What's This Place? Behind the Clicks and Mortar with Miranda Black
44 episodes - English - Latest episode: 29 days ago - ★★★★★ - 3 ratingsI’m Miranda Black, the DeGrowth Diva. In this podcast I talk about my real life Degrowth journey with retailers, businesses and fashion influencers. How do we reduce our carbon footprint in retail? What alternatives are there...what are some easy solutions we can realistically apply to our lives without sacrificing style?Turns out, there are tons of lower carbon choices right here in Canada. Shopping is hard. Acquiring and ethically disposing all our STUFF has never been so complex and fraught with issues from sustainable fashion to garment worker justice to shopping local to zero waste! Who best to get advice about shopping than a former retailer. What's This Place? goes behind the Clicks and Mortar of small businesses at the forefront of the DeGrowth movement to discuss shopping, retailing, caring for and rehoming all your inventory. What’s This Place? Let’s go inside and find out.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Who is Lou de Beauregard?
March 30, 2024 15:00 - 19 minutes - 13.5 MBJoin me as I share the unexpected odyssey of a blouse that was more than mere fabric—it unfurls the story of my first Poshmark sale, a rare Lou de Beauregard piece and the emotional whirlwind that followed its mysterious disappearance. This episode isn't just about garments and goodbyes; it's a journey through the shared paths of memory and the acts of forgiveness that help us navigate our losses. Enjoying the podcast? I am fiercely independent, and rely on listeners like you to help me ...
What is Poshmark?
March 18, 2024 19:00 - 18 minutes - 12.4 MBFor the 3rd season of What's This Place? Podcast, I'm gonna tell some stories and spill some tea (or some neon pink dye) on fashion . What have Lucky Sevens got to do with launching a Poshmark Account?! Yer gonna need to go inside to find out :) Enjoying the podcast? I am fiercely independent, and rely on listeners like you to help me stick around. Can you share the episode on social media, or write a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review in Apple podcasts?! I would be so grateful.
Day 2 No New Clothes
August 28, 2023 00:00 - 8 minutes - 6.21 MBEver thought about the journey your favouritest piece of clothing? Hold onto your needles and threads, because we're about to explore the world of mending and repairing! Try to spot my very first invisible mending job on a damaged cashmere sweater, and join me as I journey into the realm of visible mending with Elysha from Worth Mending. We dive into the benefits of mending services in retail stores and how it could be a game changer in the fashion industry. But this is not just about sti...
What Is #NoNewClothes?
August 23, 2023 01:00 - 8 minutes - 6.11 MBAm I about to become a nudist?! Noooo! #NoNewClothes is a is a challenge just like pouring ice water over your head or eating a spoon of cinnamon except way less cold and dangerous! Can I do it?!! Can I go without buying ANY NEW TEXTILES for 90 days?!! Let's go inside to find out! Hey, I'm Miranda Black, the DeGrowth Diva and this summer I set out on the No New Clothes challenge - a 90-day commitment to abstain from buying new clothes. In this episode, I share my unexpected revelations, and...
From 0 to 8000 Preloved Pieces in Less Than 2 Years? Who IS Caitlin Martella?!
August 22, 2023 00:00 - 36 minutes - 25 MBCaitlin Martella had never been a second hand shopper prior to starting her second hand business. In fact, She had a lot of pre-conceptions about what thrifting meant and decided long ago that it was not for her. Like me when I ran my store, she had never even heard of the circular economy and now…well, I’m going to let her describe how she ended up on this path. So, who is Caitlin Martella and what is Curated Cubs? In this episode we talk about the Circular Economy (click to get more in...
What Is Pain DeGrowth?
August 15, 2023 04:00 - 24 minutes - 17.1 MBMedication and surgery works for all sorts of different diseases. But they frequently do not work to cure chronic pain...and I know this very well because I have been living with chronic pain for well over a year and nothing doctors gave me worked. So I have been on a pretty intense journey to heal myself and I've discovered a number of non-drug non-surgery ways to significantly reduce the amount of pain I feel in a given day. They work for me. And from what I can tell, they work for hund...
What is "Grow-With-Me" Clothing? With Lindsay Down from Pure Colour Baby
March 09, 2023 08:00 - 31 minutes - 22 MBEveryone thinks that December is peak "fat pants" month. But I'm going to suggest that March could give December fat pants are run for their money. In December you're still coasting on the last remains of summer energy: going for walks or riding your bike to work. But then January. And God, February! The bike has been locked up for weeks. Summer energy is a distant memory. And all that hibernation stuff that I talked about in the chat GPT episode, the slowed metabolism, the inward j...
