Proof to Product

I'm recording this on a Sunday evening, just two short days after I finished hosting our 16th Paper Camp conference and I'm just now getting a chance to reflect on everything we did at Paper Camp and the amazing feedback we had from our students. In this episode, I want to share some of their key take-aways with you here on this episode. But first I want to preface this conversation by saying we cover a lot of ground at Paper Camp. This is our signature program and we've helped over 1,000 small businesses on how to get their products on the shelves on their favorite retail shops. We talk about product development, sales tools for wholesale, sales strategies - working with reps and tech solutions like Faire, marketing to wholesale buyers and the nuts and bolts of exhibiting at shows. As you can imagine, it is a very rich, full two days. I tell you all of that to let you know that we modify each Paper Camp conference for the cohort that is there. They tell us where they are in their business and what they need help with. So, we tailor each conference and course to the attendees that are in attendance; and that is what is reflected in these student take-aways Now, let's get to the meat of it. Here are the top four take-aways our students left with: Validation. They are on the right track, making smart decisions in their busines and they are not alone. They left feeling validated in the decisions they've made thus far and confident in the steps ahead. Road Map. They have answers and know where they are going next. They were given strategies, tools and next steps for their specific business at Paper Camp and now they just need to do the work. Many of them felt relief knowing they have a road map in place. Community. So often creative entrepreneurs feel like they are working in silos. So, to sit in the same room as people who understand them, are working towards similar goals and building similar businesses is refreshing. Having an safe space to openly share resources and strategies without feeling like you're in direct competition is a special thing. Options. They realized they have a lot of options for how to create their work, diversify their revenue streams and build a sustainable company. There is no one size fits all approach, but now they have information to make the best decisions possible for the business they want to build In addition to the student's takeaways, I also want to share with you our speakers' final parting words of wisdom: Rachael Hetzel from Pistachio Press reminded people that there is no one way to build a business. We all do things differently, and that's what makes our products & business unique. Doing what you love and being confident in your decisions is what will make your business grow stronger. We're in a unique and supportive industry that o Kimberley Yurkiewicz from Crow & Canary reminded people that they are not alone. If they have a question, its likely someone else has that same question. So, reach out to the community, lean on your peers and leverage the Paper Camp community as you continue to grow. Katie Wilson from The Good Twin encouraged our students to embrace incremental growth. She acknowledged that everyone is building their businesses in a unique way and there is no "right way" to launch to wholesale or release new products. She reminded everyone that even though they all have the same tools, advice and strategies from Paper Camp, that their journeys will be unique. Take comfort in your path and be proud of what you're building. Carina Murray from Crow & Canary advised people to push themselves to cultivate a unique point of view with their products. While there is an insecurity around being different, embrace it -- buyers are hungry and want to see innovation. And, I reminded everyone that slow steady growth is how strong businesses are build. Be intentional, strategic and confident once they decided on a path. Trust yourself to make the right decisions These are just some of the things we talked about at Paper Camp. I wanted to take you behind the scenes as to what we do at Paper Camp as well as what our key take-aways were. I hope you find it helpful as you're navigating decisions in your own business. And, I want to remind you that our online program -- the Paper Camp E-Course is open for enrollment and we only have a few seats left. Registration will close this week and we'll start classes on September 30th. Get more information and register at proooftoproduct.com/papercamp. I look forward to working with you!

Do you ever sit down at the end of a long day of work, after checking box after box off your to-do list and still think, wow, I have so many more things I should get done. This feeling of overwhelm is common for small business owners and mompreneurs alike and it's the reason today's guest, Tonya Dalton, was inspired to write her new book, The Joy of Missing Out. You may remember Tonya from Episode 26 of Proof to Product, where she shared her start-up story of founding inkWELL Press and how she built systems and processes for both work and home. Since then, Tonya has been featured on Real Simple, Entrepreneur, Inc., Apartment Therapy, Lauren Conrad, and HGTV. In 2019, Tonya received the Enterprising Woman of the Year Award and was named North Carolina's Female Entrepreneur to Watch by The Ladders. Tonya is truly a productivity expert and has made it her mission to help other women reduce and remove the overwhelm in their lives through her inkWELL Press products, liveWELL Method Course, Productivity Podcast, and book that comes out October 1st. On today's episode, Tonya takes us behind the scenes of The Joy of Missing Out. She shares her motivations for writing the book, why she chose to weave stories in as lessons, and the power of saying yes and no. I also discuss a personal story of my own that Tonya shares in her book. If you're looking for ways to reduce overwhelm in your life and carve out more time for the things that matter most, this one's for you! ON TODAY'S EPISODE: What inspired Tonya to write The Joy of Missing Out The importance of being raw and honest Where to start when you get feel caught spinning in circles How to identify your priorities and true North Star Misconceptions about what's urgent vs important Letting go of the idea of balance to embrace the idea of movement Advice for coping with feelings of guilt The value of free-time and white space to boosting productivity Ultradian rhythm is and why it's important How Tonya uses her white-space and free time The sandwich strategy and how to use it Tools, resources and bonuses being released with The Joy of Missing Out KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "We're overwhelmed by our tasks, overwhelmed by our own to-do list. And I wanted women to see that it is possible to live the life you want and to achieve greatness without spreading yourself so thin, without making yourself do everything." - Tonya Dalton "It's not always easy to say no, to live with intention, or to let go of the guilt that we feel making these choices. And I think was really important to just be raw and honest about that." - Tonya Dalton "The best teachers are those that have been through difficult times and are open to sharing both how they got through it as well as the messy parts of dealing with it." - Katie Hunt "None of us get through life with all successes, without any failures. It's the things that we stumble on, the things that we fail at, those are the things that make us resilient." - Tonya Dalton "Instead of trying to go the 50 different steps, why not choose to do five? Why not do less and focus in on what's important." - Tonya Dalton "If everything is perfectly equal and even, there's no movement. You have to have some imbalance in order to move forward." - Tonya Dalton "I think that's the problem is when we are trying to do everything, we end up doing nothing." - Tonya Dalton "The biggest mistake some people make is thinking periods of rest are a reward for great work, but periods of rest are actually a requirement for great work to happen. We need some white space in our lives, some breathing room where we can actually innovate and be creative." - Tonya Dalton "Often the grace we give to others far exceeds the grace we give ourselves." - Tonya Dalton "I am so guilty of putting out the fires and letting that pull focus, because it's right in front, whether it's my kids or my team or whatever it is. But using the priority list over the to-do list recently has shifted my mindset around that." - Katie Hunt LINKS Website: https://inkwellpress.com/ Facebook: http://facebook.com/tonyaidalton Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonya_i_dalton Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonya_i_dalton Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1400214335 SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PRO

On the Proof to Product Podcast we cover so many topics, from marketing and operations to tradeshows and product launches, but today I'm super excited to have Kaitlin Fontenot on the show to talk about what every product-based business absolutely needs to be successful in our modern world - a well-built eCommerce platform. Kaitlin is the founder and lead designer of Kait Studio, a branding and web design company specializing in retail. Kaitlin is passionate about helping entrepreneurs feel more confident with their online presence so that they can show up in other areas of their business where they are needed daily. In addition to running a successful studio that develops e-commerce sites, as well as digital marketing, social media, and branding strategies, Kaitlin is also a mom and head of a rapidly growing team. On Episode 120, Kaitlin and I sit down to talk about how you can best prepare before building an e-commerce site and ways to manage both online wholesale and retail shops. We talk about hiring, building a team with intention, and the importance of delegation. Kaitlin and I also discuss some misconceptions some product-based business owners have about e-commerce platforms and she shares a few important social media marketing strategies you definitely should start leveraging today. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: How Kaitlin built her business and the kind of work Kaitlin specializes in today Her favorite projects to work on The importance of integrating your website into your strategic plan Misconceptions about managing an online presence Strategies for driving and maintaining traffic on your ecommerce site What types of product pictures work on various social media platforms How Kaitlin plans and executes the web build process The pros/cons of various e-commerce platforms Best practices for brands selling in both retail and wholesale How to get more eyes on your site & tips for widening your reach Hashtags, videos and other tactics you shouldn't be ignoring The life-changing benefits of delegation KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "If I had to pick one aspect of my business that I completely loved and was so passionate about, it would be the design development side" - Kaitlin Fontenot "People would ask, "Who's growing your Instagram account? Who's helping you with all of this? Is it just you?" And I would just say, "Yeah, you know, it's me. I built the site. I'm doing all of this myself." - Kaitlin Fontenot "You need to be leveraging your website in a very strategic way to not only get people coming through to your site, but to get them engaging with your products and purchasing your products and engaging with your brand." - Katie Hunt "You have to think about the amount of time people are spending on social media and how they're getting to your website. There's so much that goes into it, and you have to know your customer 100%." - Kaitlin Fontenot "I truly believe that if you're solving problems for people, especially through your website or your online shop, they will convert into paying customers." - Katie Hunt "Everyone's customers are different. Everyone's audience is different. So really, it's all about what your audience is responding to the most." - Kaitlin Fontenot "Once the build phase is done sometimes people get stuck. They don't move forward with any other strategies. So I always recommend the website is done, step away. Let's try some other things. Go to Instagram, go to Pinterest, see what you can do." - Kaitlin Fontenot "Hiring a team, it's really scary. But as a mom and a business owner, it has been the most life-changing thing for me." - Kaitlin Fontenot "I was doing everything myself for a very long time, had small children at home and when I started delegating and outsourcing, even just small pieces, it changed my life. I was able to do more in the business and focus on the high-level strategic things that needed my attention." - Katie Hunt "Find someone you feel comfortable with, that's okay with answering your questions no matter how crazy you think they are. Find someone who understands where you're coming from because it is a big investment and anyone you work with should understand as a business owner themselves." - Kaitlin Fontenot LINKS Website: http://www.lovekait.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/kaitstudio / http://instagram.com/kaitlinfontenot https://tsbc.teachable.com/p/delegating SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftopro

Behind every great business is an even better story. Kelly Wang Shanahan, creative director and founder of the Ziran fashion design company has just that - an amazing story. Kelly officially started her line in June, 2016 after becoming disillusioned with the luxury fashion industry, particularly it's waste and fast fashion mentality. While researching ancient fabric techniques in China, Kelly discovered a special fabric called Xiang Yun Sha silk and instantly fell in love with its luxurious beauty and cultural significance. Today all Ziran pieces are made from this special silk, which is imported from China, and designed and manufactured locally by Kelly in Los Angeles. Today on Episode 119 of Proof to Product, Kelly shares the long process of finding the silk, building a relationship with the silk boss in China, and gaining exclusive rights to use it with our products. Kelly shares her passion for sustainability, what inspired her to keep going through this long process, how she leverages story and influencer marketing, and why relationships are a key component to business success. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: The Ziran products and what makes them unique How Kelly traded "the lawyer plan" for fashion entrepreneurship Hurdles that product based businesses face Finding customers and leveraging social media The sales channels and marketing channels Kelly utilizes How Kelly got connected with the right vendors and manufacturers Misconceptions about influencer marketing The importance of building relationships for the long term Building a network in the fashion industry Kelly's advice for others starting out in the business Coming up next for The Ziran... KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "I went to China, I visited the silk farm. I saw how they made it. I was completely blown away, and then that's when I was like, this is what I want to do." - Kelly Shanahan "I feel like especially with social media, there's so much noise, so I try to make everything ... every collection or drop have a deeper story and have a meaning behind it." - Kelly Shanahan "I've tried to be more strategic with the influencers that I align with to make sure that they are actually supporters of the brand in an authentic way, and they actually vibe with it." - Kelly Shanahan "I'm proud that I've been able to do that and help bring this ancient thing into modern times and make it relevant today." - Kelly Shanahan "You work so hard on this thing and then you send it off into the world and you hope it brings everyone else just as much joy as it did you." - Katie Hunt "What kept me going is just wanting to continue ... wanting to preserve and save this craft." - Kelly Shanahan "In a world where everybody is consuming everything so quickly, lots of machines are making things, there's just a tangibleness to these handcrafted products, I know it's something different, there's nothing else like it." - Kelly Shanahan "There's kind an openness among those of us who are making clothes in Los Angeles where we're open to share what we know, because we all know how hard it is and we're in it together." - Kelly Shanahan "When one of us finds success, all of us gain success from that. And the more we can share, the stronger all of our individual businesses will become." - Katie Hunt "You got there for a reason on your own, so you should follow your gut and your intuition too." - Kelly Shanahan LINKS Website: https://theziran.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theziran/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theziran/ SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

This past week I traveled from Los Angeles to New York for two trade shows — the National Stationery Show and New York Now. We had just over 35 alumni exhibiting between the two shows, and while I was there, I had the chance to catch up with them about their exhibiting experiences. Today's compilation episode features interviews with 8 of our Paper Camp alumni. We talk about why each chose to exhibit where they did, they walk us through their decision-making process, what their goals were for the show and… tips they want to share with you all! Hope you enjoy! NY Now: Shayna from Steel Petal Press Sarah from Fancy Seeing You Here Jodi from the Neighborgoods National Stationery Show: Alicia from Slightly Stationery Beth from Little Goat Paper Shannon from Shannon Kirsten Illustrations Brittany of Brittany Paige Designs Jane from Greetings from Bergen Street SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

Creating new products and tinkering with new design ideas is why most of us went into business. It's the draw of the creative process. We love to brainstorm, create and then create some more. And it keeps our businesses exciting and alive—for us and for our bank account. Releasing new products is our ticket to business growth. It sets us apart from the competition and shows retailers that we're serious about our business and our product line. But it's important to realize that timing is a major factor with new releases, particularly when you're selling wholesale. At Paper Camp, we talk a lot about scheduling and timing, but the three things we need to consider are: - Timing - Frequency - Reorders We dive into each of these during today's episode. Don't forget to download our free workbook: How To Build a Profitable Product Line or connect with us in our Friends of Proof to Product Facebook Group SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

As entrepreneurs and product-based business owners, there comes a time for all of us when we have to make the decision to pivot. The pivot period can be a tough and turbulent time, but today on Proof to Product, my friend Kristin Kaplan is here to tell us how she managed to gracefully pivot away from her successful wedding planning business after 10 years to begin working as an integrator for online entrepreneurs. Kristin now creates strategic plans, action steps and manages profitable, sustainable businesses. She is also the host of the Planning for Profit Podcast, the creator of The Pricing Workbook and the founder of Plan to Profit, a monthly program to help visionary business owners reach their goals. On top of all that, Kristin also balances life as a wife, mother to three kiddos, organization addict, beauty & skincare lover, marathoner, and wine drinker (she needs at least one vice to manage all of the above). On today's episode, Kristin and I are talking about what it means to be an Integrator - what they do and how to know if you're ready for one. We also talk about pivoting in business - the fears surrounding it but also how it shows growth as a CEO and money mindset, particularly how to positively frame your thoughts around money. If you're looking for advice on how to manage it all, or how to make your pivot period easier, this episode is 100% for you! ON TODAY'S EPISODE: Kristin's entrepreneurial path The difference between Project Managers and Integrators Why Integrators are often born out of Virtual Assistant roles Her areas of expertise and how she helps clients The importance of focusing on revenue-generating tasks Tips to improve your goal setting How to know if you're ready for an Integrator The pricing range for hiring an Integrator Why it's natural to pivot in your business How little nudges can lead you in a whole new direction The exciting parts of closing one business to open another Strategies for resolving your money hangups Advice for first-time entrepreneurs What's up next for Kristin KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "My job is to come into someone's business, help plan out all the processes and systems and everything. My job is to make everything happen." - Kristin Kaplan "Money is just a tool. It's not the scary evil thing that we all have to be afraid of. It's okay to build a profitable business that makes you some." - Kristin Kaplan "My biggest strength is being able to take a really big goal or vision and then break it down into pieces so that it actually gets done." - Kristin Kaplan "It's so helpful to get an outside perspective on what your goals are, what your financial goals are, what you're trying to accomplish, what kind of impact do you want to make in your business." - Katie Hunt "Sometimes as creatives, everyone wants to chase the new shiny object that's right in front of them." - Kristin Kaplan "I wish people would play a little more and set bigger and bigger goals because once you start setting huge goals, even if you don't meet most of them, you play at a different level, take bigger risks and invest more." - Kristin Kaplan "It's super fun to do the vision board, but then, how exactly are you going to make that happen...like specifically?" - Kristin Kaplan "A piece that a lot of creative entrepreneurs just struggle with is how to create the stepping stones they need to get to the final product or end goal that they want." - Katie Hunt "Once you hit that point of like, all right, I'm looking to bring on my second or third team member, I'm ready to operate as the CEO, that's the time to think about hiring an integrator or project manager." - Kristin Kaplan "It is hard to stay in the exact same place for decades on end. It gets old for most of us. I feel like we're all in this natural journey." - Kristin Kaplan "It's natural to pivot. We have to continue to stay relevant in our businesses and that's what pivoting is. It's just continuing to evolve as a person, as a CEO, as an entrepreneur, and how we interact with our customers." - Katie Hunt "Pivoting is evolving." - Kristin Kaplan "Just focus your attention on being positive, being grateful, feeling abundant, and try to move away from any feelings of negativity and scarcity." - Kristin Kaplan LINKS Website: https://www.kristinkaplan.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinckaplan/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kristinkaplanLLC/ SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head

We've heard a lot of fun origin stories on the Proof to Product Podcast, but today's episode with Dani Paquin, founder of the jewelry company Agapantha, is an extra sweet and serendipitous start-up story. Dani founded her jewelry company in 2004 somewhere on a dusty road as she was touring the United States as a singer-songwriter. Between tours, Dani worked at her home in Brooklyn assembling jewelry for other designers, but at that moment on the road, she finally realized she had to bring her own designs to life. So Agapantha was born and an important artistic shift was made. What does Agapantha mean? It's the first flower that Dani's grandmother taught her to say. Today, Dani pays homage to her and the inspirational women in her life by naming each collection after someone special. Her delicate, minimalist layering jewelry that is sold in boutiques around the world and Agapantha recently celebrated 15th years of business. On today's episode, Dani shares her start-up story. We talk about how she slowly and thoughtfully grew her jewelry line over the years and how she scaled production for a handmade product. Dani also encourages all of us to just keep going - because you never know where things will lead. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: How Dani got started making jewelry What inspires her work The way Agapantha has evolved over the years How frequently Dani releases new pieces Pain points of catering to both retail and wholesale The first role Dani hired for The importance of training and trusting your team How Dani shifted her business model and scaled up What she learned from 15 years of entrepreneurship Beneficial mistakes and resources that helped Dani get where she is today Advice for individuals just starting out KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "Let's be real. We're all trying to do the job of about one million people." - Dani Paquin "I've been working really hard to find great people that I can trust and I can give things away. To try to start focusing more on what I'm really good at and what I want to do." - Dani Paquin "There are times where even if we have a team, we still have to get our hands dirty. It's still our company. We have to do the work." - Katie Hunt "It took me a long time to be okay with having someone in my space that I didn't feel like I needed to talk to or feel like I had to entertain. That's a big change when you're used to working alone." - Dani Paquin "Manufacturing is one of those big pivots decisions. It's an opportunity for growth but it can be scary." - Kaite Hunt "I'm in the midst of my first project where I'm manufacturing overseas for a much larger scale project than we could do on our own here. It's really exciting and really scary. But I feel like a doorway into something new." - Dani Paquin "Ultimately it always comes back to how much I love what I do and I don't want to do anything else. Just to just keep going, one day at a time. One foot in front of the other. You do your best." - Dani Paquin "Once you embrace making mistakes and failing, not as a failure, but as an opportunity for growth, then you know what not to do. You have to get through that In order to go farther. There's no way to do it without that." - Dani Paquin "If you meet someone and you have an instinct about them, that you're not going to get paid or something's off, trust your instincts. Don't be in a store just to be in a store." - Dani Paquin "We're artists and designers and that doesn't mean we're bad at business. But often it means that the business side is not what we're focusing on." - Dani Paquin "It's always nice to have an outside perspective weighing in on your business decisions because it's so personal to you. It's so close to you. It is your art." - Katie Hunt "It's okay to say "no" to some things that don't feel right. Keep going. Or know when to quit." - Dani Paquin LINKS Website: http://www.agapantha.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/agapanthajewelry/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agapanthajewelry/ SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes a

