Send us a text In today’s episode, I’m joined by Andrew from Mennie Brand—an art-inspired sock label that’s grown from humble garage beginnings to a wholesale brand with over 30 stockists and counting. We recorded this before Andrew exhibits at his first-ever trade show: Life Instyle Melbourne . And let me tell you—we go deep on what it really takes (financially, mentally, and logistically) to step into this space for the first time. You’ll hear: Andrew’s full cost breakdown for exhibiting at Li...
Jun 20, 2025•37 min•Season 5Ep. 154
Send us a text Ever looked at your brand and thought, “This just… doesn’t feel like me anymore”? Yep, same. In this episode, I take you behind the scenes of my own rebranding wake-up call (hello five-year-old podcast cover 👋) and guide you through the emotional, visual, and strategic impact of being out of alignment with your brand. Whether your product photos feel outdated, your Instagram bio makes you cringe, or you're attracting bargain hunters instead of dream customers—this one’s for you. ...
Jun 13, 2025•10 min•Season 5Ep. 153
Send us a text If you're investing time, money, and energy into exhibiting at a trade show, the last thing you want is to walk away with zero results (or worse… minus dollars and dashed confidence 😬). In this episode, I break down the 10 biggest mistakes I see brands make when preparing for—and showing up at—trade shows. Whether it's your first show or your fifteenth, these pitfalls can derail your success and cost you thousands in missed sales and opportunities. I'll cover everything from: Why...
Jun 06, 2025•11 min•Season 5Ep. 152
Send us a text This week, we’re rewinding a very popular episode of the podcast—and trust me, it hits even harder right now . If you’ve ever thought about adding a digital layer to your product-based business—or if you’re quietly wondering what’s next for you beyond the stockroom or sales floor—this episode is a must-listen. I’m diving into why digital products aren’t just for “online coaches” or influencers, and how you , as a retailer, maker, or brand founder, can turn your skills, story, or p...
May 30, 2025•17 min•Season 5Ep. 151
Send us a text Let’s get one thing straight—your branding is not just about a cute logo or a pretty Instagram grid. If your product isn’t flying off the shelves (real or virtual), it’s time to look at what your brand is really saying. In this juicy episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on why a misaligned brand identity could be the thing standing between you and consistent sales, dream stockists, and repeat customers who rave about you. Here’s what you’ll learn: The 5 subtle-but-critical ways y...
May 23, 2025•8 min•Season 5Ep. 150
Send us a text In today’s episode, I’m joined by two of the loveliest humans—Sarah and Celeste from Natural Supply Co. These two are not only the co-founders of one of Geelong’s most beloved retail stores, but they’ve also built a beautiful, values-led business that’s stayed true to its roots while growing sustainably. We talk about: How their friendship started over coffee (and a shared love of cute stationery and beauty products) The evolution of their business from pop-ups to full-blown brick...
May 16, 2025•47 min•Season 5Ep. 149
Send us a text In this solo episode, I’m diving into something I’m wildly passionate about— contrast . Whether it’s your website, your Insta tiles, your packaging, or your trade show banners… if your brand blends in, it’s losing money. Full stop. I see this all the time inside my programs and with 1:1 clients—gorgeous products or stunning stores that just don’t pop . And honestly? That can be fixed. Today I’m breaking down exactly where and how to use contrast to capture attention, guide your cu...
May 09, 2025•16 min•Season 5Ep. 148
Send us a text Feeling like your brand is stuck in Instagram limbo, screaming into the algorithm void? Enter: PR badass Gloria Chou. In this game-changing episode, we break down how to actually get seen, featured, and taken seriously—without spending a cent on ads or needing a Kardashian-level follower count. I chat with Gloria about the difference between good PR and gimmicky fluff, and how product-based business owners can start landing real media features like Buzzfeed, Refinery29, or even Op...
May 01, 2025•26 min•Season 5Ep. 147
Send us a text In this episode, I sit down with Lou Hammer, the powerhouse behind Pre Loved Geelong —a thriving secondhand and consignment store that started as a pop-up hustle and now boasts a bricks-and-mortar location, thriving online sales, and a fiercely loyal community. Lou gets real about: 💼 Starting from scratch while juggling life, kids, and a side hustle 🛍️ How she scaled from eBay to Instagram to a full-on retail store 🧵 Why curation and customer avatars matter more than ever in fa...
Apr 24, 2025•38 min•Season 5Ep. 146
Send us a text Ever had a product idea rolling around in your brain—or maybe sketched in your notebook—but no clue how to bring it to life? In this episode, I’m joined by the product development powerhouse Millie Richards, and let me tell you, this chat is a goldmine for anyone with dreams of designing a product that’s actually profitable (and doesn’t fall apart or cost your life savings). Millie’s an industrial designer with a delicious combo of design brilliance and real-world factory know-how...
Apr 11, 2025•46 min•Season 5Ep. 145
Send us a text Ever feel like you’re doing all the things in your business—posting on socials, packing orders, launching products—but STILL not getting the results you want? Yep. You're probably in the messy middle . Not a newbie anymore, but not scaling like a pro just yet. And let me tell you, this stage is real and it's where so many product-based business owners get stuck. In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain and talking honestly about the awkward, in-between phase that no one reall...
Apr 04, 2025•22 min•Season 5Ep. 144
Send us a text Are you marketing your little heart out 24/7 but still hearing crickets when it comes to actual sales? Or maybe your traffic is fine but conversions? Not so much. If you're nodding along, this episode is your wake-up call. Today, I’m breaking down the 5 biggest signs your marketing strategy is completely broken —and giving you the practical, no-fluff fixes to actually turn things around. Spoiler alert: this is not about working harder; it’s about getting smarter. We’ll chat about:...
Mar 23, 2025•14 min•Season 5Ep. 143
Send us a text In this episode I interview Carla Townsend, a money mindset and success coach. We delve into practical advice for female entrepreneurs looking to overcome financial barriers, the critical role of money mindset in achieving business success, and how deep-rooted beliefs affect financial behaviors. Carla shares insights on identifying limiting beliefs, cultivating a healthy money mindset, and the importance of aligning one's business with personal values for sustainable success. They...
Mar 14, 2025•55 min•Season 4Ep. 142
Send us a text 💫 In this episode of thelotco business podcast , I sit down with Kiralee, the brilliant mind behind Murkani Jewellery . From an idea that lingered in her mind for years to a thriving global jewellery brand, Kiralee shares the ups, downs, and surprising twists of her journey. 💍 We chat about: How Murkani Jewellery was born during Kiralee’s time living in Vietnam. The design process—sketching, sampling, and finding the right artisans. Navigating wholesale, retail, and internationa...
Mar 03, 2025•48 min•Season 4Ep. 141
Send us a text Overcoming Self-Limiting Beliefs: An Interview with High Performance Mindset Coach Mandy Napier In this episode I interview Mandy Napier, a high-performance mindset and executive coach with over 14 years of experience. Mandy sheds light on the importance of understanding and overcoming limiting beliefs, offering insights into mindset work, the role of self-talk, and the impact of early childhood patterns on adult behaviour. Among the topics covered are practical steps to create po...
Feb 27, 2025•38 min•Season 4Ep. 140
Send us a text Building a Sustainable and Ethical Homewares Brand: An Interview with Nareen Holloway from Marmoset Found In this episode I interview Nareen Holloway, the founder of the homewares company Marmoset Found. Nareen shares her journey from working in streetwear retail to creating a sustainable homewares brand known for its long-lasting ceramics and glassware. The discussion covers the challenges and risks she faced, including finding ethical manufacturers, evolving her product line, an...
Feb 26, 2025•40 min•Season 4Ep. 139
Send us a text Unleashing Creative Business Success with Brydie Stewart from Mary Maker Studio In this episode I chat with Brydie from Mary Maker Studio about the intricacies of turning creative passion into a profitable business. They discuss Brydie's journey from being an art teacher to founding Mary Maker Studio, a leading supplier of fiber arts materials. Brydie shares how she left teaching to align with her creative purpose following a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, and how she managed to...
Feb 21, 2025•44 min•Season 4Ep. 138
Send us a text Let's talk about the critical role of email marketing in driving sales and building customer relationships. We discuss the common pitfalls businesses face, such as neglecting email marketing in favour of social media, and then provide actionable strategies to enhance email effectiveness. Key topics include the importance of having a strategic plan, utilizing templates, focusing on design elements, regularly analyzing performance metrics, and segmenting the email list for targeted ...
Feb 12, 2025•27 min•Season 4Ep. 137
Send us a text Ever wondered what things product-based business owners do to get ahead? Have you ever tried to figure out what they have in common? After more than 25 years working with 100's of product-based businesses and successful entrepreneurs these are some characteristics I have noticed in common. Some of these are actions and some of these are strategies. See how many you have and whether you think I am on the mark. I listed out 10 but I am sure there are more. Welcome to this new season...
Feb 11, 2025•15 min•Season 4Ep. 136
Send us a text What platform should I use for my website? This is a question I see asked ALL the time. Now my answer is always Shopify if you are an eCommerce and product-based business. Listen in today to find out the 10 reasons why I believe SHOPIFY is the website platform for you if you are a product-based business or eCommerce store. And why I also don't believe it is too expensive!! The Reel about credit cards leading to abandon cart is linked here. I hope you enjoyed this episode and woud ...
Feb 10, 2025•24 min•Season 4Ep. 135
Send us a text Retail Week Series Episode 1. Hands up if you want more sales? Whether that is selling more on your own ecommerce store (DTC) or selling wholesale there are 3 ways to increase your sales. Get more customers (new ones) Get the customers you have to buy more each time (AOV). Get the customers have to buy more often (frequency) Today I am giving you 5 quick tweaks and updates you can make to your website that can go a long way to boosting your conversion rate. Things that don't break...
Feb 07, 2025•19 min•Season 4Ep. 134
Send us a text Want to maximise conversions and get more buyers over the line and start stocking your range in their stores? Make sure you include these 5 things in your Wholesale catalogue. In this super quick episode I explore the five essential elements that can maximize your wholesale catalogue's sales. Learn about the key components that will help your catalogue stand out from the competition and bring in more revenue for your business. Buyers are busy and they love looking for new and exci...
Jan 30, 2025•15 min•Season 4Ep. 133
Send us a text This is a question I get asked quite a lot in my 'How to Wholesale' program. Should I work with a Sales Agent? How much % commission do they take? Where do I find them? And then BUT that is so much % off what I already receive for wholesaling?! Why would I do that? I don't have enough margin. Why would I use an agent? So here we go - a list of pros and cons when deciding whether to work with an agent. Why you should and why you shouldn't. How to make the most of your experience an...
Jan 30, 2025•19 min•Season 4Ep. 132
Send us a text The Importance of Listing Stockists for Retail Brands In this episode I share WHY brands need to make their stockist information easily accessible online. I discuss the benefits of having a stockist list, including higher sales rates, better customer experience, and the potential for positive links and backlinks to the brand's website. I emphasize adopting an abundance mindset and encourages brands to update and share their stockist lists to encourage sell-through and improve cust...
Jan 29, 2025•8 min•Season 4Ep. 131
Send us a text Are you attending your first TRADE SHOW? Are you nervous? Excited? Freaking out? How much money have you spent on your stand??? If you have you invested to exhibit at a trade show or are thinking about it soon, this episode is for you. Trade shows are such a great way to boost your wholesale sales and find new stockists but they can be expensive. So if you are now freaking out….or maybe this your 3rd or 4th show and you know you have to make some tweaks to maximise your investment...
Jan 28, 2025•26 min•Season 4Ep. 130
Send us a text Ok today is all about working cohesively with your Retail stockists. It is about fostering successful relationships. Long term beautiful ones! Highlighting the importance of promotions, margin considerations, streamlined communication, and product support, I discuss key strategies to ensure mutual growth and long-term partnerships between retailers and brands. Leveraging my 20+ years in Retail (and Wholesale) these are the things Retailers wish brands knew before working with them...
Jan 23, 2025•26 min•Season 4Ep. 129
Send us a text After over 20 years in Wholesale there are just things you can't google. These 5 are on the list. You don't know what you don't know right. IKYYK. One of the most common comments I get from my Transform Your Wholesale program is- 'Wow I did not even realise that and had no idea. Thank you for sharing all your insights'. So here are a few things that no-one else is talking about when it comes to Wholesale. Want to know how you can Build a Wholesale Sales Machine for your brand?? Re...
Jan 17, 2025•17 min•Season 4Ep. 128
Send us a text 2024 is almost in the rearview mirror, and it’s time to reflect, celebrate, and plan for a thriving 2025! In this episode, I dive into the why and how of year-end business reflections. Whether you’re wrapping up a year full of wins or navigating some bumps in the road, this episode will help you approach the new year with clarity, focus, and confidence. I’m sharing 10 powerful questions to guide your reflections, actionable steps for setting 2025 intentions, and tips for creating ...
Dec 19, 2024•21 min•Season 4Ep. 127
Send us a text In this episode, we dive deep into the world of multi-platform selling with the incredible Dylan Jahraus, an e-commerce expert with a wealth of experience across platforms like Etsy, Amazon, and Shopify. Dylan shares her journey, strategies, and actionable insights to help product-based businesses thrive in today’s competitive landscape. If you’ve ever wondered how to expand your reach and maximize sales, this episode is for you! What You’ll Learn in This Episode: Dylan’s E-Commer...
Dec 04, 2024•28 min•Season 4Ep. 126
Send us a text Bold, Creative, and Dancing Through Life: Cathy Hamilton’s Artful Journey. This episode is all about proving that it’s never too late to shake things up, chase a dream, and build something incredible. At 57, Cathy Hamilton launched her art business, Cathy Hamilton Artworks, and has been breaking barriers ever since. From her vibrant, Australian-made designs to her bold steps into trade shows, collaborations, and bespoke fabrics, Cathy is an absolute powerhouse of creativity and de...
Nov 22, 2024•41 min•Season 4Ep. 125
