Proof to Product

Beth Penn is a professional organizer, speaker and life hacker. She is the founder of Bneato Bar, a professional organizing service whose clients range from corporations looking for big-picture management solutions to busy individuals simply flooded with email, paper or stuff in their home. Beth has been featured in Real Simple Magazine, Oh Joy!, DesignLoveFest, and more, and has collaborated on projects with Style by Emily Henderson and Apartment Therapy.     On today’s episode we’re talking about misconceptions people have around cluttering and organization,  and how to get started with decluttering.   ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Some of the common misconceptions that people have around clutter and organization What got Beth started in this business and if she always knew she wanted to help people reduce overwhelm Systems to help reduce inbox overwhelm Beth’s new book “The Little Book of Tidying”  and where most people get hung up in the decluttering process What advice she gives to people who just aren’t sure where to start when it comes to decluttering How tidiness can affect somebody's overall life and happiness How the space around you directly affects the way you think Applying tidying principles to businesses and how we can be maximizing our workspaces and productivity Beth’s definition of success for her clients The services Beth offers and what’s next for her How she knew she wanted to write a book and the process of getting her book published KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “A huge misconception is that people think an organizer's going to show up, take away everything, put things back into place, and you're never going to have to touch it again.” - Beth Penn “It's really important to not be a slave to your email inbox.” - Beth Penn “Start simple and start easy.” - Beth Penn “When you are constantly playing catch up, there's no extra time to do the things that you want to do.” - Beth Penn “Tidying doesn't have to mean physically putting things away. It could mean just trying to be creative in not bringing extra stuff or having to buy stuff.” - Beth Penn “Success for my clients would be being able to maintain and then as well being able to pivot.” - Beth Penn LINKSBook:  The Little Book of Tidying Website: www.bneatobar.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bneatobar Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bneatobar/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BneatoBar   Business Camp Program (Beth gave us tips for zero inbox here!): www.TSBCbizcamp.com JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY:   Do you want to scale your business and add new revenue streams?  Are you ready to get a handle on your cash flow and tuck money away for retirement?     Maybe you are interested in increasing your visibility and fine-tuning your marketing outreach?  Perhaps you have a team that you want to nurture or need help building your team?   Our newest on demand program, Paper Camp+ can help you with all of these things and more.  The program includes 5 keynote presentations and 2 panels from a wide range of business experts.  You can watch what you need, when you need it most and revisit the videos as often as you’d like.     This course was built for anyone running a product based business, and extends way beyond the paper industry.  Enroll at www.tradeshowcamp.com/pcplus! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds 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!

TSBC alum, Melanie Karlins of Grey Moggie started letterpress printing in 2008 as a creative outlet while she was in law school, and later taught letterpress classes at a local art center. In 2011 she started selling her products at local craft fairs and picked up wholesale accounts through her Instagram feed. Today, Grey Moggie is Melanie's full-time job and her greeting cards are sold in stationery and gift shops all over the United States, including Paper Source   On today's episode, Melanie is sharing how retail craft markets shaped her business and product line, how she overcame creative blocks, and why her definition of success shifts with different seasons in her life.   ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Melanie’s motivation for starting Grey Moggie How she began teaching letterpress classes The types of products she creates and the motivation behind them How craft shows shaped her business and how it shaped her product line Merchandising tips for people considering retail shows The benefits of selling her products at a weekly market How she determines if a retail market is a good place for her to be Managing her wholesale line and the retail line and how she does it on a day to day basis How being a mom has impacted the way she runs her business and how she prioritized her time Melanie’s definition of success in her business The advice she would give to someone just starting out in a product based business What’s next for Grey Moggie KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “The day after exams my second year of law school, I took a letterpress class and I just couldn't give it up.” - Melanie Karlins “That was one big thing I learned from customer feedback, was that everyone's looking for something new.” - Melanie Karlins “You can kind of tell upfront before you even get to the show what kind of help you're going to get onsite or what the scene is going to be like onsite.” - Melanie Karlins “My biggest takeaway is through really trying to make my business a business and becoming a mom at the same time was just that everything has a season and you can't necessarily plan ahead for it.” - Melanie Karlins “Self-care is so important to the creative process and the decisions that we're making within our business.” - Katie Hunt “It's important to revisit our definition of success and what we hope to achieve with our business and with our time and the effort that we're putting into these things.” - Katie Hunt   LINKS: Website: http://greymoggie.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreyMoggiePress Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greymoggie/ JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY: Our signature Paper Camp program is back and we’re now enrolling for Winter 2018!   We’re talking about product development  sales tools, trade shows, marketing, working with buyers, sales reps and the press.  Attend live or online.  It’s the similar content, available in different formats.   We have two seats remaining for our Paper Camp Conference, March 1-2 in Los Angeles.   Join us here! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds 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!

