Living every fashionista’s dream

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TRANSCRIPTION WITH SPEAKERS
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[00:00] SPEAKER_01: Welcome to Canada's Podcast.
[00:05] SPEAKER_01: Hello, I'm Mario Toniguszi, managing editor of Canada's Podcast.
[00:10] SPEAKER_01: My guest today on Calgary's Podcast is Megan Zannick, who is owner of SB Experience. Thanks for joining us today.
[00:18] SPEAKER_02: Of course, of course. Thanks for inviting me.
[00:20] SPEAKER_01: All right, Megan. Let's talk a little bit first of all about SB Experience. Tell our viewers and listeners what exactly it is.
[00:30] SPEAKER_02: SB Experience, I mean, someone would call it a retail store. We sell clothing and shoes, but what we really sell, Mario, is we sell confidence.
[00:37] SPEAKER_02: So we are completely on a stylist model. It's all about finding you the right fit for your body.
[00:43] SPEAKER_02: So we buy for all different body shapes all over the world. I can fit my tall guy, my small guy, my big girl, my small girl, Sally with the long arms, Judith with a flat ass.
[00:51] SPEAKER_02: It is no problem. My job is to make them walk out of here with their shoulders back, looking and feeling amazing because fashion can make people feel like really crappy about themselves or it can make them feel amazing.
[01:03] SPEAKER_02: And I love getting people prepared, putting in that uniform so they can go take on the day and they can be the very best versions of themselves.
[01:10] SPEAKER_01: You know, it's funny you say that because I used to work with a guy who always wanted to go even during COVID, wanted to go into an office.
[01:20] SPEAKER_01: I just dressed up with a suit and tie and the way he explained it to me was, you know, and that was the time when everybody was out doing their own thing at home and their pajamas or whatever, right.
[01:32] SPEAKER_01: And he said, he said, when I put on that my suit and tie, it's like putting on my uniform and walking into the field at Yankee Stadium, right, wearing your jersey.
[01:44] SPEAKER_01: That's the way he felt it. Have you found that? Is it is it a lot like that that the
[01:52] SPEAKER_02: is transformational when people so people come in and they come in for a pair of jeans.
[01:58] SPEAKER_02: For example, we sell tons of jeans like about 6,000 pair of jeans a year and it's such a basis of our wardrobe here in Calgary.
[02:05] SPEAKER_02: And then you're like, well, let me show you how this gene fits and they might be the guy that puts the gene around their neck at the cost go and says, wow, these fit.
[02:12] SPEAKER_02: But when you get a pair that fits that make your butts looks just great and you've got the right shoe and you got you get your jacket and you get a tailor just a little bit for you because maybe the sleeves a little long.
[02:23] SPEAKER_02: It really does make you feel like a million dollars. It really is like you were saying about your colleague. It's putting on that uniform to go take on the day.
[02:30] SPEAKER_02: You know, we've got some of that stuff where we say, okay, you know, shoulders back and stand like this and power pose for five minutes.
[02:37] SPEAKER_02: And those kind of things really, really works psychologically and you know, works expected to look a certain way.
[02:43] SPEAKER_02: And so what we try and do is really help people develop their own style so that they feel good so that they can let that part go.
[02:50] SPEAKER_02: They're not feeling nervous about how they look. They're just there to give the presentation and to be that very best version of themselves.
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[03:06] SPEAKER_01: Okay, I got to ask you while we're on this train of thought in terms of fashion.
[03:10] SPEAKER_01: It's a drive you crazy to see how many people are out in their pajamas these days.
[03:16] SPEAKER_02: I mean, I for me, I think it's even just a bit disrespectful.
[03:20] SPEAKER_02: I don't want to see in your pajamas. I'm not in your home.
[03:22] SPEAKER_02: You know, I mean, I that that respect that we have for other people that we used to have 20, 30 years ago doesn't seem to be there anymore.
[03:28] SPEAKER_02: And it's like, well, I'm going on a plane like I have to be comfortable.
[03:32] SPEAKER_02: So they're wearing sweats or pajamas.
[03:34] SPEAKER_02: The flight is from Calvary Vancouver, which we all know takes an hour.
[03:37] SPEAKER_02: And people see me.
[03:39] SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I'll put together getting on the plane to go to Europe for eight hours.
[03:41] SPEAKER_02: And I'm like, this isn't super comfortable.
[03:43] SPEAKER_02: And there's so many great options and fashions right now.
[03:46] SPEAKER_02: Like there's so much amazing like a soft fabric, stretchy fabrics.
[03:49] SPEAKER_02: I can make someone feel like they're in pajamas, but look like they deserve to be in the room.
[03:56] SPEAKER_02: And yeah, I do not like it leggings are not pants.
[03:59] SPEAKER_02: But jam a pants are not pants sweat pants have their place.
[04:02] SPEAKER_02: And mostly it's in the gym and on your couch.
[04:05] SPEAKER_01: Exactly. So when did SP start?
[04:09] SPEAKER_02: 2009, we're at our 15 years.
[04:11] SPEAKER_02: The reason I know this is because LinkedIn told me I'm sure you speak to a lot of business owners that you're sure you speak to.
[04:16] SPEAKER_02: So involved in your business that you don't actually know how long you've been here.
[04:20] SPEAKER_02: And it's been really exciting because we've gone through ups and downs.
[04:23] SPEAKER_02: We've gone through COVID.
[04:24] SPEAKER_02: I had a woman steal from me.
[04:25] SPEAKER_02: I mean, all sorts of crazy things happened in the business over the years.
[04:29] SPEAKER_02: We've raised $500,000 for charity.
[04:31] SPEAKER_02: Our 10th naked SP, our prostate cancer fundraisers coming up next year.
[04:35] SPEAKER_02: And we're planning to raise another $100,000.
[04:37] SPEAKER_02: So every year we get stronger.
[04:39] SPEAKER_02: Our bench gets deeper as far as people we get more and more customers.
[04:42] SPEAKER_02: But here's the thing Mario.
[04:44] SPEAKER_02: Every single day someone comes in.
[04:46] SPEAKER_02: Oh, never heard of you.
[04:48] SPEAKER_02: The first time here.
[04:50] SPEAKER_02: And for 15 years they have driven by my store.
[04:54] SPEAKER_01: That's right.
[04:56] SPEAKER_01: That's so true.
[04:58] SPEAKER_01: So you know, you did mention about ups and downs.
[05:01] SPEAKER_01: And you know, every word has had ups and downs.
[05:04] SPEAKER_01: But Calgary seems to have it at its worst, right?
[05:08] SPEAKER_01: Because of the oral patch and the ups and downs with that.
[05:11] SPEAKER_01: Like, you know, when you've gone through, you know, you mentioned pandemic,
[05:16] SPEAKER_01: you've gone through, you know, challenging economic times, inflation,
[05:20] SPEAKER_01: and all that type of stuff.
[05:22] SPEAKER_01: What do you think got you through all this for 15 years?
[05:26] SPEAKER_02: Well, I mean, resilience is my superpower.
[05:29] SPEAKER_02: I get punched in the face.
[05:30] SPEAKER_02: I get right back up again.
[05:31] SPEAKER_02: And that's why I've looked at all of these things is that no one is going to remember
[05:35] SPEAKER_02: that you were down, but they are going to remember that you get back up again.
[05:38] SPEAKER_02: And that's really how someone would describe me.
[05:41] SPEAKER_02: Yeah, Megan will try something. She'll do something.
[05:42] SPEAKER_02: And then she'll get right back up.
[05:44] SPEAKER_02: And I think that, you know, you have to look at those things as successes.
[05:47] SPEAKER_02: When, for example, when I had that bookkeeper,
[05:49] SPEAKER_02: a quarter million dollars, she was able to just kind of a scammed away and hide and steal
[05:53] SPEAKER_02: and change checks and do all this crazy stuff.
[05:56] SPEAKER_02: And yet, I was able to come through that year, Mario.
[06:00] SPEAKER_02: Didn't lose any money.
[06:01] SPEAKER_02: Didn't make any money.
[06:02] SPEAKER_02: I was still able to grow.
[06:04] SPEAKER_02: So I looked at that as survival skills.
[06:06] SPEAKER_02: Coming through the pandemic, having to take a big loan,
[06:09] SPEAKER_02: owing all this money completely transformed my business.
[06:12] SPEAKER_02: I said, OK, I'm no longer going to take credit for my suppliers.
[06:15] SPEAKER_02: Instead, you're going to give me a discount for paying within 10 days.
[06:19] SPEAKER_02: And they all went, oh, yes, I love it.
[06:20] SPEAKER_02: Oh, my God, cash is king.
[06:22] SPEAKER_02: So that's put a couple hundred thousand dollars in my pocket over the last few years
[06:25] SPEAKER_02: in just paying early.
[06:27] SPEAKER_02: So I basically had to learn how can I make my business work within these economic times?
[06:33] SPEAKER_02: How can I scrimp and save those pennies?
[06:34] SPEAKER_02: You know, my staff is the biggest part of my team.
[06:38] SPEAKER_02: I mean, I'm paying about 26% of revenue going over to staff costs.
[06:42] SPEAKER_02: And that is ridiculous in retail.
[06:44] SPEAKER_02: You're looking at a mall store.
[06:45] SPEAKER_02: They're trying to pay 18%.
[06:47] SPEAKER_02: And yet, I have people, stylists that have been with me for 12 years, 10 years,
[06:52] SPEAKER_02: eight years, seven years.
[06:55] SPEAKER_02: The customer loves that they can come in and they cease and hate and they see,
[06:58] SPEAKER_02: donate and they see Nikki and they see all of these folks that they've been seeing for years
[07:01] SPEAKER_02: and that they trust.
[07:03] SPEAKER_02: So my investment in my team has been paramount.
[07:06] SPEAKER_02: And that's what I've been able to keep growing the business is I spend the time,
[07:11] SPEAKER_02: you know, you get knocked down, you get up and then you spend the time working with the people
[07:14] SPEAKER_02: that have been there for you.
[07:16] SPEAKER_02: And we make sure when we have things like a staff meeting, it's not like,
[07:20] SPEAKER_02: well, my hangers go here.
[07:22] SPEAKER_02: We talk about our visions, our values, our mission together.
[07:26] SPEAKER_02: What is integrity or number one value is fairness.
[07:29] SPEAKER_02: How do we work around that?
[07:30] SPEAKER_02: How do we, you know, work through conflict?
[07:31] SPEAKER_02: How do we not talk around someone's back?
[07:33] SPEAKER_02: How do we make this environment so much better that every time I come here,
[07:37] SPEAKER_02: I can leave my problems at the door.
[07:39] SPEAKER_02: I can be my very best self.
[07:41] SPEAKER_02: So I think I've been able to get through all of this with my team because they have been here for me.
[07:46] SPEAKER_02: And yet it's because I also invest in them as a business owner.
[07:49] SPEAKER_02: I make sure I have a business coach come and we do these great exercises
[07:52] SPEAKER_02: and we learn what our strengths and values are and how to use them.
[07:55] SPEAKER_02: We've all committed to our vision and value statement.
[07:57] SPEAKER_02: And we can hold each other accountable to that.
[07:59] SPEAKER_02: And these things for retail, because retail, as you know,
[08:03] Speaker UNKNOWN: the flip, flip, flip, flip, flip, flip, flip,
[08:05] SPEAKER_02: and we don't do that here.
[08:07] SPEAKER_02: And it's because I've made those investments.
[08:09] SPEAKER_02: And I think it's made my team so strong and so resilient
[08:11] SPEAKER_02: that we really can get through anything.
[08:13] SPEAKER_02: These tough economic times are not.
[08:15] SPEAKER_01: So when you were growing up as a little girl,
[08:20] SPEAKER_01: did it was faster than a big part of your life or were you drawn to that?
[08:25] SPEAKER_02: For me, I mean, I always wanted to work.
[08:29] SPEAKER_02: You know, I was in Prince George, you're growing Prince George BC.
[08:31] SPEAKER_02: So I remember I was teaching figure skating and I got my very first fashion job at Suzy Sheer at the Pine Center Mall.
[08:37] SPEAKER_02: And I sold chanille sweaters and plaid syrup pants.
[08:40] SPEAKER_02: And I was a great salesperson.
[08:42] SPEAKER_02: My mother has always been a bit of an artist and she's made a lot of clothes over our time.
[08:46] SPEAKER_02: So I did learn that from her.
