Posts in pep talk
Your products aren’t for everyone. And, that’s ok with Katie Hunt

There’s a lot of talk on the internet about knowing your ideal customer, but a lot of it doesn’t resonate with me. Maybe you feel this way too?

On Episode 63, Mary Bruno shared how she is her ideal customer. And, that she focuses on creating things that she loves & that she finds funny even if it doesn’t resonate with everyone.

It got me thinking about something I’ve talked about in the past in my emails, but I’m not sure I’ve talked about it on the podcast.

Your products aren’t for everyone. And, that’s ok.

In fact, it’s fantastic. You don’t want to be everything to everyone.

Just like Mary talked about past ideas falling flat, sometimes you’re going to make duds. Or, sometimes what you make is going to appeal to a smaller audience.

You make beautiful products, that are likely handcrafted or personally designed by you. You have your own unique style & aesthetic that you’re continuing to develop.

Instead of feeling like you need to appeal to the masses, I want you to focus on four key areas:

– I want you to focus on reaching your unique customer base — fill a void or provide a solution specifically for the

– I want you to focus on developing your own style, point of view and a strong, extensive product line.

– I want you to focus on creating work that feels good to you, that you’re proud of and that you want to put your name on.

– I want you to focus on making the best decisions for your business, without worrying about what everyone else thinks. I want you to make decisions for your business without looking around at what others are doing in their businesses or feeling like you need to follow the crowd.

I know these things are easier said than done, but the strongest brands, the ones that build profitable, sustainable businesses are creating unique products that they are passionate about. They put their heads down when they are designing and try not to be influenced by others. They also recognize that their work is special and may not resonate with everyone. And, that’s ok.

I’d love to have you weigh in on this discussion in our free Proof to Product Facebook group. How do you stay motivated and create work you love and build a brand that includes that work? How do you tune out the noise and ensure that you’re not being influenced by others when you’re designing new work? Join us here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/prooftoproduct/

But you guys. Please remember, that your products aren’t for everyone. And, that is more than ok.

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056 | Enhance your Etsy Shop with Kelly Parker Smith, Hello World Paper Co.

Kelly Parker Smith is a multi-talented business owner and creative artist. Kelly is a rubber stamp designer and manufacturer living just outside St. Louis. She has grown her shop, Hello World Paper Co., with the idea that great products become even better when paired with top-notch customer service, a little surprise and delight, and the perfect packaging!

Kelly is also the co-host of the Creative Biz Rebellion podcast where she and Caroline Hull show other business owners how to build, maintain, and grow a profitable online shop through their podcast and online workshops. In her free time Kelly enjoys painting and drawing on her iPad Pro and is soon to release her second fabric collection with Sweet Bee Designs fabric company.

On today’s episode Kelly is sharing how she juggles multiple arms of her business – manufacturing stamps, designing fabric and mentoring through her podcast. We also talked about time management, prioritizing profitable tasks and setting boundaries to protect our time. Kelly also share three strategies for enhancing your Etsy shop.

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045 | Taking breaks in business with Caroline Hull, Caroline Creates

TSBC alum Caroline Hull is the founder of Caroline Creates.  A designer and owner, Caroline has a background in music and was actually a ballet dancer at the University of Oklahoma before finding her niche in design and podcasting. Caroline has a passion for helping other small business owners like herself through her podcast, Creative Biz Rebellion.

On today’s episode, we’re talking about switching gears in business, the benefit of taking a break to really reassess how you’re feeling about things and she also shares how past experiences shaped who she is and what she’s doing today.

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044 | Overcoming personal & social challenges in business with Heather Haynie & Dani Antol, Rock Paper Scissors

Heather Haynie and Dani Antol are the owners of Rock Paper Scissors, a custom invitation and paper goods shop in Charlottesville, Virginia. Rock Paper Scissors is the go-to destination for locals and visitors alike looking for laugh-out-loud greeting cards, journals, dec accessories, calendars, planners and modern gifts.  

On today’s episode we talk about a wide range of topics including what it takes to run a retail storefront, how they divide responsibilities as business partners and what success looks like for each of them. We also got personal. Dani shares her story of battling cancer. We also discuss how Heather & Dani were able to unify their local community after the hateful rallies in Charlottesville.

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42 | Misconceptions around clutter with Beth Penn, Bneato Bar

Beth Penn is a professional organizer, speaker and life hacker. She is the founder of Bneato Bar, a professional organizing service whose clients range from corporations looking for big-picture management solutions to busy individuals simply flooded with email, paper or stuff in their home. Beth has been featured in Real Simple Magazine, Oh Joy!, DesignLoveFest, and more, and has collaborated on projects with Style by Emily Henderson and Apartment Therapy.

On today’s episode we’re talking about misconceptions people have around cluttering and organization, and how to get started with decluttering.

