716. What If You Don’t Want to Hustle—But Still Want to Make Money in Your Product-Based Business? | Coaching Session

Summary

Episode 716: "What If You Don’t Want to Hustle—But Still Want to Make Money in Your Product-Based Business? | Coaching Session"

Release Date: August 14, 2025
Host: Jacqueline Snyder
Podcast: The Product Boss: Business Coaching for Product-Based Female Entrepreneurs

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Introduction & Personal Reflection ([05:04])

Jacqueline Snyder opens the episode with a heartfelt personal story, sharing the loss of her mother, Lydia Brodsky, to stage 4 colorectal cancer. This profound experience fuels her dedication to empowering female entrepreneurs. She emphasizes the importance of living fully and building businesses that support the life one desires.

"When my mom passed, the first thing I said to myself was like, I want to live." ([05:04])

Coaching Session with Sandra: A Retired Chocolatier ([13:33])

Jacqueline introduces Sandra, a retired chocolatier reigniting her passion by teaching chocolate-making classes and selling handmade chocolates. Sandra, with nearly 20 years of experience, faces challenges balancing her business aspirations with personal life.

Identifying the Core Challenge ([18:12])

Sandra expresses her struggle with managing two business facets simultaneously: chocolate-making classes and selling chocolates. Jacqueline guides her to recognize the need to focus on one revenue stream to avoid stagnation.

"When you split your focus, it often means neither side is going to grow the way you want." ([15:27])

Strategizing for Growth Without Overwhelm ([27:03])

Jacqueline helps Sandra analyze her best-selling products—truffles and butter almond toffee—and discusses the limitations imposed by cottage food laws in California. They explore options such as obtaining a state license or partnering with a co-packer to scale production.

"You just have to do more of them. You just find more events to do." ([30:49])

Increasing Average Order Value ([33:23])

Jacqueline introduces the concept of raising the average order value. By encouraging Sandra to upsell during her classes—such as offering chocolate snack packs or bundled products—she can significantly boost her monthly revenue without acquiring new customers.

"You could nearly double your income without adding a single new customer." ([35:36])

Practical Tactics for Immediate Implementation ([38:41])

They discuss actionable strategies:

• Upselling at Events: Introducing small, irresistible offers at the beginning and end of classes.
• Product Bundling: Creating bestseller bundles that encourage additional purchases.
• Leveraging Existing Customers: Deepening relationships with current customers to enhance sales.

"Your revenue per customer will jump dramatically." ([38:07])

Key Insights & Conclusions ([44:24])

Jacqueline emphasizes that business growth doesn't always require expanding customer bases or launching new products. Instead, optimizing existing operations and enhancing customer value can lead to substantial revenue increases while maintaining a balanced lifestyle.

"Growth isn't always about doing more. Sometimes it's about doing what you're doing just better." ([46:40])

She concludes by inviting listeners to join her Sales Accelerator program, designed to help entrepreneurs build efficient sales engines that align with their personal and business goals.

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Final Thoughts

This episode underscores the power of strategic focus and maximizing existing resources to achieve business growth without burnout. Through Sandra's example, Jacqueline illustrates how thoughtful adjustments in sales strategies can lead to significant financial gains while preserving the entrepreneur's well-being.

Notable Quotes

• "What if we didn't create any new customers? What if not a single new customer walked in your door and we just sold to the same amount of people, but we got the same amount of people to spend more with you?" ([34:13])
• "Success isn't just about bigger numbers. It's about creating a business that pays you well, fits your lifestyle, and leaves you with the energy to enjoy what you build." ([46:40])

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Resources Mentioned:

• Free Checklist: Fix What's Not Working Checklist – productboss.com/fix
• Sales Accelerator Program: Coming September – productboss.com/salesaccelerator
• Sandra's Website: chocolatemakingfun.com

Connect with Jacqueline:

• Instagram: @theproductboss
• Website: productboss.com

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Remember to subscribe to The Product Boss podcast for weekly insights and actionable strategies to elevate your product-based business and create the life you dream of.

Transcript

[A]

Hey, product boss. Okay, before we dive in, if you are ready to make more money from the business you already have, right, we don't have to get new customers just yet. We don't need to make more products. What if I told you that I had a free checklist for you and it's called the Fix what's not working checklist. And in this, it's going to help you find the small tweaks that raise your revenue, right? Help you make more money without adding more products, without adding more sales channels just yet.

[B]

And.

[A]

