Music That Inspires

Today marks a very happy 7th birthday for Mommy Income, and I couldn’t be more excited to have you all join me in celebrating it. Hitting such a momentous milestone has got me thinking about how it all started, how we have progressed to where we are now, and what traits are necessary to achieve such a level of success, and that’s exactly what I want to share with all of you here today.

We’ll begin at the beginning by reviewing my own business journey and especially how Mommy Income got started and has grown over the years. I’ll then run through some of the most important character traits that are necessary to build a successful business, and look at the importance of knowing your ‘why’ and having realistic expectations. The dangers of comparing yourself to others, the concept of pivoting rather than quitting, and the shining example provided by Roger Crawford are also discussed. This is a very special day for Mommy Income, and I want to thank you all for making it possible by sharing not only some information and advice but, as you’ll hear, a very special gift as well.

Even more valuable information is available if you choose to join our Facebook group with today’s code word birthday, 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:  

•   Kristin’s business journey
•   Mommy Income got started
•   The character traits necessary to create a successful business
•   The importance of your ‘why’
•   Kristin’s special gift for listeners
•   The dangers of comparing yourself with others
•   Realistic expectations
•   Roger Crawford
•   Pivoting vs. quitting

“I see you participating, I see you there, and I want you to know that you are seen and heard and loved. You are the reason that I do what I do every single day.”

- Kristin Ostrander

Quotes:

“It's not some step by step formula that you can follow, that you can just give somebody a blueprint, because everybody's journey is going to be different and everybody's journey into whatever they consider as success is going to be different as well.”

“You always need to take action steps. There's always something practical to do. There's always a solution. There's always something to move towards.”

“You absolutely must know why and be passionate about the ‘why’, in order to start or grow something that big.”

“Is your passion or your purpose strong enough to get up and do it again, even on your worst day?”

“I also feel like it's a huge disservice when you have the keys to unlock someone else's prison, and then you just stand there and hold the keys, but you don't unlock that door for someone.”

“Comparison will kill you every time.”

“What you're going to have to emulate is the journey.”

“If your goal this month, or this year, or in 10 years, is to generate a million dollars in revenue, then you need to be consistently taking steps that lead you in that direction. That also means you're going to have to consistently sacrifice other things that don't align with that, or adjust your timeline.”

“If you cannot handle constant change, if you can't define the purpose and the passion that you have to achieve that purpose, and you are really good at giving up when things get hard, entrepreneurship is not for you.”

“No matter how long it takes. I am going to reach my goal.”

“Be consistent, be persistent, persevere through the hard things...you will see your results.”

“Defeat really only happens when you give up, when you stop trying, when you quit. It's completely up to you.”

“There's strength in numbers, and we can always have something to learn from someone else.”

“All of your efforts have an exponential effect. You just don't always get to see the result right this second.”

“Wherever you are in life, this minute, your goals are possible. Your million dollar business, your ‘how you get there’ is all up to you.”

Related Content:

• 2022 Workshops - Coupon code: workshop50
• Wholesale Bundle System
• Email questions
• Learn With Us - Coupon code: birthday
• 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 H 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.

Q4, the fourth quarter of the year and the most wonderful time of the year for us as sellers, is upon us once again. Thanks to the many holidays that occur during these months from October to December, Q4 ends up being the biggest selling season of the year, and with the statistics, insights, and tips I share with you here today, it can end up being a huge success for you as well.

Once again this week, I’ll start by sharing some exciting information about the upcoming workshops, and then we’ll dig into the details about Q4, especially some statistics regarding it, which you know I love. Along the way, I’ll review a number of product ideas for the 3 major Q4 holidays as well as my 3 key tips for the season, its top spending categories, and the importance of understanding your customer. We’ll finish off by looking at the top 5 reasons people purchase from Amazon. Whether this is your first Q4 as a seller or you’re a seasoned veteran, today’s episode gives you all you need to know to ensure this one is massively successful for you and your business.

Even more valuable information is available if you choose to join our Facebook group with today’s code word Holiday 2020, 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
•   Q4 and some statistics about it
•   Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas product ideas
•   Kristin’s tips for Q4
•   Top Q4 spending categories statistics
•   Understanding your customer
•   The top 5 reasons people purchase from Amazon

“What kind of speed and variety and convenience are you going to bring to the table this holiday? Because you don't want to miss out on all of that holiday shopping, right?”

- Kristin Ostrander

Quotes:

“What happens in October, November and December? Holidays, holidays, holidays, and lots of online shopping. And it's the biggest selling season of the year for resellers and retailers, especially for e-commerce, Amazon.”

“Things are coming back. People are going to have Halloween this year, they're going to be trick or treating, they're going to be decorating, they're going to be wearing costumes, they're going to be dressing up their pets. What does that mean for you? It means product, product, product, and more product.”

“A lot of people right before Halloween do home improvements because everybody's coming in from out of town and families are coming in and seeing them.”

“There are people that never go to the store, they buy everything online. Either they're busy or they're homebound or they don't feel like it or the store’s too far away or they don't have the selection that they want and they're a little small town or they just don't care to go to the store, period. Those are all your customers.”

“You need to know what people are spending money on on a regular basis.”

“These are the things that they buy for themselves in this order: food, clothes, shoes, books, and health and beauty stuff.”

“Even 18% of households who do not currently have Amazon Prime memberships make purchases on Amazon during holidays.”

“So think about it, $50 bundles gifts for men, women, children, bosses. All kinds of different types of products with bundles are everywhere.”

“You want to go wide and not deep. Buy a vast variety of products but don't go super deep in all of them.”

“Speed is everything in this time of year, speed is everything,”

“It's Q4 - you're going to work a little bit more, but you're also going to earn more. So it really does work out.”

Related Content:

• 2022 Workshops - Coupon code: workshop50
• Wholesale Bundle System
• Email questions
• Learn With Us
• Coaching
• The Amazon Files Hub
• Statista
• Digital Commerce 360

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 Holiday 2020 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.

Back once again for her quarterly update is our good friend, Lesley Hensell, of Riverbend Consulting. As many of you will remember, Lesley joins us here every few months to fill us all in on what we need to know about Amazon policies, plans, and news that can affect us as third party sellers. This time around, her update includes information that can really change everything for Amazon, our role in working with them, and, actually the global economy itself - this is one episode you literally cannot afford to miss.

First, I’ll start by sharing some exciting news about workshops that will be coming your way in 2022, and then we will spend the rest of the time picking Lesley’s brain for everything we need to know. She begins by delving into the newest insurance issues and  her compliance recommendations, the current proposed antitrust bill and the impact it can have upon all of us, as well as the importance of contacting your congressperson about it. Lesley also offers her perspective on printed material regarding your company both within and on your bundle brand packaging, the Amazon Vine program, getting responses from Amazon, and the Amazon Captive Team. She brings the episode to a close by describing the services her company provides and how you can get started working with them. It is vitally important to all our businesses that we remain up to date on all things Amazon, especially these days, and Lesley, as always, brings the goods here again, along with a call to action that we all absolutely need to follow. Listen in today and let’s all do our part to protect our livelihoods.

Another valuable action you can take is to  join our Facebook group with today’s code word rules, 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:  

•   2022 Workshops
•   The newest insurance issues and Lesley’s compliance recommendations
•   The current proposed antitrust bill and the impact if could have upon Amazon and its sellers
•   The importance of contacting your congressperson about this bill
•   Including printed material about your business inside of bundle brand packaging
•   What is allowed on your custom printed packaging
•   The Amazon Vine program
•   How to get timely and effective responses from Amazon
•   The Amazon Captive Team
•   Riverbend Consulting and how to start working with them

“Lesley's always bringing the truth because she doesn't care about if people like her or not. She cares about the truth. She cares about the integrity of business and cares about those types of things. So it's not a popularity contest, it’s a ‘let's get stuff done, and let's get this done in the good and right way so that we all can continue living our best lives.’”

- Kristin Ostrander

Quotes:

“If we're going to be doing business with Amazon, there's all these changes and updates and policies and compliance and all these sexy words that we have to constantly talk about.”

“Because if someone can eat it, or put it on their body, like topical, I'm away from that, because I don't want anybody getting sick or getting you know, dead, because they put something on their arm that then you know swole up and who knows. So I try to stay away from those things.”

“If you're an authorized reseller, actually on just about anything, try and get that in your contract that they will indemnify you.”

“If you didn't read your Amazon Terms of Service, good luck with that, because there's a lot of things you can't do or won't be able to do.”

“Every business needs to have insurance for one reason or another.”

“Amazon's not a monopoly - grow up - it's not a monopoly.”

“This is really important stuff, and we need to be aware and proactive about what we support and don't support in our Congress because it affects your bottom line.”

“The reason that I find it so frustrating is because there is legislation in place right now that all of the issues that they have with Amazon could be addressed under that legislation.”

“They could literally eradicate us as third party sellers, and just take over the entire online retail world, like you said, creating a bigger monster.”

“If you're doing stupid things like telling third party sellers how to price their products, which is price fixing, which is illegal, then you're asking for regulation.”

“What's really sad is that I know where it leaves the American public - it will stifle innovation in a way that people do not even comprehend.”

“A lot of advocates, a lot of people, need to stand up and talk about it and get their congressmen and women to understand the impact of what could happen if this comes to the table.”

“These are things that greatly impact not just us, but our global economy.”

“It cannot direct them off the platform, you cannot direct them to your Shopify store, to your website to your customer service person. None of that.”

“The best way for you guys to own your own customers in this way is provide a phenomenal product and customer experience and people will look you up and they will find you and they will want to find you in other places.”

