

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

Jul 7, 2020 • 38min
161 | Optimizing Our Website with Jessica Freeman, Jess Creatives
Hey friends! Did you know that when someone lands on your website you only have 5 seconds to capture their attention? That's not a lot of time, so I wanted to bring on an expert to help you better understand how you can maximize those 5 seconds and get people to stick around longer. Whether you've been in business for many years or are just getting started you're in for a treat with this guest, Jessica Freeman. Jessica Freeman is the founder of Jess Creatives. She is a web designer, tech strategist, and an expert in all things SEO and website optimization. Jessica is someone who has a wealth of knowledge in this field and has been a huge help to me and my business for the last five years. She shares so much helpful insight today about leveraging keywords for SEO (including how to research keywords and where to put them on your website). We talk about the mistakes many business owners make on their websites so you know exactly what to avoid! We chat about everything from navigation bars and product thumbnails to her thoughts on using carousel images. She also shares tools you can use for research and analyzing your audience's behavior. Be sure to stick around to the end to hear the three takeaways that I want you to get from this episode! ON TODAY'S EPISODE: The biggest mistakes she sees people making on their websites Strategies you can utilize to maximize the first 5 seconds that a visitor arrives on your website Why Jessica doesn't recommend using carousel images on your website Her advice on minimizing the number of navigation buttons Jessica's thoughts on putting product thumbnails on your homepage Why SEO is important for online businesses (especially product-based business owners) How to do keyword research for your SEO strategy The details you should be looking for when doing your keyword searches Where you should include keywords on your website How often you should look at Google Analytics and the things you should analyze Her thoughts on heat map tools and how to use them to better understand your audience Jessica's advice for new business owners on optimizing their websites from the start The advice she has for seasoned business owners on gaining more visibility on Google searches For full show notes and resources, head to: bit.ly/PTPEp161 Small Wins Lead to Big Wins Building a business is a long game, won with patience, fortitude, intentional decisions and passion. Slow sustainable growth is how strong businesses are built and we want to help you get there. Join Proof to Product Labs, our new community experience OPEN NOW! SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

Jun 30, 2020 • 29min
160 | Creating Sister Brands with Stephanie Clarke, Dahlia Press & Chloe Clarke Paper
Splitting your company into two sister brands is not for everyone. However, it could be an option for you if you are finding yourself with very different product offerings (and a discrepancy in exactly who you're targeting). That was the case for today's guest, Stephanie Clarke. Some of you might remember Stephanie as she's been on the podcast before. If you need a refresher, make sure to go back and listen to Episode 21 where we talked about how she's built her team and her packaging solutions. Stephanie is the founder of two sister brands, Dahlia Press and Chloe Clarke Paper. Dahlia Press is her wholesale and direct to consumer business and her new brand, Chloe Clarke Paper was created for custom work such as wedding invitations and branding projects. In this episode, you'll get to hear her story of what inspired her to split her company into two different brands. This has been a great move for Stephanie both personally and professionally and she shares how it's improved the quality of her life and business. Stephanie gives us insight into what she did to make this dream a reality including who she leaned on for support during this transition and the things she did to make it go as smoothly as possible. If this is something you've been considering for your business, you'll want to listen closely as she shares her advice on moving forward with this transition. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: How Stephanie's business model has changed over the past year How separating the brands has helped to smooth processes of marketing, communication and more Stephanie's decision of deciding to split the brands How her decision has improved her quality of life and the ways the business runs Her reasoning behind the naming of her businesses What tactics and messaging she used for her rollout The timeline of creating the sister brand, Chloe Clarke Paper What kind of help Stephanie hired to make this vision a reality The things she did early on to make this transition seamless What tools she uses for her social media strategy Her advice for someone who is considering making a similar transition What's in the works for Dahlia Press and Chloe Clarke Paper For full show notes and resources, head to bit.ly/PTPEp160 Small Wins Lead to Big Wins Building a business is a long game, won with patience, fortitude, intentional decisions and passion. Slow sustainable growth is how strong businesses are built and we want to help you get there. Join Proof to Product Labs, our new community experience OPEN NOW! SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

