Who is wise, is a southern gal with a lot of sass, and is purple? (Well, at least her hair is.)
Sandy Engels of The Purple Sage – that’s who!
Her brand isn’t just about soap and body care, it’s about listening to the sage inside you!
You need to slow down!
The sage inside wonders where you’ve been and why you’re not taking time for “me”.
The sage inside even wonders why you’re running around worried about your empty nest?
The sage inside is not going to bully you and say let me out.
Nor will the sage guilt you.
As soon as you quit yourself…the sage shows up.
The ritual of bathing…going behind closed doors with no interruptions has allowed me to slow down and let the sage inside, come out – and I know it can for you too!
Sandy’s brand is about the woman inside of you. That Sage. And she’s created a helluva soap and body care brand caring about YOU.
After a major brand revamp and then going ALL IN on her marketing, well…the numbers speak for themselves.
Her sales are up 195% from December 2019 and 2020
She’s already up 67% for the quarter (that’s Q1 of 2021)
In today’s episode, Sandy tells us how’s she’s done it, even after almost throwing in the towel, she rebranded, went all in and now her sales are exploding.
Pull up your chair to the kitchen table with us and enjoy the show.
Show notes:
Coffee with the Sage – Coming soon…FB lives and the intimate stuff in private group
Official Purple Sage Instagram
Christine Laureano and Ba6 Marketing
Transcript (unedited)
00:16
From the kitchen table to six and seven figures in the marketing habits and processes to grow your product maker business, welcome to two hands made this. I’m your host Christine Laureano, conversion copywriter and content strategist and product maker. For over two and a half decades I’ve made products from having a gourmet deli to creating a line of baby clothes called Hampton baby. And for almost 18 years as a clinical aroma therapist and formulator I developed a line of all natural skincare products. So from soup to nuts, leather and lace and every product in between. We’ll talk about the ugly cries of failed campaigns, the sweet, sweet moments of success and all the marketing moments in between to move the needle toward your big bold and brilliant goals. Join me each week as I sit around the kitchen table with some pretty incredible makers to give you tips on copywriting content marketing strategies, email marketing and messaging wisdom that will make a difference in the way you market your product business for growth and success. Who is wise, is a southern gal with a lot of sass and is purple. Well at least her hair is Sandi angles of purple Sage that to her brand isn’t just about soap and body care. It’s about listening to the sage inside you. You need to slow down the sage inside wonders where you’ve been and why you’re not taking time for me. The sage inside even wonders when you’re running around worried about your empty nest. The sage inside is not going to bully you and say let me out. nor will the sage guilt you. As soon as you quit yourself. The sage shows up. As Sandy says, The ritual of bathing, going behind closed doors with no interruptions has allowed me to slow down and let the sage inside Come out. And I know it can for you to Sandy’s brand is about the woman inside of you that sage. And she’s created a hell of a soap and body care brand caring about you. Let me share with you a couple numbers. Her sales are 195% from December 2019 to December 2020. And she’s already up 67% for the quarter that’s q1 of this year. In today’s episode, Sandy tells us how she’s done it. Even after almost throwing in the towel, she rebranded and went all in and now her sales are exploding. So pull up your chair to the kitchen table with us and enjoy the show. Hey there, Sandy, welcome to two hands made this.
03:02
Hey, Christine, so glad to be here. Thank you for having me.
03:06
Oh, god, it’s
03:06
my pleasure. You know, I was when I think about podcast guests, and especially for our podcast here, you know, talking to makers and how the the transitions and the growth that has happened. Y’all have been so top of my mind, because I’ve known you for quite some time. And I’ve seen your changes. I’ve seen your growth and like, Oh gosh, we gotta we gotta put a little purple glow on this podcast here. So I’m so glad you’re here to share with us.
03:38
Thank you. Thank you. It has been a roller coaster ride to say the least. But I’m glad to be here.
03:44
Yes. And you know, what part of this podcast is, you know, we’re going on those roller coaster rides together. And it’s important to share that because it is it is.
03:55
It is you know, I mean, it’s it’s part of part of being an entrepreneur and part of being in business, you know? Yes.
04:00
Yeah, exactly. And to not shy away from or be scared of, you know, those dips in those terms. And those, those upside down moments when you’re hanging there on that roller coaster depends on the kind of roller coaster ride, but you know, yes. And I know you’ve been through some and it’s been really cool for me. You know, as the observer of you of what your brand is, over the over the years, how you’ve changed so much and to see the growth is just I just find it so exciting because, you know, it’s just, you went from this idea and this passion to something that has grown to like this business that is just stand out. So I love it. I love it so much.
