Posts in product
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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pep talk, productKatie Hunt Comments
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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wholesale, productKatie HuntComment
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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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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tradeshows, wholesale, productKatie HuntComment
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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tradeshows, wholesale, productKatie HuntComment
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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tradeshows, wholesale, productKatie HuntComment
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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tradeshows, wholesale, productKatie Hunt Comment
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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139 | Letting go of sales reps, employees & downsizing her product line with Kristen Ley, Thimblepress
139 | Letting go of sales reps, employees & downsizing her product line with Kristen Ley, Thimblepress

Happy 2020 friends! For our first episode back in the New Year, my friend Kristen Ley of Thimblepress is back on the show. Kristen was first featured on Episode 4 of Proof to Product back where we talked about how she fell into business backwards and discussed tips on partnerships and collaborations. That episode was recorded back in early 2017 and since then, Kristen has done a lot of soul searching and ridden the waves of transition and upheaval in both her business and personal life.

On today's episode, Kristen bravely shares what she learned from her journey. She talks about why she decided to let go of all her sales reps, say goodbye to 15 employees, downsize her warehouse and office space and discontinue over a hundred SKUs in the Thimblepress line. Kristen not only shares her journey of reevaluating what she wanted to get out of her business, but also how she implemented those changes.

Today's episode is a heartfelt one full of advice, wisdom and encouragement for anyone feeling stuck in their business or worried about the changes they need to make. Friends, remember this is your business. You set the rules and at any time you can decide to go a different way. I hope Kristen's story helps you and I hope you enjoy it.

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Operations & Sales, productKatie HuntComment
138 | Shifting the maker mindset with Genesis Duncan, Graphic Anthology
138 | Shifting the maker mindset with Genesis Duncan, Graphic Anthology

When we first start our businesses, more often than not, we don’t have the big picture idea of what our brand or business will look like down the road. So many of us embark on this so-called maker’s journey, where we truly discover our strengths, opportunities, and long term vision for our business. Lucky for us, one of our talented Paper Camp alumni, Genesis Duncan of Graphic Anthology, is joining us today on Episode 138 of Proof to Product to share her experience and advice for other makers on the path. 

Based in Portland, Oregon, Genesis started Graphic Anthology in 2010 with just three art prints and an Etsy shop. Almost a decade later, her product line has grown to include a wide range of greeting cards and gift items that focus on joy, simplicity, and strengthening relationships with those you love most.

Today's episode is a powerful one and I know it will resonate with many of you. We talk about how Genesis started her business as a creative outlet and hobby, and why she had to shift her mindset and step into her role and title as an entrepreneur and business owner. Genesis also shares how adding a line of Spanish greeting cards was not only beneficial to her business, but also her personal development.

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135 | The economics of selling products with Michelle Loretta, Sage Wedding Pros
135 | The economics of selling products with Michelle Loretta, Sage Wedding Pros

Remember your high-school economics class? Okay good, because today’s episode is going to be nothing like that. Today we’re making numbers, margins, pricing and market metrics fun with Michelle Loretta, a business consultant, financial strategist and founder of Sage Wedding Pros. Before launching her own business, Michelle worked as an accountant for Deloitte, sales and marketing manager for DDLA and merchandiser for Coach. Since then, she’s applied her corporate and entrepreneurial expertise to wedding businesses worldwide and launched herself onto the live-event space as a frequent speaker at professional conferences. 

Through Sage Wedding Pros, Michelle also produces her own next-level summit known as The Be Sage Conference. I have had the privilege of attending twice, once as a speaker, and it truly is an amazing program. For those of you who don’t want to miss it, Michelle’s next conference is coming up in Austin in February of 2020. 

On today’s episode, Michelle and I talk about business planning, the economics of selling products and how financial decisions in your business affect your operational plans. Promise, whether you’re creative or business minded, this episode will inspire you to start drafting all of your next big business plans. 

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132 | Creating great photos & social media content with Alisha Cohen, LISH Creative
132 | Creating great photos & social media content with Alisha Cohen, LISH Creative

Today we’re lucky to have Alisha Cohen on Episode 132 of Proof to Product. Alisha is the founder and creative director of LISH Creative, a content agency for vibrant lifestyle and hospitality brands. Alisha took the leap to found her company in 2016 when she realized she had to leave agency life to break out on her own. Since then, Alisha and her team have created content for some of the world's leading brands including Nickelodeon, Nestle, General Mills, Facebook, Dunkin' Donuts, Delta Airlines, and Benefits Cosmetics. 

