302. Retail Mystery March: Why Your Shop Has a Big Following but You Aren’t Making Money
Creative Shop Talk with Wendy Batten
Release Date: 03/30/2026
318. Navigating the “Messy Middle” of Business Growth
Creative Shop Talk with Wendy Batten
With host retail coach Episode Overview In this episode, I’m sharing a behind-the-scenes look at what it feels like to be in the messy middle of making big, important changes in a business. My friends, I am in the middle of it! So let’s talk about it: In this episode, I’m sharing the challenges (and major wins) I’ve been facing while upgrading my own business, from competing priorities and projects taking longer than expected to learning new things and asking for help. I also share what has helped me move through the mess. I’m reminding myself to take action, invest...
info_outline
317. Take Control of Your Time as a Business Owner
Creative Shop Talk with Wendy Batten
With host retail coach Episode Overview Of course you love what you do - and that’s why you started your business. But perhaps you also took this leap because you wanted more control over your schedule and more freedom to do the things you love outside of work. This episode centers around answering a question that has come up countless times in my years as a retail coach and that I have even grappled with in the past as a business owner: where should I be spending my time? As business owners, we have three major resources to manage: time, money, and capacity or energy. Time...
info_outline
316. How to Build a Business That Works for Your Life
Creative Shop Talk with Wendy Batten
With host retail coach Episode Overview I’m back after taking a longer-than-expected summer pause from the podcast! That pause gave me space to think about what I want next for my business, what I want my life to look like, and how those two things fit together. After years of building, coaching, and running a business, I’ve been thinking a lot about what deserves my energy and what no longer needs to come along for the climb. In this episode, I’m sharing some of the questions I’ve been working through with clients and myself. I talk about business seasons, celebrating...
info_outline
315. What Really Happens at a Mastermind Retreat and Why It Matters for Business Growth
Creative Shop Talk with Wendy Batten
With host retail coach A profitable, smooth holiday season is not a lucky accident. It’s what happens when someone who actually prepared gets to execute. And the best time to prepare? July. Camp begins with a fireside chat (opening coaching) on July 13th. Grab your sit-upon (fellow Girl Scouts unite!) and join me! Episode Overview I recently hosted my Level Up Mastermind members for a retreat in my town of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. I received so many questions about what actually happens during a retreat like this so I’ve decided to pull back the curtain and share...
info_outline
314. The Memento Generation: Creating More Meaningful Buying Experiences in Retail
Creative Shop Talk with Wendy Batten
With host retail coach Episode Overview Fresh off my Level Up Mastermind retreat with retailers from around the world, I'm reflecting on something that feels increasingly important in retail right now: experiences. Your customers are looking for connection, meaning, and events they can remember. In this episode, I’m sharing my thoughts on some of the findings from a research report from the Portas Agency titled “”. The concept explores how many younger consumers are placing greater value on memories, shared experiences, and stories over simply acquiring...
info_outline
313. Why Community Is the Future of Retail with Guest Expert Mark Schaefer
Creative Shop Talk with Wendy Batten
With host retail coach Episode Overview In this episode, I sit down with best-selling marketing author and speaker Mark Schaefer to talk about what matters most for independent retailers in a world that’s being increasingly shaped by AI. While technology continues to change how customers find the places they love to shop, Mark makes a compelling case that the strongest advantage for brick-and-mortar retailers is still something AI cannot replicate: a completely human experience. We talk about the role of personal branding, community, experiences, and transcendent...
info_outline
312. Midyear Business Review: Are You Building a Business or a Passion Project?
Creative Shop Talk with Wendy Batten
With host retail coach Episode Overview We have officially reached the middle of the year, and now is the perfect time to pause for just a few minutes to take an honest look at what we're building. Beyond reviewing numbers and planning for the months ahead, I want to pose a bigger question: is your business becoming a valuable asset, or have you simply created a job (that you love!) for yourself? In this episode, I share my thoughts around long-term business value. Could you sell your business right now? Whether selling your business feels years away or not something...
info_outline
311. Why Real Connection Matters More Than Ever in the Age of AI with Deanne Fitzpatrick
Creative Shop Talk with Wendy Batten
With host retail coach Episode Overview In this episode, I sit down with my friend Deanne Fitzpatrick of for an honest and raw conversation about AI, authenticity, and what it means to run a meaningful business. We talk about the parts of AI that feel helpful, the parts that feel icky, and why trust and real connection matter more than ever for small business owners. As business owners who have both embraced technology over the years, neither Deanne nor I are anti-AI. But we are cautious and curious about how it’s changing what feels like pretty much everything. We...
