About
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After 30 years in retail, I’m your guide to all things retail from independents to chains, from one-offs to franchises, from distributors to manufacturers. If you like what you see here, please subscribe. Become a fan of the Retail Doc on Facebook at http://tinyurl.com/thedoc. And don’t forget to Follow me on Twitter!
Products: You Can Compete, Sales RX and more
Media: Videos
Who is Bob Phibbs?
I’ve been in retail since I was cleaning toilets, silver and jewelry at Slavick’s Jewelers in Glendale, California at age 16. I worked my way up through the years becoming a DM, CMO and COO for various companies, building my skills at selling as well as speaking. I founded the Retail Doctor in 1994 after hearing Tony Robbins say, “You have to be a brand.”
I would give anything for the chance to get in front of an audience and change their outlook from glum to hopeful – it’s what I do best.
As a motivational speaker and consultant, I’ve creatively helped some of America’s best-known retail brands, including Yamaha, Caswell-Massey, Viking, LEGO, and Brother succeed when economic circumstances have challenged their customer base.
You might also have seen one of my frequent guest appearances on MSNBC’s Your Business (below with Phil Town, author of Rule #1). 
I love music – anything except any band with a color in its name. I got my undergrad degree originally in music education but when I found the reality of teaching high school choral music was a beginning guitar class with 30 boys trying to play “Stairway to Heaven” on untuned guitars, I opted out and focused on business.
Like many of my clients, my part-time job in retail became a career and I’ve had some remarkable experiences. I’ve started three successful businesses and own my own publishing firm.
Holiday Set 1999
As a sideline, I retired from the choral group I founded in southern California a few years ago after having conducted choirs and orchestras for nearly twenty years at some of the best concert halls around. I guess I couldn’t give up the thrill of the holidays and it was always a big production.
I still catch myself occasionally conducting while hearing one of my recordings on an iTunes shuffle; occupational hazard.
While I consider myself a California boy having lived there nearly forty years, October of 2009 I moved to upstate New York to a home constructed in the 1700’s. It faces the Hudson River in a small town of 8000 just north of the Catskills and about half hour south of Albany. I can watch hundreds of birds out my office windows throughout the day from geese to gulls to bald eagles.
I’ve got a Harrier Hound who confronts my ability to stay at the computer from early morning to late into the evening with her every two-hour need to relieve herself. Her name is Hallie Mae.
I wouldn’t give a cent to trade my life for anything. I hope you join me as I highlight how to grow your business whether you are a retailer or small business. I also highlight what you can do to compete, after all, I wrote the book.
My formal bio is here. More free articles are available at http://www.retaildoc.com
