Shows
Gift Biz Unwrapped418 – Managing Through Life Changes and Updates to Continually Serve You!There are times for change. It happens in business and life overall and opens the path for new experiences and advancement.
Today I want to share with you such a change. This is the last episode of the Gift Biz Unwrapped podcast.
Over these last 8 years and 545 episodes, we’ve covered every topic currently out there that applies to starting and growing a handmade product business.
We’ve heard from amazing expert guests who didn’t hold back with their knowledge and expertise.
We’ve also heard the experiences of small business owners just like you in all phases of developm...
2023-04-1514 minGift Biz UnwrappedWelcome to the Gift Biz Unwrapped PodcastWelcome to Gift Biz Unwrapped, the twice weekly show that brings you inspiration and direction on how to start and grow your handmade product business.
I’m your host, Sue Monhait, CEO of Gift Biz Unwrapped where we offer all sorts of support materials over on the website of the same name.
On Saturdays, I feature a guest who shares their experience and insights as a handmade product creator who is now monetizing their craft. Or I bring on a service provider who gives tips and strategies based on their area of expertise. I follow this up on Wednesday with a...
2021-11-2601 minGift Biz Unwrapped324 – Retail – Wholesale – Combo – Let’s Get Advice through 25+ Years in Business with Sue Burns of BaabaazuzuSue started her craft 26 years ago due to a laundry error. Yes, you heard me right - a laundry error that reduced Sue's beloved sweaters to a pile of carnage. And since then, she's learned so many lessons in business as she found her own way.
What would have brought most to tears, became a lightbulb moment for Sue. Blending her graphic design with her sewing skills, she refashioned the sweaters into new wearables and launched Baabaazuzu. The brand has grown to include hats, mittens, scarves, bags, and more for women and men, all made from post-consumer woolens.
The past 25+...
2021-06-2855 min
Gift Biz Unwrapped273 – How to Get your Product Made Overseas with Brian Miller of Easy China WarehouseOriginally from Trumbull, CT, Brian has been living in China for the past 10 years. He previously worked for one of the largest Chinese government owned manufacturers managing their North American Export operations.
Now Brian runs a 3rd party logistics warehouse in Shenzhen China. The company provides 3rd party logistics and shipping for Amazon FBA sellers and any e-commerce company creating products in China.
BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS
Don't take shortcuts. The longer solid road is always the route to making your business sustainable.
Alibaba is a good start to identifying factories.
Developing specific quality control guidelines will help ensure...
2020-07-0654 minGift Biz Unwrapped272 – Taking a Worn Out Industry and Making it New Again with Alex Kurkowski of Tellinga
Alex is the founder of a greeting card startup called Tellinga, which actually began while he was pursuing his MBA at Rice University.
After graduating and entering the workforce, Alex noticed his free time was slipping away, along with his relationships with friends and family. So, to keep in touch, he started snail mailing them literary artisanal work in the form of letters.
He would draw pictures in story form and mail them out to loved ones piece by piece over time. Imagine a comic with images being taken apart page by page and then those pages sent out one by...
2020-06-2956 minGift Biz Unwrapped271 – How to Be More Comfortable on Camera with Kellsie Moore of Be Marvelous YouKellsie is an actress and on-camera expert for purpose driven entrepreneurs. She helps you look, sound and FEEL great on camera.
She works with her clients to craft their unique message in a way that creates a powerful and authentic connection with their audience through video, so they can stand out from the crowd and become a magnetic brand.
Everything she coaches stems from a personal development perspective to help her clients become more natural, comfortable and charismatic in front of the lens. This confidence provides the impact they desire and finally they can enjoy doing video!
BUSINESS BUILDING...
2020-06-221h 02Gift Biz Unwrapped270 – Increase Sales by Showing What Makes You YOU! with Nikole MarieNikole Marie is a film-inspired wedding and personal brand photographer who followed a very winding path to work that truly fulfills her.