“Where there's already three or four competitors that have 1000s of reviews, your two or three Vine reviews aren't really going to get much.”

“A lot of times we have issues that have been resolved by Account Health.”

“We're actually getting some pretty rapid answers right now from the executive seller relations team through the jeff@amazon email.”

“It's super important that you show, according to their escalation protocol, that you've already done all the things.”

“riverbendconsulting.com is the place to go - I fully and highly recommend them and their team.”

Related Content:

• 2022 Workshops - Coupon code: workshop50
• Wholesale Bundle System
• Email questions
• Learn With Us
• Coaching
• The Amazon Files Hub
• Amazon Seller Central Sign-In
• Riverbend Consulting Homepage
• Lesley's LinkedIn Page
• Riverbend Consulting's LinkedIn Page

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 rules 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.

Jordan West is the founder and CEO of Mindful Marketing, and host of The Secrets to Scaling Your E-Commerce Brand Podcast. Today he joins the show to tell the story of buying his first business at age 22, tripling the sales within 5 years, then selling the store and starting a successful clothing line, “Little & Lively” with his wife, Carmen. Jordan talks about persevering through challenges as an entrepreneur, growing his brands, and launching his own digital marketing company, Mindful Marketing.

Jordan breaks down the advantages of digital marketing over retail, and shares how he’s found so much success in e-commerce without using third party platforms. He also talks about coupon code tracking, owning the entire customer experience, and building a community around your brand. Next, Jordan walks us through his brilliant “gated launch” marketing strategy, as well as how to create a VIP customer-base from the ground up, and how to use social media to effectively target and advertise to the right demographic. Finally, you’ll hear Jordan’s best tips for using SMS to connect with your customers, and he explains why exclusive products are so psychologically appealing to shoppers.

Whether you are looking to build your brand on Amazon or otherwise, today’s interview is packed with incredible strategies to help grow your business and take your marketing to the next level. 

For more information about Jordan West and Mindful Marketing, visit MindfulMarketing.co or check out @mindfulmarketingco on Instagram for daily tips and stories! You can also find Jordan on LinkedIn, or shop at his clothing line, Little & Lively here.

Join our Facebook group with today’s code word #marketing, 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:  

• Jordan’s story of buying a Taco Del Mar restaurant at age 22, starting a clothing line with his wife, and launching his e-commerce company, Mindful Marketing
• How Jordan discovered his passion for Marketing and Sales  
• Digital marketing is much easier than getting people into retail, and you can better track the data of your customers to see what’s working and what’s not
• Owning your traffic and your customers versus renting them - it’s important to think about diversifying to other platforms and building a community around your brands  
• The “gated launch” and why it’s such a helpful strategy  
• Five traffic levels of customer engagement  
• Using social media to advertise and target the right demographics

“Email works really well alongside SMS. So think of SMS as - that's your notification arm that you're going to let people know something is going on. Email is more of a communication tool to communicate more to your customer. I'd say if you could only build one of them, build SMS. All day long, build SMS.”

- Jordan West

Quotes:

“I was always really good at the marketing side. And I'm like, I'm going to just start a marketing company that helps our brands.” 

“If you're not that sales person or marketer, don't be depressed. Find that person. If you're an Ops person, find the marketer and salesperson, because you have to do that - sell. You have to sell.”

“The one thing I was good at was getting people in the door right, figuring out...What do people need to get in here and purchase burritos?”

“Digital marketing is way easier than getting people into retail.”

“I learned a lot owning a franchise. And the one thing I learned is that I do not want somebody to control whether somebody is going to buy something from me or not, and control my product, control my supply chain.”

“What I'm obsessed with is building brands and communities. So every brand that we acquire, or build, has community based around it.”

“We really want to own that entire experience with our customers. And that's been our main reason to stay off of the third party plus platforms. That doesn't mean that that's right for everybody. But for us, and the brands that we're building, that's the right move.”

“Putting impediments in people's way, somehow gets them to buy more… We're really trying to create that buzz and that hype, and it works. It works every single time. ”

“In my mind, SMS and the Facebook VIP community- that is the golden ticket in 2021.”

“Building the VIP community is a labor. It takes a long time. So one thing that we did for a long time is, every single new customer who would order, we would send a personalized video to them, inviting them into the VIP community.”

“That's a big red flag - when I look at a brand and people only purchase once, there is a huge problem with that brand. I want people purchasing over and over and over.”

“Facebook, Instagram - always. That is where your customers are… TikTok, awesome. TikTok influencers is incredibly cheap traffic right now.”

“If somebody stays on that list, they are worth a lot of money to you. That is what I would build first is SMS, and then next, email.”

Related Content:

• Confident Wholesale Bundlers Workshop - Coupon code: workshop50
• Wholesale Bundle System
• Email questions
• Learn With Us
• Coaching
• The Amazon Files Hub
• Q4 Jumptstart 2021
• BrickSeek

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 #marketing 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.

