Welcome to Episode 99 of the Indie Business Podcast! On this episode, you'll meet Robbin Turner of Violet Botanical Skincare in Los Angeles, CA. One of the first things you might notice about the Violet Botanical brand is the gorgeous violet blue bottles in which each product is  carefully packaged. The bottles are not only beautiful, but they are also reflective of Robbin's deep Gullah cultural heritage. Listen out in this episode for the connection between the package and the product — just one of the many points that make the Violet Botanicals brand unique.

On this episode, we take a deep dive into Robbin's extreme focus on the customer journey. Whether it's in person, at a show or market or online on her popular YouTube channel, Robbin allows the people who buy her products to guide and direct her product development and launch efforts. She is so fully immersed in their lives, wants and needs that she barely has to think about what to do next. This makes it easier and more fun to lead her business effectively and efficiently. You'll want to listen for strategies you can apply to your business starting right now, today.

Sit back, relax and enjoy my interview with Robbin NOW!

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Important entrepreneurial and content creation insights from Robbin

Let's unpack some of the most significant business and content creation insights Robbin and I discussed in this episode.

1. Let your customers tell you what to do

Robbin says that you never really arrive at a final destination in terms of knowing what your customers want. Instead, you continuously talk to them and listen to their stories. She maintains a mindset of curiosity about what matters most to them. This arms her with the information she needs to move her business forward. Her customers tell their stories and she listens to them, getting everything she needs to know exactly what to do next in her business.

Robbin sums it up this way: “Stop thinking like a founder, and start thinking like a customer.”

2. Build your community

Your community, your fans, your followers — these are the people who will become your marketers, your ambassadors, your sales people — basically, your everything. Robbin points out that part of what she has learned by being a part of the Indie Business Network is the importance of building a community and providing them with quality information backed by research and truth. As she says, business is not about being out here just trying to sell a person something, and then moving onto the next person. Instead, it's about educating and empowering your community and enhancing their lives. All you need to get started is 1,000 true fans.

3. Put a video camera in your hand

Robbin talked about how she uses her YouTube channel to educate and share behind-the-scenes snippets with her community. Showing people what she actually does to create the products they love so much engages them in unique ways that even the most beautiful product photos cannot. Robbin credits Indie Business Network workshops with planting so many of the seeds that have helped her to become more comfortable on camera.

Resources and Links Mentioned in this Episode

In this episode, Robbin and I mentioned the following resources.

1. Learn more about Violet Botanical Skincare
2. Follow Violet Botanical Skincare on Instagram
3. Robbin's YouTube show: Work With Me Wednesday
4. Article: 1,000 True Fans by Kevin Kelly
5. Article: Community is King by Donna Maria
6. Learn about the benefits of the Indie Business Network – for American makers and artisan entrepreneurs and join today!

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The post Let Your Customers Be Your Guide with Robbin Turner of Violet Botanical Skincare – Indie Business Podcast Episode 99 appeared first on Indie Business Network®.

Welcome to Episode 98 of the Indie Business Podcast! On this episode, you'll meet Larissa Lewis of Jargon Gist in Pasadena, CA. This episode is chock full of fantastic tips to help you boost your content creation chops. It's also special to me because it's an introduction to the wonderful daughter of IBN's very first member, Kathleen Lewis. Larissa was a toddler in tiny tutus and pink ballet slippers when her Kathleen's membership application and payment landed in my inbox a mere few days after our website went live back in 2000. Fast forward to today, and I have the honor and privilege of knowing and loving Larissa as my “bonus daughter,” friend and team member here at IBN.

It is one of the special joys of my life to watch Larissa follow in her mother's footsteps as the leader of her own successful business, Jargon Gist, where she helps people take their content from sleepily head scratching to undeniably mind blowing. I cannot say enough about what a talented and skilled content creator Larissa is. You are in for a treat with the no-stress content creation tips and strategies she shares in this episode. You are going to want to take notes …

Sit back, relax and enjoy my interview with Larissa NOW!

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Important entrepreneurial and content creation insights from Larissa

Let's unpack some of the most significant business and content creation insights Larissa and I discussed in this episode.

1. You are a content creator

No matter what kind of business you have, you are also a content creator. You are a publisher, and it is vital that you figure out the best ways to create content that connects personally with the people who are most likely to buy your products and services. This connection is not a “one and done” type of endeavor. It's a process that requires you to create and share information on an ongoing basis, and while there are many ways to do that, social media is awesome because it's a direct bridge from you to your customer.

In this episode, Larissa shares something she calls “the Cinnabon theory” and you'll want to make sure you listen so you can use it to your benefit.

2. Just get started

I love how Larissa called this directive “the most annoying tip ever,” but it's true nonetheless. No matter the endeavor, if it's a challenge for you, you'll sometimes procrastinate or avoid it completely when all you really need to do is take a step forward and get started. Larissa reminds us in this episode that when it comes to preparing content, you need to figure out what motivates you personally and use it to get you going in the direction of taking action that you might not otherwise take. Do what's fun for you, and the only way to figure out what this might be is to get started. It's kind of circular, but life is like that sometimes. Get over it, and get started.

