The Third Growth Option with Benno Duenkelsbuehler and Guests
Welcome to The Third Growth Option, where we're not just talking about growth—we're making it our mission.
At TGO, we understand that success isn't a fixed destination; it's an ongoing journey with twists, turns, and unexpected detours that take us to new places. Those moments are our Third Growth Options, where we throw away binary choices to create our own path.
Hosted by Benno Duenkelsbuehler, O.G #GrowthNerd, we're on a mission to redefine success inside and outside of business, one episode at a time. From humble beginnings to Fortune 500 companies, our stories are not just about business—it's about the relentless pursuit of greatness in every aspect of life.
With each episode, we don’t just want to share insights—we want to empower business owners across all frontiers to carve their own path to success, their way.
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The Third Growth Option with Benno Duenkelsbuehler and Guests
The Power of Strategic Focus and Community
Are you looking for a Third Growth Option ℠ ?
What does it take to build a soulful brand that resonates deeply with its community? In this episode of the Third Growth Officer podcast, we sit down with Nora Napientek, the creative force behind the celebrated company, and Janice Christensen, the first employee and president, to uncover the secrets behind their incredible journey. From Nora’s memorable marketing stunts, like balancing a platter on her head, to the support she received from her brother during challenging times, we explore the resilience and innovation that have become the hallmarks of their brand. Learn how their commitment to an authentic community within market booths and beyond has been integral to their success.
Discover the importance of deliberate and intentional growth as Nora and Janice share their philosophy of prioritizing long-term goals over immediate financial gains. They reveal how being selective about partnerships and maintaining a steady pace has allowed them to nurture genuine relationships with partners and customers. This thoughtful approach has not only fostered mutual growth and sustainability but also helped build a brand that truly connects with retailers. The significance of saying no to misaligned opportunities underscores their strategic vision and dedication to maintaining brand integrity.
We also discuss the dynamics of successful business partnerships and how diversity within a team can drive success. Nora and Janice emphasize the value of hiring for character and training for skill, showcasing how different personalities and skill sets can enhance a business unit. Their insights into unique sales strategies and thoughtful philanthropy offer valuable lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs. By extending their willingness to assist anyone in the industry, Nora and Janice highlight the importance of community support and collaboration. Tune in for a masterclass in sustainable growth and learn how to foster a supportive entrepreneurial environment.
Always growing.
Benno Duenkelsbuehler
CEO & Chief Sherpa of (re)ALIGN
Hey, welcome to the Third Growth Officer podcast, where we talk about all things growth, yes, even and especially those hard parts where you shed some skin and pick yourself up by the bootstraps. Hey, I'm Benno Dunkelspüler, growth sherpa and OG hashtag growth nerd. We're on a mission to redefine success inside and outside the business, one TGO episode at a time.
Speaker 2:Hi guys, I'm Nora with Nora Fleming. I founded Nora Fleming 20 years ago this year and I'm super excited to share our story with you guys today. We are coming live from you. I'm in Chicago.
Speaker 3:And I'm Janice Christensen, president of Nora Fleming, first employee and been with the company for 16 years and really proud and excited to be part of our amazing team. Looking forward to today.
Speaker 4:So thank you so much, both of you, nora and Janice, for coming on this podcast. Nora Fleming as a company is sort of well-known I think I can use the word legendary in the sense that it's unique. People know what you do. I'm just excited to learn more about the origin story and then talk a little bit about your philosophy on growth and business and branding and people, and we'll get into all kinds of things. But I'll leave it open to who wants to answer or just start us on. Actually, I'm going to ask a question around your. I read this in this article that, janice, you had sent me how Nora Fleming spent the first 10 years in the temporary booths at the Atlanta market and, nora, rumor has it so it was written that you would walk up and down the aisles balancing a plate on top of your head is that what's up with that?
