smart marketing for product-based businesses · is someone who hired a professional to blog for...

Smart marketing For Product-BaSed BuSineSSeSModule Six: Marketing

© M arie Forleo Intern ation al Pg. 1 m arieforleobscho o l .com


contentSWelcome!

QueStionSQueStion 1 — I love to create, but I don’t want to be the person in front do-ing all the marketing. Can I hire people to do the talking and copywriting for me? Is that bad? Page 4

QueStion 2 — How can I make sure that me and my product are clearly linked in all design and messaging without things getting too complicated or cluttered? Page 9

even deePer:

Page 11 — More Insights on Module Six

SPotlight caSe StudieS: Page 12 — Grace KangPage 14 — Angie GreenPage 15 — Lindy BraggPage 16 — Peta SerrasPage 18 — Nicki TraikosPage 19 — Gunilla Eisenberg2 — Elzemieke De TiègePage 23 — Elisheva ManekinPage 24 — Rhonda Lee

it'S "You" time: Page 25 — Your Notes on Module Six

Welcome!You did it! You made it all the way to the very last module of B-School and the last PDF in our series for B-Schoolers with product-based businesses. Now’s the time you get to put everything you’ve learned so far to use—but we know you still may have questions. Here, we’ll address some tough topics such as how much “you” people should see in your brand, and if it’s really OK to hire people to help you with things like copywriting.

Finally, we’ve collected nine more in-depth case studies filled

with new ideas, stories, and personal strategies to inspire you

and your business. As always, you can find a section just for

you at the back for notes, scribbles, and more. If you haven’t

already, I encourage you to check out all the contributors’

websites. This series would not have been possible without

their incredible generosity—thank you!



I love, love, love to create! But I want to hide in the background and watch other people enjoy my products—I don’t want to be the front person doing all the marketing. So this module is a big challenge. Is it okay to employ people to do the talking and copywriting for me, or is that a bad thing?

“I just hired a social media assistant and I love her! She’s way more outgoing than me and loves to do the talking. But I still continue to grow in my approach to marketing. Even if you hire somebody to do the talking for you, she or he still needs to reflect your brand, your values, and your vision. It’s up to you to show them what that is.”

- Nina Huang

“This is a personal choice but I tend to lean towards the ‘personal’ element of con-necting with the founder/entrepreneur especially when it comes to emerging, small businesses. You want them to be engaged with the story of why you started the brand and the work that you do. Think about what you’re doing when you’re creating. It’s likely interesting to your Ideal Customer Avatar or your audience! Why not share that with them? Seeking help from a copywriter is a reasonable idea, just make sure that they have a good sense of your brand tonality and essence, and that they can create authentic copy that speaks to your ICA.”

- Kristi Soomer

“You are the business owner. You get to delegate whatever the heck you want to. Just make sure you remain the CEO and head of your company in real life, and ensure that all of your hired copywriting, etc. fit with your vision and goals.”

- Megan Petersen

“Who better to talk about your product than yourself? How can someone else be as passionate as you are? Why do you create what you create? What challenges do you face? How does your product make others feel? How does it change their lives? Alex-andra Franzen got me started writing about myself, what I do, and for whom, and I have been writing product descriptions using some prompts from her posts and wee books on copywriting.”

- Laura Jacquemond

QueStion 1

anSWerS

marie SaYS: Yes It Is!


answersQuestion 1

“I think if you find the right people who do it well—and do it in ‘your voice,’ with your story and your ‘why,’—this can be an awesome thing.”

- Ursula Markgraf

“It is OK, but be transparent about it. Mention those people as part of your team, and give them an opportunity to express their own voice.”

- Whitney English

“I see this a lot with the creatives I coach—you’re not alone. However, marketing is a fact of life for a business and it’s definitely not something you should shy away from, but find ways to embrace it that are aligned with who you are. First off, don’t listen to anyone who says you need to do all of the marketing tactics that others businesses do. There are ways to market that don’t require as much writing or ‘showing’ of yourself.

However, I highly discourage anyone using an outside source to be the voice of your company unless you know without a doubt that they fully understand your vision and who you are as a creator and a person. The biggest mistake I’ve ever seen in business is someone who hired a professional to blog for them and then when it came time for them to speak for themselves, they couldn’t live up to the expert-sounding writer. It became an embarrassment for them.”

- Dave Conrey

“Absolutely! Find people who are passionate about those pieces of marketing and ex-cited about what you’re doing and employ their help. This will leave you with time to focus on what you’re best at. That said, don’t shy away from marketing just because you’re afraid. This can be an area of tremendous growth that impacts your life, both personally and professionally.”

- Allison Rivers Samson

“Employing others for positions we don’t like or are not adept at is fine. Find the right people, make sure they’re writing with your essence, and check and edit all drafts before they hit the ‘send’ button. It’s your business.”

- Elise Muller

marie SaYS: Interesting Point!


answersQuestion 1

“It depends. If you can find someone who writes in your voice or the voice you’d like to portray, then it’s absolutely OK to get their help. I’m a huge fan of doing the work that you enjoy and hiring other people to help you do the things that you don’t like to do as much. But, at the same time, please keep in mind that customers who buy from smaller companies and entrepreneurs who are just starting out are interest-ed in hearing your story. They buy because they can relate to you and your story, in addition to the fact that they like your products. I would also look at the ‘why’ behind why you want to hide and explore that. Sometimes there’s a lot of ‘stuff ’ there that, once you deal with it, will make it a lot easier for you to be the face of your brand!”

- Andreea Ayers

“Read E-Myth. Work on your business, not in it, and employ folks to do the stuff you don’t want to do if you can afford it! Just be sure they are speaking on-brand.”

