Jane Hamill | Podcast: Recent Episodes
Jane Hamill
We teach product-based business owners who don't know how to market themselves how to get consistent traffic & sales online.
“I mean, I was ready to close it down” - Nicole Giordano from Startup Fashion tells us in today’s episode. Have you felt like this before? When you’re just tired of it all and need something to change
Today you’ll learn about where to start when reinventing your business. You’ll also hear about the importance of being the face of your brand, and what that really looks like.
Our best-selling course to learn how to set up a profitable clothing or accessories business:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/launch/
Show Notes & More Information Links Here:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/reinventing-your-business/
You can find Nicole’s Startup Fashion community on Substack at startupfashion.substack.com
First, you can grab our Costing & Pricing Template + Workshop for only $10 with code: PODCAST. LINK: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/costsheet
In this episode, you'll learn the top costing and pricing mistakes many fashion designers make -- and yup, I've made them all. We talk about undercharging due to pricing fear, misconceptions about what we think people will pay, lack of understanding what proper margins are for fashion products, and believeing the Shopify bro marketers who teach you can 3x your COGS and actually make money. We also touch on how your production location effects pricing, minimum order quantity, and how the manufacturing world is shiftting (and it's a good thing). Enjoy, Jane https://fashionbrainacademy.com/
(This is a clip from our List Buiilding for Fashion & Jewelry Designers class.) Why will people buy from you instead of somebody else?
It's important in your business to know what you're selling and to have words for it. If you know EXACTLY what you're selling, you can say it in every video, and in all of your copy and marketing messages.
Most of us worry that if we get narrow with our marketing message, we won't have a big enough audience to sell to. We tend to worry that a tight niche could be too narrow, but the opposite is true.
Going narrow nelps your sales!
And the thing is, it's hard. It's actually super hard to know what you're selling and be able to say it so people "get it" right away. The goal is to define a unique selling point (USP) for your products (or even start with just a category of your products) that people understand. This episode is a clip from a recent online class and my guest is jewelry designer, Magdalena, from MNOP Jewelry. To grab the full "List Building for Fashion & Jewelry Designers" online class, go to this link: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/tester/
product category section of your business
There’s a kick-a&& way to grow your email list AND get sales that’s been working great for my clients. I'm teaching it LIVE in a Bootcamp coming up. https://fashionbrainacademy.com/tester/ Adding a bunch of freebie-seekers to your Klaviyo is soul-crushing. This Bootycamp will show you another way. In today's episode you'll learn the missing link in your marketinig strategy that will help you sell anything. ANYTHING. This is a "Frank Kern tip" for direct response marketing. You can use this for any type sellingg content - email, viideos, social posts, all of it. xo -Jane
There's a cheatsheet download for this episode: Grab it now: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/framework/ Let's talk business growth. What you did to go from startup to "real" business is not the same as what you need to do when your biz is in growth mode. There are 5 sections of the biz and each one feeds into the other. Tpday I break them down so it's easier to understand what to work on next. xo - Jane
Is your websute clear> Is it converting the way you want it to? Yo ucan do your own site audit quickly and for free. In this episode... 1. The 3-Second Rule: Is it clear what you sell and who it's for within the first three seconds of someone landing on your site? 2. DIY User Testing: How to get a volunteer to test your site -- without you interrupting - to understand the average user's questions, issues, and any friction they experience while browsing. 3. Three Clicks to Buy: Can someone land on your site and make a purchase with 3 clicks? Review your site's navigation to eliminate unnecessary steps. 4. Opt-In Pop-Up: Check if your email opt-in pop-up appears within 3 to 7 seconds. Ensure it's clear, simple, and not too intrusive for first-time visitors. 5. How to get a FREE website mini-review: I'm offering 5 free spots! You can apply for a chance to get professional insights and improvements for your website. Apply here: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/review xo - Jane
I've had it up to HERE with my clients' frustrations about how sick of social media they are. I hear you!! And I agree 100%. My mission this year is to help you get evergreen marketing strategie in place so you get your life back. In this episode:
- How to create marketing strategies that run in the background, freeing up your time and energy
- The power of evergreen marketing and the 4 ways you can implement it
- Client wins this week for inventory clearance, cash flow issues, a killer productivity hack, and an amazing result one jewelry designer had with a charity collab.
If you want a business "personal trainer" to keep you focused & accountable - so you get sales online with ease - check out our coaching and courses: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/
Hey entrepreneurs! Hae you noticed lately that you're bombarded by strategies and shiny new tactics? There are a gazillion gurus teaching the next! big! thing! that will transform your business in the next 17 hours. 😂
It's harder than ever to stay focused as a business owner. So many things to do and so many things you COULD do. Let's simplify things. There are a lot of skills you could develop to make money with ease. But there's ONE thing that's more important than ever. In this episode:
- the #1 skill to work on this year that will make a difference in your business and life
- your own simple sales system based -- on four key questions
- how to stay in your own lane with marketing so it actually works
- avoiding BSOS (bright shiny object syndrome) and the constant temptation of new ideas
If you want a business "personal trainer" to keep you focused & accountable - so you get sales online with ease - check out our coaching and courses: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/
How many times have you been told what you want to do is "not realistic"? HOW MANY TIMES? Let's break down what actually IS realistic for you. Because it's probably more than you think. I'll give you specific examples of what's possible -- what my students and clients have actually accomplished. Then I'll share 3 things that are probably NOT realistic and you should watch out for. Show Notes and Links:
- Website: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/
- more links coming soon...
Today's episode includes a little end-of-year challenge for you. 1) A questiton that could shake things up for ya... DO IT. 2) The quick & easy way to track monthly metrics to know what marketing to focus on for the new year - and what you can stop doing. MONTHLY METRICS TRACKING SHEET: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/tracking BRAND VIDEO BOOTCAMP w/ SUSAN (aff link): https://classroom.thesocialsalesgirls.com/a/2147750940/XP22SCtE
List Building with Product Testers (Workshop): https://fashionbrainacademy.com/tester/ Our Website: https://fashionbrainacademy.com
The #1 thing that's working for online store owners right now is this -- a simple brand video. Whaaaaa?!? Really? Not gonna lie, as a fan of direct response marketing, I'm very skeptical of anything that smacks of "branding" and "building awareness". Can't pay the bills with awareness...just sayin'. But the simple video strategy that my guest Susan Bradley from The Social Sales Girls shows us today is working like crazy for her Inner Circle members and I'm now convinced it can work for my e-commerce brand too - and yours. This interview gives you the exact strategy and real-life example of how to do it. I'M GOING TO DO IT - LIVE - in Susan's Bootcamp. Join me!
It's only $15 and she'll teach us everything. Let's do it together. To sign up for the brand video bootcamp, use this link (it's my affiliate link): https://classroom.thesocialsalesgirls.com/a/2147750940/XP22SCtE To see the example from this episode, click here: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/brandsusan/
Want to sell more gift cards ruight now? i've been testing a few things with our native gardening website, and wowza! Here's what I learned... Your gift card conversions will go up if you do these 4 things:
- Tell them the "right" amount to buy (so they don't have to think)
- Tell them exactly what the cards can be used for (cuz grandma isn't your ideal customer and won't understand your brand or what you sell)
- Give them immediate gratification (like an instant PDF download to wrap up as a present)
- Offer a Gift Card bonus (this is optional, but we know not everyone will redeem their gift, so it won't really hurt margins)
This will only take about 20 minutes and it works. You can watch the vide with EXAMPLES and SCREENSHOTS AT THIS LINK: https://youtu.be/DzKoK7JpOwI?si=mJnH1s6_EMUaY6e5 LMK what happens after you try it. xo - Jane https://fashionbrainacademy.com/
What products should I drop when? How much inventory will I need? What's a logical way to set sales goals? We cover all of this and more. You'll get a deeper understanding of the top product planning and inventory mistakes I see with my clients (and I've made them all myself) plus how to fix them. This is for fashion products, accessories, jewelry, home goods, CPG...
1: Setting Sales Goals Based on Nothing - Pop quiz: What's the #1 predictor of sales for a DTC market, craft show, or retail store?
2: Not Understanding How Much Inventory You Will Need - Stock to Sales ratio, sell-thru percentages, POD vs. in-stock vs. pre-order vs. made to order...
3: Dropping Seasonal Products Too Late
- your "too early" is my "way too late", seasonal vs. evergreen products
We also cover markdowns and how to actually PLAN for them and deal with markeitng things down. xo - Jane
www.fashionbrainacademy.com brain@fashionbrainacademy.com
What if you spent 30 minutes planning your Holiday sales and emails? As in...right now. Today. Without overthinking, over analyzing, or fancy planning tools. This episode breaks down 4 simple steps to crushing your BFCM and Holiday season sales. This is phase One of planning and I promise you, it can be done quickly. Let me know how it goes, OK? Hit me at brain@fashionbrainacademy.com. Show Notes: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/holiday30/ If you’ve been slogging away at your business for a while & still thinking:
- “I’m working way too hard to be making this little money.”
- “My business looks good on paper but it’s killing me.”
- “I’ve totally lost track of my ideal customer and how to speak to them.”
Maybe it's time to consider some coaching. Check it out here: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/calendar/
"You're a Ferrari with a flat tire."
The doctor stared straight into my eyes with almost creepy iontensity as he said these exact words. This is how he let me know I was actually diagnosed with ADHD.
Hmmmmm... I'm a Ferrari.
Shiny, red, and fast,
With a flat tire. Hmmmmmm...
That explains a lot.
This episode gives you the 3 main things that help me get more done and not feel stupid.
I hope it helps.
Note: Huge shoutout to jewelry designer Trisha Flanagan who inspired this episode with her AMAZING fidget rings & morse code jewelry.
You should buy her stuff. She's amazing and so is her product.
https://www.trishaflanagan.com/
Show Notes and Links:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/adhd/
We hear about the magic of multiple streams of income. But how does a fashion designer actually pull this off?
Tommie Hernández is a Puerto-Rican fashion designer who has figured it out and she tells us her secrets today.
For 17 years she had a boutique-atelier where she made custom clothing and swimwear. She pivoted to owning an online fashion academy and the only Puerto-Rican sewing pattern company and sewing club: Sirena Patterns. She has over 2,000 students in her academy and sells the patterns to over 50 countries.
I learned a lot from Tommie in this episode and I think you will too.
Show notes and links:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/tommie/
Our courses and business coaching programs for fashion & jewelry designers:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/programs2/
Sustainable fabrics, social impact, living in Bangladesh, consumer awareness in fashion, hand-woven textiles, small quantities BUT with the ability to scale production yardage... wow. Just wow.
My guest today is Jackie Corlett from Motif Handmade.
Jackie tells us about a whole new way of sourcing fabrics, and she allows designers to actually design the very fabric you want and need from scratch with zero waste yarns, zero carbon production. So you know you're launching with the most ethically sourced and eco friendly fabrics available. She's going to dive into what is possible for even small quantities, for designers to get the types of fabrics they are dreaming of. Hand woven people!!
You'll want to see the visuals that go with this episode.
Visuals, links, and show notes:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/motif/
The Barbie movie is taking over the world. Have you seen it yet?
Back in 2006, I did an essay about Barbie for NPR's This I Believe series, titled A Grown-Up Barbie.
Like many girls, I learned to sew so I could make clothes for my Barbie. The essay is about how the blond-haired, blue eyed Malibu Barbie affected my red-haired, freckled self -- and my career as a fashion designer.
An excerpt: "I consider myself a feminist and I feel like a moron admitting it, but it's true: I believe in Barbie.
For me, as a kid, Barbie was about cool clothes, a cool job, cool friends and cool accessories: the airplane, the apartment building and the camper. I learned to sew so I could make outfits for Barbie and her friends, who took turns being the airplane pilot, the doctor, the fashion designer. Barbie was never about Ken. He was always a little dusty and in the corner."
Show Notes & Links:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/barbie/
The original NPR essay recording:
https://www.npr.org/2006/05/22/5419659/a-grown-up-barbie
This I Believe book:
https://thisibelieve.org/store/this-i-believe-paperback/
My guest today is SO HONEST about the struggles of his first clothing line and what he's doing differently the second time around.
Grant Janke is a former network engineer who hated his job and decided one day to quit to start a business - even though he didn't have a clue what business it would be. He's currently working on his second clothing business -- this one in the mountain bike apparel niche, called El Roo Bike.
Grant shares his failures, struggles, and the ways he thought things would go.
- "I spent all this money trying to develop this artwork for these stupid damn t shirts and no one liked them."
- I had to have the perfect pattern. I had to have the perfect material. I had to have the perfect artwork. I had to have the perfect this...
- Meanwhile,months are going by, and I'm not making any progress. I was stuck in that concept phase and the dollars just keep going and going and going.
- I was totally of the "build it and they will come" mentality. Which did not happen. I had no customers.
- Week one, I was dead in the water and couldn't run any ads. I'm serious, my ads ran on Facebook for like, a day.
- I'm still in the stumble phase, but the stumbles are getting easier to recover from.
Show Notes and Links:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/grant/
El Roo website:
https://elroo.bike/
Want to make today your make BETCH - srsly. I've been testing out a new morning routine and I gotta tell ya… I might look the same… but I am a completely 100% it’s-a-flippin’-miracle new person. This is working GREAT for me and I’m getting so much more accomplished.
I’ve tweaked my SIMPLE morning routine so I now have time & focus for my most important work -- and then time for meditation, exercise, and self-care — totally guilt free!
xo - Jane
Credit: This morning routine is something I learned from @realcraigballantyne but in all honesty, I didn’t read his book (though I bought it). I watched a few of his videos, and the "work first" part of what I’m doing is a version of what he teaches.
www.fashionbrainacademy.com
I have a habit of ordering books online and promptly NOT reading them. I want to read them, I plan on it, but I don't always do it.
The 5 books I recommend in this episode I have read cover to cover and I believe every clothing, fashion, or acccessories designer would benefit from.
- 1 that's just for fun -- for anyone who loves fashion and/or old-school NYC stories (I've given it to dozens of clients over the years)
- 2 for sewn product expertise, manufacturing truths & resources
- 1 that's an HONEST journey of a very successful designer and the BS she had to put up wit
- And the last one is for every entrepreneurs on the planet. This one will save you a crapload of frustration - especially for those of us designer/maker types.
Links to all books back on the blog:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/5books1
Our best selling course: Create a profitable clothing or accessoreis line -
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/launch/
Today we cover what NOT to do with your clothing, accessories, or jewelry business. There's so much advice out there about starting a growing a fashion business and a lot of it is outdated and unrealistic.
We discuss:
- are fashion shows a waste of time and money or good for getting exposure?
- designing for seasons & sticking to a fashion calendar
- how some fashion designers are actually planning for your products to become obsolete quickly
- creating full fashion collections vs. dropping new products when you want to
- professional, slick photoshoots vs. user generated content & customer pics
- carrying inventory and finding customers to buy it
**This topic was inspired by Steve Chou of "My Wife Quit Her Job" and his episode about Outdated Ecommerce Tips. Thanks, Steve!
In this episode, I share 5 things I did right with my clothing line and 5 things I did wrong.
I made so many mistakes, and yet my business was still profitable. I'm quite embarrassed about some of the things I reveal in this episode but my goal is to be really honest with you, so here goes.
In this episode:
- The embarrassing mantra I posted on my fridge for all to see
- No safety net and no plan B - a good thing or a bad thing?
- Selling to upper middle class white chicks (with hella body issues) and how they differ from other groups of women
- Losing focus, copying others (*cringe), and needing help I refused to ask for
- If I started over again today, what I'd definitely NOT do
In our best-selling online class, you can learn how to set up a profitable clothing or accessories buisness:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/launch/
Show Notes & Links:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/why/
Why do so many creative entrepreneurs struggle to sell their products? When I first started my clothing line, I really did think that people would just FIND me and my products. If the product is good, people will notice, right? Bwaaahaaaahaaaa.
Selling often FEELS hard but it doesn't have to. Today you'll learn 2 simple things you can start doing immediately to make selling ten times easier.
The course mentioned for apparel and accessories designers:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/launch
Show Notes:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/hard/
Want some quick sales? Here are 5 things you can do right away to get some $$. Many of us work last-minute so if you've put off planing your promotions, this is for you. I taped it with Memorial Day weekend in mind but most of these marketing & sales tactics can be used any time. LMK which one of these 5 your choose! I LOVE hearing from you.
- @janehamillchi
- brain@fashionbrainacademy.com
Show Notes & Links: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/5waysweekend
I was walking with a friend who owns her a business and she asked me...
"Should I hire a business coach?"
I make my living coching & teaching creative entrepreneurs how to sell more products online. You'd think my immediate answer would be an immediate yes. It wasn't. Instead, I told her why I just hired a new business coach for myself with the hopes that my 3 reasons could help her decide if a coach is something she wants right now. Will a coach help her make more money? Feel less like the lonely entrepreneur? Make a plan and stick to it? Let's unpack it... Show notes:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/business-coach
How often should I send emails to my list?
I get this question ALL THE TIME. There are so many different answers that it will make your head explode.
Today, I'll give you an HONEST answers to this and other questions that I've gotten about emails.
Here’s what I cover…
- How often should I send emails to my list?
- What’s the best time to send an email?
- Is buying an email list a good idea?
- Is there any real difference between a new email list and an older list?
Next week, I'll go over more of your questions about sending emails.
Get the show notes here: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/sendemails
You don't have to run your business like other people think you should. You don't have to do what the gurus say.
You don't have to do it like your competition does. Today's episode tells a story about when Johnny Earl first started his business, Johnny Cupcakes. He did something completely OPPOSITE of what 99% of other entrepreneyrs would have done. It's a true story about what Johnny did, how it shocked retail buyers and changed the entire course of his business. It's a true inspiration. Enjoy! Jane Mentioned in this episode: Johnny Cupcakes, https://johnnycupcakes.com/
"How do I keep my business going while I deal with a life crisis?" There are times in your life when you have SO much happening in your personal life that you just need to do the minimum at work. Just do whatever it takes to keep the business going while you handle all the other stuff.
We all go through periods where the business has to take a back seat.
In fact, I'm going through some personal stuff right now and this prompted me to think about a few things...
- What are the things that absolutely need to get done while I take care of these personal challenges?
- How can I keep everything going in the business so there's a business to go back to when this crisis ends?
Find out strategies to keep the business alive when life gets messy or even if you just want to reduce the amount of time you work.
Get the show notes: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/bareminimum/
- "My business looks good on paper but it's killing me."
- "I feel like I'm missing something important for my business that everyone else seems to know."
- "I've totally lost track of my ideal customer and how to speak to them."
- "At this stage of my business, I'm still working way too hard to be making this little money."
If this sounds like you, you're probably in the "Messy Middle". You're not a newbie filled with excitement and adrenaline - but not yet at the stage where you have a reliable team and layers of people handling certain tasks for you. The Messy Middle. If you're slogging through your days chasing sales and feeling exhausted, there's a better way. I promise. This episode will help you.
Link to Jane's calendar to discuss private coaching: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/calendar/
Show Notes: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/middle/
Get the Costing & Pricing Template now. Use code: PODCAST to snag it for 10 bucks.
In this episode, I give you my EXACT pricing formula. The exact markups I recommend. 👀 Today is part 2 of Costing & Pricing your product. If you haven't listened to Part 1 yet, click here to get it.
You'll learn
- the EXACT markup & pricing formula for fashion, accessories, and jewelry products that I've used for 20+ years
- what you goes in your cost sheet and what to leave out
- the story of the pricing mistake I made that almost put me out of business
- how pricing fear can mess up your business and how to handle it
DISCLAIMER: What I go over today are guidelines, not rules. In all honesty, there's a reason I haven't released my exact pricing formula on the podcast before. And that's because there are a lot of variables about what markup is right for you and your brand. Each business is unique and each product is unique. That said, you need to start with something and sincerely hope the details & numbers started in this episode guide you to better and more profitable pricing decisions. I really could have used an honest episode like this before I started. 😃 xo - Jane Hamill
Get the Cost Sheet TEMPLATE + workshop for $10 (use code: PODCAST): https://fashionbrainacademy.com/costsheet Show notes: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/costingsheet2/
We all know the importance of costing and pricing a product for profit. The question is...are you doing it right? Pricing is one of the most important things you'll do for your business. There's a lot that goes into it and waaaaaaayyyyyy too many product entrepreneurs are making mistakes. * You may be using a cost sheet you got on Etsy with wacky margins * You could be fudging your numbers (like I did) because you don't want to deal with the painful truth * You might even be undercharging based on fear that no one will buy.
I get it. I've made a crap-ton of mistakes with my own pricing of my clothing line. I totally screwed myself over with my not so accurate but I can't accept the truth costing sheets. In fact, many of you are are also screwing yourselves over with your pricing mistakes! Today we'll dive into the first steps to pricing for profit. Next week you'll get my EXACT markups & pricing formulas for small fashion brands. Get the Costing & Pricing Template for only $10 with code: PODCAST.
Today you’ll get the CURE for “I don’t have enough time.”
There’s a simple hack that’s working very well for me and I tested it with 20 clients who are LOVING it. It’s a life-changing, confidence-boosting, productivity-crushing hack that anyone can do starting immediately.
Try it. It will take you 60 seconds.
Show Notes and Links: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/
Download the Content & Promotions template that goes with this episode at this link: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/promotions
If you're agonizing over "what to post" and falling into the popularity contest that is social media, this episode is for you.
I'll give you my SIMPLE content & promos calendar and teach you exactly why creating a content and promotions calendar (that you can actually stick to) seems so hard and the CURE -- to save you loads of time and to make you loads of money. Not joking actually. This system is magic for my VIP clients and now you can do it too. This episode is a clip from a LIVE class I taught this week. I'll make the entire training available to you in the next few days for free. Stay tuned!
Download the Content & Promotions Calendar template here.
You do NOT need to be on the hamster wheel of content creation. There’s an easier way and it focuses on just TWO pieces of content designed to attract your ideal customers.
Even better, you probably already have this content created and can use it immediately to make your life easier.
Take our 4 question survey, pretty please: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/survey/ Show Notes & Links: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/notime
Ever wish you could be INSIDE the head of your customer? Today you'll learn a quick & dirty way to find out what they want. If you know what they want, you can serve them better, right? And serving them better means you can make more money. Evveryone's happy.
Take our 30-Second Survey for Entrepreneurs: https://bit.ly/laserFBA
Show Notes & Links: www.fashionbrainacademy.com/survey
If you're a new designer or even someone who has experience getting their clothing line made, you need to listen to today's podcast.
