Julie Schwarz is an East Coast native with over 30 years of experience in the service and retail industries. She’s run a catering company, built a farmers market business from the ground up, and now owns The Mom-Up Shop—a curated vintage store in Long Beach that helps fund her nonprofit, Project WomanGood, which supports survivors of domestic violence. After spending 15 years living in Boston, where she attended Simmons University, Julie began her career in the retail management program with dreams of becoming a buyer and eventually earned her B.A. in Creative Writing. During that time, she immersed herself in the city’s retail culture, often exploring the original Filene’s Basement, where she discovered her lifelong love of the hunt and the thrill of a great deal.
A single mom and passionate community advocate, Julie believes that true customer service can transform any experience—because it’s not about price, it’s about connection. Whether she’s curating treasures in her shop, guiding women through her nonprofit, or simply showing up for her community, Julie’s mission is to create spaces that are warm, welcoming, and empowering. Her story is one of grit, heart, and purpose—proof that resilience can be beautifully reinvented.
Fun fact: for her 12th birthday, Julie chose a shopping trip to White Flint Mall with her girlfriends—home to Lord & Taylor, the second Bloomingdale’s in the D.C. area, and the only East Coast I. Magnin. Retail, it seems, has been in her soul ever since.
In this episode, Julie shares how she transformed decades in the service industry into a purpose-driven mission that blends vintage style with social impact.
We are doing our first-ever open call! You can submit your store or favorite store to be on the podcast because every store has a story behind it! Go to theretailwhorepodcast.com, click on SUBMIT YOUR STORE, fill out an easy form and we’ll see you on the mic!
What’s inside:
- The evolution from retail to advocacy—how experience shaped her purpose.
- The story behind Project WomanGood and creating safe spaces for survivors.
- The art of resilience and turning personal struggle into community strength.
Mentioned In This Episode:
Instagram
Facebook
Website
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
Two Guys, Five Rings: Matt, Bowen & The Olympics
Two Guys (Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers). Five Rings (you know, from the Olympics logo). One essential podcast for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Bowen Yang (SNL, Wicked) and Matt Rogers (Palm Royale, No Good Deed) of Las Culturistas are back for a second season of Two Guys, Five Rings, a collaboration with NBC Sports and iHeartRadio. In this 15-episode event, Bowen and Matt discuss the top storylines, obsess over Italian culture, and find out what really goes on in the Olympic Village.