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Marcel Schwantes is an international speaker, executive coach, and syndicated columnist attracting more than 1.5 million readers per month to his thought leadership pieces. His work has been featured in Inc., Time, Forbes, Business Insider, Fast Company, CNBC, and more global media outlets.He’s also the host of the wildly-popular podcast Love In Action, born out of Marcel’s belief that strong leadership and company culture start with human empowerment. The truth is, “employee engagement” is a really cold way of saying that you need to care for your employees. When you call it what it truly is – love – you start to see how those behaviors translate into good business outcomes.He gives us some incredible advice regarding how to grow and scale a small business without ruining the work culture. Surprise! It always comes back to leadership. When you’re hiring based on a shared set of values, rather than hiring as quickly as possible in order to grow, you see that those values actually scale rather well.We also tal

Happy holidays! We’re excited to be re-airing one of our favorite episodes of the Female Founders series to, once again, highlight the amazing work of Ann Williams of Yearly Co. Hear the amazing story of how she went from making jewelry in her garage to running a successful brick-and-mortar shop – just the kind of inspirational story that’s perfect for this time of year.Ann is someone we’d known for a long time before having her on the podcast. She was famous in our world after starting an amazing business based on a family tradition where her grandfather would gift her grandmother a gold bangle every year that they were married.Eventually it became clear that they needed a reliable place to buy gold bangles. Different jewelers charged different amounts for products of varying quality. Ann decided she would start making these high-quality bangles herself.One thing led to another and soon she was bringing on an intern, and then hiring full-time staff. It can be daunting to put people on your payroll, but Ann s

So, you’ve started your business and things are going well. What are the income milestones you should look out for, now? And how can you leverage your success into further growth? In this follow-up to episode #298, “Stages of a Product Business on the Way to $100k,” we tell you exactly how.What about salary – when should you expect that to kick in? Have you considered how things like scaling and delegation might evolve on your journey? There are distinct stages in the lifespan of any business and it’s super helpful to know what they are. For example, once you hit the million-dollar stage, you can’t be expected to do it all anymore. And, once you enter the acceleration stage, you shouldn’t be deciding everything yourself any more, either.This is about stepping into your strengths so that your business can become the best version of itself that it can be. It might seem unimaginable right now, but the goal is to find other people you can rely on so that your business can function without you. This is your path t

Ep. 320: Today we are delivering to your earbuds a special episode from one of our favorite super-successful handmade businesses, Susan Gordon Pottery. So many makers wonder how to create their dream lives while following their passions. In this episode, Susan Gordon, the founder and Chief Creative Officer of Susan Gordon Pottery shares about being in the top one percent of Etsy to opening a brick & mortar and having products sell out within MINUTES, Susan's journey through business, life, and Masterminds shows the limitless possibilities of being a maker.Support and follow Susan at:Susan Gordon Pottery WebsiteSusan Gordon Pottery InstagramBrought to you by the Shop 1 in 5™ Pledge! Commit to making 1 in 5 of your purchases from a small business, whether online or offline. The Shop 1 in 5™ Pledge is a way to make an impact together when (and where) it matters most. Join us and take the pledge today!Resources:Product Biz Owners at $250k+ yearly revenue: Are you a product business owner that has built your b

With the holiday season in full swing, we thought we'd explore the one big thing that all successful people seem to do: consciously choose who they surround themselves with.You probably hear this advice a lot, but what does it actually mean? This goes for almost anything in life, but if you have a goal, it helps to be surrounded by people who share it with you. Think about how much help it can be to surround yourself with fellow moms when you first have a kid, or how many people find success losing weight after joining a diet group. The same principles apply to business!Spending your time with people at the level you want to achieve has so many benefits. They understand your problems in a way that other people who haven’t been where you are, don’t. Consciously or not, they’ll show you the path to where you want to be if you’re looking in the right places and asking the right questions.If that sounds too simple on paper and you’re wondering how on Earth you can actually go about making it a reality,

Today, we highlight the amazing work of Masterminder, Ashley Viola, who founded Meridian in 2016 and has since grown it into an amazing, highly sought-after producer and purveyor of beautiful, handmade home decor pieces.Ashley started her career working with the world famous Muppets. Specifically, she was a producer and director on Sesame Street, tasked with finding ways to produce content and grow the brand on new and emerging platforms. That’s arguably the start of her entrepreneurial journey, as she had to go out and discover new possibilities and turn them into reality before anyone else had laid a path yet.The skills she developed on Sesame Street transferred right over into launching and running a product line – especially one like Meridian which is sold direct to consumer, and without a reliance on paid ads.Ashley talks about how she believes the pandemic contributed to the rapid growth she's seen over the last couple of years - her business was fortunate enough to remain operational as the rest of the

