Proof to Product

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!

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!

Alison Prince is an e-commerce expert and a woman on a mission. She is a business-savvy determined woman who knows how to create something amazing out of nothing. Over the last seven years, Allison has started eight e-commerce businesses, many of which are multi-million dollar brands. She's sold everything from apparel to technology to household items — she's sold everything under the sun — growing dollars into millions and pennies into thousands. On today's episode, we talk about how Allison built her deal of a day website and then leveraged best selling products to create their own site and brand. She also shares how she leverages influencers to sell her product and why testing your product is the most important thing you can do in e-commerce. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: Alison's career background Why she left the classroom for entrepreneurship Her first experience selling products online The different types of products she has sold online & how she decides what to sell How & when she first introduced her daughters to entrepreneurship Where she is selling products The benefits of testing a product before investing in a large quantity What she does with overstock of products How she uses influencers in her marketing Alison's tips on approaching influencers How she leverages discounts on her products The biggest driver of Alison's success in business How she uses ClickFunnels & the success that she has had with it What's next for Alison KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "I started going to the library and checking out books and magazines on how people made money." - Alison Prince "I realized the entrepreneur journey isn't a straight line. It is literally a rollercoaster ride, and if I got in, I'm going for that ride." - Alison Prince "Remember the school teacher who was qualified for food stamps? Like, I had a multimillion-dollar business because I didn't give up." - Alison Prince "I think that's where a lot of people can flub up, is they go and they buy a couple grand in product. Don't do that." - Alison Prince " I couldn't go and build a huge eCommerce site with a whole bunch of SKUs and a whole bunch of variations, because I literally could not afford to do that, so I could only put up one product a day." - Alison Prince "Just test it. Buy a small amount, get a small amount, and then send out an email list. If it doesn't sell, that's fine; you've got Christmas presents for all your friends and family." - Alison Prince "I think the reason why I succeeded is because I failed so much." - Alison Prince "Don't be so confident and stuck in your head that you're not willing to test. You have to test your product, and then you can invest the money." - Alison Prince "The key to success is a micro-influencer. Don't go after the big guys." - Alison Prince "The more engagement you can have, the better results you're going to have. It's not about the numbers anymore; it's all about community." - Alison Prince "I have to make sure my product's good, I have to make sure my pricing's good, I've got to make sure it will convert, because an influencer can drive traffic, but it's up to you to make sure that you've got a good offer." - Alison Prince "I love discounts because it helps me to control my lifestyle." - Alison Prince "I feel like you can create a Black Friday special any day of the year." - Alison Prince "I'm not afraid to test. I'm not afraid to fail. I'm not afraid to be a hot mess, because that's just who I am, right?" - Alison Prince "With ClickFunnels, you can put blinders on your customers to help them focus." - Alison Prince "We don't have to go out and get big huge bank loans anymore. We don't have to have brick and mortar, we don't have to go to China anymore to manufacture our products. We've got technology, we've got the Internet right here in our hands to be able to use." - Alison Prince 'My heart is in watching others succeed." - Alison Prince CONNECT WITH ALISON PRINCE Website: https://www.alisonjprince.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/becauseicanclan/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alisonjprince/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIRyTXZMYxyyhB8VTpthLpw LINKS Shopify ClickFunnels PickYourPlum PTP Episode 067 | Don Hejny, Nerdwax Nerdwax Fiverr Because I Can Clan 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 shar

Taylor Elliott is the founder of Taylor Elliott Designs, a fun desk accessory and gift company. Taylor started this company as a side hustle while working a full-time job, but through a lot of hard work and persistence, she has grown this into a thriving gift company whose products are sold in more than 450 stores nationwide. On today's episode, Taylor talks about why she decided to use a fulfillment house to store and ship her products, what questions she asked when she was choosing a partner and what her priorities were for outsourcing this piece of her business. She also talks about how she's brought on 40 sales reps and how working with them and attending markets with her reps has enhanced her business. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: The products Taylor Elliott Designs offer How Taylor originally started her business as a side hustle while working a full-time job How her product offerings have evolved over the years What systems she has in place to streamline both the retail and wholesale arms of her business Why she decided to outsource her shipping to a fulfillment house How she found the fulfillment house she is currently working with The questions she asked during the process of finding a fulfillment house How pricing works for a third party warehouse The time that she saves by outsourcing her shipping How she found the 40 sales reps that she is working with How going to market with her sales reps has enhanced her business and her reach to new wholesale accounts The upfront cost of working with 40 sales reps and how she determined it was worth it How she nurtures relationships with her sales reps & the tools she provides them with Taylor's advice for someone just starting out in a product-based business What's next for Taylor Elliott Designs KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "I started with my laptop and an inkjet printer from college, and I started making customized stationery on Etsy." - Taylor Elliott "It was a nights and weekends hustled for quite a while until it wasn't, and it became my full-time job." - Taylor Elliott "I've tried very hard to keep true to me and what I love, and I've tried to stay true to the bright colors and very upbeat and motivational products." - Taylor Elliott " I really try to work smarter and not harder, and one of the ways that have streamlined my process is by outsourcing all of my shipping to a third party fulfillment house." - Taylor Elliott "It was also very important to me that they handled my products with care. My brand is very girly and it's very fun, we package a lot of our products in hot pink bubble mailers." - Taylor Elliott "In general, the more simple the pricing is, the more I liked the warehouses. If it was just easy and clear to understand." - Taylor Elliott "I think as a small business, that's one of the things that help set me apart from much larger businesses is that we're able to be so efficient and so quick." - Taylor Elliott "We calculated it right after we transitioned to the fulfillment house and it saves me about 25 hours a week." - Taylor Elliott "I really feel like by outsourcing fulfillment that that has really allowed me to work on the business and not as much in the business." - Taylor Elliott "I love how Instagram, it's a great market for selling things, but it's also a great way to connect with other people in the industry whether it's buyers, or reps, or even just colleagues." - Katie Hunt "Market is an amazing exposure especially like these gift markets, there are so much foot traffic. During markets, wholesalers are looking to buy, they're looking for new brands to bring into their store, they're looking for new products." - Taylor Elliott "Attending market and working with rep groups has helped me grow my wholesale business so much." - Taylor Elliott "Don't go into debt buying the fancy stuff, you don't need it." - Taylor Elliott "You have to keep showing up. Consistency is one of the most important things in starting a business." - Taylor Elliott "Very rarely does opportunity come knocking, but you have to go out and make that opportunity for yourself." - Taylor Elliott CONNECT WITH TAYLOR ELLIOTT Website: http://www.taylorelliottdesigns.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/taylorelliottdesigns/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylorelliottdesigns/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/tedesigns/ LINKS The E Myth by Michael Gerber 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 sh

TSBC Alum, Tanya Wheeless is the founder of Happy Grace and author of three workbooks on soulful living. She has leveraged her decades of experience as a CEO, senior executive in the NBA, and community leader to teach women how to live the good life while struggling to balance work and family. In 2016, Tanya saw a need in the market for physical products that busy women could use daily to motivate and center themselves. With that, Happy Grace was born! She took all of her coaching goodness, combined it with her love of paper and created a beautiful line of guided journals, inspiration decks, lip balms and more. When she's not working, you can find her traveling the globe with her husband and son. On today's episode, Tanya shares why she never wanted to be an entrepreneur, how she's weaved both products and services into her business and why she prioritizes and invests in professional development. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: How she became an entrepreneur when she didn't originally want to be one The catalyst to starting her own business The first service she offered The physical products that Happy Grace offers Why design almost kept her from pursuing physical products What the design process is like for her products Tanya's coaching services and how they have shifted over time The importance of wellness self-care Happy Grace's new digital membership program Why it's important for her to invest in professional development What Tanya finds most challenging about being an entrepreneur How she has updated her brand story Tanya's advice for someone just getting started in a product-based business What's next for Happy Grace KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "In my mind, I wanted to show up every day, know what I was supposed to do, know that the paycheck was going to be there, and have a ladder that I could climb because I'm all about climbing ladders." - Tanya Wheeless "I can't figure out Asana. I can't do Trello. And you know what? We got through. We used Google Docs. We used Gmail. It was all fine." - Tanya Wheeless "Timeout on the "shoulds" and really get clear about what you actually need, because I think every team's different, and I do not believe there's one way to do this whole entrepreneurship thing." - Tanya Wheeless "Product's a whole different ballgame because I had to outlend a lot of money before I ever had anything to sell — designers, production, and my coaching funded that." - Tanya Wheeless "We tend to think that there are two of us. There's work Katie, and then there's mom Katie, and there's not. There's just one Katie." - Tanya Wheeless "It feels safe for people to hire a leadership coach or an executive coach but what I know most of us really need is more of that wellness self-care." - Tanya Wheeless "Mental health, self-care, just being kind to ourselves is such an important facet for all of us regardless of whether we're an entrepreneur or not." - Katie Hunt "It's okay to have your hands in multiple things until you find the thing that really excites you, and that you can make sustainable and fuel yourself financially as well as like in your heart." - Katie Hunt "If you are a newbie, go to Paper Camp because the women and the men that you are going to meet, some of them will be at your level, but so many are going to be far ahead." - Tanya Wheeless "There's so much value in being curious and learning about things that may be of interest to you because even finding out, "No, that's not for me," is incredibly valuable." - Katie Hunt "One of the things that I did not appreciate when I started, Katie, was the importance of me and my brand, and people having a connection with who I was and what I was about." - Tanya Wheeless "When people were exposed to me, when they got my personality, when they saw my passion what I was doing, they lined up to buy my product." - Tanya Wheeless "Know that everyone started exactly where you started with an idea, with your computer, and with a hope that someday someone was going to send your card to someone for a meaningful birthday." - Tanya Wheeless "Be patient with yourself because it's not as easy as everyone else is making it look." - Tanya Wheeless CONNECT WITH TANYA WHEELESS Website: http://www.happygrace.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MyHappyGrace Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myhappygrace/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MyHappyGrace Twitter: https://twitter.com/MyHappyGrace LINKS: The One Thing: https://amzn.to/2NNYj6E Essentialism: https://amzn.to/2wKR9ti Big Magic: https://amzn.to/2wH1ju8 Soul Pancake: http://soulpancake.com/ Funny or Die: https://www.funnyordie.com/ Indigo Faire: https://www.faire.com/ Pinners Conference: https://www.pinnersconference.com/ Magnolia: https://magnolia.com/ Digital Lizard: http://www.digitallizard.com/ 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 th

