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Independent Thinking Podcast

223: A Lesson in Effectively Leveraging Data from King’s Great Buys Plus

223: A Lesson in Effectively Leveraging Data from King’s Great Buys Plus

When he was a part of the NMG team, Mike Manthey was a driving force behind the group’s data initiative. Now, as a part of the King’s Great Buys Plus team, he’s leveraging NMG’s data-powered tools like PriMetrix to help grow and evolve the business while also exploring new markets.

222: The Role of Education in Building a Strong Company Culture at Martin Appliance

222: The Role of Education in Building a Strong Company Culture at Martin Appliance

There are many different elements that help to build (or develop) a company’s culture. How much emphasis you place on certain areas can ultimately help set that culture. For Martin Appliance in central Pennsylvania, education is one area that they’ve decided to invest heavily in – and it’s paying off in a major way.

221: Focus On the In-Store Experience Has Been Key to Success for Mattress Direct

221: Focus On the In-Store Experience Has Been Key to Success for Mattress Direct

There are so many factors that go into the overall success of any independent retail business, but it’s those one or two special areas that you excel at that truly take your business to the next level. For Lee Burns, CEO & Founder of Mattress Direct, it’s been his commitment to an exceptional (and innovative) in-store experience. 

220: CW Technologies Owners Shares Unique Origin Story

220: CW Technologies Owners Shares Unique Origin Story

Carlos Warlick, owner of CW Technologies in Southern California, has one of the craziest AV industry origin stories out there. After getting his start by doing intern-like work at a big music studio, he found himself pimpin’ rides well before Xhibit was doing his thing on MTV. That parlayed into a successful and growing custom integration business that he runs today.

219: PROJECT: automate Founder Pays It Forward During Oasys Summit

219: PROJECT: automate Founder Pays It Forward During Oasys Summit

Josh Trevithick founded his custom integration company, PROJECT: automate, a little over two decades ago, but he just recently joined Oasys Residential Technology Group – and he’s already realizing the return on his investment. During the recent Oasys Summit, Trevithick sat down to talk about his early experience in the group and how he hopes to pay it forward.

218: Frank Sterns Chats On New Role and the Parallels to Previous Stops

218: Frank Sterns Chats On New Role and the Parallels to Previous Stops

Just a few weeks after being formally introduced as a consultant for Nationwide Marketing Group’s Custom Integration division, Frank Sterns was with the group in Austin for the second-annual Oasys Summit. There, we sat down with him to talk about his first in-person experience with the group as a part of the team, and we dove into his career history and his vision for the group.

217: Howard’s Leans Into the Nature of Its Sales Team to Boost Its Product Protection Pitch

217: Howard’s Leans Into the Nature of Its Sales Team to Boost Its Product Protection Pitch

In an industry where the battle for margins enhancement is ongoing, something like product protection programs should be a no-brainer to business owners. But how you – and your sales team – approaches product protection with your customers can make or break the pitch. Howard’s is a great example of a retailer that understands what makes its sales team tick, and leaning into that to improve their attachment rates.

216: Their Startup Mentality Has Helped BEDGEAR Become One of the Fastest Growing Sleep Brands

216: Their Startup Mentality Has Helped BEDGEAR Become One of the Fastest Growing Sleep Brands

Founded in 2009, BEDGEAR has quickly become one of the fastest-growing performance sleep brands in the world, and it’s no accident either.

215: Understanding the Cost of Doing Business as an Independent Retailer

215: Understanding the Cost of Doing Business as an Independent Retailer

What if there was a way to benchmark your business against others in just about every aspect? That’s exactly what NMG’s new Cost of Doing Business study aims to solve.

214: Victrola Helps Bring Vinyl Back Into the Mainstream

214: Victrola Helps Bring Vinyl Back Into the Mainstream

Victrola is helping independent retailers capitalize on the resurgence of the record industry by offering innovative and modernized turntables. Don Inmon, head of product and brand there, dives into the category and their portfolio.

