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

Sarah Williams

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. 1d ago

    300 New Subscribers in 3.5 Days....Inside Sarah's Launch

    What happens when you take the same launch plan you’ve used year after year and just keep getting better at it? A few weeks ago, I launched Tees 4 Teachers, one of my three subscriptions. I started the launch with 203 subscribers. Three and a half days later, I had 500 and we were completely sold out almost two days earlier than planned. This was the biggest Tees 4 Teachers has ever been since I started it in 2020. And the best part? I didn’t create some brand-new launch strategy to make it happen. I followed the same launch plan I’ve been following for years. The same one I teach inside Launch Your Box. Join me for this episode as I take you behind the scenes of the Tees for Teachers launch that added nearly 300 subscribers in just three and a half days. I’m breaking down exactly what I did, from the emails and ads to the LIVEs and the simple creative that drove most of the sales. And I’ll share the biggest lessons I’m taking into my next launch so you can use them in yours, too.  I started Tees 4 Teachers in January 2020 after realizing how many teachers were already part of my audience. They loved my other subscriptions and kept asking for shirts specifically for teachers, so I created something just for them. Over the years, Tees 4 Teachers became what I called my “baby subscription.” I loved it, but because I had other, larger offers, it didn’t always get much of my attention. Eventually, I settled into launching it every July. I went into this year's launch hoping to add another 200 subscribers. I ordered 300 bonus bracelet stacks just in case we did a little better than expected. It turned out I needed every one of them. One thing I do consistently is start building momentum the night before the official launch. I turned my ads on around 5 or 6 p.m. so they could start warming up in the algorithm overnight. I also sent the first email letting people know we were opening to the public the next day and giving them a chance to jump in early and grab the bonus. That email brought in 17 subscribers before the public launch even started. Then we were off. I had planned a six-day launch, but I moved my next LIVE up because I knew we weren't going to make it that long. The six-day launch was over in three and a half days. I spent more on ads during this launch because I knew I had a very short window. I was spending roughly $1,200–$1,300 per day and running nine different creatives across four audiences. Two ads stood out and the biggest winner was incredibly simple. If there's one thing I want you to take from those ads, it's this: show people behind the scenes. They want to see what you're doing. The biggest lift from email came from the announcement email. And that email wasn't complicated. It clearly told people what the offer was, what they would get, the timeline, and how to join. That's it. I sent that first announcement email to my entire list, even though I knew everyone on my list wasn't a teacher. After that, I narrowed the audience. The remaining launch emails went specifically to the teacher segment I'd built over time from previous subscribers, teacher giveaways, teacher-specific opt-ins, and other ways people had identified themselves as teachers. That allowed me to keep talking about the offer without burning out the rest of my list. There are a few things I want you to think about when it comes to your own launches. Repeat what works. Segmenting your email list matters. Give your ads enough creative to work with. Start building momentum before launch day. Here's the part I really want you to hear: none of this was built from scratch for this launch. That's what makes a repeatable launch so powerful. Every time you do it, you have more information. You know more about your audience. You know what worked last time and what you want to change. Inside Launch Your Box, the launch module gives you the same plan I use. The email templates, social media plan, live schedule, and everything you need to put your own launch together. I've used this process over and over again, and thousands of Launch Your Box members have used it, too. So whether you have an offer you launch annually, twice a year, or quarterly, stop thinking you need to create something new every time. Build a process you can repeat. Then keep getting better at it. 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. Aug 12

    She Doubled Her Subscribers, Added Extra Revenue, and Finally Paid Herself

    One of my favorite parts of coaching subscription box owners is getting to see what happens after they put a plan into action. Earlier this year, I sat down with Launch Your Box member Beth from Small Home Comforts Book Box for a special “Ask Sarah” episode of this podcast. At the time, she was navigating one of the biggest challenges quarterly subscription box owners face - growing her business while managing cash flow. Eight months later, Beth is back to share what's happened since our first conversation. And there's a lot to celebrate. The Two Goals Beth Set at the Beginning of the Year When Beth first joined me on the podcast, she had 48 subscribers and two clear goals: Reach 100 subscribers by the end of the third quarter. Start paying herself from the business instead of putting every dollar back into inventory. Like many subscription box owners, Beth knew growth was a good problem to have, but it also created cash flow challenges. Every new subscriber meant ordering more inventory, leaving little room to take a paycheck. So we talked through a few strategies that could help. Adding New Revenue Between Quarterly Boxes One of the ideas Beth decided to implement was creating additional offers between her quarterly subscription boxes. Rather than changing her subscription model, she added seasonal, limited-time offers throughout the year. She also continues to offer a year-round "Settle In With a Story" purchase in her shop. These smaller launches give her customers something exciting between subscription shipments while creating additional revenue throughout the year without competing with her core subscription. The results? Her Valentine's collection sold out in just a few days, and her Summer Reading collection nearly doubled in size, with only two boxes left by the end of the launch. The Waitlist Strategy That Changed Everything Instead of trying to sell subscriptions all year long, she consistently directed interested customers to her waitlist and built excitement leading up to each launch. When launch time arrived, she followed the Launch Your Box launch plan, including opening the waitlist the night before launch. Her initial inventory sold out in just 18 hours. She reordered. That inventory sold out too. Then, after a YouTube creator featured her box, she reordered again and sold through another round of inventory. Reaching Her Goals Ahead of Schedule Beth's original goal was to reach 100 subscribers by the end of the third quarter. Instead, she hit that milestone during the first week of April. Six months ahead of schedule. Today, her subscription sits at around 117 subscribers and she's intentionally slowing her growth rather than continuing to add subscribers as quickly as possible. Even better? She reached her second goal, too. By the two-year anniversary of her business, Beth was able to start paying herself while continuing to grow in a sustainable way. Now that she's reached both of her goals, Beth isn't focused on growing as quickly as possible. Instead, she's intentionally maintaining around 100–120 subscribers, filling any openings from her waitlist, and continuing to supplement her subscription revenue with seasonal offers throughout the year. It's a great reminder that you don't have to grow at someone else's pace. You get to decide what growth looks like for your business. For Beth, success isn't about growing as fast as possible. It's about building a business that supports the life she wants to live. Join me for this episode as Beth shares exactly what happened after our first interview - from reaching 100 subscribers six months ahead of schedule to creating better cash flow, paying herself, and growing her business on her own terms.  Where to find Beth:  Small Home Comforts on Facebook Small Home Comforts on Instagram Small Home Comforts 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!

  3. Aug 5 ·  Bonus

    10 Truth Bombs to Understand About Your Subscription Box Business

    Have you been struggling with your business this year? Maybe you’re not reaching your revenue goals or you haven’t launched that new idea, product, or subscription box yet. Many times, our businesses need one little tweak - a change in process, strategy, or just mindset - to change everything.  In this episode, I’m sharing 10 truth bombs that will have you looking at your business differently. Take the time to sit with and think about each of these to see how they might apply to you and your business.  20% of your customer base generates 80% of your revenue!  Protect your peace and energy at all costs.  Fad marketing strategies are like fad diets. They will not last.  Companies that have heavily relied on paid traffic only will shift to more organic traffic.  Systems and processes will serve you.  Revenue does not mean profit.  Cheap is not creating value.  It’s more profitable to retain your subscribers than to constantly acquire new ones.  What gets you started may not get you to scale.  If you don’t challenge yourself, you won’t change yourself.  We focused all of the training this year inside Launch Your Box on these 10 things. I’m here to help you understand these 10 things and make progress with each of them.  Remember, you are on a subscription box journey. This journey never ends. It’s always a work in progress. Just keep making progress!  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!

  4. Jul 29

    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!

  5. 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!

  6. 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!

  7. 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!

  8. 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!

5
out of 5
161 Ratings

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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