Kaye Putnam is a psychology-driven brand strategist for entrepreneurs. Through work with hundreds of clients from global brands to solo business owners, she developed The Clarity Code. She believes that when you have a clear brand, that your clients love and respect, they will be willing to pay premium prices for your work. Kaye believes that a strong brand gives you the clarity and confidence to scale your impact and income. When she's not transforming brands, she's exploring the world with her husband and two little ones. They love eating their way across their home of Naples, Italy. On today's episode, we talk about key components of a strong brand, how Kaye has created a location independent business and she shares a branding exercise that you can do right now! ON TODAY'S EPISODE: A misconception that online business owners have about branding How Kaye helps clients define their unique brand advantage How she works with companies to figure out their "why" and the meaning behind what they're doing What key components that go into creating a strong brand The common fears she sees among her clients The challenges Kaye faced early on in her business How her brand culture impacts her hiring decisions How moving every few years has impacted her business and how she works with her clients Kaye's experience with transitions and how she handles things when they don't go as planned The things Kaye tells people to take a look at first and foremost to strengthen their brand What's next for Kaye KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "Instead of trying to mold your brand or mold your business into what you thinking that the market wants from you, it's actually much, much more productive to first figure out who you are at your best, at your strongest." - Kaye Putnam "Let's name your strength so that you can step into it, and own it." - Kaye Putnam "You want to build your brand on a truth not trend." - Kaye Putnam "When you're building a brand, you're building a long-term relationship with your clients and customers." - Kaye Putnam "It's a feedback loop where you're putting stuff out into the market, you're getting responses from the market, and then you're continually getting better and better being your brand." - Kaye Putnam "Once we're consistent and cohesive and compelling, then people start to pay attention." - Kaye Putnam "Scale has always been my arch nemesis, and it's actually where my focus is now." - Kaye Putnam "Figure out what that higher order movement is behind your brand and that's what also gets your team really excited about building this bigger thing." - Kaye Putnam "We've been traveling all over Europe for the last couple of years, two toddlers in tow, because this business is set up this way." - Kaye Putnam "I've had times in my business where I'm really focusing on the business and then you also need to have times where you're really just focusing on life." - Kaye Putnam "There's a lot to be said for building up your own website or creating the blog post because you own that space, it's not at the mercy of algorithms or Facebook rules or whatever it might be." - Kaye Putnam "I think people are fearful of repelling people that aren't the right fit but really, it just enables you to take to the right people more clearly and speak to their needs better." - Kaye Putnam CONNECT WITH KAYE PUTNAM Website: http://kayeputnam.com Facebook: http://facebook.com/marketingkaye Instagram: http://instagram.com/kayeputnam Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/kayeputnam LINKS Free Five Day Challenge: https://kayeputnam.com/miniclass BOOTH BLUEPRINT If you're gearing up for trade show season and need help creating a beautiful booth that doesn't break the bank, I want to invite you to my free masterclass. I'm sharing my three secrets to maximize your trade show investment and keep wholesale orders coming in long after you trade show end. To join me for this FREE workshop, head to www.theboothblueprint.com to register! 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 an

TSBC alum, Shelley Seguinot began her creative journey in 2013 when she opened I'm Inkpressed, a wholesale stationery company specializing in children's products. As the paper industry evolved and she saw the digital market expanding, she adjusted her business to focused her effort on the art licensing world. She now licenses her art to various companies that put her work on a wide range of products. On today's episode, Shelley shares how she left a 20-year career in law enforcement to start her businesses. She tells us how she got her first licensing deal, fears she had when she first started licensing her art and why it's so valuable to find mentors and community if licensing is something you want to pursue for your business. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: Shelley's career path prior to starting her stationery business How she knew she wanted to jump into her business full-time When she realized licensing was a potential revenue source for her Her first licensing deal The fears she had surrounding licensing her art The process of licensing artwork When she transitioned her business to solely licensing work How she makes it easier for people to see her work & the importance of seeking out companies for licensing opportunities The buying seasons for licensing art Whether she likes working within parameters or having freedom and flexibility in her work What a buyout is versus a limited buyout The industry standard price ranges Shelley's favorite licensing project Her advice to someone just getting started in licensing The common misconceptions around licensing What's next for Shelley KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "I just don't mind putting myself out there and speaking to people and just digging in and getting to the root of things." - Shelley Seguinot "I saw a big change in the paper industry. Everything was starting to go digital." - Shelley Seguinot "This affords me the opportunity to still make money while I'm mostly just producing art." - Shelley Seguinot "For artists like myself who aren't represented by an agent, you really have to go out there and seek these companies." - Shelley Seguinot "It's a lot of follow up. It's just about building a relationship, because there's a lot of artists and they have a lot of places where they can go and buy their art." - Shelley Seguinot "I like freedom. I definitely like freedom because I have a color problem." - Shelley Seguinot "Everyone has their own model and not everything's licensing. A lot of them just want to buy the art outright." - Shelley Seguinot "Once you're in front of the customer, you really just have to wing it and come up with your own. You have to price out how attached you are to the art." - Shelley Seguinot "I'm one of those diehard snail mail people, so I know that paper is where my heart is at. It's what gave me my start. So, designing greeting cards and designing invitations is still my passion." - Shelley Seguinot "The best money you could ever spend if you're trying to make it in that industry is just get someone to give you professional advice." - Shelley Seguinot "It takes a lot of research. It's a lot of making connections and building that community and finding people to guide you." - Shelley Seguinot CONNECT WITH SHELLEY SEGUINOT Website: http://www.shelleyseguinot.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iminkpressed/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/shelleyseguinot LINKS: Blueprint Ronnie Walter Shelley's Skillshare Courses BOOTH BLUEPRINT If you're gearing up for trade show season and need help creating a beautiful booth that doesn't break the bank, I want to invite you to my free masterclass. I'm sharing my three secrets to maximize your trade show investment and keep wholesale orders coming in long after you trade show end. To join me for this FREE workshop, head to www.theboothblueprint.com to register! 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

Elle Drouin is the founder of three businesses that she currently runs — wonderfelle MEDIA, Styled Stock Society and she's the human behind @mochiandthecity. After several years working as the Director of Marketing & Digital Strategy for e-commerce businesses, Elle launched her own business to focus on helping other women build brands that are as profitable as they are pretty. Elle currently runs the Styled Stock Society, a stylish stock photography membership for women entrepreneurs, as well as works as a commercial photographer for beauty and lifestyle brands. Elle's dog Mochi is a 4 year old maltipoo model and influencer with over 100,000 Instagram followers. Elle and Mochi have been featured on Entrepreneur, CNBC, the Today Show, and a number of other media outlets. They've collaborated with brands like American Express, Disney, Google, and The Ritz-Carlton and also use their platform to raise awareness for organizations like the Humane Society and local shelters. On today's episode we talked about the benefits of using stock photography, strategies, processes and tools for streamlining social media and and why we need to focus on solving a problem as we build our products and services. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: Her three business & what she does for each Her career path prior to becoming an entrepreneur The types of customers Styled Stock Society caters to How her customers are using her images and how she customizes her photos for specific brands and needs The aesthetic of her photos & collections When she realized that Styled Stock Society was going to be successful How Mochi became a social media influencer Mochi's online persona How Elle came up with who Mochi's ideal follower is The processes and programs Elle uses for social media scheduling Which social media platform has been the most profitable for Elle Her advice for entrepreneurs What's next for Styled Stock Society & Mochi KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "I wanted to figure out a way that I could help people with their marketing that didn't involve me talking all-day long." - Elle Drouin "You're solving a problem for these business owners that are wearing so many hats, and they just can't do all of these things themselves." - Katie Hunt "There are a lot of different ways you can customize the photos to be more specific to your brand." - Elle Drouin "One of the things that we try to do is have a lot of negative space in certain photos in our collections so that there is room if you have maybe a desktop that has a few different items on it. You could actually drop a product image in it so it would look like it's sitting on the desktop with the rest of the other things." - Elle Drouin "The level of effort that I put into the business just makes so much more sense to me than all the time I was spending doing things that were more one-on-one versus one-to-many." - Elle Drouin "Mochi is a very Cosmopolitan dog in New York. She dresses up. She goes out for cocktails. She's currently in the middle of a summer in the Hamptons." - Elle Drouin "Similar to creating any other type of brand for business or your person, just really thought about who the people are that were following her at that point and decided to be more strategic about creating content specifically for them." - Elle Drouin "It's less about her real life, because her real life is 90% napping, and more just like a fun, creative outlet and a way that we have found to connect with people all over the world." - Elle Drouin "I would say 80% of the time, we are trying to create engaging content, trying to get to know our audience, trying to relate to them and find ways that we can help them. Then, that 20% is the more obvious promotional sales focus." - Elle Drouin "I'm creating visual content and selling photos to people, so people are more likely to find me on visual platforms." - Elle Drouin "Solve a problem. Don't start with an idea because it's just something that you want to do but really think about who you want to serve and how you're helping them." - Elle Drouin "The types of content that you create, everything you put out there is going to be affected by your why and what you're just trying to do." - Elle Drouin CONNECT WITH ELLE DROUIN Website: https://elledrouin.com/ Elle's social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elledrouin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elledrouin/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/elledrouin/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/elledrouin Mochi's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mochiandthecity/ Styled Stock Society social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/styledstocksociety/ BOOTH BLUEPRINT If you're gearing up for trade show season and need help creating a beautiful booth that doesn't break the bank, I want to invite you to my free masterclass. I'm sharing my three secrets to maximize your trade show investment and keep wholesale orders coming in long after you trade show end. To join me for this FREE workshop, head to www.theboothblueprint.com to register