3. Embrace artificial intelligence (AI)

Larissa described AI as a kind of souped up version of the type of predictive text that appears when you're texting someone and your phone begins to fill in your message based on a guess about what you're about to say. It's not always right as we know, and this is a good way to illustrate the double-edged sword that AI can be.

AI will give you a string of characters that you can consider incorporating into your marketing materials, but it can be bland and vanilla without your personal input — and as an Indie, you want to be anything but bland and vanilla. Don't miss Larissa's extremely informative revelations about AI, plus some super good examples of how to conduct effective AI searches for content you can use to market your business.

Resources and Links Mentioned in this Episode

In this episode, Larissa and I mentioned the following resources.

1. Learn more about Jargon Gist.
2. Follow Jargon Gist on Instagram
3. AI tool: Open AI
4. AI tool: Google Bard
5. Learn about the benefits of the Indie Business Network – for American makers and artisan entrepreneurs
6. Meet Larissa's amazing mom, IBN's first member, Kathleen Lewis of Kathleen Lewis Beauty Worldwide

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The post No-Stress Content Creation Strategies with Larissa Lewis of Jargon Gist – Indie Business Podcast Episode 98 appeared first on Indie Business Network®.

Welcome to Episode 97 of the Indie Business Podcast! I'm excited to introduce you to Catherine Robinson of Wildwood Aromas in Springfield, Missouri. A self-described introvert, Catherine started her business after she began making aromatherapy products for people who wanted to use essential oil blends to enhance their daily lives but didn't have, a reputable source to purchase them. She began making products for a small circle of friends and acquaintances, and word began to spread. Catherine quickly realized that she could help more people if she started to sell her products, so in 2019, she started Wildwood Aromas.

While it's not easy, Catherine loves leading her business. Her determination to help as many people as possible with her passion for customizing aromatherapy blends for health and wellness drives her to continue to put on her “big girl panties” every day to make it happen.

I can't wait for you to hear more about how Catherine works to improve herself and her business through consistently yet gently pushing herself forward. Sit back, relax, and enjoy my interview with Catherine NOW!

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Important Entrepreneurial Insights from Catherine

Let's unpack some of the most significant business insights Catherine and I discussed in this episode.

1. Suck it up, buttercup

As a self-described introvert, Catherine struggles to use social media to promote her business and put herself out there. At one point, she hired a coach to help her work through some personal issues so she could develop the confidence she felt she needed to meet this challenge. As Catherine shared, it's so easy to hide behind seemingly legitimate excuses to not reach our full potential and be everything we can be. I'm inspired by Catherine's determination to suck it up as she says, and overcome every limiting belief, and do the hard work to reach her full potential as the founder and leader of the Wildwood Aromas brand.

2. Newsletters produce sales

Catherine transparently shared that publishing newsletters on a consistent basis can be a challenge, but doing so always rewarded with either immediate sales or feedback from subscribers that eventually turns into sales. It is so rewarding to be able to trace your efforts directly to cash in your pocket. Newsletters nurture relationships and create sales opportunities. In nearly a quarter of a century of coaching and mentoring entrepreneurs, I have never come across anyone who can dispute that with any credibility, and Catherine's experience certainly bears this out.

3. Chunk it down

Catherine reminds us that any goal is achievable when you break it down into bite-sized pieces and attack it in chunks. Allow yourself to make small goals, she says, and when you hit those goals, allow yourself to feel really good about it. Consistently hitting small goals leads to consistently hitting larger goals. And while your goals may be smaller than other people's goals, stay focused on the fact that you are hitting your own goals and moving yourself forward. What matters is what you are doing and what progress you are making, not what anyone else is doing.

Resources and Links Mentioned in this Episode

In this episode, Catherine and I mentioned the following resources.

1. Learn more about Wildwood Aromas
2. Follow Catherine on Instagram
3. Learn more about the Indie Business Network – for American makers and artisan entrepreneurs
4. Email marketing services: MailChimp, Mailerlite
5. Aromatherapy training and certification: School for Aromatic Studies

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Subscribe to Indie Business Podcast

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The post The Introvert Entrepreneur with Catherine Robinson of Wildwood Aromas – Indie Business Podcast Episode 97 appeared first on Indie Business Network®.

Welcome to Episode 96 of the Indie Business Podcast! On this episode, you'll meet Kimberly Cross of Zhi Bath & Body in Charlotte, North Carolina. From the time she was a child, Kim has been in the beauty industry. She started out as a hair dresser in middle school. Later, after retiring from the military (thank you for your service!!), Kim began creating bath and body products containing goat milk in part because her auntie had told her for years that it would help with her skin conditions.

