Music That Inspires

The year is coming to an end, and on this week’s episode of The Amazon Files, I’m encouraging you to take a moment and review the year that’s just passed before planning for 2022. Being aware of what we’ve achieved over the last twelve months—and recognizing where we’ve made mistakes—is crucial for understanding where we want to go in the future. Today, I’ll guide you through some ways to make your yearly review effective and motivating so that you can head into the New Year with clear goals and confidence.

First up, I recommend taking the Marie Kondo approach and getting rid of—or at least minimizing—anything in your life that doesn’t spark joy. Ask yourself if you’re still excited by your business and figure out if you need to make changes based on what you’ve learned and experienced over the past year. Then I suggest four stages for reviewing your year—data collection, recognizing milestones, allowing space for mistakes, and setting reasonable goals—which will give you a framework for understanding and celebrating where you are in your business and where you can go in the future. I also revisit the “Start. Stop. Continue” technique as a method of taking stock of your business behaviors and how to manage them to improve your happiness in your work. Finally, I dare all my listeners to choose one goal to focus on for a year, making it the core of their decisions and actions, so that you can see how reviewing and restating our goals can help us bring them to fruition.

You can be part of the Amazon Files and Mommy Income community by joining our Facebook group with today’s codeword REVIEW, where you can learn more about bundling, ask questions, and participate in the conversation with other sellers. And if you’re ready to take your business to a whole new level, visit MommyIncome.com/Coach to schedule your one-on-one coaching call today.

This week on the Amazon Files: 

•   The importance of taking time for reflection.
•   Ask yourself if you’re still excited by your business and being mindful of your mindset.
•   Paying attention to what inputs you’re allowing into your life and yourself.
•   Get to know your natural rhythm and arrange your day around the hours when you hit your stride.
•   Marie Kondo’s ‘sparking joy’ approach.
•   Stage #1 of reviewing your year: data collection—decide what aspects of your business you want to review and collect the numbers relating to them.
•   Stage #2: recognize milestones—go back through your calendar, note down what you achieved over the past year, and celebrate the milestones you’ve experienced, both big and small.
•   Stage #3: allow space for mistakes—make a list of three things maximum that went wrong during the year, think about why they happened, and write down a suggestion for how you can change it or prevent it from happening again. And don’t judge yourself for it - own it.
•   An example of stage #3 from my own life.
•   Stage #4: set reasonable goals—when you’re thinking about your goals for the next year, think about if you have the resources to reasonably achieve them before writing them down.
•   Revisiting your perfect world, making changes based on your current needs and desires, then figuring out what you need to do to make this world a reality.
•   How to use the “Start, Stop, and Continue” technique.
•   Setting one goal for your business this year and following it to completion.
•   Remembering why you set your goals and figuring out what you’re willing to sacrifice to meet them.
•   The accountability that comes with sharing your goals with others.

“Whatever you put in, in your mind, in your heart, in your emotions, in your body - that’s what comes out. That’s the kind of energy that comes out of your body and out of your mouth and out of your heart and out of your soul.”

- Kristin Ostrander

Quotes:

“We need someone to give us what I call the ‘slug and a hug,’ or the ‘kiss and a slap,’ where you need the tough love, but you also need the gentle forgiveness of yourself and others.”

“We do need to open our eyes, and be aware of our year and see where we want to go next year.”

“If you’re in a state of mind where things are heavy and hard and overwhelming and stressful, and maybe that’s affecting your sleep or your mood or things like that, the last thing we want to be doing is putting more negative energy into that space.”

“Let’s be real, paying bills does not bring me joy. And I can’t just get rid of them because I don’t like them. However, you can make the experience of doing something that you don’t enjoy more enjoyable by just being aware of it, getting it out of the way, doing it at a time in your day that is the best time for you.”

“If you’re not much of a data collector, you need to become one because this is a business skill that we all need. If we want to grow our profit, we need to know what our profit is, in order to grow it, do we not?”

“We are hard-wired to look at the negative most of the time and not celebrating all of the great things that we’ve done. I mean, most especially women tend to point out all of the things that we’ve done wrong, or the bad things, or the things we’re not good at. We’re not really great at walking up to the plate and saying, ‘I’m great at XYZ.’”

“We look at what went wrong so that we don’t repeat mistakes, so that we don’t lose money, so that we don’t run in fear all of the time and say, ‘Oh, I’ll never do that again.’”

“We all should be in growth mode.”

“I made some mistakes. They weren’t pretty. But that doesn’t have to dictate the rest of my life or the rest of my business.”

“If you want to make more revenue, you’re going to have to increase either your profit margin or the capital that you’re spending on set inventory in order to increase it. It’s just, you know, some basic simple math.”

“You don’t always have to make tons of money off your first bundle, it’s just getting used to the process. And once you know how to list, once you know detuned exemptions, once you get your bundle brand, things like that, then you can get all the logistics out of the way and then start to be creative.”

“That’s my purpose. That’s my ‘why’. That’s why I sit in front of this camera and this microphone every single week, because it brings me joy to see all of you succeeding, even if it’s baby steps.”

“You’re ten times more likely to hit a goal that you write down and share with someone else.”

Related Content:

• 2022 Workshops - Coupon code: workshop50
• Wholesale Bundle System
• Email questions
• Learn With Us
• Coaching
• The Amazon Files Hub

Grow Your Amazon Business!