She serves couples filled with love and joy by creating images that capture the connection and beauty of their relationships. It’s then documented for them to share for a lifetime.
Nikole also creates branded imagery for female entrepreneurs looking to grow their brand strategically by sharing the story of their business through photos.
BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS
Educate yourself about personal branding and the power it can have on your business. It's what sets you apart fr...
2020-06-1553 minGift Biz Unwrapped268 – How to Conduct Your Own Virtual Shopping Show with Vicki Adrian of Adrian’s BoutiqueVicki Adrian is a 38+ year veteran retailer in a tiny little farm town of only 1,200 people, in the middle of Kansas. Adrian's Boutique has gone through many transformations over the years and is continuing to evolve and adjust to the "new normal."
Vicki is committed and very involved with store owners in the gift/boutique industry and runs a select Mastermind Group of 12 stores from around the country.
She also serves as Vice President of Southwest Buying Group, a retail group representing over 300 stores.
Married to her Kansas farm boy for over 40 years, Vicki has two married adult children and...
2020-06-0156 minGift Biz Unwrapped266 – Front Porch Sessions Save the Day with Sarah of Sarah Hoag PhotographySarah's been a photographer for over 13 years. She specializes in personal branding imagery and helps businesses get personal by showing who they are, what they do, and why they do it … through powerful imagery.
She believes that good businesses educate their clients and should illustrate that as well. She offers photography branding packages and one minute brand story videos to clients.
Sarah lives in Litchfield Park, AZ and frequently travels to the San Francisco Bay Area, Southern CA, and Chicago for shoots.
BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS
Be everywhere. Go out and meet people. Create connections with entrepreneurs in your in...
2020-05-1849 minGift Biz Unwrapped263 – Take Control of Your Fear with Jennifer AllwoodJennifer Allwood is a passionate cheerleader of women who adds biblical truth to the modern day “dream big” mantra.
She’s the author of Fear Is Not the Boss of You: How to Get Out of Your Head and Live the Life You Were Made For and host of The Jennifer Allwood Show.
Her no-nonsense approach to doing things you are scared to do and saying yes to God is helping women everywhere build the life and business of their dreams. When she’s not coaching, she’s “livin’ the dream” with Mr. Magic (her husband, Jason) and their four wild kiddos—Noah...
2020-04-2734 minGift Biz Unwrapped261 – Know Who You Are and Stay in Your Lane with Julia of Birnn Chocolates of VermontJulia and her husband, Mel are the fourth-generation owners of Birnn Chocolates of Vermont. Julia's great-grandfather started making confections in 1915 in New Jersey and in 1991 her father and uncle moved the business to Vermont.
Julia and Mel are humbled by the opportunity to continue crafting truffles using her family's 100-year-old recipes. The couple started working in the family business in 2010 and in 2016 they took over the reigns as the new owners.
Deciding to join the family business was one of the most influential decisions of Julia's life. Working with her father, uncle and husband on a daily basis has proven...
2020-04-131h 00Gift Biz UnwrappedM2M-12 – The Product Lifecycle – How to Stay in BusinessThis 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...
2020-04-1013 minGift Biz UnwrappedM2M-11 Personal Development and What it Means to Your BusinessThis 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 o...
2020-04-0916 minGift Biz UnwrappedM2M-10 Moments of Life in Your Handmade Product BusinessThis 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 o...
2020-04-0820 minGift Biz UnwrappedM2M-9 How to Get the Most Out of a Craft Show or Farmer's MarketThis 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 o...
2020-04-0722 minGift Biz UnwrappedYour Employment Rights and Obligations - The CARES Act and MoreThere’s a lot of information circling about COVID-19. We’re hearing about how to stay healthy, that we have to stay at home, all the things. In this show we'll be covering your rights and responsibilities both as an employer and an employee. You may be getting information from your local chamber or small business administration in your community. Yet, even if you have access to this information, you haven’t necessarily had the chance to ask questions. So I’m doing that for you. You’ll hear the important things you need to know on the financi...
