135 - PinkTag: Empowering Women and Innovating Retail Growth with PinkTag's Britney Renbarger

Welcome to Listening with Leaders. I'm Doug Noll, lawyer turned peacemaker. I teach executive leaders how to listen to emotions rather than words so that they can become the leaders everyone wants to follow. And I teach those same leaders how to be authentically present, available, and connected to their families despite being insanely busy. I have learned that we are 98% emotional and only 2% rational. Learning how to listen to emotions is, in my experience, the foundational skill of life. Stick around to the end of the show, and I'll reveal how you can be on our next guest in 15 to 20 minutes. So let's get started. Britney Rimbarger, welcome to Listening with Leaders. You are the owner and founder of an online women's and I think children's clothing, uh, shop called Pink Tag. Welcome to the show.

Thank you, I'm so thrilled to be here and thanks for having me today.

Thanks. Um, so backstory, tell us about yourself and what— how you got into the online business, and that's where we'll start.

Okay, so, um, I'm a mother to two daughters And I first began PinkTag out of my home. My husband built me a website. He's in web design and digital marketing, so, uh, he created me this awesome website. And I bought some clothing tags and I started shopping around, doing my research, and shipping clothing to my home that I liked. And PinkTag began from there.

Yeah. And tell us, tell us a little bit about the success you've had with the company.

Yeah. So it began in 2017, January. You know, the first year is a little slow start, but I had locals that would come to my house, come shopping. They would hear about things I had, saw it on the website, so they would pick up things from my house. I would ship out from my home. Um, within, um, let's see, I actually— it was probably the beginning of 2020, I considered, you know, shutting down PinkTag. I was working another job, you know, growing a business from the ground up. You, you have to have another source of income. So I had two jobs basically, and, you know, I was like, man, maybe this isn't for me. I've been going at it for about 3 or 4 years now. Um, so glad I didn't shut it down. Um, then around March 2020, you know, it was good if you were selling online, you had an online website, because stores were shutting down. In-person shopping wasn't a thing because, because of COVID Um, so my online website really started getting traction and more orders were coming in. I was selling not as much clothing but a ton of accessories and handbags to women. Um, so my growth really started in 2020 and went up from there. Um, it was almost like it happened overnight, but I think I was, um, smart in my buying decision and was selling the right items at the right time, and it just grew from there. So I hired my sister on full-time, um, around that time. Took her from her job, she was a banker, and, uh, she's been with me ever since.

And, and how many employees do you have now?

Um, we've had, let's see, we have probably about 12 right now, but since we've been in the brick-and-mortar store, we've had up to 20.

Oh wow. And so tell us about the brick-and-mortar store.

Yeah, so one year ago we opened our first brick and mortar— we called it a click and mortar store— uh, in the Oxmoor Mall in Louisville. So we were known to be an online store selling in all 50 states and several countries. Um, we wanted to bring that experience to the store and make it so much more than just a shopping store. We wanted to be different. So how we did that was, um, I looked at like doing a selfie wall where people could come in and take photos and wanted to take pictures in our store. Uh, we did live selling, and that's where we would sell our products in live videos online. Um, we were actually the second company in the United States to help Meta roll out their Facebook Shopping.

Huh.

Yeah, they did a case study on PinkTag. Um, But we basically helped them build the online shopping platform and we would test it out for them.

How did that come about?

So, um, our digital marketing agency, um, that we used was a Meta partner, and then they had— I guess Facebook saw our videos on, I guess, the platform and said, hey, reached out and was like, would you like us— we would like to, uh, start the Facebook shopping. Would you like to help us with it? And I was, of course, said yes. So I thought that was really cool.

And how did that work out for you?

It worked out really good. Um, it went on for several months, and then Facebook ended up— or Meta— they ended up dropping live shopping from Facebook. Um, I'm not sure why, so that was a little disappointing and it felt like a road bump. Like, man, we were doing so good, why would they take this away? But I guess it just wasn't working on their platform the way they thought it would. We were successful with it, but again, I don't know why they stopped doing that. But there's other third parties you can use to still sell online.

Are you still doing live selling?

We gave it a small break when we, uh, probably a couple months ago, but we're ramping it back up with TikTok. So, you know, it— you did the decrease in, I guess, sales in live shopping on Facebook was kind of trending down. So I was like, well, you know, maybe let's, let's put our focus somewhere else. And our focus has been on TikTok shopping. And so we're excited to try that we're not scared to change direction and try new things.

Where do you get all your ideas for this sort of marketing?