Has being an entrepreneur and your own boss helped unlock new skills or uncover new parts of your personality? It definitely has for Arianne Foulks, founder of Aeolidia, a design studio specializing in designing and developing custom e-commerce websites using Shopify, as well as logo design, product packaging, product photography, content creation, and business naming. Before starting Aeolidia in 2004, Arianne was shy and avoided talking to clients over the phone. Today, after 15 years in business and growing her team to more than twenty-three employees, Arianne is bold in her business. She speaks and teaches at events, hosts business owner brunches, and looks forward to talking with people about their companies. On today's episode, Arianne and I chat about how she built her agency and grew her team over the years. We talk about common misconceptions some creative entrepreneurs have, the advantages of using Shopify, and the importance of abandoned cart emails. Arianne also shares details about the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program, an investment program that helps entrepreneurs grow their businesses through education, capital and support services. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: Common misconception creative entrepreneurs have about branding, marketing, and websites What really goes into a logo and behind a brand How Arianne moved into the branding, marketing, website world Aeolidia's e-commerce checklist The importance of digging into data and analytics and knowing what's working and not working Why Arianne is a fan of Shopify for product based businesses Advice for shop owners on how to prevent abandoned carts What sets Aeolidia apart from the competition How Arianne helps clients stick to their deadlines The balance between business results and personal service How having a baby forced Arianne to grow and delegate in her company Resources, mentors, and programs that have contributed to Arianne's success KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "The logo is the very tip of the iceberg of your brand. But when you know what's going on with an iceberg, most of it is underwater. At Aeolidia it's all the underwater stuff that we love people to get started with first." - Arianne Foulks "Customer service is really the foundation of building a good business." - Arianne Foulks "I'm a firm believer in hiring people that are smarter than me and that can teach me a thing or two." - Katie Hunt "I was a customer service pro by the time I got started working with clients, and that gave me such a huge leap in being able to just jump into it and do a good job." - Arianne Foulks "It turns out that running a business is a very creative pursuit whether you're designing things or not, and I really find it satisfying the whole way through." - Arianne Foulks "One of the quotes that's always in my head, I just think all the time is 'What got you here will not get you there." - Arianne Foulks "There are some people that feel like, "Well, I hired you to design it and develop it. Just create it." It's like, "Well, no. You as a business owner have to tell us what kind of copy, what kind of images, what kind of details you want on that." - Katie Hunt "You have to remember that people who are almost buying something from you are really into it. It's something they actually want, so they're not unhappy to see it again." - Arianne Foulks "You should be fairly aggressive about sending people the emails because they're already not buying the product from you. They've already decided not to. It's not like you can lose them any more than that." - Arianne Foulks "If people don't know about your products, they're not going to purchase them." - Katie Hunt "I started realizing it's really fun to just run the business. It actually is a creative pursuit." - Arianne Foulks "I think my husband's least favorite words for me are, "I have an idea." - Katie Hunt LINKS Website: https://aeolidia.com/ Facebook: http://facebook.com/aeolidia Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/aeolidia.shipshape/ Instagram: http://instagram.com/aeolidia SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build

Have you ever come home from a long day at your corporate job and realized like, "Okay, so my job is feeding my family, but definitely not my soul." What do you do? Well, today's Proof to Product guest is telling us how she figured it out. By age 28, Nicole Walters was a highly-paid executive at a Fortune 500 company, managing multibillion dollar accounts, but something wasn't right. So Nicole quit her corporate job, and she made waves when she quit in front of 10,000 people while live streaming on Periscope. She went on to open her own private business and product development consulting firm, The Monetized Life. As Nicole's audience ramped up so did her revenue—she made $11,000 in the first three weeks of working with small business clients full time. Now, when she's not hanging out with her husband and their three foster kids, she shares her secrets to earning "passive income" with other entrepreneurs through her wildly popular online course, 1K1Day. "I teach people how to add commas to their bank accounts," says Nicole. "They learn that they don't have to trade time for money." On today's episode, Nicole and I sit down to talk about common mistakes she sees eager entrepreneurs making and why old school sales strategies still work. We also talk about why you can't rely solely on social media for sales, the importance of having multiple revenue streams and why you need to treat your business like a business from day one. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: Common mistakes Nicole sees eager entrepreneurs making Tips on where to focus your marketing time and money The problem of relying on social media platforms Benefits of sticking with the old school methods What really gets customers in the door How to make a 40-50 hour work week feel like 4 hours The lessons Nicole took from corporate life and applied as an entrepreneur Her strongest marketing tool today Nicole's favorite success stories How saying no is a form of self care Advice for brand new business owners and entrepreneurs experiencing growing pains The importance of acting like a business from the get-go What success looks like for Nicole today KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "If the only place that you're selling is on your social media platform, well guess what? It's not yours. You don't own it." - Nicole Walters "Word of mouth is still good. So all that matters that you're actually able to get to people who have mouths and are able to spread the word. Old School still works." - Nicole Walters "Make sure that you're telling your story authentically and being honest about who you are. Because if you do that, if you tell your true story, well guess what? You'll never get it wrong." - Nicole Walters "Wear your heart on your sleeve, because it's that same heart that'll put cash in your pocket." - Nicole Walters "It was time for me to quit and I decided to do in grand fashion. I decided that I wasn't just going to burn the bridge behind me. I was going to singe it and blow away the ashes." - Nicole Walters "I was ready to become an entrepreneur. So instead of taking those tools to fat cats at multi-billion dollar companies, I'm taking them to everyday entrepreneurs who are using them to feed their families and their souls." - Nicole Walters "I get to see the change and the transition and the transformation in people's families and livelihoods. Being able to really put money into people's pockets instead of watching it go to a new Gulfstream jet or a new golf membership at a country club, you know, it's really, really rewarding. And I love it." - Nicole Walters "I'll be the first one to tell you if I'm doing my job well, guess what? We shouldn't work together forever." - Nicole Walters "Look at the quarterlies, look at your revenue and your expenses, all of it. There might be certain quarters that are slow, but if you can plan for that and know about that in advance, it just sets you up for the longterm." - Katie Hunt "I'm a mom and I'm married and the other side of it is honestly, I couldn't keep up with my business if I didn't get healthy. That's the reality of it." - Nicole Walters "There's this misconception of self care, that it's going and getting a manicure and/or like, you know, or going to get coffee or whatever and it's like self care comes in so many different forms." - Katie Hunt "I'm allowed to say no to things that don't serve me because if I say no, then I'm taking care of the things that do serve me. And that is a form of self care." - Nicole Walters "You want to seize opportunities, but at the same time you need to protect your time and your sanity." - Katie Hunt "Act like a business if you want to get paid like one, get out there and get your legal stuff in order. Make sure that you understand the importance of finances, quick books, getting all that stuff done and I know it's big and scary." - Nicole Walters "The minute you take a dollar, you are acting like a business and you need to get paid like one." - Nicole Walters "Sometimes we get in our own way, we overthi

Hey friends, have you heard of Raddish? It's a super cool monthly cooking club that empowers kids to build confidence in the kitchen and beyond. Today's guest, Samantha Barnes the CEO and founder of Raddish, founded the company after working as a middle school teacher. A mom of two, Samantha realized the kitchen was the best place to connect with her kids in a meaningful way, and in true entrepreneurship fashion, she was inspired to start her own company. Samantha's passion for family is visible in every aspect of her company. As a female founder, she is committed to running results-oriented and flexible company built on autonomy, working smart, and a positive work/life balance. On today's episode, Samantha and I dive into her subscription based business model and how it has evolved over time. The two of us talk about her business journey, how the company started out of her garage, how her team has evolved, the logistics of getting her product to market. We also talk about the pros and cons of running a subscription based business, how she learned how to delegate, what she does when she's feeling burnt out. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: How Samantha got the idea for Raddish Why she decided to go with a subscription model The benefits of growing slow and working by trial and error Creating continuous content and dealing with unexpected hurdles The steps Samantha took to scale up Her decision to keep her team lean and mean How Raddish cultivates the customer experience Learning to delegate when it's not your strength Avoiding shiny distractions for the long term goal Lessons Samantha learned in her business journey Two things she does to stay grounded in the chaos KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "We did not go into it having some large strategy. We learned by doing. We launched on Kickstarter in October and we shipped our first kit in January." - Samantha Barnes "In the beginning, we were simply finding the right tool and trying to get the right quantity and have it delivered at the right time. And now we're able to go out and we custom-create our tools." - Samantha Barnes "I live in a small house in Los Angeles. So it had its own challenges. We would have easy ups all throughout the backyard and our production line had to go out into the backyard because we couldn't fit in the garage anymore." - Samantha Barnes "Because we are self-funded we are really careful about how we grow. Making sure we have the great product, making sure that we're minimizing our churn and really keeping members for longer is important." - Samantha Barnes "It's a critical growth step as an entrepreneur. It's like, okay, I need to start delegating more and releasing control so that we can grow and so that we can get more done in a day." - Katie Hunt "We call our Facebook group users the Raddish army because they come to bat for us, you know, they really want to help families understand exactly how great the product is." - Samantha Barnes "We're definitely a word of mouth product and started that way, and that is definitely how we got off the ground." - Samantha Barnes "Delegating is not my strength, it's something I have had to learn and I continue to learn." - Samantha Barnes "I have the right people in the right seats and I just have the expectation that somebody is going to get that done and I don't micromanage or oversee the process." - Samantha Barnes "My whole motivation was hiring people that were smarter than me that could teach me things. Take the tasks, run with them, and I trust them to do it well and do what we need to head towards the goal." - Katie Hunt "Learning from others and being open to learning and talking to as many people as you can and experiencing as many opportunities is really important. That's the big picture idea." - Samantha Barnes "I mean, I love baths and manicures and pedicures, but if I have free time, I'm thinking what can I do that's really going to inspire me and make me feel better and make me kind of reset. Reading has been a big one for me over the last couple of years because it does feel indulgent too." - Katie Hunt LINKS Website: http://Raddishkids.com Facebook: http://facebook.com/raddishkids Facebook group: http://facebook.com/groups/raddishfoodandfamily/ Instagram: http://instagram.com/raddishkids SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product bas

On today's episode of Proof to Product I'm sitting down with a gal I greatly admire, who I have had the pleasure of working with for a few years now through Paper Camp and my Proof to Product Mastermind coaching program. Meet Kiwi Schloffel, the brains and brawn behind Craft Boner, a stationery gift brand with the sole focus of making people chuckle. That's a common theme in greeting cards, Kiwi takes it seriously. Her goal, in her own words, "Is to make you laugh. Not in the ha-ha-I'm-being-polite kind of way but actual big belly laughs that make your eyes water and give you an annoying stomach cramp because you just can't stop." Over the course of the last eight years, Kiwi opened a retail space then decided to leave that retail space. She expanded her product line to more than 300 SKUs across multiple product categories and then recently discontinued over half of those products. She amassed an Instagram following of over 16,000 people just like that, and today we are talking about all of it. Kiwi and I sit down to talk about the transitions, the fears, and how making these shifts have allowed her to do fewer things even better within her business. Kiwi acknowledges that she's still figuring out her next steps, and that's why this interview is so important. At the end of the day, no matter how successful, aren't we all just trying to figure it out? I hope you enjoy this fun episode! ON TODAY'S EPISODE: What led Kiwi to start Craft Boner How she turned her blog into a product based business The first products Kiwi ever sold Transitioning into wholesale Balancing the love to create and the reality of outsource to scale How Kiwi decided which skews to keep and how cutting skews can lead to greater freedom The importance of intentional business shifts Benefits of embracing the way your individual, unique brain works How Kiwi realized she didn't want a business empire Logistics of switching KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "In my heart I'm just an introvert who wants to make things." - Kiwi Schloffer "When I moved home I was like, you know what, I'm going to be that millennial cliche. I'm going to live in my dad's basement and try to do my own thing." - Kiwi Schloffer "It's something a lot of people don't realize. When you first start a business, it's so, so slow. You can always find stuff to do, but there's just not usually a lot of money coming in." - Kiwi Schloffer "When I started in my dad's basement, the dream was always to make this my full time gig. But I honestly never thought it would happen." - Kiwi Schloffer "I didn't even have any framework. I didn't even know what the ladder was. I didn't even know, I knew what a skew number was, but I was like, I don't know what that has to do with me." - Kiwi Schloffer "We don't know what we don't know at the beginning." - Katie Hunt "My experience is never, ever, ever been from a business perspective, it's never been about margins. It has always been about what can I make and how can I make it fun? " - Kiwi Schloffer "I'd stay up until four in the morning because I had a full time job at that point, and I was like, I can not keep doing this, something has to change." - Kiwi Schloffer "Business is not one size fits all. It is not a step ladder that we're all climbing with the same steps. It's truly like a rollercoaster with zigzags where we take two steps to the right and then go up and back or whatever." - Katie Hunt "I've always approached something like, I can do this myself, and not finding people that can do it for me. So now it's been a weird shift to realize I can design this thing and someone else can make it. That's crazy. " - Kiwi Schloffer "I told myself I can figure out inventory systems, the accounting. I can figure out all this stuff. I can hire people, add more products, more overhead, I can be a boss. I can be a CEO, I can manage people, and look at spreadsheets and figure out orders. And I hated that idea." - Kiwi Schloffer "I still don't have it figured out. I'm still in my exploring phase and figuring out what I like, what I don't like. But it's been really exciting." - Kiwi Schloffer LINKS Website: http://www.craftboner.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/craftboner Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/craftboner/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/craftboner/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/craftboner SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHA

Welcome! If you're listening today that means you're likely interested in applying for our Paper Camp scholarship! Giving back is one of our core values here at Proof to Product and we give back through our time, knowledge as well as financial scholarships. Since 2011, we've awarded over $250,000+ in scholarship funds to creative entrepreneurs who sell physical products to the wholesale market.These brands had big dreams of seeing their products on the shelves of their favorite stores and they have obtained huge results. Our scholarship recipients sell products to Starbucks, REI, Land of Nod, Barnes & Noble, Anthropologie and more. They've built profitable, sustainable companies. They've built businesses that serve the life they want to lead. And, they are active contributors to our Proof to Product community. These scholarships are a big deal and we treat them that way. Last round we reviewed 89 scholarship applications and it took my husband and I three days to all the videos, read the applications, review website and ultimately whittle it down to one full tuition scholarship winner. It's never an easy choice, but we do put a lot of care into our selections. And, today I want to share 5 ways that you can stand out when submitting your Paper Camp application: Tell us WHY and HOW Paper Camp will positively impact your wholesale business. Be specific. Are there certain strategies or tactics that you need help implementing? Be open to sharing what's working and what's not working your business. We've been where you are and if we know where you're struggling, we can identify whether we can help. Your story is important. Why do you do you the work you do, what inspires you when you're creating and what are your goals for the business. You only have 2 minutes in your video to talk about your products, your business needs and where you want to go next. Use that time wisely and connect the dots about how Paper Camp will help you reach those goals. Please do not use this time to tell us about financial or personal difficulties you are facing or have faced. Talk about your dreams & aspirations for the business. Be specific in how Paper Camp can help. If you listen to the Proof to Product podcast, if you've utilized our free resource library, if you're a member of LABS, if you're friends with Paper Camp alumni… tell us! Particularly if you've utilized our podcast and free resources to make positive changes in your business. Our scholarship recipients are proactive, they are resourceful, they understand the value of our community and the educational resources available through Proof to Product. They understand that business growth takes time and hard work… show us you've utilized alll the incredible free resources we share to take forward action in your business We want our scholarship recipient to understand the value of what they are winning. Meaning, the value of the education, coaching and community they receive by attending Paper Camp far exceeds the price tag of our tuition. We expect our scholarship winner to show up, ask questions, participate in live calls, connect with other members of our community, to pay it forward in different ways and take advantage of everything Paper Camp has to offer. If you can not be an active participant in Paper Camp, then please do not apply for scholarship. Lastly, please follow instructions carefully. This includes answering all questions thoroughly and changing video settings so that anyone can watch it. If you submit an incomplete application or we can not view your video, we will not consider your application and its always a bummer when this happens. To sum it up, we want to hear about your business. We want to know why you're building the business you are, where you need help in your business and how Paper Camp fits into your next steps. Easy enough, right? If you'd like to apply for our Paper Camp scholarship, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com/scholarships. Also, if you're listening when applications are closed, I strongly recommend joining our email list so that you're notified of upcoming scholarship opportunities and you'll get our emails each week with important strategies and tactics to grow your business. Sign up for that at www.prooftoproduct.com/newsletter That's all I have for you to day. Good luck and thanks for listening!

