Proof to Product

By Katie HuntBusiness Entrepreneurship Arts Design

Proof to Product episodes

October 29 Quick Hit: How Soon Should You Send an Abandoned Cart Email?
I know you have a lot on your plate right now. You've got products to make, orders to ship, and about a hundred decisions that you're making every day.
I do not take it lightly that you are spending time with me today and I want to thank you for being here.
Today's episode is a short, focused, throwback episode designed to give you one thing that you can do today to move your business forward.
No fluff, no filler, just ideas that we've shared in the past that will benefit you today.
Let's dive in!
You can listen to the full episode with Arianne Foulks of Aeolidia here: http://prooftoproduct.com/114
Quick Links:
Free Wholesale Audio Series
Free Resources Library
Free Email Marketing for Product Makers
PTP LABS
Paper Camp
Mentioned in this episode:
Take the free quiz!
Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz
6 min
October 27466 | How to Balance Creativity and Profit in Wholesale with Katie Wilson, The Good Twin [Part 1]
How do you run a high-volume wholesale business with a tiny team, and still make room for the work you love? Katie Wilson has been in the greeting card and gift industry since 2008, and her brand, The Good Twin, is 95% wholesale and stocked in more than 1,500 independent shops around the world.
She and her partner Scotty also run Crush and Touch Art Supply, a neighborhood art store and gift shop in Los Angeles. You’ve heard Katie talked about the shop side on the podcast before in episode 129, episode 316, and episode 317.
This time she focuses on the brand: why wholesale is still her main revenue stream, how she keeps orders moving, and which products she’ll never cut. This episode was so juicy, we had to split it into two parts!
In part 1, you’ll learn:
Why Katie chooses to keep wholesale as The Good Twin’s primary revenue stream
How a tiny team handles high-volume wholesale orders with strong systems, and why she keeps fulfillment in-house
How to spot trends in product cycles and categories
How to balance making money from your work with projects that fill your creative cup
Why you should think twice before discontinuing a bestseller, even if you’re tired of looking at it years later

Today's episode is brought to you by our Retailer Roundtable interview series.
To make a strong first impression with wholesale buyers, we need to do a few things well.
We need to make it easy for stores to purchase from us
We need clear pricing and terms and conditions
We need to build strong relationships with our customers

All of that gets easier when we listen to our customers. This on-demand interview series gives you a window into what buyers want and need from you, and it's only $27. You can get access to it at prooftoproduct.com/roundtable.
You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/466
Quick Links:
Free Wholesale Audio Series
Free Resources Library
Free Email Marketing for Product Makers
PTP LABS
Paper Camp
Mentioned in this episode:
Take the free quiz!
Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz
31 min
October 22 Quick Hit: How Important is it to Have a Beautiful Website?
One pattern I've noticed time and time again after working with thousands of product brands across lots of different categories, is that while our products might be different or our tools and platforms might change, all of our core business foundations and fundamentals are not changing.
And that's exactly why I wanted to share this short clip from the archive, something that I think is worth revisiting because the takeaways still hold true today.
Maybe listening will spark an idea or help you take action on a decision that you've been sitting on. Really, the goal here is to help you take your next intentional step in business. That's what I want for you.
Enjoy this clip!
You can listen to the full episode with Reese Spykerman of Design By Reese here: http://prooftoproduct.com/224
Quick Links:
Free Wholesale Audio Series
Free Resources Library
Free Email Marketing for Product Makers
PTP LABS
Paper Camp
Mentioned in this episode:
Take the free quiz!
Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz
8 min
October 20465 | How She Got Her Products Into 1,000 Stores in 3 Years with Melissa Gullatte, Gracefully Made Art
"How did you get your products into so many stores?" Melissa Gullatte hears this question often.
Her business, Gracefully Made Art, started with original paintings and wedding invitations.
After her first daughter was born, she pivoted to officially licensed collegiate and sorority gifts.
She took Paper Camp in spring 2023, thinking wholesale would be a nice side channel.
Three years later, wholesale is two-thirds of her revenue and she's in more than 1,000 stores.
In this episode, you'll learn:
How collegiate and sorority licensing works: applying school by school, getting each product category and every piece of artwork approved, and planning six months to a year ahead of launch
How Melissa landed Ole Miss after two years of rejections
Why sorority licensing opened up a national market when collegiate products sell regionally
How she prices for wholesale first, with royalties of 12 to 20 percent built in, then sets her retail price from there
What tactics got her into 1,000+ stores
How she keeps retailers reordering, and why fewer SKUs helped her business grow