My guest today is Xochil Herrera Scheer, aka the Chicago Pattern Maker. I've known Xochil for a long time. She's so smart and so talented and quite frankly, she's a rockstar in the fashion world.
Xochil is an incredibly experienced pattern maker and she's really honest. She'll tell us what she wishes all fashion designers knew before they start spending money with a pattern maker. She also reveals what pattern makers want to know about YOU before they work with you.
Get the links & show notes here: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/xochil/ Xochil is a guest expert in out full "start a clothing line from scratch" course: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/launch
My guest today is Elizabeth Stiles and she teaches is the modern way to use social media in 2023 - because this shizzle is changing fast.
We talk about:
- how to stay consistent on social without spending 50 hours a week on content
- why posting on social isn't just about your products
- how to avoid outdated strategies
- differences between Instagram and TikTok
- Elizabeth's LIVE 4-week program, The Visibility Project
Go get the show notes where you'll find a special coupon code for Elizabeth's new program, The Visability Project: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/visibility2
Tiffe Fermaint is the founder of Baby Teith. She's a badass in about 50 ways. I've wanted her to be a guest for the past 7 years. She's brilliant and knows how to build a product business with a community behind it that gets consistent sales. DO NOT MISS THIS ONE!
We talk about:
- Tiffe's first foray into fashion and being an entrepreneur in Phoenix - when she was 14!
- her mission and vision for Baby Teith and how it's changed
- How Tiffe will use TikTok or her brand strategically (not what you're thinking)
- how you can get started and what you can do if you don't have your own community and get them on your list
- how to keep up with all the changes in social media
- what she'd do today if she was just starting out
Get the show notes here: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/tiffe/
First, you'll want to grab the worksheet that goes with this episode here: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/mam/ If you ever struggle with a lack of focus in your marketing, you're not alone. There's always a LOT to do, especially if your company designs and manufactures the products you sell. Let's get your plan down to one page. ONE page. Imagine the relief! Links, Show Notes, and the One Pager Worksheet: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/mam/
Many of you have had a certain level of success but are overwhelmed, exhausted, and not sure what to work on next.
You want to go from 100K to 250K without working 80-hour weeks. The truth is, you can't hustle your way to this kind of growth. You need a different strategy than "startuup mode" and this episode lays it out for you. Team, product, marketing & sales. Listen now to get the path to growth. xo - Jane
Get the show notes here:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/100kto250k
A new way to get help via private coaching - just email for details: brain@fashionbrainacademy.com
In today's episode: what would this look like if were easy, watch how you talk about yourself and TEST (or let's just f*** around and find out what happens).
Get private coaching here: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/programs2/
My guest today is Shannon Lohr of Factory 45. She's an expert on sustainable fashion and she shares how to make your current business more sustainable. We talk about:
- 3 simple things to start doing TODAY to make your product more sustainable (#2 is the easiest IMO)
- Is there any such thing as a truly sustainable fashion brand?
- The #1 marketing message mistake most sustainable brands make
- Which fabrics are most sustainable and why
- Which companies that are doing a good job at being truly as sustainable as possible
- The simplest and easiest thing you can do to start being more sustainable with your fashion company
Notes and Links Mentioned: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/shannon2/
In today's episode: how to think about stuff that happens to you so you don't get sidetracked, a simple question to ask yourself when you don't know what to do next (this works so well!), and how to be more accountable and trust yourself.
Get private coaching here: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/programs2/ xo- Jane
What if planning for the next 12 months was EASY? Today you'll answer 7 questions to inform WTF you really want to do for the next year. This doesn't have to be hard. Download the worksheet for this episode here: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/startwithyou/
Grit, confidence, clarity, frustration -- all of it. Hear from Jen Siow and Tiffany Nelson about their 90-day business coaching sprint. What they learned, what's working good, what's NOT working yet... all of it.
I love these two and their honesty, xo - Jane
Show Notes and Links:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/jenandtiffany The Ant-Fail PLan LIVE Experience: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/plan/
90 days of private coaching. Does it make any real difference? Hear from Jen Siow and Tiffany Nelson about the good, the bad, and the ugly of entrepreneurial effort. I love these entrepreneurs and their honesty, xo - Jane The Ant-Fail PLan LIVE Experience https://fashionbrainacademy.com/plan/
You might need a new approach for 2023. Not just a few tweaks to your business, but a new vibe altogether. Because if you're thinking, "this year will be different" I'm asking you why.
How.
What's really going to change? Did you say the same thing last year? If you continue to do what you did last year - and if a lot of it's real bullsht* - you'll get the same results. Today's episode starts with a story. An honest story of struggle that's actually so unnecessary. You may see yourself in this story like I did. My jaw dropped when I heard it the first time. You may need to listen twice. ❤️ The Anti-Fail Plan LIVE Experience: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/plan/
Today's episode features Dessy from Fashion Insider Co. in the UK. She interviewed me back in March. After listening to it again, I thought that our chat could really help all of you. Everything we talked about is relevant.
Dessy asked me such great questions about what is working for small businesses right now with current world events - inflation, talk of recession, war in Ukraine.
We talk about and compare what's working for small fashion brands here in the U.S. and in the U.K. and Europe.
What you'll learn...
- why having a great or gorgeous product doesn't mean you'll get sales
- the hard lessons we both learned when we had our own lines
- the reality of selling fashion products wholesale to boutiques in today's world
- the idea of omnichannel to bring different sources of income
- recession-proof your fashion business
And so much more!
Get the show notes and you can also watch here: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/dessy/
It's the most wonderful time of the year, l right? Ha!! I think 90% of my clients are already feeling DONE with the holiday season. NOTE: There are VISUALS for this episode! Grab them at fashionbrainacademy.com/giftwrap. Heck, many of you started planning Black Friday in August, for godssake.
You might be sick of worrying that you should doing ALL THE THINGS to get sales for This! mportant! Season! for E-Commerce! Store! Owners! You probably want to sit on the couch, decorate a bit, drink some egggnog, and have some damn fun. I totally understand. So let me make it EASIER for you to do the rest of your holiday marketing with these 3 specific emails you can send for your online store.
Examples of the email and show notes:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/giftwrap Our Website: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/
It's early December, and I've been talking to a few clients about their Black Friday sales and something is cropping up.
There's a smart way to think about sales...
- What are my sales gonna be?
- What is my revenue?
- What am I planning?
- How much am I promoting?
- How much inventory do I have
All of these are smart questions to ask that will determine how much I can sell. And then there's being obsessed with sales.
And it can be a fine line.
Being obsessed with sales can also feel kinda desperate, which is never a good place to be when you're trying to get sales.
This episode will give you ONE simple way to flip what you obsess with starting ASAP.
Show Notes and Links:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/obsessing/
What We Offer:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/programs2/
“I accumulated small but consistent habits that ultimately led to results that were unimaginable when I started.” — James Clear
I asked a question to one of my private coaching clients the other day: "What is holding you back or slowing your progress?"
We went through a list of possible reasons - no knowledge of sales/marketing, time, competition, resources, your positioning in the marketplace, cash flow, confidence in self, or project.
What she finally told me made my heart sink...and it was sooooooooo honest.
"Doing the work but not making the money I need to, makes me feel like the work doesn’t count and therefore I don’t count".
I've felt this. We've all felt this. It's a terrible feeling but you're not alone.
To get the show notes, go to this link: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/doingthework/
"I'm working really hard but not getting the sales I need to support myself."
I hear a version of this statement from entrepreneurs every week. You feel like you're doing ALL THE THINGS - posting to social media, sending emails, making videos, running ads...
I know you're working hard and yet, it can often be work that's all over the place with different tactics.
There's no actual plan or system for getting sales. It's just post and send -- and hopw they buy.
I want to help you create a simple sales system. It's easier than is sounds.
It's basically you doing what you're already doing, but with a customer path in mind.
And it starts with asling yourself 4 questions.
If you can answer these questions with specific things to do, everything will change.
If can't answer them and you're doing lots of random actions with your business hoping to get sales, you will suffer.
Listen now and remember that all the links and resources mentioned will be back on the blog in the Show Notes:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/simple/
If you knew you could not fail, what would you do immediately?
What's YOUR answer to this?
I sent a simple email with this question to my entire list. I received so many honest answers. I read through them all and the responses were really fascinating. From hiring someone to take over the day-to-day operations to traveling to starting a millionaires girl's club retreat.
In this episode, you get a behind-the-scenes peek into what's really going on inside other entrepreneurs' brains.
Get the show notes here:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/question
I have a special guest today and she has solved the inventory problem. And before you say, oh she's probably selling POD (print on demand) T-shirts, that's not it.
Jennyvi is a fashion designer who creates custom high end bridal dresses and she also had a RTW of apparel. For her clothing line, she got tired of ordering inventory hoping and hustling to sell it.
At the same time, she was feeling lost creatively and went through a very difficult time - the passing of her mother. Jennyvi took solace in reading Jane Austen novels. This lead to a creative outlet of desiging prints (and dresses, at first) to honor Jane Austen.
Boom. A new business was launched out of a desire to heal.
We talk about solving the inventory problem and how her journey has unfolded - which hasn't been quick or easy. It's a really fascinating discussion.
Get the links, pics of Jennyvi's products, and show notes here: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/jennyvi/
I got this statement from an entrepreneur the other day, "I don't want to wait forever to grow".
She's doing all the things a product based business should be doing. She's consistent with content, testing how many days a week she should be emailing, her production is streamlined, etc... ALL the things
She asked me "What else can I do?".
Today, I'll focus on you the entrepreneur. I'll give some suggestions, ask 4 questions that you can answer and tell you what's missing so you can get more sales NOW.
Get the show notes here: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/waitforever/
Today's podcast is a quickie and it will be super helpful to getting your content DONE. I'll give you the #1 secret to creating content easily.
The good news is that it doesn't require you to stare at a blank page wondering WTF to say and do and post today.
And when you use this content secret it won't take you hours to create your content. Intrigued?
Check it out here: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/1secret/
The Holiday Season is upon us and some of you are freaking out about needing a plan. Grab a pen because this episode will lay it all out for you!
We're doing all of this TOGETHER inside the membership this month. Join today and you can have a simple, do-able Holiday Sales Plan ready in about 2 hours. LET'S GO!
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/theclub/
The Club membership is only $59 per montha dn includes LIVE Hotseats + Q&A with me, Jane Hamill.
We all struggle with fear. And it can show up in sneaky ways - perfectionism, procrastination, overthinking, doubt.
Here's the thing...Fear will never go away because we're human and our brains are wired to think there's danger everywhere. So not what?
You deal with it. Yuu make it your betch. 😉 It this episode, I'll give you 3 ways to deal with fear and exactly what to do to feel the fear and do IT anyway.
Show notes and links:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/fear/
As a business professional, Shavonne Dorsey just wanted clothing that fit her personality. But her friend saw something else when she saw Shavonne's sketchbook - a designer. Find out how she went from being in medical sales to selling her clothing line on HSN -- with no background in fashion design! In this candid conversation, she tells us how she has tryly built her DREAM business and shares all the ups and downs she went through to get where she is today.
Show Notes: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/shavonne/
Have you ever been to a conference and felt so excited and motivated to kick ass? And then you get home, feeling great, ready to take on the world -- for about 3 days.
And the motivation disappears. (Motivation is like taking a shower, you can't do it on Sunday and expect it to last until Thursday.)
Which leads us to discipline. But someone like me, I am NOT very disciplined. Not even close.
So how is it that I get so much accomplished?
I break it down in this episode.
Enjoy!
Work With Us:
- The Club: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/theclub/
- Private Coaching: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/programs2/
- "Launch a Line" (How to start a clothiung line) Course: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/launch/
Link to the Episode:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/discipline
If you're the entrepreneur who always tries to do too many things, this episode is for you.
It's inspired by the amazing André De Shields, a Tony Award winning actor and brilliant human.
He has "3 cardinal rules for sustainability and longevity in the arts that I shared during my Tony Award acceptance speech."
One is about slowing down to get there faster. His message is TOO GOOD!! Love.
At the end, I give you 3 questions ot ask yourself. DO IT! These are simple Q's that can have a profound effect.
Show Notes:
- André De Shield’s Tony Awards speech: https://youtu.be/nHIYYqmL_TY
- Build a Bigger Audience With the ABC Social Media Strategy: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/abc/
- The Club: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/theclub/
- Private Coaching: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/programs2/
Link to the Episode:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/ocean
Money isn't the ONLY thing we need to think about in business in order to get success, there are more elements to it.
We want a business that has these 4 things;
- Serves your customers/clients
- Serves the world
- Fills you up
- And monetize at the same time...
Today, I am breaking down my "Anti Fail Plan", which is made up of 9 pillars of success from being in business for 27 years.
We deep dive into the 9 Pillars today and discuss;
- Outrageous Goals
- Our Higher Purpose
- How to get from where are to our outrageous goals
- Focussing on the "3 bests" in your business
- Your content (attraction) plan
- Sales systems
- Why consistency is important
- A new mindset: Perfect is good but DONE is better
- Your 90-day plan
Listen now - it's a good one and packed with actionable ideas for you to think about and try today.
Mentioned in this episode
- The Club - our monthly membership to help you grow your following, your list, and your sales.🚀
- Apply for a FREE website mini-review with Jane Hamill
More links for this episode are back on the blog:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/pillars
We're back with another episode on the topic of "What's it really like to have a business coach? - Someone you actually trust, who's been there before and done what you want to do, to get honest feedback and advice?
I'll let Chabella and Edwards do the talking today. - two more of our very own badass Club members, sharing their experiences.
This is an interactive and conversational episode that you don't want to miss.
Mentioned in this episode
- Chabella Gomez from Chabella Gomez - https://www.chabellagomez.com/
- Edwards Buice from David EdwardsClothier -
https://davidedwardsclothier.com/ - A key reason for hiring a coach
- The Club - our monthly membership to help you grow your following, your list, and your sales.🚀
- Apply for a FREE website mini-review with Jane Hamill
More links for this episode are back on the blog:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/clients1
I noticed something this week while talking with some of my private clients, big time.
What I noticed was the amount of overthinking that we all do. Ask me how I know. I do it all the time.
But a couple things happened that I thought were super interesting. One of my VIP clients said, "I need to find my voice. And if we do it together during this VIP day, I will trust that. It's what I should do". I thought I'm not that powerful.
What I did think was that we just all want someone to tell us that we're doing it right.
That's why I wanted to do this week's episode on overthinking and why we as entrepreneurs continue to torture ourselves.
What' discussed in today's episode...
- what overthinking can lead to (Forbes magazine article)
- why I teach in my membership that you should choose only 3 marketing activities for your online store
- why getting multiple points of view isn't useful and why you should choose to learn from only one person - for instance... Facebook ads
- tricks to help with the habits of overthinking
Resources mentioned in this episode
- Article in Forbes, What Causes Overthinking and 6 Ways to Stop
- Podcast - "The Morning Mantra That Just May Change Your Life"
- Life Coach, Brooke Castillo
- Email us at brain@fashionbrainacademy.com if you'd like to see if a VIP Day is for you
- The Club - our monthly membership to help you grow your audience, your list, and your sales.🚀
- Apply for a FREE website mini-review with Jane Hamill
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/overthinking/
What's it really like to have a business coach? Someone you actually trust, who's been there before and done what you want do, to get honest feedback and advice?
I'll let Wilma and Patti do the talking today. - two of our very own badass Club members sharing their experience.
This is an interactive and conversational episode that you don't want to miss.
Mentioned in this episode
- Wilma Boria, Serendipity Bath and Body - https://serendipitybb.com/
- Asking for referrals with Boaz David from HumanB
- The Club - our monthly membership to help you grow your following, your list, and your sales.🚀
- Apply for a FREE website mini-review with Jane Hamill
More links for this episode are back on the blog:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/members1
"How do I get people to go from my social media, back to my site to buy?"
I hear this question a LOT so I taught a very simple ABC 3 posts spcial media SYSTEM that will get you more traffic, and more buyers.
In this episode, I take you inside The Club, our membership, to listen in as I teach this very effective and formulaic approach to posting on social media.
You're not just after followers or likes, you want SALES. And you can use social to build your list and your revenue.
In this episode, you will learn;
- The three-post repeatable system
- Examples of how these posts are used by influencers
- Why consistency is SO important
- How AWESOME The Club is and why you need to be part of it! 😃
Listen now. This ABC strategy will make you money.
www.fashionbrainacademy.com/abc
Today, let's talk about creating a mantra for you that will make you feel better. Mantras can be a powerful thing.
Or can they?
Back in high school, at the suggestion of my mom, I went to listen to a lecture in a danky church basement from a priest (a priest!!) and he basically told us about a dead-simple way to make our lives better.
A priest's lecture is NOT exactly something you want to do when you're a teenager, but this was the way before Netflix and it was winter in the Midwest, so WTH.
Well, the priest's talk ended up being pretty interesting. He started telling us about this theory...
...If you have something in your life that you don't like or something isn't going well and you want to change it, all you have to do is repeat a certain mantra out loud - as if the thing you WANT has already happened.
Even if you THINK it's stupid, you still say the mantra out loud.
Whaaa??? There's no way that would work.
I was totally skeptical so I decided to prove him wrong.
I'll explain in this episode:
- What some of my mantras have been and if these mantras really worked
- How I've used mantras to increase revenue
- What you can do to start your own mantra
- How YOU can prove me wrong 😃
Listen now. It just might change your life.
Show Notes and all the quotes back on the blog:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/mantra/
Mentioned in this episode
- Send Better Emails Bootcamp - LIVE Dates coming up! Learn how to write emails that turn subscribers into buyers.
- Apply for a FREE website mini-review with Jane Hamill
- The Club - our monthly membership teaches you how to grow your following, grow your email list, grow your sales
Quotes from the Episode
- "You can have all the thoughts you want in your head negating what you said out loud. But you gotta say your mantra out loud as though it's true."
- "But in the end, this whole system of sort of time traveling yourself as if you have already achieved the thing you wanna do, repeating it out loud four times a day."
- "Today I commit to taking imperfect action. Perfect is good. But done is better. This is my motto in life."
You own your own businesses. Yay! No boss, no imposed rules, no strict deadlines.
And yet, that means WE create our days & it's up to use to create a plan and stick to it.
So...why is it so hard to stick to the plan - even when you're the one that created
Ultimately, it comes down to your system and your routines.
And that sounds boring.If you don't have a specific, simple routine to get your work done, you're so much more likely to waste time with fake work and this is what we dive into in today's episode.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- The main reason you're not sticking to the plan
- The ONE thing I see in my clients over and over again when they get off track.
- The mind chatter that helps you in not sticking to the plan
- What works IMMEDIATELY to help you stick to the plan - and it's effortless!
Resources mentioned in this episode
- Send Better Emails Bootcamp - learn how to write emails that CONVERT without bothering people.
- BJ Fogg's Tiny Habits Ted Talk
- The IG post mention in this episode
- Apply for a FREE website mini-review with Jane Hamill
- The Club - our monthly membership that teaches you how to grow your following, grow your email list, and grow your sales
Show notes and links are back on the blog:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/theplan
You want to sell more from your emails, right?
There are 7 different types of emails that e-commerce store owners should be sending.
A lot of hardcore eCommerce experts focus obsessively on ads & on acquiring new customers.
But here's the thing. It costs 5 times more to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing customer!! And email is the best way to get people to become repeat buyers.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- The 7 different types of e-commerce emails you should be sending
- How many shoppers will abandon their carts on your e-commerce site & what to do about it
- The most under utilized email that can boost sales easily
- The most important emails to have vs. what can wait
Resources mentioned in this episode
- Send Better Emails Bootcamp - learn how to write emails that CONVERT without bothering people.
- Klaviyo Email Marketing
- Apply for a FREE website mini-review with Jane Hamill
- The Club - our monthly membership teaches you how to grow your following, grow your email list, grow your sales
Show notes and links are back on the blog:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/7emails/
There's a hot topic going around The Club community at the moment.
Procrastination: Summer edition.
A LOT of these entrepreneurs are struggling with NOT wanting to do the work. I get it -- and this episode will show you:
- That you're actually normal and OK
- What to put into your calendar FIRST so you feel more productive
- How to stop procrastinating in the moment
- The "three minimum things" you can still do even if the procrastination bug stings ya
If you have been telling yourself that there better things to be doing this summer (because let's face it, there are) you know that chatter I'm talking about...then this episode is for you.
Resources and mentioned in this episode
- Send Better Emails Bootcamp – learn how to write emails that CONVERT without bothering people.
- The Club - our monthly membership for marketing & sales
- "Overwhelmed with marketing? Just do these three things." - video episode with Jane
More links are back on the blog:
www.fashionbrainacademy.com/summer
When your eCommerce sales are down, it's easy to freak out and not know what to do. This episode gives you 7 very specific things you can do TODAY to get sales immediately.
Last week's episode was PART ONE of this series and it was about the mindset that needs to happen first. I suggest you listen to that one first.
When you tune in to this week’s episode you're going to learn about...
- LIVE video shopping and the mistakes most store owners make
- Asking for referrals
- Trying something completely different
- Send more emails! And how to do it without "bothering" people
- Setting up a secret sale that won't crush your margins
- Finding new audiences for FREE << yep, free
- How to re-invent items that aren't selling so you move that inventory
You don't want to miss this episode with 7 badass ways to get more sales NOW!
Resources mentioned in this episode
- LIVE Online Shopping with Elizabeth Stiles - Fashion Brand Consultant
- Asking for referrals with Boaz David from HumanB
- Trying something completely different with Dessy from Fashion Insiders Co.
- Sending more emails with me, Jane Hamill of Fashion Brain Academy
- Setting up a secret sale with Claudia Howard, Klaviyo and Shopify Expert
- Finding new audiences for FREE with Susan Bradley from The Social Sales Girls
- Re-inventing items that aren't selling with Cathy Wagner from Retail Mavens
- Apply for a FREE website mini-review with Jane Hamill
- Send Better Emails Bootcamp - LIVE dates coming up!
- The Club - our monthly membership to help you grow your following, your list, and your sales.🚀
More links for this episode are back on the blog:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/getmoney/
If your sales are down and you don't know what to do - then you need to realise that it all begins on the inside, between the ears!
When you tune in to this week’s episode you're going to learn…
- Why it's important to get your mindset right
- How to change your money beliefs
- The key to using language to direct your day...and your sales!