04:46
Thank you.
04:47
Thank you. You’re welcome.
04:48
So as we dive in, you know, because again, we’re going to talk about marketing in a second but can you share with us that kitchen table epiphany that thing that Really, like, sparked to that start and you for this business?
05:06
Sure. Um, well first off, I was introduced to soapmaking through an aromatherapy workshop that I went to. And I was interested in learning about essential oils at that time. And, you know, I came home with all these cool little formulas, if you will. And at the time, my son had real bad acne, so I was really focused on that. But then in the back of my mind after, after we did, you know, took care of the acne issue. Um, we got into the soapmaking, you know, and it was it was a demonstration was a Melton poor demonstration on you know, how to use these blends in the, in the soaps. And so I went to Michaels, and, you know, yeah, where else do you go and, and bought some Melton force notes. And that’s what my kids and I did for teachers gifts that year was, we, I let them create the soaps and so it was a real fun project. But, and this is what’s really so funny is because I’ve never considered myself an artist or really artsy fartsy in that term. Um, but there was something inside of me that was actually brewing with this soap making, and it was like, there’s got to be more to it. Um, you know, so I got on what was yahoogroups back then. So that tells you how long ago it was. And, and started doing some research and found out that, you know, I could actually make soap from scratch, instead of buying this bass, which there’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s just not where I wanted to go. So I did my research, and I really ham hot about it, because my kids were still young enough that that bringing the lie into the house and learning the procedures. You know, I was a little nervous about that. But you know, one day I just decided to heck with it, I bit the bullet. I explained to my kids what they could and could not touch. And they were old enough to know that so anyway, so I’m making all this so and you’re giving it away? Are you using it? You know, you can only take so many bows? Yeah, yeah. So it’s like, you know, there’s got to be, and I didn’t know that there was like, you know, you can really get out there and sell this stuff. But anyway, there’s got to be something you could do with it. And then was like, you know, if I’m enjoying this, there’s got to be other women. That would enjoy it too. You know, so that’s kind of where the, the Epiphany at the kitchen table came from. It’s like, hmm, if I perfect. My formula, you know, and there’s a lot of trial and error that goes with that. And that’s what you know, that’s, you know, friends and family are for, you know, they’re the gift. Yeah, you know? Yeah, they’re always like, Oh, so what are we trying this week? It’s like, Well, you know, but anyway, so that’s where it came from. It’s like, I’m enjoying the relaxation, that that even just the bath the soap not buying store bought soap, something that had special meaning to it, you know that somebody two hands made this? And it’s like, wow, okay, so that’s when I decided to look into creating a business around the soaps. And so that’s where the purple Sage was born.
08:48
Oh, that’s so cool. I just I just love those. Again, those kitchen table epiphany is those moments when you’re doing it for fun. I was similar to you. I started years ago, got my Roma therapy certification. And I love blends. And it was just really fun. And you know, friends and family tried things out. And then I was like, What else can I do with this and that’s how I got into the lotion making and skincare I never got into soap. Again, I didn’t get into soap for the same reason you did. You know two little kids and dogs running around. I’m like, Oh, I can’t do the live thing. But I got into the lotion making and you know, I love that you know that we kind of all have that moment like oh my god, I love this so much. Other people would love it, you know as much as I do. And then you know getting out and thinking I can sell this. And I love that thinking because if you have two hands and you can make something you can make a business out of it. Yeah. So as you so you created the purple sage. And I want to have you explain before we get into like the all the marketing things that you’ve done, because brand voice and name brand voice that’s important. That’s an important piece of your marketing. It’s kind of where We’ll start.
10:01
So what? What was like the purple Sage? Where did that come from? And what was like your ideas behind it?
