Kate Woodrow is the founder of Present Perfect, a full service literary agency serving clients from across the globe. Kate launched the agency in 2015 with the goal of advocating for artists and creatives in publishing and is recognized as an industry leader in design driven nonfiction work. Kate specializes in developing visually arresting books that offer a unique perspective across a wide range of topics, particularly art, lifestyle, personal growth, and anything with a practical bent.   Before becoming an agent, Kate was an acquisitions editor at Chronicle Books where her experience spanned 10 years and hundreds of books and gift products. Bringing that many projects from a simple brainstorm to the bookshelf gave Kate a keen sense of what makes a book commercially successful and how to be a professional collaborator.   On today's episode, we're talking about the process for finding an agent, how to create your pitch, and how to find the right publishers. If you have ever wanted to write a book or wondered what the process was like, this episode is for you. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: The misconceptions people have in regards to writing a book Kate’s career path & how she ended up starting her own business When she knew it was the right time to go out on her own Her role as a literary agent The benefits of an author hiring a literary agent and how to find one What Kate looks for when she is scouting artists to work with How she finds the right publishers for her clients What goes into a pitch A typical payment structure for an author & industry standards with regards to royalty percentages What’s next for Present Perfect KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “One of the hardest things about writing a book is the maintaining momentum and enthusiasm for the project across a really long period of time.” - Kate Woodrow “I had my first kid and I slowly started to realize that my priorities were shifting and that my dream had changed, so I needed to find something else to support my new dream and my new lifestyle.” - Kate Woodrow “I represent authors and artists and across the globe and help them get book deals. That's the main part of it, but the bigger picture is that I am their advocate and coach and guide and I help them navigate the very opaque world of publishing.” - Kate Woodrow “ I work with my clients to develop their book ideas and I sell them to major publishers and I help my clients strategically build their publishing career beyond just that one book idea.” - Kate Woodrow “Most often authors thank their agent in their acknowledgements so you can start compiling a list of the relevant agents who might have the category expertise that you're looking for and start targeting them.” - Kate Woodrow “The first step is finding an agent with the right category expertise.” - Kate Woodrow “Showing that you can thoughtfully articulate a specific book concept is going to go a long way in capturing the agent's attention.” - Kate Woodrow “When I send the proposal and that lands in an editor's inbox, I know she's going to open it right away and respond right away. Whereas if you're sending to a generic submissions, email address, not so much.” - Kate Woodrow “We feel putting together a very thoughtful, compelling vision from the get go is going to get you the best possible deal with the best possible publisher.” - Kate Woodrow “Publishers are really looking for authors who are motivated to help make the book a success and reach a wide audience.” - Kate Woodrow “An author should expect to get an advance in royalties. The advance is money that's paid up front and is the author's to keep, no matter if the publisher sells zero copies or a million copies.” - Kate Woodrow “One important thing about putting together a pitch for an agent or for a publisher is you want to look professional and polished, but don't feel the need that you need to figure everything out.” - Kate Woodrow “There are a lot of cooks in the kitchen developing the idea and to the strongest possible book, and so I think entering into it with truly a genuinely open mind about making the strongest book is going to set you up for success.” - Kate Woodrow   CONNECT WITH KATE: Website: http://presentperfectdept.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/presentperfectlit/ If you’re gearing up for trade show season and need help creating a beautiful booth that doesn’t break the bank, I want to invite you to my free masterclass.   I’m sharing my three secrets to maximize your trade show investment and keep wholesale orders coming in long after you trade show end.  To join me for this FREE workshop, head to www.theboothblueprint.com to register! SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.   SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

Don Hejny is the inventor of Nerdwax, a wax based product that keeps your glasses in place. Nerdwax was launched on Kickstarter in 2014 and featured on the hit television show Shark Tank the following year. Nerdwax is hand made in Nashville, TN and shipped all over the world. On today’s episode we talked about managing risk, running a debt free business and why Don strives to work smarter, not harder.    ON TODAY’S EPISODE: How Don came up with the idea for Nerdwax Starting a Kickstarter campaign & what his experience was with it The timeline for fulfilling orders after the Kickstarter campaign The importance of planning for success What the Shark Tank experience was like & what his goals were for it How they handled the influx of orders after their episode aired The infrastructure of Nerdwax & how they have approached scaling Why Don strives to work smarter, not harder Don’s priority to stay debt-free How Don creates a great customer experience Don’s advice for someone just starting out in a product-based business The fact that many entrepreneurs over-think things, especially at the beginning What’s next for Nerdwax When they decided to branch out into other product categories What Don has learned about himself through starting and growing Nerdwax KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “I thought if surfers use wax on their boards in the water, I bet I can make something like that for your glasses.” - Don Hejny “That's really the power of the internet, if you really put yourself out there, and you do it in a way where people get it, you can have that energy and it doesn't all have to be manufactured.” - Don Hejny “With the Kickstarter community if you tell your story, it's a community of people like you who have ideas, who love new ideas, who love adopting new ideas, and they're totally willing to take that risk with you, as long as it's a manageable risk.” - Don Hejny “The thing about Kickstarter though is, even though we pushed that deadline, if you are honest and open, and you keep people updated, and you keep people engaged, there's so much forgiveness within that community.” - Don Hejny “You can never mitigate risk entirely.” - Don Hejny “That was one of the most nerve wracking parts about Shark Tank is that you don't know what piece of that puzzle they're going to actually air.” - Don Hejny “Once we aired on Shark Tank, that episode, we had like $130,000 in sales. We did that in the weekend after we aired on Shark Tank. So, it was just like rocket ship.” - Don Hejny “One of the things that happens on Shark Tank all the time, is companies get this huge influx in orders, and then they just totally screw their people because they don't prep for it.” - Don Hejny “We've just DIYed it from the beginning, and stayed scrappy, and kept going within our means.” - Don Hejny “You're going to reach a point where you just can't throw more bodies at it. You can't throw more time at it. You can't throw more energy at it, you've got to work smarter. Then there's times where it's like, no, you’ve just got to put your shoulder down and just dig in and do some work.” - Don Hejny “Figure out how to create the business that allows you to have margin to grow more efficiently.” - Don Hejny “If you don't like it, you just let us know, we'll shoot you a refund, super easy.” - Don Hejny “If you can give yourself more margin, and you can assume positive intent, I think you can just treat people the way that you want to be retreated.” - Don Hejny “If you think you're going to make one thing and you don't have the resources for that, think, what could I make with what I have today, and how do I transition it into that?” - Don Hejny “Being four years into this, I've learned a lot to just fail quicker, don't drag things out. If it's not working, figure out a new path, and transition quicker.” - Don Hejny “When you're climbing the mountain, and all you see is the rocks in front of you, and all of you see as the challenges, and you got to turn around and look out once in a while.” - Don Hejny “If you're sitting out there trying to make waves in the ocean, you're never going to get anywhere. You have to wait for the wave to come.” - Don Hejny   CONNECT WITH DON: Website: http://www.nerdwax.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nerdwax Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nerdwax/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbqydh_ENh0SkU37Ka1Kc-Q Twitter: https://twitter.com/nerdwax LINKS: Episode 64 with Rosie of Sugarfina If you’re gearing up for trade show season and need help creating a beautiful booth that doesn’t break the bank, I want to invite you to my free masterclass.   I’m sharing my three secrets to maximize your trade show investment and keep wholesale orders coming in long after you trade show end.  To join me for this FREE workshop, head to www.theboothblueprint.com to register!   To learn more and register, head to https://tsbc.teachable.com/p/pce. I look forward to having you there! SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.   SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

Brittney Lynn a PR and marketing strategist who works with online entrepreneurs worldwide. She's also the host of Day in the Life podcast. Brittney has nearly 10 years of experience working in the online marketing industry, and has a passion for helping others grow their reach, their revenue, and impact through strategic PR.   On today's episode of Proof to Product, we talked about the importance of building a brand story, how to find the right media opportunities for you, and strategies for gaining visibility for your brand. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: The type of work Brittney is doing & how she helps creative entrepreneurs Her career history & how she started her own PR business Why it’s important to know your story when you're reaching out to press How you can be leveraging your story in your marketing The biggest misconception about PR The steps creative entrepreneurs can take to make their products & services more visible An example of how honing in on your story & knowing your audience can lead to the perfect press mention What’s next for Brittney How PR is a long game & an ongoing process The importance of following up KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “This job, what I do right now, it just didn't really exist when I graduated.” - Brittney Lynn “About half the clients that I currently work with, they have worked with an agency in the past, and they felt like it wasn't a good use of money because they [the agency]  didn't really understand what the creative entrepreneur community was like.” - Brittney Lynn “You probably saw a need in the market, otherwise you wouldn't have created these products in the first place.” - Brittney Lynn “Humans relate more to stories than they do to a sales pitch.” - Brittney Lynn “Really strong stories and knowing who you are, who you serve, how your product stands out from your competitors -- that's gonna catch a journalist's eye, or a podcast host.” - Brittney Lynn “I'm always checking in and making sure that what we're doing from a PR perspective is in line with what your business's goals and mission is.” - Brittney Lynn “Most times when people are getting press. They're going after it.” - Brittney Lynn “It's the long game, so if you're not committed to really doing it and seeing it through, maybe you're not quite ready to do PR and press.” - Brittney Lynn “Follow up, please please follow up.” - Brittney Lynn   CONNECT WITH BRITTNEY: Website: http://brittneyllynn.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brittneyllynndotcom/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brittneyllynn/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/brittneyllynn/ Twitter:https://twitter.com/BrittneyLLynn   Links Day in the LIfe Podcast Episode 65 with Caroline from Paloma's Nest Episode 7 with Meg from Belle & Union Co If you’re gearing up for trade show season and need help creating a beautiful booth that doesn’t break the bank, I want to invite you to my free masterclass.   I’m sharing my three secrets to maximize your trade show investment and keep wholesale orders coming in long after you trade show end.  To join me for this FREE workshop, head to www.theboothblueprint.com to register!   To learn more and register, head to https://tsbc.teachable.com/p/pce. I look forward to having you there! SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.   SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

During Episode 65 Katie Hunt sat down with Caroline Vasquez of Paloma’s Nest and the topics of having a brand story and establish core values for the company kept coming up.  Caroline talked about how it shaped the products they made, the story they told about the brand as well as the products and ultimately, how they communicate with their customers.   When we’re starting our businesses, most people skip over the part where we identify our mission, core values and long term goals for our business.  We get excited about the process of creating, selling and connecting with customers.  But, having a strong brand story and leveraging your company’s core values within this story are going to help you in several ways.  It will provide clarify in your decision making, hiring processes and long term goals for your business.   Our core values at Tradeshow Bootcamp are:  Community, Collaboration, Education and Giving Back.   We treat everyone in our community like family and want to foster a collaborative and supportive network for people to lean on as they  grow their business.  We educate entrepreneurs so they can make the best decisions possible for their business and I believe in giving back to our community and supporting other entrepreneurs.   If you don’t have a clear brand story or set of core values.  Katie wants you to ask yourself these three questions:   What does the company stand for & value Where is the company going & what impact does it want to make? Why does this company exist?   Without clarity around these questions, you may struggle in your decision making and stay stagnant.     What are your core values?  I’d love for you to join us in our free Facebook Group for Proof to Product and weigh in with what your core values and brand. https://www.facebook.com/groups/prooftoproduct/

TSBC Alum, Caroline Vasquez is the founder of Paloma’s Nest, a family-run business, founded in 2007, that creates timeless, heirloom-quality pieces and new traditions for modern families to celebrate wedding, baby, home and holiday.   The brand has been featured in countless publications including Martha Stewart, the New York Times, Magnolia Journal and more, and their work has been carried by Anthropologie and Nordstrom.   Today, Caroline combines her education as a professional counselor with her experience and passion for small creative business through Handcrafted Consulting, where she provides education on the marketing, growth and management of online business to clients worldwide. She also serves as the marketing consultant for the web design firm, Aeolidia.  All while also running Paloma’s Nest and nurturing her family.   On today’s episode, Caroline talks about the growth of Paloma’s nest,  staying true to your brand story in both your messaging and the products you sell,  why we need to be proactive in press and marketing outreach and why it’s so important to know who your customer is. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: When Caroline & her husband decided to start Paloma’s Nest Her experience when she started selling her products on Etsy How she came up with the name Paloma’s Nest Her product line & how it has grown over the last 11 years The steps she takes to protect her product line from copycats The importance of expanding to different product categories How Caroline and her husband split responsibilities & balance each other out when they are working together The press mentions that Paloma’s Nest has received & Caroline’s proactive approach towards getting her name out there Her mentoring & coaching business The types of services she offers in her coaching business Caroline’s advice for entrepreneurs just starting out in a product based business What’s next for Paloma’s Nest KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “Our kids were definitely raised in the studio. To this day they're right by our sides every day.” - Caroline Vásquez “A dove represents peace, and hope, and all of those wonderful things that we really do think comes through in our collection, and in our product.” - Caroline Vásquez “Our mission, our tagline, the essence of what we do is to create modern heirlooms.” - Caroline Vásquez “I've always sort of had a reverence for that, and for creating things that have so much meaning that families want to hang onto them, and want to pass them on to generations.” - Caroline Vásquez “We really pay attention to the core values of our brand in creating items that are going to be passed on, and we look to see where we can create products that will add to traditions, or create traditions in their own rights.” - Caroline Vásquez “One of the frustrations of being in the creative world is having your ideas stolen, or taken, or recreated, however you want to put that nicely.” - Caroline Vásquez “While people might sort of take your design, or take your idea, they can't take your brand. And they can't take your target customer.” - Caroline Vásquez “The ideas come and go. Trends and styles come and go and as long as you continue to offer the best possible quality product, and you're known for the service, and for the ideas and things that you're known for everything else will follow. - Caroline Vásquez “I think most importantly in working with your spouse is, we share the same work ethic for better or for worse. We're both really driven, we tend to let work consume us quite a bit, but at least we're doing it together.” - Caroline Vásquez “There's something really neat about knowing that the two of us fully created that together from scratch.” - Caroline Vásquez “It's important to develop your own brand aesthetic and to understand that may vary from your own personal preferences.” - Katie Hunt “You can't really do anything new for your business if you're not open to the process of change.” - Caroline Vásquez “The most successful businesses are successful because they focus on doing one thing and doing it really well.” - Caroline Vásquez   CONNECT WITH CAROLINE: Website: http://Palomasnest.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/palomasnest/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/palomasnest/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/palomasnest/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/palomasnest LINKS: Handcrafted Consulting FREE WORKSHOP ALERT!     SEO is a HOAX:  Why search ranking should NOT be a priority for creative entrepreneurs Join us for a free live workshop with Brice McBeth of Reap Marketing.  You may remember Brice from episode 62 of Proof to Product!   During this free one-hour workshop, Brice will uncover the traps of traditional SEO methods.  Things he has experienced first-hand with his own startups. He’ll reshape our thinking and teach us some unconventional methods to use great content to get more customers quickly.   Space is limited and a replay will be made available but only to those that register.  Save your seat at www.tradeshowcamp.com/convert. SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.   SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

  I’ve been thinking a lot about boundaries, particularly as it relates to what I say yes to and what I say no to in both my personal and business life. I don’t know about you guys but I have a tendency to take one too much, or under estimate how long things will take.  I mostly get excited about opportunities, say yes and then find myself over scheduled and stretched thin.  I know I’m not alone in this.   But here’s the deal.   We all have the same amount of hours in the day, and as entrepreneurs we have a lot of different things pulling on us for our time — projects, family, friends, exciting opportunities, daily grind of running a business. Its exhausting trying to do all these things, keep everyone happy and yet still have time for ourselves.   When I interviewed Rosie from Sugarfina on episode 64 she stressed how important self care is, why we need to take action before things are perfect, and we both acknowledged that its difficult to protect our time because as entrepreneurs the running to do list is never ending.  Rosie shared how she decides what to say and what to say no to, and I thought it might be helpful to share some of the things I consider with you   This is something I’m working on, and I’ve definitely been more diligent in protecting my time in recent months.  But here are some of the questions I ask myself when I’m considering whether to say yes to something or no to something:   Does this align with my long term goals? Does this align with my short term goals? What is the time commitment? What are the benefits for me, my business, my family? What is my excitement level?   I’d love to hear from your in our Proof to Product Facebook group.  What questions do you ask yourself when you’re deciding whether or not to move forward with a project?  Weigh in and let me now.  You can join our free Facebook group by going to tradeshowcamp.com/join.

