#22 How to Succeed at Vendor Shows with Ruffles & Rust Expo, Camey Maldonado

Get ready for episode number 22 of Boutique Chat with Cami Maldonado, the founder.

And CEO of Ruffles and Rust Expo. And guys, this is all about being successful at pop up and vendor events. Let's talk about your business strategy and the juicy details of what actually works from mainstream fashion to fashion on Main street and the entire ecosystem behind it. How do we scale your company and do it with the balance and the happiness that we all seek? Let's hear from those inside insiders, experts and strategists that actually make it happen. I'm your host Ashley Alderson from the Boutique Hub and I can't wait to chat.

Hey guys, welcome back to this week's podcast.

This show is focused for those of you who set up at vendor events or host pop ups and you're looking for tips for success that bring people into your booth and help you to better collaborate with the vendors and the boutiques that you work with at these events. This week we're talking to Cami Maldonado who is the founder of Ruffles and Rust Expo. Now Ruffles and Rust Expo is the largest boutique focused multi city exposition in the United States. They travel across eight states to connect shoppers with the vendors and the boutiques that they'll love. Now Cami's unique background comes from furniture restoration and then into specialty retail in which she saw this opportunity that when boutiques and vendors joined together, they became a shopping destination and after which Kami began connecting vendors and boutiques to then host vendor events. Now in 2018 alone, Kami and her team will have hosted over 28 vendor events in eight states, working with more than 800 vendors this year alone and welcoming more than 10,000 shoppers through their doors only since March. Now on the show, we're chatting with Kami about what it takes not only to host a successful vendor event, but also what key similarities she sees in the vendors and the boutiques who set up at her event.

What does it take to have a great pop up?

How can you create a stronger merchandise layout for your booth? And what does customer service really mean as a vendor?

And how can you keep those relationships.

Going long after the event ends? There's a lot of information to cover in this week's show and I can't wait to get started. So guys, let's chat with Cami and hear more about this trend in omnichannel retail.

I am so excited to be joined by Cami Maldonado, the founder of Ruffles and Rust Expo and Cami And I were just sitting here chatting about how many awesome takeaways are going to come from this show from a number of perspectives. But I know that we have a lot of boutique listeners who set up at vendor events and pop up shops. And Kami has built a business around providing these types of experiences for the consumer. And after dealing with almost more than 800 vendors. I think you said, Kami, through the process of all these shows that you've created, you definitely know a thing or two about who's going to be successful at these events, don't you?

Absolutely. We've had 800 vendors just this season alone.

Oh my goodness.

So in total.

More. Yeah.

Yes. So total. Way more than that's just this year alone. So from March, I've dealt with 800 vendors.

That's unbelievable.

You.

You deserve a prize. I'm sure there's no gray hair associated whatsoever with 800 vendors just in one season.

No, not at all. They're all easy breezy and there never any complaints.

Well, I can't wait to tell everybody about what Ruffles and Rust Expo is all about. Now you guys set up at a number of locations, I think over six states. You guys host events, tell us about the business and how this all got started.

Well, it's a really fun experience. I started off buying chairs at garage sales for like $5, covering them and then selling them on Craigslist. So that kind of got my love for buying and selling things. And then I eventually got a booth in an antique mall and then I opened up a store and then I went to a show as a vendor one time and thought, you know what, this is what I really love to do. I love to bring all these unique people that I know with this special talents into one place. And so I thought, well, I'm going to try doing this show because I'm more of a event planner type of person than I actually am painting and sewing. So the shows or the show started just for my love of shopping and it kind of just has grown from there. So what I do is I will pick a city. We try to hit like a $200,000 city. Sorry, not thousand. 200,000 people population. And we go and we rent a civic center or any barn or event place and then we open it up to vendors and we let those vendors come in and set up like a pop up and then we invite the customers to come and shop.

So, Cami, you had this idea from your own furniture business and you started with your own store or your own pop ups which was it?

