Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM JANUARY 2019 30 Mario Jaurez Business Mindset B lessed with a freakish mind for trivia and a finger that knew just the right moment to hit the button, Tom Nissley was an eight-time winner on Jeopardy. At the time, his $235,405 earnings were the third-highest in the show's history. Winning on Jeopardy opened fresh frontiers for Tom. For starters, the windfall freed him from his corporate job at Amazon.com, whereupon he wrote a book, A Reader's Book of Days: True Tales from the Lives and Works of Writers for Every Day of the Year, published by W.W. Norton. And when his neighborhood bookstore came up for sale, "I couldn't talk myself out of buying it," he says. In 2014, Tom and his wife Laura Silverstein purchased Phinney Books in Seattle, Washington. Like its owners, the store is humble– it sits in an old, nondescript storefront and barely has a sign. With just 1,200 square feet, the place feels like a tiny David in a world of Goliath online retailers. But, against all odds, it works. "The neighborhood likes having a bookstore," Tom said. "For me, coming from Amazon, I was a little less afraid of the big online retailers. I know what they do, and I know what I can do here, and they're two pretty different things." Stepping into his warm little bookshop is like visiting a friend's private library. "It's just not that big, and hopefully the stuff we've chosen is the best for our customers. You can always find something, even if you're not an aficionado." Phinney Books is into its fourth year and business is good. Tom and Laura recently purchased a second bookstore in another Seattle neighborhood. Their success has been built on hard work, an intense focus on the customers' needs, and a deep love of a good read. Plus, there's one other undeniable facet that contributes to Phinney Books' appeal: Tom's story. WHY STORY MATTERS In my consulting practice, I help business people of all stripes achieve better outcomes by cultivating good stories and putting them to work. This notion comes as a surprise to many busy professionals who wonder how the "soft skill" of storytelling can deliver hard business results. The truth is, unlocking the power of story is one of the LO O K I N G AT T O M N I S S L E Y, Y O U ' D N E V E R G U E S S H E W A S A S TA R . H I S S LY G R I N A N D T O U S L E D H A I R S U G G E S T A B O O K E D I T O R O R P E R H A P S A R E S E A R C H E R – B O T H O F W H I C H H E ' S B E E N . Y E T F O R A F E W G LO R I O U S W E E K S I N 2 0 1 1 , T O M W A S A P H E N O M E N O N O N E A R LY P R I M E -T I M E T E L E V I S I O N . THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF STORYTELLING IN RETAIL SUCCESS

• Cover
• _GoBack