2020-04-0646 minGift Biz UnwrappedM2M-8 Ways to Find New Customers and Bring in SalesThis 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 o...
2020-04-0320 minGift Biz UnwrappedM2M-7 Reviewing Some of the Tougher Parts of Having Your Own BusinessThis 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 o...
2020-04-0219 minGift Biz UnwrappedM2M-6 Making People Feel Special and The Customer JourneyThis 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 o...
2020-04-0121 minGift Biz UnwrappedM2M-5 Product Pricing is a Make or Break DecisionThis 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 o...
2020-03-3120 minGift Biz Unwrapped260 – What We Can Learn from the Challenges of Selling CBD Products with Derek Spruill of Cherry Blossom CBDDerek 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...
2020-03-3053 minGift Biz UnwrappedM2M-4 The Right Thinking about Big Brands and Finding Your AdvantageThis 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 o...
2020-03-2719 minGift Biz UnwrappedM2M-3 What Does Your Business Stand For? Do This Right to Attract SalesThis 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 o...
2020-03-2619 minGift Biz UnwrappedM2M-2 Overcoming Your Imposter Mind as You Start Your BusinessThis 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 o...
2020-03-2521 minGift Biz UnwrappedM2M-1 The Beginning of a New Handmade BusinessThis 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 o...
2020-03-2420 minGift Biz Unwrapped259 – Running a Business Doesn’t have to Make you NUTS! with Kim Decher of Skips CandiesKim 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...
2020-03-2352 minGift Biz UnwrappedBONUS: Managing the Corona Crisis in Your Handmade BusinessCOVID-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 p...
2020-03-1913 minGift Biz Unwrapped258 – Lots to Learn from this “Gourd-geous” Biz with Ben Bear of Meadowbrooke GourdsBen 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...
2020-03-1654 minGift Biz Unwrapped257 – Intentionally Creating a Customer Experience Matters with Laura Jennings of KnackAfter 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 su...
2020-03-0953 minGift Biz Unwrapped256 – How to Manage Through Fear in All Areas of Your Life with Amy Smith of The Joy JunkieAmy 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 cont...
2020-03-0257 minGift Biz Unwrapped255 – Ever Consider Teaching Your Creative Skills as an Additional Revenue Stream? with Deirdre Drakes of 823 TreatsDeirdre "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...
2020-02-2455 minGift Biz Unwrapped254 – Website Best Practices – Does Yours Pass the Test? with Brian LawrenceBrian 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 au...
2020-02-1758 minGift Biz Unwrapped253 – How Adding a Service Like This Guarantees Repeat Business with Charita Lucas of dOSA NaturalsdOSA 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...
2020-02-1059 minGift Biz Unwrapped252 – Big Brands – How Did They Get There? with Rick Cesari of Direct BrandingRick 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...
2020-02-0346 minGift Biz Unwrapped251- How to Get onto Grocery Store Shelves with Roger Sudnick of Good Measures FoodsRoger 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...
2020-01-2753 minGift Biz Unwrapped250 – Why Starting with In Person is Best with Mary Bemis of Reprise Active WearMary 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 pa...
2020-01-2050 minGift Biz Unwrapped248 – All About Cottage Food Laws with Denay Davis of Foodpreneur InstituteDenay 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...
2020-01-0655 minGift Biz Unwrapped247 – Learn Something New About Yourself with Teresa McCloy of the REALIFE Process®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 yo...
2019-12-3057 minGift Biz Unwrapped246 – Do You Know the Origin of Our Christmas Traditions? Some Will Surprise You!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...
2019-12-2326 minGift Biz Unwrapped245 – Find Out How Tiny Habits Bring Happiness into Your Life with Jennifer Dunham of Time, Money & Happiness MattersJennifer Dunham is the founder of Profitable Lifestyle Live and owner of Time, Money & Happiness Matters. As a Profitable Lifestyle designer, Jennifer helps driven professionals love their career and fully love their lives.
