​By Eliana Barriga
Publisher and Managing Editor for The Retail Observer

fallback - Wiktionary:
strategy; an alternative which can be used if something goes wrong with the main plan; a recourse if you will, can be imperative to survival.

You know – life happens with or without us. It gets in the way and at any time can throw us a curveball in the form of the unexpected. This is when we need to fall back and assess the situation.

In life, it's always good to know where the escape routes are in case of emergency. Every time we get on an airplane, we’re told where the exits are. Sadly, when we go to a stadium for a sporting event, concert, or even a movie theater nowadays, we have a heightened awareness of our surroundings and we take mental note of the exits. We don't plan on using them, but the information is filed for easy access in the back of our mind. We are prepared to act, if the need arises.

There are times when nothing in life goes smoothly, and it is during these times that we are often not able to access our best thinking in the moment. How often do we use our precious brainpower to think about all the ways something won’t work before we’ve given it a fair chance? Planning in advance for the weaknesses of our businesses and analyzing themostcommonbreakingpointscanhelpusnavigateinchallengingtimes. Swapping plans doesn’t signal failure but indicates a tactical change; we’re simply proving we’ve got the smarts and decision-making skill set that are crucial to every area of our lives and business. A fallback plan gives us the ability to keep moving forward on the path to success.

With Plan B in place, we can access a mind shift that allows us to fall back when the “stuff” hits the fan. In this moment, let yourself ponder the thought: “There is no backup plan”. This exercise will put you in a proactive mental frame: “We've got to make things happen”. You’re more apt to work stronger and longer when your Plan A has to work because there’s no option. Total commitment without a safety net will inspire you to work harder than you ever dreamed.

Plan B isn’t about planning to fail, it’s about planning your road to success during the difficult times. We can sleep better at night with a backup plan in place – the beauty of Plan B is that it frees us to work our Plan A with total abandon and strategically maneuver through the storms of life.

Here’s to successful strategic planning!
Eliana Barriga
eliana@retailobserver.com

Is it time to clear the clutter and tidy your business?

In January I experienced a most historic event - the Polar Vortex in Chicago. The frigid sub-zero weather with temps down to -25° (-50° with the wind chill factor) was colder than Mt. Everest, the Antarctic and even Mars! Meanwhile, back home in Vegas it was 100° warmer. Crazy!

So, with the frigid cold behind us, I am celebrating an especially glorious welcome to spring! And with it I am exercising all the wonderful rituals we have come to know and love with the changing of the seasons. Spring cleaning at home and in the office is top of the list for March.

It’s a time of change, renewal and transformation. This year is bringing with it lots of fresh creativity, releasing what is no longer serving, both personally and in the realm of business. It is a time when inspired ideas produce new directions and innovative possibilities that are glistening on the horizon.

Marie Kondo has swept the world by storm with her unique concept of clearing the clutter. She has a show on Netflix, and those watching have jumped on board with her concept, asking themselves the question, “Does this bring me joy?”. Her book, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up”, has become a marketing phenomenon as memes pop up everywhere. One of the funniest I’ve seen floating around on Facebook and Instagram says, “I tried the Japanese method of decluttering where you hold every object that you own and if it does not bring you joy, you throw it away. So far I have thrown out all of the vegetables, my bra, the electric bill, the scale, a mirror and my treadmill.” Husbands beware! I think you can see where this is going...

Could this concept be used in reverse to inspire sales within the retail environment? I don’t know, but it is becoming a collective consciousness of thought. It’s a brilliant marketing strategy. Maybe it will inspire you to come up with your own motto that could gain followers on your social media platform. How could you employ the “Does it bring you joy?” concept into your sales repertoire? I’d love to hear what some of you are doing in the social media arena with playful and memorable memes.

Here’s to bringing joy back into life,
Eliana Barriga
eliana@retailobserver.com