Well, I went from selling on Craigslist to a little booth like in an antique mall. And then we decided to go one step further and open up a store. And then I became a vendor. And then I decided from there that I'm better on the other end. I'm the event planner. I needed to do my own shows and not be a vendor at a show.

Absolutely. So where were your first couple of shows at and how has it progressed into the six states that you host in now?

Well, my very first show on our own as Ruffles and Rust was in this really small town called Chickasha, Oklahoma. And my parents lived there. So I was able to get the information, like, what's the best place to have an event and such for in that town? So I started that in May of 2013. That was our very first show. And then we've moved on. We live in Amarillo, Texas, so our hometown show was that fall in September. And then we were hooked up.

Absolutely.

So tell me about the people who.

Come to the shows now. Do you have kind of that set ideal customer that comes whether you're in Oklahoma or in Texas, or does that kind of change at the different shows you go to?

It's the same version. There are many shows out there. There are craft shows and art shows and junk shows. But we are specifically a boutique show. So we have a lot of boutique vendors, obviously. But boutique not only means just clothing, it means higher end jewelry, higher end clothing, higher end home decor, higher end just gourmet treats and things like that. So the people that we target are professional women. The women who belong to, like the country club or the junior leagues, the ones that don't mind spending, you know, $80 on a shirt. They come to our shows to shop. They don't come to look. They come prepared to spend money and have a good time. We like to say it's more than shopping, it's an event.

Absolutely. So when you go to market, some of. When you go to market all of your events really, and you go into a new community, are there certain strategies that you use to market your event that you also think are important for other boutique owners in the area to think about in terms of their own strategy?

Absolutely. And that is pretty much how we present our show. When we go to seek out a prospect, a vendor that we think would do great at our shows, we look at the items that they're selling and the items that they're. How they represent themselves, because we do look for the higher end boutique owners. Face to face is always great, of course, but you can't do that when you're advertising in a state that's, you know, 12 hours away. So when we do, like Facebook marketing or TV marketing, we put in that we want moms and we want them at a certain age, and we want a certain money and a certain demographic. And that kind of helps us gear our advertising for that because we. We do twofold. We're looking for vendors at the same time that we're looking for shoppers. We have to fill a show, and then we have to sell a show. So it's kind of a twofold for us.

What's that timeline look like? I'm assuming you're starting first, obviously, looking for the vendor. So what does that timeline look like and some of that outreach and does some of it come word of mouth once you've had shows for a while?

Yes. And thankful. Since we've been doing this so long, we are able to fill our Texas shows, our Ohio shows, immediately because of our word of mouth and because of our reputation. In a new show, such as a new state like Arkansas or Indiana, that's new this year, we try to start, ideally, you want about six months. We try to do it six months out. We have filled a show within six weeks. But it's complete hustle. If you do that just like anything else, like a wedding or something else that you're planning, you need that time to get out face to face. If they don't know who you are, then they want to see pictures of past shows. They want to Google you, they want to look at your website, and then they want to ask around. They want to ask people. As in the boutique world. For us, vendor world is crucial. One bad vendor can kind of ruin a whole show for us.

Absolutely. So 28 shows a year, and you said about six months of lead time just getting in vendors. How many people are on your team helping you secure these locations and do that type of setup? That's a big undertaking.

That is a big undertaking. I personally have six ladies that I work with. We are a woman ran company. We have all women workers. You know, our husbands are great. I like to say my husband's the rust to my ruffles. But we're all in there. The women are doing that. So I have one that does our Oklahoma and our Arkansas locations, and I have one that's ahead of our Indiana, Kentucky operations. And then I personally do the Ohio and the Texas ones. So we have feelers out there. And so they're the Ones that are the face to our companies.

Gotcha. Now let's talk about makeup of the vendors who come to the show. Because you're typically a boutique show, but I know that you also have some direct sales, some multi level marketing companies in there as well. Are you pretty particular about like the general makeup of those vendors? Do you limit it to certain types per application?

Yes, you did mention direct sales and we try to do no more than 5% of our vendors direct sales because, yes, they are fabulous companies and they're great companies, but I hate to use the word cheapen, but it kind of takes away from the dynamics of our boutiqueness. So we try to do about 40% boutiques and then 30% home decor, and then the other 30% is a little mixture of everything else. So they know that when they come to our show, they are going to do shopping for boutique clothing and jewelry.

Perfect. So I want to get to the boutique part of this in just a second and talk about tips for boutique owners in terms of setting up and being successful at shows. But I'd also love to hear from your perspective as a show promoter. I'm sure you've got plenty of obstacles along the way in some of those vendor relationships. I know there's a number of boutiques that we work with even that have collaborated a small group of boutiques or small group of local businesses for events. From a promoter's perspective, can you talk about some of those obstacles in terms of marketing and over saturation and some of those other things you face along the way?

Our biggest dilemma is over saturation. When we started. Well, I have to take that back. We are the only like boutique show pretty much nationwide. There isn't boutique, a lot of boutique shows, especially just like we do. But. But there are other shows that do allow boutiques. So over saturation is our number one obstacle. Marketing is really good on our end, but our biggest obstacle is the oversaturation because the shows come and go. But what we have found is the more shows and the less brick and mortar, the more people want to come out and shop. Because on online you can see it, but you can't feel it, touch it and smell it. And so our shows really bring that aspect to it. So when we do market it, and this is boutique vendors will probably be mad at me at the moment. But sometimes we use that catch line is you're too pretty to shop online because we want them to come out and, you know, feel it, touch it, smell it and try it on and fill the whole experience. So when we market our shows, we try to do that one on one experience.

Absolutely. Now I'm assuming with all the shows that you have, you must have a massive email list and contact list to fall back on for every new show that you come to. Right. So can you tell me about from your marketing because I love marketing too. We could go down this rabbit hole big time. You must have a massive email collection strategy for people who come to the show. Can you talk about that?

Well, we don't have them sign up anything per se when they come to the actual show, but when they visit our website they can subscribe to our newsletters. And that is how I target most of the both my shoppers and my vendors is through our newsletters. And I believe the more newsletters you can send out, the better. Now my recipients may not believe that, but through marketing and research and such, I know that it takes three times for a person to see something before they remember that. So there's three months in the summer they're going to get three months of emails and that way it's a constant reminder that hey were coming and you need to prepare for that.

Let's flip gears and talk from the boutique owner perspective that's coming to set up at your show. Now if you're dealing with 800 vendors just this season, you've definitely seen the good, bad and the ugly. So can you talk through some of the tips you have for boutiques who are doing pop up events? Where do they start? What is the the first, most important step a boutique owner can take when they come and set up at an event like yours?

Flat out, My honest answer, my first and go to answer is presentation. We have a few guidelines where we say each booth is its own individual boutique. So that requires a backdrop, that requires decorations, that requires inventory on hand, that requires signage, that requires your branding materials. I do have vendors that come and just throw out a waterfall and a round rack and they're ready to go. Those vendors, one, probably won't be invited back and two, will not be successful at the show.

Do you, does your team go around during the show and kind of take note of that? Do you do awards or anything for like a best presentation to try to.

Encourage that over time?

No, we have not done that because, because our shows vary. I mean sometimes we have more boutiques and sometimes we have more to home decor depending on location. But yes, we do take a clipboard and we walk around. First and foremost, if they have no backdrop, they are told then that this will be their last show, and then we put them on our list and we do not invite them back. The reason, for me, a backdrop is so important. And someone who's not familiar with what I'm saying probably doesn't know what a backdrop is. It is the wall that's dividing you from the person behind you. And if you've ever been to one of these shopping events that I promote or anyone else promotes, if you can walk down the aisle and see through your booth to the person's booth behind you, you have not noticed anything that has been in your booth. You are looking at what is the person selling behind you. And so that prevents, one, the shopper from looking, and two, it defines you from the people around you.

