710. Why Your Product-Based Business Isn’t Growing (And What To Do First)

Summary

Episode Summary: The Product Boss Podcast – Episode 710: "Why Your Product-Based Business Isn’t Growing (And What To Do First)"

Release Date: July 21, 2025

In Episode 710 of The Product Boss: Business Coaching for Product-Based Female Entrepreneurs, host Jacqueline Snyder delves deep into the common stumbling blocks that prevent product-based businesses from scaling effectively. Drawing from her extensive experience coaching over 80,000 students, Jacqueline identifies four foundational pillars that are often overlooked but are crucial for sustainable growth. This detailed summary captures the essence of her insightful discussion, providing actionable strategies for entrepreneurs aiming to elevate their businesses to the next level.

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1. Introduction to Business Growth Challenges

[03:46] Jacqueline Snyder begins by addressing the persistent issue many product-based business owners face: despite having great products, growth remains stagnant. She empathizes with listeners who feel they've hit a wall despite their hard work and investment.

Jacqueline Snyder [03:50]: "You've put your heart and soul, your time and money into making this product. You want it to grow, but something feels off."

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2. Identifying Missed Foundations

Jacqueline emphasizes that while tactical strategies like pricing and sales channels are essential, the absence of strong foundational elements can undermine these efforts. She outlines four critical foundations that often go unnoticed:

a. Nailing Your Niche and Ideal Customer

[05:10] Understanding and defining your niche is paramount. Jacqueline explains that without a clear niche, businesses struggle to stand out in crowded markets.

Jacqueline Snyder [05:15]: "If you're known for everything, you're known for nothing. You need to be known for something specific."

She uses Rothy's Shoes as an example, illustrating how the brand initially focused on a specific product before expanding, which helped establish a strong market presence.

b. Developing Clear Brand Messaging

[10:25] Clear and consistent messaging is vital for connecting with your ideal customers. Jacqueline breaks down the elements of effective branding, stressing the importance of an elevator pitch and cohesive communication across all platforms.

Jacqueline Snyder [10:30]: "Do you have an elevator pitch? Can you tell someone in a second what you sell and why they want it?"

She contrasts Pepsi and Coca-Cola to showcase how distinct brand personalities can influence customer perceptions and loyalty.

c. Crafting Irresistible Offers and Pricing

[15:40] Jacqueline explores the psychology behind pricing and offer creation. She dispels the myth that lowering prices leads to increased sales, citing Chanel's strategic price hikes to maintain brand prestige.

Jacqueline Snyder [15:45]: "When priced correctly, you will sell more to more people. It's not about lowering your prices."

Using the success story of Paloma Danger, an eco-friendly kitchen product creator, Jacqueline illustrates how well-crafted offers aligned with the ideal customer's needs can drive substantial sales without resorting to discounts.

d. Mastering Marketing Strategies

[20:30] Effective marketing is the linchpin that ties all other foundations together. Jacqueline likens marketers to fisherfolk who must cast their bait (marketing efforts) to attract customers.

Jacqueline Snyder [20:35]: "Marketing is how you're going to get the sales. You need to cast it with the right bait."

She discusses the importance of both active and passive marketing strategies, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive marketing plan that aligns with the business's niche and messaging. Jacqueline highlights the role of social media as a powerful tool for reaching a global audience without the necessity of being a content creator.

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3. Practical Strategies and Actionable Takeaways

Throughout the episode, Jacqueline provides practical advice and real-world examples to help entrepreneurs implement these foundational strategies:

• Market Research: Conduct thorough research to understand competitors and market trends. This knowledge allows businesses to position themselves uniquely and effectively.

• Customer Identification: Clearly define who your ideal customer is. Avoid broad demographics and focus on specific attributes that resonate with your product.

• Offer Development: Create offers that solve specific problems or meet particular needs of your ideal customers. Ensure that these offers are bundled in a way that adds value.

• Pricing Psychology: Set prices based on the value delivered rather than competing solely on cost. Understanding your customer's willingness to pay can lead to better profitability.

• Brand Messaging: Develop a consistent and compelling brand message that communicates your unique value proposition across all marketing channels.

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4. Overcoming Common Entrepreneurial Challenges

Jacqueline also touches on the emotional and psychological hurdles entrepreneurs face, such as feeling out of focus or overwhelmed by the need to juggle multiple roles. She encourages listeners to revisit and reinforce their business foundations periodically to stay aligned with their goals and market demands.

Jacqueline Snyder [25:00]: "You deserve to get paid. This is not a hobby. It's a business that you want to grow."

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5. Conclusion and Call to Action

In wrapping up, Jacqueline reiterates the importance of establishing and maintaining these foundational elements to unlock significant business growth. She motivates listeners to introspect and assess whether their businesses are missing any of these key areas.

Jacqueline Snyder [28:15]: "If you've missed some foundational parts, this might be the key to unlocking the next level of growth and success for you."

She encourages entrepreneurs to take actionable steps toward strengthening their niche, branding, offers, and marketing strategies to transform their product-based businesses into thriving enterprises.

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Key Takeaways:

1. Define Your Niche: Clearly identify and focus on a specific segment of the market to stand out and attract your ideal customers.
2. Craft Clear Messaging: Develop a strong, consistent brand message that communicates your unique value proposition effectively.
3. Create Compelling Offers: Design offers that address your customer's needs and justify your pricing without relying on discounts.
4. Implement Strategic Marketing: Develop a comprehensive marketing plan that leverages both active and passive strategies to reach and engage your target audience.
5. Continuous Foundation Assessment: Regularly revisit and reinforce your business's foundational elements to adapt to changing market dynamics and maintain alignment with your goals.

