If you're considering exhibiting at trade shows this upcoming sales season, you are going to love today's episode. My guest is Amy Loewenberg, who is the Director of Buyer Relations for NY NOW. Amy is a seasoned veteran in the gift, home, and lifestyle industry, and she's an advocate for independent buyers and sellers. 

Amy leverages her unique experience on both sides of the aisles to drive growth, connect communities, and shape the future of retail. Amy is a partner to key industry associations. She's also an active Gift For Life board member. She brings a wealth of knowledge to every role that she undertakes because she has a deep understanding of market trends, purchasing dynamics, and she is focused on helping to guide mission-driven organizations.

In today's episode, we discuss Amy's current role in buyer relations. We talk about how NY NOW is innovating the trade show experience. We discuss everything from adapting trade shows to post-pandemic buying trends to the importance of sustainability, and the emerging focus on multi-sensory shopping experiences based on customer psychology.

Today’s episode is sponsored by our Unlock Buyer Secrets Interview series. To make a strong first impression with wholesale buyers, we need to do a few things really well:

• We need to make it easy for stores to purchase from us

• We need to have clear pricing and terms & conditions

• We need to clearly communicate and add value at each touchpoint

• We need to focus on building strong relationships with our customers.

And all of this becomes infinitely easier when we actively listen to our customers. This on-demand interview series will give you a competitive edge by providing an exclusive window into what buyers want and need from you. And, the best part, it's only $27 bucks. 

Get Access to the Unlock Buyer Secrets Interview Series

You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/373 

Quick Links:

Free Wholesale Audio Series

Free Resources Library

Free Email Marketing for Product Makers

PTP LABS

Paper Camp

Hey, friend. I'm back with part two of my interview with Victoria Venturi from Paper Epiphanies. If you have yet to listen to part one, that was episode 371. In part one, Victoria shared about her business growth, including what it was like shifting from a business model that was 90% wholesale to a business driven by 90% retail today. Now, she's finding a middle ground between the two. 

Today, we're continuing our conversation, and Victoria is sharing about the process of opening her store in the Portland International Airport. 

Today's episode is brought to you by our Is Wholesale Right for You private podcast! This free 12-part audio series will help you decide whether wholesale is a good next step for your specific business. After listening to this audio series (in less than an hour), two things will be true. You'll know whether you want to pursue wholesale for your product business, and you'll have the confidence and action steps to get started with wholesale. Sign up for the private podcast today!

SIGN UP

You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/372 

Quick Links:

Free Wholesale Audio Series

Free Resources Library

Free Email Marketing for Product Makers

PTP LABS

Paper Camp

Today's guest is Victoria Venturi, the founder and CEO of Paper Epiphanies, the coolest card store in the world. In less than a decade, Victoria has grown Paper Epiphanies from an idea into a global brand. 

Paper Epiphanies, also affectionately called PiPH, opened its flagship concept store in 2021, and they are expanding into the aviation space. They opened their 1st airport boutique in the Portland International Airport earlier this year. 

Prior to launching PiPH, Victoria was a marketing and publicity executive for over 10 years where she wrote and launched successful campaigns for agencies and television networks, and big brands, including Disney, Nickelodeon, Warner Brothers, American Idol, Glee, Hilton Hotels, and more. 

Victoria attended Paper Camp way back in 2014, and she was a guest on the Proof of Product podcast for episode 19 which aired in 2017. In 2017, we caught up with what she was doing in the early days of her business, but it's been a minute. She's had a lot going on, and we had a lot to catch up on, so much so that I am breaking this interview into 2 parts. 

Today is part 1, and Victoria is sharing how she moved from being a business that was driven 90% by wholesale revenue to a business driven by 90% retail revenue, and now how she's navigating her way back to finding that balance. Next week on episode 372, Victoria is going to share details about opening up her store in the Portland International Airport. 

Today's episode is brought to you by our Is Wholesale Right for You private podcast! This free 12-part audio series will help you decide whether wholesale is a good next step for your specific business. After listening to this audio series (in less than an hour), two things will be true. You'll know whether you want to pursue wholesale for your product business, and you'll have the confidence and action steps to get started with wholesale. Sign up for the private podcast today!

SIGN UP

You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/371 

Quick Links:

Free Wholesale Audio Series

Free Resources Library

Free Email Marketing for Product Makers

PTP LABS

Paper Camp

All 5 Days of Deals Are Back for 1 More Day!

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• Mon, Nov 25: Retailer Roundtable interview series for just $17!

• Tues, Nov 26: Paper Camp early access & extended payment plan!

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• Tues, Nov 26: Paper Camp early access & extended payment plan!

• Wed, Nov 27: Production Planner & Profitability Calculator Bundle

• Thurs, Nov 28: 1-1 Coaching Spots only 4 available

• Fri, Nov 29: LABS Annual Membership with recurring discount!

ALL WEEK: First 5 people to apply for the Advisory Board mastermind receive $6,000 off and a free 1-1 strategy session.

Apply here: http://prooftoproduct.com/ab-application 

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Our biggest sale of the year is happening this week!

