Recent Episodes

March 16, 2022

EP 36: A LOVE LETTER TO LA

This week’s guest is Jeannine Braden / Creative Director & Co-Founder / Le Superbe California . From long time Los Angeles fashion insider Jeannine Braden, stylist, consultant and former owner of the much-loved Santa Monica b...

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March 9, 2022

EP 35: FAILURE IS YOUR BEST INSTRUCTOR

We have all dealt with what we perceive as a failure. Failure can be useful. We can learn from it, gain new insights, and do better next time. The right kind of failures give us new information & teach us …

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March 9, 2022

EP 35: FAILURE IS YOUR BEST INSTRUCTOR

We have all dealt with what we perceive as a failure. Failure can be useful. We can learn from it, gain new insights, and do better next time. The right kind of failures give us new information & teach us …

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March 2, 2022

EP 34: CHAXEL

We LOVE a #hustler and this week’s guest Brea Menees, owner of Chaxel certainly falls under that header! Brea is a 31-year-old California native, married for 4 years with 2 frenchie babies and has a Fashion Degree from Sacram...

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Feb. 23, 2022

EP 33: HUMANIZING RETAIL WITH STELLA ADENA OF RANCHO RELAXO

Stella grew up in Ohio and studied Economics and Japanese at Princeton University. Stella made a career change at 30 from investment banking to fashion. She moved from San Francisco to New York where she worked her way up at …

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Feb. 16, 2022

EP 32: KITTY MEOW BOUTIQUE. WITTY. SWEET. FIERCE.

This week’s guest is Catherine (Cat) Hildner, creator, designer and heart & soul behind Kitty Meow® Boutique ( @kittymeowboutique ). Michelle & Cat will be discussing, among other things, the beauty of 'F' Bombs, Cat’s blogs,...

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Feb. 9, 2022

EP 31: ETIQUETTE & GRATITUDE

After 3 weeks of doing setups & buying at both the Las Vegas Winter Market & LA Mart Winter Market , Michelle has had time to decompress and reflect on the do’s and don'ts of how to act in someone’s …

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Feb. 2, 2022

EP 30: LITT CONCEPT HOUSE — 'CREATING CONNECTION THROUGH RETAIL'

A family who travels together, stays together. The Litt family has traveled the world for fifty years, antiquing in over 35 countries! As direct importers, they went on too many buying trips to count. With weekly shipments co...

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Jan. 26, 2022

EP 29: DIPPING YOUR TOE INTO THE ECOMMERCE POOL

Web Studios West has been building websites, e-commerce solutions, social media platforms, and custom software for over two decades. This week's guest is Shiloh Pettyjohn is Co-Founder and Senior Vice President of Sales for W...

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Jan. 19, 2022

EP 28: GIFT SHOW BUYER TIPS & TRICKS

On this week’s episode, Michelle, on-site in Las Vegas for multiple client show set-ups, will be sharing her tips & tricks on the most effective way to attend a gift show. From day 1 strategies, to packing the right snacks …

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Jan. 12, 2022

EP 27: BUILDING A WARDROBE WITH JENNY LIVITS

This week’s guest is Jenny Livits, the founder of Pink Lagoon , a boutique located in Solana Beach, California, and Wardrobe Design and Styling by Jenny Livits, a holistic personal styling business that helps teach women that...

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Jan. 5, 2022

EP 26: MARGO KOPMAN / PRESIDENT — PROJECT RETAIL

Stylish Visionary : Ambitious Multi-tasker : Retail Junkie Margo Kopman lives, eats, and breathes all things retail. With over 15 years of retail consulting experience as the President of Project Retail , she is extremely pas...

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Dec. 22, 2021

EP 25: RUNNING A MULTIGENERATIONAL FAMILY BUSINESS

This week’s episode is near and dear to Michelle’s heart. She had the pleasure of interviewing her friend and former co-worker Damon Von Schweikert of Von Schweikert Audio. As former co-workers, which they touch on in the epi...

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Dec. 15, 2021

EP 24: SOLOCAST - TOP 10 DISPLAY TIPS!

This week's episode is a Michelle Solocast where she will take the listeners on a deep dive into her design philosophy and review her Top 10 Display Tips! Michelle was asked earlier this year to write an article for Gift …

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Dec. 8, 2021

EP 23: OWNER/FOUNDER OF SERGE + JANE - JAMIE CARL

S+J is a Lifestyle Boutique featuring Men's, Women's, Kids, Pets, Vinyl, Home + Gifts in our 3 story shop, (4 including their open-air rooftop where they host fashion shows, trunk shows, pop-ups + always a DJ + dance party)! ...

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Dec. 1, 2021

EP 22: HELPING RETAILERS BECOME MORE PROFITABLE!

We are thrilled to have the president of The Retail Smart Guys , Dan Jablons, as a guest this week. The Retail Smart Guys is the premiere consulting company. Dan Jablons worked in retail while attending the Ohio State Univers...

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Nov. 24, 2021

EP 21: SHOULDER PADS & UNDERAGE DRINKING

This week’s episode was a tricky one to write show notes for as I am part of the episode. Michelle and I (Elisa) have been friends for over 40 years and although our professional lives couldn’t be more different, we …

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Nov. 17, 2021

EP 20: NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER OF INVENTION

This week we are so grateful to welcome Kelly Bloodgood, owner of Well + Good Health Studio. After dealing with mysterious symptoms most of her life, Kelly was finally diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease and Epstein-Barr in 2...

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Nov. 10, 2021

EP 19: JACKALOPE ARTS CO-FOUNDERS - MELISSA KOHOUT AND SARA DIEDRICH

The two founders of Jackalope Arts , Melissa Kohout and Sara Diederich, met through their time spent working with an international arts organization, creating regular art centered events in Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco,...

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Nov. 3, 2021

EP 18: B.DAZZLED OWNER - ROBIN MOLAN

We are always impressed with our guests who have built a successful side hustle and Robin Molan is no exception! A lawyer since 1995 practicing in high conflict family litigation and child welfare and overwhelmed with the hea...

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Oct. 27, 2021

EP 17: LIFE AFTER ANTHRO - ELAINE STRAWBRIDGE

This is our episode #4 in our ‘Life After Anthro’ series. Guest Elaine Strawbridge is a passionate creative and leader with a 20+ year career in retail. Growing up in the greater Chicagoland area, she was immersed in sports a...

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Oct. 20, 2021

EP 16: MAISON A OWNER & ENTREPRENEUR - ANDREA LESLIE

This week’s guest is actually Michelle’s first guest who is an actual MC Design Collaboration client. Andrea Leslie is not only a savvy human resources professional and entrepreneur with diverse experience including technolog...

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Oct. 13, 2021

EP 15: MY MCCARTHY FOUNDER OF GAVIN LUXE: PURVEYORS OF SENSUAL LIVING

Three passions: impeccable design, sensuous aromatics and self-care. Having enjoyed a successful career as a brand strategist, My McCarthy created Gavin Luxe as a way to reconnect with herself and unapologetically enjoy the i...

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Oct. 6, 2021

EP 14: CREATOR & AUTHOR OF THE 52-WEEK JOURNAL SERIES - MINDI MILLER

Mindi Miller is, in no particular order, a mother, a sister, a mentor to at-risk teens, a TV producer, a wife, and an ex-wife. She is grateful to have a family that loves her and mostly ignores one in-law who …

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