Two Minute Tweaks w/ Lisa Uhrik

Tweak #099: Good Change

The practice of kaizen (good change) is fundamental to success in almost every industry.  Can it work for us in our bookshops and libraries? It isn't about big, sweeping aha moments, but about a habit of finding one small thing every day. 

It's easy to forget—and easy to renew your focus in two minutes. Listen now!

Tweak #098: Indies: Making a Difference Since 300 BC

This episode salutes the 10th anniversary of Independent Bookstore Day, a celebration of the enduring influence of bookshops. Host Lisa Uhrik delves into the special role bookshops have played throughout history, from ancient Athens to Napoleonic France, highlighting their impact on communities and individuals.

This Independent Bookstore Day, let's make sure that every person leaves with the knowledge that your store is more than a good time on a Saturday afternoon. Much more.

Tweak #097: Eye Feel the Angle

Our shelves are like a silent sales staff, and it packs a warm and wonderful connection when they look customers in the eye. Our studies show that a connecting angle results in 35% more touch, which translates into sales, as we are 73% more likely to buy what we touch. The eyes seem to feel the angles.

Join Lisa as she explores the surprising difference angled shelves can make in your bookshop's performance, fostering interactions and discoveries in your space. Click to listen now.

Tweak #096: Roll the Dice: Creating Moments of Engagement

Just as a captivating book hooks us from the first chapter, our bookshops can captivate visitors from the moment they step inside.

Plenty Downtown Bookshop uses an innovative dice game to creatively engage customers. This unique approach adds an element of surprise and enhances the shopping experience by fostering exploration and discovery.

Join Lisa Uhrik as she explores how this small, yet impactful tweak – creative moments of engagement – can lead to big discoveries in your shop. Click to listen now!

Tweak #095: Special 6 Minute Tweak on Financial Strategies

We've been talking with a lot of people who are rebuilding after losses – and we want to help. This special edition of the Tweak is focused around Franklin Fixtures as unique assets with hopes of giving a workable strategy for all the rebuilders, as well as those looking to expand their operations.

Three strategic insights, three paths to financing and one or two good ideas are all packed into this unique six-minute tweak. Click to listen now!

 

Tweak #094: Mindy Massey of Anthropologie Brings Us "Home"

It's a tiny word with a big mind shift: home. 

We've long adopted the third space mindset, but Mindy Massey's use of a different word took it further and gave Lisa pause – and a useful insight for our bookshops. Click to listen now.

Tweak #093: Omnium rerum vicissitudo

Omnium rerum vicissitudo — holding Edsel Fords Cufflinks and Leonard Snart's wisdom, Lisa Uhrik reflects how PLENTY Downtown Bookshop, during their second relocation in as many years, faced unexpected challenges during renovation and re-opening operations, and how the bookshop team embraced flexibility and improvisation to overcome obstacles.

 

Make the plan, execute the plan, expect the plan to go off the rails, throw away the plan. Sound familiar?

 

Resilience and adaptability is needed in today's ever-changing landscape. How are you dealing with the unexpected? Click to listen now.

Tweak #092: Mr. Rogers and You

Like Mr. Fred Rogers, you're creating a special sort of space for your neighbors. And there are three specific things you're doing that he did too. Let's think for a moment together about those things – listen now!

 

Audio credit to Fred Rogers and PBS, Mr. Roger's Neighborhood.

Tweak #091: Moving Our Fences

Join Lisa Uhrik as she shares an inspiring story of a real-life Christmas miracle, and reminds us that each of us has the power to move things — fences, mountains and hearts.  What are your fences that need moving in 2025?

Tweak #090: Join or Die

Inspired by Robert Putnam's book Bowling Alone and Netflix special Join or Die, we're exploring the reason we'll likely have no Christmas parade in our small town this year... and importantly, underscoring the vital importance of the small gatherings we facilitate as bookstores.  As we navigate a world where traditional community bonds are weakening, we are reminded of the power of connection and the importance of revitalizing our communal ties. From the significance of book clubs to the potential of shared community initiatives, this week's tweak highlights why fostering a sense of togetherness is more vital than ever.

Tweak #089: Not Rote, but Real

Peter Miller's Shopkeeping book inspires a look at the way we greet each other in the bookshop. We all are subject to falling into our routines and this is perhaps the most profound tweak yet, rooted in the simplicity of a real "I see you" greeting. 

Let this episode inspire you to foster real relationships and enrich the experiences of everyone who walks through your doors. Listen now!

Tweak #088: Preparing for the Unimaginable

As we think about and offer help to our colleagues hurt by Hurricane Helene, it's a moment to take stock of those things we don't think about every day: insurance, fighting for our rights, and how to get the payouts when we need them. Click to listen now!

Tweak #087: The "Pow" of Specialness and Scarcity at Powell's

If Indiana Jones went for the Holy Grail and found it in a heap of other stuff, it wouldn't seem nearly so worth the quest. Let's look at the power of creating feelings of specialness and scarcity in your displays this week with a great example from Madeleine Moore at Powell's Books.  

Tweak #086: Are We Telling Our Stories This Well?

Inspired by the NPR article on DJ Johnson's Baldwin & Co, we're thinking about telling the story of your store today. How is it possible for a person in TN to know so much about a store in NOLA – to know their story, their initiatives, their whys?  It's rooted in great storytelling, and inspires us all to think about our uniquely wonderful store's stories. Click to listen now!

Tweak #085: Who's The One?

A book display that is for everyone, is not really for anyone. We create powerful connections when we design for a specific person – or persona – that is your focus customer. Learning from an expert in persona identification, apply some simple techniques and identify your target person so that your display can really connect.