I don’t think anyone’s going to be surprised to hear that the past couple years have been, let’s say, unusual. The global pandemic and economic crisis have set off a number of unexpected events in our world, and today I want to share with you something you may not have expected from me. For this upcoming Q4, I will be participating in retail arbitrage. There are a number of reasons for this decision, and some valuable strategies to employ in this – not my favorite – mode of selling, and I want to fill you in on all of them here today.

To start off, I’ll go through my reasons for participating in retail arbitrage this year including the supply chain nightmare and the impact it’s had throughout the world, and we’ll look at the typical makeup of Q4 and how it looks a little different this year. Next, I’ll give you some ideas of what you need to do for this year’s Q4, review retail arbitrage, my feelings about it, the risks involved, and my recommended strategies when working it. Yes, the world has changed, and yes, there are some disruptions out there that make things more challenging, but, no, this is not a time to sit back and opt out of Q4. This is a time where we do what we do best, assess, adapt, and put in the work to achieve the success we deserve.

Navigating this unusual Q4 is yet another reason to join our Facebook group. Use the code word #retail to join in and learn more about Q4 2021, getting started with wholesale, 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:  

•   Why Kristin will be participating in retail arbitrage this year
•   The supply chain nightmare and its impact
•   Q4 and how it will be different this year
•   What sellers need to do for Q4
•   Retail arbitrage and Kristin’s perspective on it
•   The risks involved in retail arbitrage
•   Kristin’s strategies regarding retail arbitrage

“We make it by living in community. We have a community that you can rely on to talk to each other about these different strategies and you know, contribute, because as part of a good growing community, we need people to ask questions and we need people to answer questions.“

- Kristin Ostrander

Quotes:

“This year calls for additional money making strategies to help because of the supply chain issue.”

“Prices are rising, things are not arriving as often and as much as people want them to, there's a shortage of even manufacturing raw material.”

“I love Q4 because I usually triple and quadruple my sales in the last three months of the year, because of all the different holiday based products and just the simple fact that people buy more and spend more during these times.”

“Put your patience on and double and triple check that your vendors are delivering on time, that you're still going to get your goods.”

“Right now, some of the actual brick and mortar stores out there are the only places that actually have inventory.”

“So when it comes to those restricted products, restricted brands, potential issues for bigger brands to do that, again, there's no control that you have over it, you're just going to have to take the risk and hope that that doesn't happen to you.”

“Sometimes people report it as inauthentic. And then you have to go through the proof of authenticity of your items.”

“The good news is there's millions of products to be able to be sold on Amazon via retail arbitrage or any sort of sourcing methods. So fear not, there's plenty of opportunity there, but don't always go after these big expensive brands, because those are the most risky involved.”

“You're a third party reseller, and that's actually perfectly legal as long as your item is, in fact, authentic and not some sort of fake that you created or bought as a fake.”

“Look for items that you're already carrying, are already selling online, at brick and mortar retail stores - they have stock.”

“We're always looking at those items in the food and grocery. That's something that kind of never goes out of style.”

“Take notes on the things that are empty in the shelves around you, and then you go to different areas and see if you can find those products.”

“The reality is there are so many products that are just not available right now, and that's a good sign for you if you can find those.”

“When and how to shop is right here and right now and locally to you.”

“We're talking about toy luxury items or luxury items that, like, we can all live without, what people really want for the holidays. So throw your guilt out the window when it comes to that - people who really want it will pay the going rate.”

“So pay attention to the supply and demand looking around in your area and fill the gaps.”

“Go wide and not deep, and do it more often.”

“And I really wish you nothing but success this q4. Change your strategies and feel free to come to the Facebook group and share your ideas of different things.”

Related Content:

• Confident Wholesale Bundlers Workshop - Coupon code: workshop50
• Wholesale Bundle System
• Email questions
• Learn With Us
• Coaching
• The Amazon Files Hub
• Q4 Jumptstart 2021
• BrickSeek

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 #retail 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.

With all the things going around out there these days about Amazon and saturation and antitrust laws, and whatever else, I want to take today’s episode to clear the air and give you all a clear picture of precisely why Amazon customers aren’t going anywhere any time soon. There is a load of facts and statistics that prove this fact, and I want to share them with you here today so you can understand your customer better, capitalize on this knowledge, and improve the lives of both your customers and yourself in the process.

We’ll begin by examining why people shop on Amazon, the success that Amazon has achieved, the role that third party sellers play in it, and how we can get people the products they want and need. I’ll also delve into the top revenue categories on Amazon, ways we can all profit from this data, and finish up with an in depth look at the remarkable success that bundles bring, and how you can enjoy that success for yourself. Fully supported by current data, today’s insights into understanding your customer and using that information to make their lives easier are key components to finding success for yourself as well, and I walk you through it all here today.