Like many of us do, Kim resisted her Auntie's sage advice for years, but when she finally wised up, she did the research and discovered the many benefits of goat milk and started making products with goat milk on her own skin. Of course, creating a great product was no guarantee of success. Over the years, Kim has done a lot of inner work to develop the chops needed to get the word out about her products — starting with the skill of getting out of her own way. If this is an issue for you, as it is for so many other entrepreneurs, you'll be motivated and inspired by how Kim's business truly began to open up once she decided to really get over herself.

I can't wait for you to hear more about Kim's journey. Sit back, relax and enjoy my interview with her NOW!

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Important entrepreneurial insights from Kim

Let's unpack some of the most significant business insights Kim and I discussed in this episode.

1. Get over yourself

For many years, Kim did not use social media because she looked at what everyone else was doing and didn't think she could be that perfect. But she got over herself and pressed forward, and today, she is killing the marketing game on a variety of platforms. Here's the realization that got her there in her own words — based on some advice she got from me over the course of several mentoring sessions:

What I do have is me: my whole for real me and what I do. And once I gave in and trusted [Donna Maria's] advice, I wanted to share. And I do not have to look perfect to get it done. It was easy to strike that balance once I leaned into it. It's like gravy now. It's fun.

2. Don't keep it to yourself

As Kim designs new products to take better care of herself, she iterates them in ways that appeal to her target customers and then offers them as part of her product line. For example, her popular coloring books complement her bath and body products and encourage people to care for themselves by relieving stress, being creative and enjoying a sense of childhood imagination which for adults can be an effective form of therapy. The lesson here is that you can use what you learn in your everyday life to create products that complement your core line. This is an organic way to evolve your brand, increase your income and create multiple income streams.

3. Wear your brand

Kim excitedly shared how wearing her branded t-shirt featuring her tag line, her website address and the products and services she offers is a great lead generator. When you listen to this episode, pay special attention to the conversation about the work-life merger where we discuss the importance of using your life to support your business, and using your business to support your life. This is a fascinating concept that all independent business owners must embrace in order to reduce friction and enjoy what we here at IBN call “the Ultimate Trifecta” of a happy life, a profitable business and a meaningful legacy. This is a great example about how all three of those components complement each other and go so well together.

Resources and Links Mentioned in this Episode

In this episode, Kim and I mentioned the following resources.

1. Learn more about Zhi Bath & Body
2. Follow Kim and Zhi on Instagram
3. Taste of Charlotte Festival
4. Kim in a Minute on YouTube
5. Learn about the benefits of the Indie Business Network – for American makers and artisan entrepreneurs

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Subscribe to Indie Business Podcast

If you enjoy the Indie Business Podcast, please subscribe so you can get each episodes as it is released. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play or your favorite podcast platform.

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The post The Joy of Getting Over Yourself with Kimberly Cross of Zhi Bath and Body – Indie Business Podcast Episode 96 appeared first on Indie Business Network®.

Welcome to Episode 95 of the Indie Business Podcast! On this episode, you'll meet Rachel Beyer of Artist Apothecary in Portland, Oregon. For Rachel, art has always been a passion. Her mother and grandmother taught her how to sew, and growing up, she took extra art classes every chance she got. So it's no surprise that her business is an outgrowth of a combination of her passion, training and expertise as an artist.

After studying graphic design and fine art in college, Rachel realized she would not be happy with a life filled mainly with time spent in front of a computer — even it if was doing what she loved. So she began to study herbs and aromatherapy and eventually, integrated all of her skills and passions into an Etsy shop selling her artwork. She also became a published author and a freelance designer and craft blogger. This has grown into her amazing business of today, which is thriving — as is Rachel, doing what she loves on her own terms.

I can't wait for you to hear more about Rachel's entrepreneurial journey — including how she manages her business while dealing with chronic pain, and how she remains balanced, happy and joyful all the while. Sit back, relax, and enjoy my interview with Rachel NOW!

Click the arrow to enjoy the Indie Business Podcast

Resources and Links Mentioned in this Episode

In this episode, Rachel and I mentioned the following resources.

1. Learn more about Rachel Beyer
2. Follow Rachel on Instagram
3. Learn more about the Indie Business Network – for American makers and artisan entrepreneurs

Important entrepreneurial insights from Rachel

Let's unpack some of the most significant business insights Rachel and I discussed in this episode.

1. Don't try to be everyone's everything

Over the years, Rachel has learned to be crystal clear on what it means to show up for herself first, in true and authentic ways. As she so succinctly and eloquently put it, Rachel has learned not to be everyone's everything, because that never works.

2. Honor your personal pace

Rachel lives with what she describes as chronic pain challenges. These have taught her to listen deeply and intentionally to her body, and to create and honor her own personal pace in life and in business. Rachel has created what she describes as an ecosystem that allows her to adjust her schedule around what is going on in her life so she never has to push herself emotionally and physically beyond what is healthy for her. These are lifestyle benefits she never would have been able to enjoy if she was working full-time in a traditional work environment.

