Proof to Product

Elle Drouin is the founder of three businesses that she currently runs — wonderfelle MEDIA, Styled Stock Society and she's the human behind @mochiandthecity. After several years working as the Director of Marketing & Digital Strategy for e-commerce businesses, Elle launched her own business to focus on helping other women build brands that are as profitable as they are pretty. Elle currently runs the Styled Stock Society, a stylish stock photography membership for women entrepreneurs, as well as works as a commercial photographer for beauty and lifestyle brands.

Elle's dog Mochi is a 4 year old maltipoo model and influencer with over 100,000 Instagram followers. Elle and Mochi have been featured on Entrepreneur, CNBC, the Today Show, and a number of other media outlets. They've collaborated with brands like American Express, Disney, Google, and The Ritz-Carlton and also use their platform to raise awareness for organizations like the Humane Society and local shelters.

On today's episode we talked about the benefits of using stock photography, strategies, processes and tools for streamlining social media and and why we need to focus on solving a problem as we build our products and services.

ON TODAY'S EPISODE:

• Her three business & what she does for each
• Her career path prior to becoming an entrepreneur
• The types of customers Styled Stock Society caters to
• How her customers are using her images and how she customizes her photos for specific brands and needs
• The aesthetic of her photos & collections
• When she realized that Styled Stock Society was going to be successful
• How Mochi became a social media influencer
• Mochi's online persona
• How Elle came up with who Mochi's ideal follower is
• The processes and programs Elle uses for social media scheduling
• Which social media platform has been the most profitable for Elle
• Her advice for entrepreneurs
• What's next for Styled Stock Society & Mochi

KEY TAKE-AWAYS:

"I wanted to figure out a way that I could help people with their marketing that didn't involve me talking all-day long." - Elle Drouin

"You're solving a problem for these business owners that are wearing so many hats, and they just can't do all of these things themselves." - Katie Hunt

"There are a lot of different ways you can customize the photos to be more specific to your brand." - Elle Drouin

"One of the things that we try to do is have a lot of negative space in certain photos in our collections so that there is room if you have maybe a desktop that has a few different items on it. You could actually drop a product image in it so it would look like it's sitting on the desktop with the rest of the other things." - Elle Drouin

"The level of effort that I put into the business just makes so much more sense to me than all the time I was spending doing things that were more one-on-one versus one-to-many." - Elle Drouin

"Mochi is a very Cosmopolitan dog in New York. She dresses up. She goes out for cocktails. She's currently in the middle of a summer in the Hamptons." - Elle Drouin

"Similar to creating any other type of brand for business or your person, just really thought about who the people are that were following her at that point and decided to be more strategic about creating content specifically for them." - Elle Drouin

"It's less about her real life, because her real life is 90% napping, and more just like a fun, creative outlet and a way that we have found to connect with people all over the world." - Elle Drouin

"I would say 80% of the time, we are trying to create engaging content, trying to get to know our audience, trying to relate to them and find ways that we can help them. Then, that 20% is the more obvious promotional sales focus." - Elle Drouin

"I'm creating visual content and selling photos to people, so people are more likely to find me on visual platforms." - Elle Drouin

"Solve a problem. Don't start with an idea because it's just something that you want to do but really think about who you want to serve and how you're helping them." - Elle Drouin

"The types of content that you create, everything you put out there is going to be affected by your why and what you're just trying to do." - Elle Drouin

CONNECT WITH ELLE DROUIN

Website: https://elledrouin.com/

Elle's social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elledrouin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elledrouin/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/elledrouin/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/elledrouin

Mochi's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mochiandthecity/

Styled Stock Society social media:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/styledstocksociety/

BOOTH BLUEPRINT

If you're gearing up for trade show season and need help creating a beautiful booth that doesn't break the bank, I want to invite you to my free masterclass.

I'm sharing my three secrets to maximize your trade show investment and keep wholesale orders coming in long after you trade show end. To join me for this FREE workshop, head to www.theboothblueprint.com to register!

To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app.

Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies.

Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates.

If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.

Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know!

ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT:

Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

Mentioned in this episode:

Take the free quiz!

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

This week is a special one in that we're bringing you a series of episodes that closely mirror what we teach during our our signature Paper Camp program.

We've cut together some of our favorite episodes featuring our Tradeshow Bootcamp alumni and speakers where we discuss product development, sales strategies for wholesale and exhibiting at wholesale trade shows.

