Coworking with Rita Mitchell

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Rita Mitchell has been in the retail biz for over four decades. For 20 years, she owned a fashion boutique in Little Rock, Arkansas, which boasted of well-known clients like Hillary Clinton. Now, she’s a retail consultant and developer focusing on specialty retail stores, and supports independent small retail businesses as a counselor at the Mississippi Small Business Development Center.

How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t work in retail? We help dreams come true and prevent nightmares from happening (or continuing) in the small-business arena.

One thing we can’t guess about your job from your LinkedIn profile? My “job” is anything that progresses a small-business client or entrepreneur forward, toward their goals, whether a side hustle or a huge new business idea.

What’s your favorite project you’ve worked on? Way too many to mention! There’s no way to describe the pure joy of a great idea well-executed into a small business and then coming to profitable life in a big way.

Which emerging retail trend are you most excited about this year, and why? It is a great playing-field-leveler to see podcasts, TikTok, and online outreach set fire to small businesses with great ideas.

What’s your go-to coffee order? Skinny French vanilla latte with extra espresso.

Worst piece of advice you’ve received? That my hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas, didn’t need another clothing store. I was passionate about my niche, and it worked well for a long time!

What was your favorite retail product when you were 15, and what’s your favorite retail product now? At 15 to now, I love a beautiful top. For a current day product, it’s everything Dyson.