Boutique Chat

Welcome to the new year! On the first episode of 2026 Ashley Alderson is joined by Sara Burks for a big-picture retail conversation that every boutique owner needs right now!

Retail is changing fast — and 2025 proved that "business as usual" isn't enough anymore. With reports showing 15,000+ store closures, Ashley & Sara unpack what really happened, what retailers got wrong, and how small businesses can build a stronger, more profi...

In today's Five Minute Friday, I'm officially inviting you to join me for The Best Year Yet Challenge—our biggest free training of the year.

Planning a new year shouldn't feel overwhelming or leave you burned out by March. Instead of chasing perfection or setting goals that fade fast, this challenge is all about creating a clear, realistic, and actionable pla...

As we close out 2025 and step into a brand-new year, this episode isn't about pretty planners or lofty resolutions — it's about the behind-the-scenes work that actually sets your business up for success.

In this solo episode, Ashley Alderson walks you through the five critical areas every retailer must review before the year ends so you're compliant, organized, profitable, and positioned to lead — not just hustle — in 2026.

From mo...

As we head into 2026, one thing is clear - the gap between average retailers and top performers is widening — and it has nothing to do with effort.

In this Five Minute Friday, Ashley Alderson breaks down what the top 10% of retailers do differently right now, and why those decisions are positioning them to grow and scale while others feel stuck. Hard work isn't the issue. Strategy is.

Ashley shares the four key differences separati...

If you're getting ready to plan 2026 and want clarity—not chaos, this episode is for you.

Today, we're planning your entire year in 26 minutes. This is not a to-do list episode. This is a guided planning session designed for you to pause, reflect, write things down, and make intentional CEO-level decisions about what stays, what goes, and what actually moves your business forward.

Grab your planner, notebook, or favorite gel pens —...

As we close out the year and head into a new one, it's time to get honest.

Most businesses won't fail in 2026 because of the economy — they'll fail because they're still operating like it's 2019.

In today's Five Minute Friday, I'm breaking down the four biggest mistakes I saw retailers make over the last year — mistakes that are quietly costing you time, money, margin, and momentum. If your business feels busy but not profitable, c...

In this episode, Ashley sits down with Allie Falcon to unpack what it really looks like to build a recognizable brand rooted in story, style, and grit. Allie shares her journey from ranch life and handmade leather goods to manufactured apparel, wholesale growth, and a showroom at Dallas Market Center.

They talk wholesale growth, brand consistency, and what successful boutiques do differently when they market brands with a story. Pl...

In this Five Minute Friday, Samantha Conner continues our market conversation by diving into the actual product trends hitting trade show floors right now — and more importantly, how they apply across every retail category. From apparel to home + gift, children's, and even western, today's trends are crossing categories faster than ever.

You'll learn:

Retail buying doesn't have to be overwhelming—or lonely.

This week, Ashley sits down with Angela Schmook (Roadrunners, Reps Are Local Too) and Kelly Bristol (Just Gotta Have It, GHTA leader) to reveal why your local sales reps might be the most powerful, underused resource in your business.

Fresh from the GHTA Conference in Park City, they break down how reps support retailers far beyond taking orders: helping with events, securing...

Today, Samantha Conner kicks off a two-part Five Minute Friday series breaking down the lifeblood of every retail business: inventory. And to understand inventory, we're taking it all the way back to where it begins — trade shows and markets.

In Part 1, Samantha uncovers the biggest 2026 trade show trends every retailer needs to know, whether you're selling apparel, home and gift, children's, western, or anything in between. With o...

What if 2026 could be the year you finally stop spinning your wheels and actually run your boutique like a CEO?

In this episode, Ashley sits down with "Retail Professor" and denim twin, Sara Burks, to unpack their biggest retail predictions for 2026—from AI and Meta's new Andromeda algorithm to niching down, live selling, and building a content engine that actually works.

Ashley and Sara share what they're seeing across thousands o...

Great visual merchandising doesn't just look pretty — it sells.

In today's episode, Director of Partnerships & Education, Sara Burks shares how great merchandising goes far beyond pretty displays. It creates emotion, inspires discovery, increases average order value, and helps customers see themselves in your products. She breaks down how to design purpose-driven zones in your store, use lighting and height to influence buying beha...

Today, Western fashion designer and Rodeo Quincy founder, Quincy Eldridge joins the podcast to share how she turned her unique, hand-painted rodeo style into a nationally recognized fashion brand. From designing boots with Ariat at 18 to running four sales channels, four NFR booths, and now her first Las Vegas fashion show, Quincy opens up about grit, growth, family, and building a business with heart.

Now preparing for her biggest...

Why is live selling exploding — and why does every retailer need to be doing it?

In this Five Minute Friday, Sara Burks dives into one of the biggest shifts happening in retail right now — live selling. Live selling is becoming one of the most powerful ways to build trust, increase conversions, and reach more customers without adding more hours to your day.

So, whether you're nervous to be on camera, unsure where to start, or convi...

Pink Friday Week is finally here  — and Ashley is diving deep into how to make this the most profitable and peaceful kickoff to your holiday season.

Ashley shares the heart behind Pink Friday, why it began, and how retailers all over the world can use this week to tell their story before big-box media announces theirs. You'll learn how to prepare your store, communicate with your local community, calculate your 7X local economic im...

On this Five Minute Friday, Amanda Fairley and Nikki Bogardus of PrismXI  join us to unpack one of the most transformative tools in personal style: color analysis.

Nikki has spent sixteen years studying the science of color, and together, Amanda and Nikki break down how the right colors impact confidence, first impressions, shopping habits, and the way you show up in life and business. They explain why traditional four-season color...

Today Bekah Turner, owner of Pink Possum, joins Ashley to unpack her business journey— from growing up in a salvage-store family—and how that shaped a boutique brand that wins with relatable content, smart buying, and customer trust.

We dive into her weekly content rhythm, live selling, email/SMS/app strategy, vendor red flags, how she handles photo theft/dupes, and the storefront decision she regretted (then fixed).

Today Ashley dives into one of her favorite phrases — "Only a tracked number grows." If you've ever felt like you're posting on social media without seeing results, this episode breaks down exactly what numbers to track, how to measure them, and how to get your team on the same page heading into the new year.

Ashley shares how The Boutique Hub tracks every post, follower, engagement, and conversion across all channels, and how you ...

Pop-Ups, Mobile Boutique Life & Merchandising That Sells

Today Brianna Williams, of Wildly Midwest, joins the podcast to share how she built a thriving mobile boutique business traveling to more than 45 markets a year across nine states.

Brianna opens u...