Proof to Product

Our Paper Camp alumni are doing incredible things and growing their wholesale businesses in a very intentional and meaningful way. Today's guest is Lesa Muehlstein from Birdie Mae Designs, and she is no exception. I've been keeping tabs on Lesa's progress ever since she attended Paper Camp in early 2022. Lesa added 200 new stores within 2.5 years of attending Paper Camp, and as she will share today, that number is even higher now. Lesa came to Paper Camp in early 2022 and before our 4 weeks were up, she had secured 5 new stores, bringing her total count to 15. During that time, she also raised her prices and refined her sales system. August 2023, she messaged me to say that she was now in 100 stores and that her brand had been featured in a national magazine in August 2024. Just one year later, she shared that she was in 200 stores! This growth did not happen overnight and it was not without its challenges, but it is worth celebrating Lesa's successes every step of the way. On today's episode, Lesa shares her startup story and we talk about inventory and product challenges, particularly balancing how much inventory to order when space and cash flow are constraints. She shares what sales data she's tracking and how she uses that data to make decisions in her business, including what to discontinue or what to buy more of. We also talked about the benefits of wholesale, specifically how we can systematize the sales, production, and fulfillment of wholesale orders in a way that makes the business work around personal responsibilities. Today's episode is brought to you by our Paper Camp program. Paper Camp is our wholesale coaching program where we teach you everything you need to know to build strong wholesale foundations. Over the course of 4 weeks, we tackle your product line, sales tools, and marketing plan, and we even talk about how to exhibit at trade shows if that's what you want to do. We start with your product line and go into everything from how often you should be releasing new products to ensuring that your numbers are sustainable for the wholesale market and their price for profit. Then we move into sales tools you must have for selling wholesale so you make a strong first impression with buyers like catalogs and your terms and conditions. Then, we cover marketing strategies and ways to reach various store owners. Each week's teachings build on the previous week, and we host weekly live engaging coaching calls to answer all of your questions. We will open enrollment for our next round of Paper Camp soon, and we sell this program out every time we run it. Join the wait list and you'll get early access to enroll. SIGN UP FOR THE WAITLIST You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/428 Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp

One of my favorite things to do is to shout out our student wins and community wins from the rooftops. And part of that is also bringing people back to share their story. Today's episode is with my friend Kate Murray of Quick Brown Fox Letterpress. She is back on the podcast to share where she's at now and all the new things that are happening in her business. Last time Kate and I talked here publicly was August of 2020, which feels like a lifetime ago. As we all know, business can significantly shift in five years and a lot has changed for Kate. She opened her own retail store and she's got a new leadership role with the Greeting Card Association. In our conversation today, Kate shares her journey of launching a storefront, how she balances wholesale and retail operations, and the innovative ways that she's nurturing relationships with both key accounts and independent retailers. She shares about some exciting wholesale collabs she's doing in the next year and the importance of patience for these types of collaborations to actually come to fruition. Sometimes it's really about playing the long game with wholesale, which I know can be frustrating at times, but it is a really important reminder to us that good things do take time to develop. Today's episode is brought to you by our Paper Camp program. Paper Camp is our wholesale coaching program where we teach you everything you need to know to build strong wholesale foundations. Over the course of 4 weeks, we tackle your product line, sales tools, and marketing plan, and we even talk about how to exhibit at trade shows if that's what you want to do. We start with your product line and go into everything from how often you should be releasing new products to ensuring that your numbers are sustainable for the wholesale market and their price for profit. Then we move into sales tools you must have for selling wholesale so you make a strong first impression with buyers like catalogs and your terms and conditions. Then, we cover marketing strategies and ways to reach various store owners. Each week's teachings build on the previous week, and we host weekly live engaging coaching calls to answer all of your questions. We will open enrollment for our next round of Paper Camp soon, and we sell this program out every time we run it. Join the wait list and you'll get early access to enroll. SIGN UP FOR THE WAITLIST You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/427 Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp

You may have seen on social media that Amazon recently scrapped dozens of small business e-commerce websites and added people's products to the Amazon Buy for Me platform. This is a new platform that Amazon rolled out and they did this without consent from the brands. Now, as you can imagine, this has created a lot of outrage from small businesses that sell online and who intentionally chose not to sell on Amazon. To find your products listed on Amazon when you did not choose to do so, that's a lot to swallow, right? But it also creates a lot of logistical headaches. So as an example, items were listed on Amazon with incorrect photos or product descriptions. Discontinued or no longer in stock items were listed and many brands did not even know that their products had been added to Amazon until they heard about it on social media and searched for their brand. My guest today is Angie Chua of bobo designs. Angie has been vocal on social media, sharing information and the steps that she's taken to protect her products and brand. This is a developing story, but Angie shares what she's learned, the steps she has taken to remove her products from Amazon and we talk about why this is bad for small businesses. There's a lot of folks out there that are thinking, isn't this great visibility for small business? And the answer is, no, it's not. If you are looking for a community of folks who are talking about current events that affect product businesses in real time, come join us in LABS. We have trainings, templates, coaching calls and all the things, but we also share solutions for real time issues and we also celebrate real time wins. So if you're looking for that kind of community, join us! REQUEST YOUR INVITATION You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/426 Quick Links: Google Form for if your catalog was on Amazon without your consent Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp

In this episode, Isabella Montano Ghazarians, founder of the vibrant stationery brand Isabella MG, shares her journey as a Latina entrepreneur. She discusses how her bilingual products capture cultural joy and inclusivity. Isabella opens up about the challenges of becoming a new mom while relocating from San Diego to Los Angeles and managing a remote team. She reveals how trade shows were pivotal in landing her artwork with major retailers like Target and HomeGoods, emphasizing the importance of persistence and opportunity in her success.

In this engaging discussion, Stephanie Clarke, the owner of Dahlia Press and Chloe Clarke Paper, shares her journey of managing two thriving businesses in the stationery world. She dives into the complexities of juggling brick-and-mortar, wholesale, and custom invitation work while emphasizing the importance of relationship-building in her industry. Stephanie reveals her strategies for maintaining growth amidst challenges, the benefits and pitfalls of separating her brands, and her innovative marketing techniques to keep both her team and customers connected.

The Proof to Product podcast team and I are practicing what we preach and the podcast is taking a winter break! We will be back with a new podcast episode on Tuesday, January 6, and we have some incredible things lined up for you! While we're gone, be sure to dip back into the archives. We have over 420+ incredible episodes to help you strengthen your business. Have a great two weeks and I will see you on January 6th!

Jen Palacio, owner of Tiny Turns Papery, offers insights into the world of independent retail. She discusses the operational challenges faced by shop owners, including tariffs and unpredictable buying patterns. Jen highlights the trend of 'treat yourself' purchases and the rise in popularity of planners, puzzles, and games as customers seek offline activities. She also explores the impact of shipping delays and the importance of collaboration within the indie community to enhance customer loyalty. Her practical approach to navigating the retail landscape is truly enlightening.

Explore how Athletic Brewing revolutionized their subscription model by transforming it into a VIP lifestyle experience. Discover how they foster community through exclusive perks rather than mere discounts. Learn about the impact of user-generated content and how preorder inventory enhances customer loyalty. Katie shares actionable D2C strategies, from low fees to early access benefits, and suggests a VIP club for wholesale partners with enticing perks. This approach encourages businesses to adapt and innovate for greater success.

Mary Beth Storjohann, a Certified Financial Planner and founder of Allora Wealth, specializes in helping women business owners navigate their finances. In this engaging discussion, she reveals the crucial concept of 'whole-life wealth' and its importance in aligning personal and business finances. Mary Beth offers practical year-end financial planning tips, highlights common blind spots for entrepreneurs, and introduces the idea of the 'enough number' for informed decision-making. A valuable conversation for anyone looking to set their business up for future success!

I know you are deep in preparation for Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the Q4 holiday sales season. So I want to make this a real quick episode, but I want to make it tactical and actionable for you. I want to talk about setting your holiday shipping deadline and where you should be updating your website to reflect the shipping deadlines. This is something we're talking about in depth in our LABS program. If you're looking for further support in your business, check out our Proof to Product LABS coaching program. This is a coaching program specifically built for product-based business owners, with members from across industries and across the globe. We have member-only events inside of LABS, so request your invitation to join below! REQUEST YOUR INVITATION You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/420 Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp