Splitting your company into two sister brands is not for everyone. However, it could be an option for you if you are finding yourself with very different product offerings (and a discrepancy in exactly who you're targeting). That was the case for today’s guest, Stephanie Clarke. Some of you might remember Stephanie as she’s been on the podcast before. If you need a refresher, make sure to go back and listen to Episode 21 where we talked about how she’s built her team and her packaging solutions....
Jun 30, 2020•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast We spend years growing our product lines, working hard to add more SKUs and expanding into new product categories. But at what point is it too much? How much product is too much? On today's Proof to Product episode, Katie Hunt talks explains when you should consider discontinuing product. She also offers strategies for what to do with your discontinued inventory to recoup some costs. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: When is an appropriate time to discontinue products When you shouldn't discontinue something ...
Jun 23, 2020•14 min•Transcript available on Metacast Slow and steady growth is how strong businesses are built. This is something that I strongly believe and is exactly what today’s guest, Stephanie Harvey has done as she has grown her business. Stephanie Harvey is the artist and entrepreneur behind exit343design. She’s a Paper Camp alumni who's been in the business since falling in love with screen printing during college in 2007. What first started as a passion project and side hustle evolved into her full-time gig after a 10 year slow and organ...
Jun 16, 2020•28 min•Ep 158•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we are amplifying the voices of black artists and business leaders by re-running three of our previous episodes. Have you ever come home from a long day at your corporate job and realized like, “Okay, so my job is feeding my family, but definitely not my soul.” What do you do? Well, today's Proof to Product guest is telling us how she figured it out. By age 28, Nicole Walters was a highly-paid executive at a Fortune 500 company, managing multibillion dollar accounts, but something was...
Jun 11, 2020•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we are amplifying the voices of black artists and business leaders by re-running three of our previous episodes. When we first start our businesses, more often than not, we don’t have the big picture idea of what our brand or business will look like down the road. So many of us embark on this so-called maker’s journey, where we truly discover our strengths, opportunities, and long term vision for our business. Lucky for us, one of our talented Paper Camp alumni, Genesis Duncan of Grap...
Jun 10, 2020•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we are amplifying the voices of black artists and business leaders by re-running three of our previous episodes. Today we have a great episode in store for you with guest Jeanetta Gonzales , a Los Angeles-based graphic designer, and illustrator. Jeanetta began her career as a graphic designer working for corporate companies such as WedMD, Mattel and The Disney Store. She later parlayed her digital and fine art skills into surface design working as a textile designer and style guide de...
Jun 09, 2020•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast Hey friends! Are you making sure to pay yourself for your work? There’s often a big misconception that only new business owners struggle with how to pay themselves for their time, effort and expertise. However, it’s no secret that both new and experienced entrepreneurs run into this problem from time to time. I wanted to make things a little easier for you so in this episode I shared two simple strategies for how to pay yourself based on where you’re at in your business. You’ll hear why you need...
May 26, 2020•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast Hey friends! Are you ready to get back time in your business to work on the projects and tasks that you really love? The ones that will help you to move the needle further toward your goal? If you’ve been busy doing all of the things then you might be wondering if now is the right time to hire in your business. That’s why I brought on Natalie Gingrich from The Ops Authority. Natalie has been in operations for two decades and now she helps online business owners with support and strategy for the ...
May 19, 2020•32 min•Ep 156•Transcript available on Metacast How amazing does it sound to have someone else take over your packing and shipping needs? Think about it… How many hours a day (or even a week) could that save you? Having a fulfillment warehouse that takes care of this for you could lend you time in your busy schedule. It might even be able to save you money in the long run. In this episode, I had the pleasure of talking about that with Paper Camp Alum, Jomana Siddiqui. Jomana is the creative behind 3, yes you heard that right, 3 different busi...
May 12, 2020•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast Earlier this week, my friend Kristen Ley of Thimblepress and KristenLey.com and I hosted a free webinar where we talked about taking our business temperature. As small business owners so much of our time is spent working with our head down working on the most urgent and pressing things that need our attention. Taking your business temperature means that you’re intentionally making time to stop and look at the bigger picture vision, strategy and execution of your business plans. Today’s episode i...
