Episode Notes

In 2019, Ann Anderson’s aspirations changed. She left her 31-year corporate career with TIME, Inc. to launch Retail Partner Solutions, Inc. We discuss how she went from an employee mindset to acquiring an entrepreneurial mindset and the resiliency it took to land on her feet as the retail industry remarkably changed forever in 2020.

Ann Anderson, MBA, has three decades worth of retail expertise. Her enthusiasm for getting client products into big retail stores like Target, Costco, and Walmart is make-it-or-break-it for clients. Ann does whatever it takes to move herself and her clients forward. She strategically works the odds of success in her client’s favor.

Ann has this relatable quality that is part of resiliency. Relating skillfully to others and our world makes us feel safe and connected and helps us bounce back from failures and heartbreak. In Ann’s younger years, you will hear the strategy behind her three strengths in relating. According to Rick Hanson, Ph.D., resilient individuals have three strengths they exercise when relating: courage, aspiration, and generosity.

I re-listened to this 2021 conversation with Ann. The anxiety I felt quickly dissolved as I relaxed into the conversation and connected with Ann’s upbringing. It is comforting to hear how her Italian Mother and German Father raised her and Ann’s two brothers. Ann says, “I come from a family of strength.” She and her husband, Howard Anderson, have passed the baton of strength to the next generation by raising two resilient adult children.

Ann has been a client of mine since 2019. Every time we have a conversation, I witness greatness in the making. Being a quick and enthusiastic sponge absorbing as much learning as her mind can take in fuels her entrepreneurial leadership.

Hear other parts of our inspiring conversation:

• The most significant shift Ann needed to make in going from a corporate mindset to an entrepreneurial mindset.
• Being raised by an Italian Mother and German Father. The impact of moving from Michigan to Iowa.
• Ann’s derailed experience with an injury as a gymnast in high school and the courage it took to reshape her aspirations.
• Ann’s two brothers, who liked to play tricks on her, prepared her for speaking up in corporate settings.
• Early on, when there was a noticeable gender disparity, Ann’s courageous voice helped get a girls’ sports team started.
• The gems Ann learned being a senior executive at TIME, Inc.
• Pitching over 30 products and what she learned starting a business in a pandemic.
• Her life mentors, including her gymnastics coach and me.
• Her passion for bridging the gap between buyers and brands. 

Note how Ann cleverly packaged her retail expertise and got busy connecting with entrepreneurs in the food, beverage, kitchen, and other miscellaneous industries. Getting products in big-box retailers like Target, Walmart, Costco, and others is a hurry-up and wait-for kind of game. As a results-driven executive and retail strategist, Ann continually understands each retailer’s processes and timelines. Being skilled at building relationships is a must, and Ann is exceptional at it. DOWNLOAD

P.S. Fast forward about one minute to jump into the current information. I also mention the book I am still writing. The title is not yet solidified, but it is about mentoring and how you can be resilient as you evolve with your business.

NEXT STEP: Challenge yourself and do the Conscious Attentive Leadership Mentoring (C.A.L.M.) Activities, below.