In this thought-provoking episode, JoJo Struebing, Owner of Brick N’ Mortar, shares how she creates valuable content and resources that resonate with customers and provide value.
You will discover:
– The distinct advantage every brick and mortar has (but only if they use it)
– Who should start a business and why
– What to do pre-launch to ensure success when it matters most
Episode Transcript
Scott Ritzheimer
Hello Hello and welcome welcome once again to the secrets of the high demand coach and I have a really great guest with me here today the one and only JoJo Struebing. Now, JoJo has zest for life is only matched by her passion for sales and marketing. She spent the last decade mastering the art of professional sales, proudly waving the flag of innovation at tech giants like Hewlett Packard, and Microsoft, you might have heard of them. Her secret sauce is a growth mindset. It’s as infectious as it is a effective. Now, after conquering the corporate world, she decided to dabble into entrepreneurship. And it’s a little more than dabbling. She’s opened three profitable brick and mortar businesses has had the opportunity to sell two of them, the third continues to flourish to this day. And she helps others to do the exact same thing. Well, Joe, Joe, I’m so excited to have you here. I’m wondering, what tell us a little bit about this corporate world? They What did you learn there? And why did you ultimately decide to make the leap and entrepreneurship?
JoJo Struebing
Yeah, Scott, thank you so much for that intro. You did a great job there. Yeah, so as you just mentioned, I spent about 10 years in the tech sales world and finds a ladder there. And it was everything I ever dreamed of, you know, my dream job coming out of college and got to this point in my sales career where I just wasn’t enjoying it anymore. I was like, Man, am I even enjoying what I’m talking about what I’m doing every day. And I had this like, tug at me to kind of go see what else was out there. You know, what are some other ways I can maybe make money maybe from things I might find more joy in. So I started researching, like other franchise opportunities, I didn’t want to completely do it on my own. So decided to go the franchise route. And yeah, we opened one location. And even though we went with a franchise, we found that this support was severely lacking. We really didn’t know what we were getting into this is my husband and I and we made a ton of mistakes, we had to learn a lot of things the hard way, we spent way too much money on some things, you know, we chose the wrong location, all kinds of things I can tell you about that, you know, I wish we would have done differently. But we did keep moving forward. And you know, we got our location to the profitable side, it took a lot more work than I thought. Yeah. And then once we got that location to a profitable size, we opened our second and then we opened our third and we realized, okay, we’re doing this a lot faster than we did the first one, we’re making a lot less mistakes and, and we were really enjoying the process. And eventually, we both left our nine to five jobs and started managing these businesses full time and found a ton of joy along the process. But yes, we we realized that there’s just not a lot of support out there for brick and mortar businesses. Like even though we were with a franchise who was supposed to be guiding us and providing all this support. We really weren’t getting that not that there aren’t franchises out there that do do that. But yeah, we wanted to go out there and help others others who did want to do this on their own or had questions so that they didn’t have to make all the mistakes and learn things the hard way, like we did. So. Some Yeah, that’s kind of our journey there.
Scott Ritzheimer
Yeah. So there’s one of the things that I have noticed. And that is kind of the the genesis of any great story for a founder, if you go back far enough starts with some kind of dissatisfaction, right? It’s just, it’s just not enough. And, and it’s interesting, we kind of think of entrepreneurs is like tech people who start businesses in their mom’s basement while they’re wearing underwear. Like, that’s not usually how it works, right? It’s usually someone who’s really successful, like, like you had in your story. And they’re doing well. And there’s just something that’s missing, in kind of going through your story and some of the new founders, entrepreneurs that you’ve helped. Sometimes there’s dissatisfied employees who are just dissatisfied, right doesn’t really make you an entrepreneur, sometimes it’s the kickoff for an entrepreneurial journey. How do you tell the difference?
JoJo Struebing
That’s a good question. You know, I think that, for example, a lot of the founders that we work with, they just really want a different lifestyle. Like they don’t want to be stuck in that nine to five, they want more flexibility, they, you know, are tired of their boss, they want to be their own boss. So it’s more of those pools. And then, you know, you also see the people that are very entrepreneur base, like you said that, you know, have that love for business or, you know, selling a product or service or creating one. So yeah, there’s definitely both sides there. I see that. For sure.
