456 | 690 Wholesale Accounts and We Still Found Money Left on the Table, Case Study with Rachel O’Neill, Loftipop

Thirteen years in business. Nearly 700 wholesale accounts. And the biggest shift Rachel O'Neill of Loftipop made this year was admitting her wholesale business was being run like a D2C channel.If you started in direct-to-consumer and layered wholesale on top, this episode will feel familiar. Rachel came into Paper Camp with a thriving business at Loftipop and left with major enhancements: separate pricing logic, a leaner product line, and a strategy built around the retailers she already has.In this episode, you'll learn:Why wholesale is not an extension of your D2C business — it's a separate model with its own pricing, margins, and rulesHow Loftipop added 60 accounts in the 6 months after Paper Camp, growing from 690 to about 750Why Rachel discontinued SKUs that were still selling — and why she felt "so much lighter" afterwardHow to run channel-by-channel margin math before keeping a product in your wholesale catalogWhat it looks like to nurture current retailers — email outreach, direct mail, and consistent touchpoints — instead of only chasing new accountsHow staying open to change, 13 years in, became the shift that moved her whole business forwardFrom the episode:"The biggest takeaway is that your wholesale business is not D2C. We came into wholesale thinking it was just an extension of our D2C... it's actually a whole separate business model and strategy." — Rachel O'Neill"If you're serious about wholesale, it's 100% worth the investment. In terms of numbers, we've already made our money back and more." — Rachel O'NeillPaper Camp is currently open for enrollment, which only happens twice a year!SIGN UP FOR PAPER CAMP NOWYou can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/456Quick Links:Free Wholesale Audio SeriesFree Resources LibraryFree Email Marketing for Product MakersPTP LABSPaper CampMentioned in this episode:Paper Camp is now open for enrollment!Enroll now in our next round of Paper Camp: http://prooftoproduct.com/papercamp

"My business is too young for this." If you've ever said that about wholesale, this episode is for you. Sherry Lam joined Paper Camp with fewer than 20 SKUs, a handful of inconsistent accounts, a full-time day job, and a brand-new baby — and decided that was exactly the right moment to build her wholesale foundation. She went from 3 shaky accounts to more than 50. This is her story, in her own words.In this episode, you'll learn:Why Sherry started wholesale with fewer than 20 SKUs — and how starting early with the right foundation paid offHow she grew from 3 inconsistent accounts to more than 50 while working a day job and raising a babyHow doing wholesale correctly early on turned a "maybe this is a hobby" question into a real revenue streamHow to vet whether Paper Camp is right for you: free resources, the podcast archive, and talking to alumni before you investWhy she came back and took Paper Camp a second time — and what had changed, from Faire's growing role to new outreach normsWhat the alumni community looks like after the course ends, especially for solo foundersAbout Sherry:Sherry Lam is the founder of Sherry's Palette, where she designs greeting cards, enamel pins, art prints, and more. She built her wholesale business from 3 accounts to over 50 while working a full-time day job — and she's offered to be a resource for anyone on the fence about Paper Camp.Paper Camp is currently open for enrollment, which only happens twice a year!SIGN UP FOR PAPER CAMP NOWYou can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/455Quick Links:Free Wholesale Audio SeriesFree Resources LibraryFree Email Marketing for Product MakersPTP LABSPaper CampMentioned in this episode:Paper Camp is now open for enrollment!Enroll now in our next round of Paper Camp: http://prooftoproduct.com/papercamp

You know that moment when your business starts asking more of you than your systems can deliver? A key account shows interest, your line is scaling, and you can feel the gap between where you are and what's coming. That's exactly where Charina Cabanayan was when she joined Paper Camp — 75 independent accounts, a sales rep group, and a growing pressed floral line at Orchid & Pine Studio. This episode shares her experiences participating in Paper Camp.In this episode, you'll learn:How Charina grew from 75 to 125 wholesale accounts — including her first 3 key accounts — by building systems before chasing salesHow to take the emotion out of pricing, and why creatives struggle with this more than any other part of wholesaleWhy she pulled her handmade collection from her wholesale catalog when the numbers showed it couldn't scaleWhat changed in wholesale between her first business (250 accounts, twenty years ago) and today — and why experience goes out of dateHow to work with sales reps and showrooms without costly mistakesWhy slowing down intentionally can be a sign of a healthy business, not a failing onePaper Camp is currently open for enrollment, which only happens twice a year!SIGN UP FOR PAPER CAMP NOWYou can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/454Quick Links:Free Wholesale Audio SeriesFree Resources LibraryFree Email Marketing for Product MakersPTP LABSPaper CampMentioned in this episode:Paper Camp is now open for enrollment!Enroll now in our next round of Paper Camp: http://prooftoproduct.com/papercamp

I know you have a lot on your plate right now. You've got products to make, orders to ship, and about a hundred decisions that you're making every day. I do not take it lightly that you are spending time with me today and I want to thank you for being here. Today's episode is a short, focused, throwback episode designed to give you one thing that you can do today to move your business forward. No fluff, no filler, just ideas that we've shared in the past that will benefit you today. Let's dive in!You can listen to the full episode here: http://prooftoproduct.com/412 Quick Links:Free Wholesale Audio SeriesFree Resources LibraryFree Email Marketing for Product MakersPTP LABSPaper CampMentioned in this episode:Paper Camp is now open for enrollment!Enroll now in our next round of Paper Camp: http://prooftoproduct.com/papercamp

Here it is, your long-awaited, highly anticipated Faire market recap for this summer season.I've been watching brands in our community have wildly different experiences during this Faire market, and I've also been studying a lot of what people outside of our community have experienced.Some walked away with 6-figure orders over 4 days, others didn't get a single order, and we're talking about the same platform, the same market, the same 4 days.I'm going to share with you what I saw behind the scenes, what worked, what didn't, and what this means for your wholesale strategy going forward.Today's episode is brought to you by our Paper Camp program. Paper Camp is our wholesale coaching program where we teach you everything you need to know to build strong wholesale foundations. Over the course of 4 weeks, we tackle your product line, sales tools, and marketing plan, and we even talk about how to exhibit at trade shows if that's what you want to do. We start with your product line and go into everything from how often you should be releasing new products to ensuring that your numbers are sustainable for the wholesale market and their price for profit.Then we move into sales tools you must have for selling wholesale so you make a strong first impression with buyers like catalogs and your terms and conditions. Then, we cover marketing strategies and ways to reach various store owners.Each week's teachings build on the previous week, and we host weekly live engaging coaching calls to answer all of your questions. We will open enrollment for our next round of Paper Camp soon, and we sell this program out every time we run it. Join the wait list and you’ll get early access to enroll.SIGN UP FOR THE WAITLISTYou can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/453Quick Links:Free Wholesale Audio SeriesFree Resources LibraryFree Email Marketing for Product MakersPTP LABSPaper CampMentioned in this episode:Paper Camp is now open for enrollment!Enroll now in our next round of Paper Camp: http://prooftoproduct.com/papercamp

Today's episode is a short excerpt from a previous conversation I had with one of our amazing Paper Camp students.I really love using this podcast to spotlight the incredible things that our students are doing because there is so much value in hearing how other product brands are navigating wholesale in real time. These episodes are also a great reminder that there is no singular path to success when it comes to selling wholesale. You get to decide what works best for you and your brand. Today you're getting an inside look at how one brand does things which will surely spark ideas for you. You can listen to the full episode with Nellys Siria of Cocoa Loves Grey here: http://prooftoproduct.com/351 Quick Links:Free Wholesale Audio SeriesFree Resources LibraryFree Email Marketing for Product MakersPTP LABSPaper CampMentioned in this episode:Paper Camp is now open for enrollment!Enroll now in our next round of Paper Camp: http://prooftoproduct.com/papercamp