- Kristi Hayes-Devlin

“Not at all! I love working closely with copywriters and designers. It’s best when they truly understand you and your brand’s values so they can represent them accurately. Make sure you are able to read all the drafts, offer edits and changes, and feel like you are a part of the process. This will also free you up to spend more time creating!”

- Sonia Ruyts

“I totally get this! My perspective was that my products will speak for themselves and that will be what my customers fall in love with; however, some of the constant feedback I received was there wasn’t more of ‘me’ fused into the website: the story of ‘why,’ and the story of me. I think this is a fine balance to strike.

Your personality has to shine through to really create a brand that resonates with your potential customers. For me, that meant writing more (short and sweet) blog posts, moving the about us section to the top of the page and becoming more of the voice of the Brilliant Imports’ brand, not in an overwhelming way but so that peo-ple know there is a real human curating the collections that are being offered. By all means, having a PR firm or a copywriter is great, but the overall voice has to be uniform.”

- Amy Campbell


answersQuestion 1

“As long as the info that other people create for you comes out in your voice, or the way you’d like it to be perceived, then hire away! This is such an important piece to the growth of your business that it needs to be done whether by you or by someone else.”

- Robin King & Lynn Flanagan-Till

“Seth Godin says, ‘Every single task that can be done by someone other than you should be done by someone other than you.’ Let’s apply that here. It’s not bad at all if you can afford to have someone write your copy—by all means, focus on your cre-ation. As an artist I can relate, but I am too cheap and not trusting enough to think others can do it the way I want it done so I hire myself and I get burned out.

One can easily spend too much time marketing, and posting, and writing, and photo-graphing, and coding that they long just to get back to the studio to paint! So go for it! Just make sure the people you are hiring are doing a fantastic job of understanding and conveying your voice, style, and personality. The essence of you should be cele-brated and not canned copy that is used similarly for all your clients. Insist that it is as unique as you are! This question is about personal energy reserve. What do you want to spend your time doing? What can you afford to hire someone else to do?”

- April DeMarco

“It isn’t always necessary to put yourself front and center in the marketing. You can highlight clients and their experiences with the product instead. However, nobody has a deeper understanding of your product and what makes it special, so in order to direct other people to talk about your product, you need to have a very in-depth understanding of what needs to be communicated. This should not be brushed over.

Also, if you love to create, the marketing should be part of the creative process, some-thing that you have fun with, that fires up the creative spirit! For example, I created personas for different collections of my jewelry, and had fun imagining what the life of each of these personas would be like. For example, I created the Rocker Wing Woman, the Leading Lady, the Bohemian Best Friend. Instead of straight up sales page writing, I wrote a little bit about each woman to help the browser identify with the persona.”

- Natasha Wozniak

marie SaYS: Yes! Absolutely!

http://www.natashajewelry.com/collections/your-rocker-wing-woman

http://www.natashajewelry.com/collections/your-rocker-wing-woman

http://www.natashajewelry.com/collections/the-leading-lady

http://www.natashajewelry.com/collections/bohemian-best-friend


answersQuestion 1 “I’m a very friendly person but not extremely outgoing. I’m much better with small

groups than a large crowd. (Let’s say ‘working the room’ is not my forte!). But I am in the forefront and have made an appearance on TV in LA. Plus, I was contacted by eHow.com and I do videos for them too. If I can do it, you can too! I do all the writing myself but for our book, I had a copy editor go over it. Use experts if you need to, but it’s best if you do some marketing yourself.”

- Nell Foster

“I am the same way and I am just now starting to let people do some of the work for me. The key is to let go slowly and only give your assistant a few small tasks so you can train them to do it how you want it done. Guide them in the direction you want to take and once you build up confidence and trust, you can start letting them do more and more. It’s a gradual process, but incredibly worth it.”

- Gretchen Cawthon

“Letting someone else be the marketing voice for your business will hurt the feeling of authenticity at first. You know your brand better than anyone else. Social media isn’t easy but it is important that you are the one that is doing the talking. You can be the brand’s voice without making it about you and being so front and center.”

- Jenny Hansen

marie SaYS: Great Point.

eHow.com


When you are selling a product rather than yourself and your services, how might you go about making the two (your product and yourself ) deeply interlinked while keeping design, messages, etc. clear and simple?

I can feel myself getting confused as to what to focus on. I’m a parent, creating kids’ apps with my husband, and we’re deeply committed to our fellow parent customers. This connection feels very important, yet I’m struggling with it. An extreme example is our Facebook profile image where currently we’re including our faces ( for customers to connect with), and our logo all in 180px square. I’m not sure it’s the most elegant solution. Please help!

“There are plenty of companies, even large corporations, that maintain a very human feel to what they do, without having to parade around a pretty face for their custom-ers. Trader Joe’s is a faction of a major conglomerate, but when you shop there, it feels like you’re shopping at a local market. They do this through the attitude in their printed material, the signage around the store, the casual appearance of their em-ployees, and the very ‘homegrown’ look of all their products. You may not know the face of the CEO, but he still wears a Hawaiian shirt to work.

The culture of your business is not something that has to be defined in an afternoon, a week, or even in a year. The personality of your business gets defined as you grow, and there are no wrong answers at this point. Just do what feels right and adjust when you feel a pinch.”