How NOT to Business Like Elon Musk with Jesi Whelan
February 24, 2023 15:00 - 30 minutes - 21.2 MBEvery business creates waste but imagine turning that waste into a NEW business? That's what Jesi Whelan did with her kids clothing company, Phoenix Pre-Worn. The clothing that's too torn or stained to be sold gets used in her second business she started with Samantha Hulst from June Bird. Together they teamed up to create a craft subscription box using textile waste from kids clothing called Canary Kids Club. Jesi talks about the misconception she had about Big E Entrepreneurism...it's no...
Valentine's Day Meditation
February 13, 2023 21:00 - 6 minutes - 4.53 MBA guided meditation on the feelings Valentine's Day can bring up. Great for anyone who feels overwhelmed by the amount of STUFF in their homes. Enjoying the podcast? I am fiercely independent, and rely on listeners like you to help me stick around. Can you share the episode on social media, or write a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review in Apple podcasts?! I would be so grateful.
Who Is Amanda McCarty and What is Clotheshorse?
January 31, 2023 16:00 - 41 minutes - 28.6 MBBorn during the darkest days of the pandemic, Clotheshorse The Podcast, took everyone behind the scenes of Fast Fashion...what REALLY goes on to make us soooo addicted we stop caring about the people who make the clothing. Amanda McCarty, the creator of Clotheshorse has worked retail her whole life. She's worked on the floor, she's worked in the head offices, she's been a consumer like me. Amanda paves a path, both for people to get more conscious about their clothing consumption consumpt...
Who is Chat GPT and Did They Write This Podcast?
January 30, 2023 19:00 - 14 minutes - 10.3 MBI've been talking more and more about de-growth and I'm seeing more and more articles and media out there talking about de-growth. It's becoming a bit of a buzzword but what does it really mean? I interviewed that new chat bot, the one that can create the written word from artificial intelligence. It has creators and writers wondering if their jobs are about to be taken over by AI. Did it write this podcast? Who is CHAT GPT?!!? Let's go inside and find out. Enjoying the podcast? I am ...
New Circles: How to Create a Legacy
December 07, 2022 14:00 - 42 minutes - 29.4 MBThis episode, What's This Place? goes behind the bricks and mortar of New Circles, a multi dimensional, not-for-profit agency here in Toronto. New Circles helps alleviate poverty through their free clothing bank GLOW (Gently Loved Outfits To Wear)...and if I am being honest, that's all I thought they did! But once I went behind the bricks and mortar, I discovered that GLOW is a jumping off program for so much more... They offer free employment skills training and newcomer settlement support...
What is a Real Hero of E-Commerce?
November 09, 2022 19:00 - 37 minutes - 25.6 MBThis week I get interviewed by Jason Shepherd, the host of The Real Hero's of E-commerce, a podcast on shopping! Enjoying the podcast? I am fiercely independent, and rely on listeners like you to help me stick around. Can you share the episode on social media, or write a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review in Apple podcasts?! I would be so grateful.
What is a Zero Waste Halloween?
October 22, 2022 13:00 - 22 minutes - 15.8 MBWe're talking zero waste costumes, decorations and candy with a special mystery guest! We also talk about stats and how they aren't helping and may even be contributing to people not caring about making small changes! RIP stats!! Enjoying the podcast? I am fiercely independent, and rely on listeners like you to help me stick around. Can you share the episode on social media, or write a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review in Apple podcasts?! I would be so grateful.
What is a Bespoke Tailor?
October 14, 2022 18:00 - 44 minutes - 30.6 MBThis week I go behind the scenes of my own business, Theodore 1922: how I started, how I very nearly went bankrupt and how one man changed everything. Pasquale started tailoring at 6 years old...yes, you read that right: 6 years old! So what is a Bespoke Tailor? And who is Pasquale Buonjourno? Enjoying the podcast? I am fiercely independent, and rely on listeners like you to help me stick around. Can you share the episode on social media, or write a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review in Apple podcasts?!...
Blondie Apparel: Made in vs Designed in ___.