10:08
Well, first of all, um, my love of purple, everything. And I was even asked the other day, how long have you know? Is this been a, you know, a recent pet? No, it’s like, since as far back as I can remember, six and seven years old, having purple clothing items, you know, shoes, night gowns and what have you. So the purple goes way back. And then the sage, the sage is all about learning and growing. And, um, as I as I stepped into my brand boys, it’s gotten even more refined, because it’s about the seasons of a woman’s life, you know, we’re wiser than we give ourselves credit for. And so tapping into that inner Sage that we all have as women, and especially women, modern midlife women is what I like to call them, because we’re all up in our 50s. You know, rather, we want to admit it or not, you know, and I mean, course, age is just a number for me, but I know, there are some women that are sensitive about that. But anyway, so I don’t, I don’t play on them. The age part I talk about the wisdom. So that’s where the purpose age came from. My lovely purple in my love of learning and expressing the seasons of my life, you know, and that’s, that was the thing that was, you know, my brand was all over the place up until 2017 when I rebranded and when I realized I am the purple sage, that became real. And I know a lot of brands. It’s not about them. And it’s not about me, personally, but it’s about the women of my generation. And stepping into that, you know, we are modern midlife women, we’re not our, you know, like our old grannies used to be that kind of thing. So that’s where my brand voice came from.
12:17
Oh, totally, I love that you’ve done that. And the, the, the idea of the purple sage and how you came about your brand voice as well. And you really reflect it, not only Yes, in your brand, but in your products in your messaging, is that, and I think you helped so many women not, not again, not just pampering themselves, with your products, but just the messages that you give about Yes, you know, you’re wiser than you realize. And that, you know, there is so much worth in value to you. And you know, as a as a, you know, a woman of a certain age, I’m with you, because I still feel like I’m 12 years old. So you know, age is just a number. But the fact that, you know, you’re helping women embrace this beautiful piece of them, you know, that that part of their soul is I mean, it’s so truly free selective in your brand. So thank you for sharing that. Because again, you know, and as you said, you were find it knowing who being the voice and being the face of your brand, even though you don’t, how do I want to put this, we don’t want to be you know, we don’t want to be that person standing up and going, Hey, this is my stuff. But, you know, being that voice is very important, as you as you know, and as you certainly have discovered, and stepping into that is hard. But it’s necessary. Right?
13:45
Exactly. So,
13:48
and I think that’s another lesson that we learned over the years too, is that stepping into, you know, you do need to be the face of your brand, because women you know, or your customers are really looking up to you as well. And that they want to see who you are, they want to know, get to know you like you know, trust you that whole whole big thing. And I think that just has really helped and you really stepped into that, again, with your messaging. And with all that you’ve done. So
14:14
thank you that that was the hardest part was to to, to put myself out there to be the brand, visually and the voice. But once you do it, it just it starts to solidify things and then it becomes real and then you know, it actually gets easier. Um, you know, but it’s, it’s a process and it’s a process you have to go through.
14:39
Totally and that just made me think about to you know, it’s a process you have to go through it does get easier, you know, because again, you know, newer brands starting you know, with their messaging, I keep thinking you know, marketing and voice and all that is that when before you step into those shoes of being the voice of your brand. Marketing feels hard. You’re like I don’t know what to say right? I don’t know To say, I don’t know what to do. I don’t, I don’t want it to be about me. And it doesn’t have to be about you. But as soon as you step into those shoes, it changes. Right? It feels different. So I know I might need to talk about that, because I know I can see some. See, we’re actually talking on zoom, even though you only get the audio, I can see Sandy, and I can see the wheels turning. She has some good ideas here about, you know, what she’s tried over the years and all that. So take it away, Sandy.
15:35
Yeah, well, stepping into it is the hardest part because I didn’t want it to be, you know, about me and my wife, but I wanted to hit on what, what’s important to women, you know, we, we tend to put ourselves on the back burner, when we’re raising our kids. So that’s two decades of our life, that we were caring for other people. And so, to put that aside, and actually put our bring ourselves to the forefront, and to start taking care of ourselves with whether it be a bathing ritual, you know, or your exercise your diet or whatever, that we have to do that. And it’s, you know, sometimes we feel guilty, or we feel like it’s being selfish, and it’s so far from it, you know, but it’s, it’s stepping into that and getting that message out there. Because, you know, unlike everybody else, I struggle with it as well. You know, sometimes it’s like, well, I should be doing but no, I should not be doing I should be that kind of thing.
