153 | Coaching with Katie Hunt: How to Set Financial Goals for Your Business
153 | Coaching with Katie Hunt: How to Set Financial Goals for Your Business

Hey friends! You might know that you need to set financial goals for your business. But maybe you feel like you have absolutely no idea where to start. Maybe you feel overwhelmed even thinking about it? Whatever the case, if that sounds like you then you’re in for a treat with today’s live coaching session. I caught up with Paper Camp alumni, Jessica Baskin to give her the low-down on setting financial goals for your business.

Jessica got real about the financial mindset challenges she’s been facing and together, we broke them down. I offered her a few actionable steps she could take to get her more aligned with her numbers. We talked about how she could get clear on who she’s speaking to which would improve her marketing efforts (and in turn get her closer to those financial goals).

This conversation uncovered a few of the best practices for determining what your highest and best use products (or services) for your business. Of course, I also gave Jessica some homework around her financial goals where she’ll be taking a look at the good, better and best financial number goals. This is essential because if you know your goals, you know exactly what to aim for.

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152 | Chasing the Bright Side with Jess Ekstrom, Headbands of Hope
152 | Chasing the Bright Side with Jess Ekstrom, Headbands of Hope

Hey friends! With the current state of our world, I thought it’d be great to bring someone on the podcast who radiates optimism and confidence. In this episode, you’ll be hearing my conversation with Jess Ekstrom, founder of Headbands of Hope and the author of Chasing the Bright Side.

Jess and I dive deep into how she’s built her business and it’s growth over the past eight years. Through her years in business, she’s learned how to find new solutions to support her customers on both the retail and wholesale side.

We also talk about how she’s had to pivot her business during this time which prompted her to host a virtual conference. She shares how she got the co-founder of Netflix to speak at her conference (pretty cool, right?!) She also talks about why she believes in “throwing darts and seeing what sticks” in her business.

We get into what it truly means to chase the bright side. She gives her advice about maintaining your childlike optimism throughout life. Jess and I discuss how to use downtime to recenter yourself (which can bring forth more creativity and innovation!)

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151 | Proactively innovating through tough times
151 | Proactively innovating through tough times

Last week I shared how I’m getting back to basics and what I’m focusing on in my business right now. And, today I’m bringing some of my mastermind clients back on the show to talk about how they are proactively taking steps to diversify and strengthen their business.

Today’s episode features Lisa Sarmento from Tiramisu Paperie, Kiwi Schloffel from Craft Boner and Sara McNally from Constellation & Co. and Snail Mail Superstar

Some key take-aways that I want to point out from today’s episode:

This episode is a great example of how different companies have been affected by covid-19.

It is also a great reminder that while there are a lot of things happening around us right now that we CAN NOT control. There are a lot of things we do control. We do have power to make changes to our products, shift our messaging and pivot how we’re supporting our customers.

I’m really proud of these ladies, and everyone in my mastermind group for being agile and creative in how they are doing business right now. We all need to keep pushing forward — and they are doing just that.

Be sure to check out our #papercampalum hashtag on Instagram to see new products, promotions and behind the scenes of the small businesses in our Paper Camp community.

I’ve also included the links to today’s guests in our show notes -- thanks for supporting small businesses!

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150 | Getting Back to Basics
150 | Getting Back to Basics

Hey friends! As much of the world is currently in isolation and practicing social distancing, I wanted to encourage you. I hope this episode will help you find direction in this uncertain time and remind you to keep pushing forward. To be completely honest, my head was spinning with things that I wanted to say but I know we’re all facing completely different circumstances.

None of us have ever faced something like this before and we’re all going through something different from one another. Business advice isn’t a one size fits all and what works for one person may not work for someone else so today I want to share what I’m doing in my business in case it’s relatable or helpful for you.

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Special Edition | CARES Act Resources for Small Businesses
Special Edition | CARES Act Resources for Small Businesses

I sat down with my financial planner, Mary Beth Storjohann today to talk about financial relief and resources for small businesses available through the CARES Act.

Today we’re talking about the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (also called EIDL), the Paycheck Protection Program (also called PPP) and the Deferral of Payment of Payroll Taxes.

This is an ever evolving situation right now, so Mary Beth is sharing the current details with us today, April 3rd.

Remember to stay calm, I know things feel stressful right now but there a a variety of options and forms of aid available to all of us. I encourage you to reach out to your CPAs & financial planners to figure out which plans are best for you. And, if you decide to apply for PPP, apply with the bank that you’re currently doing your business banking with.

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149 | Let's encourage one another with Katie Hunt & Friends
149 | Let's encourage one another with Katie Hunt & Friends

Kristen Ley recently asked me and our peer mastermind group to come together for a free webinar to support & encourage other small business owners. It was such an amazing conversation that I asked Kristen if we could rerun the audio version here on our podcast, so today’s episode is just that.

Today’s episode features feedback from me, Kristen Ley of Thimblepress, Tonya Dalton of Inkwell Press, Jenn Jett of The Well Summit and Myrna Daramy of Myrna & Co.

We discuss how we’re handling COVID-19 in our own businesses, recommendations for other small business owners, how to serve your customers, what to prioritize right now and we even share how we’re navigating working from home with children.

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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.

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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.