Scott Ritzheimer
Yeah. So well as podcast hosts, we have this nasty habit of asking the same questions over and over again, one of those questions is if you knew now what you knew, if you knew then what you knew now, what would it be but I think we’ve got a cooler question for you because you’ve done this three times. So tell me how was the second brick and mortar different than the first one?
JoJo Struebing
Oh my god. unless it was like night and day, I mean, the first time was tons of trial and error, tons of learning the ropes. I mean, I had no idea what to even do, we leased a space, but I was like, oh, there’s a permit I have to get. So you know, lots of research lots of, you know, trying things Mark, when it came to marketing, it was like, I have no idea how to market this business, let’s spend money on everything. And, you know, half of it didn’t work, half of it did. So, you know, when we got to that second one, I really felt like we had a much better roadmap, like, Okay, I need this is the exact process. We know that this didn’t work last time. So let’s try something different here. And yeah, our second business, we actually opened from keys to opening within three weeks, and our first one was much longer. So it was incredible. You know, once you’ve done it once, like you really can replicate that model so easily.
Scott Ritzheimer
Yeah. So interesting. Follow up question on that. How was it different from the second to the third? What What were some of the biggest changes when you went to that third iteration?
JoJo Struebing
Yeah, I mean, from the second to third was really similar. You know, we just continued to refine the process, you know, we learned even more on that second location, we were able to do it even faster. We’re spending less money, the great thing about, you know, multiple locations is you can use that economies of scale to buy down things like inventory, you know, you can use the numbers from your other locations to negotiate, you know, leases and marketing and things like that. So I think that’s when we started to really see the benefits there on the third location.
Scott Ritzheimer
Yeah, yeah, that’s fantastic. One of the things that a lot of entrepreneurs do is they learn a whole lot of how not to lose, right? I always use the example we’ve got kids who, who love to run at the pool, too bad idea, don’t do it. But the lifeguards are always always yelling at them, and they don’t yell, don’t run, they always yell walk, right. And one of the challenges that we have as entrepreneurs is to move from okay, I learned 1000 ways that didn’t work to what is the way that does work. And I loved hearing that in your story. I want to fast forward a little bit, and then we’ll kind of come back and look at how you’re helping others do the same thing. But you mentioned, or women in your bio, that you’ve sold a couple of these, how did you know it was time to sell?
JoJo Struebing
Yeah, yeah, that was a really interesting point in our journey. So you know, we were so excited, we moved really quickly and got these three locations open. They were all doing well. And then my husband and I looked at ourselves, and we were like, holy moly, we’re about to hit burnout, we have no time to do anything else. I mean, really, really being able to scale these businesses took everything in us. And, you know, we don’t have kids. So we’re, you know, our businesses, our babies, but at a certain point, we were starting to, you know, see our health deteriorate. So we did decide, you know, let’s go ahead and sell two of these locations and go back to the scaling and growing that first location. So it was a really neat experience to go through selling both of those, we learned a lot in that process as well. One of those locations, we actually had to sell two times. It’s a very long story. But yeah, that’s up Oh, yeah. I mean, we were excited to be able to sell those locations that they were doing well enough to sell them. And I think that a lot of founders I work with today, we talked about what your exit strategy is, because that can be a great one, maybe you just want to scale this business for one to two years, and then sell it and not be stuck with it for life. So there’s so many different routes with brick and mortar business, and I’ve certainly experienced a lot of them.
Scott Ritzheimer
I love that. Now, there’s all this hype, right, I was just looking at something yesterday and it was all Amazon fulfillment is Amazon and AI and ecommerce, and it’s just kind of the thing is now really a good time to start a brick and mortar business.
JoJo Struebing
Yeah. So you know, that’s the question we get all the time, right? Like, should I even open a brick and mortar business is brick and mortar business dead? Like what’s going on there? So, you know, we’ve certainly seen it all. We’ve been in this business for six years. So all the way through COVID. And, you know, we’ve seen the ups and the downs and all of that. And I can tell you, what we’ve learned through it all is that you have to have an experience within your business. If you don’t offer some sort of experiential retail, whether your product or service base, it is really hard to compete with online. So you’re just a transactional business, you’re just you know, selling some products, you know, is that is hard to compete. You have to give customers a reason to want to walk into your business, and really, you know, experience what you have to offer. Right? Yeah. And I think that those that are able to do that, you know, you don’t have to worry about the online giants and you don’t have to worry about you know, am I here for the long haul, like there will still be reasons for people to come back.