One really important step in this journey to success is to join our Facebook group with the code word #ideas where you can learn more about getting started with wholesale, 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:  

•   Why people shop on Amazon
•   Speed, variety, and convenience
•   Amazon vs. Walmart
•   Third party sellers
•   How can we get people the products they want and need?
•   Joining the Facebook Group
•   The top revenue categories on Amazon
•   How to profit from this information
•   Bundles and why they work so well
•   Knowing the who, what, when, where, why, and how of your bundle
•   Looking at your own purchases
•   Kristin’s 4 mini-courses about bundle ideas

“Amazon provides the speed, and they provide the convenience of purchase and the convenience and the trust of returns and reviews and things like that. So what can you do? You bring the variety, you bring new products to the table, specifically bundles, to Amazon.“

- Kristin Ostrander

Quotes:

“When you understand your customer, you can sell better products, more products, and you can meet their needs faster and easier when you understand what they are.”

“What you need to know are the basics about why people buy and shop on Amazon, it makes it so much easier to choose products that they want and to sell to them when you understand their mindset or the reasons why.”

“I buy on Amazon for many reasons. But mostly it's the speed and the variety and the convenience of all of it.”

“They said the number one reason people shop on Amazon is product selection.”

“I don't know about you, but I want to do business with a company that I can trust, that is fast and easy to work with, and has the products that I'm looking for.”

“Amazon captures 41 cents of every dollar spent online in the United States.”

“This is why Amazon has ascended to the top so quickly because it opens the website for people like you and me - third party sellers - to list products alongside Amazon.”

“It means that you're dealing with customers who like speed, variety, and confidence and convenience, they have confidence because of reviews and return policies. So they're not scared to buy from you.”

“This is the proof that you don't have to have the best price in order to have 56% of the sales happening online be in your pocket. It's not about price, friends. It's more about the variety, the product selection, and the convenience of it all.”

“Time is money, and we're willing to pay a little extra for something at Amazon, because of the speed and convenience and variety.”

“So a bundle brings speed and convenience to the customer by basically pre-packaging things they already buy together…to make it easy and convenient - one click purchase.”

“This is why bundles work so well because we understand our customer. We're bringing a combination of products, new variety, to the table for your customers.”

“The most important thing to remember about bundles is solving a problem or meeting a need.”

“If you can't find a specific style or variety on Amazon, it's time for you to bring that to the table because someone else hasn't already.”

“Bring product selection to Amazon and customers will thank you with dollars.”

Related Content:

• Confident Wholesale Bundlers Workshop - Coupon code: workshop50
• Wholesale Bundle System
• Email questions
• Learn With Us
• Coaching
• The Amazon Files Hub
• Bundle Ideas Revealed - 4 Course Bundle
• Adlucent's 'Why Consumers Pick Amazon and What You Can Do About It'
• NYT's 'People Are Now Spending More Money at Amazon Than at Walmart'
• Statista's 'Amazon - Statistics & Facts'

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 #ideas 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.

As exciting as I know the life of an Amazon seller can be, I’m also fully aware that it can, at times, be isolating as well. Family members may not understand the ups and downs involved in the work we do, and their eyes just might begin to glaze over when you try to explain it all. However, there are people out there who will enthusiastically listen, understand, and support you in the work that you’re doing, and that’s what I want to talk to you all about today.

I’ll begin by highlighting the importance of having someone or some group to talk to about your business, the incredible opportunity that the Bundle Workshop provides for this, my absolute favorite part of them, and some major takeaways from our most recent one. We’ll also review our overarching goal as Amazon sellers, the value of an abundance mentality and being a giver as much as a receiver, and I’ll share the stories of some of my new friends from the most recent workshop. Perhaps most importantly, I’ll finish by sharing 3 ways you can really connect with other like minded sellers. No one was meant to have to do this highly rewarding work on their own, so please don’t suffer alone or in silence. Listen in today, and discover the many effective ways that we can all support each other to achieve the success that we all deserve.

 
Of course, one of those ways is to join our Facebook group with the code word #friends where you can learn more about getting started with wholesale, 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:  

• Having someone or some group to talk to about your Amazon business
• The Confident Wholesale Bundlers Workshop
• Our overarching common goal
• Kristin’s favorite part of the workshops
• Major takeaways from the recent workshop
• Having an abundance mentality
• Being a giver as much as a receiver
• The stories of some of Kristin’s new friends from the workshop
• Connecting with like minded sellers
• The Mommy Income Facebook Group
• Meetup groups
• The Amazon Files Hub

 “I love to meet you in person and learn about your life and your business and your goals, and this is why I do what I do. I love people and I love when they have breakthroughs and see their own vision for themselves.”

- Kristin Ostrander

Quotes:

“People give up because they don't have these - they don't have friends, support systems or real people to turn to so they can be heard and understood and supported.”

