Kate Noreen is fearless. Ask anyone.
Prior to buying Mudpuddles, Kate had many years of experience running a variety of retail stores as a manager. So, when the time was right, she jumped at the opportunity to own and run her own store. Kate, after all, is the kind of person who jumps in and makes things happen.
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Not many people can do what Kate has when it comes to making her store a community landmark, and offering a personal, delightful shopping experience for her customers.
Topics Discussed in this Podcast
- The experiences that prepared her to succeed in her own store (and how working for Starbucks early on accelerated her growth)
- Cultivating an enthusiastic, effective team
- What drives her: helping others reach their goals, and providing excellent customer service
- Building relationships with your community
- Her attitude of service. She wanted to start her own business, but first looked out at what the community needs
- Collaborating with other toy store owners
- When the right time to start your own business is
- Competing with the likes of Walmart, Amazon, and Target
- Choosing what toys and books to stock
- Store design
- Creating an excellent customer experience
- Financing a small business, building relationships with a bank
You can find more Kate and her business, Mudpuddles Toys and Books at https://mudpuddlestoys.com/ and at 16420 SW Langer Dr, Sherwood, OR 97140
She also recently bought Child’s Play, located at 2305 NW Kearney St, Portland, OR 97210
Find more episodes at nicholaspihl.com, and Why Try Podcast on Facebook
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:15:10 — 61.8MB)