirt and I'm going to get water shoes and I'm going to get the coffee and I get the candy and the macadamia nuts for sure. Like, I'm just so excited I'm so things, right?

Michelle: Yeah, I know. And it's crazy to travel and get ready because it is insane how it went from, you know, I was just in. I had to go up to San Jose and it's like San Jose, granite leg from LA to San Jose. There's very few people on the plane anyway. But I was I've been going there since last year and it was like two, three, four people on a plane. I flew up three weeks ago and all sense like the whole plane is packed with a waiting line. I'm like, this is so weird. But it's I will say as much of it as a plane because the lines are longer. It is really that same phrase. Energy creates energy, that energy and that buzz that people are going places even when someone freaks out and does their thing and I'm not going to wear a mask or whatever. It's still just that buzz of of that excitement again, which is so great to feel after not feeling it for so long.

Annie Glenn: Exactly. It's it's sort of like, okay, it's getting to be a little bit more normal. And I never thought that I'd be so happy to be normal again. Yeah.

Michelle: It makes you really think about, like, what you didn't appreciate before and now. I mean, I hopefully everyone can slow down enough to recognize it now that everyone's running a million miles again.

Annie Glenn: I know. I've heard Hawaii is, like you said, like you can't get a rental car, you can't go. We already made dinner reservations. It's like you can't get a reservation in a month.

Michelle: Yeah, that's the part that's. And, you know, I think I don't know if they're they're coming back to normal is going to be later than ours but yeah it's I've heard also stories like one of my reps flew there with her husband. She had her COVID shot paperwork, blah, blah. She got there. They couldn't find it in the system. She could either. And they didn't explain it right. She could either go to Big Island and get a test and come back at their cost or they had to go to their hotel. And she didn't. I don't think she understood what the options were or they weren't explained to her. So she ended up they took an Uber to the hotel security, met them, walk them to their hotel room and they had a stay in the hotel room for they the hotel finally let them out of their ten days so they could get out. They, they left at five days, but they said they wouldn't even bring room service up. They had to order groceries in because she said they treated us like we had COVID.

Annie Glenn: Oh, my.

Michelle: God. So and this but this is like also a month ago, so it was super fresh. I think that they've gotten but it's definitely like they they haven't nailed down and I can't blame them because there are this floating island out in the middle of nowhere that is like this pristine little place that all these things are coming into them now. Like it's I can't blame it, but it's it's definitely it's like make sure you dot your eyes well.

Annie Glenn: And that that is the story I've heard also. And that's what we're the most concerned about is like the testing, because it's got to be within 72 hours through the airline company of who they want to do it through. And then, you know, my sister in law, same thing like they weren't getting her her results in time until the morning of her flight. Oh, I know, I know. So I'm like, please, it will.

Michelle: Be good. You just put it out there, it'll you'll be fine. And the people that have gone that haven't had any problems, I'm watching their Instagram feeds and like.

Annie Glenn: Oh, I'm done so good.

Michelle: Water. So where do you see your Urban Girl stores in ten years?

Annie Glenn: Well, I mean, I'd like to think that we'd still be spreading kindness to everyone through our products and happiness through our products and just rolling with the times, you know, evolving with how we need to be evolving, but still at the same time staying true to who we are as a brand. You know, I just I just want I've always said that Urban Girl, like customers will walk in urban girl and just say, I knew it was Urban Girl because it smells so good. And it's just everything in there just makes me smile. And so, yeah, I would say ten years from now, I hope we're still making people smile.

Michelle: I love that. And the last question is, do you have any advice for people who are looking to open another location? Then there either they have a few or they have one. Anybody that's opening up in multiple locations?

Annie Glenn: Oh yeah. I would say. Well, first of all, choose your location very wisely. We have been very fortunate with our location choices through the years. So choose wisely. Make sure your contract is really got those i's. Cross the t's because there are things we've learned through the years about contracts. So like if you open a store that's too close to another store that you have with another landlord, you can't because you have to make sure that you know you are allowed to do that because some people will sign on ly and then they're like, Oh my God, I can't even my other landlord says, I can't do it. So read your contracts for your previous locations and just try to be different and not redundant. So I know like so often there's maybe several stores on the street that all kind of carry the same thing, fill a niche, find your niche, right? Like what is missing from the location you're looking at, you know? And then like for each of our urban girls, they're each different. We filled the niche for that particular location. So downtown tourists, you know, our beach location, like more beachy and then our, you know, the stores up here in Carmel Valley are more geared towards gifts and locals, you know, so really just fill a niche that's missing.

Michelle: That's fantastic advice. Yeah. Thank you so much for your time with me. I really appreciate it. I know you've got to get back to work, but I'm so grateful to spend this time with you and I'm so excited for people to hear this because you have so much good information. And I have to tell you, you do something that a lot of people don't and it's willingly give out information. And I know some people when I ask, what are some of your favorite lines? Or some people will clam up and be like, Oh, I really don't want to tell people that. Like it's a secret. And it's like, I love that you in the same sense that you spread joy. You will give that information because I feel like you have the same philosophy I do. There's more than enough room for people at the same table.

Annie Glenn: Exactly. I agree with that. Just I always say do it that much better, though.

Michelle: Yep. I love that. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I really appreciate it. And that is a wrap. Thank you all so much for joining me on today's episode. I really appreciate it. And be sure to tune in every Wednesday for more stories and lessons from a life in retail. And don't forget to follow us on Instagram at Retail whore Podcast, and you can find us online at the retailwhorepodcast.com