Scott Ritzheimer
Yeah. Thinking of you know several restaurants do this but auntie annie pumping in you know cinnamon smell to where you stand. So what are some? What are some ways that you guys have have really dialed in the experience for your customers?
JoJo Struebing
Yeah. So when we work with our clients, we always start with like, what are the senses that you are touching when you walk in? So like you just said, with the smell? What are people smelling to enhance that experience? If your spa is it, you know, a nice, comforting lavender scent, you know? What are they hearing what kind of music is playing? What are they able to touch, people want to go do things, they want to try the products, they want to handle things. We’re seeing a big rise in these like co creation stations. So where you can go in there and like make your own shampoo or make your own. You know, jewelry, things like that, where you can go craft something and get interactive. At any of the senses that you’re touching. If you’re able to sample food tastes off, or something there, that’s always a huge one. Yeah, all of those senses, we have you focus on what all the senses you’re touching, and how that’s creating a feeling because you want to focus on one feeling within your business, that when they leave, you made sure that they felt that.
Scott Ritzheimer
Yeah. What are what are some others that you’ve seen some novel ways that you’ve seen some of your clients do this for their their stores?
JoJo Struebing
Oh, man, they always amaze me with really cool ideas. But yeah, the sampling is always really neat to see how they figure out ways to sample their products. I’ve got one right now who is she has like an art store. And she’s really gotten on the interactive side of hosting classes within her space and having people come in and make things and it’s, it’s been huge for her. It’s like doubled and tripled her business by just adding in a couple of classes. And now people are coming in, but they’re also buying the art supplies and the crafts and things like that. So just small little ways that go a long way of getting more people into your space.
Scott Ritzheimer
Yeah, yeah, that’s so good. So I want to take a look at the folks that are thinking about starting right. Maybe they’re in a position like you were whatever it might be they’re thinking about zoning, what are some things that they should think about before they make the leap?
JoJo Struebing
Great question, because I don’t think people take enough time to really think and I, myself included, I was so excited. I just wanted to go go go. And I really wasn’t patient in the beginning. And the number one is definitely taking a look at what your startup budget is going to be. So you know, how much is it going to cost to get me open? And then how much is it going to cost for me to operate until this business can pay for itself, really understanding those costs. And make sure making sure that you acknowledge that not a lot of people will get to that opening phase, but they don’t realize that they’re not going to be really making money for the first six months to a year. And that’s why so many brick and mortar businesses fail in that first year. So that’s number one. And then number two is most definitely location. Be patient in this process. Your location is everything. When you’re a brick and mortar business, you’re paying essentially for a giant billboard and your city and you want to make sure that it’s visible by the most people possible in the most high traffic area. So really waiting for that right location for your business is going to pay off tenfold.
Scott Ritzheimer
Yeah, I found that patients word is a big one. It is so hard. It’s so hard that you’re so sick of your job like you’re so inspired by what could be. But but getting some of these things in place where it doesn’t feel like you’re moving at all right? It’s it’s kind of like I love that they do it now, but the rocket launchers, right, you watch this team count all the way down and it launches. And there’s like fire and smoke and you can feel it miles away. But the rocket doesn’t move at first, right? It’s just no force and nothing’s happening. It feels like you’re just kind of perpetually stuck in that mode. What are some things that you’ve found? help folks to be patient in that moment when they’re so excited about taking the next step?
JoJo Struebing
Well, I love that analogy, though. Yeah, I mean, it’s a hard one. It’s what I’m still working on. I think, you know, when people are looking specifically in like that location phase, I always tell them like you can still be working on your business, you know, you can still be crafting what that experience is going to look like getting your systems and processes set up. You can start marketing, it’s never too early to start marketing your business or talking about it online and doing things to generate that interest and excitement. So I think keeping yourself busy in other ways can help you maintain that momentum. Because you get a lot of nose in that process. People will turn you down for locations and so you kind of got to stay stay motivated.