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Amazon Files, the show to help Amazon sellers along their business journey one step at a time with Amazon expert and your host, Kristin Ostrander. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show and leave us your honest review. Don’t forget to share your favorite episodes with your friends on social media! Use the codeword REVIEW to join us on Facebook. Each week, Kristin hosts a live discussion on how to grow your Amazon business. Don’t forget to check out our website and subscribe to our mailing list for even more resources.

Today I’m tackling an issue many of us deal with - perfectionism - and how to overcome it. Perfectionism can feel like a necessary part of becoming successful, but in fact, it’s an obstacle that stops us getting what we really want. Instead of focusing on our own goals, perfectionists can get distracted by unrealistic expectations, procrastination, and anxiety about how others judge us. In this episode, I’ll take you through five daily ways to resist and overcome perfectionism and make your path to success clearer and easier.

After a quick reminder that there are still seats left for the workshop in January, I start things off by going through some of the characteristics perfectionists tend to display. These include black-and-white thinking, chronic procrastination, and people-pleasing, all of which create a toxic feedback loop that prevents the perfectionist from ever achieving their goals. In order to combat these toxic tendencies, I suggest a list of five daily ways to overcome perfectionism, including setting reasonable expectations instead of impossible standards, not making assumptions, and learning to handle feedback and criticism. Finally, I recommend online therapy as a great resource to help you deal with some of the issues I talk about today.

You can be part of the Amazon Files and Mommy Income community by joining our Facebook group using code word ‘TALK’, where you can learn more about bundling, ask questions, and participate in the conversation with other sellers. And if you’re ready to take your business to a whole new level, visit MommyIncome.com/Coach to schedule your one-on-one coaching call today.

This week on the Amazon Files: 

•   The Competent Wholesale Bundlers Workshop is coming up in a few weeks, and there are only a few seats left!
•   The first step to handling perfectionism.
•   Some characteristics that perfectionists tend to display.
•   Chronic procrastination.
•   How perfectionism gets in your way and causes you to give up on your dreams.
•   Comparing high achievers and perfectionists
•   Five daily ways to keep perfectionism at bay:

o   #1: Set realistic expectations

o   #2: Focus on small accomplishments

o   #3: Stop making assumptions

o   #4: Learn to handle feedback and criticism (with parameters

o   #5: Enjoy the process

•   Social media’s impact
•   Online therapy

““I’m going to get tough with you. And I’m going to say some hard things. Why? Because I care. Because I love you. Because I care, because I want you to do your best, be your best, but not be perfect because none of us are. We never will be.”

- Kristin Ostrander

Quotes:

“’If I make a mistake in front of others, I will not be able to recover from the humiliation. I can’t handle somebody being upset with me.’ Have you ever thought about those things? Those are real good indicators that you struggle with some perfectionism.”

“Procrastination is a sign of fear. And why are we afraid? We’re afraid of the impossible standards that we set for ourselves.”

“Would you rather quit something big or grand or build small sustainable habits over time?”

“Most perfectionists are fueled by results, and they’re fueled by a successful result. Well, if that is the gas that you put in your tank to keep moving, wouldn’t you want more, more often? Would you like to put gas in your tank every single day to push you a little bit more forward?”

“Find your success in the process. Enjoy as much of the process and the journey as possible.”

“Some of you are probably thinking, ‘Oh, those small steps are just not good enough, I must perform at an XYZ level way up here.’ My question to you is, ‘Or what?’”

“You don’t owe anybody an explanation for your goals. You don’t need anyone’s permission, you don’t need their approval. You could have whatever goals you want, for whatever reasons you want them, and you don’t need anybody’s permission or approval in order to do that.”

“Mistakes make us better. We can’t learn if we’re always putting out perfection.”

“Do not accept or acknowledge feedback or criticism from somebody who’s not in the game. Their opinion does not write you a check, it doesn’t pay your bills, so it’s not relevant.”

“You can accept feedback from a professional who knows exactly what to do and how to change and tweak your ideas, and try again, and get better, and try again after that and get better.”

“Yes, those things hurt. It’s just a bruise. It’s not a tattoo. You don’t have to wear it for the rest of your life. Bruises heal. Criticism kills nothing but our ego and our self-esteem.”

“Excellence is not perfection.”

“I think it’s so necessary every year to look back, to reflect, to see what you want in the future, but also see how far you’ve come. Progress, not perfection.”

“Twenty years ago, that was never a thing. You weren’t striving to impress somebody who lives in Arizona 3,000 miles away from you because they like to comment on all your Facebook stuff.”

“We all have this, like, negative thing, or some people do, around therapy, like, ‘Oh my gosh, she needs therapy,’ right? Heck yes, I do. Thank you very much. I wouldn’t be in the place I am right now without it.”

“Send it, ship it, list it. You’re not going to die.”

Related Content:

• 2022 Workshops - Coupon code: workshop50
• Wholesale Bundle System
• Email questions
• Learn With Us
• Coaching
• The Amazon Files Hub

Grow Your Amazon Business!

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Amazon Files, the show to help Amazon sellers along their business journey one step at a time with Amazon expert and your host, Kristin Ostrander. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show and leave us your honest review. Don’t forget to share your favorite episodes with your friends on social media! Use the codeword [CODEWORD] to join us on Facebook. Each week, Kristin hosts a live discussion on how to grow your Amazon business. Don’t forget to check out our website and subscribe to our mailing list for even more resources.

