Podcast — Proof to Product | Wholesale Sales & Marketing Strategy for Product Brands

Posts in wholesale

166 | Connecting with Customers with Kate Murray, Quick Brown Fox Letterpress

Hey friends! As we all continue to navigate through this pandemic it’s important that you continue to connect with your customers and build strong relationships with them.

Something as simple as checking in with your wholesale clients or retail customers can go a long way in making them feel cared for. That’s exactly what today’s guest, Kate Murray of Quick Brown Fox Letterpress has done to make sure she’s supporting her customers.

In this episode, Kate shares her story of how she got started in the printing industry. She talks about how she saved an old letterpress from the scrapyard and spent three months bringing it back to life. Kate and I talk about the various trade shows she’s done and her different revenue streams. She also discusses the biggest challenges she faces within her business and her plans for expanding her product line beyond just stationery.

tradeshows, wholesaleKatie HuntAugust 11, 2020Comment

164 | Building a Multi-Faceted Creative Business with Amber Kemp-Gerstel, Damask Love

Hey friends! Have you ever wondered what it might be like to turn your hobby into a business? That’s exactly what today’s guest, Amber Kemp-Gertstel did and today she came on to talk about her journey in the crafting industry.

Amber is a powerhouse. Not only does she have a blog called Damask Love but she also runs YayDay Paper Co., selling digital products and leveraging a subscription model. You might recognize her from NBC’s TV show, Making It (she was a finalist in 2018) or from being the host of Disney Family Sundays on Disney+.

In this episode, she talks about how she got into her business and how she was able to start working with big brands in the industry. She shares some tips for how she sends pitches and why you have to make it really easy for people to say, ‘yes!’

We also talk about why representation matters and how the creative community can step up to uplift other artists, crafters and makers of color. This is very important work that we’re taking seriously at Proof to Product and I appreciated her for sharing her thoughts and opinions about how we can take steps forward with grace (even though we may make mistakes along the way).

wholesale, Operations & Sales, marketingKatie HuntJuly 28, 2020Comment

163 | Coaching with Katie: Which Revenue Stream Should I Focus On?

163 | Coaching with Katie: Which Revenue Stream Should I Focus On?

Hey friends! I know right now has been a very confusing time for so many of us... I actually brought on Meg Sutton today for a hot seat episode to really dive deep into where she should be focusing in her business.

You might be familiar with Meg as she has been on the podcast a few times before and is a long time client of mine. Meg Sutton is the boss lady and doodler behind Belle and Union and As her company has evolved and COVID has changed the economy, she’s felt unsure of where she should be focusing her time and energy to ensure long-term stability for her business.

We take a look into her numbers including income percentages, expenses, the challenges she’s facing and her future goals. We did an exercise and I gave her some of my best advice to help her gain some clarity around what channels of her business she should make her priority.

The chat I had with Meg revealed some things that she could focus on and think about over the next few months. I advised her to take a deep look at what she could do to cut down expenses in her brick and mortar shop and why she should do some forecasting when looking into her next brick and mortar location. I know many seasoned business owners are facing similar situations to what Meg is going through right now so I wanted to share this conversation in hopes it could inspire you and help bring clarity for you in your own business!

Operations & Sales, wholesale, customKatie HuntJuly 21, 2020Comment

160 | Creating Sister Brands with Stephanie Clarke, Dahlia Press & Chloe Clarke Paper

160 | Creating Sister Brands with Stephanie Clarke, Dahlia Press & Chloe Clarke Paper

Splitting your company into two sister brands is not for everyone. However, it could be an option for you if you are finding yourself with very different product offerings (and a discrepancy in exactly who you're targeting). That was the case for today’s guest, Stephanie Clarke.

Some of you might remember Stephanie as she’s been on the podcast before. If you need a refresher, make sure to go back and listen to Episode 21 where we talked about how she’s built her team and her packaging solutions. Stephanie is the founder of two sister brands, Dahlia Press and Chloe Clarke Paper. Dahlia Press is her wholesale and direct to consumer business and her new brand, Chloe Clarke Paper was created for custom work such as wedding invitations and branding projects.

In this episode, you’ll get to hear her story of what inspired her to split her company into two different brands. This has been a great move for Stephanie both personally and professionally and she shares how it’s improved the quality of her life and business.

Stephanie gives us insight into what she did to make this dream a reality including who she leaned on for support during this transition and the things she did to make it go as smoothly as possible. If this is something you’ve been considering for your business, you’ll want to listen closely as she shares her advice on moving forward with this transition.