This week is a special one in that we're bringing you a series of episodes that closely mirror what we teach during our our signature Paper Camp program. We've cut together some of our favorite episodes featuring our Tradeshow Bootcamp alumni and speakers where we discuss product development, sales strategies for wholesale and exhibiting at wholesale trade shows. During this episode we hear from: Kimberley Yurkiewicz, Crow & Canary Katie Wilson, The Good Twin Rebekah Tennis, Wild Ink Press Rosanna Kvernmo, Iron Curtain Press Jeanette Champion-Fanning, Sweet Perversion I hope these compilation episodes inspire you to push forward in your business, and if you need a helping hand we invite you to join us for the Paper Camp E-Course which starts next week. It's a four week course featuring live group coaching calls with me and some of my favorite guest experts including Kristen Ley of Thimblepress, Carina Murray of Crow & Canary, Rachael Hetzel from Pistachio Press and Heather Haynie of Rock Paper Scissors. For more information head to http://www.tradeshowcamp.com/pce. Registration closes on Friday and this is the last time Paper Camp will be offered in 2018! Join us! 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!

This week is a special one in that we're bringing you a series of episodes that closely mirror what we teach during our our signature Paper Camp program. We've cut together some of our favorite episodes featuring our Tradeshow Bootcamp alumni and speakers where we discuss product development, sales strategies for wholesale and exhibiting at wholesale trade shows. During this episode we hear from: Kathryn from Blackbird Letterpress Kim from Ramona & Ruth Pippi from E. Frances Paper Stefanie from Halifax Paper Hearts I hope these compilation episodes inspire you to push forward in your business, and if you need a helping hand we invite you to join us for the Paper Camp E-Course which starts next week. It's a four week course featuring live group coaching calls with me and some of my favorite guest experts including Kristen Ley of Thimblepress, Carina Murray of Crow & Canary, Rachael Hetzel from Pistachio Press and Heather Haynie of Rock Paper Scissors. For more information head to http://www.tradeshowcamp.com/pce. Registration closes on Friday and this is the last time Paper Camp will be offered in 2018! Join us! 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!

This week is a special one in that we're bringing you a series of episodes that closely mirror what we teach during our our signature Paper Camp program. We've cut together some of our favorite episodes featuring our Tradeshow Bootcamp alumni and speakers where we discuss product development, sales strategies for wholesale and exhibiting at wholesale trade shows. During this episode we hear from: Katie Wilson, The Good Twin Heather Harris, Copper Bottom Design Sara McNally, Constellation & Co Cara Underwood, Underwood Letterpress Kimberley Yurkiewicz, Crow & Canary I hope these compilation episodes inspire you to push forward in your business, and if you need a helping hand we invite you to join us for the Paper Camp E-Course which starts next week. It's a four week course featuring live group coaching calls with me and some of my favorite guest experts including Kristen Ley of Thimblepress, Carina Murray of Crow & Canary, Rachael Hetzel from Pistachio Press and Heather Haynie of Rock Paper Scissors. For more information head to http://www.tradeshowcamp.com/pce. Registration closes on Friday and this is the last time Paper Camp will be offered in 2018! Join us! 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!

Catherine Hildner is the founder of Kitty Meow Boutique, an online stationery show where you can peruse beautifully designed paper goods based on your many moods. Catherine came through our Paper Camp conference in 2017 and since then she's undergone a rebrand, built a new retail website, revamped her product line and she launched to the wholesale market! On today's episode Catherine shared how her product line has shifted over the years, fears she's had during the last year of growth and how she combatted them and how she reaches out to her wholesale buyers. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: What motivated Catherine to start Kitty Meow The products that she offers now & how that has shifted over the years What the rebranding process Kitty Meow looked like The fears and doubts Catherine had to work through during the rebranding process Her experience entering into the wholesale market & the three things she did to prepare her business for wholesale Catherine's process for outreach to retailers How she manages marketing both the wholesale and the retail sides of her business The tasks that Catherine's VA is responsible for Her advice for someone just starting out in a product based business What's next for Kitty Meow KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "I'm really grateful that I've been able to take Kitty Meow with me wherever the heck we've been, and it's come a long way since that lonely little baby shower design in my sad little Etsy shop." - Catherine Hildner "I said, "If I'm going to invest money, I just want to do it right", and I'm not a website designer, so I'm not even going to waste my time doing something that's not my strengths." - Catherine Hildner "I wasn't foolish enough to think that if I build it they will come, because I don't think it's just as easy as that." - Catherine Hildner "I want my two little girls to know that they can do anything. It doesn't matter what other people think. If they care, that is enough." - Catherine Hildner "None of this stuff happens overnight, and it's a daily struggle no matter how pretty pictures might look on Instagram or any of that garbage." - Catherine Hildner "If I didn't do the Tradeshow Bootcamp, I would just be looking around, not knowing what the hell I'm doing because there's so many things you need to do, and you don't know what you don't know." - Catherine Hildner "I don't have time to do all the things that maybe I would make time to do before I had children." - Catherine Hildner "There was a long time I didn't even know that there was this creative community of women who were totally killing it." - Catherine Hildner "Having a professional who's doing what you want to do, that can give you advice and feedback, so you're not wasting your time doing stuff that's just a waste of your time is so valuable." - Catherine Hildner "I've been an entrepreneur for 10 years now. There's always ways that we can improve our businesses. There's always ways that we can streamline things or improve." - Katie Hunt CONNECT WITH CATHERINE HILDNER: Website: http://www.kittymeowboutique.com Facebook: http://facebook.com/kittymeowboutique Instagram: http://instagram.com/kittymeowboutique Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/kmeowboutique PAPER CAMP E COURSE I'm thrilled to tell you that the fall session of our Paper Camp E Course is now open for enrollment! This is our four-week program that includes a mix of do-it-yourself videos and live coaching calls with me and some pretty amazing guest experts. We will cover developing your product line, wholesale sales tools, working with sales reps, and marketing to retailers. Classes will begin on October 8th, and this will be the very last time that Paper Camp is offered in 2018. So if you're doing any winter shows like New York Now, Las Vegas Market, or even the Stationery Show in February, you want to sign up for this program because we're not going to offer it again before those shows. To register, head to http://www.tradeshowcamp.com/pce If you have any questions, or if you're wondering if this is the right program for you, feel free to email me [email protected]. 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 hun

Danielle Spurge is a maker and craft business consultant who loves iced lattes and pop music. Through her work at The Merriweather Council, Danielle teaches creative people how to turn their crafty tendencies into profits. On her blog and podcast, Danielle aims to inspire and support makers in business and share insights from her eight years of experience selling handmade work online. Danielle believes in celebrating the reality of gainful self employment through craft and wants to help more artists, crafters and designers share their work with more confidence. On today's episode we talk about Danielle's journey of starting her business, how she manages both a product and service based business and she shares why Etsy is a great platform for makers. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: How she got started with her business, The Merriweather Council What she sold in her original Etsy shop Her favorite materials to work with The educational curve you have with customers when introducing something that's new to them How she has created a community of makers that she supports How she splits her attention to give both sides of her business the attention they need What kind of makers are in her community and the services she provides them Why Etsy is a good option to get your products out into the market How can makers ensure their listings are being seen on Etsy Danielle's tips for getting selected to be promoted by Etsy on their social media channels A common mistake people are making on Etsy Her thoughts on all of the recent Etsy changes What inspires her to create new products or services KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "I really just love fabric, love embroidery floss, I love to cut things up and sew them back together. I love anything really colorful and soft materials." - Danielle Spurge "I don't have a lot of patience for giant projects. I like to be able to sit and finish something and it's over. I love the instant gratification." - Danielle Spurge "There's really no way for me to do 50/50 but I've always been happy with the amount of product work I was doing because it fit really well into the amount of other work I was doing." - Danielle Spurge "With Etsy or your own site with your products, if you're not doing a ton of wholesale, you can kinda throttle how much you produce. You have a lot of control over what are you offering." - Danielle Spurge "I want to be the person who makes my products. I want to make however many I want to make of them." - Danielle Spurge "I always wanted to maintain my product business because it helps me relate to my students." - Danielle Spurge "We can provide better service and we can create a better product when we are more thoughtful in our approach for things." - Katie Hunt "Most of us don't want the stress of a seven figure business. That's a whole other ball game." - Danielle Spurge "Let's never send our hard earned traffic to Etsy. Because that traffic is going to disperse. There's no guarantee that that traffic's gonna stay with you." - Danielle Spurge "I will never shut up about this until it's not true anymore. Etsy is the best tool." - Danielle Spurge "You can appeal to Etsy's systems to get seen." - Danielle Spurge "Etsy cares about your titles, and your tags, and all the little things you fill in as you're listing." - Danielle Spurge "No one goes on Instagram with the intent to buy something the way that people go on Etsy with the intent to buy something. So that's really why I think Etsy is such a useful tool for a new seller because people are going there, looking to buy things, and they're the kind of people who want to buy the kind of products that you are selling." - Danielle Spurge "The biggest mistake I see people make on Etsy is that they just don't list enough." - Danielle Spurge "Etsy is really a numbers game. The more listings you have, the better your chances are of showing up, and being found, and being seen, and making sales." - Danielle Spurge "It's still one of the cheapest ways that you can sell online. Amazon's fees are more. If you had your own website, up front it's more." - Danielle Spurge " I want to help people be who they want to be." - Danielle Spurge CONNECT WITH DANIELLE SPURGE: Website: http://merriweathercouncil.com Facebook: http://facebook.com/merriweathercouncil Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/creativelifehappylife/ Instagram: http://instagram.com/merriweatherc LINKS Free Etsy Lesson Email Series IS WHOLESALE RIGHT FOR ME? Many of you are in the process of contemplating whether wholesale is the right next step for your business. I get it, I know that it feels like a big scary decision and there are lots of things to consider. That's why I'm offering a free online workshop to help you determine "Is Wholesale Right For Me". I'll walk you through 12 questions that I want you to ask yourself before you jump into wholesale and why each is important. This free workshop will take place on Thursday, September 20th at noon Pacific and space will be limited