Can you talk about some of the best examples that you've seen? I think that's spot on. And I think a lot of the boutique owners that are listening, if you've been to an apparel market, you know, to buy wholesale for your boutique, you definitely see those backdrops everywhere. Especially if you're going to magic in Las Vegas, that's probably one of the nicest examples you can see.

I grew up and graduated from high school in Las Vegas, so trade shows are in my blood. And so that, you know. So that's why I say backdrops are important, because that glamour that you see represents your booth.

Absolutely.

What else?

What other great examples have you seen of booths in terms of merchandising and presentation that were really unique to you? To you?

We were just at a show in Ohio in June, and we had a boutique there. Her wall was nothing but greenery and flowers. It was amazing. It was a wall that you just wanted to walk into her booth just so you could touch her backdrop. It was just so inviting. It's hard to explain it. It was just like ivy from top to bottom. And then her banner was right smack dab in the middle. So you. You could not miss it because you saw this green plush wall that you just wanted to touch. And then her signage was just right there in the middle. It was so amazing. The rest of her booth, you know, was just typical rounders and waterfall racks and such. But the backdrop made you want to come into the booth, which to me, the more eye catching, the more I want to go in and see what else there is to see.

Certainly. Is there a rule of thumb? Do you see with how much inventory they should have on display there? You know, some booths, you and I both know, can pack it in there pretty tight, but then no one can see what's actually there. So what's the sweet spot between having your inventory out in the trailer versus having it merchandised?

Well, if you're at a show like our Ohio show last fall, we had 7,000 people walk through the door and so that's a lot of people to get in a 10 by 10 square. So for me I always, I'm from Texas. So you know, bigger is always better for me. If you're going to have a smaller booth then you need to have less inventory. But that's also going to prevent your sales. Someone wants to walk in, they don't want to be afraid to walk in your booth. So if you are going to be limited on your, on your displays, on your merchandise, then it just needs to be very impactful. You know, bring your best sellers, bring the ones that are eye catching. Don't bring winter in the middle of summer because that's taking up space that you're not going to sell.

Now there's some people that have strategies in terms of sail racks and where is there a placement of a sale rack if they bring one at all. What's your thoughts on that positioning?

I'm not a big fan of sale racks once again because I'm a boutique show. Stellrocks kind of, it's that word. But I do say that if in any experience, if you, at any show, the entrance you walk to, you always walk in on the right side of a booth regardless or you always walk into the right side of the civic center. It's just our natural gravitation. So for me, put your high dollar step on the right side. Put your lower, less step sales step on the left side. The first impression that someone sees when they walk into your booth is not you don't want it to be a cell rack.

Well said, well said. I'm glad that we had this conversation. I think that's key. What about cash wraps or add on items? What other creative ways have you seen people to merchandise?

I love cash wraps. Most of ours are usually podiums or they are such fun things like old stand up radios that they've hollowed them out and now have made something. But that's just as impactful too because it has your name on there, has your branding and that's where you're going to do your one on one with your customers. So the cash app to me should always be set a little bit to the side so it's not taking up the middle of your booth. Once again we talked about traffic flow. It needs to be over to the left as it's because you're coming in on the right. But then your cash wrap. The more unique it is, the more it shows your name of your booth, the more people are going to remember that.

I was just at a big show last week, actually at an event that I was at and it really surprised me when I walked around how many booths did not have the name of their business in any prominent fashion whatsoever. So I couldn't tell whose booth was whose. It looked appealing, I wanted to walk in, but it was not memorable. Do you see that as something that's often forgotten about?

That is, I think I noted that that is what I spend a lot of my time. I feel like I'm the secretary to these 800 vendors because I do have customers email me after the show and say I bought a pink shirt from the person in the third row, you know, six boots in, because they couldn't remember their name. They didn't have a business card, they didn't have branding on their bag, they didn't even have the name of the boutique on the receipt they were or anything like that. And so a lot of times I feel like a detective where I'm investigating and pulling out the floor plan again and then saying, oh, that was so and so.