- Who to stay away from to keep negativity at bay
If you're fed up with sales being down and can't find a way around it, then you don't wanna miss this episode!
Resources mentioned in this episode
- Apply for a FREE website mini-review: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/review/
- Fill Show Notes & Links from this episode - www.fashionbrainacademy.com/worried
- Carol Dweck - Here's her TED Talk about Mindset
- Send Better Emails Bootcamp – LIVE dates coming up soon!
- The Club - our monthly membership for marketing & sales
More links for this episode are back on the blog:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/worried/
Want to make your life easier? Start using the rule of ONE with your marketing - particularly for email & social media marketing.
Most entreprteneurs complicate the fk out of everything (ask me how I know).
We're creative, it's how we roll.
Today you'll learn a simple rule to make things simpler. I share the specific steps to BETTER communications with your prospects and customers.
You'll also learn the 10 steps to sending emails that make sense and get clicks.
Show Notes and Links:
www.fashionbrainacademy.com/rule
If you want to build your email list with highly targeted prospects, this episode is for you.
My guest is Lindsay frorm Guild Party, a fashion brand for women who love role playing games (think Dungeons and Dragons but with real style).
Lindsay started building her customer list BEFORE her product was even ready using a quiz.
In fact, from just ONE share on Twitter, Lindsay got 400 new email subscribers in one day!
List building with a quiz is proven method for Lindsay and she'll explain exactly how her quiz leads to signups & sales in this episode.
NOTE: Quiz building is the theme this month in my monthly membership, The Club.
If you want to setup a quiz, we're all doing it together inside the mebership!
Key things we talk about:
- The Starting story of Guild Party
- Building the Brand of Guild Party
- The Importance Of Knowing Your Audience
- The Simple Thought Process Behind Building The Quiz
- Building Your Customer Email List
- Email List Housekeeping
- Social Media and Facebook Ads
- The ROI of Lindsay's Quiz
-
- more - It's jam-packed!
Resources mentioned in this episode.
- The Club, our monthly marketing & sales membership
- Lindsay's Business - Guildparty.com - Go and check it out.
- Mailerlite - Email Marketing Software (The one Lindsay uses)
- Klaviyo - Email Marketing Software
- Shopify - Ecommerce Platform
Listen to this episode and let me know what you think over at www.fashionbrainacademy.com/guild
This question has been popping up in The Club lately and it's causing our members a lot of stress. "Do I need to segment my email list? I have no idea how to start and the thought of it overwhelms me."
Today I'll teach you the only 2 things you need to think about to segment your list.
This doesn't have to be hard, trust me.
Show Notes:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/segment/
The Club, our monthly membership:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/theclub/
You wake up and do NOT want to do the work. You think...I just can't. Not today.
But can you? Should you?
Where's the line between hustle and self care?
Between "honor your body" and "just do the work"?
And if you're continuosly not feeling it, is that a sign of a bigger issue that needs to be addressed?
This episodes give you praactical tips for what to do when you're just not feeling it.
Show Notes:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/feeling/
Hey!
I'm having so much fun with these quickies, especially the Q and A's so, if you have a question you want to be answered, hit me up on social with a comment and hashtag #askfashionbrain.
So today I want to talk about CASUAL marketing. Keeping it casual is what people want AND it's way interesting - and more authentic.
How can you make your life easier by making your marketing less important, less hard, and less formal?
What you'll discover:
- Why casual is working right now
- How to be more interesting
- Prompts to help you attract people without making it harder
Mentioned in this episode & resources for you;
- 7 Ways to Drive Traffic to Your Online Store FREE Guide
- The Club - our monthly membership for marketing & sales
- Jane's Instagram (if you have a question use #askfashionbrain)
And remember..."Perfect is good but DONE is better."
xo -Jane
Here's another quickie episode for you! Today, I'm talking about something you should never, ever, EVAH do in your DM's.
I recently got a DM from a small fashion company that struck me as a bad idea.
It was focused on the EXACT opposite of how to get someone interested your product.
This entrepreneur's idea of why people should buy their product is something I totally disagree with.
What you'll learn:
-> What you shouldn't say in DM's
-> One thing potential customers don't care about
-> How to make better relationships over DM's
Show Notes:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/youdidwhat
Resources
7 Ways to Drive Traffic to Your Online Store
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/traffic/
The Club
Our monthly membership for content & email marketing.
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/theclub/
And remember…
Perfect is good but DONE is better!
xo -Jane
I was scrolling through Facebook and I got sucked into Reels. I found one from Jim Carrey that just really hit me about risk and doing what you love.
It is SO powerful. I love it so much!
I find that a lot of entrepreneurs, a lot of my members, a lot of the startups that I work with, they're doing the entrepreneur thing, but they have one toe in the water. They're not all in because they're afraid to risk too much.
So many of you want to have an online store because you want a flexible lifestule. You want the hours that you choose, to go on vacation when you want, to be in control of your income.
And yet, it's risky. Here's hoow to deal with the risk...
Have a listen...
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/safe/
"Send Netter Emails" Bootcamp will teach you what to SAY in yoour emails and how to increase conversion:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/bootcamp/
And remember…
Perfect is good but DONE is better!
xo -Jane
Today, I have the "Do This, Not That" email edition.
Here are four things you definitely should be doing with your emails and four things to avoid.
First, get your download now.
What I discuss…
-> why you need to send emails weekly
-> what the "rule of one" is
-> why you shouldn't try to speak to everyone in your emails
-> suggestions for content you can do to add variety to your emails and your offers
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/emailtip1
Show Notes:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/badthings/
Email Bootcamp:
Learn what to SAY in your emails and how to make them convert better:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/bootcamp/
And remember…
Perfect is good but DONE is better!
xo -Jane
Can we talk about when bad things happen in your business? What I discuss in today's episode
-> the day I rode my bike to work (at my retail store) and discovered something awful
-> my reaction - initially and later
-> the lessons I learned
-> why I almost quit
-> what you can take away to make yourself stronger
Bad things can and will happen when you own a business. That doesn't have to mean game over.
Show Notes:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/badthings/
Email Bootcamp:
Send Emails -> Get Sales.
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/bootcamp/
And remember…
Perfect is good but DONE is better!
xo -Jane
Today we're talking about CLOSING the sale.
You're going to learn...
-> specific psychological trigggers that get people to buy
-> how to use these psychological triggers WITHOUT manipulating people or shaming them into a purchase
-> the difference between "passive marketing" and actively going after the sale
-> why your emails don't convert as well as you want them to and how to fix it
This is one you don't want to miss!
These 5 elements are the BASIS of direct response marketing. Learn these principles, and your business will never be the same.
I'm serious. They're THAT important.
Show Notes:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/offer
"Send Better Emails" Bootcamp:
Learn what to actually SAY in yor emails and how to make them convert better.
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/bootcamp/
And remember…
Perfect is good but DONE is better!
xo -Jane
One of our members sent me this:
"Hey Jane. I'm waiting for my website to be updated before I really dig in with the marketing..."
Hmmmmm. Do you ever feel like your need too wait for THIS before you can do THAT?
And do you question if it's real? Or if it's procrastination -- or even fear of doing the things?
You don't need to wait for perfection before you move forward.
But it sure feels like you do! This episode will help you get clear on your thoughts and how they affect your actions.
Show Notes:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/waiting/
Also...
You're Just 4 Days Away From Emails That Convert to Sales!
EMAIL BOOTCAMP - Send Emails. Get Sales.
Sign up here
And remember…Perfect is good but DONE is better!
xo -Jane
I have just 2 words for you... Stop It.
Stop. It.
Srsly. I'm not kidding.
What needs to stop in your business?
I'll make a wild guess about what needs to stop - and this episode might just be a total game changer for you, if you let it.
How do I know?
Because I need to stop it too. ;)
Show Notes:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/stopit/
The Club: Our monthly membership for product-based business owners who want more sales using content & email marketing:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/theclub/
Today's episode is a quickie Q&A. I'm going to try out a new format for a while. I'll grab a question from an entrepreneur and answer it on the show. Here we go...
"Jane. When I write in my voice [like emails and stuff, she's saying], so sometimes I may use swear words when creating content, and this is me and it's how I speak. Is this okay? I really don't see many other brands adopting this tone. How much of my own voice and personality should I show through my brand?"
You may not see this with a lot of clothing, accessories or home goods brands, but hella hella yes. You see this with business coaches, life coaches, healers.
But for product businesses...
Will it damage your sales?
Listen to unpack the SWEARING in marketing conundrum.
Mentioned in this episode
- Marketing guru, Gary Vaynerchuk
- Bad Bad Jewelry - jewelry, coaching, & creative services
- Ash Ambirge's Middle Finger Project
- Jane's Free Guide: 7 Ways to Drive Traffic to Your Online Store
And...
If you want to have a community of like-minded people, stay accountable, get consistent traffic to your online store, and have consistent sales...
Join The Club - our monthly membership for marketing and sales.
And remember…Perfect is good but DONE is better!
xo -Jane
I recently did a LIVE Build a Following from Scratch workshop and one of the entrepreneurs typed in the Zoom chat… “I have content but hesitate to post.”
Yep. Been there, done that. Sometimes we know what we're "supposed to do" for our business but we just aren't doing it.
Planning and over planning is a big problem for entrepreneurs.
Thinking and overthinking is a another big problem for entrepreneurs.
And here's the truth: Nothing’s going to happen if you don’t DO anything.
In this episode, I want to help you break the pattern of planning to do stuff but not actually DOING it.
Show Notes:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/content/
If you want to dive deeper into these strategies, stay accountable, get consistent traffic to your online store, and have consistent sales... Join The Club.
This is Part 2 of this 2-part Podcast series with Claire Wolfson from Bean Goods.
If you haven't listened in to Part One yet - go and do that first and be sure to download the Timeline to follow along - https://fashionbrainacademy.com/beangoods/
In this episode, Claire dives into numbers again and answers listener questions.
As a recap; In part one, Claire Wolfson from Bean Goods takes us through exactly how she grew her business from $134K in sales, just three years ago to over a million in 2021.
Claire went from being overwhelmed, frustrated, and broke to paying off ALL debt, moving the business out of their apartment, hiring employees, and paying off ALL business debt.
And get this, Claire shares her numbers!! Including the actual ROI of different marketing channels (email, SMS, brand reps, FB & IG ads). She truly wants to help other c-commerce store owners and she does not hold back on the truth of what it takes to build a 7-figure online store.
Key things we talk about:
- Sales Figures, Average Order Value, and ROI Percentages, ROAS
- Upsells
- Google and Facebook Ads (Plus the numbers!)
- Ads Managers and Brand Reps
- Launch Strategy and Process
- Building and nurturing a Community
- List Building
- The Future of Bean Goods
- and SO MUCH MORE!
Resources mentioned in this episode.
- The Bean Goods Timeline download for this episode, to follow Claire's success steps
- The Club, our monthly marketing & sales membership
- Claire's business - Bean Goods (go check it out - We love the paw cursor!)
- Google and Facebook Ads
- Start a clothing line from scratch, our Launch a Line Course
A snapshot about Bean Goods
"Bean Goods is a clothing and accessories brand (weiner dog-themed) originally born in Portland, Oregon in 2011. It is inspired by our little black and tan dachshund, bean who is now 17 years old. He is our hero. When Bean was 4 years old he suffered a serious back injury that caused him to lose control of his hind legs also known as IVDD. We were devastated and didn’t know what our little guy’s outcome would be. He underwent major reconstructive back surgery and miraculously made a full recovery. Bean needed a partner in crime to keep his spirits high so we adopted a wire-haired brother for him, joyles vanguard of the waldorfs (aka Van). Bean and Van have been slaying life as business pawtners and bffs ever since! Bean is the president of our company. Van is the VP.
We relocated to the LA area in late 2016 after spending a year on the road in our 13 ft travel trailer, the weenstream. We are thrilled to now be a part of the amazing community of so cal wieners and doxie enthusiasts!"
Source: Bean Goods - https://beangoods.com/pages/about-us
One Million Dollars in Sales as a product owner?! YES! and THIS episode you breaks down exactly how they did it.
In this 2 part Podcast, we have a super guest with us Kick-Ass, Superstar Entrepreneur, Claire Wolfson from Bean Goods takes us through exactly how she grew her business from $134K in sales just three years ago to over a million in 2021.
FIRST, go and download the timeline to help you to stay clear on the exact steps Claire took to get to $1 Million in sales - https://fashionbrainacademy.com/beangoods
Claire's success was NOT an overnight thing. I had Claire on the show a few years back when she had almost doubled her sale in a year's time. And now, Bean Goods just did a million in sales last year.
She went from being overwhelmed, frustrated, and broke to paying off ALL debt, moving the business out of their apartment, hiring employees, and paying off ALL business debt.
And get this, Claire shares her numbers!! Including the actual ROI of different marketing channels (email, SMS, brand reps, FB & IG ads). She truly wantys ot help other c-commerce store owners and she does not hold back on the truthh of what it takes to build a 7-figure online store.
Buckle up and let's go. This is Part 1 of this 2-part Podcast.
Key things we talk about:
- The start of Bean Goods
- Setting Business Goals
- Sales Figures, Average Order Value, and ROI Percentages , ROAS
- Building a Team (and losing team members)
- Creating and Implementing Business Systems - With a winning Book Recommendation.
- and SO MUCH MORE!
Resources mentioned in this episode.
- The Bean Goods Timeline download for this episode, to follow Claire's success steps
- The Club, our monthly marketing & sales membership
- Claire's business - Bean Goods (go check it out - We love the paw cursor!)
- The E-Myth Revisited Book - Michael E Gerber
- Google and Facebook Ads
- Start a clothing line from scratch, our Launch a Line Course
A snapshot about Bean Goods
"Bean Goods is a clothing and accessories brand (weiner dog themed) originally born in Portland, Oregon in 2011. It is inspired by our little black and tan dachshund, bean who is now 17 years old. He is our hero. When Bean was 4 years old he suffered a serious back injury that caused him to lose control of his hind legs also known as IVDD. We were devastated and didn’t know what our little guy’s outcome would be. He underwent major reconstructive back surgery and miraculously made a full recovery. Bean needed a partner in crime to keep his spirits high so we adopted a wire-haired brother for him, joyles vanguard of the waldorfs (aka Van). Bean and Van have been slaying life as business pawtners and bffs ever since! Bean is the president of our company. Van is the VP.
We relocated to the LA area in late 2016 after spending a year on the road in our 13 ft travel trailer, the weenstream. We are thrilled to now be a part of the amazing community of so cal wieners and doxie enthusiasts!"
Source: Bean Goods - https://beangoods.com/pages/about-us
If you want to build an email list for any product, even if it’s your first product and you haven’t launched yet, you need to start marketing EARLY.
In today’s podcast, we’re talking about how to build a pre-launch email list for a physical product.
When you do all the work to create a new product, you want customers lined up, credit cards in hand, right?
But most people don’t know how to do pre-launch marketing without photos of their product.
This episode will give you the steps to start marketing NOW,
Click HERE to download the chestsheet for this episode
Once you download the worksheet, come and listen in as we break down how to build a Pre-Launch email list – it's a good one!
Key things we talk about:
- The key things you need to build a pre-launch email list
- Landing Pages, popups, and forms
- Blogs and emails
- Email service providers
- Your buyer persona
- Lead Magnets / Freebies
- Engaging with your ideal buyer
Resources mentioned in this episode.
- Join me for the completely updated, LIVE Build a Following workshop
- Pre-Launch Email List Cheatsheet FREE Download
- Fashion Brain Academy – Launch a Line Course
- The Club, our monthly membership for marketing & sales. https://fashionbrainacademy.com/theclub/
You can sell out your new product...even if you haven’t launched yet!
Learn the step-by-step strategy in this completely updated online workshop LIVE with me!
And now it's your turn! Head over to the blog and tell me what's your BIGGEST takeaway from this episode.
What action will YOU will take to build your pre-launch email list?
And remember…Perfect is good but DONE is better!
xo -Jane
Do you ever feel like you’re not doing enough in your business? * “I should be further along by now” * “Why is this taking so long?” * “Why is she doing better than I am? What’s up with me?”
If these sound familiar, you’re not alone.
Every entrepreneur worries that we’re not doing enough sometimes. Our brains run wild with thoughts, and approximately 80% of our thoughts are negative. It’s just part of being alive.
The topic of not doing enough came up in The Club recently and one of our members shared the best advice I’ve ever heard.
“You will never be doing enough because enough is not a thing you can really define. What is enough? You might want to try to find a way to be with that feeling.”
Find a way to be with that feeling. I just love the honesty of that.
Not push it away, not talk your way out of it. Just BE with the feeling and know you’re not crazy, you’re just an entrepreneur.
And then she went on to say, “I have a lot of decision fatigue right now. And even just writing this comment to help you is actually helping me.”
How fantastic! I love our Club community.
In today’s podcast episode, we dive deeper into the limiting belief of “I am not doing enough” and how to handle it.
Listen in as we break down some really useful strategies to handle the negative thoughts that come when we feel like we aren’t doing enough.
Resources mentioned in this episode.
The Fashion Brain Academy Blog – https://fashionbrainacademy.com/diary-of-a-designer/
The Club (which gives you access to our closed community) – https://fashionbrainacademy.com/theclub/
Podcast about website conversions: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/website-conversions/
Podcast about Feeling Behind in Business: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/feelingbehind/
Life hacker article – https://lifehacker.com/when-you-have-a-negative-thought-about-yourself-cancel-1832873530
Video from Bob Newhart – https://youtu.be/Ow0lr63y4Mw
And now it’s your turn, head over to the blog and let me know what your BIGGEST takeaway was from this episode.
What is it that you don’t feel like you are doing enough of and, after listening to the episode, what new narrative will you take on?
And remember…Perfect is good but DONE is better!
xo -Jane
If you’re serious about getting sales in your product business, then today’s podcast episode is for you. We’re discussing the one thing that could be ruining your business….we’re deep-diving into the 4 mistakes you could be making with your buyer persona. When I see product-based entrepreneurs struggling come through our programs and into the club, it's often it because they have not niched down deep enough and they haven't had the courage to truly choose an ideal customer.
The truth is, when you go after EVERYONE, you are attracting NO-ONE!
Listen in as we break down the 4 mistakes you could be making with your buyer persona.
But… DON’T GO YET! I have a gift for you!
I have a super value-packed 12-minute mini-class where we go into what you DO and WHO you serve.
Don’t build your business on a rocky foundation – go grab it now!
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/yourcustomer/
If you’re looking for a community that keeps you accountable, helps you generate ideas, inspires you to act AND helps you with your success, and creates explosive sales strategies, you can join us in The Club. We can’t WAIT to see you there!
The Club - our monthly membership for marketing & sales:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/theclub/
Show Notes from this episode
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/4-buyer-persona-mistakes/
Keeping up to date & resources for Fashion Brain Academy
Website: https://www.fashionbrainacademy.com
Need more traffic to your online store: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/traffic/
Instagram: instagram.com/janehamillchi
In the last episode, we talked about seven ways to get more traffic to your online store
There's a download that goes with it - grab it now:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/traffic/
OK, so you're getting site traffic. Now what?
Thhe most important thing you need to get sales is an actual website and a way to collect money.
Check. You got that part, right?
The second most important thing you need is something that SO MANY small business owners are missing.
And without it your lookers will NOT turn into buyers. It kills your conversions.
I'll explain whhat it is and how to make sure you're doing it in this episode.
Oh! And when you're ready to DO the things we talk about on this podcast, you can join us in The Club.
You'll get the training, group support, & accountability you need to start implementing what you learn to see your sales explode.
The Club - our monthly membership for marketing & sales:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/theclub/
Show Notes from this episode:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/website-conversions/
There's a download that goes with this episode. Grab it here:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/traffic/
In today's episode, I run through 7 strategies for driving more traffic to your online store that are working RIGHT NOW.
As a business owner, you want more traffic and sales, right?
Of course! But it can feel overwhelming to know exactly what to do to get the "right" traffic of buyers.
And know this... you get to choose 3 strategies for your business. Only 3.
This makes it less overwhelming for you.
And whhen you're ready, join us over in The Club to get group support, accountability, and start implementing your 3 strategies!
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/traffic/
When you're running the day-to-day of your business, it's hard to stay in a place of possibility.
- Orders coming in (or not)...
- Orders getting shipped (or not)...
- Keeping up with the cluster f**k that is social media...
- Watching your cash flow...
Head down working. But...
"You can't see the picture when you're in the frame."
Sometimes you need a fresh perspective.
Today's episode reminds you of what's possible in business.
And in life.
And you'll hear 2 great examples of badass entrepreneurs and exactly what they're doing to get stuff done - even when life throws a crap-ton of trouble at you.
-
One is getting sales while dealing with chronic illness.
-
One just hit a million dollars in revenue.
Show Notes & Links:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/possible2/
Got a plan for the next 12 months? You really CAN create a simple, do-able plan for growth that you'll actually stick to. We can do it together.
The full recording of the LIVE PlanJam Workshop is ready for you!
It's all inside The Club.
Reflecting back on the next 12 months, do you like what you see? Are you proud? Disappointed?
Today I'm sharing what's possible for you based on specific examples of what some badass entrepreneurs have achieved this year.
-
going from totally frozen to taking massive action in only 8 weeks
-
getting your product featured on Oprah's favorite things
-
making money and building you audience even when you have no new inventory to sell
The opportunities for e-commerce in 2022 are EXPLODING.
This episode will show you how to get in there and get some.
Show Notes and Links:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/possible1/
Join The Club to grow your sales like the badass you are:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/theclub/
Meet Stephanie. When she first emailed me 8 weeks ago, she was very, very frustrated.
She'd been spinning her wheels for two years - two damn years - without making any real progress on the new business she wants to launch selling digital patterns to help people sew recycled leather on a home sewing machine.
She was listening and learning to good advice from experts but not taking any action at all.
She didn't know why.
She was totally stuck and needed help.
In this episode, she tells us exactly what she did to go from STUCK to massively PRODUCTIVE in only 8 weeks.
Find out what she's doing...
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/leather/
"There's power in a plan", I said to my client.
"Sure, if only I knew if my plan was any good. And if I didn't lose it. And if I actually stuck to it without changing my mind 50 times."Sound familiar?
We love the IDEA of a plan. It's the implementation that gets us.
The Planning part goes like this: * What's my Outrageous Goal for the biz? * What's the "bridge version" of the biz in the next 12 months? * Next, break it down into the 4Qs of the year, and to 3 specific 90-day goals. * Start tracking some #'s every week to see small wins add up (motivation!!) * Get help and accountability so I don't abandon my plan by January 15th.