And without the overwhelm, it could be that easy. So all you have to do is DM me the word fix at the Product boss on Instagram or we've got a link for you. You can either click the link in the show notes or head to the productboss.com fix to grab your free copy. And in that, we're going to dive into how we can fix what's not working in your business right now. All right, let's jump in. You got to decide where, like, you will grow as big as you allow yourself to grow. So how you sell right now, what the levers that you get to pull to raise how much you make a month will be, how do I get the people I get in front of to spend more with me? So it's how do I raise my average order value? Hi, I'm Jacqueline Snyder and this is the Product Boss podcast. 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 how big or small. 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. 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 milk 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. Remember those? 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. And I've been able to get the packaging, like the gift bag and the gift, 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, can you can try it now. If you head to the productboss.com Instacart hey, product bosses, quick check in. Is your sales growth feeling stuck? Like, totally flatlined despite all of your hustle? Or maybe you're like, okay, this should actually just be harder. Maybe you're feeling like you're walking in mud and it's like, why does this feel so hard? Either way, if you're nodding your head thinking, someone, please, please, please just tell me exactly what works so I can finally grow without grinding myself in the ground. Well, I've got something so good for you. Say hello to the accelerate your sales podcast bundle. Okay? It's my absolute best, totally free playlist of episodes that'll show you exactly how to stop being the best kept secret. Right? Let's get those products seen. Or how about expand your sales across multiple channels without overwhelm, hello, abundance. Or create products your customers can't wait to buy over and over and over again. And it's going to really help you start to build your business with that clarity, ease, and joy. So because growing your business should feel amazing, not exhausting, my friend, this is your shortcut to more sales, less chaos, and way more fun along the way. Grab it now. It's a hundred percent Free. I just wanted to make it super easy for you to find those episodes. You're like, which episodes should I listen to? Jacqueline? Here it is. And it's packed with pure gold. All you have to do is head to the productboss.com growth or click that link in the show notes and then pop into your email and let's do this is your time to feel the freedom to find that abundance and to get passionate about your business again. All right, I'll see you in there. Hey, hey, product bosses. Jaclyn here, and welcome back to another exciting episode on the Product Boss podcast. I am so excited to be back with you. I know that this summer had a lot of re airs. If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I've gone through some personal things this summer. I lost my mom to her bowel of cancer, which she survived for five years.

[B]

So.

[A]

So, side note, in an effort to, like, pass on the amazingness that she created, please go get your colonoscopies. If you are 40 and above or have any family history, please make sure you get colonoscopies. My mom ended up passing from stage 4 colorectal cancer, and it is something that is so extremely preventable. So in her name, in her legacy, Obviously, the product boss has been built in her name and in her legacy. But for all of my friends out there, don't have it be something that you put off, okay? That is my. My greatest wish. But you know, my family and I suffered such a tragic loss this summer, very unexpected because my mom was a warrior and is a warrior to the end in all of the things that she did and created and wouldn't stop fighting. And I mean, the day that the things that all unfolded, I mean, the woman went to Pilates that morning. She bought me a birthday gift. She stopped by at my house, she went to Costco. I mean, all in between treatments. And then something just happened. And again, if you followed me on Instagram, you probably followed along on that journey and it was pretty tragic and happened pretty quickly and unexpectedly and, you know, some of the worst days of my life, but also some of the most beautiful in the way of connecting with my family. My brothers, my sister, my brother in laws, my sister in laws, my stepdad, my grandma, my family in England and Israel. And just like the connections that were created that we were able to have in the couple weeks that she was in the hospital before she passed, and the legacy in her name and what she stood for and how she never gave up, and that's what I Want to pay forward in all the ways that it continues to support you, whether they're in these coaching calls, whether you join one of my programs, whether you just listen to the podcast, any bits that you can take with you. Because I want to stand for your greatness, for the greatest version of you that gets to come forward and. And live the life you want to live. You know, when my mom passed, the first thing that I said to myself was like, I want to live. I want to live. And I'm saying that to you right now with, like, a huge smile on my face and, like, full body chills, because my mom lived. When she was diagnosed five years ago, she didn't stop. She didn't give up. She literally leaned in. She started playing pickleball. She started doing pilates. She saw all of her grandkids. She had 11 grandkids with two more on the way. She saw friends, like, at her funeral. People were like, people. People were like, oh, I had. I would have lunch with your mom once a week. I'd have dinner with your mom. Oh, she called me every day, da, da, da. Like, how did this woman have the time? And so that is how I want to carry on at being, you know, so devoted to my kids and my family, so devoted to our family, the family that she created, my nieces and nephews, and all of that. And then also devoted to all of you and helping you continue on to see, to create your vision for your lives and to find the way forward to it. For me to be the mirror for you, to hold the mirror up to your greatness, to call you forward when you are getting in your own way of greatness, to see clearly for you when maybe you can't see as clearly, to guide you when you need the guidance to be that support, that shoulder to cry on or that person to go come to and be like, I did it right. And everything in between that. To fully, fully live, to feel exalted in that, to feel free, to have abundance, to live a life of passion. That is what I want for you, and that is what I'm carrying on in my mom's name. And my mom is Lydia Brodsky. And may she rest in peace, and may all of us. You know, when you find the thing that's hard, when you feel like everything is stacked against you, think of my mom, Lydia, and just be like, you know, like, she was so freaking powerful. She was a warrior. She lived. And I want you to find that, too. I want you to find that joy. I want you to Think what do I want? And I want you to go out and get it. So thank you for. I haven't talked about it yet. There have been re airs on the show for the summer as I've gone through one being support to her while she was in the hospital, to deep grief, to stepping back into the becoming of who I am and who I stand for in my family. And we've been getting back to it and so I'm so excited about what's to come here and I'm so excited about this version of me of being and I'll also hold that deep grief, but without that grief you also don't. It's like it's the full spectrum of living grief and absolute joy and love. And they say that grief is just love with nowhere to go. So my other thing is that when I feel that deep grief, I find a person to love on. I find a person to pay it forward to. I hug my children, I record an episode, I call up one of my clients, I check in, I hug my husband, I call my sister. I find a place for my love to go. And so my love is going into this next coaching call. And here's what is really cool about this episode. I got to coach Sandra. And Sandra is a retired chocolatier who's back in business after being out of it for a while. And she makes delicious sweets and she teaches classes and all of the things. But Sandra's also getting really caught up in the way that things have been and what she wants them to be. And what I really wanted to coach her on in this session is that it's okay to not work 80 hours a week or even work full time. It's okay to not have a massive team or build a business that consumes your entire life. I was so grateful that this summer I did have the spaciousness. I did have the ability to just be like I am just not going to send emails or if you notice there's our newsletters currently or even be able to do the podcast right? That's entrepreneurship. We go through these life cycles and stages and things that happen and what a blessing to be able to take time when life lifes. Because what we don't realize sometimes is like we think we're working for our business but instead we get to have our businesses work for us. We get to live life and our business be an element of it versus our lives are full on into the business and all of it gets to come with you getting paid what you want to get paid and traveling and loving and having the freedom of time and abundance and all of the things that you want in between. So in this episode, you're going to hear about how we can grow a product based business without piling more onto your plate, right? You don't have to have all those to do lists. You don't have to have an offer every month. You don't have to be on this hamster wheel if you're really just operating from a place of simple strategic shifts that makes what's already working work better and harder for you, right? That means you get to step back and let the things work. That's something that I've been executing. Thank goodness. I created this plan a few months ago with how I was going to operate within the product boss. So, so that when unexpectedly, when the things that happened with my mom happened this summer, I had had a plan of like, okay, what's working? I did exactly what I teach you. What's my bestseller? What do I get to lean into? How do I simplify, simplify, simplify so that my life gets to happen and my business gets to be in support of that. So when I am coaching Sandra, who is a chocolatier, right, she's also coming up against a few obstacles and roadblocks. Okay? So she can't sell wholesale just yet because she works underneath the cottage law, which for those of you not in the food industry, means that she gets to cook from home. But there's rules around it and it depends on the state that you're in. So make sure to check your state laws. And she doesn't really want to overcomplicate her business. She is at a later stage in her life where she had business for 20 years, right? She's in business for quite a long time. And she's really not in a place where she's like, wants to go super, super hard and build this business. She wants something that just brings in a really nice, beautiful living so that she can continue to live her life and feel good. And so together in this coaching call, we're gonna find ways for her to hit her income goals, right? Like, she still wants that revenue in. She still wants to work, which I love, because if work feels good to you, whatever that form of work is, that's the thing that's like, for me, like a life force into my why I'm on this planet, right? And work can be, you know, tending to your garden or it could be hosting a podcast to millions of listeners, right? And coaching entrepreneurs. It could be making candles in your basement. Or launching a clothing line that's sold worldwide. It can be all of these things. So I want to talk to her today about how she can improve what she's already doing instead of chasing more and more and more and more. So if that feels like it hits, amazing. I'm so excited for you to listen. If you're kind of like, hmm, this is pinging me and I'm thinking, oh, this is something I actually really should listen to because. Or I get to listen to because I could take a little bit of this advice with me. It'd be great. So if you've ever thought I love my business but I don't want it to take over my life. This conversation is going to feel like a deep breath and a clear plan. So I'm excited. So let's dive in. Tell me a little bit about what you're doing. Tell me about chocolate making fun.