During this episode we hear from:

Kimberley Yurkiewicz, Crow & Canary

Katie Wilson, The Good Twin

Rebekah Tennis, Wild Ink Press

Rosanna Kvernmo, Iron Curtain Press

Jeanette Champion-Fanning, Sweet Perversion

I hope these compilation episodes inspire you to push forward in your business, and if you need a helping hand we invite you to join us for the Paper Camp E-Course which starts next week. It's a four week course featuring live group coaching calls with me and some of my favorite guest experts including Kristen Ley of Thimblepress, Carina Murray of Crow & Canary, Rachael Hetzel from Pistachio Press and Heather Haynie of Rock Paper Scissors. For more information head to http://www.tradeshowcamp.com/pce. Registration closes on Friday and this is the last time Paper Camp will be offered in 2018! Join us!

To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app.

Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies.

Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates.

If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.

Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know!

Mentioned in this episode:

Take the free quiz!

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

This week is a special one in that we're bringing you a series of episodes that closely mirror what we teach during our our signature Paper Camp program.

We've cut together some of our favorite episodes featuring our Tradeshow Bootcamp alumni and speakers where we discuss product development, sales strategies for wholesale and exhibiting at wholesale trade shows.

During this episode we hear from:

Kathryn from Blackbird Letterpress

Kim from Ramona & Ruth

Pippi from E. Frances Paper

Stefanie from Halifax Paper Hearts

I hope these compilation episodes inspire you to push forward in your business, and if you need a helping hand we invite you to join us for the Paper Camp E-Course which starts next week. It's a four week course featuring live group coaching calls with me and some of my favorite guest experts including Kristen Ley of Thimblepress, Carina Murray of Crow & Canary, Rachael Hetzel from Pistachio Press and Heather Haynie of Rock Paper Scissors. For more information head to http://www.tradeshowcamp.com/pce. Registration closes on Friday and this is the last time Paper Camp will be offered in 2018! Join us!

To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app.

Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies.

Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates.

If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.

Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know!

Mentioned in this episode:

Take the free quiz!

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

This week is a special one in that we're bringing you a series of episodes that closely mirror what we teach during our our signature Paper Camp program.

We've cut together some of our favorite episodes featuring our Tradeshow Bootcamp alumni and speakers where we discuss product development, sales strategies for wholesale and exhibiting at wholesale trade shows.

During this episode we hear from:

Katie Wilson, The Good Twin

Heather Harris, Copper Bottom Design

Sara McNally, Constellation & Co

Cara Underwood, Underwood Letterpress

Kimberley Yurkiewicz, Crow & Canary

I hope these compilation episodes inspire you to push forward in your business, and if you need a helping hand we invite you to join us for the Paper Camp E-Course which starts next week. It's a four week course featuring live group coaching calls with me and some of my favorite guest experts including Kristen Ley of Thimblepress, Carina Murray of Crow & Canary, Rachael Hetzel from Pistachio Press and Heather Haynie of Rock Paper Scissors. For more information head to http://www.tradeshowcamp.com/pce. Registration closes on Friday and this is the last time Paper Camp will be offered in 2018! Join us!

SUBSCRIBE

To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app.

Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies.

Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates.

If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.

Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know!

Mentioned in this episode:

Take the free quiz!

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

Catherine Hildner is the founder of Kitty Meow Boutique, an online stationery show where you can peruse beautifully designed paper goods based on your many moods. Catherine came through our Paper Camp conference in 2017 and since then she's undergone a rebrand, built a new retail website, revamped her product line and she launched to the wholesale market!

On today's episode Catherine shared how her product line has shifted over the years, fears she's had during the last year of growth and how she combatted them and how she reaches out to her wholesale buyers.

