Stories from the River

Sometimes, the right opportunity finds you when you least expect it. After moving to Orlando from Ecuador, Gabriela Cobos walked into an Ashley Store as a customer and left with more than just furniture. That day began a journey that took her from customer service to regional trainer, developing retail leaders across 26 stores. Now, she’s the General Manager of Broad River Retail’s Ashley Store in Salisbury, North Carolina, the 2024 Ashley Store of the Year. In our newest episode, Gabby sits down with Charlie Malouf to share what drew her to Broad River, her focus on growth, and how she’s approaching 2025 with gratitude and purpose. The link to the full episode is in the comments! Looking for inspiration and fresh business perspectives? Follow our page for podcast clips that share valuable lessons through the lens of Broad River Retail.

*** Fresh, New Episode Alert *** An inspiring interview with Gabriela Cobos on her journey from the entry-level, ground floor of retail as a bilingual customer service representative to her ascension as a leader of leaders and leader of high-performing teams! You won't want to miss this personal, insightful, and in-depth interview from Stories from the River! Growing With Gabby! If you're looking for inspiration, wisdom, and knowledge for how to grow your retail career, listen to this episode with Gabby! From Ashley Furniture Industries to Broad River Retail #DynamicCareerDevelopment #PersonalGrowth #MemoryMaker #Bilingual #RetailLeadership #BleedsOrange #ProductKnowledge #GoGetter #SuccessLeavesClues #NextChallenge #AlwaysLearning #LeadingFromTheFrontLines #LoveYourPeople Stacey McCormick Carl Hillesland Chris Berrier Steven Ramjit Alexis Strafuss Renee Bradley Kim Harkness Lynn Knowles Hope Stocker Janet Leimkuhler Sonya De La Cruz Heather Greenwood Jocelyn Jones, M.A. Emmett "Wes" Dudley Tyler Trill Amy Hayes April Whitener Emelyne Henderson Breann Dolphin Karen Ohar Manny Rodrigues Dana Mallory Christopher Levenberg Chris Wright https://lnkd.in/ebrafYk6

We’re Ready for Our Next Big Step Last month, we announced our expansion into the Inland Northwest with an iconic, 100,000+ square-foot, three-level Ashley Store in Spokane, Washington. This is a pivotal moment in our company's growth. We’ve built a strong foundation, refining our operations, strengthening our financial position, and developing a culture that fuels our success. Now, we’re ready to prove it in a new market, farther from home than ever before. Hear more about this landmark moment from Charlie Malouf and Manny Rodrigues on Stories from the River. Link to the full episode in the comments! Follow the Stories from the River page for behind-the-scenes clips on our business operations and leadership perspectives.

What drives a major expansion decision? Broad River Retail is preparing to enter a new market in Spokane, Washington, which is across the country from BRR's headquarters in Fort Mill, South Carolina. The decision was driven by thoughtful consideration, the right opportunity, and a vision for the future. In our newest episode, Manny Rodrigues and Charlie Malouf discuss what played a role in this decision and why now was the right time. From shifting market conditions to finding the right location, there’s a lot that goes into making a move like this. Link to the full episode in the comments! Looking for inspiration and fresh business perspectives? Follow our page for podcast clips that share valuable lessons through the lens of Broad River Retail.

*** Fresh, New Episode Alert *** "Go West, Young Man" In the latest episode of Stories from the River, Manny and I share the story behind decision to go on a pioneering journey to the Inland Northwest with our recently announced expansion for Broad River Retail into the Spokane, Washington, market. We expanded our aperture for growth opportunities and will be broadening our horizons with a brand new store on North Division Street in the heart of the retail corridor in Spokane in a 101,000 Square Foot former Macy's. This will be a 3-story, iconic, dual concept 7.0 Ashley Store & Outlet with a massive Sleep Shop on the 3rd floor. I think that it will be the largest Ashley Store in the world! Our amazing team of Memory Makers have worked hard to position our Company to leverage this opportunity. We are grateful for the team at Ashley Furniture Industries for their support. Let's GOOO!!!! #PioneeringSpirit https://lnkd.in/epUxp-4M Kevin Thompson Pat Roos Erik Bartolero Joe Lacroix Sean Murphy Stacey McCormick Carl Hillesland Tim Clouse Brian Deckelnick Tyler Trill Kim Harkness Heather Greenwood Will Luke William Woodman, CMA Emmett "Wes" Dudley Samantha Blum Anita Harris

A fresh look! We’ve updated our page to reflect Broad River Retail’s Word of the Year. What do you think? Follow along for clips from the show, and subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts!

A deep dive into our Word of the Year. Last month, we unveiled Pioneer as our Word of the Year, a challenge to push further, think bigger, and work together in new ways. It’s about tapping into curiosity, creativity, courage, and cohesion. In the newest episode of Stories from the River, Charlie Malouf, Heather Greenwood, and Will Luke share the process, the purpose, and what this word means for the year ahead. Episode link in the comments.

What goes into selecting Broad River Retail's Word of the Year? Each year, one word sets the tone for where BRR is headed. In 2025, that word is Pioneer. In this episode, Charlie Malouf sits down with Heather Greenwood and Will Luke to discuss how this word was chosen through a collaborative process where leaders worked together to find a word that captured the spirit of the company. Pioneering is about courage, innovation, and charting new paths. It's also a way to challenge ourselves to think differently, take initiative, and explore new possibilities. Check out the full episode in the comments! Looking for inspiration and fresh business perspectives? Follow our page for podcast clips that share valuable lessons through the lens of Broad River Retail.

“We’re in the business of people.” Furniture is what we sell, but relationships are what we build. Rich Smith, General Manager of Broad River Retail's Raleigh Glenwood store, knows this firsthand. Fresh off the grand reopening of a newly remodeled Ashley Store, Rich reflects on leading his team through the transformation while keeping energy and motivation high. He shares what it takes to create an exceptional retail experience, which is built on trust, connection, and truly understanding our guests. Listen in as Rich and Charlie Malouf talk about leadership, team spirit, and the 2025 goals of his team in our newest episode. Check out the full episode in the comments! Looking for inspiration and fresh business perspectives? Follow our page for podcast clips that share valuable lessons through the lens of Broad River Retail

*** Fresh, New Episode Alert *** How off the presses from Stories from the River! Raleigh Reign Reignited with Rich Smith Everyone loves a transformational Rebirth! We love ourselves a reimagined, reinvigorated, reinvented, remodeled, renovated, reignited, rebirth, relaunch, and reopening in retail! Go behind the scenes from the Broad River Retail Raleigh Glenwood's 7.0 Ashley Store Grand Reopening & Ribbon Cutting Celebration Catch Rich and the Rainmakers from the Raleigh Reign as they elevate and ascend in this next season, a reignited relaunch over 12 years in the making on Glenwood Avenue! 36,062 Square Feet of Visionary Retail Transformation! #ReignMakers #MemoryMakers #RainMakers #RaleighReign Stacey McCormick Manny Rodrigues Heather Greenwood Jocelyn Jones, M.A. William Woodman, CMA Kim Harkness Tyler Trill Lindsey Walton David Walters Ric Rush Joshua Stanley Christopher Levenberg Carl Hillesland Tim Clouse Emmett "Wes" Dudley Janet Leimkuhler Karen Ohar Andrew Bartlett ??♂??? Bert Joines Will Luke Kellie Jones Renee Bradley Idy Csongradi Rachel LoPresto Jennifer Schulte Kevin Thompson AJ Salim Raymond Templeton Sean Murphy Drew Maddux https://lnkd.in/eNfDYe7F