On today's episode, Alisha shares her start up story and how she grew her business through determination and grit. She tells us how she taught herself to take professional photos using just her iphone and to create engaging content for social media. Alisha and I also talk about tips for preparing for photo shoots, the importance of having a shot list and helpful photo editing apps. We dive into what’s working and not working on social media today, how Alisha has now moved from having an in person team to a virtual team and all of the challenges that go along with that. 

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product, Operations & Sales, marketingKatie HuntComment
130 | Balancing a Brick & Mortar Shop and Wholesale Line with Meg Sutton of Belle & Union
130 | Balancing a Brick & Mortar Shop and Wholesale Line with Meg Sutton of Belle & Union

Are you ready for round two? Because we are! This is the second of two special episodes this week, featuring Paper Camp alumni who are taking us behind the scenes of what it’s like to run a manufacturing business and brick and mortar retail shops simultaneously. Tuesday, on Episode 129 we heard from the Los-Angeles based, Katie Wilson. Now today, on Episode 130, I’m sitting down with Meg Sutton, the founder of Belle & Union, based in San Antonio Texas.

Meg first shared her startup story back on Episode 7. If you’re curious about how Meg launched Belle & Union and the motivation behind her products, definitely head back to give that episode a listen. Today we’re diving even deeper into Meg’s business journey. We’re sitting down to talk about how Meg decided to open her brick & mortar shop, how she layered that into her existing business model, and how she keeps perspective through it all.

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product, Operations & Sales, marketingKatie HuntComment
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.

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wholesale, product, Operations & SalesKatie HuntComment
128 | Utilizing an Ambassador Program with Danielle Nagel of Dazey LA
128 | Utilizing an Ambassador Program with Danielle Nagel of Dazey LA

Being a product based business owner takes a lot of creativity on all fronts- in your designs, in operations, your marketing and how your reach people and tell your story. Now there are so many different platforms and technologies it can be hard to know where to start or which platform to choose. On today’s Proof to Product episode with Dani Nagel, the founder of Dazey LA, we sit down to talk about the importance of finding platforms that work best for your creativity and that start your kind of conversation. 

Dani founded Dazey LA as a fashion brand focused on empowering women through conversation and community. She intentionally built a business that supports her personal values. Each design is hand drawn by Dani and then manufactured to order in Los Angeles, California. 

On today's episode Dani and I talk about how her corporate and startup experience shaped her business perspective. We discuss sustainability, community building, and how Dani built Dazey LA from the ground up. Dani talks about how transparency and showing behind the scenes processes of her marketing and product development has helped her business. And we dive into Dazey LA's ambassador program, which tools they use, how they structure it, and how it has helped them build the retail side of their business. 

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product, Operations & Sales, marketingKatie HuntComment
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:

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product, wholesale, Operations & SalesKatie HuntComment
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!!!

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product, wholesale, Operations & SalesKatie HuntComment
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!

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product, wholesale, Operations & SalesKatie HuntComment
124 | How do I know if a store is a good fit for my products with Katie Hunt
124 | How do I know if a store is a good fit for my products with Katie Hunt

You’ve likely heard me say this here on the Proof to Product podcast and in our emails, but I’m a firm believer that relationships are the key to running and building a successful business.

Everyone from our team to our customers, to our colleagues, to our vendors plays a significant role in our personal growth as well as the development of our company. Your relationships with wholesale buyers are no exception.

BUT HOW DO YOU FIND THE RIGHT STORES?

HOW DO YOU CONNECT ON A PERSONAL LEVEL WITH THE BUYER?

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF A STORE IS A GOOD FIT FOR WHAT YOU SELL?

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123 | Packaging Your Products without breaking the bank with Katie Hunt
123 | Packaging Your Products without breaking the bank with Katie Hunt

Can we talk about product packaging for a minute? You want your products to look unique and stand out from the crowd, but you don’t have to break the bank to do it.

There are so many packaging options available, and it’s important to know when to follow the crowd and use standard packaging and when to get creative and do your own thing.

Ultimately, your product packaging must make it easy for the end customer to understand what your product is and how they can use it. And, from a business standpoint, you want to ensure that your packaging looks great, is scalable and doesn’t cut into your profit margins. Here’s where to focus.

- Keep it Simple

- Keep it On-Brand

- Keep Costs Down

We dive into each of these during today's episode.

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