Today’s episode is all about the characteristics of successful people—what they are, and how we can adopt them in our own lives. It’s no secret that, if we want to grow and change and be the kind of person we want to be and be successful at what we do, not just in business, but in life and everything else, there are certain characteristics that are instrumental in making that happen. Based on reading, research, and my own experience, today I’ll take you through some of the things successful people do, why they’re so effective, and how they can work for you.

First, I take a moment to talk about the recent school shooting in Oxford, Michigan—a community right next to my own—and to pay testament to how the people of Oxford have come together to support and love each other in the wake of this enormous tragedy. This leads me on to how being part of a community is an important part of success, the first of ten characteristics of successful people I discuss on the show today. Other characteristics I cover include determination, optimism, and patience, and I share some advice on developing these values in your own life, and how they will contribute to your journey to success. Finally, because I know life is pretty overwhelming right now, I encourage you to pick just one of these characteristics and work on implementing it in your life over the next month.

I would also encourage you to become part of the Amazon Files and Mommy Income community by joining our Facebook group with today’s codeword AWARE where you can learn more about bundling, ask questions, and participate in the conversation with other sellers. And if you’re ready to take your business to a whole new level, visit MommyIncome.com/Coach to schedule your one-on-one coaching call today.

This week on the Amazon Files: 

•   The school shooting in Oxford, Michigan, and how communities can come together even in the worst of circumstances
•   Characteristic #1: Community—being part of a community is a huge factor in becoming successful, as they offer vital support along your journey to success
•   Characteristic #2: Courage—to be successful, you have to face the unknown by putting aside your fear and finding your courage
•   Characteristic #3: Determination—successful people have grit and drive and don’t waver in their purpose
•   Characteristic #4: Discipline—to be successful, you can’t just do whatever you want; you have to take action and be consistent and self-sacrificing
•   Characteristic #5: Commitment to Learning—you can’t improve and change if you aren’t willing to learn and study new things
•   Characteristic #6: Optimism—to be successful, you must believe that the work you put in will give the results you want
•   Characteristic #7: Good relationships—successful people are aware of the value of their relationships and foster good personal interactions
•   Characteristic #8: Patience—worthy and long-lasting success doesn’t come fast; it’s the result of cumulative effort and consistent action
•   Characteristic #9: Integrity—do the right things for the right reasons, be trustworthy in business and worthy of success
•   Characteristic #10: Servanthood and Generosity—give back to other people, share your success and your joy, and don’t give in to the hoarding mentality

“Be patient, friends, be patient with yourself, be patient with others, be patient with your business. Do the work. The results are going to come, you just have to be consistent at it.”

- Kristin Ostrander

Quotes:

“No one does anything great alone. You need help. You need someone to bounce ideas off of. You need support on good days and bad days. You need a coach, a mentor, a therapist, a community of people to support you. And if you don’t have that, your success is probably going to take a lot longer.”

“You’re doing something new, and because of that, you have to be brave enough to face it.”

“Dedicated, successful people are determined. They will accomplish a goal. They might have some timelines, they might have some things that they do that lack this and that, but they are determined to reach the goal.”

“Even though you’re an entrepreneur, even though you don’t have somebody standing over your shoulder telling you what to do and how to do, you can’t just do whatever you want and expect the results. You must take action, you’re going to have to give something up in order to obtain something better.”

“You can’t improve and change if you aren’t willing to learn and study new things.”

“We have to be constantly learning because the moment that you get to the top of whatever mountain you’re climbing, you know what you’re going to see? The next mountain in the distance.”

“New mountains equal new opportunities to learn.”

“Confidence comes with practice. Confidence comes with doing something over and over and knowing that you’re getting it right. And that does not come right away.”

“Small habits are the sum of our lives, our lives equal the small habits, and the small, consistent actions we have every day is something to pay attention to.”

“To be successful, you need to be honest, you need to have high integrity, you need to make sure that what you say you’re going to do is what you do. You need to be trustworthy.”

“Scarcity is bogus. Abundance is everywhere. Success is unlimited. Your earning potential can be unlimited. But you need to be serving and giving in some form or another.”

“When you learn something, when you discover something for the first time, and it just lights you up, it is not fully complete until you at least get somebody out in the world to understand and enjoy it as much as you do.”

“The rising tide raises all ships, meaning the more that you give, you not only lift others, but you lift yourself as well.”

“It’s an overall development of the person that you are and the person that you want to be.”

Related Content:

• 2022 Workshops - Coupon code: workshop50
• Wholesale Bundle System
• Email questions
• Learn With Us
• Coaching
• The Amazon Files Hub

Grow Your Amazon Business!

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Amazon Files, the show to help Amazon sellers along their business journey one step at a time with Amazon expert and your host, Kristin Ostrander. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show and leave us your honest review. Don’t forget to share your favorite episodes with your friends on social media! Use the codeword AWARE to join us on Facebook. Each week, Kristin hosts a live discussion on how to grow your Amazon business. Don’t forget to check out our website and subscribe to our mailing list for even more resources.

On this week’s episode, I’m talking about Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) and why everybody’s quitting it. While this might look like bad news on the face of it, another perspective is that your competition’s walking away so it’s actually opening a door to grow your business. Today, I’ll take you through the pros, the cons, and the potential benefits of this trend, so that you can turn it into an opportunity for success.