And that's really your biggest tip number two. One was presentation and two was branding. How else can they make their business memorable both during the show and after the show?

Well, to me, I think it goes back again to the cash wrap area. That's the time when you should say, you know, I have a VIP shoppers group or have you seen me on social media? I have some vendors who do. Well, normally my price is, you know, $25. But if you sign up for my social media page right now, we'll give you a show discount or a show special and then that way you know that they've signed up for your social media page and you've also given them a discount, but you've also had that one on one conversation. If they have to type in your name, they're going to remember that a lot easier than this. Oh, well, thank you. Here you go.

Mm, perfect. Do you have any. This is kind of a random side note question, but have you ever had any vendors do like location based or beacon based marketing at your shows or is that a technology that hasn't hit vendor shows much yet?

My boutiques themselves have not, but we love that ourselves as a marketing thing as like checking in. Is that what we're discussing? Checking or looking? Yes. So we, we like them to check into our show at the same time. At the same time, when they pay, you know, check in, smile, we want to take your picture, so forth. I think it's great when the boutiques do that because it also not only tags the boutique name, but it also tags that it's at Ruffles and Rest and also tags in the city. So it works in the long run because shoppers will know where they are.

Absolutely. All right, let's talk about engaging with customers and just that customer service aspect of the show. I'm sure you've seen some great experiences there as well.

You know, because I've been doing this so long, I've been able to watch boutiques start from small, say like a 10 by 10 booth to owning a brick and mortar business because of that, because of their interaction with customers. They have, and I'm sure this isn't the proper term, but it's what I call bounce back, which means they will be contacted after a Ruffles and Rush show and they'll say, hey, I was at that show and you had this blue shirt that I really loved or you had this child's thing and I now have a child that I want. And the bounce back is what has built those businesses and what has made them more successful because of the interaction that they had or the displays that they had or just the overall impression that the shopper had received from that particular booth.

Do you think that there's a way that boutique owners can better train their staff who are working in those booths for them during that time to have better customer service so there is more bounce back.

What I say just to my own girls that I work with is just because you know doesn't mean they know. And so what I always say, you know, that there's a website, but do they, you know, that you're going to be at a certain place, but do they, you know, you know that a sale is going to happen in a week, but do they? And it's a silly question and they kind of look at you like, well, they're, you know, they're not children. But in the same aspect where we're, our attention span is, you know, 12 seconds long. You have to constantly remind people. And I think that telling your employees that just because you know doesn't mean they know. And if they can think that way, then it really does help train, train them.

Oh, that's so good. That's so good. Sarah Burks, who's on our team and is our director of education and partnerships, she uses the analogy all the time that you are a coach and a basketball coach wouldn't just tell the players one time what the play is. Instead you'd run that play again and again in practice because you're the coach, right?

Absolutely. I mean just, just from your own personal experience, you walk into the kitchen and you go, why did I walk in here? The same way with business, you have to constantly remind them.

What other general tips would you have for boutique owners who are coming to vendor events or doing pop up shops that we haven't already covered.

For every event? It's not only the promoter's job to market the event, but it's your job as well. This is your business. Whether you are doing it from home or at a show or at a pop up at a tent out front, or you have a boutique trailer and you're driving to the local food, you know, food restaurant, it's your business. So you have to tell people where you are. You have to pretend that this is just the first time anyone's seeing your event or your show. You want to always your best presentation from beginning to end, from the time that you sign up for it or the time that you agree to be there, from the time that you break down to the time that you know afterwards. So I get a lot of like thank you notes and I think if there's sending me a thank you note for having them there, they must be thanking their customers for purchasing items too, which I think is amazing. I don't, I mean, I'm not saying you have to send everyone a thank you note, but you've taken the time and consideration to do that, then you're putting time and consideration into everything else.