Ah, I don't know. I will research and read and I will follow, you know, other store owners. I am in a group on Facebook called The Boutique Hub. And so if there's any, you know, if anyone's listening and you have like a boutique or a store of some sort, there is a group where you can bounce ideas off each other, see what's working for others, and, you know, learning every day because you know how quick this online stuff changes, right? You have to try to be on top of it.

But how do you make these buying decisions, uh, you know, in terms of the merchandise you're going to carry and sell?

Um, well, I still kind of stick to like the original way I did things is I buy stuff I like and that my sister liked. So we handpick everything at Pink Tag, um, and that's how Pink Tag kind of began, is because anytime I would go out with my husband or, or go to an event, people would always want to know, where did you get your dress? Or, you know, where's your handbag from? So, um, that's when I decided, I'm like, well, people like what I wear, they're always asking where I got it. So I was like, if I just pick out stuff for my store. I could say this is, this is from my store.

How do you— where do you find the manufacturers?

Um, a little— well, we have vendors from all over, so we have some name brand items, and then we have some unique items that we just find at markets. Um, we've been to Dallas Market, the Atlanta Market. We still haven't made it to Magic, but, uh, that's on the list to do. Um, just doing research and testing different vendors and like buying a little here and then seeing how the quality is. Or so, so definitely we're not like, we only shop here. We'll just shop all around and buy what we like.

I got it. So worth it. Not, you've been in this now since 2017. First 3 years were pretty tough. Pandemic helped you out, got you launched really. Here we are in 2023. So it's been what, 6 years later? What is it that gets you up in the morning excited to go to work?

Um, I would say it's my family. I'm always, um, you know, we all, all have those days where you're like, gosh, can I do this again today? You know, like that happens, that, uh, I guess fatigue and, um, tiredness happens every now and then. But I, I look out, I'm always good at, um, looking at my past what I've been through and looking at like how far I have come. So I guess like gratitude and, um, looking at what PinkTag has done for our community and the people that work for us, that's what keeps me going. Because if I quit, I feel like I give up on all of them, right? Yeah.

So, so you began PinkTag, um, to become a stay-at-home mom. But now you got this company that's growing. Are you still a stay-at-home mom, or are you—

no way, you're an entrepreneur now. I was like, how, how did that happen? Uh, well, I loved my sweet little baby, but after 6 months, I was like, I got to talk to other people other than this toddler. Like, it, it was not for me. And that's a hard job. Um, I always have a special appreciation for women that can stay home with their kids because I really struggled with that. But now some days they're growing up so quick. I look at them and I have a 13-year-old and a big 7-year-old because now she's 7, my little baby then. And, and I'm like, maybe I should have stayed home because sometimes I feel like I'm missing out on a lot because it's, it takes a lot to run a company. It takes a lot of time. We're always, always working.

So, so what does, is your husband still doing his design work or is he working for the company too?

No, I— he does still help PinkTag. Uh, he has a team of 40+ people and owns a digital marketing agency. So we are both, you know, two different companies, and we're both the head of both of those companies. So, um, we have busy lives.

I would say so.

Yes.

So Brittany, you're a pretty unique individual. What is it you think that's unique about you that's allowed you to succeed where so many other people have tried what you try and they don't succeed? What's different about you?

I don't know. I don't think I'm too different. I've always had a very strong work ethic. A lot of people don't know this about me, but my sister and I come from a very low-income family. You know, we watched our parents struggle growing up. Um, so I always, even as a young girl in high school, I thought, you know, I'm gonna do something. I, I want to help my family. I don't want to, I don't want to struggle like that. Um, you know, so I think it's from the time you grow up to like what you're— I don't know what your life is and how you look at it. So I knew I would do something Um, I feel like I did get lucky that— I don't know if it's luck, but I'd like to say it's a little bit of hard work, not giving up, trying. Anytime I try something, I usually give about 110%. Um, but, and then like I said, what keeps me going is I look at my family, I look at what PinkTag has done for my family, and even my parents, like I was able to help them Um, and now my mom, she ended up quitting her job. She worked for a restaurant for probably— gosh, it was probably about 24 years since I was a little girl she worked for a restaurant. And now she has a company. So I feel like, you know, I was able to be like, Mom, you can do this. Uh, you know, she has like a cleaning business. So just to see how far we've come and grown as people. I don't know, I— it's, it's humbling. And I feel like I can relate to others in the community and customers. Um, before I met my husband, I was a single mom. So I think, you know, I've been through a lot, and I just, I feel well-rounded, if that makes sense.

Absolutely. You know, and entrepreneurs have to— they have to, they have to do everything right. I mean, You have— you've got marketing, you've got— you got to do this. You've got to be the buyer. You got to be the seller. You got to run finances. You've got to— you've got employees that you got to manage. Where are you? How have you picked up all the skills that it takes to be successful?