16:38
You know, that’s, that’s such a good point. And, and you have certainly, again, reflected it in your your messaging and in your marketing, especially over the years, how you’ve grown and changed. So, um, you know, we talk on the show, we talk about the ugly cries of failed campaigns, and then the sweet successes. But before we get into that, I really want people to know, like, Oh, you know, what, as much as you can remember, all the different marketing things that you’ve done over the years, because people think, Oh, I need to do one thing, or I don’t know what to do. Or if I try something, I need to stick with it. But that’s, there couldn’t be anything further from the truth. So do you remember some of those, some or all of your marketing things? Some, yes, some I’ve tried to block out,
17:22
you know, part of marketing for my business for my brand was doing live events, you know, um, and, of course, you know, COVID, kind of shut that down last year. But anyway, that was my main, what I thought at the time was my main marketing Avenue. And as I grew in my business, I realized there’s more to marketing, than just getting out there and doing events. And so you realize, you know, you have the website, so your copy your product descriptions, that’s your marketing, because my original product descriptions were pitiful, um, you know, it was like, okay, the soap is made with yada, yada, yada, it smells like yada, yada, yada. And that was my product description. You know, whereas now, after learning and stepping into these things, the product description is much more about the feeling, or what you’re going to get from the product. And yeah, there’s a little blurb at the bottom that tells you what’s in it, and what it smells like, you know, like, wisdom, I talk about where wisdom comes from. And that’s, you know, that’s a spearmint pituitary gland. And wisdom, to me, particularly just spoke wisdom. So, you know, sitting down and working on those product descriptions, so that that part of marketing was hard, because I had to really put some thought into it as to what the voice was going to be that goes with my brand. And then you have, you know, newsletters, blogging, Facebook, Instagram, you know, all of those things that are marketing, that, you know, you still have to find your brand voice to be able to do them, because, you know, and I’m guilty like anybody else. I was just throwing stuff out there just to say I was doing it. And then realize, that’s just what it looks like, you know, it’s like, there was no cohesiveness to it. So that was the, the ugly side of marketing that I like to call it, because when I don’t know when you don’t know what you’re doing, and you’re doing it just because everybody says that’s what you have to do.
19:46
Oh, absolutely.
19:48
Yeah. And then, you know, you find that there are actually people out there like yourself that do these kind of things that help with the content that helped with the marketing In the newsletters and what have you, um, and then when you find those type people, and they, they get your brand. I mean, they really get your brand, sometimes better than you do. Um, that’s when it clicks. And that’s when it’s amazing that for me, so those are my marketing, you know, the ugly side. And what I found to be the, the side that I love to go with was, you know, the more cohesive where someone else is actually helping me with that stuff. You know,
20:33
and I love that you said that, because, you know, especially starting out or even just several years in, we want to, we know, we’re do it yourselfers, you know, we think we shouldn’t do it all ourselves, we don’t really get that we need help. No, I got it, I can do this. It’s all good. But then we realized, as we hit that next level in our businesses, we start to grow. And there are other people out there to help. Part. And again, part of this podcast is really about finding and helping makers find those resources. Because probably like you, when you started, when I started, I had such a hard time finding resources to help me grow, that helped me grow because nobody really understood my business. You know, I did SBA and I did score and I did those things, and they didn’t really get what I was doing. They got you know, they’re like every small business should do. So you know that, that, you know, you as you did this, you started finding your people, but you’ll finding your help, that really gave you again, those extra tools, those resources that you need to really step into it. And you really have, because there’s there’s a few things that I have watched you do and grow that I love that you’re doing. But before we get to that sweet success, we have to start with those ugly cries of those failed campaigns, because we’ve all had them. I want listeners to know, don’t worry about it, you’re gonna have them too. And we do recover from them.
21:58
Yes, yeah. Well, I can tell you back in, well, I rebranded in 2017. And when I say rebranded, I’m sure most people know but I’m just going to go a little backstory for those that may not know, is when I rebranded, I completely revamped my whole company, the only thing that I kept was the name the purpose age, on my product line, used to be 44 different stance of everything. Yeah. Yes, and try to maintain that, that, you know, that was that was a nightmare. So in the in the rebranding, it refined my product line, and it made it more cohesive. But through that process, you know, I actually had hired someone to help with my marketing. And it really wasn’t a good fit for us. And she was kind enough to let me know that it wasn’t a good fit. Oh, that was but that, yeah, but that that sent me into the biggest, biggest downward spiral that I think I’ve ever experienced. And I know that I’ve ever experienced in my business, and what I did literally think that was 20 2019, I believe. And literally, I did the bare essentials to keep the business afloat, because it was like, I finally had some help. And I felt like I was moving in the right direction. But you know, deep down in my gut, I knew it wasn’t a good fit. But I didn’t want to admit that. Because I didn’t want to look like a failure. You know, what I hit
23:47
the road, I was just gonna ask you, what did that feel like for you? Because again, you know, those feelings are real.