“They understand the ups and downs of Amazon and the excitement when you talk about retail arbitrage or when you really nail your first bundle.”

“The show must go on. We must continue to move forward, no matter what's happening, and connecting in person is so much more important now than ever.”

“But when you connect with other people who are doing the same things that you're doing - selling on Amazon, trying to build bundles, trying to build a business, trying to break free from whatever has been holding them back - it's such a refreshing relief to talk to other people who just understand.”

“We have this big overarching goal of increasing our freedom to earn income from any location -  from a place where we can serve the globe with our products and services - without having to leave our location for whatever reason.”

“What we have proved in the workshop is that the processes work, the framework and research process works.”

“Remember that it's all a process - your growth, your research, your development of new products and bundles is all a process.”

“We can do anything when we have each other to be supportive and to uplift and to encourage, and to provide good healthy feedback, which doesn't always mean sunshine and rainbows, friends. Sometimes it means the good hard truth and feedback that we give to one another.”

“We all need a support system in our lives.”

“I have seen people form, like, lifelong friendships from going to Meetup groups. I have seen new businesses come to play because of Meetup groups.”

“We were not meant to do any of this alone.”

“It's really a great place to not only get the support you need from community members, but also get the specific training that you need to continue growing.”

“We thrive in an environment where people understand us, where we feel seen, where we feel heard, where we feel understood, and where we feel supported.”

Related Content:

• Trade Show Stocking Video
• Confident Wholesale Bundlers Workshop - Coupon code: workshop50
• Wholesale Bundle System
• Email questions
• Learn With Us
• Coaching
• The Amazon Files Hub
• Meetup

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 #friends 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 today’s episode, I break down the five main excuses people give for not jumping on board with wholesale, beginning with the idea that it’s too expensive. I explain why wholesale is actually extremely affordable, and offer plenty of great strategies to help keep costs down when placing your orders. Next, I bust the myth that people can’t find wholesale vendors, suppliers and distributors by sharing a handy tool that lets you find thousands of legitimate wholesalers within an hour. I also explain why most vendors are highly motivated to sell to Amazon sellers, and how to get around wholesalers who may not deliver to a residence (although most of them will if you ask). Finally, my favorite excuse is that you can’t find profitable products to sell with wholesale suppliers. I go into the many reasons why this isn’t true, and detail how you can take advantage of bundling, niche products, and working with small vendors to maximize your wholesale success.

Remember to join our Facebook group with the code word Yes You Can to learn more about getting started with wholesale, 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:    

• Busting myths and excuses that people can’t afford wholesale or find vendors
• Five main excuses why people don’t want to jump on board with wholesale:
• • It’s too expensive
  • Can't find wholesale vendors, suppliers and distributors
  • Vendors won't sell to Amazon sellers or third party sellers
  • Residential delivery - wholesalers will not deliver to a residential address
  • Can't find profitable products to sell with wholesale suppliers
• Wholesale is extremely affordable
• Most wholesalers do not require minimum orders - the only thing they require is that it’s business to business
• Volume discounts can also help keep costs low when ordering wholesale
• Stop assuming and start asking - there are always discounts to be had
• Wholesalers often offer discounts and deals if you sign up for their newsletters
• Trade shows are an excellent way to locate wholesale vendors, suppliers, distributors, dealers
• Visit MommyIncome.com/100 to find a step-by-step guide on how to find legitimate wholesalers
• Local distributors are also faster, easier, and fun to work with
• Industry newsletters can also help you locate wholesalers
• You can also look at the back of the box to find the manufacturer of a product
• The key is doing your research and finding profitable products - from there, selling is easy
• Some vendors may not want to sell to Amazon sellers, but most of them do - they do not want to turn business away and leave money on the table
• Many wholesalers will deliver to a residence, but if they don’t, you can always use prep centers for a fee or get a PO Box or a UPS Store mailbox, then rent a truck to pick up your orders
• Wholesale is less expensive than retail, but it’s a myth that it’s 50% cheaper - it’s usually 40%
• Sometimes you can find products on sale in a store that are less expensive than wholesale - that’s something to keep an eye on
• Wholesale price sheets do not take into account additional Amazon fees that you have to pay
• Big box stores can order huge quantities and receive competitive pricing as a result
• Don’t try to compete with huge retailers and instead focus on selling products that you can’t get at those retailers
• Do research on niche products that no one else is selling
• Don’t sell anything with an end date or anything that’s too trendy
• You can also bundle products to help with thin margins
• Don’t get discouraged that you can’t compete with big retailers - there are millions of Amazon customers and millions of products to sell
• Consider working with smaller vendors because they’re more motivated to make sales

“When you bundle things together, you're creating an opportunity not only for your customer, for speed and time and convenience, but you're also creating bigger margins for yourself because you're paying one Amazon fee, you're using one package to ship - things like that.”