This episode serves as a crucial guide for product-based female entrepreneurs seeking to scale their businesses by solidifying the foundational aspects that underpin sustained growth and success.

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Notable Quotes:

• Jacqueline Snyder [05:15]: "If you're known for everything, you're known for nothing. You need to be known for something specific."
• Jacqueline Snyder [10:30]: "Do you have an elevator pitch? Can you tell someone in a second what you sell and why they want it?"
• Jacqueline Snyder [15:45]: "When priced correctly, you will sell more to more people. It's not about lowering your prices."
• Jacqueline Snyder [20:35]: "Marketing is how you're going to get the sales. You need to cast it with the right bait."
• Jacqueline Snyder [25:00]: "You deserve to get paid. This is not a hobby. It's a business that you want to grow."
• Jacqueline Snyder [28:15]: "If you've missed some foundational parts, this might be the key to unlocking the next level of growth and success for you."

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Action Steps for Listeners:

1. Audit Your Business Foundations: Assess your current business structure against the four foundational pillars discussed.
2. Define Your Ideal Customer: Create a detailed profile of your target audience to tailor your products and marketing efforts effectively.
3. Refine Your Brand Messaging: Develop a concise and compelling elevator pitch that encapsulates your brand's essence and value.
4. Evaluate Your Offers and Pricing: Ensure your product offerings solve specific customer problems and are priced to reflect their value.
5. Develop a Comprehensive Marketing Plan: Utilize both active and passive marketing strategies to increase visibility and engagement with your target audience.

By implementing these strategies, product-based entrepreneurs can address the common growth barriers and steer their businesses toward achieving their dream outcomes.

Transcript

[A]

Hi, I'm Jacqueline Snyder and this is.

[B]

The Product Boss podcast.

[A]

I've helped launch and grow thousands of product based businesses, even one of my own. And over the last 20 years, I've seen behind the scenes of businesses just like yours. Whether they are makers, manufacturers, artists, or food and beverage businesses. I have spent so many hours studying it all. I've discovered what makes them successful, what mistakes they could have avoided, how did they turn their ideas into successful business, and what are the strategies that they have used to make more sales and be discovered by more customers. And this is what this show is all about. Whether you're just starting out or you're looking to become a million dollar product boss, I'm here to give you the permission to chase your dreams, no matter.

[B]

How big or small.

[A]

All you need is the right mindset, a little courage, strategy and support, and you too can be the next million dollar product boss. Let's do this. Oh my goodness. Friends, if you are anything like me, you probably spend more time running errands than running your business. Am I right? Like, everything needs something, we gotta run around. And I knew that this was like a major issue for me back in the day, which is why I decided to get help where I could. And I decided to let Instacart handle all of my grocery shopping. So I no longer had to worry about running all the errands and having to run out and get more almond mil for my lattes. Rather, I was like, you know what? We're just gonna let Instacart handle that. So I want you to imagine skipping the store and getting back to designing packaging, orders, making, or maybe actually taking a break, even a nap.

[B]

Remember those?

[A]

Okay, so with Instacart, you can get groceries and essentials delivered in as fast as an hour, so you can focus on growing your business without sacrificing a meal. Plus, less stress and more focus. And here's a tip. I've actually used Instacart before to order gifts from my daughter's friend's birthday parties because I haven't had time to run out and get presents.

[B]

And I've been able to get the.

[A]

Packaging, like the gift bag and the g, like hello, Sephora, delivered to my house while I was in the middle of coaching sessions so that I could have the present right. It's like having a personal assistant without having a personal assistant. So if you want to do what I do and get the help where you can, you can try it now if you head to the Product boss. Com Instacart hey, hey, product bosses.

[B]

Okay, really, really quick.

[A]

Are you spending more time making all your products or maybe packaging your boxes and actually growing your business?

[B]

I know. Okay, so if you've ever wished that.

[A]

Someone would just tell you exactly what works when it comes to scaling your product brand into real money, right, like good profit and making sales and growing this business that I know you've dreamed of, then I have something really special for you. I pulled together a special bundle of our top podcast episodes that every product based business needs to hear.

[B]

So think of this as your shortcut straight to the strategies that help you.

[A]

Grow your sales, build a brand that lasts, and avoid that burnout that no one is actually talking about. Enough. So we're talking mindset shifts and marketing strategies and those behind the scenes lessons. And yes, you're going to have some quick action plans and strategies that we're going to share in here as well. So it is my top episodes playlist and it's totally free.

[B]

We just wanted to gather it up so you didn't have to scroll through.

[A]

Hundreds of episodes and think, what do I want to listen to?

[B]

Right? Let's make it easy. So all you have to do is.

[A]

Head to www.theproductboss.com top or click the link in the show notes, pop in your email. I'll send over those exact episodes that have helped thousands of product based business owners like you move from the hustle to sold out.

[B]

Right?

[A]

I want you to go from where you are to getting you seen and sold. And that's all going to happen with this compilation of episodes for you. I just want to make it super easy. So let's start building your business with clarity, strategy, ease and freedom.