Right now in The Club we're working on all of this together. You can join us.
It's life-changing to have a plan you actually stick to.
In today's episode, I break down the planning process in detail.
Show Notes:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/myplan/
The Club - our monthly membership for product entrepreneurs:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/theclub/
Blast from the past -- that's the email I received from family friend.
She asked if I could help her turn her side hustle product business into a her full-time gig.
She wants out of the corporate world and believes her product biz could replace her job but doesn't know the steps to grow it.
She wants to sell a million dollars in products.
Challenge accepted.
This episode lays out the exact steps I gave her this morning. And now you can have them too.
Show Notes and Links:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/millions
Get LIVE Content & Email Reviews in The Club
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/theclub/
If you listen to this podcast you know how big a fan I am of email marketing – it has an amazingly high ROI.
But how many emails is too many? How do you avoid "bothering" people?
In today's episode we'll cover three things:
- HOW MANY emails to send for the Holidays
- WHEN to send them
- and to WHOM
Plus, you'll get the honest advice from 2 of my most successful e-commerce clients about Holiday selling via email.
Show Notes and Links:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/howmany
Today’s episode is a little different. It’s a quickie nugget episode, under six minutes. And it’s all about playing with the idea that your business can be a lot more fun.
Your days can be more fun.
In fact, what if you treated your business like a big, fun, sexy game?
How great would that be!?!
Have a listen...
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/funbiz/
I'm so excited to share this episode with you! I
Angie Chua is the owner of Bobo Design Studio in Palm Springs, CA. Angie attributes her success to her strong following and building a loyal community.
Today she tells us how she did it, what specific marketing activity accounts for HALF of her sales yay!), and what she'd do if she had an extra 5K to spend on marketing.
Have a listen:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/angie/
I'm crazy excited to introduce you to another badass entrepreneur today and let her tell you her Startup Story.
I found today's guest, Tionne Young of Tall HQ, on Instagram when she was doing an Instagram live. I'd seen her company before, but she did this live that just grabbed my heart.
On today's podcast, she'll tell you the story and what's going on with her business.
Tionne has always wanted to be in fashion and kept telling people "I want to have my own clothing brand." She's a tall girl with a classic style and shopping was always a nightmare. She was always having problems finding clothes for that expressed her personality.
During lockdown, Tionne decided not to sit around, moping. She decided it was the time to take action and start living her dream by designing her own line for tall women.
Now, she's in the middle of her launch and things are not going as planned. Let's just say she's totally kicking ass and taking names anyway.
Tionne is so brave and honest in this interview and I think you'll all learn a ton about what it's like to start your own business.
Check it out:
fashionbrainacademy.com/tione/
Pop quiz for all the makers and fashion designers.
When you get an order, does that mean you then have to take a specific action to get it shipped out?
Yes or no? Any action at all – cutting, sewing, hand stitching, dyeing…
Because here's the thing...
If you’re SEWING, you’re not SELLING.
If you're part of the production process, you're spending time on things that do NOT get you paid.
Maybe you;re thinking, I know this. But you might still be doing it because ____________________. Insert your reason here. And I'm going to challenge you on it in this episode
Because I want you to make more money.
Have a listen...
www.fashionbrainacademy.com/sewingnotselling
In this episode, fashion designer Sarah F=Gallagher and I sit down to discuss:
- What it’s really like to go into business with your sister as your partner.
- The truth about being made-to-order and sewing everything herself for a long time.\
- Hiring her first employee (!) and meeting payroll each month (😱)
- If Sarah had an extra 5K to spend on marketing, what would she do with it?
- Sarah’s thoughts about her one-year program at F.I.T. Was it worth is?
- How many hours per week Sarah works and how she manages things with her family to find some sense of balance.
Want to launch a clothing line? Join the Fashion Startup course, "Launch a Line":
www.fashionbrainacademy.com/launch
Learn how to build an audience of buyers for online shop:
www.fashionbrainacademy.com/theclub
Today's special guest, Dondre Smith, is the designer and owner of Almvghty Clothing (with a "V" for vision), a Chicago streetwear brand with the message Live on Purpose. His goal is "to be able to advance God's kingdom through fashion and media."
We talk about everything under the sun about his brand -- streetwear, pivoting to a Christian-based brand, how he found the money to launch, being self-taught in fashion design, how he attracts new customers and gets sales, surviving lockdown, and the reasons behind it all.
He's had quite a journey and he's very honest in this interview, You're going to love it.
Have a listen...
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/dondre/
Want to CRUSH your online sales for the holidays? Today I'll break down a specific, do-able 3 step plan to get you ready for a fantastic holiday selling season. Whether you've been in business 20 years, two years, two months, or haven't even launched yet, you're still going to learn something today that you can implement today. Simple, actionable steps. Check it out here: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/holidays/
Have you ever said to yourself...
- Why don't I have more online sales?
- Is there something wrong with my products? Do people just not like what I do?
- Why are other business posting photos of tons of orders being shipped out - but not me? What am I doing wrong?
It can be sooooo frustrating when you know you have a great product and you feel like you're doing ALL THE THINGS but you're not getting the amount of online sales you think you could, or should, be getting.
Today I'm bringing on Susan Bradley from The Social Sales Girl to to talk about the "why don't I have more online sales?" issue we both hear from our clients & members all the time.
We're going to get you some answers.
You will LOVE this episode.
Jane
Show Notes & Links:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/podcastsusan/
Register for Susan's Growth Plan Workshop (it's free):
https://bit.ly/growplanJH
Today's episode is a LIVE coaching session with Stephanie of Stephanie Davis Designs. She sent me a really good question and I thought it would help all of you who are trying to start a business
After listening to the "6 Things New Clothing Designers Need to Know Before They Start a Business" and hearing the mistake "if you're sewing, you're not selling", Stephanie was feeling a bit worried and she send us a DM on Instagram.
After hearing Stephanie's call for help, I had to talk to her one-on-one in an #AskJane LIVE coaching episode.
Today I talk to Stephanie about...
- What her DREAM business would look like
- Determining Stephanie's highest margin items
- Determining her best sellers in terms of dollar value (not units)
- Outsourcing more so she can spend more time on sales - plus keep her body healthy
- What 3 tweaks she's going to make this month to start making more money
Have a listen...
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/stephanie
"THIS could put me out of business."
That's what I said every time each of the 5 things I share today happened in my business.
Sometimes I really, really wanted to quit.
Like the time my store was burglarized and half the merchandise was stolen.
I almost quit.
I cried like a baby.
It totally sucked.
Crazy things happen, and your business can still thrive.
I think this episode will help you learn some things that will save you a CRAPTON of trouble!
BTW, this is the first in a new series called "Her Startup Story". Do you have a great story of how you started? Reach out and let us know! brain@fashionbrainacademy.com, @janehamillchi in IG.
Show Notes and you can watch this content in VIDEO format at this link:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/5fails/
I could fill a book with all the mistakes I made with my fashion business. A War and Peace sized book.
In today's podcast (plus video option), I've narrowed it down to the top 6 startup mistakes to avoid. I'm pretty sure I've made them all.
I've also gathered some honest advice from other designers about what they wish they knew when they started & I'm including screenshots back on the blog.
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/6mistakes/
Today's podcast is going to be a little different. I'll talk about a few different things including Mansplaining, I'll also talk about Chad, Meghan Markle's 40th birthday initiative, bait and switch marketing (sorta)
I'm going to warn you, this is going to be a bit of a rant. If you have little kids around, use your headphones.
I've had multiple experiences of men "mansplaining" this week.
Show Notes:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/mansplaining/
Last week I talked about whether or not you need a blog for your business. If you haven't listened yet, I suggest you listen to that one first. You'll find it at https://fashionbrainacademy.com/needablog/.
This week, I'm going to talk about 3 strategies that you can use for your e-commerce site that will drive traffic.
There's a lot to tell you. I thought I’d keep it simple though. Instead of giving a list of 27 things to write about and risk confusing you even more, I’m going to give you specific examples of strategies you can use ASAP.
3 strategies I suggest…
- One Pillar post per month surrounded by supporting bite-sized posts.
- Buckets of content
- 3) The simplest formulaic approach EVER...Weekly Q&A,
Have a listen...
www.fashionbrainacademy.com/talkabout
I get this question ALL THE TIME...
Do I need a blog for my online store?
Yes and no.
Usually, I'd say YES. But here's the thing. I know there are so many entrepreneurs out there that are successful without a blog.
The issue is, if you become reliant from certain avenues of traffic - usually paid traffic like Facebook or Instagram - and something goes haywire (such as your Facebook page gets shut down - ask me how I know), you've got all your traffic eggs in one basket. It gets extremely risky.
On today's podcast, I'm going to help you decide if you think you need a blog. I talk about 9 things to consider with your decision on whether to have a blog or not.
Have a listen...
www.fashionbrainacademy.com/needablog
Chances are as a fashion entrepreneur that you are a right brained person. You are creative, have meticulous attention to detail when it comes to your art but not the cleanliness of your desk, and you drop everything when inspiration strikes. Working from the right brain makes us the creatives we are but it can also hinder us when we’re coming up with both the ideas for our company and the action to carry them out. As entrepreneurs we have to do both.
Have a listen here: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/sticktotheplan/
Follow Jane on Instagram: @janehamillchi
Follow Jane on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janehamillbusiness
Download my free fabric guide to find wholesale fabrics in small quantities: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/fabric-sourcing/
I am excited to share with you an excerpt from a recent LIVE Session workshop hosted for my new designer program students.
Each module in the program includes a special Guest "Fashion Brain" with expertise in different areas.
This week’s Brain is Erika Neumayer Ehrat. Erika is the designer behind Rare Dirndl. She has an amazing talent for getting online sales and helps us find customers & nurture them pre-launch, even if you have a tiny niche. And let me tell you, she has a tiny niche.
More show notes available here: www.fashionbrainacademy.com/startupstory
Follow Jane on Instagram: @janehamillchi
Follow Jane on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janehamillbusiness
Download my free fabric guide to find wholesale fabrics in small quantities: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/fabric-sourcing/
When was the last time you fully unplugged? This weekend I challenge you to turn off your phone. Maybe for a whole day, maybe for five hours, maybe for three days.
As business owners we are tied to our phones watching for sales, customer emails, and Facebook comments. Everytime we get a notification its a small dopamine hit to the brain signaling pleasure or significance. And those dopamine hits can become very addicting.
More show notes available here: www.fashionbrainacademy.com/nophone
Follow Jane on Instagram: @janehamillchi
Follow Jane on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janehamillbusiness
Download my free fabric guide to find wholesale fabrics in small quantities: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/fabric-sourcing/
Imposter Syndrome is real and affects even the most high achieving individuals.
Do you have a little voice in your head that says...
- You don’t know what you’re talking about
- You don’t have a degree in fashion design
- You don’t know what you’re doing
- There are other people who are way more qualified than this...
Listen to the episode to learn how to combat imposter syndrome thoughts. The better you are at taming the entrepreneur's crazy brain the bigger your business will grow.
More show notes available here: www.fashionbrainacademy.com/imposter
Follow Jane on Instagram: @janehamillchi
Follow Jane on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janehamillbusiness
Download my free fabric guide to find wholesale fabrics in small quantities: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/fabric-sourcing/
Attending your first fabric show doesn't need to be overwhelming. This episode gives you some industry insider secrets to getting the most out of a wholesale fabric show. You'll learn what to do before, duuring, and after the show to get the most out of it.
As a startup clothing designer, I had so many questions:
- How will I find fabrics in small quantities that I can actually afford?
- How can I get the most of my visit to my first fabric trade show?
- Which fabric trade show should I attend when there are so many different options?
I’m going to help you take the mystery out of this process with some solid fashion industry insider tips to maximize your visit to a fabric show.
Grab our FREE Guide to Sourcing Wholesale Fabrics in Small Quantities:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/fabric-sourcing
Show Notes and Links:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/tips-for-attending-your-first-fabric-trade-show
You know who you are. If you create and sell products, you probably buy too much fabric, leather, feathers, pop-poms, suede trim, gemstones, buttons, crystals, and vintage buttons you found at that amazing flea market that you couldn’t pass up and you just KNOW you’ll use “someday”.
In this episode, I give you 3 things you can do about this nasty - and expensive – habit.
More show notes available here: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/fabrichoarding/
Follow Jane on Instagram: @janehamillchi
Follow Jane on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janehamillbusiness
Download my free fabric guide to find wholesale fabrics in small quantities: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/fabric-sourcing/
How Many Styles Should I Have On My Clothing Line? I get this question a lot. While there’s no perfect answer, this episode will give you a few guidelines.
First...There’s a difference between the number of styles and the number of pieces you have to show a customer (or a retail store buyer). You can have 5 styles, each in 3 colors, which will give you 15 pieces for a buyer to choose from. That’s a nice selection...
More show notes available here:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/how-many-styles-should-be-on-your-clothing-line
Follow Jane on Instagram: @janehamillchi
Follow Jane on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janehamillbusiness
Download my free fabric guide to find wholesale fabrics in small quantities: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/fabric-sourcing/
You can find part 1 of this kickass interview at https://fashionbrainacademy.com/princess/
In this episode, Rebecca and Eva discuss:
- the differences between manufacturing in Hong Kong, the U.S., and Pakistan
- how they kept the business running while managing 7 kids between them -- under the age of 15
- how they pared down their marketing to the absolute bare minimum and STILL grew their sales in 2020
- Why their email marketing is different from 99% of the other e-commerce brands out there
- And... "We try to see our customers as real people with a real struggle. And the struggle is the same one we had. Where's the dress with the dinosaurs? Why didn't that exist?"
Show Notes, links and a juicy discount code are all back on the blog:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/princess2/
For this week's episode, I have two BADASS entrepreneurs on the show. Rebecca Melsky and Eva St. Clair are the co-founders of Princess Awesome and Boy Wonder, an online clothing store. They carry high-quality clothing that smashes gender stereotypes.
Rebecca and Eva are designing their line and they're managing their production. They also have 7 kids between them that have not been in school in a year and they're still handling everything.
I'm so impressed, especially when it comes to how they got started. What is their story and what are they doing now that really brings in sales? Check it out.
Show Notes & Links:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/princess/
Let's talk money! Today I'll cover the 8 ways I see my students and clients funding their product-based businesses.
Next, I tell you how I found the money to start my clothing line and boutique, and finally what I consider the BEST way fund your business in 2021.
I explain in detail exactly what I would do what I would to NOW if I were you, starting over again from scratch.
So you want to start a clothing or accessories line.
That's great! But why?
There a lot of reasons to start a fashion business...
- You're tired of your job and think it would be better working for yourself.
- You have a lot of creativity and you want to use it.
- You have a fantastic idea that you know everyone will love.
- You have a need for a product that's not available and you think others will want it too.
Some reasons to launch a business are good and some are, well... not so good.
In today's episode, we cover the 6 questions you should ask yourself BEFORE you start a fashion business.
I wish someone would have made me listen to this BEFORE I started. :)
Have a listen...
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/6questions/
Today jewelry designer Gwen Beloti is my special guest and we're going to talk about subscription boxes.
What we talk about today...
- How Gwen came up with the idea of doing jewelry subscription boxes
- The surveys she sends her customers and the surprising results
- What has better margins, the apparel or jewelry?
- The lead time to designing and planning her subscription boxes
- The results of her first launch and how she handled it
- Gwen's specific answers to questions submitted by our members in The Club
- The struggle to decide if she needed 2 different websites
- What Gwen does do increase retention of members and reduce churn
Have a listen...
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/gwen/
Let's talk about the 6 different types of customers and why they matter to you.
Now. I'm basing this on my own personal experience. If you know me, you know that I was 25 years old when I opened up a retail store in Chicago, I designed all of the clothing in the store.
And when I opened that up, I had no idea what I was doing. I mean, no idea. I didn't know how to run a business. I opened up a boutique without a back room, without a place for backstock without a place for my team to have lunch.
Total newbie.
But I quickly learned how to read the people who came into my shop and understand how to sell to them.
This episode covers the different types of shoppers - for ANY product - and how to deal with them.
Enjoy!
www.fashionbrainacademy.com
This week's podcast is the second half of last week's episode, The 4 Elements of an Effective Marketing Strategy. If you haven't listened to that one yet, I suggest you listen to that one first. You'll find it at janehamill.com/4elements,
This week's topic is 5 Content Marketing Tips For Your Product-Based Business in 2021.
Why do I love content marketing so much? Why am I teaching you this?
Because it is the breadcrumbs that you put out into the world. You give people value pertaining to the lifestyle of what you sell and they find you through that content. They get lured in through the breadcrumbs. They follow you into your blog, your website, your email list eventually become a customer.
Now, let’s get down to specifics.
https://janehamill.com/5tips/
Before you dive into creating content for your business, let's think about Why you're even doing it. Content can be the most powerful piece in your marketing arsenal, if you know how to use it well.
This episode covers 4 things to nail down before you get into action with your content so you're actually productive with your efforts - instead of just being busy.
Show Notes and Links:
https://janehamill.com/4elements
Don't shoot the messenger.
But the truth is that consumers care way less that we think they should if their apparel is sustainable.
In fact, on average they're only willing to pay 10% extra for sustainable fashion over normal fashion.
It's "nice to have" but being eco-friendly isn't the reason they will buy from you.
Learn more...
www.janehamill.com/sustainable
Today we're talking about Kickstarter campaigns and why it's good to build your following with a special guest Joanne Jarett and she'll give us her insight on Kickstarter campaigns.
Joanne is a former family physician, is on her 17th year of maternity leave and has now an entrepreneur. She started Shelfie Shoppe, a line of loungewear that looks like streetwear. She also has a blog called Cozy Clothes Blog and is the host of the Fancy Free Podcast.
Have a listen...
www.janehamill.com/joanne
Let’s talk about getting more free traffic to your site. And it's worth noting that not all website traffic is created equal.
There's traffic and then there's traffic that actual buys stuff.
One could argue that organic traffic – free search traffic - is better than paid traffic via FB/IG ads.
Higher quality traffic.
Let me prove it to you.
Recently, I was looking at the backend of Google Analytics of The Sock Doggo Shopify store account with Susan Bradley.
- Paid Instagram and Facebook ad traffic showed conversions of 2.4% – 2.5%
- Organic search (Google) traffic converted at 6%
Amazing, right?
One could also argue that organic traffic is better that PPC (pay per click) traffic (like Google ads, banner ads on another website, an ad on someone else’s blog, etc).
In a survey conducted by Databox…
70% of respondents said that SEO is better than PPC for generating sales.
Once again...amazing.
As a refresher, SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, which is "the practice of increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to your website through organic search engine results".
In this episode, you'll learn the super quick & simple SEO trick I use to choose keywords that get more free, organic traffic.
www.janehamill.com/seo
It's the end (ish) of winter (depending where you live). The pandemic has been with us for a year. Each day is spectacularly similar to the last.
Feeling a little unmotivated?
This episode will give you an idea - a challenge, really - to get you back in the game and to make your business waaaaaayyyyyy better in the process.
Enjoy,
Jane
www.janehamill.com/rut
Quick - name 3 things you can't live without. For me...
1) morning coffee
2) lipstick
3) pine scented candles (yes, all year long)
But what about business? My team and I try sooooooo hard to work smarter, not harder - and good tools really do help us be more productive.
Today I share the top 10 business tools I use every week for my online business.
All the links are back on the blog.
Links and Show Notes.
https://janehamill.com/jane10/
*There's a downloadable PDF with all the links, tips, and equipment mentioned at https://janehamill.com/bettervideos/
In this episode I share with you the tips I wish I knew before I started making videos for my business.
I also share some of our members' best resources for editing videos on desktop & phone, where to find royalty free music, evergreen content vs. timely content, and more...
We cover:
- How long should my videos be?
- What types of videos get the most views?
- Horizontal videos or vertical?
- What's a good, cheap tripod?
- How about a selfie ring light for my phone?
- Do I need a mic?
Right now, our members in The Content Club are doing a 7-Day Video Challenge. It’s so amazing to watch them step out of their comfort zones and make videos to build a bigger audience and get sales.
NOTE: If you want to do the video challenge with us, you can join the Club here: https://janehamill.com/theclub/.
Show Notes and Links:
https://janehamill.com/bettervideos/
The Content Club - monthly program:
https://janehamill.com/theclub
I had a really interesting question in my new membership last week while working on our members 90-day Content Plan.
"What if I do all this content marketing and nobody goes to my site?"
We all ask ourselves similar questions ALL THE TIME. The little voices in our heads cast doubt on everything and make us overthink, worry, and lose focus.
To have a successful business selling online - it doesn't matter if you sell digital downloads, coaching & consulting, physical products, or own a retail store - there are really only four things you need to worry about.
This episode explains the FOUR things and what do when you're scared it's not going to work, you're wasting your time, and you're pretty sure you'll end up living in a tent down by the river.
Have a listen...
https://janehamill.com/worried/
Today's episode will help you take the content you're already posting for your business and make it work harder for you.
I give you 5 specific examples of getting the most your existing content. Including some of our members who create content using...
- YouTube videos
- Podcast episodes
- IG posts and stories
- A speaking engagement or interview
- Your email list
- Facebook Live
If you're spending the time and energy to create content for social media, here's EXACTLY what to do with it to get more traffic and sales.
Show notes and links:
https://janehamill.com/alreadydoingit/
Last week, we covered the top 3 metrics to track for online sellers and anyone with an e-commerce business. If you missed it, go here.
This week is specifically for coaches and consultants. I've even created a Monthly Metrics Tracker excel document that you can download for free and start using today.
Grab it here: www.janehamill.com/3coaching
In this episode:
- my THREE most important metrics to track as a coach and consultant
- Why the PIA FACTOR (pain in the arse) has a prominent spot on my Monthly Tracker
- the exact metrics 3 other smart coaches use so you understand different coaches have different priorities
- why the metrics I track today are very different than what I tracked as a startup
I even share what 3 other smart coaches told me are THEIR top tracking priorities.
Get the notes and the free "Monthly Metrics Tracker" download here:
https://janehamill.com/3coaching/
This week, I hosted an amazing training for e-commerce entrepreneurs with Susan Bradley from the Social Sales Girls.
Susan explained the 3 most important metrics to track, what they really mean, and exactly where to find them.
So many online shop owners feel overwhelmed and confused by their Google Analytics (or Shopify analytics) but Susan breaks it down in a way that won't make your head hurt. :)
You can get the FULL training, including looking over Susan's shoulder as she explains EXACTLY where to find the right numbers in Google Analytics back on the blog at this link:
https://janehamill.com/3ecommerce/
Show Notes: janehamill.com/twelvemonths
I'm not a big fan of goal setting. I get too worried that I might fail and then I often just just fail in advance.
This year, I'm doing something different. I'm planning to DOUBLE my business by only focusing on PROCESS goals and routines, not financial metrics.
In today's podcast I'm going to share how I plan to double my business by focusing on THREE main marketing activities.
I then break those into quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily tasks.
I will also use this to set some shorter term goals in a 90-Day Goals plan.
This past week I did a soft launch of my new program, The Content Club. The members have 2 assignments this week - choose ONE Outrageous goal (vision, really) and complete the their 90-day goals.
I'll be right there with them using my process-driven goals and the exercise I explain in today's episode.
And even without attaching my plan to specific sales numbers, I truly believe it will result in DOUBLE the business I'm doing now.
I think this will help you.
Get the Show Notes:
janehamill.com/twelvemonths
Big plans for the new year? START HERE…
Because really, if you ask yourself -- what will I do differently this year to achieve more success?
What comes to mind? What will you do?
I believe there are three things that need to happen to make real changes this year and achieve real business success.
Enjoy this episode and thanks for listening!
Jane
SHOW NOTES and LINKS
www.janehamill.com/starthere
I have an awesome guest today, my own business coach – yup, the coach gets coached.
Meet Dave Moreno.
Dave has an incredible story and he doesn’t hold back on the details. 4 years ago, Dave’s total annual revenue was $9,000. The next year it was $12,000. This year, he’ll clear over $1.1 million.
Whaaaaa?
And GET THIS. That’s with $0 in ad spend!! WTF.
Dave Moreno is a certified coach from The Life Coach School (they recently gave him a shout out for reaching the 2 comma club).
He’s well versed in Brook Castillo’s The Model and when he combines that with his business background, I can tell you from first hand experience that it’s super effing helpful.
In this podcast episode, Dave and I talk about overthinking, comparing himself to others, the frustration of 2 years with barely any income (and 4 kids), discipline, routine, the decision he made that EXPLODED his business, and his simple 3 step process to reaching $1 million in sales.
https://janehamill.com/davemoreno/
How do you know if a startup apparel brand will succeed or not? You could ask Mindy Martell because she's help launch thousands of small apparel brands.
My guest today is Mindy Martell and she's the owner of an apparel factory in Minnesota and is the founder of The Apparel Academy, dedicated to educating people on starting their clothing line.
She has a ton of experience working in overseas factories, In fact, she tells me a heartbreaking story about working conditions in a factory in China.
Workers who lived on-site, wifi that's shut off at lunch so the employees cannot access it, incredibly low pay and long hours.
My jaw dropped as she revealed the true working conditions she witnessed. Mindy's experience was about 15 years ago and we can only hope things have changed since then.
We also discuss a ton of other topics from why Mindy started her own factory in the first place, how she chooses what products to manufacture in her factory, to why you should build a following before your product is even ready.
https://janehamill.com/mindy/
When was the last time you really studied where your traffic is coming from?
This week I have an assignment for you. Check your analytics and see what's poppin'.
One of our members just did it and is noticing steady traffic coming from Pinterest to her Shopify site with ZERO effort on her part.
She's working her arse off on Instagram to get traffic - and it does work. But the Pinterest traffic is coming in with EASE.
BTW - This episode is quick & dirty 'cuz I have some kid stuff goin' on over here that involves a hot stove and I'm afraid they might burn the house down...
Enjoy!
Jane
P.S. Want to work together?
www.janehamill.com/membership
Today's episode covers 3 elements of any offer or promotion. We answer these questions I received from our members
- What can I do to persuade someone to buy TODAY and not put it off?
- How long should I run a promotion or sale for my online shop? site? 5 days? 3 days? I see some people running Giveaways for an entire month. Is that a good idea?
- Is it better to do 20% off site-wide or only on a specific category of products?
Show Notes and Links
www.janehamill.com/makethembuy
www.janehamill.com/contentcalendar <<-- go here to get the infographic that goes with this episode.
Today's podcast explains the FLOW of what to do after you create a piece of content.
Content marketing is awesome for getting traffic but a lot of entrepreneurs are confused about what to do with a blog article or a video after they create it.
Does the same info on the blog go in an email?
What do I post on social media?
Do I put ALL the info in the email or just tease it?
After I post it once, what do I do next?
Once I post content on my blog, how do I get people to see it?Let's dive in...
Everything in business starts with understanding your perfect customer. Yawn. I know...how many times have you heard this?
And it's hella frustrating as a business owner because as soon as you think you figured it out - oh that's right, it's HER I'm going after - it changes.
And you have to start over understanding a NEW ideal customer. I swear my team and I do a new Buyer Persona exercise every 3 months.
Most entrepreneurs get excited about and want to talk incessantly about how cool their product is. Look what the product can do! Look how cool and useful it is! Check out this amazing thing I created. Who wants to buy it?
That's typically what entrepreneurs do. We have an itch we need to scratch so we create a business around it. We create something to sell and then we go look for people to buy it.
Which is totally backwards.
This episode walks you through deciding who you actually want to serve (yes, you get to choose) and creating a product around THEM and their wants & desires.
Enjoy!
Jane
You didn't go into this thinking it would be easy. But does it have to be THIS HARD?
This episode gives you a simple exercise to manage your thoughts and thus your stress. It's been very, very useful for our members and I think it will help you too.
www.janehamill.com/thoughts
To get an invitation to List Builders, go here:
www.janehamill.com/listbuilders
www.janehamill.com/litaf. If you've ever toyed with the idea of re-inventing yourself, this episode is for you.
Imagine this...9 months ago you're working full-time in San Francisco making great money albeit working 80 hour weeks for a large company.
Then you decide to go part-time to devote more energy to your side hustle, making kick-ass capes for the cool kids to wear to festivals.
As soon as you leave your day job, Covid happens. Like, weeks later. :( Festivals are canceled.
Life as we know it is canceled. No one wants to wear capes for Zoom meetings.
So you use this as an opportunity to quit smoking AND drinking.
Then you close your cape business and start the next big thing.
Whaaa?? What kind of a badass does THAT during a pandemic?
Sarah Cohan, that's who. My guest today tells us her story - the good, the bad, the ugly, and most importantly - the HONEST.
She amazes me. I have so much respect for her. Prepare to be amazed.
Show Notes and Links:
www.janehamill.com/litaf
Build an Email List That Converts to Sales:
www.janehamill.com/listbuulders
Notes and Links: www.janehamill.com/10lessons/
I got this Q in my DM the other day and decided to answer it for all of you.
"Hi Jane! I was given your name from a close friend of a close friend! I am a new online boutique with no marketing experience. I wanted to reach out and get your advice on what you would recommend! I have done a few in-person shopping events but not getting much traffic to my site. Advice??"
https://janehamill.com/jackiedye
In this video/podcast episode, Jackie walks us through what she did to get $1791 in EXTRA sales in 14 days - without spending any money on ads.
She tells us...
- what topics she covered in her videos
- why she never watches her own videos
- what to do if you're afraid to look dumb
- how to "batch" video creation
- what format of videos to use (talking head, time-lapse, process videos...)
- the ideal length your videos should be
Do you have a question about making videos for your brand? Let us know in the comments on the blog:
https://www.janehamill.com/jackiedye/
Also...
Get weekly actionable tips to build a bigger audience, grow your email list, and get your content marketing to convert to actual sales.
Join us: https://janehamill.com/hello
It's been a crazy week. I've been making some really big decisions for my business. We're all trying to pivot and grow our businesses in the direction we want them to go rather than doing the things that they think they're supposed to do. That's why I've been so excited about this new coaching group List Builders.
The other day in the group, we had our monthly "Mindset Session". I want to set you up for success and mindset is a big part of the equation. In that session, we talked about The 5 Pillars of Business Success" and I want to share those with you today.
https://janehamill.com/5pillars/
Today's episode is a departure from our usual marketing & sales topics. We're diving into a topic I spent 14 years obsessing over when I owned my clothing line and boutique - apparel manufacturing.
My guest is apparel product development and manufacturing expert. Lana Hogue. I've known Lana for years and I trust her advice completely about all things manufacturing. She's the real thing.
Lana has worked in manufacturing for over 40 years and has extensive experience in sourcing, development, production, systems, and operations both in the U.S. and off-shore including Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean Basin.
She speaks Cantonese and Spanish #badass.
What we talk about (see Lana's full notes on the blog):
- What is a tech pack and do I need one?
- Which apparel products are best to be made overseas and what are appropriate for US production
- The 3 things you need to prioritize in production
- What it it was like to work at a company and see it grow - DOUBLE in size every year for 5 years
- Why you need to build a following BEFORE you even have your product ready
Have a listen:
https://janehamill.com/lana/
Are you making videos for you business? I hope so.
Not gonna lie...I hate making videos. But I do it for a few reasons. The main reason...
I like YOU, my clients and listeners, and I like interacting with you.
And I know video works. It increases the KLT factor (know, like, trust) that leads to increased sales.
But actually making the videos and being on camera? Not so much.
In this episode I share with you:
- the equipment I use to make videos
- best-practices that help me actually execute the darn videos
- 3 simple video "scripts" to say when you start a video so you don't feel so awkward.
If you can, I suggest you head to the blog to WATCH this content as a video.
Show Notes and Links:
https://janehamill.com/videotips/
Today's episode is Part 2 in a series of episodes about list building and audience building for your online store.
If you haven't listened to Part 1, I would do that first.
What is a Lead Magnet? It's premium content that you give in exchange for your customer's email address.
What we cover in Part 2...
- How does a Lead Magnet really work?
- How do I set it up?
- How to I deliver the cheatsheet or PDF thingy I promised?
- Where do I PUT the Lead Magnet?
- How do I drive traffic to it?
Have a listen...
https://janehamill.com/magnet2/
This week, there was an lot of confusion in the List Builders membership about Lead Magnets. This episode will help you understand the role Lead Magnets play in building your online business.
BTW...this is Part ONE in a series of episodes about email marketing and List Building.
In this episode, I’m teaching you 4 things. Grab a pen…
- What is a Lead Magnet?
- Can I just offer a coupon code to collect emails and build my list?
- I have a pop-up on my site for list building, isn't that enough
- My business is different, my customers don't like getting emails, blah blah blah...
Show Notes and Links:
www.janehamill.com/magnet1
Check out the List Builders membership:
www.janehamill.com/listbuilders
Do you ever feel scared to do something even though you know it's not logical?
That was me this week. I launched a new membership program, List Builders.
And it was scary.
For 2 main reasons.
Enjoy!
Jane
I looooooooove email marketing.
It's easy, it's fun, and it makes money. For me and my clients - it's the BEST use of our marketing time and money.
That's why I launching a brand-new list building group program, called List Builders.
www.janehamill.com/listbuilders
Today I share my best email subject lines and exactly what the open rates were. Many of them were split tested against a second version.
The results are fascinating. Please feel free to "steal" these to use as your own.
xoxo
Jane
www.janehamill.com
If you have an email or text list and you're not using it "right", it's useless. So many entrepreneurs work hard to build a list and then we falter...
- we don't talk to the people on our list or keep in touch
- we worry about the perfect images to include
- we don't know what to say
- we're worried we'll run out of topics
- we get anxious about saying the wrong thing and offending people or getting unsubscribes
- we have those fraud-y feelings (how can I send out tips about getting organized when my desk is a hot mess?)
Email is the #1 ROI of any marketing activity. It converts better than anything else and most studies show that for every $1 spent on email, you get between $37 - $44 back.
Whaaaaaa????
So why aren't you crushing the email game?
In this episode I share 7 things you MUST know about sending emails to your audience.
My hope is that you will BELIEVE ME when I say these are important.
Have a listen!
https://janehamill.com/useless/
Also, I'm hosting a free LIVE webinar series for creative business owners!! You do not want to miss it - we're covering how to create a ONE PAGE MARKETING PLAN, how to turn email subscribers into paying customers, and how to stop wasting time on Instagram.:)
Registration is FREE, yo!
https://janehamill.com/series/
Instagram is NOT a marketing strategy. It's only one piece of a strategy. And yet, so many entrepreneurs obsess over it and it frustrates me.
I have a question for you and please be honest.
How much time do you spend on Instagram?
And what's the ROI of your time spent? Are you making money with Instagram? Is the effort you put in resulting in sales in a significant way -- or any way at all?
This week, I'm not exactly sure why, so many of our members came to the coaching session and were really frustrated with Instagram.
- What am I doing wrong with Instagram?
- Why isn't this working better?
- What am I supposed to be posting?
- What's the aesthetic?
- How do I get my brand message across?
- Why can't I grow my account?
My response...guys, stop wasting so much time on Instagram!
There are a few ways to use it that are important and great. I'm not dissing on Instagram. I'm just telling you, it's not driving that much traffic for that many people.
There are 3 main ways to use IG to actually move the needle on your business growth. Do these 3 things and you will see better results.
Listen to hear what they are here: https://janehamill.com/videolist/
I'm changing things up a bit. Today's podcast is rapid fire Q & A day. I just had the most fantastic experience with the students from my Build a Following Before You Have a Product Ready to Sell and I want you to hear just a few of the great questions I got.
www.janehamill.com/rapidfire
www.janehamill.com/following
What's the difference between a good week and a bad week?
A week feels productive. You're energized and excited. A bad week feels draining, exhausting, and you feel like you worked a lot but got nothing done.
In this episode, I talk with one the the Coaches in my membership program, Stephanie Waslyk.
Stephanie runs the Monday morning "Next 3 Steps" accountability groups for us. She's an expert at helping members go from overwhelmed and frustrated to having clarity & a weekly plan for the next 3 most important steps in their business.
Like a laser beam, she can focus in on the BS work and switch it to the money making activities.
In this episode you'll get her 6 ninja productivity steps + you can download the EXACT weekly worksheet we use for our members to keep them accountable and productive.
Get the FREE worksheet (Your Next 3 Steps) at this link:
https://janehamill.com/extremeproductivity
Jane's Monthly Coaching Membership:
https://janehamill.com/membership
It's been such an emotional week. Our hearts are broken.
In this week's episode, I'm listening.
And that's all.
Jane
https://janehamill.com/
I was feeling "behind" for 3 straight days this week. Which caused me to NOT make much progress. It really sucked and I felt a low level of anxiety and deep frustration that I couldn;t quite pinpoint.
Then I realized 2 things...
1) I had set a 30 day goal and was working towards it when I UPPED the goal in the middle of working on it. I changed the rules on myself.
2) I forgot the golden rule of productivity - there's a time to THINK and make a plan. And there's a time to ACT and implement the plan.
Think vs. Act.
These two can't happen at the same time. If they do, we second-guess our plan and our decisions. We start to think there's a "better" plan and our brain spins. Then we feel behind and nothing gets accomplished.
This episode explains what to do about it so you can achieve extreme productivity.
Not to mention peace of mind - because feeling "behind" feels like crap.
Show Notes:
www.janehamill.com/feelingbehind
Build a Following online workshop:
www.janehamill.com/following
Right now is a time to think so much bigger than you have before. In this episode, we discuss...
- what kills most startups even though it is SO avoidable
- new thinking + new action = new results
- perfect is good but DONE is better
- new ways of doing business
- "Our situation is new and we need to ACT anew..."
- risk tolerance
- your business is NOT just what you sell
- times of great struggle are times of great growth
- how can you think BIGGER? what's the real purpose?
- it's not just about selling "stuff" - it never is
Show Notes:
https://janehamill.com/perfect
Today's guest is my mentor and business coach Cathy Wagner from RETAILMavens.
Cathy has over 30 years experience both as an owner and consultant. She is a wiz with financials and has the super power of coming up with crazy creative ways to market and create additional income streams.
Today she shares how to come up with creative marketing messages during these unprecedented times.
Check it out here:
www.janehamill.com/retailmavens
Overwhelmed with all the different ways you could market your business? I feel ya. We're all distracted right now and our productivity is way down.
And the truth is that there are really only a few things you need to do consistently to get real results.
Let's keep it simple and focus on the THREE things that matter most with your marketing.
Do these three and you'll be fine.
Show Notes:
www.janehamill.com/threethings
Today I'll teach you a quick & dirty video strategy to build a bigger audience and get more sales quickly.
If you hate the idea of being on video and being the face of your brand, you're not alone.
I hated being on video when I started and it's still not my favorite thing. However, making videos means making sales. COntent marketing is always effective for getting traffic and getting found online.
Marketing with VIDEO as your content format is so effective to boost the all important KLT factor (know, like, trust) of the buyers' journey.
So duh, I force myself to do them. They just work!! For me and for every single entrepreneur on the planet.
So let's agree that we can all feel stupid making videos, get over it right now, and get started.
I could have also called this episode "The 3 Video Prompts to Use So You Don’t Feel Stupid Making Videos for Your Business".
Listen up to this episode and learn the 3 prompts, choose your favorite, and START. Simple as that.
And when you do, head over and let me know what you did!! I LOVE hearing from you so leave a comment back on the blog.
I can't wait to see what you say!
LINK: www.janehamill.com/prompt
Shall we work together? I teach creative entrepreneurs how to find the "right" customers, get traffic and get sales - without working 7 days a week.
Learn More: www.janehamill.com
I get this question every week...
How do I get a bigger audience? What are the steps to take to build my list and get people to know I exist?
Today gives you the exact steps to building an audience - even if you haven't started your business yet!
Show Notes and Links:
www.janehamill.com/audiencebuilding/
Some of you feel weird about selling right now. Some of you are telling me it feels inappropriate to sell right now. Some are saying I can't charge full price. I have to put everything on sale.
None of that is true, no, no, no, no, no.
Here's what I want you to focus on instead...
Enjoy!
Jane
Show Notes for This Episode: www.janehamill.com/dontstop
Business Coaching with Jane: www.janehamill.com/membership
Start a Clothing Line from Scratch - online course: www.fashionbrainacademy.com/ndp
This week, the chatter the in my membership program was about evolving with the times:
- do I need to pivot?
- do I need to add another stream of income to my business?
- what the heck am I doing? Will this even work?
I also got a TON of people reaching out to start a clothing / accessories product from scratch and inquiring about the steps to launch. (If that's you, go here: www.fashionbrainacademy.com/ndp).
The current state of the world is making us questions everything. EVERYTHING.
There's also a tremendous amount of creative energy right now. It’s a huge silver lining to the Covid situation.
This episode walks you through the 5 Q's you MUST ask yourself before you decide to pivot your current business or start a new one.
I hope it helps you.
Jane
www.janehamill.com/pivot
42 minutes that will change your life
I'm serious about this. In today's podcast, I interview Dr. Scott Terry. It will blow your mind.
He tells you what to do NEXT for your business in this climate. It's life-changing.
You and your business can THRIVE, even during challenging times.
Show Notes and Links:
www.janehamill.com/scottT
In this episode I tell you about the power and effectiveness of SMS/Text marketing. Want 98% open rates?? Yup, get on it and start your text list ASAP!
I've collaborated with Claire Wolfson from Bean Goods to teach you all the things SMS - including her ONE text last Friday that resulted in $4,000 in sales. Crazy.
Register for the workshop here:
https://janehamill.com/SMSclass/
I also tell you how some of our members are handing their business during the Covid- 19 crisis. We all came together today and hashed out our feelings, rollercoaster emotions, and plans for the business.
Show notes and links on the blog:
https://janehamill.com/98openrate/
We're living through some strange times. If you're anxious about everything that's going on, you are not alone. Today's episode gives you strategies to help your small business amidst the coronavirus situation.
I hope this helps you.
Much love,
Jane
www.janehamill.com
https://janehamill.com/tears/
Have you ever cried at work?
After all the years I've been in business and all the entrepreneurs I've worked with, there's one thing I know.
There will be tears.
Tears of anger, tears of frustration, tears of sheer gratitude. And sometimes these tears that happen at the most inappropriate times.
And you feel like a total loser since you're the boss and you're supposed to have your sh*t together.
This episode dives into the reality that crying happens -- and what to do about it.
Because it's NOT a sign that's anything's wrong with you.
Sometimes it's quite the opposite.
Have a listen...
www.janehamill.com/tears
Grab your FREE class!
"How to turn email subscribers into actual buyers".
www.janehamill.com/emailclass
The first time someone asked if they could pick your brain about business, it was pretty cool. What...me? You think I'm kinda smart? Well sure then, pick away!
But it doesn't take long to realize you don't have time for all the brain picking freebie coffee dates that people want.
What do you do or say to get out of it without offending people? I have the cure.
Today I have a story to tell you about a crazy lady on a cruiser bike riding in Chicago on a hot summer day.
The other day I came across a terrific quote about entrepreneurship.
"Entrepreneurship is a personal growth engine disguised as a business pursuit." - James Clear
Think about that. Entrepreneurship is a personal growth engine disguised as a business pursuit...
So darn true. And this quote prompted me to tape a special episode today.
When you're an entrepreneur and you're growing or starting or scaling a business -- it brings up all your own personal stuff.
And you know what? It's not pretty in there. Is not pretty in the back corner of your brain when you're trying to do all the things and make the money and build and manage the people and keep it all together.
Managing the entrepreneurial journey is flippin' hard and it takes a lot of mental jujitsu to stay focused and avoid BSOS (bright shiny object syndrome).
Today's story is about a time when I was, honestly, the crazy lady on a cruiser bike on the streets of Chicago.
I'm nervous to put this out into the world but what the heck, it's a true story and it might just help you feel not so alone.
On a hot summer day, I'm riding my bike to work. At this point in my career, I owned a retail store and a wholesale apparel business. I'm selling my clothing line to Saks, Bloomingdale's, Marshall Fields (which is now Macy's), Saks Jandel and lots of other great retailers.
And I have my own boutique in Lincoln park on Armitage Avenue in Chicago. I had this really great cruiser bike and I rode to work as many days as I could. It took me 43 minutes each way. Exactly. No matter what - it was 43 minutes.
So I'm only about 4 blocks from my boutique when I approach a stop sign and come across this totally yuppie lady in her white luxury SUV, all perfect-y with a little blonde ponytail and Prada sunglasses. You know the type, right? Maybe it was Tory Burch or Coach sunglasses in a Lululemon outfit, I don't know, whatever.