Happy Thanksgiving! We recently became investors (for the first time!) after being invited to become part of Lite Pink, a new beverage line run by women, for women. The journey has been way more complicated than we ever imagined, so we wanted to share our story so that you can learn a little bit about what to expect when you invest, and why you should do it! Investing is one of those topics that’s often not discussed out in the open – and that’s especially true when it comes to women. There’s no reason for that. It’s just going to take a little bit of a push to change things. Now that we’ve seen how beneficial investing can be, we want to kick the door down and hold it open for the next woman to come through.Lite Pink is something special. It’s a completely female-run business, and more than that, it’s completely female-funded, too. We’ve found it amazing to be a part of something so impactful. We’ve now joined a club made up of other female investors, and our investor calls give us amazing access to wor

In our Bosses & Breakfast live show, we discussed the ways that businesses, big and small, are already starting to market for the holiday season, what you can learn from them, and what you should be doing, yourself. It went down so well that we wanted to bring you a snippet from the show and encourage you to go and watch the full thing!Christmas is here! It’s not even Thanksgiving yet, but all of the big stores have already switched over their branding for the holidays. They’ve done the hard work and laid the groundwork, so now it’s time to follow their leads! The Shop 1 in 5 business directory has been festively transformed, too.It can seem early to be thinking about it, but it’s so important to set the mood, and get customers ready for when they decide that they want to do their holiday shopping, whether it’s right now or Christmas Eve. The aim should be to create an experience for consumers that turns shopping into more than a chore that needs to be completed. Turning your store – online or otherw

Cyber Five is upon us. Starting with Thanksgiving, we’re about to see five of the busiest shopping days of the year, so what can we do to make sure we’re prepared, and make the most of them?Thanksgiving used to mark the beginning of the holiday shopping season. Nowadays, it’s more like a midpoint. Don’t be afraid to start early, and do things in a way that suits you. Some people treat all of November as an entire Cyber Month – and remember, you can always change your plans as you go.Cyber Five is made up of Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Small Biz Saturday, Sunday, and Cyber Monday. For many, they can be the five busiest shopping days of the year, so it’s important to make sure you go in prepared and with a plan.Listen for our three rules to make sure you can take on the challenge in a way that’s easy and enjoyable. Brought to you by the Shop 1 in 5™ Pledge! Commit to making 1 in 5 of your purchases from a small business, whether online or offline. The Shop 1 in 5™ Pledge is a way to make an impact together

Our friend and colleague, Tracy Matthews has written her very first book! She’s the custom jewelry designer behind the Thrive by Design podcast and Flourish & Thrive Academy, where she mentors product makers and designers to help them multiply their businesses. And, now, she’s sharing even more of that wisdom through her book, The Desired Brand Effect: Stand Out in a Saturated Market with a Timeless Jewelry Brand. Tracy has built multiple successful businesses using a methodology she invented to solve problems she was encountering in her own life. That turned into what she teaches now, and our conversation covered everything about it from the importance of creatives and makers in business (and just in general!), to how we should build businesses around our lives instead of forcing our lives to fit around a business.Brought to you by the Shop 1 in 5™ Pledge! Commit to making 1 in 5 of your purchases from a small business, whether online or offline. The Shop 1 in 5™ Pledge is a way to make an impact to

Anyone who’s run any sort of ads in the last couple of years (or just pays attention to marketing industry news) will know that Facebook recently went through a huge iOS change and ads no longer perform the way they used to. So what other options are there for marketing, either without Facebook or on a budget?Your social media strategy can practically become a form of advertising on its own, not to mention leveraging your own personal network and, of course, taking advantage of the Shop 1 in 5™ Pledge.But our favorite alternative to running ads is: collaborating. Collaborations can be paid, but the best ones take the form of a mutual exchange where you and someone else both give each other something and get something back of value in return. Maybe you’re an online-only business who can collaborate with a brick and mortar shop by running a pop-up in their shop for a day. Or maybe you want to team up with another business to run a joint giveaway promotion. The possibilities are endless. Just remember to keep yo

What’s moving you forward, and how are you driving your results? We addressed this question in a recent Bosses & Breakfast (every Wednesday at 11 am ET on our Facebook and Instagram pages) and simply had to share it with you all. Tune in to learn how to activate the results you want through smart investment that efficiently uses your time and money. We unpack how to start assigning responsibilities to your business efforts, how to review them and how to pivot when needed. Plus: we share real-life case studies to inspire you to keep showing up and get results faster. Brought to you by the Shop 1 in 5™ Pledge! Commit to making 1 in 5 of your purchases from a small business, whether online or offline. The Shop 1 in 5™ Pledge is a way to make an impact together when (and where) it matters most. Join us and take the pledge today!Resources:Watch this entire episode of Bosses & Breakfast on Facebook or Instagram.Join the Shop 1 in 5 Small Business Shopping Directory. Get listed now!101+ HOLIDAY CON

