Today we’d like to introduce you to Shelby Martin.
Hi Shelby, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My name is Shelby Martin and I am the Communications and Marketing Manager for the BruinShop, the official merchandise store of Belmont University.
I grew up in rural Kentucky and always knew I wanted to be part of a creative industry, so in 2018 I moved to Nashville to attend Belmont University and pursue a degree in Music Business. Like a lot of students, I came to Belmont chasing big dreams and hoping to build a future in the music industry. During my time there, I had the chance to experience so many unique opportunities — attending the CMA Awards, working CMA Fest, and even going on a mission trip. Belmont quickly became more than just a school to me; it became home.
One of the biggest parts of that experience was working at the Belmont Store (now the BruinShop), the campus merchandise/bookstore. What started as an on-campus job quickly became something I genuinely loved. I enjoyed being part of the energy of campus life and getting to interact with students, families, alumni, and fans every day.
Then, like it did for so many people, COVID completely changed everything. My final semester of college was moved online almost overnight, campus shut down, and suddenly I found myself post-grad without both housing and a job. It was a difficult and uncertain season, but even then, I knew I wanted to stay in Nashville. I believed in the opportunities here, and I wasn’t ready to give up on the future I had imagined for myself.
I found a small apartment, started working at a local hair salon to make ends meet, and just tried to keep moving forward during such a strange time in the world. As things slowly started reopening, I kept reaching back out to the Belmont Store because I truly wanted to return. Eventually, they brought me back, and I started again working the sales floor and cash register.
From there, things really grew organically. Over time, I was trusted with more creative projects, marketing initiatives, social media, photoshoots, branding, and communications. What began as a student job evolved into a career that combines so many things I love — creativity, storytelling, branding, community, and school spirit.
Today, as the Communications and Marketing Manager for the BruinShop, I get to help tell the story of Belmont through merchandise and marketing while creating experiences that connect students, alumni, families, and fans to the university in meaningful ways. Looking back, it’s funny to think that the little campus job I picked up as a student would eventually become the career path that shaped so much of my life.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. Graduating college during a global pandemic was something none of us could have prepared for, and trying to navigate life post-grad in an industry that had essentially shut down overnight was incredibly discouraging. The music and entertainment world — the industry I had spent years studying and dreaming about — suddenly paused, and a lot of the opportunities I thought would be waiting for me after graduation disappeared.
I very quickly had to shift my mindset from chasing career goals to simply surviving. I needed a job if I wanted to stay in Nashville, so I took the opportunities I could get at the time, even if they had nothing to do with what I had studied in school. That season was difficult emotionally because when you spend years working toward a specific career path and things don’t unfold the way you imagined, it’s easy to feel like you’ve failed or fallen behind. I remember questioning myself a lot and wondering if I was ever going to find my place professionally.
At the time, it was hard to understand why things were unfolding the way they were. But looking back now, I can see that every unexpected turn ended up leading me exactly where I needed to be. Returning to the BruinShop gave me an opportunity I never saw coming — one that allowed me to combine creativity, marketing, storytelling, and community in a way that genuinely fits who I am.
So while the road definitely wasn’t smooth, I think those challenges taught me resilience, adaptability, and the importance of being open to opportunities that may look different than the original plan. In the end, I’m incredibly grateful for the path that brought me here.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about The BruinShop?
The BruinShop is the official merchandise store of Belmont University, but over the past few years it has become so much more than just a traditional campus bookstore or spirit shop. What makes our story special is how dramatically the brand has evolved.
Years ago, when we were still operating as the “Belmont Store,” the space looked very different. The store was tucked away on the edge of campus in a dark, outdated building, and the product assortment was fairly limited — mostly basic logos, school colors, textbooks, and traditional collegiate merchandise. Traffic was heavily dependent on major visitor weekends or sporting events, and there wasn’t a strong emotional connection between the merchandise and the student experience.
As Belmont itself continued to grow and evolve, we realized the store needed to evolve too. We started asking ourselves bigger questions: Who is the Belmont student today? What actually makes Belmont different from every other university? And how do we create a brand that students are genuinely excited to wear and connect with?
The answer was leaning into the things that make Belmont unique — Nashville, creativity, faith, music, community, and individuality. When we rebranded and opened the new BruinShop in a central, state-of-the-art campus location, we completely reimagined both the physical space and the overall customer experience.
We expanded our assortment far beyond traditional collegiate apparel and introduced trend-driven fashion pieces, seasonal collections, Nashville-inspired merchandise, faith-based items, student collaborations, unique gifts, and nontraditional collegiate products that truly reflect Belmont’s culture and personality. We also invested heavily in improving the customer experience both in-store and online through a redesigned website, stronger social media strategy, CRM and loyalty programs, and more intentional storytelling and branding.
What I’m most proud of is that we didn’t just redesign a store — we helped create a culture around the brand. Students are genuinely excited to wear Belmont merchandise again. You can walk across campus and constantly see people wearing pieces from the BruinShop in ways that feel fashionable, personal, and authentic to them. Staff and faculty shop regularly, products sell out quickly, and people are actively asking what we’re launching next.
The response has been incredible. Since the rebrand and transformation, we’ve seen a 70%+ increase in back-to-school sales compared to previous years, and we’ve continued building momentum ever since. We’ve created thousands of new brand connections and have even become a resource for other collegiate retail programs looking to modernize and better connect with their own campus communities.
At the end of the day, what sets the BruinShop apart is that we don’t just sell merchandise — we help tell the story of Belmont. Every product, campaign, partnership, and collection is designed to reflect the spirit of the university and create a stronger sense of connection and pride within the community.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
The success of the BruinShop would not have been possible without the incredible team behind it. One of the most special parts of this entire journey has been getting to build something alongside people who were just as passionate and invested in the vision as I was.
Our team is relatively small — just eight people made up of buyers, leadership, operations, receiving and invoicing, and marketing — but during the process of transforming and opening the BruinShop, titles really didn’t matter. Everyone stepped in wherever they were needed. One day we were creating content, modeling apparel, and brainstorming campaigns, and the next day we were building fixtures, unpacking shipments, moving hundreds of boxes in the Nashville heat, or staying late into the night trying to make sure every detail was ready for opening day.
What made the difference was the culture of teamwork and trust we built along the way. There was never a mentality of “that’s not my job.” Everyone showed up willing to help, problem solve, and support one another however they could. Launching a completely reimagined retail space came with a lot of challenges and long days, but it also created an environment where we all learned and grew together.
I’m especially grateful for the leadership and support from our director and the rest of the management team, who trusted us creatively and encouraged new ideas even when they were unconventional for collegiate retail. That willingness to innovate and take risks is a huge part of what allowed the BruinShop to become what it is today.
I also think our success is deeply connected to the Belmont community itself — the students, faculty, staff, alumni, and supporters who embraced what we were building and helped create excitement around the brand. Seeing students proudly wear the merchandise, talk about new launches, and genuinely connect with the brand has been one of the most rewarding parts of the entire experience.
At the end of the day, the BruinShop’s success has truly been a team effort, and I feel very fortunate to have been surrounded by people who believed in the vision and were willing to work hard to bring it to life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://belmontbruinshop.com/home
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebruinshop/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebelmontstore
