From “Busy Fool” to Strategic CEO: How Amy Took Control of Her Stock,Cash Flow and Mindset

The struggle

Amy had grown her business from a kitchen table idea into a thriving B2B and B2C brand. But behind the scenes, she was struggling. Constantly spinning plates, wearing too many hats, and reacting rather than leading, she felt like a “busy fool.” With no real forward planning in place, she was overwhelmed and unsure how to make strategic decisions about stock, sales, or her time.

“I was running around like a headless chicken… doing, doing, doing without any sort of forward planning.”

The business

The Cahm Collective

A luxury fragrance and wellbeing brand

Yorkshire

The client

Amy

Key result

Shifted from reactive guesswork to confident, data-led decisions across stock, sales and cash

Timeframe

6 months

Service used

Retail by Design

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The why

Amy had been following Catherine’s work for over a year, was a member of the Resilient Retail Club, and had met her at several events. When she felt ready to make a change, she knew exactly who she trusted to help her take control of her business. Despite hesitations around time, budget, and confidence, she made the leap, and never looked back.

“I was really confident that she was going to deliver, and she did.”

The work

Retail by Design gave Amy the structure and support to step back from the daily grind and approach her business strategically. Together, they worked through her numbers, stock planning, and decision-making process. The result? Amy finally had the tools to stop guessing and start leading.

Here's what we worked on

Stock planning based on data

Amy learned how to review past performance and use it to plan future orders — no more finger-in-the-air guesses.

Cash flow visibility and control

Together they broke down incoming and outgoing cash, helping Amy plan ahead with clarity and confidence.

CEO-level mindset shift

Amy began working on the business instead of just in it, carving out time to think, review, and plan.

The results

Amy now feels in control, not just of her numbers, but of her business as a whole. She’s stopped winging it and started leading with intention.

Day to day, she makes informed decisions, feels confident reviewing her financials, and knows exactly what to focus on next. Even the areas they didn’t cover directly feel more manageable because of the mindset transformation.

“The biggest shift for me has been going from guessing to making informed decisions.”

Gained visibility over stock performance and demand

Established proactive cash flow planning

Reduced over-ordering and improved margin control

More confident in business planning and decision-making

Feels prepared and calm instead of overwhelmed

Shifted from reactive mode into strategic CEO mindset

The review

“For anyone thinking of joining Retail By Design, I'd say 100% go for it. I didn’t feel ready. I didn’t feel like I had the time. I didn’t feel like I could afford it. But all of those things I shouldn’t have worried about, it has been completely worth it.”