Beth McRae didn’t set out to own a women’s clothing store. She was a loyal customer at a luxury consignment boutique in Scottsdale, Arizona — and when it went up for sale, she bought it rather than let it close.
That’s how you end up running two businesses.
Beth is also the founder of The McRae Agency, a PR and marketing firm she’s been building for 30 years. In this episode of The Jo Show, she talks about what it actually looks like to run two completely different businesses at once — and what she’s learned about marketing, delegation and staying sane while doing it.
From customer to owner: how Beth bought High Society Resale Boutique
Beth had no retail experience when she took over High Society Resale Boutique. What she did have was three decades of marketing knowledge and a clear-eyed view of what the business needed.
She started from scratch on the systems — building marketing infrastructure, reshaping how the store showed up online, and figuring out how to run a physical and digital retail operation while simultaneously keeping her agency clients happy.
It’s a good reminder that adjacent skills transfer further than most people think.
Why blog posts outperform product pages for ad ROAS
This was one of the most practical moments in the episode, and it’s worth pausing on.
Beth runs paid ads for the boutique. She tested driving traffic to product pages versus blog content — and the blog posts won on return.
The reason makes sense when you think about it: product pages answer “what is this.” Blog posts answer “why do I want this,” “how does it work,” and “why should I trust this brand.” People who arrive warmed up spend more and bounce less.
If you’re running ecommerce ads and sending everything to a product or collection page, this is worth testing.
Instagram and TikTok Lives as weekly community events
Beth turned social live streams into a recurring fixture — same day, same time, week after week. Not a broadcast. A community event.
Regular scheduling builds anticipation and habit. Customers show up because they know when to expect it, not just because an algorithm served it to them. For a resale boutique where new stock arrives constantly, live selling is a natural fit. But the principle holds for any brand with something worth showing.
Building a team that doesn’t need you
Beth said her team “doesn’t even need her anymore” — and she said it like a compliment, not a complaint.
That’s the goal. A business that depends entirely on the founder to function isn’t scalable and isn’t sellable. Getting there requires documenting how things work, hiring people who can own outcomes rather than just tasks, and resisting the urge to insert yourself into every decision.
For anyone running two businesses, this isn’t optional. It’s the only way it works.
Running two businesses: what actually makes it possible
The honest answer Beth gives isn’t a productivity hack. It’s structure and trust.
Clear separation between what each business needs from her. A team she’s built systems around. And a willingness to let each operation run without her constant involvement.
Running two businesses doesn’t have to mean doing twice the work. It means building twice the infrastructure — and then getting out of the way.
About Beth McRae
Beth McRae is the founder of The McRae Agency and owner of High Society Resale Boutique in Scottsdale, Arizona. She brings 30 years of PR and marketing experience to both.
Connect with Beth on LinkedIn.
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