I've winged a lot of it. So don't be afraid to take chances. And I feel like that's another thing. Like, I'm not afraid to take chances and grow. I always want to learn. And, um, and then coming from where I came from in the high school I went to, it wasn't a great school. It's like a— my— one of my schools is a Title I school, so very like low-income families go to that school. Um, so I wasn't— I don't feel like I was the smartest person ever starting a business, and I didn't come from a great college background. I wasn't— I've just never been afraid to learn. And I feel like sometimes we could be our biggest obstacles. Um, if you think, you know, I can't do that, or, um, if you would have told me in my 20s that I would be running, um, a company like this, I would have said no way. Because I tend to be quiet. I tend to be, um, you know, I was always a hard worker, but I always liked having a boss telling me what to do because you know, laid back. So, and then that's been changing, growing in that way as to starting a brick and mortar and stepping up and being the boss of several young women that work for me. Um, so I've seen the struggles in trying to lead that way because I, I do want to be a nice person and always, you know, um avoid conflict. But unfortunately, as the boss, you can't always do that. You have to have hard conversations, right?

So tell me about those hard conversations that you have to have sometimes and how you manage them.

Yeah, so, um, I come into them with an open, um, heart and mind. Um, I ask questions. And, you know, have empathy for my employees if I have to have hard conversations. First, I would like— when I first had to have my very first hard conversation as a boss, I was sweating. I had so much anxiety. I was like, how do I talk to this person without, like, you know, I didn't want to make them upset, but conversations had to be had. So I, you know, sat in a quiet room for a little bit, took some deep breaths, and I was like, I got this. And, you know, every conversation, luckily, that I've had to have, I feel like turned out the best way it could. I started it off positive and then led into, you know, what can we do to make this better? And, um, you know, again, just come into it with an open mind and heart and caring.

And, and do you— you're finding that as the owner and entrepreneur and boss, as you describe yourself, you have different motivations around the business than your employees have? Have you noticed that? Oh yes, yes. Tell us about the difference in motivations that you see.

Um, well, you know, being the owner, PinkTag's everything to me, and it It's— it supports my family. And, um, I just know, you know, sometimes your employees don't know all the hard work that goes into it. They don't see me go home sometimes and still be working and answering emails and practicing for podcasts. They don't see all that. They see me come into the mall and, you know, work and leave. Um, so I feel like We did just have like a, we started having group meetings and I think that's helped us connect to get on the same level and really share with them my story and what PinkTag's mission and values are to try to get us all on the same page. And, you know, I have some young employees and I understand that, you know, some of them are in college and have their own future goals. But I feel like sharing our mission and our values can help them be the best employee and really know, like, when they're at PinkTag, it's not just a job. It's, it's a company that gives back to the community. It's a company that, you know, we've helped donate items to school. We've helped feed Louisville's hungry. You know, it's more than just like a fashion boutique. We empower women. We want our customers to walk in and it feel like they are accepted and it's a family. And I want my employees to feel that same way. So I've really tried to make a team meeting once a month to really, you know, tell them our why. And that too, a couple months before that, I would sit down with my sister and we figured out, um, you know, what is our mission, what is our why. And I really think you, you have to have a why to keep going. Why are you doing what you're doing? So finding your why definitely helps.

So that, that leads to my next question: what is your why, or PinkTag's why?

PinkTag's why, it is, um, so gosh, our mission statement is pretty new. I should have wrote it down before we said in here. It's, uh, to empower others, um, give confidence, and I need to find our mission statement. But basically, I've been trying to remember it. I mean, it's new. This is new, this mission statement. It took a lot of work to find our why and our mission statement, you know, because you didn't— you wanted to be different, um, but we are about empowering women, helping our community. And, um, you know, whether it's like customer coming in and helping them feel more confident, because if you are confident or you feel confident, you can achieve so much more, whether it's like going to work, uh, jumping on a podcast. Um, but that is our why. And we said at the end, one outfit at a time. And that's basically— we're constantly changing, we're constantly evolving, whether it's one outfit at a time, one day at a time. Some of us are moms, some of us are, you know, have busy careers. So that's PinkTag's mission, to help others and empower and confidence for women.

How do you, how do you see PinkTag developing and growing over the next 5 years?

Oh gosh, um, you know, I see our brick and mortar growing. Sometimes we still have people coming in here and saying, I didn't know you were here. We have only been here one year, so we're still a new store in, uh, Louisville, Kentucky. Uh, I don't know, maybe we'll have another store, another location. Um, I've had women reach out and ask if PinkTag was a franchise. Like, that sounds kind of nice. I don't know. Um, so, you know, we're not scared to take on more challenges or changes. So who knows where we'll be in 5 years. Wow.

