Episode Summary: The Visibility Strategy That Turns Scrolls Into Sales | Live Coaching Session

Podcast: The Product Boss: Business Coaching for Product-Based Female Entrepreneurs
Host: Jacqueline Snyder
Guest: Jill Barnum, founder of The Clover Exchange
Episode: 735
Date: December 25, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode dives into visibility strategies for product-based female entrepreneurs with a live coaching session featuring Jill Barnum, founder of The Clover Exchange—a brand focused on bold, sarcastic, and relatable sweatshirts for women reclaiming their voices after years of people-pleasing. Jacqueline walks Jill through practical tactics for amplifying brand visibility, optimizing what's already working, and overcoming imposter syndrome as a business owner putting herself into the spotlight. The conversation is filled with actionable social media tips, mindset reframes, and examples, making it a valuable resource for product entrepreneurs striving to turn online attention into real sales.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Jill’s Business and Current Strategies (02:34–05:45)

• Jill describes The Clover Exchange: Statement sweatshirts/tees for "recovering people pleasers,” with funny, bold slogans (e.g., “Absolutely Not,” “Corks Are for Quitters,” “Recovering People Pleaser”).
• Core customer: Women 35–55 "done people-pleasing" and looking to reclaim their voice and sense of humor.
• Sales split: Roughly 50/50 between Shopify and Etsy.
• Traffic drivers: Instagram, word of mouth, and micro-influencer outreach (via Social Cat)—no paid ads yet.

"It's clothing, it says it so you don't have to... every time I wear something, I get a comment." —Jill (02:43)

• Growth: Doubled revenue in a few months since joining the Sales Accelerator.
• SEO focus: Updating listings with keywords (e.g., “sarcastic, funny, gift for her”) to improve discovery.

2. Leaning into What’s Working Over Chasing Every Trend (05:45–14:24)

• Jacqueline counsels against overwhelm: Instead of adding new strategies, focus on amplifying what's already gaining traction.
• Refining descriptions and SEO: This led to more people finding Jill’s shop.
• Referrals and regular, authentic posting: Consistency trumps perfection.
• Instagram: Despite having a small following, Jill’s reels double her follower count in views, showing quality engagement.
• Content that resonates: Simple, sassy, and relatable content (“Corks Are for Quitters”) is shareable, drives engagement, and encourages word of mouth.

“Shareability is your new visibility. Repeat that content. It works.” —Jacqueline (10:49)

• Product focus: Simpler, straightforward sayings outperform highly designed/vintage styles.

3. Branding, Customer Persona, and Product Line Clarity (14:24–19:10)

• Brand voice: Jill’s customers are “classy and sassy”—women ready to show up unapologetically.
• Lean into authenticity: Her background as a lawyer adds “sophistication,” creating a multidimensional brand.
• Community-building: Product reflects the customer’s inner voice, moving from “selling” to “resonating.”

“When your product reflects your customer's inner voice, you've stopped selling and you've started resonating.” —Jacqueline (15:51)

• Limit distractions: Stop diluting focus with Irish/Midwest lines—stick to the bestsellers (sarcastic, funny slogans).

4. Content Creation and Relatability (19:10–21:00)

• Real-life moments work: Family antics, “real life” posts with kids or pets—relatable stories make content engaging and human.
• Authenticity sells: The “realness” of the Clover Exchange’s social media builds trust and connection.

“I was putting a sweatshirt on... my dog is in the background cleaning his butt. People relate to that kind of stuff.” —Jill (19:16)

5. Marketing Channels & SEO Strategy (21:00–31:48)

• Social v. Search: Only amplify what drives sales now, rather than diversifying marketing for the sake of it.
• SEO:
  • Use customer-focused keywords in product titles and descriptions (e.g., “funny sweatshirt gift” not just “cute sweatshirt”).
  • Simple blogs targeting trending search terms can lift organic discovery (“Gen X Wine Girls Trip” as example).
  • AI and AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) will change search—more mentions on other platforms = better discoverability.

