Gift Biz Unwrapped | Women Entrepreneurs | Bakers, Crafters, Makers | Startup

Derek is the co-owner of Cherry Blossom CBD. They’re a Maryland based wholesaler and distributor of industrial hemp with an exclusive retail line of hemp based products. His innovative line of nutraceutical supplements are all made from American grown & organically processed hemp and independently lab tested. These products are naturally helping people find relief of pain, inflammation, anxiety as well as a host of other ailments. BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS Life is all about perspective. Be open to learn from others. Acquire and seek out new skills along the way. You never know when they can help you in your chosen path. Don’t get stuck in your initial vision because things will change. Be open to adapt to it. Educate your consumers so they can make informed decisions. Make sure people understand what your product is and how it works. Sampling is the way your customers experience how good your product is. Especially with consumable products, they must be able to taste it. Engaging with pe

This is a special 12 part-series of Maker to Master: Find What’s Not Working in Your Small Business.Given that many of us are hunkering down at home these days, I wanted to do something to balance out the pull to watching the news over and over. The best thing we can do right now is stay healthy – mentally and physically. That means being active. Go outside for a walk each day, lift weights, or get on your home bike ... also, how can you use your newfound time to be productive? Wouldn’t it be great to come out of these times stronger in mind, body and business?Towards that end, here are a few chapters of my book. Listen to all 12 episodes to hear it in its entirety. If you’d like to purchase hard copy, you can do so on Amazon or on my website at Gift Biz Unwrapped.******************************************Are you discouraged because your small business isn’t performing as you envisioned?Do you tell people everything is wonderful when inside your stomach is churning because you know it isn’t true?This book wil

This is a special 12 part-series of Maker to Master: Find What’s Not Working in Your Small Business.Given that many of us are hunkering down at home these days, I wanted to do something to balance out the pull to watching the news over and over. The best thing we can do right now is stay healthy – mentally and physically. That means being active. Go outside for a walk each day, lift weights, or get on your home bike ... also, how can you use your newfound time to be productive? Wouldn’t it be great to come out of these times stronger in mind, body and business?Towards that end, here are a few chapters of my book. Listen to all 12 episodes to hear it in its entirety. If you’d like to purchase hard copy, you can do so on Amazon or on my website at Gift Biz Unwrapped.******************************************Are you discouraged because your small business isn’t performing as you envisioned?Do you tell people everything is wonderful when inside your stomach is churning because you know it isn’t true?This book wil

This is a special 12 part-series of Maker to Master: Find What’s Not Working in Your Small Business.Given that many of us are hunkering down at home these days, I wanted to do something to balance out the pull to watching the news over and over. The best thing we can do right now is stay healthy – mentally and physically. That means being active. Go outside for a walk each day, lift weights, or get on your home bike ... also, how can you use your newfound time to be productive? Wouldn’t it be great to come out of these times stronger in mind, body and business?Towards that end, here are a few chapters of my book. Listen to all 12 episodes to hear it in its entirety. If you’d like to purchase hard copy, you can do so on Amazon or on my website at Gift Biz Unwrapped.******************************************Are you discouraged because your small business isn’t performing as you envisioned?Do you tell people everything is wonderful when inside your stomach is churning because you know it isn’t true?This book wil

This is a special 12 part-series of Maker to Master: Find What’s Not Working in Your Small Business.Given that many of us are hunkering down at home these days, I wanted to do something to balance out the pull to watching the news over and over. The best thing we can do right now is stay healthy – mentally and physically. That means being active. Go outside for a walk each day, lift weights, or get on your home bike ... also, how can you use your newfound time to be productive? Wouldn’t it be great to come out of these times stronger in mind, body and business?Towards that end, here are a few chapters of my book. Listen to all 12 episodes to hear it in its entirety. If you’d like to purchase hard copy, you can do so on Amazon or on my website at Gift Biz Unwrapped.******************************************Are you discouraged because your small business isn’t performing as you envisioned?Do you tell people everything is wonderful when inside your stomach is churning because you know it isn’t true?This book wil