Speaker 2:yeah, unfortunately that is a true story. Um, as any small business owner knows, or new entrepreneur knows, it's very hard to get your concept out there. So I was just finding people walking by not really understanding the concept of what we were doing. Um, so I came up with a little ploy to walk up and down the aisle with platters on my head, and of course that stopped people, because who's the crazy lady with a ceramic platter on her head. And then it gave me the opportunity to explain what we do. When people would ask what are you doing with the platter on your head, I could explain how they were all interchangeable and how each piece is a base piece that can work with many different seasons or celebrations. So it kind of gave me an opening to talk to people, if you will.
Speaker 4:I think some people I have referred I have heard that being referred to, as you know, burning your cool card, losing you know? Oh, it was gone right away. Pride's a renewable resource, right?
Speaker 2:Gone right away. But you know you, you didn't care, you just wanted to to just garnish five minutes of somebody's time, um, so that's really all we were looking to do, and nine times out of 10, they were like oh, never, never thought of that. I wish I had thought of that, so so that I never got any bad reactions from it. So that was good and, as far as the temps go, yeah, that was our home for 10 years. Um, very purposefully, um, we kind of made our own little family and our aisle and building three.
Speaker 2:um. As the years went by and as we grew, we would just kind of take up more and more space and then, about 10 years in, we decided that it was time for us to move up to our own showroom. It was really nice. It's always been our company's philosophy to try and help the newer companies. So as we grew we knew we would draw some crowds in and we would get really excited about telling our new neighbors who hadn't been to market before what our busy hours were, what to expect at certain times of the day, and it also gave us an opportunity to introduce our clientele to our neighbors, you know, on different sides of the of the hallway, which was, which was just an amazing opportunity to be given.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think that was really deliberate in the sense that it was such a community, because everyone's right by you and you can point people. That way you can still do it in the showroom, but it's a lot easier when the booth is really two down and do you have a staple gun, and all of that taking place in those final hours before we're ready to open. It really is a different sense of community there. And so it was 10 by 10 and then 10 by 20. Then we've got a 10 by 30. And eventually we thought, okay, we're dragging so much stuff down here, maybe it's time to open up a showroom. But it was really fun and a great community it really was.
Speaker 4:And I think this sense of community is really integral to the brand, to the product, to the way you behave as a team and as individuals, Talk a little bit more about. Well, I'm guessing that the sense of community is largely I mean, it had to have originated from the founder, Nora, and then also Janice, your employee number one for 16 of this 20-year journey so far. But it's just about kind of being. I mean, Nora, the person, and Nora Fleming, the brand, are kind of the same thing. Is that how you see it, Nora?
Speaker 2:um, it is how I would like to see it. Yes, um, both of my personas kind of play off each other. Um, I? I'd like to start by saying so.
Speaker 2:I started the company with my brother originally 20 years ago. It was was just the two of us, Um, so it really does come from like a true family um origin story. And when it when it started, I was just making them myself in the basement and I had had my first child, so I was kind of doing it, kind of not doing it. And then I had had my second child and she was born with some medical difficulties and I had severe postpartum depression with her Um, so I kind of dropped out of the world altogether. At that point my brother came to me and said people really like your art. I don't want to see this as a setback. Let let's, you know, let me take over. And I kind of handed over the reins to him while I focused on her and getting myself back in a in a mentally healthy space. Um, so that's like because it comes from such a vulnerable origin Um, I think that's really the personality of the brand.
Speaker 2:Even 20 years later, you know, people are much more likely to be vulnerable in our community. Um, I'm sure we'll get into this more later, but every time I do a signing, there are people who come up who tell the most beautiful stories of what these little porcelain figures mean to them. I never would have guessed back in the day, but now, in retrospect, I really see that it was born of a need for vulnerability and patience and kindness and understanding. So, yes, 100% I agree with you, Benno, that me, the person I hope to be, is the person I try and be in that brand image as well.
Speaker 4:And the other community aspect. Right is the product itself, because it is tabletop entertaining that people use. I mean, the product is used, you know, usually not when one person is having a TV dinner, right, right right.