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041 | Overcoming creative blocks with Melanie Karlins, Grey Moggie

TSBC alum, Melanie Karlins of Grey Moggie started letterpress printing in 2008 as a creative outlet while she was in law school, and later taught letterpress classes at a local art center. In 2011 she started selling her products at local craft fairs and picked up wholesale accounts through her Instagram feed. Today, Grey Moggie is Melanie’s full-time job and her greeting cards are sold in stationery and gift shops all over the United States, including Paper Source

On today’s episode, Melanie is sharing how retail craft markets shaped her business and product line, how she overcame creative blocks, and why her definition of success shifts with different seasons in her life.

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036 | Outsourcing product manufacturing with Cara Underwood, Underwood Letterpress

Cara Underwood is the owner of Underwood Letterpress which is a lifestyle brand offering custom work and stationery & gift products to the wholesale and retail markets. Cara attended Paper Camp in 2014 when she was undergoing a transition in her business – shifting from custom work and deciding whether wholesale was something she wanted to go into. Since then, Underwood Letterpress’ greeting cards, paper goods and gift items can be found in stores nationwide. Cara and her products have been featured in major design publications including Domino Magazine, Design Love Fest, Apartment Therapy and Martha Stewart Weddings.

On today’s episode we’re talking about outsourcing manufacturing, building relationships and living life with no regrets.

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035 | Discontinuing wholesale with Gia Graham, Betsywhite Stationery

Gia Graham is the founder of Betsywhite Stationery. Gia started her first stationery business in 2005 and has been undergone major transitions over the last 12 years. She’s renamed and rebranded her business, shifted from custom work to ready-made products, ramped up wholesale to the point she was working with big box stores and multiple reps and most recently she’s scaling back and slowing down.

On today’s episode we’re talking about how Pinterest helped her business, the importance of faking it until you make it, and why she chose to discontinue her wholesale line.

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025 | Avoiding the comparison trap with Debbie Lee, Penelope's Press

On today’s episode I’m interviewing Debbie Lee of Penelope’s Press, a letterpress print studio founded in Chicago and now based in Southern California. Debbie opened her business in 2009 selling on Etsy and doing custom wedding work, then later launched to the wholesale market. She shares her important story of how getting sick forced her to scale back in her business and gave her a newfound perspective of how she was spending her days. She talks about her struggle to say no to new opportunities, why her family is at the center of her business decisions and why she didn’t let comparison deter her from her path of slow growth.

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23 | Misconceptions around productivity & goal setting with Jon Acuff

New York Times Best-selling author, Jon Acuff has written five books including his most recent, FINISH which focuses on goal setting and follow-through . Jon has helped some of the biggest brands in the world tell their story, including The Home Depot, Bose, Staples, and the Dave Ramsey Team. He’s spoken to hundreds of thousands of people at companies such as Microsoft, Nissan and Comedy Central.

On today’s episode we’re talking about misconceptions around productivity and goal setting, how to set yourself up for success and why it’s ok to let yourself be bad at certain things!

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018 | Refueling with business retreats with Bryn Chernoff, Paperfinger

Today’s guest, TSBC alum, Bryn Chernoff is the owner, calligrapher and creative director of Paperfinger. Paperfinger offers a range of distinctive and elegant contemporary calligraphy for weddings, events, branding & design. Bryn also teaches calligraphy on Skillshare and in workshops across the country. Bryn’s work has been featured in numerous publications including Martha Stewart Wedding, Real Simple, Esquire and Brides to name a few.

During this episode we talk about transitioning from a day job into your business full time, finding your unique voice and point of view when creating your work and how business retreats are a great way to refuel and find clarity in your business.

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011 | Mindset shifts as a creative business owner with Rachael Hetzel, Pistachio Press

Rachael Hetzel is the owner of Pistachio Press, a boutique letterpress printing and design studio based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 2007, Pistachio Press produces a wholesale line of sweet and slightly snarky stationery products that are sold nationally and internationally. Pistachio Press also creates social invitations, business stationery, and prints commercially for a variety of clients. She’s been a Tradeshow Bootcamp speaker since 2011 and is an excellent teacher and mentor for creative entrepreneurs. On today’s episode Rachael and I dish about mindset shifts that come with more experience as a business owner, juggling running a business with small children in tow and why we feel it is important to give back to our industry.

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008 | Infusing personal interests into creative work with Briana & Jason of Brainstorm

Owned and operated by Briana Feola and Jason Snyder, Brainstorm is a print shop and collaborative design studio rooted in the production of original art prints inspired by science, nature, and the outdoors. Briana & Jason have done some creative collaborative projects with big brands such as Lollapalooza, Patgonia, Airstream trailers and an upcoming project with L.L. Bean. On today’s episode Briana and Jason talk about how their love of learning inspires their work, using a strong brand to attract the right clients and why your business should always be in some state of transition.

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