- Dave Conrey

“Here’s and example: Skinny Girl. The face of this brand is Bethenny Frankel, and it plays into the logo in an iconic way but you will notice that even for a celebrity, her face is not all over her website. It’s on her about page, but it is used tastefully. Your customers need to be able to connect with your brand. Perhaps, you are part of it, through the relevant content and experience you have. I’m a parent of two kids, so I understand that you don’t want to become the brand. I would keep your website fo-cused on your brand, and put your images where they feel appropriate, for example, at the end of blog posts, the about page, recommendations, etc.”

- Kristi Soomer

QueStion 2

anSWerS

http://www.traderjoes.com/

http://skinnygirlcocktails.com/lpa


anSWerSQuestion 2

“I don’t think you can actually sell a product without selling yourself and your services. You’re going to have to sell yourself, because that’s how trust will be built. You’re going to have to sell you services, because someone has got to ship those puppies. When we buy retail, we often forget that built into the price of the product is marketing (the selling of yourself ) and shipping (the sale of your services). You are the core of your brand. Know yourself, make sure you understand your core, and fearlessly communicate that. Be consistent. Hire a good graphic designer who can visually communicate your core.”

- Whitney English

“I think defining yourself as a parent is important to your business but should not be front row center. Being a parent is important as other parents will ‘trust’ your knowledge and expertise, but don’t forget to give strong recognition to the product. You’re not selling yourself, you’re selling a product. (Not to diminish your ‘parent-ing’ and what you’ve gleaned from this experience, which presumably inspired you to create your products in the first place.) Perhaps you could say something like, ‘As a parent I’ve noticed that my kids like____ and I’ve developed this product to enrich their____.’”

- Elise Muller

“One way to do that is to really focus on the benefits of your product throughout your website and marketing materials, as well as your social media outreach. If you want to use your logo on Facebook instead of your picture, one way to still connect with customers is to share with them behind the scenes pictures on a regular basis. That way they can get to know the person behind the app as well. It is important for you to establish the name of your app and to get it out there (more so than getting your personal name out there) but sharing personal stories, or photos, or videos once in a while is a great way to still keep that connection.”

- Andreea Ayers

“I think this is an opportunity to let your blog, newsletter, and about page really speak to the heart of your family-run business. It will give you an opportunity to speak to your customers’ needs as parents and free up the rest of your site to be about the products. Your Facebook profile should be of your logo, but there’s room for pho-tos of you or your customers using your products elsewhere on the page.”

- Sonia Ruyts

“I personally like seeing the people who are behind a business, illusiory as it may be! Especially if they make the product.”

- Victoria Clayton


even deePerMore insights on Module Six

WhY the meSSage alWaYS matterS

“I had a huge breakthrough in my marketing strategy regarding ‘problem = solution.’ As a product-based business owner (I handcraft organic skincare), I am deeply com-mitted to our natural resources, fair trade, sustainability, etc. My ‘aha’ moment came when I realized I was promoting nature and ethics rather than skincare. I understood that if a woman comes to my site searching for a solution to dry, lifeless skin and my solution is ‘organic and ethics,’ I’ve lost her. I’m still fine tuning my delivery but this was a huge breakthrough for me. Although I’m in skincare, I firmly believe ‘problem = solution’ works for any product-based business.”

- Elise Muller

connecting With the camera—and Your audience

“I really believe in the power of video to connect with your customer. I know that this is a big one for Marie as well. Your customer really starts to form a relationship with you through video. I highly recommend using this tool! An example would be using video to answer questions about your product or even demonstrating its use. Keep it fun and light if possible and really try to connect with your audience. They can tell when you aren’t trying. Here is an example of a series of videos that I did to explain the use of Spirit Mist. I’m going to be honest and say that most of my cus-tomers would never need to look at those videos because my target audience already knows what a smudge is but for those on the fence this is a good idea. Personally I love videos!”

- Rhonda Lee

http://infusionoflife.com/the-answers-to-your-questionsvideo-style/

© M arie Forleo Intern ation al Pg. 1 2 m arieforleobscho o l .com

grace kang

Owner & Chief Buyer of Pink Olive

http://pinkolive.comhttp://myolivebox.comhttp://pinkoliveschool.com

How did you start your business?

Six years ago, I started my own business called Pink Olive and opened my first shop in the East Village in Manhattan. Not only was it the most rewarding risk I have ever taken, but it was also the most unexpected. It’s easy to assume that the idea of open-ing a gift shop had been my plan all along since the idea of giving a thoughtful gift always came naturally to me. The truth is, I never thought I would leave my job as a successful buyer for Bloomingdale’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Barneys all together to open a gift store. As someone who excelled as a buyer in the fashion industry, it took stepping out of my comfort zone to realize my true passion: inspiring people to give and create a beautiful living.

I’ve always loved the idea of giving (and getting!) gifts from someone special. There is something amazing that happens when you live your life in a place of appreciation and gratitude. Gift-giving becomes a gift in and of itself. There are few greater joys in my life than knowing that I am surrounded by people who would take the time to give a gift that is meaningful to only me.

My father was a great gift giver and a big inspiration to me. When I was five years old, he gave me the perfect gift—an adorable strawberry bag. It was whimsical and fun, and I couldn’t have asked for a better gift for my kindergarten graduation. He showed me how giving a thoughtful gift can make someone smile and bring joy to their life. Life is about creating those moments with people you love, and I want people to ex-perience this feeling everyday.

Pink Olive is more than just your ordinary gift shop. It’s a creative place with a mis-sion to inspire giving and beautiful living. After all, life is too short to not enjoy life’s special moments.

