Proof to Product

By Katie HuntBusiness Entrepreneurship Arts Design

Proof to Product episodes

September 24 Quick Hit: How Do I Decide What New Products to Add to My Line?
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 Betsy Garcia of Bloomwolf Studio here: http://prooftoproduct.com/173
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
September 22461 | How to Use Faire Without Paying Commission on Every Order with Katie Hunt
I've been having a lot of conversations lately, both private and public, about Faire.
Some of you love the platform. Some of you hate it.
And a lot of you are somewhere in the middle, trying to figure out your next move.
Should I get on Faire?
Should I get off?
Should I let it run on cruise control?
There's a lot of noise right now, and a lot of nuance to every situation.
Here's the part that gets missed: most of our Paper Camp students and alumni sell on Faire, and most of them are not paying commission on the large majority of their orders.
There's no trick to it. They use Faire as a checkout, not as a sales strategy.
In this episode, you'll learn:
What Faire genuinely does well
Why I have no problem with Faire's commissions
The two best ways brands use Faire
The four things Paper Camp alumni specifically do consistently with Faire that helps keep more money in their pockets
How one Proof to Product client pulled abandoned cart and past order data to build a personalized three-day campaign for a single store, and landed a $2,500 order
The one question to ask every time Faire rolls out something new

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/461
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
22 min
September 17 Quick Hit: Do You Really Need to Know Everything Before You Start?
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 Megan Fowler of Brown Parcel Press here: http://prooftoproduct.com/218
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
September 15460 | Building a Cohesive Product Line with Amita Nair, Amicreative
When you're deciding which products to add to your line, you probably think about sales data first. But that's only part of the story.
Amita Nair has built Amicreative into a cohesive, intentional brand by making product decisions from four angles: financial performance, design aesthetic, what customers actually want, and whether the product fits her brand voice.
In this episode, she walks through how she's learned to say no to products that make business sense but don't fit her story—and why that clarity matters.
In this episode, you'll learn:
The four lenses for evaluating new products: data, design, customer voice, and brand alignment
Why Amita chose to add aprons instead of expanding into oven mitts (and what that decision reveals about brand strategy)
How licensing and product can coexist—and which one might take priority at different stages
The role of peer community in making better business decisions and avoiding costly mistakes
Why "I can add this" is different from "I should add this"
How starting with a small, cohesive product line scales better than chasing every opportunity

Ready to build a product line that's both profitable and true to your brand? If you're in the early stages of deciding which products to develop, or if you're mid-line and wondering whether that new category makes sense, LABS gives you access to the peer community and resources you need to make those decisions with confidence.
REQUEST YOUR INVITATION
You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/460
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
44 min
September 10 Quick Hit: How Can I Practice Self-Care During a Busy Work Season?
Over the years, we've had hundreds of conversations on this podcast about what it means to build a sustainable, profitable product brand. And some of those conversations are just too juicy. They're too good to live in the archives.
Today, I'm bringing one back. What you're about to hear is a short clip from a past episode. It's a topic that has stuck with me and still feels very relevant today.
These throwback episodes are intentionally short and to the point because sometimes you don't need a full deep dive.
All right, let's dive in.
You can listen to the full episode here: http://prooftoproduct.com/369
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
September 08459 | What Happens When You Build a Successful Business You No Longer Want to Run with Lisa Congdon
Today I'm talking with someone I've admired for a long time— artist, author, illustrator, and creative entrepreneur Lisa Congdon.
Lisa has been building businesses around her art for nearly 20 years, and in this conversation we talk about something that I think a lot of established brand owners will relate to, and that's what happens when you've built a successful business but you realize it's no longer the business you want to run.
Lisa recently made the decision to close her retail business after 20 years, not because it was failing, but because she wanted more time and space to make art and pursue the work that really energizes her.
I appreciate how intentional she was about that decision.
She didn't just burn everything down and hope for the best, like some of us feel like doing every day, but she looked at her finances and considered other revenue streams.
She created a plan and gave herself and her team a runway.
We also get into how Lisa developed a recognizable artistic point of view, why making work that actually means something to you can create a stronger connection with your customers, and the difference between trend-driven, trend-agnostic, and trend-informed.
There are so many good nuggets in this conversation about building a product brand that works commercially while still staying true to your creative voice and knowing when it's time to make a change.
Today’s episode is sponsored by our Unlock Buyer Secrets Interview series. To make a strong first impression with wholesale buyers, we need to do a few things really well:
We need to make it easy for stores to purchase from us
We need to have clear pricing and terms & conditions
We need to clearly communicate and add value at each touchpoint
We need to focus on building strong relationships with our customers.