Jun 23, 2020 • 14min
159 | How & When to Discontinue Product with Katie Hunt
We spend years growing our product lines, working hard to add more SKUs and expanding into new product categories. But at what point is it too much? How much product is too much? On today's Proof to Product episode, Katie Hunt talks explains when you should consider discontinuing product. She also offers strategies for what to do with your discontinued inventory to recoup some costs. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: When is an appropriate time to discontinue products When you shouldn't discontinue something How to get rid of inventory when you decide to discontinue a product An example of a flash sale or fire sale Why donating discontinued products might be a good option for you Why you might want to bring in someone else for a fresh perspective Full show notes at: https://bit.ly/PTPEp-159 Small Wins Lead to Big Wins Building a business is a long game, won with patience, fortitude, intentional decisions and passion. Slow sustainable growth is how strong businesses are built and we want to help you get there. Join Proof to Product Labs, our new community experience OPEN NOW! SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

Jun 16, 2020 • 28min
158 | Creating Workflows for Her Business with Stephanie Harvey, exit343design
Slow and steady growth is how strong businesses are built. This is something that I strongly believe and is exactly what today's guest, Stephanie Harvey has done as she has grown her business. Stephanie Harvey is the artist and entrepreneur behind exit343design. She's a Paper Camp alumni who's been in the business since falling in love with screen printing during college in 2007. What first started as a passion project and side hustle evolved into her full-time gig after a 10 year slow and organic growth. She and I dive deep into the marketing strategies she uses to nurture the retail and wholesale sides of her business including how she leverages email and why she's gotten into blogging. We also explore why she's building an operations manual to document the systems and processes within her business. You'll get to hear what tools she recommends for building these systems and how she uses them to set up her processes. Stephanie also shares what she wishes she knew before starting her business and why it's important to be frugal, but not cheap when making investments into your business. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: How Stephanie started her business and what products she sells Why Stephanie believes in slow, organic growth What sales channels Stephanie uses for her business How Stephanie has built the retail side of her business and what marketing tactics she's used Stephanie's experience of using blogging to grow her business How she leverages email for her retail and wholesale business Incorporating workflows to make things run more smoothly What Stephanie does to approach her workflow process The tools that she uses to manage her inventory What Stephanie wishes she knew before starting her business Stephanie's plans for what's next in her business For full show notes and resources, head to: bit.ly/PTPEp158 Small Wins Lead to Big Wins Building a business is a long game, won with patience, fortitude, intentional decisions and passion. Slow sustainable growth is how strong businesses are built and we want to help you get there. Join Proof to Product Labs, our new community experience OPEN NOW! SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

Jun 11, 2020 • 30min
From the Archives | Why you can't rely solely on social media for sales with Nicole Walters, The Monetized Life
This week, we are amplifying the voices of black artists and business leaders by re-running three of our previous episodes. Have you ever come home from a long day at your corporate job and realized like, "Okay, so my job is feeding my family, but definitely not my soul." What do you do? Well, today's Proof to Product guest is telling us how she figured it out. By age 28, Nicole Walters was a highly-paid executive at a Fortune 500 company, managing multibillion dollar accounts, but something wasn't right. So Nicole quit her corporate job, and she made waves when she quit in front of 10,000 people while live streaming on Periscope. She went on to open her own private business and product development consulting firm, The Monetized Life. As Nicole's audience ramped up so did her revenue—she made $11,000 in the first three weeks of working with small business clients full time. Now, when she's not hanging out with her husband and their three foster kids, she shares her secrets to earning "passive income" with other entrepreneurs through her wildly popular online course, 1K1Day. "I teach people how to add commas to their bank accounts," says Nicole. "They learn that they don't have to trade time for money." On today's episode, Nicole and I sit down to talk about common mistakes she sees eager entrepreneurs making and why old school sales strategies still work. We also talk about why you can't rely solely on social media for sales, the importance of having multiple revenue streams and why you need to treat your business like a business from day one. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: Common mistakes Nicole sees eager entrepreneurs making Tips on where to focus your marketing time and money The problem of relying on social media platforms Benefits of sticking with the old school methods What really gets customers in the door How to make a 40-50 hour work week feel like 4 hours The lessons Nicole took from corporate life and applied as an entrepreneur Her strongest marketing tool today Nicole's favorite success stories How saying no is a form of self care Advice for brand new business owners and entrepreneurs experiencing growing pains The importance of acting like a business from the get-go What success looks like for Nicole today For full show notes and resources, head to https://bit.ly/FromtheArchives SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

