185 | 4 Questions to Jump Start Your Strategy Planning with Katie Hunt

Hey friends! Have you started your 2021 strategy planning yet? This was a question that I asked my Proof to Product LABS community and 55% of people who responded said yes while 45% answered no.

I know this year has been very different and the thought of planning for next week or even next month can lead to total overwhelm but yearly business planning is essential for your business’ livelihood.

That’s why I walked you through 4 steps to getting started with a simple business audit including 3 questions you have to ask yourself when strategizing for the new year! This is phase one of strategy planning and I shared phase two inside of the LABS community so if you want to hear that be sure to join our community and look out for the December group coaching replay.

Read More
184 | 18 Million Thanks with Juliana & Ryan Kissick, Good Juju Ink

Hey friends! You’re in for a fun episode today. I have Juliana and Ryan Kissick on the show to chat about their business, Good Juju Ink. Juliana founded Good Juju Ink in 2014 and the company is now run by herself, husband Ryan and their dear friend Marina Lieban.

The trio attended Paper Camp Conference in 2018 and it has been so much fun to watch their business blossom since. I was thrilled to talk to them in this episode about an amazing campaign they’ve been working on since the start of the pandemic called 18 Million Thanks.

You’ll hear how they’ve incorporated a give-back program into their business model, their experience working with sales reps and the challenges they’ve faced as their business has grown. Juliana and Ryan share their perspectives on how they divide their responsibilities among each other and how you can get involved in their campaign to send handwritten thank-you notes to America’s 18 million healthcare workers.

Read More
183 | Selling Your Business with Mary Beth Storjohann, Workable Wealth

Hey friends! Today’s episode was actually recorded in March of 2020 and given the topic, we didn’t feel it was appropriate to air it when it was originally scheduled to be released. However, the story is really powerful and important so I wanted to share it with you and hope you gain the inspiration for how you can grow your business any way you want!

Thinking about selling your business? Even if you’re still in the early stages of entrepreneurship or if you’ve been at it for quite some time, it’s never a bad idea to at least consider the thought of one day selling your company. That’s why I invited on a past guest, Mary Beth Storjohann of Workable Wealth.

Mary Beth was on the podcast for episode 28 and we talked about money misconceptions and the importance of knowing your numbers in business… Well, that has all paid off for her and today we talked about what it was like to sell her business. She shares the nitty-gritty of the decision-making process, how she weighed out the pros and cons, concerns she had and what non-negotiables she made sure were included in the contract (like the ability to work remote and live in Italy for 3 months out of the year!)

We discussed how her definition of success has evolved from the early days of business to now. She shares how this process gave her a glimpse into who she was and what was most important to her and she ultimately shares her candid advice to those who may be thinking about selling their business one day (and why you absolutely need a lawyer to help you with the process).

Read More
182 | How She Got 34,000 More Views on Her Website Using Pinterest with Rachel Ngom

Hey friends! I am really excited to be sharing the conversation I had with Rachel Ngom who is a business and lead generation expert. Rachel has a super interesting backstory where she went from being on food stamps with negative $400 in her checking account to running a multiple six-figure online business.

Rachel shared her entrepreneurial journey and what led her to where she is today. She talks about how she increased her web traffic by 34,000 views per month using Pinterest! She also shares her advice on using content to create a strong customer experience and putting yourself into the mind of your audience.

She and I discuss the importance of mindset work and professional development and why this is incredibly important for business growth. You’ll also hear her tips on tools to use in your Pinterest strategy, what challenges she faced within her own business and why she recommends people use Pinterest as a part of their marketing strategy.

Read More
marketingKatie HuntComment
181 | 6 ways to sell physical products with Katie Hunt

Hey friends! Last week I got an email asking, “Do people really make money selling paper products and gift items?” I was floored! Based on the latest stats that I saw, the consumer products industry accounts for more than $635 billion with stationery alone raking in $8 billion.

The answer is an astounding yes. There are so many opportunities in this industry to make a good living and build a profitable and sustainable business. Many independent brands are pulling in over six and seven figures annually.

Hear the 6 ways that people are making money selling their physical products in this episode. I break down each one and give a few thoughts on each strategy and give a little bit of advice on choosing a path to get started.