Scott Ritzheimer
Yeah, it is definitely a challenge. I remember when our small business was looking for Places everyone wanted our PNLs. And it’s like, well, we don’t have one yet, you know, so and so. And we were just an office, we weren’t even looking for a great retail spot. So it’s a it’s a real challenge. And and so how what have you learned during this a few times now, and I know the game is a little different for you, because you’ve got a reputation, you have some leverage that you can use. What did you learn about getting past those early no’s?
JoJo Struebing
Yeah, it is. It is hard, it is hard. It is crazy to me because I’m like, commercial real estate is the only you know, real estate, you know that. It’s like, they almost don’t want to lease the unit they like It’s like they have no desire to move quickly as you do. But yeah, staying persistent, is huge. Just continuing to follow up with these people, a lot of them won’t respond by saying persistent and then also really giving people a glimpse of what your business is going to look like. Like you said, if you don’t have those p&l, at least show them like a business plan, show them your mood board, show them, you know what this experience is going to look like a lot of times, they’re just a little iffy on what you’re going to use the space for, that’s going to look good if it’s going to attract customers. So really giving them that glimpse can be helpful in this process.
Scott Ritzheimer
That’s so true. So there’s a question I like to ask all my guests, and it is this what is the biggest secret that you wish just wasn’t a secret at all? What’s that one thing that you wish every founder entrepreneur aspiring entrepreneur knew today?
JoJo Struebing
Yeah, I think I have to say it is that brick and mortar business can be a powerful way to grow your brand, even if you have an online portion and online format, that it’s a huge way to grow quickly. And in scale your business.
Scott Ritzheimer
Yeah, yeah, that’s so true. It’s It’s so true. So tell us there’s some folks listening to this and that they’ve that maybe they’ve even tried it, they’re struggling, they’re there. Hopefully before that they’re thinking about starting something. And they’re like, maybe brick and mortar is the way how could they connect with you to learn more about the work that you do?
JoJo Struebing
Yeah, so if you’re just interested in learning more, I do host a podcast called the Receipt Paper Podcast, we talk about all things brick and mortar for those getting started and those that are already open. And then we have an academy that is always open. It is a six month program that helps you go from idea all the way to grand opening, walking you through that roadmap so that you don’t have to make mistakes like we did. So you can check that out at masterbricknmortar.com.
Scott Ritzheimer
Fantastic. Well get that in the show notes for everybody, masterbricknmortar.com. JoJo, thanks so much for being here. It’s just what a fun conversation what a helpful conversation for folks that are in these earliest stages. Absolutely love it. You really brought it today. For those of you watching, listening, you know that your time and attention mean the world to us. I hope you got as much out of this conversation as I know I did, and I cannot wait to see you next time. Take care.
Contact JoJo Struebing
Joann “Jojo” Struebing’s zest for life is only matched by her passion for sales and marketing. She’s spent the last decade mastering the art of professional sales, proudly waving the flag of innovation at tech giants like Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft. Her secret sauce is a growth mindset that’s as infectious as it is effective. After conquering the corporate world, she decided to dabble in entrepreneurship. She’s opened three profitable brick-and-mortar businesses. She had the opportunity to sell two of them, and her third venture continues to flourish to this day.
Want to learn more about JoJo Struebing’s work at Brick N’ Mortar? Check out her website at https://masterbricknmortar.com/
Podcast Booking Status: Open
We are looking for podcast guests, and we want to share your story.
Are you a coach, consultant, or advisor for entrepreneurial organizations? If so, let’s do a great show together – and we can promote you to our audience on all our social media channels, website, and email list.
Guest requirements:
- As a coach, you should be experiencing some very good momentum AND be grossing $100K or more annually. We’ll be talking about how you help your clients achieve extraordinary results.
- Consider yourself as equally people and results-oriented in your mission.
- High-authority expert management and independent coaches who work with founder-led entrepreneurial organizations of 40 or more employees. We also encourage guests that are operations/strategy and culture consultants, advisors, and leadership coaches to be guests (no specialties in marketing, branding, sales, or IT, please
- Please, no new coaches (under 3 years), published authors, non-independent coaches, or non-business coaches/consultants.