Kim is a second-generation chocolatier. Her son Colton, now 11, was only 1 year old when he suffered an anaphylactic reaction to some peanut butter. This immediately provoked a feeling of fear no parent should ever have to experience. In learning about cross contamination and the severity of a Peanut & Tree Nut allergy, Kim and her husband Mike soon learned he couldn't eat anything that was traditional retail candy. This inspired Kim to take a negative and turn it into a positive so no child feels left out or different. Having a safe line of chocolates and candies is very personal and dear to her heart because, "A Nut Shouldn't Spoil the Fun!" BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS It's a mindset switch, take the negative and turn it into a positive. One way to ensure repeat customers is to have unique products. Here are some ways to attract customers – word of mouth, exhibiting at tradeshows and optimizing your website so you can be found online. Instead of searching for people, be available to those spe

COVID-19 has obviously become a global crisis on a scale none of us have lived through before. This sounds dramatic and it definitely feels that way since we’re in the midst of it right now.It’s hard to see the finish line. Nobody knows how long school and restaurant closings will be. Social distancing is a new term that we are all too familiar with at this point. And we now appreciate and long for the life we led just a couple of weeks ago.I’m not going to downplay this. Many live paycheck to paycheck and have or are at risk of being laid off. Local business owners don’t know if they’ll survive depending on how long the shutdown goes on. There are a lot of uncertainties right now. And these unknowns cause fear.I was hesitant to do a podcast about this because I don’t claim to be an expert on the virus. Obviously. But I can’t go on as usual acting like it doesn’t exist. So I want to share with you my perspective and give you concrete actions you can take to help level out the anxiety you may be feeling. And p

Ben has spent the last thirty years helping to start and grow a company called Meadowbrooke Gourds. They now have twenty full-time employees dedicated to growing, designing, crafting and marketing gourd decor designs, each one intended to create smiles and make homes a little bit warmer. They sell about half their gourds wholesale to customers located in every state. The other half are sold online, at their store, and through the many classes and community events that they host at their farm. Ben attributes their success to many things, but none more important than constantly trying to be just a little bit better every year and in every area of the business. At this point, Ben is starting to step back and let the next generation of leaders take them forward. Ben believes it will be beyond anything he could have even dreamed when he crafted that first gourd in his garage many years ago. BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS Pay attention and acknowledge all your success - big and small. Watch the reactions of you

After a career as a senior executive at Microsoft and then as a venture capitalist, Laura decided to build an ecommerce business around celebrating the customer as a creative force. Every gift they send out at Knack is made to order, whether it's one gift or thousands. Each gift on the website is easily customizable and their exclusive Gift Builders system allows customers to create completely unique gifts from scratch. As if that’s not valuable enough, they also have a Shop By Ethos feature that allows customers to find products from companies who share their values. This could be supporting a female-led business, focusing on sustainably produced products or contributing to a business that gives back to a specific cause. BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS Starting a business is about being fearless. Take a business concept, work with it and then grow it. You'll never reach a point that you know everything. One place to seek ideas and suggestions is from your team. With the evolution of commerce, power and

Amy is a certified confidence coach, masterful speaker, and personal empowerment expert. Founder of TheJoyJunkie, Amy uses her roles as coach, writer, podcaster, and speaker to move individuals to a place of radical personal empowerment and self-love. With acute focus on helping people “find their voice,” she is highly sought after for her uncommon style of irreverence, wisdom, and humor and has been a featured expert on Fox 5 San Diego and YourTango. BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS You can’t eradicate fear when you put yourself out there or when you’re trying something new in your business. But you can contend with it in a powerful way. Be fear optimized. Honor how you operate. Understand what makes you feel safe. Break down goals into mini-goals. Taking baby steps allows you to accumulate successes. The phrase “I don’t know” doesn’t move you forward. Actively search for solutions.  Acknowledge first what you're afraid of and then choose your courageous path. Look at the key players in your life an