So many of us are solopreneurs, but have you ever met another small business bad-ass and totally clicked? That's what happened for today's guests, Minna Khounlo-Sithep and Jacqueline Snyder, voices behind The Product Boss Podcast. For some background, after Minna had her first child she was inspired to start Lil' Labels, write-on kids labels that are sold at retail giants like Amazon, Walmart and Jet. At the same time, Jacqueline was running her own product based business, Cuffs Couture, and growing her international sales. Jacqueline reached out to Minna in a business Facebook group, and the two totally hit it off. Today, Jacqueline and Minna work together to teach business owners how to grow their product-based businesses with smart strategy and a community around them. In addition to running the podcast, they each still own their own businesses. On Episode 110, we're all sitting down to talk about the pros and cons business partnerships, how Minna and Jacqueline divide responsibilities, and what to look for if you're considering taking on a new partner. We also talk about how Minna and Jacqueline juggle their multiple businesses, and they share their top tips for product based business owners. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: What inspired Minna and Jacqueline to start their own businesses The evolution and importance of celebrity endorsement How Minna and Jacqueline met Moving from online, becoming friends, and deciding to partner up Hesitancies of forming a partnership Dividing responsibilities How Jacqueline and Minna balance their individual businesses with The Product Boss The importance of implicit trust Questions to ask yourself before finding a business partner Strategies for dealing with day to day stressors Shifts Jacqueline and Minna have seen in the industry Alternatives to tradeshows and advice for scaling your business What's up next for The Product Boss KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "I dug in and I figured it out, and I had the tenacity of a pregnant woman going to give birth. So the rest from there just was it seemed easy." - Minna Khounlo-Sithep "I'm very much a book learner. So it was in my mind that I could just learn all about Amazon. I was already a fan of Amazon, so I basically schooled myself on Amazon." - Minna Khounlo-Sithep "I was in my 20s and going out and wanting to dance and have no purse. I always hated having to put my purse under like a jacket in the corner at bar. And so I created Cuffs Couture, which were fashionable, chic wrist wallets." - Jacqueline Snyder "We started a business without realizing we were starting a business, and yeah. She's not a serial killer. So at least a good thing, right?" - Jacqueline Snyder "We get so many ideas going as entrepreneurs. We just know how to do things. We kind of know how to execute or figure it out along the way. And then on top of it, we really did have a great connection." - Minna Khounlo-Sithep "We approach things very differently, and the thing is we get along really, really well. But I think the key is we trust each other implicitly." - Minna Khounlo-Sithep "Big brands are not as agile as a smaller entrepreneur. We can try something today and if it doesn't work tomorrow, we can shift gears, or we can try again in a different way." - Katie Hunt "My biggest thing with being a partner is like, "Am I doing enough? Am I showing up and handling my role? Am I doing enough?" - Jacqueline Snyder "It's highly psychological, lots of mindset, and you have to be able to see that other person as a full partner that has all these fears and joys too. So you're always trying to balance that out." - Minna Khounlo-Sithep "We're complete opposites as far as personality wise or approaches. But we definitely have the same love for so many things. We love our families. Our why is exactly the same." - Minna Khounlo-Sithep "I don't think I would work well with a partner. Maybe I'm too bossy, I don't know. Too decisive. But I think that's why I find partnerships so fascinating because when you have two of the right people together, amazing things can happen." - Katie Hunt "The face of product entrepreneurship and a product business is really changing, which is why you can see why stories are so important. Learning how to sell with your story and those personal brands is more important than ever before." - Minna Khounlo-Sithep "The opportunities have shifted for product based businesses, and the customer has changed quite a bit too. So it's an interesting dynamic how we have to adapt as product based business owners." - Katie Hunt LINKS Website: http://www.lillabels.com; http://www.theproductboss.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/lillabelsco; http://instagram.com/theproductboss SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and b

Do you remember when you first started your business? How about your first card? Do you ever go back and look at work you were doing in those early stages and wonder, what was I thinking?! I know from experience it can be cringe-worthy or just hilarious, but that's the beauty of the business journey! Today on Proof to Product we're welcoming Paper Camp alum, Alicia Heater of Slightly Stationery, to share her business beginning. When Alicia started Slightly Stationery, it was with the belief that women be encouraging and loving to each other through the timeless art of handwritten notes (Oh, and that these handwritten notes should make people chuckle, and also be super cute, too.) Today, continuing this spirit of mutual support, a portion of all Slightly Stationery proceeds go to the Malala Fund to help girls around the world receive a good education. On Episode 109, Alicia talks about how she started her first line, the changes she made along the way and what she learned at Paper Camp. We discuss the financial challenges of business and why giving back is a key part of Slightly Stationery's mission and values. Alicia also shares the importance of taking advice, not being afraid to start over, and what it's like today to have cards in more than 400 stores throughout the U.S. including Paper Source and Anthropologie. We hope you enjoy this fun episode, and that it inspires you to look back at how far you've come in your business journey too! ON TODAY'S EPISODE: What prompted Alicia to start her stationery line Why she pivoted from custom wedding invitations to greeting cards Following your heart and making decisions based on your strengths Starting from scratch Taking advice and knowing where to improve How to hone in on your audience When Slightly Stationery releases new product Mistakes Alicia made when she first started with wholesale Changes she made to her business after Paper Camp The importance of patience and persistence Differences between big and small company buying cycles The steps Alicia took so she could start pulling a salary from her company How she chose a philanthropic organization to give back to What Alicia is most proud of in her business KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "I was doing a lot of custom work and not making any money on it, so I wondered is there's something out there that I can design one time and sell it a whole bunch times?" - Alicia Heater "It's an experiment in those early years in business. How do I want to structure this? How can I make it sustainable for the long term? And profitable and make it my full-time gig." - Katie Hunt "When you're buying a card in a store, you're buying it because this is perfect for this one person. I had this thought of like I'm trying to design for everybody, so I wasn't designing those kind of cards." - Alicia Heater "I scrapped the idea of trying to design cards that are going to be so generic and good for everybody, because then they're not really special for any one person, and those are the ones that sell." - Alicia Heater "When it feels like you're selling the same thing as everybody else, you need to really find what's unique about your products, and really promote that." - Katie Hunt "When I turned that filter off of my ideas, it opened up a lot of things." - Alicia Heater "People will pick up a card for the way it looks, if it's cute, but they'll buy it because of what it says." - Alicia Heater "I had no idea, so I went and did a bunch of Google searches on like how to sell wholesale and learned so much more about that when I did Paper Camp" - Alicia Heater "Right after Paper Camp, I went out and was working harder at going to get more reps rather than going to get more stores, and it really empowered me to go do the right things. It was a chain reaction." - Alicia Heater "Now they're emailing me, and Anthropologie's like, 'Oh, this card's doing so well for us. Can we carry some more stuff, too?' and I'm like, hmm. Let me think about that for a second. Yes!" - Alicia Heater "Being able to have a business where I can do what I like doing, and it pays the bills, too, is really incredible, and I feel really blessed to have that, so I'm proud of that." - Alicia Heater "Even when you're not making much money, you can still give back." - Alicia Heater LINKS Website: http://www.slightlystationery.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/slightlystationery Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slightlystationery/ Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/slightlypaper SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcomin

Hey friends, welcome back to Proof to Product! Today's guest is Ginger Lyons, a serial entrepreneur who believes positive attitude, abundance mindset, and perseverance are the keys to a successful business model. A military veteran, Ginger is the creator behind Buffalo Girls Salvage, a jewelry design company that transforms salvaged copper, metal and bullet casings into beautiful, handmade pieces. Since 2012, Ginger's company has been inspiring women and honoring law enforcement officials through creative designs. She is also passionate about investing in mainstreet America, supporting small businesses and coaching female entrepreneurs. On today's episode, Ginger and I talk about her incredible "backward" business journey. She shares what it was like to have a storefront, employees, national manufacturing network and the opportunity to appear on Shark Tank, and why she pivoted her business to stay true to her 'why'. We talk about how our definition of success often changes over the course of time, how entrepreneurship is always a choice, and the importance of sharing our journey to help others. I hope you enjoy Ginger's story of growth, strategic pivoting, and the lessons she learned along the way! ON TODAY'S EPISODE: Ginger's first business What she learned about herself from her experience in the military Her job as a main street manager in Texas The types of products and core customers at Buffalo Girls Salvage Why Ginger treats her wholesale and shopify accounts as two separate companies The materials and process that goes into creating jewelry Advice for entrepreneurs trying to do it all Fears Ginger had about expanding her team and ensuring quality control Ginger's backward business journey Important questions to ask yourself as a small business owner How Ginger said "no" to Shark Tank and stayed true to her "why" What's next for Ginger, Buffalo Girl Salvage and how she's encouraging more women entrepreneurs KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "I think some of us were just born with it. And we discover later in life that's what it is. But there's this feeling of entrepreneurship." - Ginger Lyons "As an entrepreneur in general, I love the idea that we can all contribute to ... I know it sounds cliché, but the American dream. I love that we can all make an impact." - Ginger Lyons "As a main street manager for a city in the state of Texas, I discovered how important main street is in America. We need small businesses and we need to keep them alive. " - Ginger Lyons "If I can give any advice ... it's start asking for help as fast as you can, and getting help in the things that you know you can afford to get. Even in the smallest details, it's important to have others alongside you and not be the-everything-girl." - Ginger Lyons "As entrepreneurs, we're doers. We want to do all the things and it's hard to give up control." - Ginger Lyons "It's hard to give up the control. In the early stages we worry about paying somebody else and we worry about delegating and having the management skills to manage another person too." - Katie Hunt "I believe in the main street, and I believe in us bringing up boutiques, and helping our fellow entrepreneurs develop their businesses. We have to do as much as we can in the US so that we can build up that together." - Ginger Lyons "That's just life as an entrepreneur. We're faced with adversity, we're faced with challenges, we're faced with tons of decisions and we just have to choose to keep going." - Katie Hunt "I firmly believe we are all born with what our path is in life. And our job is to figure out what that is. And so if you spend too much time looking at the path of everyone else around you, you are never going to find the success that you were supposed to find for yourself." - Ginger Lyons "If you're being told "no", fine. Move on. Seriously. Just get over the "no's". And put yourself in positions to do hard things that are uncomfortable." - Ginger Lyons LINKS Website: https://buffalogirlsjewelry.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/buffalogirlssalvage Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buffalogirlssalvage/ SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of pr

Welcome back to Proof to Product, all you small business hustlers, and creative entrepreneurs! Today we have a great episode in store for you with guest Jeanetta Gonzales, a Los Angeles-based graphic designer, and illustrator. Jeanetta began her career as a graphic designer working for corporate companies such as WedMD, Mattel and The Disney Store. She later parlayed her digital and fine art skills into surface design working as a textile designer and style guide designer for consumer products and creating illustrations and art that she licenses to manufacturers for products sold online and in major retail stores. On top of all of this, Jeanetta also runs her own online store where she sells her art on print items, mugs, fabric, home decor items and more. On today's episode, Jeanetta shares her experience with licensing and tells us why you have to be in it for the long game. We talk about why relationships are so important in business, why it's necessary to create art and products with a unique point of view, and her goal to spread joy through a variety of creative means. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: Common misconceptions that creative entrepreneurs have about licensing their work Tips for people that are putting together their portfolio How Jeanetta defines her artistic style and keeps it original The importance of experimenting What it took to overcome fears of failure and success Her 10 year journey of learning and creating When Jeanetta started to see traction in own design work What she learned from tradeshows Being okay with not being perfect Pivoting from her day job and shifting into licensing Jeanette's favorite products to produce Her advice for other creative entrepreneurs and what's coming up next KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "I don't really think it's necessary to spend a whole year working on a portfolio or something like that. It's fine if you just have several collections that you're really proud of and get them out there." - Jeanetta Gonzales "You don't want to be a copycat. You really just want your own work and your own vision and you're own visual point of view to come through." - Jeanetta Gonzales "I really encourage people to experiment a lot, because that's where the happy accidents happen and that's where you're going to find the things that you really love to do." - Jeanetta Gonzales "I always had this fire in me since I was a little kid to just do something different. To kind of go against the norm and it took me a long time to really get there." - Jeanetta Gonzales "Even if you do a show and you're ready for that, and you put heart and soul into it, it's never perfect. You're never going to be as ready as you think you want to be." - Jeanetta Gonzales "Just when we start to get comfortable in one thing, that's where things take a little bit of a turn. It's part of the growth process, but it is uncomfortable and there is that underlying fear, am I making the right choices?" - Katie Hunt "I'm a firm believer that things happen on the time frame they should. Yeah sure, we could go back and change things, but would we still be where we are today if we did?" - Katie Hunt "In my own journey I've had to go around and around a lot, but it's all good. Now I'm older I can definitely see how it's all coming together." - Jeanetta Gonzales "It is a long game. You just have to see how that plays out, and just know that if you're going to commit to something like licensing that it's not an overnight thing." - Jeanetta Gonzales "So much is relationship based. If people know they like you and can trust you and you'll do a great job, it's going to open the door for more licensing opportunities." - Katie Hunt "When we know where we want to go, it makes it easier to build that path to get there." - Katie Hunt LINKS Website: http://JeanettaGonzales.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nettdesigns Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nettdesigns/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jeanettag/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/nettdesigns SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our s

Today on Proof to Product we're welcoming Paper Camp Alum, and founder of Chez Gagne, Alex Gagne! Alex attended our Paper Camp Conference back in February of 2015 before debuting her wholesale line at the National Stationery Show. Since then, Alex has gone on to expand her product offering, add new team members, and achieve her vision for the Chez Gagne brand. Chez Gagne is a paper and gift brand that offers greeting cards, wine and spirit tags, mugs, wine glasses, candles, and rocks glasses. Alex currently sells to 1,500 stores throughout the world, works with sales reps nationally, and exhibited at six trade shows this winter alone. With more than 93% of Alex's annual revenue coming from wholesale, much of her time is spent planning, prepping and traveling across the country for trade shows. On today's episode, Alex is sharing with us how she does it all. We talk about how greeting cards became more than just her creative outlet and how Alex made the jump from paper goods to other products. We also how Alex decides which new product categories to pursue, challenges she faced in her business journey and key factors to Chez Gagne's exponential growth. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: Why Alex switched from software to stationery How she decides to move forward with a product line Her theory on making things nice or funny Incorporating optics and organization into merchandising Alex's process for research, development, manufacturing and pricing Why everything Alex produces is something she uses The importance of managing your margins Challenges of storing hard goods vs stationery Tactics for mitigating risk and designing sustainable products How Alex grew to 1,500 active accounts in 4 years Future plans and products Alex has in the works KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "It's strange to look back now, but I've actually always made greeting cards for people. I've always sent Valentines Day cards. And that's been something that I've done for years." - Alex Gagne "It came full circle.I found something I was able to communicate my sense of humor with, as well as greet people and make them laugh." - Alex Gagne "Our business is based on the model of, "If you can't make it nice, make it funny." So we have a little bit of everything." - Alex Gagne "Everything we've ever brought into the line has been something that I want to use. We will never bring anything into the line that is something that I wouldn't use. That, for me, is totally disingenuine." - Alex Gagne "The agility of being a business owner is a very special thing, in that we can decide to move forward with something or we can decide to cut it from the line. We can't always do that in corporate America." - Katie Hunt "There's only so much risk you want to take with a new product category." - Alex Gagne "We pulled our best selling phrases from our greeting cards, and put them on mugs. And now we're putting them on wine glasses, they're on rocks glasses, they're on candles." - Alex Gagne "As a business owner. I don't want to put anything out there, that I know is never going to be used again. We're producing so much crap as a society, that it's hard sometimes to put out gift items, because you feel like it's going directly to a landfill." - Alex Gagne "Bottom line is, people want to have an experience these days. They don't necessarily need a lot of junk in their lives, but they want to have an experience, and I think people have an experience with our products." - Alex Gagne "Once we get something set up, then we can turn, and focus on other aspects. But it's always shifting." - Katie Hunt "It's been a lot of hustle. It's been a lot of late nights, and I'm really fortunate to not have to really do that as much anymore. There was definitely a time there, where I was staying up until 2:00 in the morning, every night, reaching out to retailers, finishing out orders, just trying to make it work." - Alex Gagne "It's hard to delegate. I am a control freak. And I think being a letterpress printer is probably really a good indication of that." - Alex Gagne "The brand perception for people who are very wary of curse words, or snark and sassy humor, has been a challenge for us. But it's also been a reason we've done incredibly well." - Alex Gagne LINKS Website: https://www.chezgagne.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/chezgagne/about/?ref=page_internal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chezgagne/?hl=en SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests,

Katie Hunt walks us through how she swapped her Instagram handles during the Proof To Product rebrand and shares three lessons she learned in the process. Find us @prooftoproduct on Instagram and tell us what you thought of the episode! And check out our new site and resources at www.prooftoproduct.com

Our guest today is Allie Nute, the creative lady behind Verb House Creative. Allie provides content creation, digital marketing management and consulting services to incredible, creative businesses - businesses with personality, heart and dedication. Allie calls them her client-friends. On this episode, we are talking about misconceptions that creative entrepreneurs have around marketing and how Allie helped one of her customers increase their wholesale sales by 250%. We also find out why fewer emails is often-times more impactful, why you don't need to be focusing on all of the social media platforms, and when it's best to pick one and run with it. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: What types of services Verb House Creative offers The difference between social marketing and digital marketing How Allie got started with her marketing career Common misconceptions product based business owners have about creating and executing a marketing plan The benefits of getting an outsider's perspective Advice for handling marketing logistics How Allie helps clients transform their businesses Simple steps and tips you can implement in your business today The importance of knowing your audience and product cycles and avoiding "vanity metrics" How having a family has changed her approach to business The Bespoke Content Club and what's coming up next for Verb House Creative KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "I wish I could tell everybody in every industry in the world, try to pick the channel that's gonna be best for you. Is it gonna be Facebook or is it gonna Pinterest?" - Allie Moris Nute "It's really key to get some outside help, because marketing is hard, it is paralyzing and you have a million other things to do, but this really has to get done." - Allie Moris Nute "We can undersell ourselves, or undersell our successes we've had, but somebody coming from the outside can take a look at the bigger picture and bring a unique perspective to it." - Katie Hunt "Too many people are trying to do too many things." - Katie Hunt "We all feel like we are really, really busy, and that's because we are. But if you don't sit down to actually make time for strategic marketing, it's just not gonna get done." - Allie Moris Nute "We can tell if a brand or retailer is just sending out emails just because they feel like they need to hit that certain mark, or if they're really taking the time to create content that we really care about and that their customer really cares about." - Allie Moris Nute "I'm a firm believer that it takes a solid, good two to three months to really see the effects of good marketing, good content and good strategy." - Allie Moris Nute "I wanna make sure that we're a good fit in terms of how this person's fitting in with the group but also that their business is at a point where they'll be able to really, truly leverage the group and all that we're doing to enhance their business." - Katie Hunt "When you're a small business owner it's not just your business, you are so wrapped up in your business, and your business is so wrapped up in every other aspect of your life, it really extends to everything." - Allie Moris Nute LINKS Website: http://www.verbhousecreative.com Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/verbhousecreative Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/verbhousecreative SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