Rosie O’Neill is the co-founder of Sugarfina, a luxury candy boutique that features the finest sweets from artisan candy makers around the world. Rosie and her fiancé Josh Resnick launched Sugarfina in July 2012. The idea for the company was inspired by their third date — when they watched the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and they were left wondering why their wasn’t candy boutiques for grown ups.   Rosie was named to Fast Company’s “100 Most Creative People” list, and Goldman Sachs’ “100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs,”. She is disrupting the sweets space with an innovative approach to confections and retail.   Before candy, Rosie played with dolls for 7 years as Director of Marketing for Barbie at Mattel, where she led a global business unit that sold more than 50 million Barbie dolls annually. She received her MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management and a BA in Communication Studies from UCLA. Her favorite candies are Champagne Bears, Peach Bellini and Sparkle Pops.   On today’s episode, Rosie shares her start up story as well as lessons she learned as they scaled Sugarfina into the large brand it is today --  with wholesale and retail channels, a bustling online shop, 50 retail locations and a range of licensing collaborations. Rosie offers some really great suggestions — including the importance of self-care, why we need to be careful about which opportunities we say yes and no to and things she looks for when hiring members of her team. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Her favorite Sugarfina candy right now & the most popular flavors with customers How much she loves getting to dream up & invent different candies Rosie’s background prior to Sugarfina Her transition to entrepreneurship & how she decided upon luxury candy The hurdles at the beginning & how she navigated that How her previous position at Mattel helped her start & scale Sugarfina What her early goals were for the business The experience of adding brick & mortar stores very quickly Her first hires & what she looked for in an employee when she first started hiring Whether or not she fears hiring people who one day might become a competitor The fact that they did not have a business plan when they first started & why she thinks it can be beneficial sometimes not to have one at the start Moments and decisions that propelled her business forward The criteria she uses for deciding to pursue an opportunity or not How she cultivates a positive work culture An important lesson Rosie has learned through her entrepreneurial journey Rosie’s advice on creating your product & getting your product to market How she decides when to discontinue a product What’s next for Sugarfina KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “It's like we get to play Willy Wonka because we dream up and invent all these crazy, fun flavors and cute shapes and fun colors, and then we get to bring them to life.” - Rosie O’Neill “I had always in the back of my head wanted to do something entrepreneurial, but I thought I was going to do it in my fifties. It came way, way, way sooner than I imagined, but I think sometimes you just have those moments of luck where everything kind of comes together and you just don't overthink it.” - Rosie O’Neil “It [Sugarfina] is a dream and I love it but it's also the absolute hardest thing I've ever done and just exhausting at times.” - Rosie O’Neil “I'm really proud of the fact that as we have grown, we have always been able to deliver on that quality and that amazing customer experience, but everything under the surface has just been chaos and a mess.” - Rosie O’Neil “I'm always kind of looking at what's coming up but it's important to take a moment and look back on how far we've come and it's pretty cool.” - Rosie O’Neil “We love to bring in people who one day want to start their own company but they're not quite ready and Sugarfina can be a learning environment for them.” - Rosie O’Neil “I want to make sure that we have an environment where people want to stay because they're continuing to grow, and learn, and feel empowered.” - Rose O’Neil “I am all for people going out and starting their new company if they want to, but stay with us as long as you can and really get to know all the things you're going to need to know to start a business because it's hard.” - Rosie O’Neill “I think sometimes you got to just go for it and be willing to put out something that's not perfect and then learn and continue to perfect.” - Rosie O’Neill “You really need to create a culture where people feel connected to the big picture and like they're really making an impact.” - Rosie O’Neill “I don't care if you have hours that are slightly different than a normal working day, I just care about the output of your work and that's how I'm going to look at things.” - Rosie O’Neill “We have a no assholes policy.” - Rosie O’Neill “You really have to take care of yourself because there is an endless amount of work to do when you run your business.” - Rosie O’Neill “Get your product out in front of the real world as quickly as you can.” - Rosie O’Neill “Even though there's all these great data analytics and all these tools, you can't lose touch of the human connection and I think a lot of companies let that fall by the wayside and you really have got to prioritize that.” - Rosie O’Neill CONNECT WITH ROSIE: Website: http://sugarfina.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sugarfina/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sugarfina/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/sugarfina/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/sugarfina LINKS: Sugarfina Rewards BOOTH BLUEPRINT: If you’re gearing up for trade show season and need help creating a beautiful booth that doesn’t break the bank, I want to invite you to my free masterclass.   I’m sharing my three secrets to maximize your trade show investment and keep wholesale orders coming in long after you trade show end.  To join me for this FREE workshop, head to www.theboothblueprint.com to register! SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.   SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

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 hand crafted 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 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.

Mary Bruno is the owner of Bruno Press, a printer, artist, and advocate for her local creative community. She grew up in a small town in central Minnesota and learned the love of printing from her father Don Bruno.  Mary has an irreverent line of greeting cards that is sold nationwide and she teaches the old school art of letterpress printing the way her father taught her. Mary loves to collaborate with other printers, poets, musicians, kids, designers, you name it. And, we’ll talk about some of those collaborations today.   On today’s episode Mary tells it like it is, shares her story and how she organically grew her business through hard work and learning as she went. We also talked about her personal growth—why she no longer let’s the criticism of one person overpower the praise of hundreds. She also shares about why she’s her ideal customer. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: The oldest piece of machinery that she has in her print shop Where she learned her love of printing Her background prior to starting Bruno Press and how losing her dad lead her to taking over his print shop How she decided on the product line she wanted to create The backstory behind her logo How she essentially fell into wholesale & working with sales reps Her personal journey to not letting the criticism of one person overpower the praise of hundreds Her first experience at the National Stationery Show What the design process looks like for Mary Mary’s work as an advocate for her local creative community How Kid Collab got started Mary’s advice for anyone just starting out in a product-based business KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “ I inherited my love of big iron machines from my dad. I dig how machines like this were built to last.” - Mary Bruno “This ain’t Hallmark. I want to print the cards that nobody else is printing.” - Mary Bruno “Sometimes I feel like if I don't offend someone my shit ain’t doing its job.” - Mary Bruno “I didn't know there was other people making cards like me so I felt super alone in that for a long time. I just kept my head down and kept printing and people kept buying.” - Mary Bruno “If I'm not goo goo staring at this card for the next three days then I shouldn't even bother printing it.” - Mary Bruno “A lot of the success that I've had with my business has been because of the support of my community and I don't want to take that for granted and I want to give back and I want to make this community better.” - Mary Bruno “The working with kids thing has been awesome. That's something that fills my cup.” - Mary Bruno “It’s interesting when you get into because it’s what was presented to you rather than something you sought out because you were so into it. The fact of the matter is that if my dad was a shoe cobbler or like a freaking offset printer my life would be a lot different. Maybe I'd be cobbling some shoes right now. I can't say for sure that I wouldn't.” - Mary Bruno “I say my target audience is me. It has been from day one and it is still. I think that is sort of what defines my work.” - Mary Bruno “I print what I think is cool or funny or needed or lacking in stores or whatever the case may be.” - Mary Bruno “A lot of people helped me along the way and I want to be like that as well for people coming up because hopefully people will continue this forever and snail mail won't ever go away and tangible cards will be a forever thing.” - Mary Bruno   CONNECT WITH MARY: Website: http://www.mcbrunopress.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrunoPress/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brunopress/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Bruno_Press?lang=en LINKS:   Kid Collab BOOTH BLUEPRINT: If you’re gearing up for trade show season and need help creating a beautiful booth that doesn’t break the bank, I want to invite you to my free masterclass.   I’m sharing my three secrets to maximize your trade show investment and keep wholesale orders coming in long after you trade show end.  To join me for this FREE workshop, head to www.theboothblueprint.com to register! SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.   SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

On this mini episode, Katie Hunt reiterates something Brice McBeth of Reap marketing talked about on Episode 62 of Proof to Product — the difference between search engine optimization and conversion rate optimization.   Here's what we learned from Brice:   Search engine optimization is driving traffic to your website.   Conversion Rate Optimization is getting people on your website to take action & buy.   Brice shares a lot of great ideas and strategies in episode 62, if you haven’t listened yet I highly recommend it.   There’s so much more to dive into here, so Brice and I will be hosting a free online masterclass next month to talk about why SEO is a hoax.  And, how you can be leveraging your existing marketing to get more customers.  If you to be notified about the details when we open registration.  Head to http://www.tradeshowcamp.com/join and make sure you’re on our mailing list. 

Brice McBeth is the founder of Reap Marketing, the only digital agency that hired itself to build an e-commerce business and optimize its own conversations by over 950% on its way to creating a multi-million dollar store that disrupted the salon equipment industry.  Brice also wrote about his journey in his book, Salon Chairs Don’t Sell Themselves which is a fascinating read. He speaks and provides education on the topic of Conversion Rate Optimization to help companies, like us, get better results from their current marketing efforts.   On today’s episode, Brice explains the difference between conversion rate optimization and search engine optimization and why you need to be thinking about both.  He shares a shocking statistic, that typically 99% of your online shop visitors aren’t buying from you and why slick and sexy websites don’t always sell more of your product.     I wanted to let you in on a secret.  We’re going to be doing a free online masterclass with Brice next month, where we’ll talk about why SEO is a hoax and he’ll teach us some unconventional ways to use great content to get more customers.  If you want to be notified about the details when we open registration, head to tradeshowcamp.com/join and make sure you’re on our mailing list. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: A common misconception people have around digital marketing The difference between search engine optimization and conversion rate optimization The industry standard for conversion rates on eCommerce sites The concept, four pillars of optimization, developed to help guide people through discovering what is going on with their website What prompted  Brice to do a live case study & how he landed on salon furniture as the product The first steps he takes to ensure that a site is focused more on the conversion aspect than about the aesthetics Why he had to forfeit some of the aesthetic of the Standish site for functionality The common fears of his clients as they make changes to their sites to increase conversions conversions Brice’s book, Salon Chairs Don't Sell Themselves The most important data points to collect through Google Analytics What surprised Brice most through the testing they ran on Standish How to determine a reasonable amount of time to test something on your site Brice’s advice for increasing CRO on your website The services that Brice offers & how you can work with him KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “CRO and SEO are two different things and they shouldn't be confused with each other.” - Brice McBeth “SEO refers to the practice of writing content on your website for the purpose of getting indexed by search engines like Google.” - Brice McBeth “CRO refers to the process of exploring ways to get more people or to convince more people who are already on your website to do business with you.” - Brice McBeth “There's not really just one definition of what a conversion is, but certainly getting people to engage and become a customer is the endgame.” - Brice McBeth “It seems we sort of glorify this serial entrepreneur, but it can be really difficult, and we forget to glorify the people who can keep it real and have a good of work-life balance.” - Brice McBeth “Nobody comes to a marketing agency and asks for ugly website. Has anybody said, "Hey, I want my website to look just like Wikipedia's website"?. That would be amazing, but you're talking about one of the highest converting websites on the planet.” - Brice McBeth “As long as you know beauty isn't the only purpose driving the design, you can usually get the job done.” - Brice McBeth “We had to really kind of take a hard look at that [the Standish site] and kind of change the aesthetic and forfeit some of the aesthetic for functionality and something that was a little bit more familiar for our audience. “ - Brice McBeth “It [Salon Chairs Don’t Sell Themselves] is definitely a story of the journey that we went through to optimize our own conversions and sort of the pitfalls we fell into along the ways and how we got ourselves out of those pitfalls.” - Brice McBeth “People are six times more likely to watch a video than read the same exact content that's written on the page and after having watched the video, they're 65% more likely to buy from you.” - Brice McBeth CONNECT WITH BRICE: Website: https://reapmarketing.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReapMarketing/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reapmarketing/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/reap-marketing/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/reapmarketing   Website: http://bricemcbeth.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bricemcbeth/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bricemcbeth/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bricemcbeth Twitter: https://twitter.com/bricemcbeth   LINKS: Salon Chairs Don’t Sell Themselves BOOTH BLUEPRINT: If you’re gearing up for trade show season and need help creating a beautiful booth that doesn’t break the bank, I want to invite you to my free masterclass.   I’m sharing my three secrets to maximize your trade show investment and keep wholesale orders coming in long after you trade show end.  To join me for this FREE workshop, head to www.theboothblueprint.com to register! SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.   SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

  Katie Hunt, founder of Tradeshow Bootcamp dives deeper into how to create a wholesale resource section on your website, something she and Rhonda Warren talked about briefly on episode 61. Katie shares what to include in your resource center, how to structure things and why it is important to make it easy for your wholesale customers to buy.   Listen to Episode 61 Here: http://tradeshowcamp.com/prooftoproduct061/     SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app.   WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies.   FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates.   JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.     SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know!

Rhonda Warren is the owner of Color Box Design & Letterpress, a letterpress studio located in Dallas Texas. Rhonda has a multi-faceted business. She has a line of paper goods that she sells to both the retail and wholesale markets; as well as a bustling custom invitation arm through which she creates wedding invitations, corporate event invitations and everything in between.   On today’s episode Rhonda jokes that she accidentally started this business that is still going strong after 13 years.  She shares details about the custom side of her business and why relationships with local vendors and word of mouth referrals make up almost 70% of her business.  Rhonda also shares information about her team - how she knew it was time to hire, everyone’s roles and why she wished she had hired sooner. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: What Rhonda was doing before Color Box Design & Letterpress How she first go into letterpress by accident Where she gets her inspiration from How Color Box marries three different design styles and aesthetics into one brand Her team’s roles & how she splits up responsibilities How her business & products have shifted over the years Her experience with certain products being a good fit for retail but not wholesale The need to educate consumers, store owners, & wholesale customers on what a product is and how it is supposed to be used What Rhonda loves about custom work The importance of networking and how she meets people and establishes relationships How she balances all three arms of her business -- custom, retail, and wholesale Rhonda’s advice to those just starting out in custom work How she defines success The advice she would give to someone just starting out in a product-based business How she knew it was time to hire a team KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “I fell  into letterpress by accident.” - Rhonda Warren “We're kind of an eclectic brand, which is how we marry it together.” - Rhonda Warren “We come up with ideas and at the end of the day we honestly don't know who came up with the idea and who finished it.” - Rhonda Warren on how she designs with her team. “You don't have to sell everything to both wholesale and retail. If it doesn't work for your margins to wholesale it, you don't need to sell it there.” - Katie Hunt “It's a little bit of trial and error, trying to explain your product when you’re not there to explain it.” - Rhonda Warren “I love getting to hear about an event and then having that come to life in someone’s mailbox so it's an introduction to the event.” - Rhonda Warren “I don't think we'll ever give up that [custom] side of the business just because we all love it and it's the money maker.” - Rhonda Warren “The [wedding] planners are key just because of the repeat business.” - Rhonda Warren “If the clients happy, I'm happy.” - Rhonda Warren “It's good to step out there before you think you're really ready to do it.” - Rhonda Warren “When you need to hire people you should hire people. It's only going to help you. It's scary at first but it always gets easier.” - Rhonda Warren “As we would get where we just couldn't handle it all then we would bring on another person.” - Rhonda Warren CONNECT WITH RHONDA: Website: www.colorboxletterpress.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ColorboxDesignLetterpress/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colorboxletterpress/ BOOTH BLUEPRINT: If you’re gearing up for trade show season and need help creating a beautiful booth that doesn’t break the bank, I want to invite you to my free masterclass.   I’m sharing my three secrets to maximize your trade show investment and keep wholesale orders coming in long after you trade show end.  To join me for this FREE workshop, head to www.theboothblueprint.com to register! SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.   SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

Katie talks about the importance of building relationships with your manufacturing partners.  She shares some of her own experiences, fears and missteps when searching for her own print partners.   The risks she faced and what you should look for when reaching out to new manufacturing partners. Want to join the conversation in our free Proof to Product Facebook group?  Join us:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/prooftoproduct/ SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app.   WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies.   FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates.   JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.     SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know!

Ronnie Williams is the owner of DeFrance Printing, which is a full-service commercial print shop located in Southern California. Ronnie grew up in the print industry and is the third generation to own and operate DeFrance. His grandfather began printing in the late 1930s, followed by his father in the early 1970s, and Ronnie was a fixture in the print shop by the young age of five. Ronnie's background brings a unique perspective, in that he has expertise in both the print process, as well as the outcome.   This episode is a little bit different than most, in that we're diving into some of the technical aspects of printing, common mistakes that people make in file setup, ways to save money on your print runs, and how DeFrance helps a wide range of industries with packaging, catalogs, marketing materials, and more.   Ronnie, and the team at DeFrance, have recently expanded their services to include warehousing and fulfillment, helping independent brands with not only printing, but also storage, fulfillment, and distribution of their products. They have particular expertise handling orders for big box stores, such as Paper Source. Ronnie, and the team at DeFrance, have been strong supporters of our Tradeshow Bootcamp community and advocates for education around the print process.  I know you’ll learn a lot from Ronnie! ON TODAY’S EPISODE: The history of DeFrance Printing and how long Ronnie’s family has owned it Their core clients and the type of work they do for them All of the different print methods DeFrance offers The fulfillment services that they offer Paper Source’s specific rules and regulations as to how things need to be shipped Ronnie’s favorite projects to print The things that people should figure out before reaching out to a printer Some common mistakes he sees people making when submitting art files A Pantone color versus a CMYK color and what the benefits are to both Turnaround times and the expectations people should have When he recommends getting proofs versus not The materials, other than paper, DeFrance prints on The types of products they are getting the most inquiries on right now How DeFrance prints gift wrapping Some cost-cutting or cost-saving tips to maximize print runs Products outside of the stationery world that DeFrance prints What’s next for DeFrance Printing KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “Most people carry low inventory because they don't want to prepay for all the cards, not knowing whether the order's coming. When they get one that's 500, 1000, 4000+ , they then come to us, and we can print the job, sleeve it, package it, UPC barcode it again, and get it out to Paper Source in time. It's something we do very regularly, and our bindery guys have it down pat. “ - Ronnie Williams “You can market your business, create new products, and sell more product, while we worry about all the other work and get it off your back, so you're not up until midnight or 1:00 a.m., sleeving cards the night before it's got to go,” - Ronnie Williams “They don't see the value in [our services], until they start doing it themselves, and then they realize the time it consumes. It's the same as when people are printing for themselves. It's amazing that they can learn these trades and they can do it, but at some point it does cross over and start to consume their time, rather than allow them to grow the business.” - Ronnie Williams “Greeting cards, letterpress, and foil are still some of my favorite. I do get on press still every once in a while. I was just on press last week, doing some art prints.” - Ronnie Williams “I just love the process of seeing how it comes together and gets completed.” - Ronnie Williams “Specs are very important, to make sure we're talking "apples to apples" to each other.” - Ronnie Williams “I find that you're not just a printer. You're not just taking the jobs as they come and just pushing them out. You're trying to make sure that you're maximizing the time,the money, and the effort and energy that everyone's putting forth to create the best possible product.” - Katie Hunt “The first time we produce or make anything, we like an extra day or two to make sure we're double-checking.” - Ronnie Williams “Paper adds up to a lot of money in this process, and so if you're in love with a high-end paper, it's going to make the job more.” - Ronnie Williams “I've seen you try to bend over backwards to help people make their dreams come true. ” - Katie Hunt CONNECT WITH RONNIE: Website: http://www.defranceprinting.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeFrancePrint Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/defranceprint/ BOOTH BLUEPRINT: If you’re gearing up for trade show season and need help creating a beautiful booth that doesn’t break the bank, I want to invite you to my free masterclass.   I’m sharing my three secrets to maximize your trade show investment and keep wholesale orders coming in long after you trade show end.  To join me for this FREE workshop, head to www.theboothblueprint.com to register! SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.   SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

Suann Song is a graphic designer and founder of Appointed, an American-made brand of carefully designed desktop products that make utility look luxurious. Prior to starting Appointed, Suann conducted an exhaustive but unsuccessful search when she tried to find refined and well-made desktop products that are manufactured in the US, so she decided to create her own. In March 2015, Suann launched Appointed through a kickstarter campaign reaching her goal of $25,000 dollars in the first five days.     On today’s episode, Suann is sharing what it was like to launch a brand and product line through Kickstarter.  She’s also sharing some behind the scenes info on why she’s redesigning the Appointed website and what that process has looked like.  Suann also reminds us that relationships and fresh product are at the core of a successful product based business. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: How Suann got started in this creative field Transitioning from a service-based business with Simple Song Design to a product based business with Appointed Why she chose to launch Appointed with Kickstarter and what the process was like What surprised her about the Kickstarter campaign How her background in PR has helped her strategize and build momentum The motivation behind launching a brand new website for Appointed Why she decided to outsource the whole website -- the redesign and the development Her experience being on the “other side” of the design process Missteps that Suann sees product-based business owners make when they're redesigning their websites How she is sharing the news of their new website with wholesale clients versus with retail clients Suann’s advice for product-based business owners who are just getting started KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “I got the idea for Appointed about five years ago where I saw a need in the market for just gender neutral, really well-made, American made products.” - Suann Song “I spent a solid year of researching, finding manufacturers, figuring out how much money I would need, figuring how much money I would need in year one, two, and three.” - Suann Song “If the Kickstarter was going to be a flop, and I literally put everything out there, invested in a video, produced a video, put all of the information on the Kickstarter page, and if people weren't going to support it, then I thought, ‘Okay, maybe this isn't a good idea.’”- Suann Song “I think that there is definitely a market for men in stationery paper goods, office.” - Suann Song “I really believe people buy from people.” - Suann Song “Business is all about the relationships we're building. You never know when somebody in your life is going to come back in and be a buying customer or have a referral for you.” - Katie Hunt “We're very proudly American made, every single component of our products.” - Suann Song “It was really important that we show the depth of our story, but it really is about the user experience and making it enjoyable, easy, and most importantly, convenient.” - Suann Song “You have to keep it fresh. You have to have something to talk about, and not for the sake of just doing that, but you just need to keep your product line relevant and interesting and release new products.” - Suann Song LINKS:Kickstarter CONNECT WITH SUANN: Website: https://www.appntd.com/ Instagram: http://instagram.com/appointedco http://instagram.com/suannsong Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/simplesong/pins/ BOOTH BLUEPRINT: If you’re gearing up for trade show season and need help creating a beautiful booth that doesn’t break the bank, I want to invite you to my free masterclass.   I’m sharing my three secrets to maximize your trade show investment and keep wholesale orders coming in long after you trade show end.  To join me for this FREE workshop, head to www.theboothblueprint.com to register! SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.   SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

I’m back with our third and final National Stationery show recap.  Today you’ll hear from four of our Tradeshow Bootcamp alumni. We talk about sharing a booth, the benefits of planning ahead and how you gotta roll with the punches when things don’t go quite as planned.  Today’s episode features interviews with Jessica of Little Well Paper Co, Robyn from Lake & Loft, Meghan from And Here We Are and Allison from The Social Type.   Before we get started,  I wanted to let you know that we’re running our first ever summer session of the Paper Camp E-Course.  This course will help you get your product line ready for wholesale, refine your sales tools, strengthen your marketing and exhibit at shows.  We helped over 800 brands launch or refine their wholesale program. Brands that you’ll find on the shelves of Target, Anthropologie, Container Store, Paper Source and independent boutiques internationally.  If you want to build a strong wholesale foundation and see your products on the shelves of retail shops, I invite you to join us. Classes start on June 4th. Learn more and register here.

I’m back with Part 2 of our National Stationery Show recap.  Today you’ll hear from three of our TSBC alumni about what went well at the show for them, where they skimped & splurged in their spending and benefits to being at a wholesale show like, National Stationery Show.   Today’s episode features interviews with Katie from Page Stationery, Monique from Violet Flamingos and Katie from The Good Twin.     Also before we get started,  I wanted to let you know that we’re running our first ever summer session of the Paper Camp E-Course.  This course will help you get your product line ready for wholesale, refine your sales tools, strengthen your marketing and exhibit at shows.  We helped over 800 brands launch or refine their wholesale program. Brands that you’ll find on the shelves of Target, Anthropologie, Container Store, Paper Source and independent boutiques internationally.   Classes start on June 4th! Learn more and register here.   Enjoy Part 2 of our National Stationery Show special series.  

I recently was in New York for the National Stationery Show where approximately 55 of our Tradeshow Bootcamp alumni were exhibiting. And, I thought it would be fun to bring the show to you.  While I was in New York, I chatted with a handful of exhibitors, everyone from first timers to seasoned pros.   This episode is part one of a three part special edition series and it features interviews with Kathryn from Blackbird Letterpress, Kim from Ramona & Ruth, Pippi from E. Frances Paper and Stefanie from Halifax Paper Hearts.   Before we get started, I wanted to let you know that we’re running our first ever summer session of the Paper Camp E-Course.  This course will help you get your product line ready for wholesale, refine your sales tools, strengthen your marketing and exhibit at shows.  This isn’t your ordinary online course where you’re left to do everything yourself. The class runs for four weeks and every week we’ll have a live coaching call with me and special guest experts.  Classes start on June 4th! Learn more and register here.   Enjoy Part 1 of our National Stationery Show special series.

Chelsea Sonksen is the founder and Editor in Chief of Bossladies, a movement that began with a print magazine in 2016 and has grown into a vibrant in-person and online community of entrepreneurs through her monthly event series, Work Sesh.   On today’s episode we’re talking about the mission behind Bossladies, how Chelsea is layering new products and services that will give her the freedom and flexibility to work from both California and Maine.  Chelsea also shares her thoughts on why making a good first impression is so important. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Chelsea’s motivation for starting Bossladies and why she choose publishing as her method for sharing her message with the world Her background as an editorial assistant Why she decided to stop reading other publications for the first six months of Bossladies The mission behind Bossladies How she decides which women to feature and which brands to include in each issue How Chelsea is layering in new products and services while staying true to the mission of Bossladies What Work Sesh is, how she facilitates it, and what the goal is Chelsea’s experience working with a significant number of contractors all over the country How she has found her contractors The way Chelsea decides what questions to ask the women featured in Bossladies How she defines success The advice she would give to a new entrepreneur What’s next for Bossladies & Work Sesh KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “I try really hard to take a month before we start designing the magazine, not to actually look at any publications for that month because I find that my design preferences and tendencies get swayed by whatever I'm seeing at that time. I think it's just easier to be original when you have periods of time where you sort of hibernate and block out all of the input.” - Chelsea Sonksen “The Bossladies mission has three parts. It's to inspire, educate, and provide community for the growing group of women who are wanting to create their own businesses.” - Chelsea Sonksen “I feel like that's really important for founders, as you're starting a company, it has to be what you want to be doing and what you want spending your hours doing and the people you want to be spending your hours with.” - Chelsea Sonksen “My company is a people first company.” - Katie Hunt “I love seeing the natural progressions that happen when people come together, when women come together, entrepreneurs. There's just so many things we have in common, and so many ways that we can leverage each other's experiences for good. We can help each other where we feel weak in something, we can leverage other people's skills and experiences, and also give back ourselves.” - Katie Hunt “Communication is always the most important thing and I've learned how to be a more efficient and effective communicator before launching into a project.” - Chelsea Sonksen “I find that whenever it's time to do the interviews, I'm usually in a certain season of life and I'm interested in certain kinds of things. So that's where I start every interview, what are the things that I'm most interested in in that moment and what are their thoughts on those things.” - Chelsea Sonksen “I view success as freedom.” - Chelsea Sonksen “It's really important to study other companies. You have to learn from people that are experts at what you are trying to do.” - Chelsea Sonksen “You have one opportunity to make a first impression, and your branding and what you present of your brand, is that first impression.” - Chelsea Sonksen LINKS:I Love CreativesUpwork CONNECT WITH CHELSEA: Website: http://bossladies.us Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bossladiesmag Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bossladiesmagazine/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Bossladiesmag PAPER CAMP ECOURSE: Many of you have been patiently waiting for the return of our Paper Camp E-course and I'm excited to tell you that it's here. This is a 4 week online program that kicks off on June 4th.  You'll get new videos to watch each week on your own and we'll have a live Q&A call every week with me and special guest experts.   But you've got to act fast, because registration closes on June 2nd. If you've want to see your products on the shelves of retail stores big & small, if you want to launch or refine your wholesale program, or maybe you want to exhibit at large scale trade shows, this is the program for you! We’ll cover product development, sales tools for wholesale, working with reps, marketing to retailers and exhibiting at shows.     To learn more and register, head to https://tsbc.teachable.com/p/pce. I look forward to having you there! SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.   SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