[B]

Well, I'm a retired chocolatier. I had a business for almost 20 years and then retired in 18 to take care of my dad. And yeah, I found afterwards here that I really don't like retirement. I tried to start up a business again in right before COVID hit and that sort of, yeah, I quit because Covid you couldn't go out and do demos and there wasn't craft fairs or anything else to get the word out about new product line or anything. So yeah, I started gardening and walking my dog and decided that just wasn't enough. So I started. Somebody contacted me to teach a chocolate making class and. And I said how did you find out that I do those? And she says well I found you on Google. And I said wow, if I'm still on Google somehow I better take advantage of this. So I started teaching last year. I started teaching chocolate making classes, doing home parties. And then through my city we have a community center building. So I teach classes through the park and recreation department twice a month and then do home classes. That's what I'm doing right now. I've got the cottage industry with the thought of being able to produce chocolate because that one is fast and fun for me. I've. I want to say I could do it with my eyes closed.

[A]

So that was going to be a question. Do you teach chocolate classes and you make chocolates? Where's the weight? Because one is you're doing something locally but what you can sell globally if you really want. But it's chocolate so it'll melt and transit probably. So let's just say. But I actually ordered chocolate Iceland. So anything is possible. But which one do you want to grow? Because we're not gonna. We can't grow both at the same time.

[B]

Yeah. And that's. That's sort of what I'm trying to do is grow them both at the same time. To be truthful with you, I come from a crafter's background. I originally started with a candy and craft store and I did the same thing. I had a candy counter and display. We sold candy. We also taught the candle candy classes. And that's really sort of where I think why I came back to this. It's where I started back in 99. And it feels comfortable to me. I really enjoy teaching classes for people and I don't see it as competition. I like sharing the knowledge. I've thought of perhaps being able to put on my website digital downloads for the recipes and to be able to do a. I'm calling it Taste it and make it, where people can order a little bit of chocolate of that sample and get the recipe combo. And then also selling chocolate by itself. I have a lot of customers in the past and even people in my classes that have asked if I sell the chocolate because a lot of people like to know how to make it or what goes into it. But it's to them so much work of gathering supplies and making that if they want a fast chocolate fix, they much rather order it than get everything together themselves. So I don't know. I. I know it's not the most logical business model, but it's me totally.