Rebekah Tennis is the founder of Wild Ink Press, a letterpress studio and retail storefront located in northern California. Rebekah started Wild Ink Press in 2009 and was part of our very first Tradeshow Bootcamp class in 2011. The Wild Ink Press brand offers witty and pretty greeting cards, stationery, and other paper goods that can be found in hundreds of retail shops nationwide including the Container Store, Papyrus, and Paper Source. On today's episode, Rebekah talks about the power of slow, organic growth and why it's okay to not have all your ducks in a row when you're starting out. She also shares her thoughts on responsiveness, reliability, and why she likes sending catalogs and samples to prospective wholesale buyers. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: How Wild Ink Press got its start and what lead Rebekah to starting her own business How she first got started with greeting cards When she first hired a team member and how the Wild Ink Press team grew from there The catalyst for wanting to open up the retail shop and the benefits it provides How her wholesale marketing and outreach has changed due to the retail shop The way she decides if she wants to carry someone’s work How long she recommends waiting to reach out to a retailer after you’ve mailed them a catalog and your samples Her schedule for sending out catalogs How she nurtures relationships with the stores that she’s working with as a manufacturer The way that she manages her business life and her family life How she handles times of transition in her business The advice she would give to someone just starting out in a product based business What’s next for Wild Ink Press KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “I'm making a card because I think, this is real to me and funny to me or interesting to me or I would send this to somebody.” - Rebekah Tennis “Hiring anyone for your team is definitely a risk and it feels very big.” - Katie Hunt “I try to find what my employees enjoy doing.” - Rebekah Tennis “What's amazing is, I didn't expect what a beautiful benefit it [the retail shop] would be to our business. I did not know that it would just automatically pay for itself. I did not know that customers would love coming in to see our work. There's all these things that were just surprises because you think it's going to be a hassle.” - Rebekah Tennis “I feel like the biggest way you can show someone respect, value, and nurture relationship is to be so responsive.” - Rebekah Tennis “I want people to know starting Wild Ink Press and all the various things that I do, we never had a smash hit. We never had a viral card. We never were the "it" person at the show.” - Rebekah Tennis “Each of the times that I found that I'm under more stress, I found that you find something in yourself to rise to the occasion.” - Rebekah Tennis “Don't be afraid to not have your ducks in a row.” - Rebekah Tennis   LINKS: Website: http://www.wildinkpress.com Facebook: http://facebook.com/wildinkpress Instagram: http://instagram.com/wildinkpress Twitter: http://twitter.com/wildinkpress JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY: Our signature Paper Camp program is back and we’re now enrolling for Winter 2018! We’re talking about product development  sales tools, trade shows, marketing, working with buyers, sales reps and the press.  Attend live or online.  It’s the similar content, available in different formats. We have two seats remaining for our Paper Camp Conference, March 1-2 in Los Angeles. Join us here! ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds 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!

Nicole Block is the owner of The Nic Studio a stationery, design and illustration studio.  She’s also the founder of Tyles, which is a line of sophisticated, removable  wall decor made from cut vinyl!  Nic and I first met on Twitter back in 2009 and she’s been a part of the TSBC community since we started in 2011! On today’s episode Nicole shares how her life inspires her work, the benefits of getting a workspace outside of her home and the logistical challenges she faced when creating a new product category — including how she was turned down by more than 75 manufacturers she approached to help make her Tyles!   ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Nicole’s career path Entrepreneurial grit and figuring things out as you go How Nicole & Katie met industry colleagues on Twitter Why Nicole is allergic to ‘trends’ Recognizing that your style and skills will evolve over time & how you need to create products that your audience will love Why she created Tyles and the story behind it. Transitioning from stationery market to home decor with Tyles Challenges when entering a new industry Sourcing & scaling manufacturing Getting turned down by 75 manufacturers Moving her business out of her home and into a studio space Creating for your audience Recognizing that we can’t all be good at everything KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “Things have evolved over the years and I've realized how to do it better and within my style, but it takes a while.” - Nicole Block “Sometimes you forget that you're not just creating things that you like. You have to remember that there's an audience out there that also has to like what you do.” - Nicole Block “You have to remember that you can't force something to happen, especially if you're creating a completely new product. That's a hard thing to make work. You have to be willing to do a lot of trial and error and spend some money, not necessarily that much money, but some money trying to get the product right and find the right fit for you.”  - Nicole Block “if you're not a natural marketer for your product, that you need to either learn fast or bring somebody onboard that can help you with that.” - Nicole Block “You can't be good at everything” - Nicole Block   LINKS: Website: http://thenicstudio.com, http://tyles.co Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thenicstudio Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicstudio/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/nicstudio/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/nicstudio JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY: Our signature Paper Camp program is back and we’re now enrolling for Winter 2018!We’re talking about product development  sales tools, trade shows, marketing, working with buyers, sales reps and the press.  Attend live or online.  It’s the similar content, available in different formats. Paper Camp Conference:  an intensive 2-day program taking place March 1-2 in Los Angeles. Paper Camp E-Course:  4-week online program with live Q&A calls starting January 16th. Figure out which program is best for you and grab your seat at www.tradeshowcamp.com/papercamp ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds 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!

Happy Holidays friends!  This episode with Katie Wilson of The Good Twin is a crowd favorite and I’m so excited for you to listen to it again!   Katie is one of our TSBC alumni and she has such a unique story and fresh perspective on small business life.  Katie is inspiring in how she runs her business; balancing her love of art and creativity with savvy business smarts. I love sharing the stories of our alumni because it reminds us that there is no singular one way to run our businesses.  Katie reminds us that it’s ok to do our own thing, to forge our own path and to not fall into the comparison trap.  A #peptalk we all need at times.   Enjoy the show! -------------- Katie Wilson is the owner of The Good Twin, a stationery company known for its playful illustrations and hand-rendered type.  Katie’s story is a unique one in that The Good Twin is her second successful business in the stationery industry. On today's episode, Katie and I will talk about the pros and cons of being ahead of trends, the importance of slow sustainable growth and why we should never ever compare ourselves to other people's businesses.   ON TODAY’S EPISODE: [01:00] Katie’s story & how she started The Good Twin. [04:30] Reflecting on brands that came before her in the stationery industry.[06:30] Getting back to the night time hustle of designing.[09:30] Winning the Paper Camp scholarship.[11:00] Exhibiting at NSS was a big scary unknown, lots to learn.[13:30] Katie’s inspiration when she’s creating new products[16:30] Being on the front end of a trend, the pros and cons[21:30] Finding manufacturers for new product lines.[22:00] Determining how much product to order & how much money to invest.[26:00] Manufacturing overseas & the debate of whether to go overseas.[30:00] Keeping open lines of communication with your buyers[32:00] Working with big box stores & how that helps fund new products for her business.[34:30] Appreciate your peers in the business, rely on them for support & share information.[35:30] Having slow, sustainable growth is essential.  Don’t compare yourself to others.[34:30] Building a business takes time, don’t rush it.[38:00] What’s next for The Good Twin[40:00] Deciding What to Delegate Course [36:30] Focusing on the higher level, revenue generating projects and hiring for the rest. KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “ Sales rep knowledge is so valuable. They are on the ground with people just really getting it done.” - Katie Wilson   “You think it's fun to be on the front end of a trend, and be the cool kid. It's not.” - Katie Wilson   “It is scary to lay out that cash, out way at the beginning for something that you're not sure if it's gonna sell.” -Katie Hunt   “If you can't make your margins work on a reasonably small amount, you probably shouldn't be making the products.” -Katie Wilson   “If you shine, I shine.” - Katie Wilson   “Having slow, sustainable growth is so essential.” - Katie Wilson   LINKS: Dude & ChickCrow & CanaryGreenwich Letterpress Paper CampPinnacleDeFrance PrintingMama’s SauceBelle & Union Co. TSBC Deciding What to Delegate Course - Free!   MEET KATIE WILSON: Katie Wilson is the owner of The Good Twin, a stationery company known for playful illustrations and hand rendered type. With the help of her right hand pug, Peggy Day, Katie (who is really a twin, and a good one at that) has grown her Los Angeles based brand into a full line of greeting cards, office supplies, and enamel pins. She has over ten years of experience in the paper goods world, working as an illustrator, shopgirl, and co-founder before striking out on her own in 2014. After attending Paper Camp in September 2015, The Good Twin debuted at the National Stationery show in 2016.   Website: http://www.thegoodtwin.co/ Facebook: @thegoodtwinco Instagram: @thegoodtwinco Twitter: @thegoodtwinco   JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY: Interested in learning more about launching or refining a wholesale line or exhibiting at trade shows?  Join us for our next Paper Camp conference in Los Angeles. Get more details and register at www.tradeshowcamp.com/papercamp   ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds 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.

