In this episode of the Product Biz Podcast, we dive deep into something I like to call "The Small Business Owner's Curse"— which is a challenge that almost EVERY single. small business owner faces when they go from their initial success... to long-term growth. If you’ve ever felt like you’re stuck in a cycle of quick wins that are dwindling down weeky by week by week and are struggling to achieve something MORE, this episode is for you.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What the Small Business Owner's Curse is... and how it can lead to frustration as your business grows and eventually plateaus, which can start to feel like quicksand that is swallowing you no matter what you try
• The Transition Phase: the crucial shift from quick wins, quick hacks, quick tips... to DECIDING to take on more complex projects and skills as your business evolves in order TO see new results.
• Overcoming burnout and reactivity: why doubling down on old strategies or jumping from one idea to another can lead to burnout... and how to avoid this pitfall so your business is NOT in the same place it was last year, going through the same hurdles, with the same frustrations.
• The Importance of intuition and creativity to make the RIGHT decisions (instead of fear-based decisions) that guide you to and through the next phase in your business.

LEARN MORE FROM MONICA LITTLE
Website: www.monicalittlecoaching.com
Instagram: @monicalittlecoaching
Join the Product Biz Academy waitlist to be first notified when doors open

In this week's episode, we sit down with Kimberly, the owner of Fit Mama Foods, an Arizona-based healthy snack small business, and hear her incredible journey from cancer survivor to small business owner. Kim's 2-time personal battle with cancer led her to create a line of truly healthy grab and go snacks... and joining Product Biz Academy has allowed her to get her story AND healthy snacks in the hands of more people. 

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How Kimberly's personal cancer journey led to healthy homemade snacks which led to the start of Fit Mama Foods
• The importance of avoiding commercially manufactured products that are filled with chemicals and opting for dairy-free, gluten-free, truly HEALTHY snacks (that taste good, too!)
• Kimberly's shift from a reactive business owner to a business owner with a proactive and organized strategy that allowed her to say NO to what was no longer serving her in business so she could say YES to preparing for long term growth
• How focusing on minset, community support, and personal development contributed to Kimberly's success, including her highest summer sales season YET!

Kimberly Fritz is the passionate founder of Fit Mama Foods, a Phoenix-based company dedicated to providing wholesome, delicious snacks to busy folks on the go. As a mom of twins, and someone who has the utmost commitment to supporting healthy lifestyles, Kimberly has built Fit Mama Foods into a beloved local brand known for its fresh, organic ingredients and convenient daily solutions. Join us as Kimberly shares her journey and insights on balancing entrepreneurship with motherhood and how the invaluable tool of Product Biz Academy has helped her in today's episode.

LINKS MENTIONED IN TODAY'S EPISODE
Follow Kimberly on Instagram @fitmamafoods
Shop at www.fitmamafoods.com

LEARN MORE FROM MONICA LITTLE
Website: www.monicalittlecoaching.com
Instagram: @monicalittlecoaching
Join the Product Biz Academy waitlist to be first notified when doors open

In this episode of the Product Biz Podcast, I interview Michelle of Joyful Nest Design Co. and she shares her journey from a special education teacher to a successful home decor small business owner. She shares with you how she took her made-to-order business, adjusted the business model, and is now scaling it with more ease... which led to her FIRST four-figure Etsy month - which then DOUBLED the following month - and more.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Michelle’s Journey: From special education teacher to owner of Joyful Nest Design Co. and the handcrafted wooden home decor items she makes, including wooden soap stands, wall shelves, and multi-purpose end tables.
• How a cabinet builder that ghosted Michelle and led her to discover a passion for woodworking
• The transition from hobbyist to business owner and the decision to join Product Biz Academy.
• Navigating the ups and downs of in-person markets and online sales.
• How joining Product Biz Academy led to running her business more efficiently, improved Etsy sales, a successful rebrand, LESS markets and less overwhelm
• How Michelle reached her first four-figure month on Etsy and then doubled it the following month
• Wholesale Expansion: Michelle’s experience with Faire and getting NEW orders from stores across different states

Michelle is a former special education teacher, turned stay at home mom, who started a side business in a small rural farm town making handcrafted home decor items.

LINKS MENTIONED IN TODAY'S EPISODE
Follow Michelle on Instagram @joyfulnestdesignco
Shop at www.etsy.com/shop/joyfulnestdesignco


LEARN MORE FROM MONICA LITTLE
Website: www.monicalittlecoaching.com
Instagram: @monicalittlecoaching
Join the Product Biz Academy waitlist to be first notified when doors open

On today’s episode of The Product Biz Podcast, we interview Dylan Jarhaus who is an e-commerce expert of 13+ years and made over $1M in her first 5 years on Etsy. She also sells on Amazon and Shopify and teaches over 3000 Etsy sellers how to scale on Etsy through the Ultimate Etsy Course.

