319: The Real Reason You Feel Busy But Stuck

There's a point many store owners reach where they've been working so hard for so long, that they begin to suspect that the light at the end of the tunnel is just…never going to appear. It's a terrible feeling. In this episode I'm talking with Inner Circle coach Melissa  about the thing nobody says out loud: that if you really want to grow (sustainably) you have to slow down and build some systems and processes first. You'll walk away with three action steps that will get you on track to start scaling towards a business that works for you, not the other way around. If you've had the sneaking suspicion lately that for as hard and long as you've been working, you should be further along…this one really is for you.   RELATED LINKS: Why Your Ecommerce Store Is Doing Better Than You Think Why More Sales Isn't Fixing Your (ecommerce) Cash Flow Problem Sales Plateaued? Do this to grow profitably How to Scale Without Borrowing (or Breaking Your Business) https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/sales-plateaued-do-this-to-grow-profitably-episode-284 These 7 habits predict success, start implementing them now _______________________   Are you constantly asking yourself how to make your website better or questioning your prices? Do you wonder if you're missing something? If you have made sales in person or on a site like Etsy, I know you can sell more on your site.   Get my FREE mini-course that will show you our step-by-step process to grow your sales without spending a fortune on risky ad strategies or discounting your products here: https://learn.thesocialsalesgirls.com/conversion-school/   "Insightful, actionable and engaging! I learn so much every single time I listen. I can't believe this information is free - If you feel like this too, I'd love it if you would leave us a review. Reviewing the show will help us reach even more store owners, so we can help them grow their sales. Click here, scroll down, tap to rate with 5 stars and select "Write a review". Let us know what you find most helpful about the podcast!   Also, if you haven't already make sure to follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode! Follow now

Have you ever sat down at the end of a rough month, exhausted, head in your hands, and thought… Is it even worth it? Am I ever going to get to the point where I make an income that is aligned with all the work I do?  If that's you - I'm talking with profit expert Ciara Stockland about the most common money mistakes that keep ecommerce product stores like us financially stuck . And together we're sharing what you need to do to fix it. Listen in and  learn: Why Chasing Sales (instead of profit) is keeping you spinning in place The pricing mistake you're probably making, and the mindset shift that will fix it Why the reality of doubling revenue is a lot harder than it seems Why NOT paying yourself is setting your business up to fail The warning signs you can't afford to ignore Every single one of us can benefit from this one. It's time to take your head out of the sand and take control of your numbers. If Ciara and I can do it, so can you. RELATED LINKS: Ciara's Debt Detox Bootcamp: https://www.ciarastockeland.com/a/2148268513/2cz2f3cA What Every Store Owner Needs to Know About Business Debt https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/what-every-store-owner-needs-to-know-about-business-debt-episode-267 How to create profit goals https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/how-to-create-profit-goals-episode-209 How to get control of your $ https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/how-to-get-control-of-your-episode-158 _______________________ Stop wondering if you're "doing it right" and learn how to grow your sales in a consistent, predictable way. Spend 40 minutes with me in this eye opening workshop, and you'll leave with a few simple steps that will grow your sales next month. Find a time that works for you, and register here: https://watch.thesocialsalesgirls.com/s/77wKvQ "Insightful, actionable and engaging! I learn so much every single time I listen. I can't believe this information is free"  - If you feel like this too, I'd love it if you would leave us a review. Reviewing the show will help us reach even more store owners, so we can help the grow their sales. Click here, scroll down, tap to rate with 5 stars and select "Write a review". Let us know what you find most helpful about the podcast!  

