Issue #36: Freddie and Co. - Everything I learned this year 😎

What's In Store: Issue #36 View this email in your browser Well, it's really here. The closing of our doors. I can't pretend I'm not sad about it! When we first decided to open the store, we knew it wouldn't be forever. We didn't always plan to close at the end of this year, but we knew that the time would come eventually. The purpose of Freddie and Co. was always to learn as much as we could and share what we discovered. And, of course, to promote our customers and make some money to give away to charities we love. I think we've done that.  We created a storefront, ordered inventory, set up sales, managed ad campaigns and email campaigns (duh), interacted with customers, and much more. I made a ton of mistakes along the way. And at every turn, I was sending emails, letting everyone in on my day-to-day.  My manager is really supportive. He had a point, though. We didn't want to stop telling stories, though, so we're going to start telling other people's stories! In the meantime, I have some numbers for you. Numbers: -number ordered -number sold -email campaign sales -ad campaign sales Donation numbers -re:imagine/ATL -Lost-N-Found -Literacy Action Our CMO, Tom, asked me the other day during a team meeting (on the spot and without giving me any time to prepare a smart answer, thanks Tom), and the first thing that came to mind was: I don't think I'll ever want to run my own business after this experiment. It's not even a *real* store (as Ben, our CEO, likes to remind me even though I have the business license to prove it, but whatever) and I have been very overwhelmed by all the unforeseen details that pop up weekly, all the emails I have to reply to, and the amount of responsibility that comes with taking other people's money and then making sure they get everything you've promised them. I have so much respect for everyone I've talked to so far who's living the e-commerce lifestyle and making a living that way.  Up next: Our first customer story - featuring Brother Moto Share Tweet Forward   Copyright © 2016 MailChimp, All rights reserved. 675 Ponce de Leon Ave NE, Suite 5000, Atlanta, GA You opted in to our e-commerce journeys. Update Email Preferences or Unsubscribe.