Proof to Product

Katie Hunt
Proof to Product podcast

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

  1. 362 | Wholesale Growth Strategies with our Paper Camp Coaches

    23 UUR GELEDEN

    362 | Wholesale Growth Strategies with our Paper Camp Coaches

    We are in the final week of our signature program, Paper Camp. In Paper Camp, we teach product-based business owners how to get their products on the shelves of their favorite stores, big and small. Paper Camp is an insanely comprehensive coaching program focusing on foundational and growth strategies for selling wholesale.  During Paper Camp, we answer hundreds of business owners' questions about product development, sales, marketing, and more. If it correlates to selling wholesale, we cover it in this program.  This week on the podcast, we thought it would be fun to ask a few of our Paper Camp coaches questions that we could share with all of you here and give you an inside look at what it's like being inside a Paper Camp and asking very personal questions about your brands.  The coaches featured in this episode are Theresa Delaney of Creative Kind, Kiwi Schloffel of Your Gal Kiwi, and Jen Palacio of Tiny Turns Paperie. Questions I asked these Paper Camp coaches: What is something you struggled with when you started selling wholesale that you also see our Paper Camp students struggling with? We had a lot of great questions during the first week of Paper Camp, which was focused on product development. What advice do you have for brands that are working on refining and strengthening their product line? What is a missed opportunity for wholesale brands when it comes to how they are presenting their work to stores? What is something you wish more brands would celebrate when growing their wholesale sales? 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 won’t be offering another round of Paper Camp until 2025 so if you are listening to this episode and you missed this round, be sure to get on the waitlist by clicking the link below. SIGN UP FOR THE WAITLIST You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/362  Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp

    24 min
  2. 361 | Creating Products That People Actually Want to Buy with Biff Ulm, Nice Enough Stickers

    10 SEP.

    361 | Creating Products That People Actually Want to Buy with Biff Ulm, Nice Enough Stickers

    I love staying connected to our community while they're out exhibiting or attending trade shows throughout the year. One update that caught my eye this summer was from Biff Ulm of Nice Enough Stickers about his experience at the Las Vegas gift show. Now Biff is no stranger to the podcast. He's been sharing tips about leveraging point-of-sale systems back on episode 146, and we did a COVID check-in with him during episode 177 where he shared how things were going for his brick-and-mortar shop at the time. Biff and I had a lot to catch up on in this episode, but one thing that stood out was that his observations at the Las Vegas gift show were about product development strategy. He has much to say about it, and I'm excited for you to listen in.  For background, Biff’s stickers are now in over 3000 stores with 8,000 locations, so he knows a thing or two about creating products that people want to buy. Biff also owns a wildly successful retail shop, which provides him with a unique viewpoint as both a wholesale buyer and seller.  In this episode, we discuss the importance of patience, iteration, and customer feedback in developing successful products. We also discuss how to leverage data and understand buying behaviors. This episode is brought to you by our Email Marketing For Product Makers guide. 49% of our customers want to hear from us consistently, 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 http://prooftoproduct.com/361  Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp

    39 min
  3. 360 | How Quitting Social Media Boosted Revenue with Brigida Swanson, Yardia

    3 SEP.

    360 | How Quitting Social Media Boosted Revenue with Brigida Swanson, Yardia

    Is it possible to have a thriving business and not be on social media? In episode 309, Brigida Swanson from Yardia joined me to discuss what it was like for her to leave social media.  We talked a lot about choosing contentment over business growth, and this episode was a listener favorite. We decided to invite Brigida back onto the podcast to check in and see how things are going 1 year later.  Brigida Swanson is a multiracial Chamorro watercolor artist from Seattle and the one-woman show behind her company, YARDIA. She creates watercolor-driven and Pacific Northwest-inspired art, stationery, and home goods that help folks to express their intersectional identities and love the places they live. During this interview, we discussed how her business has thrived without the constant scroll. We talked about the positive impact the shift has made on her personal life and how her focused efforts on email newsletters and direct outreach for wholesale have helped her expand. This episode is brought to you by our Email Marketing For Product Makers guide. 49% of our customers want to hear from us consistently, 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

    29 min
  4. 359 | Using Personal Interests to Inject Authenticity in Your Business with Kiwi Schloffel [Inside Look at our LABS Program]

    27 AUG.

    359 | Using Personal Interests to Inject Authenticity in Your Business with Kiwi Schloffel [Inside Look at our LABS Program]

