Do you remember rainbow looms? How about adult coloring books? Well, those fun crafty items and thousands more come from somewhere, and that somewhere in the case of the over 1,400 Michael's crafts stores is the buyers who stay in front of trends and find manufacturers the world over to bring those items to US consumers. In the words of our guest Tara, "our job is to make people happy," and she has been doing that for over ten years in a range of positions leading to her current buyer position at Michael's. What's a buyer's work life like? Tara explains ... 70% math, 20% strategy, and 50% hard work! In this deep-dive episode, hear more about the reality versus the myth of being a retail buyer, and get ready to be energized by someone who makes very clear being a buyer is a "heavy lift" but super-worth-it if you have the underlying passion.