Operations & Sales, wholesale, customKatie HuntJune 30, 2020Comment

155 | Using a Fulfillment Warehouse with Jomana Siddiqui, Pences Design Studio

155 | Using a Fulfillment Warehouse with Jomana Siddiqui, Pences Design Studio

How amazing does it sound to have someone else take over your packing and shipping needs? Think about it… How many hours a day (or even a week) could that save you?

Having a fulfillment warehouse that takes care of this for you could lend you time in your busy schedule. It might even be able to save you money in the long run. In this episode, I had the pleasure of talking about that with Paper Camp Alum, Jomana Siddiqui.

Jomana is the creative behind 3, yes you heard that right, 3 different businesses. She runs a graphic design business called Pences Design Studio, a retail business named modernEID all while authoring a lifestyle blog.

We get into what her experience was with working with a manufacturing company in China. Plus, the hiccup she faced after working with them. She shares how using a fulfillment center changed her business for the better. Jomana also discusses how connections and being in the right place at the right time can help land partnerships with brands you dream of working with.

Operations & Sales, wholesaleKatie HuntMay 12, 2020Comment

Special Edition | Greetabl Rolls Out Platform Partner Program

Special Edition | Greetabl Rolls Out Platform Partner Program

I was on the phone with Zoe Scharf of Greetabl this morning and we decided to hit record on our conversation.

As you may remember, Zoe is one of our Paper Camp alumni and she was on episode 50 of Proof to Product telling her start up story, then she came back for episode 88 where she talked about email sequences and how they love on their clients.

Today we’re talking about a new program that Zoe and the team at Greetabl are launching to support small business owners and independent makers called The Platform Partner Program.

Listen on for details about how the program works, how you can apply and what Zoe feels optimistic about during this Covid-19 pandemic.

wholesale, pep talkKatie HuntMarch 26, 2020Comment

148 | Coaching with Katie Hunt: Expanding Into New Product Categories

148 | Coaching with Katie Hunt: Expanding Into New Product Categories

Hey friends! Has the thought of expanding into new product categories crossed your mind lately? You aren’t alone! In fact, today I had on a Paper Camp alumni for a live coaching session where we chat ALL about her hopes to expand into new product categories. It can be pretty scary to try to logistically plan for expansion but I think today’s episode will be really helpful for all of you who are looking to bring on more products to serve your people.

What are the first steps to this process? For today’s guest, Tomi Hill of Little Happy Things, we broke down the steps she needs to take to make this happen and since it was a coaching episode, I gave her my advice and some homework so she could start taking action right away! I challenged her to start thinking and dreaming big about the new product category she’d want to layer in and to start setting some goals around that.

We broke through some of the barriers that have been holding her back and had a frank discussion about diving deeper into the people you really want to serve. At the end of the day, it’s about recognizing WHO your customer is at the core - what kind of solutions are you providing for them? What problems do they have that your products solve? What stores do they shop at? We also touch on digging into the financials (because knowing your numbers is key to success) and looking through your numbers from both a retail and wholesale lense.

wholesale, productKatie HuntMarch 24, 2020Comment

144 | Coaching with Katie Hunt: When should I launch to wholesale?

144 | Coaching with Katie Hunt: When should I launch to wholesale?

Hey friends! We’re going to be switching things up a little for today’s episode. I’ve decided that once a month we’ll be airing a live coaching session with one of my coaching clients or a Paper Camp alumni on the podcast. It’ll be a short, hot seat format coaching session where the guest will talk about what they’re working on and what they need help with. I’ll be giving them my candid off the cuff advice, recommendations and even some homework because we’re all about taking action!

For our first live coaching episode, I was joined by Paper Camp alumni, Shirlee Fisher of Quiet Lines Design. She has a few hesitations and questions about the timing of her launch and the wholesale market. We work through the three things she needs to prepare and make ready before the launch so she can launch her products confidently.

In this episode, we chat about lining up your launch with the release cycles of the stationery industry, why having 40+ SKUs will help you get more customers and why sometimes you have to wait until things are ready.

tradeshows, wholesale, productKatie HuntFebruary 25, 2020Comment

Special Edition | NY Now & NSS 2020 (Part 2)

Special Edition | NY Now & NSS 2020 (Part 2)

Part 1: Last week I took a whirlwind trip to New York to visit with more than 40 of our Paper Camp alumni who were exhibiting at NY Now and the National Stationery Show. It was so exciting to see everyone’s hard work live and in person — their new products were innovative, their booths were beautiful and their confidence was shining through. It was awesome.