Speaker 3:Right it is. It's a gathering, and you know obviously any kind of gathering which could be a happy gathering, but not always. You know, you, that community happens even at times that are sad or when you're trying to pull together and figure something out. And there is that sense of customization to the gift too. It's not just any gift. I chose this mini for you. I saw this and I purchased this mini for you, and I think that community extends not only to our retailers but also to our partners, obviously the team as well.
Speaker 3:That sense of community you know obviously the team as well. That sense of community, all those kind of interlocking circles, it's always that sense of we're in this together, we're doing this thing for good together, and I think that that comes out just in the way. We don't know how to operate any other way, we don't know how to be anything, but that have that sense of community. We tease with our partners. You know the other vendors that we work with. On a call like this, we'll ask are we your favorite? Do you love working with us? Is this your favorite call of the week? Are we your favorite minutes? We just want that sense of community all the time that people are happy to work with us and solve problems with us, and whatever it is, we'll figure it out, but we'll do it in a way that's good and kind for everyone, and there is a way to do that.
Speaker 2:There's a way to do it. Oftentimes we even find ourselves hanging up with one of our vendors or one of our partners and like we love you.
Speaker 4:And then you're like wow, I love you.
Speaker 2:I mean, I do love you, but I didn't mean to say it out loud.
Speaker 3:Right, but it just, it just bubbles up in, we're having fun, we're trying to solve problems and figure things out. But can we do this in a way that everybody, everybody benefits and every you can. There is a way to do that. You just have to, like, work patiently to find that way, but it can happen. It doesn't have to be always cutthroat. It is a business, yes, but can we do this in a good, kind, thoughtful, intentional manner? And we can, and that's what we try for.
Speaker 4:And I think along with what you just said is that comes the fact that you are very intentional about who your customers are and who your customers are not Right, it's sort of the magnet thing the magnet attracts half of the universe and repels the other half. Right, and you, and I think you know there's a lot of big businesses that are trying to attract everybody, you know, try to be everything to everybody and are nothing to nobody, maybe or in a soulless way, but I think you guys are being very soulful in wanting to attract and being okay with saying no to big box retailers, for example. Right, talk a little bit about how you see. How do you define growth? How do you think about growth?
Speaker 2:I'll give you a little history on that. You know, it takes a very, very long time to build a successful business and adhere to the model with which we set forth in the beginning. And we knew that we were. We knew we were going to have to be patient. Fortunately, over the 20 years that I've been doing this, I have seen or, unfortunately, um, I have seen a lot of people try to do both try to be in big box, try to be on, you know, the big home shopping networks, which there's nothing wrong with, but it's very, very hard to do both and then to be committed to small mom and pop retailers. Um, so, right out of the gate, john and I decided that we were going to take the slow and steady route and, um, and just give it time. Um, like I said, super hard because you have to be very patient. I mean, it was many, many, many, many, many years before we saw any sort of return on our investments. Um, and it was very hard to like when we were bouncing checks all across, all across the world or asking people you know, can we pay you in a week? We would get these big POs from you know, big, big, huge POs from stores and and decide to turn it down, even though our cash flow was really struggling at the time. But we knew it didn't. It didn't align with our long term goals and we wanted to be in it for future generations and, god willing, our children's children's children will be a part of this company someday. So to us it was never a hit this level and sell or hit this goal and build. It was just a very different business model.
Speaker 2:We've also People. We were so young. When we started, I was 20, let's see how old am I 20. I was 26, 25, 26. When we started selling to retailers um, no idea what we were doing my brother would have been 24, then 23, 24. I mean, we people had to teach us how to write orders. So, also, just giving credence to that and honoring those relationships with people who took such patience with us, we would, you know, the first couple of years we'd run out of stock Right in November. You know, really, really novice mistakes, because we were young and just trying to learn the whole industry. Obvious mistakes because we were young and just trying to learn the whole industry and all of these partners that we still have. Many, many, many, many of them were so patient with us that as we grew it just even became more apparent that we needed to honor that relationship more than ever. So that's kind of how it started, how we ended up with that business model, and then Janice, as we've grown- Nora's famous quote that I say a lot.
