230 | You May Want to Turn Off Zip Code Protection on Faire with Genesis Duncan | Graphic Anthology
230 | You May Want to Turn Off Zip Code Protection on Faire with Genesis Duncan | Graphic Anthology

For most designers and makers, our relationships with retailers can make a major difference in our businesses. And unfortunately, the programs we use to sell to retailers don't always have our best interests in mind. In the case of Faire, one of my favorite wholesale marketplaces, their default settings can actually limit your reach and prevent retailers from reordering the products they love.

In this episode, I’m talking to designer, illustrator, and store owner Genesis Duncan about her experience being both a retailer and a wholesaler. She’s sharing the mindset shift that happened when she got to see the industry from the other side. Plus, she’s explaining how zip code protection in Faire might actually be limiting your business.

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229 | Which Business Insurance Do You Need? with Katie Hunt
229 | Which Business Insurance Do You Need? with Katie Hunt

Insurance. It’s admittedly one of the least fun parts of owning a product based business, but it’s also one of the most important.

No one wants to imagine a disaster in their business, but they happen, and it’s best to be prepared. If you’re unable to work, your business gets sued, or your equipment breaks, you’ll be glad you set up a safety net well in advance.

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228 | 4 Strategies to Combat Imposter Syndrome with Katie Hunt
228 | 4 Strategies to Combat Imposter Syndrome with Katie Hunt

Imposter syndrome is very common in the entrepreneur space. That feeling that we haven’t truly earned the success we’ve had. Imposter syndrome can mean feeling like a fraud or phony — like we’re not truly talented or good at what we do.

In this episode, I’m sharing a sneak peek into one of my monthly coaching calls inside the Proof to Product LABS program. During these calls, I answer pre-submitted member questions about how to run - and grow - a product based business. In this call, I shared four strategies for combating imposter syndrome, avoiding burnout, and building your confidence as a business owner.

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227 | Paid Advertising for E-Commerce Brands with Alexander Rossman | Rossman Media
227 | Paid Advertising for E-Commerce Brands with Alexander Rossman | Rossman Media

Feeling confident with your organic digital marketing and ready to scale even further? Why not dip your toe into the world of paid advertising? Paid digital marketing might sound intimidating, but with a solid strategy and clear goals, it can truly help you increase exposure and leads for your e-commerce business.

In this episode, I’m talking to Alex Rossman, founder of Rossman Media, an award-winning social media agency, about the ways small e-commerce brands can leverage paid advertising in their businesses. He’s sharing his tips for getting started with paid ads, which platforms are the most beneficial right now, and how much money you need to invest in your ads to see results.

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226 | Using SEO for Product Forecasting & Development with Jessica Freeman | Jess Creatives
226 | Using SEO for Product Forecasting & Development with Jessica Freeman | Jess Creatives

We all know that Search Engine Optimization is vital to ranking on Google and attracting website traffic. But if you’ve never worked on your site’s SEO, where do you start? How do you find the right keywords? And once you find those keywords, where do you put them?

In this episode, I’m talking to SEO expert Jessica Freeman of Jess Creatives about how you can use SEO to attract new customers to your website. She’s sharing her workflow for finding and implementing the right keywords, and she’s also explaining how you can use SEO in your product development process.

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225 | 4 Steps to Optimize What's Already Working in Your Business with Katie Hunt
225 | 4 Steps to Optimize What's Already Working in Your Business with Katie Hunt

Oftentimes in business, we set our sights on the next big thing–the next product, the next launch, the next program–that we forget to rethink the systems that are already working in our business. But most of the time, those systems could run even better and make us even more profit with just a few small tweaks. Take a listen for my four-step brainstorming exercise to help you identify what’s working in your business and make minor adjustments to improve your systems even further.

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224 | Find Hidden Money in Your E-commerce Shop with Reese Spykerman | Design By Reese
224 | Find Hidden Money in Your E-commerce Shop with Reese Spykerman | Design By Reese

Your business has a lot of moving parts. It’s easy to let opportunities to make a little extra money (or eliminate sneaky expenses) slip right past your radar. So how can you optimize your revenue and minimize those “leaky pipe” expenses? The answer is right on your website!

