I know you have a lot on your plate right now. You've got products to make, orders to ship, and about a hundred decisions that you're making every day. I do not take it lightly that you are spending time with me today and I want to thank you for being here. Today's episode is a short, focused, throwback episode designed to give you one thing that you can do today to move your business forward. No fluff, no filler, just ideas that we've shared in the past that will benefit you today. Let's dive in!You can listen to the full episode with Arianne Foulks of Aeolidia here: http://prooftoproduct.com/114 Quick Links:Free Wholesale Audio SeriesFree Resources LibraryFree Email Marketing for Product MakersPTP LABSPaper CampMentioned in this episode:Take the free quiz!Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz
Oct 29
5 min
![466 | How to Balance Creativity and Profit in Wholesale with Katie Wilson, The Good Twin [Part 1]](https://cdn-images.podbay.fm/eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2FydHdvcmsuY2FwdGl2YXRlLmZtL2E4YWIwYjI3LWVhNDQtNDUwYS1hZjkxLThiNTI4MTAwOWRmZC9Qcm9vZi10by1Qcm9kdWN0LXNxdWFyZS1hbGJ1bS1hcnQtMzAwMHgzMDAwcHguanBnIiwiZmFsbGJhY2siOiJodHRwczovL2lzMS1zc2wubXpzdGF0aWMuY29tL2ltYWdlL3RodW1iL1BvZGNhc3RzMTE1L3Y0L2FiLzUyLzMzL2FiNTIzMzAwLWY1NzEtN2Y4ZC02Mzg1LTRlYzc2YmEwODkyZS9temFfMTY5OTA3NTE0Njk3MzQ1OTQ1NzUucG5nLzYwMHg2MDBiYi5qcGcifQ.k4NjcJ0Ys_bP8jc6Q2Wo9op7-zH8WY2ND5lR0JrkziU.jpg?width=200&height=200)
How do you run a high-volume wholesale business with a tiny team, and still make room for the work you love? Katie Wilson has been in the greeting card and gift industry since 2008, and her brand, The Good Twin, is 95% wholesale and stocked in more than 1,500 independent shops around the world.She and her partner Scotty also run Crush and Touch Art Supply, a neighborhood art store and gift shop in Los Angeles. You’ve heard Katie talked about the shop side on the podcast before in episode 129, episode 316, and episode 317. This time she focuses on the brand: why wholesale is still her main revenue stream, how she keeps orders moving, and which products she’ll never cut. This episode was so juicy, we had to split it into two parts!In part 1, you’ll learn:Why Katie chooses to keep wholesale as The Good Twin’s primary revenue streamHow a tiny team handles high-volume wholesale orders with strong systems, and why she keeps fulfillment in-houseHow to spot trends in product cycles and categoriesHow to balance making money from your work with projects that fill your creative cupWhy you should think twice before discontinuing a bestseller, even if you’re tired of looking at it years laterToday's episode is brought to you by our Retailer Roundtable interview series. To make a strong first impression with wholesale buyers, we need to do a few things well. We need to make it easy for stores to purchase from usWe need clear pricing and terms and conditionsWe need to build strong relationships with our customersAll of that gets easier when we listen to our customers. This on-demand interview series gives you a window into what buyers want and need from you, and it's only $27. You can get access to it at prooftoproduct.com/roundtable.You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/466 Quick Links:Free Wholesale Audio SeriesFree Resources LibraryFree Email Marketing for Product MakersPTP LABSPaper CampMentioned in this episode:Take the free quiz!Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz
Oct 27
30 min
One pattern I've noticed time and time again after working with thousands of product brands across lots of different categories, is that while our products might be different or our tools and platforms might change, all of our core business foundations and fundamentals are not changing.And that's exactly why I wanted to share this short clip from the archive, something that I think is worth revisiting because the takeaways still hold true today.Maybe listening will spark an idea or help you take action on a decision that you've been sitting on. Really, the goal here is to help you take your next intentional step in business. That's what I want for you.Enjoy this clip!You can listen to the full episode with Reese Spykerman of Design By Reese here: http://prooftoproduct.com/224Quick Links:Free Wholesale Audio SeriesFree Resources LibraryFree Email Marketing for Product MakersPTP LABSPaper CampMentioned in this episode:Take the free quiz!Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz
Oct 22
7 min
"How did you get your products into so many stores?" Melissa Gullatte hears this question often. Her business, Gracefully Made Art, started with original paintings and wedding invitations. After her first daughter was born, she pivoted to officially licensed collegiate and sorority gifts. She took Paper Camp in spring 2023, thinking wholesale would be a nice side channel. Three years later, wholesale is two-thirds of her revenue and she's in more than 1,000 stores.In this episode, you'll learn:How collegiate and sorority licensing works: applying school by school, getting each product category and every piece of artwork approved, and planning six months to a year ahead of launchHow Melissa landed Ole Miss after two years of rejectionsWhy sorority licensing opened up a national market when collegiate products