Today's episode is going to be a little bit of tough love, but it is all in an effort to help you run your business more profitably and with more ease. Over the years, I have watched so many incredibly talented, hardworking product sellers that are underselling themselves. They're undercharging and they're underestimating what their business is actually capable of. Today, we're going to talk about money. Specifically, we're talking about the money that you are potentially leaving on the table right now without even realizing it.There are 4 big areas that I want to talk about, and I would be shocked if at least one of them doesn't apply to your business in some way. Today's episode is brought to you by our Paper Camp program. Paper Camp is our wholesale coaching program where we teach you everything you need to know to build strong wholesale foundations. Over the course of 4 weeks, we tackle your product line, sales tools, and marketing plan, and we even talk about how to exhibit at trade shows if that's what you want to do. We start with your product line and go into everything from how often you should be releasing new products to ensuring that your numbers are sustainable for the wholesale market and their price for profit.Then we move into sales tools you must have for selling wholesale so you make a strong first impression with buyers like catalogs and your terms and conditions. Then, we cover marketing strategies and ways to reach various store owners. Each week's teachings build on the previous week, and we host weekly live engaging coaching calls to answer all of your questions. We will open enrollment for our next round of Paper Camp soon, and we sell this program out every time we run it. Join the wait list and you’ll get early access to enroll.SIGN UP FOR THE WAITLISTYou can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/452 Quick Links:Free Wholesale Audio SeriesFree Resources LibraryFree Email Marketing for Product MakersPTP LABSPaper CampMentioned in this episode:Paper Camp is now open for enrollment!Enroll now in our next round of Paper Camp: http://prooftoproduct.com/papercamp

Today's episode is a short excerpt from a previous conversation I had with one of our amazing Paper Camp students.I really love using this podcast to spotlight the incredible things that our students are doing because there is so much value in hearing how other product brands are navigating wholesale in real time. These episodes are also a great reminder that there is no singular path to success when it comes to selling wholesale. You get to decide what works best for you and your brand. Today you're getting an inside look at how one brand does things which will surely spark ideas for you. You can listen to the full episode with Rachel Kroh of Heartell Press here: http://prooftoproduct.com/346 Quick Links:Free Wholesale Audio SeriesFree Resources LibraryFree Email Marketing for Product MakersPTP LABSPaper CampMentioned in this episode:Paper Camp is now open for enrollment!Enroll now in our next round of Paper Camp: http://prooftoproduct.com/papercamp

Today's conversation is all about growing your business intentionally, experimenting with new ideas, and building a brand that evolves alongside you. Today's guest is Kirstie Lee, the founder of A Jar of Pickles, a product company that creates playful gifts and accessories that celebrate Asian appetites. Kirstie's been in business for 12 years, starting as an Etsy hobby while she was in college, and she kept it running alongside her corporate job for 8 years. Then, she went full-time about 5 years ago after having her kids. Her brand now sells online, at craft shows, and through wholesale partnerships. Last year alone, she managed 43 retail markets across 4 states. Kirstie has been part of our Proof to Product community for more than a decade, and it has been such a joy to watch her business grow.In this episode, we talk about everything from balancing a corporate career while building a product brand to hiring your first employee, expanding into wholesale, building a devoted direct-to-consumer audience, and why treating your business like one big experiment has opened doors to opportunities that Kirstie never even planned for. I especially love Kirstie's perspective on listening to customers without letting every opinion dictate your direction and how staying curious has helped her continue growing year after year. If you are wondering what the next stage of growth could look like for your business and you're looking for encouragement that there is not one specific pathway to take for that success, then I think you're really going to enjoy today's episode.Today's episode is brought to you by our Is Wholesale Right for You workshop! Wholesale is not the only way to grow a product brand, but it's definitely my favorite. If you are curious about selling to retail stores, or maybe you've hit a wholesale plateau and aren't sure what to do next, then this free on-demand workshop will help you identify your next best step along with action items to do that.SIGN UPYou can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/451 Quick Links:Free Wholesale Audio SeriesFree Resources LibraryFree Email Marketing for Product MakersPTP LABSPaper CampMentioned in this episode:Paper Camp is now open for enrollment!Enroll now in our next round of Paper Camp: http://prooftoproduct.com/papercamp

Today's episode is a short excerpt from a previous conversation I had with one of our amazing Paper Camp students.I really love using this podcast to spotlight the incredible things that our students are doing because there is so much value in hearing how other product brands are navigating wholesale in real time. These episodes are also a great reminder that there is no singular path to success when it comes to selling wholesale. You get to decide what works best for you and your brand. Today you're getting an inside look at how one brand does things which will surely spark ideas for you. You can listen to the full episode with Alex Gagné of Chez Gagné here: http://prooftoproduct.com/106 Quick Links:Free Wholesale Audio SeriesFree Resources LibraryFree Email Marketing for Product MakersPTP LABSPaper CampMentioned in this episode:Paper Camp is now open for enrollment!Enroll now in our next round of Paper Camp: http://prooftoproduct.com/papercamp