It’s episode 155, and 3 years since I started this podcast. I've spoken to so many wonderful product creators and people who support product creators over the last three years, and I have learned so much from absolutely everyone that I spoke to. To celebrate I have put together a compilation of some of the best advice I have heard over the years.If you want to launch your own product or are just in need of a friendly boost this is the episode to listen to!

Listen in to hear top tips from:

• Stephanie Orr, (01:10)
• Meera Bhogal, (02:05)
• Iain Moore, BGreater Shoes (03:15)
• Laura Gillett, (05:29)
• Louise Almond, (06:56)
• Demi Pendakis, Find Your Glow Ltd (08:04)
• Cara Sayer, Snooze Shade (09:20)
• Claire Grant, OriOrso (11:45)
• Vic Wood, Greener Beauty (12:54)
• Marieke Syed, Snackzilla (14:01)
• Ciara Westhead, Pico UK (15:13)
• Trish ODwyer, Autism Threads (20:02)
• Raksha Patel, Reflect With Raksha (21:43)
• Charlotte Phillips, Rugsy Lugsy (23:14)
• Puvan Briah,  (24:29)
• Amanda Davey, Tilia Publishing (25:21)
• Georgina Robinson, Juniper Studio (25:54)
• Em Royston, Chasing Threads (28:25)
• Tas, Very Craft Tea (30:32)
• Janet Murray, (33:32)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

Listen to the episodes in full: 

Episode 102 Taking part in an accelerator to grow your business - with Stephanie Orr

Episode 101 How to create an integrated range of products & services - with Meera Bhogal

Episode 149 Selling a product people don't know they need - with Iain Moore - BGreater Shoes

Episode 130 Getting ready to launch your first product- with Laura Gillett

Episode 87 Getting ready to launch your first product - with Louise Almond

Episode 133 Leaving your career to start a new business - with Demi Pendakis - Find Your Glow Ltd

Episode 88 Why your product needs to be on Amazon - with Cara Sayer, Snooze Shade

Episode 136 How to create a children's fashion brand - with Claire Grant - OriOrso

Episode 138 Sourcing and selling sustainable products - with Vic Wood - Greener Beauty

Episode 112 Creating a food business and getting stocked in major supermarkets - with Marieke Syed - Snackzilla

Episode 125 Selling sustainable partywear - with Ciara Westhead - Pico UK

Episode 105 Creating products with a cause - with Trish ODwyer - Autism Threads

Episode 109 3D printing your own products to sell - with Raksha Patel, Reflect with Raksha

Episode 104 Creating a business you love - with Charlotte Phillips, Rugsy Lugsy

Episode 86 Pivoting your product based business - with Puvan Briah

Episode 11, Moving your products business online - with Amanda Davey, Tilia Publishing

Episode 110 Creating a Sustainable Business - Georgina Robinson - Juniper Studio

Episode 148 Selling to retailers using wholesale platforms - with Em Royston- Chasing Threads

Episode 124 The importance of knowing your numbers - with Tas - Very Craft Tea

Episode 84 Creating and selling planners - with Janet Murray

LET’S CONNECT

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If you enjoy this podcast, and you’d like to leave a tip, you can do so here: https://bring-your-product-idea.captivate.fm/support

Mentioned in this episode:

Amazon Made Easy is now open

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Leslie Kenny is the Founder and CEO of Oxford Healthspan,  an anti-aging supplement brand that contains spermidine, a potent organic compound that inhibits six of the nine hallmarks of aging. She is also a co-founder of Oxford Longevity, which brings together scientific experts to discuss the latest breakthroughs in health and aging by providing free public health webinars.

It was fascinating to talk to Leslie about the industry, and how she has brought her supplements to market. We talked about the challenges of educating your audience, launching and managing a business globally, and the different requirements of selling supplements in different markets. Leslie covers everything from where has the strictest rules, to the practicalities of running a global business when you also have children sitting GCSE and A-Level exams this year.

Listen in to hear Leslie share:

• An introduction to herself and her business (01:21)
• How she has brought her products to market (02:24)
• The difference between natural and synthetic supplements (04:46)
• Educating an audience on the benefits of the supplements (08:52)
• The importance of understanding where and how your supplements are sourced  (11:20)
• What inspired her to create her own brand(13:36)
• The process from idea to getting the product on the market (16:49)
• The impact of having a famous person, Carol Vorderman, use your product (18:15)
• Launching her product simultaneously in the UK and USA (19:04)
• The differences between health marketing guidelines in the UK and USA (19:42)
• The countries around the world that have the strictest requirements (20:31)
• Adapting the marketing message for different national markets (22:17)
• The practicalities of running a business in the USA and UK (26:10)
• The impact of Brexit on an international business (27:36)
• His number one piece of advice for other product creators (28:10)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

Oxford Healthspan Website

Oxford Longevity Project

Oxford Healthspan Instagram

Leslie Kenny Instagram

LET’S CONNECT

Join my free Facebook group for product makers and creators

Find me on Instagram

Work with me

If you enjoy this podcast, and you’d like to leave a tip, you can do so here: https://bring-your-product-idea.captivate.fm/support

Mentioned in this episode:

Amazon Made Easy is now open

My membership, Amazon Made Easy is now open.

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In episode 152 I spoke with Chris Lefteri from FixIts, who talked about his unique product.

On 9 March 2023 Chris was on BBC’s Dragons Den.

In this short episode, I speak with Chris about what it was like, what it involves and whether he’d recommend it as an experience!

USEFUL RESOURCES:

Episode 152

Fixits Website

Fixits Facebook

Fixits Instagram

Fixits LinkedIn

Fixits Pinterest

Fixits Twitter

Kickstarter

LET’S CONNECT

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If you enjoy this podcast, and you’d like to leave a tip, you can do so here: https://bring-your-product-idea.captivate.fm/support

Mentioned in this episode:

Amazon Made Easy is now open

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Millie Jaspert is the founder of Spark Bubble,an online store selling bath-toys particularly for children aged 2-9 years old. Millie has developed some of these toys herself and others are a curated collection created by other brands. Millie is also a Primary Teacher so has chosen open-ended toys and shares suggestions for ways children can explore and learn with them.

We had a really interesting conversation about how Millie has curated a selection of products which complement her own designs, and have allowed her to more easily grow her brand and business. Millie also explains how selling her products through a pop up shop has given her lots of opportunities to meet other local business owners and get direct feedback from customers.

Listen in to hear Millie share:

• An introduction to herself and her business (01:08)
• Sourcing toys from other brands to sell in her store (03:03)
• Designing her own product, and how selling other bath toys has helped her build a customer base to then sell her own product to (07:33)
• Combining running a business with being a teacher, and the transferable skills that she can use (10:34)
• Combining existing products into play set (11:44)
• The benefits of selling her products in a pop-up shop (14:42)
• Getting feedback from children (20:50)
• The criteria she uses when selecting products for her website (22:19)
• His number one piece of advice for other product creators (24:09)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

Sparkbubble Website

Sparkbubble Instagram

Sparkbubble Facebook

Kensington Olympia Toy Fair

LET’S CONNECT

Join my free Facebook group for product makers and creators

Find me on Instagram

Work with me

If you enjoy this podcast, and you’d like to leave a tip, you can do so here: https://bring-your-product-idea.captivate.fm/support

Mentioned in this episode:

Amazon Made Easy is now open

My membership, Amazon Made Easy is now open.

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Chris Lefteri is a Materials Consultant, Designer and author of 9 books on materials. He is also the inventor and founder of Fixits, reusable eco-plastic moldable sticks, which you can use to repair all manner of things around the home and office. 

Chris shared how he turned a useful material into a marketable product and the challenges of creating and marketing a unique product, where the audience needs to be taught how to use it. Chris also shares his advice from running a successful Kickstarter campaign. You will go away with lots to think about, and planning to order a pack of Fixits to try for yourself. 

Listen in to hear Chris share:

• An introduction to himself and his business (01:04)
• What Fixits are and how they work (01:30)
• What inspired him to create Fixits (03:31)
• Turning a useful material into a marketable product (05:11)
• Finding and working with a manufacturer (09:09)
• Manufacturing a product responsibly (11:45)
• Lessons in creating products in small batches (10:48)
• The challenges of selling a unique product (14:09)
• Teaching the public about your product (16:42)
• His advice for running a Kickstarter campaign (18:09)
• His number one piece of advice for other product creators (23:07)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

Fixits Website

Fixits Facebook

Fixits Instagram

Fixits LinkedIn

Fixits Pinterest

Fixits Twitter

Kickstarter

LET’S CONNECT

Join my free Facebook group for product makers and creators

Find me on Instagram

Work with me

If you enjoy this podcast, and you’d like to leave a tip, you can do so here: https://bring-your-product-idea.captivate.fm/support

Mentioned in this episode:

Amazon Made Easy is now open

My membership, Amazon Made Easy is now open.