Today I sat down with Amber Rae, an author, artist and speaker. Her recent book, Choose Wonder Over Worry invites you to live your truth, befriend your emotions, and express your gifts. Her writing has reached over 5 million people in 195 countries, her public art has spread to over twenty countries, and she's spoken to and collaborated with brands like Kate Spade, Apple, Amazon, and Unilever. She's been featured in The New York Times, TIME, Fast Company, BBC, ABC World News, Tim Ferriss's blog, and more. Previously, Amber helped launch six best-selling books as Chief Evangelist of Seth Godin's publishing experiment. On today's episode, Amber shares strategies for combating worry, fear and anxiety and infusing more wonder and creativity into our days. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: A misconception that people have around the feelings of fear and doubt Her career path and what lead her to be an author, an artist, an inspirational speaker Amber's experience working with Seth Godin What motivated her to write Choose Wonder Over Worry Her advice for working through imposter syndrome The two types of worry What wonder is and how it is a counterpart to worry How we can infuse more wonder into our lives and work The effect worry and fear have on us The importance of making friends with our feelings and questioning our feelings How we can infuse more positive feelings and more creativity in our day to day Amber's advice for product-based business owners who have anxiety, worry, and fear What's next for her KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "When I was able to detach it from being a reflection of my self-worth, whether or not things go how I wanted, but rather just a better story, that created so much more wonder, and fun, and freedom." - Amber Rae "He [Seth Godin] wasn't going to hand us approval, but he was going to push us way pass what we thought we could do and show us that we were capable of much more." - Amber Rae "I had all these limiting stories inside of my head about who I thought I was, and what I thought I was capable of that really paralyzed me creatively, and paralyzed what I decided to go after or whether or not I spoke up." - Amber Rae "I'm the only one who thinks I'm not worthy enough. No, actually, most people struggle with that. That's actually what unites us as humans." - Amber Rae "If the impostor syndrome is coming up for you, that means you're outside your comfort zone and growing." - Amber Rae "Worry protects us, keeps us safe, keeps us accountable. Where it becomes toxic worry is when it says obsessive looping thoughts where we ruminate and ruminate and stay stuck on these thoughts that really hold us back and paralyze us." - Amber Rae "Before we can step into really embody and embrace wonder, it's about really checking worry." - Amber Rae "When we name it, we tame it. Name when that worry is showing up so that we can put it in its place, set a boundary and really create space for our creative artist to step up and thrive." - Amber Rae "I literally think that the world will change when we can have a healthy relationship with our feelings and ourselves." - Amber Rae "Infusing play and white space in our day also helps with addressing the feelings and also inspiring that creativity and the wonder." - Katie Hunt CONNECT WITH AMBER RAE: Website: http://choosewonder.com Website: http://amberrae.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/heyamberrae Twitter http://twitter.com/heyamberrae LINKS:Choose Wonder Over Worry War of Art by Steven Pressfield Do the Work by Steven Pressfield Elizabeth Gilbert's TED Talk IS WHOLESALE RIGHT FOR ME? Many of you are in the process of contemplating whether wholesale is the right next step for your business. I get it, I know that it feels like a big scary decision and there are lots of things to consider. That's why I'm offering a free online workshop to help you determine "Is Wholesale Right For Me". I'll walk you through 12 questions that I want you to ask yourself before you jump into wholesale and why each is important. This free workshop will take place on Thursday, September 20th at noon Pacific and space will be limited. To snag your seat, head to tradeshowcamp.com/wholesale to register. A replay will be available for everyone that registers ahead of time. 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 owner

Katie Hunt shares why she pushed pause on replacing her operations manager earlier this year and why its important to get super clear on what your business needs before you hire someone. When you know what you want in terms of skills, experience and fit it makes for an easier hiring process and ensures that you're bringing the right people on the team. The Tradeshow Bootcamp and Proof to Product team are currently hiring an operations manager with strong project management, online marketing and team management skills. For more information about the job, please go to www.tradeshowcamp.com/joinourteam.

Lillian Farag is a free-form and free-spirited artist, with a love for all things playful and expressive. Pulling inspiration from colors found in life and nature, she adds her own twist and perspective to each aspect of her work. Along with offering unique hand-painted leather accessories and products, Lillian Farag works on collaborations with both leading industry and boutique brands including: Papyrus, Urban Outfitters, Oh Joy!, Osh Kosh, Flagpole Swim, Talking out of Turn, as well as her recent artist collaboration with Anthropologie. On today's episode we talk about her multiple revenue streams, licensing & collaborations as well as growing pains of being an entrepreneur. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: The types of products Lillian creates Where she gets her inspiration when she's creating What prompted her to start this business & how it started out as a hobby When Lillian realized she wanted to have her own line The collaborations she has been able to do with influencers and brands How certain collaborations came to be and what manufacturing look liked for those The growing pains of being an entrepreneur Her considerations while weighing hiring decisions Lillian's challenges with social media and how she has approached it The advice she would give herself when she had just started her business What's next for Lillian KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "Going into freelance, I knew I would be able to have a little bit more flexibility and control over the jobs that I was taking on." - Lillian Farag "A lot of my partnerships come through my work on Instagram." - Lillian Farag "I love collaborating. That's one of the main reasons I chose to keep my print business as a part of my business now, is because I really love to work with other brands and collaborate on ideas." - Lillian Farag "I needed to stick to what I knew best, which was creating artwork and creating it for myself. And then those other things would come later in forms of collaborations." - Lillian Farag "The growing pains never go away. I feel like you're always restructuring, rethinking about how you want to grow." - Lillian Farag "I want to find somebody that's excellent in the areas where I'm weak." - Katie Hunt "It's really important to continue your education in whatever it is that you do." - Lillian Farag "It's really important to be around other people who are also creative. It's beneficial in ways you don't realize for creativity, and also to connect with other people. You never know what kind of partnerships will come out of it later." - Lillian Farag CONNECT WITH LILLIAN FARAG: Website: http://www.lillianf.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lillian-Farag-1331313560221126/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lillianfarag/ LINKS:Surtex: https://www.surtex.com/ NEED 1-1 HELP? If you need help in your business growing your product line, getting ready for wholesale shows, or maybe you want some help on the operation side - hiring a team, refining your systems, looking at your finances, we have experts and mentors available to help you. I personally take on a very limited number of new coaching clients each month, and I have one spot left for September and two for October. If you are interested in working with me or one of our other Tradeshow Bootcamp speakers that offers coaching, head on over to tradeshowcamp.com/coaching and let me know what your current struggles are, so that we can get you paired with the right person. You don't have to go it alone. We have people and resources here to help 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 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!

We're taking the next two weeks off for an end of summer break. While we're gone, we're bringing you four of our most popular episodes pulled from the archives. I hand picked these episodes based on feedback in our Proof to Product Facebook group, emails I've received from listeners and convos I've had with all of you. We hope you enjoy these episodes and learn something new! Owned and operated by Briana Feola and Jason Snyder, Brainstorm is a print shop and collaborative design studio rooted in the production of original art prints inspired by science, nature, and the outdoors. Briana & Jason have done some creative collaborative projects with big brands such as Lollapalooza, Patgonia, Airstream trailers and an upcoming project with L.L. Bean. On today's episode Briana and Jason talk about how their love of learning inspires their work, using a strong brand to attract the right clients and why your business should always be in some state of transition. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: [01:00] Building a business out of a recession. [03:00] Working side hustles while growing the business.[05:00] Working with a significant other.[07:00] How their life interests & love of learning inspire their work.[11:00] Professional collaborations & partnerships with Lollapalooza, Patagonia and Airstream.[12:00] Custom clients found them through their print work[19:00] Attracting the right clients using a strong brand.[20:00] Hiring their first employee & the importance of finding someone with flexibility [24:00] Winning the airstream trailer design competition[29:00] Summer travel plans in the Airstream trailer[32:00] Transitions they've experienced as they've grown[36:00] Benefits of staying small and nimble.[37:30] Focusing on what is going to work, and not letting failures get you down.[39:00] Upcoming project with L.L. Bean[32:30] What's next for We Are Brainstorm KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "We always dig deep into our own lives for inspiration" - Briana Feola "We're eternal students and want to keep learning no matter what the subject is" - Briana Feola "As entrepreneurs, we tend to be more critical of ourselves than anyone else is" - Katie Hunt "Going to Tradeshow Bootcamp was an eye opening experience that was necessary to set us in motion for the next four, five years now." - Briana Feola "I feel like your business should always be in some state of transition" - Jason Snyder "One benefit of being a small business owner is that we can be nimble and make our own decisions, shift gears however we need to" - Katie Hunt "We pride ourselves on the fact that we stay super small and adaptable" - Briana Feola 'I need to get out of my own way, sometimes" - Briana Feola LINKS: Brainstorm National Park series Brainstorm's work for Lollapalooza C3 Presents Brainstorm for Patagonia Airstream Trailer Contest Mama's Sauce Adobe Max Renegade Craft Fair Brainstorm for L.L. Bean Paper Camp MEET BRIANA & JASON: Brainstorm is a print shop and collaborative design studio working from a historic mill in Dover, New Hampshire. Owned and operated by Briana Feola and Jason Snyder, Brainstorm is rooted in the production of original art prints inspired by science, nature, and the outdoors. They also design for people and companies that appreciate the creative process, enjoy collaboration, and want to make something tangible in an increasingly digital world. Website: http://www.wearebrainstorm.com Facebook: @wearebrainstorm Instagram: @wearebrainstorm Twitter: @wearebrainstorm JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY: Interested in learning more about launching or refining a wholesale line or exhibiting at trade shows? Join us for our next Paper Camp conference in Los Angeles. Get more 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 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.

