If you're interested in the top ten most critically acclaimed films of all time, then surely you’ve seen Troop Beverly Hills. Okay, so maybe it’s only in my top ten, but it’s a masterpiece, and I’m standing by that claim.

This 1989 cinematic gem provides content for multiple newsletters (yes, Abby and I can relate everything to retail real estate), but we’ll start with a simple one today.

ICYMI: Troop Beverly Hills is about a very fabulous and kind shopaholic, Phyllis Neffler, who becomes the leader of her preteen daughter’s troop of “Wilderness Girls,” which is basically knock-off Girl Scouts. They are all underestimated. They earn patches. They persevere. They learn to believe in t...

Every four months or so since college, I’ve had the same bad experience at the hair salon. I walk in, bright-eyed and ready for a change -- full Anne Hathaway pre-makeover energy. Princess Diaries OR The Devil Wears Prada -- pick your Anne. Either way, I’m ready to leave that place as red carpet Anne and… it never quite goes that way.

I’ve changed stylists and even tried to lower my expectations, but I couldn’t break the cycle.

…UNTIL I was in a brokerage kickoff call and the lightbulb went off - it’s not the stylists’ fault at all...it was mine. My results stemmed from my own preparation, or lack thereof. 

Hair styles, much like retail spaces, are subjective. Sure, there are tren...

If I had a dollar for every time an aspiring retailer told me they didn’t have their startup budget solidified because “it’s impossible to know until I find the right space,” I’d probably have a downpayment on a vacation home.


Nailing down a budget for a retail space feels impossible if you’ve never rented a space before, but here’s a pro tip: 

✨ The space does not determine your budget – your budget determines the space. ✨


Imagine if I called my residential realtor and said that I was in the market for a new home. And when she asked me for my budget, I responded, “well, I really don’t know yet because it all depends on the space.” 

💸 Should she show me a $4M historic home tha...

Last fall, I fell deeply in love with a dress. It was no ordinary dress; it was an ankle-length, sleeveless, v-neck and v-back, empire-waisted beauty with a geometric print in “peacock” and “cinnabar.” And the designer is German, and I got a 5 on my AP German exam, so that, too.

I saw the dress on the e-comm shop of my favorite brick-and-mortar store, so if I bought this dress I would not only be mind-blowingly fabulous, but I’d also be supporting an independent retailer. Aren’t I selfless?!

But there were two minor problems. One, I had literally no occasion to warrant purchasing a new dress, and two, there was no way I could afford this dress. But you know what we say over here — whe...

Every new Pedal Retailer comes into the First Location Program in a different place – some have a crystal clear vision of their business in the space we’ll secure together, and for others, it’s hazy. For most people, the vision is partly hazy with some very clear spots.


When Pedal Retailer Jessica started FLP to find a brick-and-mortar home for Jurisdiction, her online women’s clothing boutique, she was on the clearer side of the spectrum.

She knew her target market and customer intimately – she was her own target customer, and the pain of trying to shop in her hometown of Potomac, MD was a constant frustration for her and her friends. Jessica grew up in Potomac, so she was not...

I watched a lot of Millionaire Matchmaker in my 20s, and I find myself thinking about the show even today. I KNOW that Patti Stanger turned out to be totally problematic in a zillion different ways, but since we didn’t get cancelled when Sheila published an excellent newsletter about Anne Hathaway’s age-defying face, I’m feeling emboldened.

On the show, Patti and her team of punk rock assistants would work with a client - usually an older “millionaire” seeking a young woman to ride shotgun in his red Ferrari. Ick. Patti would usually deliver said women - but that’s not where she’d start. No, first we’d start with an amusing romp through the man’s dating history, trying to detangle what’s go...

You’re chatting with a regular when they casually mention the news. Or maybe you’re scrolling Instagram when you come across a cheery, sponsored “We’re Hiring” post. Or, maybe worst of all, you spot a shiny, new “Coming Soon” sign in the window across the street.

No matter how it happens, nothing will ruin your day like learning a direct competitor is coming to your block, to your community, or just too close for comfort.

Competition in business is as certain as death and taxes - it’s only a matter of time before you’re going head to head with another business that will compete for your customers' attention and money.

And while you can negotiate an exclusive in your lease, that doesn...