Deirdre "Dee" is a true southern girl born and raised in the small town of Enfield, North Carolina. In 2005 she settled in Charlotte, NC and has made it home. She is a self-taught chocolate based treat maker, proud Army wife, and mom of two. Dee's custom design edible creations have a long record of precise execution for large companies and customers alike. Her Who's Who client list includes NBA players, NFL players, government officials and celebrities. Her highly sought after domestic and international classes, where she graciously teaches her techniques, sell out at the $350 and up price point, making her not only a gifted treat maker but a respected teacher. Her work has been featured on VH1, Bravo, Fox46, and has been published in a national magazine. BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS Always charge for your product - even when starting out. We're not working for free! Use social media to increase your visibility. Hashtags are like little search engines. You want your business to come up when people sea

Brian Lawrence is one of the true thought leaders in the stationery and wedding industry. A multi-store retailer who won top dealers for numerous invitation brands, he then became VP of Encore Studios for 14 years and went on to consult, do web design and marketing for hundreds of stationery and wedding retailers and wholesalers. In the past year, Brian has targeted his efforts to meet the tremendous demand for industry-focused website design and effective yet affordable digital marketing and social media strategies. Brian has spoken at both Wedding MBA and the National Stationery Show numerous times. He’s also the author of “The Wedding Expert’s Guide to Sales & Marketing.” BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS It’s not how much business you do, it’s about how much money you put in your pocket. Bring an entrepreneurial spirit to all jobs, where you own what you do. Understand the value of networking. Build relationships with businesses that have the attention of your audience. Have your own website so y

dOSA Naturals is all about paying homage to the women who paved the way for Charita and her two sisters. They were inspired by stories of their Great Grandma Dosa who was born in Mississippi and had an affinity for Magnolias. Grandma Dosa instilled a strong sense of pride and simple beauty and stressed the importance of honoring the outside of your body as well as the inside. Not only did she insist on using natural methods to accentuate her natural beauty, she also understood and advocated for daily skin care regimes free of harmful chemicals. She knew that natural was better. "Less is more," defines the brand today since most of their products contain less than 9 powerfully effective ingredients. dOSA is also environmentally conscientious. They pay their customers to ship back their empty containers. BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS The universe contains enough for everyone. Don't get discouraged because there's a place for you even in a well populated category. Your first thoughts about what your busine

Rick has been a pioneer in the Direct to Consumer (D2C) marketing industry since the early 90’s. He has used direct response strategies plus video marketing, to help build many iconic brands with products like The Juiceman, Sonicare, The George Foreman Grill, OxiClean, Clarisonic, Rug Doctor, Momentus Golf, The GoPro camera and many others. Rick’s strategies have helped grow four companies from start-ups to over a billion dollars in sales. These case studies are outlined in his book, "Building Billion Dollar Brands" and his newest book, “Video Persuasion,” both now available on Amazon. BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS Video is a powerful marketing medium if used correctly. It can significantly increase conversion rates when added to your website. People are always curious about what motivated you to start your business. This story will set you apart from the competition. Good authentic testimonials from people who have purchased your product is one of the most powerful marketing tools you can have. Engag

Roger is founder and CEO of Good Measures Foods, a company that is improving scratch baking for today's busy bakers. Roger leveraged the experience he gained by leading triple digit growth for several start-up retail brands to launch Good Measures. He has a passion for building businesses by developing winning strategies, overlaying a healthy dose of pragmatism and collaborating with excellent partners. Roger enjoys biking, family and travel. Personal mantra: "The measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you." BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS Have focus groups to confirm that your product resonates with your target market. It's important to be receptive and ready to take action when the right opportunities appear. The way to grow your business is through connections. When building a team, define the responsibilities and divide them into roles. Then find the right people to fill those spots. To get your products on a retailer's shelf, be courageous and talk directly with the st