With over 20 years experience running her information technology firm, designing systems and operating procedures, it's easy to see why Jennifer's approach is rooted in her IT background.
She's a believer in automation, habits, repeatable processes and streamlining to reduce overwhelm so you can focus on what matters most.
She teaches her clients how to find more time, so they can make more money and increase their happiness.
2019-12-1650 minGift Biz Unwrapped244 – What If Your Product Category is Already Taken with Sam Holmes of Holmes Sweet HomeHolmes Sweet Home is a confections company that crafts gourmet nut brittles and caramel sauces.
Sam started experimenting with sugar cooking in her 5th grade science class. Enamored by how simple table sugar can be transformed into so many treats, she continued to hone her skills over the next 25 years.
After leading sales teams in a Fortune 1000 company, she combined what she learned in Corporate America with lessons gleaned at her grandmother's hip to create a very special business.
Today you can find Holmes Sweet Home products in bakeries, coffee shops, candy stores, specialty gift stores and coming soon, wineries!
2019-12-0959 minGift Biz Unwrapped243 – How to Sell Left Over Holiday Products with Alesia GalatiAlesia is an e-commerce business strategist. She helps physical product sellers increase their revenue, improve profit margins and bring home more cash while creating a sustainable business.
After six years in the manufacturing and packaging industry, Alesia's learned a thing or two about how to work with international and domestic vendors, make strategic production plans, analyze trends and utilize marketing strategies.
This is what she brings to assist product-based businesses.
Alesia lives in North Carolina with her fellow nerd husband, two wild boys and a rescue dog. She loves all things savory - cue the lasagna and glass of Cab.
2019-12-0247 minGift Biz Unwrapped242 – How Product Creation Evolves from Idea to a Business with Pamela Gort of Blingzy™Blingzy™ is the clever way to store or bring your bling wherever you go. It's a unique jewelry carrier solution that is made of a patented combination of materials - a gorgeous fabric on the outside and a special grippy liner on the inside.
It all started just 5 years ago when Pamela lost her job. She decided to make a huge career shift toward giving back in a more personal way. So she founded Simply Sown, a for-purpose, socially conscious business.
Its purpose is to provide flexible sewing income opportunities for women in need. The tagline, "sewing seeds of kindness," re...
2019-11-2558 minGift Biz Unwrapped241 – Punch Up Your Presentations with Comedian Larry Bloom of Funnier By The Lake ComedyLarry of Funnier By The Lake has been writing jokes and making people laugh his entire life. Growing up north of Chicago, in Wilmette, Illinois, what interest and talent Larry lacked in sports, he made up for with a passion for stand up comedians, and characters from movies and television, of the 60s, 70s and 80s.
Larry was a remarkably horrible high school and college student, and he often says that if those years were a book, it would be titled, Fear and Loathing on Campus.
Larry’s stand-up comedy springs from a lifetime of experiences and a view of th...
2019-11-1858 minGift Biz Unwrapped240 – Lessons from a Prospecting Powerhouse with Kristen Crawley of Savannah Bee Company
The founder, president and head beekeeper of Savannah Bee Company is Ted Dennard.
Growing up in Coastal Georgia, Ted’s journey into the magical world of bees and honey was sparked by an elderly beekeeper, Roy Hightower, who believed in beekeeping as a way of life.
Even after 35 years, Ted’s passion hasn’t waned a bit. He backed into business in 1999 when his friend opened a store in Savannah and began selling his Tupelo Honey. Three years later, Savannah Bee Company was officially born.
Today, Ted remains dedicated to sharing the world of bees with others and introducing new honeyb...
