173 | Creating Social Change Through Products & Intentional Business Practices with Betsy Garcia, Bloomwolf Studio

Hey friends! I am really excited for you to listen in to today’s episode with Betsy Garcia of Bloomwolf Studio. Betsy was on her way to medical school when she decided she wanted to pursue the small business life and sell her art. Bloomwolf Studio is a Latina owned & operated illustration and design studio based in Orlando that strives to create change through art and messaging.

In this powerful and transparent episode, Betsy and I talk about the mission behind Bloomwolf and how Betsy and her husband Luis actively weave their personal beliefs into their everyday business practices.

Betsy shares details about developing and expanding her product line, including mistakes they made in their first product runs.

We also talked about business finances. At the beginning of 2020, Betsy and Luis set out to increase their annual revenue by 25% and they exceeded this in the first 8 months of the year. Betsy talks about tools they use to track their financial progress and what they’ve done to pivot their business model to stay on track with these financial goals, despite the pandemic.

And, we capped off the convo talking about TikTok. How she’s using it to promote her brand and products, how she gained 7,500 users in her first month on the platform and what she does to plan out her marketing for the year.

ON TODAY’S EPISODE:

Why she decided to start a business instead of pursuing medical school
How they got started with zero background in business
Their process of developing their first products
How Betsy decided which products to add into her line
Why she’s decided to be more vocal about social issues and the action steps they’re taking
Her process for planning out her marketing strategy
How she and Luis decided to reach for a 25% increase in annual revenue
What they’ve done to pivot this year to stay on track toward financial goals
New things they’ve implemented that weren’t in their 2020 plan
Where they’re currently at in their revenue goal
Tools they use to track their financial progress

Download These Quotables to Save and Share

KEY TAKE AWAYS

“Start small, do the minimums. You're going to pay a higher price per piece to start, but you can test the market. .” - Katie Hunt

“We've just tried to be more intentional with new products and introduce things little by little.” - Betsy Garcia

“A lot of times people are afraid to speak up for fear of losing business.” - Betsy Garcia

“A lot of our values have to do with hope, acceptance and really making our customers feel celebrated. “ - Betsy Garcia

“People can't stop us from what we're trying to achieve.” - Betsy Garcia

“With our marketing, nothing is ever set in stone. Things are always changing.” - Betsy Garcia

“TikTok feels like a fun and imperfect way to just connect with people, be yourself and show some things that you might not have otherwise shown.” - Katie Hunt

RESOURCES:

Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine

MEET BETSY:

Bloomwolf Studio is a Latina owned & operated illustration and design studio based in Orlando, Florida.

Launched by husband and wife, Luis Sosa and Betsy Garcia, Bloomwolf Studio was started in November of 2015 after Betsy forewent her plans of applying to medical school. With the unwavering support of Luis, and no formal art training, Betsy began illustrating again in the summer of 2015, after not doing so for many years. This period helped renew her passion for art and helped cement her purpose, pushing her to follow her dreams of pursuing art as a career. Since then, thanks to Betsy’s passion and determination and Luis’s continued support, Bloomwolf Studio has evolved into the creative business it is today and has exhibited at national trade shows, participated in hundreds of pop-up markets, and their products are carried in over 400 small shops and boutiques nationwide. Bloomwolf’s small, but mighty team of three is now based in sunny Orlando.

CONNECT WITH BETSY

Webite: bloomwolfstudio.com | Instagram: @bloomwolfstudio

Facebook: @bloomwolfstudio | TikTok: @bloomwolfstudio

Connect with Katie Hunt

Katie Hunt is a business strategist, podcaster, mentor and mama to four. She helps product based businesses build profitable, sustainable companies through her conferences, courses and coaching programs.

Website: prooftoproduct.com | Instagram: @prooftoproduct