I always tell budding entrepreneurs to immerse themselves in the field they’re interested in before starting their own business. However being an entrepreneur is another animal, and you have to equip yourself with new skill sets to face some of those challenges ahead. At the end of the day, there will always be highs and lows and hurdles to overcome. (Running a business is about solving problems.) However, when you have clarity around why you’re doing what you’re doing (and your unique ability matches your passion), it gives you that peace of mind and confidence you need to keep your business going. I am also a person of faith so that gives me strength during those lows when I’m ready to throw in the towel.

SPotlight caSe StudieS on B-School Product-BaSed BuSineSS oWnerS

http://pinkolive.com

http://myolivebox.com

http://pinkoliveschool.com


grace kang What was your biggest B-School insight?

I decided to join B-School back in 2011 because I really resonated with Marie’s teach-ing style. I was also getting ready to launch a retail consulting side of my business and wanted to gain a better understanding of how people run a service-based business. I have always been a “product” person so I needed to unravel one of my previous beliefs that I could only charge money for tangible products.

I love marketing and having come from a marketing background, I resonated with a lot of the teachings from B-School. Obviously there are some ‘information marketing’ techniques and jargon out there that don’t apply to product-based businesses; how-ever, I am a true believer that consistent marketing and clear messaging needs to be at the core of any business. It was great to see Marie share in similar practices that I also use for my business, which is one of the reasons why I love recommending my peeps to her program as well.

Any advice you would give someone else starting a product-based business?

As a product-based business owner, your two biggest assets are your inventory and your team—so you need to manage them well. First, invest in great systems to manage your inventory. Be nimble and track your selling report as if it’s your bible. Numbers don’t lie. Second, even if you’re just starting out or have a small team, invest your time and resources to hire the right people. Once you realize that you can’t do this on your own and learn how to delegate, your business will grow.

Is there anything else you want to share?

Always be in learning mode. No matter how much I know about retail, I am still in learning mode and discovering something new each day. As someone once said, “If you stop learning, you stop growing.” Even after 15 years, retail still excites me and I love coming up with new ideas to do things better. Also, don’t be afraid to shake things up and challenge the norm. It’s what we entrepreneurs do best.

I would say that the launch of our sister company OliveBox, our monthly subscrip-tion service for paper lovers, is a perfect example of how I was able to leverage what we do best at our Pink Olive brick-and-mortar stores, capture it in a box, and send it out monthly. Running a physical store is still at the heart of my business. However I love that we’ve been able to use the power of technology to share our products with customers all around the country. Everything that I have learned about retail, mar-keting, branding, PR, and planning all went into the successful launch of this venture last year.



This is my fourth time doing B-School, and my third business. I sold the first busi-ness, closed the second (it wasn’t a good fit with my lifestyle), and this is the one I’m most excited about. It’s the only business that touches my heart as well as looks good on paper, and I think that is going to be key to long-term success.

Letters Across America started because I couldn’t get my grandmother (my favorite person in the world) on the phone, so I started writing her letters. I didn’t have much to say, so I filled the page with illustrations. She passed the letters around her retire-ment community, and soon I was making copies and sending dozens of chatty illus-trated travel letters to strangers every month. I never considered it a business until my grandmother shared something very personal with me about aging, loneliness, and isolation. She convinced me that my letters could help the thousands of people who are desperate for connection.

Marie says something about self-employment and business-development being the best and most intense personal-development experience, and it’s so true. I never thought I’d be writing letters for a living, or that I would feel so incredibly good about the work I do. What I do matters, and that’s all the strength I need to keep going when things get difficult.

You have to get very comfortable with failure. You will fail constantly, and even as you get better/smarter, the failures never stop. It’s almost become a game to me—to fail as fast and as often as I can, because I know then that I am growing and trying big things.

What was your biggest B-School insight?

I can say, without a doubt, that my first round of B-School turned me from a strug-gling freelancer into a successful business owner. My original dreams were just to make back the cost of the program, and I ended up selling that business for more than twenty times that. I still use the knowledge from B-School and maintain the connections that I’ve made through the program—both are invaluable. I learn some-thing new each round that I go through.


My father told me his one regret in business is that he sold his time, instead of cre-ating a product. He chose a path where his income was limited, and with a prod-uct-based business you have unlimited income potential. That’s always stuck with me, and I try to remember it each time I’m faced with an opportunity to sell my time. I think many service-based entrepreneurs will start to see the light, and create prod-ucts or “productized” services that can scale.

Advice for someone just starting out: If I had to do it all over again, I would get my product into people’s hands as quickly as possible. I would make one or two samples, and get feedback. Don’t worry about building inventory until after you have a few dozen sales. Don’t make what you think will sell. Make what people have proven to you that they want to buy. Proven = they gave you money for it.

angie green

Founder of Letters Across America

www.lettersacrossamerica.com

marie SaYS: Preach!

www.lettersacrossamerica.com



I’m probably not your typical B-Schooler. I am 63 years old and own my ladies bou-tique which will begin its 20th season this coming May. But I have learned so much from Marie and the team. I signed up for B-School because it’s not your typical busi-ness workshop. I don’t do so well with “typical.” Marie’s enthusiasm resonated with my belief that surrounding yourself with upbeat positive people that really care leads to success. I had a website that I was ignoring. I didn’t know much about Facebook. I hated “boring classroom instruction,” and I didn’t want to have to work off season to make ends meet.

B-School has taught me that there are tools that I can be using to increase customer awareness, build customer relations, increase profitability and (who knew!) increase my confidence level. As I downloaded each module, laughed and sometimes groaned my way through the homework I realized how many excuses we can all apply to our lack of success. When, if we stopped with the excuses and did the work, we would win! Since my business is inventory and customer-based, after finishing B-School, I spent the summer season focusing on what changes needed to be made to increase my profit margin.