But it was a typical Lincoln Park lady and I was looking at her like like the judgemental b*tch I probably was at the time.
I'm ashamed to event think about it.
What happens next pains me...
Have a listen...
Show Notes and Links
www.janehamill.com/cruiserbike
Monthly Coaching with Jane:
www.janehamill.com/membership
Do you ever find yourself saying things like...
- "If I raise the prices of my products I'll lose all my customers."
- "How can I charge more than I would personally pay for something?"
- "No one will pay that. My customers are really cheap."
There's a lot of fear around pricing and raising prices. As entrepreneurs, we obsess on pricing and tell ourselves all kinds of things. Crazy things.
Pricing & what you charge for your products triggers a whole lotta nonsense between the ears for many of my clients - and certainly for me too.
Except that none of what we tell ourselves is true. I know from personal experience it's scary as heck to raise your price on something. Terrifying even. Sleepless nights level of terrifying.
Most of you reading this own an online shop and my hunch is that 90% of you don't have the margins you could and should have.
The truth is that you CAN raise your prices and you will NOT go out of business.
Today's episode tells you why and explains more.
And if you're thinking, but Jane, MY business is different, you're wrong. It's just not true,
I hope you have the courage to act on what you learn today. :)
All the Links from this episode:
https://janehamill.com/raiseyourprices/
Monthly business coaching with Jane:
https://janehamill.com/membership/
My guest today is Magdalena Nehm, a Swedish jewelry designer who owns MNOP Jewelry.
When I first met Magdalena, she was getting about one order per month from her website. She had a great product and knew she wanted to build a bigger audience, but she wasn't sure what to do to make it happen.
She didn't know what specific marketing activities would actually work to grow her business so she wasn't doing anything. She was designing and making the jewelry but didn't have enough orders coming in to make it a "real" business.
A lot has changed for Magdalena. Her sales are waaaaaayyy up and in this episode, she explains what she's done to get more traffic and sales.
Show Notes and Links:
www.janehamill.com/magdalena
Monthly Business Coaching with Jane
www.janehamill.com/membership
My guest today is a member of my coaching program, Killian Hagen from Bruce & Olive. He's so honest about the first 6 months of his apparel business. "I felt very stressed out. There are so many levers you can pull at any time with marketing. I was feeling really overwhelmed. I think I had analysis paralysis, which led to decision fatigue, which led to nothing. Too much time was going by with me doing nothing. "
And yet, Killian has been able to work through all of these frustrations and get the support he needs to take action. He's doing all the things that get results. And it's working.
- Their email list has grown by 200%
- 3x the number of reviews
- Launched their blog
- Profits are up 35%
- Learned to delegate and outsource stuff
- Letting go of everything needing to be picture perfect
Killian lays it all out for us and it's awesome.
Show Notes and Links:
https://janehamill.com/killianstory/
The program where Killian is a members:
https://janehamill.com/membership/
Jolie Dennison is an artist in the UK who sells her art and bible journals online. She's had a pretty crazy year - from closing her brick & mortar shop after 6 years to health issues to cresting snd selling a "replenishable" product (bible journals) in addition to her art.
It hasn't always been easy - not even close. But in the episode, Jolie tells how she perseveres, gets support, and DOES THE WORK.
"When I do the things I learn in the coaching program, I make more money."
The key for Jolie is working around her health issues and staying focused on her goals - no BSOS (bright shiny object syndrome).
Listen to her story and LMK what you think back on the blog!
www.janehamill.com/jolieart
When I first met my guest today, Jackie Ayres from Dyetology, she was running her business while working a full-time corporate job. All of the sales from her apparel and accessories line "side hustle" were coming from in-person art shows and B2C events. It was fun - but exhausting.
Her main objectives in working together were:
- ditch the day job, and
- flip the business model to mostly online sales -- with some high end direct-to-consumer shows dabbled in
The first half of last year really sucked for Jackie. She had already quit her day job (yay) but she had back surgery and couldn't do all the things to grow her business.
Forget about selling at shows - she was in pain.
She thought the entire year would be a wash.
And then...she doubled down. She got into action with her online biz and Holy Moses she turned into Jackie the Entrepreneur 2.0:
- Her online sales are up 183% from last year
- 61% of her sales came from her online store
Can I get an AMEN? And all of this growth came from the last 6 months of 2019.
Jackie shares how she's growing her business.
She also tells us how joining a business coaching program helped her get clear on her marketing & sales plan and gave her the support & accountability she needed.
Our monthly coaching program has been a life-changer for Jackie.
You can check it out here:
www.janehamill.com/membership
Show notes and links from this episode:
www.janehamill.com/dyetology
My guest today is Layne Booth, CEO of the Project Booth. Her goal is to "bring the data and not the drama to actually grow your business".
In this episode, Layne and I discuss how product-based business owners can get a better understanding of cash flow, inventory management, timing of deliveries, and more.
Data and numbers are swirling around in every business. This can be very overwhelming and uncomfortable if you don't understand what the numbers really mean.
When I owned my retail store, I was obsessed with cash flow. Obsessed (and anxious). My Chicago boutique often carried $500K in inventory - a huge investment I was always worried about screwing up.
Layne helps business owners with all things data and numbers - online shop owners, Amazon sellers, and brick and mortar boutique owners.
Let's face it, numbers, speadsheets, and dashboards freak some people out a little. Layne just gets it. And she makes it wasier for us to understand.
Enjoy!
Show Notes and Layne's Free Masterclass back on the blog:
https://janehamill.com/projectbooth/
"Nobody wants to share the stuff that doesn’t work."
Susan Bradley is the rare person who's willing to share publicly the good and the bad as she launches a Shopify store from $0 to $50K.
Honestly, I don't think I'd have the courage to do what Susan's doing - sharing step-by-step, in real time, the building of her online store.
It's fascinating and inspiring.
In this episode, she tells us about choosing a niche and then pivoting away from it, doing a proof of concept event, and the "sideways launch" that wasn't really meant to happen but happened anyway.
Susan is awesome and you're going to LOVE this episode.
"My mission was to show you exactly what I did, what happened, and what I might change if I were doing it again." - Susan Bradley
Show Notes and Links: www.janehamill.com/susanb
Monthly Business Coaching with Jane: www.janehamill.com/membership
When was the last time you considered what kind of business you really want? There's a difference between the RIGHT business for you and the RIGHT NOW business that you currently have.
What if you give yourself some space to think a little bigger? To consider the end goal of what you REALLY want for your business and yourself -- not just what you think you could get, or what you think you should want.
Today's episode will expand your brain and help you make a simple PLAN for the next year of your life.
Let's talk about selling $12,000 from a B2C market. How fun would that be? Fo realz...
That’s exactly what my guest did at a recent event in Philadelphia.
In today’s episode, I interview Kendra from Char-Coal and she shares exactly what she did differently at this show and reveals all of her brilliant secrets.
And get this...her product's price point is under $300. That’s a lot of merchandise sold. Yowza!
She cracked the code on how to get people to buy from her booth.
Walk around any direct to consumer market, craft show, or art fair and you’ll notice a peculiar phenomenon. Some booths are busy with shoppers while others are dead.
Which results in some very happy vendors with money in their pockets and some who are miserable.
I want YOU to be the happy vendor - to be like Kendra and sell twelve grand.
Have a listen...
www.janehamill.com/kendra
Today is Part 2 of my interview with David Peck and whoa - you guys LOVE his fascinating story so far! Thanks for all your feedback, I appreciate it! (if you missed Part 1, click here).
David Peck is an entrepreneur who's been on the rollercoaster of owning his own fashion and manufacturing business. He is SO HONEST in this interview about what it's really like to run a company.
He's done it all. He went fashion school in Paris, owned a high-end sustainable clothing line in New York worn by Taylor Swift, purchased a factory in Houston that he still owns and operates, sold his collection to first-class boutiques, sold millions one year only to declare bankruptcy the next. Yowza.
We continue the story in this episode...
David scrapes himself off the floor and starts a new business - again. He tells us how he did it and why AND what he's doing differently this time to make it the business he wants.
Enjoy!
https://janehamill.com/david2/
Today I’m excited to have a successful entrepreneur on the show who tells us what it's really like to run fashion business. David Peck is a Houston designer who's been on the rollercoaster of owning his own business and he is SO HONEST in this interview.
David's pretty much done it all -he went to fashion school in Paris. owned a high-end sustainable clothing line in New York worn by Taylor Swift, purchased a factory in Houston that he still owns and operates, sold his collection to first-class stores including Tootsies, opened a retail store, sold millions and then went bankrupt only to rise again with his current business.
His story is FASCINATING. This is Part 1 and I'll be back next week with Part 2.
www.janehamill.com/david
Does being an entrepreneur mean you never get to take time off?
Sometimes it feels that way...
- Who's gonna do the work while I'm away?
- How would my business even run without me?
- Will everything just STOP if I'm not there?
- There's no one I trust to handle things...
Our brains can spin with all the reasons we shouldn't or can't take time away. These reasons seem logical but like so many "crazy brain" entrepreneurial thoughts, it's all B.S.
I'm so excited for this episode because what my guest teaches us today will change your life. Not kidding.
You will be a better entrepreneur if you listen and implement even half of what you learn from this episode. You'll be more focused, organized, thoughtful, and calm.
Erika Neumayer is the owner of Rare Dirndl, a Chicago-based company that designs and sells a very niche product - dirndls. A dirndl is what you wear to Oktoberfest and what the St. Pauli Girl wears - only Erika's are bad-ass versions of the traditional dress.
Today we discuss taking extended time off, whether it's due to maternity leave, the adoption of a child, a sick family member, a trek through the Himalayas, or a month on the beach in Ibiza. Erika's advice and insights in this episode on how she prepared for maternity leave are brilliant. Erika is organized and focused like no other entrepreneur I've ever worked with. I've re-listened to this episode 3 times already and I wish I could be more like her. The colored pen circling system Erika reveals is INSANELY awesome. And she gives us her full notes to download. Don't miss this one because you will learn some serious tricks to getting your shizzle done - whether you're taking a leave or not, you need this info.
Download the Links and Notes from this episode:
https://janehamill.com/maternityleave/
The Imperfect Action monthly coaching program:
https://janehamill.com/membership/
Holy Moses this is episode 100!! I'm pretty excited about it so I nixed the topic I'd planned for today in favor of something a little more personal - 10 things no one ever told me about owning my own business.
Or maybe somebody told me but I wasn't listening or just didn't get it.
Being an entrepreneur - well...it's not for wusses. It's hella easier to get a job, have a boss around to tell you what you should do each day, and be able to do things like take a (paid) sick day and a (paid) vacation.
But we are NOT like other people. We're always up for a challenge -- the thrill of victory, and the agony of defeat. (If you're too young to remember that, it's from an ad for the Olympics where the skiier wipes out and appears to have died). I digress.
So today I share with you what I've learned from working with hundreds of entrepreneurs in my courses and membership and from being my own boss since I was 25 years old.
#7 on this list could be an issue I'll take heat for since it smacks of "first world problems" but I'm willing to risk it.
I'd love to know what you think.
Have a listen...
www.janehamill.com/episode100
What if your weekly marketing tasks were EASY. Fast, simple, cheap, and mostly able to be delegated or outsourced? How cool would that be!!
In this episode, I lay out a simple weekly strategy to stay consistent with your marketing. There is NOTHING as easy as this strategy.
One of the biggest struggles my members face - and all entrepreneurs, really - is how to stay consistent. They have great ideas and bursts of activity, but the lack of consistency hurts their sales and causes them stress.
It's tough to get consistent sales without consistent marketing, right?
After today's episode, you have no more excuses. :) You can do this! Get started now and PLEASE let me know what you think in the comments on the blog, OK?
Show Notes and Links:
www.janehamill.com/quickandeasy
We're doing something cool today. We're getting an insiders look from a fabric rep. My guest today is Jay Arbetman. We'll hear about the patterns and secrets of entrepreneurs that succeed and those that have troubles succeeding.
Jay is the owner of The Sourcing District which is a sales agency that sells fabric, textile products and garment production necessities and before this manufactured women's outerwear and sportswear for 30 years so Jay knows what he's talking about when it comes to production.
I'm going to find out from Jay what people are doing NOW that's working.
janehamill.com/jay
Things are about to get BUSY and it won't be the most wonderful time of the year if you're not ready for action. Don't let the Holiday season sneak up on you! It's time to get your shizzle together to be sure you get all the sales you can. None of these tips are hard or expensive and you can get started NOW.
Enjoy!
Jane
Show Notes and Links:
janehamill.com/HolidayPodcast
Who do you get your information from?
Who do you listen to for business advice?
On today's episode I'm on a mission to help you decide who to let IN to your brain, and what voices to keep out.
This is Salty Jane. I'm on a bit of a rant because this is important. Don't EVER EVER EVER EVER do this!! EVAH.
I hope you listen to this episode and take it seriously.
xoxo - Jane
It's a tricky balance to think about ditching your day job as you build the business of your dreams. When is the right time? How much money should you save? What if you're terrified?
My guest today walks us through how to make the transition when you have one foot in your full-time day job (the one that's paying the bills) and the other knee deep in entrepreneurship.
Girl's got rent, ya know...but the girl also deserves a chance to build the business of her dreams.
Elizabeth Stiles is a fashion brand consultant in the UK. She's worked in all aspects of the fashion and apparel industry. She had a lot of great jobs that paid well, but something was missing. She wanted something bigger, something better.
She tells us how she used her 3 hour London commute to prepare to launch her own business and the specific steps you can take to prepare to ditch the day job.
Show notes and links:
janehamill.com/elizabethstiles/
Monthly Coaching Program:
janehamill.com/membership
"How can I improve my email open rates for my online boutique? I feel like I'm doing everything I should but not getting results."
Are your email open rates low?
My client wants his email open rates to improve and I’m assuming he cares about it so much because he feels it will lead to more sales (he and his partner own an online clothing & jewelry boutique hosted on Shopify).
Why are my email open rates so low? Let’s start with the basics…
- Is your list fresh? Scrub it! Newer subscribers are more highly engaged
- Where did the names come from? JH client story – LINKEDIN. Nooooooo!!!
- Consistency matters more than you think
- “Occasional” emails actually lower your open rates, unsubscribes, spam reports
- Best time to send – not as important as you think
- Too sales-y or gasp!! BORING.
If you want increase open rates and ultimately make more money, think about it. The big picture. We want the CUSTOMER. Not the one-off sale.
If you want to sell, stop trying to sell. Do the opposite.
In this episode, I'll explain the the nitty gritty of getting people to OPEN your emails.
Enjoy!
Jane
I’m so excited to share this episode with you today!! In today’s show, I interview Claire Wolfson, the co-owner of Bean Goods, a dachshund-centric online store devoted to “radical people who love their wiener dogs”,
Claire’s an entrepreneur whose business is breaking through. In fact, it’s exploding.
Claire has DOUBLED her sales and in this episode, she’s going to tell you EXACTLY what she’s doing differently this year. What’s different about how she’s running the business AND how she shows up entrepreneur and a boss.
And not just things like, oh, you’re doing Facebook ads this way or that way**, but the specific list of what Claire’s doing differently that’s allowed her to double her sales without working any harder.
Her sales are up 100%, she’s not working any harder, she feels less overwhelmed, and she and Chris enjoy their business more.
Whaaaaaa??? How is this happening?
Enjoy the show!
Jane
Show Notes and Links:
https://janehamill.com/claire/
Jane's Coaching Membership:
https://janehamill.com/membership/
I should really call this episode...
“My Big Dumb Newbie Mistake and How I Lost $25,000 Selling to a Big Box Store”.
No, it’s not a joke. My biggest mistake in business was when I screwed up an order with a major department store and it cost me waaaaaay too much money. And confidence. And shame.
It's never fun when you screw up, and I've made a gazillion business mistakes during my gazillion years as an entrepreneur, but the mistake I'm sharing today is particularly epic.
I didn't trust my gut and I lost $25,000. Here's what happened...
After you listen to the episode, tell me this...
Have you experienced something like this?
Could you give me a specific example (in the comments on the blog - janehamill.com/mistake) of a business mistake and what you learned from it? I can’t wait to read your comments!
Show Notes and Links:
https://janehamill.com/mistake
My Monthly Coaching Program:
https://janehamill.com/membership
Today you'll hear about my client Claire Wolfson's best sales day this year. Boom. Claire is the co-owner of Bean Goods, an online store for people who own and love dachshunds. This week on Wednesday, I got a message form Claire at 8:56 am that sales from her Shopify store were already over 4K. This episode about is Claire's story.
Show Notes:
https://janehamill.com/whatspossible/
We interrupt this podcast for an announcement.
I have a book for you.
Actually, I'm writing you a book. Like writing you a letter, but a book instead. Or a book-let. A booklet kinda thing.
A Book for You. I’m Writing You a Book. There, I said it again. I know the grammar is off but I don't care. And BTW if you really, really care about those things you should prolly just skip my book anyway. Prolly.
OK, this is SCARY. Because now I announced that I'm doing this. And I'm feeling all the feels...
So my book – it’s not going to be War and Peace.
It’s more like a pocket guide to help you with those EVERY.DAY.ENTREPRENEUR experiences. Every darn day.
Like a little pistol you’d strap to your thigh if you were an international spy, it’s a little book(let) you could strap to you thigh to help you through the crazy brain moments.
Honest stories and tips – so you know you’re OK. You're not doing it wrong.
Because Chekov and I agree, this every day living stuff - entrepreneuring, if you will - can really get to you.
“Any idiot can face a crisis; it's this day-to-day living that wears you out.” ― Anton Chekhov Please listen to this episode and help me out! In it, I ask you a favor. So if you've ever gotten value from this show, I hope you'll consider it. :)
Jane
Show Notes & Links:
janehamill.com/janesbook
Business Coaching:
janehamill.com/membership
Today's episode answers this question from one our coaching members and Shopify store owner.
"Jane, we do pretty well with sales when we launch a new product for about 2 weeks or so and then things die off. I feel like my team and I are always hustling to release NEW NEW New!! It’s exhausting and I feel like a hamster on a wheel?"
Launching new products all the time is so exhausting for product-based entrepreneurs. I'd actually call it bone crushing. And product launch after product launch will burn out your audience as well.
So how do you get sales BETWEEN new product launches? What do you do to drive traffic and sales when you don't have anything new to promote?"
Today's episode lays it out for you.
Show Notes: janehamill.com/newproduct/
Free Class: How to Create Your Content Calendar bit.ly/ContentClassJane
Business Coaching: janehamill.com/membership
“I have a great product and a nice online store but I don’t have enough customers. What am I doing wrong?”
This is probably the top question I get every single week from coaching members and students in my courses. You’re working hard, you’re getting some traffic to your site, but it’s not enough (or not consistent enough) to make you really happy with your results.
And usually, you think the answer is the “right” ads, the “right” collaborations, the “right” new product launch – the “right” something if only you knew what it was…
Before you get to the specific marketing tactics to get more customers, I really want to make sure you understand why you don’t ALREADY have the sales.
This episode is the basis of how to get more customers. Listen now!
www.janehamill.com/3reasons
"Sometimes people are really, truly insane. But you're in retail so you stay nice no matter what. Retail Lesson number one -- the magic is in being nice."
There's what you think it will be like to own a retail store and then there's the every day reality. I owned a women's boutique for 14 years and let me tell ya, it's not for wusses. It's more fun than you ever imagined and it's waaaaayyyyyy harder than you ever imagined.
My guest today tells us what it's really like to own and operate a boutique. Kirsten Skoglund owned a knitting shop with her sister for 10 years in Minnesota. Like most people who go into retail, she never thought she would. She's a former HR executive who had a passion for knitting - and a business was launched.
Kirsten is funny, smart, and honest in this interview. She's also the new accountability coach (woot!woot!) in my Imperfect Action membership. She ROCKS.
Some snippets from the interview:
- "It can be pretty lonely being a retail store owner because you really don't have a whole lot of people to talk to. Yeah. I mean, there's a lot of loneliness with entrepreneurship in general."
- "Sometimes people are really, truly insane. But you're in retail so you stay nice. No matter what. Retail Lesson number one -- the magic is in being nice."
- "I didn't have any systems for that (hiring), and I'm kind of embarrassed about that. I was always looking for people who could sell. I would go to the drive through and someone would be really good at selling me a hamburger and I would ask them if they wanted to come work at my store."
- Planning became very, very important. I was pulled kicking and screaming to the planning process and really learned to embrace it. If I planned, I could sell more! And it really did help keep all of the craziness out of my brain. Well, not all of it."
Show Notes and Links:
www.janehamill.com/10things10years
We're diving back into our discussion with Zoe Hong on the 5 Ugly Truths about the Fashion Industry.
If you missed the first episode, you can listen as a podcast or watch the video interview at this link:
http://janehamill.com/zoehong/
In this episode, Zoe touches on the last 2 Truths.
4. It's About Who You Know
5. If You are Not Implementing Sustainability You are Already Behind.
These last two Truths are especially valuable and necessary to understand for those wishing to succeed in the Fashion Industry - or any industry really.
www.janehamill.com/zoehong2
My special guest is a fashion industry insider and breath of fresh air on the interwebs. I came across on of Zoe's videos on Facebook and immediately loved her. Zoe's YouTube channel has over 185,000 subscribers and in her videos she makes NO apologies and just tells it like it is.
Zoe doesn't mince words and today's episode is no different - 5 ugly truths about working in the fashion industry.
Show Notes and Links:
http://janehamill.com/zoehong/
People land on your site but they don't buy. Why not?
In today's episode, I'm giving you 9 more tips to increase your e-commerce conversion rate. My goal in life is to help you make money so you can support your family, pay your bills, pay yourself, go on vacation, and enjoy life. Let's turn thos lookers into buyer.
Show notes and links:
http://janehamill.com/conversions2/
Do you want a website that looks great to your eyes? Or do you want a website that MAKES YOU MONEY? I think I know the answer.
In today's episode, I'm going to teach you the 6 main things your site needs to do to increase your conversion rate. I want to help you to support your family, to pay your bills, pay yourself, go on vacation, and enjoy your life. Let's do it!
Show notes and links:
janehamill.com/conversionspodcast/
What would it be like to do something totally different? One day you're designing a clothing line and the next you decide you want to be a writer. Boom - business pivot.
A lot of us THINK about making a switch like that but my guest today is actually DOING it.