While I was there, I was able to grab some time with a handful of our alumni to talk shop about the show, goals they set and how they plan to follow-up after the show.

We’re breaking this into a two-part series. The first part features several of our veteran exhibitors from the Paper Camp family including Rebekah from Wild Ink Press, Christina from Public School Paper Co, Beth from Little Goat Paper Co, Jeni from E. Frances Paper and Juliana from Good Juju Ink.

In Part 2 on Thursday, we’re sharing interviews with Paper Camp alumni who were exhibiting in the emerging artists’ section as well as first-time exhibitors! Today’s show features Rachel from Hazel & Dolly, Chandler from Joy Paper Co, Lisa from Rhino Parade, Janine from Kwohtations, Tammie from Tiger Pocket Press and Juana from Loteria Press.

tradeshows, wholesale, productKatie HuntFebruary 20, 2020Comment

Special Edition | NY Now & NSS 2020 (Part 1)

Special Edition | NY Now & NSS 2020 (Part 1)

Last week I took a whirlwind trip to New York to visit with more than 40 of our Paper Camp alumni who were exhibiting at NY Now and the National Stationery Show. It was so exciting to see everyone’s hard work live and in person — their new products were innovative, their booths were beautiful and their confidence was shining through. It was awesome.

While I was there, I was able to grab some time with a handful of our alumni to talk shop about the show, goals they set and how they plan to follow-up after the show.

We’re breaking this into a two-part series. The first part features several of our veteran exhibitors from the Paper Camp family including Rebekah from Wild Ink Press, Christina from Public School Paper Co, Beth from Little Goat Paper Co, Jenn from E. Frances Paper and Juliana from Good Juju INk.

In Part 2 on Thursday, we’re sharing interviews with Paper Camp alumni who were exhibiting in the emerging artists’ section as well as first-time exhibitors! Today’s show features Racheal from Hazel & Dolly, Chandler from Joy Paper Co, Lisa from Rhino Parade, Janine from Kwohtations, Tammie from Tiger Pocket Press and Juanna from Loteria.

tradeshows, wholesale, productKatie HuntFebruary 18, 2020Comment

143 | Bootstrapping Success with Cecily Moore, The Paper Curator

143 | Bootstrapping Success with Cecily Moore, The Paper Curator

For Cecily Moore, her business, The Paper Curator, started as a blog and over time, transitioned into a product based business. She first began her journey while working at a job and trying to find the next step in her career. She thought, “why not start a blog?” From there she began to document the creative endeavors she pursued in her everyday life before launching her first products.

She gives us a breakdown of her first craft show experience, her Paper Camp journey and what she’s learned from attending the show. We chat about how putting ample effort into her research and development has helped her build a sustainable business.

Today’s episode dives deep into what it means to bootstrap your business and build everything from the ground up. She talks about how she decides whether to invest in equipment to help her create her products, how bootstrapping has integrated into her wholesale strategy and budget and what it’s been like scaling her handmade products into wholesale.

tradeshows, wholesale, productKatie HuntFebruary 11, 2020 Comment

129 | Owning 2 brick & mortar shops and wholesale business with Katie Wilson from Crush, Touch & The Good Twin

129 | Owning 2 brick & mortar shops and wholesale business with Katie Wilson from Crush, Touch & The Good Twin

This week on Proof to Product we’re bringing you not just one, but TWO episodes with two special Paper Camp Alumni who are sharing what it’s like to run a manufacturing business and brick and mortar retail shops simultaneously. Today on Episode 129, Katie Wilson, founder of The Good Twin, and owner of two Los Angeles-based retail shops, Crush and Touch, returns to the show to share what it’s like to be a buyer, how being a retailer has changed over the years, and how she markets her own wholesale line to other buyers.

You might remember Katie from Episode 6 of Proof to Product where she first shared her startup story with us. If you haven’t heard that episode yet, it’s definitely worth heading back for a listen. Katie’s had an amazing business journey, and over the years, she has been a contributor to many tradeshow recap episodes, a frequent speaker at our Paper Camp conference and an incredible mentor to many in our industry. We’re thrilled to have Katie back today to share more of her experience and we hope you take away some great nuggets of advice. Coming up tomorrow, Episode 130 with Meg Sutton of Belle & Union.

wholesale, product, Operations & SalesKatie HuntOctober 28, 2019Comment

127 | How I moved our team's emails & drive files to a new domain in under an hour with Katie Hunt

127 | How I moved our team's emails & drive files to a new domain in under an hour with Katie Hunt

If you were following our rebrand earlier this year, you probably remember that there were two technical pieces that really scared me as we were rolling out the rebrand.