My advice, in no particular order, to someone starting a product-based business would be:

• Make sure you have enough capital to cover inventory, and expenses for at least one season. Especially if you have to draw a salary out for yourself.

• Do what you do best and outsource what you don’t know. Bartering is always a good tool.

• Use a focus group or do enough product research to make sure what you are offering is being offered in the best market. Know your market!

• Make customer service your number one goal. Be a good listener. Learn to “read” your customer by watching their body language.

• Believe in yourself and your product. Don’t undersell because you don’t have enough faith in what you create.

• Always surround yourself with positive folks that are upbeat and sup-portive. B-School is a perfect way to do that!

• Keep learning. Stay abreast of what’s happening in your market.• Become involved in your community, even if it’s an online business.

Network.• Share your story and the story of your product or products.

lindY Bragg

Owner & Founder of Calypso

www.calypsoclothes.com

http://www.calypsoclothes.com



I have a best-selling stretching DVD that aims to get people flexible in only 15 min-utes a day! Even typing that, I find I get super excited. My product-based business came about from demand from clientele. I was running a Pilates studio where I had a bunch of regulars who had to travel for work and were getting out of condition by missing their Pilates. What they found they noticed was how their flexibility was affected and how their body was causing them so much pain by not stretching regu-larly.

I also thought that one or two classes a week wasn’t enough to make a change in flex-ibility which is why I created the Peta Serras Stretching Series. I knew that if I could create a product that delivered fantastic results in only 15 minutes a day that people would need to have this product in their lives. My fears included the fact that I wasn’t a “big name player” in the industry. There were so many people out there creating fitness DVDs. However, I had seen no stretching DVDs on the market so I found my niche. My inspiration remained constant thanks to a great client base who believed in me and were constantly asking when the product would be released. I knew by them constantly asking that I had made a wise move creating the product as interest was already sparked with them knowing not much at all about it.


I signed up to B-School as I saw many other product based B-Schoolers absolutely killing it online! How inspiring is that? I heard about the support from everyone in the B-School community and instantly I knew I had to join up. I learned so much from the B-School content and the B-School community that I couldn’t put a price on it. I learned the huge importance about creating an opt-in. This prompted me to create a free stretching e-book that prompts people to purchase the DVD. (It really works!) The tips were simple to implement and I found my list was growing before my eyes and I was getting really clear on where I was heading with my online busi-ness.

I also learned that just because you create a great product, that it isn’t just going to sell itself. You still have to work! This was a huge lightbulb moment for me as I would often second guess how good my product was because sales started becoming stag-nant. When implementing the tools I learned during B-School I could see my list growing, my social media numbers climbing and sales increasing.


I would recommend researching what you are doing and really get clear on why you are doing it. If it’s purely for cash and there is no passion behind it you’ll find your interest quickly trailing off. If you already have a customer base and are looking to bring out a product, look at what your customer craves and would make them squeal with delight if you were to create it.

Peta SerraS

Founder of Pilates Evolution Now

www.petaserras.com

marie SaYS: Right On!

http://www.petaserras.com


Research how quickly you can have a tangible product in your hands and if they are a steady supplier. When printing my DVDs I needed to make sure that we had fast turnaround time in case we ran out of stock. Our supplier guarantees products deliv-ered in a week and on our website we ensure ten day business delivery. That way I know if we run out of stock and we have to re-order, we will be complying with our terms and conditions on the website.


Completely and utterly believe you can do it. We are lucky to have many people who are our cheerleaders in our lives, but we need to be our own cheerleaders. We need to believe in what we are doing and know that we are creating a great product that is going to positively impact so many lives! How exciting is that?

Peta SerraS



I started building life i design as a way to live authentically and do what I was pas-sionate about, not just something to make money. I knew if I could spend half of my days blogging about this crazy spiritual journey that I found myself on and the other half on my art, my life would be amazing. But I also needed money. I wanted an online business, where I could sell my art and inspire people to live a life that they designed. I didn’t know how, but I knew others were doing it.

With the support of my husband and his steady income, I took online classes and learned how to do graphic design and set up my website. I started making art. I fig-ured out what I wanted to write about and opened up shop.

It was hard for me at first to even tell people that I was an artist or that I blogged. I had a fear of being judged and looked down upon, I guess. I needed to breakthrough all my past barriers about how I couldn’t make money as an artist. The term “starving artist” is still one that I hate.

One year later, I know what works and what doesn’t. It takes time building a portfolio and an artistic style, and as a busy mother of two, my time isn’t always my own. This year is very exciting to me as I’ve really learned more ways that an artist can make money and create the business, experience, and income that I know is possible.

Taking B-School so early on in my business helped me focus my efforts on what is most important to the business side of life i design. Building an audience, marketing well to them, and generating sales, and how to do all those things well. I may not be the greatest success story, but I know that I am on the right path and when I look back at the last 12 months, I see where I needed to make adjustments and I easily corrected and tweaked my path.


My advice to anyone starting a product-based business is to stay focused on what you are passionate about. We are all such creative beings and come up with “good ideas” constantly. I think it’s really hard to stay focused on a small number of things, get re-ally good at creating them and marketing them, and then move on to something new to inspire your passion again. Also, take inspiration from what others are doing, but don’t compare yourself to them.

