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Aisle Be Damned

Aisle Be Damned

Written by: Shana & Jason Wallenstein
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About this listen
We’re Shana and Jason Wallenstein. We’re married, and we own a hardware store together.Which, as it turns out, is a really good way to learn a lot about business and maybe a little too much about each other.Because owning a business never goes exactly the way you think it will.The wins are bigger, the mistakes are more expensive, and some days you find yourself asking, “How the hell did we get here?”So we started talking to other entrepreneurs, founders, retailers, and business owners about what it really takes to build something.The good decisions. The bad decisions. The things nobody tells you until you’re already in it.For better.For worse.For business.This is Aisle Be Damned.© 2026 Aisle Be Damned Economics Leadership Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Ep. 9 - From Cancer Cards to Laugh-Out-Loud Truths: Colleen Greller's Cleverly Carded Story
    Nov 10 2026

    What do you do when the perfect greeting card doesn't exist? You make it yourself. On this episode of Aisle Be Damned, Jason and Shana sit down with Colleen Greller, founder of Cleverly Carded, to talk about turning real-life experiences, heartfelt messages, and a healthy dose of humor into a growing greeting card business.

    Colleen's journey began with a realization: there are some moments in life that traditional greeting cards just don't know how to handle. Waiting for biopsy results, supporting someone through a cancer diagnosis, surviving the chaos of raising kids, or simply telling your best friend exactly what's on your mind deserve something more personal than a generic message. An ovarian cancer survivor herself, Colleen created cards that meet people where they are, blending honest emotion with the kind of humor that makes life's hardest and most ridiculous moments a little easier to navigate.

    But Cleverly Carded is more than a creative outlet. Colleen is also a high school principal, a wife and mom, and the co-founder of KICK (Knowledge Is Cancer's Kryptonite), an organization focused on helping people access genetic testing. She shares how she went from making cards for friends to launching a business at local markets, selling 150 cards at her first event, and getting interest from retailers almost immediately.

    The conversation explores the challenges of starting a business while juggling a demanding career and family life, finding the right audience, pricing products, and learning to trust your creative instincts. Colleen also explains the thought behind her distinctive designs, intentional white space, handwritten feel, and collections covering everything from adulting and relationships to faith, caregiving, and life's wonderfully awkward milestones.

    If you've ever searched for a card that says exactly what you're thinking, believe humor can help us through difficult times, or wondered how a creative idea becomes a real business, this episode is for you. Just remember: if life gives you a moment worth sharing, there's a good chance you can card it.

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    1 hr and 17 mins
  • Ep. 8 - From Lebanese Family Recipes to 1,000 Stores: Tina Chamoun's Journey With Za'atar
    Nov 3 2026

    What happens when you bring a taste of your heritage home and realize the rest of the country needs to try it, too? On this episode of Aisle Be Damned, Jason and Shana sit down with Tina Lattouf Chamoun, founder of Terranean Spices, Spreads and Snacks, to talk about turning Lebanese food traditions into a growing retail brand now reaching approximately 1,000 stores nationwide.

    Tina shares how childhood trips to Lebanon, suitcases packed with za’atar, and a desire to share her culture inspired her to leave her legal career behind and build a business around authentic Lebanese seasonings, spreads, and pita chips. From mixing products by hand in her kitchen to navigating her first grocery buyer meeting without a clue about retail pricing, she explains the messy, rewarding reality of building a food brand from scratch.

    The conversation dives into the challenges of scaling production, earning grocery store reorders, keeping products fresh and consistent, and learning to trust your instincts as an entrepreneur. Tina also shares the story behind her immigrant-led, all-women production team and how sourcing ingredients from Lebanon allows her to support communities on both sides of the world.

    Plus, the crew gets into family business dynamics, raising three young entrepreneurs, the importance of sampling and storytelling, and some seriously delicious ways to use za’atar. French fries, anyone?

    If you love small-business success stories, discovering new foods, or learning what it really takes to get a product from a family tradition onto grocery store shelves, this episode is for you.

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    52 mins
  • Ep. 7 - From Buying a House at 19 to BBQ Champion: Jason Rhea’s Story
    Oct 27 2026

    What do renovating a house at 19, building a construction business, and becoming a barbecue competition champion have in common? For Jason Rhea, it’s all about learning as you go, putting in the work, and never being afraid to try something new.

    Jason joins Jason and Shana on Aisle Be Damned to talk about his journey from a college student taking on a 1906 fixer-upper to running his own design and construction business, relocating his family from Memphis to Northeast Ohio, and finding a whole new passion in competitive barbecue. He shares how his years around Memphis barbecue shaped his approach, what separates competition cooking from backyard grilling, the smokers and techniques he relies on, and how he went from placing in his first competitions to taking home Best in Show.

    Along the way, they get into the realities of running a small business, the importance of building relationships, the wonderfully welcoming world of barbecue, and why even a champion is always looking for ways to improve. If you love great food, good people, and a little smoke with your success story, this episode is for you.

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    1 hr and 11 mins
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