Welcome back to the 3rd Quarter Behind-the-Scenes Series from Stories from the River. In today's episode, Charlie welcomes back Tim Sayles, Broad River's Director of Construction & Facilities, or Goose Wrangler. Tim shares exciting construction updates and renovations taking place in various Broad River stores. Charlie and Tim discuss the importance of investing in upgrading the remaining existing stores to the Ashley 7.0 (or latest) design elements, explaining that these improvements help maintain vibrant, high-performing retail environments. The conversation highlights the ongoing projects, including store remodels in Fayetteville, Raleigh, and Pineville, with future upgrades planned for locations such as Augusta, Columbia, Mooresville, and Hickory.

Charlie and Tim also discuss the phased approach to store renovations, ensuring minimal disruption while enhancing the store's appearance and functionality. They touch on the positive feedback from Memory Makers who work in the renovated stores and experience these upgrades first hand, noting the excitement and energy it brings. Tim shares insights into the logistical aspects of construction, such as working overnight to avoid daytime disruptions and the benefits of modern updates like LED lighting.

Tim and Charlie point out the company's forward-thinking strategy, emphasizing that these continual enhancements keep both their stores and Memory Makers motivated and aligned with Broad River Retail's offensive-minded growth strategy. Tim also unpacks the importance of sharing these renovation updates during companywide Town Halls and the positive feedback he receives from these announcements.

This episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/YeT5njvQPCA

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Welcome back to Stories from the River and our behind-the-scenes series of interviews following our 3rd Quarter Companywide Town Hall held on Friday, September 27, 2024. In today's episode, Charlie's back with return guests Heather Greenwood, Director of Memory Maker Experience (MMx) and Krissy Whitley, Senior Director of Human Capital, to discuss the Engagement Survey results and announcements that Heather and Krissy unveiled at this last Town Hall.

The Engagement Survey results were the star of the show of this latest Town Hall, and they discuss key takeaways from the Engagement Survey results and subsequent actions from the annual engagement survey conducted last Fall. Heather and Krissy explain the survey's significance in collecting feedback from Memory Makers on various aspects such as engagement, wellness, and diversity. They discussed the process of synthesizing all of the immense amounts of objective and subjective data, providing it to the executive team and then separating it by two specific groups (one data set for Retail Performance Memory Makers and one data set for all other Memory Makers).

They then invited volunteers to serve on one of the two Engagement Survey Task Force Action Councils to review the results and ultimately offer suggestions and recommendations for the Company to adopt in response to the feedback.

Several major initiatives were announced based on the survey results, most of which are set to roll out in 2025. These include Personal Wellness Days, enhanced Tenure Rewards, increased Mileage Reimbursement, expanded Parental Leave, and Retail-Specific Split Shift Saturdays.

These initiatives were well requested, and the announcements were very well received by everyone listening in or watching the Town Hall. These initiatives are expected to lead to greater job satisfaction amongst Memory Makers, greater retention, and lower turnover. Heather and Krissy emphesize the importance of acting on survey results, reflecting on Broad River's commitment and dedication for all of its Memory Makers.

This episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/vlHpbtaNlbI

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Broad River Retail brought this show to you. Visit https://BroadRiverRetail.com

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In this episode of Stories from the River, host Charlie Malouf introduces a new behind-the-scenes series focused on the company-wide quarterly town halls at Broad River Retail. Charlie is joined by return guest Kim Harkness, recently promoted to Vice President, who shares insights into the origins and evolution of these town halls. They recount how the town halls were initiated in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic as a critical measure for communication when traditional channels were disrupted. Initially held weekly, the frequency was gradually reduced to monthly and then quarterly as the crisis abated. The primary goal remains to communicate directly with Memory Makers, ensuring transparency and clarity by delivering information directly from the leadership.

The episode delves into the extensive preparation required for these town halls, from finalizing the agenda about a month in advance to conducting walkthroughs and rehearsals. Kim and Charlie discuss the contributions of Tyler Trill (a/k/a the "Captain Kirk" of the show according to Kim), the River's Senior Communications Manager, in crafting presentations and managing the technical aspects of the meetings. The town halls cover essential updates like business performance, new store openings, and key performance indicators, while also spotlighting achievements and milestones of Memory Makers to foster a sense of community and recognition.

The episode discusses the platform of choice (Zoom) for Broad River's Town Halls as well as the pros and cons of Webinar Mode vs Meeting Mode. Broad River has also invited friends and partners from other companies to attend their Town Halls as a special VIP guest attending with a "backstage pass" as a way to help other companies learn from some of their well established best practices.

Despite occasional technical and logistical challenges, the duo emphasizes the importance of authenticity and continuous improvement, encouraging other companies to adopt similar practices to enhance their internal communication and connect more deeply with their own people.

This episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/RtAWpgUPPWs

Visit https://www.storiesfromtheriver.com for more episodes.

Broad River Retail brought this show to you. Visit https://BroadRiverRetail.com

Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/broad-river-retail