342 | Replacing a 6-figure Revenue Stream with Ready-Made Products for Wholesale with Alyson O'Connor, Rust Belt Love
Have you ever wanted to make a transition in your business, but you resisted because the thing you wanted to move away from was bringing in the largest chunk of revenue for your business? I have definitely been there, and so has today's podcast guest.
Alyson O'Connor is a classically trained visual artist specializing in nature-inspired illustrations, stationery, and gifts. She runs Rust Belt Love with her husband Nick in Buffalo, New York. Alyson draws and designs, and Nick prints, often on their 100-year-old letterpresses. After closing their retail stationery during the pandemic, they launched their wholesale line of heart center greeting cards and gifts in 2021. Alyson made an even tougher decision to close the wedding arm of her business, which we'll talk about today. Rust Belt Love’s products can now be found in over 1,000 stores worldwide.
Alyson is a Paper Camp alum and a member of my Advisory Board mastermind. She's an active member of the Greeting Card Association of America,and she's the committee chair of the industry's Louie Awards.
Today, we're talking about how Alyson pivoted away from a 14-year career making custom wedding invitations, and how she replaced her 6-figure custom revenue stream with ready-made products sold to the wholesale market. Alyson candidly discusses the transformation of her business model in response to the challenges that the pandemic brought on, including how and why she embraced a wholesale approach. This strategic shift wasn't just about business survival, though. It was also driven by a desire to regain control over her work-life balance, especially given the demands of family life.
Today’s episode is sponsored by our Unlock Buyer Secrets Interview series. To make a strong first impression with wholesale buyers, we need to do a few things really well:
We need to make it easy for stores to purchase from us
We need to have clear pricing and terms & conditions
We need to clearly communicate and add value at each touchpoint
We need to focus on building strong relationships with our customers.
And all of this becomes infinitely easier when we actively listen to our customers. This on-demand interview series will give you a competitive edge by providing an exclusive window into what buyers want and need from you. And, the best part, its only $27 bucks.
MEET ALYSON
Alyson O’Connor is a classically trained visual artist specializing in nature-inspired illustrations, stationery, and gifts. She runs Rust Belt Love Paperie with her husband, Nick in Buffalo, NY, in the heart of the Rust Belt. Alyson draws and designs, then Nick prints, often on their 100-year-old letterpresses. After closing their retail stationery shop during the pandemic, they launched their wholesale line of heart-centered greeting cards and gifts in 2021. Rust Belt Love Paperie products can now be found in over 1000 stores worldwide. Alyson is an active member of the Greeting Card Association of America and the committee chair of the industry’s Louie Awards. They live in the suburbs of WNY with their two young children and a rambunctious dog.
CONNECT WITH ALYSON
WEBSITE: http://www.rustbeltlove.com | INSTAGRAM: @rustbeltlove
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
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