    We have all heard that we need to showcase our authentic selves for our businesses, but what does that actually mean? What does that look like in our business?  This week's podcast episode features a recent portion of a coffee chat hosted by Kiwi Schloffel held inside of our private LABS program. LABS is our membership for product-based business owners where we talk about how to work smarter, not harder within our businesses, including how we show up as a leader.  In this coffee chat, Kiwi touches on a variety of topics, such as the importance of staying true to your brand's identity, how to use personal interest to inject authenticity into your business, and more.  This week's podcast episode is brought to you by Kodi Collective, who is also a sponsor of our Paper Camp program. Kodi Collective is a leading omnichannel marketing company that supports B2C and B2B brands and publications. They offer a wide range of print, procurement, and creative production solutions, including digital and offset printing, sourcing, and logistics. They are focused on helping you achieve an integrated marketing mix to reach your audience in meaningful ways. You can learn more about Kodi's services by going to their website.  All of our Paper Camp and LABS students get access to a private Proof to Product portal with Kodi, where they get discounted rates on print services and a dedicated sales rep to help us with all of our project management.  They provide support throughout the process of getting your project off the ground. So if you are looking for a new print partner, our community has had great experiences working with Kodi Collective. And if you missed our latest round of Paper Camp, click here to get on the waitlist for our next round. You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/359  Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp

    27 min
  5. 358 | How These 9 Businesses Have Grown Since Attending Paper Camp

    22 AUG.

    358 | How These 9 Businesses Have Grown Since Attending Paper Camp

    We are gearing up for our next round of Paper Camp and we are so excited!  This is our wholesale intensive program, and I wanted to do something fun for this week's podcast episode to celebrate this milestone and the fact that enrollment for Paper Camp is currently open.  I asked our past Paper Camp students to answer 1 question: How have you and your business grown since participating in Paper Camp?  The responses we received were incredible. In this episode, you're gonna hear from 9 women who represent a small sampling of our community. They sell a wide range of home decor, jewelry, embroidery, stationery, and consumer gift products. They sell their products to stores big and small across the world. Some came through Paper Camp several years ago while a couple just attended our latest round, and yet each of them took advantage of everything that Paper Camp had to offer: the coaching, the community, and the coursework.  They implemented what they learned, and now they are seeing incredible results. Check out the links of everyone featured below and be sure to head to this link to enroll in our next round of Paper Camp.  Businesses featured in this episode Chelsea Ward, Sketchy Notions: Follow on Instagram Christy Asper, Paper Baristas: Follow on Instagram Riki Inge, Rikrack Embroidery: Follow on Instagram Sandra Alcorn, Petals & Pins: Follow on Instagram Shelley Schmidt, Sunny Day Designs: Follow on Instagram Kate Murray, Quick Brown Fox Letterpress: Follow on Instagram Nellys Siria, Cocoa Loves Grey: Follow on Instagram Keli Change, PärdēPress: Follow on Instagram Ashley Sutton, Hustle and Hope: Follow on Instagram You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/358  Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp

    17 min
  6. 357 |  5 Tips for Creating an Effective Wholesale Catalog with Katie Hunt

    20 AUG.

    357 | 5 Tips for Creating an Effective Wholesale Catalog with Katie Hunt

    A wholesale catalog’s purpose is to sell your products, tell your story, and build a relationship with a buyer when you can’t be there with them in person. Ultimately, the goal of your wholesale catalog is to sell your products, and it’s important to build your catalog with your retailer in mind. Today I’m going to go through five quick tips for creating an effective wholesale catalog. 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. SIGN UP NOW You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/357  Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp

    14 min
  7. 355 | How to Get Your Products Noticed by Key Buyers with Sally Diguette, Anthropologie

    13 AUG.

    355 | How to Get Your Products Noticed by Key Buyers with Sally Diguette, Anthropologie

    Pitching large retailers is a completely different process and timeline than working with independent retailers. Having worked with thousands of brands, I know that it can feel like an intimidating process to pitch your work to these key accounts.  Today on the podcast, we're pulling back the curtain and explaining how it all works. My guest today is Sally Diguette, a home and lifestyle buyer with Anthropologie. Through an unpredictable path, Sally landed in the retail industry and has over 14 years of experience in buying, product development, and sourcing.  Sally is an innovative merchant and consultant. She centers her work around relationship building and creative strategy, combining unique product development and sourcing from national brands across a variety of categories. Her passion lies in working with emerging brands in an incubator capacity to build fresh product offerings, solid organizational systems, and a strong team structure. On today's episode, Sally shares about the buying process and schedule for Anthropologie. We talk specifically about the timelines that she's working with for both exclusive products as well as ready made products. And she offers advice for how to get your products in front of key account buyers. 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/355  Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp

    35 min

Info

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

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