- Kristin Ostrander

Quotes:

“Wholesale is the most legitimate thing. Every retailer in the universe does wholesale… We're going to talk about how you can get rid of your fear, have some confidence to be able to move forward and do some wholesale.”

“You have no idea how much I hate the phrase, I can't afford it.”

“If you can't find suppliers, it's because you're not looking or you're not looking in the right places.”

“There's no minimum price order, there's no minimum quantity order. You can come in and buy one thing or 10 things - the only thing that they require is that it's business to business. You're not just a customer off the street wanting to buy one thing.”

“The reality is, stop assuming and start asking.”

“Guess what? Being in business is pretty much all research. After you do all the research, selling stuff is the easy part.”

“Vendors are aware that e-commerce is bigger than ever, and that brick and mortar stores are becoming less and less of their customers.”

“Don't get so worried about people saying no to you. Keep looking, keep going.”

“I've worked with many, many vendors who literally will deliver to my back woods janky driveway.”

“If it's a once-in-a-while kind of thing where you're getting a pallet delivered to your house, then there's ways around it.”

“Sometimes you can get a better discount buying something on sale at a store than you can from wholesale.”

“Don't get your price sheet and expect it to be the best prices that you've ever seen.”

“My advice is to not compete with that, and go look at products that aren't competing directly with these big box retailers.”

“Dig a little bit deeper. Do some research on specific niches that want specific products.”

“You'd be surprised at how little competition there is when you move down the road a little bit from all these big, best-selling, brand new, trendy-type products.”

“What happens is you take Product A, Product B, and Product C that all work well together. Create a bundle pack. And now you've also created a margin for yourself.”

“Watch the trade show video. You will be surprised at how many vendors you have at your fingertips.”

“Don't get discouraged, because you don't have to sell everything to everyone. There are millions of Amazon customers. There are millions and millions of products to sell.”

“You do not have to sell top-selling products on Amazon and the top 10 categories to make a living on Amazon.”

“The truth is that you don't have to sell big branded, name brand items to sell items.”

“You can find profitable products, you should learn to bundle because that is the best way to profit from wholesale in a way that not everyone is doing.”

Related Content:

• Trade Show Stocking Video
• Confident Wholesale Bundlers Workshop - Coupon code: workshop50
• Wholesale Bundle System
• Email questions
• Learn With Us
• Coaching

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 Yes You Can 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.

I can’t tell you just how excited I am today to check an item off my bucket list as I welcome Trav Bell, The Bucket List Guy himself, to the podcast. As a self-appointed ʻBucket Listologistʼ, Trav has obsessively studied the Bucket List phenomenon and blended the worldʼs best Positive Psychology principles to create his own unique Bucket List Life Philosophy. He has designed his life around his Bucket List and now he helps Bucket Listers all over the globe create and cross off theirs. In today’s episode, he explores bucket listing in general and how it can be applied to your business as well.

Trav begins by sharing how he got started in bucket listing, and then introducing his book and why he wrote it. From there he describes the different categories of items for the list, the need to get a sense of ‘hurry up’, the importance of writing your list down, and how your reticular activating system works. Trav also discusses the benefit of separating your business bucket list from your regular one, putting yourself first, creating multiple bucket lists within your family, and the bucket snowball effect. He finishes up by detailing the 5 items on his own list that he is currently working on, the importance of your ‘why’, and the benefits of practicing self-leadership. As you listen in, you will quickly discover why Trav has become one of the most sought after speakers in the world, and you will undoubtedly be inspired to take action now on your own bucket list items as well.

This week on the Amazon Files:    

•   How Trav got started in bucket listing
•   Trav’s My BucketList Blueprint and why he wrote it
•   The different categories of bucket list items
•   Kristen’s Dad
•   Getting a sense ‘hurry up’
•   Writing your bucket list down
•   Your reticular activating system
•   Separating your business bucket list from your regular one
•   Trav’s thoughts on putting yourself first
•   Bronnie Ware’s The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying
•   Creating individual, couple, and family bucket lists
•   The bucket snowball effect
•   The 5 things on his bucket list that Trav is doing right now
•   The importance of your ‘why’
•   Practicing self-leadership

“This is your permission granted. You have permission to do whatever it is that you want to do, but do it with intent, and don't keep putting it off.”

 - Kristin Ostrander

Quotes:

“The fact that I get to run around the world, inspire audiences, write books, speak from my heart, and hopefully help people live a regret free life rather than a regretful life is really the holy grail.”

“What it's done for me since I was 18 is, before it was a bucket list, it's always been my compass.”

“I created the My BucketList Blueprint because we live in a world of delayed gratification.”

“It's about helping people experience more meaning, more purpose, and more fulfillment, and more gratitude in their life...the pillars of positive psychology - more happiness.”

“Intention is created by actually writing stuff down.”