To start things off, I’ll share with you some data demonstrating that joining Amazon is easy, but developing a long-term, sustainable business takes care and effort, with the majority of new sellers quitting before they ever get that far. To ensure that you don’t become one of those sellers, through the rest of the episode I look at eight reasons why people walk away from Amazon—including not understanding the rules, not allowing yourself time to learn, and not having a solid motivation—so that you know what to avoid when developing your business. Finally, I’ll wrap things up with a reminder that there are still seats available for the workshop in January, and some advice to commit to your business and put in the kind of consistent effort that gets results.

You can always learn more about Amazon FBA by joining our Facebook group with today’s codeword BYE, where you can learn more about bundling, ask questions, and participate in the conversation with other sellers. And if you’re ready to take your business to a whole new level, visit MommyIncome.com/Coach to schedule your one-on-one coaching call today.

This week on the Amazon Files: 

•   People walking away from Amazon can be an opportunity to be capitalized upon
•   Some data about Amazon and new sellers
•   Reason #1 why people quit Amazon: not understanding the rules
•   Reason #2: focussing on the negative
•   Reason #3: not finding profitable products to sell
•   Reason #4: not knowing their numbers well enough
•   Reason #5: giving up too soon instead of giving themselves time to learn and develop
•   Reason #6: lacking a driving reason to motivate them
•   Reason #7: starting with Merchant Fulfilled and nott making the switch to FBA
•   Reason #8: underestimating the workload of an online business
•   There are still some spots available for the workshop in January

“Don’t quit because you gave in when it was hard, because the next thing you do is going to be hard too. Choose your hard.”

- Kristin Ostrander

Quotes:

“If your competition gets up and walks away from the game, you can double your business, right?”

“Learn the dang rules, read research, ask questions.”

“Excuses aren’t deposits. Excuses cannot be deposited into your bank account.”

“Don’t focus on what you can’t do. You’re shooting yourself in the foot before you even start if you’re focusing on all the things that you can’t sell.”

“If you can’t find profitable inventory to sell on Amazon, you haven’t put the work in.”

“If this was easy, every single person would sell on Amazon and make millions, and we’d all live happily ever after, the end. But the reality is it takes a little bit of work.”

“Your numbers are the difference between a hobby and a business. A hobby is something that costs you money. A business is something that makes you money.”

“The first place to start is doing some research - calculated, intentional, consistent research. That’s how you bring products to the marketplace.”

“Building a legitimate, sustainable business is going to take time. It’s not a get-rich-quick income thing. If you’re trying to make your rent this month, you don’t need a business, you need a job.”

“It’s not just another job you’re building, you’re building a business and a legacy.”

“The people I see have the most success are the people that take the most consistent action, not big steps.”

“Your reason needs to be so motivating that no one has to tell you to go sit down and do some research.”

“What is your reason? What is your ‘why’? Because that is what’s going to keep you going during hard times.”

Related Content:

• 2022 Workshops - Coupon code: workshop50
• Wholesale Bundle System
• Email questions
• Learn With Us
• Coaching
• The Amazon Files Hub
• Marketplace Pulse

Grow Your Amazon Business!

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Amazon Files, the show to help Amazon sellers along their business journey one step at a time with Amazon expert and your host, Kristin Ostrander. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show and leave us your honest review. Don’t forget to share your favorite episodes with your friends on social media! Use the codeword BYE to join us on Facebook. Each week, Kristin hosts a live discussion on how to grow your Amazon business. Don’t forget to check out our website and subscribe to our mailing list for even more resources.

Do you ever feel like something’s in your way, blocking you from getting out of debt and generating wealth? From not having clear goals, to lacking connections, to poor time management, there are lots of ways we block our own path to success. Often, we even do it unconsciously, out of habit or an unwillingness to confront harsh truths. In today's episode, I’m talking about these wealth blockers and how to bust through them, breaking down ten forms of behavior that may be keeping you at a plateau.

I’ll kick things off with a quick discussion of Cyber Monday and a reminder that there are still tickets available for the workshop in January. Then I’ll move on to the main discussion, pointing out that everybody, regardless of their financial situation, can benefit from assessing themselves for blockers holding them back. Throughout the show, I’ll go through ten wealth blockers—including skepticism, isolation, and having a short-term mindset—and offer constructive ways to move past them and achieve greater success. I’ll wrap things up by encouraging you to invest in yourself and believe that you’re worth all the work and effort of breaking through these barriers.

More great lessons can be found by joining our Facebook group with today’s codeword WEALTH, where you can learn more about bundling, ask questions, and participate in the conversation with other sellers. And if you’re ready to take your business to a whole new level, visit MommyIncome.com/Coach to schedule your one-on-one coaching call today.

This week on the Amazon Files: 

•   Seats are still available for the workshop in January
•   Wealth Blocker #1: Not Having Goals
•   Wealth Blocker #2: Comparison
•   Wealth Blocker #3: Consistent or Constant Skepticism
•   Wealth Blocker #4: Isolation
•   Wealth Blocker #5: Constant Consumption
•   Wealth Blocker #6: Avoiding Failure
•   Wealth Blocker #7: Short-term Mindset
•   Wealth Blocker #8: Not Being Aware of Your Financials
•   Wealth Blocker #9: Relying on One Income Stream
•   Wealth Blocker #10: Not Controlling Your Time

“What you want is worth it. You're worth it. You're worth the work.”