ON TODAY'S EPISODE:

• What motivated Catherine to start Kitty Meow
• The products that she offers now & how that has shifted over the years
• What the rebranding process Kitty Meow looked like
• The fears and doubts Catherine had to work through during the rebranding process
• Her experience entering into the wholesale market & the three things she did to prepare her business for wholesale
• Catherine's process for outreach to retailers
• How she manages marketing both the wholesale and the retail sides of her business
• The tasks that Catherine's VA is responsible for
• Her advice for someone just starting out in a product based business
• What's next for Kitty Meow

KEY TAKE-AWAYS:

"I'm really grateful that I've been able to take Kitty Meow with me wherever the heck we've been, and it's come a long way since that lonely little baby shower design in my sad little Etsy shop." - Catherine Hildner

"I said, "If I'm going to invest money, I just want to do it right", and I'm not a website designer, so I'm not even going to waste my time doing something that's not my strengths." - Catherine Hildner

"I wasn't foolish enough to think that if I build it they will come, because I don't think it's just as easy as that." - Catherine Hildner

"I want my two little girls to know that they can do anything. It doesn't matter what other people think. If they care, that is enough." - Catherine Hildner

"None of this stuff happens overnight, and it's a daily struggle no matter how pretty pictures might look on Instagram or any of that garbage." - Catherine Hildner

"If I didn't do the Tradeshow Bootcamp, I would just be looking around, not knowing what the hell I'm doing because there's so many things you need to do, and you don't know what you don't know." - Catherine Hildner

"I don't have time to do all the things that maybe I would make time to do before I had children." - Catherine Hildner

"There was a long time I didn't even know that there was this creative community of women who were totally killing it." - Catherine Hildner

"Having a professional who's doing what you want to do, that can give you advice and feedback, so you're not wasting your time doing stuff that's just a waste of your time is so valuable." - Catherine Hildner

"I've been an entrepreneur for 10 years now. There's always ways that we can improve our businesses. There's always ways that we can streamline things or improve." - Katie Hunt

CONNECT WITH CATHERINE HILDNER:

Website: http://www.kittymeowboutique.com

Facebook: http://facebook.com/kittymeowboutique

Instagram: http://instagram.com/kittymeowboutique

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/kmeowboutique

PAPER CAMP E COURSE

I'm thrilled to tell you that the fall session of our Paper Camp E Course is now open for enrollment! This is our four-week program that includes a mix of do-it-yourself videos and live coaching calls with me and some pretty amazing guest experts. We will cover developing your product line, wholesale sales tools, working with sales reps, and marketing to retailers. Classes will begin on October 8th, and this will be the very last time that Paper Camp is offered in 2018. So if you're doing any winter shows like New York Now, Las Vegas Market, or even the Stationery Show in February, you want to sign up for this program because we're not going to offer it again before those shows.

To register, head to http://www.tradeshowcamp.com/pce If you have any questions, or if you're wondering if this is the right program for you, feel free to email me [email protected].

To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app.

Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies.

Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates.

If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.

Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know!

ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT:

Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

Danielle Spurge is a maker and craft business consultant who loves iced lattes and pop music. Through her work at The Merriweather Council, Danielle teaches creative people how to turn their crafty tendencies into profits. On her blog and podcast, Danielle aims to inspire and support makers in business and share insights from her eight years of experience selling handmade work online. Danielle believes in celebrating the reality of gainful self employment through craft and wants to help more artists, crafters and designers share their work with more confidence.

On today's episode we talk about Danielle's journey of starting her business, how she manages both a product and service based business and she shares why Etsy is a great platform for makers.

ON TODAY'S EPISODE:

• How she got started with her business, The Merriweather Council
• What she sold in her original Etsy shop
• Her favorite materials to work with
• The educational curve you have with customers when introducing something that's new to them
• How she has created a community of makers that she supports
• How she splits her attention to give both sides of her business the attention they need
• What kind of makers are in her community and the services she provides them
• Why Etsy is a good option to get your products out into the market
• How can makers ensure their listings are being seen on Etsy
• Danielle's tips for getting selected to be promoted by Etsy on their social media channels
• A common mistake people are making on Etsy
• Her thoughts on all of the recent Etsy changes
• What inspires her to create new products or services

KEY TAKE-AWAYS:

"I really just love fabric, love embroidery floss, I love to cut things up and sew them back together. I love anything really colorful and soft materials." - Danielle Spurge

"I don't have a lot of patience for giant projects. I like to be able to sit and finish something and it's over. I love the instant gratification." - Danielle Spurge

"There's really no way for me to do 50/50 but I've always been happy with the amount of product work I was doing because it fit really well into the amount of other work I was doing." - Danielle Spurge

"With Etsy or your own site with your products, if you're not doing a ton of wholesale, you can kinda throttle how much you produce. You have a lot of control over what are you offering." - Danielle Spurge

"I want to be the person who makes my products. I want to make however many I want to make of them." - Danielle Spurge

