Proof to Product
Katie Hunt
Ranked in the top 1% of ALL podcasts, the Proof to Product podcast is your trusted resource for sustainable business growth - especially if you make and sell physical products!
Join Katie Hunt, each week as she shares strategies & solutions to enhance your sales & marketing so that you’re building a business that supports your best life.
If you’ve ever asked yourself can I make money selling physical products? Am I ready to sell my products wholesale to stores like Target, Anthropologie, Nordstrom or Barnes & Noble? When should I consider hiring a sales team or sales reps? Can I really turn my passion into profits? Whether you’re a just starting out on your business journey or you’ve been at it a while growing an empire, this show is for you.
Proof to Product is like on-demand business school for product sellers spanning a wide range of industries. Whether you’re in home decor, apparel, beauty, food & beverage, hand-made items, jewelry, consumer gifts or the stationery world, you’ll gather new ideas each week to help you grow your profit, build your team and lead with integrity.
Host Katie Hunt and her guests bring you actionable ways to expand your product line, manufacturing overseas, optimize your e-commrce websites on Shopify, Faire, Etsy, Abound, Tundra, Squarespace or in brick & mortar locations. How to start or scale wholesale sales including pitching stores, wholesale outreach, trade show exhibition, working with sales reps, managing inventory, warehousing product, sales systems, wholesale follow-up strategies and working with key accounts. Marketing strategies for small businesses including content creation, leveraging tik tok and instagram tactics without feeling burned out, why you can’t rely solely on social media for sales and why email marketing systems on platforms like Klaviyo, Flodesk and Active Campaign are so powerful. Listen in as Katie and our guest experts help you strategize and tackle your biggest business goals.
Host Katie Hunt brings a unique perspective to entrepreneurship. Since 2011, she’s helped thousands of product brands get their products on the shelves of their favorite retail stores through her Paper Camp program (www.prooftoproduct.com/papercamp). Prior to that she worked in the corporate world for over a decade leading business development and marketing teams. She has two MBAs - one in finance and one in marketing. And, she owned & operated her own product based business for over 8 years, selling her products to stores throughout the world from her garage. Katie knows the struggles you face as a product based business and she’s here to pull back the curtain and share her best kept secrets so that you don’t have to learn things the hard way.
Find our free trainings & resources for product based business owners at www.prooftoproduct.com/resources
Join Katie Hunt, each week as she shares strategies & solutions to enhance your sales & marketing so that you’re building a business that supports your best life.
If you’ve ever asked yourself can I make money selling physical products? Am I ready to sell my products wholesale to stores like Target, Anthropologie, Nordstrom or Barnes & Noble? When should I consider hiring a sales team or sales reps? Can I really turn my passion into profits? Whether you’re a just starting out on your business journey or you’ve been at it a while growing an empire, this show is for you.
Proof to Product is like on-demand business school for product sellers spanning a wide range of industries. Whether you’re in home decor, apparel, beauty, food & beverage, hand-made items, jewelry, consumer gifts or the stationery world, you’ll gather new ideas each week to help you grow your profit, build your team and lead with integrity.
Host Katie Hunt and her guests bring you actionable ways to expand your product line, manufacturing overseas, optimize your e-commrce websites on Shopify, Faire, Etsy, Abound, Tundra, Squarespace or in brick & mortar locations. How to start or scale wholesale sales including pitching stores, wholesale outreach, trade show exhibition, working with sales reps, managing inventory, warehousing product, sales systems, wholesale follow-up strategies and working with key accounts. Marketing strategies for small businesses including content creation, leveraging tik tok and instagram tactics without feeling burned out, why you can’t rely solely on social media for sales and why email marketing systems on platforms like Klaviyo, Flodesk and Active Campaign are so powerful. Listen in as Katie and our guest experts help you strategize and tackle your biggest business goals.
Host Katie Hunt brings a unique perspective to entrepreneurship. Since 2011, she’s helped thousands of product brands get their products on the shelves of their favorite retail stores through her Paper Camp program (www.prooftoproduct.com/papercamp). Prior to that she worked in the corporate world for over a decade leading business development and marketing teams. She has two MBAs - one in finance and one in marketing. And, she owned & operated her own product based business for over 8 years, selling her products to stores throughout the world from her garage. Katie knows the struggles you face as a product based business and she’s here to pull back the curtain and share her best kept secrets so that you don’t have to learn things the hard way.
Find our free trainings & resources for product based business owners at www.prooftoproduct.com/resources
Episodes
Mentioned books
Oct 3, 2023 • 29min
313 | How To Integrate Inclusive Marketing Into Your Customer Experience With Sonia Thompson
Making your customers feel like your product or service is tailored specifically for them is the key to inclusive marketing. Inclusive marketing expert Sonia Thompson joins us today on the podcast to share more on how to integrate inclusive marketing into your customer experience. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about Sonia’s career, how you can diversify your products and circle of influence, how to audit your customer experience to be more inclusive, the importance of considering how different people are and making them feel seen and heard, why you must stay true to your values, and much more! We delve into some ways you can infuse inclusion in your marketing before discussing why your work environment needs to be inclusive in order for your customers to feel welcome. Finally, Sonia tells us how she can help in the ongoing evolutionary inclusion journey. This episode is brought to you by our Email Marketing For Product Makers guide. 49% of our customers want to hear from us on a consistent basis, yet, only a small percentage of product-based business owners are actively sending monthly emails to their customers. If you’ve struggled with what to say, when to send, or how to plan out your email marketing strategies, we’ve got just the tool for you. This tool and the optional training have helped hundreds of product makers plan out an entire year’s worth of emails. And, the best part… they are creating templates that they can rinse & repeat year after year. DOWNLOAD NOW You can view full show notes and more at prooftoproduct.com/313 Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp
Sep 26, 2023 • 31min
312 | Expanding into Licensing with Betsy Garcia, Bloomwolf Studio
Betsy Garcia, co-founder of Bloomwolf Studio, shares her inspiring journey into the world of licensing. She discusses her successful partnerships with Recycled Paper Greetings and American Greetings, highlighting the positive impact of these collaborations on her business. Betsy also emphasizes the value of community support and resources provided by the Proof to Product Advisory Board, which helped her navigate the challenges of licensing. Listeners gain insight into the balance between work, life, and the critical role of social media in business growth.
Sep 19, 2023 • 39min
311 | 4000% Increase in Wholesale Orders this Year with Lauren te Velde of Paper Farm Press
Lauren te Velde, owner of Paper Farm Press and a passionate advocate for community-driven design, shares her inspiring journey from financial uncertainty to a staggering 4000% increase in wholesale orders. She emphasizes the importance of a strong brand story and authentic relationships in business. Discussing her transition to wholesale, she talks about launching a subscription service during the pandemic and the operational challenges of scaling her brand. Lauren’s insights on pursuing wealth versus money offer a refreshing perspective on entrepreneurship.
Sep 12, 2023 • 11min
310 | What is a SKU and why do I need them? with Katie Hunt
Katie Hunt, an expert in SKU systems for wholesaling, dives into the importance of SKU numbers, how to develop them, and the advantages of implementing a SKU system. She shares tips on managing and structuring SKU numbers as your business grows.
Sep 5, 2023 • 29min
309 | Business Contentment Over Business Growth with Brigida Swanson, Yardia
Choosing business contentment over business growth can be a great reminder to all of us that there are seasons in business, and sometimes what we have is all that we really need or want. On this episode we have Brigida Swanson of Yardia, which is a nature-inspired gift and stationery company. Bridiga shares the journey for starting her business, while still pursuing her teaching career. She dives into what it was like venturing into wholesale, how she has experienced rapid growth, and describes what happened after deciding to leave social media. She shares some of her incredible wins with us and also discusses how, despite her business's expansion, she began questioning the need for more, realizing that she already had enough and desired a simpler more content life. Consequently, Brigida made intentional shifts in her business and personal life to align with her desire and found that true fulfillment came from what brings happiness. This episode is brought to you by our Email Marketing For Product Makers guide. 49% of our customers want to hear from us on a consistent basis, yet, only a small percentage of product-based business owners are actively sending monthly emails to their customers. If you’ve struggled with what to say, when to send, or how to plan out your email marketing strategies, we’ve got just the tool for you. This tool and the optional training have helped hundreds of product makers plan out an entire year’s worth of emails. And, the best part… they are creating templates that they can rinse & repeat year after year. DOWNLOAD NOW You can view full show notes and more at prooftoproduct.com/309 Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp
Aug 29, 2023 • 38min
308 | Benefits & Challenges of Running Two Brands with Stephanie Clarke, Dahlia Press
In this engaging discussion, Stephanie Clarke, owner and designer of Dahlia Press and Chloe Clarke, The Art of Paper, shares insights from her entrepreneurial journey. She reflects on the challenges and benefits of running two distinct brands, including the strategic decision to split her business and adapt to a post-COVID retail landscape. Stephanie delves into team dynamics, the emotional journey of relinquishing control, and the importance of clear marketing strategies. Her experiences highlight the resilience and growth necessary for thriving in today's market.
Aug 22, 2023 • 15min
307 | Elevate Your Sales with These Two Wholesale Metrics with Katie Hunt
There’s no “easy mode” in business. Selling physical products is a lot of work and being a product entrepreneur requires grit, tenacity, and courage. Today’s episode is for seasoned wholesalers who might be experiencing a slower sales season this summer. If your sales have stalled, there are two metrics that you can tap into to build stronger relationships with your current accounts and sustainably scale your revenue for wholesale. Tune in and you’ll learn how to find opportunities for reorders, simplify your purchasing process, make small but impactful changes that improve cash flow for your business, and more. This episode offers some high-level number-crunching and practical sales strategies that will help you increase your wholesale revenue and get out of your sales slump. Today’s episode is brought to you by our signature program, Paper Camp, our 4-week program that takes the guesswork out of selling wholesale. When you follow the strategies and methods in Paper Camp, you’ll not only feel more confident but you’ll reach your wholesale goals faster. Come join the program now! SIGN UP NOW You can view full show notes and more at prooftoproduct.com/307
Aug 15, 2023 • 34min
306 | Always learning, improving & evolving business with Jill Shephard, Ruff House Print Shop
You have heard me say it before, and I'm gonna remind you again, strong businesses are built through slow, steady, intentional growth. Today's guest is proof of that. Jill Shephard is the owner of Ruff House Print Shop. She started her business in 2009, initially specializing in custom wedding invitations. She then spent 14 years prioritizing professional development, refining her business model, expanding her team, and strengthening her customer experience. In the process, she built a profitable and sustainable company that she is proud of. Today, Jill and I are talking about her entrepreneurial journey from custom wedding invitations to a brick and mortar retail shop to selling wholesale to over 3,000 shops around the world. Jill also reveals her strategies for maintaining a thriving business, the importance of continuous learning, and the impact of participating in programs like Paper Camp, even as a seasoned entrepreneur. Today’s episode is brought to you by our free, on-demand wholesale audio series. In this audio series, I’ll walk you through the biggest mistakes and most common questions folks have when they are starting and scaling wholesale—so you don’t make the same mistakes myself and others did. You can binge this audio series in less than an hour and you can listen on the go in your favorite podcast player. No fluff here, just concrete action steps and answers to help you simplify and strengthen your wholesale sales. SIGN UP You can view full show notes and more at prooftoproduct.com/306 Connect with Jill Ruffhouseprintshop.comInstagram: @ruffhouseprintshop Facebook: @ruffhouseprintshop Ruffhousepaperie.comInstagram: @ruffhousepaperie Facebook: @ruffhousepaperie Mentioned in this Episode: Paper Camp
Aug 8, 2023 • 25min
305 | Hiring Family & Creating Boundaries in Your Business with Katie Hart, Odd Daughter Paper Co.
In this chat, Katie Hart, founder of Odd Daughter Paper Co. and self-taught illustrator, opens up about running a stationery business with her sister, Michelle. They talk about the joys and challenges of family dynamics in business, emphasizing the need for clear roles and boundaries. Katie shares insights on their creative process, aiming to craft products that feel like a conversation with a friend. The sisters also discuss the excitement of planning new product launches and the importance of aligning business decisions with personal values.
Aug 1, 2023 • 32min
304 |You Can Be Successful with Wholesale without Trade Shows with Katie Hart, Odd Daughter Paper Co.
Katie Hart, founder of Odd Daughter Paper Co., shares her inspiring journey from side hustle to thriving wholesale brand without trade shows for a decade. She discusses the importance of intentional growth, product diversity, and navigating the shift from Etsy to Shopify. Hart reveals her unique stationery offerings, including a bilingual support deck, and the challenges and strategies for building a successful wholesale business. Her experience emphasizes steady income, relationship-building, and thoughtful resource allocation for sustainable success.