If you're an artist who's ever wondered if your brain just wasn't built for business ownership, this episode is a great demonstration of how all creatives can grow a successful business online. Victoria Mlady of Victoria Bright Home went from burning time & money schlepping across the country several times a year to sell her pattern designs at trade shows, to quadrupling her sales in her first year on Shopify. And she did it by selling ONE thing: her own wallpaper. Listen in and learn: Why going deep on one thing beats going wide, every time The mistake many creatives make when building their own websites How to stay the course and pile up little wins along the way Why Victoria refuses to "tone it down" (all the way to the bank) What Victoria shares is equal parts honest and genuinely useful. Especially if you're still in the "I have no idea what I'm doing" stage. ______________________________ Stop wondering if you're "doing it right" and learn how to grow your sales in a consistent, predictable way. Spend 40 minutes with me in this eye opening workshop, and you'll leave with a few simple steps that will grow your sales next month. Find a time that works for you, and register here: https://watch.thesocialsalesgirls.com/s/77wKvQ "Insightful, actionable and engaging! I learn so much every single time I listen. I can't believe this information is free"  - If you feel like this too, I'd love it if you would leave us a review. Reviewing the show will help us reach even more store owners, so we can help the grow their sales. Click here, scroll down, tap to rate with 5 stars and select "Write a review". Let us know what you find most helpful about the podcast!

In the last few months, three members of our community — store owners just like you and me —  have faced lawsuits over website compliance. So I sat down with my favorite lawyer, Tannia Ospina, to talk about what you actually need on your website to stay compliant, why it matters more than most of us realize, and how to get it done without it taking over your life. Three things you'll take away from this episode: Small stores are targeted first, and your store is likely easier to target than you think. Copy-pasting from Google or AI isn't enough. Your existing policies may already be working against you.   Tannia is a longtime Inner Circle member, a business law and intellectual property attorney, and a former e-commerce store owner who built her brand Bell Threads from scratch since 2014. She created a legal compliance bundle specifically for product-based e-commerce store owners, and in this episode she breaks down exactly what's at stake and what to do about it. Listen in, and you'll sleep better tonight. Get Tannia's Compliance Bundle here: https://lawbizette.com/pages/starter-bundle ________________________ Stop wondering if you're "doing it right" and learn how to grow your sales in a consistent, predictable way. Spend 40 minutes with me in this eye opening workshop, and you'll leave with a few simple steps that will grow your sales next month. Find a time that works for you, and register here: https://watch.thesocialsalesgirls.com/s/77wKvQ "Insightful, actionable and engaging! I learn so much every single time I listen. I can't believe this information is free"  - If you feel like this too, I'd love it if you would leave us a review. Reviewing the show will help us reach even more store owners, so we can help the grow their sales. Click here, scroll down, tap to rate with 5 stars and select "Write a review". Let us know what you find most helpful about the podcast!

Brandon Love is the founder of Bewilderment.com — a fragrance and art studio in Columbus, Ohio. He started the business at 17 and is now in his 11th year. When tariffs hit last year and his Facebook ad performance collapsed, Brandon came into the Inner Circle looking for a different way forward. It would have tanked most stores' sales;  he ended up doubling them instead. In this episode, he shares exactly what changed. Listen in and  learn: Why list segmentation unlocked the gold in Brandon's list How offering subscriptions changed cash flow How Brandon overcame tariff troubles The social media strategy Brandon never thought would work  This is a story about what's possible when you stop chasing new customers and go deeper with the ones you already have. ----------------- Stop wondering if you're "doing it right" and learn how to grow your sales in a consistent, predictable way. Spend 40 minutes with me in this eye opening workshop, and you'll leave with a few simple steps that will grow your sales next month. Find a time that works for you, and register here: https://watch.thesocialsalesgirls.com/s/77wKvQ "Insightful, actionable and engaging! I learn so much every single time I listen. I can't believe this information is free"  - If you feel like this too, I'd love it if you would leave us a review. Reviewing the show will help us reach even more store owners, so we can help the grow their sales. Click here, scroll down, tap to rate with 5 stars and select "Write a review". Let us know what you find most helpful about the podcast!