Speaker 3:But it struck me so much then, and probably strikes me even more now, is that it's more important what we've said no to than what we've said yes to. That slow and steady, deliberate, intentional, and it might be no, not right now. Know that you can be patient with things. It doesn't have to be yes to everything right this minute that you can say hold on, it's not right now, but we'll get there. And when we get there, this is going to be awesome. But it doesn't have to be everything all at once as soon as someone presents something to you. But that's part of that. You know, deliberate, intentional growth.
Speaker 3:I think, as far as you know, you said, benno, it's not for everyone, but I think the retailers that do go all in with us, then we'll go all in with them, and so if you're willing to do that, let's do this thing and you'll carry the line. Then we'll partner with you really 100%. And that's not for everyone, and that's okay. That's okay. It doesn't have to be for everyone. We would kind of rather have it be where you go into a shop and you think, oh, my goodness, they carry North Fleming, that's awesome. Not, we don't have to be in every door, it's OK, it's OK. But then that becomes. You know, explain that to your sales team, right, and your sales partners. You know, this is OK with us, it's all right. We'd rather have the right stores than all the stores.
Speaker 4:And you also, you have a requirement for a new account to come on board that they buy kind of an opening package of some sort, kind of an opening package of some sort which ends up, you know it's not a low minimum order, it's not a, you know, $200 minimum order, it's probably one or $2,000 minimum order, because you want to be, you want it to be meaningful, and it's not meaningful if they just put in three items of yours.
Speaker 2:Well, and that's what we've really learned too over the course of time. That is one thing in our philosophy that's changed a little bit. You know, when you're starting, you're so grateful that somebody wants to introduce it at all.
Speaker 2:Any dollar is a good dollar yeah you're like amazing and this is 100% from my heart and not a sales tactic at all is that people, if a store does not have all of the seasons at one time throughout the year, they're not going to be successful with it. Nine out of 10 times a customer will come in, they will be buying Nora Fleming as a gift, say for a wedding shower, and they will want a base piece of platter and then four different seasons. So we're selling Christmas trees in June, we're selling 4th of July at Christmas. I mean, as a rule of thumb.
Speaker 2:This isn't like an off thing and that's a hard sell to some people. They're like what are you talking about? It's spring, I want Easter. And you're like oh, I get it, I get what you're saying, but I guess that's also where, like, the trust comes in. And if you're willing to to understand how this program works and how people buy it for other people, then people I mean 10 out of 10 have a great success with it. So, yeah, that's kind of our opening order is not so much about like a monetary quantity, it's about having the right products and to explain it so people understand the program and people have enough of an offering that their customers can buy, you know, a breadth of a gift.
Speaker 3:Right, and we have done things to try and help with that. You know each SKU, the case pack, is three. So you know it isn't 12 minis, it's just three of them. So you know, so that you can yeah, you can offer a good percentage of the minis because there's only you know the minimum is three. So that helps as well. So we've done things to try and help the retailers out. Obviously, obviously too, but it is you have to have a decent offering there so that people can see oh look it, I'm good, I'm going to get this. She loves, you know, football, I'll grab this. And so the more you have there then, the more people can see. Right then, and there to choose those minis.
Speaker 4:And I think there's there's a lot to be said also for having the guts especially as a young I mean this was probably more gutsy in the early years than on your 20th anniversary to have the guts to say to raise the bar, which not everybody is going to be willing. I mean it will turn some retailers off, but the retailers that get it, that are into it, they become raving. I mean you have raving fans, don't you? As retailers, as end consumers?
Speaker 3:They are really there, good to us. There are retailers and consumers. They really are there. They're big fans of Nora Fleming and we're big fans of them at the same time. That cycle of goodwill is really. They're excited about our new offerings. We're excited to have them. It really it's a good cycle. I know it sounds like very Pollyanna, but the goodwill that we put out and the things that we try to create. And then the retailers I mean it really is, it's a good cycle, it is. And again, retailers I mean it really is, it's a good cycle, it is.