Read More
180 | Exhibiting as an Emerging Artist with Jean Marie Sanchez, Little Feet's Opus

Hey friends! I’m really excited for you to listen in on today’s episode with Jean Marie Sanchez of Little Feet’s Opus. The story behind Jean’s products is truly remarkable - each of them stems from personal stories of the strong women in her life and spreads joy, empowerment and relatable life moments.

Jean made an intentional goal to create products that are both inclusive and diverse. In our conversation, she talked about the ah-ha moment she had where she realized there was space in the market for a line of products.

She shares her experiences in the Emerging Artists section of NSS for two consecutive shows including the pros and cons of exhibiting as an emerging artist versus having your own booth. We also talked about how Jean defines success through the impact she makes on others.

Read More
179 | How to Host an Instagram Giveaway with Becca Stevens & Alison Tsang

Hey friends! If you’ve considered joining the Proof to Product LABS community then you’ll enjoy today’s episode. It’s a really fun sneak peek of what we’re doing inside the LABS community as I shared a snippet of a live Coffee Chat we had with our members on the things that they’re trying within their business.

Our Coffee Chat conversations cover a wide range of topics but in this episode, you’ll hear a small segment from our most recent session focused on Instagram Giveaways. I spoke with two business owners who have experience in hosting giveaways, Alison Tsang of Love Through Letterpress and Becca Stevens of Botanical Bright.

These two generously shared their experiences with recent Instagram giveaways. They touched on their goals, the structure they used for the campaigns, technology tools they used to assist and the outcomes they had. We all shared our opinions on the best time to do a giveaway, group giveaways and strategies to incentivize your customers during the purchasing process.

Read More
marketingKatie HuntComment
178 | 7 Ways to Enhance Your Customer Journey with Katie Hunt

Hey friends! Today’s episode is focused on 7 ways you can enhance your customer journey. Oftentimes we’re so focused on capturing the sale and everything leading up to it. In reality, your customers’ journey begins the moment that they learn about you.

This means the customer journey could start weeks or months before they ever step foot into your store or open your website to look through your shop. That’s why it’s critical to nail down the customer journey so you can create a tribe of raving fans for your brand. Take a listen, jot down some notes and begin to think about some of these tips and how you can implement them in your business to strengthen your customer’s experience.

Read More
marketingKatie HuntComment
177 | Covid Check-in with a Brick & Mortar Shop Owner with Biff Ulm, MN Nice Enough

Hey friends! Today’s guest is a familiar voice on the podcast. This conversation was with none other than Biff Ulm of MN Nice Enough and retail shop Zaiser’s. I had a conversation with Biff earlier this year, pre-COVID (episode 146 if you want to take a listen) and it seems like it was an eternity ago!

I was so happy that Biff agreed to come back on to discuss his personal journey of being a store owner during the time of COVID. In this episode, Biff shares how his store sales have fluctuated this year and how his buying strategies have shifted from larger orders that were further out to smaller, more consistent orders. Biff talked about the new marketing strategies that his team and he have implemented to build relationships with their shop customers.

Be sure to listen closely to the two golden nuggets that Biff shared on not being afraid to fail and making a statement with your products!

Read More
176 | Stop Relying on Social Media to Pitch Your Products with Mei Pak, Creative Hive Co

Hey friends! I am super excited for you to listen in on today’s conversation with Mei Pak, founder of Creative Hive Co. and Tiny Hands. She’s been running her creative, handmade business since 2006 and coaching makers since 2014. She even taught her husband how to start selling personalized art and now makes over $55,000 per month in sales!

Mei is all about creating a consistent income without relying too much on social media. In this episode, you’ll hear the 4 steps for pitching your products to media outlets and the difference of proactive versus reactive marketing.

She talks about leveraging Facebook ads to generate sales and why she recommends learning, testing and DIYing over hiring an agency. We also touched on why you HAVE to know your numbers and ensure that your products are priced correctly before jumping into paid advertising.

This episode is jam-packed with SO much tactical, strategic advice and concrete examples - so grab a notebook and let’s dive in!