23:52
Yeah, I felt like a failure. And then, you know, I have, I have all of my friends or colleagues in, you know, in the industry. And it was like, I had to admit, I screwed up, you know, or, you know, screwed up failure, whatever you want to call it. It wasn’t a good feeling. And I literally just did enough to keep the business afloat. I wasn’t doing my email newsletter. I wasn’t doing my blog. I was posting on Facebook and Instagram just to stay forefront, but it really wasn’t. It wasn’t doing very much. And when I hit rock bottom was late 2019. Yeah, almost into 2020. And I finally realized, you know, if I don’t get all of my behind and start doing something, I might as well close up shop, you know, so I had to do a lot of soul searching. And really being an entrepreneur is a lot of soul searching. It really is, isn’t it? Yeah. The personal growth. I mean, y’all, y’all see the personal growth. Y’all see the growth in the business? But when I saw it, it was like, Oh my gosh, you know. But anyway, so the personal growth, so I hit rock bottom and decided, yes, I want this business. And yes, I want to see it grow. I’ve got things that I want to do with it. So I’m, I just decided to start stepping up my game. I got back into doing my newsletters, I don’t blog as much as I should, could or would. You know, it’s just one of those things is you can only do so much. Exactly, exactly.
25:34
Yeah, I want people to understand that as well. But you can only do so much on your own. Yep. And, okay, I have a question. But yeah, keep going. Because I want to clarify, you know, because not only you know, this rock bottom is your failure, and that you feel like you screwed up and whatever. Because also you feel like, you know, especially when it came to marketing or choosing someone to help you with your marketing. I mean, you’re spending money, right? Mm hmm. They thought, you know, for lack of a better word, you know, you trusted what they promised. And it just didn’t work. Right.
26:09
Right. Right. Well, I was still and part of it wasn’t, it wasn’t all the other. You know, that person. I was still refining my brand voice. Yeah. And so, you know, I kept throwing, I know, I kept throwing different things out. And that’s why really, in my gut, I knew it wasn’t working, because I hadn’t solidified my brain voice. Interesting.
26:33
Yes. And that happens too. And I want everybody to know that, you know, again, when we talk brand voice, and what’s what I find with you as well, is that I mean, you have been doing this for a long time. And it wasn’t, you know, 2019 was only two years ago. Yeah, years ago, what year? Are we? 20? Yes, you know, so. So for people that don’t know, you know, you’re growing your business, but then you have this pivot point. And sometimes that does happen, you know, where you’re just like, Oh, my God, I don’t know if I can do this anymore. But you turned around, so you hit this rock bottom, you came up? And what did you do from there?
27:10
Um, I got back on the horse, and literally, you know, started doing my newsletters, I still wasn’t as consistent as I should, as I would like to be. But just doing the newsletters and really, my still had events back then. So changing my attitude while I was at my events helped, you know, because it before. And that was the other thing before the events. It was like a shotgun blast, any event that came up, I was there, you know, and I’m talking like, 30 plus events a year? Well, you know, so that that was the other part of the burnout and the rock bottom, it’s like, you know what, I’m not doing that anymore. So cutting back on my events, and really honing in on those that were that fit my brand, as opposed to, you know, just being out there for the exposure, which is a that’s a funny word, because the exposure is costing me money. Um, yeah. Well,
28:10
that’s a good point, though. That’s a really good point, to be clear on the events that work for you, because it does cost you money.
28:19
Yes. I mean, when you go to an event, and yeah, you’re making some money, but when you start putting the numbers to it, you realize, you know, you might have made 100 bucks, you know, and the philosophy that I had been ingrained with was, well, you came home with more money than you left with. But, yeah.
28:41
Oh, yes. I understand that. Yes.
28:45
Yes. So it picking up where I left off on, you know, honing down on my shows, doing my newsletters are really, really putting out better content, or striving for better content for the newsletter, Facebook and Instagram. And then in mid 2020, I decided to venture out and hire someone else. Someone again,
29:16
we’re getting into those sweet moments of success, aren’t we? Yeah.
29:20
to hire someone again, you know, because I felt like that, you know, I put my work my foot toe in the water the first time and it didn’t work. So I’m a little hesitant,
29:30
and that by this time, you’ve already you’ve refined your brand voice you’ve really like you you again, you hit that rock bottom, you refine not only your product line, you’ve refined your brand voice, you really did a big pivot. Mm hmm. And but you are a lot more clear and certainly a lot more focused at this point.