The first was switching over our Instagram handles and making sure that we were keeping our larger account as our primary account for Proof to Product going forward. You can hear how I did that here on a past podcast episode.

The second thing was switching over our email accounts. And I don't know why this made me so nervous. I think it was because we were on the Google platform and we had so many files in Google Drive -- calendars, files, etc. I felt like it wasn't just switching the emails, it was also making sure all of those files migrated over to wherever we needed it to go. I basically wanted everything packaged all nicely under our new Proof to Product domain.

After several months of dragging my feet, I made the switch in two phases.. I did it myself in Google Suites and it took me less than an hour. I was pleasantly surprised with how simple the process was, so I want to share the steps with you here:

product, wholesale, Operations & SalesKatie HuntOctober 14, 2019Comment

126 | Knowing you’re enough with Kelly Higdon of Calibrate Your Year

126 | Knowing you’re enough with Kelly Higdon of Calibrate Your Year

A few weeks ago I posted a poll on Instagram asking how many people out there were also feeling pulled in too many directions. More than 50 responses came in, 100% agreeing they felt overwhelmed and overscheduled. It might be the time of year, it might be the season of business, but I think we can all agree we need to find a way to create some blank space on the calendar. To handle this situation, I asked my friend Kelly Higdon of Calibrate Your Year to join me on Episode 126 of Proof to Product.

For some background, Kelly is a former psychotherapist turned business coach who helps entrepreneurs grow their business without the soul suck. She believes that a successful business is one that contributes to a happier life and when she isn't working, she's traveling with her family, dabbling in art and listening to live music.

On today’s episode, Kelly and I talk about burnout. We talk about knowing you're enough within your business, and Kelly share how she manages to block off over 200 days a year for rest and family time. Yep… you read that right… 200!!!

product, wholesale, Operations & SalesKatie HuntOctober 7, 2019Comment

125 | Moving from wholesale to licensing with Erin McManness of Paper Raven Co.

125 | Moving from wholesale to licensing with Erin McManness of Paper Raven Co.

As product-based business owners and entrepreneurs, so many of us are under constant pressure to juggle the design and operations sides of our businesses. It can be hard to focus on both moving product and creating the designs for that product, especially when we’re juggling online, wholesale and licensing accounts. Turns out, you don’t always have to do it all. Today’s Proof to Product guest, Erin McManness, is a Paper Camp alumni who’s lived every side of the business and decided to stick to the parts that are most fulfilling for her. I’m excited for you to hear her story.

Erin is an illustrator working in Atlanta, Georgia. She's been freelancing full time for five years under her brand Paper Raven Co., which started as a small greeting card line and now includes licensing for an assortment of cards, gifts, fabrics, and home décor. Erin incorporates her values and love for the environment in her work by printing all of her cards on 100% recycled paper in the United States. She also donates $1 from every sale to her reforestation partner, One Tree Planted. Over the course of her career, Erin has collaborated on projects with companies like Macy's, Target, Trader Joe's, Publix, and Aldi. In October, she's releasing her second book, The Art Starts In The Heart: An Inspirational Guide To Making Meaningful Art.

On Episode 125, Erin and I sit down to cover all of the above. We talk about how Erin has built the licensing arm of her business, the pros, and cons of flat rate and royalty payments and why she's made the decision to ramp up her licensing arm and slow down on the wholesale side. We also talk about Erin's new book, so enjoy!

product, wholesale, Operations & SalesKatie HuntSeptember 30, 2019Comment

120 | Managing a wholesale & retail e-commerce shop with Kaitlin Fontenot, Kait Studio

On the Proof to Product Podcast we cover so many topics, from marketing and operations to tradeshows and product launches, but today I’m super excited to have Kaitlin Fontenot on the show to talk about what every product-based business absolutely needs to be successful in our modern world - a well-built eCommerce platform. Kaitlin is the founder and lead designer of Kait Studio, a branding and web design company specializing in retail. Kaitlin is passionate about helping entrepreneurs feel more confident with their online presence so that they can show up in other areas of their business where they are needed daily. In addition to running a successful studio that develops e-commerce sites, as well as digital marketing, social media, and branding strategies, Kaitlin is also a mom and head of a rapidly growing team.

