Inspiration. Knowledge. Community.

In one unforgettable day.

h+h University Course Guide

This all-inclusive, one-day program on Tuesday offers deep-dive education tailored to specific tracks: brick-and-mortar retail, e-commerce, and designer/teacher. It includes expert-led sessions, networking, lunch, and a cocktail hour. Attendees can also look forward to pre- and post-show Zoom sessions for goal-setting and follow-up.

Tracks

E-commerce

10:25-12:05 | Put Your Profit First with the Profit First Method with Cathy Donovan Wagner and Dana Connell

1:40-3:20 | Crafting Irresistible Product Pages for Online Retail with Aeolidia

Designer / Teacher

10:25-12:05 | 3 Easy Steps to Promotional Videos That Work! with Lyric Kinard

1:40-3:20 | Pitch Perfect: Growing Media Connections for Long-Term Press Success with Nicole Lewis

Brick-and-Mortar

10:25-12:05 | Meta Ads for Local Businesses with Stephanie Smith


1:40-3:20 | In-Store Events with Cathy Donovan Wagner and Dana Connell

Think Tanks

3:30-5:00 | Think Tanks

Class Schedule

  • 9:30 am Check-in and coffee
  • 10:25 am – 12:05 pm Block One

  • 12:15 pm – 1:30 pm Study Hall / Join Lunch

  • 1:40 pm – 3:20 pm Block Two

  • 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm Think Tank

  • 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm Join Happy Hour

Class Descriptions

Put Your Profit First with the Profit First Method with Cathy Donovan and Dana Connell

Calm the cash flow chaos and create predictable profits with Profit First, a revolutionary cash flow management tool that flips the script on how you think about your financials. Small businesses that are sustainably profitable have the best shot at achieving longterm growth. 

By the end of this workshop you’ll learn…

  • Why your bank account never seems to have money left over after expenses are paid
  • How to use Profit First to obliterate debt and grow your bottom line
  • That having a profitable business is possible, no matter the size of your store or where you are in your retail journey!

Crafting Irresistible Product Pages for Online Retail with Aeolidia

With a brick-and-mortar store, you can show a customer a product and share with them what makes it so special. For your online shop, you don’t have the pleasure of speaking to your customers face to face. Learn how to create robust product detail pages that tell your story, answer questions before they’re asked, and make the sale for you.

The Shopify Experts at Aeolidia will share proven features and functionality to include on your site, including subscriptions, personalization, upselling, trust signals, product reviews, bundling, user-generated content, and more. We will focus on specific steps you can take to get more sales from your product pages, increasing conversion rate, average order value, and revenue per user.

3 Easy Steps to Promotional Videos That Work! with Lyric Kinard

As the official CEO of everything in your business, you have no time to add one more thing to your day. Yet, you also know that video is the most effective marketing tool. In this class, you’ll learn how to easily and efficiently make promotional videos that create authentic connections with your audience and get you the results you need.

Using nothing but your phone you’ll create a video in the class, and make you’ll make a plan to make at least one more promo video during h+h!

Pitch Perfect: Growing Media Connections for Long-Term Press Success with Nicole Lewis

Pitch Perfect: Growing Media Connections for Long-Term Press SuccessEveryone needs press! From backlinks and SEO to building trust through physical publications, getting noticed and driving traffic to your store comes from press features! It’s time to take control of your public relations strategy and build lasting connections with the media.

In this session, you’ll learn how to create a targeted media list, craft compelling brand stories, and pitch with confidence to secure earned press. Discover actionable strategies to identify the right contacts, tailor your outreach, and respond to media opportunities effectively.

Networking with journalists and editors may take time, but when done right, it pays off in meaningful, mutually beneficial relationships. Whether you’re new to PR or ready to refine your approach, this class will provide you with tools and insights to get your brand noticed by the media and featured in top publications.

Meta Ads Made Simple for Scaling Local Businesses with Stephanie Smith

Harness the power of Facebook and Instagram ads to grow your local business! Targeted ads shown to people in your local community can be a great way to attract new customers to your shop and bring existing customers back in. This hands-on workshop will guide you through creating effective ad campaigns, targeting the right audience, and maximizing your budget for real results. Whether you’re new to Meta ads or looking to fine-tune your strategy, you’ll walk away with the tools and confidence to turn clicks into customers.

The Sale That Actually Works with Cathy Donovan and Dana Connell

In this workshop, discover how successful retailers turn slow sales into opportunities without resorting to impulsive discounts. You’ll master the Clearance Sale strategy—a proven method to drive sales during your slowest months while safeguarding your profit margins. This approach equips you with a focused marketing plan to engage untapped customer segments and create a smart inventory strategy designed to clear out stock effectively. Join us to learn how to boost your revenue strategically and sustainably.

FACULTY

Arianne Foulks is a founder, speaker, and Shopify Partner who has focused her career on building impactful retail businesses. At Aeolidia, her web design and development agency, she and her team create super-effective online shops for artists and designers. She has spoken and taught for organizations including Goldman Sachs, Shopify, & CreativeMornings.

Helen Hulksamp is the Ecommerce Strategist at Aeolidia, a Shopify design and development agency. She has been a software engineer and web developer since 1996, focusing on conversion optimization and analytics. She has run a small-batch skincare business and dives headfirst into new crafts regularly, particularly in the fiber arts, though any medium or material is fair game.


aeolidia.com

Dana is an avid researcher of everything retail, consumers, marketing, and trends. She has over 40 years of retail experience in sales, management, buying. She is currently an associate professor at Columbia College Chicago. Dana enjoys making sense of the numbers and executing plans that put profit at the core of retail businesses and she’s energized by the fast pace of change in the retail world.


retailmavens.com

Cathy Donovan Wagner is the founder of RETAILMavens, where she empowers independent retailers to achieve financial freedom and reach 7-figure success. A former retail store owner, Cathy transformed her near-bankrupt business into a multi-million dollar enterprise. Now she helps retailers boost profits and transform their lives. Cathy also shares her insights as the host of the Richer Retailer podcast, which is dedicated to helping retailers thrive.

retailmavens.com

Lyric Montgomery Kinard is an award-winning artist, author, quilt teacher, and founder of the Academy for Virtual Teaching. A leader in creative business education, she equips shop owners and entrepreneurs with strategies to grow income through virtual classes and video marketing. With decades of teaching experience, Lyric empowers creatives to thrive in the digital world.


www.academyforvirtualteaching.com

Nicole Lewis is the founder of Art 2 the Extreme, making her colorful mark through her playful collection of Original Rainbow Crayons. Nicole is passionate about teaching how to DIY your PR and use relationship-building with the media to grow your business. Nicole is an instructor for Etsy’s education program and works directly with staff at Etsy on a monthly basis. Features include Magnolia, Business Insider, CNBC, NPR, The Drew Barrymore Show, and earned a Martha Stewart ‘Good Things’ seal. Nicole was a finalist in the Etsy Design Awards, placing top 10 in the Kids category worldwide.

art2theextreme.com

Stephanie, a Georgia Tech grad, has 14 years of digital ad experience, managing over $100M for brands like Coca Cola and Capital One. She founded a media buying firm serving small businesses and now teaches business owners to scale through paid social ads. Her passion for teaching led her to develop an AI-powered digital ads simulator designed to help users learn to manage ad campaigns in a risk-free environment.

socialbysteph.com