Happy Holidays friends!  You may want to relisten to this episode with Tonya Dalton of Inkwell Press twice!  Seriously.  Tonya is the queen of productivity and goal setting --  fitting topics as we enter the new year!  Tonya is an incredible businesswoman and a natural teacher, I’m thrilled to reshare this episode with you.  Enjoy the show! -------------- Tonya Dalton is the owner of Inkwell Press and host of Productivity Paradox. Tonya is a productivity expert who believes that too many women feel overwhelmed with all that they have to do each day. She helps women use productivity to pursue their big goals and end each day feeling satisfied and successful.   On today’s episode we’re talking about systems, automations and prioritizing at both home and in your business. She’s an amazing business woman who tells us her story of building her business from her kitchen table and gives more details on the new course that she is offering through inkWELL Press.   ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Tonya’s background prior to starting inkWELL Press The motivation and inspiration behind inkWELL Press The systems Tonya put into place to take her kitchen table hobby into a huge business How her background as a teacher helped her set up systems & run her business efficiently What overwhelm is & how to overcome it Common pain points Tanya sees in entrepreneurs when it comes to productivity in systems and automations The need to come up with an action plan to meet your goals Creating priority lists instead of to-do lists How Tanya breaks down her priorities for the week Preventing “urgent fires” from popping up by prioritizing Systems she has built into the inkWELL Press team What success looks like to Tanya What’s next for inkWell Press KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “That is really what started inkWELL Press, was figuring out what were the things I was passionate about? How was I going to make these things work so I could do something that fulfilled me?” -  Tonya Dalton   “One of the mistakes a lot of people make is they think, "I need to create all the systems all at once and try to implement them" and then because that becomes so overwhelming, it just falls apart.”  -  Tonya Dalton   “Overwhelm is not having too much to do. It's not knowing where to start.” -  Tonya Dalton   “People get really caught up in more is more, and so often less is more.” -  Tonya Dalton   “Productivity is velocity, and that means you're moving in one direction, instead of trying to move in all the directions.” -  Tonya Dalton   “It's really important that you are always making an action plan and stopping to assess.” -  Tonya Dalton   “We need to be focused on the things that are going to have the biggest impact, and make the most strides in your business.” - Katie Hunt   “To me, success looks like harmony.” -  Tonya Dalton   “My definition of productivity is not getting more things done in less time. It really is getting the important things done.” -  Tonya Dalton   LINKS: The liveWELL method course: http://inkwellpress.com/course Podcast: http://inkwellpress.com/podcast   CONNECT: Website: http://inkwellpress.com    Instagram:  http://instagram.com/inkwellpress Facebook: http://facebook.com/inkwellpress Twitter: http://twitter.com/inkwellpress JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY: Do you enjoy listening to our Podcast and learning from our guests as they discuss how they grew their businesses? Interested in learning more actionable steps that you can implement into your business? Check out our Business Camp E-Course. ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds 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!