That you're doing so good. They say character is who you are in the dark. Right. So I'm sure it goes to show who is going to run a great business just by the way they interact with you. You from filling out that application like you said, all the way to teardown.

Exactly. And that is it being professional not only with me, but with your customers and with the fellow vendor that's right next to you. Yes. Sometimes there's heated arguments because vendor A has a pink shirt and vendor B has the same pink shirt. But unfortunately in, you know, in the markets that we are, there are going to be some competition, but it's just how you handle that irritation, I think.

Do you ever have those, which I'm sure you do. Do you have any guidelines as to what you do or don't allow in similar products or similar brands or is it truly community over competition, like it is here in the hub, where everyone has the same fair opportunity to market to those customers. But people want to do business with people, and one person may walk into one booth and not the other. And that's kind of the name of the game.

Yes, that's exactly. Would be wrong on my end to just offer exclusivity one, because this is my business as well, and I have to fill the civic center. I can't just say, oh, one pink shirt only. But for me, and that's what I always tell them. If you are directly across from each other, facing each other, and you have the same exact items and your boots are identical, you're going to draw then our shoppers into your booth because of your personality or because how you presented yourself or how you just made your booth more inviting than the person across from you. They can be identical. And your presentation and your output might be more appealing than that person across from you. Mm. It's just. It is what it is. You can't. Can't. You know, I don't know the words that I'm trying to say. You can't one without excluding the other.

Yes. Makes total sense. Now, over the years, I'm sure you've had a lot of boutiques who have been there for every show in each of these locations. So to put you on the spot and ask you, these boutiques who have had the most success in longevity, can you pinpoint one or two things that they all seem to have in common?

I can. I have a boutique that has been with me from the beginning, and she is in another town called in Lubbock, Texas. And she started out with a smaller boutique and now has an actual boutique trailer. And for me, what has always struck me interesting with her is one, her presentation, her boots are always amazing, but it's her marketing style, too. She, you know, it can be as simple. She would give out a free koozie if they signed up for her social media right there. Or she would have special, special giveaways for the show people. And now her VIP group is outstanding. Her numbers outweigh mine any day. But it's all about how she has reached that customer from when she was teeny tiny to now this big, huge business.

You see so many boutiques, I'm sure, in all these communities around the U.S. if you had a crystal ball and you could see where this business was going, or if you're excited about where this boutique business is going, what trends do you see in the industry in the next Couple of years.

Okay. So my biggest trend, and it's kind of boasting my business here on that is boutiques are no matter the economy, whether it's bad or if it's good, if it's healthy or if it's slow, someone always needs clothing, someone always needs jewelry. There's always an event or something. So boutiques to me, regardless of the economy will always do well. And people like that one on one presentation. But for me, and I think I've noted this somewhere, that.

I don't know.

How to say this lightly, but plus size, plus size markets are expanding and that is my number one complaint from any show is that there's never enough plus size fashions. There's not enough selections for those plus size women to shop. And so that's my number one complaint. So that is where I'm seeing the market go maybe from the smaller sizes to the larger sizes to have more, to meet more customers into more markets. And for us at Ruffles and Rust, we are doing a show called Curvaceous that is specifically boutiques for the Kirby women.

That's amazing. That's a great idea. We see and hear that same thing every single day. That's so exciting.

That's our number one complaint is there was not enough big girl clothes, as they like to phrase it.

Yes. Where will that show be held?

Our first show will be in April of 2019 in Amarillo, Texas. And it'll be like a lifestyle show. We're hoping, you know, we'll have our boutique clothing and jewelry. But then we're hoping to have lifestyles like lingerie and wedding dresses and other forms and fashions for our curvy girls.

I love that. So before I ask you just one last question. If there's anyone listening that would love to learn more about what you do and how to become involved with Ruffles and Rust. What's the best place for them to contact you?