Today's episode is brought to you by our Retailer Roundtable interview series.
To make a strong first impression with wholesale buyers, we need to do a few things well.
We need to make it easy for stores to purchase from us
We need clear pricing and terms and conditions
We need to build strong relationships with our customers

All of that gets easier when we listen to our customers. This on-demand interview series gives you a window into what buyers want and need from you, and it's only $27. You can get access to it at prooftoproduct.com/roundtable.
You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/465
Quick Links:
Free Wholesale Audio Series
Free Resources Library
Free Email Marketing for Product Makers
PTP LABS
Paper Camp
Mentioned in this episode:
Take the free quiz!
Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz
32 min
October 15 Quick Hit: How Aggressive Should I Get With My Holiday Marketing?
I know you have a lot on your plate right now. You've got products to make, orders to ship, and about a hundred decisions that you're making every day.
I do not take it lightly that you are spending time with me today and I want to thank you for being here.
Today's episode is a short, focused, throwback episode designed to give you one thing that you can do today to move your business forward.
No fluff, no filler, just ideas that we've shared in the past that will benefit you today.
Let's dive in!
You can listen to the full episode with Mei Pak of Creative Hive Co here: http://prooftoproduct.com/265
Quick Links:
Free Wholesale Audio Series
Free Resources Library
Free Email Marketing for Product Makers
PTP LABS
Paper Camp
Mentioned in this episode:
Take the free quiz!
Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz
7 min
October 13464 | How to Grow Repeat Customers Instead of Always Chasing New Ones with Elizabeth Rees, Chasing Paper
How do you decide what to make next, what to cut, and where to put your limited time and money? For Elizabeth Rees, founder of Chasing Paper, the answer has come from her customers for nearly 13 years.
She shares how customer feedback shaped her product format, her materials, her wholesale approach, and her newest line, and why she checks every instinct against the data before acting on it.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why Chasing Paper sold wallpaper in panels instead of rolls from the start, so a customer with a small project could spend $60 instead of $250 and buy in at any budget
How launching with two materials, Standard and Luxe, worked like an accidental A/B test, and why Elizabeth discontinued the lower-priced option about nine months in instead of continuing to explain the difference
How Chasing Paper treats wholesale as a customer acquisition channel, drop-shipping for retail partners and using those placements to build brand trust
Why the trade program, where repeat rate, average order value, and lifetime value run three to four times higher than direct-to-consumer, became the reason to launch fabric
Why deepening relationships with the customers you already have can matter more than constantly finding new ones, and why a small team has to be selective about new channels
How Elizabeth pairs instinct with data, and why one source of truth for attribution keeps her team from cherry-picking numbers to support a hunch

Today's episode is brought to you by our Retailer Roundtable interview series.
To make a strong first impression with wholesale buyers, we need to do a few things well.
We need to make it easy for stores to purchase from us
We need clear pricing and terms and conditions
We need to build strong relationships with our customers

