Home » About Phil

A Lifetime of Top-Level Retail Experience

I am an entrepreneur just like you. I started working retail in 1973 at the ripe age of seven when my grandfather paid me 10 cents an hour to put price tags on boxes. 

I honed my entrepreneurial skills running the largest independent toy store in America from 1993 (when I left a career in Team Building) through December 2016, while also starting a weekly radio show, monthly magazine, and successful speaking career during those years. Currently I am the National Sales Manager for HABA USA helping my sales reps sell toys and grow their markets.

I also put on my cape and fight for you, bringing you the lessons I learned from decades of running small businesses.

Here is what I believe…

  • You are facing tougher competition than ever before.
  • The landscape is heavily slanted against you.
  • Retail has never been as difficult as it is right now.
  • You can still compete and win.
  • You know more than just what your products and services do. You know why your customers need what they need.
  • The competition might win the race to the bottom, but when you are on your game, no one can beat you in the race to the top.
  • You do more than just sell something; you make a difference in the lives of your customers.
  • You’re here because there is more you want to learn.
  • I’m here because the more I learn, the more I want to share.

Here is what I want to do…

  • Equip you with tools for your tool box above and beyond the occasional discount.
  • Show you better ways to take care of your customers.
  • Teach you the math you need to be successful over the long haul.
  • Help you find the joy in running your business to go with the passion you already have.

Here is a little more about me…

I LOVE TO LEARN

My grandfather was my first mentor. He encouraged me to seek out the best and brightest minds in retail and business to learn what they have done to be successful.

I read multiple blogs & books from Roy H. Williams, Seth Godin, Daniel Pink, and others. I attend workshops and conferences both within my industry and outside it. I study the business landscape to see what is working and what isn’t working.

For twenty-four years I got to use my own store to test new ideas and concepts. The best ones get shared. 

I LOVE TO SHARE

I love to teach. 

I teach people how to shop for toys and baby products.
I teach parents how to encourage play in your family.
I teach expectant dads how to prepare for their new life as a parent.
I teach Jackson-area business owners like you how to grow your business.
I teach small businesses all over America how to put more money in their own pockets.

I LOVE TO ENTERTAIN

I love my audiences.

I am a singer/songwriter, actor, radio and TV personality. I’ve played guitar in a bar in Nashville, harmonica at The House of Blues (Chicago), and taught 500 kids at once to sing The Long Johns Song at YMCA Storer Camps. I’ve done my own radio talk show and guest hosted a television talk show. 

When you hire me to be a speaker, it will be as fun and entertaining as it is educational.

IN THE TRENCHES

This isn’t academia. This is tried and true retailing lessons from a small business owner who lived it, used it, tweaked it, learned from it, and used it some more. This is the best of the best from an entrepreneur whose retail store was named “One of the 25 Best Independent Stores in America” in the George Whalin book RETAIL SUPERSTARS (Penguin 2009). 

Even when I closed my store, I had over triple the market share of the typical independent retailer in my category. You can have that kind of success in your market, too!

Phil Wrzesinski with Entrepreneurial Vision Award
Accepting the 2010 Entrepreneurial Vision Award from the Jackson Chamber of Commerce

“Not only does Phil know his subject, he’s incredible to work with!”
-Christine Pauley, Exhibit & Education Coordinator

Contact Info:
Phil Wrzesinski
(517) 937-3213 phone
PhilWrzesinski@Gmail.com