[B]

Hey friends. Hey product bosses. And welcome to another episode of the Product Boss podcast. It's Jaclyn Snider here and you know, I've been thinking a lot. You've heard me do these coaching calls and they have been amazing because if you know anything about me, I have been coaching product based businesses since 2007 when I started Designer Consulting Co Op, which is my fashion consulting company where people came to me and they said, you know what, I have an idea, I want to make something, I want to sell it. They'd come up with an idea and I would help them go from the point of ideating it, right? What should we make? Why should we make it? Who's this thing for? All the way through production, making the products and then selling them. And so I took them all the way through the steps and I've been doing this for so, so, so long. And I know that a lot of you were absolutely loving the episodes where I'm coaching. I'm getting amazing messages from you on DMS and you know, you're leaving really amazing reviews for the podcast, which I'm so, so, so appreciative. And I was just thinking about it, I was like, you know, what are the steps? What are the steps that we've been coaching on? I've been trying to break it down because while Multi Stream Machine is an amazing program, right, that's our signature program here at the Product Boss. And it's the thing that has changed product based business lives. I was really thinking there's other people out there that maybe are not getting it right. They're not hitting the nail on the head. They're not sort of figuring out the things that they're like, you know, we're doing the things, but it's not really working right. They feel like there's something broken or off in their business. Something just isn't working. And so as I've been coaching over the past few months, and I know you've been listening to these episodes, I wonder if you've seen the trends that I've seen. And so the trends that I've seen is I've realized that there are some foundational elements that are truly missing from these product businesses that I'm coaching from a lot of people that I talk to in our community that I'm like, okay, I can tell you all the places to sell, I can tell you how to price your products, how to get more eyes on your business without you having to do anything with social media, without you having to pay a cent for ads, right? That's absolutely what we teach inside of our program, Multi Stream Machine and all, all the things. But I'm like, you know, what about the people that, you know, maybe aren't ready for that yet? Or they're doing it and they're like, you know, it's kind of working, but there's something still feeling like it's missing. And so I figured it out and I wanted to share it with you today on the podcast because I was like, this is it. This is what's missing. So this is what I've seen and I know you've heard me talk about my framework. So, you know, there's these steps within the product based business world. So we ideate it, we make it, we brand it, we market it, we sell it, we operate it, and then we grow it. So what I Realized is that a lot of product based business owners out there, they came up with this idea, right? Just like my clients that came to me, they have this idea, they're like, I have this amazing idea for whatever company and then they're like, this is the idea and now I'm going to make it. They jump right into making it. They figure out how to make it work, whether they're going to make it themselves, whether they're going to manufacture, whether they're going to source. They're like, this is it, I've got the idea and I'm going to do it. And then they jump straight to selling it. They jump all the way to selling it. And maybe you're thinking, maybe this is you too. You might be thinking, I've missed some foundational parts to my business and this might be the key. This might be the exact thing that your business is missing that is going to be like that key that like unlocks that next level of growth, that unlocks that next level of success for you. So I wanted to get into it today because it's the thing that I see getting in the way, right? It's the thing that I see that I know you have amazing products out there. I know that, you know, you're putting your heart and soul, you're putting your hard earned time and your money into making this product. And you know, you want it to grow. You've got this great idea. There's just something that's off. So what I know about you is that you want to get in front of more customers, right? You want to get in front of an audience or more people to know about your business and then you want to convert them into paying customers, you want them to buy. I also know this about you, that you want to stand out in a crowded market, you know, in a sea of candle based businesses, in the sea of jewelry businesses, in a sea of, you know, wooden sign businesses. Whatever kind of category of business you're in, you're like, how do I stand out? How do I stand out against the big guys? How do I stand out on platforms like Etsy? I get that question all the time. It's, well, I've got my product and they've got their product and should I charge less? You know, should I race to the bottom to compete with other people selling the kind of same thing that I'm selling? And how do you stand out wholesale, getting into retail stores? Or how do you stand out if you decide you want to sell on Amazon or you're showing up at a live market or a fair, and you want to do that. And so this is something that I've seen. And this actually literally works for anyone that sells a product. So whether you're just starting out, keep listening. Or if you've been in business for years, keep listening. If you are a student of ours, keep listening. If you are not, keep listening. Because the thing is that if you are a business that needs customers and you're struggling to reach your ideal audience to get them to convert to buying from you, to get them to convert to being a customer, then maybe, just maybe you haven't nailed some of these foundations. So, you know, I think the thing is that. And what I've seen is that, and through all the people I've worked with, we have 80,000 students at the product boss. I work closely with people, whether they're in my mastermind. There are people in some of the programs that we work with all the time. And I was thinking about as no amount of trainings, courses, or tactics that I give my students are going to work if they are not clear on the foundations of their business. And I know that's not a sexy word, right? I know that, you know, foundations is, oh, okay, Jacqueline, like, that's great. But you want to know what is a sexy word? Getting customers, getting those cha Chings on your phone, making sales, right? Because maybe you're working hard and you still feel, you know, a bit fuzzy about it, right? Like you're like, huh? You know, I've seen people talk about this where they're like, they feel fuzzy because they're like, you know, I think I have a customer for my in person markets, and then I have a customer for online or I have a customer on TikTok, and then I have a customer on Etsy. I have a customer on Etsy and I have a customer on my e commerce site, right? We feel like our customers are different on the sales channels that we're selling. So maybe you're fuzzy about that or confused. I think the other thing that people, you know, feel is, and this is so true for us as entrepreneurs, is they feel out of focus or unfocused. They're okay, I know I need to focus, but I don't know what to focus on. What is the thing you need me to focus on right now to get the results that I desire? And that all leads to being super frustrated. Obviously, I would be. I mean, I have been frustrated in trying to figure out, like, you know, unlocking that next thing. What does my ideal customer need what do they need? How can I solve that problem for them? How do I meet a need, want, or desire? Like, what is worth me making and building? That is going to convert someone who hears about it into a paying customer. So you might be feeling like you're doing all the things and nothing seems to be working right, and you're doing a lot of things, or maybe you've hit a