Josh Orr @joshorr

Struggling to keep good team members? Here’s why. It’s not always pay or policies. If work feels purely transactional, effort will match the paycheck. People want purpose. Cast a vision beyond the task list, and they’ll bring ownership, loyalty, and commitment you can’t buy.

The golden age of social? It’s over. Story views are down. Follower count barely matters. Algorithms now show what they think users want, not who they follow. But attention isn’t gone. It’s just earned differently now. The brands that win create for connection, not just content.

Here’s a mistake I see all the time. In-store, your experience is dialed in. But online? Too often it’s just products with no real brand. Growth doesn’t come from posting more, it comes from translating the experience people already love into a space they can access anywhere.

Google is paying attention to your first impression. Are you? If people click your site and bounce, Google notices. It’s not just about showing up in search, it’s about what happens next. Your homepage needs to say, “This is for you.” That feeling? It’s what keeps you ranked.

Do you ever feel like no matter how much you’re doing, there’s always more you should be doing? That pressure is exhausting. Growth doesn’t come from piling on more, it comes from focus. Your biggest “yes” will always require saying “no” somewhere else.

You don’t need straight A’s to win at SEO. Trying to get everything perfect is what keeps most retailers stuck. But being a B-student? That’s doable. A few minutes a week, done consistently, will move the needle. Let go of perfect. Consistency is what builds momentum.

Retail growth isn’t one-size-fits-all. You get to choose the mountain you want to climb. For some, it’s becoming an online powerhouse. For others, it’s building a customer-centric brand where in-store and online carry equal weight. The key is clarity, and leading with it now.

Traffic isn’t just traffic. If sales are slow, it might not be your site, it might be your traffic mix. Strong brands drive growth from all four lanes: search, social, paid, and email. Each works differently, and all four matter. So where are you missing out?

Emotion sells. Logic justifies. Your customer decides with their heart, usually before they even scroll. That emotional connection comes first. The story, the “shop small” message? Those just confirm what they already felt. Lead with emotion, then back it up with logic.

Retailers, would you shop at your store if you didn’t know you? Customers make fast decisions, often in seconds. If your brand vibe doesn’t say “This is for people like me,” they’ll bounce. Clarity is the edge. Don’t try to be for everyone, be unmistakably for someone.

What if the thing holding you back isn’t strategy, it’s you? Growth doesn’t just come from strategy, it comes from self-awareness. Try this ChatGPT prompt: “What limiting beliefs, tendencies, or habits are holding me back?” Sit with the answer. That’s where change begins.

If they don’t buy the first time, it doesn’t mean it didn’t work. Most customers need multiple touchpoints before they convert. A view, a click, a visit, it all builds trust. Don’t just watch for instant results. Watch for momentum. The sales will follow if you stay consistent.

You can’t win Q4 if you ghost your list all year. Most holiday buyers are already in your world. But if you’re not growing your list now and showing up with value, you’re playing from behind. Don’t wait for Black Friday to introduce yourself. Start building trust today.

You are not your customer. It’s easy to build your site based on how you shop. But you’re a pro shopper, they’re not. They think differently, buy differently, and browse differently. Don’t build for your preferences. Build for their journey. That’s where growth lives.

Confused customers don’t convert. Your site doesn’t need to be clever, it needs to be clear. A simple “Shop Now” button over a graphic can boost clicks, not because it’s pretty, but because it tells people where to go. Direction beats design. So give them the next step.

Risk isn’t the issue, random risk is. It’s easy to feel bold tossing money at ads or hiring fast just to “see what happens.” But risk without strategy? That’s not leadership. That’s gambling. The brands that scale make intentional moves, not just big ones.

You don’t need to be tech-savvy to win online. Some of the most successful retailers aren’t tech-savvy at all, but they do know their customer. They listen, they serve, and they build connection. Tech can be learned. That level of care? That’s what actually scales.

Retailers, your website isn’t about you. If your perfect customer lands on your site and walks away knowing you, instead of feeling known by you, you’ve missed it. The brands we love make us feel seen. That’s not a vibe. That’s strategy. Build for connection, not attention.

Your brand has no vibe if your photos have no soul. If every shot is just someone standing & smiling, you’re not building a brand, you’re checking a box. Direct the vibe. Confident. Cozy. Playful. Because your photos shouldn’t just show the product, they should feel it.

Retailers, your store isn’t the front door anymore. You’re a brand, your website, your IG, your emails, that’s the front door now. And if the experience there doesn’t reflect who you really are, your customer’s already gone. Lead with your brand, not just your building.