Hey Friends, have you had the chance to visit the famous Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Los Angeles? This mile long street located in Southern Venice is home to amazing creative galleries, internationally recognized brands and one-of-kind local shops like, Urbanic Paper Boutique. Audrey Woollen founded Urbanic thirteen years ago, and since then, her original lifestyle brand and retail shop has attracted a great deal of press, a large social media following, and has developed collaborative signature lines with some of the nation's top designers. On today's episode, Audrey shares how she discovered her passion for paper and product based business. She tells us how she got started, how Urbanic has evolved over the years, and how she turned her weekend hobby into a thriving retail shop. Audrey also talks about the challenges she faced along the way, including an IRS audit in her third year, and the store getting robbed at times. Audrey brings us into her journey, talking about the passion she has for her industry, the creative community which she's in, and why creating a strong customer experience is so important to her and the brand. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: The inspiration and motivation behind Urbanic How Audrey found her true passion in Los Angeles The benefits of working festivals and farmers markets Establishing a customer base and curating your brand Giving up a big paycheck for a bigger dream The types of products merchandised at Urbanic Choosing specialty items that keep things exciting Making the most of a small space How Urbanic has evolved since opening 13 years ago Creating events that bring the LA design community together under one roof The power of a positive customer experience How Audrey balances business and motherhood The challenges of running a brick-and-mortar store Seeking out new lines, tradeshows, and what Audrey looks for in submissions What's up next for Urbanic and what Audrey has planned for next year KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "Ever since I was a little girl, I had a huge passion for paper products, whether it be sending people cards or picking out my back to school supplies. I took that very seriously." - Audrey Woollen "I remember having the moment, literally stopped in my tracks, and tears came to my eyes, I'm like, "This is what I wanna do." I would feel so happy to create an environment for people to come shop, and to be able to curate that." - Audrey Woollen "It was all really a hobby at that point, it was just something I loved, and it wasn't generating much income at all. But it was pushing me closer to wanting to do more." - Audrey Woollen "I was getting more and move involved in the industry, and seeing what was out there, and falling more in love with what I was finding, and wanting to have a, create a bigger experience." - Audrey Woollen "When we're in a corporate job or a freelance job and we're trying to build our business on the side, there's no perfect time to go all in the business, right? There's usually something that pushes us over."- Katie Hunt "Because I was on Main Street and Santa Monica, I was able to set up at the Santa Monica Farmer's Market each Sunday. I could do more in that day than I did, like, an entire week." -Audrey Woollen "It was completely a huge risk. But the spot opened up, and I just sorta got there at the right place and time, and just sort of went for it." - Audrey Woollen "I knew that if I was gonna continue just doing that for a paycheck, then I was gonna lose out an opportunity to do something that I really wanted." - Audrey Woollen "We have a customer base of people that are faithful to us and have made it a destination even in greater LA." - Audrey Woollen "In the industry that I'm in, and this avenue that I picked, there's always something that is a feel good moment, not to mention babies and birthdays and celebrations and weddings, it's like all the best stuff in life." - Audrey Woollen SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you he

This is Part 3 of our three-part series exploring Proof to Product's exciting new rebrand. On Part 1, which was Episode 101, guest host Caroline Hull and I talked about why I decided to change my business name from Tradeshow Bootcamp to Proof to Product. On Part 2, we dove into the logistics, business formation, legal decisions, and building out the new website. If you missed those two episodes, I encourage you to head back and listen to 101 and 102 first! On today's episode, Caroline and I are breaking things down to talk about the marketing plan. Specifically, how we rolled out the new site and the news about the Proof to Product name change. Our audience has been such an important part of this process, and I'm so excited to share all of these new changes with you. I hope you enjoy Part 3 of this three-part series and be sure to check out our new online home at prooftoproduct.com! ON TODAY'S EPISODE: How to communicate a big business change to your audience Why Katie decided it was important to tell alumni first Creating the I Am Proof to Product Campaign Identifying and marketing high impact programs Doing fewer things better Why Katie is offering more free content Storytelling instead of selling How to join the #iamprooftoproduct celebration KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "It's a celebration of our community that we're all growing up because we are all growing up together." - Katie Hunt "Proof to Product brand is not just about me. It's about all of us." - Katie Hunt "I love in-person events, I love live classes where people are on live and asking their questions and we have the back and forth collaboration and conversation about it." - Katie Hunt "I want to make sure that we're putting our time and attention into the things that are making the biggest impact for our community and allowing me to serve them the best." - Katie Hunt "I want to show that we're just growing up, we're tightening things so that we can do a better job." - Katie Hunt "Everyone should go back to the beginning and look at why they're doing what they're doing because it really will help shape what you do moving forward." - Caroline Hull "Highlighting our community members is truly what we're all about." - Katie Hunt "I want to just give. I want to give, give, give, give, give as much as we possibly can to our audience." - Katie Hunt "We just want people to tell friends. We want people to go sign up for the new options that we have, watch the videos we have, really engage with what we built." - Katie Hunt "If my story can help somebody else, that's what I'm here for. That's the whole reason I do this podcast and why we do the programming that we do." - Katie Hunt LINKS Squarespace Web Developer: Susannah Carpenter SEO Consultant: Myrna Daramy SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

Welcome to Part 2 of a three-part series exploring Proof to Product's exciting new rebrand. On Part 1, which was Episode 101, guest host Caroline Hull and I talked about why I decided to change my business name from Tradeshow Bootcamp to Proof to Product, and all the fears I had going into the transition. So if you haven't caught that episode yet, I encourage you to go and start there! Today, on Episode 102, Caroline and I are diving into the logistics behind the rebrand, from the business formation and legal decisions to marketing planning and building Proof to Product's new website. Tomorrow, on Episode 103, I share our marketing plan, how we're rolling out the new name and the best parts of our beautiful new website. Our audience has been such an important part of this process, and I'm so excited to share all of these new changes with you. I hope you enjoy Part 2 of this three-part series and join in to celebrate with us! ON TODAY'S EPISODE: The value of starting with a website analysis How Katie tackled the new web build and transition Her decision to switch from Wordpress to Squarespace Choosing the right web developer for the job The importance of breaking tasks up into manageable chunks Why Katie started the rebrand process by getting advice from an attorney What goes into a trademark Little logistics that pop up along the way How to dream big without getting overwhelmed KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "I looked through all of the blog posts and looked at the traffic of like how many people were really looking at these things. And we narrowed it down to our top performing content." - Katie Hunt "One of my motivations for wanting a new site was just a clean slate. I wanted to start over on a new host where things were secure and everything felt good." - Katie Hunt "I had done so much work. I wire-framed the whole thing, I knew exactly what I wanted on the site, and I just needed somebody that could build it." - Katie Hunt "It's like anything you're hiring for, you know, you want to make sure that it's a good fit, whether it's a long-term position or routine or position or even just a per project. You know, you want to make sure you're getting the right people on the bus. " - Katie Hunt "When you have these big projects that take up so much time, it's really nice to have that help." - Caroline Hull "I will say it's a huge team project… everyone had their piece and it wouldn't have been possible without everybody." - Katie Hunt "If you're considering changing a name like this, you want to make sure you have your ducks in a row, that your business is being treated like a business and you want to make sure you get that right before you launch." - Katie Hunt "It's ironic because I've done this for other people, helped build and figure this out for other people, but sometimes it's so hard to do for yourself." - Katie Hunt "You do the best you can. You get the big pieces done and out there. Then, if there are other things that you can tackle, you can do those later." - Caroline Hull "One thing I would tell people, whether it's a rebrand or launching a new site or whatever it is, take that time to dream big, map out your big wishlist as if time and money and everything were no option." - Katie Hunt LINKS Squarespace Web Developer: Susannah Carpenter SEO Consultant: Myrna Daramy SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know!

Hey Friends, it's so good to be back! Did you catch yesterday's announcement? We have BIG news! Tradeshow Bootcamp is now Proof to Product, and we've launched a brand new website for the Proof to Product brand. To celebrate, we are doing things a little bit differently on the Podcast! We are turning the tables and I'll be your guest for the next few days. TSBC Alum, Caroline Hull guest hosts and we go behind the scenes for three full episodes, unveiling the exciting shifts I made in my business. This week, on Episodes 101, 102 and 103, Caroline and I dive headfirst into the Tradeshow Bootcamp to Proof to Product rebrand. Today, on Episode 101, we're talking about why I decided to change my business name and all the fears that were behind it. Tomorrow on Episode 102, Caroline and I tackle the logistics including Proof to Product's new website, the legal decisions, and the business model. Then on Thursday, during Episode 103, I share our marketing plan, how we rolled out the new name and the new website. Our audience has been such an important part of this process, and I'm so excited to share all of these new changes with you. I hope you enjoy this episode, and listen in to find out how to get involved to celebrate with us! ON TODAY'S EPISODE: Why Katie made the decision to rebrand and change her business name How Tradeshow Bootcamp evolved over eight+ years Facing fears around outgrowing and rebranding What Katie did to find the right look and feel for Proof to Product Finding the confidence to lean into growth The importance of getting back to basics Katie's process for reconnecting with the audience How Katie handled the switch The amazing new resources available at prooftoproduct.com KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "I'm going to get super vulnerable here with all of you guys. Because all of you are my people and this has been a process." - Katie Hunt "I felt like, 'Gosh, Tradeshow Bootcamp just doesn't articulate all the different things that we do and how we help business owners.'" - Katie Hunt "I worked with, no joke, four different designers who I highly respect and admire and I love their work. And we just couldn't land on anything that felt right." - Katie Hunt "I felt we're outgrowing the brand. I felt it was growing up and yet I kept hitting walls." - Katie Hunt "We had all these resources available on all these different ways, but we weren't communicating it. And that was really frustrating for me." - Katie Hunt "We started Proof to Product and that kind of took a life of its own." - Katie Hunt "I broke it down to the basics. I went back to whose our audience? What kind of programming do they need? What kind of problems do we need to solve for them?" - Katie Hunt "Rebranding isn't just about picking a new name and picking a new logo. This is about looking at the entire picture. And making sure that it all works and fits together and makes sense for your audience." - Caroline Hull "I'm a firm believer that we need to go back as entrepreneurs and constantly be reevaluating. Who are we working with? And what are we giving them and how are we providing maximum value to them?" - Katie Hunt "We grow and evolve as people, and our businesses grow and evolve too." - Caroline Hull LINKS Squarespace Web Developer: Susannah Carpenter SEO Consultant: Myrna Daramy SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

Over the next few weeks, the podcast will be taking a Spring Break. No, we won't be lounging on the beach, or having cocktails by a pool. Although we hope that all of you are able to build in some rest and relaxation into your days! Instead, the Proof to product team and I are busy cooking up something big that will enable us to serve all of you better and help you build your businesses faster. Our small but mighty team will be putting all of our time into this super secret project, so we won't be airing new episodes of the podcast for a few weeks. While we've got our heads down working hard, I want to encourage you to go back and listen to some of our most popular episodes of so far this year. I've included links in the show notes so you can find them quickly and easily. Also, if you could take two minutes to leave us a 5-star rating or write a review in Apple Podcasts, I'd greatly appreciate it. Reviews and ratings help us get more eyes on Proof to Product, which provides more opportunities for fresh content, discounts and resources for all of you. Thanks so much for listening, for supporting me and the show. We'll be back soon with some exciting news! Fan Favorites: Megan Auman on product photography and leveraging Pinterest for sales Tanya Wheeless on why never wanted to be an entrepreneur and the value of investing in professional development Lichia Liu, Gotamago on pursuing her passion, building a team and creating systems and why she thinks it is important to jump before you feel ready Sara McNally, Constellation & Co. on juggling a manufacturing business and retail shop, utilizing interns and falling in love with letterpress Lillian Farag on licensing, collaborations and the growing pains of being an entrepreneur

Hey friends, can you believe it?! This is Proof to Product's 100th Episode! It's been amazing to watch this podcast, which began as a creative way to connect with members of the stationery community, grow into so much more - a platform, resource, and launching point for stationery and creative entrepreneurs alike. Over the last year and a half, we've heard some incredible, inspiring startup stories from entrepreneurs making physical products, just like you. We have talked about successes and struggles, mindset shifts, and the importance of taking action to reach your goals. Entrepreneurs like Katie Wilson of The Good Twin, Rachael Hetzel of Pistachio Press, Mary Phan of Very Mary Inspired, Ronnie Williams of DeFrance Printing, Taylor Elliot of Taylor Elliott Designs, Natasha Case of Coolhaus, and Viola Sutanto of Maika Goods, just to name a few, all shared their stories, struggles and advice of growing and thriving in business. To celebrate this 100th milestone, we're revisiting our favorite episodes and the Proof to Product lessons that continue to inspire our lives and business. We're honored to share the personal stories of our amazing audience members and hope you enjoy this special edition episode! ON TODAY'S EPISODE: Jean Marie Opus, Little Feet's Opus Amanda Farrand, Grief Biscuit Elana Hopman, Annabel Reese Christina Green, The Cardinal Collective Mele Williams, Plucky Press Brooke Spare, Cheeky Beak McKinley Bryson, Lucky Bat Paper Co Janine Kwoh, Kwohtations Lauren Ashley Barnes, Pineapple Sundays Design Studio Rongrong Devoe, Rongrong Illustration Mackenzie Vance, Smitches SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

Today on the 99th Episode of Proof to Product I'm joined by our friend and Tradeshow Bootcamp alumni, Emily Asher. Emily is an artist, calligrapher and the owner of Emily Rose Ink, a boutique wedding stationery studio based in Chicago. Emily started designing wedding stationery as a side hustle while working as a high school English teacher, but since taking the leap to make it her livelihood, her wedding stationery has been featured in countless publications and blogs, including Vogue, Martha Stewart, Style Me Pretty, and Oh So Beautiful Paper. Early on in her business journey, Emily made the decision to intentionally narrow her focus, from art prints and greeting cards, to custom wedding stationery. Although this felt like a risk at first, this allowed Emily to perfect her design aesthetic, grow customer relationships, and solidify her business foundation. As a result, Emily's wedding stationery business took off and her designs made celebrity status. Seriously... She just did Hillary Swank's invites! On today's episode, Emily shares her startup story. She talks about how she got her foothold in the stationery industry, what inspired her to dive fully into her business, and why it was important for her to narrow her focus to solely doing custom wedding work. Emily also shares what she learned from celebrity weddings, how she manages her growing business today, and what's coming up next for Emily Rose Ink! ON TODAY'S EPISODE: How Emily got into hand lettering and calligraphy The turning point when she decided to start her own business Her decision process for focusing solely on weddings How she streamlined and strengthened her business foundation Emily's favorite project management tool The importance of continuing to evolve What it was like to do Hillary Swank's wedding invitations What she learned from celebrity weddings How Emily manages her team and employees What's up next for Emily Rose Ink KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "I was thinking, "Oh, it'll be something fun and creative for me to do on the side." The more I got into it, I was really struck by how awesome it was that you could actually make a living doing something creative." - Emily Asher "Paper Camp was actually a big turning point for me because I met so many other people who were making a living and supporting themselves full-time with stationery." - Emily Asher "As I started to get more wedding clients, who are really my ideal clients, I started to be more inspired." - Emily Asher "I felt I was splintering my marketing a little bit by doing greeting cards and art prints, and the wedding stuff, because they weren't necessarily geared towards the same person. So I decided to just try and pursue the wedding thing and that really exploded for me." - Emily Asher "By focusing on weddings, it allowed me to really fine tune all my systems and focus on what was going to serve the clients better." - Emily Asher "There's so many details that go into starting a business; logistics and organization, and the systems. I feel like it took me two years to get all my systems down and I'm still constantly changing them." - Emily Asher "Take a look at how you can automate, streamline and build systems or step-by-step processes so that you can easily bring people on board to help with things." - Katie Hunt "Just being able to say that I did that level of wedding helps me have confidence in charging my worth for projects that are really time-consuming." - Emily Asher "It's good to take some time to reflect on, "What am I doing this business for? What's my main motivation here? Is it freedom or flexibility? Is it the money?" because those priorities will shift at different times in the business depending on your own personal circumstances." - Katie Hunt "It's all about figuring out what are your employees strengths and skills and how can you best apply them to the things that need to be done in the business. Sometimes it takes a little while to figure out." - Emily Asher "You wanna have the right people on your team, but you also wanna make sure that the work that they're doing is aimed at their areas of expertise, and their skill sets." - Katie Hunt CONNECT WITH EMILY ASHER: Website: http://www.emilyroseink.com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/emilyroseink Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/emilyroseink JOIN US FOR OUR FREE MARKETING CLASS APRIL 10th! Did you know 98% of visitors are leaving your site without taking action? It can be SO frustrating when visitors come to your site, look at all the amazing things you have going on, and don't take the next steps you want them to – like buying your product or joining your community. It can feel impossible sometimes, like all the people you drive to your site are slipping through your fingers like sand. But – there's a solution! Lindsey Morando from Hello Bar is presenting LIVE on the next steps to turn those visitors into sales and long term customers. Sign up to save your FREE spot for April 10th, 2019 at 12PM PST! Register f

Lately, I've had lots of feedback and questions from our audience regarding the struggles of marketing strategy. It can be so hard to know where to direct your time and energy with so many social and marketing channels available now, and that's why I'm really excited for you to hear this week's episode with Lindsey Morando, the Director of Marketing for Hello Bar. Lindsey has more than fifteen years of experience in business development and marketing that spans multiple industries including health & wellness, SaaS, lifestyle, and hospitality. No matter which industry she is focusing on though, Lindsey prides herself on the creation and implementation of engaging grassroots and online marketing tactics that convert fans into paying, happy customers. When Lindsey is not moving the marketing needle for businesses, she is a marketing professor at the San Diego Fashion Institute and the author of It's Just the Beginning, Break Up, Get Up & Walk Away. Today, on Episode 98, Lindsay is sharing a ton of great marketing and business advice. She talks about the number one challenge she sees small business owners facing today, her three strategies for simplifying marketing and ... (drumroll please) together we announce our free marketing class coming out on April 10th. This class is specifically designed to help you Capture More Emails on Your Website, and make the most of your marketing efforts. Head to the link to find out more and register, and happy listening! ON TODAY'S EPISODE: The number one challenge Lindsey sees in small businesses 3 Steps to simplifying your marketing strategy Free offers that work well for e-commerce How to identify your strongest channels Advice for elevating key products What streamlining does for profits How Hello Bar supports small biz marketing efforts Ways to make pop-ups less annoying A sneak peek at our free April 10th marketing class KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "The biggest challenge is people are feeling overwhelmed and trying to figure out what is the best way to actually get more sales and get more leads in the door." - Lindsey Morando "When we try to do it all ourselves, we not only spread ourselves too thin but we kinda take away the specialness or the effectiveness of all of them." - Katie Hunt "The people that I find that are most successful are the ones who hone in on one or two marketing channels and make them their absolute best marketing channel." - Lindsey Morando "It's not just double tapping a picture, it's actually commenting, asking questions, engaging - and if you can do that consistently you're going to see some huge traction in your business." - Lindsey Morando "Whenever you offer, and whatever you're using to collect information should ultimately either be a part of your free product or something that leads someone down the path to buying from you because at the end of the day, you are a business and that's what you need to do." - Lindsey Morando "Always be thinking about ways that you can interact and engage your audience, and then get them to start thinking a little more." - Lindsey Morando "What it's really about, is what is your signature item that brings in the most cash for your business?" - Lindsey Morando "When you're focused on one thing you can serve your audience so much better." - Katie Hunt "How do you get people? Is it about the design? Is it about the headline? We really focus on the education behind that so our users don't even have to think twice about how to actually start collecting more leads." - Lindsey Morando "If you really take the time to get to know your ideal client, who's coming to your website and put the right offers in front of them, with the right timing - they're going to be far more likely to take it." - Lindsey Morando "Look at the user experience and make sure that it feels really seamless. It should a part of your customer journey, not a big stop sign that's really annoying in your customer journey." - Lindsey Morando "We need to be thinking very strategically about how we're not only bringing those new customers into the fold and onto our email list but then how we're nurturing them afterward and creating that journey for them." - Katie Hunt CONNECT WITH LINDSEY MORANDO: Website: http://hellobar.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hellobar/ JOIN US FOR OUR FREE MARKETING CLASS APRIL 10th! Did you know 98% of visitors are leaving your site without taking action? It can be SO frustrating when visitors come to your site, look at all the amazing things you have going on, and don't take the next steps you want them to – like buying your product or joining your community. It can feel impossible sometimes, like all the people you drive to your site are slipping through your fingers like sand. But – there's a solution! Lindsey Morando from Hello Bar is presenting LIVE on the next steps to turn those visitors into sales and long term customers. Sign up to save your FREE spot for April 10th, 2019 at 12PM PST! Register for April 10th Class: http