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I work with a lot of Amazon sellers everyday, helping them set up and grow their Amazon account. I see a lot of people do well – but I also see people who don’t.  What’s worse is that for some of them there are reasons for this, out of their control, and they might have been better off focusing their time and effort into another marketplace.

In this episode I share why Amazon might be the right platform for you, how to determine this and things that you might want to consider.

Listen in to hear me share:

• An introduction to  me and why I wanted to record this episode (00:24)
• The foundations of getting started selling on Amazon (03:25)
• Why you should sell your product on Amazon (04:29)
• The advantages of FBA (fulfilled by Amazon) (07:15)
• Accessing a global market (08:15)
• Things that aren’t so great about Amazon, seller support (09:08)
• Things that aren’t so great about Amazon, there is a lot of competition (10:33)
• Product listing rules you need to adhere to (11:52)
• The sort of products that Amazon works well for (13:27)
• The importance of researching the market and your competition (15:44)
• Free tools you can use (16:34)
• How I can help you get started with selling on Amazon (19:59)

JUNGLE SCOUT DISCOUNT CODE:

Go to get.junglescout.com/vicki to access a whole suite bestselling tools for building and running a successful Amazon business.  

USEFUL RESOURCES:

I have written a blog post to accompany this episode, which you can read here

PODCAST: Where’s the best place to sell your products online

FREEBIE: How to Successfully Launch a Product on Amazon or Rescue One That's Not Selling

PODCAST: Common Amazon issues and how to resolve them

TOOL: Jungle Scout 

BLOG: Jungle Scout - My favourite tool for selling on Amazon

TOOL: FBA Revenue Calculator

HOW I CAN SUPPORT YOU ON AMAZON:

My Free Resources 

Is Amazon Right For You? Mini Strategy Session

Amazon Account Audit

Amazon Launch Package

Amazon Training Q&A Hour

Book a Power Hour with me

LET’S CONNECT:

Join my free Facebook group for product makers and creators

Find me on Instagram

Work with me 

If you enjoy this podcast, and you’d like to leave a tip, you can do so here: https://bring-your-product-idea.captivate.fm/support

Mentioned in this episode:

Amazon Made Easy is now open

My membership, Amazon Made Easy is now open.

membership

Today I'm talking with Lucy Herron, the founder of Sloafer, a women's shoe brand that handmakes ballerina pumps with an all day sneaker comfort sole.

It’s a really powerful episode, as Lucy is incredibly articulate about the importance of valuing your product and yourself. Lucy explains how she has chosen to work with a factory that pays a fair wage, and why she is shunning fast fashion practices. Instead she has built a very successful business model creating limited batches of shoes, which are in demand, and regularly have waiting lists.

I found it really empowering, and if you have ever doubted how you price your products, this is the episode to listen to. 

Listen in to hear Lucy share:

• An introduction to herself and her business (01:29)
• Her inspiration to create Sloafer (01:41)
• The journey from having the idea to getting the shoes made (04:19)
• Creating an in demand product, and minimising waste by having a wait list (06:15)
• The importance of working with a factory that pays a fair wage, and how this affects the price of the shoe (07:10)
• Managing seasonal ranges and restocks (08:46)
• Lessons in creating products in small batches (10:48)
• Communicating with customers on a waitlist (14:36)
• The importance of knowing and charging the value of your product, and avoiding the temptation to do deep discounts (16:04)
• Valuing yourself and your product (18:43)
• The negative impact of fast, cheap fashion (21:26)
• Her experiences seeking investment as a female business owner (23:45)
• Her number one piece of advice for other product creators (29:34)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

Sloafer Website

Sloafer Facebook

Sloafer Instagram

Lucy Herron LinkedIn

LET’S CONNECT

Join my free Facebook group for product makers and creators

Find me on Instagram

Work with me

If you enjoy this podcast, and you’d like to leave a tip, you can do so here: https://bring-your-product-idea.captivate.fm/support

Mentioned in this episode:

Amazon Made Easy is now open

My membership, Amazon Made Easy is now open.

membership

Something I get asked a lot is what software I use and recommend when working with Amazon.  Over the years I’ve tried a lot - and my favourite is Jungle Scout.  I’ve been using it for years, ever since I first started selling on Amazon and I’m still using it daily to help other Amazon Sellers.