So that's— I mean, you, Brittany, you have an amazing story. You really do. I don't know if you know how unique you really are, uh, to bootstrap yourself up. I, I, you know, I'm just assuming you came from low income, went to not a great high school. Did you go to college?

Yes, I was the first person in my family to actually go to college.

Good for you. So you were able to bootstrap yourself up, got a college education. I know you worked in pediatric, at pediatric dentistry for a while, but then decided to become an entrepreneur and you built this really successful business in Louisville. I mean, that's, that's, that's—

Thank you so much.

An amazing, an amazing experience. A couple more questions and then I'll let you go. First of all, how— you, you talked before about the difficult conversations you were— you've had with people and you've had to learn a lot about that. How important is listening to you as a leader? That's what this show is really all about.

Yeah, um, I think it's, you know, you have to listen. You have to care what your employees are feeling and what they think about your business. And I feel like listening's always came easy to me. I haven't had an issue where my employees don't feel like I listen to them. It's, I want to know their perspectives, and I want to know the customer's perspectives. And it's about creating an environment where everyone feels accepted. And I love to listen and I love to learn. So I think that comes pretty easily to me.

Good for you. One more question. I know you mentioned before the one thing people would know is that you grew up in a low-income family. But I'd like to know one thing about you personally that we would never, ever know about unless you revealed it to us.

Gosh, that's a— I mean, I'm a pretty open book, like straight to the point, honest person. Um, that's a tough one. I might, I might have to come back to that one. Uh, you know, I don't—

could be an interest you have, a hobby, uh, something you've done that is— we would never know about unless you told us. Something crazy or fun?

I don't know. I'm super scared of heights. I'm a terrible flyer, but I love to travel, so I don't let it hold me back. I just have a couple drinks, but I was like, I am the terrible person to travel with. So I don't, you know, I'm not proud of that because I'm like, what's wrong with me? Why can't, why can't I fly on an airplane like normal people? But it's a huge fear of mine. Every time I'm on that plane, I think about it going down.

Wow.

Yeah, so heights is a true fear of mine. Uh, no, I guess not a lot of people know that.

Go out.

I'm gonna say, like, a lot of other things I've done, it's probably all over Google, so you could easily— there's not a lot of secrets, you know.

Well, maybe, maybe you should go and learn how to fly airplanes, become an airplane, airplane pilot.

You know, I am all about accomplishing or, uh, uh, facing my fears. So with the live shopping I was telling you about, I once said I would never get on camera and speak in front of people. Um, I said that that's something I'll never do. And then one day I had a glass of wine, I started live, live selling, and I was like sweating, anxiety, like I have some social anxiety, but I like facing it head on. And once you do it a couple times and face your fears, you eventually get over them.

That's right.

But I don't know if I'll ever get over flying. I fly a lot and I'm still scared. So yeah.

Well, that's— I'm a pilot, so I mean, I know.

Are you? Oh my gosh.

Once you learn how to fly, then it doesn't become so scary because you understand what it's all about. So you think about that.

That's what I need to do. I need to take a pilot class.

Get a pilot class.

I'll put that on my to-do list.

Well, thank you so much for taking up time with us today, Brittany. It's been a wonderful experience. Have you done— is this your first podcast or have you done other podcasts?

I've done, um, there's one podcast I could think about that I did and it was much smaller and it was actually in like a friend's closet where she did her podcast. So a little less intimidating, um, but it was fun.

You've done well today.

So thank you.

I'm sure that, I'm sure that you people will watch this and say, I want to have Brittany Rimbarger on my show.

So that's awesome.

All right, well, thank you so much, Brittany.

Thank you for this opportunity. Bye, happy Halloween.

Okay. Doug Noll here. Thank you so much for listening to Listening with Leaders. If you are a successful executive leader who would like to be on this program, please visit podcast.dougnull.com/podcast. If you got something out of this interview, would you please share this episode on social media? Just do a quick screenshot with your phone and text it to friend or post it on the socials. If you know someone that would be a great guest, tag them on the social media to let them know about the show and include the hashtag #ListeningWithLeaders. I love seeing your posts and guest suggestions. We are regularly putting out new episodes and content. To make sure you don't miss any episodes, go ahead and subscribe. Your thumbs up ratings and reviews go a long way to help promote the show and mean a lot to me and my team. Wanna know more? Go to my website, DougNoll.com, or follow me on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. That's @DouglasEnoll. Thanks for listening, and we'll see you on the next show.