Welcome back to another episode of Proof to Product! Today's guest is Ilana Griffo, an illustrator, designer, author, and Tradeshow Bootcamp alumni! Like so many of you fellow entrepreneurs, Ilana built her business from the ground up. She began by launching her own stationery line, moved into designing her own product lines, signed major licensing deals with nationally recognized brands like Pier 1, Homegoods, and Michaels, and just published her first book, Mind Your Business. The key to Ilana's success? She points to the way her business is always transitioning, pivoting to get to where she wants to go! On today's episode, Ilana and I sit down to talk about her career journey and the lessons she learned along the way. She talks about how she got her start in the stationery industry, why she decided to hire a licensing agent, and how that has freed her up to do more creative work. We also talk about pushing yourself to create for fun, fighting for your value, and rethinking failure. Ilana shares some examples of tough situations she went through in her business and how they resulted in some of her proudest moments. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: Misconceptions people have about the small business life How to ask for what you want The difference between giving up and letting go Tips for putting together a first portfolio What happens after you sign with an agency How Ilana turns comparison into inspiration Finding silver linings in self-doubt The importance of fighting for your value Ilana's intention behind Mind Your Business Celebrating then and now KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "One of the biggest philosophies I have is that you need to ask for what you want." - Ilana Griffo "I always wanted to create artwork that makes me happy, that makes other people happy." - Ilana Griffo "These pivots haven't been, I'm going to give up. They've just been, I'm going to let go of this so that I can move on to something better." - Ilana Griffo "It's always scary to make a change, it's always scary, because we don't know what's on the other side. We don't know if that's going to end up being more successful, or if we're going to feel like we fell flat on our face." - Katie Hunt "Transitioning into a new role is always a conversation, it's always making a list, it's always the pros and cons, and you will never feel 100% ready." - Ilana Griffo "Licensing has been a whole new world that I didn't know existed, and now that I'm doing it more, I'm just learning so much about the industry." - Ilana Griffo "It's amazing to see my work on products that I know I couldn't manufacture on my own. I can make a greeting card, but I can't make one that has a popup and holographic foil and all these things." - Ilana Griffo "Do things for fun, and then turn them into collections that you would want to buy." - Ilana Griffo "If you don't feel that self-doubt, then you don't have the fire of an entrepreneur, because that's what keeps us going every day. It's that fire that's saying, work harder, or smarter. Do more. Reach for what you want." - Ilana Griffo "Before, I put my value into how happy the client was, or how many clients I had booked, or things like that. And now I put it into how I feel about myself." - Ilana Griffo "We will get through this, and you'll figure it out, and it will lead to another experience, a notch on your belt of how you're going to handle things going forward." - Katie Hunt "Share the process, share the ups and share the downs, just makes it so real and makes people want to follow along." - Ilana Griffo "I want to write down my goals and make sure I'm in line with those, but I also want to sit back and enjoy the ride, and feel really proud about what I did." - Ilana Griffo CONNECT WITH ILANA GRIFFO: Website: http://www.ilanagriffo.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sugarandtype/ Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/sugarandtype Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/ilanagriffo/ LINKS For another great episode on licensing - Episode 84 JOIN US FOR PROOF TO PRODUCT'S 100th EPISODE! Call In: http://tradeshowcamp.com/ptp100/ Over the last year and a half, Proof to Product has shared almost 100 startup stories from entrepreneurs making physical products, just like you. We have talked about successes and struggles, mindset shifts, and the importance of taking action to reach your goals. We are quickly approaching our 100th episode and we want to do something special to celebrate all of you, our listeners. We want to hear your proof to product story and share it with our audience. To participate, head over to http://tradeshowcamp.com/ptp100/ and leave us a voicemail with YOUR story. Then tune into episode 100 to find out if we included you! SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and buil

Hey Friends, it's Tuesday! Which means we're back with another episode of Proof to Product, and this week I'm sitting down for a very fun interview with former PTP guest, Julie Richardson. You may remember Julie from Episode 20, where she shared her startup story and told us how she built her Etsy shop, Julie Ann Art, into a successful wholesale enterprise. If you haven't heard her story, it's definitely worth heading back for a listen! For some background- Julie founded Julie Ann Art shop in 2008 and quickly gained the attention of the internet with her combination of raw illustrations and irreverent wit. Her brand brought a refreshing take to stationery, and with features in People, Bored Panda, Refinery and more, her side hustle hobby grew into a national lifestyle brand. In 2019, Julie Ann Art rebranded as Unblushing to better represent the strong-willed, unapologetic voice that is quintessential to her stationery and gift brand. On today's episode, Julie and I dive into this recent rebranding experience. We talk about how she knew she was ready for a new name and a fresh look, how she narrowed down potential names, and how she ultimately decided on Unblushing. Julie pulls the curtain back on what happens behind the scenes during a rebrand, shares her roadmap for planning the transition and tells us how she dealt with the unexpected details she never saw coming. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: Why Julie decided to rebrand after 10 years How she went about selecting a new name Her action plan for orchestrating the transition Tips for other entrepreneurs planning to rebrand What she did to keep customers in the loop about the switch The benefits of hiring out specific projects Julie's plans to connect locally What's up next for Unblushing KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "I started Julie Ann Art as a creative hobby. There was no intention. It was just for fun. That was 10 years ago, we're not a hobby anymore." - Julie Richardson "I definitely had fear going into it, but at the same time, I just knew that I was ready to take that leap and take that risk." - Julie Richardson "I basically started a list, went to thesaurus.com and just tried to think about what the brand had become, who our customer was, what traits they had, or how I considered them to be" - Julie Richardson "Rebranding helped me to look at social media in a different way, because just with my brand, it's witty, short captions. It was nice to see people's response to me writing in paragraphs and telling stories." - Julie Richardson "I tried so hard to get everything right. At the same time, I expected something to go wrong. Not everything can be perfect. You can't think of every little detail." - Julie Richardson "it was a huge product, but it's been really rewarding to get the response, and people are as excited as we were, so that makes me feel good." - Julie Richardson "Sometimes we're a little too close to these things, and somebody else can come in with their fresh eyes, and build something even better than we could envision." - Katie Hunt "Make a list. Make lots of lists. That was my number one go-to." - Julie Richardson "When you talk about something, you need to light up and love it. If you're not completely happy in what you're doing, it is time to pivot and find the next direction." - Julie Richardson "My inspiration was coming from the brand that was already created. I was just renaming it after what it already was." - Julie Richardson "I feel like my customer is basically living next door to me. I just need to meet them, you know?" - Julie Richardson CONNECT WITH JULIE RICHARDSON: Website: https://unblushing.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/unblushingco Instagram: http://instagram.com/unblushingco JOIN US FOR PROOF TO PRODUCT'S 100th EPISODE! Call In: http://tradeshowcamp.com/ptp100/ Over the last year and a half, Proof to Product has shared almost 100 startup stories from entrepreneurs making physical products, just like you. We have talked about successes and struggles, mindset shifts, and the importance of taking action to reach your goals. We are quickly approaching our 100th episode and we want to do something special to celebrate all of you, our listeners. We want to hear your proof to product story and share it with our audience. To participate, head over to http://tradeshowcamp.com/ptp100/ and leave us a voicemail with YOUR story. Then tune into episode 100 to find out if we included you! SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and informa

Hey friends! This week on Proof to Product I'm sitting down with Amy Tan, founder of the creative lifestyle company, Amy Tangerine. I'm really excited to have Amy on the show, because not only is she a creative entrepreneur that designs online content as well as fun, tangible products like t-shirts and craft supplies, she also teaches workshops around the world, makes YouTube videos, consults with awesome brands and wrote the book, Craft a Life You Love. Amy believes everyone has a story to tell, and her mission is to inspire women everywhere to feel joy and confidence by infusing creativity, fun, and intention into the everyday. On today's episode, Amy shares how she got her start as an entrepreneur and how her business has evolved over time. She gives advice for curating an authentic and organic social media presence, and the best way to approach contracts and collaboration. We also talk about her favorite mediums, how she connects with her audience and how she decides which partnerships and collaborations to say yes to. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: Why Amy enjoys Instagram as a medium Her perspective on vlogging How she keeps her YouTube channel authentic The importance of separating self-worth from "likes" What Amy did to monetize her Instagram organically How she learned to negotiate contracts Amy's three criteria for collaboration Legal advice for freelancers and influencers How writing a book helped Amy heal and deal in difficult times A sneak peek at what Amy's got going on in 2019 KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "My parents always instilled this value of you can do anything you put your mind to and your heart in, they really had this vision that the American dream was to work for yourself." - Amy Tan "I had all these ideas for side hustles, without knowing that that's what they were. I magically somehow ended up turning a lot of hobbies into work. " - Amy Tan "It's so valuable to try different things and you don't actually have to go all in on something. You can dabble." - Amy Tan "There's so many things that you can learn and I just think that experimentation is the best way to do so." - Amy Tan "I really wanted people to get a feel of what it was like as a small business owner, as a creative entrepreneur who sits in a studio working and have that dialogue and that feeling that you're right alongside me in the studio creating, and on the adventures that I take." - Amy Tan "I feel like it's still me being on Instagram. I'm still authentic, I'm still real. I'm still the same person. Even though the content that I share might vary to a certain degree, I just love being able to do that in such a fun format." - Amy Tan "I experimented with different types of videos. Sometimes I would do a tutorial, sometimes I would talk straight to camera, sometimes it would be short, sometimes it'd be longer. I played around and I took the pressure off of myself for making things perfect." - Amy Tan "You're trying to be true to yourself and you're not trying to create an image just to appease people." - Katie Hunt "Sometimes I actually don't want to post that many pretty things because I don't want people thinking that all I'm focusing on is the pretty aspects and nothing bad is happening in my life. That is so untrue." - Amy Tan "Show the type of work you want to be doing and then that'll ultimately attract the same type of people that are interested in it." - Katie Hunt "I do love helping people and working with people. But at the same time, I realize that my time is really limited and I can't be spread too thin because I've been there before." - Amy Tan "Why are you starting this business to begin with? Who do you want to serve and how you want to make an impact in their lives? Because if you don't have a reason for starting this business, then it's not truly a business, if you're not solving problems." - Katie Hunt "I don't have a rate sheet. I don't believe in her rate card. I believe everything is a conversation." - Amy Tan "I don't know if you know this, but you can't really tell an entrepreneur what to do." - Amy Tan CONNECT WITH EMILY MARKS: Website: http://amytangerine.com/ YouTube: http://youtube.com/amytangerine Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amytangerine/ JOIN US FOR PROOF TO PRODUCT'S 100th EPISODE! Call In: http://tradeshowcamp.com/ptp100/ PAPER CAMP E-COURSE Many of you have been patiently waiting for the return of our Paper Camp E-course and I'm excited to tell you that it's here. This is a 4-week online program that kicks off March 18. You'll get new videos to watch each week on your own and we'll have a live Q&A call every week with me and special guest experts. But you've got to act fast, because registration closes on March 16. If you've want to see your products on the shelves of retail stores big & small, if you want to launch or refine your wholesale program, or maybe you want to exhibit at large scale trade shows, this is the program for you! We'll cover product development, sales tools for wholesale, working w

This week we have a great episode in store for you - one that will definitely resonate with any of you who are hustling through a day job to fund your dream job. Emily Marks, once a forensic accountant, took the leap and left a stable job to pursue her passion. She is now the businesswoman behind Carina Paper Co., a stationery company inspired by her Italian heritage and from her heart as a new mom, wife, daughter, and friend. On today's episode, Emily gives us all the details on how she turned her side hustle into a full-time gig. She tells us the reason she left her job with a major accounting firm and how her former role actually helps her in business now. We talk about the importance of strategic planning, project management, and how being in a state of discomfort provides space for personal growth. Finally, we talk about the danger of overthinking things and why sometimes, you just have to go for it. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: Emily's pivot from accounting to stationery Her business launch timeline Planning ahead vs being in the now How she deals with frustrating aspects of the business The need to celebrate what we've accomplished Growing into your strengths The importance of prioritizing for future growth When to take that chance KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "Getting the designs out of my head and onto actual products definitely took the longest time, but then all the details came together." - Emily Marks "I like to try to look at it like my biggest competition is myself." - Emily Marks "There's enough people in this industry and in this world, and we all can make a good product, if you have something that resonates with people." - Emily Marks "You can't focus just on today. You have to look at the whole, the last few months, and also give yourself a little bit of a break." - Emily Marks "Sometimes in that hustle for the next thing, we forget to celebrate what we've accomplished along the way... We need to celebrate the successes that we're having right now." - Katie Hunt "I'm a firm believer that you only grow and you only learn when you're uncomfortable because I think when you're comfortable, no matter what you're doing in life, it's just status quo." - Emily Marks "As small business owners, we don't always have a ton of time, or a ton of money, and so how do we balance the different needs in our business, and what we should keep on our plate as the CEO?" - Katie Hunt "You have to make sure every time you're reaching out, you're reaching out with valuable information ." - Emily Marks "Marketing is just an interesting beast, and I think it's something that is always going to be a challenge for me because it's not as systematic." - Emily Marks "Marketing is not a one and done type of thing, it's constantly reiterating what you're doing and changing things for the different ways that we can communicate with people." - Katie Hunt "Especially in the small business world, I think if we spend too much time thinking about it, I won't do it." - Emily Marks "Let's get stuff out in the world and see what happens, and then go from there." - Katie Hunt "My biggest piece of advice is, make sure the time is right for you, but just do it. Go out there" - Emily Marks CONNECT WITH EMILY MARKS: Website: http://www.carinapaperco.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/carinapaperco Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/carinapaperco Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/carinapaperco JOIN US FOR PROOF TO PRODUCT'S 100th EPISODE! Call In: http://tradeshowcamp.com/ptp100/ PAPER CAMP E-COURSE Many of you have been patiently waiting for the return of our Paper Camp E-course and I'm excited to tell you that it's here. This is a 4-week online program that kicks off on June 4th. You'll get new videos to watch each week on your own and we'll have a live Q&A call every week with me and special guest experts. But you've got to act fast, because registration closes on June 2nd. If you've want to see your products on the shelves of retail stores big & small, if you want to launch or refine your wholesale program, or maybe you want to exhibit at large scale trade shows, this is the program for you! We'll cover product development, sales tools for wholesale, working with reps, marketing to retailers and exhibiting at shows. To learn more and register, head to https://tsbc.teachable.com/p/pce. I look forward to having you there! SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sig

Hey Friends! I can't wait for you to hear this week's episode with entrepreneur extraordinaire, Mary Phan. Mary owns a multi-faceted business which includes — Very Mary Inspired and The Sketchbook Series, illustration courses for designers and event planners. Mary is also a TSBC Alumni and just recently published her first book, The Artful Sketch, a gorgeous how-to sketchbook for beginners and experts alike. Mary has always been drawn to the arts. After beginning her career as an interior designer, dabbling in fashion and staging model homes, she launched Very Merry Events in 2008. Mary enjoyed creating memorable experiences filled with atmosphere and feeling, but she became known for the beautiful, custom illustrations that were an indispensable part of her design process. In 2013, Mary took that love of illustration to the next level, launching The Sketchbook Series to help other event planners and designers master creative drawing. Today Mary tells us all about her entrepreneurial journey, and how she went from being an interior designer getting laid off, to starting her own business. We talk about the real fears, pivots, and transitions that come with running your own business, and the joy of stepping into your true passion. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: How she got started with event planning Dealing with the fear of the unknown Mary's natural process of sketching and design What motivated her to start The Sketchbook Series Her thoughts on navigating transition periods How Mary uses sketching as a form of communication Advice to anyone else looking to make the leap Balancing life outside of business Writing your own definition of success KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "My friend asked me to be her wedding planner and designer and I said, "Okay, let's just do it and let's figure it out." - Mary Phan "Any new thing that I do is always surrounded with oh my gosh, what is gonna happen? It's the fear of the unknown." - Mary Phan "That's the true spirit of entrepreneurship. We don't know everything, none of us know everything. We have to just put ourselves out there a little bit and take that risk." - Katie Hunt "There are benefits to keeping a day job while you're also starting your business." - Katie Hunt "I didn't look at business as like competition or people as competition. I was very much about supporting and about the community and how can I help?" - Mary Phan "Entrepreneurship is a huge marathon and it's this huge journey. As soon as I figured out what my "thing" was, that was when things started to change for me." -Mary Phan "It was less about how do I serve an audience, it was what's gonna make me happy because this next season of my life is changing and it's changing without me getting to plan for it." - Mary Phan "If I could sketch and nobody paid me for it, I could still do it. I could do it if it was for free." - Mary Phan "My thing is stick to what you know, then it became super fun and natural for me." - Mary Phan "It's so easy to get deterred by requests from people or things we want to be doing… there's all these things I have my hands in, but that's not my zone of genius or that's not where my passion truly is. - Katie Hunt "I took the leap in starting the business but this was a huge leap I felt, because I really didn't know ... nothing like this existed." - Mary Phan "The hard part of it is there is nobody to measure the success after, you're creating it as you go along." - Mary Phan "That's the part about business that's fun. It's the evolution, even bit by bit day by day that we're changing and improving." - Katie Hunt CONNECT WITH MARY PHAN: Website: http://www.verymaryinspired.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/verymaryinspired/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/verymaryinspired/ THE SKETCHBOOK SERIES: On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesketchbookseries On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesketchbookseries/ LINKS The Artful Sketch : https://www.amazon.com/Artful-Sketch-Step-Step-Artistic-ebook/dp/B07DTF6NF4 JOIN US FOR PROOF TO PRODUCT'S 100th EPISODE! Call In: http://tradeshowcamp.com/ptp100/ PAPER CAMP What if you could sit in a room with 30 other product makers who are doing exactly what you're doing -- building a business they love! You could share resources, leverage each other's experiences and learn from those who are where you want to be. Imagine the growth potential! Join us March 14-15th in Los Angeles for our Paper Camp Conference. Over 800 brands have attended Paper Camp. Brands that sell to stores like Target, Paper Source, Container Store, Anthropologie and independent boutiques internationally. This program is for you if you're a stationery or gift company interested in selling wholesale, exhibiting at trade shows or looking to expand your outreach to wholesale customers. We believe in the power of community, collaboration and sharing everything we know. Get all the details and register at www.tradeshowcamp.com/papercamp SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page