2019-11-1151 minGift Biz Unwrapped239 – Why You Want to Create a Business that Includes Semi Passive Income with Oksana of Oksancia
Oksana is the owner and designer of Oksancia Textile Design Studio and School. Her passion is to help creative people express their vision and connect with their customers by creating unique and beautiful repeat patterns and collections for their products.
Oksana has a Master of Arts degree from RUG university in the Netherlands. There she specialized in children’s books and has illustrated two published children’s books.
With a portfolio of more than 10,000 vector illustrations and designs, she has collaborated on more than 100 client custom design projects. Her designs can be seen on products that are available at Best Buy...
2019-11-0449 minGift Biz Unwrapped238 – How to Maximize Sales at Local Craft Shows with Sarah Smith of Southern Caramel
Sarah started Southern Caramel in 2013 as a way to stay home with her newborn daughter. And as her daughter grew, so did the business.
Southern Caramels’ quality comes from the fact that they’re made from scratch using pure ingredients. They’re hand-crafted, hand-cut and hand wrapped too.
Additionally, production is done in small batches which maintains a level of consistency and results in a product that makes people say, “Oh, my goodness!”
Sarah’s company also aligns with her passion to share. She considers it a joy to give back to many causes with her time, talents, and financial support thro...
2019-10-281h 00Gift Biz Unwrapped237 – How to Use Influencer Marketing to Increase Sales with Sarah and Noelle of Berra Bites
Two sisters in business together! Combining Sarah’s culinary education, and Noelle’s business background, the two put their minds together to create Berra Bites, which are dark chocolate covered fruit centers made with 100% pureed and pressed fruit.
Their goal is to create dark chocolate covered fruit bites that are different than the typical fruit and chocolate combos out there.
They love combining different types of fruit to make unique combinations that balance perfectly with dark chocolate.
In January of this year (2019) they launched their first fruit flavor and chose to use four types of berries to give their customers that...
2019-10-2153 minGift Biz Unwrapped235 – Get Customers to Buy Over and Over and Over with Marisa Murgatroyd
Today’s guest is Marisa Murgatroyd, the founder of Live Your Message and creator of the Experience Product Masterclass, where she helps people who teach online programs get better results for their students faster.
Marisa launched her career as an artist who built a mid-seven figure online business (despite being told she had no marketable skills).
Since then, she’s shown over 5,000 students how to succeed online, and she’s here today to share a few of her secrets with us.
Business Building Insights
Shift your focus to what people want to receive and what’s going to support...
2019-10-0744 minGift Biz Unwrapped234 – How to Create Demand and Grow Your Business with Leeatt Rothschild of Packed with Purpose
Packed with Purpose is a specialty gifting company with a social mission.
They curate high-quality business and personal gifts that create an impact by sourcing products from purpose-driven organizations. The result is a unique gift experience that leaves a lasting impression.
Leeatt was inspired to start Packed with Purpose after serving in the Peace Corps and years in social impact consulting advising C-Suite executives on how to best invest their CSR and marketing dollars.
She observed that these companies were spending billions of dollars on client, prospect, and employee gifts that were often unremarkable and sometimes just wasteful.
Deciding there...
2019-09-3049 minGift Biz Unwrapped233 – People Don’t Buy Products – They Buy You with Annie of NaturalAnnie Essentials
Annya (Annie) was born and raised on the beautiful island of Jamaica. Accordingly, she is no stranger to the nourishing, healing power of oils and herbs and has always been a creative soul, with an eye for all things bright ‘n’ bold.
When her first daughter, Tiffany was born with Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus, she turned to natural remedies to help her skin because the prescribed medication didn’t work.
After trying a variety of natural butters, essential oils and other natural oils, she finally found the remedy for Tiffany’s skin issues. This is how NaturalAnnie Essentials was born.
NaturalA...
2019-09-2352 minGift Biz Unwrapped232 – Navigating Through a Difficult Conversation with Anna Osborn of Life Unscripted Counseling
Anna Osborn is the owner of Life Unscripted Counseling and host of the Her Life Unscripted podcast where she focuses on reconnecting couples and inspiring individuals.