All of that gets easier when we listen to our customers. This on-demand interview series gives you a window into what buyers want and need from you, and it's only $27. You can get access to it at prooftoproduct.com/roundtable.
You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/464
Quick Links:
Free Wholesale Audio Series
Free Resources Library
Free Email Marketing for Product Makers
PTP LABS
Paper Camp
Mentioned in this episode:
Take the free quiz!
Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz
39 min
October 08 Quick Hit: Should I Create My Own Gift Guide For the Upcoming Holidays?
I know you have a lot on your plate right now. You've got products to make, orders to ship, and about a hundred decisions that you're making every day.
I do not take it lightly that you are spending time with me today and I want to thank you for being here.
Today's episode is a short, focused, throwback episode designed to give you one thing that you can do today to move your business forward.
No fluff, no filler, just ideas that we've shared in the past that will benefit you today.
Let's dive in!
You can listen to the full episode here: http://prooftoproduct.com/419
Quick Links:
Free Wholesale Audio Series
Free Resources Library
Free Email Marketing for Product Makers
PTP LABS
Paper Camp
Mentioned in this episode:
Take the free quiz!
Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz
6 min
October 06463 | How NY NOW’s New Ownership is Reimagining the Experience For Brands and Buyers with Dorothy Belshaw
Dorothy Belshaw has spent more than three decades in the gift, home, and trade show industries. She's led some of North America's biggest markets—from NY NOW to Atlanta Mart, and Las Vegas Market.
Earlier this year, Dorothy partnered with industry veterans William Lacey and Karen Olson to acquire NY NOW through Rockview Management Group and bring the iconic 100+ year-old show into its next chapter.
In this episode, you'll learn:
What changes when a trade show is owned by a small, industry-embedded team instead of a large company
What she and her partners changed in their first few months, and how the summer show performed
How they're rebuilding category depth, including Home returning as a primary category and Handmade coming back under external jury
How multi-line agency partnerships re-engage the reps who are already in stores year-round
What NY NOW is doing to bring buyers back from the Northeast, mid-Atlantic, northern Midwest, and eastern Canada
Why Dorothy believes buyers can't build a full assortment digitally, and what that means for your booth
What support is being built for newer and smaller exhibitors, and how to make an impact in a smaller footprint
What the strongest brands at the show have in common: evolving product, early commitment, and follow-up
Why Shoppe Object and NY NOW are on different weekends for Winter 2027, and the plan to get back to the same dates

Today's episode is brought to you by our Retailer Roundtable interview series.
To make a strong first impression with wholesale buyers, we need to do a few things well.
We need to make it easy for stores to purchase from us
We need clear pricing and terms and conditions
We need to build strong relationships with our customers

All of that gets easier when we listen to our customers. This on-demand interview series gives you a window into what buyers want and need from you, and it's only $27. You can get access to it at prooftoproduct.com/roundtable.
You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/463
Quick Links:
Free Wholesale Audio Series
Free Resources Library
Free Email Marketing for Product Makers
PTP LABS
Paper Camp
Mentioned in this episode:
Take the free quiz!
Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz
39 min
October 01 Quick Hit: Is My Business Serving Me What I Really Want?
Today's episode is a short excerpt from a conversation with one of our incredible Proof to Product community members.
I love sharing these conversations because building a product brand doesn't follow a single pathway.
There is no one-size-fits-all strategy that works for everyone because no two businesses are the same.
We learn so much by hearing how other people are making decisions, the ideas that they're testing out, and also how they're navigating both the ups and downs that come with entrepreneurship and building a business.
Here at Proof to Product, our goal is to help you build a sustainable business, one that supports you long term. Hearing these real stories from other founders helps to reinforce that that is truly possible, because friends, it is.
You can listen to the full episode with Brigida Swanson of Yardia here: http://prooftoproduct.com/309
Quick Links:
Free Wholesale Audio Series
Free Resources Library
Free Email Marketing for Product Makers
PTP LABS
Paper Camp
Mentioned in this episode:
Take the free quiz!
Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz
8 min
September 29462 | The 5-Day Exercise That Sets Your #1 Business Priority Every Quarter with Katie Hunt
Most product-based business owners do their strategic planning late at night or in the car with ten spare minutes. Or they make a big list of everything that needs fixing and try to work on all of it at once.
Either way, a few months go by and it's hard to tell whether the business is headed where you want it to go.
In this episode, I walk you through a five-day exercise, about 30 minutes a day, that ends with one clear priority for your quarter and a plan to get there.
In this episode, you'll learn:
The two patterns that keep owners from planning — the Firefighter, who's too busy reacting to look up, and the Juggler, who makes a little progress in five directions instead of real progress in one
Why looking back at the last 90 days, not the whole year, is the first step before you plan anything
How to take your business temperature by rating your product line, your sales and marketing, and your systems and operations from one to five, and why your lowest score usually points to your biggest opportunity
Why you pick one priority for the quarter, not three or five, and the question that helps you choose it
How to break that priority into three monthly milestones and a first step small enough to take in the next 48 hours
How LABS members are using the exercise to make real progress in their business