"I always wanted to maintain my product business because it helps me relate to my students." - Danielle Spurge

"We can provide better service and we can create a better product when we are more thoughtful in our approach for things." - Katie Hunt

"Most of us don't want the stress of a seven figure business. That's a whole other ball game." - Danielle Spurge

"Let's never send our hard earned traffic to Etsy. Because that traffic is going to disperse. There's no guarantee that that traffic's gonna stay with you." - Danielle Spurge

"I will never shut up about this until it's not true anymore. Etsy is the best tool." - Danielle Spurge

"You can appeal to Etsy's systems to get seen." - Danielle Spurge

"Etsy cares about your titles, and your tags, and all the little things you fill in as you're listing." - Danielle Spurge

"No one goes on Instagram with the intent to buy something the way that people go on Etsy with the intent to buy something. So that's really why I think Etsy is such a useful tool for a new seller because people are going there, looking to buy things, and they're the kind of people who want to buy the kind of products that you are selling." - Danielle Spurge

"The biggest mistake I see people make on Etsy is that they just don't list enough." - Danielle Spurge

"Etsy is really a numbers game. The more listings you have, the better your chances are of showing up, and being found, and being seen, and making sales." - Danielle Spurge

"It's still one of the cheapest ways that you can sell online. Amazon's fees are more. If you had your own website, up front it's more." - Danielle Spurge

" I want to help people be who they want to be." - Danielle Spurge

CONNECT WITH DANIELLE SPURGE:

Website: http://merriweathercouncil.com

Facebook: http://facebook.com/merriweathercouncil

Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/creativelifehappylife/

Instagram: http://instagram.com/merriweatherc

LINKS

Free Etsy Lesson Email Series

IS WHOLESALE RIGHT FOR ME?

Many of you are in the process of contemplating whether wholesale is the right next step for your business. I get it, I know that it feels like a big scary decision and there are lots of things to consider.

That's why I'm offering a free online workshop to help you determine "Is Wholesale Right For Me". I'll walk you through 12 questions that I want you to ask yourself before you jump into wholesale and why each is important.

This free workshop will take place on Thursday, September 20th at noon Pacific and space will be limited.

To snag your seat, head to tradeshowcamp.com/wholesale to register. A replay will be available for everyone that registers ahead of time.

To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app.

Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies.

Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates.

If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.

Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know!

ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT:

Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

Mentioned in this episode:

Take the free quiz!

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

Today I sat down with Amber Rae, an author, artist and speaker. Her recent book, Choose Wonder Over Worry invites you to live your truth, befriend your emotions, and express your gifts. Her writing has reached over 5 million people in 195 countries, her public art has spread to over twenty countries, and she's spoken to and collaborated with brands like Kate Spade, Apple, Amazon, and Unilever. She's been featured in The New York Times, TIME, Fast Company, BBC, ABC World News, Tim Ferriss's blog, and more. Previously, Amber helped launch six best-selling books as Chief Evangelist of Seth Godin's publishing experiment.

On today's episode, Amber shares strategies for combating worry, fear and anxiety and infusing more wonder and creativity into our days.

ON TODAY'S EPISODE:

• A misconception that people have around the feelings of fear and doubt
• Her career path and what lead her to be an author, an artist, an inspirational speaker
• Amber's experience working with Seth Godin
• What motivated her to write Choose Wonder Over Worry
• Her advice for working through imposter syndrome
• The two types of worry
• What wonder is and how it is a counterpart to worry
• How we can infuse more wonder into our lives and work
• The effect worry and fear have on us
• The importance of making friends with our feelings and questioning our feelings
• How we can infuse more positive feelings and more creativity in our day to day
• Amber's advice for product-based business owners who have anxiety, worry, and fear
• What's next for her

KEY TAKE-AWAYS:

"When I was able to detach it from being a reflection of my self-worth, whether or not things go how I wanted, but rather just a better story, that created so much more wonder, and fun, and freedom." - Amber Rae

"He [Seth Godin] wasn't going to hand us approval, but he was going to push us way pass what we thought we could do and show us that we were capable of much more." - Amber Rae

"I had all these limiting stories inside of my head about who I thought I was, and what I thought I was capable of that really paralyzed me creatively, and paralyzed what I decided to go after or whether or not I spoke up." - Amber Rae

"I'm the only one who thinks I'm not worthy enough. No, actually, most people struggle with that. That's actually what unites us as humans." - Amber Rae