wall and you're like, I'm done. I don't even know what else to do, because maybe you feel defeated, you're not seeing the results that you're wanting to feel. And so what I realized is that we give a ton of information and we educate a lot on this podcast. And if you're in any of my programs or my courses, if you're in the Mastermind, however, you work with the product boss, right? We give you some amazing steps and strategies in these courses. But I was thinking, you know, I was like, you know what I think? And like I said in the very beginning, you came up with the idea and you made it and you jumped straight to selling it. But you missed this, like, core part, these foundations. And I'm thinking there's four core foundations that you've missed. And so what I realized is, you know, perhaps Multi Stream Machine and some of my other programs, they're picking you up at steps 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. And maybe we need to go all the way back and teach you steps one through four. Right? Steps one through four, those things that perhaps you skipped over. Because how could, you know, unless you've been in business forever, unless you've worked for other people, unless, like, marketing and, you know, entrepreneur, not even entrepreneurship. There's just parts that you would know to start with, and some of you maybe did it, and maybe you did one or two of these, and you, like, kind of still maybe feel fuzzy about it, or you feel like I need to meet the needs of all these different people and all these different customers. Right? You're not, like, super focused. And I think that's the part that I've realized that I need to teach more of. And so I'm really excited to kind of dig into those foundational parts for you today. I think that they're essential, and it's even really important as you grow, even if your business is growing, you might think, you know what? I might need to go back and think back on my foundations. Like, perhaps I did skip that step. Perhaps I would be more successful or get more customers or, you know, all the things that you wish and dream of if you went back. And I got to tell you, here at the Product Boss, we do this. We do this multiple times a year. We check back in and we're like, are we still, you know, who's our ideal customer? Where are we now? Are we serving our ideal customer? Are we connecting with them? Are we creating the products that our customer needs, wants, desires, or we'll solve a problem for them. And so I'm going to dig into this now because there are four core foundations that I have seen on repeat through all the coaching I've done at the Product Boss through my years since 2007, coaching over 2000 fashion businesses, even my own. And I thought, you know what? This is what it is. This is it. This is the nail. I hit the nail on the head and I'm like, this is it. This is what's missing. And I'd love for you to think about it too. So one is this overall idea of thinking about nailing your niche. I talk about this a lot of times where, you know, maybe in Bestseller Secrets Challenge, if you've been a part of my challenges, where I talk about what are you known for, what is, you know, and I jumped to bestseller. But a lot of you perhaps have a lot of things that you're selling and you're not sure what you're known for or what you should come out with. I know as a creative, I'm like, I want to make and do everything, but it costs money to make and do everything. And it's also super unfocused and hard for our customers to know what we're known for. So the first foundational part is nailing your niche, and it's nailing your ideal customer. Okay. They're kind of one and the same because you need to be known for something. So first, I think there's a huge mindset part that we have to get over, which is if you're known for everything, you're known for nothing, right? So we can't be known for everything. If you think about any of the brands that we love that we know, for example, Rothy's shoes, if you're familiar with that brand, when they first started, they started with recycled water bottle, but pretty colored shoes that were flats. They were like ballerina flats with a pointed toe. That's what they came out with in lots of different variations to start. Now if you go look up Rothy's, they've got other shaped shoes, they've got handbags, they've got other accessories. But this is years later, after they became known for something. People knew their name. They nailed it. They nailed their customer. So my question to you is, do you know who your ideal customer is? Do you know exactly who she is, who he is, who they are? It's not a range of people, I gotta be honest. It's not, you know, women that are 25 to 65 that love shoes. That's not your ideal customer. So if you don't know exactly who you're speaking to, this could be a major gap in your business. This could be a huge reason why you're not seeing the results that you want. And also, do you know the exact products that your customer needs, wants, desires, or solves a problem? Do you have that idea of, like, your product market fit, that whatever you're making fits like a glove to your ideal customer? Because the thing is that you could literally sell anything. This works for candles, this works for teaspoons, it works for dresses, wall art, soaps, tumblers, literally anything. It could be anything that will still meet a need, want, desire, or solve a problem for your customer. So do you know exactly what that is for that product market fit? And the other thing that I've seen sort of like, really stand out to me is when I talk to people, I asked them if they've done their market research. Do you truly know who else is in your market? Above you, bigger companies, below you, smaller companies, all different price points. Do you understand who that is? I mean, as a fashion designer, when I worked for bigger companies and for my friends that work at Gap and Nike and Abercrombie and Fitch and Quicksilver and all these big brands, we would be sent to other cities and countries to go shopping. They'd give us, like, $10,000 budgets, and we would go shopping and we would actually start to get to know who else is in the market doing what we're doing. What are they making, what are they selling? What's working? That was our whole job, was to really understand the market. So if you're not getting out of your house or you don't have exposure to other cities, like, maybe you're not able to travel, you know, to different countries or different cities. Maybe you're in a small town that doesn't have access to, like, trends. We have to figure out how you could find that. Because not only trends, but it's also just understanding the market you're selling to because your customers are aware of the market. Your customers know if you sell candles, they know all these different candle companies. If you sell jewelry, they know lots of different jewelry companies. And so you want to understand who that is so that you know how you can fit in and stand out. And I think what all of this will do, the whole goal of all of this is that you would be able to come out with your mvp. Your MVP is your minimum viable product because then there's not gonna be any more wondering about who your customer is, what do they need, want, right? Like how can you solve that problem for them? And you might be thinking, well, they even want what I have. So this, all of this, when you nail your niche, you nail your ideal customer, you are gonna get so clear on who they are no matter where you sell. Like no matter what. If you're selling in person, if you're selling on Etsy, if you're selling online, if you're selling on social media, it doesn't matter. Because let me tell you, Nike doesn't change their customer. If they sell to you in somebody else's sneaker shop, if they sell to you in their store, if they sell to you on TikTok, if they sell to you on their own website, direct to consumer. Nike's customer stays the same. So we have to figure out how you can identify how you can be known for something and know exactly who your customer is. So, so that you fit them like a glove. And it is impossible for them to say no. It's impossible for them to say no because it's just what they need.