In this episode, I’m talking to e-commerce conversion expert Reese Spykerman about all the hidden places you can find extra money in your business. She’ll share her tips for crafting a beautiful and functional e-commerce website, and we’ll chat about a few of the trends we’re seeing in the online business world right now.

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223 | Budgeting & Forecasting for Product Development with Katie Hunt [LABS sneak peek]
223 | Budgeting & Forecasting for Product Development with Katie Hunt [LABS sneak peek]

You want to develop a new product, but how do you know how much to spend on supplies? It can be tricky forecasting for upcoming product drops, especially for products you’ve never sold before. But with the right data, you can make educated estimates about your upcoming products to order supplies and budget with confidence.

In this episode, I’m sharing a sneak peek into one of our monthly coaching calls inside the Proof to Product LABS program. During these calls, I answer pre-submitted member questions about how to run - and grow - a product-based business. In this call, I helped members forecast their spending for project development and budget for upcoming launches - even years in advance.

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222 | Repurposing Your Instagram Video Content with Natasha Samuel, Shine with Natasha
222 | Repurposing Your Instagram Video Content with Natasha Samuel, Shine with Natasha

Do you feel like social media is a chore? Many people I talk with find Instagram to be draining but know it’s an important part of their sales and marketing so they keep posting and creating content. But what if using Instagram could be a way for you to begin meaningful conversations with your audience?

In this episode, I’m joined by Natasha Samuel, host of The Shine Online Podcast and an Instagram Strategist that helps small businesses shine online. Natasha shares Instagram trends you should pay attention to, how to use video to showcase your products, strategies specifically for product based businesses and why even introverts can create videos with confidence.

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221 | What It Takes to Run A Brick & Mortar Business with Jen Palacio, Tiny Turns Paperie
221 | What It Takes to Run A Brick & Mortar Business with Jen Palacio, Tiny Turns Paperie

If you’re like many of the people in our LABS and Paper Camp communities, you’ve pondered the idea of opening a brick & mortar shop for your business. In this episode, you’ll hear from Jen Palacio, owner of Tiny Turns Paperie, a brick & mortar shop in Somerville, MA.

Jen uncovers what brought her to the idea of opening her own brick & mortar shop and some of the misconceptions people have about owning a physical store. She talks about how she intentionally set boundaries and the shifts she made during COVID to ensure her business survived. She also shares her thoughts looking back and why she wishes she had prioritized hiring a team sooner.

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220 | Navigating Supply Chain Issues, Shipping Delays and Labor Shortages with Katie Hunt
220 | Navigating Supply Chain Issues, Shipping Delays and Labor Shortages with Katie Hunt

The upcoming holiday sales season is upon us! The worldwide shipping delays, supply chain issues and labor shortages have been causing some massive challenges for small businesses everywhere, particularly for physical product businesses. Take a listen to hear my 5 action steps you can take to prepare yourself so you don’t face as many disruptions in your sales as we head into the holiday season.

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219 | Visibility Isn’t Your Problem With Brittney Lynn, Human Connection Agency
219 | Visibility Isn’t Your Problem With Brittney Lynn, Human Connection Agency

Think visibility is your problem? It’s probably not! In this episode, I am welcoming back third-time guest, Brittney Lynn, CEO of the Human Connection Agency. We break down the core fears people have about being visible and how to make the most out of your visibility.

Brittney drops so many gems from her public relations knowledge about pitching, how to prioritize visibility and why the world needs your message. She and I chat about how PR has been during the pandemic and how you can use PR to reach your goals whether that be growing your brand authority or getting more sales for your business.

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218 | Over 50% Of Her Annual Profit Comes From One SKU With Megan Fowler, Brown Parcel Press
218 | Over 50% Of Her Annual Profit Comes From One SKU With Megan Fowler, Brown Parcel Press

If you’ve been itching to grow your business then you’ll love today’s inspiring episode with Megan Fowler of Brown Parcel Press. In 2020, Megan’s business exploded and she saw over 300% growth. Even more impressive, just one SKU accounts for over 50% of her business’ annual profits.