"If the impostor syndrome is coming up for you, that means you're outside your comfort zone and growing." - Amber Rae

"Worry protects us, keeps us safe, keeps us accountable. Where it becomes toxic worry is when it says obsessive looping thoughts where we ruminate and ruminate and stay stuck on these thoughts that really hold us back and paralyze us." - Amber Rae

"Before we can step into really embody and embrace wonder, it's about really checking worry." - Amber Rae

"When we name it, we tame it. Name when that worry is showing up so that we can put it in its place, set a boundary and really create space for our creative artist to step up and thrive." - Amber Rae

"I literally think that the world will change when we can have a healthy relationship with our feelings and ourselves." - Amber Rae

"Infusing play and white space in our day also helps with addressing the feelings and also inspiring that creativity and the wonder." - Katie Hunt

CONNECT WITH AMBER RAE:

Website: http://choosewonder.com

Website: http://amberrae.com

Instagram: http://instagram.com/heyamberrae

Twitter http://twitter.com/heyamberrae

LINKS:Choose Wonder Over Worry

War of Art by Steven Pressfield

Do the Work by Steven Pressfield

Elizabeth Gilbert's TED Talk

IS WHOLESALE RIGHT FOR ME?

Many of you are in the process of contemplating whether wholesale is the right next step for your business. I get it, I know that it feels like a big scary decision and there are lots of things to consider.

That's why I'm offering a free online workshop to help you determine "Is Wholesale Right For Me". I'll walk you through 12 questions that I want you to ask yourself before you jump into wholesale and why each is important.

This free workshop will take place on Thursday, September 20th at noon Pacific and space will be limited.

To snag your seat, head to tradeshowcamp.com/wholesale to register. A replay will be available for everyone that registers ahead of time.

To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app.

Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies.

Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates.

If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.

Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know!

ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT:

Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

Mentioned in this episode:

Take the free quiz!

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

Katie Hunt shares why she pushed pause on replacing her operations manager earlier this year and why its important to get super clear on what your business needs before you hire someone. When you know what you want in terms of skills, experience and fit it makes for an easier hiring process and ensures that you're bringing the right people on the team. The Tradeshow Bootcamp and Proof to Product team are currently hiring an operations manager with strong project management, online marketing and team management skills. For more information about the job, please go to www.tradeshowcamp.com/joinourteam.

Mentioned in this episode:

Take the free quiz!

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

Lillian Farag is a free-form and free-spirited artist, with a love for all things playful and expressive. Pulling inspiration from colors found in life and nature, she adds her own twist and perspective to each aspect of her work.

Along with offering unique hand-painted leather accessories and products, Lillian Farag works on collaborations with both leading industry and boutique brands including: Papyrus, Urban Outfitters, Oh Joy!, Osh Kosh, Flagpole Swim, Talking out of Turn, as well as her recent artist collaboration with Anthropologie.

On today's episode we talk about her multiple revenue streams, licensing & collaborations as well as growing pains of being an entrepreneur.

ON TODAY'S EPISODE:

• The types of products Lillian creates
• Where she gets her inspiration when she's creating
• What prompted her to start this business & how it started out as a hobby
• When Lillian realized she wanted to have her own line
• The collaborations she has been able to do with influencers and brands
• How certain collaborations came to be and what manufacturing look liked for those
• The growing pains of being an entrepreneur
• Her considerations while weighing hiring decisions
• Lillian's challenges with social media and how she has approached it
• The advice she would give herself when she had just started her business
• What's next for Lillian

KEY TAKE-AWAYS:

"Going into freelance, I knew I would be able to have a little bit more flexibility and control over the jobs that I was taking on." - Lillian Farag

"A lot of my partnerships come through my work on Instagram." - Lillian Farag

"I love collaborating. That's one of the main reasons I chose to keep my print business as a part of my business now, is because I really love to work with other brands and collaborate on ideas." - Lillian Farag

"I needed to stick to what I knew best, which was creating artwork and creating it for myself. And then those other things would come later in forms of collaborations." - Lillian Farag

"The growing pains never go away. I feel like you're always restructuring, rethinking about how you want to grow." - Lillian Farag

"I want to find somebody that's excellent in the areas where I'm weak." - Katie Hunt

"It's really important to continue your education in whatever it is that you do." - Lillian Farag

"It's really important to be around other people who are also creative. It's beneficial in ways you don't realize for creativity, and also to connect with other people. You never know what kind of partnerships will come out of it later." - Lillian Farag

CONNECT WITH LILLIAN FARAG:

Website: http://www.lillianf.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lillian-Farag-1331313560221126/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lillianfarag/

LINKS:Surtex: https://www.surtex.com/

NEED 1-1 HELP?