Happy Holidays friends!  Oh boy, this episode with Jen Gotch was one of my favorites and I’m excited to reshare it with you.  Not only is Jen an inspirational business woman, but she’s honest, open and real with sharing both her successes and her failures.  This episode is a great reminder that we all start in the same place -- the beginning.  Enjoy the show! -------------- Jen Gotch is the chief creative officer and fearless leader of Ban.do.  Jen founded the company in 2008 with no prior business experience and was able to transform it from a small, vintage, one-of-a-kind hair accessory company into a million dollar brand within years.  I had the pleasure of working with Jen when she was a speaker at our Tradeshow Bootcamp Business Camp conference. She not only offers a wealth of information, but she’s passionate about helping creative entrepreneurs succeed.  On today’s episode, we’re talking about how Ban.do evolved into the lifestyle brand it is today, why having a strong brand is the best thing you can do for your business and the importance of making time for self-reflection no matter how many years you’ve been in business.   ON TODAY’S EPISODE: The evolution of Ban.do Selling to Lifeguard Press and how this enabled further growth Hard lessons Jen has learned in business Why having a strong brand is important and affects other aspects of business How and why Jen gives back to other entrepreneurs The importance of focusing on top level projects as the founder of your business Advice for entrepreneurs What’s upcoming for Ban.do KEY TAKE-AWAYS:   “I’m a problem solver by nature. I walk towards them, not away from them. But I have no business walking towards half the problems I do.” - Jen Gotch   “Sheer will will not allow me to do it all and be great at everything.“ - Jen Gotch   “Being able to have a voice that stands outside of the product makes it easier for people to attach to your business and makes it easier for your business to pivot“ - Jen Gotch   “People have questions that are different than the questions they used to have.  They hold companies and brands accountable for things they never had to be accountable before.  It’s a very interesting time to be in business.”- Jen Gotch   “Retailers were wanting newness more often.” - Jen Gotch   “It is really easy to focus on medium level shit, because those things tend to have a beginning, middle and end and we can check it off our list. Hold yourself accountable to not get into the minutia” - Jen Gotch on focusing on high level shit   “The faster you can figure out where you add the most value and what you should be doing and what someone else should be doing, you’ll grow and scale” - Jen Gotch.   MEET JEN: Jen Gotch is a creative powerhouse who brakes for yard sales and unicorns. She founded ban.do with a friend in 2008, and with no prior business experience, was able to transform it from a small, vintage, one-of-a-kind hair accessories company into a multimillion dollar brand within years. After a long (and winding) road of jobs that led her to where she is today, she’s now the chief creative officer and fearless leader of the ban.do team. She’s passionate about continuing to grow ban.do while sharing the experience with her many Instagram followers (and anyone else who’s interested), because she wholeheartedly believes that you don’t get anywhere in life without the help and kindness of others.   CONNECT WITH JEN & BAN.DO: Website: https://www.bando.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shopbando Ban.do’s Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/shopbando/ Jen’s Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/jengotch Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/shopbando/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/shopbando   JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY: Need help streamlining your business operations?  Are you feeling a bit stuck in your business? Maybe you're worried about things like marketing, technology, or hiring a team. If so, you are not alone, and we've got a course for you. The Business Camp e-course includes lessons from Tara Gentile, Jen Gotch of Ban.do, Chelsea of Sugar Paper, as well as experts in public relations, websites, email marketing, and much, much more. This course includes eight hours of video content, and a 30 page workbook. You will finish this course feeling confident, energized, and armed with concrete information to help you refine your business systems. Plus the on-demand format lets you jump around to topics that are most relevant to you when you need them most As you guys know by now, I'm a firm believer in working smarter, not harder, and this course is gonna help you streamline your business, whether you're product-based, or service-based business. Head over to tsbcvizcamp.com. That's TSBCbizcamp.com for more information. And for a limited time, our proof to product listeners will receive $50 off with promo code prooftoproduct.   ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds 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.

Happy Holidays friends!  I’m so excited to reshare this episode with Kimberley Yurkiewicz with you.  Not only is this one of our most downloaded episodes, but its hands down the one I get the most emails about -- podcast listeners praising Kimberley and telling me how helpful the episode was in building their catalogs. <3  Kimberley is one smart cookie and incredibly generous with sharing what she’s learned over the years.  She’s mentored hundreds of Paper Camp alumni over the years and I’m so excited that she’ll be back to join us in March 2018 as a Paper Camp speaker.  Enjoy the show! -------------- Kimberley is the New York sales representative for Crow + Canary.  During her 15+ year career in the stationery industry, Kimberley has worked at Crane & Co., Kate’s Paperie, as well as two of her own independent boutiques.  She got her start running a letterpress studio, and has since worked all sides of the business – manufacturing, wholesaling, custom printing, multi-unit retail, buying, merchandising, and now repping.  Kimberley’s vast experience in the industry provides a unique and valuable perspective. On today’s episode Kimberley talks about the role of sales reps, why you need a printed catalog for wholesale and the importance of giving back.   ON TODAY’S EPISODE: [01:00] Kimberley’s rich background in the stationery industry. [04:30] Meeting Carina Muray, her now boss, through Twitter.[07:30] Overview of a sales rep’s role.[10:00] Tips for reaching out to retailers.[11:30] Keep track of contacts you meet & jot down details you can use in follow up.