And all of this becomes infinitely easier when we actively listen to our customers. This on-demand interview series will give you a competitive edge by providing an exclusive window into what buyers want and need from you. And, the best part, it's only $27 bucks.
Get Access to the Unlock Buyer Secrets Interview Series
You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/459
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
36 min
September 03 Quick Hit: How Do I Find My Unique Voice as an Artist When The World is Hard?
Over the years, we've had hundreds of conversations on this podcast about what it means to build a sustainable, profitable product brand. And some of those conversations are just too juicy. They're too good to live in the archives.
Today, I'm bringing one back. What you're about to hear is a short clip from a past episode. It's a topic that has stuck with me and still feels very relevant today.
These throwback episodes are intentionally short and to the point because sometimes you don't need a full deep dive.
All right, let's dive in.
You can listen to the full episode with Danielle Coke of Oh Happy Dani here: http://prooftoproduct.com/189
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 01458 | How to Build Multiple Revenue Streams in a Product Business with Melissa Hyatt with Melissa Hyatt
What happens when one client makes up 85% of your income, and then that client cancels the contract? For Melissa Hyatt, that moment became the reason she built a business with several ways to earn. Melissa shares her path from design director at Waverly Fabrics to running her own stationery and watercolor brand, and how a sketch on a piece of copy paper turned into a line of watercolor kits that has sold more than 1,000 units.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why Melissa decided never to rely on one client again, and the five revenue streams she built instead: wholesale, teaching, licensing, art commissions, and direct-to-consumer
How her first wholesale account came from a former Waverly colleague's referral, and why the network you already have matters
Why she limits commissions and in-person classes to avoid burnout, and how that burnout led her to turn her teaching into a product
How adding a higher-priced product raised her average order value, brought in new types of stores, and led to in-store teaching opportunities
The inventory lesson from her first big trade show orders: she under-ordered brushes, shipped a few weeks late, and not one retailer canceled

Today's episode is brought to you by our Is Wholesale Right for You workshop. Wholesale is not the only way to make money selling your products. Selling in bulk to retail stores that order multiple times a year instead of relying on one-off direct-to-consumer sales— yes please!
Whether you are brand new to wholesale or you've hit a sales plateau, this free 25-minute on-demand workshop will give you actionable steps that you can take to strengthen your wholesale sales and marketing right away.
SIGN UP
You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/458
Quick Links:
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
36 min
August 27 Quick Hit: Should I Be Collaborating More in My Business?
Over the years, we've had hundreds of conversations on this podcast about what it means to build a sustainable, profitable product brand. And some of those conversations are just too juicy. They're too good to live in the archives.
Today, I'm bringing one back. What you're about to hear is a short clip from a past episode. It's a topic that has stuck with me and still feels very relevant today.
These throwback episodes are intentionally short and to the point because sometimes you don't need a full deep dive.
All right, let's dive in.
You can listen to the full episode with Morgan Harper Nichols here: http://prooftoproduct.com/206
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
August 25457 | The Cost of Not Doing Paper Camp with Katie Hunt
What did it cost you to not do Paper Camp last round?
Not what it costs to join the program — we'll get to that. I'm talking about the other number. The invisible one.
The wholesale orders you didn't land because your pricing wasn't dialed in.
The reorders that never came through because you weren't sure how to follow up and you didn't know what to say, or when to send it.
The stores that passed on your line because your minimums didn't align with industry standards.
The nights you spent Googling "how much should I charge for ___" instead of just knowing the answer off the top of your head or having a place to go and ask.

Those missed opportunities cost you real money.
But they don’t show up on your profit and loss statement.
No one sends you an invoice for the money you left on the table.
In this podcast episode, we're putting a number on it.
Today's episode is brought to you by our Paper Camp program. Paper Camp is our wholesale coaching program where we teach you everything you need to know to build strong wholesale foundations. Over the course of 4 weeks, we tackle your product line, sales tools, and marketing plan, and we even talk about how to exhibit at trade shows if that's what you want to do. We start with your product line and go into everything from how often you should be releasing new products to ensuring that your numbers are sustainable for the wholesale market and their price for profit.
Then we move into sales tools you must have for selling wholesale so you make a strong first impression with buyers like catalogs and your terms and conditions. Then, we cover marketing strategies and ways to reach various store owners.
Each week's teachings build on the previous week, and we host weekly live engaging coaching calls to answer all of your questions. We will open enrollment for our next round of Paper Camp soon, and we sell this program out every time we run it. Join the wait list and you’ll get early access to enroll.
ENROLL NOW
You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/457
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
15 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