[A]

But the question is, which one do you want to grow right now? Because growing both will take different strategic plans. One is going to be local, so one is going to be like, how many times can I do this class? I believe you're already doing it. So that's like a simpler solution because it's local. And local sometimes is a lot easier to grow to a point and stabilize. There's ways of you expanding it. There's ways of you saying, okay, I'm going to do the top of funnel, which means the way that the most people are going to discover me, it's going to be on a local level. Local and surrounding towns that they drive in and they come, they discover my company through these events and then they buy the chocolate after. And then when they buy that chocolate, then they go off and tell their friends or they buy it as gifts online. And the whole way that I attract people is my events or the chocolate making classes and then try and sell to them from there. The other version of this is you keep Doing it like that, the way you've been doing it. And then how do you grow the chocolate company, not the chocolate making classes, in a way that someone in Oregon, in a way that someone in New York, in a way that someone in Southern California can order from you?

[B]

Right?

[A]

And they're buying it. So which one do you want to focus on to start?

[B]

I think it would be getting out of the area because, yeah, that's. That's the most confusing to me at the moment.

[A]

Here's where we hit the fork in the road. Sandra's been trying and trying to grow two things at once. Her chocolate making classes and her package chocolate sales. But each path needs its own strategy. Do you see that? And here's the problem. When you start to split your focus, it often means neither side is going to grow the way you want. Oh, my goodness. I remember when my brother said this to me once. He said, I had designer consulting Co op, which was my consulting business. I had Cuffs Couture. I had another brand that I barely talk about called Lily mark, which was 50% recycled material into a dress line that I was selling wholesale. Okay? So I had these three companies going, and my brother literally looks at me after he gets out of business school and goes, you know, none of these are going to grow, right? And I was like, what? He's like, you can't focus on all of these and grow them all at once. The way that I was doing it, I had a small team. He's like, you're better off just going to get a job. It's like, well, crap, right? And so you might feel the same way, right? You might feel like you're really splitting your focus. And this is why a lot of times I coach you into what you're known for. How do you have a hero product or a core collection? What would be like for you to lean into your bestsellers? And for her, it's like, what would it be like for her to lean into a way that her business is working so that she can grow it? So this is a moment that so many business owners I bet you recognize because you've got multiple ideas and they're all great. You have a track record of success or something feels like it's working and you have a desire to make more money. But, but. But you are not sure which opportunity to prioritize. And you know this because you probably feel it in your body. If you try to push both forward with the same energy, you're gonna risk either burning out or stalling out. Am I Right. I'm sure you've had this feeling. So before we get into tactics, cause you know I love a good tactic. We need to get crystal clear on which revenue stream Sandra will commit to growing first. I said first. I didn't say ever. I just said first. That clarity will shape every decision that comes next. Next. Hey, friends. Okay, so I don't know if you 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 doctor'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 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 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 your beauty. All you have to do is click in the show notes and you can use the code Jacqueline 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. So how did you build the hundred thousand dollars business? Tell me some of the things that you did with that.

[B]

Oh gosh, we switched to selling wholesale and online sales are admittingly that was. We started doing online candy sales back in 2000 when the Internet was brand new and it was very difficult to. It was almost easier than what things are now in some sense, you know, less competition. But no, I never got to be real big online here. Locally we did fine. We had a lot of wholesale accounts in natural food stores and also some regular, just regular General markets. And then we did a lot with nonprofits putting their own logo on chocolate bars and stuff like that. Yeah, I think that's what we did.

[A]

So from knowing what you did and for being innovative, right. Like you're, you know, in the year 2000, you're online, you're selling, you're being discovered, you're doing collaborations, you're doing all the things that we talk about. What is something that you really enjoy doing that you could bring back in and start practicing in 2025?

[B]

Yeah, I don't know. That's what I'm trying is bringing all these things back in.

[A]

Can I ask you a question? Okay, real quick. So I want you to settle in and the. You do know. Okay. That's one thing I do want to tell you. You do know. What's happening though is there's lots of ideas and there's probably this version of self doubt in the way of I have so many ideas. What's the right idea for right now? So if I asked you, you've been in business, you are an entrepreneur. So being an entrepreneur doesn't matter what stage of business. In fact, you're almost probably more equipped for the year that we're in now. Having the history of pre social media. Yeah, right. Like collaborations, when you actually used to have partnerships and phone calls versus people trying to DM people like to do a partnership, you had real tactical advice. So if I said one thing, Sandra, you could do one thing that you did in the past that worked really well and you did know what that one thing was, what would you say it was?

[B]

My mind is drawing the blank.

[A]

Did you sell to other stores?

[B]

Gosh, you know, it was a combination of so many different things, not just one. There was so much PR that was put in on those early days. We went to every demo thing that was out there. We have because we're in the rural area, we have Small Business Development association and we had another group group called the Arcata, aedc. Arcata Economic Development Center. And both of those used to be so active at putting on events and things for new.