[08:48] SPEAKER_02: And while I was going to university, I was never the server person.
[08:50] SPEAKER_02: You know, you got a server job and I was never that person.
[08:53] SPEAKER_02: And so I always worked retail.
[08:55] SPEAKER_02: And I was always really, really good at that.
[08:57] SPEAKER_02: And while I was in university, I got some opportunities to see what was actually happening behind the scene.
[09:04] SPEAKER_02: So I had a gentleman I was working with and he happened to be a sales rep for a company.
[09:08] SPEAKER_02: And he said, Megan, come to this trade show with me.
[09:10] SPEAKER_02: And I went, this is how the clothes get to the stores.
[09:14] SPEAKER_02: I didn't understand the process even though I was getting my business degree and even all those things.
[09:18] SPEAKER_02: I didn't know specifically how the industry worked.
[09:20] SPEAKER_02: And that really, really opened up my eyes because that first trade show, Mario, was in a long beach.
[09:27] SPEAKER_02: It was a surfskate snow trade show.
[09:29] SPEAKER_02: I mean, my early 20s, it's all the hot servers and skate porters.
[09:32] SPEAKER_02: And I was just like, what is this?
[09:34] SPEAKER_02: I love this.
[09:35] SPEAKER_02: This is amazing.
[09:36] SPEAKER_02: And it was just there was so much vibrancy in the industry.
[09:39] SPEAKER_02: And I really got it, got it kind of addicted to it because I started working on the supplier side of the business as well.
[09:45] SPEAKER_02: And then we were this really cool brand.
[09:46] SPEAKER_02: We were triple five soul.
[09:47] SPEAKER_02: And we would have like this celebrity and that celebrity and this celebrity and it became a really cool kind of way to cut your teeth.
[09:54] SPEAKER_02: Because even though we were working 18 hours a day, we were partying just as hard and having so much fun.
[09:58] SPEAKER_02: And I was living in Montreal and I was in New York every week.
[10:01] SPEAKER_02: And anyway, I thought I was the coolest 30 year old ever.
[10:03] SPEAKER_02: You know, so I'm trying to remember you were in Montreal for a while, weren't you?
[10:10] SPEAKER_02: Yeah, almost 10 years.
[10:11] SPEAKER_02: And that's really where I got to know this supplier side of the industry.
[10:14] SPEAKER_02: So I had failed here in Calgary.
[10:16] SPEAKER_02: I tried to buy a store failed miserably bank was not going to give a 22 year old or 23 year old or when I was money at the time.
[10:23] SPEAKER_02: And so I got hired away to Montreal.
[10:25] SPEAKER_02: And what I didn't know is that the reason they were hiring me from Calgary is that no one in Montreal would work for them.
[10:31] SPEAKER_02: So what I learned was how to not run a business.
[10:34] SPEAKER_02: And that was unbelievable experience.
[10:37] SPEAKER_02: So that was a year of my life in Montreal.
[10:39] SPEAKER_02: And then I got stolen away by this company that was coming, triple five sold from New York up to Canada.
[10:44] SPEAKER_02: And I really cut my teeth like my first year of sales was two and a half million dollars at it all on my own.
[10:49] SPEAKER_02: I built a business for that group of gentlemen for 50 million dollars at wholesale between all the different brands that I did.
[10:55] SPEAKER_02: And it was a really exciting time.
[10:58] SPEAKER_02: I really learned how to lead a team.
[11:00] SPEAKER_02: I learned what was right and I learned how the industry really works.
[11:03] SPEAKER_02: And I think that having that experience coming into retail.
[11:06] SPEAKER_02: Knowing how to talk to all these guys has been really, really advantageous to me as I negotiate contracts as I look for the right product for myself as I find product to other countries and other cities because we're doing almost 40% of our buying outside of the country right now.
[11:21] SPEAKER_02: And what that means is I'm missing the 40% markup of the distributor in Montreal or Toronto.
[11:26] SPEAKER_02: I'm able to bring in much more unique garments and colors and I'm able to get my fits like my Italian Spanish brands.
[11:31] SPEAKER_02: Those are for my more petite customers.
[11:33] SPEAKER_02: My Dutch brands, my Danish brands, those are for my tall folks.