By the time you finish listening to this jam packed episode, you’ll learn:

• How Dylan took her Etsy shop from 1 sale to $10,000 months in just 4 months... and then how she took her Etsy shop to a total of $1.7M!
• How to decide what to sell on Etsy that will be successful (or, how to decide what new products to come out with)
• What it takes to succeed on Etsy in 2024
• What Etsy sellers need to do to stand out against the competition
• Easy tips for your titles and tags to get more views on Etsy now!
• The major differences between Etsy and Amazon… and when to approach each platform

LINKS MENTIONED IN TODAY'S EPISODE
Visit Dylan's website at https://dylanjahraus.com/
Listen to Dylan's podcast, Etsy Seller Success

LEARN MORE FROM MONICA LITTLE
Website: www.monicalittlecoaching.com
Instagram: @monicalittlecoaching
Join the Product Biz Academy waitlist to be first notified when doors open

How many times have you heard the phrase SALES FUNNEL and either wondered "what the hell does THAT mean?" or "HOW the hell do I do that for my business?"

In today’s episode, I interview Tracy Matthews and she spills the beans on how to create automatic sales in your business.

We’re talking the type of sales that come when someone opts in to your email list for your 20% off code… and then they actually use that coupon code and buy from you AND come back to buy AGAIN… from having the right sales funnel in place.

And the type of sales that come from SMS text message marketing and how to do it RIGHT - either in a very personal way or in a more scalable way.

And the type of sales that come from turning your first time customer into a REPEAT customer.

These are all sales that you can build out to become automatic when you learn how to leverage the sales funnels that Tracy shares with you today.

Tracy Matthews is the founder of Flourish & Thrive Academy and several companies in the jewelry and creative space. She supports hundreds of thousands of small business owners through her programs, best-selling book [The Desired Brand Effect}, and weekly podcast {Thrive b y Design] to help them stand out in a saturated market with their products.

LINKS MENTIONED IN TODAY'S EPISODE
Follow Tracy on Instagram @tracymatthewsny and @flourish_thrive
Visit her website to get a glimpse of her book at https://desiredbrandeffect.com/chapter1/

LEARN MORE FROM MONICA LITTLE
Website: www.monicalittlecoaching.com
Instagram: @monicalittlecoaching
Join the Product Biz Academy waitlist to be first notified when doors open

Have you ever thought about being a coach, educator, or speaker, where you are impacting others and changing lives with something you are passionate about and want to share with the world? Maybe you already are a coach... or maybe you've secretly had dreams of sharing your knowledge with others by becoming a coach.

As you probably already know, I originally started Plant Based Beauty from a passion for DIY skincare that turned into a business without ever expecting it to. And then before I knew it, I took the leap to leave my full-time job, focused entirely on Plant Based Beauty, and grew it to multiple 6 figures. Somewhere along the way I realized that I had MORE purpose to uncover during this one life of mine... And I realized that I went through all the hardships, challenges, trial and error to learn how to grow and scale my small business in order to help other small business owners do the same. And that's exactly how Etsy Algorithm Secrets and Product Biz Academy were born.

One of the most impactful decisions I made to be able to grow my coaching business to where it is now, was signing up to work with James Wedmore as my own business coach. The reason Product Biz Academy and Etsy Algorithm Secrets are programs that my members LOVE, that get my members RESULTS, and has allowed me to become a better coach each and every day to GUIDE my members to reach THEIR dreams... has been from the mentorship and guidance from James.

In this episode, I share my journey, more details about James’ program (Business by Design) for online coaches and course creators, a mini interview with James, and a special bonus I am offering - the Authority Bootcamp - for coaches who sign up for Business by Design during enrollment this week!

James Wedmore is an 8-figure per year online entrepreneur that teaches coaches and online course creators how to skyrocket their online business. With over 14 years of experience running his own online business, he now runs Business By Design to help Digital CEOs all over the globe live their dream of massive income and impact, and has served over 8,000 members in his programs. He’s also the host of The Mind Your Business Podcast where he shares how to create lasting success from the inside out.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU'LL​ LEARN:

• My journey from corporate career, to full-time small business owner, to full-time coach, and the resources and support that led me to working with over 160 members across my 2 coaching programs
• How my coach, James Wedmore, and his program Business By Design transformed my business and specifically how it can help you grow your own coaching business
• Advice directly from James for coaches who are coming out with multiple new offers over and over that AREN'T working and what makes Business By Design different than any other coach or program out there
• The Authority Bootcamp BONUSES you receive from me if you enroll in Business By Design before doors close on June 20!

LINKS MENTIONED IN TODAY'S EPISODE

Enroll in Business By Design PLUS get the Authority Bootcamp Bonus at www.monicalittlecoaching.com/BBDbonuses (open for enrollment through June 20)

Watch James Wedmore's once per year free training; The Rise of the Digital CEO (available through June 20)

Follow James on Instagram @jameswedmore

One of the BIGGEST pieces of feedback I hear from small business owners is… 
 
“I don’t want to talk about my products or business too much on Instagram because I feel like I might be bothering people.” 
 