- Kristin Ostrander

Quotes:

“3% of people actually have written down goals.”

“Successful people also take full responsibility for their successes and their failures. So don't look outside of yourself. If something isn't working, you need to get super honest with yourself and to be accountable because honestly, no one's going to reach your goals for you.”

“Just be you. Walk your journey. The only comparison you're allowed to make is you v. you. You versus yourself.”

“If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is unless you validate it.”

“Skepticism always blocks creativity, which then also blocks your wealth. You could be saying ‘no’ to an opportunity of a lifetime.”

“Your network is your net worth.”

“The side-lines are not where the magic happens. The magic happens on the court. The magic happens when you're in the game and you're playing. Even if you're falling and you're stumbling and you're hurting yourself and you're looking like the biggest idiot out there, you're in the game.”

“Healthy wealth building is slow and steady.”

“If you have more time than you have money, then use your time to make money. If you have more money than you have time, then let your money work for you by investing in it and getting interest or dividends or capital gains on your money.”

“168 hours a week, that's all you get. That's all any of us get anytime, anywhere, anyplace. 168 hours. What are you doing with yours? Because time is money.”

“We can control what we say ‘yes’ and ‘no’ to. ‘No’ is a complete sentence.”

Related Content:

• 2022 Workshops - Coupon code: workshop50
• Wholesale Bundle System
• Email questions
• Learn With Us
• Coaching
• The Amazon Files Hub

Grow Your Amazon Business!

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Amazon Files, the show to help Amazon sellers along their business journey one step at a time with Amazon expert and your host, Kristin Ostrander. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show and leave us your honest review. Don’t forget to share your favorite episodes with your friends on social media! Use the codeword WEALTH to join us on Facebook. Each week, Kristin hosts a live discussion on how to grow your Amazon business. Don’t forget to check out our website and subscribe to our mailing list for even more resources.

Do you worry about failure, about the things that get in your way when you’re trying to succeed? Is there a “what if?” monster living under the bed in your head? I know I’ve felt like that at times in my life, when I’ve let my emotions take control, but there are definitely things we can do to overcome our fears. Today we’re going to talk about that monster and how to fight it using the weapons we all have at our disposal.

After a quick reminder that there are still a few tickets available for the workshop in January, I’ll kick things off by talking about the common fear of “what if?” and how it prevents us from making progress in our businesses. I’ll show you how facts—measurable, verifiable facts—are the best weapon in the fight against the What-If Monster. Instead of listening to your emotions, I’ll encourage you to look at your facts and data so that you know you’re making the right decisions to move forward with your business. Then I’ll discuss how to take those decisions and put them into action with confidence so that you can see the other side of the “what if”—what happens when you succeed. Finally, I’ll wrap things up with a look at how to stay motivated to keep going on your path, even when you’re scared, and there are obstacles in the way.

You can keep fighting the What-If Monster by joining our Facebook group with today’s codeword WHATIF, where you can learn more about bundling, ask questions, and participate in the conversation with other sellers. And if you’re ready to take your business to a whole new level, visit MommyIncome.com/Coach to schedule your one-on-one coaching call today.

This week on the Amazon Files: 

• Seats are still available for the workshop in January
• Why using the framework is important
• The What-If Monster and how it magnifies our fears
• How do we define failure?
• Using facts as a weapon against fear
• Facts vs. feelings
• Making decisions and taking action
• What if you succeed?
• What motivates you to keep going?
• You’ll never know if you don’t take the trip

 “What do you want your legacy to look like? Because those decisions are made today. Build something of value and longevity, for you, for yourself, for your family, for your children, for generations to come.”

- Kristin Ostrander

 Quotes:

“This monster kind of lives within all of us, in our heads one way or another. It’s called the What-If Monster.”

“The What-If Monster can be taken out completely - there are weapons - just like any other enemy that comes against us.”

“We all feel fear, all feel inadequate, we all feel not enough at some point or another. And that’s human, and that’s natural. But there’s stuff that can be done about it because this What-If Monster is standing in the way of what you really want.”

“Facts are extremely powerful against the What-If because they’re what’s true and right and what can be measured.”

“Hug that monster and then stab him in the back with these facts, right?”

“The great news is, you don’t have to trust you. You can trust the facts.”

“We’ve got to learn how to snuggle up to both facts and emotions, and make really good, solid decisions based on those facts and also based on what you really want most.”

“The only way to kill a monster is by telling him that you’re putting your faith in real facts and then take action.”

“If you’re constantly practicing and improving and trying to tweak little things to get better at something, and you refuse to give up, the results that you’re going to get will reflect your efforts.”

“You’re on a journey.”

Related Content:

•  2022 Workshops - Coupon code: workshop50
• Wholesale Bundle System
• Email questions
• Learn With Us
• Coaching
• The Amazon Files Hub

Grow Your Amazon Business!

 Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Amazon Files, the show to help Amazon sellers along their business journey one step at a time with Amazon expert and your host, Kristin Ostrander. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show and leave us your honest review. Don’t forget to share your favorite episodes with your friends on social media! Use the codeword WHATIF to join us on Facebook. Each week, Kristin hosts a live discussion on how to grow your Amazon business. Don’t forget to check out our website and subscribe to our mailing list for even more resources.