[11:36] SPEAKER_02: You know, my American brands, those folks have a little bit more to love.
[11:40] SPEAKER_02: And that's really how I buy and being able to buy direct and knowing the industry and having that experience has been really unbelievable for me.
[11:48] SPEAKER_02: Knowing how to not run a business is some of the best experience I ever got in my whole life.
[11:52] SPEAKER_00: Stay ahead of the game with our expert tips and strategies that will help your business thrive in a digital era.
[11:59] SPEAKER_00: Canada's podcast dot com subscribe now.
[12:01] SPEAKER_01: What was the difference when you moved to Calgary.
[12:05] SPEAKER_01: Was it a bit of a culture shock for you?
[12:09] SPEAKER_01: You know, because even at that time, Calgary is probably not as you know, as quote unquote cosmopolitan as it is now, right?
[12:17] SPEAKER_02: Oh, absolutely. I mean, if we go back 15 17 years ago when I first got here, I was coming here because my family is here.
[12:24] SPEAKER_02: So I had a little brother was downstairs in my sister.
[12:26] SPEAKER_02: My parents were now here.
[12:27] SPEAKER_02: So it was time to kind of come home and home is where your family is.
[12:30] SPEAKER_02: But what was really interesting for me about Calgary is I always felt welcomed.
[12:34] SPEAKER_02: Even now 17 years in Calgary is a big small town to me over a million and a half people and yet any event you go to and you can same thing for you, Mary, we will know somebody there.
[12:45] SPEAKER_02: You're never alone.
[12:47] SPEAKER_02: And I really, really like it.
[12:49] SPEAKER_02: And Calgary does have an international airport.
[12:51] SPEAKER_02: It does have a pretty sophisticated customer.
[12:53] SPEAKER_02: That's when I realized in those first couple of years because I was selling samples when I first opened so a little bit forward fashion a little bit ahead at the times.
[12:59] SPEAKER_02: And I had gotten this really amazing customer base from that.
[13:03] SPEAKER_02: The business turned into what it is now, which was, which is confidence building and all that because that's what I was doing with my clients.
[13:09] SPEAKER_02: But I loved, I loved how the town felt.
[13:12] SPEAKER_02: Okay.
[13:13] SPEAKER_02: And we do have a sophisticated customer.
[13:16] SPEAKER_02: Calgaryen's travel and they see a lot of those things.
[13:19] SPEAKER_02: And I think that's one of the reasons that we've done so well here is they see those trends here in Alberta in Calgary at my shop.
[13:25] SPEAKER_02: Right? Because they do do that.
[13:27] SPEAKER_02: And I find Calgary to be quite cosmopolitan now.
[13:30] SPEAKER_02: And even when I first came, maybe a little bit less.
[13:33] SPEAKER_02: But you know what?
[13:34] SPEAKER_02: You know how much fun it is to explain the stampede to someone in another country that for two weeks.
[13:39] SPEAKER_02: We do, you know, we basically do this cosplay as cowboys and get dressed up and have so much fun.
[13:46] SPEAKER_02: And there is such camaraderie in this city.
[13:49] SPEAKER_02: This city is a really great place.
[13:50] SPEAKER_02: And if you look at other retailers like independent retailers like me like Ed Williams, we're doing great.
[13:55] SPEAKER_02: Right? Whereas independent retailers like us and other cities and other provinces are not doing so well.
[14:01] SPEAKER_02: We've been able to in this city get a really amazing customer base.
[14:04] SPEAKER_02: They're very loyal and they do very well for themselves in this city.
[14:08] SPEAKER_02: So we have a bit of a unique environment.
[14:11] SPEAKER_02: We can still afford to be in the town center.
[14:13] SPEAKER_02: If I wanted to have a storm vancouver, I'd have to be in Delta, Surrey, maybe White Rock.
[14:18] SPEAKER_02: If I wanted to store in Toronto, I'd have to be maybe G's, Mrs. Saga, I'd have to be outside of Toronto.
[14:25] SPEAKER_02: I could not afford to be in the city of the center city, you know.
[14:29] SPEAKER_02: And I think that that's something that we're seeing all over the world.
[14:32] SPEAKER_02: But in Alberta, we have this advantage that is independence.