September 23, 2022 21:00 - 34 minutes - 23.6 MBWhat's This Place? podcast turns one this week. I launched my first episode with Sharon Smyl from Collected Joy a year ago this week and heck yeah, I'm going to celebrate! I'm giving away a chance to win one of 3 garments from Blondie Apparel, a 100% Made in Canada garment...from fabric to hang tags to thread. HOW TO WIN?! Go to my Instagram or Twitter for rules and entry. You can also send a screen shot of a review you write on your podcast app between now and September 27th at 11:59...
Blondie Apparel: Made in vs Designed in Canada.
September 23, 2022 21:00 - 34 minutes - 23.6 MBWhat's This Place? podcast turns one this week. I launched my first episode with Sharon Smyl from Collected Joy a year ago this week and heck yeah, I'm going to celebrate! I'm giving away a chance to win one of 3 garments from Blondie Apparel, a 100% Made in Canada garment...from fabric to hang tags to thread. HOW TO WIN?! Go to my Instagram or Twitter for rules and entry. You can also send a screen shot of a review you write on your podcast app between now and September 27th at 11:59...
Isabel Slone: Why Isn't More Clothing Made in Canada?
September 13, 2022 19:00 - 31 minutes - 21.7 MBWhy Isn’t More Clothing Made In Canada? Well today we are going to talk to someone who actually wrote an article with that exact title…you can google "Why Isn’t More Clothing Made in Canada?" and the first result you should get is a Chatelaine story with that exact title by Isabel Slone who writes for The NY Times, The Globe and Mail, Macleans etc and today I’m going to pick her brain about Made in Canada. if we really want to "Shop Local" and "Buy Canadian" are there any clothing brands ...
What is Soak Wash?
August 15, 2022 19:00 - 39 minutes - 27.2 MBSoak Wash is a huge Canadian success story...there's also has a ton of sustainability built right into Soaks production. A perfect fit for this season on What's This Place? Jacqueline Sava wanted to build a laundry detergent from a skin care perspective: Something that is as gentle on your hands and smells just as great as the soaps we use on our bodies. "People sometimes think of clothes so passively. It's actually incredibly hard work from a design standpoint, to make fabric fit on the...
How to thrift with ADC
July 26, 2022 07:00 - 35 minutes - 24.1 MBThis week we talk to Danielle Green, the owner of ADC an independent thrift store thriving and surviving in one of the most expensive cities in the world. Danielle shares how she had to shift her game when covid hit, how to thrift for the average person and how to support independent thrift stores everywhere. Enjoying the podcast? I am fiercely independent, and rely on listeners like you to help me stick around. Can you share the episode on social media, or write a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review in App...
The Finder's Life
July 12, 2022 07:00 - 36 minutes - 25.1 MBWhat is a Sustainable Stylist? Miranda Black interviews Jess Raffills from The Finder's Life who has been a sustainable stylist before anyone really knew what that was! Jess is from New Zealand where they weave sustainability into their lives a little more seamlessly that we do here in North America (scute the pun...weave, seamlessly lol). Jess gives some great tips you can start using TODAY to start your sustainable style journey and get more confidence about your style. Enjoying the ...
Random Acts of Green
June 28, 2022 07:00 - 30 minutes - 21.2 MBMiranda Black sits down with Jessica Correa from Random Acts of Green to learn why it's important to have some green goals even if they are little ones. Jessica shows us how small actions can create huge ripples and how to gain confidence developing your own sustainable style. Enjoying the podcast? I am fiercely independent, and rely on listeners like you to help me stick around. Can you share the episode on social media, or write a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review in Apple podcasts?! I would be so grat...
How do we shop now that the world is melting?!
June 28, 2022 07:00 - 7 minutes - 4.92 MBMiranda Black realizes the traditional ways of shopping & staying stylish no longer feel great if it means she's disproportionately contributing to the destruction of the planet. How on earth can fashion survive? What does sustainable style mean? How come fashion is so destructive? Let's go inside and find out. Enjoying the podcast? I am fiercely independent, and rely on listeners like you to help me stick around. Can you share the episode on social media, or write a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review i...
Peach Berserk: Part 2
March 02, 2022 08:00 - 30 minutes - 21.1 MBGo behind the bricks and mortar of Peach Berserk, a 35 year old independent fashion house owned by Kingi Carpenter. Enjoying the podcast? I am fiercely independent, and rely on listeners like you to help me stick around. Can you share the episode on social media, or write a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review in Apple podcasts?! I would be so grateful.
Peach Berserk
February 12, 2022 18:00 - 29 minutes - 20.5 MBPeach Berserk is an iconic fashion line in Canada. It has been profiled in thousands of fashion articles, worn on hundreds of red carpets and countless proms and weddings. Maybe even you owned something from Peach Berserk! The brand was THAT ubiquitous. Kingi Carpenter, the brains behind Peach Berserk, closed her store in 2012 but she is back with a whole new interactive fashion/art gallery/creator space. What is Peach Berserk? Let's go inside and find out. Enjoying the podcast? I am ...
R.A.I.D.
December 07, 2021 08:00 - 34 minutes - 24.1 MBFor over 40 years, a yellow and red awning has hung over a seemingly deserted storefront. No one ever seemed to go in or out. In 2018, R.A.I.D. took over this infamous and mysterious storefront. It was like a time capsule from the 1980s: the bar, the ticket booth window, even the disco dance floor hadn't been touched for four decades. Ramon Perez is not a retailer. He's a successful illustrator, a cartoonist...he draws for Archie comics and the amazing Spider-Man!...he had a burning desi...
Unboxed Market
November 23, 2021 08:00 - 31 minutes - 21.7 MBMichelle Genttner and Luis Martins sold their restaurant, bought a grocery and turned it into Toronto's first Zero Waste grocery store. But what is Zero Waste...it sounds intimidating. Is it just a PR term or will Unboxed Market revolutionize how we shop? Let's go inside and find out. Enjoying the podcast? I am fiercely independent, and rely on listeners like you to help me stick around. Can you share the episode on social media, or write a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review in Apple podcasts?! I would b...
Made You Look Jewellery
November 09, 2021 08:00 - 36 minutes - 25.1 MBAt 23, Sarah Dougall bought a building and started a jewellery store...and she was pregnant when she did it. Now, 20 years later, she shares her business wisdom with What's This Place Podcast. It's an incredible story of retail perseverance. How has she made so many people look...both online and in real life? What is this place? Let's go inside and find out. Enjoying the podcast? I am fiercely independent, and rely on listeners like you to help me stick around. Can you share the episode...
Hanji Gifts.
October 26, 2021 07:00 - 26 minutes - 18.2 MBCatherine Choi had her life all planned out: she was going to be a kindergarten teacher. But first she flew to Korea to teach English...and that’s where she met Hyun Suk Choi, who wanted to open a restaurant. Fate put these two together to create one of Toronto's most unique and cherished paper goods and gift stores. Who are Catherine and Hyun Suk Choi and what is Hanji Gifts? Let's go inside and find out. Enjoying the podcast? I am fiercely independent, and rely on listeners like you t...
EP.4 Antique Emporium: Who are Tracey Acker and Steve White?
October 12, 2021 07:00 - 36 minutes - 25.3 MBAntique Emporium is a unique antique store in Kingston, Ontario.
Antique Emporium
October 12, 2021 07:00 - 36 minutes - 25.3 MBSteve white and Tracy Acker were running an artists retreat...y'know, where you find your inner self. One summer, they found an abandoned store at the end of a dead end road near the retreat and decided to follow their own "inner-calling" advice and open a cafe with cookies, pies, and a "what you sit on is for sale" concept. Now they're upgrading to a single 13,000 square foot space in downtown Kingston. That's right: 13,000 square feet! As a former retailer, this blows my mind. So who are...
Ep 3: Neat.Space.Edited: Who is Andrew Livingston?
September 26, 2021 21:00 - 33 minutes - 23.2 MBAndrew Livingston had a busy life. He was climbing the corporate ladder at Rogers while simultaneously hosting Adventures in Golf, the TV series. It was a pretty sweet double life until the 1, 2 punch of the dot com crash and 9/11. He lost both gigs and found himself unemployed with limited prospects. Andrew did what every consummate entrepreneur does: he researched, made plans, failed and grew. Who is Andrew Livingston and what is Neat. Space. Edited?
Ep 3: Andrew Livingston: Neat.Space.Edited.
September 26, 2021 21:00 - 33 minutes - 23.2 MBAndrew Livingston had a busy life. He was climbing the corporate ladder at Rogers while simultaneously hosting Adventures in Golf, the TV series. It was a pretty sweet double life until the 1, 2 punch of the dot com crash and 9/11. He lost both gigs and found himself unemployed with limited prospects. Andrew did what every consummate entrepreneur does: he researched, made plans, failed and grew. Who is Andrew Livingston and what is Neat. Space. Edited?
Neat.Space.Edited.