Read More
175 | Feeling Fragmented with Katie Hunt

I know 2020 hasn’t been an easy year for any of us so I wanted to share a quick episode with you today about feeling fragmented.

This was a vulnerable episode for me to record, because I’m sharing my personal experience of feeling depleted and unfocused.

But, having talked with close friends, colleagues, clients and members of my communities -- I know I’m not alone in this.

People are tapped out. We’re exhausted. We’re mentally, emotionally and physically drained.

Take a listen to hear my experience with feeling fragmented this year and 5 important things to keep in mind as we continue to navigate through this “new normal”.

Read More
174 | What are 3PLs or Fulfillment Centers with Allen Befort, Givington's

Fulfillment has been a hot topic in our Proof to Product communities lately so I wanted to bring on a special guest to chat about how fulfillment works from the 3PL side of things.

I was joined by Allen Befort of Givington’s, a fulfillment company that pays attention to the small details so you can focus on the bigger picture of your business. Allen jokes that he kind of fell into starting this business with a friend. Seven years later they’ve seen great success and pride themselves on the relationships they’ve built with their customers and the genuine, personalized experience that they can create with their partners.

Allen and I covered a lot of ground in this episode and it's rich with information for anyone who may be considering outsourcing their warehousing and fulfillment process. We went over the logistics of working with a 3PL including how to know if you’re ready, technology integrations they have, questions to ask when interviewing fulfillment centers and common pricing models. We also talk about why it’s critical to build trust and relationships when outsourcing fulfillment.

Read More
173 | Creating Social Change Through Products & Intentional Business Practices with Betsy Garcia, Bloomwolf Studio

Hey friends! I am really excited for you to listen in to today’s episode with Betsy Garcia of Bloomwolf Studio. Betsy was on her way to medical school when she decided she wanted to pursue the small business life and sell her art. Bloomwolf Studio is a Latina owned & operated illustration and design studio based in Orlando that strives to create change through art and messaging.

In this powerful and transparent episode, Betsy and I talk about the mission behind Bloomwolf and how Betsy and her husband Luis actively weave their personal beliefs into their everyday business practices.

Betsy shares details about developing and expanding her product line, including mistakes they made in their first product runs.

We also talked about business finances. At the beginning of 2020, Betsy and Luis set out to increase their annual revenue by 25% and they exceeded this in the first 8 months of the year. Betsy talks about tools they use to track their financial progress and what they’ve done to pivot their business model to stay on track with these financial goals, despite the pandemic.

And, we capped off the convo talking about TikTok. How she’s using it to promote her brand and products, how she gained 7,500 users in her first month on the platform and what she does to plan out her marketing for the year.

Read More
172 | Faire Summer Market Recap with Katie Hunt

Hey friends! Today I want to chat with you about the recent Faire Summer market and share both insights and concerns after leading hundreds of people through what is likely our first of many online trade shows.

I’m happy to report that our Paper Camp alumni community and LABS members had some strong sales during the show. Some received a handful of orders, while others secured more than 40 orders in a two day span. In addition to the cash influx, I was pleased to hear that many in our community received wholesale orders from new stores they had never worked with and many had reorders from past accounts who were reconnecting.

In this episode I’m walking you through pros and cons of these types of shows, why I’m not a fan of discounting your products to get sales and why you should continue your marketing post-show.

Read More
171 | How to Take Professional Product Photos with Your Smart Phone with Chaitra Radhakrishna, PinkPot Studio

Hey friends! With the world being such a visual place, more and more of our customers are relying on product photography to tell them a story. We only have a few seconds to quickly grab our customers’ attention and get them engaged in what we’re selling.

That’s why in this episode I’m talking with Chaitra Radhakrishna. Chaitra is the founder of PinkPot Studio, a Shopify design and photography studio specifically for product-based business owners.

Chaitra shared so much valuable information in this episode about how to nail your product photography. You’ll hear about the 7 different product shots that you can take (and tips on deciding which shots to take). She also shares her 5 step process for taking photos with your smartphone which, spoiler alert: you don’t need to invest in fancy equipment or tools.