Adeline Olmer has owned a fashion business for quite a while, she's owned a retail store, worked as an artist. Her work is lovely. Her clothing line is architectural and fun. But she tells me about owning a fashion business...
"It was NOT easy." - Adeline Olmer
I'd say that's an understatement.
The business pivot started when she finally committed to writing her blog every week - no matter what. She's been blogging for years but never consistent with her content. She wanted more traffic to her site and I was always telling her that creating consistent content is a key component. I'm always telling everyone that.
She blogged weekly and things started happening. Her email list grew "without even trying", people reached out and thanked her for her blog stories, her posts became the topic of conversation at cocktail parties.
In other words, it was working. So she shifted from writing posts designed to help sell her apparel line to writing stories about her experiences, her past, and things happening in life - good and bad. And now, she's writing a book. A huge change in career.
"I started writing my blog every single week and it brought me so much pleasure and feedback. People were responding. It brought me such joy to write these stories. It changed everything."
Going from fashion design to being an author and a workshop leader has been...interesting.
"Easier than I imagined. And harder", she says.
Adeline's stories make me think about things in a slightly different way. I look forward to getting them every week.
I hope you enjoy this episode!
Jane
Show Notes and Links:
www.janehamill.com/frenchsecrets
My mission is for you to build a following for your brand and to let people get to know you, like you and trust you. When that happens, there's always a percentage of these people who will want to buy from you. It will be a natural progression and not something you'll need to worry about. You won't have to always be saying, where's my next sale coming from? What am I going to do? How will I get enough traffic to hit my sales goals? I truly believe any entrepreneur can build a following of people who want to buy their products ,can afford to pay for them and understand the value.
This episode explains the "backwards" strategy of getting sales.
Enjoy!
Jane
There's setting up your show booth to "look good" and then there's setting it up for maximum SALES. I certainly didn't know the difference when I first started doing shows.
This episode will tell you exactly what to do with your booth for a craft fair, art show, market, festival, wholesale trade show - any selling event.
My guest today is Amy Meadows and she's an absolute expert at visual merchandising with intent to sell. It doesn't matter if it's a B2B or B2C show, booth setup is a high level skill and there’s no one better at it than Amy.
She understands the issues my clients face when doing trade shows. She gets down to the nitty gritty details and in this interview she tells how she worked with a clothing designer and...
"we were able to talk through some of those very same logistics issues that you just talked about. How many nails are you going to actually poke in that wall and what is the cost per square foot going to be and how long are you going to be there and how are you going to optimize all of your presentations so that you are blowing out sales?"
You're going to learn a lot in this episode.
Show Notes and Links:
https://janehamill.com/trade-show-booth-setup/
Having a content marketing strategy that consistently ATTRACTS people to your website is a life-changing thing. AS a creative entrepreneur, knowing you have a PLAN in place, and an actual calendar you can follow - it's nothing short of magical! Magical, I say.
Today, I'm going to share my process for getting started with a kick-ass badass BOSS holy moses it works content calendar.
And most importantly, a content marketing plan that results in...
- money $$ for you, and
- happiness :) :) for your customers
Let's do it together, people!! Get your marketing calendar together NOW before summer -- before the kids get out of school, before you head out on vacation, before you lay on your hammock & listen to the birds and drink wine...
Get your content plan together and you will feel IN CONTROL of your destiny, your business, and your bank balance.
Let's do it. :)
janehamill.com/calendar
Let me ask you something. That seems simple...
How happy are you with your business right now? Are you pleased with how things are going? The way you run it? How much you work? How much money you make?
What would make you REALLY happy with your business?
Yesterday I had a full day of brainstorming and planning with my friend/colleague/coach. It was amazing.
Throughout the day, I could sense she felt frustrated. From my viewpoint, her business is going AWESOME so I couldn't understand what was bugging her.
So I asked her..."What's going on overall? Are you happy with how your business is doing?"
After a long pause, she replied "I just wish it were easier..."
Ever have that feeling? We just want to be happier, we want things to be easier, and yet when I asked my coach what the "perfect" business looked like, she was stumped.
What does "easier" really look like? What would need to happen in your business to feel "happier" about it?
In this episode, we dive in and try to get answers to these 2 huge questions.
www.janehamill.com/happiness
When I first started making videos for my business, it was awful. I said the same things about doing video that many of you probably say:
-
I don't want to be on camera
-
it's not about ME, it's about the product
-
what would I even say in a video?
-
who would possibly want to hear from me?
-
I've gained a little weight so I'll wait until I lose it to start making videos
-
I need to get a new camera before I can start
I've heard every excuse in the book and I've used many of them myself.
This episode will help you understand the REAL reasons to use vdeo in your marketing and how to get started.
www.janehamill.com/usingvideo
No matter where you are in your entrepreneurial journey, you probably wish your business was different in certain ways.
There are 2 things that frustrate my clients and I hear versions of them each and every week.
Entrepreneur #1) "I really, really want to be making more money -- more money in my pocket, more sales, more profit."
#1 wants more sales, or at least more profitable sales.
Entrepreneur #2) "I just wish it was easier. I feel like I work all the time, I'm hustling for every sale, and I just wish it wasn't so hard."
#2 is getting sales but feeling exhausted and probably overwhelmed. They may be burning out.
Today's episode walks you through 4 ways to increase revenue in your business.
In fact, I believe these are the ONLY four ways to increase revenue. It's not complicated once you break it down. The problem is that most of us are trying to work on all four of these strategies at the same time.
That will not work.
I think this will help you no matter what stage of business you're in or what you sell. Everyone needs to hear this and then decide which of these 4 things you want to focus on first.
Let me know what you think back on the blog, will you? I LOVE hearing from you!
www.janehamill.com/fourways
"Soooooo...MailChimp and Shopify are breaking up. What should I do?"
That's the questions one of our members asked me the other day.
This episode explains what's going on between MailChimp and Shopify, what it really means to you, the small business owner, and your options for moving forward.
janehamill.com/wtfmailchimp
What do you do if you're feeling overwhelmed by your business?
This morning I woke up feeling great. But then, for whatever reason, I immediately started getting in a bad mood. Just thinking of all the work that had to be done, the taxes, the emails, the content, the podcasts, the client follow up. Oy.
Can't I just crawl back in bed?
Everything was stupid. I hated everything. Drivers on the road were stupid. My work was stupid. My coffee was stupid. (Who picks on coffee?)
I was in a FUNK. Does that ever happen to you?
If you ever feel overwhelmed by your business, your life, your coffee...you're not alone.
Let me tell you how to get out of it.
That's what this episode is for. How to get to work even when you don't feel like it and what everything around you is stupid. :)
https://janehamill.com/realfeels/
Today's episode will help you understand why more people aren't buying from you and what you can do about it.
Yesterday, a client told me something that disturbed me. She didn't say anything wrong, but she told me about a key learning point that she JUST learned. A real aha moment.
She's actually happy about it because it explains to her why more people aren't buying from her site and she's making a plan to fix it.
But I'm like...
You JUST learned that? I've been preaching and teaching that concept, ad nauseam, for years!! Where did I go wrong that she only really "heard" it yesterday? Where did I go wrong???
So I'm gonna shout out the "why they don't buy" concept in today's episode so there's not one more person who doesn't get it - 'cuz it could be hurting your business.
If you're not selling as much as you'd like, you may be having the same issue my client was having.
If you only listen to ONE podcast of mine ever, evah, EVAH, MAKE IT THIS EPISODE! <-- note the all caps and, yes, I'm yelling at you because you need to learn this shizzle today!
Show Notes and Discussion on the Blog:
https://janehamill.com/fortyeight/
This is Part 2 of my interview with Jen Geale of MTB Direct an 8-figure mountain biking e-commerce store in Australia.
Today is all about scaling the business and how Jen and her partners grew from $1 million in sales to 8-figures. :)
Jen is SO HONEST about the successes and the struggles and doesn't hold back with what they've done to grow. I love how she refers to the struggles as the "valley of despair".
Here's what we discuss in this episode:
- The power of an email list - especially when there's a small budget for marketing
- Why she and her partners have resisted building a HUGE list
- Using giveaways to grow the business
- Why they're focusing on the on-site experience
- Increasing conversion rates
- Why it's so important to define your own version of success
- Switching the business from a "lowest price" focus to a site with true expertise in the niche and customer service
Show notes and links:
janehamill.com/jen
Imagine you start an online store and grow sales to $1 million pretty quickly. How fun would that be? And everyone around you thinks you’re successful and doing great.
But you know differently. Yes, sales are rolling in, but there’s no money left over and you’re not making a profit.
Now what???
You either need to shut down your e-commerce site completely or figure out a way to get profitable in the next 5 months. Period. Thise are your only 2 choices.
In this episode, I interview Jen Geale, one of the owners of Mountain Bikes Direct. This is the story what they did when faced with a $1 million dollar business that wasn't making money.
You're going to love Jen and her business journey.
This is Part 1 of the interview.
Show Notes and Links:
www.janehamill.com/mtbdirect1
I’ve chosen 7 women who knocked my socks off this week. Each of them executed on an idea to help grow their business quickly and professionally.
The most successful clients I work with are the ones who take fast action when they get a good business idea. The ones who can barely stay on the line until the end of a coaching session because they’re dying to start IMPLEMENTING what they just learned.
You will learn a TON from this dream team of seven.
Enjoy!
Get links to each of the entrepreneurs:
janehamill.com/female/
Free class about selling MORE online:
janehamill.com/class/
Do you ever feel like you're falling behind?
Sometimes you just feel like other entrepreneurs are passing you by.
- "Why does their site get more traffic than mine?"
- "I feel like this should be getting easier by now."
- "They have more wholesale accounts than I do. What's wrong with my line?"
If you've said or felt any of these things, this episode will help.
www,janehamill.com
When you're approaching wholesale buyers, there's a tricky balance of contacting them enough to stay on their radar without feeling desperate for the sale or appearing stalker-ish.
In this episode, I answer a question from a clothing designer...
"Hi Jane, I reached out to Nordstrom via LinkedIn and the buyer responded with a message with her email and interest to check out my line sheet this past Saturday. I responded via LinkedIn the same day that I have sent her the linesheet and information via Gmail. It's been five days but I don't want to come off obnoxious or desperate. When would you say would be an appropriate time to follow up? Next Monday? Thank you!"
Having been a buyer and boutique owner for so long, I'll give yout the truth about how often to approach a buyer and what to expect.
Enjoy!
Show Notes and Links:
janehamill.com/followup
I recently got this question from a Shopify store owner...
"My sales are growing steadily (we did almost 300K online last year) but we’re still not very profitable. I need to grow my sales to have better cash flow. What’s the BEST way to grow my business so I can be profitable? Maybe I need to focus more in Instagram?”
Is it Instagram stories?
Is it getting more Press?
Is it viral YouTube videos?
Is it FB ads?
*Is it hiring an SEO expert?
All of these things CAN work - and they do. But it's not any of these that will help you truly take your business to the next level.
The BEST way to grow your online store is to bring your focus to 4 specific aspects of your business. This podcast covers the four ways.
Enjoy!
Jane
No one says entrepreneurship is easy. But when you’re the one who creates the products and then relies on them to support yourself, your team, and your family… now that’s a whole different thing.
People who own other kinds of business, regular businesses, just don’t get it. There’s a unique set of crazy–brain stuff that goes on when you make a living off of your creativity.
Two different entrepreneurs asked me the same question this week— what if my next season’s collection doesn’t sell?
And the funny thing is that one of them has been in business for years and is quite successful, and the other one is just starting out. Yet they’re both worried their product won’t sell next season. It’s amazing how we’re all different yet we all struggle with the same stuff.
This podcast will help you deal with the unique fear of "will it sell".
- JH
Show notes and discussion on the blog:
janehamill.com/whatif/
Courses and coaching membership:
janehamill.com/courses
If you own a product-based business, there are tasks you're probably doing that you shouldn't be doing. I know because I've wasted a lot of time doing these things when I owned my boutique and clothing line.
Sometimes I felt I was the "only one who could do it", or I "didn't know where to find someone" or the classic -- "by the time I train someone how to do it I could have done it myself".
All BS excuses, BTW.
Today's episode tells you the 4 most important tasks you should outsource immediately.
There's a lot of generalized business advice out there about outsourcing so I'm not covering the basics like bookkeeping or scheduling social media posts.
This is ONLY for entrepreneurs who sell physical products - retail store owners, online boutique owners, makers, fashion designers, jewelry designers, etc...
LMK what you think of this episode back on the blog, OK?
janehamill.com/outsourcing
Are you running Facebook ads? Today I share the 3 biggest mistakes my clients make with their ads that are killing their results.
This is for product-based businesses.
Enjoy!
Jane
Show Notes: www.janehamill.com/FBads
I get this question all the time...
"How do I create content and keep up a blog when I have so little time?"
If you're running a product-based business you know how many details there are to take care of all the time -- shipping, customer service, packaging, social media, inventory control...the list goes on.
This episode covers how to create content for your brand without having it take over your life. I share all my quick-and-dirty secrets for content marketing that doesn't overwhelm you.
Show Notes and Links:
janehamill.com/content
Ready to get serious about your marketing and sales?
The "Sell More Products Online" course:
janehamill.com/smpo
I did a live training this week. Best EVER! I can’t even tell you how thrilled I am that the emails I received said it was “excellent”. In today's episode, I’m pulling out THREE things that helped people the most.
You're going to set ONE goal for the next 12 months. That’s it.
The goal you choose will make all the other goals irrelevant or unnecessary.
My mission is for you to have a simple, do-able PLAN for the next 12 months of your business. How great would it be if you knew exactly what you wanted? How unbelievable would it be to know what you should be doing quarterly, monthly, weekly - even daily.
Amazing, right?
Let's do it.
Show Notes:
janehamill.com/outrageousgoal/
Workshop - Goals and Planning for Product-Based Businesses:
janehamill.com/goals
There's a lot of information out there about setting goals and planning for 2019. This will be different.
In this episode, I take you through a simple exercise to really focus on your sales - not your overall business health right now – just what happened in 2018.
You'll use this info to inform your decisions and actions for 2019. This is a super simple exercise. It's going to take you maybe 30 minutes.
I did mine a one sheet in my notebook - no big deal. It's extremely important to review and reflect upon what happened last year before you start working on this year. That said, you don't need a gazillion spreadsheets or complicated stuff.
You need a sheet of paper and 30 minutes.
Let's do it.
Show Notes and Screenshot Example:
www.janehamill.com/plans
The end of the year is fast approaching and we’re all getting busy with holiday stuff. It’s tempting to start zoning out on your business right now.
I get it, that’s my inclination too. But before you get too distracted with holiday cheer, take a little time to finish the year strong.
In this episode, I give you3 ways to end the year strong - and none of these strategies will take you too long.
Seriously, listen to this episode and DO WHAT IT SAYS. If you do, you’ll feel better and you’ll have more fun relaxing through the holidays.
Show notes and links are on the blog:
www.janehamill.com/finish
What if you could do the same amount of work you're currently doing - or even less - and sell WAY MORE products? It's absolutely possible if you tweak a few simple things in your business.
In today's episode, we're going to look at what's already working in your business so you can Maximize and Monetize it.
We'll focus on 3 areas:
- What products are currently selling
- What you're doing that results in money
- How you can be the most productive you've ever been
I guarantee you're working on stuff in your business that's NOT important to your bottom line - we all are. (That's why I have a business coach who often has to slap the stupid out of me so I stay on track - and I mean that in the best possible way).
Show Notes and discussion on the blog:
https://janehamill.com/monetize/
Learn how to SCALE your business in my monthly business coaching program:
https://janehamill.com/membership/
My STARTUP course for clothing and accessory brands:
http://fashionbrainacademy.com/ndp/
I could have called this episode, "How NOT to Blow the Sale at Holiday Markets".
Or maybe, "The Five Dumbest Things I've Ever Said to Lose the Sale at a Craft Show".
I'm pretty sure I'm uniquely qualified to teach you how to blow a sale at a direct-to-consumer selling event, craft fair, art show, retail pop-up...because I've said and done the DUMBEST things right in front of potential customers that made them give me a perplexed look and turn on their heel and walk away from my booth.
And then I learned. And kept learning, and kept trying other things to say. And finally figured it out. And then became a BOSS salesperson with money in my pocket.
This episode teaches you what NOT to say so you can end up with a bucket 'o cash at the end of a show. :)
Show Notes and Checklist Download:
www.janehamill.com/markets
Black Friday Weekend.
Love it or hate it, it’s happening.
In a few weeks, our bellies will be full, the football games will be nonstop, and the kids will be hopped up on candy corn.
Let the stampedes begin.
What are you going to do about BFCM?
Skip it? Offer a heavy discount? Just do Small Business Saturday? What about Giving Tuesday?
Find out how to deal with the craziness in this brand new episode.
Show notes and discussion:
janehamill.com/blackfriday
- JH
If you're an established brand and you want business coaching, click here:
janehamill.com/membership/
If you want to start a clothing line from scratch, click here:
fashionbrainacademy.com/ndp
Let's get right to it.
People won't buy online the first time they go to your site. Hardly ever.
And yet, we're continually SHOCKED that we have to do more than post a great product shot on Instagram and wait for the money to roll in.
For small businesses, getting consistent sales works like this.
- Choose who you really want to sell to
- Add value to their lives (even if it's in a very small way)
- Get a "relationship" going, build trust and goodwill
- Offer these people something to buy
That's it.
But most creative entrepreneurs and online shop owners are too lazy, too busy, too unsure - too something, to do the work. We somehow feel that should be someone else's job.
This episode lays out the four steps you need to have to get people to give you their credit card.
Show notes and discussion back on the blog:
https://janehamill.com/four
The monthly marketing & sales coaching program:
janehamill.com/membership/
"If you would have told me a year ago about everything I'd accomplish this last year, I would NOT have believed you...
And the biggest thing is I just pushed myself. I pushed myself in any way, shape or form. Ohhhhh, it was so scary and gross, but I did it. And now those things don't seem so bad, you know. You uplevel your fear factor, and then you wonder - why was I even worried about that?"
In the last 12 months, Jackie went from a full-time corporate fashion design to working full-time on her business, Dyetology.com. In this episode, she tells us the details of what she did to make this truly a BREAKTHROUGH year for her.
...About making the hard decisions and doing things that were SO outside her comfort zone she felt like barfing.
...About finally getting consistent with marketing her clothing and accessories line and the difference it's made.
...How she was worried about "bothering" people with her marketing but now she's so over that.
...About doing craft shows and markets and SELLING THE CRAP out of her line. And so much more.
I hope you love Jackie as much as I do. :)
Discussion and Show Notes on the blog:
janehamill.com/jackie/
The monthly business coaching program Jackie mentioned:
janehamill.com/membership/
14 years of owning a retail store and still, every year, every single year, the Holiday Season seemed to creep up on me.
- Did I order enough inventory?
- Did I order decorations?
- Gift wrap?
- What products do I want to sell?
- What events am I participating in?
All the stuff to do.
I want you to have a record-breaking season and if you wait until the last minute, it ain't gonna happen. Ask me how I know...
"Plans are nothing; planning is everything." - Dwight D. Eisenhower
Great holiday sales start NOW. Enjoy this episode!
Show notes and discussion on the blog:
https://janehamill.com/maximize/
My monthly coaching program, Imperfect Action:
https://janehamill.com/membership/
In today's episode, my guest is Syama Meagher, founder and owner of Scaling Retail. Syama has worked with some heavy hitters in retail... Barneys, Gucci, and Macy's, to name a few. Syama's a thought leader in the world of luxury retail and she's IN IT every day.
We discuss the future of retail, the changes in what luxury really means these days, shifts in consumer shopping patterns and emotions, collaborations with luxury micro-influencers, and more.
I learn a lot from Syama and I think you will too.
Show Notes and discussion:
janehamill.com/luxuryretail
My monthly business coaching membership, Imperfect Action:
janehamill.com/membership/
In the last episode, we covered how to find customers the "old school" way. If you missed it, go here now:
www.janehamill.com/find/
Today we dive deeper into where to find your "perfect" customer and I give you 5 specific ways to use "new school" (aka the interwebs) strategies to sell more products.
I'd love to know which if these 5 you will choose and commit to. You DO NOT need to do all 5! That is crazy-making (ask me how I know).
Leave me a comment and let me know what you think back on the blog...
Today's episode runs through 5 specific ways to get customers using "old school" strategies my clients have used to get paying customers. I give you real life examples of how to get in front of the "right" people.
And by the "right" people, I mean prospects who fit 3 important criteria:
- They like what you have to offer
- They "get it" and understand the value
- They can afford it
Like a 3- legged stool, you need all of these things for someone to be the ideal customer.
Next week, in part 2, I'll give you 5 specific ways to get customers using the interwebs. Bam.
Show notes and discussion on the blog:
https://janehamill.com/find/
Our monthly business coaching program:
https://janehamill.com/membership/
Social media.
All the different platforms...all the options...all the updates...you can lose yourself in it pretty quickly.
There's so much noise out there, so much competition, so many people vying for your customer's attention. How do you get it?
In this episode, my goal is to clarify a few things for you. I think this podcast will help you relax a bit and do a BETTER job on social without doing more stuff.
Because doing more and being busier is not necessarily better. In the end, you want to enjoy your business and make good money. I want to help you accomplish those 2 goals.
Show notes and discussion on the blog:
https://janehamill.com/social/
Our monthly business coaching program, Imperfect Action, is here:
https://janehamill.com/imperfect/
In this week's episode, I share some takeaways from a recent presentation about turning your email subscribers into actual paying customers.
I get questions about using email all the time...
- What's the best content to offer new email sign ups?
- How do I get more people to open my emails?
- I have over 600 names on my email list and don't know where to get started.
- How often should I send emails if I don't want to "bother" anyone?
- What should I talk about in emails so it's not boring?
For most small business owners, your email subscribers are your MOST engaged audience and much more likely to buy than social media followers. And yet, many entrepreneurs spend so much time on social and use email as almost an afterthought.
If you know you should up your email game, this episode is for you.
Show notes and discussion on the blog:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/emails
Our monthly business coaching program for product business is here:
https://janehamill.com/membership/
We start with an embarrassing story. You see, last Friday my company sent out an email with the exact same subject line as the week before. Noooooooooooo!!! And it went out to over 15,000 people.
Heads will roll! Who's gonna get fired? WTF people?
And then, I looked at it another way. Listen to this episode to see how taking Imperfect Action is the key to, well, everything.