Speaker 2:And again like we know what works for people. So it's back to that being able to say no, you know, if somebody says no, you know I'm just a Halloween store, I just want to carry the Halloween ones, that's fine. We can have a private conversation on the side if you want to do some sort of promotional thing with a Halloween mini and a platter. But as far as being a zip code, zip code protected store of ours, you know that's, that's not going to work and, um, that took a lot of just growing up and being more confident. You know, as, as our company grew, you know, in the beginning we would have been like sure, bye, a hundred pumpkins, good luck, exactly, Exactly, um, so yeah, that's been a growing curve and a maturity curve. You know, in a um, a class curve too. You know, I've I've learned how to phrase it correctly now without sounding presumptuous or precocious. You know, just, it's, this, is this won't work for you in that way, but we can make something else work. You know, let's talk privately after market or whatever.
Speaker 4:So yeah, Are you ready to learn how to evaluate like a Sherpa so you can build new revenues like a Sherpa? Introducing our growth evaluation workshops where you will learn about growth evaluation concepts and methodologies, problem definition, growth killers, opportunity scoping and goal setting. Problem definition, growth killers, opportunity scoping and goal setting, case studies and group discussions, applied learnings, cross-functionally, and get a certificate while you're at it, for you, for your company, for your growth growth evaluation workshops. For booking, contact Alexis at realignforresultscom. Let's talk a little bit about that team. So, janice, you're employee number one and you know, I think, just the visual. Looking at the two of you, one can say that the two of you complement each other and are maybe two halves of a circle. In terms of left brain, janice, because you are kind of the integrator, maybe in EOS language, for Nora Fleming, how did you help build what is today a good-sized team of folks?
Speaker 3:Well, still a tiny team. I would say that it's probably not as large as everyone thinks it is, but we're still right at 20,. All in, that's a lot more than two. It is a lot more than two. You're right, and it's interesting that you say that about me and Nora. It's funny. I was talking to Nora's daughter at market how much Nora and I are alike and also how very different we are and those two things work so well together we it's. It's interesting really. There are some things that were really spot on lockstep and then other things that were so different, but but it all works. It really has been a great partnership I think I'm speaking for myself. I'm assuming Nora would say the same that it really has been. It's been great for both of us Absolutely, and that's another thing.
Speaker 2:You know that maturity and time has taught me as a business owner, and one of my favorite things to do is to help young entrepreneurs and young business people start their own dream and watch make it happen. And one of the things I say often is as soon as you can hire somebody who's better at something than you are, do it. I mean that's like number one advice. I mean there's nothing more important to me than putting together a team with completely different skill sets. Um, I think that's really the core at core reason for success for any, for any business, any team, any band, any anything really. Um, I think oftentimes people get into too much trouble. Get into trouble when they are trying to do too much because they're afraid to pay the money. But I'm telling you, it's going to be worth it in the long run to really build your team up of diversity and differing thought processes, different skill sets, different ways of communicating. We have some salespeople who are super introverted. We have some who are super extroverted. We know who to send to which store at which time. People are so different and we also learn from each other a tremendous amount, and that's just a blessing in and of itself too.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, those would be my pieces of advice, and I think why Janice and I work so well together is that I don't pretend like I'm organized. I'm not. I mean, if you, we travel a ton for work and forgive me, Janice, for telling your dirty secrets, but when we travel for work and we open up our suitcases, I mean you open mine and literally everything flies out. Nothing is organized, Nothing's even folded, it's just you know, a big disaster. All my makeup's from Walgreens and the Ziploc, and she opens hers and she has her proper bag with her. You know, undergarments and her dresses and her shoes are each in bags, and I mean just watching. That explains everything about our personalities. We both get the stuff there. We both end up pulling it off, but in totally different ways.
Speaker 3:It totally works and I think that for the team as well. I think one of the things is what are the things that you aren't able to teach someone? You know that culture fit you aren't able to teach someone. You know that culture fit, that desire to continue to do the good things that we're doing. You probably can't teach that. The other stuff if you can teach it, then we'll do that, we'll figure it out together. But you kind of have to decide is this the kind of thing? Do they have everything that and can we pull this team together, the things that we can't teach that? They already have that, and then the other stuff. We'll figure that all out together. You can take a course, you can brush up on things, but there's some of that that you can and that culture fit that's tough to teach someone.
Speaker 4:They say hire for character and train for skill. Hire for character and train for skill.
Speaker 3:Right, right, right. And since our position is a little bit different, especially on our sales team, our position is a little bit different than other companies might be you kind of have to look out for that and make sure you're accounting for that, our kind of Nora Fleming personality.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we almost have to set different matrix for our sales team than a traditional company would.
Speaker 2:We have some amazing rep groups that work with us, and I'm sure no one's ever said it to me directly, but I can imagine it's very challenging for some of them to be given such strict parameters with whom they can sell, versus somebody who says just go out there and get me 500 new stores. Just get me 500 new stores this month and I'll be thrilled. You know, to us it's more important to have, but you know they're paid on commission, so how do you? So? We have to come up with different ways to incentivize our sales staff um to work in that business model, which is, you know, a different, a different way of thinking, um, and it can be just as lucrative. It just we have to be cognizant of how to reward our, our people. That isn't in the traditional sales model.
Speaker 4:And you know I mean what I love about your, the way you sort of organically growing, thoughtfully growing on brand, not, you know, sticking to your knitting as as, as they say, um in, in terms of like knowing who you are and what your brand promise is. And you know, not bigger. Bigger is not better, better is better.
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 4:Right Um. I mean bigger can be better, but better is always better.
Speaker 3:Talk a little bit.
Speaker 4:So you guys have made a decision a number of years ago, I think, or maybe you have always done give back and donations, charity, and you've done. You're doing this amazing work with St Jude. Talk about that.
Speaker 2:I'll start it off a little bit. So this project came about two years before my brother passed away, so 2017, my brother and I we were donating to everybody very happily but anyone friend of a friend who was having a something sending out platters every day, platters and minis, um, or just financial donations to different organizations and it just got so diluted. So my brother and I sat down and had a meeting and we didn't have any preconceived um organization that we were going to go with, nothing like that Um. But we uh sat down and we said you know, let's really try and make a concerted effort, make a commitment to one organization and see what we can do.
Speaker 2:So we decided that point. We'd been touched by my son's best friend passed away from a brain tumor and one of our employees. A few years later her son was also touched by cancer. So it seemed very appropriate that we would go to St Jude for our first big commitment. And we went to them and we said we'd like to partner with you, We'd like to do nine minis over the course of five to six years and have all of the proceeds go to St Jude, Not having any idea how it would go, and you can take it from there, Janice, like it was just beyond.
Speaker 3:So it was those nine minis and then kind of the keepsake collector's box that had the St Jude logo on it and we focused the minis on children's themed minis. You know, a bear in the little red St Jude wagon, two hearts that a young patient had drawn, sandcastles, so other things that were kind of kid-focused but still obviously could be used in any situation. And all of the proceeds, you know, went back to St Jude. The retailers partnered with us and consumer knew that's what each mini was for. We limited the number to 10,000 of each one, you know. So we knew that's what the donation is going to be and then in the end we just finalized that this summer the total donation and it was nine minis and one keepsake box and that donation was just over $1.1 million from Nora Fleming.
Speaker 3:From those 10 pieces, $1.1 million, wow, yeah, which just shows that everyone kind of grouping together focusing on that. You know that's the difference that you can make. But if you think of our product offering, it was one mini, it was one mini. Right, there are other minis. We, you know we had the proceeds from all the other minis. It was one. So we were sharing one of a part. It wasn't, it was a commitment, but it you know we could still carry on business wise. It was, it was a good decision.
