When this week's guest, a hospitality consultant and vintage aficionado, found her entrepreneurial dreams are in jeopardy due to the pandemic, she pivoted to a bold bartering strategy to keep her secondhand store afloat. Jelena Dancetovic is the GM and part owner of Retold, a secondhand clothing store in Dubai. She has 15 years of experience in hospitality and has been passionate about secondhand clothes since she was a child. When she moved to Dubai 15 years ago, Jelena quickly found that it was too expensive to buy new clothes. She combined her hospitality background with her passion for vintage, and in 2012 started her own online vintage shop. When the pandemic hit, Jelena was faced with bankruptcy, but she quickly adapted her business model and started buying second-hand clothes from those leaving the country. By using her contacts in hospitality, she was able to organize events and used influencers to spread the word. Now, her business is thriving, and she is helping entrepreneurs through her shop, providing a space for them to sell their products and offering barter deals.

In this episode, you will learn the following:

• How did a lack of access to affordable clothing inspire Jelena Dancetovic to start her own business?
• How did Jelena Dancetovic use her experience in both hospitality and second hand clothing to create a successful business model?
• What strategies did Jelena Dancetovic use to collaborate with influencers and small businesses to maximize her success?