Two Minute Tweaks w/ Lisa Uhrik

Hosted by Franklin Fixtures

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Episodes

127

Latest episode

Aug 2026

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About the show

Two Minute Tweaks is a podcast from Franklin Fixtures, makers of high-quality retail display fixtures for bookstores, libraries, and specialty retail shops across America. Hosted by Lisa Uhrik, CEO of Franklin Fixtures and Executive Director of Plenty Downtown Bookshop, each two-minute episode offers inspiration you can apply right away to make your space more engaging, efficient, and people-centered. What began as a podcast for booksellers now inspires anyone shaping a space that connects people, whether it’s a bookstore, library, or retail shop of any kind. From merchandising and messaging to staffing and store flow, these bite-size insights help you create powerful people places that connect, perform, and grow.

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60 recent

September 10, 2026Episode 1373 min

Tweak #925: Dolly’s Last Gift

As we think about Dolly Parton and all that she gave us — the music, the books she put in kids’ hands, her humor, and the way she made people feel — there are many gifts we keep. A conversation with a friend who knew Dolly well helped Lisa see, perhaps, the biggest gift of all. It's helpful for us, particularly in the work that we do. Click to listen to this special Dolly-inspired episode. Music Credit: It's a Wonderful Life by Louis Armstrong

August 21, 2026Episode 1362 min

Tweak #124: Always Greet, But Please Don't Say This!

"Can I Help You?" There's a better way to say hello and connect. Greeting customers when they walk through the door is one of the simplest ways to make them feel welcome. But some of the phrases we instinctively reach for — like “Can I help you?” or “Are you looking for something in particular?” — may actually shut down conversation before it has a chance to begin. In this episode, Lisa Uhrik revisits the art of the welcome and why independent bookshops should encourage discovery rather than immediately shifting customers into transactional mode. Her tweak is simple: notice people. Offer a genuine hello, comment on the weather, admire the dog they brought in — whatever feels warm and natural. Because connection doesn’t begin with the perfect sales question. It begins with paying attention.

August 5, 2026Episode 1353 min

Tweak #123: The Emotional Power of Color

A bookselling friend was annoyed by how well a color-themed display was working. Organizing books by color may not feel especially literary, but it creates an immediate visual connection—and can make a display almost irresistible to touch. In this episode, Lisa Uhrik explores how color shapes attention, emotion, and movement through a shop. Looking at the psychology of color, she explains how warm, cool, and neutral tones can create energy, encourage customers to linger, or give the eye a place to rest. She also shares practical ways to use color blocking, the 60-30-10 rule, and emotional groupings to create displays that feel calm, curious, and inviting. Because the goal isn’t simply to create something beautiful. It’s to guide the emotional journey. Click to listen now.

July 21, 2026Episode 1344 min

Tweak #122: All About Octagonals

This practical tweak is all about one of Lisa’s favorite fixtures: the quirky, wonderful octagonal. With its eight sides of magic, this fixture invites customers to move around it, discovering the display one story at a time. Paired with a face-out-friendly riser and plenty of room for storytelling, the octagonal can become one of the hardest-working fixtures in a shop. Lisa shares how Parnassus, Book Hampton, and Maria’s Books use octagonals to feature new releases, build themes from top to bottom, and thoughtfully combine books with related merchandise. She also offers a few simple ways to test a display: Can people immediately tell what it’s about? Does each side add to the story? And, most importantly, are customers stopping to touch it? For shops that already have one, this tweak may offer fresh inspiration. For those that don’t, the same principles can help almost any display work a little harder.

June 11, 2026Episode 1333 min

Tweak #121: You're Going to Love This

There is one thing retail experts predict AI is going to change that feels like a really good thing: real, authentic, personal service is going to become one of the things we value most. In this Two Minute Tweak, Lisa shares a powerful takeaway from the Women in Retail Circle Conference. Retail leaders are pointing toward a future where authentic, personal service matters more than ever. For bookshops, libraries, and small shops, that is deeply encouraging. The everyday moments, like remembering a name, asking about a family member, introducing neighbors, or making someone feel seen, are not small extras. They are the heart of the work. In a culture hungry for connection, the future of retail may belong to the people who know how to build relationships. And that is something independent shops already do beautifully.