My guest today is Paul Jarvis, entrepreneur and author of the book Company of One: Why Staying small is the next big thing for business. I read this book over the winter break and so much of what Paul talks about resonated with me. We live in a world where we're conditioned as entrepreneurs to strive for more — more revenue, more products, more customers, more followers, more visibility and notoriety. While it's true striving for bigger isn't always better, I know many of us still struggle with the big question - How do we grow strong, profitable businesses but in a way that feels good and sustainable? In his book Company of One and during today's interview, Paul challenges us to explore a different way of thinking about business. During this episode, Paul and I discuss the contrarian view that business growth isn't always good, and isn't always required. We also talk about being a solopreneur, why that doesn't necessarily mean your working alone, and why we need to know our "enough." If you're trying to break the mold, embrace minimalism and find balance in your own biz, trust me, this episode and book will help a ton! ON TODAY'S EPISODE: Why Paul decided to write a book The truth about the single business narrative Examples of how different people define business How to play to your strengths Making decisions based on your best use of time Paul's perspective on hiring His definition of a minimalist business The benefits of investing in talent Why he works in flexible processes The importance of interacting with your audience KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "I've never wanted to grow a bigger business. I actually really like doing the work, so I don't want to ever stop doing that. " - Paul Jarvis "It's always like a personal decision of like, "Is this a skill that I can use? Is this a skill I want to have? Is this a skill that helps anything else in my business?" And if it's not, and I can afford to outsource it." - Paul Jarvis "I'm not going to hire somebody for $5 an hour off of Fiverr. I would rather find the best person that can do the job with no management." - Paul Jarvis "I believe wholeheartedly in hiring experts, people that can do the work. " - Katie Hunt "I believe in hiring people that are smarter than me, that can like improve upon what I already know or teach me things in the process." - Katie Hunt "I always try to be the best client. I'll get an invoice, and I'll be like, "I got to pay this in like five minutes or less." Because I know how important that is. I've been on the other side of that." - Paul Jarvis "Minimalism for me is figuring out what's needed and cutting out what's not. That makes so much sense in business." - Paul Jarvis "Anything that I can make easy or take off my plate is better. So I like to always come up with things that are replicable and simple." - Paul Jarvis "I love that the biggest expense in my business is hiring other freelancers. I feel actually really good about that." - Paul Jarvis "I think the first time you launch, you're guessing at most things. … But then once you've launched it the first time, then you've got data. Then you can look like did this work?" - Paul Jarvis "We all want to launch like the next biggest thing, but I think it's faster and easier and better if we launch small at first, iterate, and then grow it slowly based on the market and based on customers instead of just guessing at every single thing right in the beginning." - Paul Jarvis "Whether we're providing products or services, we can constantly be improving upon what we're already doing and if we're serving our audience even better, then they're going to want to keep coming back for more from us." - Katie Hunt CONNECT WITH PAUL JARVIS: Website: http://ofone.co Twitter:: http://twitter.com/pjrvs LINKS Company of One on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2RzLv9 Convert Kit: http://mbsy.co/convertkit/26032885 JOIN US FOR PROOF TO PRODUCT'S 100th EPISODE! Call In: http://tradeshowcamp.com/ptp100/ PAPER CAMP What if you could sit in a room with 30 other product makers who are doing exactly what you're doing -- building a business they love! You could share resources, leverage each other's experiences and learn from those who are where you want to be. Imagine the growth potential! Join us March 14-15th in Los Angeles for our Paper Camp Conference. Over 800 brands have attended Paper Camp. Brands that sell to stores like Target, Paper Source, Container Store, Anthropologie and independent boutiques internationally. This program is for you if you're a stationery or gift company interested in selling wholesale, exhibiting at trade shows or looking to expand your outreach to wholesale customers. We believe in the power of community, collaboration and sharing everything we know. Get all the details and register at www.tradeshowcamp.com/papercamp SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review

Today we're back with Part 2 of our NY Now and National Stationery Show recap! As you may have heard, NSS which was previously held in May, moved to February this year to co-locate with NY Now. 39 of our Tradeshow Bootcamp alumni were exhibiting at the two shows and one of the main questions I had for them was -- how have the shows merging affected you? It was interesting to see the different responses. If you listen to Part 1 of this series, you'll hear the that the NSS exhibitors mentioned specific pros and cons of the shows co-locating. But, when I asked the NY Now exhibitors about the effects, they didn't notice much of a difference. Many of our NY Now exhibitors have been exhibiting at NY Now for several shows, doing both the summer and winter show. Most used to also do the National Stationery Show when t was in May -- so three large NY shows a year. In these interviews you'll also hear how they are branching out to other shows, and they'll talk about the difference in these shows and why they ultimately chose NY Now over NSS. Today's episode features interviews with Lindsay Henry of Inklings Paperie, Kathryn Hunter of Blackbird Letterpress, Erika Caskey of Chez Gagne, Danelle Bliss of Wishbone Letterpress, Rebekah Tennis of Wild Ink Press, and Victoria Venturi of Paper Epiphanies. I hope you enjoy this special series! ON TODAY'S EPISODE: Lindsay Henry, Inklings Paperie Kathryn Hunter, Blackbird Letterpress Erika Caskey, Chez Gagne Danelle Bliss, Wishbone Letterpress Rebekah Tennis, Wild Ink Press Victoria Venturi, Paper Epiphanies PAPER CAMP What if you could sit in a room with 30 other product makers who are doing exactly what you're doing -- building a business they love! You could share resources, leverage each other's experiences and learn from those who are where you want to be. Imagine the growth potential! Join us March 14-15th in Los Angeles for our Paper Camp Conference. Over 800 brands have attended Paper Camp. Brands that sell to stores like Target, Paper Source, Container Store, Anthropologie and independent boutiques internationally. This program is for you if you're a stationery or gift company interested in selling wholesale, exhibiting at trade shows or looking to expand your outreach to wholesale customers. We believe in the power of community, collaboration and sharing everything we know. Get all the details and register at www.tradeshowcamp.com/papercamp SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode! Over the last year and a half, Proof to Product has shared almost 100 startup stories from entrepreneurs making physical products, just like you. We have talked about successes and struggles, mindset shifts, and the importance of taking action to reach your goals. We are quickly approaching our 100th episode and we want to do something special to celebrate all of you, our listeners. We want to hear your proof to product story and share it with our audience.

Hey Friends! I just got back from NY Now and the National Stationery Show in New York where more than 39 Tradeshow Bootcamp alumni and speakers exhibited this year. It was an incredible trip, for everyone from first timers to seasoned pros, and I'm so excited to share the highlights with you on the Podcast this week! This year is the first time that these two shows have run at the same time. The National Stationery Show has typically been held in May, but moved for February to co-locate with NY Now. The move of NSS caused a bit of a stir within our industry, and our Tradeshow Bootcamp community and the move of the show is one of the topics we're addressing on the episodes this week. We had alumni exhibiting at both NY Now and the National Stationery show, so we decided to break up this week's episode into two parts. On Part 1, airing today, we revisit the best parts of the National Stationery Show with Cecily Moore of The Paper Curator, Jenna Puente of Paper Wilderness, Rosanna Kvernmo of Iron Curtain Press, Genesis Duncan of Graphic Anthology, Krystal Whitten of Krystal Whitten Studio and Joe Mihalow of XOU. Part 2 will air on Thursday and features alumni that exhibited at NY Now I hope you enjoy this special series! ON TODAY'S EPISODE: Cecily Moore, The Paper Curator Jenna Puente, Paper Wilderness Rosanna Kvernmo, Iron Curtain Press Genesis Duncan, Graphic Anthology Krystal Whitten, Krystal Whitten Studio Joe Mihalow, XOU PAPER CAMP What if you could sit in a room with 30 other product makers who are doing exactly what you're doing -- building a business they love! You could share resources, leverage each other's experiences and learn from those who are where you want to be. Imagine the growth potential! Join us March 14-15th in Los Angeles for our Paper Camp Conference. Over 800 brands have attended Paper Camp. Brands that sell to stores like Target, Paper Source, Container Store, Anthropologie and independent boutiques internationally. This program is for you if you're a stationery or gift company interested in selling wholesale, exhibiting at trade shows or looking to expand your outreach to wholesale customers. We believe in the power of community, collaboration and sharing everything we know. Get all the details and register at www.tradeshowcamp.com/papercamp SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

My guest this week is Viola Sutanto and she's here to tell us how she made the leap from solopreneur to serial creative entrepreneur, and how she successfully runs multiple product-based businesses. I first met Viola in 2008 or 2009 when she owned the brand Chewing the Cud, a letterpress greeting card company that also sold reusable fabric gift wrap, which distributed to more than 1000 stores nationwide. Since then Viola has founded MAIKA, a stylish and sustainable soft goods brand inspired by delightful trade and everyday living, and co-founded LimeLoop, a recently launched full-circle shipper packaging company. What impresses me most about Viola, in addition to her superhuman ability to run multiple businesses is how she manages to maintain the same core values across all three companies- although unique in their offerings, each represents a desire to create sustainable, well designed, products that solve problems for their customers. On today's episode, Viola and I talk about transitioning from one business to the next, using trial & error to find manufacturing partners overseas, building a team, and time blocking. We also discuss Viola's perspective on managing transition, how she aims for simplicity in business and what's up next for her new ventures. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: How Viola evolved as a creative entrepreneur Transitioning from stationery into textiles Viola's process for sourcing global manufacturing partners The importance of cultivating the right production partnership The core values that anchor Viola's three business How she shifted her mindset in order to scale fast Viola's journey from solopreneur to creative co-founder Her best approach to running multiple businesses Why streamlining systems and processes is crucial in transition What's up next for Viola and her multiple ventures KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "I love product, and I have always dreamed of creating my own." - Viola Sutanto "I'm especially inspired by my dad. He really started with nothing, and I mean nothing. He had a little stall in a flea market and then kind of built a business empire out of that." - Viola Sutanto "My true passion is creating textile-based products and products that people could use every day, products that are simple and functional and not too precious." - Viola Sutanto "There were definitely some unexpected challenges that I wasn't ready for when I first started. Anything could happen along the way. And distance was a challenge." - Viola Sutanto "I wanted to make sure that the materials I was using could be certified, that I could very proudly say my materials and my processes are sustainable." - Viola Sutanto "You want to know who you're speaking to has their finger on the pulse of what's going on there, and obviously the owner is going to have that." - Katie Hunt "So much of growing our businesses, particularly product-based business, is trial and error when it comes to outsourcing and manufacturing." - Katie Hunt "I ended up keeping that little envelope, thinking "Someday, we're going to do something with this." And sure enough, when Ashley and I reconnected … that all blew up into LimeLoop today." - Viola Sutanto "We knew from the start this could be a really big idea. We knew we needed to scale fast, and we knew we needed investors. So that was the mindset going in." - Viola Sutanto "With every hire I've had at MAIKA, I've always made it a habit to have them document their role so that if a transition were to happen, the next person stepping into their role would require minimal training from me." - Viola Sutanto "I'm a firm believer in keeping things lean and mean as best you can. We are small businesses. We need to keep things simple. When we start adding too many layers or too many people, it gets too complex." - Katie Hunt "Keep it as lean and as simple as you can from the beginning, and also talk to as many people as you can, people who have been doing this for a while. Ask them for their advice." -Viola Sutanto CONNECT WITH VIOLA SUTANTO: Website: https://www.maikagoods.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maikagoods/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maikagoods/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/maikagoods/ LINKS Lime Loop: https://www.thelimeloop.com/ Indiegogo: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/limeloop-reusable-shippers#/ SPECIAL OFFER: 3 Free Months of Gusto! Gusto makes payroll, taxes, and HR actually easy for small businesses. Fast, simple payroll processing, benefits, and expert HR support all in one place. Gusto automatically pays and files your federal, state, and local taxes so you don't have to worry about it. Plus they make it easy to add on health benefits and even 401(k)s for your team. Those old-school, clunky payroll providers just weren't built for the way modern small businesses work. But Gusto is. Now is the best time to get set up for the new year. Don't wait. Proof to Product listeners get 3 free months of Gusto when they run their first payroll. Try a demo and see for your

Today is Part 2 of a two-part interview with Rachael Hetzel of Pistachio Press, and Briana Feola of Brainstorm. On Part 1, which was Episode 89, we talked about freedom versus stability, keeping up with the Joneses and overcoming FOMO. If you missed it, I'd recommend heading back to listen to that one first because today we dive into the details of communication, team dynamics, and client and customer relationships, and much more! On Part 2, Rachael and Briana share their thoughts on why bigger doesn't always mean better, knowing your why and communicating your company's core values so that you're attracting the right type of clients, customers, and team members. We also talk about not being afraid to revise your business vision, focusing on projects that align with your ethos and hiring for an overall skill set rather than specific ability. Rachael and Briana have been on the podcast before to share their startup stories. Rachael Hetzel is the owner of Pistachio Press, a boutique letterpress printing and design studio based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Pistachio Press produces a wholesale line of sweet and slightly snarky stationery products that are sold nationally and internationally. Pistachio Press also creates social invitations, business stationery, and prints commercially for a variety of clients. If you want to hear Rachael's start-up story, head back to check out Episode 11. Briana Feola is the co-owner of Brainstorm, a print shop and collaborative design studio working from a historic mill in Dover, New Hampshire. Brainstorm is rooted in the production of original art prints inspired by science, nature, and the outdoors. They design for people and companies that appreciate the creative process, enjoy collaboration, and want to make something tangible in an increasingly digital world. Briana and her husband, Jason Snyder shared their co-founding story back on Episode 8, so put that one on your listening list too! ON TODAY'S EPISODE: The truth about staying small How to get better at saying no to hiring The intricacies of inviting new employees into your creative space Knowing your strengths and opportunities as a manager The benefits of metrics and benchmarks Why it's important to find a system that works for you The pros and cons of being your own boss Finding sustainability and satisfaction within KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "It's very difficult to explain our vision, and our life as an art piece to somebody who just sees it as a business. It's just different." - Briana Feola "I've had multiple right arms of my business, and I try to separate out roles, but it works best for me to have someone that can do all aspects of the business." - Rachael Hetzel "After 10 years of doing this I know when to say no and this isn't a job I can do. Actually, it's not a job I want to do." - Rachael Hetzel "Our internal values that we have of my family comes first, and all these different things that are important to me. I think we need to be communicating them in our brand messaging out into the world, to customers and clients." - Katie Hunt "We do projects when they're fun and if it fits with our schedule ... if it fits within what we are capable of doing, and if we could do it really well." - Briana Feola "I would respect somebody for saying no, because I know that that was probably a difficult decision for them to make." - Katie Hunt "We're not out to blanket the world in our products." - Briana Feola "It''s hard to say no for yourself in some of those circumstances because there is pressure to bend, there is pressure to maybe go against your priorities, and your values for the business too." - Katie Hunt "Ultimately it does comes down to gut instinct, and gut feeling, and whether or not we really want to do it." - Briana Feola "When I'm doing strategic planning for my business I'm not just looking at the numbers...I'm also looking at what's the time commitment that is going to be required of me. What's my excitement level for this project?" - Katie Hunt "Being deliberate is one of the biggest things, and staying true to who you are." - Rachael Hetzel CONNECT WITH BRAINSTORM: Website: http://wearebrainstorm.com Facebook: http://facebook.com/wearebrainstorm Instagram: http://instagram.com/wearebrainstorm Twitter: http://twitter.com/wearebrainstorm CONNECT WITH PISTACHIO PRESS: Website: http://www.pistachiopress.com Facebook: http://facebook.com/pistachiopress Instagram: http://instagram.com/pistachiopress Twitter: http://twitter.com/pistachiopress PAPER CAMP What if you could sit in a room with 30 other product makers who are doing exactly what you're doing -- building a business they love! You could share resources, leverage each other's experiences and learn from those who are where you want to be. Imagine the growth potential! Join us March 14-15th in Los Angeles for our Paper Camp Conference. Over 800 brands have attended Paper Camp. Brands that sell to stores like Target, Paper Source, Container Store, Anthropologie and inde

This week I'm sitting down for a special two-part interview with two incredible entrepreneurs - Rachael Hetzel of Pistachio Press and Briana Feola of Brainstorm. Both have been on the podcast before to share their startup stories and I'm really excited to have them both back to shine a spotlight on what it means to keep things small and intentional as business owners and still grow in revenue and creativity. Rachael Hetzel is the owner of Pistachio Press, a boutique letterpress printing and design studio based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 2007, Pistachio Press produces a wholesale line of sweet and slightly snarky stationery products that are sold nationally and internationally. Pistachio Press also creates social invitations, business stationery, and prints commercially for a variety of clients. If you want to hear Rachael's start-up story, head back to check out Episode 11. Briana Feola is the co-owner of Brainstorm, a print shop and collaborative design studio working from a historic mill in Dover, New Hampshire. Brainstorm is rooted in the production of original art prints inspired by science, nature, and the outdoors. They design for people and companies that appreciate the creative process, enjoy collaboration, and want to make something tangible in an increasingly digital world. Briana and her husband, Jason Snyder shared their co-founding story back on Episode 8, so put that one on your listening list too! Today is Part 1 of my interview with Rachael and Briana. On this episode, we talk about freedom versus stability, why there is pressure to keep up with the Joneses and why we can't worry what others are doing. We also talk about overcoming FOMO, letting go of constantly optimizing and not being afraid to stick to what works best for your business. On Part 2 which will air on Thursday, we're talking about why bigger doesn't always mean better, knowing your why and communicating your company's core values so that you're attracting the right type of clients, customers, and team members. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: Misconceptions about being an entrepreneur The difference between expanding and burning out What finding homeostasis in life does for business How saying "yes" teaches you when to say "no" The reason you should trust your gut instinct How business decisions come down to relationships Finding your business balance KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "There's a stigma for entrepreneurs that there's just endless pursuit of growth. Like that's the answer." - Briana Feola "Everything in our life just seemed to kind of come together when we made freedom a priority." - Briana Feola "We actually say that it's lifestyle versus bottom line. So we're trying to maintain this lifestyle of simplicity because it's a choice." - Briana Feola "I think it is being flexible in order to see what the opportunities are and I'm able to make things because I'm the maker in small quantities." - Rachael Hetzel "I'd like to say I'm trying to honor my revisionist nature and looking at everything that we do on a day to day basis and get really good at making decisions quickly." - Rachael Hetzel "I don't want that empire. I just want my own little piece of whatever my bliss or happiness happens to be." - Rachael Hetzel "We've tasted a little bit of everything because we've stayed so small, we've been able to be nimble so we could try lots of things." - Briana Feola "You get those experiences so that hopefully down the road you can learn when to say no to things and to maybe figure out what your personal ideals would be. " - Rachael Hetzel "For me it comes down to, is this a one time thing or is it going to be an ongoing partnership?" - Rachael Hetzel "It's just something that comes with time and just experience. You learn and then you adapt and then you're able to say yes or no based on those things. " - Briana Feola "We're micro businesses and our businesses tend to be wrapped up in our identities and they're part of our life. And so for me, business decisions are also lifestyle decisions." - Rachael Hetzel CONNECT WITH BRAINSTORM: Website: http://wearebrainstorm.com Facebook: http://facebook.com/wearebrainstorm Instagram: http://instagram.com/wearebrainstorm Twitter: http://twitter.com/wearebrainstorm CONNECT WITH PISTACHIO PRESS: Website: http://www.pistachiopress.com Facebook: http://facebook.com/pistachiopress Instagram: http://instagram.com/pistachiopress Twitter: http://twitter.com/pistachiopress PAPER CAMP What if you could sit in a room with 30 other product makers who are doing exactly what you're doing -- building a business they love! You could share resources, leverage each other's experiences and learn from those who are where you want to be. Imagine the growth potential! Join us March 14-15th in Los Angeles for our Paper Camp Conference. Over 800 brands have attended Paper Camp. Brands that sell to stores like Target, Paper Source, Container Store, Anthropologie and independent boutiques internationally. This program is for you if

Zoë Scharf is the Co-Founder and Chief Brand Officer at Greetabl, a totally unique gifting service that makes it fun and easy to send creative personal gifts. You might remember Zoë from Episode 50 where she shared her start-up story. If you want to hear more about how Greetabl started and the process of seeking angel investors, I recommend checking out that episode. Today we're shifting gears though and geeking out on marketing strategies, tactics and how Zoe and the greetabl team make customer experience a top priority. On this episode, Zoe gets granular telling us how Greetabl uses segmenting to add value to their customer experience. She talks about email sequences, sales funnels through Facebook ads and why Greetable is choosing to optimize select marketing channels rather than spreading themselves thin. We also talk about discovering and engaging with new audiences and even drop in a few trade secrets. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: The importance of genuine interaction with customers Why Greetabl isn't afraid of emojis How to identify and speak to new segment groups Her tips for differentiating audiences How Greetabl uses email flows to see what's working and what's not Creative ways to upsell and add value The pros and cons of hiring outside ad agencies What Greetabl is launching next KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "It's always better if people can understand that there are human beings behind the products that they enjoy" - Zoë Scharf "We're not afraid of emojis, we're not afraid of saying weird acronyms. We throw a LILAS in there every now and then because we do love our customers like a sis." - Zoë Scharf "Every time that we identify sort of a different segment or group within our main target demographic, we always try to make sure that we're talking to them too and the way that they want to be spoken to." - Zoë Scharf "Trying to figure out how to really provide the value that people want in the places that they want is an ongoing kind of challenge for us." - Zoë Scharf "We offer people 10% off their first order when they sign up for our welcome flow, or for our emails. We don't say sign up for our welcome flow." - Zoë Scharf "It's not really pushing, like buy, buy, buy. It's more like get to know us, get to know our brand." - Zoë Scharf "If you've bought from us once, the first email you'll get, besides the shipping confirmation or an order confirmation, is a thank you email and it's literally just ... it's for fun. It's just a GIF of our entire team high-fiving." - Zoë Scharf "We consider customer happiness to be our number one marketing tool." - Zoë Scharf "I've learned over time that spreading ourselves out too thin is just not the way that we're able to do it." - Zoë Scharf "I'd rather get really good at two or three channels and be diverse enough that we're not completely reliant on one channel but also be focused enough that we can do a good job." - Zoë Scharf "I don't know if I'm doing the best job that anyone could ever do, but we're doing better than we did with a lot of the agencies and we're not spending money on them. Right now that's what makes sense." - Zoë Scharf CONNECT WITH GREETABLE: Website: http://www.greetabl.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greetabl Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greetabl Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/greetabl/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/greetabl LINKS: Klaviyo PAPER CAMP What if you could sit in a room with 30 other product makers who are doing exactly what you're doing -- building a business they love! You could share resources, leverage each other's experiences and learn from those who are where you want to be. Imagine the growth potential! Join us March 14-15th in Los Angeles for our Paper Camp Conference. Over 800 brands have attended Paper Camp. Brands that sell to stores like Target, Paper Source, Container Store, Anthropologie and independent boutiques internationally. This program is for you if you're a stationery or gift company interested in selling wholesale, exhibiting at trade shows or looking to expand your outreach to wholesale customers. We believe in the power of community, collaboration and sharing everything we know. Get all the details and register at www.tradeshowcamp.com/papercamp SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PR

Natasha Case is the CEO of Coolhaus, a Los Angeles based ice cream company specializing in unique, sweet-meet-savory flavors. This is Part 2 of her interview. If you missed Part 1 which was Episode 86, I recommend you head back and listen to that one first. In Part 2 of her interview, Natasha talks about her approach to scaling, how she tackled grocery and scoop shops at the same time, and how she continues to entwine the three arms of the business to support each other. We talked about how she balances deadlines and creativity, the importance of thinking outside the box, and how Natasha's perspective of leadership and management has changed over the years. Natasha also shared the importance of building new relationships and innovating ideas that keep Coolhaus on top of its game as zealous expansion continues. Here's the background scoop on Coolhaus in case you missed it earlier- Natasha first began exploring the concept of "Farchitecture" – or, Food + Architecture – in her graduate architecture program. She started baking cookies, making ice cream, and combining them into "cool houses". In 2009 she met co-founder Freya Estreller, and together they staged Coolhaus' unforgettable launch in a refurbished postal van at the famous Coachella Valley Music Festival. In less than ten years, Coolhaus has snowballed into a nationwide company. They now distribute to 6,000+ grocery stores ranging from Whole Foods to Safeway to Publix markets with 30 SKU's including hand-crafted ice cream sandwiches, artisan pints, and chocolate-dipped bars. Natasha has been named Forbes 30 Under 30 for food and beverage and Zagat's 30 Under 30 in New York City. She is also the co-host of the Start to Sale podcast, where she invites the brightest entrepreneurial minds to discuss all that it takes to build a company from launch to exit. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: How the three arms of her business support each other The importance of tapping into your purpose Why leadership and managing are different skills How the Coolhaus team has grown over the years Why thinking outside the box is critical in a new era of marketing How Natasha's Angeleno roots influence Coolhaus's diversity and inclusion Her advice for other entrepreneurs just starting on their journey What's up next for Coolhaus KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "Just grinding and doing the work with a sense of purpose, and with a sense of like, "This is something I love and I really want to get it out there." That's the most important thing ." - Natasha Case, Coolhaus "I just literally wandered into my local Whole Foods and I found the guy stocking the freezer shelf and I asked him, "How do I become a brand that you sell?" -Natasha Case, Coolhaus "At that time we didn't know what's going to hit, so we said let's do a little bit of both ." -Natasha Case, Coolhaus "What has made that work is the trucks being that activation, private event, really, that specialty experience. And the shops having that element as well, but being a place to test ideas." -Natasha Case, Coolhaus "You have to really learn to understand people and what motivates them and what about what you're doing is going to speak to them." -Natasha Case, Coolhaus "As the company grows and you can afford to hire stronger and stronger people, it becomes this snowball effect and I think you learn from them and you become better at what you're doing." -Natasha Case, Coolhaus "So trust your instincts, listen to the experts and know when to take the advice, but also know when to trust your gut." - Natasha Case, Coolhaus "What does this mean for you in five, 10, 20 years? If this thing went all the way, if it was the biggest it can be, what does that look like? Where does that put you personally?" -Natasha Case, Coolhaus "Always trying to think outside the box. That's definitely a big, big part of the marketing these days. And frankly, you often don't have a choice." -Natasha Case, Coolhaus "There are so many different ways to put it out there. I think you kind of pick where you can really shine. And anything that you do, how does it align with your messaging and your storytelling? Every single time. You have to hammer it home so hard." -Natasha Case, Coolhaus "I think leadership is more kind of in your DNA, like, you instinctually love to lead or know how to inspire people, because that's a lot of what business is, "Are people really believing in your mission?" -Natasha Case, Coolhaus CONNECT WITH COOLHAUS: Website: https://cool.haus/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Coolhaus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coolhaus/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/coolhaus/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/COOLHAUS Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/add/coolhausla What if you could sit in a room with 30 other product makers who are doing exactly what you're doing -- building a business they love! You could share resources, leverage each other's experiences and learn from those who are where you want to be. Imagine the growth potential! Join us March 14-15th i

Natasha Case is the CEO of Coolhaus, a Los Angeles based ice cream company specializing in unique, sweet-meet-savory flavors. The inspiration for Coolhaus started when Natasha was exploring the concept of "Farchitecture" – or, Food + Architecture – in her graduate architecture program. She began baking cookies, making ice cream, and combining them into "cool houses". In 2009 she met co-founder Freya Estreller, and together they staged Coolhaus' unforgettable launch in a refurbished postal van at the famous Coachella Valley Music Festival. In less than ten years, Coolhaus has snowballed into a nationwide company. They now distribute to 6,000+ grocery stores ranging from Whole Foods to Safeway to Publix markets with 30 SKU's including hand-crafted ice cream sandwiches, artisan pints, and chocolate-dipped bars. Natasha has been named Forbes 30 Under 30 for food and beverage and Zagat's 30 Under 30 in New York City. She is also the co-host of the Start to Sale podcast, where she invites the brightest entrepreneurial minds to discuss all that it takes to build a company from launch to exit. We covered a lot of ground in this interview. So much so, that we're going to break it up into two separate episodes. Episode 86 is Part 1. On today's episode, Natasha tells us how studying architecture led her to discover her entrepreneurial spirit and how she turned her side-hustle hobby into a national business. She shares why product development and innovation is not just about market research and data but also about trusting your intuition and how Coolhaus launched with a minimum viable product. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: Natasha's background in architecture and how it inspired her entrepreneurial spirit How working at Disney Imagineering helped her conceptualize brand storytelling The pros of combining strengths with a business partner How Coolhaus is reinventing classic flavors for a new generation Why trusting your intuition is just as important as market research The importance of launching with a minimum viable product How the Coolhaus food truck got 100 miles to Coachella Music Festival without an engine KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "There's always that element of surprise and just trying to be as educated and tactical and excited about really meeting that demand as you can be." - Natasha Case, Coolhaus "We have so much in common with the people that we're really trying to target, and I think that creates a lot of authenticity in all aspects of the brand." -Natasha Case, Coolhaus "No spreadsheet will ever tell you the thing that was the hugest risk with the biggest reward, and that's so much of what entrepreneurship is about." -Natasha Case, Coolhaus "The entrepreneur will have a little bit of that crazy factor and think, "Well, I can do it and I want to create something from nothing." -Natasha Case, Coolhaus "I always thought of myself as getting the skills of architecture in a way I would in my head say, or even out loud, that's beating the system from within. Taking these rules, learning them, mastering them the best I could, and breaking it apart." -Natasha Case, Coolhaus "Even in the traditional sense of architecture there is entrepreneurship because I think you are... One, you're an artist, but within this building has to stand up." -Natasha Case, Coolhaus " I'm a big believer in when things are fun, actually, ironically, so much more can get done. So much more work can get done." -Natasha Case, Coolhaus "You put food in front of people and it's exciting, it's memorable, it brings people together." - Natasha Case "There was nothing on shelf that spoke to us as millennials, and definitely not as women. And so we saw this big opportunity." -Natasha Case, Coolhaus "We were actually going to be the first food truck to sell at Coachella. And so, now you remember the truck has no engine. How are we going to get to Coachella?" -Natasha Case, Coolhaus " It was just nonstop and then 5,000 Twitter followers in one afternoon. It was like, clearly there's demand for this." -Natasha Case, Coolhaus "There were no bells and whistles. I mean it was just putting this idea out there and showing that we had this vision." -Natasha Case, Coolhaus CONNECT WITH COOLHAUS: Website: https://cool.haus/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Coolhaus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coolhaus/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/coolhaus/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/COOLHAUS Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/add/coolhausla SPECIAL OFFER: 3 Free Months of Gusto! Gusto makes payroll, taxes, and HR actually easy for small businesses. Fast, simple payroll processing, benefits, and expert HR support all in one place. Gusto automatically pays and files your federal, state, and local taxes so you don't have to worry about it. Plus they make it easy to add on health benefits and even 401(k)s for your team. Those old-school, clunky payroll providers just weren't built for the way modern small businesses work. But Gusto is. Now is the best time to get set up for t

Happy New Year, friends! On this episode Katie Hunt is sharing the three phases of business that every business goes through - often multiple times. These three phases include: growth, maintenance and streamlining phase. Growth is when we're adding new products, services, systems. We're in building and expansion mode. One misconception about the growth phase is that its reserved for the early years of business. But, in reality, the growth phase can happen in the beginning, middle and even the end of our business life cycle. Maintenance is when we take a look at everything we've been building during the growth phase and we realize we need to stop adding 'new' and instead optimize what we've already created. This could include diving deeper into a specific product category or giving a team member additional responsibilities. Maintaining and optimizing our existing products, services and internal processes is a really important step, but often overlooked. Streamlining is where we clear the clutter from our business -- products that aren't selling or that no longer fit our brand aesthetic; reassessing our client on boarding process for custom work, or our outreach to wholesale accounts we think we'd be a good fit for. The streamlining phase can be a really powerful one, in that you're creating white space and removing things that are not pushing your business towards your goals. Some things to note about these three phases: I believe each company goes through each and everyone phase, likely multiple times. These seasons are not sequential, meaning you won't necessarily go from growth to maintenance, then streamlining. You may jump from one to the other, then back to the first again. None of these three seasons are "better" than the other -- but they are all necessary for building a healthy business Each season contains its own challenges, rewards and involves its own transitions and discomfort. Tell us, which season are you in for 2019? Join our Proof to Product Facebook group and weigh in with what you're working on this year. We'd love to hear! SPECIAL OFFER: 3 Free Months of Gusto! Gusto makes payroll, taxes, and HR actually easy for small businesses. Fast, simple payroll processing, benefits, and expert HR support all in one place. Gusto automatically pays and files your federal, state, and local taxes so you don't have to worry about it. Plus they make it easy to add on health benefits and even 401(k)s for your team. Those old-school, clunky payroll providers just weren't built for the way modern small businesses work. But Gusto is. Now is the best time to get set up for the new year. Don't wait. Proof to Product listeners get 3 free months of Gusto when they run their first payroll. Try a demo and see for yourself at http://www.gusto.com/proof What if you could sit in a room with 30 other product makers who are doing exactly what you're doing -- building a business they love! You could share resources, leverage each other's experiences and learn from those who are where you want to be. Imagine the growth potential! Join us March 14-15th in Los Angeles for our Paper Camp Conference. Over 800 brands have attended Paper Camp. Brands that sell to stores like Target, Paper Source, Container Store, Anthropologie and independent boutiques internationally. This program is for you if you're a stationery or gift company interested in selling wholesale, exhibiting at trade shows or looking to expand your outreach to wholesale customers. We believe in the power of community, collaboration and sharing everything we know. Get all the details and register at www.tradeshowcamp.com/papercamp SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

As we head into the holidays, the Proof to Product team and I will be taking a break. While we're gone, I want to encourage you to go back and listen to some of this year's most popular episodes. I've included links to our top 5 episodes at the bottom of our show notes here so you can find them quickly & easily. But all in all, we covered a lot of ground in 2018 talking about business finances, licensing opportunities, marketing strategies, selling wholesale, finding manufacturers, exhibiting at shows and the ups and downs of running a business. Our guests were vulnerable, I was vulnerable. In fact, there were a few episodes I was nervous to air — it felt too raw - but we did it anyway! Because that's what this show is about… sharing our struggles, successes, and strategies so that all of us can continue to grow our businesses in a way that feels good to us. I'm really proud of how Proof to Product has grown and I'm overwhelmed (in a good way) when I receive messages from all of you or read the reviews you leave for the show. I appreciate you listening and am so glad that the show has positively influenced your life and your business. As we head into the holidays and 2019, I want to share some important reminders and six things that I wish for each and every one of you... I want you to continue to make intentional decisions in your business. Decisions that get you closer to your business goals. Decisions that reflect the season of life that you're in. And, decisions that further ignite your passions even more. I want you to make time for yourself and the things that bring you joy in life. As an entrepreneur it is easy to overwork ourselves. We love what we do and we should. But, I want you to carve out time over the next few weeks for play. For hobbies. For time with friends and family. I want you to spend some time reflecting on the progress you've made this year. Remember that success doesn't happen overnight. It happens little by little, step by step. But we need to celebrate our progress along the way. You worked hard this year and you deserve to be celebrated. Friends, I want you to remember that you set the rules for your business. You decide what products to sell, whether to sell retail, wholesale or both. You decide whether to go to shows or hire a team. You hold the power, never forget that. I want you to remember that if you're in an uncomfortable state of change, that this usually means you're in a growth period and that you're onto something exciting and new. Don't let fear hold you back. Try it out and see what happens. If it doesn't go as planned you can always change direction and try again. And, I want you to remember that we see you doing amazing work and pouring your heart and soul into your products. This entrepreneurial journey can be tough but also very rewarding. Remember that you're not alone. We see you. I want you to know that i'm grateful for you. Thank you for being here. Thank you for listening. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season surrounded by family and friends. I'll be back with a new episode on January 8th. Until then, happy holidays and happy new year. Proof to Product | Top 5 Episodes of 2018 043 | Renee Griffith, HeartSwell Co on changing her business name, finding a voice within your brand and why she scraped her product line and started anew 053 | Megan Auman on product photography and leveraging Pinterest for sales 046 | Richele Silva, Richie Designs on leveraging past work experiences and the benefits of growing our businesses slow and steadily 049 | Emily Thompson, Being Boss on why being boss requires vision and hustle, the importance of setting boundaries and being open to saying yes to the right opportunities 051 | Kim Burks, Ramona & Ruth on changing her business name, growing her wholesale program and how reps have enhanced her business What if you could sit in a room with 30 other product makers who are doing exactly what you're doing -- building a business they love! You could share resources, leverage each other's experiences and learn from those who are where you want to be. Imagine the growth potential! Join us March 14-15th in Los Angeles for our Paper Camp Conference. Over 800 brands have attended Paper Camp. Brands that sell to stores like Target, Paper Source, Container Store, Anthropologie and independent boutiques internationally. This program is for you if you're a stationery or gift company interested in selling wholesale, exhibiting at trade shows or looking to expand your outreach to wholesale customers. We believe in the power of community, collaboration and sharing everything we know. Get all the details and register at www.tradeshowcamp.com/papercamp ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional

Jennifer Morgan is the brains behind A Fresh Bunch, a creative licensing agency where designers and clients collaborate and create something big together. Jenny began her journey into creative licensing in 2002 when she founded Hen and Barley Press, her own successful wholesale stationery business focused on personalized stationery goods. Jennifer soon realized just how much of her time was spent on everything in her business except design, and discovered many other creative people in the industry were burnt out just like her. Inspired by the opportunity to bring designers and clients together, Jenny founded A Fresh Bunch in 2010. On today's episode, Jenny shares how she shifted away from wholesale manufacturing and into creative licensing. She talks about misconceptions that artists have about licensing and provides overview of how licensing works, who it is for, and how a licensing agency, like A Fresh Bunch can help artists diversify their revenue streams. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: How Jenny pivoted her business from wholesale to licensing Her steps to learning about the licensing industry Knowing when to embrace quitting as a strategy for future growth The benefits of collaborating with an agency How Jenny chooses artists to represent Tips and pointers on how to create a strong and consistent portfolio The best time to submit your artist application to A Fresh Bunch How royalties and compensation structures typically work What projects Jenny is most proud of Upcoming Blueprint Shows What's next for A Fresh Bunch KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "Back in the day when there was no SP inkjet, printing was still kind of picking off. Digital printing was not even a thing and really the only way to get product out into the world was to manufacture it yourself." - Jennifer Morgan " I think at that time, other stationery designers and I we're all kind of scratching our heads trying to figure out, well what do we do now?" - Jennifer Morgan "Once A Fresh Bunch found its footing as licensing brand and fit for the artists working under the A Fresh Bunch umbrella, the decision to shut down Hen And Barley Press felt very easy." - Jennifer Morgan "I could not have started A Fresh Bunch without having had the experience I had and making the contacts I did with Hen And Barley press." - Jennifer Morgan "If I could do anything over again, it would probably be that I would have embraced the notion of quitting as a strategy much sooner than I did." - Jennifer Morgan "It's really about consistency and discipline as much as anything else." - Jennifer Morgan "In theory you should be pitching to somebody at a time when they are looking for that art, when you're kind of new to the industry, it's hard to know when that is. " - Jennifer Morgan "We're always looking for a really unique style, a unique voice, a consistent style." - Jennifer Morgan "We try to provide like checklists and best practices, things that we know from experience have made artists successful." - Jennifer Morgan "I am super proud of our artist's ability from all these points around the world, to collaborate online with each other to create a diverse collection of looks that is still cohesive." - Jennifer Morgan "As with anything at a certain point that often comes down to making the difficult choice of, 'What I'm going to be When I grow up, am I going to be a licensed artist or am I going to run a company?'" - Jennifer Morgan CONNECT WITH JENNIFER MORGAN Website: http://www.afreshbunch.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/freshbunch Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afreshbunch/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/freshbunch/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/freshbunch SPECIAL OFFER: 3 Free Months of Gusto! Gusto makes payroll, taxes, and HR actually easy for small businesses. Fast, simple payroll processing, benefits, and expert HR support all in one place. Gusto automatically pays and files your federal, state, and local taxes so you don't have to worry about it. Plus they make it easy to add on health benefits and even 401(k)s for your team. Those old-school, clunky payroll providers just weren't built for the way modern small businesses work. But Gusto is. Now is the best time to get set up for the new year. Don't wait. Proof to Product listeners get 3 free months of Gusto when they run their first payroll. Try a demo and see for yourself at http://www.gusto.com/proof What if you could sit in a room with 30 other product makers who are doing exactly what you're doing -- building a business they love! You could share resources, leverage each other's experiences and learn from those who are where you want to be. Imagine the growth potential! Join us March 14-15th in Los Angeles for our Paper Camp Conference. Over 800 brands have attended Paper Camp. Brands that sell to stores like Target, Paper Source, Container Store, Anthropologie and independent boutiques internationally. This program is for you if you're a stationery or gift company interested in selling wholesale, exhibitin

Danni Hong is a designer, business owner, and lover of all things paper. She started oh, hello friend in 2008 and has been hustling ever since at craft shows and trade shows worldwide! Her ultimate goal thru her business is to convey joy thru oh hello friend products and brighten someone's day. Danni attended Tradeshow Bootcamp's Paper Camp prior to exhibiting at her first wholesale show, but she has a lot of experience exhibiting at craft shows near and far which she talks about in today's episode. We also talked about Danni's journey of scaling up and scaling down. She shares her experiences exhibiting at craft shows near and far. She also talked about her experience opening a brick and mortar shop and how she decided which products to carry in her store. Danni also discussed what it was like operating three different arms of her business. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: The types of products oh, hello friend offers The steps she took after opening her Etsy shop to grow her business Danni's experience with craft shows & how they benefited her business Her tips & tricks on streamlining processes to be able to do shows How she determines how much product to bring to craft shows Danni's experience opening a brick and mortar shop How she decided which products to carry in her store Her experience managing multiple arms of her business at once The way that owning a store impacted her customer service & the way she develops her product line What she would go back and change about her business if she could What's next for oh, hello friend KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "There's potentially thousands of people coming through these shows, and even if a small percentage is taking your business card, that's still your business card going into the hands of potential customers, and them telling their friends." - Danni Hong "I think there's so much value in going to other cities if you can." - Danni Hong "I always wanted to open a store." - Danni Hong "I had been doing craft shows for a few years and I was able to save up enough money to not have to take out any loans or really go into any debt to open the store." - Danni Hong "When making a decision of what to carry, we carried a lot of brands that are actually friends from the industry, they're all made locally, or letterpressed, hand-lettered, all supporting small artists." - Danni Hong "I just get a lot of joy from finding something and then bringing it back into the store and then seeing other people's reaction or responses to it." - Danni Hong "Nothing can really truly succeed when you're just being pulled in so many directions." - Danni Hong "Take a step back and really examine things that bring you joy, and do more of those things. I'm not saying you can't work hard, I think it's so admirable to work hard, but I just think I just really lost myself in it." - Danni Hong "Hard work is how we build these businesses and it's how we become successful, but you don't need to be in a constant state of hustle." - Danni Hong "I think at the end of the day, I just want to be creating products that bring people encouragement or joy." - Danni Hong CONNECT WITH DANNI HONG Website: http://ohhellofriend.com Facebook: http://facebook.com/ohhellofriend Instagram: http://instagram.com/ohhellofriend SPECIAL OFFER: Proof to Product listeners get 3 free months of Gusto when they run their first payroll. Go to www.gusto.com/proof for more information What if you could sit in a room with 30 other product makers who are doing exactly what you're doing -- building a business they love! You could share resources, leverage each other's experiences and learn from those who are where you want to be. Imagine the growth potential! Join us March 14-15th in Los Angeles for our Paper Camp Conference. Over 800 brands have attended Paper Camp. Brands that sell to stores like Target, Paper Source, Container Store, Anthropologie and independent boutiques internationally. This program is for you if you're a stationery or gift company interested in selling wholesale, exhibiting at trade shows or looking to expand your outreach to wholesale customers. We believe in the power of community, collaboration and sharing everything we know. Get all the details and register at www.tradeshowcamp.com/papercamp SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business

Sarah Parrott is the founder of Parrott Design Studio and this is Part 2 of her interview. If you missed Part 1 which was Episode 81, I recommend you head back and listen to that one first. Here on Part 2, Sarah talks about hiring a team, how she started slowly delegating and fears she had around letting go of things in her business, we talked about her multiple revenue streams and the pros / cons of having multiple businesses, navigating tough seasons in life while owning a business and how Sarah's definition of success for her business has changed over the years. As background, Parrott Design Studio is a letterpress studio in Sebago, a lake town in Western Maine. The studio was established in 2007 by Sarah Parrott with a small Print Gocco, an inexpensive and easy to use screen printing tool that originated in Japan. That same year she took her first course in letterpress, learning to use a Vandercook press. In 2008 she purchased her own press, an 1898 Golding Jobber platen press. At the time there were no courses to learn on that type of press, and she spent a year teaching herself how to use it. She fell in love with the centuries-old artisinal printing technique and the process of feeding the press one piece at a time, one color at a time. In 2010 she left her job as an event planner to pursue Parrott Design Studio full time. Sarah is one of our original Tradeshow Bootcamp alumni. She attended our very first round of Tradeshow Bootcamp classes in 2011 before exhibiting at the National Stationery Show in 2012. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: How her team has shifted during different seasons The event space Sarah & her husband opened How her multiple revenue streams are intertwined The pros and cons of running three businesses at one time How she managed her businesses through a difficult season in her personal life Sarah's definition of success and how it has changed over the years Her advice for someone just starting out in a product-based business KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "There's a lot of benefit to hiring people that already understand your business or have followed you for a while." - Katie Hunt "I always love weddings, no matter what I'm doing, and still doing wedding-related things." - Sarah Parrott Bianculli "It's so funny because we never set out to be in weddings or even to be entrepreneurs, and it all seemed very natural. Nothing's been forced. It just worked." - Sarah Parrott Bianculli "They kind of all have different times where they are busy, so I'm not depending on just one of them as my main source of income." - Sarah Parrott Bianculli "It's okay to say no and it's okay if something doesn't work or it's okay to walk away from something because it's your business and you can make that decision for what works the best, because if you don't, why are you doing it?" - Sarah Parrott Bianculli "One person's startup story is not the same as another person's story, and neither one is right or wrong. It's whatever works for you." - Sarah Parrott Bianculli "When you're first starting, you're looking to a lot of people because they're your inspiration, and you just have to know that how they did it might not work for you. It might, but it probably won't." - Sarah Parrott Bianculli CONNECT WITH SARAH PARROTT BIANCULLI Website: http://parrottdesignstudio.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Parrott-Design-Studio-245078337090/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parrottdesign/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/parrottdesign/ SPECIAL OFFER: Proof to Product listeners get 3 free months of Gusto when they run their first payroll. Go to www.gusto.com/proof for more information What if you could sit in a room with 30 other product makers who are doing exactly what you're doing -- building a business they love! You could share resources, leverage each other's experiences and learn from those who are where you want to be. Imagine the growth potential! Join us March 14-15th in Los Angeles for our Paper Camp Conference. Over 800 brands have attended Paper Camp. Brands that sell to stores like Target, Paper Source, Container Store, Anthropologie and independent boutiques internationally. This program is for you if you're a stationery or gift company interested in selling wholesale, exhibiting at trade shows or looking to expand your outreach to wholesale customers. We believe in the power of community, collaboration and sharing everything we know. Get all the details and register at www.tradeshowcamp.com/papercamp SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of

Sarah Parrott is the founder of Parrott Design Studio and I'm excited for you to hear her story. Parrott Design Studio is a letterpress studio in Sebago, a lake town in Western Maine. The studio was established in 2007 by Sarah Parrott with a small Print Gocco, an inexpensive and easy to use screen printing tool that originated in Japan. That same year she took her first course in letterpress, learning to use a Vandercook press. In 2008 she purchased her own press, an 1898 Golding Jobber platen press. At the time there were no courses to learn on that type of press, and she spent a year teaching herself how to use it. She fell in love with the centuries-old artisinal printing technique and the process of feeding the press one piece at a time, one color at a time. In 2010 she left her job as an event planner to pursue Parrott Design Studio full time. Sarah is one of our original Tradeshow Bootcamp alumni. She attended our very first round of Tradeshow Bootcamp classes in 2011 before exhibiting at the National Stationery Show in 2012. We covered a lot of topics in this interview. So much so, that we're going to break this up into two separate episodes. Episode 81 is Part 1. On this episode, Sarah shares how she started her business with a Gocco printer and Etsy shop, how her business model shifted from retail to custom to retail and wholesale, how she expanded into new product categories, why she strives to find local manufacturing partners and we also talked about her process for deciding which products to discontinue. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: How she got started with a Gocco printer When she transitioned into letterpress When Sarah realized she was going to pursue this as a business instead of just a creative outlet The evolution of her business over time The three arms of her business and the products she currently offers How she came up with the idea of acrylic cake toppers and how she brought them to market The specific challenges she faced when starting to offer pencil pouches How she manages inventory How she decides to discontinue a product or design The confidence she feels in her business and how it is impacting next year's release KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "I really just learned by doing." - Sarah Parrott Bianculli "All of a sudden I realized, I'm set to make more money doing this than my current day job." - Sarah Parrott Bianculli "As my business has gone on, I'm trying to have as many of my suppliers be as local as possible and that's been, it's 11 years, I'm still working towards that goal and constantly searching." - Sarah Parrott Bianculli "It's very rare that the first person we work with on a project is going to be the person we work with long-term." - Katie Hunt "I'm pretty ruthless every year cutting out anything that's not working." - Sarah Parrott Bianculli "My style has absolutely changed since I started this. I look at things when I first started to what I'm doing now, it doesn't even look like the same person." - Sarah Parrott Bianculli "It just doesn't make sense to keep these things that aren't selling and it just allows more room for new things as well." - Sarah Parrott Bianculli "I feel the best I've ever felt in all the businesses I've had and I'm working on next year's release and it's looking a lot different than anything I've ever done before." - Sarah Parrott Bianculli CONNECT WITH SARAH PARROTT BIANCULLI Website: http://parrottdesignstudio.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Parrott-Design-Studio-245078337090/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parrottdesign/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/parrottdesign/ SPECIAL OFFER: Proof to Product listeners get 3 free months of Gusto when they run their first payroll. Go to www.gusto.com/proof for more information What if you could sit in a room with 30 other product makers who are doing exactly what you're doing -- building a business they love! You could share resources, leverage each other's experiences and learn from those who are where you want to be. Imagine the growth potential! Join us March 14-15th in Los Angeles for our Paper Camp Conference. Over 800 brands have attended Paper Camp. Brands that sell to stores like Target, Paper Source, Container Store, Anthropologie and independent boutiques internationally. This program is for you if you're a stationery or gift company interested in selling wholesale, exhibiting at trade shows or looking to expand your outreach to wholesale customers. We believe in the power of community, collaboration and sharing everything we know. Get all the details and register at www.tradeshowcamp.com/papercamp SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Insta

Christina Stemble is the founder of Farmgirl Flowers, which she started 7 years ago from her living room table. She invested $49,000 of her personal savings to start the business and Farm Girl Flowers is projected to hit $23M in revenue for 2018. Christina disrupted the floral industry with new options for consumers, less waste and higher quality products. Farmgirl Flower arrangements are designed by hand, in-house in San Francisco California. On today's episode, Christina is sharing why it is so important to know your numbers, the struggles of scaling and how she's pivoted more times that she can count. We also talked about how she's been proactive about business education and why she focuses on caring about people, but not what they think about her. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: Her career background prior to starting Farmgirl Flowers The research that lead her to an e-commerce floral boutique How her business model has changed over the years The importance of knowing your numbers as an entrepreneur How she predicted numbers at the beginning of her business The advantages of pivoting often in your business Her attitude towards copycats The very first position Christina hired for & how adding team members impacted her business Farmgirl Flower's marketing strategy What success looked like for Christina in the early days & what it looks like now How she learned business concepts Lessons Christina has learned as an entrepreneur The importance of focusing on team culture to avoid burn out Her advice for someone just starting out as an entrepreuneur What's next for Farmgirl Flowers KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "Younger consumers, it's not rocket science what they want. They want something that's beautiful, they want to feel like they weren't ripped off or robbed in the process. They want a good value for the money." - Christina Stembel "There's 27 million new box companies or socks companies or toothbrush companies, but there's nobody that's reinvented this space yet, so let me see if I can be the one to do it." - Christina Stembel "My goal from day one was to build a billion dollar company, and I have no qualms saying that." - Christina Stembel "Everybody always asks if we're profitable. We have to be profitable." - Christina Stembel "As an entrepreneur, you have to know your numbers. You have to know your forecast. You have to know your projections, and you have to go back and check them often." - Christina Stembel "Our consumers are telling us what they like and don't like, and so listening to them, seeing what's selling, not selling, and then pivoting." - Christina Stembel "Every two weeks, our company looks different than it did two weeks ago." - Christina Stembel "I think the fact that we can change so quickly without any red tape allows us to ensure that we are a very healthy, financially healthy company." - Christina Stembel "If everybody's making things that look strikingly similar to us and creating businesses that look strikingly similar to us, that means we're the best." - Christina Stembel "I think part of the thing that makes us different and more special than our competitors, in my opinion, is that we have a heart." - Christina Stembel "The number one thing that to me means that I'm being successful is that I don't run out of money." - Christina Stembel "I think if we focus on building a business that we believe in, that has the core values that really mirror our own personal core values, then that'll breed success." - Katie Hunt "You can learn anything you want just on the internet now." - Christina Stembel "The number one thing that I've learned from it is that it doesn't matter if you make mistakes. The only thing that matters is that you get back up." - Christina Stembel "Just because they say it doesn't make it true." - Christina Stembel CONNECT WITH CHRISTINA STEMBEL Website: http://www.farmgirlflowers.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FarmgirlFlowers Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/farmgirlflowers/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/farmgirlflowers/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/farmgirlflowers SPECIAL OFFER: Proof to Product listeners get 3 free months of Gusto when they run their first payroll. Go to www.gusto.com/proof for more information What if you could sit in a room with 30 other product makers who are doing exactly what you're doing -- building a business they love! You could share resources, leverage each other's experiences and learn from those who are where you want to be. Imagine the growth potential! Join us March 14-15th in Los Angeles for our Paper Camp Conference. Over 800 brands have attended Paper Camp. Brands that sell to stores like Target, Paper Source, Container Store, Anthropologie and independent boutiques internationally. This program is for you if you're a stationery or gift company interested in selling wholesale, exhibiting at trade shows or looking to expand your outreach to wholesale customers. We believe in the power of community, collaboration and sharing everything we

For our Thanksgiving break, we've lined up something special just for you. We'll be airing two episodes I recorded with my friends Kelly and Caroline at Creative Biz Rebellion. These ladies were kind enough to have me on their podcast, not just once, but twice. The first time we talked about all things wholesale, and then then invited me back to talk about trade shows. This week we're running both episodes over here on Proof to Product. Big thanks to Kelly and Caroline for having me on their show. If you're not already familiar with Creative Biz Rebellion, go check it out. Kelly and Caroline do an amazing job of supporting product based businesses through their programs and podcast. They were also guests on Proof to Product — visit the links below to find them over at Creative Biz Rebellion and here on Proof to Product. Links: Creative Biz Rebellion Proof to Product with Caroline Hull (Ep 45) Proof to Product with Kelly Parker Smith (Ep 56) Have a wonderful week friends and thank you for listening to and supporting Proof to Product. I'm so grateful for each and every one of you! What if you could sit in a room with 30 other product makers who are doing exactly what you're doing -- building a business they love! You could share resources, leverage each other's experiences and learn from those who are where you want to be. Imagine the growth potential! Join us March 14-15th in Los Angeles for our Paper Camp Conference. Over 800 brands have attended Paper Camp. Brands that sell to stores like Target, Paper Source, Container Store, Anthropologie and independent boutiques internationally. This program is for you if you're a stationery or gift company interested in selling wholesale, exhibiting at trade shows or looking to expand your outreach to wholesale customers. We believe in the power of community, collaboration and sharing everything we know. Get all the details and register at www.tradeshowcamp.com/papercamp SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!