Speaker 4:Great.
Speaker 2:And people were just we. We really found, too, that people are just really excited to be part of something bigger than themselves. This whole notion of purposeful buying is it's true? I mean, I, I, I can't believe how how many people want to. When, given the choice between A and B, and they like them, you know, equal, even if they like B a little bit more. But A is giving back, they're going to buy A. Um, so it's been it's, it's been very eyeopening and very? Um inspiring to know that that humanity still has that amazing goodness in it and that we haven't lost that as consumers. You know, you always hear like we just want to consume more stuff, but what I see from where I sit is that people want to consume stuff that matters and stuff that makes them feel good when they bring it out or display it in their home them feel good when they bring it out or display it in their home.
Speaker 3:And we've kind of, now that we're finished with St Jude, we've carried that on with another product line whose entire intention is to continue the give back, now to 10 different causes, and it's colorful silicone rims that add on to our round melamine platters, it's called Band Together and most recently we added, as the 10th partner, hard on Main Street. So that's giving back to the retailers and again, that's just another way for everyone to partner together and do this thing together.
Speaker 2:Jay, since Hard on Main is so new, can you explain that maybe to any listeners who don't know much about it? It's just such a neat organization. I'm so proud that we're part of it, and Janice We've had Patrick Kaiser on another podcast.
Speaker 4:We've had Patrick Kaiser on another podcast also. Do tell Janice.
Speaker 2:Janice, she really spearheaded this from the Nora Fleming side and I just couldn't be more proud.
Speaker 3:Well, and it kind of came out of you know a mistake actually that we made. We started the Band Together program with nine colors and we didn't forget purple. But we didn't have room for everything. So we knew we have room for everything. So we knew we were missing a color.
Speaker 3:The Baltimore Ravens people were the most upset by this. The TCU people were upset. You know, there was no purple, so we were going to have to make a purple band and then I just thought why don't we just take this band and why don't we do it to Heart on Main Street and so that you know that's the cause to help those retailers? You know, not only with the webinars and you know that programming, but also if there's a natural disaster and a retailer needs help, then with financial support and a great story about that, our manufacturing partner was so moved by this that even they helped on our pricing so that we can make a bigger donation to Hard On Main Street and if that's not true partnership that everybody's pitching in so that we can all help the independent retailers.
Speaker 3:I mean that really that has been a great and I think we're the first vendor who has said we're going to take this product and this product can be for Heart on Main Street, but just like the St Jude minis, you know you can do this. It's just take the, you know, make a candle or make a pair of earrings and just say we're going to do this for Heart and Main Street or whatever cause. We're already doing this, we're already doing the product development. You're just intentionally setting aside this. One product is for this cause.
Speaker 4:I love it. You know. I think this is a good place to wrap it up. I do have. I'm going to just plug your website here so you don't have to do it, because you keep talking about minis and people need to check out noraflemmingcom and and understand what that is it's. You guys have a very cool product line, I think it's um. I thank you so much for sharing just your. You know your story, your thoughts on branding and growing and better is better, not bigger is better, necessarily. And you know what you're doing for your various communities I think is heartwarming and it's wonderful and congratulations.
Speaker 3:Thank you so much. Thank you for letting us share and and spending time with us today.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much. And just as a last note, if anyone needs help out there in the industry or or has any further questions, you can reach Janice and I very easily just through our emails. I'm I'm Nora at Nora Fleming and Janice is Janice at Nora Fleming, one M in the Fleming. But it would truly be our honor to talk to any budding entrepreneurs out there, or if there's anything that we could help with, we would love to be a part of it. So keep that in mind.
Speaker 4:Terrific. Thank you so much, thank you.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to this episode of TGO Podcast. You can find all episodes on our podcast page at wwwrealign4resultscom. You can find me, benno, host of TGO Podcast, there as well. Just email Benno B-E-N-N-O at realignforresultscom. Let's keep growing.
