Launch Your Box Podcast with Sarah Williams | Start, Launch, and Grow Your Subscription Box

Sarah Williams
  • 5.0 (161)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

8 years ago I had a dream to start a Subscription Box service full of goodies for women to treat themselves and nurture the importance of self care. It took me a full 18 months to make it happen! I was paralyzed by ‘all the things’ I had to figure out with no one to turn to for guidance. That is why I created Launch Your Box! Maybe you need some direction on how to begin, or you are ready to grow your subscriber base. Either way, it all starts with an idea that can turn into a constant reoccurring revenue, a raving fan base, and a business to love. I will help you... Take your first steps and know where to start. Figuring out the logistics: packing, shipping, boxes, oh my! Learn how to launch, from idea to sales. Scale that box to the next level, go big or go home!

  1. 5d ago

    4 Big Changes I Made to My Subscription Box Business in 2026

    This year, I made four of the hardest decisions I've ever made in my subscription box business. Not because I didn't know what to do. I actually knew for quite a while. They were hard because each one required letting go of something I'd worked incredibly hard to build. I rebranded my subscription box. I migrated to an entirely new platform. I closed my warehouse. I handed fulfillment over to a third-party logistics company. Looking back now, I can tell you with complete confidence every one of those decisions made my business stronger. If you're building a subscription box business, here's what each change taught me and why sometimes profitability requires making the hard call. 1. I Let Go of the Thing That Made My Box Famous For years, my subscription was known as the Monogram Box. Personalization was what made it special. It was also what was keeping the business from growing. Every personalized item had to be completed by my team before it could ship. That meant every box depended on us physically touching every order. As much as subscribers loved it, personalization created a ceiling on how efficiently we could operate. Eventually I realized the very thing that had helped build the business had become the thing limiting its future. Changing the brand to StyleBox wasn't about cutting corners. It was about removing a bottleneck so the business could become more profitable and scalable. Ask yourself: Is there something in your subscription box you're holding onto because your subscribers truly value it, or because you're afraid to change it? Those aren't always the same thing. 2. I Finally Moved to the Platform I Recommend to Everyone Else Inside Launch Your Box, I recommend Shopify and PayWhirl because I've seen how much simpler they make running a subscription business. Yet my own business was still operating on a different system. At some point I had to ask myself why. Migrating active subscribers is intimidating. You're moving customer accounts, payment information, billing cycles. There's a lot that can go wrong. But staying where I was meant choosing ongoing complexity. Today, my business is running on a platform built to scale instead of one held together by plugins and workarounds. Sometimes the temporary discomfort of change is worth the long-term simplicity it creates. 3. I Closed My Warehouse For years, the warehouse represented success. It was tangible proof that I'd built a real business. But it also came with rent, utilities, payroll, equipment, inventory carrying costs, and all the overhead that comes with maintaining a physical space. When it came time to liquidate inventory and close the warehouse, I realized I wasn't just letting go of a building. I was letting go of an identity. The truth is, the warehouse had served its purpose. Holding onto it wasn't helping my business anymore. It was simply expensive. One of the hardest lessons in business is understanding sunk cost. The money has already been spent. The only question left is whether keeping something continues to serve your business today. 4. I Handed Fulfillment to a 3PL Removing personalization, migrating platforms, and closing the warehouse made it possible to move fulfillment to a third-party logistics company. Was I nervous? Absolutely. When you've packed thousands of boxes yourself, handing that responsibility to someone else feels incredibly personal. But I discovered control isn't the same thing as quality. The right fulfillment partner doesn't lower your standards. They help you maintain them while giving you back your time, your energy, and your capacity to grow. Today my business is leaner, more profitable, and far more sustainable because I stopped believing I had to do everything myself. At first glance, these seem like four completely different decisions. But they all came down to one question: Was I making decisions that protected my business or decisions that protected my comfort? Growth often requires letting go of something that worked in order to make room for something that works even better. What's the Hard Decision You're Avoiding? Maybe it's changing platforms. Maybe it's raising prices. Maybe it's removing an expensive product from your box. Maybe it's outsourcing something you've always done yourself. Sometimes the next level of profitability isn't about doing more. It's about finally making the decision you already know needs to be made. Join me in all the places:     Facebook Instagram Launch Your Box with Sarah Website  Are you ready for Launch Your Box? Our complete training program walks you step by step through how to start, launch, and grow your subscription box business. Join the waitlist today!

  2. Jul 22 ·  Bonus

    Selling Out in 24 Hours Using the Waitlist Plan with Luxury Loops

    “When you listen to your mentor, things will work.” - Cathy Schwartz Collecting people, finding your hottest leads, building a foundation for your subscription box launch… It’s all part of the Waitlist Plan I teach inside Launch Your Box. And by following that Waitlist Plan, Cathy Schwartz of Decorator Crafts sold out the launch of her Luxury Loops subscription box in only 24 hours.  Cathy’s subscription box journey started when she learned to make wreaths and work with ribbon as a way to deal with a stressful corporate job. She fell in love with ribbon, particularly high-end, designer ribbon. She soon realized she wasn’t alone in her love for luxury ribbon - there were a LOT of people who wanted to learn how to decorate with high-end ribbon. Soon, Cathy decided to take the passion and knowledge and launch a monthly subscription box. She also started a private Facebook Group where subscribers go to learn how to decorate with their ribbons and build community.  Cathy is a member of Launch Your Box and Scale Your Box. She is a dream student who soaks up the training and implements it in her business. This includes the Waitlist Plan.  The Waitlist Plan is all about consistently driving traffic to your subscription box waitlist. It’s a list of people who have said “Yes, I’m interested in what you’re selling.” They are your warmest leads. A waitlist is not only for your first launch. You need to consistently build your waitlist between launches as well. Just like Cathy does.  Due to the quantities Cathy’s exclusive ribbons are available in, she adds new subscribers in groups of 48. When she recently launched to new subscribers, she of course started with her waitlist. Just like I teach inside Launch Your Box. But, unlike most subscription box owners, Cathy never had to move on to the next phase of her launch. She sold out her launch to her waitlist in only 24 hours!  Cathy had a waitlist of 300 people when it was time to launch. 300 very warm leads. She grew that waitlist - and continues to grow it consistently. Recently, Cathy posted a video of a Christmas Urn project. The response was beyond anything she could have imagined. She gained 6,000 Facebook followers in 72 hours and the video has more than 150,000 views on TikTok. Cathy realized she needed to capture all these people’s emails to bring them into her world. She quickly put together an opt-in for the project and has been busy driving people to her waitlist.  Cathy serves her audience. She teaches them, she engages with them, and she builds excitement and FOMO with the help of her subscribers. She’s doing all the right things, especially when it comes to following the Waitlist Plan.  I’m so proud of all Cathy has accomplished in her business. She now has over 500 subscribers and I know that number will continue to grow.  Join me for this episode and be inspired as Cathy tells us what can happen when you get consistent, follow the plan, and curate an exclusive experience for your subscribers.  Find and follow Cathy:  ⁠Decorator Crafts on Instagram⁠ ⁠Decorator Crafts on Facebook⁠ ⁠Luxury Loops Subscription Box ⁠  ⁠Decorator Crafts Website⁠ Join me in all the places:  ⁠Facebook⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠Launch Your Box with Sarah Website⁠  Are you ready for ⁠Launch Your Box⁠? Our complete training program walks you step by step through how to start, launch, and grow your subscription box business. ⁠Join ⁠today!

  3. Jul 14

    6 Emails to Send Before Your Subscription Box Launch

    You’ve built your audience. You’re showing up consistently, posting on social media, going live, running giveaways, and doing all the things to get more eyes on your business. Your waitlist is growing. It feels like it’s time to launch, right? Not so fast. Rushing straight from building a waitlist to launching your subscription box is one of the biggest mistakes I see new subscription box owners make. The Missing Step in Your Subscription Box Marketing Plan Inside Launch Your Box, I teach a 5-step subscription box marketing plan: Audience building Waitlist growth Pre-launch Launch Retention Most subscription box owners understand the importance of building an audience and growing a waitlist. And they’re definitely focused on launching. But that third step? Pre-launch? It gets skipped far too often. Your pre-launch period is when you turn the people who joined your waitlist into an engaged, excited audience ready to buy when you open the doors. Before someone subscribes, they need to believe two things: You are the right person to help them. People buy from people they know and trust. They need to know your story, understand why you created your subscription box, and feel connected to the person behind the business. Your subscription box solves a problem they actually have. People don’t buy products. They buy solutions. A hobby box might solve the problem of not knowing what supplies to buy or where to find inspiration. A self-care box gives someone permission to slow down. A pet subscription box makes it easy to spoil a much-loved pet. Get clear on the problem your box solves before you start writing your pre-launch emails. Then, over the two to three weeks leading up to your launch, send these six emails. What Happens After? Get these six emails written and scheduled, and you’ll walk into launch day with a warm, ready-to-buy audience instead of a cold list. But your email marketing doesn’t stop when you launch. It simply shifts. Once you have subscribers, your goal changes from convincing people to buy to keeping the people you already have excited, engaged, and looking forward to their next box. That’s why I created a free swipe file with 5 emails you can send to your subscribers every single month. You’ll get email templates for: Monthly unboxings Subscriber shares Five ways to use your box Box sneak peeks Behind-the-scenes content Click HERE  and enter your email address to have the swipe files sent straight to your inbox. Join me for this episode as I walk you through the six emails to send before your subscription box launch, what each email needs to accomplish, and how they work together to build trust, create excitement, and get your audience ready to buy. Join me in all the places:     Facebook Instagram Launch Your Box with Sarah Website  Are you ready for Launch Your Box? Our complete training program walks you step by step through how to start, launch, and grow your subscription box business. Join the waitlist today!