She helps couples and individuals to improve communication, deepen intimacy and change negative patterns of disconnection in their love relationships.
Anna also works with entrepreneurial women to inspire and motivate them to step fully into their voice and live their lives out loud.
She believes that your primary relationship can your greatest tool or greatest barrier to success.
Business Building Insights
Don’t let your fear make decisions for you. Look at fe...
2019-09-1658 minGift Biz Unwrapped231 – Do You Want a Lifestyle Business or an Empire? with Natalie Gingrich of The Ops Authority
Natalie Gingrich is the founder and host of The Ops Authority. She has been in operations for two decades – either in healthcare, corporate America or as an entrepreneur.
Her goal is to bridge the gap and overwhelm when it comes to processes and systems, growing a team, and setting up solid business foundations.
Natalie spent 15 years in corporate operations and leadership at a Fortune 150 company. When given the opportunity to leave, she put the knowledge, certifications and experience to work by creating her own consulting firm, as well as a certification.
She developed the Director of Operations certification to equip ex...
2019-09-0956 minGift Biz Unwrapped230 – How Deborah Gets in Front of Corporate Decision Makers with Deborah Wasylko of Baskets Galore
Deborah Wasylko is an entrepreneur, engineer, show host and author noted for her work in corporate sales and award-winning gift design at Baskets Galore.
Her personal credo is to create a life that she doesn’t want to take a vacation from.
Deborah launched Baskets Galore in 2003 and has earned the “Top Corporate Gift Company of the Year” award three years in a row from Cleveland Business Connects magazine.
Her clients include Fortune 500 companies such as Sherwin Williams, Moen, Parker Hannifin, the Cleveland Indians, the Cleveland Cavaliers and National Public Radio.
She received a U.S. Patent for her unique 360 gift a...
2019-09-0248 minGift Biz Unwrapped229 – Learning from a Handmade Critter Business with Kenny and Jenifer Kudulis of kudu-lah
kudu-lah, established in 2007, is a husband and wife duo originally based in Brooklyn.
Harnessing the power of awesome, Kenny and Jenifer Kudulis, bring you “critters”, their original monster-like characters that are inspired by folks seen traveling through the NYC Subways.
Kenny sketches, paints and names all of the characters while Jenifer creates their individual bios. The critters are often seen captured in their Mason Jars or juxtaposed into the couple’s original photography.
All pieces are lovingly handmade in Chattanooga by the couple.
Business Building Insights
Talk about your art to spread the word. You can’t be shy about...
2019-08-2654 minGift Biz Unwrapped228 – Seriously – Take the Scary Out of Sales with Nikki Rausch and The Selling Staircase
CEO of “Sales Maven,” an organization dedicated to authentic selling, Nikki Rausch has the unique ability to transform the misunderstood process of “selling.”
Today, entrepreneurs and small business owners from a wide range of disciplines hire Nikki to show them how to sell successfully and authentically, without being pushy or “salesy.”
Nikki has just launched her third book: The Selling Staircase: Mastering the Art of Relationship Selling which is available in print, ebook and as an audiobook. Her books are available on Amazon and where most books are sold.
Business Building Insights
When real conversations happen, real connections happen. That...
2019-08-191h 04Gift Biz Unwrapped227 – Digging Deep When in Survival Mode with ReeJade Richmond
When women are finally ready to put on their Big Girl Business Panties and protect their business assets, there is only one woman in the world they can call. Her name is ReeJade Richmond.
An acclaimed business and legal strategist, ReeJade is empowering women to embrace their true power bossness, turning their businesses into empires. By taking the complexity out of the legal side of business, with ReeJade, clients soon realize that the epic ideas and extraordinary skills in their heads and hands today will be worth multi millions in their bank accounts tomorrow.
From rock-solid business structures to impenetrable...
2019-08-1251 min