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Each day brings an exclusive offer available for just 24 hours.

• Mon, Nov 25: Retailer Roundtable interview series for just $17!

• Tues, Nov 26: Paper Camp early access & extended payment plan!

• Wed, Nov 27: Production Planner & Profitability Calculator Bundle

• Thurs, Nov 28: 1-1 Coaching Spots only 4 available

• Fri, Nov 29: LABS Annual Membership with recurring discount!

ALL WEEK: First 5 people to apply for the Advisory Board mastermind receive $6,000 off and a free 1-1 strategy session.

Apply here: http://prooftoproduct.com/ab-application 

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Make sure to grab them before time runs out!

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Our biggest sale of the year is happening this week!

5 days. 5 Deals. ​

Each day brings an exclusive offer available for just 24 hours.

• Mon, Nov 25: Retailer Roundtable interview series for just $17!

• Tues, Nov 26: Paper Camp early access & extended payment plan!

• Wed, Nov 27: Production Planner & Profitability Calculator Bundle

• Thurs, Nov 28: 1-1 Coaching Spots only 4 available

• Fri, Nov 29: LABS Annual Membership with recurring discount!

ALL WEEK: First 5 people to apply for the Advisory Board mastermind receive $6,000 off and a free 1-1 strategy session.

Apply here: http://prooftoproduct.com/ab-application 

Once the deal is gone, it’s gone.

Make sure to grab them before time runs out!

http://prooftoproduct.com/bfdeals 

Day 1 Deal: Retailer Roundtable Interview Series for $17

http://prooftoproduct.com/bfdeals 

____________

Our biggest sale of the year is happening this week! 5 days. 5 Deals. ​

Each day brings an exclusive offer available for just 24 hours.

• Mon, Nov 25: Retailer Roundtable interview series for just $17!

• Tues, Nov 26: Paper Camp early access & extended payment plan!

• Wed, Nov 27: Production Planner & Profitability Calculator Bundle

• Thurs, Nov 28: 1-1 Coaching Spots only 4 available

• Fri, Nov 29: LABS Annual Membership with recurring discount!

ALL WEEK: First 5 people to apply for the Advisory Board mastermind receive $6,000 off and a free 1-1 strategy session.

Apply here: http://prooftoproduct.com/ab-application 

Once the deal is gone, it’s gone.

Make sure to grab them before time runs out! http://prooftoproduct.com/bfdeals

Today on the podcast, I have the pleasure of talking about sales reps with Kelly Bristol from Just Got 2 Have It. I can't believe it's taken me this long to have Kelly on the show because we have known each other for a very long time, and she has a wide range of knowledge that I'm excited for you to hear. 

She is the Vice President of Business Development at Just Got 2 Have It, a B2B sales rep agency with 5 divisions serving 36 states. Kelly is an accomplished senior leader with nearly 25 years of experience in the gift and home industry. She has experience working at the National Stationery Show, Dallas Market Center, Brandwise, and Market Time, as well as Purchasing Power Plus, a hospital gift-buying group. 

She's a board member for Gift for Life, the gift and home industry's longest-running volunteer-led national charitable organization. She is a founding partner of the new industry movement called Reps Are Local Too. 

During this episode, we talk about the ever-evolving retail landscape, the importance of strategic planning, shifts in buying patterns, and the continued need for community over competition within the industry.

We also discuss emerging trends and challenges posed by platforms like Faire, as well as the importance of sales reps' local market knowledge and how that can benefit brands. Also, we talk about how brands can successfully navigate the competitive space and utilize sales reps for more sales.

Today’s episode is sponsored by our Unlock Buyer Secrets Interview series. To make a strong first impression with wholesale buyers, we need to do a few things really well:

• We need to make it easy for stores to purchase from us

• We need to have clear pricing and terms & conditions

• We need to clearly communicate and add value at each touchpoint

• We need to focus on building strong relationships with our customers.

And all of this becomes infinitely easier when we actively listen to our customers. This on-demand interview series will give you a competitive edge by providing an exclusive window into what buyers want and need from you. And, the best part, it's only $27 bucks. 

Get Access to the Unlock Buyer Secrets Interview Series

You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/370 

Quick Links:

Free Wholesale Audio Series

Free Resources Library

Free Email Marketing for Product Makers

PTP LABS

Paper Camp

I'm coming to you on the heels of having a cold, and I'm here to remind you to take care of yourself. A lot is going on in the United States this week. 

Plus, this time of year is hectic for all of my product-based business owners. I know you are working so hard and are likely wearing yourself out. I thought now would be a good time to share simple ways to practice self-care before and during a busy season.

Today’s episode is brought to you by our Proof to Product LABS coaching program. This is a coaching program specifically built for product-based business owners, with members from across industries and across the globe. We have member-only events inside of LABS, so request your invitation to join below! 

REQUEST YOUR INVITATION

You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/369 

Quick Links:

Free Wholesale Audio Series

Free Resources Library

Free Email Marketing for Product Makers

PTP LABS

Paper Camp