“I don’t want to talk about my products or business too much on Instagram because I feel like I might just be talking about it TOO much.” 
 
“I don’t want to talk about my products or business too much on Instagram because I feel like people will get bored with what I have to say if I say the same things or show the same things over and over.” 
 
“I don’t want to talk about my products or business too much on Instagram because people will unfollow me.” 
 
If you’ve ever had these thoughts or other variations of these thoughts, I can almost guarantee that you love to come out with new products. (Am I right or am I right?) 
 
Why can I almost guarantee this? 
 
Because when we come out with new products, we no longer feel like we are bothering people. Because it’s something new! Something that hasn’t been done before! It’s exciting! And your brain starts to convince you that you could hardly be bothering people with something new, exciting, and never been done before. 
 
So here’s what happens: before you know it, your bank account isn’t growing because you are constantly coming out with new products (hello raw ingredients, new labels, new packaging) and because all of your time is going towards launching something new and something else new and something new again. 
 
And the cherry on top is that you’ve lost the chance to learn good old-fashioned marketing and selling… because your only strategy is newness, excitement, and never-been-done-before-ness. Which turns into a rinse and repeat cycle that can get pretty expensive and pretty exhausting. 
 
What if I told you that constantly coming out with new products is a sign of being a people pleaser? A sign of not wanting to bother people or disrupt the piece? And a sign of self-sabotage that you might not even be aware of? 
 
We’re getting deep today. And if this sounds anything like you, play special attention to this week’s episode so I can guide you through this and show you what’s on the other side of authentically owning what you speak about and how you show up for your business so you can make more money in your business. 

What’s the main reason why you DON’T talk on your stories consistently?

Is it because you don’t like the sound of your voice and cringe to hear it when you playback what you posted… and you wonder what others will think about your voice, too?

Is it because it literally takes hours to get the PERFECT 60 second clip to post on your stories… and it frustrates you to spend that much time to get it right?

Is it because you don’t know what to say and are worried about being judged by others for not saying the right thing?

During today’s episode, I share with you a simple and FUN hack to get you comfortable with showing up on your Instagram stores. And this is a hack that I even recently started to do, to make showing up on Instagram easier and easier for me (even after years of already being front and center on IG!) And believe it or not, talking about your products is how you can sell more products. So, the sooner you get comfortable and confident talking loud and proud about your products on social media, the sooner you will make more money! And here's how you can make it easier on your starting today.

In today's episode, we interview Laura from The Necklace Studio who is a Product Biz Academy member that has seen some amazing growth!

Before joining Product Biz Academy, Laura tried to run a business with a business partner that did not work no matter what they tried, which led to closing the business.

Laura then started her own business and was worried about selling products at a high price point ($350 - $550) in a saturated market (jewelry).

But in the year after joining Product Biz Academy, Laura has sold 51 necklaces, has made $21,000 in sales on Etsy, and has her products sold in 2 stores. 

Laura shares how she feels like anything is possible; not only from having the step-by-step processes inside Product Biz Academy, but also by learning how to believe in herself, show herself commitment, celebrate the wins, be accountable, how to enjoy the journey every step of the way, and more.

Doors to Product Biz Academy close THIS Thursday at midnight. Enroll now at www.monicalittlecoaching.com/join

How amazing is it that a computer program can whip up blog posts, email campaigns, social media captions and more in the matter of seconds?

How amazing is it that some small business owners are outsourcing their ENTIRE marketing department (blog posts, email campaigns, social media captions and MORE) to Chat GPT?

The real reason this is amazing is NOT because of the "quick fix" that Chat GPT provides... the reason this is amazing is because the small business owners who DON'T hand over the reins of their entire marketing to Chat GPT will actually see massive success over the next 12 months.

Here's what I mean:

Your customers, your email subscribers, your followers, your blog post readers, and the rest of the human population can subconsciously tell when a piece of content was created by Chat GPT.

That's because Chat GPT is not a human. It's kind of obvious when you really think of it.

And when small business owners rely on Chat GPT for all of the WORDS in their business (aka the marketing in your business), they are removing the human aspect of their business. And one of the main reasons small businesses actually become success is BECAUSE of the human aspect - that is now being removed!  

Unfortunately, what will happen to those small business owners is that their audience will get desensitized to their content... which means they will stop reading. Soon engagement goes down, email open rates go down, website visits go down, and once you lose people, it's pretty dang hard to get them back. 

This is what Chat GPT truly is leading to.

If you are one of the small business owners who doubles down on AUTHENTIC, human to human marketing during this time when most are looking for an easy way out and quick fix, you will see incredible success.

And that's exactly what today's podcast episode is about. And if you didn't catch on just yet,  this podcast episode is a little bite of satire.  You're welcome.