Bergen Anderson is the founder of Lila Barn Clothing — a Chicago-based brand making bold, colorful clothing for kids and adults who love adventure. She's been in business for 14 years, runs a physical storefront, and recently built a small production team so she can finally focus on the design work she loves most. In this episode, Bergen shares the full story of her journey: from a costly paid ads experiment that left her at a loss, to the foundational work that 10x'd her Black Friday results and transformed her email marketing from an afterthought into a revenue engine. In this episode you'll learn: Why paid ads can actually hurt your business  How Bergen took her email revenue from under 10% of sales to 30%  Why a few focused coaching calls delivered a higher return than months of agency work  How to know when you're actually ready to layer paid ads into your marketing If you've ever wondered whether you're spending money in the right places, or felt like your marketing is costing more than it's returning, this episode is for you. ------------------------------- Stop wondering if you're "doing it right" and learn how to grow your sales in a consistent, predictable way. Spend 40 minutes with me in this eye opening workshop, and you'll leave with a few simple steps that will grow your sales next month. Find a time that works for you, and register here: https://watch.thesocialsalesgirls.com/s/77wKvQ "Insightful, actionable and engaging! I learn so much every single time I listen. I can't believe this information is free"  - If you feel like this too, I'd love it if you would leave us a review. Reviewing the show will help us reach even more store owners, so we can help the grow their sales. Click here, scroll down, tap to rate with 5 stars and select "Write a review". Let us know what you find most helpful about the podcast!  

What if you could build a full-time income selling your art online — no craft fairs, no tent in the rain — just you, your studio, and a strategy that actually works? Sarah Golden is an artist who has been selling her work online for over ten years and has built a full-time business from her studio doing what she loves: painting, creating, and sharing it with the world. She sells original work and prints through her own online store, and she's done it almost entirely through organic social media and email. No ads.  Whether you're an artist who wants to make this your full-time thing, or you're just looking for a fresh reminder that slow and steady really does win — this one's for you. Listen in and Learn: Why consistency is actually the magic formula — and what Sarah's daily posting habit really looks like The "boring" content that's doing more work than you think Which metrics to track and which to ditch The best way to build an audience off of social media About Sarah Golden: Sarah Golden is a full-time artist based in Canada. She has been selling original work and prints online for over ten years and works with an art agent for licensing. She built her business entirely through organic social media — no paid ads — and is a longtime member of the Inner Circle.   RELATED LINKS From 0 to multiple 6 figures. The story of a creative success. https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/from-0-to-multiple-6-figures-the-story-of-a-creative-success-episode-224 "Stabbing in the dark" is gone. I know how to create income. https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/stabbing-in-the-dark-is-gone-i-know-how-to-create-income-episode-249 Here's How A Maker Gets Set Up For Consistent Sales https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/heres-how-a-maker-gets-set-up-for-consistent-sales-episode-304 Here's The Advice That Changed Everything For Shelley https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/heres-the-advice-that-changed-everything-for-shelley-episode-305 ------------------------ Stop wondering if you're "doing it right" and learn how to grow your sales in a consistent, predictable way. Spend 40 minutes with me in this eye opening workshop, and you'll leave with a few simple steps that will grow your sales next month. Find a time that works for you, and register here: https://watch.thesocialsalesgirls.com/s/77wKvQ "Insightful, actionable and engaging! I learn so much every single time I listen. I can't believe this information is free"  - If you feel like this too, I'd love it if you would leave us a review. Reviewing the show will help us reach even more store owners, so we can help the grow their sales. Click here, scroll down, tap to rate with 5 stars and select "Write a review". Let us know what you find most helpful about the podcast!  

