<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;With host retail coach &lt;a href= "https://wendybatten.com/"&gt;Wendy Batten&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://wendybatten.com/podcast-intro/"&gt;https://wendybatten.com/podcast-intro/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;In This Episode: &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;As an independent retailer, the end of the year is a perfect time to pause, reflect, and plan for the future. In this episode of the Creative Shop Talk Podcast, I’m sharing five powerful questions that can help you evaluate your past year, identify growth opportunities, and set intentional goals for 2025. Whether you're looking to streamline your operations, grow your customer base, or simply realign your business with your values, these insights are tailored to help small business owners thrive.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;If you are dreading making a plan for your retail shop in 2025, I have something for you: &lt;a href= "https://wendybatten.thrivecart.com/bestyear/"&gt;Design Your Best Retail Year Ever&lt;/a&gt; is available for purchase as a stand-alone workshop (or free for you if you are a member of The Retailer’s inner Circle program)! &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;This workshop has been named a favorite by so many of my clients. It’s truly an invaluable resource that every retail shop owner can use - whether you love to plan or dread it. Grab it today, or join the &lt;a href= "https://wendybatten.com/wendy-battens-inner-circle/"&gt;Retailer’s Inner Circle&lt;/a&gt; and it’s included in your membership - along with a “pantry” full of other masterclasses and resources for you to grab when you need them. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;Episode Highlights:&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;1. Reflect on Success: Use five reflective questions to assess your year and identify areas of improvement.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li dir="ltr" aria-level="2"&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr" role="presentation"&gt;What do I wish I had done better?&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li dir="ltr" aria-level="2"&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr" role="presentation"&gt;What am I most proud of?&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li dir="ltr" aria-level="2"&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr" role="presentation"&gt;What am I worried about?&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li dir="ltr" aria-level="2"&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr" role="presentation"&gt;What do I want to be proud of next year?&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li dir="ltr" aria-level="2"&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr" role="presentation"&gt;Do my goals align with my vision?&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;2. Plan with Purpose: Embrace the Design Your Best Year Ever workshop to map out a clear and intentional plan for 2025.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;3. Community Matters: Join a supportive retailer network to share insights, get inspired, and stay accountable.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;4. Mindset Shift: Replace worry with clarity by addressing concerns directly and creating actionable steps.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;"Success is yours, but you have to design it." -Wendy Batten&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;Related podcasts we think you’ll like: &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;&lt;a href="https://wendybatten.com/194/"&gt;Episode 194&lt;/a&gt;: Feeling Stuck? 20 Prompts to Help Flip Your Mindset&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;&lt;a href="https://wendybatten.com/197/"&gt;Episode 197&lt;/a&gt;: A Monthly Debrief: A Simple Activity All Retail Shop Owners Should Be Doing&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;&lt;a href="https://wendybatten.com/208/"&gt;Episode 208&lt;/a&gt;: Stack Your Team with Guest Expert Shelli Warren&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;About your host, Wendy Batten&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;In case we haven’t met yet, I’m Wendy, a small business coach and founder of &lt;a href= "https://wendybatten.com/wendy-battens-inner-circle/"&gt;the Retailer’s Inner Circle,&lt;/a&gt; where I help other independent shop owners learn how to gain the right business skillsets to see more profits, paychecks, and joy as they navigate running their retail business. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;Through online classes, business coaching programs, speaking, and a &lt;a href= "https://wendybatten.com/podcast-intro/"&gt;top-ranked podcast&lt;/a&gt;, I’ve helped hundreds of retailers around the globe reclaim their dreams and see the success they want from their beautiful shops. My signature private coaching community, &lt;a href= "https://wendybatten.com/wendy-battens-inner-circle/"&gt;The Retailer’s Inner Circle&lt;/a&gt;, has helped retailers around the world build their retail business skill sets and confidence. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;I am proud to have been featured in several major publications, including my own business column in What Women Create magazine. I have been privileged to be a guest on top-ranked podcasts and sought-after as a guest speaker and teacher for several brands, associations, and communities that are passionate about the success of independent retailers.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;When I’m not coaching, you will find me either DIYing and renovating my very imperfect old crooked cottage by the sea in the UNESCO World Heritage town of Lunenburg, NS, or blogging about our travel and RVing adventures and the weird fun things we get up to in our coastal village. I’d love to invite you to check out one of my free resources for real retailers at &lt;a href= "https://wendybatten.com/free-resources/"&gt;https://wendybatten.com/free-resources/&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;For more support from Wendy&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;&lt;a href="http://wendybatten.com/join/"&gt;Retailer’s Inner Circle - Join Wendy inside the best retailer’s community&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;&lt;a href="https://wendybatten.com/free-resources/"&gt;Free resources for shop owners &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://www.instagram.com/wendybatten.biz/"&gt;Hang out and connect with Wendy on IG &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;&lt;a href="https://wendybatten.com/free-resources/"&gt;All of Wendy’s programs and services for shop owners can be found&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://wendybatten.com/work-with-me/"&gt;HERE.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href= "https://wendybatten.com/free-resources/"&gt; &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://wendybatten.com/free-resources/"&gt;Subscribe &amp; Review on iTunes&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;&lt;a href="https://wendybatten.com/free-resources/"&gt;Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, I’d love you to consider it. Subscribing means you won’t miss an episode!&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href= "https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/creative-shop-talk-with-wendy-batten/id1496016036"&gt; Click here to subscribe to iTunes!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong id= "docs-internal-guid-f23ed234-7fff-a4e8-bf3e-17a0334b25b2"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://wendybatten.com/free-resources/"&gt;If you want to be more of a rockstar, I’d love it if you could leave a review over on iTunes as well.  Those reviews help other retailers find my podcast and they’re also fun for me to go in and read.&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href= "https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/creative-shop-talk-with-wendy-batten/id1496016036"&gt; Just click here&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href= "https://wendybatten.com/free-resources/"&gt;to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. So grateful for you! Thank you&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Creative Shop Talk with Wendy Batten