[A]

Hey friends. Okay, so I don't know if you wrote anything like me, but sometimes it feels like my self care routine is slipping through the cracks. Because when I'm juggling and wearing all the hats in my business and doing all the things, I mean the last thing I have to do is like really fulfill that self care routine that my daughter's talking about. She's like, mom, so listen, so when it comes to running a successful business, you can't really pour from an empty cup. And a lot of times that self care is like one of the first things to get yourself recalibrated. So that's why I want you to meet Glossy. Now Glossy is my favorite daily beauty supplement designed to transform your skin and gut health from the inside out. And I'm actually an investor in this business because I, I so believe in this idea of science backed ingredients for digestion and skin hydration. And Glossy makes it really easy to look and feel your best without that whole 10 step routine in the mirror. The thing I don't actually have time for, all I have to do is simply Mix the stick into my water and I'm good to go. So if you want to try this, because I so believe in this business, I think it's amazing. It's done so many wonders for my skin and my gut, which are two things that I need help with. And you want to simplify your wellness and, and your beauty. All you have to do is click in the show notes and you can use the code Jaclyn Snyder. So it's my full name. Use the code Jaclyn Snyder and I'm hooking you up with 15% off your order. So cheers to glowing skin and a thriving business.

[B]

Okay, so the second foundational thing, right? Cause I said there's four key foundations that I see that everyone's missing is actually this idea of nailing your brand and messaging. Okay. Nailing your brand and messaging. So here's what I see. When I've talked and coached people, I've realized, you know what, they don't have clear messaging. They don't even know what they're saying to their ideal customer about what they're known for. So they're not even able to have clear messaging in their marketing. And listen, you're not expected to have known how to do this. If it were me, and I am a creative, I'm just like you. You know, I came out with an idea. I happened to go to fashion school. They taught me how to make clothes. They taught me how to design and make apparel and go work for someone else. I learned all this other stuff about messaging and branding and all that through study, through studying what other people do through working for other companies, through having to do this over 2000 times for my own one on one clients. I've learned it over the last 20 years. It's why we're a top marketing podcast, right? Like, it is something that I love. I used to. I don't think I've ever told you all this, but I wanted to go into advertising. Like, when I graduated high school, I actually wanted to go into advertising. So marketing is very much a part of the thing that I love so much. It's like, how do I make the connection for the customer and the product and how do I, like, connect it all together? But unless you were trained in this or you have an affinity for it, which some of you might, you don't. You're not expected to know it, but now that you know this, you are expected to learn it. If you want your company to grow the way I know that you want it to grow. So we have to Nail that clear messaging. And it needs to be so aligned with your customer that you know what they need and they know that you exist. So what happens around this? Well, one, I think that it's this idea of building a brand. So brand is a new way of talking about things. I haven't talked to you all about brands before, and funny enough, like, I actually realized when I was serving my students at Designer Consulting Co Op, I would say helping you build a brand from the ground up. Well, people don't understand what a brand is. So it's not a word that I'm sure that you are familiar with necessarily. Or you're thinking like, oh, that's, that's too big for me. That's. I'm not a brand. I'm just a small business. Like, I'm just a maker. I'm just doing this. But let me just tell you what a brand is so you can kind of understand why it's important. So a brand is a product or a service or concept that is distinguished from others and can be easily communicated and marketed. Okay? It can be, it's distinguished from others and can be easily communicated and marketed. So a brand can include a product name, packaging, pricing of it, history, reputation, and how it's advertised. It's also visual and symbolic. So we could think about, you know, Pepsi and Coke. Ultimately, they're both selling us, you know, caffeinated drinks. They taste slightly different, but they're the same. But the overall brands have a very different feel. And you might be a Pepsi person or you might be a Coke person. So there's the flavor, right? There's the flavor that you like, but there's also the idea of how both brands were advertised to you, right? Like, it's how it was. So Pepsi versus Coke brand positioning, okay? So they have very different personalities. You know this and you might know this innately. You may not be able to pin it on its head right now, but they have very different personalities. So not only are the logos very different, like Pepsi is a very simple font and Coca Cola has a very specific like, cursive that we, we look at and we're like, yeah, we could tell the difference, but also in the way that it comes across. So Coke tries to come out looking like a family friendly brand, right? It's something that's, you know, everyone's together and they are having fun and they're a family together and there's all that. Now Pepsi has a little bit of a different way to it. It's a little bit more like using Celebrities like younger celebrities. So it's almost like the cool soda. So Coke is what you bring out and you're like, this is like a Coke. And you, the family's doing it and they're loving it and they're living their life. But then Pepsi has this feeling of they've used Britney Spears and Michael Jackson and other celebrities like that, that they are like, this is the cool soda. So they just have this very different approach to them. And so that's the same thing that you have to think about when you're thinking about your business and that there's a brand when you're asking, why are they going to buy my jewelry and not someone else's? Why are they going to buy my art and not someone else's? Not only is it the visual appeal that they like, but it's also what you've built around it with the messaging. So, you know, I think around this, and this foundational part is, do you have an elevator pitch? Do you know how to tell somebody in a second, you know, this is what I sell