If you're like most store owners I talk to, you probably put a ton of time into finding the perfect product, invest in inventory, get excited about having something new to offer… and then the results are a little underwhelming. And I bet you immediately think: maybe nobody wants this. Maybe the product was wrong. But here's what I know after working with hundreds of store owners — in almost every case, it's not the product. It's a missing step in your strategy. In this week's episode, I'm walking you through our wait list launch strategy step by step. This is training we use inside the Inner Circle, and I'm sharing the whole thing with you — including a real example from one of our coaches who used it and sold out completely.   You'll learn: → Why launching without a wait list sets you up for disappointment → How to build anticipation so people are ready to buy before you even open the cart → The exact 4-step process to run your own wait list launch → How to use this even if you don't have a new product to launch   I really think this one could change how you think about launching. Give it a listen and let me know what you think.   RELATED LINKS: Morgan's strategy to sell out her new collections https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/morgans-strategy-to-sell-out-her-new-collections-episode-221 €600+ sales with a list of 40. Here's how. https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/proof-that-action-leads-to-results-episode-135 Here's The Advice That Changed Everything For Shelley https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/heres-the-advice-that-changed-everything-for-shelley-episode-305 _______________________   Are you constantly asking yourself how to make your website better or questioning your prices? Do you wonder if you're missing something? If you have made sales in person or on a site like Etsy, I know you can sell more on your site.   Get my FREE mini-course that will show you our step-by-step process to grow your sales without spending a fortune on risky ad strategies or discounting your products here: https://learn.thesocialsalesgirls.com/conversion-school/   "Insightful, actionable and engaging! I learn so much every single time I listen. I can't believe this information is free - If you feel like this too, I'd love it if you would leave us a review. Reviewing the show will help us reach even more store owners, so we can help them grow their sales. Click here, scroll down, tap to rate with 5 stars and select "Write a review". Let us know what you find most helpful about the podcast!   Also, if you haven't already make sure to follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode! Follow now

Wondering what the difference is between a store owner who feels confident and sees steady growth — and one who's working hard but spinning their wheels? It's usually not a great product or a beautiful website. It's a few simple habits that anyone can learn. Susan shares them all in this episode. In this episode you'll learn: The 3-step framework that turns scattered effort into real, visible results How to narrow your focus so your time actually moves the needle The one metric worth tracking — and why you really don't need anything else RELATED LINKS Hiring Help—Get Set Up for Success. https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/hiring-help-get-set-up-for-success-episode-280 Jen's Framework for Hiring and Training the Right People https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/jens-framework-for-hiring-and-training-the-right-people-episode-275 Stop ignoring your Mindset. It's a powerful tool. https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/stop-ignoring-your-mindset-its-a-powerful-tool-episode-289 The $500/hr Job You Should Be Doing https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/the-500-hour-job-you-should-be-doing-episode-226 Stop wondering if you're "doing it right" and learn how to grow your sales in a consistent, predictable way. Spend 40 minutes with me in this eye opening workshop, and you'll leave with a few simple steps that will grow your sales next month. Find a time that works for you, and register here: https://watch.thesocialsalesgirls.com/s/77wKvQ "Insightful, actionable and engaging! I learn so much every single time I listen. I can't believe this information is free"  - If you feel like this too, I'd love it if you would leave us a review. Reviewing the show will help us reach even more store owners, so we can help the grow their sales. Click here, scroll down, tap to rate with 5 stars and select "Write a review". Let us know what you find most helpful about the podcast!  

Recently, I've been working with a group of eCommerce owners who have great products. They're probably much like you! They have good weeks - and some not so good weeks - and over time it feels like a lot of effort to get results that are so much less than what you want. And after a while, you start wondering things like: "What am I missing - I must be doing something wrong"" But here's what I see when we start looking at the data.I don't see them doing anything wrong - . The problem is much simpler than that. And it's completely fixable. One teaching point, a "hook" and CTA "listen in" Most store owners are missing ONE thing when they're running their businesses, and for most, it's the reason you feel like you're guessing when it comes to growing your sales. Mentioned/Related links: Get my Conversion Calculator here:  https://learn.thesocialsalesgirls.com/conversion-school-calculator/ Stop wondering if you're "doing it right" and learn how to grow your sales in a consistent, predictable way. Spend 40 minutes with me in this eye opening workshop, and you'll leave with a few simple steps that will grow your sales next month. Find a time that works for you, and register here: https://watch.thesocialsalesgirls.com/s/77wKvQ "Insightful, actionable and engaging! I learn so much every single time I listen. I can't believe this information is free"  - If you feel like this too, I'd love it if you would leave us a review. Reviewing the show will help us reach even more store owners, so we can help the grow their sales. Click here, scroll down, tap to rate with 5 stars and select "Write a review". Let us know what you find most helpful about the podcast!