Episodes
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The Proof to Product team is practicing what we preach and we are going on summer break for the next two weeks! We will be back in your ears soon and we are so excited about our upcoming episodes!
In the meantime, we are gearing up for another round of our Paper Camp program which will start soon. We only run Paper Camp twice a year, so if you are wanting to learn how to start with wholesale, click here to join the waitlist (we sell out every time!). Have a great week and we'll see you soon!
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Today's episode is a short excerpt from a previous conversation I had with one of our amazing Paper Camp students.
I really love using this podcast to spotlight the incredible things that our students are doing because there is so much value in hearing how other product brands are navigating wholesale in real time.
These episodes are also a great reminder that there is no singular path to success when it comes to selling wholesale.
You get to decide what works best for you and your brand.
Today you're getting an inside look at how one brand does things which will surely spark ideas for you.
You can listen to the full episode with Lauren te Velde of Paper Farm Press here: http://prooftoproduct.com/311
Quick Links:
Free Wholesale Audio Series
Free Resources Library
Free Email Marketing for Product Makers
PTP LABS
Paper Camp
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Missing episodes?
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This week I'm sitting down with returning guest Audrey Woollen of Urbanic and we're talking about navigating a huge business transition.
About a year ago, Audrey decided to close her retail shop and we'll talk about that today. Audrey opens up about the difficult decision it was to close after being open for nearly two decades.
We talk about the challenges and emotions of stepping away from something that you've built from the ground up.
We talk about hustle culture ane the process of rediscovering creativity and purpose outside of traditional business models.
We also talk about what she does and does not miss about running an in-person store, the pressures of being responsible for a large payroll, and the power of pausing to reflect on what you really want in both life and business.
Friends, if you are grappling with any sort of change, if you're feeling stuck or questioning your next move, then I really feel like this episode is kind of a permission slip to follow your intuition and to honor your evolving needs and really kind of just explore what's possible when you give yourself the space to grow.
This episode is brought to you by our Proof to Product LABS coaching program. We are doing something new coming up in LABS in July, it’s called CEO Week.
We're going to help you lock in your focus for Q3 and give you the steps you need to take immediate action on things that really have been requiring your attention for a while. We're going to push your business to the next level and we’d love to have you join us. We start in mid-July!
REQUEST YOUR INVITATION
You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/447
Quick Links:
Free Wholesale Audio Series
Free Resources Library
Free Email Marketing for Product Makers
PTP LABS
Paper Camp
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One pattern I've noticed time and time again after working with thousands of product brands across lots of different categories, is that while our products might be different or our tools and platforms might change, all of our core business foundations and fundamentals are not changing.
And that's exactly why I wanted to share this short clip from the archive, something that I think is worth revisiting because the takeaways still hold true today.
Maybe listening will spark an idea or help you take action on a decision that you've been sitting on. Really, the goal here is to help you take your next intentional step in business. That's what I want for you.
Enjoy this clip!
You can listen to the full episode with Skye Waterson of Unconventional Organisation here: http://prooftoproduct.com/396
Quick Links:
Free Wholesale Audio Series
Free Resources Library
Free Email Marketing for Product Makers
PTP LABS
Paper Camp
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Today's episode is a really practical conversation for anyone that is preparing for wholesale trade shows, especially if you're newer to exhibiting or you're trying to decide whether trade shows are the right next step for your business. I'm joined by Karen Sawyer-Meehan of Pier Six Press.
She is a longtime Proof to Product client, a seasoned trade show exhibitor, and also one of the co-chairs of the Noted trade show which is done through the Greeting Card Association.
In this episode, we're talking about what actually makes a booth stand out on the show floor, why product cohesion matters more than having a huge product line, how buyers are making snap decisions as they walk the aisles of a trade show, and why your trade show booth needs to communicate your brand point of view within seconds.
We also talk about booth setup, product placement, trade show etiquette, and how to make the most of those in person conversations without feeling like you're coming across as pushy or awkward. We also talk about how having a positive mindset when exhibiting at trade shows is absolutely critical.
There's a lot of tactical advice here packed into this episode, but also a lot of perspective around what it takes to build wholesale relationships over time and how trade shows are just one step in that journey.
It's an optional step, but it is one step that a lot of folks are taking and seeing success from.
Whether you're actively preparing for a show right now or starting to think about whether wholesale trade shows are for your future, I think you're going to get a lot from this conversation with Karen.
Today's episode is brought to you by our Is Wholesale Right for You private podcast! This free 12-part audio series will help you decide whether wholesale is a good next step for your specific business. After listening to this audio series (in less than an hour), two things will be true. You'll know whether you want to pursue wholesale for your product business, and you'll have the confidence and action steps to get started with wholesale. Sign up for the private podcast today!