TSBC alum, Christine Miller is the creator and designer of Bundle Design — home to cheerful, cheeky greeting cards, balloons, party supplies and Good Day Decals.     On today’s episode Christine shares her journey of turning her hobby into a business, lessons learned from exhibiting at the National Stationery Show and how being at the show opened the door to working with Paper Source.   ON TODAY’S EPISODE: What Christine was doing before Bundle Design How starting her family influenced her decision to step away from her full time job Starting her business a hobby and a creative outlet after having her son and transitioning it to a business a few years ago Opening her Etsy shop in 2011 and what made her realize that Etsy may not be the best path for her Making the decision that wholesale was the direction she wanted to go The difficulty she faced in establishing her own brand identity and creating products that had a cohesive aesthetic How her style has changed over the years The fears and concerns she had going into her first National Stationery Show and the mistakes she made The importance of sending out mailers and advertising your booth number to anyone and everyone prior to the show The changes Christine made her second year at the National Stationery Show Meeting the Paper Source buyer at the show and how it has been fruitful even years later The advice Christine would give to someone just starting out in a product based business The goals she is setting for herself and for Bundle Designs What’s next for Bundle Designs KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “My mentality is,  "Well, if I just make it people will just buy it." Unfortunately it doesn't quite work that way.” - Christine Miller “When you're developing a line, one of the most important things is to have a unique style, a brand that's recognizable.” - Christine Miller “The biggest fear is no one is going to buy anything.” - Christine Miller “That first year, my mantra was, ‘Okay, I want to make sales but if I don't make sales at least I'm still learning this and I'm making connections and I'll know more for the next year.’” - Christine Miller “Your booth number is your address on the show so you want to make sure that you're telling everyone where you're going to be at all times, add it to your social media profile, your bio. Make sure you're sending out those mailers, include it in the footer of your emails that go out. Don't keep that a secret, shout it from the rooftops where you're going to be.” - Katie Hunt “I never would've made that connection had I not been to the show. I'm sure I could've found out her information another way, LinkedIn or asking around and things like that, but I think her maybe seeing it in person gave it a little bit of an edge when they made their final selections.” - Christine Miller “I've always had the mentality of slow and steady. So, if I'm making steps, even if they're small steps, I'm moving in the right direction then that's what I'm always striving for.” - Christine Miller LINKS:Portfolio CenterNational Stationery ShowPaper CampPaper SourceFarewell Paperie   CONNECT WITH CHRISTINE: Website: http://bundledesign.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BundleDesignOnline Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bundledesign/   THE BOOTH BLUEPRINT: If you’re gearing up for trade show season and need help creating a beautiful booth that doesn’t break the bank, I want to invite you to my free masterclass. I’m sharing my three secrets to maximize your trade show investment and keep wholesale orders coming in long after you trade show end.  To join me for this free workshop, head to www.theboothblueprint.com to register!   SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.   SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know!   ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

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. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: All of the different arms of her business How she got started designing a fabric collection The benefits of trying something new and how it influences all areas of her business How Kelly balances all of the different aspects of her business The way that she maps out her week & how she prioritizes tasks The importance of setting boundaries and saying “no” The responsibilities of Kelly’s office manager and why she decided to hire her from the beginning Why she decided to have a secondary site in addition to Etsy Kelly’s tips on enhancing your Etsy listings Her advice for someone just starting out in a product based business What’s next for Hello World Paper Co. KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “When you feel stuck in one area of your life creatively, it's so important to try something new.” - Kelly Parker Smith “For me, money talks. What do I need to get done first? Who's paying me to do what that I have to get done? Then, when I have that scheduled out for the week, I look at what do I need to do to move forward in my business? Then, I schedule that out.” - Kelly Parker Smith “When our calendar gets so full it doesn't leave a space to breathe. It doesn't leave a space to think and to plan and to really execute on the high priority things.” - Katie Hunt “I don't have notifications on for my Etsy shop, I don't have notifications on my phone for my emails.” - Kelly Parker Smith “Every time I brought somebody on my team, my business grew, my revenue grew, and my sanity came back.” - Katie Hunt “Etsy is amazing. It's a great place to start, it's a great place to be. We'll never leave Etsy as long as it's there, but the thing is that you can't put everything you have into one platform, especially if you don't own it.” - Kelly Parker Smith “You have to think like a buyer.” - Kelly Parker Smith “I went in the direction that my business was telling me to go in. I listened to where the money was coming in, I was very meticulous in my bookkeeping, and I really looked at patterns and what was selling and what was making me profit and what wasn't. I just followed essentially what my business and my customers were telling me.” - Kelly Parker Smith LINKS:Lisa Congdon’s Creativebug ClassesPattern Camp with Jessica SwiftInkwell Press Planner   CONNECT WITH KELLY: Website(s): http://www.helloworldpaperco.com http://www.creativebizrebellion.com http://www.kellyparkersmith.com   Social Media Links: Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/helloworldpaperco http://www.instagram.com/creativebizrebellion http://www.instagram.com/kellyparkersmith   Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/helloworldpaperco http://www.facebook.com/creativebizrebellion http://www.twitter.com/creativebizreb   Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/helloworldpaper   Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/helloworldpaper FREE TRADESHOW WORKSHOP: If you’re gearing up for trade show season and need help creating a beautiful booth that doesn’t break the bank, I want to invite you to my free masterclass. I’m sharing my three secrets to maximize your trade show investment and keep wholesale orders coming in long after you trade show end.  To join me for this free workshop, head to www.theboothblueprint.com to register! SUBSCRIBE TO PROOF TO PRODUCT: If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.     ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

TSBC alum, Lisa Sarmento is the owner of Tiramisu Paperie a sassy brand located in Nashville that sells greeting cards, gift wrap, pencils and other gift items. Lisa has had tremendous growth in her business over the last two years. She attended our Paper Camp conference in February 2016 and describes those two days as the launching point for Tiramisu Paperie. Her products are currently carried in hundreds of retail shops throughout the United States. Lisa works with sales reps nationally and has exhibited at several trade shows including NSS, Las Vegas Market and Dallas Market.   On today’s episode, Lisa shares her personal story of getting laid off from her high level advertising agency and how ‘entrepreneurial gardening’ and motivation from her son prompted her to start this business.  She shares how she connected with sales reps, what she skimped and splurged on at her first trade show and reminds us to not let fear hold us back from what we want in life and business.   ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Her time at a graphic design agency and how that led to her becoming her own boss How losing her mom allowed to recognize a need for honest cards Her season of entrepreneurial gardening The importance of having an inner circle of friends and family supporting and pushing you The why behind her business and the motivation her son prompted in her Finding and building connections with the right sales reps Lisa’s experience at trade shows & how she decided on which ones to attend The pros and cons of doing a showroom booth with reps versus a booth on your own What she skimped and splurged on at her first wholesale trade show The advice that Lisa would give to someone just starting out in a product based business What’s next for Tiramisu Paperie KEY TAKE-AWAYS: "Just plant the seeds, see what grows. Water it all equally, and whatever you're supposed to do is going to rise to the top." - Lisa Sarmento “I started watching him work, and then it just dawned on me. I'm like, "I think I know why I'm going to do this." Because once he turns 18, all services go away. The college education life he's going to have is going to be different from somebody else. His work or career path is going to be different, so I'm like, "I think I know what I'm going to do. I'm creating this company for him." - Lisa Sarmento “The way I look at my reps is, ‘You're part of my family. Be honest with me and I'll be honest with you. Whatever you need, I'll help you and you help me.’” - Lisa Sarmento “I splurged because I was putting up the stuff by myself.” - Lisa Sarmento “Lighting's super important, but you need to find something that works in your budget and highlights your products in the best possible way.” - Katie Hunt “If you know you want to do it, just do it. Just jump. If you don't try, you'll never know.” - Lisa Sarmento   CONNECT WITH LISA: Website: http://www.tiramisupaperie.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TiramisuPaperieGifts Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tiramisupaperie/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/tiramisupaperie/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/tiramisupaperie SUBSCRIBE TO PROOF TO PRODUCT: If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.   ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

Jessica McSweeney is the owner of Little Well Paper Co, a letterpress greeting card company aimed at celebrating and deepening the connections between loved ones. Prior to starting Little Well she taught herself calligraphy and offered wedding calligraphy and invitation services. Jessica’s calligraphy work has been featured in The Knot, Southern Weddings Magazine, and Once Wed. Jess attended Paper Camp in fall 2016 when Little Well was just a spark of an idea, and she launched to the retail and wholesale markets in fall 2017.   On today’s episode we’re talking about shifting from a service based business to a product based business, her vision for Little Well Paper Co., and why relationships are critical to building a successful business. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: How she got started her calligraphy business & Little Well Paper Co. Taking online courses to learn calligraphy The impact relationships within the wedding industry had on her business What the calligraphy side of her business looks like now What prompted Jessica to create Little Well Paper Co. The most challenging part of adding a second brand and a new business model How she manages both the retail side and the wholesale side of her business Fostering relationships with her wholesale customers Her decision to do New York Now last minute & her experience sharing a booth The advice she would give to someone just starting out in a product based business What’s next for Jessica McSweeney & Little Well Paper Co. KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “I'm a big believer that business is 90% relationships.” - Jessica McSweeney “To me, to have a card that can be a vehicle to help somebody else start a conversation with someone they love about something that might be really hard like that is just the best thing.” - Jessica McSweeney “So many of the logistical things were things that if I hadn't gone to Paper Camp, I would have no idea about.” - Jessica McSweeney “I felt if I don't change this, I will be way more uncomfortable than if just taking this leap of maybe this won't work out, this new venture.” - Jessica McSweeney “It's important to have a brand voice that carries through everything, that brings in retail people and wholesale people alike.” - Jessica McSweeney “Make sure that what you're doing is something that feels good for you that you can be passionate about that also is not something that is already saturating out there.” - Jessica McSweeney   CONNECT WITH JESSICA: Website: http://www.littlewellpaperco.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/littlewellpaperco Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/littlewellpaperco SUBSCRIBE TO PROOF TO PRODUCT: If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.   ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

Megan Auman is a designer, metalsmith, educator, and entrepreneur who has built a multi-faceted business around her passion for art, commerce, and visual content creation! (Which is just a fancy way of saying she's obsessed with Instagram and Pinterest.) In addition to running her Megan Auman jewelry line, she runs the site Designing an MBA, where she writes and teaches about the intersection of art and business.   On today’s episode we’re talking about product photography and why you should be leveraging pinterest to get more sales. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: A common mistake that Megan sees product-based business owners making around marketing strategies When she started her jewelry line and how it lead to her starting her Designing an MBA program Her product photography & the importance of having high quality photos of your products Megan’s tips on preparing for a photo shoot The editing software that Megan uses How she is leveraging her product photography and Pinterest for sales Some of Megan’s struggles when she first got started on Pinterest How she measures conversions and the effectiveness of her Pinterest strategy Utilizing Pinterest scheduling apps to batch content Megan’s experience with Pinterest ads The advice she would offer to someone just starting out in a product based business What’s next for Megan KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “It's really easy to get sidetracked just by all the information online about running a business, and trying to know what applies to you and what doesn't.” - Megan Auman “You have to show your customers how it fits into their lives, otherwise they're not going to buy it.” - Megan Auman “Your life will be so much easier if you batch your photography, whether that's product photography or social media photography, it doesn't matter, the easiest thing is to batch.” - Megan Auman “Shoot like crazy and then pick your best ones and delete everything, because it's better to have a lot of options when you're editing.” - Megan Auman “Shoot from far away and then get in and shoot the detail, and shoot somewhere in the middle. Shoot from those different distances and you going to have a lot more options.” - Megan Auman “One of the reasons that people get frustrated with Pinterest, is sometimes they just pin their product photography directly from their online shop, which is good, but it's not ultimately the best way to use it, especially if your price point is higher.” - Megan Auman “If you're starting out and you're only putting your images with your images, and no one else is pinning your content, Pinterest isn't showing it to anybody.” - Megan Auman “As soon as you start putting your content across other boards with other people's pins, it greatly increases the chances that Pinterest is going to show them to other people.” - Megan Auman “More often than not, stuff doesn't go viral immediately, people call it the Pinterest lag.” - Megan Auman “The biggest challenge with Pinterest ads is that, they're better at keyword targeting than audience targeting.” - Megan Auman “You really cannot compete if you don't have that email list and you're not using it regularly.” - Megan Auman LINKS: Afterlight: https://afterlight.co/ Snapseed: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/snapseed/id439438619?mt=8 Retouchup.com: https://www.retouchup.com/ Viraltag: https://www.viraltag.com/ Tailwind: https://www.tailwindapp.com/   CONNECT WITH MEGAN: Website: http://designinganmba.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/meganauman Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/meganauman Twitter: http://twitter.com/meganauman Market Your Selfie: http://www.marketyourselfie.com Megan Auman's Pinterest for Makers class on CreativeLive   SUBSCRIBE TO PROOF TO PRODUCT: If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.   ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

On this episode, Katie shares how she overextended herself in 2016 and how it caused her to refocus her priorities and make some difficult decisions about her business.     If you’ve ever felt stuck, stretched thin or pulled in too many directions, this episode is for you.  Katie talks about how she realized she was over scheduled and how she fixed things — including discontinuing manufacturing, pushing pause on speaking at conferences and asking for help / investing in a team.