Today, I am just so excited to bring to you all an incredibly inspiring story of success. Trudy Armand and her mom, Pam, are the founders of Her-Mine, a woman-owned business that is driven by their mission to support women in as many ways as they can. The details regarding the inspiration behind their noble work, and exactly how they maintain such a high level of integrity as they go about it, make for a fascinating and instructive conversation here today, filled with wisdom that we all need to hear.

Starting with information about registering for the upcoming workshop, we then go on to learn about Trudy’s entrepreneurial background, the story behind the creation of Her-Mine, what you can expect from one of their boxes, and some of the challenges that she and her mom have faced throughout their first year of business. Trudy also shares some of the transitions she has made from regular e-commerce and into their growth phase, and discusses moving forward regardless of competition, their product selection process, and finding balance between quality and cost. I’ll finish things off by reviewing how to become a partner with Her-Mine, and an invitation to stay tuned for my live unboxing once my first Her-Mine box arrives. While describing the inspiration and processes that make Her-Mine such a success, Trudy delivers first hand lessons that we all need to learn (or relearn) as we pursue our own roads to success as well.

More great lessons can be found by joining our Facebook group with today’s codeword HerMine, where you can learn more about bundling, ask questions, and participate in the conversation with other sellers. And if you’re ready to take your business to a whole new level, visit MommyIncome.com/Coach to schedule your one-on-one coaching call today.

This week on the Amazon Files:  

•   Registering for the upcoming Workshop
•   Trudy’s background as an entrepreneur
•   The story behind the creation of Her-Mine
•   What to expect from a Her-Mine box
•   Some of the challenges Trudy has faced in Her-Mine’s first year
•   The transitions she has had to make from regular e-commerce
•   Transitioning into a growth phase
•   Moving forward regardless of the competition
•   Their product selection process
•   Finding balance between quality and cost
•   Becoming a partner with Her-Mine
•   Kristin’s upcoming live unboxing

“You deserve to give yourself a gift every month, that can just be for you, for no other reason than you need to take care of you. “

- Kristin Ostrander

Quotes:

“We want to buy inspiration, we want to buy something that we know is supporting something that's important.”

“Her-Mine is actually named after my favorite aunt, my mom's baby sister, Hermine…she was a trailblazer, she was the ultimate feminist.”

“It is our central mission to support women in as many ways as we can. Not only support our subscribers, our sisterhood of subscribers is what we call them, but also the vendor partners that are in the box.”

“That is just such a beautiful thing about you starting something that's got so much passion and love behind it.”

“We curate around the themes to remind women to care for themselves, to love themselves, and to celebrate each other.”

“These things seem small, but they can really boost our spirits and can really boost our mental health.”

“There is an inherent risk sometimes with working with smaller businesses, but we are committed to doing that.”

“I think the biggest thing is to make sure that we have processes in place.”

“We try to create bundles that are evergreen bundles that, once they're successful, we are able to continue to curate.”

“You know who packed your box, whether my mom packed it or I packed it, and we want that to continue.”

“I operate from a space of abundance, not lack.”

“We are unique in what we're doing and how we're doing it, and I'm comfortable in that.”

“There's room for everybody's business because no two people do the same things.”

“The more that we share our ideas with people, the more everybody benefits. The rising tide raises all ships, so why not all of us raise everyone's ship up at the same time.”

“One of the things I think that makes us a little bit different from some of the other subscription boxes is my personal mission is to build relationships.”

“These boxes are so amazing.”

Related Content:

• 2022 Workshops - Coupon code: workshop50
• Wholesale Bundle System
• Email questions
• Learn With Us
• Coaching
• The Amazon Files Hub
• Mommy Income Her-Mine Box
• Her-Mine Homepage
• Her-Mine YouTube
• Her-Mine social media: myherminebox

Grow Your Amazon Business!

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Amazon Files, the show to help Amazon sellers along their business journey one step at a time with Amazon expert and your host, Kristin Ostrander. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show and leave us your honest review. Don’t forget to share your favorite episodes with your friends on social media! Use the codeword HerMine to join us on Facebook. Each week, Kristin hosts a live discussion on how to grow your Amazon business. Don’t forget to check out our website and subscribe to our mailing list for even more resources.

Are you feeling stuck these days? At some point in all of our businesses, we all hit a plateau where we just don’t seem to move past a certain level of success. I can tell you it’s definitely happened to me over the course of my career and I’ve picked up some wisdom along the way that I want to share with you all. On today’s episode, let’s take a look at these plateaus that are simply a fact of doing business, and explore the ways we can bust right through them to reach that next level of success.

First things first, though, I want to remind you all of the workshop coming up in January that we’re all so excited about. Then we’ll dive into this common experience of plateauing, and I’ll share some of my valuable tips for busting through them. Along the way, I’ll discuss such aspects as looking for holes in your bucket, establishing processes, my true feelings about wholesale products and retail arbitrage, and the value of using Merchant Words. We’ll also review some of the lessons you can learn through our Hub training, and finish up with a look at both dealing with debt and AccrueMe, an Amazon funding method. Plateaus are a fact of life – we’re all going to experience them – so let’s work together to identify and break right on through the other side of them.

One surefire way to work your way through plateaus is to join our Facebook group with today’s codeword BUSTED, where you can learn more about bundling, ask questions, and participate in the conversation with other sellers. And if you’re ready to take your business to a whole new level, visit MommyIncome.com/Coach to schedule your one-on-one coaching call today.

This week on the Amazon Files:  

•   The upcoming workshop in January
•   The common experience of plateauing
•   Tips for plateau busting
•   Holes in your bucket
•   Establishing processes
•   My perspective on straight up wholesale products and retail arbitrage
•   Merchant Words
•   Hub Training
•   Dealing with debt
•   AccrueMe

“We're all in this together. We're all doing this together. We're all suffering together in some way or another but we're also profiting in some way. So, I want to just have more profit, more money, in your pocket.“

- Kristin Ostrander

Quotes:

“Everyone who has come to a January workshop really has loved how it's given them the positive momentum to start their business off right in that year, and just hit the ground running.”

“Whatever it is you're trying to manage right now, your persistence and your ability to change is going to get you a desired result.”

“In order to get what we've never had, we've got to do something we've never done.”

“Examine what your sourcing guidelines are.”

“Just try to move your parameters just a little bit and see if that helps you kick start into a little bit more of sales.”

“Pick up your calendar right now and plug in ‘Examine my numbers’ on the calendar somewhere, even if it's like one hour three weeks from now.”

“Many times businesses fail because people only do the stuff that's fun and exciting.”

“Processes simplify things.”

“It's really easy to let some of these things slide and then kind of wonder why your business isn't doing what you want it to do. Chances are, it's our fault, and we just have to own that.”

“If you're doing one method of sourcing right now, maybe pepper in a little bit of other things to see what's really going to work for you.”

“There's still nothing instantaneous about business.”

“You've got to be willing to be patient. You've got to be willing to be persistent. You've got to be consistent and keep going after what you want.”

“I am not against straight up wholesale products, like, at all. I'm not against retail arbitrage, although I think it has many risks in different categories we need to be aware of, but I'm not against these things.”

“I'm pro protection of your account, protection of your hard work, pro working smarter, not harder.”

“Are you utilizing all of the resources that you're already paying for?”

“Use your business to pay off your debt, and then start talking about bootstrapping your business because you'll take it a lot more seriously.”

“Everything that you are working for and deserve is on the other side of your procrastination and your overthinking and maybe just your busyness. So let's get accountable, and let's move the needle.”

Related Content:

• 2022 Workshops - Coupon code: workshop50
• Wholesale Bundle System
• Email questions
• Learn With Us
• Coaching
• The Amazon Files Hub

• mommyincome.com/money?

• Small Business Administration Homepage
• AccrueMe Homepage

Grow Your Amazon Business!

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Amazon Files, the show to help Amazon sellers along their business journey one step at a time with Amazon expert and your host, Kristin Ostrander. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show and leave us your honest review. Don’t forget to share your favorite episodes with your friends on social media! Use the codeword BUSTED to join us on Facebook. Each week, Kristin hosts a live discussion on how to grow your Amazon business. Don’t forget to check out our website and subscribe to our mailing list for even more resources.

Are you prepared for the biggest weekend of the year? Here in America, Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday form a huge weekend for us as resellers, and this year, it’s going to be record breaking. Now, this is all great if you’re prepared for it, and, given the supply chain issues we’re experiencing this year, preparation is more important than ever, so listen in today to learn exactly what you need to do to make this crucial weekend a success.

I’ll begin by reviewing just how important it is to be ready for business at all times, and especially for this Q4 holiday season, and how The Reseller's Guide to Black Friday is the perfect resource to show you how to make the most out of this special weekend. I’ll share with you some tips that will guide you to success, especially this year, and we’ll finish by looking at some current trends, and the role that merchant fulfill can play this year. A lot of factors have combined to make this a year like no other, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still make it as profitable as ever. Now is the time to buckle down, get scrappy, and make sure you are ready for this biggest weekend of the year, and today I show you how to do just that.

Even more valuable information is available if you choose to join our Facebook group with today’s codeword word BLACKFRIDAY, where you can learn more about bundling, ask questions, and participate in the conversation with other sellers. And if you’re ready to take your business to a whole new level, visit MommyIncome.com/Coach to schedule your one-on-one coaching call today.

This week on the Amazon Files:  

•   Being ready for the Q4 holiday season, especially this year
•   The Reseller's Guide to Black Friday
•   Black Friday, Cyber Monday, 2021 holiday tips for resellers
•   Some current trends in purchasing
•   Merchant fulfill

“I want you to go out and take some of these tips and use them because you will be rewarded when you do the work. Because, you know what? You can finish this year with results and good sales and pat yourself on the back for doing the work and working hard and putting in the time.”

- Kristin Ostrander

Quotes:

“You have to stay ready, so you don't have to get ready. That's the whole point.”

“Even though I don't love doing arbitrage, I do it now because it's supplementing the stuff that I have not received from my suppliers that I ordered.”

“The supply chain issues are a real problem.”

“Anything that has a computer chip in it, you're going to struggle to get any quantities of.”

“What we need to look for as resellers is stuff that's already available.”

“Sign up for the email list for your favorite retailers.”

“Another thing that you want to pay attention to is shipping stuff in immediately.”

“Join their rewards programs and get every and all discounts that you can possibly get.”