3. The importance of community

While Rachel enjoys time in her studio in what she calls her “creative zone,” she embraces and understands that community is important as well, particularly as we move out of the pandemic. In addition to enjoying time in person with customers at shows and markets, Rachel's mom, sister and father help her with her business — especially during busy seasons. She also volunteers at a local community garden.

Also, being a part of the Indie Business Network makes a difference to Rachel because it allows her to interact with like-minded artisan entrepreneurs who provide valuable support and feedback and answers to business questions. It's critical, she says, to be a part of communities — online and off — where you can find your people.

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The post The Power of Personal Pace with Artist Entrepreneur Rachel Beyer – Indie Business Podcast Episode 95 appeared first on Indie Business Network®.

Welcome to Episode 94 of the Indie Business Podcast! In this episode, you'll meet Chelsea Selby Randazza of Witch Baby Soap in Cranford, New Jersey. It was nearly a decade ago when, in her kitchen, baby strapped to her chest, Chelsea first started making and selling soap and bath bombs and realized there was a market for products for what she calls “weird and witchy” people like her. As she began to make more products like the ones she wanted to have for herself, Chelsea realized that a business was being born.

After selling on Etsy for less than a year, Chelsea launched her own website with no business background, joined the Indie Business Network, and the rest is witchy history. Today, along with her husband, who has joined the business, Chelsea has a healthy online business selling direct to consumers, a popular subscription box, and several retail stores.

I cannot wait to introduce you to Chelsea and her Witch Baby Soap brand, so sit back, relax, and enjoy my interview with Chelsea NOW!

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Episode Show Notes

Here are the topics discussed in this episode, with time stamps to help you find the information that interests you most:

1. The Witch Baby Soap startup story. (starting at 2:30)
2. The “security” of working for yourself. (starting at 6:42)
3. The core messages of the Witch Baby brand. (starting at 8:49)
4. Innovating the “coffin bath bomb.” (starting at 11:44)
5. How to create a product with a meaning and intention, and for a specific target market. (starting at 13:15)
6. Chelsea's journey from Etsy to her own branded website on Shopify. (starting at 16:30)
7. Opening her retail stores. (starting at 18:02)
8. How Chelsea sells her products, and why she does not sell wholesale. (starting at 20:31)
9. How Chelsea sets financial goals for her business. (starting at 22:53)
10. Key business challenges and how Chelsea has overcome them. (starting at 27:15)
11. Employees at Witch Baby Soap, and how they are spread across the various channels. (starting at 29:03)
12. All about the Witch Baby Spell Box, Chelsea's quarterly subscription box. (starting at 30:22)
13. How Chelsea keeps the innovation going in her business: “following the bread crumbs that life gives me.” (starting at 32:15)
14. Why Chelsea begged her husband to quit his job and work Witch Baby with her. (39:45)
15. What opportunities Chelsea sees on the horizon for Makers and creative entrepreneurs. (42:40)

Schedule Your Business Growth Coaching Call

Thanks for listening to the Indie Business Podcast! Let's get started taking you and your maker business to the next level with a 45-minute complimentary personalized Business Growth Group Coaching Call.

Resources and Links Mentioned in this Episode

In this episode, Chelsea and I mentioned the following resources.

1. Online website platform: Shopify
2. Online website platform: Etsy
3. Witch Baby Soap on Instagram
4. Witch Baby Soap website
5. Indie Business Network (join today!)

Important entrepreneurial insights from Chelsea

Let's unpack some of the most significant business insights Chelsea and I discussed in this episode.

1. Create more than products

There are a million products out there, folks. For example, says Chelsea, there are tons of bath bombs on the market, but when Chelsea designs a bath bomb for the Witch Baby brand, she's designing more than a bath bomb. She's designing a bath bomb for a specific purpose, for a specific person in her specific target community. Her bath bombs have a purpose. When you create a product, Chelsea recommends that you take a similar approach.

Create products with intention and meaning to your specific target customer. That meaning may not be obvious to everyone, but it will be obvious to the people you are targeting and that's all you need because those are the people you want to buy it. As she says, it's an “If you know, you know” kind of thing, and that's what matters to your customer and to your bottom line.

2. Chelsea on planning …

According to Chelsea, focusing too intently on setting hard goals and expectations can stifle creativity and stunt natural growth and learning. Obviously, we all want to make a profit and grow our businesses, but growth year after year and month after month is not the natural way of things says Chelsea. And because she works closely with the cycles of nature in her business and her personal life, she has learned to temper her expectations.

And this is close to a quote that I thought was especially meaningful:

“Nature does not grow all the time. There are periods of dormancy and periods of working within to have a better growth cycle. There are also moments where things will break down, but those are opportunities for building back stronger. I try to just move through the ups and downs of business with very few expectations and take every day as it comes.

I follow the bread crumbs life gives me.

My ultimate goal is not to be the biggest or the most profitable brand. It's to be able to pay our bills, pay our employees and have a comfortable business.

My advice is to have a plan, but don't be rigid. When you have a solid rigid plan you set yourself up for disappointment if you don't end up where you thought you were going to be. I'd rather go with the flow, where life takes me and be happy about that than be worried about getting to a specific goal post.”

Chelsea shared that her business model for product sales revolves around having streamlined to selling soaps only as her core line. She scratches her creative itch by making limited edition products to complement the soaps and boost sales, but soaps remain at the core and are the main focus of the business from a consistent profit center perspective. According to Chelsea, this streamlined approach allows her to be focused on making what sells the most consistently, and adding additional produce income streams on top of that to prevent boredom and remain creative and innovative, yet still profitable.

3. Expect the unexpected

Chelsea says that in a post-COVID-19 world, she makes it a point to stay ahead of potential issues by trying to expect the unexpected and staying ahead of potential issues. She pays more attention now than ever to worldwide news reports. For example, a few years ago, she recalls reports of Mexican cartels holding avocado farms hostage. This ultimately resulted in a rise in avocado oil prices which ultimately affected her costs. Had she not been paying attention to worldwide news that might otherwise not have seemed especially important to her, she would not have been able to anticipate the price rises and would not have been able to implement a backup plan in advance.

Understanding how world events can affect your business is more important than ever now, and Chelsea does her best to stay as informed as possible, even in areas that may not seem relevant at first glance.

Chelsea described herself as an ambivert — that is, she is an extrovert when she needs to be, and she is an introvert the rest of the time. It is very important for creatives to be able to integrate both the introverted and the extroverted parts of their personalities together to come out from the shadows. As Chelsea said, when she does this, she sees immediate results because people do want to see and get to know the creative personality behind the product brand. When done consistently, this always leads to new sales opportunities — and opportunities in general — in your business.

Binge Indie Business Podcast Episodes

If you want to binge listen to previous episodes, you can do that here.

Subscribe to Indie Business Podcast

If you enjoy the Indie Business Podcast, please subscribe so you can get each episodes as it is released. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play or your favorite podcast platform.

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The post Make More Than Products with Chelsea Selby Randazza of Witch Baby Soap – Indie Business Podcast Episode 94 appeared first on Indie Business Network®.

As you know, IBN's proprietary entrepreneurial framework, the Maker Method, contains four sequential phases you must past through on the road to building a profitable business that makes you happy and successful and can generate income for life. Those phases are: Emerge > Engage > Evolve > Expand. Welcome to Episode 93 of the Indie Business Podcast, where we introduce you to a member who is planted firmly in the Expand Phase, and share a bit about how she got there.

In this episode, you're going to meet Toushonta Hogan of Scentsational Soaps in Queen Creek, Arizona and Los Angeles, California. You'll hear us dig deep on a very powerful and personal level into Toushonta's journey from emerging her business two decades ago to expanding it today, all the time building her business around her life rather than the other way around. And, what does this have to do with living a success life as a maker entrepreneur? More than you may realize, in today’s times. I cannot wait for you to hear more from Toushonta and her Scentsational Soaps story, so sit back, relax, and enjoy my interview with Toushonta NOW!

Click the arrow to enjoy the Indie Business Podcast

Episode Show Notes

Here are the topics discussed in this episode, with time stamps to help you find the information that interests you most:

1. Toushonta's backstory. (starting at 3:40)
2. Now in the Expand Phase, how Toushonta duplicated herself and her business without skipping a beat. (starting at 7:27)
3. How Toushonta makes and ships her products now that she's operating from two locations. (starting at 10:07)
4. Toushonta talks how streamlining her product line has helped her build her business around the kind of life she wants to have. (starting at 10:58)
5. Toushonta's many creative talents and skills and how she builds income streams around them. (starting at 12:53)
6. How Toushtonta used the pandemic to “step into her own,” now that her children are in college. (starting at 14:09)
7. Toushonta's current multiple income streams. (starting at 18:37)
8. How Toushonta plans and organizes her multiple income streams into a social media marketing “pillar” system that makes business sense. (starting at 24:07)
9. The importance of “finding your happy,” and how it has evolved over time. (starting at 27:51)
10. Toushonta's biggest challenge and how she overcomes it. (starting at 30:20)
11. What's next for Toushonta and her brands (starting at 34:00)
12. “Digital products is everything right now.” (starting at 37:49)
13. Toushonta says: “Keep sticking with the Indie Business Network,” and what to do to be successful in your business today. (starting at 42:33)

Schedule Your Business Growth Coaching Call

Thanks for listening to the Indie Business Podcast! Let's get started taking you and your maker business to the next level with a 45-minute complimentary personalized Business Growth Group Coaching Call.

Resources and Links Mentioned in this Episode

In this episode, Toushonta and I mentioned the following resources.

1. Scentsational Soap on Instagram
2. Toushonta Creates on Instagram
3. Indie Business Network (join today!)

Important entrepreneurial insights from Toushonta

Let's unpack some of the most significant business insights Toushonta and I discussed in this episode.