In this episode, Megan shares how she leaned into her passion and ultimately started her now thriving business. She talks about her strategies for loving on her customers and how she’s leveraged both our Paper Camp and LABS communities (along with a lot of hard work and determination) to build the business she has today.

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217 | How to Exit and Sell Your Business with Chelsea Clarke of Blogs for Sale
217 | How to Exit and Sell Your Business with Chelsea Clarke of Blogs for Sale

Whether you’re in the infant stages of your business or you’ve been running it for 10+ years, you may have had the thought at one point or another of making an exit.

Selling your business can be an appealing thought, but is it right for you? In this week’s episode, I had a conversation with Chelsea Clarke of Blogs for Sale and Her Paper Route. Chelsea explains everything you need to know about selling a business and her tips on how to prepare your business for an eventual sale.

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215 | Growing a Multi-Faceted Business while Managing a Chronic Illness with Morgan Swank, Morgan Swank Studio
215 | Growing a Multi-Faceted Business while Managing a Chronic Illness with Morgan Swank, Morgan Swank Studio

The challenges of running a business can be numerous. For those living with chronic illness, there are even more nuances to navigate, especially when it comes to listening and working with your body’s natural rhythm.

In this episode, I was joined by Morgan Swank of Morgan Swank Studio. Morgan is a longtime student of our LABS community and a Paper Camp alumni. She and I discussed what led to her decision to start her paper goods brand. Morgan also gives us insight into what it’s like to be a business owner with a chronic illness and her journey of licensing her products in big retail stores.

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214 | Leaving a Corporate Career with Desiree Perez, Paper Anchor
214 | Leaving a Corporate Career with Desiree Perez, Paper Anchor

Considering making an exit from your corporate career? If you feel like you’re almost ready to make that jump then you’ll want to take a listen to this episode to know exactly what to prepare for as you make the leap!

In this week’s episode, I chat with Desiree Perez of Paper Anchor. Desiree made this transition herself in January of 2021 and she takes us through her journey of how she knew she was ready to do it, how her experience has been so far and what she’s preparing for now as she is in the process of hiring her first employee.

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213 | 4 Ways To Increase Your Product Profit Margins With Katie Hunt
213 | 4 Ways To Increase Your Product Profit Margins With Katie Hunt

Are you ready to put money back into your pocket? In this episode, I am uncovering how you can do just that by increasing your products’ profit margins.

I will walk you through everything that you need to know about profit margins from a micro-level. As a business owner, you’ll want to observe the profit margins for many reasons but it can be especially important when it comes to knowing what sells, what should be discontinued and to help fuel your strategic decision-making.

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Operations & Sales, wholesaleKatie HuntComment
212 | The Art of Storytelling for Your Business with Michelle Knight, Brandmerry
212 | The Art of Storytelling for Your Business with Michelle Knight, Brandmerry

Storytelling is such a powerful way to connect with your customers. Our current and prospective customers want to know the people behind the brand, why you make the products you do and what your brand stands for.

In this week's all new episode of Proof to Product, I chat withMichelle Knight of Brandmerry. She takes us on the path to discovering how to create a more authentic connection with our customers through storytelling; and how this type of marketing will provide you with more income and impact.

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marketing, pep talkKatie HuntComment
211 | Why She Hired a Graphic Designer to Create Her Product Line with Ashley Brown, Routine & Things
211 | Why She Hired a Graphic Designer to Create Her Product Line with Ashley Brown, Routine & Things

One big lesson I learned over the past year: the importance of routines! I crave a routine and to be honest, before now, I don’t know if I ever realized how deeply I needed routines. When we were thrown into the pandemic and our school, work and household routines were constantly in flux, I saw the influence that routines had.

In this episode, I’m chatting with routine expert, host of the Routine & Things Podcast and founder of Routine & Things, Ashley Brown. Routine & Things is a product based business company that equips women to consistently live their happiest life one routine at a time. She opens up about how she began this business based on her personal struggles as a stay-at-home mom.

Ashley shares her insights into why she decided to hire a graphic designer for her products instead of creating them herself. She talks about her experience with gaining press and her strategy for getting her brand featured in the media. We also talk about the incredible giveback program she did with She Rises for Mother’s Day.

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