sell regionallyHow she prices for wholesale first, with royalties of 12 to 20 percent built in, then sets her retail price from thereWhat tactics got her into 1,000+ storesHow she keeps retailers reordering, and why fewer SKUs helped her business growToday's episode is brought to you by our Retailer Roundtable interview series. To make a strong first impression with wholesale buyers, we need to do a few things well. We need to make it easy for stores to purchase from usWe need clear pricing and terms and conditionsWe need to build strong relationships with our customersAll of that gets easier when we listen to our customers. This on-demand interview series gives you a window into what buyers want and need from you, and it's only $27. You can get access to it at prooftoproduct.com/roundtable.You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/465 Quick Links:Free Wholesale Audio SeriesFree Resources LibraryFree Email Marketing for Product MakersPTP LABSPaper CampMentioned in this episode:Take the free quiz!Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz
Oct 20
31 min
I know you have a lot on your plate right now. You've got products to make, orders to ship, and about a hundred decisions that you're making every day. I do not take it lightly that you are spending time with me today and I want to thank you for being here. Today's episode is a short, focused, throwback episode designed to give you one thing that you can do today to move your business forward. No fluff, no filler, just ideas that we've shared in the past that will benefit you today. Let's dive in!You can listen to the full episode with Mei Pak of Creative Hive Co here: http://prooftoproduct.com/265 Quick Links:Free Wholesale Audio SeriesFree Resources LibraryFree Email Marketing for Product MakersPTP LABSPaper CampMentioned in this episode:Take the free quiz!Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz
Oct 15
6 min
How do you decide what to make next, what to cut, and where to put your limited time and money? For Elizabeth Rees, founder of Chasing Paper, the answer has come from her customers for nearly 13 years. She shares how customer feedback shaped her product format, her materials, her wholesale approach, and her newest line, and why she checks every instinct against the data before acting on it.In this episode, you'll learn:Why Chasing Paper sold wallpaper in panels instead of rolls from the start, so a customer with a small project could spend $60 instead of $250 and buy in at any budgetHow launching with two materials, Standard and Luxe, worked like an accidental A/B test, and why Elizabeth discontinued the lower-priced option about nine months in instead of continuing to explain the differenceHow Chasing Paper treats wholesale as a customer acquisition channel, drop-shipping for retail partners and using those placements to build brand trustWhy the trade program, where repeat rate, average order value, and lifetime value run three to four times higher than direct-to-consumer, became the reason to launch fabricWhy deepening relationships with the customers you already have can matter more than constantly finding new ones, and why a small team has to be selective about new channelsHow Elizabeth pairs instinct with data, and why one source of truth for attribution keeps her team from cherry-picking numbers to support a hunchToday's episode is brought to you by our Retailer Roundtable interview series. To make a strong first impression with wholesale buyers, we need to do a few things well. We need to make it easy for stores to purchase from usWe need clear pricing and terms and conditionsWe need to build strong relationships with our customersAll of that gets easier when we listen to our customers. This on-demand interview series gives you a window into what buyers want and need from you, and it's only $27. You can get access to it at prooftoproduct.com/roundtable.You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/464 Quick Links:Free Wholesale Audio SeriesFree Resources LibraryFree Email Marketing for Product MakersPTP LABSPaper CampMentioned in this episode:Take the free quiz!Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz
Oct 13
38 min
I know you have a lot on your plate right now. You've got products to make, orders to ship, and about a hundred decisions that you're making every day. I do not take it lightly that you are spending time with me today and I want to thank you for being here. Today's episode is a short, focused, throwback episode designed to give you one thing that you can do today to move your business forward. No fluff, no filler, just ideas that we've shared in the past that will benefit you today. Let's dive in!You can listen to the full episode here: http://prooftoproduct.com/419 Quick Links:Free Wholesale Audio SeriesFree Resources LibraryFree Email Marketing for Product MakersPTP LABSPaper CampMentioned in this episode:Take the free quiz!Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz
Oct 8
5 min
Dorothy Belshaw has spent more than three decades in the gift, home, and trade show industries. She's led some of North America's biggest markets—from NY NOW to Atlanta Mart, and Las Vegas Market.Earlier this year, Dorothy partnered with industry veterans William Lacey and Karen Olson to acquire NY NOW through Rockview Management Group and bring the iconic 100+ year-old show into its next chapter.In this episode, you'll learn:What changes when a trade show is owned by a small, industry-embedded team instead of a large company What she and her partners changed in their first few months, and how the summer show performed How they're rebuilding category depth, including Home returning as a primary category and Handmade coming back under external jury How multi-line agency partnerships re-engage the reps who are already in stores year-round What NY NOW is doing to bring buyers back from the Northeast, mid-Atlantic, northern Midwest, and eastern Canada Why Dorothy believes buyers can't build a full assortment digitally, and what that means for your booth What support is being built for newer and smaller exhibitors, and how to make an impact in a smaller footprint What the strongest brands at the show have in common: evolving product, early commitment, and follow-up Why Shoppe Object and NY NOW are on different weekends for Winter 2027, and the plan to get back to the same datesToday's episode is brought to you by our Retailer Roundtable interview series. To make a strong first impression with wholesale buyers, we need to do a few things well. We need to make it easy for stores to purchase from usWe need clear pricing and terms and conditionsWe need to build strong relationships with our customersAll of that gets easier when we listen to our customers. This on-demand interview series gives you a window into what buyers want and need from you, and it's only $27. You can get access to it at prooftoproduct.com/roundtable.You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/463 Quick Links:Free Wholesale Audio SeriesFree Resources LibraryFree Email Marketing for Product MakersPTP LABSPaper CampMentioned in this episode:Take the free quiz!Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz
Oct 6
38 min
Today's episode is a short excerpt from a conversation with one of our incredible Proof to Product community members. I love sharing these conversations because building a product brand doesn't follow a single pathway. There is no one-size-fits-all strategy that works for everyone because no two businesses are the same. We learn so much by hearing how other people are making decisions, the ideas that they're testing out, and also how they're navigating both the ups and downs that come with entrepreneurship and building a business. Here at Proof to Product, our goal is to help you build a sustainable business, one that supports you long term. Hearing these real stories from other founders helps to reinforce that that is truly possible, because friends, it is.You can listen to the full episode with Brigida Swanson of Yardia here: http://prooftoproduct.com/309 Quick Links:Free Wholesale Audio SeriesFree Resources LibraryFree Email Marketing for Product MakersPTP LABSPaper CampMentioned in this episode:Take the free quiz!Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz
Oct 1
7 min
Most product-based business owners do their strategic planning late at night or in the car with ten spare minutes. Or they make a big list of everything that needs fixing and try to work on all of it at once. Either way, a few months go by and it's hard to tell whether the business is headed where you want it to go. In this episode, I walk you through a five-day exercise, about 30 minutes a day, that ends with one clear priority for your quarter and a plan to get there.In this episode, you'll learn:The two patterns that keep owners from planning — the Firefighter, who's too busy reacting to look up, and the Juggler, who makes a little progress in five directions instead of real progress in oneWhy looking back at the last 90 days, not the whole year, is the first step before you plan anythingHow to take your business temperature by rating your product line, your sales and marketing, and your systems and operations from one to five, and why your lowest score usually points to your biggest opportunityWhy you pick one priority for the quarter, not three or five, and the question that helps you choose itHow to break that priority into three monthly milestones and a first step small enough to take in the next 48 hoursHow LABS members are using the exercise to make real progress in their businessToday's episode is brought to you by Proof to Product LABS, our membership for product-based business owners who want to keep growing after the basics are in place. Inside LABS, you get coaching, our full training library, and focused sprints throughout the year to help you make real progress on one thing at a time. CEO Week, which is what I'm walking you through today, is one of those sprints. We also have an upcoming Black Friday / Cyber Monday sprint so you go into the holidays with a plan. We're opening enrollment to LABS this week, and our next CEO Week kicks off October 12th. Come do it with us!JOIN US IN LABS NOWYou can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/462 Quick Links:Free Wholesale Audio SeriesFree Resources LibraryFree Email Marketing for Product MakersPTP LABSPaper CampMentioned in this episode:Take the free quiz!Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz
Sep 29
19 min
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