1. Build your business around your life

After two decades in business, Toushonta has raised both her business and her children. Today, her life has evolved in ways that were not possible when her children were in the home. This newfound freedom has allowed her to evolve by duplicating herself so she can maintain homes in two states, California and Arizona, and still make her products and manage all of the details of her business and her life.

If you have followed my teaching for any amount of time, you know how much I emphasize the importance of building your business around your life, and not the other way around. Toushonta's movement into the Expand Phase of her business is a great illustration of that.

2. Streamline your efforts to succeed

Toushonta shared that her business model for product sales revolves around having streamlined to selling soaps only as her core line. She scratches her creative itch by making limited edition products to complement the soaps and boost sales, but soaps remain at the core and are the main focus of the business from a consistent profit center perspective. According to Toushonta, this streamlined approach allows her to be focused on making what sells the most consistently, and adding additional produce income streams on top of that to prevent boredom and remain creative and innovative, yet still profitable.

3. Come out from the shadows

Toushonta described herself as an ambivert — that is, she is an extrovert when she needs to be, and she is an introvert the rest of the time. It is very important for creatives to be able to integrate both the introverted and the extroverted parts of their personalities together to come out from the shadows. As Toushonta said, when she does this, she sees immediate results because people do want to see and get to know the creative personality behind the product brand. When done consistently, this always leads to new sales opportunities — and opportunities in general — in your business.

Binge Indie Business Podcast Episodes

If you want to binge listen to previous episodes, you can do that here.

Subscribe to Indie Business Podcast

If you enjoy the Indie Business Podcast, please subscribe so you can get each episodes as it is released. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play or your favorite podcast platform.

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The post Life in the Expand Phase with Toushonta Hogan of Scentsational Soaps – Indie Business Podcast Episode 93 appeared first on Indie Business Network®.

According to a 2020 report from the American Psychiatric Association*, 46.6 million Americans (nearly 1 in 5 adults!) live with a mental health condition, depression in particular, and suicide rates are rising. Welcome to Episode 92 of the Indie Business Podcast, where we shine a spotlight on one woman's mental health challenges, and how the intersection of aromatherapy and entrepreneurship help her overcome them.

In this episode, I interview Lauren VanScoy of Essence One in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Lauren turned to aromatherapy after feeling anxious and depressed after the birth of her children. After being diagnosed by a health professional with major depression manifesting as anxiety, Lauren was prescribed traditional medication with a twist. Her doctor suggested she explore complementary alternatives, including essential oils.

Lauren took this idea and ran with it, eventually becoming a certified aromatherapist and making blends to improve her mental health. When her friends started asking her to make blends for them, the old entrepreneurial itch started to get scratched, and Essence One was born. I cannot wait for you to hear more from Lauren and her Essence One story, so sit back, relax, and enjoy my interview with Lauren NOW!

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Episode Show Notes

Here are the topics discussed in this episode, with time stamps to help you find the information that interests you most:

1. Lauren's mental health story. (starting at 2:50)
2. How Lauren's mental health challenges led to her business. (starting at 8:05)
3. A unique take on Lauren's early business purpose and product launches. (starting at 9:30)
4. Lauren talks best-selling products and sales venues. (starting at 13:30)
5. How wholesale accounts have been helpful to Essence One. (starting at 17:00)
6. Lauren shares her trade show stories and insider tips. (starting at 18:30)
7. The biggest challenge Lauren faces on her entrepreneurial journey. (starting at 24:00)
8. How Lauren's big time-allocation decision affected Essence One. (starting at 29:00)
9. Lauren's words of advice for those thinking about making the move from a part-time business to a full-time passion. (starting at 45:00)

Resources and Links Mentioned in this Episode

In this episode, Lauren and I mentioned the following resources.

1. Essence One website
2. Essence One on Instagram
3. Aromatherapy certification: Aromahead Institue
4. Trade show: AmericasMart
5. IBN member benefits: Facebook community and Indie Pods

Important entrepreneurial insights from Lauren

Let's unpack some of the most significant business insights Lauren and I discussed in this episode.

1. Transitioning from solopreneur

Lauren shared that one of her biggest challenges has been going from doing everything herself to hiring help. After she quit her job two and a half years after starting the business, she quickly hired her first part-time contractor. She now has employees, whom she hired in the middle of the pandemic. Lauren says it's kind of scary to let things go, but doing so freed her to actually lead the business and devote more time to administrative duties that are so important to effectively leading a business.

2. The value of handmade

Even though Lauren uses outside companies to make some of her products for collaborative projects like subscription boxes with huge product requirements, she is dedicated to keeping production in-house. She likes the level of control and she also loves employing people in her community. Lauren acknowledges that making products by hand increases costs, but she also shared that people will pay more for the value of a well made handmade product.