Some businesses that I look to for inspiration have been online for over six years. There’s no way I can compare my year-old business to them. We can drive ourselves crazy with comparisons. Instead draw inspiration from them and move on. Also, my last piece of advice is to have someone in your life that you can bounce ideas off of. Someone you can talk through your business with. I found having that person helped me stay focused in the early parts of the business when I was really figuring things out. Staying on track is huge in the first year.

nicki traikoS

Artist & Founder of life i design

http://www.lifeidesign.com




My quick story: After graduating with a degree in Finance and a minor in Modern Dance, I got a job at the Gap in their International Tax department. I hated it, so I quit and started working for a destination spa in the San Francisco Bay area. I then left to open my first spa/yoga studio with a partner in 2001. It was bad timing—we opened two months before 9/11 paying premium rent in SF. We got it going but had a lot of stress financially and with each other. I had to sell my house. I became preg-nant and had my son; then my mom got diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer in Spain where she lived. So I decided to let go of the business and my toxic partnership to have more time with my son and to go and be with my mom before she died. I was terrified but wanted out, so I walked away with nothing except my equipment and my reputation.

I signed a lease on Union Street, an attractive shopping area in SF, and re-invented myself and capitalized on my Scandinavian background. So I went from Spa Seven to Gunilla Skin Butik. My clients followed me. It was a big surprise. They wanted me and my expertise—not a big fancy spa! Fast forward a few years and I was bringing in around $140,000 a year with much less overhead and no headaches. I was thrilled and felt I had a better work life balance.

I have been interested in and fascinated by aromatherapy since I was 19, and was trained by the founders of Jurlique, an Australian essential oil-based skincare line when I first started out in skincare. I started experimenting with my own concoc-tions on my clients and they started encouraging me to make them available for retail and this is when B-School came in.

I wanted to get clear on my brand and understand more about internet marketing. I don’t really shop much online. A friend who owns a denim company in LA gave me a big kick in the behind when he told me, “If you have a product that you can just bottle and sell on demand, you need to be all over the internet. Forget about brick and mortar!” In his case, he has challenges with finding good seamstresses. He has to come out with a whole collection, and it’s much more costly and difficult.

I heard about Marie Forleo by following Melissa Cassera and I really felt that I could learn something from her. Having gone to business school at a prestigious University in Silicon Valley, I felt that there was a huge lack in teaching catering to entrepre-neurs. Everything is very ‘corporate focused.’ I had some concerns about spending $2,000 because I was also putting money into web design, packaging, ingredients, etc., plus I also had never really bought anything like that online. It seemed kind of like taking a chance on someone, but I followed my intuition and I really felt like I needed a push and some form of accountability so I did it and never looked back!

gunilla eiSenBerg

Founder of Gunilla Skin Alchemy

www.gunillaskinalchemy.com

http://www.gunillaskinalchemy.com


I am so happy that I did B-School. I have learned so much! And I am so ready to make big money now. I invested a lot last year. I have been in behind-the-scenes implementation mode, and ready to go full force when my new website launches next week.

Competing against the big guys in my field felt like a huge undertaking. Even if I knew that my products were good, I felt overwhelmed by how to move forward. I also had fears that I had already sort of missed the boat on facial oils since it is much more mainstream now, even though I was doing it long ago. What B-School really taught me is that we are each so unique and we each have something amazing to offer the world. It is just about you finding that uniqueness factor. Also, it feels very reassuring to know that there are many others out there who have gotten through the same process and who are making and doing great things. All the resources that I have found through B-School have been amazing too!


B-School helped me systematically go through everything that you need in your business, and I loved that. It helped me really dig deep down and examine my brand. Even though it was very hard and challenging, I needed to do that and I have made some gigantic leaps of faith and really committed to elevating my customers’ expe-rience of my products and my overall brand. It was very affirming for me to realize that it is so important to invest in your business and that each detail is so important and connected. I did have a breakthrough in my newsletter writing when we learned about focusing on the customers’ needs rather than telling them about you!

I will say that Marie, with her outstanding level of professionalism, and how she executes everything that she does, has been a huge inspiration to me. I love her look and feel and the premium experience that she offers and I found that to be some-thing that I wanted to offer my clients. Not copying her but finding inspiration in that experience and then customizing it to my own brand.

I also love her emphasis on serving. That was really lovely and encouraging to be reminded of in a world where people do not always come across that way.


I would advise people to be careful not to spend too much money initially on labels, brochures, and such because you will make changes the first and/or second times around. Wait for customer feedback, and then make your investment. Be sure to charge enough. There a lot of hidden fees that most people do not account for. Know where you are going. Do you offer high-quality with high prices or do you offer high-quantity low prices? The in-between doesn’t really seem to work.

gunilla eiSenBerg



One thing that I think is really important is to really stick with your own vision, and find out who you are. This way, you’ll spend less time looking around trying to find out what everyone else is doing. I read a great book called Lucky or Smart by Bo Pea-body who has taken several companies public and was kind of the founder of the in-ternet as we know it. He mentions that several smart business people he knew would be so busy following what everyone else was doing that they kind of forgot to focus on what they did well, and they lost out because they were so afraid of the competi-tion. Kind of like the Gap for a while forgot that what they do best is basic tees and blue jeans, and that almost killed them.

So I think being inspired is good but really figuring out your UAP is so important. You may have to tune the world out when you are in implementation mode. I think really developing your own niche and staying small when you start is important. You can always expand.

gunilla eiSenBerg



I wrote an entire blog entry about this! It’s called “How I got discovered.” You can read it here.


B-School made me so much more savvy on how to structure my business. Many art-ists are scared of the business side, and I am too. But I learned I do like to make a bit of money. I still refer back to the videos and I also learn loads from regularly reading the Facebook posts. I wouldn’t be where I am now if I hadn’t enrolled. I feel like I owe you guys!