We do have a website, ruffles and rustexpo.com because we are in eight states, you have to click on our locations tab and choose which state that you are interested in. Or you can always just email me directly at kamirufflesandrustexpo. I'm really good at emails. I'm really bad at phone calls. I always say send it to me in writing, that way I can remember.

Yes, you and I are the same there. I tell you what, my parents and in laws may have a hard time with me for that reason because everyone wants to talk on the phone. But I forget about it five minutes later.

Exactly. I haven't listened to a voicemail in probably two years. I am horrible. So email me, email me, email me.

Perfect. All right, Kami. So one question that I love to ask everybody as we wrap up the show is when this business has matured and let's say you pass it on to someone else or you sell it or whatever the goal is in the long term for Ruffles and Rust and you look back someday at what's been created, what is the one thing, the lasting impact that you would love this business to have on the world around you?

That is a tough question. So that's why you leave it for last. Just the love of shopping. Most men make fun of their wives or their girlfriends because their love of shopping, but it is, it's just a neat thing. Like the Sex and the City. I like my money where I can see it, hanging in my closet. That is what gives us value. That's what we love about it. So to make shopping not a taboo, but to make it a fun event, something that you can do with women, your girlfriends, your moms and daughters, and to make lasting impressions while doing something fun. For me, I think that's what Ruffles and Rust is all about.

I love that. Perfectly said. Well, Kami, thank you so much for taking the time to catch up with me today to share these awesome tips for boutique owners who are listening to the show. And I can't wait to see how the curvaceous shows go and to see what's next from you and the brand. This is great.

Yes. Well, thank you so much.

Hey, thanks so much for listening to this week's show.

I hope that you took away some.

Great tips and tricks from Kami. When it comes to hosting your next pop up event and collaborating with other local vendors. Remember, there is always an opportunity near you to use you, your friends, other local coffee shops, flower shops, online businesses, multi level marketing companies. You name it as a shopping destination because when two or more businesses join together, that's exactly what they become. Guys, there's so much happening at the Boutique Hub this week. I can't wait to tell you about this week. We are, I suppose at the end of this week we're launching the 2018 Boutique Awards. Now this is the opportunity to do just what Kami's talking about. The Boutique Awards is the opportunity for shoppers to recognize their favorite boutiques all around the world. And what that means for you is for your customers to lift you up, celebrate you and thank you for the job that you do, the way that you build relationships with them, the way that you serve them, and the way that you connect with them on a daily basis. Now, something so unique that we watched happen last year when we hosted the Beginning Boutique Awards was how many shoppers were so grateful for the opportunity to tell your story. You may be thinking, nobody wants to.

Tell my story and you may be.

Over humble, but the truth is you deserve a high five and a pat on the back for the business that you've created. And the Boutique Awards is just that. So join us as we celebrate the best boutiques around the world in the 2018 Boutique Awards. From the United States, Canada, Australia and the uk, we're recognizing not only the Global Boutiques of the year, two of them winner and first runner up, but also winners in each of the 50 states and again in Canada and Australia and the UK. And that is in the category of overall Boutique of the Year, Storefront, Boutique of the Year, Mobile Boutique of the Year, Online and Children's Boutique of the Year. So in total, there's more than 300 boutiques that are going to be recognized and celebrated by their fans, by their community and by their shoppers. And I hope that you have the opportunity to be one of them. So to join us in this celebration of boutique fashion, check out the boutiqueawards.com for all the details on how to participate. Guys, thanks so much for listening to.

The Boutique Chat Podcast.

I hope that you had the opportunity to subscribe, leave a rating and review of the show and we'll be back next week with an awesome, awesome guest.

That I can't wait for you to hear about.

Have a great week you guys. Hey guys, thank you so much for.

Listening to this episode. We hope that you loved it.

Don't forget to hit subscribe and leave a rating and review down below for.

A chance to be one of our.

Featured listeners each and every week. For more information on our spirit of community over competition and how to access complete shillings, notes and bonus downloads from our guests, head on over to the boutiquehub.com and join the community. We'll see you next week.