May 07, 2020•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast Hey friends! Are you ready for copy that converts? If you said yes, which I am sure you did then I am positive you’ll enjoy today’s episode. I had a conversation with Prerna Malik, a certified conversion copywriter and co-founder of Content Bistro. Prerna has mastered the recipe for writing copy that balances persuasion and personality with the scientific precision of conversion science to ensure that you are maximizing sales. Prerna shares some of her BEST copywriting tips (and mistakes to watc...
May 05, 2020•32 min•Ep 154•Transcript available on Metacast Hey friends! You might know that you need to set financial goals for your business. But maybe you feel like you have absolutely no idea where to start. Maybe you feel overwhelmed even thinking about it? Whatever the case, if that sounds like you then you’re in for a treat with today’s live coaching session. I caught up with Paper Camp alumni, Jessica Baskin to give her the low-down on setting financial goals for your business. Jessica got real about the financial mindset challenges she’s been fa...
Apr 28, 2020•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast Hey friends! With the current state of our world, I thought it’d be great to bring someone on the podcast who radiates optimism and confidence. In this episode, you’ll be hearing my conversation with Jess Ekstrom, founder of Headbands of Hope and the author of Chasing the Bright Side. Jess and I dive deep into how she’s built her business and it’s growth over the past eight years. Through her years in business, she’s learned how to find new solutions to support her customers on both the retail a...
Apr 21, 2020•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast Last week I shared how I’m getting back to basics and what I’m focusing on in my business right now. And, today I’m bringing some of my mastermind clients back on the show to talk about how they are proactively taking steps to diversify and strengthen their business. Today’s episode features Lisa Sarmento from Tiramisu Paperie , Kiwi Schloffel from Craft Boner and Sara McNally from Constellation & Co. and Snail Mail Superstar Some key take-aways that I want to point out from today’s episode: Thi...
Apr 14, 2020•42 min•Transcript available on Metacast Hey friends! As much of the world is currently in isolation and practicing social distancing, I wanted to encourage you. I hope this episode will help you find direction in this uncertain time and remind you to keep pushing forward. To be completely honest, my head was spinning with things that I wanted to say but I know we’re all facing completely different circumstances. None of us have ever faced something like this before and we’re all going through something different from one another. Busi...
Apr 07, 2020•14 min•Ep 150•Transcript available on Metacast I sat down with my financial planner, Mary Beth Storjohann today to talk about financial relief and resources for small businesses available through the CARES Act. Today we’re talking about the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (also called EIDL), the Paycheck Protection Program (also called PPP) and the Deferral of Payment of Payroll Taxes. This is an ever evolving situation right now, so Mary Beth is sharing the current details with us today, April 3rd. Remember to stay calm, I know things feel st...
Apr 04, 2020•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast Kristen Ley recently asked me and our peer mastermind group to come together for a free webinar to support & encourage other small business owners. It was such an amazing conversation that I asked Kristen if we could rerun the audio version here on our podcast, so today’s episode is just that. Today’s episode features feedback from me, Kristen Ley of Thimblepress, Tonya Dalton of Inkwell Press, Jenn Jett of The Well Summit and Myrna Daramy of Myrna & Co. We discuss how we’re handling COVID-19 in...
Mar 31, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Ep 149•Transcript available on Metacast I was on the phone with Zoe Scharf of Greetabl this morning and we decided to hit record on our conversation. As you may remember, Zoe is one of our Paper Camp alumni and she was on episode 50 of Proof to Product telling her start up story, then she came back for episode 88 where she talked about email sequences and how they love on their clients. Today we’re talking about a new program that Zoe and the team at Greetabl are launching to support small business owners and independent makers called...
Mar 26, 2020•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast Hey friends! Has the thought of expanding into new product categories crossed your mind lately? You aren’t alone! In fact, today I had on a Paper Camp alumni for a live coaching session where we chat ALL about her hopes to expand into new product categories. It can be pretty scary to try to logistically plan for expansion but I think today’s episode will be really helpful for all of you who are looking to bring on more products to serve your people. What are the first steps to this process? For ...
Mar 24, 2020•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast Have you ever considered how building a strong brand can make you stand out and ultimately help your business stand the test of time? Today’s guest is Paper Camp alumni Rebecca Townsend. Rebecca is the owner and creative director of Seaside Designs. She literally built her whole business around her love for the beach and sea. Pretty fascinating, right? The business didn’t always come easy and she’s had to overcome many ups and downs through her entrepreneurial journey. She rode the rocky tides o...