We're taking the next two weeks off for an end of summer break. While we're gone, we're bringing you four of our most popular episodes pulled from the archives. I hand picked these episodes based on feedback in our Proof to Product Facebook group, emails I've received from listeners and convos I've had with all of you. We hope you enjoy these episodes and learn something new! Heather Haynie and Dani Antol are the owners of Rock Paper Scissors, a custom invitation and paper goods shop in Charlottesville, Virginia. Rock Paper Scissors is the go-to destination for locals and visitors alike looking for laugh-out-loud greeting cards, journals, dec accessories, calendars, planners and modern gifts. On today's episode we talk about a wide range of topics including what it takes to run a retail storefront, how they divide responsibilities as business partners and what success looks like for each of them. We also got personal. Dani shares her story of battling cancer. We also discuss how Heather & Dani were able to unify their local community after the hateful rallies in Charlottesville. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: What prompted Heather & Dani to go into business together What their day-to-day looks like running a retail storefront The custom design side of their business The benefits of buying an existing storefront and how they made it their own The growth of Rock Paper Scissors over the years How Heather & Dani divide responsibilities and how it has changed over the years as they have grown The things people should think about before jumping into a business partnership with someone Dani's battle with breast cancer and why she decided to share her story publicly How breast cancer changed Dani's perspective and her motivations Heather & Dani's involvement in the C'ville Heart Project & the purpose behind it The things they have accomplished in their business that they are very proud of What's next for Rock Paper Scissors KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "I'm extremely thankful that we purchased the business because as Dani said, there were so many things that were already in place that were really helpful for us, from the relationships with vendors, as well as relationships with existing clients." - Heather Haynie "We trust each other in those roles because we know that that's what we're good at." - Dani Antol "One of the greatest benefits [of our partnership] is that we don't have the same strengths." - Heather Haynie "I mean, she [Dani] would have chemo and then be sending me proofs. This girl's work ethic is amazing." - Heather Haynie "Some really terrible people came to our town and invaded our town and that's something that we always want to be really clear about. They are not Charlottesville and that's not what our town is like at all." - Heather Haynie "We've grown our business every year, some years higher percentage than others. But every year we have grown and I'm super proud of that." - Heather Haynie "Running a small business is hard and it is time consuming. There's always a million hats that we're wearing, and so I think it's important to remind ourselves that, "No, we set the rules here and we can decide what we do and not do to some extent." We do need to carve out that time for our personal lives." - Katie Hunt LINKSWebsite: www.thinkrockpaperscissors.com Website: www.rpscvilleheart.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thinkrockpaperscissors Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rps_cville/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rps_dani/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rps_heather/ JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY: Do you want to scale your business and add new revenue streams? Are you ready to get a handle on your cash flow and tuck money away for retirement? Maybe you are interested in increasing your visibility and fine-tuning your marketing outreach? Perhaps you have a team that you want to nurture or need help building your team? Our newest on demand program, Paper Camp+ can help you with all of these things and more. The program includes 5 keynote presentations and 2 panels from a wide range of business experts. You can watch what you need, when you need it most and revisit the videos as often as you'd like. This course was built for anyone running a product based business, and extends way beyond the paper industry. Enroll at www.tradeshowcamp.com/pcplus! 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!

We're taking the next two weeks off for an end of summer break. While we're gone, we're bringing you four of our most popular episodes pulled from the archives. I hand picked these episodes based on feedback in our Proof to Product Facebook group, emails I've received from listeners and convos I've had with all of you. We hope you enjoy these episodes and learn something new! Erin Ozer is the owner of Knot & Bow. Erin got her start on Etsy in 2010 and has had tremendous, but organic growth, over the last seven years. Her stationery, gift wrap and party goods can be found in more than 1500 retail shops around the world, including Paper Source, Anthropologie, Container Store, and Hallmark just to name a few. On this episode Erin talks about her humble beginnings, manufacturing challenges she experienced, and how she slowly but strategically added members to her team. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: [01:30] Building a business while staying home with the kids and with $200. [03:30] Starting on Etsy.[05:30] Adding new products to the line.[07:30] Utilizing customer feedback in product development.[09:30] Manufacturing challenges as Knot & Bow grew.[12:00] Picking & choosing which products to move forward with.[13:00] Expanding to wholesale.[15:30] Selling to Terrain -- her first wholesale order![17:00] Selling wholesale before doing trade shows[18:00] Working with Sales Reps[22:00] Hiring her first employee & growing her team[24:00] Hiring Process & having an operations manual[28:00] Knot & Bow retail shop & selling retail vs selling wholesale[30:00] What's next for Knot & Bow KEY TAKE-AWAYS: 'It is always a challenge to bring new product to the market and be innovative in some way but you also have a budget and spatial constraints to take into account' - Erin Ozer "Housing 1000 greeting cards is one thing. Housing 1000 plates is a totally different thing." -Erin Ozer "The numbers can get really, really big with custom manufacturing sometimes and it can be tough when you're really small." - Erin Ozer "The wholesale side of our business grew pretty dramatically when we first signed with reps." - Erin Ozer MEET ERIN OZER: Knot & Bow is a line of simple and stylish paper goods and party supplies. Erin Ozer started the brand as a solo venture in 2010, inspired by simple gifts wrapped with kraft paper and twine. The line has developed to include a wide variety of paper goods and colorful party supplies, and is now sold at more than 1500 stores around the globe. Products are manufactured in the United States and assembled in Knot & Bow's Brooklyn studio. Knot & Bow also launched a flagship retail location in the Gowanus neighborhood of Brooklyn in late 2015. Website: https://www.knotandbow.com/ Facebook: @knotandbow Instagram: @knotandbow Twitter: @knotandbow JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY: Interested in learning more about launching or refining a wholesale line or exhibiting at trade shows? Join us for our next Paper Camp conference in Los Angeles. Get more 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 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.

We're taking the next two weeks off for an end of summer break. While we're gone, we're bringing you four of our most popular episodes pulled from the archives. I hand picked these episodes based on feedback in our Proof to Product Facebook group, emails I've received from listeners and convos I've had with all of you. We hope you enjoy these episodes and learn something new! Kristen Ley is the sole owner and founder of Thimblepress, a lifestyle brand that focuses on creating products and experiences that make you smile and want to celebrate life's moments, big and small. Kristen created Thimblepress out of her garage in 2012 and the company has seen tremendous growth since then. She now has a team of 15 full-time and part time employees and the company occupies 7000 square feet that includes 2 brick and mortar retail locations. Kristen's products are now sold in over 1500 retail stores internationally and she continuing to work with brands to create unique collaboration and partnership opportunities! Kristen attended Tradeshow Bootcamp in 2013, prior to launching to the wholesale market. On today's episode we're talking about hiring from within, fostering a team environment, things to consider when entering professional partnerships and how she fell into business backwards. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: [01:00] Thimblepress' story[02:00] Two ways to start a business: Intentionally or falling in backwards.[03:00] Naming Thimblpress[05:30] Making the jump to wholesale & googling what wholesale means.[08:00] HIring and growing the Thimblpress team & promoting from within.[12:30] Using partnerships & collaborations to diversify revenue streams[13:00] Setting clear expectations in partnerships with contracts.[15:30] Collaborating with Hallmark[17:00] Negotiating & protecting yourself when big brands want to work with you.[18:30] Transitions, shifting in business & what she credits her success to.[23:00] Kristen's advice on product development and how she gathers new ideas.[26:00] Thimblepress' social media tips, planning tools & how far out they schedule their posts.[33:30] Creating sub-brands to reach different markets[39:00] Taking a break from trade shows this year. KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "I think there's two ways you start a company. You literally fall into it from a hobby or you start with a purpose of wanting to start a company." - Kristen Ley "Sometimes our line is very eclectic and just all over the place. Honestly, that's my personality. I used to get really down and out about it. I was like, "Man, I wish I had a more cohesive look to all my products, like Megan Bellannion." I feel like she has a great cohesive look. I sat there one day and I thought, "You know what though? This is totally my personality." I'm wacky, and crazy, and weird. I love lots of color. I love drawing. I love painting. I love trying new things. Truly, this line is my personality come to life. Because I never wanted to ask for help, but I've learned how to now." - Kristen Ley "We're very picky with all of our products and make sure they're the highest of quality standards." - Kristen Ley "I never want to stop learning and stop trying to make Thimblepress better. Because I think when you stop, you become complacent." - Kristen Ley Running a business can get very uncomfortable at times because you are making tough decisions that play into the longevity of the business, the sustainability of the business. If you're not feeling a little uncomfortable in whatever you're doing, then you're doing something wrong. - Katie Hunt "Your products need to solve a problem for your customer" -Katie Hunt "Social media is intended to be social. It is a place to have conversations" -Katie Hunt "You don't need to do trade shows to have a successful wholesale line." - Katie Hunt "I've always done things how I wanted to do it. March to the beat of my own drum and not let the industry decide for me." -Kristen Ley LINKS: Paper Camp Thimblpress ShopThimblepress for Target (the secret March release she alluded to!) Grum.co MEET KRISTEN LEY: Kristen Ley is the sole owner and founder of Thimblepress®, a lifestyle brand that focuses on creating products and experiences that make you smile and want to celebrate life's moments, big and small. I created the company out of my garage in 2012 and since then have been going strong, growing my team, and continuing to develop products that I truly love. I create all the art for every single one of our products. Thimblepress now has a team of 15 full-time and part time team members, occupies 7000 square feet, has 2 brick and mortar retail locations, is sold in over 1500 retail stores and is continuing to work with other brands to create unique collaboration opportunities! Website: thimblepress.com Facebook: @thimblepress Instagram: @thimblepress Pinterest: @thimblepress Twitter: @thimblepress JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY: Interested in learning more about launching or refining a wholesale line or exhibiting at trade shows? Join us for our nex