Lichia Liu is the founder and creative director of Gotamago, a stationery & gifts brand based in Toronto, Canada. A self-taught illustrator, Lichia took a detour from her urban design career in 2013 to start Gotamago when she realized that she needed more authenticity, autonomy and artistic exploration in her work.  Besides running Gotamago and being a mom, Lichia is a musician, an urban sketcher, a member of a Japanese Taiko drumming group, and a foster dog parent.   On today’s episode we’re talking about how Lichia left her day job to pursue her passion, how she involves her team in building systems to automate and streamline her business and why she thinks it is important to jump before you feel ready   ON TODAY’S EPISODE: What Lichia was doing before she started Gotamango & how that lead her to start her business The first time she was reached out to by a retailer who wanted to carry her line & what her reaction was When she decided to leave her full time job Where Lichia gains inspiration for her work How she makes time for designing while trying to balance the rest of Gotamago How becoming a mom has changed her routines and schedules within her business Lichia’s team & the systems she has in place that allow her to step back and prioritize her family The types of canned email responses that she has written How her team grew slowly over time Some of the challenges that she faces being a Canadian exhibitor at U.S. based shows How preparing for her second National Stationery Show is different from preparing for her first The advice she would give to someone who is just starting out in a product based business What’s coming up for Gotamago KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “I was working on weekends and I thought, what am I doing? I really need to be grabbing this creative force that I have inside of me and giving it a chance.” - Lichia Liu “It's just such a different feeling when you know that strangers who don't know you at all are really liking your products, it gave me a lot of confidence.” - Lichia Liu “Everything I've done is pretty much a reflection of what I've been going through in my life.” - Lichia Liu “I was kind of a workaholic before I had my baby.” - Lichia Liu “Leading up to the baby being born, I really took time to start to systemize everything and delegate it out.” - Lichia Liu “Because I feel so much emotional attachment to my products that I'm not the best person to be dealing with things when things go wrong.” - Lichia Liu “The first lesson I learned was that when you take your stuff across the border you have to have all your forms filled. So make sure you get your forms filled.” - Lichia Liu “If I had waited until I thought it was perfect, I would have spent way more time on getting it to what I thought people wanted rather than actually making a good product that people actually will want.” - Lichia Liu LINKS: Website: http://gotamago.com Facebook: http://facebook.com/shopgotamago Instagram: http://Instagram.com/go.tamago Twitter: http://twitter.com/shopgotamago SUBSCRIBE TO PROOF TO PRODUCT: If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.   ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

TSBC alum, Kim Burks is the founder of Ramona & Ruth is a boutique letterpress studio located in Omaha, Nebraska. Kim started Ramona & Ruth in 2009 with her tabletop letterpress in a spare bedroom of her home. Kim makes simple and thoughtful letterpress greeting cards and a variety of other paper goods including gift wrap, notebooks and planners. Ramona & Ruth products can be found in retail shops across the country.   On today’s episode we’re talking about Kim’s decision to change her business name after being in business for five years, how her design aesthetic has evolved and how bringing on sales reps has enhanced her business. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Kim’s business journey and whether she always wanted to be an entrepreneur How she learned to do letterpress When she decided to take her new hobby and make it into a business The catalyst for changing her business name & why it was a difficult decision The story behind the name Ramona & Ruth How she communicated her name change to retailers What inspires Kim the most when creating her work & how that has changed over the years How she manages doing most of her own printing, designing new ideas, and running her business When she first entered into the wholesale market and how she has grown her wholesale program The factors Kim considered when going to her first stationery show The impact sales reps have had on her business How to nurture relationships with sales reps & the tools that she provides her reps Kim’s advice to anyone starting out in a product based business What’s next for Ramona & Ruth KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “It was a super scary thing to do and probably pretty risky, but I'm glad that I did it. I feel so comfortable with my new business name. I'm proud of it.” - Kim Burks “It took me a while to figure out that I needed help... but it has been amazing asking for help. .” - Kim Burks “You can send out mailers and emails until you're blue in the face, but there's something about a real person, a rep, going to that store physically.”- Kim Burks “It's so valuable to have our reps’ input when they're on the front lines.” - Kim Burks “Working with reps has made me hone down on systems even more and how can we get an order out the door the quickest” - Kim Burks “The most important thing is to really hone in on your voice and your aesthetic, because honestly, there's so many of us.” - Kim Burks “It's easy to see some sort of style doing well and say, "Oh, maybe I should do that because that's selling," but I think when it comes down to it, you have to be true to your own voice and really focus on developing that, and that'll set you apart.” - Kim Burks LINKS: Website: http://www.ramonaandruth.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ramonaandruth Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ramonaandruth/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ramonaandruth/   SUBSCRIBE TO PROOF TO PRODUCT: If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.   ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

TSBC alum Zoe Scarf is the co-founder and Chief Brand Officer at Greetabl–a personal and easy way to make your friends feel super loved. If you’re not familiar with Greetabl, you should be. It’s an impressive gifting service where you choose your packaging, gift and personalize your message and they take care of the rest — getting it in the hands of your recipient.  Greetabl has delivered 200,000 happy moments and is continuing to quickly grow.   On today’s episode Zoe shares how they unsuccessfully chased wholesale, struggled with figuring out who their audience was and how impactful their fulfillment relationships have been.  We also spent a good amount of time talking about how Greetabl sought funding from angel investors. They achieved three rounds for $50k, $750k and most recently $1.5M — we talked about how the process worked, what they did with the money and she shared some resources for those interested in learning more.     ON TODAY’S EPISODE: How Zoe and her business partner, Joe, came up with the idea for Greetabl Her background as a graphic designer Their experience in the wholesale industry and why they decided to pivot to retail Narrowing down their audience & identifying their core customer How customers order their gifts through Greetabl The process of finding a fulfillment partner & how they landed their current partnership How Zoe & Joe decide what gift items to purchase & what their requirements are How featuring products on Greetabl has helped other small business grow The number one requested product What the Greetabl team look like & when they started bringing people on The fundraising process & how they decided to work with angel investors What they had to provide to the angel investors to get them interested What it looks like if an angel investors decide they want to move forward with you The importance of women investing in and pouring into other women Resources out there to help entrepreneurs connect with angel investors The benefits of a mastermind group What’s coming up for Greetabl KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “Buyers need simplicity, and they need to really clearly understand the product.” - Katie Hunt “We really wanted to help those women fill what we call the gifting gap. That $15-30 price point where you want something that's really personal, really beautiful, and not gonna break your bank.” - Zoe Scharf “Greetabl is like a greeting card that you customize with your photos and a message and then it folds up to become this gift box.” - Zoe Scharf “We love these makers and empowering them, and helping them as much as we can, because we were and are in the same boat.” - Zoe Scharf “The more connections we can make, and the more we can be involved with companies, the happier I personally feel.” - Zoe Scharf “The most effective way to do things was to work with Angel groups, because that's when you talk to anywhere from 10-50 Angel investors at once.” - Zoe Scharf “Because our product is very unique, if it sees as much success as we want it to, there are gonna be other people out there who try to do the same exact thing, and it's just up to us to do the best job fastest.” - Zoe Scharf “We need more women investing in other women's businesses.” - Katie Hunt “I feel very strongly that designers and women just need some more examples to know that it's possible for them to do this stuff.” - Zoe Scharf LINKS: Website: http://www.greetabl.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greetabl Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greetabl Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/greetabl/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/greetabl   Sequoia Capital resources for business planning, writing a pitch deck and pricing your products: https://www.sequoiacap.com/build/ JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY:   Do you want to scale your business and add new revenue streams?  Are you ready to get a handle on your cash flow and tuck money away for retirement?     Maybe you are interested in increasing your visibility and fine-tuning your marketing outreach?  Perhaps you have a team that you want to nurture or need help building your team?   Our newest on demand program, Paper Camp+ can help you with all of these things and more.  The program includes 5 keynote presentations and 2 panels from a wide range of business experts.  You can watch what you need, when you need it most and revisit the videos as often as you’d like.   This course was built for anyone running a product based business, and extends way beyond the paper industry.  Enroll at www.tradeshowcamp.com/pcplus! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

Emily Thompson is an author, educator and web designer.  She’s the founder of Indie Shopography and co-host of the Being Boss podcast, where she inspires, writes and curates content to help creatives own their path and be more boss.  With over 3 million listens, the impact of the podcast inspired Emily and her business partner and co-host on Being Boss, Kathleen Shannon to write their first book called Being Boss:  Take Control of your Work and Live Life on your Own Terms.   This episode is a fun one and we talked about some key topics in the book.  Emily shared her thoughts on why being boss requires vision and hustle, the importance of setting boundaries that align with your values and why you need to do the work. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: The biggest misconception that people have around being an entrepreneur The career path that has led Emily to multiple businesses, an amazing podcast, and a book How she met her podcast co-host, Kathleen Shannon, and how they grew their “business bestie” relationship Starting the Being Boss podcast & the inspiration behind it What lead to Emily & Kathleen deciding to write a book & how their experiences shaped it How Emily balances being both a visionary and an implementer How values set the stage for decision making within business The advice Emily has for people pleasers who want to say “yes” to everything The red flags people experience when they need to set better boundaries Emily’s definition of success What’s next for Emily and the Being Boss brand KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “My life probably looks a lot easier to some people than it actually is.” - Emily Thompson   “Most successful people have super windy roads that get them to the place they are now.” - Emily Thompson   “Once you make that first leap, all the other leaps are easier. “ - Emily Thompson   “I understand that I have to know what those day to day tasks are, in order to reach that big vision, and so it was a practice of finding a system that worked for me, and then just implementing it, day after day after day.” - Emily Thompson   “As creative entrepreneurs, we live our work, and our work in a lot of ways, defines who we are.” - Emily Thompson   “If you have some good parameters around what you allow yourself to say yes to, you can say yes with confidence and no resentment, to things that are going to fit, and you can say no with confidence and no fear, to the things that don't fit.” - Emily Thompson   “Once you are good at holding your boundaries, it's so much easier to be fluid and maintain control.” - Emily Thompson   “Just because somebody else is doing it, does not mean you need to do it. You need to do what is best for you, your company, your business, your circumstances, your family.” - Katie Hunt   “My success looks like doing whatever I want to do, but also being super productive while I'm doing it.” - Emily Thompson LINKSBook: https://www.amazon.com/Being-Boss-Take-Control-Terms/dp/0762490462/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1520391475&sr=8-1&keywords=being+boss+kathleen+shannon&dpID=51hskd%252BskIL&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch&linkCode=sl1&tag=tradesbootc07-20&linkId=82b7a7e0f16f088a9455de3037cfc23c Website: https://beingboss.club Facebook: https://facebook.com/beingbossclub Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beingbossclub/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/beingbossclub JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY:   Do you want to scale your business and add new revenue streams?  Are you ready to get a handle on your cash flow and tuck money away for retirement?     Maybe you are interested in increasing your visibility and fine-tuning your marketing outreach?  Perhaps you have a team that you want to nurture or need help building your team?   Our newest on demand program, Paper Camp+ can help you with all of these things and more.  The program includes 5 keynote presentations and 2 panels from a wide range of business experts.  You can watch what you need, when you need it most and revisit the videos as often as you’d like.   This course was built for anyone running a product based business, and extends way beyond the paper industry.  Enroll at www.tradeshowcamp.com/pcplus! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

TSBC Alums Laura Hooper Leader and Alyssa Bobbett of Laura Hooper Calligraphy have served clients with hand calligraphy and stationery needs for weddings, showers events & more since 2002.  These sisters have grown a dynamic business that includes their custom work, ready made product, calligraphy kits, offer in person and online educational programs and these girls wrote a book last year.      On today’s episode we’re talking about their business model including their process for adding new revenue streams.  We dove deep into their custom work regarding pricing and how they’ve set better boundaries to provide a better experience for their customers.  And, we talked about their strategies and goals for engaging with their 318k instagram followers! A little side note here — but they aren’t happy with the IG algorithm changes either! ON TODAY’S EPISODE: How Laura got her start in calligraphy and how her love for hand lettering turned into a business When Alyssa joined her sister at Laura Hooper Calligraphy and how she defined her role How having people on her team handling very specific tasks frees Laura up to focus on the creative side of the business The importance of investing in your business & outsourcing when possible What led to the diversity of Laura Hooper Calligraphy’s product offerings and how they determined what direction to go in The start of their calligraphy workshops & why they decided to “train the competition” The custom work they are doing The systems & boundaries they have in place to standardize their custom work The strategies they use to engage with their followers on social media Laura & Alyssa’s thoughts on the Instagram algorithm How they measure conversions from Instagram What’s coming up next for Laura Hooper Calligraphy KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “I'm very logistical and Laura is very artistic. You could say that it was a good little marriage of skills.” - Alyssa Bobbett “I've never been afraid to take risks and step out and try something new. I like to look at what we're doing, what's working, what isn't working and what do we need to change.” - Laura Hooper Leader “You could spend a week researching something and figuring it out and doing it, but think of all the other ways that you could put your actual skills to use during that week if you outsource something.” - Alyssa Bobbett “We kind of let the people tell us what direction to go in. We listen to what our clients or potential clients are asking for.” - Laura Hooper Leader “People talk about the market being so saturated, which it is, but at the same time it allows you to kind of streamline what you want to do.” - Alyssa Bobbett “There's an endless number of weddings. There's an endless number of greeting cards at Paper Source or wherever. There's plenty of work to go around.” - Alyssa Bobbett “I want everyone to be happy, and that's just not 100% feasible. You have to have policies or you're just going to be miserable all the time. You need to enforce them or else people walk all over you.” - Laura Hooper Leader “We like to use our social media as an extension of our brand.” - Alyssa Bobbett “We don't consider followers or likes to be the goal. We consider conversions to be the goal.” - Alyssa Bobbett “We're not always trying to sell to our followers. We want people to follow because it's beautiful, but we don't want them to feel like we're just using them to make money.” - Laura Hooper Leader LINKSWebsite: http://lhcalligraphy.com Facebook:  http://facebook.com/lhcalligraphy Instagram: http://instagram.com/lhcalligraphy Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/lhcalligraphy Twitter:  http://twitter.com/lhcalligraphy JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY:   Do you want to scale your business and add new revenue streams?  Are you ready to get a handle on your cash flow and tuck money away for retirement?     Maybe you are interested in increasing your visibility and fine-tuning your marketing outreach?  Perhaps you have a team that you want to nurture or need help building your team?   Our newest on demand program, Paper Camp+ can help you with all of these things and more.  The program includes 5 keynote presentations and 2 panels from a wide range of business experts.  You can watch what you need, when you need it most and revisit the videos as often as you’d like.   This course was built for anyone running a product based business, and extends way beyond the paper industry.  Enroll at www.tradeshowcamp.com/pcplus! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