[A]

What would the events do? Would they be teaching you something or would they be exposing you to other customers?

[B]

Exposing you to other customers, to other businesses? Some of the events were exposing to other business to business and other ones were exposing you to just regular customers.

[A]

So when you look at your business from back in the day, would you say that the percentage of sales came from business to business? So doing custom products for people or whatever version that looked like or direct to Consumer knowing you as a chocolate company.

[B]

Well, our biggest sellers were selling to our local stores, to our.

[A]

Okay, so wholesale.

[B]

Yeah, wholesale to natural food stores. Those were our biggest ones.

[A]

Okay. Yeah, perfect. You just answered it all. You just coached yourself. We can hang up now. So what. What I hear you saying. And you're a student in the sales accelerator. Yeah. So what I hear you saying is exactly what we teach there. Which is why you're perfectly in the right place. Using other people's audiences, using other people's customers. And the couple ways that you just. I'll tell you three ways that you just shared with me how you did that. One, you sold wholesale to local retail partners, that you were on the shelves and other customers came in and they discovered you. Okay. They were looking. They were shopping. Yesterday, I was at Trader Joe's with my daughter. She was like, I want chocolate. I was like, great. They usually have it at the checkout aisle when we're leaving or above the frozen section. Go find it. Right, yeah. So they know our chocolate's placed in a grocery store or retail store or whatever, and they check out retail partners wholesale. Second thing you said to me was through other people's audiences of like, in person events, like whether it was like the local business whatever bureau or whatever it is that they brought in customers that you got to get in front of, so you did not have to generate your own.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And in that there were two types of customers. There was the business to business aspect, and then there was the direct to consumer aspect. Yeah, I think that was the two that you said, which really what it's saying is other people's audiences. So knowing that as a strategy to be seen by more people on the sell in more places, I want to hone you into the next question of looking at what's not working in your business right now. Like, where are we stuck? That's the beauty of us being able to have this coaching call. So what's your best selling chocolate or what's the one thing that people light up about.

[B]

With the made chocolate? Yes, Truffles are my biggest seller and through the county cottage food industry. I can't make them. You can't do truffles in California through the cottage industry.

[A]

What's the second best one?

[B]

My butter almond toffee is real popular.

[A]

Okay, so it's actually not a chocolate, it's a candy.

[B]

Well, it's candy. It's covered in chocolate.

[A]

Oh, okay, okay, okay. It's covered in chocolate. Perfect. And that you can do through the cottage laws.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay, so two options there. You become known as a chocolate truffle person and you either get the right licensing in a commercial kitchen or you work with a co packer. If that is not the. The version of business that you want to get to a $5,000 a month business is going to require some version of level up.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So it's either going to be that you stay cottage kitchen and you find other products that you could test that you're able to make, or you step into the level up of getting a commercial kitchen, which sounds like in this moment is not what you want to do and. Or you work with a partner that can develop the chocolate for you and you're not cooking and making it all, but you get to be in charge of selling and strategy and marketing and all that.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. So knowing those two options, we've got the toffee. What's after toffee?

[B]

Oh, gosh. I have about 20 different items that I'll be bringing out online here shortly.

[A]

But what sells like See's Candy is known for, like, there's certain products that they have packaged year round, like their marshmallow caramel covered chocolate that they do on a holiday, their chocolate lollipops. Like, they have like the little toffee rectangles. So there's certain things that we know are their best sellers that they produce in mass, and those will be. Or the one pound chocolate box of like nougat and whatever that will be at a grocery store. So even though they have lots of chocolates, their product that is their best sellers that they scale in more places are those products. So what would you say are your top three to five? Because we can't sell all the chocolates and all the candies to everyone.

[B]

Yeah. The other ones that are popular are the peanut butter cups, caramel squares, pecan and almond caramel clusters.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Those are all popular.

[A]

Great. So what I want you to do is as much as you can come up with all the products, if you were going to try and sell wholesale or you were going to try and sell to a grocery store, they're going to either want like a package thing of like the caramel squares or the toffee, you're probably not doing this like a 1 pound box of different chocolates in it.

[B]

I will be, but. Yeah, but not. My problem is I can't sell the stores under the cottage license that I have.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

That's where my big problem of figuring out how to do this.

[A]

So what do you want to do?

[B]

I have so many Restrictions. And I'm going, I may just bite the bullet and get the state license because this cottage one is a little Mickey Mouse. I can't make this.

[A]

Exactly. So going back to what we first started on, and this is like, this is so impactful because the strategy that I give you is not going to matter because at some point you're holding back your growth with the decisions that you've made. And I'm going to play small, but I want to make a lot of revenue. Right. Like I'm going to keep operating like this as a little side hustle hobby. But to make $5,000 a month is a $60,000 business. It's not a small amount of money. Yeah, it's a beautiful amount of money. But to do that, I don't know that you're going to sell $5,000 a month worth of chocolate to just the local Humboldt county, local, small town, whatever. Right. Like, we got to get them all addicted to that chocolate that they're like calling you up like Sandra weekly, like, I need more chocolate, you know, and you. And you're charging a premium price.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So one of the sticking points here is the strategies I give you. It sounds like can't necessarily happen because if you stay with cottage lot and you stay with you, you being the only source of this and selling online, if you're able to do that, what kind of product you're able to do will be then that you get to generate the audience yourself. You're gonna have to either pay for ads to drive traffic to you. You're gonna either have to get really good at organic content to drive traffic to you, or partnering and partnerships look like a collab with another company that you're doing a co brand with. It looks like influencers talking about you like creators. Right. These are all the different versions. And we do teach this inside of sales accelerator. So you have that. So we're kind of at a crossroads right now in my coaching with you.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

How would you like me to coach in terms of what you think you want to do next? Or at least let's say through the end of the year?