213: A Furniture, Bedding and Outdoor Update with Jeff Rose

213: A Furniture, Bedding and Outdoor Update with Jeff Rose

It was a truly action packed PrimeTime for the NMG Furniture, Bedding & Outdoor team. At the end of it all, we caught up with Jeff Rose, VP of the division, to talk about the new vendor introductions, the first-ever tour offered to Members of the World Market Center campus and other trends impacting the furniture, bedding and outdoor industries.

212: How Much Better Can TVs Get? We Ask TCL That Very Question.

212: How Much Better Can TVs Get? We Ask TCL That Very Question.

The TV market is a truly fascinating one to follow. Screen sizes continue to get bigger and picture quality continues to get more vibrant and clearer. But how much better can these displays actually get? We sat down with Bruce Walker, product evangelist at TCL, to get a – ahem – clearer picture of what’s in store for TV technology.

211: Checking In with Chris Whitley and Ellipsys Commercial Technology Group

211: Checking In with Chris Whitley and Ellipsys Commercial Technology Group

A year in, we sat down with Chris Whitley to talk about the launch and growth of Ellipsys Commercial Technology Group and what’s ahead for his expanding network.

210: An Economic and Inventory Financing Overview with Wells Fargo

210: An Economic and Inventory Financing Overview with Wells Fargo

You can’t have a conversation about the retail industry without talking about the current status of the economy or where it’s heading. We did just that with Velicia Sutton, managing director and general manager for Wells Fargo. In addition, Velicia dives into the world of inventory financing and shares how independent retailers can leverage this available benefit to free up cash to focus on other areas of their business.

209: Tip Top Furniture’s Mother-Son Duo Shares Secrets to Sustained Success

209: Tip Top Furniture’s Mother-Son Duo Shares Secrets to Sustained Success

Founded by Ken Dudley in 1978, Tip Top Furniture in Freehold, New York, has seen three generations of Dudley’s take their place at the head of the family business. Currently run by Donna Mae, she and son Colby sat down for an interview during PrimeTime to talk about the keys to their multi-generational success and how they manage to merchandise a store that – at 35,000 square feet – can truly hold the entire population of Freehold.

208: US EPA’s Dan Cronin Makes His First Visit to a PrimeTime, Highlights ENERGY STAR Program

208: US EPA’s Dan Cronin Makes His First Visit to a PrimeTime, Highlights ENERGY STAR Program

While with us in Las Vegas for his first experience at a PrimeTime event, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Program Manager Dan Cronin sat down for a podcast. Cronin recounted his experience at the show, talked about the just announced Partner of the Year Awards (of which, NMG was an honoree) and much more. 

207: Nastasi’s Shares the Secrets to Its Four Generations of Success

207: Nastasi’s Shares the Secrets to Its Four Generations of Success

The odds of a family-owned business making it past the second generation are never really great. So, the fact that Oaklyn, NJ-based Nastasi’s is currently a fourth-generation owned and operated independent retail store is simply miraculous.

206: A Deep Dive Into OneShop, NMG’s Simplified Digital Solutions Platform

206: A Deep Dive Into OneShop, NMG’s Simplified Digital Solutions Platform

Unveiled during PrimeTime in Las Vegas this week, OneShop is Nationwide Marketing Group’s revamped and upgraded digital solutions platform that’s tailored to the needs of the independent retail channel.

205: Powerhouse Alliance Talks Tech Trends and More

205: Powerhouse Alliance Talks Tech Trends and More

Powerhouse Alliance Executive Director Dennis Holzer dives into the world of distributor buying groups with us and talks about the trends in product and purchasing that they see on the distributor side of the business.

204: Rent One CEO Shares Success Story, Highlights Importance of People

204: Rent One CEO Shares Success Story, Highlights Importance of People

Larry Carrico was presented with a unique opportunity early in his career to take over a rent-to-own business deep in the south. From that one location, he’s been able to grow Rent One into a massively successful multi-state, 100-store operation.