Show notes and discussion on the blog:
https://janehamill.com/doneisbetter
Our monthly business coaching program, Imperfect Action, is here:
https://janehamill.com/imperfect
This week I'm talking to the AWESOME Jennifer Boonlorn, the founder and designer of Soul Carrier Handbags. Jennifer has overcome extremely tragic circumstances and followed her soul to start Soul Carrier.
She's scaled her business to 186 wholesale accounts, including the Four Seasons and the Fairmont. In this episode, we talk about purpose, business operations, the story of a product, scaling to an even BIGGER business, and much more.
Show Notes and discussion:
https://janehamill.com/soulcarrier/
Our monthly business coaching program, Imperfect Action, is here:
https://janehamill.com/imperfect
Today's episode is Part 2 of the fantastic interview with Dana Jaunzemis - my personal business hero. She is rethinking how to run a business and she's killing it. Today we talk about how she decides what's best for her business, how she avoids BSOS (Bright Shiny Object Syndrome), how she does things SO DIFFERENTLY that most entrepreneurs, and how sticks to her decisions.
You're going to LOVE this episode.
Show notes, discussion, and links are here:
https://janehamill.com/dana2/
Part 1 of the interview is here:
https://janehamill.com/dana1/
Our monthly business coaching program, Imperfect Action, is here:
https://janehamill.com/imperfect
Today's guest is my business hero. Dana Jaunzemis runs her business in a completely different way than most people. She makes business choices based on what she wants, on the data and sales she sees, and on simplicity. Learning from Dana has changed my life - for reals.
The first things Dana does when she buys a business is first, set an action goal to double daily orders, then focus only on high margin products, and finally, understand the customer. She is spectacularly focused on these 3 things.
You're going to LOVE this episode.
Show notes, discussion, and links are here:
https://janehamill.com/dana1/
Our monthly business coaching program, Imperfect Action, is here:
https://janehamill.com/imperfect
In today’s laser coaching call, I’m talking swimwear and resort designer, Danielle from Danalia.
Danielle has sold a lot of units of her product in the past few years. The problem is that her margins are too low to make any real money. She’s frustrated because it feels like starting over. Her main questions is:
"I’ve been selling to a certain type of customer and now I have to raise my prices and find new customers. How do I make the transition?”
In this episodes, we talk about pivoting her entire business and business model, creating content to attract a brand new customer, upgrading her branding, finding the motivation to create again, and building the business she really wants that’s also going to make money.
Show notes: https://janehamill.com/danielle/
What if you could just make a decision, believe in it, and stick to it? What if you didn't wake up the next day and think, "Is that really a good idea? Maybe I should do THIS instead.
I truly believe that the #1 thing that RUINS a business is when the owner OVERTHINKS. We have great ideas and plans to do stuff about these ideas and then we overthink what we should do and get stuck. We get frozen wondering the next RIGHT thing to do.
And that leads to doing nothing - which get you zero results and no money in the bank. :( And a sad face emoji.
Want to do things differently? This episode will help you make decisions like a #BOSS and stop doubting yourself so you get shizzle DONE. Bam.
Show notes and discussion:
https://janehamill.com/decisions/
"You have a brand-new business, starting today."
Imagine you could look at your current business with complete clarity and re-design it to be:
- streamlined,
- easier to run,
- and with a higher profit margin on very single unit you sell
Would you be psyched? That's exactly what we do in this episode.
Anila Hussain and her sister, Shenila Ali, are the owners of Shennanz - a Swiss, British and Pakistani high-fashion luxury and sustainable fashion business.
In this episode, we don't design an entirely new business, that sounds, well, hard. Instead, we redesign Anila's current business by making simple but profound tweaks to what she's currently doing.
Things like...selling multiple different products and types of collections instead of focusing on the high margin categories.
Things like...being a "10 second style expert" and using content marketing to sell a TON of products.
LINKS and SHOW NOTES:
https://janehamill.com/anila/
In today's episode, I give you 2 very simple and quick ways to feel less stress in your daily work life. The roller coaster of being an entrepreneur can make anyone a little anxious.
What I'm teaching you today has helped me and my clients SO MUCH to sleep better at night, worry less, and believe that everything really will work out. It's amazing how simple it is and how much peace of mind you can get from these 2 things.
Seriously, do yourself a favor and do exactly what it says to do in this episode. You'll sleep like a baby tonight. :)
Join the discussion:
https://janehamill.com/stress/
Thanks for being here!
Jane
P.S. If you enjoy listening to my podcast and would like access to more training and support like this, head on over and check out my new monthly coaching program, Imperfect Action. The mission of this program is to get you into ACTION, stop overthinking, and get your business more profitable.
Request an invite here:
https://janehamill.com/imperfect
Today we're talking with Jane from Jane Israel, a lawyer turned clothing designer. Jane's getting ready to launch and wants paying customers from day ONE. Her question is...
"Should I run ads to build an audience NOW, before my product is ready, or will I be wasting my money?
We also discuss coming up with a "formula" to creating content for her target customer, working women.
Show notes: https://janehamill.com/jane/
Do the important people in your life support you in your business?
In this episode, we discuss what to do when people are just not getting it. Maybe they make passive aggressive comments, maybe they give you the blank stare, maybe they openly tell you you're crazy to have your own business!
Let's dive into how to deal with it and NOT let it get to you.
Show notes and discussion on the blog:
https://janehamill.com/family/
Selling wholesale sucks. At least that’s what I hear from a number of you, my dear listeners, on a weekly basis.
In this episode, I made a list of all the reasons selling to boutiques and department stores can feel suck-y. And I say FEEL sucky, not necessarily that they ARE sucky. It’s all in how you perceive things and certainly depends on who you talk to.
Then I made a list of things to LOVE about selling wholesale.
I hope you enjoy it!
Jane
SHOW NOTES and discussion:
https://janehamill.com/sellwholesale/
Learn how to sell to boutiques (online course):
https://janehamill.com/wholesale
Jolie Dennison is an American artist based in Northern Ireland. She's owned a retail store for the last 6 years and is ready for a change. She's recently changed her niche and mostly, she wants her BUSINESS to fit into her LIFE - rather than the other way around.
We dive deep into her business in this coaching call and come up with a plan for her to get her "dream" business where she gets to travel 3 months out of the year and still run her business profitably.
- The problem with selling art online and how Jolie can work around it to get consistent sales
- Choosing a faith-centered niche without alienating your current customers
- How to build a business around the lifestyle you want - in this case traveling 3 months out of the year
- How Jolie can combine her faith with her business
- Adding live and virtual events to your business to engage your audience and sell more art and art products
- How Jolie can add a new product - bible journaling - to her business and make it profitable
- The importance of selling replenishable products for repeat business
Check out the show notes and discussion on the blog:
https://janehamill.com/jolie/
To apply for a FREE podcast choaching session, click here:
http://bit.ly/AskJanesBrain
Hey there! I'm starting something new and doing laser coaching sessions with entrepreneurs.
This first #LaserCoaching episode is with Erika Neumayer, a designer of German dirndls. She's a BOSS at marketing but even Erika struggles with knowing what activities will bring in the best ROI. Like all of us, we want to and time only on the most important money generating activities.
In this episode, Erika tells me she's personally taking a break from Facebook but feels like she still needs it for her business. Erika prefers Instagram and wants to spend more time, energy, and resources there.
Her main questions is this:
What's a good strategy to keep engaged with my audience if I want to take a break from Facebook and concentrate on other social media platforms?
Enjoy!
Jane
I'd love your feedback on this episode! Just click over to:
https://janehamill.com/dirndl
You can apply for a FREE podcast coaching call here:
http://bit.ly/AskJanesBrain
Will my business succeed?
SHOW NOTES AND LINKS: http://fashionbrainacademy.com/nicole/
I was looking for a fresh perspective on "the state of the independent fashion design business" so I reached out to Nicole Giordano from Startup Fashion. Nicole is always game to help, we hopped on an interview. and then she SPILLED IT - the true, fresh perspective of startup fashion designers right now.
Here's what we cover:
- Starting your clothing line with a signature product, not a full collection
- The traditional fashion calendar is broken - the internet happened
- What designers are doing NOW in Nicole's community and what's working
- A new approach to selling wholesale to boutiques
- Running your business like a business
- The monthly framework for assessing your business
- As a business owner, excitement and fear are the SAME feeling
- One brand's brilliant strategy to get started with sales
- Content marketing - is it worth your time?
Today's episode shows you how you can raise money for your fashion startup in the next 6 months - without investors or taking out a loan. My guest, Shannon Lohr, is an expert on crowdfunding fashion companies. In fact, when she and her partner launched their own Kickstarter campaign, it became the highest-funded fashion project in Kickstarter history, raising enough money to quadruple their first production order. Bam. SHannon breaks down the dos and don'ts of launching a crowdfunding. This interview is PACKED with actionable edvice. Thanks, Shannon!
SHOW NOTES AND LINKS:
http://fashionbrainacademy.com/shannon/
What we cover in this episode: * What to do in the first 7 seconds of your crowdfunding video * How to tell your story to get people to back you * The power of guest posting and what it did for Shannon's Kickstarter campaign * The 3V's of a successful crowdfunding campaign * Slick video or old school? * Flat lay images and look book photos * Crowdfunding rewards for backers * Pricepoints that work best for a successful (funded) Kickstarter * How often to email people about your crowdfunding campaign
Today you're going to meet San Francisco clothing designer, Sarah Liller. What I love about Sarah is that she's SO HONEST and willing to share her struggles, her wins, and the behind-the-scenes reality of running her apparel business. Sarah is one of my "Sell More Products Online" students and someone who takes real ACTION on what she learns.
In this interview, Sarah breaks down the exact steps she took in the last 9 months to make her online shop actually convert to money in the bank.
Sarah always had confidence in her product and she knew it sold well in retail stores. But getting online sales was proving to be a big challenge for her.
SO... In the last 9 months, she started doing things differently in her business. She switched from Squarespace to Shopify (huge win), she did her first NYC Trade Show, she got a rep, opened new wholesale accounts (and is getting re-orders) and she went from "I have no idea who my customer is and no idea what I'm doing online" to "it's working!" and getting consistent sales.
SEE THE IMAGES AND GET THER SHOW NOTES AND LINKS HERE:
https://janehamill.com/sarah/
Is it realistic for me to sell 100K per month from my online store? That's the question I got last night from a student and VIP client. In this episode, I break down the traffic she'll need to drive those kinds of sales, conversions, and the actual math behind it.
DOWNLOAD THE NOTES from this episode and get a visual on the numbers we discuss at this link:
http://fashionbrainacademy.com/whats-a-realistic-amount-to-sell-from-my-online-store
A while back, I was on a road trip with miles and miles to go, when I had an epiphany. It struck me that there's something I KNOW is true for creative business owners and yet I was “afraid” to share with you. It's a topic I was sort of dancing around but not addressing properly.
And honestly, I’ve been afraid to scare you off by being 100% honest with you about what you need to believe - and do - to make a successful business with money in your pocket.
Listen to the episode and let me know what you think, OK?
Links and notes for this episode are on the blog: http://fashionbrainacademy.com/believe/
Are you making money in your business? I mean, cash in your pocket type money. I'm not asking if you're making SALES, I want to know what's left over for you, what's the profit?
In today's podcast episode, I walk you through a simple exercise to lay out your best-selling products by sales volume, and then again by margins. When you look at these reports side by side, the picture often looks a lot different than you think it will. And it's so important for online stores to know.
Understanding exactly where the true money (the profit) comes from in your product-based business will help you make confident decisions on how to grow and what to work on next. DOWNLOAD THE EXAMPLE FOR THIS EPISODE HERE: http://fashionbrainacademy.com/how-to-find-the-profit-in-your-business/
What are you working on today? Will you focus on money making activities or "safe" work for your creative business? Today's episode walks you through 5 simple statements - a quick process to determine what REALLY makes you a profit. The idea is to know WHAT to do and what NOT to do so you can DO LESS so you can get more sale and make more money. In all fairness, it's an easy thing to do IF you're willing to be honest with yourself and tweak the way you work and how you spend your time. You can download the 5 STATEMENT process (yo, it's free) at this link: http://fashionbrainacademy.com/makemoney/ Do it!! It works. -Jane
I'm really excited about today's podcast because I'm talking to one of my heroes of entrepreneurship, Riche Holmes Grant. Riche is the founder of BambiniWare - baby and Mom products that are useful and cute at the same time. Riche shares how she prioritizes her day-to-day, the importance of giving before asking in your business, and how she keeps it all together. Oh, and then there's the working with Ariana Huffington, Martha Stewart, and that time she got an email with a special request from the Oprah folks. Join the conversation over on the blog here: http://fashionbrainacademy.com/podcast-riche-holmes-grant-mompreneur
In today's podcast I get very honest. I share why I started my company and even more important, why I get up every morning to help other entrepreneurs. I also cover entrepreneurship, divorce, fear, men, making your own money, creativity, babies, being a boss, and more. I also discuss what makes people creative and the need to be a BUSINESS person first and a CREATIVE person second. Show Notes at this link: http://fashionbrainacademy.com/podcast-heavy-mental-detox/
Today I'm sharing with you what you need to have in place to DOUBLE your online sales this year. You can download the checklist that goes along with this Podcast at this link: http://bit.ly/checkMpod
In this episode, I have a conversation with Frances Harder of Fashion Business Inc. Frances is a season pro when it comes to working with companies trying to break into the American market. She shares her straightforward and effective steps to doing trade shows, finding a distributor, and getting a foothold in the US. Additionally Frances talks about the ONE country U.S. companies should consider breaking into. Show notes and discussion are at this link: http://fashionbrainacademy.com/how-to-enter-the-us-market-with-frances-harder/
In today's podcast I interview Boaz David, founder of Human B, in New York. Boaz is a total BOSS at helping designers get apparel products made. He shares his insights into the pros and cons of domestic vs. overseas manufacturing, what types of products "should" be made WHERE, what newbie entrepreneurs should be doing before they get products made, and so much more. I ran my own production for my clothing line for over 14 years and I'll tell ya, even I learned new things from this episode! You can check out Show Notes and join the discussion over on my blog:
http://fashionbrainacademy.com/overseas-vs-domestic-apparel-manufacturing
Today's podcast is about a a creative entrepreneur client who I met with the other day. She was stuck in PLANNING mode instead of DOING mode. She had to step out of her comfort zone (product creation) and keep marketing for Holiday sales. She didn't think she could get any more sales and didn't want to "bother" people.
With a little push (and acceptance f fear of rejection) she made 3 more sales from just one email. Bam.
The Christmas season is so crucial and people want to spend, you just have to make it easy for them. Listen to the Podcast and if you're so inclined, I'd appreciate it if you left an honest review.
- Jane
Today's guest, Erika Neumayer, went from working in her parents' living room with no sales and a crappy website to completely supporting herself with her online business in her own studio -- making a real profit. The coolest part is that Erika's niche is so tiny and unusual that it proves ANYONE can be successful in ANY niche.
This podcast covers my checklist of what you need to have ready BEFORE you approach a retail buyer. What YOU, the creator, are thinking is not even close to the way THEY, the buyers, are thinking. When you get a chance to show your line to a retail buyer, you want to be prepared. They will NOT be patient with you if you don’t have professional looking line sheets and selling tools. If you don’t know your delivery dates, terms, pricing, and sizing info, buyers will be frustrated you may lose a chance at an order.
Today's podcast is personal but something I really want to share with all of you. It’s about why I sold my successful, money making business when everyone thought I was crazy and what happened next.
In today’s episode, I interview Ericka Engelman from Ericka Engelman Couture, in Carmel, CA. Ericka is SO HONEST – she even talks numbers. She tells us how much she grossed in her couture business and how much she was able to take home. She’s not shy about her struggles or her successes and she doesn’t mince words. She is a tremendous, sharing entrepreneur and I think you’re going to love her as much as I do!
This week we have a very special guest joining us. Holly is a designer and a retailer and her charming bridal shop is in Evanston, IL. Today she spills the beans about what works, what doesn't work, and what bridal designers should do to get bridal buyers interested. Holly also dishes about how she gets customers, bridal trunk shoes, who gets her orders, and much more.
In this podcast episode we celebrate a fashion designer’s product launch. You’ll meet Monica-Lee, founder and host of Smart Creative Women, a podcast show designed to help women learn, grow, and get inspired. And now she has her own collection of clutches, accessories, and T-shirts.
In this episode of the Jane Hamill podcast, I talk about the WRONG way to start a fashion brand. The 5 mistakes I list today are all ones I’ve made myself with my retail store and womenswear line. I really hope today’s podcast saves you some trouble – and money.
I know how difficult it can be to stay motivated when you have your own business but I also KNOW you can do it!
In this weeks episode you will learn...
Why we feel wishy-washy about work some days and how to fix it!
How to run a marathon and actually finish it (you’ll understand if you listen!)
Setting a simple goal that you actually REALLY want to make happen.
How deadlines can actually help you have more fun at work.
Long projects vs. short term projects.
Why we all need to feel connected – even in business.
Why motivation’s like taking a shower.
Negative effects of not knowing where your business is going.
So listen up and GET MOTIVATED!
In this episode of the Fashion Brain podcast, I talk about the most common myths about launching a line of apparel or accessories. A lot of us have been Project runway-ized and think starting a business will be different than it really is. Crack these myths and you will become a more successful entrepreneur and designer!
I’ll be the first to admit that it’s hard to think through the tough questions. Most of us would rather get started designing our awesome product than think through the details of what it means to own a business.
On this episode of the Fashion Brain podcast, we talk about what questions you need to ask yourself before you launch a fashion line (or any business, for that matter). It’s a step many of us want to skip. But I warn you… If you launch a fashion biz (and start spending money) without addressing these issues first, you’ll be sorry.
This week we’re talking about pricing your product or service with my awesome guest Tom Buford of Tome Buford marketing. And really, about the FEAR of pricing. And the voices in our heads that say…
Who would pay that for what I do? If I price it like that even I couldn’t afford my own product! I’ll start with this low price and raise my price later after I get a following. What if nobody buys? I better price it low just in case!
All of these pricing fears are real – and they can be devastating to your business and your bottom line.
In this episode of the Fashion Brain podcast, we talk about the down-an-dirty reality of running a fashion business.
My guest is Maria Boustead, designer and founder of Po Campo. Maria designs bags that are functional and cute and she loves what she does. She shares her story about the things she wasn’t prepared for, her lucky break that turned into her worst nightmare, how her business strategy has changed, and stepping off the cliff.
She is SO HONEST in this interview – it is tremendous of her to share the real deal. No BS and no sugar coating. You are going to LOVE it! She is one of my favorite designers on the planet.
This is amazing advice for any entrepreneur, maker, or fashion designer who is looking for their lucky break.
Ever wonder why some creative entrepreneurs succeed and others struggle?
On this episode of the Fashion Brain podcast, we talk about ALL creatives, not just fashion designers. We cover ways to sell your work, 3 things that every creative needs to do to be successful, and how to sell your work.
My guest is Paul Klein. Paul is an art mentor and he runs a 12 week online for artists to de-mystify the art world. My sister (an artist) took the class and LOVED it. She introduced me to Paul and that was my lucky day.
Paul Klein also works with TED Fellows, writes for Huffington Post and ArtLetter and ran his own cutting edge Chicago gallery for 30 years. Basically, he’s the go-to guy in Chicago when it comes to the art world.
Are you having a hard time getting your line in front of boutique buyers? Today is your lucky day.
On this episode of the Fashion Brain podcast, we talk all about calling stores, road-tripping, sales strategies, hustle, patience, and retail buyers. I’m so lucky to have the chance to interview Meredith Banzhoff – a designer who’s not afraid to share her story. She even talks about the step-by-step strategies she used to get into her first 10 retail stores.
Also check out my training course on how to sell your line to boutiques, a best seller! http://fashionbrainacademy.com/training-courses/sell-boutiques/
I know when I first started my womenswear line I was very confused about how to get an IDEA from my head turned into an actual viable product that I could sell. There’s a lot to do and you can't just Google that info up! This podcast discuss the steps to starting a successful clothing or accessory line, the biggest mistakes designers make, and what I wish I knew when I started.
For a step by step guide to becoming a successful designer click here: http://fashionbrainacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/white-outfit-Copy-1024x731-1.jpg
Unfortunately we can't read our buyers minds. As fashion designers and entrepreneurs we need our buyers to survive. In today's podcast you'll learn what keeps a buyer from writing an order for your line, their three pet peeves about working with emerging designers, why buyers are not completely honest with you, and how to overcome buyers' objections. Get inside the buyers mind, and more importantly GET INTO THEIR STORES!
You NEED to hear the truth.
So you can tweak your line.
So you can learn what (if anything) you’re doing wrong.
So you can get the order!
I don’t think I can even count as high as the number of mistakes I made with my clothing line and retail store. I mean, I was GREEN when I started! Trial and error was just a way of life for me back then and it really cost me — in terms of time, money, and energy. Today I discuss three of my biggest mistakes to help you avoid them as a fashion designer, maker, or entrepreneur!
Behind every business is a story. There’s a big WHY for each and every one of you, wether your a designer, maker, creator, or entrepreneur. Today’s podcast tells some of those stories and peeks behind the curtain of 14 entrepreneurs and their WHY.
For help with starting your own business and finding your WHY check out my training courses! http://fashionbrainacademy.com/training-courses/training-courses-2/
Did you ever get a comment that left you a little stunned? The more you put yourself out there, the more feedback you’ll get. Sometimes it feels like everyone has an opinion and they’re sure to tell you. Today’s episode is all about ways to handle criticism gracefully – and even learn from it to help your fashion business.
There is no one-size-fits-all way to sell when it comes to fashion. As makers, designers, and creators there are always obstacles when it comes to selling our products. Should I sell wholesale? Direct to consumer through Etsy of craft shows? My own online store? In this podcast I discuss the different selling avenues as well as the ones I started with- the good and the bad.
Grab the Show Notes here:
http://fashionbrainacademy.com/ways-to-sell/
This episode focuses on finding your target audience as a fashion business owner, entrepreneur, creator, or designer and teaches you how to obtain, and maintain, customers. Learn even more about creating a fashion business and being a new designer at http://fashionbrainacademy.com/training-courses/new-designer-program/
How to do LESS and get the same- or better -results, a key to running a successful business. In this podcast, I walk you through an exercise to find the “crossover” between what you love to do (and produce) compared to what products people will happily pay you money for. For any maker, creator, or designer if you find the crossover, life will be a whole lot easier…