SIGN UP
You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/446
Quick Links:
Free Wholesale Audio Series
Free Resources Library
Free Email Marketing for Product Makers
PTP LABS
Paper Camp
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I know you have a lot on your plate right now. You've got products to make, orders to ship, and about a hundred decisions that you're making every day.
I do not take it lightly that you are spending time with me today and I want to thank you for being here.
Today's episode is a short, focused, throwback episode designed to give you one thing that you can do today to move your business forward.
No fluff, no filler, just ideas that we've shared in the past that will benefit you today.
Let's dive in!
You can listen to the full episode here: http://prooftoproduct.com/281
Quick Links:
Free Wholesale Audio Series
Free Resources Library
Free Email Marketing for Product Makers
PTP LABS
Paper Camp
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Today I'm joined by my friend Kimberley Yurkiewicz, owner of Measure Twice, an independent gift shop in Brooklyn, New York.
Kimberley has worn a lot of hats in the consumer gift industry. Over the years, she worked retail managing large gift shops. She had a successful career as a sales rep. She worked closely with brands behind the scenes, mentoring them as they made decisions about their product line and pricing and more. And for the last seven years, she's owned and operated her successful brick and mortar shop Measure Twice, alongside her husband.
Last time we had Kimberley on the podcast was 2024, so it has been a minute. In this episode, we are catching up about buying patterns, rising product costs, what brands are getting right and wrong when pitching stores, and why industry standards still matter.
As wholesale sales strategies continue to evolve, we also get into a really important conversation about pricing.
If you have been nervous about raising your wholesale prices, Kimberley shares some incredibly honest perspective from the retailer side that I think will be reassuring for a lot of you to hear.
Towards the end of the episode, we also talk about what independent retailers are craving right now, specifically what she is craving.
Products with personality, points of view and brands that aren't afraid to stand out in the marketplace. It was really great catching up with Kimberley and having this candid but fun conversation about her shop, the state of the industry, and more.
Today's episode is brought to you by our Is Wholesale Right for You private podcast! This free 12-part audio series will help you decide whether wholesale is a good next step for your specific business. After listening to this audio series (in less than an hour), two things will be true. You'll know whether you want to pursue wholesale for your product business, and you'll have the confidence and action steps to get started with wholesale. Sign up for the private podcast today!
SIGN UP
You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/445
Quick Links:
Free Wholesale Audio Series
Free Resources Library
Free Email Marketing for Product Makers
PTP LABS
Paper Camp
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Over the years, we've had hundreds of conversations on this podcast about what it means to build a sustainable, profitable product brand. And some of those conversations are just too juicy. They're too good to live in the archives.
Today, I'm bringing one back. What you're about to hear is a short clip from a past episode. It's a topic that has stuck with me and still feels very relevant today.
These throwback episodes are intentionally short and to the point because sometimes you don't need a full deep dive.
All right, let's dive in.
You can listen to the full episode with Monica Sharma-Patnekar of Business with Monica
here: http://prooftoproduct.com/283
Quick Links:
Free Wholesale Audio Series
Free Resources Library
Free Email Marketing for Product Makers
PTP LABS
Paper Camp
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Today I am joined by best selling author Austin Kleon, the author of Steal like an Artist, Show Your Work, Keep Going, and his newest book, Don't Call It Art.
This conversation feels timely because I've been hearing from so many people lately who are just feeling creatively exhausted. They've built businesses around something that they once loved making, but somewhere along the way the creativity started to be replaced by running the business.
Those production schedules, the marketing plans, inventory, emails. All the things, right? Austin and I talk about that tension that a lot of people feel in this episode. How easy it is to lose the playfulness and the curiosity that got us into business in the first place.
We talk about the pressure to always be professional, the fear of looking stupid or not knowing everything, and why staying curious actually matters so much as we grow our businesses and ourselves as creative leaders.
We also talk about creating like children do. Experimenting, playing, making bad art on purpose, working with your hands, getting outside, taking walks, journaling.
There's a really interesting conversation here about how creativity doesn't always come from sitting and thinking harder.
Sometimes it comes from movement, from changing your environment, from using your hands or stepping away long enough for your brain to reconnect the dots in the background.
Today’s episode is brought to you by our Proof to Product resource library. It’s where you can get your hands on our free resources to help you start, streamline and scale your business in your own way and at your own pace.
GET FREE ACCESS
You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/444
Quick Links:
Free Wholesale Audio Series
Free Resources Library
Free Email Marketing for Product Makers
PTP LABS
Paper Camp
This episode contains affiliate links. You can view our affiliate disclaimer here.
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One pattern I've noticed time and time again after working with thousands of product brands across lots of different categories, is that while our products might be different or our tools and platforms might change, all of our core business foundations and fundamentals are not changing.
And that's exactly why I wanted to share this short clip from the archive, something that I think is worth revisiting because the takeaways still hold true today.
Maybe listening will spark an idea or help you take action on a decision that you've been sitting on. Really, the goal here is to help you take your next intentional step in business. That's what I want for you.
Enjoy this clip!
You can listen to the full episode with Biff Ulm of Nice Enough Stickers here: http://prooftoproduct.com/361
Quick Links:
Free Wholesale Audio Series
Free Resources Library
Free Email Marketing for Product Makers
PTP LABS
Paper Camp
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Hey, friend. I'm pulling an amazing episode from the archives with over 440 episodes here on the Proof to Product podcast.
There is a gold mine of information for you to help you grow your business, and, frankly, it can be hard to take it all in.
Today's episode is a look back at a solo episode about how to increase your product profit margins. This episode is important now more than ever with inflation and rising prices of practically every good out there.
I will walk you through everything that you need to know about profit margins from a micro-level. As a business owner, you'll want to observe the profit margins for many reasons but it can be especially important when it comes to knowing what sells, what should be discontinued and to help fuel your strategic decision-making.
You can view full show notes and more at https://www.prooftoproduct.com/podcast-episodes/4-ways-to-increase-your-product-profit-margins-with-katie-hunt
Quick Links:
Free Wholesale Audio Series
Free Resources Library
Free Email Marketing for Product Makers
PTP LABS
Paper Camp
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One pattern I've noticed time and time again after working with thousands of product brands across lots of different categories, is that while our products might be different or our tools and platforms might change, all of our core business foundations and fundamentals are not changing.
And that's exactly why I wanted to share this short clip from the archive, something that I think is worth revisiting because the takeaways still hold true today.
Maybe listening will spark an idea or help you take action on a decision that you've been sitting on. Really, the goal here is to help you take your next intentional step in business. That's what I want for you.
Enjoy this clip!
You can listen to the full episode with here: http://prooftoproduct.com/284
Quick Links:
Free Wholesale Audio Series
Free Resources Library
Free Email Marketing for Product Makers
PTP LABS
Paper Camp
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Today we are diving into a topic that I know makes some of you really uncomfortable, but I need you to lean in and listen because this conversation is not only timely, but it is necessary. And honestly, it may save your business.
We're talking about raising your prices. Now, before you convince yourself that this does not apply to you, I want to share a story that I came across from a restaurant owner. Yes, I know, totally outside of our industry, but it's worth sharing.
If you are tired of working in a silo, making all of the daily decisions in your business alone, then come join our community of product creators and sellers in LABS. You'll not only gain access to a generous group of people who are making and selling a very wide range of products, but you'll also gain access to trainings, email templates for things like raising your prices, and monthly coaching calls with me.
Plus, we're rolling out some new incredible features soon that are going to make it even easier for you to implement all the new ideas that you're gathering in the community.
REQUEST YOUR INVITATION
You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/443
Quick Links:
Free Wholesale Audio Series
Free Resources Library
Free Email Marketing for Product Makers
PTP LABS
Paper Camp
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Over the years, we've had hundreds of conversations on this podcast about what it means to build a sustainable, profitable product brand and some of those conversations are just too juicy.
They're too good to live in the archives. So today, I'm bringing one back.
What you're about to hear is a short clip from a past episode. It's a topic that has stuck with me and still feels very relevant today.
You can listen to the full episode with Ashley Sutton of Hustle & Hope here: http://prooftoproduct.com/374
Quick Links:
Free Wholesale Audio Series
Free Resources Library
Free Email Marketing for Product Makers
PTP LABS
Paper Camp
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Today's episode is pulled directly from a case study that I wrote and shared inside of our LABS community.
The case study is about email segmentation. This is a really good example of the kinds of conversations we're having inside of LABS every single day.
We of course talk about sales strategies, cash flow, and marketing systems, but we're also looking at real world examples from brands within our industry as well as outside our industry.
We're asking ourselves, what's working? Why does this work? And most importantly, how can we apply this to our own businesses and our own industry?
Today’s episode is brought to you by our Proof to Product LABS coaching program. This is a coaching program specifically built for product-based business owners, with members from across industries and across the globe. We have member-only events inside of LABS, so request your invitation to join below!
REQUEST YOUR INVITATION
You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/442
Quick Links:
Free Wholesale Audio Series
Free Resources Library
Free Email Marketing for Product Makers
PTP LABS
Paper Camp
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One pattern I've noticed time and time again after working with thousands of product brands across lots of different categories, is that while our products might be different or our tools and platforms might change, all of our core business foundations and fundamentals are not changing.
And that's exactly why I wanted to share this short clip from the archive, something that I think is worth revisiting because the takeaways still hold true today.
Maybe listening will spark an idea or help you take action on a decision that you've been sitting on. Really, the goal here is to help you take your next intentional step in business. That's what I want for you.
Enjoy this clip!
You can listen to the full episode with Brittany O’Brien of Brittany Paige here: http://prooftoproduct.com/334
Quick Links:
Free Wholesale Audio Series
Free Resources Library
Free Email Marketing for Product Makers
PTP LABS
Paper Camp
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This week on the podcast, I'm joined by Daniel Lachman, founder of Justice for Artists.
Daniel is an artist and a longtime Etsy seller who has dealt with his fair share of creative work being copied, and instead of just being frustrated by it, he has built an entire platform to help other creatives protect what they've created.
During the episode, we get into the realities of art theft in today's digital world. We talk about the difference between counterfeits and knockoffs and why this matters more than you think.
We also talk about what protections you actually have as a product based business owner and how to start taking action if your work is being copied.
We also dig into copyright, what that really means, when it's worth it and what happens if you decide to enforce your copyright rights.
If protecting your designs, your products and your brand has been sitting in the back of your mind, or maybe you've had some other company steal your art, this is a conversation worth paying attention to.
Daniel created a step by step tutorial showing exactly how to apply for a copyright. This is a video tutorial and we've made that available inside of our LABS community for our members.
If you're not in LABS, this is exactly the kind of support we offer inside the community. Real tools, expert guidance and resources to help you run a stronger, more protected business. You can learn more and join us at prooftoproduct.com/labs.
You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/441
Quick Links:
Free Wholesale Audio Series
Free Resources Library
Free Email Marketing for Product Makers
PTP LABS
Paper Camp
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One pattern I've noticed time and time again after working with thousands of product brands across lots of different categories, is that while our products might be different or our tools and platforms might change, all of our core business foundations and fundamentals are not changing.
And that's exactly why I wanted to share this short clip from the archive, something that I think is worth revisiting because the takeaways still hold true today.
Maybe listening will spark an idea or help you take action on a decision that you've been sitting on. Really, the goal here is to help you take your next intentional step in business. That's what I want for you.
Enjoy this clip!
You can listen to the full episode with Lana Effron of Lana's Shop here: http://prooftoproduct.com/280
Quick Links:
Free Wholesale Audio Series
Free Resources Library
Free Email Marketing for Product Makers
PTP LABS
Paper Camp
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Today's episode is for anyone who has been feeling stuck lately, overthinking decisions, second guessing yourself, or just not taking action the way you want to be taking action.
If I'm being honest, this is something that I'm seeing more and more right now. The world feels heavy, things feel uncertain, the economy is soft, and that's causing a lot of business owners to hesitate, not move at all, or to second guess themselves.
That's exactly why I wanted to bring back today's guest Tammie Bennett and we are talking about what it really looks like to get unstuck to trust yourself again and to start taking action even when things feel messy or unclear. Tammie was previously a guest on the podcast back in episode 207 and episode 344.
During our conversation, we're digging into why overthinking is actually keeping you stuck, how to build your decision making muscle, and why you don't need a full plan, you just need the next step.
Today’s episode is brought to you by our Proof to Product LABS coaching program. Tammie will be joining us for a special “Unstuck Session” where she will help you gain clarity, build confidence, and strengthen your decision making muscle. She's not going to make the decisions for you, but she will help you figure out your next best step. If you're interested in this or in any other programming we have going on in LABs, join us!
REQUEST YOUR INVITATION
You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/440
Quick Links:
Free Wholesale Audio Series
Free Resources Library
Free Email Marketing for Product Makers
PTP LABS
Paper Camp
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One pattern I've noticed time and time again after working with thousands of product brands across lots of different categories, is that while our products might be different or our tools and platforms might change, all of our core business foundations and fundamentals are not changing.
And that's exactly why I wanted to share this short clip from the archive, something that I think is worth revisiting because the takeaways still hold true today.
Maybe listening will spark an idea or help you take action on a decision that you've been sitting on. Really, the goal here is to help you take your next intentional step in business. That's what I want for you.
Enjoy this clip!
You can listen to the full episode with Jessica Totillo Coster of eCommerce Badassery here: http://prooftoproduct.com/394
Quick Links:
Free Wholesale Audio Series
Free Resources Library
Free Email Marketing for Product Makers
PTP LABS
Paper Camp
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