Johnny and Joanna are the husband-and-wife co-founders of Letterfolk, a contemporary American brand whose mission is to create meaningful products inspired by simpler times. Letterfolk started in June 2015 while the couple searched for a unique way to capture their daughter's monthly baby milestone photos. They designed a modern, versatile letter board that was tailored and repurposed for today's home. Letter boards are now a staple of social media art direction, home decor, and milestone photography. As Letterfolk has grown, so has the brand vision and product offerings. Letterfolk products are proudly made in the United States with premium materials, craftsmanship, and processes. On today's episode we're talking about how Johnny & Joanna reinvented the letter board market, their thoughts on copy cats and how they leverage social media to nurture their customers and share their company story. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: The most unique and interesting way they've ever seen a letter board used How Johnny & Joanna came up with the idea for Letterfolk The light bulb moment they had when they knew they wanted to create a business The original letter boards they started Letterfolk with When they decided to branch out into other product categories What Johnny & Joanna learned about wholesale and how not all of their products work as wholesale products How they nurture a strong community within their customers online How Johnny & Joanna feel now vs. how they felt at the beginning when people started copying their products The way their vision for Letterfolk has changed as the company has grown Johnny & Joanna's advice for someone just starting out in a product-based business What's next for Letterfolk KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "It's so humbling to see our product involved in these life changing moments." - Johnny Galbraith "To be honest, we were so in over our heads in the beginning with trying to keep up with demand that there was just no time for product development." - Johnny Galbraith "If your margins don't work, if your pricing doesn't work, you don't have to sell everything you create to both the wholesale and the retail market." - Katie Hunt "Words are our business." - Johnny Galbraith "Johnny and I have tried to insert ourselves as part of the brand as well just so that people remember that it's a human brand. It's a brand that there are people who actually care who are buying it." - Joanna Galbraith "It [copycats] started motivating us and making us just want to put blinders on and still move forward as a brand and figure out how we were going to become a lasting brand." - Joanna Galbraith "We've got to move forward, we've got to build a brand that's bigger than letter boards and prove that we're more than a one hit wonder." - Johnny Galbraith "It's given us pretty thick skin in this mentality that we should just expect that everything's going to be ripped off. So, how are we going to make it X times better from the outset so that when the knockoffs do come knocking, we'll already have a product differentiation right from the outset?" - Johnny Galbraith "Our focus is keeping our mission the same, but just broadening our product categories." - Joanna Galbraith "I think it's a good test to say, "If I'm passionate enough about this product or this idea, then I will put in the hours when I don't have them." If you don't, then I don't think you're passionate enough about it and you probably shouldn't quit your day job and just go full speed into the world of entrepreneurship." - Johnny Galbraith CONNECT WITH JOHNNY & JOANNA: Website: https://letterfolk.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/letterfolk Instagram: https://instagram.com/letterfolk If you're gearing up for trade show season and need help creating a beautiful booth that doesn't break the bank, I want to invite you to my free masterclass. I'm sharing my three secrets to maximize your trade show investment and keep wholesale orders coming in long after you trade show end. To join me for this FREE workshop, head to www.theboothblueprint.com to register! 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 busin

Kate Woodrow is the founder of Present Perfect, a full service literary agency serving clients from across the globe. Kate launched the agency in 2015 with the goal of advocating for artists and creatives in publishing and is recognized as an industry leader in design driven nonfiction work. Kate specializes in developing visually arresting books that offer a unique perspective across a wide range of topics, particularly art, lifestyle, personal growth, and anything with a practical bent. Before becoming an agent, Kate was an acquisitions editor at Chronicle Books where her experience spanned 10 years and hundreds of books and gift products. Bringing that many projects from a simple brainstorm to the bookshelf gave Kate a keen sense of what makes a book commercially successful and how to be a professional collaborator. On today's episode, we're talking about the process for finding an agent, how to create your pitch, and how to find the right publishers. If you have ever wanted to write a book or wondered what the process was like, this episode is for you. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: The misconceptions people have in regards to writing a book Kate's career path & how she ended up starting her own business When she knew it was the right time to go out on her own Her role as a literary agent The benefits of an author hiring a literary agent and how to find one What Kate looks for when she is scouting artists to work with How she finds the right publishers for her clients What goes into a pitch A typical payment structure for an author & industry standards with regards to royalty percentages What's next for Present Perfect KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "One of the hardest things about writing a book is the maintaining momentum and enthusiasm for the project across a really long period of time." - Kate Woodrow "I had my first kid and I slowly started to realize that my priorities were shifting and that my dream had changed, so I needed to find something else to support my new dream and my new lifestyle." - Kate Woodrow "I represent authors and artists and across the globe and help them get book deals. That's the main part of it, but the bigger picture is that I am their advocate and coach and guide and I help them navigate the very opaque world of publishing." - Kate Woodrow " I work with my clients to develop their book ideas and I sell them to major publishers and I help my clients strategically build their publishing career beyond just that one book idea." - Kate Woodrow "Most often authors thank their agent in their acknowledgements so you can start compiling a list of the relevant agents who might have the category expertise that you're looking for and start targeting them." - Kate Woodrow "The first step is finding an agent with the right category expertise." - Kate Woodrow "Showing that you can thoughtfully articulate a specific book concept is going to go a long way in capturing the agent's attention." - Kate Woodrow "When I send the proposal and that lands in an editor's inbox, I know she's going to open it right away and respond right away. Whereas if you're sending to a generic submissions, email address, not so much." - Kate Woodrow "We feel putting together a very thoughtful, compelling vision from the get go is going to get you the best possible deal with the best possible publisher." - Kate Woodrow "Publishers are really looking for authors who are motivated to help make the book a success and reach a wide audience." - Kate Woodrow "An author should expect to get an advance in royalties. The advance is money that's paid up front and is the author's to keep, no matter if the publisher sells zero copies or a million copies." - Kate Woodrow "One important thing about putting together a pitch for an agent or for a publisher is you want to look professional and polished, but don't feel the need that you need to figure everything out." - Kate Woodrow "There are a lot of cooks in the kitchen developing the idea and to the strongest possible book, and so I think entering into it with truly a genuinely open mind about making the strongest book is going to set you up for success." - Kate Woodrow CONNECT WITH KATE: Website: http://presentperfectdept.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/presentperfectlit/ If you're gearing up for trade show season and need help creating a beautiful booth that doesn't break the bank, I want to invite you to my free masterclass. I'm sharing my three secrets to maximize your trade show investment and keep wholesale orders coming in long after you trade show end. To join me for this FREE workshop, head to www.theboothblueprint.com to register! 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

Don Hejny is the inventor of Nerdwax, a wax based product that keeps your glasses in place. Nerdwax was launched on Kickstarter in 2014 and featured on the hit television show Shark Tank the following year. Nerdwax is hand made in Nashville, TN and shipped all over the world. On today's episode we talked about managing risk, running a debt free business and why Don strives to work smarter, not harder. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: How Don came up with the idea for Nerdwax Starting a Kickstarter campaign & what his experience was with it The timeline for fulfilling orders after the Kickstarter campaign The importance of planning for success What the Shark Tank experience was like & what his goals were for it How they handled the influx of orders after their episode aired The infrastructure of Nerdwax & how they have approached scaling Why Don strives to work smarter, not harder Don's priority to stay debt-free How Don creates a great customer experience Don's advice for someone just starting out in a product-based business The fact that many entrepreneurs over-think things, especially at the beginning What's next for Nerdwax When they decided to branch out into other product categories What Don has learned about himself through starting and growing Nerdwax KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "I thought if surfers use wax on their boards in the water, I bet I can make something like that for your glasses." - Don Hejny "That's really the power of the internet, if you really put yourself out there, and you do it in a way where people get it, you can have that energy and it doesn't all have to be manufactured." - Don Hejny "With the Kickstarter community if you tell your story, it's a community of people like you who have ideas, who love new ideas, who love adopting new ideas, and they're totally willing to take that risk with you, as long as it's a manageable risk." - Don Hejny "The thing about Kickstarter though is, even though we pushed that deadline, if you are honest and open, and you keep people updated, and you keep people engaged, there's so much forgiveness within that community." - Don Hejny "You can never mitigate risk entirely." - Don Hejny "That was one of the most nerve wracking parts about Shark Tank is that you don't know what piece of that puzzle they're going to actually air." - Don Hejny "Once we aired on Shark Tank, that episode, we had like $130,000 in sales. We did that in the weekend after we aired on Shark Tank. So, it was just like rocket ship." - Don Hejny "One of the things that happens on Shark Tank all the time, is companies get this huge influx in orders, and then they just totally screw their people because they don't prep for it." - Don Hejny "We've just DIYed it from the beginning, and stayed scrappy, and kept going within our means." - Don Hejny "You're going to reach a point where you just can't throw more bodies at it. You can't throw more time at it. You can't throw more energy at it, you've got to work smarter. Then there's times where it's like, no, you've just got to put your shoulder down and just dig in and do some work." - Don Hejny "Figure out how to create the business that allows you to have margin to grow more efficiently." - Don Hejny "If you don't like it, you just let us know, we'll shoot you a refund, super easy." - Don Hejny "If you can give yourself more margin, and you can assume positive intent, I think you can just treat people the way that you want to be retreated." - Don Hejny "If you think you're going to make one thing and you don't have the resources for that, think, what could I make with what I have today, and how do I transition it into that?" - Don Hejny "Being four years into this, I've learned a lot to just fail quicker, don't drag things out. If it's not working, figure out a new path, and transition quicker." - Don Hejny "When you're climbing the mountain, and all you see is the rocks in front of you, and all of you see as the challenges, and you got to turn around and look out once in a while." - Don Hejny "If you're sitting out there trying to make waves in the ocean, you're never going to get anywhere. You have to wait for the wave to come." - Don Hejny CONNECT WITH DON: Website: http://www.nerdwax.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nerdwax Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nerdwax/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbqydh_ENh0SkU37Ka1Kc-Q Twitter: https://twitter.com/nerdwax LINKS: Episode 64 with Rosie of Sugarfina If you're gearing up for trade show season and need help creating a beautiful booth that doesn't break the bank, I want to invite you to my free masterclass. I'm sharing my three secrets to maximize your trade show investment and keep wholesale orders coming in long after you trade show end. To join me for this FREE workshop, head to www.theboothblueprint.com to register! 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 t