[B]

Well, through the end of this year here, I want to get my chocolate, the made candies getting sold and yeah, I want to do at least one Christmas fair in my area.

[A]

So what does that look like to you? What kind of revenue do you want to do you want to generate for the rest of the year?

[B]

Yeah, I haven't even thought of it that way. 1500 to 2000amonth would be real Good. As far as revenue, I don't know if that answers the question.

[A]

Okay, so how much product would you have to sell? How many? Do you know what your average order value is?

[B]

No, because I haven't. If I go with classes, it's, you know, $35. If I go with the chocolate, since I haven't done it yet, I don't know on that one. With the average order is going to be from past or even with my shipping, I am going to have free pickup and delivery locally here. But with regular shipping, I believe I put the price at $50 or 45 in order for free shipping.

[A]

Okay, so. So if we just went with $35 across the board, $35 for a class, $35 for your average order value for chocolate, you need to sell 43 units a month to make $1,500. So if you do a chocolate making class and there's 15 people in that. Right. Then it means that you get to sell 28 other orders. So then the question is, is those 15 people that come in, if each of them can buy one extra thing for $35?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So if each person that came in paid 35, and then 15 of those, they all bought something else for 35, you've already made a thousand dollars fifty cents just from that. So then the difference is then getting another 15 people to buy chocolate in some other way. Whether it's online, whether it's on social media, which I don't think social media is your play, whether you're telling these people they can buy them for gifts. You're going to the local car dealership and you're like, hey, I'll provide you with chocolates for, like, people who buy the cars. Like, there gets to be other creative ways to do it.

[B]

Right, Right.

[A]

So that's really, like, something. And you learn this in the Seen and Sold bootcamp. We basically talk about your revenue gap and then how many of the product you get to sell in coaching you right now, it keeps coming back to the live classes.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Because it sounds like that's actually what you're doing more of and are more stabilized in. This is where the numbers get super exciting. All right, so when we ran Sandra's math, if her average order value is 35 and she wants to reach at least 1500 dollars a month, that is just 43 sales. And here's the kicker. She's already filling 12 to 15 spots in her class every single month. So what does that mean? That means she's sitting on untapped revenue and if each person walked away with just one more 35 purchase, she would nearly double her income. Double her income without adding a single new customer. Did you hear me, my friends in the back, the ones that are like, da, da, da da, I'm doing other things. Come back and hear this. She could nearly double her income without adding a single new customer. This isn't just about Sandra. This is literally a reality check for so many product based business owners. You don't always need more customers to grow. Yes, we always want an influx of customers, but what would it look like? What would it be like? This is what I teach you in the first few weeks inside of the product boss sales accelerator. Right. We talk about what would it be like if you could increase the value of the ones you already have. So sometimes it's less about chasing the strangers and trying to get people to be your new customers, and it's more about deepening the relationship with the people who already know, like, and trust you. Does that feel like a breath of fresh air?

[B]

I got into doing the classes because I was not wanting to get all the permits that were necessary for making the chocolates at home. So I started with the candy classes.

[A]

Yeah. So you got to decide where, like, you will grow as big as you allow yourself to grow. So the way I can coach you right now for how you can legally sell based on, and I love how aligned you are with us, especially in California. We, you know, we gotta be on top of it over here. How you sell right now, what the levers that you get to pull to raise how much you make a month will be, how do I get the people I get in front of to spend more with me? So it's, how do I raise my average order value? It's the same way that you're talking about online. If they spend 50 bucks, they get free shipping.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

If you're top of funnel, the way that people are discovering you are from these local events, you do more of those. You get them to come in and buy the $35 ticket. And then your question is, is how do I get them each to spend at least another $35, if not another 50? What would it look like if the value of that customer that came in, for every customer that came in, they averaged $80 in value, then what you do is you just do the math. Then you say, great, if I interact with. Let's just say it's 15 people a month and you get them each to spend $80 with you, that's a $1,200 business. So the simplest way for you, Sandra, no matter how you're running your company right now, is to think of this as a math problem and think they spend this. And this is for everybody. So this is if you're online, this is if you're at an in person market, this is how you're doing it right now. The easiest, fastest lever. And this is what you learn in the sales accelerator. In the first few weeks, we talk about, one, how to get people to buy from you faster. Two, how do we make offers that are irresistible, that raise average order values? Because what we teach in the very first few weeks is, what if we didn't create any new customers? What if not a single new customer walked in your door and we just sold to the same amount of people, but we got the same amount of people to spend more with you? Yeah, Just that getting them to spend more with you by making the right offer will increase your business size without you having to make anything new, do anything new, try and get new customers. So that's the strategy I want you to take is you're gonna make sure you have at least one event a month.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

At least. You're gonna think, okay, with that one event, how many people come to these events on average? How many people do you see that come?