[12:30] What to end to retailers you’re woo-ing.[13:00] Refining your line & honing in on your unique aesthetic[14:00] Why catalogs are important if you’re selling wholesale[20:00] Line sheets vs catalogs[22:00] Releasing your products when buyers are buying[26:00] The importance of giving back to our industry[29:30] Kimberley is a champion for independent shops, only shops local.[32:30] How our experiences and interests shape us in our work.[36:00] Too much ‘busy’ in our lives. KEY TAKE-AWAYS:   “We look at ourselves as sort of a seamless, internal sales mechanism for the lines.” -Kimberley Yurkiewicz on her role as sales rep.   "I asked myself what do I want to be doing,  what elements of this am I good at, what are my strengths, what am I not interested in pursuing anymore, or what am I too junior for, what am I too senior for, all of those things." -Kimberley Yurkiewicz   “My buyers love to get things in the mail, they love to be able to see things and touch them as if they were having an appointment with you.” - Kimberley Yurkiewicz   “My buyers want to see things that are not the same as every other thing on Etsy or Instagram” - Kimberley Yurkiewicz   “Catalogs are your best friend because they take the place of you when you’re not there” -Kimberley Yurkiewicz MEET KIMBERLEY YURKIEWICZ: Kimberley is the New York sales representative for Crow + Canary.  During her 15+ year career in the stationery industry, Kimberley has worked at Crane & Co., Kate’s Paperie, as well as two of her own independent boutiques.  She got her start running a letterpress studio, and has since worked all sides of the business – manufacturing, wholesaling, custom printing, multi-unit retail, buying, merchandising, and now repping.  She has attended tradeshows as both a buyer and exhibitor.  Kimberley’s vast experience in the industry provides a unique and valuable perspective. Website: http://www.crowandcanary.com Instagram: @kimberleycanary Twitter: @kimberleycanary   JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY: Interested in learning more about launching or refining a wholesale line or exhibiting at trade shows?  Join us for our next Paper Camp conference in Los Angeles. Get more details and register at www.tradeshowcamp.com/papercamp   ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds 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.

Erin Dollar, the owner of Cotton & Flax is an artist and textile designer, focused on creating home goods and bold surface pattern designs. Her background as a printmaker guides her work for Cotton & Flax, and the entire collection of Cotton & Flax home goods are designed, silkscreen printed, and sewn in California. On today’s episode we’re talking about how Erin licensed her artwork for a line of fabrics manufactured by Robert Kaufman.  She’ll share her story of how this licensing partnership came to be, considerations when partnering with other brands and things she learned along the way. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Cotton & Flax’s product offerings What motivated Erin to start Cotton & Flax How she came up with the name when she decided to re-brand How the collaboration with Robert Kaufman came about and why she chose to work with them How she crafted her licensing pitch Considerations smaller companies should take into account when looking at a partnership with a larger company Red flags when it comes to contracts Flat rate compensation versus royalty compensation Brand strategy when co-marketing your products with a larger company How diversifying her income has allowed her to feel more confident in her ability to be self-employed What she would do differently on her next licensing deal How Erin defines success in her business The advice she would give to someone starting out in a product-based business KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “Cotton & Flax was a weird experiment that got out of control. It was almost completely accidental.” - Erin Dollar “I wanted to explore working with manufacturers who have that expertise, have that ability to scale up and really create a quality product but without having to do it all myself.” - Erin Dollar “Thinking about the way that I could craft a pitch that would be appealing to their end use customer was really important.” - Erin Dollar “It has to be a blend of the strength of your work and your ability to get that message across in an effective way.” - Erin Dollar “It's really about that partnership. It's not, ‘What can I get out of it?’ It's, ‘How can we work together to have a successful collaboration?’” - Erin Dollar “If you don't feel comfortable looking over legal documents and really feel like you can understand those documents, get someone to help you” - Erin Dollar “Licensing has been a way for me to really grow my brand beyond my own product line while holding onto the rights to my work to be able to use in other ways.” - Erin Dollar “If you're not comfortable with what's in the agreement, ask for more of what you want. Don't be afraid to speak up.” - Katie Hunt “The diversification in income is something that's really helped me to feel more confident in my ability to be self-employed.” - Erin Dollar “Success to me means freedom to do the type of creative work that I want to do.” - Erin Dollar “I feel like we're all our own worst critics. We need to get ourselves out of that mindset and give ourselves more credit for the amazing things we're doing.” - Katie Hunt “Having a network of folks that you can turn to who care about you and want to see you succeed is so vital.” - Erin Dollar   LINKS: Website: https://cottonandflax.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cottonandflax Instagram: http://instagram.com/cottonandflax Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/cottonandflax Twitter: http://twitter.com/cottonandflax   Ethical Pricing Guidelines Handbook for Designers -- new 2018 version available for presale here.     JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY: Our signature Paper Camp program is back and we’re now enrolling for Winter 2018!   We’re talking about product development  sales tools, trade shows, marketing, working with buyers, sales reps and the press.  Attend live or online.  It’s the similar content, available in different formats. Paper Camp Conference:  an intensive 2-day program taking place March 1-2 in Los Angeles. Paper Camp E-Course:  4-week online program with live Q&A calls starting January 16th. Figure out which program is best for you and grab your seat at www.tradeshowcamp.com/papercamp   ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds 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!

