Proof to Product

I am incredibly proud to share our 300th episode of the Proof to Product podcast! It's just incredible to me that we started this show in May of 2017 with one single goal in mind—to become an invaluable business resource for those starting and scaling product based businesses. I think it's safe to say that we have certainly hit that goal.

We have produced and published over 150 hours of audio content through this show. Our podcast has been downloaded over 1.1 million times. The Proof to Product Podcast is ranked in the top 1% of all podcasts. Our podcast and programming have helped not only shape the businesses, but also the personal lives of our listeners and our students—and that is something to be proud of.

We have used our platform to shine a spotlight on hundreds of our Proof to Product students to share their unique stories, products, and business perspectives, and today is no exception. On today's episode, you will hear from several of our Proof to Product students as they share lessons that they learned throughout their business journey, and more specifically, what they wish they had known when they were starting out.

Today's episode is brought to you by our Is Wholesale Right for You private podcast! This free 12 part audio series will help you decide whether wholesale is a good next step for your specific business. After listening to this audio series (in less than an hour), two things will be true. You'll know whether you want to pursue wholesale for your product business, and you'll have the confidence and action steps to get started with wholesale. Sign up for the private podcast today!

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You can view full show notes and more at prooftoproduct.com/300

I'm so thankful for 300 episodes of the podcast and the community members and students who shared their thoughtful lessons here on the podcast today! If you want to help us celebrate this major milestone, would you mind leaving a five-star rating and writing a review for our podcast on your favorite podcast player?

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Mentioned in this Episode:

Lana's Shop

Odd Daughter

Slightly Stationery

Twentysome Design

Colorbox Letterpress

Your Gal Kiwi

Rust Belt Love Paperie

Proof to Product

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Supply chain issues, paper shortages, production problems, shipping delays, and increased labor costs; these are just some of the issues that our community of product-based business owners have faced over the last few years. The problems extend well beyond our community of makers in that they also affect our manufacturing partners, suppliers, and vendors that we work with.

Today, Ronnie Williams from DeFrance Printing is back on the podcast to share his insights. He and I chatted back in 2018 on episode 60 of Proof to Product about how to save money on printing costs and today he's back to give us an update on paper shortages, shifts in the printing industry, and what we can expect going forward.

Today's episode is brought to you by our Is Wholesale Right for You audio series! This free 12 part audio series will help you decide whether wholesale is a good next step for your specific business. After listening to this audio series, you'll know whether you want to pursue wholesale for your product business and you'll have the confidence and action steps to get started with wholesale. Sign up for the private podcast today!

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You can view full show notes and more at prooftoproduct.com/299

Connect with Ronnie

Defranceprinting.com

Instagram: @defranceprint

Facebook: @DeFrancePrint

Mentioned in this episode:

Indigo

Xante

Kluge

French Paper

Neenah Paper

Keaykolour

Mohawk Paper

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Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz

I completely remember what it was like in the early days of selling wholesale. I felt like I was winging every single decision. I questioned everything I was reading on the internet. And, I was craving a community of other product makers that I could tap into for answers and to share resources.

Way back in 2008, that community didn't exist so I eventually created it. Since 2011, we have helped thousands of brands across industries and across the globe, get their products on the shelves of stores big & small.

Our Paper Camp alumni sell to big box stores like Anthropologie, Target, Macys and Barnes & Noble. But, our best customers are the independent brick & mortar retail shops located around the world. Small businesses, just like all the manufacturers that we support in our Paper Camp and LABS programs.

I very intentionally point this out, because I'm going to be answering some questions I received in an email about the importance of following industry standards, having strong wholesale terms & conditions, and why I never ever want you fulfilling a $25 wholesale order.

I feel it is important for you to understand that our community focuses our energy and efforts on the indie shops, so my feedback is coming from that perspective!

Today's episode is brought to you by our Is Wholesale Right for You audio series! This free 12 part audio series will help you decide whether wholesale is a good next step for your specific business. After listening to this audio series, you'll know whether you want to pursue wholesale for your product business and you'll have the confidence and action steps to get started with wholesale. Sign up for the private podcast today!

You can view full show notes and more at prooftoproduct.com/298

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Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz

Just follow your instincts that seems to be the thread throughout today's podcast episode. Paper Camp alum, Ashleigh Evans of InBooze, joins me to talk about how she started a handmade, locally sourced food and beverage brand from her home in 2018.

Her company has since expanded into a team working out of a commercial kitchen, warehouse, and a retail space, and they ship products to stores nationwide.

On today's episode, we talk about regulatory requirements for the food and beverage industry, why you need trusted mentors surrounding you as you're building a business, and she shares a fun story about how being included in Oprah's stocking stuffer guide crashed her website.