Mary is the founder of Reprise, a line of plant-based activewear aiming to free your closet from plastic. She founded the company to educate us about the ingredients in our clothing, so we have more control over our health and wellness. Reprise products never contain oil-based synthetics or recycled plastics because of their impact on the planet. Mary believes your skin deserves only the best, so they only work with plant-based fabrics to give you the cleanest wear. Mary envisions a future where people not only look to see what’s in their clothes, but they expect better materials. She's passionate about environmentalism and is an active member of the NYC sustainability community. BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS Invest in education about a topic that interests you and see if there’s an opportunity to create a business out of it. You can identify and gain access to needed resources by being in person with people who share the same passion as you do. They may hold the missing piece of information that will m

Josh Elledge is U.S. Navy veteran and launched Up My Influence to help entrepreneurs attract the perfect audiences and grow their brands without the crazy costs associated with traditional PR companies. Up My Influence’s purpose is to DEMOCRATIZE access to influence. Josh believes he has a moral imperative to help entrepreneurs serve the world with their collective messages while growing their revenue! Up My Influence was the natural outgrowth of his first startup, Savings Angel which has grossed more than $6 million in sales with less than $500 in advertising. He did it all through building authority and serving audiences in the media. Josh is a weekly TV consumer expert in Orlando, writes a syndicated newspaper column to 1.1 million readers and regularly appears on more than 75 TV stations across the country. All told, Josh has appeared in the media more than 2000 times. Josh loves living in Orlando, FL with his wife and three children. BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS Identify a life mission that you are

Denay created the Foodpreneur Institute as an online resource center to educate, train and support Cottage Food Operators and home food processors. She describes herself as a food addict (literally and figuratively), a home-based baker and small business advocate. She's a passionate food crafter, creating unique products that can be taken to market; a pie baker extraordinaire and the mastermind behind the Charlotte Pie Authority, a custom pie shop in Charlotte, NC. Denay is also the host of Stories of Impact, a podcast supporting home-based bakers and food crafters across the U.S. BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS Learn before you leap. Take time to learn about what you're doing, why you're doing it and how you're going to do it. Don't be afraid to be vulnerable and ask people for help. Your recipe is everything. Protect it with an employee Non-Disclosure Agreement. YOU are what makes your product special. Your story is your number one marketing tool. Stop making everything under the sun. Start with on

Teresa is the creator of the REALIFE Process®, ACC Executive Coach, Accredited Enneagram Professional, Podcaster, and Keynote Speaker. Through coaching, consulting and training she serves her clients to move from living with their "hair on fire" to discovering practical and sustainable practices and processes to have a life and business that is extraordinary. Partnering together her own signature REALIFE Process® and tools such as the Enneagram Typology Profile, Teresa guides clients to a fresh new way of intentional living! BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS Look for moments where you can pause and see the extraordinary. Stay present to the work you love. Don’t get so consumed that you forget why you started your business in the first place. Continue to evolve and pivot based on the work you enjoy in addition to what your clients are asking for. Break things down into 90-Day Projects so the work actually gets done to move your business forward. See things from a personality perspective. In this way yo

This is a special holiday edition of the podcast. We go back to learn about the origin some of the non-religious traditions of Christmas. You're in for some fun and surprises! What other time of the year can you add fantasy into your life, without excuse, as much as you can on Christmas? Traditions are so special. They bond us to one another and provide comfort and excitement with expectation of familiar and heartwarming events remembered from childhood. It's a time when we can celebrate memories of past relatives too, since many of our individual family traditions have been handed down from them. I thought it would be fun to learn how some of the well-known traditions of Christmas got started. It's fascinating to discover the beginnings of symbols and activities we accept and never question. Enjoy and Merry Christmas! Join Our FREE Gift Biz Breeze Facebook Community Become a Member of Gift Biz Breeze If you found value in this podcast, make sure to subscribe so you automatically get the next episode do