On this episode of the In the Club Podcast by Club Colors, we chat with Joel Friedman, the Founder of JSF Solutions, Marketing Strategist for Club Colors, Partner at Axcelora, and Former Chief Merchandising Officer for Barnes & Noble - College.Joel shares how he handled a lot of moving parts during his time at Barnes & Noble and how he created brand consistency in the delivery of their merchandise. Now with Club Colors, Joel talks about helping college bookstores create credibility within their schools when they offload responsibility to us. By listening well and asking the right questions, Joel creates a relationship with partner schools and delivers what they need to become the heroes of their stories. Joel also digs into the business of college bookstores and the opportunity of capturing market share from this massive market.As always, stick around for the Hot Iron with JMo where we learn about Joel's forgotten career as a sports writer and his tips for young executives.HIGHLIGHT QUOTESCreate an authentic relationship and business will follow - Joel: "Become a great partner and a great listener, and just asking the right probing questions to learn about not only their business but learn about them as a person. Learn about their family. Learn about what's important to them, not only in their job but in their daily life. Become almost like a confidant and a friend."Every product your brand puts out has to align with your branding - Joel: "Branding is the perception that you can create around the brand that you have, and that has to be cherished by any organization, whether it's a school, a business, and you can never waiver from whatever are your requirements of that brand."Connect with Joel:LinkedIn  If you enjoyed this episode of In the Club Podcast with Club Colors, please leave us a review on your favorite podcasting platform!