June 3, 2026Episode 1324 min

Tweak #120: Bookshops: This is Our Moment

Independent bookshops are having a moment, and according to Kristen McLean, VP of Client Insights for Circana, it may be more than a moment. It may be the beginning of a true renaissance. In this data-packed Two Minute Tweak, Lisa shares highlights from a personal conversation with Kristen following this year’s American Booksellers Association meeting. The takeaway is encouraging: consumer interest is moving toward local, authentic, community-centered spaces, and independent bookshops are beautifully positioned to meet that need. From the pull toward downtowns and analog experiences to growing concerns about screen time and a renewed desire for connection, the cultural signals are pointing toward bookshops in a powerful way. At Franklin Fixtures, we’re seeing that same movement show up in a very practical way: a 400% increase in inquiries from people interested in opening bookshops or similar small, community-focused shops. For us, that kind of growth is a leading indicator. People aren’t just talking about community — they’re building places for it. Enjoy this data-packed tweak and take a moment to consider what this moment and this movement could mean for your shop, your community, and the work you’re doing every day.

April 29, 2026Episode 1313 min

Tweak #119: Creating a Salon

Lisa Uhrik and Steve Wax take a quick look at Linda-Marie Barrett’s guide, Creating a Salon: The Magic of Conversations That Matter, and the timely work of helping people gather for meaningful dialogue. For bookshops and community-minded hosts, pulling people together into conversation is brave, good, and sometimes delicate work. This episode explores how thoughtful setting, gentle structure, and intentional facilitation can help create safer, more productive gatherings in an age of loneliness and isolation. With practical insights on balancing openness with direction, managing dominant voices, and protecting vulnerable participants, this conversation offers useful tools and encouragement for anyone working to create conversations that matter. Click to listen now!

April 9, 2026Episode 1292 min

Tweak #118: Visiting with Ann Patchett & the Parnassus Team

A St. Patrick’s Day visit to Parnassus Books in Nashville, along with a conversation with Ann Patchett and managers Cat Bock and Andy Brennan, offered a profound insight into what community really means. When Parnassus’ leaders talk about community, they begin with each other. That spirit of mutual care, collaboration, and simple hospitality shapes the culture of reading they create for customers, authors, and the wider community. It’s a meaningful touchstone for all of us.

March 17, 2026Episode 1282 min

Tweak #117: Storytelling as a Bookshop

In this episode, Lisa Uhrik explores the idea of treating your whole bookshop the way a publisher would view a book – with a clear storytelling theme that begins in the windows and unfolds throughout the sections, displays, and customer experience. Featuring an example from Ashley Michael and Plenty, Lisa shows how storytelling can extend beyond display into a whole-bookshop approach that evolves month by month across the year. It’s a thoughtful way to guide curation, merchandising, and engagement while creating a more cohesive and memorable journey for your friends and customers.

February 25, 2026Episode 1273 min

Tweak #116: Learning About Literacy

Lisa Uhrik welcomes bookshop explorer (and literacy expert) Ken Bigger, who stopped at Plenty as store #252 on his country-wide tour. Their conversation takes a turn from travel stories to a big idea: literacy isn’t a simple “have it or don’t” trait. It’s a continuum that includes traditional reading and writing, plus digital and cultural know-how, and even skills like attention, empathy, and reflective thinking. That shift changes how we talk about the people we serve, and how we see the work happening across the counter every day. In this episode, Lisa asks a more human question than “Are you literate?”: What are you yearning to do, understand, or be part of next? Because when bookshops meet that yearning with the right book, conversation, or welcome, we grow community literacy in practical, meaningful ways.