My advice would be to connect to other business owners and create a little network together. Sometimes the pull to stay indoors all Sunday and re-edit your about page is so strong, socializing just feels like a waste of time. But that isn’t true! Tear yourself away from your computer and meet other business owners, even it’s only for an hour or two. You can learn so much from one meeting, plus, your about page already rocks. Just go!

Taking part in some events where you can meet your customer face-to-face is also a good thing to do. It’ll be an investment of resources, time, and money, but it’ll give you an insight as to how your customers connect with you and your work. You might feel a lot of resistance to this, but I’ve done it and I can tell you it’s really not that high of a mountain to climb. The rewards are literally irreplaceable. Don’t worry about getting it right, just give it a go and learn as you go along.

One last piece of advice, make sure you let some people around you know what you’re doing. Your partner, best friend, a Facebook buddy, your mum, anyone you trust. Entrepreneurship can be lonely and you’ll need to be able to let off some steam every now and then. You can’t keep smiling 24/7. You’re human after all, not a bud-dha, so make sure you have a little safety net ready.


A creative profession can be looked down upon—it’s not always considered a “real job.” My own parents didn’t think I was working while I was slaving away in a bed-room/studio constantly worried about money and my future. I remember feeling ashamed about not being able to support myself. I often pretended I was doing much better than I actually was.

Business isn’t taught in art schools and so many talented people feel lost after gradu-ation. Plus, the place where economy and art meet is often kept secret, almost as if it’s something dirty. Artists themselves sometimes criticize other artists who’ve become successful. I suppose it’s just envy, but it all adds to the starving-artist syndrome.

So, ever since I enrolled in B-School, I’ve become your cheerleader. I believe all art-ists should do something like this, but I’ll be honest, it’s not an easy sell. Most artists I know either can’t, or don’t want to pay money to do a business course. That’s okay, but I still think they should do it.

elzemieke de tiège

Artist

www.elzemieke.com

https://www.elzemieke.com/article/how-i-was-discovered

http://www.elzemieke.com



I started my business four years ago with a partner because I wanted to design home-ware and there are no companies with in-house designers in Israel. Although I was a business owner I was acting like a designer in someone else’s business for about two years. I didn’t even know my bank account number. Eventually a year ago my partner and I split and I decided if I wanted to make it work I had to stop being the designer and start being the CEO.

I made a ton of changes, focusing on marketing, selling, communication etc. It was (and still is) so hard. I cried a ton. I felt like a failure. But slowly, after putting in more and more work, things started to change. I started to make money. I broke even. (Yay!) I think what helped me the most was having this gut feeling I could be suc-cessful. And having people around me going through similar situations which helped me feel less disconnected and alone.


Understanding that even though I sell a product it’s also a service and I really need to focus on my customer. My customer service is so much better, and so is the entire experience on my website and blog. I’m no longer apologizing for taking money from people. I understand my worth, and I understand that a lot of people have the same problems as me even though they have different businesses.


Know who your customer is and know who your competition is. You should have amazing product photos that create atmosphere. Don’t think that because you are small you can put less effort into styling and branding. It’s the exact opposite!


Thank you. Honestly a year ago I thought I was going to call it quits. My husband was so skeptical of this course. And now I can say (at the close of 2013), that it was the most amazing year. I’ve actually made money, and had a salary for the last six months. My business is paying for my trip to one of the largest trade fairs in Frank-furt, Germany including plane fare, the hotel, and the actual trade. I would have never believed that would be possible.

eliSheva manekin

Founder of Loop Design Studio

www.loopdesignstudio.com

http://www.loopdesignstudio.com


Tell us about your business.

My product is something that I mulled around in my head for years and I just never acted on it. In fact, it wasn’t even what I was going to try to do as my business when I started B-School. But I had one really rough patch after another. I had multiple deaths in my already very small family, my husband had two back-to-back surgeries and then I could do very little with a bulging disc issue for ten months.

I was depressed and I fully believe that answering the call of my product creation is what brought me out of depression. I had to finally give up and just be and that’s when the whisperings began. I’m even crying as I write this! Last year for Christ-mas gifts, I finally put my product, Spirit Mist together. I didn’t even have a name for it. That’s when everything happened. My friends loved it and shared it with their friends and then people started asking to buy it and that’s when Spirit Mist was born.

I never had any fears about putting Spirit Mist out into the world. It pretty much demanded to be there. I always say that it owns me. Creating Spirit Mist is my joy and its creation is effortless and brings me to such a state of peace and happiness. I be-lieve that I was born to bring this product to the world. I may only make it six more weeks or I may make it the rest of my life. I don’t know. I just know that I was meant to do it right now.


The last thing that I want to share is to just learn to surrender and trust the process. My business is far from perfect. I went through B-School in 2011 and then the bot-tom fell out. I panicked and did so many things wrong or rather had many learning lessons just trying to figure everything out. I’m still very much a work in progress and I’m fine with that. Now. Panic and rush only create a chaotic business. I remind myself all the time.

However, loving what you do, and doing what you love speaks volumes and your customers will be able to tell the difference between something churned out just to make a buck and something done with your whole heart. Create your business from your whole heart and accept nothing less.

rhonda lee

Artist & Founder of Infusion of Life

http://infusionoflife.com



it’S “You” time!This is your place to take notes, make observations, doodle, dream, and think about what you want for your life and your business. Don’t hold anything back—you can do this!


noteS


our amazing contriButorSWe could not have made this PDF without the help of the brilliant B-School grads listed here. A big thank you to them for all of their invaluable insights, strategies, and stories.