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147 | Expanding products enhanced her brand with Rebecca Townsend, Seaside Designs
147 | Expanding products enhanced her brand with Rebecca Townsend, Seaside Designs

Have you ever considered how building a strong brand can make you stand out and ultimately help your business stand the test of time? Today’s guest is Paper Camp alumni Rebecca Townsend. Rebecca is the owner and creative director of Seaside Designs. She literally built her whole business around her love for the beach and sea. Pretty fascinating, right?

The business didn’t always come easy and she’s had to overcome many ups and downs through her entrepreneurial journey. She rode the rocky tides of being a business owner and now she’s riding the waves of success. In this episode, she shares her story of navigating a huge rough patch that made her shut down her business and the story of her resurrecting it and bringing it back to life.

We talk about her experience of overcoming burnout and figuring out a way to work smarter, not harder. She shares her research and development process for products and how she balances the financial risks of expansion (you might be surprised to hear how she does it). Rebecca gives her advice for other business owners who want to expand into new product categories and shares what’s next for Seaside Designs including why she’s decided to focus on sustainable packaging.

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146 | Leveraging point of sale systems in a brick & mortar with Biff Ulm, MN Nice Enough
146 | Leveraging point of sale systems in a brick & mortar with Biff Ulm, MN Nice Enough

Hey friends, have you ever considered how you could leverage point of sale systems for trend tracking and buying decisions? Biff Ulm, founder of MN Nice Enough came on the podcast today to share how he uses technology to help grow his business and how he relies on the help of sales reps to ensure his store is stocked with products that are a fit for his customers.

Biff has a rich background in the product based business industry and has seen all sides of it including owning his own brick and mortar business, selling eCommerce, doing wholesale, as well as creating his own products. He’s done it all and has a vast wealth of knowledge in this line of business.

In this episode, we talk about everything from the challenges he’s faced from having multiple streams of revenue, what numbers he tracks, how he cultivates wholesale relationships and the importance of studying what bigger brands are doing in their businesses.

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145 | Transitioning From Etsy to Your Own Website With Rebecca Inkrote, Bex Marie
145 | Transitioning From Etsy to Your Own Website With Rebecca Inkrote, Bex Marie

Today’s guest Rebecca Inkrote has a fantastic story that I can’t wait to share with you guys. She gives her insight on the best ways to transition from a third party platform to your own website (plus how to build brand recognition and steps to make it go smooth).

Rebecca got her start in the creative entrepreneur space when she started making soaps as a hobby. It quickly turned into a business that brought her into Facebook groups with other handmade business owners and it was there where she recognized how much she could help entrepreneurs in this space.

As a graphic designer, she was well versed in the areas of technology and found this niche of hers to be an area she could stand out in. In this episode, Rebecca shares how she stumbled into this path, the growing pains one can face when transitioning from a third party platform to their own website and the benefits of having your own eCommerce website.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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142 | The Hourly Rate of Exhibiting at a Trade Show with Katie Hunt
142 | The Hourly Rate of Exhibiting at a Trade Show with Katie Hunt

Hey friends, when you’re building your wholesale business there’s no doubt that you’ll be headed to trade shows to get your product out there and in front of the right buyers. The reality is, trade shows are expensive and you don’t want to waste a single minute while exhibiting. 

In this episode, I reverse engineer what it really costs to exhibit at a trade show from an hourly rate perspective. This will help you to realize how much every hour counts while exhibiting and the importance of using your time to connect with others, write orders and doing market research. It’s not the time to be admiring other people’s products or talking to your booth neighbors (there’s plenty of time to do that during break down or set up or even after hours). I talk about why you need to know your numbers, how Paper Camp helps attendees to know where to save money and where to splurge during shows and the importance of preparation.

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141 | Bookkeeping Strategies with Greg Higdon, Grow the Books
141 | Bookkeeping Strategies with Greg Higdon, Grow the Books

Does the thought of bookkeeping make you feel uneasy? I know that for so many creatives, knowing your numbers and doing your bookkeeping can feel a bit overwhelming. That’s why I brought on today’s guest because let’s face it... The reality is that even though numbers aren’t always our favorite, they are essential for knowing your business’ financial health and profitability.

Today you’ll hear from Greg Higdon, founder of Grow the Books, a bookkeeping company for small businesses. Greg helps entrepreneurs with a done for you service but he also helps those who want to DIY to understand what they need to know about reconciling their numbers.

We explore the topic of bookkeeping and how you’ll know when it’s time to outsource this task to someone else. We also talk about what questions you should ask before hiring a bookkeeper, the importance of setting aside time to do your bookkeeping and why sometimes you need to have someone outside of your business looking at the numbers. 

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140 | Adding products to a service based business with Robin Long, The Balanced Life
140 | Adding products to a service based business with Robin Long, The Balanced Life

Today we’re so happy to have Robin Long on for Episode 141 of Proof to Product. Robin is the founder of The Balanced Life,  a website that provides quick and effective Pilates workouts for busy women. Robin made the transition from the traditional teaching model of working in studios, gyms and training private clients to serve her clients online. 

On today’s episode, Robin shares how she shifted from the more traditional service offering into a successful membership model for her service based business. She tells us why she has decided to grow her business slowly and organically - ensuring that she’s building a business that fits her lifestyle and brings her joy. 

Robin and I dive into how she’s used drop shipping to add additional income streams to her business and why she decided to create physical products for her service based business. She opens up about her experience with building her team including why going on maternity leave has helped her to put more strategic systems in place. We talk about setting boundaries, hesitations she had before moving to a membership model and her advice for someone who is just getting started in business. 

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