info_outline
310. 7 Things That Might Be Holding You Back in Your Retail Business
Creative Shop Talk with Wendy Batten
With host retail coach Episode Overview In this episode of the Creative Shop Talk Podcast, I’m sharing seven common patterns I see repeatedly with independent retailers who are working hard but still feeling stuck. These are habits, mindset patterns, and blind spots that can keep us from reaching the goals we truly want. As I was making this list from conversations with clients, I realized I’ve experienced every one of these things myself throughout my years in business. Some of the highlights: vague goals, overthinking, avoiding difficult conversations, staying...
info_outline
309. From Good to Great: Dream Bigger Now
Creative Shop Talk with Wendy Batten
With host retail coach Episode Overview In this episode, I’m sharing details of a conversation that challenged me to think differently about what’s possible in business and life. I’ve been reflecting on the ways we can reach a point where things feel “good” so we stop stretching toward what could feel even better: more alignment, more joy, and being more fulfilled. Through personal stories and examples from my clients, I’m exploring the idea that growth is not always about doing more: sometimes it’s about raising our standards, reimagining what is possible,...
info_outlineWith host retail coach Wendy Batten
https://wendybatten.com/podcast-intro/
Episode Overview
In this final episode of the Retail Mystery Series, I’ll walk you through one last fictional case where a well-established shop with a strong brand and large social media following was still not making money. On the surface, everything looked successful, but the business ultimately closed. Why?
This episode unpacks what was really happening behind the scenes and why growth in followers did not translate into profit. I’ll share what went wrong, what could have been done differently, and how shop owners can avoid falling into the same pattern.
If you’ve ever wondered whether your marketing efforts are actually leading to sales, this conversation will help you step back and evaluate what’s working and what needs to shift.
Our Key Topics
-
The difference between building an audience and building a customer base
-
How focusing only on social media can limit overall marketing effectiveness
-
The role of a complete marketing plan in retail success
-
Why leadership time should be focused on business growth and data, not just content creation
-
The importance of understanding the “game” you are playing as a retailer
Key Takeaways on Social Media Marketing
-
A large following does not guarantee sales or profitability.
Are your efforts to grow your audience bringing customers in or just entertaining them online?
-
Social media is only one small part of a larger marketing ecosystem.
The shop relied almost entirely on Instagram and Facebook, without other strategies in place. A balanced approach that includes visibility, nurturing, and in-store experience is necessary.
-
Your marketing should be designed to attract buyers, not just attention.
The content was entertaining and shareable, but it was not speaking to ideal or premium customers.
-
As the owner, your primary role is business growth and strategic decision making.
The role of the owner is to focus on direction, metrics, and long-term success.
-
Every marketing activity should have a clear purpose and intended outcome.
Whether the goal is foot traffic, product sales, or customer engagement, clarity is essential for results.
Take a moment to reflect on your current marketing efforts and ask whether they are truly supporting sales and growth in your shop.
Resources Mentioned and Related Episodes:
Sales Accelerator Program - This on-demand program is ready for you RIGHT NOW. You'll learn how to get more visibility in your community, attract more of the right people into your store, increase your per-customer sales, and see more repeat customers who come back again and again. Grab it today and get started right away!
Join my Love List! - This is my email list. Get on it so you are the first to know when the next live masterclass is taking place!
Follow along and chat with me on Instagram!
Episode 296: Building a Retail Business Through Live Social Selling with Mastermind Member Amy Cseh of Schoolhouse Salvage
About your host, Wendy Batten
In case we haven’t met…I’m Wendy Batten. I’ve been a small business owner, coach, and mentor for over 25 years. I help thoughtful, established entrepreneurs step into their role as CEO and build businesses that are profitable, meaningful, and supportive of the lives they want to live. My work blends real-world strategy with a life-first philosophy, shaped by lived experience, not theory. I’ve been there! Through honest conversations and practical insight, I invite you into bigger thinking about leadership, possibility, and how to build both business and life on purpose.
For more support from Wendy
Hang out and connect with Wendy on IG
All of Wendy’s current programs and services for shop owners can be found HERE.
Never miss an episode!
Subscribe to the Creative Shop Talk Podcast and get the tools, inspiration, and strategies you need to thrive as an independent retailer.Click here to subscribe to iTunes!
Loved the episode? Leave a quick review on iTunes- your reviews help other retailers find my podcast, and they’re also fun for me to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. So grateful for you! Thank you!