29:48
Yes. And so going into that. hiring someone else, it really made a difference because I could, I could put it all out there and say this is my brand. This is what I’m about. girl, she knocked it out.
30:05
But she wouldn’t have been able to knock it out of the park without you being so clear. And that’s the beautiful thing about what you’ve done and why you like this message is so important. Because again, you know, anybody can knock it out of the park, when you’re really clear. And as you know, then you can translate and communicate that to the people you’re working with. Right? So, you know, you hired this person. Now you’re easily you know, you can speak to her and you can tell her exactly what you want and communicate and create those goals together. And that’s how you knocked out of the park.
30:38
Yes, right. Yes. Yes, there was a there was a term she used. And it was so funny because I had to, you know, I had to correct I like to call my my peeps were modern middle aged women. Not my know, we’re modern midlife women, and she called us middle aged men. Oh,
31:00
no.
31:03
Those words are fighting words. No, I am.
31:08
But again, you know, the fact that you became so clear on that, you know, and again, being the copywriter that I am, you know, that in between copying content and words matter, you could have either turned on your audience or turned off your audience with those words. And the fact that you knew that as well as you did to be able to convey that message is a big deal.
31:26
Yes, exactly. Exactly. Exactly. So,
31:30
so So then what are so you’ve got this person that you’re working with now? And And believe me, not only in the show notes, am I going to put your website but your Instagram page as well, because I want everybody to check out you can see the difference. From you know, from your earlier on, and to today, how it’s changed so much. I want everybody to see that. So what are those sweet moments of success that you’re seeing?
31:58
Oh, gosh, um, obviously, more sales? You know, I mean, that’s, that’s the bottom line is more sales?
32:08
And are you getting the sales to desist from the work? is this coming from like, your Instagram traffic? Is that or is it like, all together? Like, you’re obviously getting more sales? Because you’ve got to do something in order to, to stir that up a little bit? Right. So right, are you seeing from that?
32:29
Um, I, I’m sad to say, I don’t track where the, where it comes from, like, I should, um, but it’s, I I’m going off in my gut, okay. That, obviously, the sales or the feedback that I’m getting from my, from my peeps, my Sage sisters, is phenomenal, you know, the, the, the emails, like when I do a newsletter, you know, that the, that really resonated with me, or thank you for saying that or the way you know, and I always, I don’t think I’m very eloquent. But I, I just put it out there. And so when it comes back, and somebody says, You said exactly what I’ve been thinking, or you know, what have you, those are the sweet moments that, you know, you’ve hit on a chord with them, and you’ve made a connection and that bond, that’s when it’s like, the money is irrelevant at that point, you know? Yeah,
33:35
I get
33:36
that. But because I’ve had a few connections with quite a few, actually. And it’s like, you know, you know, when you connect with people, just it’s a special bond. That’s really that’s the high point.
33:48
It truly is. And that’s you. And you said that right there, the high point of being a maker is creating those bonds. It’s not just about, you know, the number of sales or how many wholesale accounts I have. It’s those bonds that really solidify and create that growth in your business. You know, how many times have we heard and I’ve actually heard this also, like, How many? How many times have standard people ask you, oh, you should go on Shark Tank? You know, like, I
34:15
used to have people ask me all
34:16
the time, you know, are you going to go on? You should go on Shark Tank. Right? What people don’t understand. And because when you’ve been in business long enough, you get this what people don’t understand we’ve seen this before is that Oh, that’s so cool. You have to be really ready for growth. And we’ve seen it before, where you know, maybe it’s not the connections or Oh my god, all of a sudden I’m in I have a mega wholesale account. And all they need is to crank out product. But what happens is if you’re if you’re not ready for that either, you can. I’m going to just say it plain and simple. You can bank get beat you can get bankrupt because you’re not ready for that kind of growth. And you don’t have connections. So what do you fall back on? So as you’ve created these connections, I mean, these are people that are going to drive your business and talk to other people. And, you know, tell their friends, and that’s that kind of business. Those sweet moments of success, like you said, that just give you a consistent growth pattern.
35:20
Yes, I mean, the friendship, that that’s a really, that’s a really powerful word. Because I’ve got I’ve, I’ve got a call or a client, but I mean, really, she’s a friend now, because we actually text back and forth. You know, it’s not about just what what, you know, her order or anything like that this is on a personal level. So, there’s, there’s that friendship, and it’s like, that’s as much as I love, love, love, love, love making soap. or making products. You know, that’s, that’s where my passion is. Um, it’s the friendships that have been created. Yeah, that really, as you say, that’s the driving force. It really is.
36:10
Yeah, it is. And it feels so good. Because you know, you’re doing something that connects with people in such a way that they do want to be they do become friends, you know, it’s you’re reaching past the the customer client relationship, it’s become friendship. And that’s, I don’t know, I think that’s a really good marker for seeing business growth. And I know, a lot of times, you know, people say, well, Business is business and friendship, but you know, not the kind of work that we do always. Because when you, you know, touch people in such a way that it helps their lives and feels better. Like that’s, again, like you said, those are those really sweet moments of success. So as we kind of round out this here, podcast. All right, I want to ask one more good question. Like, as far as the, the the most successful marketing activity that you’ve had. And then I want you to talk to me about those three tips for our rising stars.
37:10
The most successful marketing is my newsletter.
37:18
I’m going to exclamation points can we put after that? Because so many people think, Oh, it’s just a newsletter, your email list is gold. It’s a gold mine. Now,
37:29
I know. But I mean, I was one of those that was guilty of it, too. You know, it was just like, you know, but, but what it goes back to is I wasn’t speaking in my brain voice. I wasn’t speaking to my people. I was just putting content out there that had no, it wasn’t relevant. And that’s why the newsletter, you know, if if your content is relevant, and I hate to put a lot of pressure on that, but you want to just go through the motions. Yeah. And if you know that, at that point, it is just going through the motions. And it’s not, it’s not that golden marketing nugget, that it could or should be,
38:09
yeah. You know, then that you say that relevant, because a lot of times people look well, I don’t know what to say, or, you know, it’s really looking at, again, looking at your brand, and planning it out, right, I know that you you you plan out your content, and you talk and again, that’s relevant, that may be relevant, like an activity, it may be, you know, a pampering thing, it may be I mean, you know, your audience now so well, and again, speaking your brand voice that you know, what is relevant. So, you know, I don’t want to I don’t want to minimize the importance of relevancy because again, it does take work and you’ve done that work. And your content is super relevant. And again, there’s nothing better than you have somebody come back and say I needed that or you said just what I needed you know, and then right I don’t love the word that they express it to Ching but that is what so build those sales to you know, it does those teaching moments.
39:09
You can dance with the teachings and then you can dance with the you know, the relationships and you know, it in our industry. It’s funny because we always talk about the happy soap dance, you know, there’s always a little dancing somewhere going on, you know, but yeah. Oh, I
39:26
love that. I love that the happy soul fans, that’s great. Okay, Sandy, you have another sweet success. Let’s talk about that. Pretend you made a lot of you made a lot your sales went through the roof during a pandemic and it’s more it’s not just about making soap.
39:42
Right, right. Well, you know, with with shows being canceled postponed or what have you, you know, because of social distancing, and what have you. Um, I stepped up to the plate and stepped out of my comfort zone and started doing Facebook Lives. That was pivotal. Um, yeah, when I think about that was pivotal because first of all, I’m an introvert. So being in front of the camera was not where I wanted to be. But I was out there every Tuesday at 10am. And I did a Facebook Live for most people from March through December, every Tuesday, and that was pivotal. And I think that’s what drew drove the sales in a pandemic year, because technically I should have lost, lost my behind. Because I had no shows the shows were the bulk of my revenue, and I’ve always wanted to move it more toward the website. And so by doing Facebook Lives, and being visible in a different format,
40:52
I think that’s what job sales and you can you really I mean, and boy, you can reach a lot of people on Facebook, were you on your just your, your, what was it just your regular feed? Was it your Facebook page? Was it just your regular Sandy newsfeed, or?
41:08
I did it on my public page, and then I would post sometimes to my private page, and then also posted over to Instagram.
41:17
Awesome.
41:18
Yeah. So keeping that visible.
41:22
So what are the
41:23
three marketing tips you can give our rising stars that they can walk with what walk away with today and know that they can do this?
41:32
Three, okay. Um, first and foremost, I believe is consistency. Consistency, if you’re going to be on Instagram, Facebook, whatever the other multiple plethora of platforms are, and your newsletter and your blog, whatever you choose, choose consistency. Um, and, and I say that because I’ve been guilty of not doing it. And when I am consistent, I see the benefits of it. So first and foremost, in all of your marketing is consistency. Um, second is don’t be afraid to step out and hire someone. Even even before you think you’re ready. If you’re even thinking about it, you’re ready.