[B]

Are you talking about my chocolate classes? Oh, that one I have capped around 12. 12 to 15.

[A]

Okay, so I picked her good number. 12 to 15. So knowing you get 12 to 15, your whole job and strategy now is going to be, how do I sell these people something more? How do I get them to a $70 average order value? How do I get them to an $80 average order value? Means you bring chocolates, you bring chocolate making kits or supplies, you bring whatever it is. Because when they're there in the room with you and they're excited, they're going to buy more from you in that moment. And that's how you don't do anything new, but you just take your event and you make it make you more money. Does that sound easy?

[B]

Yeah, those are great ideas.

[A]

Great. So knowing that, what do you think that you can sell them at the end to get them to spend more money with you?

[B]

Yeah, right at the moment, I'm buying everything through regular sales. I can't buy 500 pounds of chocolate at the moment, so I can't.

[A]

That's not the question. You say you sell the finished chocolates.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So what chocolate?

[B]

So I think I can bring some of those as far as bags of chocolate and sell those at the End of the class.

[A]

But that's what I want to get us to right now in this conversation. I want you to pick what are you going to make and what are you going to bring so that you get them to spend another $35 with you.

[B]

Candy bars are always popular, so I would probably do small bagged items that are more snack type that you could.

[A]

Do the best seller bundle. Like you could put like bags of your bestsellers that equal 35 to 50 bucks.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You could even sell them a snack pack. So when they get there, buy a snack pack for $5. Buy something that's like a little bag of mixed chocolates that they get to eat while they're making chocolate.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Do you see what I'm saying here about getting them to spend just a little bit more money at each point?

[B]

Right, Right. Yeah. Well, that was in part when I had my candy and craft store. It worked out well because we did the classes and they bought the supplies, they bought molds, they. They came in afterwards and bought candy. It was. It was a good way of doing it.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So, yeah, I'm a little curtailed here at the moment. But I do like your idea of bringing chocolate to the class for sale because that's not going to hurt anybody. And I can make a little bit of money off of it.

[A]

Yeah. So your goal is going to be I got 12 to 15 people to all of these things. And then I want you to think, I'm gonna put together a little chocolate snack pack, something extra that you sell them that they get to buy for five bucks at the very beginning of class. What does that do? That sets them up to make a purchase early on. It's the same reason. Have you been to a Target? Do you live by a Target? And you know, in the very front, it's like the $1 and $3 and $5 bins. The whole reason they put that there is it gets people in the mood to buy something they weren't planning on buying. So if they were going in for detergent or bananas, they end up buying like some random thing in the front. Oh, it's just five bucks. I'll buy that frame. Like, you know what, I'll walk around and go look at some other things. And they end up spending way more money than they would have spent originally. So that's the psychological factor for you. They come in the room, welcome, and there's like a cute little snack pack section that's like, even if you put pretzels in there, I don't care. It doesn't have to be the chocolate you make. You can upsell a $5, like, snack kit. Cool. They come in, they hand you $5. Now we've moved them from a $35 customer to a $40 customer.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And they've done this money exchange with you in person. Cool. Now they're learning in the chocolate making towards the end. Did you love this? Is this delicious? You could also sell them the truffles, the toffee, the whatever. You could do a bestseller kit where you have, like, little bags of them all. And then maybe there's the recipe cards that you were talking about so that you're like, hey, here's my bestseller sample pack bundle. You love making chocolate. Now buy these as treats for yourself. And in it are also all the how to make your own. Because then, same thing. I'm like, oh, I just made this thing. I want to make more. I did this when I was in Thailand. We did a cooking class and we learned all these different things. And afterwards, like, if they had sold me the butterfly pea flowers, like this blue flower, if they were like, here are the pad thai noodles to get. If they had given me this thing, I would have bought all of it. Because when I went back to the States and I had to go and figure out how to put this all together myself, so they're like, here's a spice pack bundle. I would have bought that because I would've been like, how I'd love to make chocolate at home. How do I shortcut it? So it could definitely be like a sample pack of tasters so they can taste it and be like, oh, I do really like this. I want to learn how to make it. Growth doesn't have to mean building an elaborate, time consuming sales machine. In fact, the most profitable systems are often the simplest. So for Sandra, that looks like creating a small, irresistible. Yes. At the very start of the customer journey. I mean, think about it. A $5 snack pack that sets the tone for spending. And then from there, she can offer a $35 to $50 chocolate bundle and recipe cards at the end of each class. Same event, same customers. But with the right offers at the right time, her revenue per customer will jump dramatically. That is the power of a weekly sales engine. Right. It's a repeatable, predictable process that works in the background so that you can focus on enjoying your business and not scrambling for the next sale. Most likely, the majority of people have done this as an experience. Most likely, the majority of people will be so excited about it after that, they will Buy something from you with the hope that they will make chocolate and the majority of these people will not end up making chocolate. So what does that mean? They've tried your truffles and they're like, I love these. Sandra, can I get more? I love this toffee. Sandra, can I get more? So it's this kind of, again, it's like a psychological play because they're in the mode of wanting to make it, they're going to want to taste it and then they're not going to do it and. But hopefully then at that point they're like, I love the chocolate making party. I want to go learn this other thing in person with you. Oh, my God, I love these so much. I ate them all night. Like, I want more of them. So I think for you, this is your play, this is your strategy and playbook of what to do first and what to do next. And if that's all you do and you stay under cottage law and you stay with doing what you're doing, you will increase. Yeah, you just have to do more of them. Like you just find more events to do. You go to other towns, you know.