This episode is brought to you by our Email Marketing For Product Makers guide. 49% of our customers want to hear from us on a consistent basis, yet, only a small percentage of product-based business owners are actively sending monthly emails to their customers.

If you've struggled with what to say, when to send, or how to plan out your email marketing strategies, we've got just the tool for you. This tool and the optional training have helped hundreds of product makers plan out an entire year's worth of emails. And, the best part… they are creating templates that they can rinse & repeat year after year.

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You can view full show notes and more at www.prooftoproduct.com/297

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Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz

I recently spent the day with many of our Proof to Product students at the *Noted & SF Now trade show in San Francisco, CA. Seventy-four of our Proof to Product LABS members and Paper Camp alumni were exhibiting at this show - which means our community accounted for 62% of all exhibitors. Pretty incredible!

Our community members won awards, secured major orders with key accounts, launched new products, connected with distributors and they grew their confidence as business owners.

It's such an honor and privilege to know that our community & programming played a small part in getting them there.

Today's episode is brought to you by our Is Wholesale Right for You private podcast! This free 12 part audio series will help you decide whether wholesale is a good next step for your specific business. After listening to this audio series (in less than an hour), two things will be true. You'll know whether you want to pursue wholesale for your product business, and you'll have the confidence and action steps to get started with wholesale.

Sign up for the Is Wholesale Right For You private podcast!

You can view full show notes and more at prooftoproduct.com/296

If you are curious about what it takes to exhibit at a trade show I want to invite you to look into my Booth Blueprint Masterclass. This free class is available inside our resource library and walks you through three things that you need to know before you start exhibiting at a trade show.

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Mentioned in this Episode:

Noted: https://www.greetingcard.org/noted/ SF Now: https://sfnow.com/ Guests:Kirstie Wang, A Jar of Pickles Karen Kennedy, And the moon will rise Ian Pribyl, Explicit Contents Brigida Swanson, Yardia Kate Murray, Quick Brown Fox Letterpress Krishna Chavda, Nanu Studio Alyson O'Connor, Rust Belt Love Paperie Lynn Jones, Lynn-oleum Nikki Tyler, Little Lovelies Studio Emily Chiang, Emii Creations Emma Lewis, The Twentieth Christine Nardone, Black Line Rainbows Lauren-Ashley Barnes, Pineapple Sunday Design Studio Christine Herrin, Everyday Explorers Co. Lindsay Henry, Inklings Paperie

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Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz

Welcome part two of my interview with Sam Kramer of Near Modern Disaster! If you have not yet listened to part one, make sure to check out episode 294 first! Sam gave us an update on her business and shared four things that have been critical to her business growth. In this episode, Sam and I are talking about how mental health is essential to being a smart and intentional business owner, and why every entrepreneur needs a hobby that they aren't monetizing!

Today's episode is brought to you by our Is Wholesale Right for You private podcast! This free 12 part audio series will help you decide whether wholesale is a good next step for your specific business. After listening to this audio series (in less than an hour), two things will be true. You'll know whether you want to pursue wholesale for your product business, and you'll have the confidence and action steps to get started with wholesale. Sign up for the private podcast today!

SIGN UP

You can view full show notes and more at prooftoproduct.com/295

Mentioned in this Episode:

Episode 294

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Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz

You have heard me talk about this time and time again, but there is no singular pathway in business! Even though we may all be running physical product-based businesses, we each embark on a different journey working towards different goals and making different choices along the way.

One of my favorite parts about the work I do is seeing the transformation as folks continue their entrepreneurial journey, and in my position, I am lucky enough to have a lot of candid and confidential conversations about what that evolution includes, both the good and the bad. I wanted to bring you into one of those important conversations with both a friend and client of mine, Sam Kramer of Near Modern Disaster.

You may remember Sam from episode 2 of Proof to Product, which we recorded way back in 2016. So much has changed since then in Sam's life and in our business. Since that podcast aired, Sam moved to Florida, outgrew two studio spaces, and increased her team, including bringing her husband on full-time as the studio manager. Not only has her product line grown, but her confidence in her products has as well. Today is part one of a two part series. On today's episode, Sam is sharing some updated stats about how many stores she's carried in the number of skews she sells and how her wholesale program has evolved. She also shares four things that have made the biggest impact on her business growth.

Today's episode is brought to you by our Is Wholesale Right for You private podcast! This free 12 part audio series will help you decide whether wholesale is a good next step for your specific business. After listening to this audio series (in less than an hour), two things will be true. You'll know whether you want to pursue wholesale for your product business, and you'll have the confidence and action steps to get started with wholesale. Sign up for the private podcast today!

