Show Me Yours - Clay and Emily RossReformatted Working TranscriptNote: Speaker labels were not included in the raw transcript, so this version is cleaned and organized by topic and timestamp rather than assigning every line to a speaker.[00:02] Intro musicShow Me Yours. Where failure speaks volumes. Jason and Re getting real, dropping brutal business truths with no sugar, only raw lessons shared. Tuning out your mistakes. Show Me Yours.[00:15] Welcome to Season TwoRe welcomes listeners to Season Two of Show Me Yours with co-host Jason Sheffield. They reflect on Season One, where the audience followed the transition from BRW and HR Branches into Savvion. Re shares that Season One gave listeners a real-time look at business growth, brand change, and the stories of other entrepreneurs. Jason explains the return of the show's third co-host, The Bucket, a collection of about 70 questions about business success, failure, lessons learned, vulnerability, and a little silliness.[02:27] Introducing Clay and Emily RossRe introduces Clay and Emily Ross of Yobel and The Look Up Gallery. She shares that she has admired Yobel for years, starting back when they were doing road shows and pop-ups, including Mother's Day appearances at her church. Re jokes that their current location across the way from Savvion gets her in trouble because she can now shop, drink, and admire art far too easily. She also confesses that one of her life goals is to own one of Clay's pieces of art.[03:46] The Look Up Gallery and PrimerClay explains that The Look Up Gallery began in Yobel's previous space. They loved acting as informal concierges for Colorado Springs, telling visitors and locals where to eat, drink, shop, and see art. Many people were surprised to learn there was strong local art in Colorado Springs, so Clay and Emily began wondering how they could introduce people to art in a more natural way. Their solution was to install art above the boutique space, allowing people to literally look up and discover it.In the new space, the gallery expanded from solo monthly shows into a much larger ecosystem with 30 artists, including 24 in the member gallery and several art studios. Clay then shares the purpose behind Primer, their nonprofit created to subsidize artists. He explains the harsh economics behind art: a successful body of work may take one or two years to create, cost thousands in materials, and still leave the artist making only a few dollars an hour after gallery splits, taxes, and rent. Primer helps reduce that burden. Clay shares that all six studio artists have now been awarded subsidies that reduce their rent by half for a year.[09:54] The origin story of YobelJason asks how Yobel turned two former pastors into boutique, gallery, and social impact entrepreneurs. Emily shares that both she and Clay have always loved fashion. She grew up sewing with her grandmother, aunt, and mother, making her own dresses for prom and homecoming. As a teenager, she dreamed of attending Parsons and creating red carpet, one-of-a-kind couture pieces.That dream shifted when she learned about sweatshops and the exploitation behind much of the fashion industry. As a teenager, she imagined becoming wealthy enough to buy all the sweatshops and make them better. Later, she was inspired by brands like TOMS that showed profit and social impact could coexist. Yobel began around 2008 when their friends co-founded the business after traveling and seeing the need for people to earn livable wages without exploitation. Clay and Emily were early fans, and in 2019, six months before the world shut down, they bought the retail side of Yobel.[13:41] Buying the business before COVIDEmily explains that Yobel had already gone through several versions before they bought it, from farmers markets and pop-ups to a brick-and-mortar in Old Colorado City, then a location under the bridge by the depot, and eventually a small Ivywild space near Principal's Office. At the time they purchased it, Yobel was about 200 square feet and mainly focused on accessories, jewelry, and bags.Their dream was to expand into head-to-toe ethical fashion for men and women, ideally downtown. Then COVID hit. Because Ivywild was treated as an event space, it remained closed while many other retail shops reopened. Clay and Emily had to choose between letting the business go or fast-forwarding their plan. They found a new gutted space, pulled together funding, sourced merchandise wherever they could, and completed a buildout in about seven weeks while still working full-time jobs and managing family life.[16:03] The fire and the search for a new homeRe brings up the next major chapter: their building burned down. Emily explains that a restaurant fire next door destroyed everything in December 2023. At that point, they had already been looking for a larger space for about a year and a half. They wanted a place where people could gather, drink, shop, view art, and simply be.Clay and Emily describe their different ways of processing crisis. Clay tends to see danger faster, while Emily can remain wildly optimistic, sometimes to a fault. After the fire, they chose to treat the devastation as an opportunity to move into their next phase. Downtown rents rose dramatically, and they spent months looking at space after space. Some were too small, too expensive, too far away, lacking foot traffic, or came with problems like asbestos. By the time they found their current location across the walkway from Savvion, it was the 23rd space they had considered.[20:41] The 23rd space and building the dreamThe group jokes that because of the fires, the saying became, 'third time is the 23rd time.' Clay and Emily say they will not be serving smoky old-fashioneds or mezcal anytime soon because they have enough smoke-related trauma already.Re praises Emily's optimism and the beautiful space they created. Clay and Emily explain that the space originally had server walls, cinder blocks instead of windows, glued-down carpet, and cubicles, but they immediately saw the potential. They now feel the space holds everything they each dreamed of as kids: boutique, gallery, bar, studios, and community space under one roof. They still pinch themselves every day they walk in.[21:40] The cost of chasing the dreamThe conversation turns to how hard it is to achieve a dream. Emily references a sticker nearby that says, 'I gave up my 9 to 5 to work 24/7,' and says that is exactly what business ownership feels like. Clay was laid off from his full-time job during the buildout, which forced a decision they had hoped to make eventually: both of them moving fully into the business. They joke about eating ramen noodles and making sacrifices, but they also emphasize that they are working for themselves, their artists, their global artisans, and the mission of fighting exploitation in fashion.[23:07] The Bucket: Almost giving upThe first Bucket question asks about a time they almost gave up entirely on a business idea or major project, and who pulled them back from the brink.Emily says the year after the fire was especially hard. The insurance paperwork was exhausting, with every single piece of business personal property needing to be listed individually. By late 2024, they were so tired from searching for spaces and watching potential deals fall apart that they considered pausing the search altogether. Clay says Emily is often the person who makes the impossible possible. When something looks unworkable, whether it is inventory documentation, a liquor license, or combining a gallery and boutique, the answer becomes, 'You haven't met Emily.'Re reflects on how this reminds her of working with Brian. She says spouses in business often carry each other through the porch conversations where everything feels close to falling apart. Clay and Emily explain that they have opposite strengths. Emily is the executor, Clay is the extrovert and dreamer, and somehow the combination works.[27:22] Finding the current spaceEmily shares that the property manager originally showed them the front of the building next door, but then suggested they look at the little former Comcast space. They walked down the cobblestone path, saw the space despite all the walls, carpet, cubicles, and server equipment, and immediately knew it was the one. After leaving, they went straight to Urban Animal, got beers, and started drawing floor plans. Clay jokes that he drew about 154 plans. They completed nearly a four-month buildout and opened in mid-April.[28:55] The Bucket: A shattered business beliefThe next Bucket question asks what core belief about business they once held firmly that has since been shattered.Emily says the biggest lesson may be less about business generally and more about owning a business in the current era. Since COVID, old baselines and year-over-year comparisons often no longer work. Retail used to rely on fourth quarter as the Super Bowl season, with enough revenue to carry businesses through the scary first quarter. But recent instability, including government shutdowns and broader economic fear, made the fourth quarter feel unpredictable and frightening.Clay and Emily talk about how businesses can no longer do just one thing. A brewery cannot just be a brewery; it now needs experiences, events, and reasons for people to gather. Yobel, The Look Up Gallery, and their bar were built around that realization. People want stories, connection, and experiences, not just transactions.[31:02] Experiences, revenue streams, and First FridaysThe group discusses the expectation that businesses provide experiences. Emily explains that Yobel has always been story-based because they curate work from over 60 global artisans in around 20 countries. Their mission and the stories behind each piece are part of why people continue to shop with them even after moving away.The bar and gallery help people stay in the space longer. Guests sit, drink, talk, learn about downtown, meet artists, and experience the block in a different way. They also talk about First Fridays, which are a major anchor for the gallery. On First Fridays, they stay open until 9:00, many artists attend, some paint live, a DJ plays when the weather is nice, and the alley fills with music, art, and energy.[35:49] Starting Primer as a nonprofitJason asks Clay what he has learned from starting a nonprofit and dealing with the business side of nonprofit work. Clay says that question may be better answered two years from now. He has experience with fundraising and nonprofit work, but every new project is still its own lesson. He says they often do not know the how at first, only the why.The why is clear: there are tens of millions of garment workers worldwide and very few earn a livable wage, so they must do something about it. Artists also need support because art is necessary, powerful, and healing, but incredibly hard to sustain financially. Clay and Emily know why they need to support artists, and they are figuring out the how as they go.