Wendy Batten, Creative Retail Mentor

240. 5 Questions to Ask Yourself Now as You Design Your Year Ahead

DEC 16, 202423 MIN
Creative Shop Talk with Wendy Batten

240. 5 Questions to Ask Yourself Now as You Design Your Year Ahead

DEC 16, 202423 MIN

Description

 With host retail coach Wendy Batten

 

https://wendybatten.com/podcast-intro/

 

In This Episode: 

As an independent retailer, the end of the year is a perfect time to pause, reflect, and plan for the future. In this episode of the Creative Shop Talk Podcast, I’m sharing five powerful questions that can help you evaluate your past year, identify growth opportunities, and set intentional goals for 2025. Whether you're looking to streamline your operations, grow your customer base, or simply realign your business with your values, these insights are tailored to help small business owners thrive.

 

If you are dreading making a plan for your retail shop in 2025, I have something for you: Design Your Best Retail Year Ever is available for purchase as a stand-alone workshop (or free for you if you are a member of The Retailer’s inner Circle program)! 

 

This workshop has been named a favorite by so many of my clients. It’s truly an invaluable resource that every retail shop owner can use - whether you love to plan or dread it. Grab it today, or join the Retailer’s Inner Circle and it’s included in your membership - along with a “pantry” full of other masterclasses and resources for you to grab when you need them. 

 

Episode Highlights:

1. Reflect on Success: Use five reflective questions to assess your year and identify areas of improvement.

  • What do I wish I had done better?

  • What am I most proud of?

  • What am I worried about?

  • What do I want to be proud of next year?

  • Do my goals align with my vision?

2. Plan with Purpose: Embrace the Design Your Best Year Ever workshop to map out a clear and intentional plan for 2025.

3. Community Matters: Join a supportive retailer network to share insights, get inspired, and stay accountable.

4. Mindset Shift: Replace worry with clarity by addressing concerns directly and creating actionable steps.

"Success is yours, but you have to design it." -Wendy Batten

 

Related podcasts we think you’ll like: 

 

Episode 194: Feeling Stuck? 20 Prompts to Help Flip Your Mindset

Episode 197: A Monthly Debrief: A Simple Activity All Retail Shop Owners Should Be Doing

Episode 208: Stack Your Team with Guest Expert Shelli Warren

About your host, Wendy Batten

In case we haven’t met yet, I’m Wendy, a small business coach and founder of the Retailer’s Inner Circle, where I help other independent shop owners learn how to gain the right business skillsets to see more profits, paychecks, and joy as they navigate running their retail business. 

Through online classes, business coaching programs, speaking, and a top-ranked podcast, I’ve helped hundreds of retailers around the globe reclaim their dreams and see the success they want from their beautiful shops. My signature private coaching community, The Retailer’s Inner Circle, has helped retailers around the world build their retail business skill sets and confidence. 

I am proud to have been featured in several major publications, including my own business column in What Women Create magazine. I have been privileged to be a guest on top-ranked podcasts and sought-after as a guest speaker and teacher for several brands, associations, and communities that are passionate about the success of independent retailers.

When I’m not coaching, you will find me either DIYing and renovating my very imperfect old crooked cottage by the sea in the UNESCO World Heritage town of Lunenburg, NS, or blogging about our travel and RVing adventures and the weird fun things we get up to in our coastal village. I’d love to invite you to check out one of my free resources for real retailers at https://wendybatten.com/free-resources/ 

 

For more support from Wendy

 

Retailer’s Inner Circle - Join Wendy inside the best retailer’s community

 

Free resources for shop owners 

 

Hang out and connect with Wendy on IG 

 

All of Wendy’s programs and services for shop owners can be found HERE. 

Subscribe & Review on iTunes

Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, I’d love you to consider it. Subscribing means you won’t miss an episode! Click here to subscribe to iTunes!

If you want to be more of a rockstar, I’d love it if you could leave a review over on iTunes as well.  Those reviews help other retailers find my podcast and they’re also fun for me to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. So grateful for you! Thank you