  4. Jul 8 ·  Bonus

    Four Simple Steps To Gain Your First 1000 Facebook Followers

    Starting a Facebook business page from scratch is hard. Even growing an existing page can feel hard. But it’s a critical part of audience building. You create great content your ideal customer will love. And you want your ideal customer - lots of your ideal customers - to see it. That means gaining more followers.  When I started my page, How to Start a Subscription Box, in early 2020. I knew who my ideal customer was. What I didn’t know was how I was going to get them to like my page. I spent six months spinning my wheels and not gaining a ton of followers. At the end of those six months, I took a step back and took a close look at what I was doing. And what I wasn’t doing. Then I came up with an action plan to get to 1000 followers before the end of the year.  Getting to 1000 followers is possible. In this episode, I’m sharing four things you can do to reach - and pass - that 1000 follower mark. I called these “4 Simple Steps to Gain Your First 1000 Facebook Followers.” Nothing I’ve recommended is complicated or difficult. Following these 4 steps helped me reach 1000 followers on my business Facebook page. Continuing to follow them led to reaching - and passing - 10,000 followers in less than two years. Let Facebook work for you!  Join me for this episode where I share a simple, 4-part action plan for gaining your first 1,000 Facebook followers.  Starting an audience from scratch can feel intimidating. It doesn't need to! I created an amazing resource to help you build an audience filled with your ideal customers. Grab it ⁠HERE⁠ for only $10!  Join me in all the places:  ⁠Facebook⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠Launch Your Box with Sarah Website⁠  Are you ready for ⁠Launch Your Box⁠? Our complete training program walks you step by step through how to start, launch, and grow your subscription box business. ⁠Join ⁠today!

  5. Jul 1

    Ask Sarah: Why Is No One Subscribing to My Box?

    A few weeks ago, one of our Launch Your Box members, Leslie, made a post that stopped me in my tracks: she'd been running her subscription box for three years and still had zero subscribers. Zero. I dug into her social media and website, because I knew there had to be a reason — and it wasn't the product. It was the offer. We're Too Close to Our Own Business When you live inside your business every day, you know what you mean — but your customers don't. Landing on Leslie's site, I was immediately confused about her subscription options and pricing. Confusion kills conversions: when people don't understand an offer, they leave. A Great Product Isn't Enough Leslie's tea subscription is genuinely lovely, built around a relaxing customer experience. The product wasn't the problem — clarity was. Her pricing felt more complicated than it needed to be, and there wasn't enough information to help someone picture the experience. Product Pages Don't Sell Experiences A subscription box isn't just a product — it's an experience. People need to picture themselves enjoying what's inside and understand why they'll look forward to it each month. I encouraged Leslie to move beyond a simple product page to a true sales page that tells the story and helps customers connect emotionally. Because people don't buy tea — they buy a quiet morning ritual, a feeling. The Simpler the Offer, the Better The more choices and explanations you force on customers, the harder it is for them to say yes. My advice: simplify, lead with one clear offer, and make it instantly obvious what they're getting and what it costs. What You Can Learn From This If your box isn't converting, don't assume it's the product — look at your offer with fresh eyes: Is my pricing clear? Is my messaging clear? Can someone instantly understand what they're getting? Am I selling products, or an experience? Sometimes the smallest tweaks create the biggest breakthroughs — and for Leslie, a little more clarity will make all the difference. In This Episode: Why confusion kills conversions Product page vs. sales page How lifestyle imagery sells subscription boxes Why simplifying your offer increases sales What to review if you're not getting subscribers Join me for this episode to hear the full coaching session and see how a few simple changes can completely transform the way customers respond to your offer. Where to find Leslie:  The Tea Experience on Facebook The Tea Experience on Instagram The Tea Experience Website Join me in all the places:     Facebook Instagram Launch Your Box with Sarah Website  Are you ready for Launch Your Box? Our complete training program walks you step by step through how to start, launch, and grow your subscription box business. Join the waitlist today!

  6. Jun 24 ·  Bonus

    $0-$100k in 10 Months with The Crafty DIYer

    In this episode, we’re talking with Denise Parkes of The Crafty DIYer. Denise and I know each other well. She’s a member of Launch Your Box, Scale Your Box, and my Elevate Mastermind. As one of my Mastermind Ladies, I get to see Denise in person 3 times a year! Her strength and the story of the last year in her business inspire me and the other members of our Mastermind. It will inspire you, too.  Denise is an artist and a crafter. She is passionate about teaching others to enjoy crafting. Denise serves mainly women over the age of 60 and, by going LIVE six days a week for a long time, had built up a devoted following.  When Denise learned about me and my annual Subscription Box Week, she joined right away. During that week, Denise got to know me and my teaching style as well as what she could expect inside Launch Your Box. Denise was convinced a subscription box was the right next step for her. She actually launched during Subscription Box Week (remember she already had a large audience) and got 120 subscribers!  Denise’s subscription box grew quickly and soon she needed to rent warehouse space to handle inventory and fulfillment. But all was not well inside Denise’s business. Denise and her business reside in Canada where shipping costs are prohibitive. She simply couldn’t afford to ship to her largely US based subscribers, or even those in her own country. Shipping costs were eating up all of her profits.  Denise was also dealing with health issues and found herself stressed and unhappy. Her business in its current form was no longer serving her. She knew she still needed to make an income, but couldn’t go on as she was.   But Denise is someone who gets back up and figures things out. And during our September 2023 Mastermind Retreat, she did just that. There is power in being in a room with other smart, like-minded businesswomen who want the best for you.  Denise realized the way forward was with printables – no shipping required! She’d had a super successful printable lead magnet in place to grow her list and further proved the viability of her idea by selling one-off printables. When she was able to get out of her warehouse lease, Denise felt able to start from scratch again… even though doing so was scary.  Starting from scratch for Denise meant “doing everything Sarah teaches.”  Building her list Driving traffic to her website Putting effective lead magnets out there  The Digital Print Clubhouse launch was a big success – 150 subscribers big. And it has continued to grow. Denise now has more than 400 subscribers and celebrated hitting 6-figures only 10 months after making this major pivot.  So what’s different now?  Less stress More joy  Nothing to pack and ship More time and energy to create  Denise talks about the importance of being around women who support and understand her – like the ones found inside Launch Your Box. She also reminds us of the importance of not worrying about what anyone else thinks and resisting the urge to compare yourself to anyone else.  Pivoting was necessary for Denise’s business to survive. And now she’s not only surviving, she’s thriving… and celebrating hitting six-figures in less than a year!  Join me for this episode as Denise and I talk about realizing when it's time to pivot, working through the fear, and coming out stronger… oh, and reaching six-figures in revenue in less than a year!  Find and follow Denise:  ⁠Crafty DIYer on Facebook⁠  ⁠Crafty DIYer on Instagram⁠ ⁠Crafty DIYer Website⁠ Join me in all the places:   ⁠Facebook⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠Launch Your Box with Sarah Website⁠  Are you ready for ⁠Launch Your Box⁠? Our complete training program walks you step by step through how to start, launch, and grow your subscription box business. ⁠Join the waitlist ⁠today!

  7. Jun 17 ·  Bonus

    7 Steps to Turn Your Product Business Into a Subscription in 90 Days

    In this episode of the Launch Your Box Podcast, I’m walking you through the 7-step roadmap to turn your product-based business into a subscription in 90 days or less. These are the same steps I used when I launched my first subscription. And the same steps I teach inside Launch Your Box. Step 1: Simplify Your Subscription Box Tech You need: A way to sell online A way to collect recurring payments That’s it. Step 2: Choose What Goes in Your Subscription Box Start with what your customers already love. What are your top 3-4 best-selling items or categories? Those best sellers are the perfect foundation for your subscription. Think scalable, repeatable, and easy to ship.  Always ask yourself: Can I source this monthly? Will it ship well? Does it deliver high perceived value? Step 3: Price It Before You Plan It Don’t plan your box and then figure out what to charge. Instead, set your price first, then curate around that number. Use your average order value as a guide. Keep an eye on your profit every step of the way.  Step 4: Map Out 6 Months of Boxes Want to feel ahead in your business? Plan six months of boxes now. You don’t need every detail figured out. Just sketch out your themes or categories using customer behavior patterns and seasonal trends. For help doing this in just one hour, take my FREE⁠ 6 in 60 Workshop⁠. Step 5: Choose (and Commit to) Your Subscription Box Launch Date Mark your launch date on the calendar. Ideally, 45–60 days out. That becomes your anchor point. It tells you when to: Finalize tech Order product Build your waitlist Start marketing Tell someone your date. Accountability works. Step 6: Build a Waitlist + Create Launch Momentum Your waitlist isn’t just a place to collect emails. It’s your launch engine. Build a simple opt-in page that shares: Who your box is for What’s inside Why it’s special Then nurture that list with weekly updates. Even a small waitlist can convert like crazy when you keep them engaged. Step 7: Prep, Test, and Launch Test your tech. Write your emails. Plan your social content. Then go LIVE and get that first box out into the world. Take Action You already have a business. You already have customers. Now it’s time to turn that into a recurring revenue stream you can count on. You’ve got the plan. Now go launch the dang thing. Want to turn your product business into recurring revenue? This episode gives you the action plan. Start listening now. Join me in all the places:     ⁠Facebook⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠Launch Your Box with Sarah Website⁠  Are you ready for ⁠Launch Your Box⁠? Our complete training program walks you step by step through how to start, launch, and grow your subscription box business. ⁠Join the waitlist ⁠today!

  8. Jun 10 ·  Bonus

    7 Ways to Market Your Subscription Box Cost Effectively

    Do you think growing your subscription means spending tons of money on ads? It doesn’t need to be that way! There are so many low and even no-cost ways to market and grow your subscription box business.   The bottom line? You can’t rely on just one marketing channel or strategy. You need to build a multi-channel marketing plan, layering one type of marketing on top of another. Don’t worry - building this plan doesn’t have to be time-consuming or costly.  I’m sharing seven cost-effective ways to market your subscription box business. But I don’t want you to try to implement all of them at the same time! If you’re just getting started, choose one, get consistent with it and then layer on another. If you’re already doing one or more of these, choose another one to add to your marketing plan.   Leverage social media.  These accounts are FREE.  Figure out where your ideal customer is and start there.  Have FUN with it. Get social - serve and engage with your audience.  Partner with micro-influencers in your space.  Offering affiliate commissions is super cost-effective - you don’t pay them unless they sell something for you.  Influencer or affiliate marketing.  Very inexpensive.  Still a very effective way to reach your audience.  How will you get people onto your email list?  How will you market to them once they’re on your list?  Email marketing.  Create valuable content to attract your ideal person.  Blogs, videos, eBooks, etc.  Content marketing. Word of mouth is so powerful!  Customer reviews. Where does your ideal customer go? Farmers Markets, expos, shopping events, etc.  In person events.  It’s not about the stuff - it’s about the people.  A strong community creates raving fans - the kind that market your subscription for you! Build an online community.  Take one of these ideas and build it into your routine. Get comfortable and consistent with it. Then layer in another strategy. Continue to grow your audience, reach more of the right people, and ultimately gain new subscribers.  You can’t rely on one marketing channel or strategy. And you don’t need to spend a lot of money on ads to market effectively. Join me for this episode as I take you through seven cost-effective ways to market your subscription box.    Join me in all the places:  ⁠Facebook⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠Launch Your Box with Sarah Website⁠  Are you ready for ⁠ Launch Your Box⁠? Our complete training program walks you step by step through how to start, launch, and grow your subscription box business. ⁠ Join the waitlist⁠ today!

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About

8 years ago I had a dream to start a Subscription Box service full of goodies for women to treat themselves and nurture the importance of self care. It took me a full 18 months to make it happen! I was paralyzed by ‘all the things’ I had to figure out with no one to turn to for guidance. That is why I created Launch Your Box! Maybe you need some direction on how to begin, or you are ready to grow your subscriber base. Either way, it all starts with an idea that can turn into a constant reoccurring revenue, a raving fan base, and a business to love. I will help you... Take your first steps and know where to start. Figuring out the logistics: packing, shipping, boxes, oh my! Learn how to launch, from idea to sales. Scale that box to the next level, go big or go home!

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