Mar 17, 2020•28 min•Ep 147•Transcript available on Metacast Hi Friends — I know that things in the world feel heavy and uncertain right now, so I wanted to share some important reminders and tips: This won’t last forever. Stay calm and remember that this won’t last forever. I know the uncertainty is unnerving, and we all have different circumstances that we’re dealing with — but this will end at some point. Understand your finances. Take a look at what you have in your business and personal reserves. Look at your monthly expenses and see what you can cur...
Mar 13, 2020•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast Hey friends, have you ever considered how you could leverage point of sale systems for trend tracking and buying decisions? Biff Ulm, founder of MN Nice Enough came on the podcast today to share how he uses technology to help grow his business and how he relies on the help of sales reps to ensure his store is stocked with products that are a fit for his customers. Biff has a rich background in the product based business industry and has seen all sides of it including owning his own brick and mor...
Mar 10, 2020•34 min•Ep 146•Transcript available on Metacast Today’s guest Rebecca Inkrote has a fantastic story that I can’t wait to share with you guys. She gives her insight on the best ways to transition from a third party platform to your own website (plus how to build brand recognition and steps to make it go smooth). Rebecca got her start in the creative entrepreneur space when she started making soaps as a hobby. It quickly turned into a business that brought her into Facebook groups with other handmade business owners and it was there where she r...
Mar 03, 2020•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Hey friends! We’re going to be switching things up a little for today’s episode. I’ve decided that once a month we’ll be airing a live coaching session with one of my coaching clients or a Paper Camp alumni on the podcast. It’ll be a short, hot seat format coaching session where the guest will talk about what they’re working on and what they need help with. I’ll be giving them my candid off the cuff advice, recommendations and even some homework because we’re all about taking action! For our fir...
Feb 25, 2020•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Part 1: Last week I took a whirlwind trip to New York to visit with more than 40 of our Paper Camp alumni who were exhibiting at NY Now and the National Stationery Show. It was so exciting to see everyone’s hard work live and in person — their new products were innovative, their booths were beautiful and their confidence was shining through. It was awesome. While I was there, I was able to grab some time with a handful of our alumni to talk shop about the show, goals they set and how they plan t...
Feb 20, 2020•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast Part 1: Last week I took a whirlwind trip to New York to visit with more than 40 of our Paper Camp alumni who were exhibiting at NY Now and the National Stationery Show. It was so exciting to see everyone’s hard work live and in person — their new products were innovative, their booths were beautiful and their confidence was shining through. It was awesome. While I was there, I was able to grab some time with a handful of our alumni to talk shop about the show, goals they set and how they plan t...
Feb 18, 2020•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast For Cecily Moore , her business, The Paper Curator, started as a blog and over time, transitioned into a product based business. She first began her journey while working at a job and trying to find the next step in her career. She thought, “why not start a blog?” From there she began to document the creative endeavors she pursued in her everyday life before launching her first products. She gives us a breakdown of her first craft show experience, her Paper Camp journey and what she’s learned fr...
Feb 11, 2020•28 min•Ep 143•Transcript available on Metacast Hey friends, when you’re building your wholesale business there’s no doubt that you’ll be headed to trade shows to get your product out there and in front of the right buyers. The reality is, trade shows are expensive and you don’t want to waste a single minute while exhibiting. In this episode, I reverse engineer what it really costs to exhibit at a trade show from an hourly rate perspective. This will help you to realize how much every hour counts while exhibiting and the importance of using y...
Feb 04, 2020•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast Does the thought of bookkeeping make you feel uneasy? I know that for so many creatives, knowing your numbers and doing your bookkeeping can feel a bit overwhelming. That’s why I brought on today’s guest because let’s face it... The reality is that even though numbers aren’t always our favorite, they are essential for knowing your business’ financial health and profitability. Today you’ll hear from Greg Higdon, founder of Grow the Books, a bookkeeping company for small businesses. Greg helps ent...
Jan 28, 2020•28 min•Ep 141•Transcript available on Metacast Today we’re so happy to have Robin Long on for Episode 141 of Proof to Product. Robin is the founder of The Balanced Life, a website that provides quick and effective Pilates workouts for busy women. Robin made the transition from the traditional teaching model of working in studios, gyms and training private clients to serve her clients online. On today’s episode, Robin shares how she shifted from the more traditional service offering into a successful membership model for her service based bus...
Jan 21, 2020•35 min•Ep 140•Transcript available on Metacast 