“A well written product title or description... can keep attracting buyers week after week.” —Jacqueline (29:20)

• Leverage AI tools: Use ChatGPT (or similar) for keyword ideas and even blog outlines, but prompts must be clear and strategic.

6. Product Line & Brand Cohesion (31:48–35:14)

• Keep the focus: Seasonally themed items (like “Thanksgiving Up”) can fit if they stay true to the brand voice—sarcastic, bold, relatable.
• Brand signature: Consider subtle brand identifiers (e.g., a small four-leaf clover sewn/printed somewhere on each product to honor the brand name).
• Emotional selling: Customers buy for the laugh, the identity, and the sense of being seen—not just the garment.

“You're selling the vision, we're not selling the product... it makes them feel a certain way.” —Jacqueline (25:52)

7. Mindset & Imposter Syndrome (35:14–36:25)

• Separate self from brand: Clover Exchange is its own entity; Jill is its steward, not its embodiment.
• Move past imposter syndrome: Seeing the brand as distinct allows for bolder visibility and brand building.

“Separating those two personas is probably one of the best ways to get over imposter syndrome.” —Jill (35:24)

8. Actionable Takeaways and Closing Thoughts (35:35–end)

• Biggest takeaways:
  • Use models/creators who reflect the true customer.
  • Narrow product line for focus and customer resonance.
  • Follow what works and look for “breadcrumbs” of success.
• Don’t try to do all the things: Double down on what’s moving the needle, not what feels like busywork.

“You don't have to do everything. What you do need is a clear message, products that resonate, and the willingness to keep showing up even when the audience is small.” —Jacqueline (36:56)

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• Jacqueline:

  • “Shareability is your new visibility. Repeat that content. It works.” (10:49)
  • “When your product reflects your customer's inner voice, you've stopped selling and you've started resonating.” (15:51)
  • “A well written product title or description... can keep attracting buyers week after week.” (29:20)
  • “You're selling the vision, we're not selling the product... it makes them feel a certain way.” (25:52)

• Jill:

  • “It’s clothing, it says it so you don’t have to.” (02:43)
  • “Separating those two personas is probably one of the best ways to get over imposter syndrome.” (35:24)
  • “I was putting a sweatshirt on... my dog is in the background cleaning his butt. People relate to that kind of stuff.” (19:16)
  • “Narrowing down my product line to focus on... the voice of my brand, instead of kind of trying to be everything for everyone, just focus on my ideal customer.” (35:48)

Timestamps of Important Segments

• 02:34: Jill introduces her business & core products
• 04:00: Discussion on traffic and platform strategy
• 06:56: What’s working—SEO and authenticity in descriptions
• 10:24: The power of shareable content
• 14:24: Branding clarity and customer persona
• 19:10: Real-life content and relatability
• 21:00: Social vs. search channels—focus on what lifts sales
• 28:01: Deep dive: SEO and using customer perspective in keywords
• 31:48: Product line, brand “signature,” emotional selling
• 35:14: Mindset, imposter syndrome, and separating self from brand
• 36:56: Key takeaway—simplify, follow momentum, and stay true to brand identity

Final Takeaways

1. Double down on what’s working: Amplify channels and content that already generate sales and engagement—don’t chase trends if they don’t move the needle for your business.
2. Lean into shareable, relatable content: For social growth and discovery, authentic, funny, and “real life” moments outperform perfection and polish.
3. Stay true to your brand voice and core customer: Don’t dilute your product line or messaging for the sake of variety.
4. Use SEO smartly: Think like your customer and optimize everything from titles to blog posts using real search phrases.
5. Separate yourself from the brand: This reduces imposter syndrome and helps you see objectively what your audience wants.

Where to find The Clover Exchange:

• Instagram: @thecloverexchange
• Facebook: The Clover Exchange
• Website: cloverexchangeshop.com

Challenge from Jacqueline:

“Look at your own brand: What’s working, what’s gaining momentum, even if it’s small? How can you lean into that instead of adding more to your to do list?” (36:56)

This episode is packed with tangible advice for product entrepreneurs seeking to turn scrolls into sales: Focus, authenticity, and clarity matter more than doing everything at once.