Meet Autumn Witt Boyd, an attorney who specializes in helping ambitious entrepreneurs reach their big goals faster and smarter — guiding them as they go. Autumn loves helping creatives put together collaborations and partnerships, grow their brand with trademarks, and protect their content with copyrights. Autumn is also the host of the Legal Road Map podcast, which teaches business owners about legal issues they may face as they grow profitable companies.   On today’s episode we’re talking about the difference between copyright and trademarks, the process for protecting your work and how to handle copycats. Autumn does a fantastic job of breaking this complex topic into bite size pieces and provide tangible steps that you can take in your business now.   ON TODAY’S EPISODE: The most common mistake Autumn sees product-based businesses making The difference between copyright and trademarks and where to start when working to protect your work Copyrighting multiple pieces as a collection-- when you can do it and when you cannot The importance of copyrighting your work earlier rather than later Autumn’s opinion on when to pursue legal action The steps a product-based business owner can take when they find a copycat online that is worth putting the time, energy, and effort into shutting down What information a cease and desist letter contains and whether you need a lawyer to send one How to ensure that you’re not inadvertently influenced by things like social media or other people's work Utilizing song lyrics or quotes in your work and the potential consequences you can face The process of protecting and fighting for you trademark Legal document templates that would be helpful to product-based business owners When to start looking for an attorney and how to find one Autumn’s firm and the companies that she works with The five minute IP audit worksheet that Autumn has put together for businesses Her podcast, The Legal Road Map Podcast KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “Under US law, you cannot file a lawsuit for copyright infringement without having a copyright registration.” - Autumn Witt Boyd “Think of copyrights as protecting creative works.” - Autumn Witt Boyd “If you're registering something, you're really kind of buying the right to stop other people from using your stuff.” - Autumn Witt Boyd “You just have to make a judgment call of how much time and energy it's worth, and money, because lawyers are not inexpensive. And it also takes a lot of your energy and time to gather all the evidence and do all the work to try and shut them down.” - Autumn Witt Boyd “Make sure that you either take screenshots or save whatever evidence you can find that they're infringing your stuff, because once you get in contact with them, often it will disappear.” - Autumn Witt Boyd “You don't poke the bear when you're trying to get the bear to do something nice for you.” - Autumn Witt Boyd “I always say stay in your own lane, make up your own stuff. You're going to be safest that way.” - Autumn Witt Boyd “I do like to recommend that people work with an attorney who has some experience, either with a specific issue that you're having or with your particular industry.” - Autumn Witt Boyd LINKSWebsite: http://awbfirm.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutumnWittBoyd/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnwboyd/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/AutumnWittBoyd IP Audit Worksheet: http://awbfirm.com/free-legal-guides/   JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY:   Do you want to scale your business and add new revenue streams?  Are you ready to get a handle on your cash flow and tuck money away for retirement?     Maybe you are interested in increasing your visibility and fine-tuning your marketing outreach?  Perhaps you have a team that you want to nurture or need help building your team?   Our newest on demand program, Paper Camp+ can help you with all of these things and more.  The program includes 5 keynote presentations and 2 panels from a wide range of business experts.  You can watch what you need, when you need it most and revisit the videos as often as you’d like.     This course was built for anyone running a product based business, and extends way beyond the paper industry.  Enroll at www.tradeshowcamp.com/pcplus! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

Richele Silva is the founder of Richie Designs, a boutique design and letterpress studio located in Long Beach, California. Richele is an art director, stylist, designer and printer. She founded Richie Designs 12 years ago, first as a side hustle while she worked at an advertising agency. Richele's products are sold at Paper Source, Urban Outfitters and Sugarfina along with hundreds of independent boutiques across the U.S.   On today’s episode we’re talking about leveraging past work experiences in business and the benefits of moving slowly and steadily in your business. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Her career path and how her previous stationery business led to Richie Designs Walking her first National Stationery Show in 1990 Her first greeting card company, Three Mulligans How her background in advertising helped prepare her for being a business owner Starting Richie Designs as a side hustle and then transitioning into it being her full-time gig How her background as a printer shaped the decisions she’s made for her business The “tipping points” in her business that helped her realize she could do this full-time Richele’s slow and steady approach to growing Richie Designs Her approach to social media and how it has changed over the years The advice she would give to people early on in their product-based businesses Richele’s favorite resource for her business What’s next for Richie Designs in 2018 KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “I remember having a conversation sitting with college girlfriends and we were talking about our dream jobs and greeting card designer was mine.” - Richele Silva “I want to meet everyone in their journey exactly where they are and I want to help them with whatever phase they're in.” - Katie Hunt “Having printed for other designers who don't print, I feel like it shapes my design for sure. Somebody who doesn't print is going to dream up three-color designs versus somebody who has to stand there and actually print it.” - Richele Silva “I just know I have to work slowly.” - Richele Silva “I don't think it's a bad thing to sit back and take a little breath.” - Richele Silva LINKSWebsite: http://www.richiedesigns.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Richie-Design-Letterpress-164221064003/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richiedesigns/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/richiedesigns/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/richiedesigns   JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY:   Do you want to scale your business and add new revenue streams?  Are you ready to get a handle on your cash flow and tuck money away for retirement?     Maybe you are interested in increasing your visibility and fine-tuning your marketing outreach?  Perhaps you have a team that you want to nurture or need help building your team?   Our newest on demand program, Paper Camp+ can help you with all of these things and more.  The program includes 5 keynote presentations and 2 panels from a wide range of business experts.  You can watch what you need, when you need it most and revisit the videos as often as you’d like.     This course was built for anyone running a product based business, and extends way beyond the paper industry.  Enroll at www.tradeshowcamp.com/pcplus! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

Katie Hunt, Founder of Tradeshow Bootcamp and Host of Proof to Product shares three important business lessons that her daughter used to sell Girl Scout cookies — things we should all remember in our own businesses. Listen to more episodes of Proof to Product at www.prooftoproduct.com

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.   ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Caroline’s career path and what motivated her to start Caroline Creates Her custom wedding invitation designs and how the word got out about her Etsy shop Making the transition from working Caroline Creates part-time to full-time How her move to Nashville impacted her business and her decision to transition to the wholesale market The pain points that made her realize she needed to make some changes in her business Her decision to homeschool her children and how that impacted her decision to pivot in her business Taking a break in her business to evaluate how she felt and what she wanted to change Transitioning her Etsy shop to all downloadable products or drop ship The start of her podcast, Creative Biz Rebellion and how she met her co-host, Kelly How community and professional development have impacted her business How Caroline became a podcast producer and editor The growth of her podcast business Caroline’s advice to anyone just starting a product-based business KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “The business itself started to feel more like a chore and a burden and it felt very hard and it felt like I was constantly having to fight to get to where I wanted to go.” - Caroline Hull “It's hard to make changes sometimes in our business unless we're forced to.” - Katie Hunt “I would not have that podcast [Creative Biz Rebellion] and the success of that podcast is having and the joy that it brings to me if I hadn't have had the business in a way that I had it.” - Caroline Hull “I think that is super important is to be able to say, ‘You know what, things aren't working. I need to take a step back and see how I feel.’” - Caroline Hull “These print-on-demand services and the drop shipping options, they're really great especially for people that work at home and are still at the beginning stages of their business or scaling back and don't want to have a whole manufacturing warehouse.” - Katie Hunt “When I could feel like my business was hitting a point where I needed to grow but I wasn't sure how to do it, that was when I knew that I needed to go do something and be around people who knew more than I do.” - Caroline Hull “I've become like this mini podcast launch cheerleader and helping people figure out all the pieces that they need to get going.” - Caroline Hull “Podcasting was a hobby and now it's my business and doing the shop and the design was my business and now it's gone back to being my hobby.” - Caroline Hull “It is so just amazing that by opening myself up and being open to new possibility that I've ended up with this business that I love that to me is so similar to the original thing I had set out to do when I was a young 18-year-old.” - Caroline Hull   LINKSWebsite: www.carolinecreates.com Website: http://creativebizrebellion.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carolinecreates/ Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/carolinecreates   JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY:   Do you want to scale your business and add new revenue streams?  Are you ready to get a handle on your cash flow and tuck money away for retirement?     Maybe you are interested in increasing your visibility and fine-tuning your marketing outreach?  Perhaps you have a team that you want to nurture or need help building your team?   Our newest on demand program, Paper Camp+ can help you with all of these things and more.  The program includes 5 keynote presentations and 2 panels from a wide range of business experts.  You can watch what you need, when you need it most and revisit the videos as often as you’d like.     This course was built for anyone running a product based business, and extends way beyond the paper industry.  Enroll at www.tradeshowcamp.com/pcplus! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

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. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: What prompted Heather & Dani to go into business together What their day-to-day looks like running a retail storefront The custom design side of their business The benefits of buying an existing storefront and how they made it their own The growth of Rock Paper Scissors over the years How Heather & Dani divide responsibilities and how it has changed over the years as they have grown The things people should think about before jumping into a business partnership with someone Dani’s battle with breast cancer and why she decided to share her story publicly How breast cancer changed Dani’s perspective and her motivations Heather & Dani’s involvement in the C’ville Heart Project & the purpose behind it The things they have accomplished in their business that they are very proud of What’s next for Rock Paper Scissors KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “I'm extremely thankful that we purchased the business because as Dani said, there were so many things that were already in place that were really helpful for us, from the relationships with vendors, as well as relationships with existing clients.” - Heather Haynie “We trust each other in those roles because we know that that's what we're good at.” - Dani Atol “One of the greatest benefits [of our partnership] is that we don't have the same strengths.” - Heather Haynie “I mean, she [Dani] would have chemo and then be sending me proofs. This girl's work ethic is amazing.” - Heather Haynie “Some really terrible people came to our town and invaded our town and that's something that we always want to be really clear about. They are not Charlottesville and that's not what our town is like at all.” - Heather Haynie “We've grown our business every year, some years higher percentage than others. But every year we have grown and I'm super proud of that.” - Heather Haynie “Running a small business is hard and it is time consuming. There's always a million hats that we're wearing, and so I think it's important to remind ourselves that, "No, we set the rules here and we can decide what we do and not do to some extent." We do need to carve out that time for our personal lives.” - Katie Hunt  LINKSWebsite: www.thinkrockpaperscissors.com Website: www.rpscvilleheart.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thinkrockpaperscissors Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rps_cville/   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rps_dani/   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rps_heather/ JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY:   Do you want to scale your business and add new revenue streams?  Are you ready to get a handle on your cash flow and tuck money away for retirement?     Maybe you are interested in increasing your visibility and fine-tuning your marketing outreach?  Perhaps you have a team that you want to nurture or need help building your team?   Our newest on demand program, Paper Camp+ can help you with all of these things and more.  The program includes 5 keynote presentations and 2 panels from a wide range of business experts.  You can watch what you need, when you need it most and revisit the videos as often as you’d like.     This course was built for anyone running a product based business, and extends way beyond the paper industry.  Enroll at www.tradeshowcamp.com/pcplus!

Renee Griffith, the founder of HeartSwell, designs and creates her products using her original hand lettering style, incorporating patterns, colors and textures inspired by her deep love of the ocean and lush landscape where she lives in South Florida. Renee is a TSBC alum who has attended our Paper Camp Conference twice, once when she was starting her business and a second time after she had revised her line and rebranded her company.   On today’s episode we’re talking about why she changed her business name, how she nurtures relationships with customers and the importance of finding your voice within your product and brand.   ON TODAY’S EPISODE: How she got into the world of entrepreneurship and product creation The beginnings of her Etsy shop, Perro Paper What inspires Renee when she’s creating and developing new products The catalyst for changing the name of her business from Perro Paper to HeartSwell The process of brainstorming new names and how she came to HeartSwell Bringing other people into the naming process How she handled the rebranding process once she had decided on a name How Renee communicated the name change to her customers Whether changing the name of her business enhanced her confidence as a business owner The steps she took to refine her product line How she manages the day-to-day logistics of different sales channels An accomplishment in the last year that she is proud of The advice she would give to someone just starting out in a product-based business What’s next for HeartSwell KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “It's important to see what you like doing, and see what you want the vibe of your business and your brand to be.” - Renee Griffith “[my new company name] was a combination of what I want my voice and my company to be, which is making people feel very loved and make their hearts swell as cheesy as that is.” - Renee Griffith “I just feel like way more confident with [my new company name]  because it's just me. My colors. It's the same colors I have in my home. It's the same colors I wear. It truly is me out on paper.” - Renee Griffith “Keeping that tight color palette for me has enabled me to really keep a cohesive brand.” - Renee Griffith “To have that product recognition is really an important part of growing your business.” - Renee Griffith “It is so important to know the reasoning behind why you're running this business, why you started it to begin with, and why you want to continue doing it, because it does drive your decision-making as an entrepreneur.” - Katie Hunt   LINKSWebsite: http://www.heartswellco.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heartswellco Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heartswellco/ JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY:   Do you want to scale your business and add new revenue streams?  Are you ready to get a handle on your cash flow and tuck money away for retirement?     Maybe you are interested in increasing your visibility and fine-tuning your marketing outreach?  Perhaps you have a team that you want to nurture or need help building your team?   Our newest on demand program, Paper Camp+ can help you with all of these things and more.  The program includes 5 keynote presentations and 2 panels from a wide range of business experts.  You can watch what you need, when you need it most and revisit the videos as often as you’d like.     This course was built for anyone running a product based business, and extends way beyond the paper industry.  Enroll at www.tradeshowcamp.com/pcplus! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

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.   ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Some of the common misconceptions that people have around clutter and organization What got Beth started in this business and if she always knew she wanted to help people reduce overwhelm Systems to help reduce inbox overwhelm Beth’s new book “The Little Book of Tidying”  and where most people get hung up in the decluttering process What advice she gives to people who just aren’t sure where to start when it comes to decluttering How tidiness can affect somebody's overall life and happiness How the space around you directly affects the way you think Applying tidying principles to businesses and how we can be maximizing our workspaces and productivity Beth’s definition of success for her clients The services Beth offers and what’s next for her How she knew she wanted to write a book and the process of getting her book published KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “A huge misconception is that people think an organizer's going to show up, take away everything, put things back into place, and you're never going to have to touch it again.” - Beth Penn “It's really important to not be a slave to your email inbox.” - Beth Penn “Start simple and start easy.” - Beth Penn “When you are constantly playing catch up, there's no extra time to do the things that you want to do.” - Beth Penn “Tidying doesn't have to mean physically putting things away. It could mean just trying to be creative in not bringing extra stuff or having to buy stuff.” - Beth Penn “Success for my clients would be being able to maintain and then as well being able to pivot.” - Beth Penn LINKSBook:  The Little Book of Tidying Website: www.bneatobar.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bneatobar Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bneatobar/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BneatoBar   Business Camp Program (Beth gave us tips for zero inbox here!): www.TSBCbizcamp.com JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY:   Do you want to scale your business and add new revenue streams?  Are you ready to get a handle on your cash flow and tuck money away for retirement?     Maybe you are interested in increasing your visibility and fine-tuning your marketing outreach?  Perhaps you have a team that you want to nurture or need help building your team?   Our newest on demand program, Paper Camp+ can help you with all of these things and more.  The program includes 5 keynote presentations and 2 panels from a wide range of business experts.  You can watch what you need, when you need it most and revisit the videos as often as you’d like.     This course was built for anyone running a product based business, and extends way beyond the paper industry.  Enroll at www.tradeshowcamp.com/pcplus! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

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.   ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Melanie’s motivation for starting Grey Moggie How she began teaching letterpress classes The types of products she creates and the motivation behind them How craft shows shaped her business and how it shaped her product line Merchandising tips for people considering retail shows The benefits of selling her products at a weekly market How she determines if a retail market is a good place for her to be Managing her wholesale line and the retail line and how she does it on a day to day basis How being a mom has impacted the way she runs her business and how she prioritized her time Melanie’s definition of success in her business The advice she would give to someone just starting out in a product based business What’s next for Grey Moggie KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “The day after exams my second year of law school, I took a letterpress class and I just couldn't give it up.” - Melanie Karlins “That was one big thing I learned from customer feedback, was that everyone's looking for something new.” - Melanie Karlins “You can kind of tell upfront before you even get to the show what kind of help you're going to get onsite or what the scene is going to be like onsite.” - Melanie Karlins “My biggest takeaway is through really trying to make my business a business and becoming a mom at the same time was just that everything has a season and you can't necessarily plan ahead for it.” - Melanie Karlins “Self-care is so important to the creative process and the decisions that we're making within our business.” - Katie Hunt “It's important to revisit our definition of success and what we hope to achieve with our business and with our time and the effort that we're putting into these things.” - Katie Hunt   LINKS: Website: http://greymoggie.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreyMoggiePress Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greymoggie/ JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY: Our signature Paper Camp program is back and we’re now enrolling for Winter 2018!   We’re talking about product development  sales tools, trade shows, marketing, working with buyers, sales reps and the press.  Attend live or online.  It’s the similar content, available in different formats.   We have two seats remaining for our Paper Camp Conference, March 1-2 in Los Angeles.   Join us here! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

Rebekah Tennis is the founder of Wild Ink Press, a letterpress studio and retail storefront located in northern California. Rebekah started Wild Ink Press in 2009 and was part of our very first Tradeshow Bootcamp class in 2011. The Wild Ink Press brand offers witty and pretty greeting cards, stationery, and other paper goods that can be found in hundreds of retail shops nationwide including the Container Store, Papyrus, and Paper Source. On today's episode, Rebekah talks about the power of slow, organic growth and why it's okay to not have all your ducks in a row when you're starting out. She also shares her thoughts on responsiveness, reliability, and why she likes sending catalogs and samples to prospective wholesale buyers. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: How Wild Ink Press got its start and what lead Rebekah to starting her own business How she first got started with greeting cards When she first hired a team member and how the Wild Ink Press team grew from there The catalyst for wanting to open up the retail shop and the benefits it provides How her wholesale marketing and outreach has changed due to the retail shop The way she decides if she wants to carry someone’s work How long she recommends waiting to reach out to a retailer after you’ve mailed them a catalog and your samples Her schedule for sending out catalogs How she nurtures relationships with the stores that she’s working with as a manufacturer The way that she manages her business life and her family life How she handles times of transition in her business The advice she would give to someone just starting out in a product based business What’s next for Wild Ink Press KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “I'm making a card because I think, this is real to me and funny to me or interesting to me or I would send this to somebody.” - Rebekah Tennis “Hiring anyone for your team is definitely a risk and it feels very big.” - Katie Hunt “I try to find what my employees enjoy doing.” - Rebekah Tennis “What's amazing is, I didn't expect what a beautiful benefit it [the retail shop] would be to our business. I did not know that it would just automatically pay for itself. I did not know that customers would love coming in to see our work. There's all these things that were just surprises because you think it's going to be a hassle.” - Rebekah Tennis “I feel like the biggest way you can show someone respect, value, and nurture relationship is to be so responsive.” - Rebekah Tennis “I want people to know starting Wild Ink Press and all the various things that I do, we never had a smash hit. We never had a viral card. We never were the "it" person at the show.” - Rebekah Tennis “Each of the times that I found that I'm under more stress, I found that you find something in yourself to rise to the occasion.” - Rebekah Tennis “Don't be afraid to not have your ducks in a row.” - Rebekah Tennis   LINKS: Website: http://www.wildinkpress.com Facebook: http://facebook.com/wildinkpress Instagram: http://instagram.com/wildinkpress Twitter: http://twitter.com/wildinkpress JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY: Our signature Paper Camp program is back and we’re now enrolling for Winter 2018! We’re talking about product development  sales tools, trade shows, marketing, working with buyers, sales reps and the press.  Attend live or online.  It’s the similar content, available in different formats. We have two seats remaining for our Paper Camp Conference, March 1-2 in Los Angeles. Join us here! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

Nicole Block is the owner of The Nic Studio a stationery, design and illustration studio.  She’s also the founder of Tyles, which is a line of sophisticated, removable  wall decor made from cut vinyl!  Nic and I first met on Twitter back in 2009 and she’s been a part of the TSBC community since we started in 2011! On today’s episode Nicole shares how her life inspires her work, the benefits of getting a workspace outside of her home and the logistical challenges she faced when creating a new product category — including how she was turned down by more than 75 manufacturers she approached to help make her Tyles!   ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Nicole’s career path Entrepreneurial grit and figuring things out as you go How Nicole & Katie met industry colleagues on Twitter Why Nicole is allergic to ‘trends’ Recognizing that your style and skills will evolve over time & how you need to create products that your audience will love Why she created Tyles and the story behind it. Transitioning from stationery market to home decor with Tyles Challenges when entering a new industry Sourcing & scaling manufacturing Getting turned down by 75 manufacturers Moving her business out of her home and into a studio space Creating for your audience Recognizing that we can’t all be good at everything KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “Things have evolved over the years and I've realized how to do it better and within my style, but it takes a while.” - Nicole Block “Sometimes you forget that you're not just creating things that you like. You have to remember that there's an audience out there that also has to like what you do.” - Nicole Block “You have to remember that you can't force something to happen, especially if you're creating a completely new product. That's a hard thing to make work. You have to be willing to do a lot of trial and error and spend some money, not necessarily that much money, but some money trying to get the product right and find the right fit for you.”  - Nicole Block “if you're not a natural marketer for your product, that you need to either learn fast or bring somebody onboard that can help you with that.” - Nicole Block “You can't be good at everything” - Nicole Block   LINKS: Website: http://thenicstudio.com, http://tyles.co Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thenicstudio Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicstudio/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/nicstudio/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/nicstudio JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY: Our signature Paper Camp program is back and we’re now enrolling for Winter 2018!We’re talking about product development  sales tools, trade shows, marketing, working with buyers, sales reps and the press.  Attend live or online.  It’s the similar content, available in different formats. Paper Camp Conference:  an intensive 2-day program taking place March 1-2 in Los Angeles. Paper Camp E-Course:  4-week online program with live Q&A calls starting January 16th. Figure out which program is best for you and grab your seat at www.tradeshowcamp.com/papercamp ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

Happy Holidays friends!  This episode with Katie Wilson of The Good Twin is a crowd favorite and I’m so excited for you to listen to it again!   Katie is one of our TSBC alumni and she has such a unique story and fresh perspective on small business life.  Katie is inspiring in how she runs her business; balancing her love of art and creativity with savvy business smarts. I love sharing the stories of our alumni because it reminds us that there is no singular one way to run our businesses.  Katie reminds us that it’s ok to do our own thing, to forge our own path and to not fall into the comparison trap.  A #peptalk we all need at times.   Enjoy the show! -------------- Katie Wilson is the owner of The Good Twin, a stationery company known for its playful illustrations and hand-rendered type.  Katie’s story is a unique one in that The Good Twin is her second successful business in the stationery industry. On today's episode, Katie and I will talk about the pros and cons of being ahead of trends, the importance of slow sustainable growth and why we should never ever compare ourselves to other people's businesses.   ON TODAY’S EPISODE: [01:00] Katie’s story & how she started The Good Twin. [04:30] Reflecting on brands that came before her in the stationery industry.[06:30] Getting back to the night time hustle of designing.[09:30] Winning the Paper Camp scholarship.[11:00] Exhibiting at NSS was a big scary unknown, lots to learn.[13:30] Katie’s inspiration when she’s creating new products[16:30] Being on the front end of a trend, the pros and cons[21:30] Finding manufacturers for new product lines.[22:00] Determining how much product to order & how much money to invest.[26:00] Manufacturing overseas & the debate of whether to go overseas.[30:00] Keeping open lines of communication with your buyers[32:00] Working with big box stores & how that helps fund new products for her business.[34:30] Appreciate your peers in the business, rely on them for support & share information.[35:30] Having slow, sustainable growth is essential.  Don’t compare yourself to others.[34:30] Building a business takes time, don’t rush it.[38:00] What’s next for The Good Twin[40:00] Deciding What to Delegate Course [36:30] Focusing on the higher level, revenue generating projects and hiring for the rest. KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “ Sales rep knowledge is so valuable. They are on the ground with people just really getting it done.” - Katie Wilson   “You think it's fun to be on the front end of a trend, and be the cool kid. It's not.” - Katie Wilson   “It is scary to lay out that cash, out way at the beginning for something that you're not sure if it's gonna sell.” -Katie Hunt   “If you can't make your margins work on a reasonably small amount, you probably shouldn't be making the products.” -Katie Wilson   “If you shine, I shine.” - Katie Wilson   “Having slow, sustainable growth is so essential.” - Katie Wilson   LINKS: Dude & ChickCrow & CanaryGreenwich Letterpress Paper CampPinnacleDeFrance PrintingMama’s SauceBelle & Union Co. TSBC Deciding What to Delegate Course - Free!   MEET KATIE WILSON: Katie Wilson is the owner of The Good Twin, a stationery company known for playful illustrations and hand rendered type. With the help of her right hand pug, Peggy Day, Katie (who is really a twin, and a good one at that) has grown her Los Angeles based brand into a full line of greeting cards, office supplies, and enamel pins. She has over ten years of experience in the paper goods world, working as an illustrator, shopgirl, and co-founder before striking out on her own in 2014. After attending Paper Camp in September 2015, The Good Twin debuted at the National Stationery show in 2016.   Website: http://www.thegoodtwin.co/ Facebook: @thegoodtwinco Instagram: @thegoodtwinco Twitter: @thegoodtwinco   JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY: Interested in learning more about launching or refining a wholesale line or exhibiting at trade shows?  Join us for our next Paper Camp conference in Los Angeles. Get more details and register at www.tradeshowcamp.com/papercamp   ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode.

Happy Holidays friends!  You may want to relisten to this episode with Tonya Dalton of Inkwell Press twice!  Seriously.  Tonya is the queen of productivity and goal setting --  fitting topics as we enter the new year!  Tonya is an incredible businesswoman and a natural teacher, I’m thrilled to reshare this episode with you.  Enjoy the show! -------------- Tonya Dalton is the owner of Inkwell Press and host of Productivity Paradox. Tonya is a productivity expert who believes that too many women feel overwhelmed with all that they have to do each day. She helps women use productivity to pursue their big goals and end each day feeling satisfied and successful.   On today’s episode we’re talking about systems, automations and prioritizing at both home and in your business. She’s an amazing business woman who tells us her story of building her business from her kitchen table and gives more details on the new course that she is offering through inkWELL Press.   ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Tonya’s background prior to starting inkWELL Press The motivation and inspiration behind inkWELL Press The systems Tonya put into place to take her kitchen table hobby into a huge business How her background as a teacher helped her set up systems & run her business efficiently What overwhelm is & how to overcome it Common pain points Tanya sees in entrepreneurs when it comes to productivity in systems and automations The need to come up with an action plan to meet your goals Creating priority lists instead of to-do lists How Tanya breaks down her priorities for the week Preventing “urgent fires” from popping up by prioritizing Systems she has built into the inkWELL Press team What success looks like to Tanya What’s next for inkWell Press KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “That is really what started inkWELL Press, was figuring out what were the things I was passionate about? How was I going to make these things work so I could do something that fulfilled me?” -  Tonya Dalton   “One of the mistakes a lot of people make is they think, "I need to create all the systems all at once and try to implement them" and then because that becomes so overwhelming, it just falls apart.”  -  Tonya Dalton   “Overwhelm is not having too much to do. It's not knowing where to start.” -  Tonya Dalton   “People get really caught up in more is more, and so often less is more.” -  Tonya Dalton   “Productivity is velocity, and that means you're moving in one direction, instead of trying to move in all the directions.” -  Tonya Dalton   “It's really important that you are always making an action plan and stopping to assess.” -  Tonya Dalton   “We need to be focused on the things that are going to have the biggest impact, and make the most strides in your business.” - Katie Hunt   “To me, success looks like harmony.” -  Tonya Dalton   “My definition of productivity is not getting more things done in less time. It really is getting the important things done.” -  Tonya Dalton   LINKS: The liveWELL method course: http://inkwellpress.com/course Podcast: http://inkwellpress.com/podcast   CONNECT: Website: http://inkwellpress.com    Instagram:  http://instagram.com/inkwellpress Facebook: http://facebook.com/inkwellpress Twitter: http://twitter.com/inkwellpress JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY: Do you enjoy listening to our Podcast and learning from our guests as they discuss how they grew their businesses? Interested in learning more actionable steps that you can implement into your business? Check out our Business Camp E-Course. ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