and this is why you want it. Do you know how to stand out in a crowded market with your messaging? Because you need an MVB now, like an mvb, which is the minimum viable brand. We don't need to be huge brands. I'm not expecting any of that from, you know, us as small businesses. But we need to know why us and we need to be able to communicate that. And this is why you need to be able to communicate it. If you're on social media, they have to understand how, why you and not someone else. And when you get this clear messaging, you're going to be able to create hooks and messaging for your social media, for newsletters, for emails, for your blogs, for wherever you're selling. Because you need to be clear on your messaging and it needs to be created in a way that your customer like leans in and sticks around. That's how the sales get made. So if you're telling someone, oh, I make beaded jewelry, okay, great. But if you have a really clear message to it, you have this great elevator pitch and then it's talking to your ideal customer, they're going to lean in and ask for more information and then the person who's not your ideal customer is going to check out and that's cool. They're not your ideal customer, but you're going to lose all of them. You're going to lose all attention if you cannot have clear messaging. So I would say that's the second foundational Piece that I see really skipped over because it feels fuzzy. I get it. It's hard sometimes when we're so up close to what we're already doing. Like, it's hard to define it. And sometimes it takes work or reflection or study to start to figure it out. We kind of actually have to slow down and go back to these foundational pieces before we can speed up and move forward. Okay, so the third foundational, the core of these core four, the third one is actually nailing your offer and your pricing. Okay, so this is kind of that idea of thinking about your products and thinking, how do I create the best offers to attract my customers to me that actually buy from me? So how do you learn how to sell more of what you have without putting your products on sale or without feeling like you have to make all the things for all the people hoping someone's gonna buy something from you? So first we really have to think about, like, the mindset that comes in here. Because a lot of you think, you know, I should be selling this, I should be doing that, and other people. Cause I've seen this inside of our community. I've been, like, reading the posts. People are talking about their pricing. Actually, I just got asked this last week, and they were like, well, I don't feel like I can raise my pricing because all of these other people on Etsy are pricing so much lower. Why would they buy from me? Well, one, if we think about these foundational parts, you haven't nailed your niche or your core customer. So, like, why would they want it? You haven't nailed your messaging because it would be so inevitable for them not to buy from you if they knew. Yes, this fits me like a glove. And then the other part is, for us, in our mindset around pricing, I have seen more people sell more of their product when they're priced correctly than thinking, like, I have to underprice this. And when you have your messaging nailed, it makes so much sense. So I really want you all to work on this concept of you deserve to get paid. This is not a hobby. If you're listening to the product, boss, it's because I know that you want to take whatever amazing, beautiful, creative idea, whether it's a simple side hustle, whether it started as a hobby and you just started selling it, whether you're like, I am all in and this is a business that I am going to grow. You're here because you want it to grow into a business. It's not a hobby. And, my friend, you deserve to get paid and how are you going to do that? Well, you need to take all that market research that we just talked about and create offers. Like we need to know what we are selling. We need to make an offer so good to our customers that they will actually buy it because it's what they want and it's what they need. I just coached a student, I remember. Well, not just, but it feels like it drank Black Friday. She's my mastermind and she said, you know what? This is going to be my Black Friday offer. She told me what it was. It was like a bundle of soap, hand cream and I don't know, room spray, I think it was. And she said, I'm going to sell this. This is going to be the bundle that I sell for the holidays. And I did it last year. And I was like, okay, great. How was it last year? She says it didn't sell at all. And I was like, why are you going to sell it again if it didn't sell at all? You know, I was like, maybe it's not what they wanted. Just because you were putting it together doesn't mean that it's solving a problem for them. And it doesn't mean that it's meeting a need for them. Conversely, there's another student of ours, Paloma Danger, shout out to her. She's amazing and she does eco friendly kitchen products. So she hand knits eco friendly sponges that are reusable. She has like a cool scrub brush. She has a lot of eco friendly products like reusable instead of using paper towels, like hand towels, things like that. So she created this bundle during the holiday season. I had seen her at the Renegade Craft fair and it was a scrub brush, a little tray for a sponge, one of the reusable sponges. And that might have been it. It was like a really good bundle. And what it was, and it was like $75 and it was gift wrapped. And I bought it from my mother in law. I wanted to buy one for myself, but I bought other things. And why was it such an ideal product? Because it solved a problem. The person, her ideal customer wants reusable and effective kitchen tools to wash their dishes. And it met every need. The scrub brush to scrub the stuff that's hard to get off, the reusable sponge to use as a sponge, the thing to drain it perfectly. That bundle made sense. Now if she had put the scrub brush with the reusable hand towels or like the paper towels, right, but they're fabric, I might not have bought it because they're two different needs, right? They meet two different problems. So she nailed it. She nailed her offer, she nailed the things she was selling, and she nailed it with pricing. Because guess what, $75 is a lot of money to a lot of people. But it actually was like the price point I wanted to pay, the value was there. When I looked at, like the way she packaged it. And she was in her. With her ideal audience, her ideal customer, because she realized where she sells up in, I think she's outside of Portland, Oregon. I think she wasn't selling to customers there. They weren't her ideal customers. They didn't understand