SIGN UP

You can view full show notes and more at prooftoproduct.com/294

Mentioned in this episode:

Episode 2: Working with Sales Reps with Sam Kramer

Faire

If you are looking for a safe space to talk openly about the challenges and solutions needed to scale a product based business, look no further. We have carved out a space just for you! Our LABS community consists of brands across industries and across the globe, who are building profitable, sustainable businesses. We're talking about things like processes, systems, marketing strategies, and more. We have trainings, templates, coaching calls, and community connections to help you make forward progress towards your goals.

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Take the free quiz!

Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz

As you're getting ready for upcoming trade shows, I want to share how you can create a simple, but effective way to turn your trade show leads (people you meet at the shows) into new wholesale customers.

Spoiler alert: the success of what I'm teaching you hinges on one singular thing: the follow-through. You have to do the work to see results. In this episode, I'm sharing what you should do while you're on-site at the trade show to make the post-show follow-up easier and more profitable in 5 simple steps.

This episode is brought to you by our Email Marketing For Product Makers guide. 49% of our customers want to hear from us on a consistent basis, yet, only a small percentage of product-based business owners are actively sending monthly emails to their customers.

If you've struggled with what to say, when to send, or how to plan out your email marketing strategies, we've got just the tool for you. This tool and the optional training have helped hundreds of product makers plan out an entire year's worth of emails. And, the best part… they are creating templates that they can rinse & repeat year after year.

DOWNLOAD NOW

You can view full show notes and more at prooftoproduct.com/293

Mentioned in this Episode:

Proof to Product LABS

Email Marketing for Product Makers

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Take the free quiz!

Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz

We all have big goals, dreams, and plans for our businesses. In order to meet those milestones, we need to take action. What do you do when you look at your to-do list and everything starts to feel really overwhelming?

Today's guest is Ashley Brown of Routines and Things and this episode is an excerpt from a recent Coffee Chat that she led inside of our Proof to Product LABS program on time management. Ashley is our resident routines expert, teaching us how to establish and sustain routines in our life and our business, so that we're less stressed and more fulfilled.

On today's episode, you'll hear Ashley speak candidly about how she personally handles task management, as well as energy management in her life and business. We talk about mindset work, delegating and outsourcing, and how to conserve and restore our energy.

This episode is brought to you by our Email Marketing For Product Makers guide. 49% of our customers want to hear from us on a consistent basis, yet, only a small percentage of product-based business owners are actively sending monthly emails to their customers.

If you've struggled with what to say, when to send, or how to plan out your email marketing strategies, we've got just the tool for you. This tool and the optional training have helped hundreds of product makers plan out an entire year's worth of emails. And, the best part… they are creating templates that they can rinse & repeat year after year.

DOWNLOAD NOW

You can view full show notes and more at prooftoproduct.com/292

If you are looking for a safe space to talk openly about the challenges and solutions needed to scale a product based business, look no further. We have carved out a space just for you! Our LABS community consists of brands across industries and across the globe, who are building profitable, sustainable businesses. We're talking about things like processes, systems, marketing strategies, and more. We have trainings, templates, coaching calls, and community connections to help you make forward progress towards your goals.

JOIN NOW

Mentioned in this episode:

Take the free quiz!

Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz

Many entrepreneurs are high achievers! We work hard. We go above and beyond. We care deeply about the work we do, whether it's for ourselves or for others.

So when things don't go as planned or are even outside of our control, we can sometimes feel like we're failing. Today's guest is Paper Camp Alum Alyssa Manoleas, who makes and sells hand illustrated greeting cards and gifts through her brand Grey Street Paper.

Prior to running her business full time, Alyssa worked as a fashion designer in New York, a job that she was great at. She was climbing the corporate ladder, earning more money, gaining titles, but despite being excellent at her job, she was furloughed and then laid off in 2020.

On today's episode, we're talking about the mental shift of moving from corporate to entrepreneurship. Alyssa candidly shares how she felt like a failure when she was let go from her corporate job, and how she had to carefully work through the grief tied to that. She also shares how she came out better on the other side with a profitable thriving business that allows her to make a bigger impact. Alyssa also shares the methods that she's using to work towards her goal of 500 wholesale accounts, and why Paper Camp was the best investment that she's made in herself and her business.

Today's episode is brought to you by our Is Wholesale Right for You private podcast! This free 12 part audio series will help you decide whether wholesale is a good next step for your specific business. After listening to this audio series (in less than an hour), two things will be true. You'll know whether you want to pursue wholesale for your product business, and you'll have the confidence and action steps to get started with wholesale. Sign up for the private podcast today!

SIGN UP

You can view full show notes and more at prooftoproduct.com/291

Mentioned in this episode:

Take the free quiz!

Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz