Hey all,
This post is entirely overdue, but I’m Chelsi and I’m a new manager at Feedback. Michelle graduated in May, so I’ve been working with Linda since then. Prior to managing the store, I worked as a retail associate here for two years. I’ve loved my experience at the store thus far and can’t wait to see what managing it for the next two years will be like.
One of my very favorite things about working at the store has been getting to help select all of the fabulous clothing pieces we’ll carry throughout the seasons. There’s really nothing better than getting paid to shop and design store displays!
In my free time, I enjoy reading, cooking, traveling, trying new restaurants around Nashville, taking naps, and hiking.
I know y’all drive/walk/run past our store all the time, so don’t hesitate to stop on in and check out our new fall styles. We’d love to have you.
Best,
Chelsi
Have you heard? We’re having a big sale on September 18th!
I’ve been putting off writing this for awhile now, blaming factors like presentations in every single one of my classes; our team collectively owning the DECA conference in Salt Lake; and finally, finishing finals. April wraps up one of the most overwhelming semesters I’ve experienced in awhile. but today is May, the end of the school year has caught up to us and graduation is on Saturday.
this is the time when most of our class of 2012 leaves Belmont behind and we no longer have a common interest to tie all of us to one place. how funny is it when leaving something behind makes you miss things that never crossed your train of thought before?
I’ve been managing Feedback with Michelle for the past year, and this weekend she’s leaving to join the real world. in part I’m sad because I can’t imagine running the store with anyone else but the other part of me knows that she will do ambitious, amazing things.
Michelle and I are a case in point for what happens when you force two very different people to work very closely with one another. it can either go south, or you can make a really good friend. I’m grateful for the store because I don’t think we would’ve crossed paths otherwise. personality-wise, we’re on opposite ends of the spectrum - Michelle is Type A while I’m more of a Type B. with that has come moments where we’ve wanted to kill each other but overall, I think we’ve done well to grow the store to what it is today.
Michelle is the force behind many of the changes at Feedback, the person that derives satisfaction from making a list and crossing things off of it. (I never realized that so many things can get done this way.) she is passionate, a true go-getter and has a killer work ethic.
and she is someone who actively seeks to improve her managerial style. you know those managers that Dr. Churchman speaks the gospel of in Principles of Management? she’s one of those. a good company starts with the internal culture of a work environment, and that trickles from top management down. she cares about our employees and shows it by asking for their input from pricing to picking out inventory; asking for their feedback on her management; and baking a lot.
and she can be a little nutty, but she has to be, because otherwise she’d be cut-throat in a not so nice way. this is the girl who pitches her business plan flawlessly and goes back into her hotel room after to dance shamelessly to a new teenybopper group known as One Direction. the contrast is kinda weird but it works. I think it balances her out.
so this is for Michelle, my business partner-in-crime who I’m going to miss dearly come summer. I will really miss working with you day in and day out, (dis)agreeing on inventory with you, avoiding your hugs, listening to your detailed stories about awkward encounters at Bongo, and eating no-bake cookies and fatty things you bring me because you know I enjoy bad food. I’ve learned a lot from you because you are better than me at many things, including navigating grocery stores and visually merchandising TOMS. you are ambitious, smart, gracious, giving and the unlaziest person I know. you will go far not because of fate but because you will will your success into existence.
I don’t know why I’m saying all of this like it’s really goodbye, but I had to punctuate your exit from Feedback with some kind of gesture :) Michelle, we will all miss you at good old Feedback. thank you for being a wonderful co-manager and an even better friend.