[14:35] SPEAKER_02: We can still set up down fricken town.
[14:38] SPEAKER_02: We can still set up in these walkable neighborhoods.
[14:40] SPEAKER_02: We don't need to be in the suburbs in order to be successful and to have a red factor that works for us.
[14:45] SPEAKER_02: And it is a very unique thing in retail that we only almost see in Alberta in the whole country.
[14:51] SPEAKER_01: Yeah, interesting.
[14:53] SPEAKER_01: So you mentioned earlier fundraising stuff.
[14:57] SPEAKER_01: Tell me where that comes from, your interest and your passion, I guess, for charity.
[15:04] SPEAKER_02: Well, for me, it's always been something that I've always been there to help out.
[15:07] SPEAKER_02: So my little brother has Down syndrome.
[15:09] SPEAKER_02: And so I've always been volunteering at coaching special Olympics and getting a lot out of seeing people kind of go beyond, you know,
[15:15] SPEAKER_02: their potential and really get there.
[15:17] SPEAKER_02: And in 2010, when I first opened the store because we opened in 2009, I started with menswear and then in the second half of the first year.
[15:23] SPEAKER_02: And I had about eight feet of menswear in the store and it represented $13,000 a retail, which for me at that time was a lot of money.
[15:31] SPEAKER_02: And my dad got diagnosed with prostate cancer.
[15:33] SPEAKER_02: And I was like, my dad, my super healthy dad, that works out every day and does all these things.
[15:38] SPEAKER_02: How could this be?
[15:39] SPEAKER_02: And I said, what can I do to help?
[15:41] SPEAKER_02: And I said, okay, the first 30 guys that show up in their underwear with a donation to the prostate cancer center, my dad's getting treated, I'm going to give the clothes away to them for free.
[15:49] SPEAKER_02: And what happened was Brett Wilson showed up from, of course, in Dragon Stand at the time with Camille De Giuseppe, one of your colleagues from CTV and another news person.
[15:59] SPEAKER_02: And the whole thing went viral, you know, and we gave the 30 guys clothes and went, whoa, we've had events, we now have had a hundred people.
[16:07] SPEAKER_02: We've had events now, we kind of settle around 75 and for a 10 year anniversary, now we're giving away $3,000 of clothes to each participant that $13,000 of clothes you gave away is now $250,000 at retail in this next event.
[16:22] SPEAKER_02: And it is stupendous.
[16:24] SPEAKER_02: And when you can get involved with your community, all of my money stays exactly in Calgary.
[16:29] SPEAKER_02: I hope the people that are here. So, for example, all my fashion shows all the money goes to the food bank. So it's 20 bucks, we collect very ticket.
[16:36] SPEAKER_02: That's $1,000 every time we have a fashion show going to our Calgary food bank.
[16:40] SPEAKER_02: And what I have discovered as an independent business person in this city, if you give to your city, they will give back to you.
[16:46] SPEAKER_02: And I just keep getting bigger, bigger, bigger, naked SB's massive. We do a big fear is not love. That's our women's shelters, new branding.
[16:53] SPEAKER_02: And we do VIP events where we'll sell a 10 person party. And the first time I suggested that, because you know, we need to do a live auction. There's some guy on stage and he's selling a villa and tuskeny for 10 days and blah, blah, blah.
[17:05] SPEAKER_02: And they said, oh, Megan is never going to make any money.
[17:08] SPEAKER_02: First year, I sold four of them made the charity $20,000 last year. I think we did six and up to $30,000 for the charity.
[17:15] SPEAKER_02: So it's really fun. People want different things to do. They want an experience. And I think any business owner should really look at how they can give back to their community.
[17:23] SPEAKER_02: I think that's one of the reasons we recovered so quickly after the pandemic. People want to make sure that we recovered.
[17:28] SPEAKER_02: They wanted to make sure that they could support a business that was supporting them.
[17:32] SPEAKER_01: All right, wonderful. Well, thanks so much. I'm making for joining us today.
[17:36] SPEAKER_01: Of course, anytime.
[17:37] SPEAKER_01: All right, that was Megan Sandic, who is owner of SB Experience. I'm Mario Toniguchi, managing editor of Canada's podcast.
[17:45] SPEAKER_01: I thank you for joining us today.