“I'm doing my bit to change, hopefully, the narrative and to give people real tools to be able to self-manage out of sad patches, like I was in…to live a life, you know, to wake them up, stop living by default, live by intention and desire.”

“People are dying at 40, and being buried at 80.”

“And I know you love your work and love to help people. But also that's part of being your holistic self, is being able to take care of you and have you be inspired so that you can inspire other people. And that's what I love most about being the best version of me.”

“A bucket list is a tangible life plan.”

“You're not guaranteed retirement, do it now while you're young.”

“I would rather have failure than regret.”

“We need to trust...that the universe will provide.”

“I don't call it work life balance, I call it work life blend.”

“There's a lot of people that sacrifice for other people, only to try and get back that time later on in life.”

“The reason I work is so that I can do the things that I want to do that are the most fulfilling for me, as well helping people, but then also enjoying the fruits of my labor.”

“It's about who you become in the process because you do have to challenge yourself.”

“The cumulative steps over time is how you get where you want to go.”

“So all the moms out there, or dads or parents or people caring for other people, what you're doing is teaching other people how to live your own life and live your legacy and live your dreams. And they will follow suit because they see the results of it from you.”

Related Content:

• Confident Wholesale Bundlers Workshop - Coupon code: workshop50
• Wholesale Bundle System
• Email questions
• Learn With Us
• Coaching
• The Bucket List Guy Homepage
• My BucketList Blueprint

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 Bucket List 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.

If you have ever wondered what it takes to succeed as an Amazon seller (and, really, who among us hasn’t?), today’s episode has the answer for you: practice. I have found over the years that there is a common thread running through situations where sellers seem to hit roadblocks on their path to success, and that is a lack of thorough, consistent, and intentional practice. So, get ready for a dose of tough love today as I go through the need for, benefits of, and strategies around building practice into your business in order to work toward the success I so very much wish for all of you.

I’ll start off by reminding you of our Facebook group and the many great ideas and tips that are routinely exchanged there, and then it’s all about practice – intentionality, setting realistic goals, learning to do things for yourself, taking assessments, and how the Wholesale Bundle Framework is the perfect vehicle for all of this. We’ll also examine what practice actually looks like, including breaking goals into small steps, getting started, practicing the most important skills first, practicing intentionally, and the role that motivation plays throughout this entire process. Unfortunately, too many people seem unwilling to take the proper action in a consistent way to move forward, and I really don’t want that for you, so I hope you accept today’s tough love in the spirit in which it is offered - tough love gets results, and if you want results, you have to practice.

This week on the Amazon Files:

•   Joining the Facebook group
•   The value of practice
•   Practicing intentionally
•   The biggest problems people have in achieving success
•   Setting realistic goals
•   Learning to do things for yourself
•   Taking an assessment of where you are at right now
•   The Wholesale Bundle Framework
•   Breaking down what practice looks like
•   The 20 Hour Rule
•   Breaking your goal into small steps
•   Getting started
•   Practicing the most important skills first
•   Intentional practice
•   Your motivation
•   Taking assessments

“I'm just asking you to practice the process thoroughly, and intentionally, and consistently. I know that's a lot to ask, right? But y'all want to know how do you get faster, more efficient, at creating bundles? This is how - it's practice.”

 - Kristin Ostrander

Quotes:

“We are all in control of our own actions, our own excuses, our own time, our own efforts.”

“There are solutions to almost all problems. It's just a matter of execution and intentionality.”

“Practice is the only thing that's going to give you tips on how to move forward.”

“The one thing that can kill your goals and your motivation and give you the most fear and anxiety is having such a big goal, and then setting yourself up for failure.”

“You have to start with the basics and the fundamentals of doing anything.”

“I have this whole free video that shows you exactly step by step how to find 1000s of vendors in one day. And yet people still come to me and say I can't find vendors.”

“You won't appreciate the end result as much if you didn't put the work in the middle.”

“Practicing the skill, looking at intentional places to improve is how you get better at something, period.”

“In the beginning, we're talking about committing to 20 hours of practice for just research.”

“The great news about learning how to wholesale bundle is the fact that it's already broken down for you in small steps.”

“At the end of each practice session, you need to adjust things in order to get better. Adjust your execution, adjust your focus, adjust the tabs that you have open up, making notes of what do you need to do the next time to improve this.”

“Knowing where your weaknesses are, that's not a bad thing. That's an excellent thing.”

“What is the way to get better? Learning, practicing, correcting, learning, practicing, correcting. Because in practice, that's the whole point.”

“The single biggest factor to practice and keep practicing, it's your motivation. Without sustained motivation, practice loses focus.”

“Your purpose and your long term value of learning this skill need to coincide with why you want what you want.”

“Let the success be the learning of the skill.” 

Related Content:

• Confident Wholesale Bundlers Workshop - Coupon code: workshop50
• Wholesale Bundle System
• Email questions
• Learn With Us
• Coaching

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 Practice 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.