42:23
Good point. Wow. Yeah.
42:25
Yeah. And and, you know, some of that goes back to the old business adage of it takes money to make money. Mm hmm. Because hiring someone, usually, you know, we, we typically look at, okay, income outcome. And I’m not making enough men in our minds. We’re not making enough mentally to harsh, but I say her and hard work as quick as you can.
42:51
Oh, that’s a good one. And just before we get to the third point, maybe do you have like some advice for hiring somebody? Because, again, you had, you know, you’ve had the, the, the, the, I don’t want to say to fail, but the first time it didn’t work, right. You hope and then the second time again, as you said, You knocked it out of the park. So what can people look for? You know, or advice for for that?
43:16
Make sure your brand voice is nailed down. A little deeper than surface. Okay. I’m making sure that’s nailed down. And then, you know, when I heard my first one, it was because I went, I just wanted, I didn’t do my due diligence as far as research. And so you know, ask for references, talk to people don’t just hire based on one recommendation, or you know, the friend of a friend of a friend kind of thing. So do your research.
43:51
Before Thank
43:52
you, Sandy, because I know people will have that question. Well, how will I know how will I know if they’re right? But like you said, do your due diligence, do your research, find out for yourself?
44:01
Yeah, and, you know, I know this isn’t good business advice, but I go with my gut A lot of times,
44:08
oh, I do too. And it is business advice. let’s just, let’s just put that right on the table.
44:15
You know, where you know, you’re good. It’s not gonna lie to you because that’s your Well, that’s your sage. That’s your intuition. That’s it’s there for a reason, you know, and it doesn’t matter if it’s business relationships, life in general, go with your gut.
44:31
If it doesn’t feel right, it’s not right. If it feels right, it is right.
44:36
Exactly. And probably the third bit of advice is surround yourself with people that that you admire that you want to you know, this is this may or may not be marketing related, but find a tribe that gets you that will help uplift you because by doing that you progress And you know, your marketing. It just, it all kind of falls into place. I know that sounds silly, but
45:07
Oh, it’s Oh true
45:09
tribe that support. It’s also resources you can bounce things off with people. So find a tribe that you’re that you feel comfortable with.
45:19
Yes. And Sandy and I belong to the same tribe. I’ve mentioned it in several show notes before the indie business network. I know, Sandy, you’re in a couple other what are some of the tribes that you’re in? Besides indie?
45:31
Um, it is the indie Business Network, one of the other ones that I’m doing and it is a marketing, it’s the social sales girls. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Um, and then I would, those, those two are the prominent ones. And then there are, you know, there’s a networking group that I’m a part of locally, that that’s also part of my tribe, but it’s a different aspect, you know, so we need tribes,
46:00
we need our people, you know, and that’s the first and foremost being an entrepreneur, being a business owner can be a very lonely thing. And you know, as we’re, we’re doing our work, we can get so caught up in our head, like, Am I doing the right thing? Am I not doing the right thing. And then when we do that, when our head speaks louder than our gut, we don’t trust our gut. And so that’s why having a tribe is such an important thing. I know, Sandy, and I’ve been a member of this our tribe for I can almost say almost decades at this point, almost two decades. Next year. It’ll be two decades. I’m part of Indy so yeah, having your tribe you know, time flies when you’re having fun. And when you’re with the people just lift you up. It’s so right. This is this is this is great. And Sandy, this is fabulous. Thank you so much for coming on. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with it with our group here. Thank you for you know, showing you know how your two hands not only made your business, but how you came back from feeling pretty down. And how you really again, you built that back up and it is just, it’s so exciting to see where you’re headed right now. And I’m just, again, I’m so proud. I’m so proud of you.
47:11
But thank you, Christine. I appreciate that. And I am just humbled and honored to be here. When you asked I just was I did the happy soap dance.
47:21
The soap dance, when that’s how we are partying on the happy soap dance. Sandy, thank you so much and for everybody. We will see you next time on two hands made this. Thanks for joining me and my guests around the kitchen table to talk about marketing and growing your product business. If you enjoyed this episode, you can show your love by commenting and giving those beautiful stars hearts and likes on iTunes, Stitcher and Spotify. Thanks again and talk soon.
