Meet Jordan Dollard | Retail Strategist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jordan Dollard and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jordan, other than deciding to work for yourself, what was the single most important decision you made that contributed to your success?
When I first started my company, it was actually a retail store, not the consulting firm we are today. About three years into operating, I had slowly taken on work planning pop-ups, open air markets, and consulting with other retailers.

I came to a crossroads where I had to decide between the two sides of the business: one that I had spent years of my life building or the side of the business that offered opportunity, but was unknown.

When I make decisions, like many entrepreneurs, I make them swiftly and without regret. I closed the store within a week, sold off my inventory and fixtures, and fully pivoted to what we are today. My store was a one woman show, and with consulting, we have an office staff of five. Success to me is sharing what I’ve built with others, which I am lucky to do everyday.

What should our readers know about your business?
Esther and Elsa Retail at it’s core is a retail consulting firm. We’re different in that we combine event planning, marketing, and retail expertise to plan and execute pop-up shops, open air markets, festivals, and non-profit retail programs

There are markets and pop-ups across the world, but they’re currently booming across the US. We’ve built a company around this boom and the current trend to spend locally. We’ve grown pretty fast, which I think comes when you truly identify a hole in the market and fill it with a quality product.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Charlotte, NC

Camp North End is newer development reusing an old Ford Motor factory campus. It’s chock-full of local retailers, restaurants, bars/breweries and overall is a good place to explore.

The Rail Trail through South End is a great way to see some fun interactive art, find restaurants, and veer off as you locate different things to do.

Front Porch Sundays (one of our events!) Local market with 70+ small businesses, interactive experiences, live music, and drinks. Happens the first Sunday of every month.

Common Market Oakwold: the perfect intersection of the different people who live here. CM is a bottle shop and deli serving killer local beers. You can find just about anyone here.

New Zealand Cafe: venturing into the suburbs a bit, this tiny sushi spot always has a wait. It’s nothing super fancy, but it has a cult following.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would shoutout our team, including those who currently work with us and those who have helped shape our company in the past. I was the first one in to start our business and community, but they’ve truly been the ones to build it from there.

Website: estherandelsaretail.com

Instagram: @estherandelsa // @jordansgrid

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-dollard-1b495365/

Image Credits
Headshot: Heather Ison Masked shoppers: Hannah Watanabe Team Photo: Heather Ison Event Photo: Sarah Slusarick