[38:09] Dreamer and executorClay and Emily talk about their Enneagram and personality dynamics. They are both Enneagram nines, which makes their disagreements unusually gentle, often sounding like a competition over who is sorrier. On Myers-Briggs, Clay identifies more as the dreamer and Emily as the executor. Clay brings ideas. Emily loves him, writes them down, and then asks the practical question: when would they actually have time to do that?They share that Primer's 501(c)(3) approval was delayed because of the government shutdown, so Downtown Partnership and Ventures stepped in as their fiscal sponsor. Despite the delays and uncertainty, they were able to raise just over $20,000 and fund subsidies for six artists.[39:53] Community shows upClay says one thing he has learned is that community will show up. After the 501(c)(3) delay, Downtown Partnership helped with fiscal sponsorship. Local business owners encouraged them, shared ideas, and asked how they could help. Emily adds that even during the fire and the search for space, the downtown small business community rallied around them.Re connects this to a larger business lesson: nobody in business is an expert in everything. The real skill is knowing how to ask questions and tap into the people around you. Clay adds that business owners need both experts and peers in the trenches who can cuss and cry with them. They have a group of small business friends who meet every Christmas for drinks and call themselves the small business suckers/survivors.[44:26] The Bucket: The email or comment you would take backThe next Bucket question asks what email they would unsend or what thing they would unsay to a client or employee.Emily pauses because she tries hard to be tactful and reread emails, something reinforced by her HR background. She remembers early career mistakes like sending information to the wrong person or experiencing autocorrect disasters. The group laughs about a typo where someone meant to write 'incompetence' and autocorrect turned it into 'incontinence.' They also talk about typos in Primer donor materials, including one that thankfully read 'annual goal' rather than a much worse version.Clay shares a recent moment with a young artist who had wanted to show with them. Clay had spent time coaching him and eventually gave him an opportunity. When the artist accused them of treating him like just a number, Clay reacted strongly and told him that was insulting, with one extra colorful word that he might take back. He still stands by the message but says he could have delivered it with more tact.[48:07] Reaction versus responseClay says he admires people who can take a breath and respond instead of reacting. He knows people always know where they stand with him, but sometimes his face or his mouth gives too much away too quickly. Re asks how he would rephrase the moment with the young artist. Clay says he would still say the accusation was insulting and explain why, but he might leave out the f-bomb.Emily says she probably apologizes too much and avoids conflict. She describes how she can hold things together for months and then lose it over something small, like a paper cut, because the paper cut is not really about the paper cut. Clay remembers a time early in their marriage when Emily got a paper cut after a very stressful season and broke down. He gently told her the reaction did not seem to match the injury, which became shorthand for how stress leaks out sideways.[51:55] Where to find Yobel and The Look Up GalleryJason asks what people should know about the current location and what is coming up. Emily describes the space as a boutique and gallery that had an affair with a speakeasy. It is a hidden gem, tucked in the alley, but people can find them from Tejon by walking through Kawatea or by coming down the alley. Guests can order from Kawatea directly from the bar, check out First Fridays, shop, look at art, or simply sit on the couches and be.Emily encourages the community to shop local and support Primer. Their program runs April to April, and they are raising funds for future artist subsidies. Clay explains that donors who become monthly supporters or give a qualifying one-time gift can receive an exclusive Look Up Rye bottle through Axe and the Oak. They are also looking for corporate sponsors.[54:11] Address and final plugRe asks for the address, and Emily shares that it is 517 South Cascade Avenue, Suite E, at the back alley side of the trolley building. Re closes by praising the space as some of the best shopping, drinks, and art in town. She says the Savvion team loves spending time there, talking with artists, and learning the stories behind the merchandise. She introduces the episode as Season Two, Episode One of Show Me Yours with Clay and Emily Ross and encourages listeners to go visit, get a drink, and meet their friends behind the bar.[55:37] ClosingRe signs off and the episode ends with music.
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