“If that store doesn't have that anymore, then all of a sudden, your item becomes more valuable, and you can raise the price a little bit because the supply and demand are not meeting up.”

“Outdoor stuff is still extremely popular.”

“The time to get it and list it is right now because the world is kind of in a panic about this whole supply chain issue.”

“I would look at some of the close out companies and see if they have any last year goods that you can buy if they don't have any sitting around.”

“If you're a Hub member, review the q4 class.”

“Just keep your finger on the pulse of the supply chain issues and things like that, because those things are going to come up regularly.”

“I'm going to be doing some merchant fulfill because there are things that just won't get to Amazon on time.”

“Get your stuff in early, ship it out early. The faster you list it, the more it can sell.”

“Everything's kind of wackadoodle right now. So just try all the things.”

“I have listed things on Black Friday standing in line to check out the things that are in my cart, and have sold them on Amazon before I even hit the checkout.”

“You can make a boatload of money between Thanksgiving and Christmas - that's, like probably, the biggest 30 days of the year for a lot of us as far as sales and things like that. But you've got to have the stuff ready to sell.”

Related Content:

• 2022 Workshops - Coupon code: workshop50
• Wholesale Bundle System
• Email questions
• Learn With Us
• Coaching
• The Amazon Files Hub
• The Reseller's Guide to Black Friday - Coupon code: bfsale
• Full-Time FBA Homepage

Grow Your Amazon Business!

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Amazon Files, the show to help Amazon sellers along their business journey one step at a time with Amazon expert and your host, Kristin Ostrander. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show and leave us your honest review. Don’t forget to share your favorite episodes with your friends on social media! Use the codeword BLACKFRIDAY to join us on Facebook. Each week, Kristin hosts a live discussion on how to grow your Amazon business. Don’t forget to check out our website and subscribe to our mailing list for even more resources.

In my 18 years of experience, I have never seen the kind of disruption and interruption in supply chains and getting products as I have this year, particularly during the current Q4. The bad news is that we are definitely in an emergency situation when it comes to having products available for our customers. The good news, however, is that demand never goes away, and also that I’m here with you today to run through some ways we can work around this situation to still enjoy success in our businesses despite these unprecedented times.

More good news can be found in the fact that workshops are coming back, and I start today’s episode by sharing some details about them with you all. Then we dive right into the current supply chain emergency and what we can do on our end about it. We’ll look at questions for you to ask when looking for products from a variety of sources, I’ll run through a demo of how to find products online, and we’ll review the importance of going wide, not deep, and paying attention to your pricing, especially in these unusual circumstances. No one wants to end up having a slow Q4, and I want to prepare you all so that doesn’t happen to you – this is yet another episode of Amazon Files that you literally cannot afford to miss.

Even more valuable information is available if you choose to join our Facebook group with today’s code word EMERGENCY, where you can learn more about bundling, ask questions, and participate in the conversation with other sellers. And if you’re ready to take your business to a whole new level, visit MommyIncome.com/Coach to schedule your one-on-one coaching call today.

This week on the Amazon Files:  

•   Upcoming workshops
•   The current supply chain emergency
•   What we can do about this emergency
•   Questions to ask when looking for products
•   Kristin’s live demo about finding products
•   Canva
•   Going wide, not deep
•   Paying attention to pricing

“Get a little scrappy, put on your big girl pants and get ready to work really hard this Q4. It will be worth it, but you might have to do things a little bit differently.”

- Kristin Ostrander

Quotes:

 “People have breakthroughs and their ‘aha moments’, and I just absolutely love workshops.”

“Most companies are experiencing some sort of supply chain issues, and because of that, it's really important to think about how you're going to stock your shelves if your wholesale stuff doesn't come in.”

“We're going to have to get a little scrappy, we're going to have to get a little creative.”

“The major issue is there's no products. The products are out there somewhere, but we're not going to get them in time.”

“If you've got the supply and the demand is still up and no one else has a supply, that means you can control the market with your prices and everything else.”

 “I feel like we're in desperate times, especially right now for the holidays when the products seem to be scarce.”

“It's time to do some research, it's time to do some digging.”

“Lower supply and the same demand equals higher prices. This is just the nature of the beast.”

“If you can't get products from your wholesalers, get it from the stores, get it from online websites.”

“If you have a high selling product that you can't get from your vendor anymore, look up where they sell their products in retail and see if you can get a handle on some of them.”

“I still create bundles with my retail arbitrage stuff.”

“We're in kind of the state of emergency and it's time to do a little bit of arbitrage.”

“Don't forget about liquidation and closeout.”

“If you're doing single wholesale items or you're jumping on someone else's listing or bundle at that point I would be paying attention to your pricing.”

Related Content:

• 2022 Workshops - Coupon code: workshop50
• Wholesale Bundle System
• Email questions
• Learn With Us
• Coaching
• The Amazon Files Hub
• Canva
• ASD Hompeage

Grow Your Amazon Business!

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Amazon Files, the show to help Amazon sellers along their business journey one step at a time with Amazon expert and your host, Kristin Ostrander. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show and leave us your honest review. Don’t forget to share your favorite episodes with your friends on social media! Use the codeword EMERGENCY to join us on Facebook. Each week, Kristin hosts a live discussion on how to grow your Amazon business. Don’t forget to check out our website and subscribe to our mailing list for even more resources.