Today's episode is brought to you by Proof to Product LABS, our membership for product-based business owners who want to keep growing after the basics are in place.
Inside LABS, you get coaching, our full training library, and focused sprints throughout the year to help you make real progress on one thing at a time.
CEO Week, which is what I'm walking you through today, is one of those sprints.
We also have an upcoming Black Friday / Cyber Monday sprint so you go into the holidays with a plan.
We're opening enrollment to LABS this week, and our next CEO Week kicks off October 12th. Come do it with us!
JOIN US IN LABS NOW
You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/462
Quick Links:
Free Wholesale Audio Series
Free Resources Library
Free Email Marketing for Product Makers
PTP LABS
Paper Camp
Mentioned in this episode:
Take the free quiz!
Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz
20 min

About Proof to Product

From the publisher's feed

Ranked in the top 1% of ALL podcasts, the Proof to Product podcast is your trusted resource for sustainable business growth - especially if you make and sell physical products!

Join Katie Hunt, each week as she shares strategies & solutions to enhance your sales & marketing so that you're building a business that supports your best life.

If you've ever asked yourself can I make money selling physical products? Am I ready to sell my products wholesale to stores like Target, Anthropologie, Nordstrom or Barnes & Noble? When should I consider hiring a sales team or sales reps? Can I really turn my passion into profits? Whether you're a just starting out on your business journey or you've been at it a while growing an empire, this show is for you.

Proof to Product is like on-demand business school for product sellers spanning a wide range of industries. Whether you're in home decor, apparel, beauty, food & beverage, hand-made items, jewelry, consumer gifts or the stationery world, you'll gather new ideas each week to help you grow your profit, build your team and lead with integrity.

Host Katie Hunt and her guests bring you actionable ways to expand your product line, manufacturing overseas, optimize your e-commrce websites on Shopify, Faire, Etsy, Abound, Tundra, Squarespace or in brick & mortar locations. How to start or scale wholesale sales including pitching stores, wholesale outreach, trade show exhibition, working with sales reps, managing inventory, warehousing product, sales systems, wholesale follow-up strategies and working with key accounts. Marketing strategies for small businesses including content creation, leveraging tik tok and instagram tactics without feeling burned out, why you can't rely solely on social media for sales and why email marketing systems on platforms like Klaviyo, Flodesk and Active Campaign are so powerful. Listen in as Katie and our guest experts help you strategize and tackle your biggest business goals.

Host Katie Hunt brings a unique perspective to entrepreneurship. Since 2011, she's helped thousands of product brands get their products on the shelves of their favorite retail stores through her Paper Camp program (www.prooftoproduct.com/papercamp). Prior to that she worked in the corporate world for over a decade leading business development and marketing teams. She has two MBAs - one in finance and one in marketing. And, she owned & operated her own product based business for over 8 years, selling her products to stores throughout the world from her garage. Katie knows the struggles you face as a product based business and she's here to pull back the curtain and share her best kept secrets so that you don't have to learn things the hard way.

Find our free trainings & resources for product based business owners at www.prooftoproduct.com/resources