Brittney Lynn a PR and marketing strategist who works with online entrepreneurs worldwide. She's also the host of Day in the Life podcast. Brittney has nearly 10 years of experience working in the online marketing industry, and has a passion for helping others grow their reach, their revenue, and impact through strategic PR. On today's episode of Proof to Product, we talked about the importance of building a brand story, how to find the right media opportunities for you, and strategies for gaining visibility for your brand. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: The type of work Brittney is doing & how she helps creative entrepreneurs Her career history & how she started her own PR business Why it's important to know your story when you're reaching out to press How you can be leveraging your story in your marketing The biggest misconception about PR The steps creative entrepreneurs can take to make their products & services more visible An example of how honing in on your story & knowing your audience can lead to the perfect press mention What's next for Brittney How PR is a long game & an ongoing process The importance of following up KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "This job, what I do right now, it just didn't really exist when I graduated." - Brittney Lynn "About half the clients that I currently work with, they have worked with an agency in the past, and they felt like it wasn't a good use of money because they [the agency] didn't really understand what the creative entrepreneur community was like." - Brittney Lynn "You probably saw a need in the market, otherwise you wouldn't have created these products in the first place." - Brittney Lynn "Humans relate more to stories than they do to a sales pitch." - Brittney Lynn "Really strong stories and knowing who you are, who you serve, how your product stands out from your competitors -- that's gonna catch a journalist's eye, or a podcast host." - Brittney Lynn "I'm always checking in and making sure that what we're doing from a PR perspective is in line with what your business's goals and mission is." - Brittney Lynn "Most times when people are getting press. They're going after it." - Brittney Lynn "It's the long game, so if you're not committed to really doing it and seeing it through, maybe you're not quite ready to do PR and press." - Brittney Lynn "Follow up, please please follow up." - Brittney Lynn CONNECT WITH BRITTNEY: Website: http://brittneyllynn.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brittneyllynndotcom/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brittneyllynn/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/brittneyllynn/ Twitter:https://twitter.com/BrittneyLLynn Links Day in the LIfe Podcast Episode 65 with Caroline from Paloma's Nest Episode 7 with Meg from Belle & Union Co If you're gearing up for trade show season and need help creating a beautiful booth that doesn't break the bank, I want to invite you to my free masterclass. I'm sharing my three secrets to maximize your trade show investment and keep wholesale orders coming in long after you trade show end. To join me for this FREE workshop, head to www.theboothblueprint.com to register! 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 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!

During Episode 65 Katie Hunt sat down with Caroline Vasquez of Paloma's Nest and the topics of having a brand story and establish core values for the company kept coming up. Caroline talked about how it shaped the products they made, the story they told about the brand as well as the products and ultimately, how they communicate with their customers. When we're starting our businesses, most people skip over the part where we identify our mission, core values and long term goals for our business. We get excited about the process of creating, selling and connecting with customers. But, having a strong brand story and leveraging your company's core values within this story are going to help you in several ways. It will provide clarify in your decision making, hiring processes and long term goals for your business. Our core values at Tradeshow Bootcamp are: Community, Collaboration, Education and Giving Back. We treat everyone in our community like family and want to foster a collaborative and supportive network for people to lean on as they grow their business. We educate entrepreneurs so they can make the best decisions possible for their business and I believe in giving back to our community and supporting other entrepreneurs. If you don't have a clear brand story or set of core values. Katie wants you to ask yourself these three questions: What does the company stand for & value Where is the company going & what impact does it want to make? Why does this company exist? Without clarity around these questions, you may struggle in your decision making and stay stagnant. What are your core values? I'd love for you to join us in our free Facebook Group for Proof to Product and weigh in with what your core values and brand. https://www.facebook.com/groups/prooftoproduct/

TSBC Alum, Caroline Vasquez is the founder of Paloma's Nest, a family-run business, founded in 2007, that creates timeless, heirloom-quality pieces and new traditions for modern families to celebrate wedding, baby, home and holiday. The brand has been featured in countless publications including Martha Stewart, the New York Times, Magnolia Journal and more, and their work has been carried by Anthropologie and Nordstrom. Today, Caroline combines her education as a professional counselor with her experience and passion for small creative business through Handcrafted Consulting, where she provides education on the marketing, growth and management of online business to clients worldwide. She also serves as the marketing consultant for the web design firm, Aeolidia. All while also running Paloma's Nest and nurturing her family. On today's episode, Caroline talks about the growth of Paloma's nest, staying true to your brand story in both your messaging and the products you sell, why we need to be proactive in press and marketing outreach and why it's so important to know who your customer is. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: When Caroline & her husband decided to start Paloma's Nest Her experience when she started selling her products on Etsy How she came up with the name Paloma's Nest Her product line & how it has grown over the last 11 years The steps she takes to protect her product line from copycats The importance of expanding to different product categories How Caroline and her husband split responsibilities & balance each other out when they are working together The press mentions that Paloma's Nest has received & Caroline's proactive approach towards getting her name out there Her mentoring & coaching business The types of services she offers in her coaching business Caroline's advice for entrepreneurs just starting out in a product based business What's next for Paloma's Nest KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "Our kids were definitely raised in the studio. To this day they're right by our sides every day." - Caroline Vásquez "A dove represents peace, and hope, and all of those wonderful things that we really do think comes through in our collection, and in our product." - Caroline Vásquez "Our mission, our tagline, the essence of what we do is to create modern heirlooms." - Caroline Vásquez "I've always sort of had a reverence for that, and for creating things that have so much meaning that families want to hang onto them, and want to pass them on to generations." - Caroline Vásquez "We really pay attention to the core values of our brand in creating items that are going to be passed on, and we look to see where we can create products that will add to traditions, or create traditions in their own rights." - Caroline Vásquez "One of the frustrations of being in the creative world is having your ideas stolen, or taken, or recreated, however you want to put that nicely." - Caroline Vásquez "While people might sort of take your design, or take your idea, they can't take your brand. And they can't take your target customer." - Caroline Vásquez "The ideas come and go. Trends and styles come and go and as long as you continue to offer the best possible quality product, and you're known for the service, and for the ideas and things that you're known for everything else will follow. - Caroline Vásquez "I think most importantly in working with your spouse is, we share the same work ethic for better or for worse. We're both really driven, we tend to let work consume us quite a bit, but at least we're doing it together." - Caroline Vásquez "There's something really neat about knowing that the two of us fully created that together from scratch." - Caroline Vásquez "It's important to develop your own brand aesthetic and to understand that may vary from your own personal preferences." - Katie Hunt "You can't really do anything new for your business if you're not open to the process of change." - Caroline Vásquez "The most successful businesses are successful because they focus on doing one thing and doing it really well." - Caroline Vásquez CONNECT WITH CAROLINE: Website: http://Palomasnest.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/palomasnest/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/palomasnest/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/palomasnest/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/palomasnest LINKS: Handcrafted Consulting FREE WORKSHOP ALERT! SEO is a HOAX: Why search ranking should NOT be a priority for creative entrepreneurs Join us for a free live workshop with Brice McBeth of Reap Marketing. You may remember Brice from episode 62 of Proof to Product! During this free one-hour workshop, Brice will uncover the traps of traditional SEO methods. Things he has experienced first-hand with his own startups. He'll reshape our thinking and teach us some unconventional methods to use great content to get more customers quickly. Space is limited and a replay will be made available but only to those that register. Save your seat at www.tradeshowcamp.com/convert. SUBSCRI

I've been thinking a lot about boundaries, particularly as it relates to what I say yes to and what I say no to in both my personal and business life. I don't know about you guys but I have a tendency to take one too much, or under estimate how long things will take. I mostly get excited about opportunities, say yes and then find myself over scheduled and stretched thin. I know I'm not alone in this. But here's the deal. We all have the same amount of hours in the day, and as entrepreneurs we have a lot of different things pulling on us for our time — projects, family, friends, exciting opportunities, daily grind of running a business. Its exhausting trying to do all these things, keep everyone happy and yet still have time for ourselves. When I interviewed Rosie from Sugarfina on episode 64 she stressed how important self care is, why we need to take action before things are perfect, and we both acknowledged that its difficult to protect our time because as entrepreneurs the running to do list is never ending. Rosie shared how she decides what to say and what to say no to, and I thought it might be helpful to share some of the things I consider with you This is something I'm working on, and I've definitely been more diligent in protecting my time in recent months. But here are some of the questions I ask myself when I'm considering whether to say yes to something or no to something: Does this align with my long term goals? Does this align with my short term goals? What is the time commitment? What are the benefits for me, my business, my family? What is my excitement level? I'd love to hear from your in our Proof to Product Facebook group. What questions do you ask yourself when you're deciding whether or not to move forward with a project? Weigh in and let me now. You can join our free Facebook group by going to tradeshowcamp.com/join.

