By Beth Rich
I’m the person who pulls into the airport parking garage — maybe with just enough time to get through security and catch my flight — and sees the sign that says, “Sorry, this level is full,” and immediately thinks, “No, it’s not. How do you know, Mr. Parking Garage Police?” No one is standing there counting cars coming and going. So I drive right past the sign and circle the level anyway — and about 90% of the time, I find a spot. That’s my definition of optimism.
Webster defines optimism as being hopeful and confident about the future. I’m a firm believer that to be a successful retailer — or a successful businessperson of any kind for that matter — you have to have an attitude of optimism. If you don’t think something is going to be successful, the chances of it actually being successful are diminished.
Of course, there’s a lot of hard work, planning, effort and thought that goes into building a successful business. But the underlying idea — the foundation, really — is optimism. Optimism fuels drive. Drive fuels hard work. And hard work fuels success. That’s true whether you’re in
retail or any other industry.
So where does optimism come from?
The answer varies from person to person. For me, my optimistic nature came largely from the influence of my parents growing up. My dad died when I was in college and left my 47-year-old mother with four children in college and one still in high school. She easily could have chosen not to have a hopeful or confident outlook about the future, but she didn’t.
Recently, I helped pack up some of my mother’s things as she prepared to move into assisted living at the age of 88. One of the things I found was a tattered, well-worn copy of Norman Vincent Peale‘s You Can If You Think You Can. A smile crossed my face as I held the book, because it perfectly captured the attitude she had all those years before and after my dad died. Her perspective was simple: if I wanted to do something, there was nothing that could stop me. I could if I thought I could.
Now, I understand that optimism by itself doesn’t pay the bills, cover payroll or improve your profit margin. But it does create the mindset that allows you to keep going when business conditions get tough — and if you’ve been in retail long enough, you know that every year brings its own version of tough.
The real magic happens when optimism and realism work together. Optimism is the belief that great things are possible. Realism is the discipline to do the work required to make those things happen. Retailers live in that balance every day — dreaming about what could be while simultaneously analyzing margins, watching inventory levels and making smart buying decisions.
If you attended the winter markets in Dallas, Atlanta or New York this past January, you may have felt the optimism that seemed to permeate the showrooms. Vendors appeared encouraged by the quality and quantity of orders being placed, which in turn reflected the positive attitude retailers had about the year ahead.
After a year of uncertainty and disruption in our industry, it felt like people were ready to turn the calendar page and move forward. When I return from market season at the beginning of the year with enthusiasm and excitement about the merchandise we’ve sourced for the store, that energy spreads quickly through the team. I can see my associates getting excited about shipments arriving and displays coming together. Suddenly, everyone is imagining what the store will look like in the months ahead. The collective sentiment becomes: This is going to be a great year.
As retailers, optimism is often what drives us to take the leap in the first place. No one opens or buys a store thinking, “I’m not sure this will work, but I’ll give it a try anyway.” We do it because we believe in the idea, the product, the opportunity or the experience we want to create.
We believe customers will love what we’re bringing to the table. That optimism trickles down to our employees, and from them it flows to our
customers. And when customers feel good in your store, they want to stay longer, come back more often and share that experience with others.
Optimism doesn’t replace strategy, planning or hard work. But it does create the energy that makes all those things possible.
Let’s hold onto the optimism that drove us to open our stores in the first place. Let’s continue believing that great merchandise, thoughtful
experiences and strong relationships will keep customers coming through our doors.
Because optimism isn’t naïve — it’s necessary. It’s the mindset that keeps us buying, building, merchandising and improving even when the road ahead isn’t perfectly clear. After all, sometimes the sign says the first level is full. But if you’re optimistic enough to drive around once more, chances are you’ll find a spot.
Rich is the owner of Mix It Up Home & Gift in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