3. Quitting your job to become a full-time entrepreneur

As someone who quit her job to turn her passion into a business, Lauren encourages you to go for it. However, she cautions to make sure you are as financially stable as possible before doing so. No amount of passion can make up for a missed mortgage payment, and Lauren said that financial stability enabled her to focus on her business without additional worry. When she finally quit her job and focused on her business full-time, growth happened. Use your passion as fuel, and maintain a “why not try?” attitude Lauren says.

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* Source: American Psychiatric Association 2020 Foundation Impact Report

The post Overcoming Mental Health Challenges Through Entrepreneurship with Lauren Vanscoy of Essence One – Indie Business Podcast Episode 92 appeared first on Indie Business Network®.

Welcome to Episode 91 of the Indie Business Podcast! Today's Indie Story introduces you to Tiana Coats of Winding Wick Candles, in Garland, Texas. Once upon a time, Tiana considered her position as a pharmacy technician to be her dream job. She eventually grew weary of doing the same thing every day, and began daydreaming about what she could sell to make a living online. This led to selling books on Amazon, which led to selling other things (like board games) on Amazon, which, of course, led to what she could sell that she made with her own hands.

Candles seemed like a logical choice, and as you'll learn in this episode, Tiana could not have been more right about that! Her entrepreneurial journey started with selling on Etsy, but it most definitely did not end there. Today, Tiana sells on multiple platforms, has a successful YouTube channel, and recently opened a retail store. Grab your notebook and a cup of your favorite beverage, and let's go to business school with Tiana! Enjoy my interview with Tiana NOW!

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Episode Show Notes

Here are the topics discussed in this episode, with time stamps to help you find the information that interests you most:

1. The Winding Wick Candles back story, including running the business part-time at first. (starting at 2:15)
2. Why Tiana uses YouTube, how she manages it, and some valuable tips. (starting at 13:00)
3. Tiana's business model, including products and services and tips for selling on Etsy. (starting at 21:18)
4. Tiana teaches people how to start a candle business. (starting at 25:37)
5. How being naturally curious works in Tiana's favor. (starting at 30:37)
6. YouTube as an income stream. (starting at 32:10)
7. Studio vlogs vs. “how to” videos on YouTube. (starting at 34:11)
8. Tiana's opening a retail store and productivity tips. (starting at 37:18)
9. Tiana's words of advice for budding candle entrepreneurs. (starting at 49:30)

Resources and Links Mentioned in this Episode

In this episode, Tiana and I mentioned the following resources.

1. Winding Wick Candles website
2. Winding Wick Candles on Instagram
3. Marketing firm: Kamadu Marketing
4. Tiana's Channel: YouTube
5. Video editing software: DaVinci Resolve and Movie Maker
6. Copyright free music for creators: Epidemic Sound
7. Seller's handbook: Etsy Seller Handbook
8. Video: How to Start a Candle Business From Home
9. Grow your YouTube channel: YouTube Buddy
10. Calendaring tool: Google Calendar
11. IBN member benefits: Facebook community and Indie Pods

Michael's Tim from timber ridge gifts Standley handcraftedJoined a few FB groups insurance

Important entrepreneurial insights from Tiana

Let's unpack some of the most significant business insights Tiana and I discussed in this episode.

1. Learning by doing

I love how Tiana's experience shows that the best way to achieve a goal is to take action, even imperfect action. For example, when Tiana first started her business, she set up her own website. Sounds easy enough, right? She learned pretty quickly that having a website is great, but driving targeted traffic to that site is quite another, so she shifted gears and launched an Etsy store. This allowed her to get started by learning how to funnel Etsy's already existing traffic to her store. This kept her startup fees low and allowed her to see regular sales and build a fan base before investing too much money. When she re-launched her own website, it was far easier to drive interested buyers to purchase her products.

2. Opportunity spotting and problem solving

Tiana's YouTube experience illustrates how important it is to spot opportunities to solve people's problems. When Tiana got started on YouTube, she made videos about her business journey. Her research showed that tons of people were searching YouTube for information about how to start a candle business, there were very few videos about the topic on the platform. She made one, and it scored big in terms of view and engagement. It also led to more growth of her channel and her candle business, and paved the way for her to expand her business to teach classes on how to start a candle business, and now, to open a retail store.

3. Tiana on resiliency

Tiana's philosophy is not to be afraid of failure and uncertainty. She says if you keep learning, you can never become worse, you can only get better. This approach is genius in its simplicity, don't you think? If you stop learning, you get worse. If you keep learning, the worst thing that can happen is that you will get better. If that's not an incentive to learn something new every day, I don't know what is. Great advice and insight there from Tiana.

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Subscribe to Indie Business Podcast

If you enjoy the Indie Business Podcast, please subscribe so you can get each episodes as it is released. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play or your favorite podcast platform.

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The post Grow Your Business by Solving People’s Problems with Tiana Coats of Winding Wick Candles – Indie Business Podcast Episode 91 appeared first on Indie Business Network®.