On Episode 120, Kaitlin and I sit down to talk about how you can best prepare before building an e-commerce site and ways to manage both online wholesale and retail shops. We talk about hiring, building a team with intention, and the importance of delegation. Kaitlin and I also discuss some misconceptions some product-based business owners have about e-commerce platforms and she shares a few important social media marketing strategies you definitely should start leveraging today.

wholesaleKatie HuntSeptember 9, 2019 Comment

119 | Sustainable sourcing in fashion with Kelly Shanahan, The Ziran

Behind every great business is an even better story. Kelly Wang Shanahan, creative director and founder of the Ziran fashion design company has just that - an amazing story. Kelly officially started her line in June, 2016 after becoming disillusioned with the luxury fashion industry, particularly its waste and fast fashion mentality.

While researching ancient fabric techniques in China, Kelly discovered a special fabric called Xiang Yun Sha silk and instantly fell in love with its luxurious beauty and cultural significance. Today all Ziran pieces are made from this special silk, which is imported from China, and designed and manufactured locally by Kelly in Los Angeles.

Today on Episode 119 of Proof to Product, Kelly shares the long process of finding the silk, building a relationship with the silk boss in China, and gaining exclusive rights to use it with our products. Kelly shares her passion for sustainability, what inspired her to keep going through this long process, how she leverages story and influencer marketing, and why relationships are a key component to business success.

product, wholesaleKatie HuntSeptember 2, 2019Comment

118 | NY Now & National Stationery Show Summer Recap with Katie Hunt

118 | NY Now & National Stationery Show Summer Recap with Katie Hunt

This past week I traveled from Los Angeles to New York for two trade shows — the National Stationery Show and New York Now. We had just over 35 alumni exhibiting between the two shows, and while I was there, I had the chance to catch up with them about their exhibiting experiences.

Today’s compilation episode features interviews with 8 of our Paper Camp alumni. We talk about why each chose to exhibit where they did, they walk us through their decision-making process, what their goals were for the show and… tips they want to share with you all! Hope you enjoy!

tradeshows, wholesaleKatie HuntAugust 26, 2019Comment

111 | Realizing You Don't Want an Empire with Kiwi Schloffel, Craft Boner

On today’s episode of Proof to Product I’m sitting down with a gal I greatly admire, who I have had the pleasure of working with for a few years now through Paper Camp and my Proof to Product Mastermind coaching program. Meet Kiwi Schloffel, the brains and brawn behind Craft Boner, a stationery gift brand with the sole focus of making people chuckle. That’s a common theme in greeting cards, Kiwi takes it seriously. Her goal, in her own words, “Is to make you laugh. Not in the ha-ha-I’m-being-polite kind of way but actual big belly laughs that make your eyes water and give you an annoying stomach cramp because you just can’t stop.”

Over the course of the last eight years, Kiwi opened a retail space then decided to leave that retail space. She expanded her product line to more than 300 SKUs across multiple product categories and then recently discontinued over half of those products. She amassed an Instagram following of over 16,000 people just like that, and today we are talking about all of it. Kiwi and I sit down to talk about the transitions, the fears, and how making these shifts have allowed her to do fewer things even better within her business. Kiwi acknowledges that she's still figuring out her next steps, and that’s why this interview is so important. At the end of the day, no matter how successful, aren’t we all just trying to figure it out? I hope you enjoy this fun episode!

product, wholesaleKatie HuntJuly 8, 2019Comment

5 Tips When Applying for Scholarships with Katie Hunt

5 Tips When Applying for Scholarships with Katie Hunt

Scholarship applications for our Paper Camp conference opened today, July 5th and will stay open until July 12th so I wanted to hop on here and share 5 tips for how to put your best foot forward when applying for scholarship opportunities, like ours.

A little background first…. Giving back is an important piece of the Proof to Product mission and we offer one full tuition scholarship to each and every Paper Camp conference and e-course that we offer.

Since 2011, I’ve awarded over $100,000 dollars worth of scholarship funds to our students. And, in that time my husband and I have reviewed tons of scholarship applications.

Here are our 5 ways to stand out in your scholarship application.

wholesale, tradeshowsKatie HuntJuly 5, 2019Comment