Sarah Edmonds and Tammy Lawrence are the owners of Banquet Atelier & Workshop, a Vancouver-based design studio.  All of Tammy and Sarah’s products are conceived, designed, printed and produced in Canada with a fine attention to affordability and environmental sustainability. They offer screen printed signed and dated prints, stationery, textiles as well as clothing and jewelry. They’ve also licensed work and collaborated with large brands such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Terrain, Anthropologie, Land of Nod and others to create exclusive products and designs. On today’s episode we’re talking about taking risks with new products and why it took them over 4 years to bring their textiles to market.  We also discuss why you need to follow your passions when making business decisions and why this Canadian company chooses to exhibit at US wholesale shows. ON TODAY’S EPISODE: How Sarah & Tammy first met What prompted them to start Banquet Atelier & Workshop Making Banquet Workshop their full-time gig from the outset Utilizing their maternity leave to focus on and grow their businesses Balancing being a mom & running a business How they split responsibilities within their business The products they started with and the motivation to expand into other areas The reasons it took 4-5 years to get their textiles to market How they decide which new products to take action on Sarah’s difficulty with letting go of creative ideas she’s in love with Licensing work and collaborations and how they got those opportunities The wholesale side of Banquet Workshop and the challenges of doing US shows What advice they would give to someone just starting out in a product-based business What’s next for Banquet Workshop KEY TAKE-AWAYS: “We left the other jobs. It was definitely the intention to work for ourselves and build the dream.” - Tammy Lawrence “As somebody that's so go, go, go, that [maternity leave] was a really nice time to focus on my family and also focus on building the businesses that I was trying to run because I wanted that to be my full time that I was working on.” - Katie Hunt   “You just make due in those beginning stages of being a mom and starting a business. It's kind of a deadly combo, but an amazing combo at the same time.” - Tammy Lawrence   “We want to try everything, and we want to make what we love.” - Sarah Edmonds   “It does take a long time to bring new things to market. I think it's very important for people listening to hear there are a multitude of challenges.” - Katie Hunt   “What we want to make, we just make it. Sometimes that's not the smartest business move but it's really being true to ourselves.” - Tammy Lawrence   “Paper pays the way for us to move into these other categories.” - Tammy Lawrence   “Ultimately, we're a business, we want to make money. We want to support our families.” - Sarah Edmonds   “To be creative, to be an artist, you have to be somewhat self-indulgent, and I can't always.” - Sarah Edmonds   “Being able to work with these companies is such a great opportunity to make things that we just don't have the resources to make.” - Tammy Lawrence   “If you're going to make a go of doing the trade shows, you have to commit to being there for more than one year.” - Sarah Edmonds   “Be weird. Stay weird. Follow your dreams.” - Sarah Edmonds   LINKS: Website: https://banquetworkshop.com/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/banquetworkshop Instagram: http://instagram.com/banquetworkshop Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/banquetworkshop Twitter: https://twitter.com/banquetworkshop JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY: Our signature Paper Camp program is back and we’re now enrolling for Winter 2018!   We’re talking about product development  sales tools, trade shows, marketing, working with buyers, sales reps and the press.  Attend live or online.  It’s the similar content, available in different formats. Paper Camp Conference:  an intensive 2-day program taking place March 1-2 in Los Angeles. Paper Camp E-Course:  4-week online program with live Q&A calls starting January 16th. Figure out which program is best for you and grab your seat at www.tradeshowcamp.com/papercamp   ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds 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!