Welcome to Episode 90 of the Indie Business Podcast! Today's Indie Story introduces you to Jennifer Watt of Jenny the Hemp Goddess, in Armada, Michigan. Jenny's story perfectly illustrates the fact that a supportive spouse or partner is key to business success. Several years ago, Jenny and her family moved to a 10-acre farm and started selling eggs and produce. They phased that out once Jenny and her husband realized they were not farmers, and Jenny began a bath and body business with her sister, which eventually led to the launch of Jenny the Hemp Goddess in early 2019 with a hemp facial serum, a hand balm and a lip balm.

Today, Jenny focuses on selling her products from her website, Amazon, Etsy, and via her email club, which you'll hear a lot about in this episode. You'll also hear Jenny describe how her husband's support is one of the keys to her success thus far. Not only does he offer physical assistance, but he also contributes an attitude of positivity, curiosity, experimentation and faith in his wife's ability to succeed.

Finally, you'll enjoy the impromptu target audience coaching session I somehow ended up providing for Jenny during the second half of the podcast. That was a fun and unplanned surprise! Enjoy my interview with Jenny NOW!

Click the arrow to enjoy the Indie Business Podcast

Episode Show Notes

Here are the topics discussed in this episode, with time stamps to help you find the information that interests you most:

1. The brilliant way Jennifer points to sales funnels on her webpage. (starting at 4:50)
2. Jennifer details how her supportive spouse is a key to her business success thus far.. (starting at 6:10)
3. How her daughter's bad reaction to an over-the-counter drug sparked Jennifer's interest in skin care, and how that influenced Jenny the Hemp Goddess. (starting at 9:37)
4. How Jennifer uses her resources wisely to create her own market opportunities. (starting at 13:40)
5. Jennifer talks about how her website is her best sales stream and how its all due to an Indie Business Network member benefit. (starting at 17:10)
6. About Jennifer's hunt for the easy button, and how there isn't one. (starting at 21:00)
7. The hoops Jennifer jumps through to take Jenny the Hemp Goddess across multiple marketplaces. (starting at 22:53)
8. Jennifer and Donna Maria mine deep into the world of the target audience and pull out a whopper of a gem! (starting at 25:12)
9. Event details, marketing tips, and how Jenny's husband is one of the keys to success and fulfillment in business. (starting at 38:00)
10. Jenny's tips and advice for new entrepreneurs. (starting at 45:27)

Resources and Links Mentioned in this Episode

In this episode, Jennifer and I mentioned the following resources.

1. Jenny the Hemp Goddess website
2. Jenny the Hemp Goddess on Instagram
3. Jenny the Hemp Goddess on Etsy
4. Indie Business Member Benefits
5. Jenny the Hemp Goddess on Amazon
6. Anything You Want by Derek Sivers on Amazon and on Bookshop.org

Important entrepreneurial insights from Jennifer

Let's unpack some of the most significant business insights Jennifer and I discussed in this episode.

1. The support of a great partner

Jenny's husband, a retired firefighter, sounds like a dream, so this little segment is more about what to look for in a life partner than anything else. Jenny says that her husband will do pretty much anything she needs help with. As a big dreamer with great ideas, he believes in Jenny and her capabilities. He is always tossing ideas her way, but not only that. He does household chores, helps her organize her office and pitches in to label and pack products.

2. The importance of face-to-face

Jenny says that she loves having an online business, but acknowledges that there is no substitute for meeting people face-to-face as often as possible. She does this as much as she can now, even in the midst of the pandemic, and has plans to eventually open her farm to visitors who can come and hang out with her, learn more about self-care with natural ingredients, and, of course, purchase her products. Road trip anyone?! …

3. Publish that newsletter!

Jenny recently launched a regularly published newsletter and is finding great success. It's boosted her sales as it has also allowed people to get to know her better. She publishes bi-weekly and enjoys sharing events of interest that happen in her business, as well as sharing new products, sales and promotions and general behind-the-scenes looks at her lifestyle and business.

Binge Indie Business Podcast Episodes

If you want to binge listen to previous episodes, you can do that here.

Subscribe to Indie Business Podcast

If you enjoy the Indie Business Podcast, please subscribe so you can get each episodes as it is released. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play or your favorite podcast platform.

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If you enjoy the Indie Business Podcast, please rate my show on Apple Podcasts, and be sure to subscribe there to receive automatic episodes as they are released.

The post A Supportive Spouse or Partner is Key to Business Success with Jennifer Watt of Jenny the Hemp Goddess – Indie Business Podcast Episode 90 appeared first on Indie Business Network®.

Welcome to Episode 89 of the Indie Business Podcast! Today's Indie Story introduces you to Lakisha McMillian of Simply Unique, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Not only is Lakisha leading her business, but she also works full-time and is earning her master's degree. You'll enjoy learning about how Lakisha organizes her time for maximum efficiency using…

The post Lakisha McMillian of Simply Unique [Indie Stories: Episode 89: Podcast] appeared first on Indie Business Network®.