When you have a moment, check out their websites and their work and don’t forget to look out for them in the member’s area and in the Facebook group.

alliSon riverS SamSon Vegan Baker & Founder of Allison’s Gourmet, http://www.allisonsgourmet.com

amY camPBell Founder & Owner of Brilliant Imports, http://www.brilliantimports.com

andreea aYerS Entrepreneurial Expert & Founder of Soaps to Live By, http://www.launchgrowjoy.com

angie green Founder of Letters Across America, http://www.lettersacrossamerica.com

aPril demarco Jewelry Designer & Artist, http://www.demarcostudios.com & http://covetandadorn.com

Bethanie nonami Environmental Specialist & Founder of Enviro Global, http://enviroimpact.com

Brandon Wagner Fabric Designer & Founder of Palette Fabrics, http://www.etsy.com/shop/PaletteFabrics?ref=pr_shop_more

dave conreY Graphic Designer & Founder of Fresh Rag, http://www.freshrag.com

eliSe muller Founder of Mountain Spirit Botanicals, http://mountain-spirit-botanicals.com

eliSheva manekin Founder of Loop Design Studio, http://www.loopdesignstudio.com

elzemieke de tiège Artist, http://www.elzemieke.com

FranciSca Pineda Shoe Designer & Founder of BHAVA, http://bhavastudio.com

grace kang Owner & Chief Buyer of Pink Olive, http://pinkolive.com

gretchen caWthon Founder of Girls Can’t What? Gifts & Tees, http://www.girlscantwhat.com

gunilla eiSenBerg Founder of Gunilla Skin Alchemy, http://www.gunillaskinalchemy.com

JenniFer gaBiola Brand Activist, Designer, & Poet, http://www.dawningsoul.com

JennY hanSen Founder of Create Spring Water, http://createbeverages.com

JeSSica Stark Founder of Stark Skincare, http://www.starkskincare.com

kriSti haYeS-devlin Designer & Founder of Gypsy Mama LLC, http://wrapsodybaby.com

kriSti Soomer Fashion Designer & Founder of Encircled, http://www.encircled.ca

laura JacQuemond Accessory Designer & Founder of Blue Terracotta, http://blueterracotta.com

lindY Bragg Owner & Founder of Calypso, http://www.calypsoclothes.com

http://www.allisonsgourmet.com/

http://www.brilliantimports.com/

http://www.launchgrowjoy.com/

http://www.lettersacrossamerica.com

http://www.demarcostudios.com

http://covetandadorn.com

http://enviroimpact.com

http://www.etsy.com/shop/PaletteFabrics?ref=pr_shop_more

http://www.freshrag.com

http://mountain-spirit-botanicals.com

http://www.loopdesignstudio.com

http://www.elzemieke.com

http://bhavastudio.com

http://pinkolive.com

http://www.girlscantwhat.com

http://www.gunillaskinbutik.com

http://www.dawningsoul.com

http://createbeverages.com

http://www.starkskincare.com

http://wrapsodybaby.com/

http://www.encircled.ca

http://blueterracotta.com

http://www.calypsoclothes.com


our amazing contriButorSWe could not have made this PDF without the help of the brilliant B-School grads listed here. A big thank you to them for all of their invaluable insights, strategies, and stories.

megan PeterSen Jewelry Designer & Founder of Megan’s Beaded Designs, http://www.megansbeadeddesigns.com

meliSSa camilleri Jewelry, Stationery, & Gift Designer, http://www.shopcompliment.com

natalie long Designer & Founder of Bowerhouse, http://www.bowerhouse.com.au

nataSha Wozniak Jewelry Designer, http://www.natashajewelry.com

nell FoSter Accessory Designer & Founder of Joy Us garden, http://www.joyusgarden.com

nicki traikoS Artist & Founder of life I design, http://www.lifeidesign.com

nina huang Animal Artist, http://ninahuangart.com

Peta SerraS Founder of Pilates Evolution Now, http://pilatesevolutionnow.com.au

rhonda lee Artist & Founder of Infusion of Life, http://infusionoflife.com

roBin king & lYnn Flanagan-till Co-Founders of R.L. Linden & Co. skincare, http://lindenbeauty.com

Sara PociuS Jewelry Designer & Founder of Sara Pocius Jewelry, http://sarapocius.com

SatYa tWena Milliner and Founder of Discover Pique, http://satyatwena.com & http://discoverpique.com

ShirleY Plant Nutrition Expert & Founder of Delicious Alternatives, http://www.deliciousalternatives.com

Sonia ruYtS Owner & Founder of Stash, a Yarn Shop with Soul, http://stashlocal.com

tania reuBen Founder of Pure Natural Diva Botanicals, http://purenaturaldiva.com

tracY mattheWS Jewelry Designer, http://tracymatthews.com

urSula markgraF Button Designer & Founder of The Crafting Gypsy, http://ursulamarkgraf.com

vickY oluBi Founder of My Curls haircare, http://www.mycurls.co.uk

victoria claYton Founder of Shave with Valor, http://shavewithvalor.com

WhitneY engliSh Stationer & Designer, http://whitneyenglish.com

http://www.megansbeadeddesigns.com

http://www.shopcompliment.com/

http://www.bowerhouse.com.au

http://www.natashajewelry.com/

http://www.joyusgarden.com


http://ninahuangart.com

http://pilatesevolutionnow.com.au


http://lindenbeauty.com

http://sarapocius.com

http://satyatwena.com

http://discoverpique.com/

http://www.deliciousalternatives.com

http://stashlocal.com/

http://purenaturaldiva.com

http://tracymatthews.com/

http://ursulamarkgraf.com

http://www.mycurls.co.uk

http://shavewithvalor.com

http://whitneyenglish.com/

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