Jun 10, 2020 • 32min
From the Archives | Shifting the maker mindset with Genesis Duncan, Graphic Anthology
This week, we are amplifying the voices of black artists and business leaders by re-running three of our previous episodes. When we first start our businesses, more often than not, we don't have the big picture idea of what our brand or business will look like down the road. So many of us embark on this so-called maker's journey, where we truly discover our strengths, opportunities, and long term vision for our business. Lucky for us, one of our talented Paper Camp alumni, Genesis Duncan of Graphic Anthology, is joining us today on Episode 138 of Proof to Product to share her experience and advice for other makers on the path. Based in Portland, Oregon, Genesis started Graphic Anthology in 2010 with just three art prints and an Etsy shop. Almost a decade later, her product line has grown to include a wide range of greeting cards and gift items that focus on joy, simplicity, and strengthening relationships with those you love most. Today's episode is a powerful one and I know it will resonate with many of you. We talk about how Genesis started her business as a creative outlet and hobby, and why she had to shift her mindset and step into her role and title as an entrepreneur and business owner. Genesis also shares how adding a line of Spanish greeting cards was not only beneficial to her business, but also her personal development. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: What products Genesis makes and sells The sales channels she utilizes How she decided to start her own business Life's hurdles and how they led Genesis to where she is today Finding silver linings and following your heart Advice for shifting your mindset from maker to business owner How Genesis manages the tactical aspects of Graphic Anthology The importance of picking deadlines and sticking with them How Paper Camp helped solidify her business mindset What Genesis does to differentiate her products in the market Testing products, taking risks, and discovering new segments Advice for other small business owners and creative CEOs For full show notes and resources, head to https://bit.ly/FromtheArchives SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

Jun 9, 2020 • 32min
From the Archives | The long game of licensing & surface pattern design with Jeanetta Gonzales
This week, we are amplifying the voices of black artists and business leaders by re-running three of our previous episodes. Today we have a great episode in store for you with guest Jeanetta Gonzales, a Los Angeles-based graphic designer, and illustrator. Jeanetta began her career as a graphic designer working for corporate companies such as WedMD, Mattel and The Disney Store. She later parlayed her digital and fine art skills into surface design working as a textile designer and style guide designer for consumer products and creating illustrations and art that she licenses to manufacturers for products sold online and in major retail stores. On top of all of this, Jeanetta also runs her own online store where she sells her art on print items, mugs, fabric, home decor items and more. On today's episode, Jeanetta shares her experience with licensing and tells us why you have to be in it for the long game. We talk about why relationships are so important in business, why it's necessary to create art and products with a unique point of view, and her goal to spread joy through a variety of creative means. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: Common misconceptions that creative entrepreneurs have about licensing their work Tips for people that are putting together their portfolio How Jeanetta defines her artistic style and keeps it original The importance of experimenting What it took to overcome fears of failure and success Her 10 year journey of learning and creating When Jeanetta started to see traction in own design work What she learned from tradeshows Being okay with not being perfect Pivoting from her day job and shifting into licensing Jeanette's favorite products to produce Her advice for other creative entrepreneurs and what's coming up next For full show notes and resources, head to https://bit.ly/FromtheArchives SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

May 26, 2020 • 18min
157 | How Do I Pay Myself As A Business Owner with Katie Hunt
Hey friends! Are you making sure to pay yourself for your work? There's often a big misconception that only new business owners struggle with how to pay themselves for their time, effort and expertise. However, it's no secret that both new and experienced entrepreneurs run into this problem from time to time. I wanted to make things a little easier for you so in this episode I shared two simple strategies for how to pay yourself based on where you're at in your business. You'll hear why you need to pay yourself, how to choose a format of payment that works for you and why you should get on a payment schedule. I also explored why you should keep it simple (and automate where possible), the importance of revisiting your numbers as things change and of course, why you should seek advice from a CPA or financial planner. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: The misconception that only new business owners struggle with paying themselves How I paid myself at the beginning of my business My recommendations for paying yourself as an experienced business owner How you can look at data and analytics as a point of reference in when making decisions about how much to pay yourself What to look at when deciding how to use your profits For full show notes and resources, head to: bit.ly/PTPEp157 Small Wins Lead to Big Wins Building a business is a long game, won with patience, fortitude, intentional decisions and passion. Slow sustainable growth is how strong businesses are built and we want to help you get there. Join the wait list for Proof to Product Labs, our new group coaching experience coming soon! SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