If you need help in your business growing your product line, getting ready for wholesale shows, or maybe you want some help on the operation side - hiring a team, refining your systems, looking at your finances, we have experts and mentors available to help you.

I personally take on a very limited number of new coaching clients each month, and I have one spot left for September and two for October. If you are interested in working with me or one of our other Tradeshow Bootcamp speakers that offers coaching, head on over to tradeshowcamp.com/coaching and let me know what your current struggles are, so that we can get you paired with the right person.

You don't have to go it alone. We have people and resources here to help you!

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ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT:

Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

Mentioned in this episode:

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

We're taking the next two weeks off for an end of summer break. While we're gone, we're bringing you four of our most popular episodes pulled from the archives.

I hand picked these episodes based on feedback in our Proof to Product Facebook group, emails I've received from listeners and convos I've had with all of you.

We hope you enjoy these episodes and learn something new!

Owned and operated by Briana Feola and Jason Snyder, Brainstorm is a print shop and collaborative design studio rooted in the production of original art prints inspired by science, nature, and the outdoors. Briana & Jason have done some creative collaborative projects with big brands such as Lollapalooza, Patgonia, Airstream trailers and an upcoming project with L.L. Bean. On today's episode Briana and Jason talk about how their love of learning inspires their work, using a strong brand to attract the right clients and why your business should always be in some state of transition.

ON TODAY'S EPISODE:

[01:00] Building a business out of a recession. [03:00] Working side hustles while growing the business.[05:00] Working with a significant other.[07:00] How their life interests & love of learning inspire their work.[11:00] Professional collaborations & partnerships with Lollapalooza, Patagonia and Airstream.[12:00] Custom clients found them through their print work[19:00] Attracting the right clients using a strong brand.[20:00] Hiring their first employee & the importance of finding someone with flexibility [24:00] Winning the airstream trailer design competition[29:00] Summer travel plans in the Airstream trailer[32:00] Transitions they've experienced as they've grown[36:00] Benefits of staying small and nimble.[37:30] Focusing on what is going to work, and not letting failures get you down.[39:00] Upcoming project with L.L. Bean[32:30] What's next for We Are Brainstorm

KEY TAKE-AWAYS:

"We always dig deep into our own lives for inspiration" - Briana Feola

"We're eternal students and want to keep learning no matter what the subject is" - Briana Feola

"As entrepreneurs, we tend to be more critical of ourselves than anyone else is" - Katie Hunt

"Going to Tradeshow Bootcamp was an eye opening experience that was necessary to set us in motion for the next four, five years now." - Briana Feola

"I feel like your business should always be in some state of transition" - Jason Snyder

"One benefit of being a small business owner is that we can be nimble and make our own decisions, shift gears however we need to" - Katie Hunt

"We pride ourselves on the fact that we stay super small and adaptable" - Briana Feola

'I need to get out of my own way, sometimes" - Briana Feola

LINKS:

Brainstorm National Park series

Brainstorm's work for Lollapalooza

C3 Presents

Brainstorm for Patagonia

Airstream Trailer Contest

Mama's Sauce

Adobe Max

Renegade Craft Fair

Brainstorm for L.L. Bean

Paper Camp

MEET BRIANA & JASON:

Brainstorm is a print shop and collaborative design studio working from a historic mill in Dover, New Hampshire. Owned and operated by Briana Feola and Jason Snyder, Brainstorm is rooted in the production of original art prints inspired by science, nature, and the outdoors. They also design for people and companies that appreciate the creative process, enjoy collaboration, and want to make something tangible in an increasingly digital world.

Website: http://www.wearebrainstorm.com

Facebook: @wearebrainstorm

Instagram: @wearebrainstorm

Twitter: @wearebrainstorm

JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY:

Interested in learning more about launching or refining a wholesale line or exhibiting at trade shows? Join us for our next Paper Camp conference in Los Angeles. Get more details and register at www.tradeshowcamp.com/papercamp

ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT:

Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode.

Mentioned in this episode:

Take the free quiz!

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