Proof to Product

This week's podcast topic has been highly requested, and so I'm happy to bring it to you today. I invited Skye Watterson who is an ADHD strategist, coach, and the founder of Unconventional Organisation. She helps business owners stay focused, build consistent revenue, and scale without feeling burnt out.  Skye was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, and it completely changed her entire approach to her career, and, eventually, it inspired her to help other entrepreneurs who are having similar challenges.  During our conversation, Skye breaks down common challenges that people with ADHD have, things like issues with focus and task initiation, prioritization, and burnout.  She explains how she uses neuroscience-backed systems to move her clients from feeling overwhelmed and scattered to feeling focused and empowered. We also dig into practical strategies for cutting through mental clutter, effective prioritization for when everything feels urgent, and Skye shares her realistic approach to motivation and dopamine management. 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/396  Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp  

I have something super special for you this week. We are opening preregistration for the 46th round of Paper Camp. But guess what? You're going to have to act fast because pre-registration will close this Friday, May 23.  If you pre-register today, you are going to get early access to module one, you will have the option to stretch out your payments over five months if you register this week.  Extended payment plans will not be available when we open registration in August. If you want to pay over time, you will want to register this week. This is a program that has sold out for 45 straight rounds, so if you’ve had Paper Camp on your wishlist, now may be the time to consider joining us! 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.  PRE-ENROLL IN PAPER CAMP NOW Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp  

We are back with part two of my conversation with Jessica Totillo Coster, covering the State of the Product Industry survey. You can listen to part 1 by heading to prooftoproduct.com/394.  During part two of my interview with Jessica, we cover how product-based businesses are making money in their businesses, including the percentages of those that are selling wholesale vs retail vs licensing. We talk about how many revenue streams product business owners have, their gross revenue versus net revenue, what people are actually paying themselves, and the importance of paying yourself. Friends, if you are not paying yourself, you should. We have a podcast episode that helps you figure out how to start paying yourself.  We also discuss Jessica and I's thoughts on burnout in the industry, just generally as a whole, but also how to handle balancing real-life struggles while running a business.  I really appreciate Jessica taking the time to sit down with me to talk through this. She was a huge help as I was crunching the data and assessing the numbers. I do think this survey and the data will help all of us grow stronger businesses together. You can get the full results of the survey at prooftoproduct.com/2025survey. 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/395  Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp  

I’m loving all the feedback that we're getting about the State of the Product Industry survey. Last week, we released two podcast episodes. One was an overview of what the report was saying, what the different stats were, and then the second episode I covered 10 opportunities that all of you should be harnessing as we continue into 2025.  Because we got such great feedback, we're going to keep this going. I asked Jessica Totillo Coster to come and analyze the survey data with me. Jessica has been on the podcast several times in the past (episode 195 & episode 319). If you're new to her, she's an e-commerce and email marketing strategist specifically for boutique owners and product entrepreneurs. She and I share a lot of the same values when it comes to building product brands, so I'm really happy that we were able to have this conversation and dissect some more of the survey data.  If you want the full report, head to prooftoproduct.com/2025survey.  We talked for a long time, so we had to split this into two parts. Today's episode is part one where we discuss the correlation between having a large number of skews to overall sales revenue, the shocking statistics of business owners who don't have their own website, Jessica's thoughts on how product based business owners are using or not using email marketing as part of their overall marketing strategy, and also why it's important to have your own email list, which email marketing platforms are best for product sellers.  They drive the most revenue, and if you're not using email marketing, you need to be. Part two of our conversation will be up on Thursday this week, so tune in to that because we are diving into the financials of product-based businesses, and it's pretty fascinating. 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/394  Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp  

Explore the intriguing insights gathered from 400 product-based business owners about income, profits, and marketing strategies. Discover 10 key opportunities for growth in the industry, emphasizing the importance of community support and education. The conversation highlights financial milestones and profit margins as essential factors for success in entrepreneurship. Plus, learn about an exciting upcoming coffee chat with Emily Ley, sharing her experience in scaling her business!

Discover the latest insights from a comprehensive survey on the product industry. Rising costs and tariff changes are reshaping how brands operate. Delve into trends impacting revenue and team dynamics, as well as shifting consumer behaviors. The discussion highlights the necessity for businesses to pivot and adapt strategies in this fast-evolving landscape. With key data and real-world examples, this conversation offers valuable guidance for navigating current challenges and seizing future opportunities.

Do you have excess inventory that you have no idea how to move? On today's podcast, we have Melodie van der Baan, cofounder of Max Retail. It's a platform designed to help independent retailers and brands easily sell their excess inventory online.  During our conversation, Melodie shares how she started out as a sales rep, and then how she owned her own retail store in Palm Beach and how the challenges she faced with unsold inventory inspired the creation of Max Retail. She shares how Max Retail integrates seamlessly with popular sales platforms like Shopify, Square, and Lightspeed, and the innovative ways that it gives new life to seasonal or aged inventory through a vast network of e-commerce channels.  We also talk about the importance of inventory management, staying adaptable in uncertain markets, and why a strong partnership between brands and retailers is more crucial than ever. 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/391  Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp  

Today's episode is an important and timely one. It is a conversation about resilience as small business owners and what we can do or how we navigate things when we are backed into a corner by forces outside of our control.  Our guest this week is Emily Ley. She is the founder of Simplified®, a wildly successful brand of planners and organizational tools that many of you know and love. She also happens to be one of our Paper Camp alumni.  You have seen Emily's products in Target, Walmart, Staples, and independent boutiques worldwide. But behind the scenes, like so many product-based business owners, Emily has been navigating massive shifts in things like the global supply chain, rising costs, and now devastating tariffs. Her company has paid more than $1,170,000 in tariffs since 2017. With the newly announced 150% tariffs as they stand as of recording this today.  She is facing over $1,000,000 more in fees this year alone, and Emily is not staying quiet.  Earlier this month, she filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump Administration, the first legal challenge to these unlawful tariffs, and she's doing it with the support of the New Civil Liberties Alliance. This is a huge moment, not just for her brand, Simplified®, but for every small business owner who relies on international manufacturing to keep their products on the shelves of stores and their teams paid.  In this episode, Emily and I discuss her journey from launching Simplified® in 2008, to finding the right manufacturing partners and, ultimately, becoming an unlikely but powerful advocate in the fight against these trade policies.  We also talk about the emotional toll that this takes, the behind-the-scenes fears and tough decisions, the support from her customers and community, and the risks that were involved in her taking a stand, again, not just for her business, but for all of ours.  Before we dive into today's episode, I want to say that if you are a product-based business owner and you're listening today and you are feeling the weight of these new tariffs, you are not alone. Inside our LABS community, we have been having real, honest conversations about how to navigate this, everything from raising prices to pausing production to exploring new manufacturing options. If you need support or strategy, or just a sounding board from people who truly understand what you're going through, LABS is here to help. You can learn more at prooftoproduct.com/labs.  You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/390  Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp

With everything going on in the global economy right now, there have been a lot of discussions about price increases. It's been a hot topic in Paper Camp, in our LABS community, and even in my Advisory Board mastermind.  People are asking about how to raise their prices, if they should raise their prices, and also how to communicate those price increases with your customers, whether you're selling retail or wholesale. And it's a great and valid question. I understand why people are asking it right now. So I'm bringing back an episode that we aired in 2022. It's called How to Communicate Price Increases with Your Customers, and this is honestly more relevant now than when I first aired this episode. With increasing tariffs and practically everything getting more expensive, a majority of you will need to increase your prices. I want your businesses to survive for the long haul. I want you to thrive. I want you to be building a profitable business that will continue for a long time. Understanding when it's time to raise your prices and how to do that is going to be a critical piece for you maintaining your business. I hope you find this episode helpful. 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/389  Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp

Zeba Parkar, the founder of Treleaf, shares her journey in crafting stunning laser-cut trellises while navigating the complexities of business funding. She discusses the pros and cons of leveraging debt for growth, highlighting strategic ways to use loans and grants. Zeba emphasizes the balance between spontaneity and planning when expanding through trade shows, and offers insights on effective cash flow management. This engaging chat reveals the importance of understanding financing options and the power of responsible borrowing for entrepreneurs.