What does it take to keep a 135-year-old business alive in a world dominated by e-commerce, automation, and constant disruption? In this episode of Living The Red Life, two fourth-generation entrepreneurs reveal how they stepped into leadership during one of the most difficult periods in their family’s history and transformed a historic department store into a thriving community destination. Amanda "AJ" Ashenbrenner and Theresa Kronforst share the mindset, resilience, and unconventional decisions that helped them modernize without sacrificing the values that built their legacy. From customer experience and retail innovation to family business leadership and community impact, they discuss the strategies that continue to attract customers, build loyalty, and keep a hometown institution relevant for future generations.

Key Takeaways

• How to modernize a family business without losing its identity

• Why customer experience beats convenience in today's retail world

• The importance of adapting during economic and industry disruption

• How two sisters successfully transitioned into leadership roles

• Why community relationships remain a powerful competitive advantage

Notable Quotes

• "The sale is 95% listening to the customer."

• "Change is the only thing that stays the same."

• "People are coming in for the experience."

• "We are the experience."

• "Each day brings the unknown, but also the chance to rise to it."