Linda
hello all,
it’s the first day of spring! it’s sunny, it’s breezy, it’s supposed to be 84 degrees outside. because of the abnormally hot weather for March, we’re all finally forced to tuck away our patterned tights and oversized sweaters.
but lucky for those searching for new wardrobe additions for spring, we’ve gotten the first of a good number of styles in. pictured above are a few of our picks from last months apparel market, and we think they’re the perfect flirty dresses for the season.
unfortunately, we also have to say goodbye to the majority of our boots for shoes that are lighter on our feet. how coincidental is it that we’re having a 30% off TOMS sale this Friday and Saturday? make sure to stop by early to stake your claim on your favorite style of classics and cordones before someone else does.
make sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more rigorous updates about new inventory and goings-on here at the store.
enjoy the first day of spring! and keep your tissues/gesundheits/bless yous handy; the pollen count out here in these streets is real.
Linda
hello readers!
we just got back from an awesome weekend at Atlanta Apparel Market. if you don’t know what market is, imagine 13 wraparound floors that are filled with mini-boutiques carrying everything from children’s apparel to handbags to contemporary premium brands like Hudson and BB Dakota. every wholesaler has their own makeshift storefront to hawk their apparel, and this is where us buyers get to scope out new brands to purchase. even the veteran shopper would be overwhelmed walking in and exhausted by the end of the day.
in addition to Atlanta, there are markets in LA, Texas, and Vegas at certain points throughout the year and the purpose is to buy for the season as well as expose stores to brands they may not have heard about otherwise. they are open mainly only to the trade - you have to have proof of the fact that you are a business and licensed to resell.
basically, we got to shop all weekend long and got to pick out spring and summer clothes and jewelry for you all. we’re excited about the quality of our purchases… as well as how cute everything we ordered is. shipments will start to arrive after the 15th of this month, so please drop by and check out what we’ll have to offer: maxi dresses, lace dresses, colorblock dresses… we kinda ordered a lot of dresses.
can you imagine shopping 24/7? this is my job. surreal.
a special thanks to the Center for Entrepreneurship as well as our amazing program coordinator Lisa Davis for all the work she put into registration as well as being awesomely fun to travel with.
until next time,
Linda
check out more photos from the show on our Facebook
hello, customers! we are back from winter break, the store is back from hibernation and we are finally updating about our 2011 f/w fashion show. we were so happy to have such an awesome turnout that night, and it’s all thanks to the combined efforts of everyone involved.
a huge perk of being in Belmont’s COBA are the connections we get to make. it sounds obvious, but networking is vital in any field. this event would not have been possible without the cooperation of our fellow students (and alumni), most of them entrepreneurs themselves. they volunteered their time and their resources for us, and for that we are so grateful. we’ve gotten to build many a rapport and relationships with companies and the people behind them. I felt like the show was a prime example of the aphorism “if you scratch someone’s back, they’ll scratch yours.”
I also learned a lot about what goes into planning a large event. so much of it is organizational and unglamourous - arranging meetings, coordinating schedules, and many, many e-mails. (e-mails are the life-blood of making plans!)
so much of it is forgetting scissors, a piece of a model’s outfit and running out of tulle - and either asking someone to either run and grab it, or simply doing without. a huge chunk of it is accounting for large amounts of inventory, both our own and the vast amount we brought in on consignment. a lot of it is delegation (shoutout to our lovely employees). it’s a lot of chaos and nerves. but the rest of it was excitement, and ultimately being able to say that we were proud of the outcome.
so even though this post was a long time coming, we want to say thank you again to everyone involved and everyone who came out to support. it’s a pleasure doing business with you all, customers and entrepreneurs alike.
Linda
our fashion show on Wednesday evening was a big success! our many appreciative THANKS go to:
- Katherine Richardson and SIFE
- Barrett Ward, Jordan Duncan, and fashionABLE
- Matt Ward of Blood:Water Mission
- Sarah Hale of Free the Nations
- Thistle Farms
- Belmont’s SGA
- Our fellow entrepreneurs:
- Buzzy’s Candy Store
- Ross Hill of DormStor
- WePicture.us Photobooth
- Vinyl Thief
- Sarah Sidwell and Cassie Schreiner
- Our models: Lauren Lewis, JJ Mann, Bryant Lowry, Lauren DeLeary, Ashley Anderson, Sarah McEvoy, Charlie Dankert, Amanda Bell, Kelsey Merges, Pomai Verzon, Kesleah Hall, Kathryn Byrd, Nathan McHenry, and Danni Kosturko
- And all of our wonderful employees for their help amidst complete chaos: Hannah, Natalie, Avery, Chelsi, Chelsey, and Luke
a more thorough update on the evening with pictures to come. THANK YOU for making Michelle and I’s first fashion show so, so much fun.