In this bonus episode I explain the features, what I use it for, and whether it might be a good fit for you.

USEFUL LINKS

Blog post for this episode

Jungle Scout one month trial

If you enjoy this podcast, and you’d like to leave a tip, you can do so here: https://bring-your-product-idea.captivate.fm/support

Mentioned in this episode:

Amazon Made Easy is now open

My membership, Amazon Made Easy is now open.

membership

Today I'm talking with Iain Moore from BGreater Shoes. BGreater Shoes design and sell affordable kids foot friendly shoes which are designed to allow children’s feet to grow, develop and move more naturally than most high street brands, whilst importantly looking after parents wallets and time.

Iain and I discussed why he set up BGreater Shoes, and the particular challenges of designing and manufacturing shoes. Iain explained what barefoot shoes are, how they differ from normal shoes, and the benefits to children’s health and development. From how a Dragon’s Den episode inspired him to set up his own business, to how to develop a marketing strategy for a product people don’t know they need, it is a great episode with lots of thoughtful advice and suggestions.

Listen in to hear Iain share:

• An introduction to herself and her business (01:14)
• What inspired him to start BGreater Shoes (01:24)
• What barefoot shoes are, and how they differ from regular shoes (03:53)
• The detrimental impact some shoes can have on feet and the body (05:23)
• The process of designing and creating the shoes (09:11)
• Working with a freelance designer (11:05)
• Getting the shoes manufactured (14:32)
• Ensuring that the production costs were kept down so that the shoes are affordable (15:35)
• The importance of mindset, and positivity in making his business successful (17:56)
• Working with parents and children to get feedback on the shoes (20:07)
• The challenges of educating people as to the benefit of barefoot shoes when they have not heard of them (23:48)
• Making your customers lives as simple as possible (27:10)
• Iain’s own children’s feedback on the shoes (31:01)
• Ensuring shoe sizing is correct (32:40)
• His number one piece of advice for other product creators (42:50)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

BGreater Shoes Website

BGreater Shoes Twitter

BGreater Shoes Facebook

BGreater Shoes Instagram

Iain Moore Linked In

LET’S CONNECT

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Mentioned in this episode:

Amazon Made Easy is now open

My membership, Amazon Made Easy is now open.

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This week my guest on the podcast is Em Royston from Chasing Threads. Chasing Threads make stitchable accessories and cross stitch kits for the modern world. The first collection of unique, stylish and functional accessories that can be stitched and personalised, born from the idea to 'sew where you go'.

Em has an interesting background, having previously worked for product brand Suck UK. We talked about how this combined with her passion for crafts and travel led her to set up Chasing Threads. Em has has great success selling her products through distributors and wholesale platforms such as Faire.

Em explains how it works, her top tips for making those platforms work for you, and how she got started. 

It’s really inspiring, and my guess is after listening to this podcast you will be hurrying over to Faire to see if it is the right platform for you.

Listen in to hear Em share:

• An introduction to herself and her business (01:18)
• How and why she started Chasing Threads (02:02)
• Setting up her business whilst living in Hong Kong (04:16)
• How being in Hong Kong dramatically increased the speed of getting her products manufactured (05:07)
• Launching a product via a kickstarter campaign (07:01)
• Whether she would recommend running a kickstarter campaign again (09:50)
• Setting up on Woocommerce, then moving to Shopify, and selling on Etsy and Not On The High Street (11:28)
• Starting to sell via wholesale and trade shows (14:12)
• The challenges and advantages of running a business from Hong Kong (17:29)
• Selling globally via distributors, and how this can help you circumvent Brexit issues (18:43)
• Selling through Faire (24:19)
• Tips for nurturing customers through Faire (27:02)
• Faire alternatives including Ankorstore (30:01)
• Top tips for selling on wholesale platforms (31:01)
• Her number one piece of advice for other product creators (33:58)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

Chasing Threads Website

Chasing Threads Facebook

Chasing Threads Instagram

Chasing Threads Pinterest

Suck UK

Top Drawer

Maison Objet

Faire

Ankorstore

LET’S CONNECT

Join my free Facebook group for product makers and creators

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Work with me

Mentioned in this episode:

Amazon Made Easy is now open

My membership, Amazon Made Easy is now open.

membership