September 26, 2021 21:00 - 33 minutes - 23.2 MBAndrew Livingston was climbing the corporate ladder while simultaneously hosting a golf show on TV. It was a pretty sweet life!...until the one-two punch of the dot com crash and 9/11. He lost both gigs and found himself unemployed. Andrew did what every consummate entrepreneur does: he researched, made plans, failed and grew. Who is Andrew Livingston and what is Neat.Space.Edited? Let's go inside and find out. Enjoying the podcast? I am fiercely independent, and rely on listeners like you...
Collected Joy
September 24, 2021 00:00 - 28 minutes - 19.9 MBSharon Smyl had a stable job making good money. She got the entrepreneurial bug and gave up all that security to open a bricks and mortar store at the peak of the Retail Apocalypse. She's seven years into it now. She even opened a second store...right before the pandemic hit. And she has plans to open more stores! Where does Sharon Smyl's business optimism come from? And how can all retailers be this filled with joy?! What is Collected Joy? Let's go inside and find out. Enjoying the podca...
The RE Place.
September 22, 2021 14:00 - 31 minutes - 21.6 MBImagine opening a bricks and mortar store after the pandemic started? Your potential customers have disappeared from the streets. Walk-by-traffic is gone. Wage subsidies and rent relief aren't available to someone who opened up after March, 2020. But Mira Vuletic had a dream to open a Zero Waste cafe and boutique...and the pandemic was not about to stop her. Who is Mira Vuletic and what is The RE Place? Let's go inside and find out. Enjoying the podcast? I am fiercely independent, and re...
Trailer: What's This Podcast about?
September 21, 2021 14:00 - 1 minute - 1.1 MBGo behind the Bricks and Mortar with Miranda Black and find out what it takes to survive and thrive owning a local store.
Trailer: What's This Podcast? Let's Find Out.
September 21, 2021 14:00 - 1 minute - 1.1 MBGo behind the Bricks and Mortar with Miranda Black and find out what it takes to survive and thrive owning a local store.
Trailer: What's This Podcast about?
September 21, 2021 14:00 - 1 minute - 1.1 MBGo behind the Bricks and Mortar with Miranda Black and find out what it takes to survive and thrive owning a local store. Enjoying the podcast? I am fiercely independent, and rely on listeners like you to help me stick around. Can you share the episode on social media, or write a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review in Apple podcasts?! I would be so grateful.
Ep. 2 The Replace: Who is Mira Vuletic?
September 16, 2021 14:00 - 31 minutes - 21.6 MBImagine opening a bricks and mortar store after the pandemic started? Your potential customers have disappeared from the streets. Walk-by traffic…the bread and butter of all retailers...is gone and there’s no timeline for when it’ll be back. Today we’re gonna talk to someone who did just that! The Re-Place opened up on the Danforth in the midst of lockdowns, confusion and epic uncertainty. Who is Mira Vuletic and what is The Re-Place?
Ep. 2 The Re:place: Who is Mira Vuletic?
September 16, 2021 14:00 - 31 minutes - 21.6 MBImagine opening a bricks and mortar store after the pandemic started? Your potential customers have disappeared from the streets. Walk-by traffic…the bread and butter of all retailers...is gone and there’s no timeline for when it’ll be back. Today we’re gonna talk to someone who did just that! The Re-Place opened up on the Danforth in the midst of lockdowns, confusion and epic uncertainty. Who is Mira Vuletic and what is The Re-Place?
Ep. 2 The RE Place: Who is Mira Vuletic?
September 16, 2021 14:00 - 31 minutes - 21.6 MBImagine opening a bricks and mortar store after the pandemic started? Your potential customers have disappeared from the streets. Walk-by traffic…the bread and butter of all retailers...is gone and there’s no timeline for when it’ll be back. Today we’re gonna talk to someone who did just that! The Re-Place opened up on the Danforth in the midst of lockdowns, confusion and epic uncertainty. Who is Mira Vuletic and what is The Re-Place?
Ep. 1 Collected Joy: Who is Sharon Smyl?
September 12, 2021 00:00 - 28 minutes - 19.9 MBSharon Smyl had a stable job in advertising, a house, 2 teenage kids. She gave up all that security to open a gift store at a point in history when all the analytics might say...this is not a great time to open a store!! Sharon Smyl did it anyway and she's 6 years into it now. She even has plans for more stores on the way! Who is Sharon Smyl and what is Collected Joy? Let's go inside to find out.