Linda
as you may have heard, we have partnered with the awesome SIFE team to put on a F/W fashion show! it will be on Wednesday, November 30th in the Neely Dining Hall @ 7pm.
why should I care?, you might ask. I’ve come up with a handy list that explains why.
1. you’d be supporting socially responsible businesses. they not only create top notch products, they are sustained by as well as benefit people in need. by attending, you’ll get to learn the story behind philanthropic business.
learn more about the brands being represented: Blood:Water Mission, Thistle Farms, fashionABLE, FEED, TOMS, Free the Nations
2. get your holiday shopping done. we will have merchandise tables set up at the show as well as have extended store hours that night.
3. 20% off women’s TOMS and 40% off mens TOMS that night only at the store. you won’t find them cheaper anywhere else, so you may as well go ahead and stock up. for your family, for your friends, for yourself…
4. we have a live band! Vinyl Thief is playing.
5. the guys with WePictureUs will have a photobooth set up so all of our event attenders can revel in shameless self-picture taking.
6. you are supporting the entrepreneurial spirit of Belmont’s College of Business. this event is a collaboration between many of your peers, their talents and their start-ups. if you come out, you get to contribute to their success and further their exposure.
6. our event is convo credit! personal/professional growth, in fact.
the entire evening will basically be a big party with shopping, models, and plenty of music. AND convo credit. you’re getting convo credit for partying for a cause. it doesn’t get much better than that.
we would love to SEE YOU there :)
-Linda
hey readers!
if this morning was any indication, fall has officially arrived, and so has the month of October. we wrapped up September biting our nails but ultimately finished off the month with a bang, exceeding projected sales which makes us managers very happy business majors. we’re glad that all of our new inventory is making many of you not only repeat customers but friendly, familiar faces.
in running any business, it’s gratifying to see how your choices influence or effect other people. it sounds silly, but whenever I go shopping and find something I fall in love with, it always perks up my day a little bit if I end up taking something beautiful home. (retail therapy is real, guys.) fashion and style may be trivial to many but personally, I think it’s certainly worth some effort.
buying for a store is a lot of fun when you get to see strangers out and about wearing pieces that you’ve picked out. it’s an affirmation that we must be doing something right, and motivates us to bring you guys even better inventory every time we put in a new order.
with any change of season, you always need a couple of new pieces to amp up your wardrobe. (we have a couple of new coats as well as long sleeve tops for the chillier weather.) if you didn’t know, we’re a stones throw away from bongo and we’d love to have you over. stop by and see us 11-7, Monday through Saturday.
enjoy a few pictures of some of our most recent arrivals. of course we love us some TOMS, new fashionABLE scarves and obviously we’re a little obsessed with the beautiful philanthropic jewelry line Free the Nations.
til next time!
Linda
hey readers,
just wanted to let everyone know that we just got in a new shipment of TOMS last week! I’m especially loving the University Navy - I’m actually wearing them right now. even though they’re simple, the stripes add a subtle pop to any plain outfit. I love how collegiate they are, and they’re perfect for fall. then again, I just have a thing for stripes period.
of course we have all of these for sale right now in the store, but for your purchasing convenience, we’ll also have all of these styles (plus another small shipment is coming in this week) available at the TOMS Start Something That Matters Convo on September 28th. make sure to come out for a screening of an exclusive documentary featuring the founder of TOMS, Blake Mycoskie and his mission to “start something that matters” as well as a panel that will discuss the impact of social entrepreneurship on our society.
can’t wait to see you all there :)
Linda
