poppin the question...

morning merry makers 🥐🔮💅🛍️🫶

first off, a huge, heartfelt thank you to my survey-takers.

your responses mean the world to me & they’re already shaping what’s next for us. if you haven’t chimed in yet, i’d still love to hear from you. it’s 10 multiple choice questions & 1 optional free response. takes less than 60 seconds & gets you a free month of merry membership as a thank-you.

take the survey → here

but now, the big news…

our very merry makeover is official here!

starting tomorrow, merry makery is going premium & *mostly* paywalled.

so today i’m hooking up current readers (yes, you!) with an exclusive deal that future members will envy.

i’ll be completely honest that i'm filled with a cocktail of excitement & insecurity topped with a cherry of doubt. that little voice in my head keeps asking "is this really worth paying for?" while my logical brain reminds me i’ve shelled out much more dough for things that provided way less value (looking at you, every half-finished course, expired wellness juice, & subscription box full of regrets.)

growth is weird.

growth is uncomfy.

growth is necessary.

i know this because this isn't my first price increase rodeo.

i worked at classpass when we went from the infamous $99/month unlimited classes glory days to... well, not that. i've seen firsthand how businesses must evolve their pricing models.

so now it’s my turn in the saddle.

the circle of (business) life

there's a pattern most companies follow:

1. start by giving something valuable for free, “free,” or almost free

2. build a community of people who love what you're creating

3. eventually, introduce a reasonable price that reflects the value

we've seen this evolution play out countless times:

• apple products once came with everything

  • now charging blocks & adapters are sold separately

• tesla owners early on got free unlimited charging at superchargers

  • now all owners pay to charge

• southwest used to be the airline that never charged for anything

  • now early check-in, set choice, & baggage costs extra

• the new york times online was once completely free

  • now there's a paywall for most things (except for wordle, praise be!)

• starbucks rewards used to be genuinely rewarding

  • now you need a phd to understand the points system (& your birthday drink expires faster than leftover cake)

despite this needing to happen all of the time, no one enjoys a price increase.

we all feel that little twinge of disappointment when something we've enjoyed for free suddenly costs money. but deep down, we also understand that the things we value need to be sustainable to survive.

i’d much rather pay a fair price than see my fave businesses disappear altogether. it's the uncomfy but necessary evolution that keeps the good stuff going.

there’s something about merry

my merry mission is to create the resource i wish existed when i was scaling stores. so here's what's coming in this new era:

1. same merrymaking every monday

your monday routine will stay the same. each week i’ll share something to help guide you in the world of retail. this will look like:

• a retail roundup

• brick brand break down

• store strategy

• tool tutorial

• trend spotting

• …. & more!

i’ve also updated the merry makery homepage to allow you to more easily find the newsies that fall into each of the above categories.

2. behind the stores interviews every thursday

yes you read that right, we’re going bi-weekly!

this thursday i'm launching a new interview series featuring retail experts who are usually too busy running successful operations to share their wisdom. these aren't fluffy conversations. they're tactical deep dives into what actually works in physical retail.

i've already lined up a rockstar roster of guests including retail tech founders, marketing mavens, store growth strategists, & operations leaders from brands you know & love.

3. exclusive members-only perks (the vault access!)

the general gist is that the good stuff is going behind the paywall.

so you’ll need to become a paying member to unlock:

• my complete newsletter archive (a literal gold mine of retail insights)

• battle-tested templates from my warby parker & apple days

• premium resources my consulting clients pay a very pretty penny for

• a handwritten thank you note + special surprise in your actual mailbox (!!)

i might drop occasional free content crumbs, but the feast stays members-only.

think of this as basically a decade of retail expertise for less than one overpriced airport snack or water…

meet the merry membership

starting tomorrow, merry makery will be $10/month for full access.

but as an early supporter, you're getting exclusive reduced pricing
(bc you believed in me & this newsie before it was cool):

this special pricing is only available until may 15th, after which new members will pay the full $10/month. i promise you’ll never see prices for merry makery this low again.

to celebrate this launch, i'm offering a handful of ways to earn free months (aka merry money 💸) because paywalls should still leave room for play:

1. 📝 fill out the survey i sent last week. it closes april 10 & only takes 1 min. plz!

2. 👯‍♀️ refer a friend bc the more the merrier isn’t just a phrase, it’s a biz strategy.

3. 🧃 sponsor this newsie or hook me up with someone to juice the newsie.

4. 🤝 be a current or former client aka my inner circle.

5. 📣 refer a client that works with me as a consultant.

& to those of you who donated during my pay-what-you-wish era: you’ll be receiving free months worth more than you gave.

generosity begets generosity — always.

why i want you to merry me

great retail isn't magic.

it's method

& those methods often remain locked away in the minds of operators who are too busy running stores to document what works.

i’m determined to change this.

save us all time, money, headaches, & heartbreaks.

by joining the merry membership, you're not just unlocking premium insights — you’re making them possible. your support means i can dedicate more time to uncovering, documenting, & sharing the strategies that help you the most.

imagine what i could do with more time to dig deeper & create better content?

that’s what this membership makes possible.

it's a movement to make retail knowledge more accessible, more actionable, & way more merry. bc we’re all so very over of retail being pronounced dead 🙄 

merry on a mission

if you've found value in these newsies, if you've ever implemented something i've shared, had an "aha!" moment while reading, or just looked forward to my monday email, i'd be honored to have you join as a founding member.

if you’re not ready to commit? that's completely okay! you'll still get teasers of my emails on mondays & thursdays, but the good stuff will be hidden behind the paywall.

as always, my inbox is open for your thoughts, questions, or feedback. if you're a student or in financial need, please reach out as i’ll be donating a handful of memberships too.

i hope you know from the past 100+ emails that this community means the world to me & i'm deeply grateful for each of you who opens these emails.

be merry,

MacK

p.s. if you or your company would like to be interviewed in this new thursday series, please reply. i'll give priority to you as an early reader & extra priority if you join the membership 🥹 

p.p.s. if you’ve been meaning to take the survey but forgot, this is your sign. no judgment, just a friendly nudge (& a free month of merry membership waiting for you). click here to help me help you 🛍️✨