Be sure to listen with a notebook handy because she gives us so many insider tips on using the “rule of thirds”, apps she recommends for editing photos and her secret formula for editing photos in lightroom: making the whites low, turning the highlights up, going high on shadows and low on blacks.

Read More
product, marketingKatie HuntComment
170 | Running a Business Remotely with Christine Herrin, Everyday Explorers Co.

Hey friends! Ever considered what it might be like to run a business remotely? Or even in a completely different country? That’s exactly what today’s guest, Christine Herrin did when she moved to the Philippines for a year while continuing to run her business in the United States.

Christine has such a cool story and was actually chosen to participate in the Adobe Creative Residency Program in 2016 which is where she initially began building her product-based business, Everyday Explorers Co.

Christine and I covered a lot in this episode around what that residency program was like and how she got started in her business. She shares what processes and systems she put in place to run her business while living overseas. She talks about how she leveraged her strong relationship with her manufacturer and outsourced fulfillment while she was abroad.

Christine is a member of our PTP LABS community and a Paper Camp alumni. It’s been so amazing to watch her business grow and evolve. There’s a lot to learn in this episode -- systems, processes as well as how she created a monthly release cycle for her direct to consumer sales channel Listen in for all her tips!

Read More
169 | Strengthening Our Customer Experience with Jordan Kentris, A Good Day

Hey friends! Have you ever considered what it might be like to marry your interests and passions within your business? In this episode, I brought on Jordan Kentris of A Good Day, a bespoke experience studio specializing in custom stationery, events, branding and user experience.

Jordan has taken his love for physical products and his background in User Experience (UX) to create a better customer journey for his clients. We talk about what he’s done to create this process for his customers and the benefits that come with developing a strong focus on customer experience.

He gives us a better look into how you can incorporate this into your email marketing strategy and what data you should be looking for to create change within your business. Be sure to take notes because Jordan shares a few concrete strategies you can implement and his favorite tech tools for tracking customer engagement on your website.

If you want to learn more from Jordan, join us in Proof to Product LABS. He’s one of our LABS members and we have a special Coffee Chat coming up where he’ll answer user experience questions for the group!

Read More
168 | Reframing a 'No' Into a 'Not Right Now' with Tiffany McGraw, Paper Rehab

Hey friends! It’s no secret that putting yourself out there can be a huge hurdle for many entrepreneurs. In today’s episode, I was joined by Paper Camp Alum and LABS member, Tiffany McGraw of Paper Rehab. Tiffany gives us insight into her own experience of overcoming the vulnerability of pitching herself as an entrepreneur by reframing the word “no” to “not right now” in her mind.

Tiffany has a wonderful mission behind her brand which was designed to normalize and focus on mental health care, especially for those in the African American community. She initially started her business to fulfill her dream of seeing herself reflected on greeting cards.

She shares so much wisdom in this episode about how she overcame challenges that she’s faced in her business, mindset changes she made around making a living selling greeting cards and why you need to know your “why” for doing what you do.

Read More
167 | Marketing for Virtual Tradeshows with Katie Hunt

Hey friends! As more and more of you are dipping your toes into the world of virtual tradeshows I’ve been receiving questions on how to build out strategic marketing plans for these events.

That’s why today I am exploring the tactics you can implement to help reach more of your wholesale customers at a virtual tradeshow event. You’ll learn how you can determine if a virtual tradeshow is the right fit for you and your budget. I discuss using a tiered outreach system and all of the different avenues I recommend using (plus tips for optimizing each one!)

Read More
166 | Connecting with Customers with Kate Murray, Quick Brown Fox Letterpress

Hey friends! As we all continue to navigate through this pandemic it’s important that you continue to connect with your customers and build strong relationships with them.

Something as simple as checking in with your wholesale clients or retail customers can go a long way in making them feel cared for. That’s exactly what today’s guest, Kate Murray of Quick Brown Fox Letterpress has done to make sure she’s supporting her customers.

In this episode, Kate shares her story of how she got started in the printing industry. She talks about how she saved an old letterpress from the scrapyard and spent three months bringing it back to life. Kate and I talk about the various trade shows she’s done and her different revenue streams. She also discusses the biggest challenges she faces within her business and her plans for expanding her product line beyond just stationery.

Read More