[B]

Yeah. Really good idea. No, I really like that. Thank you. I hadn't thought of putting those two together in my class setting, but it's a wonderful idea that goes well together and do more demos and stuff. I've been. I've been procrastinating on doing that, but, yeah, now since I've got the cottage and something to sell at an event, I can go do demos.

[A]

Yeah. In the sales accelerator, we talked about these sales engines. Fix where you're currently selling and then add on an additional one. So right now you're in the stage of fixing where you're currently selling.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

When that feels good to you, if it feels like you want to grow past that, then what we talked about in the beginning of you adding on wholesale, you could add on an additional sales engine. If and when you're like, I'm ready to grow this outside of the container that I'm in. If not, you might say, I love doing this. I work for a couple hours a month and I make 15 to 2000 dollars a month extra. Like, that's 1500 to 2000. That's huge. Right? That's like, that's an incredible amount of money to make for less work. And so this is your first step, which is that sales engine fix, honing in on the right customer the best products to sell, like what you're known for, and then raising your average Order value, and that will explode your business.

[B]

Okay, that sounds wonderful. Thank you for the insight. I greatly appreciate it.

[A]

Of course, of course.

[B]

Really, really helpful.

[A]

So if we want to buy from you, follow you on social, where. How do we. How do we get in contact with you? Do you have a website, share all the things?

[B]

Well, the website is chocolatemaking fun.com and the different social medias are listed there. I have Facebook and Instagram. I need to do it more. So. But that one's chocolate making fun class, because long story, but I had to add classes on that to get.

[A]

Listen, we all had to add something to get a handle. All right, so if you've heard this, make sure you support Sandra with buying from her or sending her a dm, being like, great job on that show, whatever it is. Or maybe you're like, I want to be in collaboration. I want you to do custom chocolates. Reach out to her. Sandra, thank you so much.

[B]

Oh, thank you for this. Oh, thank you. Appreciate it.

[A]

So, my friend, here's what I hope you take away from Sandra's story. Growth isn't always about doing more. Sometimes it's about doing what you're doing just better. It's so easy to get caught in the belief that you have to chase new customers, launch new products, or expand into every channel to increase your revenue. But often the most powerful growth comes from looking closely at what's already working and making intentional improvements. So for Sandra, that means focusing on the customers she already has. That means increasing the value of each interaction and building a simple, repeatable system around her existing strengths. That approach not only grows her revenue, but it keeps her business joyful and sustainable and in alignment with the life that she wants to live. And that's the heart of it, right? Success isn't just about bigger numbers. It's about creating a business that pays you well, fits your lifestyle, and leaves you with the energy to enjoy what you build. And my friends, if this episode was not a truer episode for the moment of life that I'm currently experiencing and living, I'm gonna tell you as I've experienced it, I have full body goosebumps telling you this. That is what it's about. It's about creating a business that can support you in the life that you want to enjoy. Right? Because we only get this one beautiful life. So if you're ready to build your own weekly sales engine, one that works well for your product and your life and your regular revenue goals, I would love for you to get on the wait list for the sales Accelerator, we are going to be bringing it back out. It is a live program and that's coming back out in September. And we're going to help you build systems like Sandra so your business finally pays you. And here's the kicker. The way that I have redone this entire program because we rebuilt it from scratch, from scratch, from scratch this year, was in the first few weeks of it. We're really working on fixing what's already working, fix, seeing what you're already doing, not adding anything new, not adding on that overwhelm. We get to go in and do exactly what I'm talking about with Sandra, but in deeper ways, with strategy, with step by steps with all the things so that you have this foundational part of your business that really feels like it's fixed. An engine that starts to work, which is usually something you're already doing. And then we get to add on other sales engines, which I like to describe as like a self driving car, right? Like a Tesla or a Waymo, where it's like you get to set the destination and it takes you where you want to go. You get to wake up to sales in your sleep. So go ahead and click link on the show notes and we will get you on the wait list for the sales accelerator. It is going to be live and I will get to support you through the holiday season and make this your best one yet. If you've enjoyed today's episode, I love it. If you could leave a quick review and if you followed the product Bus podcast. So if you're listening on Apple Podcasts, that's where the reviews happen. Make sure you're following the show because we come out with episodes every single week and that way you'll never miss a conversation and it can help you grow the business and the life you've been dreaming of. Because if you could do anything, anything, anything for me, the blessing that I would see is that you leave a beautiful review so that when other people find the show, they know that they belong here, that there is so much support and love for them as they continue their journey on entrepreneurship. All right, my friends, I will see you in the next one. If this episode has you thinking, maybe I don't need to do more. Maybe I just need to do what I'm already doing better. Then grab my free checklist, fix what's not working in your business, in this, you're going to map out exactly where to focus, how to raise your average order value and what sales levers to pull right now without adding any more to your plate. How do you get it? Well, you can DM me the word fix over on Instagram at the productboss or or go to theproductboss.com fix to download it now. And of course the link is always waiting for you in the show notes.