Happy Holidays friends!  Oh boy, this episode with Jen Gotch was one of my favorites and I’m excited to reshare it with you.  Not only is Jen an inspirational business woman, but she’s honest, open and real with sharing both her successes and her failures.  This episode is a great reminder that we all start in the same place -- the beginning.  Enjoy the show! -------------- Jen Gotch is the chief creative officer and fearless leader of Ban.do.  Jen founded the company in 2008 with no prior business experience and was able to transform it from a small, vintage, one-of-a-kind hair accessory company into a million dollar brand within years.  I had the pleasure of working with Jen when she was a speaker at our Tradeshow Bootcamp Business Camp conference. She not only offers a wealth of information, but she’s passionate about helping creative entrepreneurs succeed.  On today’s episode, we’re talking about how Ban.do evolved into the lifestyle brand it is today, why having a strong brand is the best thing you can do for your business and the importance of making time for self-reflection no matter how many years you’ve been in business.   ON TODAY’S EPISODE: The evolution of Ban.do Selling to Lifeguard Press and how this enabled further growth Hard lessons Jen has learned in business Why having a strong brand is important and affects other aspects of business How and why Jen gives back to other entrepreneurs The importance of focusing on top level projects as the founder of your business Advice for entrepreneurs What’s upcoming for Ban.do KEY TAKE-AWAYS:   “I’m a problem solver by nature. I walk towards them, not away from them. But I have no business walking towards half the problems I do.” - Jen Gotch   “Sheer will will not allow me to do it all and be great at everything.“ - Jen Gotch   “Being able to have a voice that stands outside of the product makes it easier for people to attach to your business and makes it easier for your business to pivot“ - Jen Gotch   “People have questions that are different than the questions they used to have.  They hold companies and brands accountable for things they never had to be accountable before.  It’s a very interesting time to be in business.”- Jen Gotch   “Retailers were wanting newness more often.” - Jen Gotch   “It is really easy to focus on medium level shit, because those things tend to have a beginning, middle and end and we can check it off our list. Hold yourself accountable to not get into the minutia” - Jen Gotch on focusing on high level shit   “The faster you can figure out where you add the most value and what you should be doing and what someone else should be doing, you’ll grow and scale” - Jen Gotch.   MEET JEN: Jen Gotch is a creative powerhouse who brakes for yard sales and unicorns. She founded ban.do with a friend in 2008, and with no prior business experience, was able to transform it from a small, vintage, one-of-a-kind hair accessories company into a multimillion dollar brand within years. After a long (and winding) road of jobs that led her to where she is today, she’s now the chief creative officer and fearless leader of the ban.do team. She’s passionate about continuing to grow ban.do while sharing the experience with her many Instagram followers (and anyone else who’s interested), because she wholeheartedly believes that you don’t get anywhere in life without the help and kindness of others.   CONNECT WITH JEN & BAN.DO: Website: https://www.bando.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shopbando Ban.do’s Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/shopbando/ Jen’s Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/jengotch Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/shopbando/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/shopbando   JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY: Need help streamlining your business operations?  Are you feeling a bit stuck in your business? Maybe you're worried about things like marketing, technology, or hiring a team. If so, you are not alone, and we've got a course for you. The Business Camp e-course includes lessons from Tara Gentile, Jen Gotch of Ban.do, Chelsea of Sugar Paper, as well as experts in public relations, websites, email marketing, and much, much more. This course includes eight hours of video content, and a 30 page workbook. You will finish this course feeling confident, energized, and armed with concrete information to help you refine your business systems. Plus the on-demand format lets you jump around to topics that are most relevant to you when you need them most As you guys know by now, I'm a firm believer in working smarter, not harder, and this course is gonna help you streamline your business, whether you're product-based, or service-based business. Head over to tsbcvizcamp.com. That's TSBCbizcamp.com for more information. And for a limited time, our proof to product listeners will receive $50 off with promo code prooftoproduct.   ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode.

Happy Holidays friends!  I’m so excited to reshare this episode with Kimberley Yurkiewicz with you.  Not only is this one of our most downloaded episodes, but its hands down the one I get the most emails about -- podcast listeners praising Kimberley and telling me how helpful the episode was in building their catalogs. -------------- Kimberley is the New York sales representative for Crow + Canary.  During her 15+ year career in the stationery industry, Kimberley has worked at Crane & Co., Kate’s Paperie, as well as two of her own independent boutiques.  She got her start running a letterpress studio, and has since worked all sides of the business – manufacturing, wholesaling, custom printing, multi-unit retail, buying, merchandising, and now repping.  Kimberley’s vast experience in the industry provides a unique and valuable perspective. On today’s episode Kimberley talks about the role of sales reps, why you need a printed catalog for wholesale and the importance of giving back.   ON TODAY’S EPISODE: [01:00] Kimberley’s rich background in the stationery industry. [04:30] Meeting Carina Muray, her now boss, through Twitter.[07:30] Overview of a sales rep’s role.[10:00] Tips for reaching out to retailers.[11:30] Keep track of contacts you meet & jot down details you can use in follow up.[12:30] What to end to retailers you’re woo-ing.[13:00] Refining your line & honing in on your unique aesthetic[14:00] Why catalogs are important if you’re selling wholesale[20:00] Line sheets vs catalogs[22:00] Releasing your products when buyers are buying[26:00] The importance of giving back to our industry[29:30] Kimberley is a champion for independent shops, only shops local.[32:30] How our experiences and interests shape us in our work.[36:00] Too much ‘busy’ in our lives. KEY TAKE-AWAYS:   “We look at ourselves as sort of a seamless, internal sales mechanism for the lines.” -Kimberley Yurkiewicz on her role as sales rep.   "I asked myself what do I want to be doing,  what elements of this am I good at, what are my strengths, what am I not interested in pursuing anymore, or what am I too junior for, what am I too senior for, all of those things." -Kimberley Yurkiewicz   “My buyers love to get things in the mail, they love to be able to see things and touch them as if they were having an appointment with you.” - Kimberley Yurkiewicz   “My buyers want to see things that are not the same as every other thing on Etsy or Instagram” - Kimberley Yurkiewicz   “Catalogs are your best friend because they take the place of you when you’re not there” -Kimberley Yurkiewicz MEET KIMBERLEY YURKIEWICZ: Kimberley is the New York sales representative for Crow + Canary.  During her 15+ year career in the stationery industry, Kimberley has worked at Crane & Co., Kate’s Paperie, as well as two of her own independent boutiques.  She got her start running a letterpress studio, and has since worked all sides of the business – manufacturing, wholesaling, custom printing, multi-unit retail, buying, merchandising, and now repping.  She has attended tradeshows as both a buyer and exhibitor.  Kimberley’s vast experience in the industry provides a unique and valuable perspective. Website: http://www.crowandcanary.com Instagram: @kimberleycanary Twitter: @kimberleycanary   JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY: Interested in learning more about launching or refining a wholesale line or exhibiting at trade shows?  Join us for our next Paper Camp conference in Los Angeles. Get more details and register at www.tradeshowcamp.com/papercamp   ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode.

Erin Dollar, the owner of Cotton & Flax is an artist and textile designer, focused on creating home goods and bold surface pattern designs. Her background as a printmaker guides her work for Cotton & Flax, and the entire collection of Cotton & Flax home goods are designed, silkscreen printed, and sewn in California. On today’s episode we’re talking about how Erin licensed her artwork for a line of fabrics manufactured by Robert Kaufman.  She’ll share her story of how this licensing partnership came to be, considerations when partnering with other brands and things she learned along the way. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Cotton & Flax’s product offerings What motivated Erin to start Cotton & Flax How she came up with the name when she decided to re-brand How the collaboration with Robert Kaufman came about and why she chose to work with them How she crafted her licensing pitch Considerations smaller companies should take into account when looking at a partnership with a larger company Red flags when it comes to contracts Flat rate compensation versus royalty compensation Brand strategy when co-marketing your products with a larger company How diversifying her income has allowed her to feel more confident in her ability to be self-employed What she would do differently on her next licensing deal How Erin defines success in her business The advice she would give to someone starting out in a product-based business KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “Cotton & Flax was a weird experiment that got out of control. It was almost completely accidental.” - Erin Dollar “I wanted to explore working with manufacturers who have that expertise, have that ability to scale up and really create a quality product but without having to do it all myself.” - Erin Dollar “Thinking about the way that I could craft a pitch that would be appealing to their end use customer was really important.” - Erin Dollar “It has to be a blend of the strength of your work and your ability to get that message across in an effective way.” - Erin Dollar “It's really about that partnership. It's not, ‘What can I get out of it?’ It's, ‘How can we work together to have a successful collaboration?’” - Erin Dollar “If you don't feel comfortable looking over legal documents and really feel like you can understand those documents, get someone to help you” - Erin Dollar “Licensing has been a way for me to really grow my brand beyond my own product line while holding onto the rights to my work to be able to use in other ways.” - Erin Dollar “If you're not comfortable with what's in the agreement, ask for more of what you want. Don't be afraid to speak up.” - Katie Hunt “The diversification in income is something that's really helped me to feel more confident in my ability to be self-employed.” - Erin Dollar “Success to me means freedom to do the type of creative work that I want to do.” - Erin Dollar “I feel like we're all our own worst critics. We need to get ourselves out of that mindset and give ourselves more credit for the amazing things we're doing.” - Katie Hunt “Having a network of folks that you can turn to who care about you and want to see you succeed is so vital.” - Erin Dollar   LINKS: Website: https://cottonandflax.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cottonandflax Instagram: http://instagram.com/cottonandflax Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/cottonandflax Twitter: http://twitter.com/cottonandflax   Ethical Pricing Guidelines Handbook for Designers -- new 2018 version available for presale here.     JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY: Our signature Paper Camp program is back and we’re now enrolling for Winter 2018!   We’re talking about product development  sales tools, trade shows, marketing, working with buyers, sales reps and the press.  Attend live or online.  It’s the similar content, available in different formats. Paper Camp Conference:  an intensive 2-day program taking place March 1-2 in Los Angeles. Paper Camp E-Course:  4-week online program with live Q&A calls starting January 16th. Figure out which program is best for you and grab your seat at www.tradeshowcamp.com/papercamp   ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

Sarah Edmonds and Tammy Lawrence are the owners of Banquet Atelier & Workshop, a Vancouver-based design studio.  All of Tammy and Sarah’s products are conceived, designed, printed and produced in Canada with a fine attention to affordability and environmental sustainability. They offer screen printed signed and dated prints, stationery, textiles as well as clothing and jewelry. They’ve also licensed work and collaborated with large brands such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Terrain, Anthropologie, Land of Nod and others to create exclusive products and designs. On today’s episode we’re talking about taking risks with new products and why it took them over 4 years to bring their textiles to market.  We also discuss why you need to follow your passions when making business decisions and why this Canadian company chooses to exhibit at US wholesale shows. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: How Sarah & Tammy first met What prompted them to start Banquet Atelier & Workshop Making Banquet Workshop their full-time gig from the outset Utilizing their maternity leave to focus on and grow their businesses Balancing being a mom & running a business How they split responsibilities within their business The products they started with and the motivation to expand into other areas The reasons it took 4-5 years to get their textiles to market How they decide which new products to take action on Sarah’s difficulty with letting go of creative ideas she’s in love with Licensing work and collaborations and how they got those opportunities The wholesale side of Banquet Workshop and the challenges of doing US shows What advice they would give to someone just starting out in a product-based business What’s next for Banquet Workshop KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “We left the other jobs. It was definitely the intention to work for ourselves and build the dream.” - Tammy Lawrence “As somebody that's so go, go, go, that [maternity leave] was a really nice time to focus on my family and also focus on building the businesses that I was trying to run because I wanted that to be my full time that I was working on.” - Katie Hunt   “You just make due in those beginning stages of being a mom and starting a business. It's kind of a deadly combo, but an amazing combo at the same time.” - Tammy Lawrence   “We want to try everything, and we want to make what we love.” - Sarah Edmonds   “It does take a long time to bring new things to market. I think it's very important for people listening to hear there are a multitude of challenges.” - Katie Hunt   “What we want to make, we just make it. Sometimes that's not the smartest business move but it's really being true to ourselves.” - Tammy Lawrence   “Paper pays the way for us to move into these other categories.” - Tammy Lawrence   “Ultimately, we're a business, we want to make money. We want to support our families.” - Sarah Edmonds   “To be creative, to be an artist, you have to be somewhat self-indulgent, and I can't always.” - Sarah Edmonds   “Being able to work with these companies is such a great opportunity to make things that we just don't have the resources to make.” - Tammy Lawrence   “If you're going to make a go of doing the trade shows, you have to commit to being there for more than one year.” - Sarah Edmonds   “Be weird. Stay weird. Follow your dreams.” - Sarah Edmonds   LINKS: Website: https://banquetworkshop.com/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/banquetworkshop Instagram: http://instagram.com/banquetworkshop Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/banquetworkshop Twitter: https://twitter.com/banquetworkshop JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY: Our signature Paper Camp program is back and we’re now enrolling for Winter 2018!   We’re talking about product development  sales tools, trade shows, marketing, working with buyers, sales reps and the press.  Attend live or online.  It’s the similar content, available in different formats. Paper Camp Conference:  an intensive 2-day program taking place March 1-2 in Los Angeles. Paper Camp E-Course:  4-week online program with live Q&A calls starting January 16th. Figure out which program is best for you and grab your seat at www.tradeshowcamp.com/papercamp   ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

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.   ON TODAY’S EPISODE: How Underwood Letterpress got its start Transitioning from her full time job to her business full time The products she offered originally How Paper Camp impacted her business How she juggles wholesale, retail, and custom work Cara’s process for finding manufacturing partners Learning experiences Cara had when she transitioned to outsourcing Why living life with no regrets is one of her core values What success looks like to her How she schedules her time between her family and her business What’s next for Underwood Letterpress KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “ I knew I was not going to get into the greeting card business because I had cheeky phrases or funny things to say, but I really was interested in developing a design aesthetic.” - Cara Underwood “I just try to use some restraint when it comes to how much I bite off on either side.” - Cara Underwood “I think if you can really dive deep into certain systems, and certain technologies to help you scale, they can really ease a lot of the workload or just make that system a lot more streamlined.” - Katie Hunt “I'm using individuals as contractors, to help me print the larger rounds.” - Cara Underwood “The thought of trying to do it all in-house is overwhelming.” - Cara Underwood “It is so important to be professional and respect everyone's efforts and the kind of business they're running.” - Cara Underwood “We're on a very windy, loopy road, and you might as well enjoy it. It could stress us out, or cause us to feel regret, but it could also just be a really fun adventure.” - Cara Underwood “It's important to acknowledge and nurture your passions, and allow space for them, and not look back because there's just so much ahead of us that we don't even know about.” - Cara Underwood “There's so much out of your control, that if you don't allow for chaos and flexibility, then you're going to have a hard time.” - Cara Underwood “I want this business to grow and continue to grow, as long as it's also supporting the happiness and the balance that I currently have with my family.” - Cara Underwood LINKS: Website: www.underwoodletterpress.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/underwoodletterpress/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/underwoodletterpress/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/underwoodcl/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/UnderwoodLttr JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY: Our signature Paper Camp program is back and we’re now enrolling for Winter 2018!   We’re talking about product development  sales tools, trade shows, marketing, working with buyers, sales reps and the press.  Attend live or online.  It’s the similar content, available in different formats. Paper Camp Conference:  an intensive 2-day program taking place March 1-2 in Los Angeles. Paper Camp E-Course:  4-week online program with live Q&A calls starting January 16th. Figure out which program is best for you and grab your seat at www.tradeshowcamp.com/papercamp ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!