May 19, 2020 • 32min
156 | Successful Hiring Strategies with Natalie Gingrich, The Ops Authority
Hey friends! Are you ready to get back time in your business to work on the projects and tasks that you really love? The ones that will help you to move the needle further toward your goal? If you've been busy doing all of the things then you might be wondering if now is the right time to hire in your business. That's why I brought on Natalie Gingrich from The Ops Authority. Natalie has been in operations for two decades and now she helps online business owners with support and strategy for the operational side of their business. We get into everything you could possibly want to know about the best hiring practices. She shares how you'll know when is the right time to hire and how you can get crystal clear on the job you're looking to hire for. Natalie explains why this is critical and how an application is a key component in finding the right team member for the role. She and I discuss how to measure the value that team members are adding to your business. She also discusses why you'll want to invest a good amount of time in hiring to avoid mishaps like turnover or unrealistic expectations on either side of the hiring process. This episode is packed with so much hiring wisdom so grab a notebook, listen closely and be sure to download Natalie's free hiring guide for the next time you're looking to outsource in your business. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: How Natalie knew she was ready to hire her first team member within her business Pain points and indicators to be on the lookout for when deciding if it's time to hire What you should think about when deciding what to DIY and what to outsource How to get crystal clear on what the needs are in your business Why you need to create a true job description to reduce turnover How to find the right people for the job Her advice on choosing the right candidate at the right price for the job How to measure your return on investment using key results areas Natalie's thoughts on trial periods and onboarding processes How you can use the Hiring Plan for your next hire Her plans for launching an association and what's coming next in her business For full show notes and resources, head to bit.ly/PTPEp156 Small Wins Lead to Big Wins Building a business is a long game, won with patience, fortitude, intentional decisions and passion. Slow sustainable growth is how strong businesses are built and we want to help you get there. Join Proof to Product Labs, our new community experience OPEN NOW! SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!

May 12, 2020 • 35min
155 | Using a Fulfillment Warehouse with Jomana Siddiqui, Pences Design Studio
How amazing does it sound to have someone else take over your packing and shipping needs? Think about it… How many hours a day (or even a week) could that save you? Having a fulfillment warehouse that takes care of this for you could lend you time in your busy schedule. It might even be able to save you money in the long run. In this episode, I had the pleasure of talking about that with Paper Camp Alum, Jomana Siddiqui. Jomana is the creative behind 3, yes you heard that right, 3 different businesses. She runs a graphic design business called Pences Design Studio, a retail business named modernEID all while authoring a lifestyle blog. We get into what her experience was with working with a manufacturing company in China. Plus, the hiccup she faced after working with them. She shares how using a fulfillment center changed her business for the better. Jomana also discusses how connections and being in the right place at the right time can help land partnerships with brands you dream of working with. ON TODAY'S EPISODE: How Jomana got started with her three different businesses How she balances the time she spends on each of her companies Using content batching to get work completed Her manufacturing process and how it's evolved over time How working with a fulfillment center was a huge turning point in her business Jomana's worries about using a fulfillment center Her experience of working with a manufacturing company in China The process she went through to find new manufacturers How her partnerships with Macy's, Saks Fifth Avenue and Walmart came about What she wishes she'd have known when starting her businesses What's next for Jomana's brands For full show notes and resources, head to bit.ly/PTPEp155 Small Wins Lead to Big Wins Building a business is a long game, won with patience, fortitude, intentional decisions and passion. Slow sustainable growth is how strong businesses are built and we want to help you get there. Join Proof to Product Labs, our new community experience OPEN NOW! SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app. WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list. SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!