it. You know where her ideal customers are? Where people are buying $8 coffees. Where people are like, drive all the Teslas in Los Angeles, in San Francisco, in New York, in San Diego. So she's, I've nailed it. She nailed her ideal customer, she nailed her niche, she nailed her messaging, and she nailed her offer. And she raised her prices. Actually, she didn't even have to raise her prices what they were worth. And she, instead of lowering it and being like, oh, the people in my town aren't buying it, I should lower my prices. She's no, I just need to go where my ideal customer is. And she sells three packs of her sponges that are $18 each. Three packs, not that each one is $18, not a total of $18. When she was up in her town, people were like, that's crazy. I'm not gonna spend that. When she's in LA, people are like, I will take all three for whatever 18 times three is, which is what, close to 60 bucks. So this is how it works. These are the foundational parts that work. So like I said, we need to work on the psychology of it. You need to take your market research and figure out, like, what are the offers that they need? And then you want to map out what you're going to sell and when. Like understanding your ideal customer and what they want when they want it in the year. Because guess what? Your ideal customer is probably not buying Christmas ornaments in June. So what will you sell them in June? You kind of have to understand when you know your customer and you know their needs so well and you know your messaging, you can sell them anything at any time of the year as long as you know what they need. And then I think it's really important to create your hero offer and then know what you're going to sell in promotion. What are you selling the whole year? You know, we're going to have busy months. We're going to have slow months, but it's going to need. You're going to kind of need to know that. And the other thing you really need to know is how to price correctly. Now, in multi stream machine, I teach you all about the pricing formula. You've heard me talk about it on the podcast. That is not what I'm talking about right now. Right now I'm talking about actually why pricing matters, the psychology behind pricing, and how it's going to work to actually get your ideal customers to buy. And the secret is it's not about lowering your prices. And so what I want you to really understand is that you actually will sell more to more people when you are actually priced correctly, when you know your customer. Because a lot of us think if I just lower my prices, I'm going to sell more. That's absolutely not true. It's not true. It's not true. If Chanel, which by the way, during the pandemic, raised their prices 30%. So a bag that used to like, now starting prices on Those bags are $10,000, which is absolutely bonkers. Okay? It's like more of an Hermes bag than it is a Chanel. And I know you heard me talk about these designer bags, but it was an important thing to me as I was making my own money. And Chanel has gone up in price. If Chanel, like, they went up and they're even more coveted, they're even more desired, they're even more aspirational for their ideal customer. If Chanel was like, you know what, we're going to go from being $5,000 bags to $999 bags, it would lose the brand, it would lose their ideal customer. It's not that they're going to sell more of them. They would actually completely change their market and probably not exist as long as they've existed this long. So that's something you really have to think about, right? And so when you know all of this, when this all comes together, when you nail it on the head, your offer and your pricing, your messaging and your customer and your niche, this is how no matter where you're selling, you will know exactly how to sell it. And once you nail all of this, you'll also know, like, how do I write my product descriptions, how do I write my copy, how do I write my captions, how do I write my emails? The words are going to do the selling for you, okay? And then the final of these foundation, these core four foundations that I'm just like, these are things you're missing. Okay. The final one is nailing your marketing. Yes, marketing. If you were a maker, if you are a manufacturer, if you sell things, you also need to be a marketer. You just do. And so when you know who you are selling to, what you are selling and why they want it. Right now the marketing part, I imagine it like this. I imagine a marketer is someone who's like an excellent fisherwoman. Fisherman, right? Like fisher person. Imagine you're standing there on the edge of a river and you've got your fishing pole. I love that I'm using a fishing analogy because I do not fish. But we'll just go with this, okay? Because actually one of my clients is like the number one company in the world for women. Fisher, women Fishyware. Shout out to them out of Alaska. And so if you're standing there on the shore and you're casting your reel, you know, you've got the hook and you've got the bait and you're casting it. But we need to get the fish to bite. That's what marketing is. Because if you don't put the reel and the hook and the bait in the water, you're not gonna catch a fish. We have to hook, line and sink em, right? We gotta. I'm using all these analogies that I don't even know what I'm using. Right? But you just gotta do it. You gotta cast it with bait at the end. And it's the bait that the fish you wanna catch, wanna bite. Cause also if you fish, there's different bait for different kinds of fish, right? There's different strategies for different, you know, if you're fly fishing or you're fishing in the ocean or wherever you are. Again, I probably need a better analogy than this since I am not a fisher person. But here's the deal. You need to know who you're selling to and what you're selling and why they want it. Because then you need to learn how to go out and get your customers. This is not passive, this is active. And you need to learn how to go from maker and manufacturer to a marketer. And marketing, my friend, is how you're going to get the sales. So first part that we have to overcome from a mindset perspective is that you can market and not feel salesy. Okay? A lot of people are like, how do I sell? But I don't want to sound salesy. That's cool. We don't have to because when we, we're actually serving our customers, they have a desire for a Chanel bag, they have a problem that can be solved with your amazing product, right? Even if you sell candles, maybe their house is stinky like mine is currently. Because my dog decides that he's. I've got a huge 70 pound dog. He likes to go swimming and then he likes to do that and he likes to come in my house and he likes to