Rosie O'Neill is the co-founder of Sugarfina, a luxury candy boutique that features the finest sweets from artisan candy makers around the world. Rosie and her fiancé Josh Resnick launched Sugarfina in July 2012. The idea for the company was inspired by their third date — when they watched the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and they were left wondering why their wasn't candy boutiques for grown ups. Rosie was named to Fast Company's "100 Most Creative People" list, and Goldman Sachs' "100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs,". She is disrupting the sweets space with an innovative approach to confections and retail. Before candy, Rosie played with dolls for 7 years as Director of Marketing for Barbie at Mattel, where she led a global business unit that sold more than 50 million Barbie dolls annually. She received her MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management and a BA in Communication Studies from UCLA. Her favorite candies are Champagne Bears, Peach Bellini and Sparkle Pops. On today's episode, Rosie shares her start up story as well as lessons she learned as they scaled Sugarfina into the large brand it is today -- with wholesale and retail channels, a bustling online shop, 50 retail locations and a range of licensing collaborations. Rosie offers some really great suggestions — including the importance of self-care, why we need to be careful about which opportunities we say yes and no to and things she looks for when hiring members of her team. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: Her favorite Sugarfina candy right now & the most popular flavors with customers How much she loves getting to dream up & invent different candies Rosie's background prior to Sugarfina Her transition to entrepreneurship & how she decided upon luxury candy The hurdles at the beginning & how she navigated that How her previous position at Mattel helped her start & scale Sugarfina What her early goals were for the business The experience of adding brick & mortar stores very quickly Her first hires & what she looked for in an employee when she first started hiring Whether or not she fears hiring people who one day might become a competitor The fact that they did not have a business plan when they first started & why she thinks it can be beneficial sometimes not to have one at the start Moments and decisions that propelled her business forward The criteria she uses for deciding to pursue an opportunity or not How she cultivates a positive work culture An important lesson Rosie has learned through her entrepreneurial journey Rosie's advice on creating your product & getting your product to market How she decides when to discontinue a product What's next for Sugarfina KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "It's like we get to play Willy Wonka because we dream up and invent all these crazy, fun flavors and cute shapes and fun colors, and then we get to bring them to life." - Rosie O'Neill "I had always in the back of my head wanted to do something entrepreneurial, but I thought I was going to do it in my fifties. It came way, way, way sooner than I imagined, but I think sometimes you just have those moments of luck where everything kind of comes together and you just don't overthink it." - Rosie O'Neil "It [Sugarfina] is a dream and I love it but it's also the absolute hardest thing I've ever done and just exhausting at times." - Rosie O'Neil "I'm really proud of the fact that as we have grown, we have always been able to deliver on that quality and that amazing customer experience, but everything under the surface has just been chaos and a mess." - Rosie O'Neil "I'm always kind of looking at what's coming up but it's important to take a moment and look back on how far we've come and it's pretty cool." - Rosie O'Neil "We love to bring in people who one day want to start their own company but they're not quite ready and Sugarfina can be a learning environment for them." - Rosie O'Neil "I want to make sure that we have an environment where people want to stay because they're continuing to grow, and learn, and feel empowered." - Rose O'Neil "I am all for people going out and starting their new company if they want to, but stay with us as long as you can and really get to know all the things you're going to need to know to start a business because it's hard." - Rosie O'Neill "I think sometimes you got to just go for it and be willing to put out something that's not perfect and then learn and continue to perfect." - Rosie O'Neill "You really need to create a culture where people feel connected to the big picture and like they're really making an impact." - Rosie O'Neill "I don't care if you have hours that are slightly different than a normal working day, I just care about the output of your work and that's how I'm going to look at things." - Rosie O'Neill "We have a no assholes policy." - Rosie O'Neill "You really have to take care of yourself because there is an endless amount of work to do when you run your business." - Rosie O'Neill "Get your product out in fron

There's a lot of talk on the internet about knowing your ideal customer, but a lot of it doesn't resonate with me. Maybe you feel this way too? On Episode 63, Mary Bruno shared how she is her ideal customer. And, that she focuses on creating things that she loves & that she finds funny even if it doesn't resonate with everyone. It got me thinking about something I've talked about in the past in my emails, but I'm not sure I've talked about it on the podcast. Your products aren't for everyone. And, that's ok. In fact, it's fantastic. You don't want to be everything to everyone. Just like Mary talked about past ideas falling flat, sometimes you're going to make duds. Or, sometimes what you make is going to appeal to a smaller audience. You make beautiful products, that are likely hand crafted or personally designed by you. You have your own unique style & aesthetic that you're continuing to develop. Instead of feeling like you need to appeal to the masses, I want you to focus on four key areas: - I want you to focus on reaching your unique customer base — fill a void or provide a solution specifically for the - I want you to focus on developing your own style, point of view and a strong, extensive product line. - I want you to focus on creating work that feels good to you, that you're proud of and that you want to put your name on. - I want you to focus on making the best decisions for your business, without worrying what everyone else thinks. I want you to make decisions for your business without looking around at what others are doing in their businesses or feeling like you need to follow the crowd. I know these things are easier said than done, but the strongest brands, the ones that build profitable, sustainable businesses are creating unique products that they are passionate about. They put their heads down when they are designing and try not to be influenced by others. They also recognize that their work is special and may not resonate with everyone. And, that's ok. I'd love to have you weigh in on this discussion in our free Proof to Product Facebook group. How do you stay motivated and create work you love and build a brand that includes that work. How do you tune out the noise and ensure that you're not being influenced by others when you're designing new work. Join us here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/prooftoproduct/ But you guys. Please remember, that your products aren't for everyone. And, that is more than ok.

Mary Bruno is the owner of Bruno Press, a printer, artist, and advocate for her local creative community. She grew up in a small town in central Minnesota and learned the love of printing from her father Don Bruno. Mary has an irreverent line of greeting cards that is sold nationwide and she teaches the old school art of letterpress printing the way her father taught her. Mary loves to collaborate with other printers, poets, musicians, kids, designers, you name it. And, we'll talk about some of those collaborations today. On today's episode Mary tells it like it is, shares her story and how she organically grew her business through hard work and learning as she went. We also talked about her personal growth—why she no longer let's the criticism of one person overpower the praise of hundreds. She also shares about why she's her ideal customer. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: The oldest piece of machinery that she has in her print shop Where she learned her love of printing Her background prior to starting Bruno Press and how losing her dad lead her to taking over his print shop How she decided on the product line she wanted to create The backstory behind her logo How she essentially fell into wholesale & working with sales reps Her personal journey to not letting the criticism of one person overpower the praise of hundreds Her first experience at the National Stationery Show What the design process looks like for Mary Mary's work as an advocate for her local creative community How Kid Collab got started Mary's advice for anyone just starting out in a product-based business KEY TAKE-AWAYS: " I inherited my love of big iron machines from my dad. I dig how machines like this were built to last." - Mary Bruno "This ain't Hallmark. I want to print the cards that nobody else is printing." - Mary Bruno "Sometimes I feel like if I don't offend someone my shit ain't doing its job." - Mary Bruno "I didn't know there was other people making cards like me so I felt super alone in that for a long time. I just kept my head down and kept printing and people kept buying." - Mary Bruno "If I'm not goo goo staring at this card for the next three days then I shouldn't even bother printing it." - Mary Bruno "A lot of the success that I've had with my business has been because of the support of my community and I don't want to take that for granted and I want to give back and I want to make this community better." - Mary Bruno "The working with kids thing has been awesome. That's something that fills my cup." - Mary Bruno "It's interesting when you get into because it's what was presented to you rather than something you sought out because you were so into it. The fact of the matter is that if my dad was a shoe cobbler or like a freaking offset printer my life would be a lot different. Maybe I'd be cobbling some shoes right now. I can't say for sure that I wouldn't." - Mary Bruno "I say my target audience is me. It has been from day one and it is still. I think that is sort of what defines my work." - Mary Bruno "I print what I think is cool or funny or needed or lacking in stores or whatever the case may be." - Mary Bruno "A lot of people helped me along the way and I want to be like that as well for people coming up because hopefully people will continue this forever and snail mail won't ever go away and tangible cards will be a forever thing." - Mary Bruno CONNECT WITH MARY: Website: http://www.mcbrunopress.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrunoPress/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brunopress/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Bruno_Press?lang=en LINKS: Kid Collab BOOTH BLUEPRINT: If you're gearing up for trade show season and need help creating a beautiful booth that doesn't break the bank, I want to invite you to my free masterclass. I'm sharing my three secrets to maximize your trade show investment and keep wholesale orders coming in long after you trade show end. To join me for this FREE workshop, head to www.theboothblueprint.com to register! 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 sustaina

On this mini episode, Katie Hunt reiterates something Brice McBeth of Reap marketing talked about on Episode 62 of Proof to Product — the difference between search engine optimization and conversion rate optimization. Here's what we learned from Brice: Search engine optimization is driving traffic to your website. Conversion Rate Optimization is getting people on your website to take action & buy. Brice shares a lot of great ideas and strategies in episode 62, if you haven't listened yet I highly recommend it. There's so much more to dive into here, so Brice and I will be hosting a free online masterclass next month to talk about why SEO is a hoax. And, how you can be leveraging your existing marketing to get more customers. If you to be notified about the details when we open registration. Head to http://www.tradeshowcamp.com/join and make sure you're on our mailing list.