If you’ve been here a while, you know that we like to share case studies of our work with Pedal Retailers — especially Dream Space graduates who sign their first leases. You also know that we’re allergic to boring writing. Sometimes it takes us a little while to figure out how best to tell someone’s story, but we knew how to tell Cameron Ford’s long before we’d reached lease execution. 

Before we begin, a quick refresher on Dream Space, since I know we’ve got a number of new readers these days: the Dream Space Accelerator is our unbelievably powerful* program for new and emerging retailers looking to sign their first solo, long-term leases. It’s a mix of coursework and one-on-one cons...

From our very first Dream Space meeting, it was crystal clear that Brittany Perna is whip smart and the kind of person you’d want on your team whether you’re playing Pictionary or battling a zombie apocalypse. Which is probably why she’s about to become DC area parents’ MVP. 

Del Play - The Toy Library of Alexandria will open its doors before the cherry blossoms return. 

As mom to 21-month-old Luca, Brittany had already experienced the frustration of buying toys for toddlers whose attention and activity levels rival squirrels on candy corn. Between the wasted time, ridiculous cost, and sustainability issues, Brittany knew something had to be done; as an educator-turned-software devel...

There are videos floating around the internet of dogs “choosing” their humans for adoption. Have you seen them? I’m not crying, you are! 

Actually, I am definitely crying. In these videos, the humans show up with the intent of bringing home a dog, but by trusting the process, their open mindedness really pays off. 

🐶 This deal was a little bit like that. 💞

Joseph Ryan, owner of Force Free DC, wasn’t just looking for any four walls and a leash lease, lol. He’s DC’s top-rated dog trainer (two-time Best of DC, no big deal), and his business had outgrown its temporary setup. That’s when he called Pedal. We came, we sat, and we stayed. (Sorry, but there are going to be a lot o...

Remember the Presidential Fitness Test from elementary school? If you’re reading this newsletter, the answer is most likely, yes. Evidently the program was replaced in 2013, but my daughter’s PE curriculum still includes a nearly identical version, so it’s very much a part of my life again.

Since I didn’t actually enjoy exercise of any form until my mid 30’s (thank you, Peloton), those fitness tests were somewhere between annoying and dreadful. I recall sit-and-reach being kinda fun, but I didn’t like the mile run, and I downright hated the pull-ups. Even when we got to do the remedial version, the “flexed-arm-hang,” I could never, ever seem to do it. I wasn’t alone. I’m pretty sure that...

Last week we started our usual Monday morning meeting by asking our summer interns for their thoughts on our trip to Dallas for The Boutique Summit now that we’d all had time to let the Diet Coke leave our systems. 

Intern Ollie remarked that the most notable moment from our trip was during the closing party when Abby and I tag-teamed a conversation with an important contact. We hadn’t expected this encounter and we hadn’t prepared at all; so when we executed a perfectly timed, super sharp elevator pitch it looked (and felt) like we were telepathically communicating.

It was fun to hear that the moment made such an impression, because when it was happening, it really did feel like Abb...

When things aren’t coming together on a deal, we revisit the “BLTS” with Pedal Retailers to figure out where we can flex. As a reminder, the “BLTS” are the four fundamental pillars of your real estate criteria - budget, location, timing and space criteria. Most of the time, we flex on location and start to look at a different or broader mix of neighborhoods. Sometimes, we flex on the budget or space criteria, but it’s rare that we flex on timing. 

When it comes to flexing on timing, Emily, owner of District DabbleLab, could teach a master class.

First, here’s the background on District DabbleLab…

Bethesda native Emily started District DabbleLab in 2019 out of her basement as...