roll around on my carpet. So guess what? That carpet sometimes holds onto that smell. So I could light a candle for a room freshener or I can light a candle for a mood. There's different needs that I have it for. So when you kind of understand that you're not selling to me, you're actually helping me solve a problem. If you're showing me jewelry, you're helping me meet a need, want or desire of how I want to look or feel. A Chanel bag makes someone feel a certain way. That's why they go for a Chanel bag. And not for just a generic bag that they can buy somewhere else. It has status to it. So when you start to understand that and identify it, then it becomes easier because here's the deal about marketing and here's a deal about selling your products. And I see this. It's, you know, so you've heard the saying, if a tree falls in the woods and there's no one around to hear it, does it even make a sound? Well, I'd like to switch that around. If a product boss sells a product and there's no one around to see it, do they even make a sale? And that's why you need to learn to market. So you need a marketing plan and you need to figure out active ways that you're going to market. And there's also passive ways to market. And let me just say something real quick, and this is a hard truth. I don't care if you're an introvert or an extrovert. That is how we get energy, right? Introverts, if they expel a lot of, if they're around a lot of people, they might need to go lay down in a room by themselves on the floor, right? That's an introvert. Extroverts might be at a party around a lot of people and then they can be like me and go home and record podcasts because they're fed by that energy. But it does not take away the fact that we still have to show up for our businesses as marketers. We still need to let people know that we exist and we need to know how to do that. So you need a marketing plan, you need to think about how do I do this? You need to think about where am I marketing? Right? It's Omnichannel. It's actually in all places. I walk my students through this, especially like my one on one students or my masterminders, and we actually break down marketing campaigns from really big companies because guess what, we can hack that. We can hack marketing campaigns. And I know exactly how to do that. I know how to look, where to look, what to look for and to show you, like, oh, this is what they're launching. Oh, this is how they're marketing it. And we can actually hack it and reverse engineer it to say, okay, I'm going to pay attention to this because they have millions and millions of dollars in market research and the teams that they have in their advertising dollars. So why not? We don't need that. We just need to know how to hack it and reverse engineer it and then do it for our companies. The other thing you need to learn about is a launch. I think a lot of people don't even know what a launch is, but a launch is when you're coming out with a new product or a new scent or a new piece of jewelry or you're launching your holiday collection or whatever it is. It's actually a whole marketing campaign where we start to seed it, where like people are kind of aware of it. Then the day that we sell it. I just had a student ask me, she's we're going to be, I think it's at the MTV Music Awards. And she's, we're going to be a part of the gifting bags, like the gift suites. Do I tell my customers what do I do? And so I coached her through an entire marketing campaign and how she was going to launch it and then how she could use that and then how to sell more of her products after. So we have to understand what a launch is, why you need it, and why it's going to actually help you sell more. Because it's not always about social media. But then social media is a really big key player because it is the easiest and fastest way to grow an audience and turn your followers to customers. When I had my businesses, I did not have access to social media the way that you have it. So today we can reach people on the other side of the world, on the other side of the planet from us through understanding how we can use social media. None of us have to be content creators. None of us have to dance on TikTok or whatever the people are doing these days, right? We can Step out of that and understand how to use it as a tool for marketing because it is the easiest and fastest way to grow, but you just maybe don't know how to do it yet. And if you've been paying attention to the product, boss, we have been growing so fast lately, so fast. And so that's something that I want to like, I want you all to understand and I want you to know because I also want to teach you how to stand out on social media so you can grow your audience. Because when you grow your audience, you have more people to sell to. So I think it's just really important. And then the other thing is, the other thing might be like know where your customers are so when you know your ideal customer, we can figure out where they are. And then you're going to also realize, oh, I've been selling in the wrong places to the wrong people. The same way that Paloma, I realized Paloma Danger that she had the great product, she knew what it was and the problem would solve. She just didn't know her target market. So she wasn't selling because she was selling in the wrong places. So if you're thinking like I'm going to markets, I'm at fairs, I'm on Etsy, I'm selling, you know, I'm selling wholesale, whatever it is. But maybe you're not finding yourself selling the way that you think you should be selling. It might be that you're selling in the wrong places to the wrong people. One of these things might be incorrect. So when we nail these core four foundations, it'll make it so much easier for you to sell on more sales channels. Right? It'll make it so much easier for you to have that multi stream machine of revenue. You can sell on Amazon, you can sell wholesale, you can sell direct to consumer through your e commerce site, you can sell at any in person market. As long as you're at the right one, you could sell more on Etsy, you can sell wherever you're selling, whatever that marketplace is. But without these Core four, which is the thing that I've seen and I've realized, oh, this is what's missing, then you're putting yourself in a really hard place. Okay, so like I said, we've skipped steps. You know, you came up with the idea, you made it, you went straight to selling it. And if you're like, oof, I've missed something, then this is what I think we've missed. And so you probably identified in here and you're like, yeah, that's a that's definitely some of the stuff. Jacqueline. Yep. We did it like we were there. That's some of the stuff that we've missed. Sam.