The end of the year is a time for reflection and relaxation. For product bosses, though, it's the busiest time of the year. We go, and go, and go, and go – often for the sake and benefit of others, our business, our customers, and our futures. But, what about right now? We can’t forget to take account of the good work being done and consistently reward ourselves for putting forth the effort to make it all happen.In this episode, we talk about the best ways to reward yourself and when, and share some examples of ways we’ve done so in the past to help put things in perspective. Hint: Rewarding yourself with a trip to the Galapagos in ten years doesn't cut it! We’re talking small-scale moments of bliss, decisions that hinge on the difference between three shavings of truffle mushroom and five. (We explain that part in a classic Product Boss dinner story.)Brought to you by the Shop 1 in 5™ Pledge! Commit to making 1 in 5 of your purchases from a small business, whether online or offline. The Shop 1 in 5™ Pledge i

We sit down with fellow female founder and entrepreneur Debbie Hodge to showcase her new product business, Stitched Stories. Launched during the pandemic, Debbie seized control of a difficult situation and turned it into something special that’s now enjoyed by countless people across the country. Debbie took an old hobby and turned it into something even the TikTok generation can get behind. There’s so much to learn from her story – especially now that she’s entering her post-COVID strategy phase. Hearing the way she’s embraced being a product boss is inspiring stuff!Brought to you by the Shop 1 in 5™ Pledge! Commit to making 1 in 5 of your purchases from a small business, whether online or offline. The Shop 1 in 5™ Pledge is a way to make an impact together when (and where) it matters most. Join us and take the pledge today!Resources:Connect and support Debbie Hodge & Stitched Stories:Official SiteInstagramPinterestFacebookEtsyThis episode was recorded live on Facebook. Check it out here!Join the Sh

Social selling (selling products and services on social media) is on the rise, and we predict it will be even more popular next year. To get you on board, we’re revealing the top three ways to drive sales on Facebook and Instagram, with tried-and-tested strategies for connecting with your audience on posts, ‘lives’, and DM’s. The best part is you can start right now, wherever you’re at on your social media journey. Remember, it’s not about spending thousands of dollars on influencer marketing or using bots, it’s all about building personal trust with your community and harnessing sales through meaningful connections.Brought to you by the Shop 1 in 5™ Pledge! Commit to making 1 in 5 of your purchases from a small business, whether online or offline. The Shop 1 in 5™ Pledge is a way to make an impact together when (and where) it matters most. Join us and take the pledge today!Resources:The reel highlightJoin the Shop 1 in 5 Small Business Shopping Directory. Get listed now!101+ HOLIDAY CONTENT IDEAS Beyond the

Words matter! How you describe your product business is one way to direct how you show up within your brand. In this snippet from our Bosses & Breakfast show (every Wednesday at 11 am ET on our Facebook and Instagram pages), we decode how the power of language helps attach meaning to your business goals to navigate the busiest time of year. Brought to you by the Shop 1 in 5™ Pledge! Commit to making 1 in 5 of your purchases from a small business, whether online or offline. The Shop 1 in 5™ Pledge is a way to make an impact together when (and where) it matters most. Join us and take the pledge today!Resources:Watch this entire episode of Bosses & Breakfast on Facebook or Instagram. Join the Shop 1 in 5 Small Business Shopping Directory. Get listed now!101+ HOLIDAY CONTENT IDEAS. Beyond the Discount is YOUR shortcut to creating a marketing strategy for the 2021 holiday season so that you can create content that successfully resonates with your customers during the busiest season of the year an

The unimaginable happened: Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp went down for an entire day – and it felt like the whole world had come to a screeching halt. Product-based business owners who rely on social media felt the squeeze. How did you stay connected to your audience?In this episode, we explain why it’s so important to diversify your business across multiple platforms and give you helpful tips on how to create a backup plan when you’re forced to pivot your outreach strategy. Plus: learn how your email list and our Small Business Shopping Directory are the powerful marketing combo you need to skyrocket your brand. Brought to you by the Shop 1 in 5™ Pledge! Commit to making 1 in 5 of your purchases from a small business, whether online or offline. The Shop 1 in 5™ Pledge is a way to make an impact together when (and where) it matters most. Join us and take the pledge today!Resources:Join the Shop 1 in 5 Small Business Shopping Directory. Get listed now!101+ HOLIDAY CONTENT IDEAS. Beyond the Discount is

The new Small Business Shopping Directory is an all-in-one place for customers to shop, discover and support hundreds of small product businesses this holiday season and every day. A place for you to be visible to new customers. The Directory is ready for more small businesses, like yours, to join.Resources:Join the Shop 1 in 5 Small Business Shopping Directory. Get listed now along with hundreds of small businesses - it’s the go to directory to discover, support, and shop small businesses all in one place.Connect:Website: theproductboss.comInstagram: @theproductboss

It’s go time! It’s holiday decision time! How are customers going to find you this holiday season?Are you still trying to work out your game plan to increase your customer base? If you’re ready to get your brand in front of more eyes then tune in to this episode where we give you the actionable steps to grow your customer list. Plus: get the intel on short and long-term strategies to build a foundation for immediate impact, and future growth. Brought to you by the Shop 1 in 5™ Pledge! Commit to making 1 in 5 of your purchases from a small business, whether online or offline. The Shop 1 in 5™ Pledge is a way to make an impact together when (and where) it matters most. Join us and take the pledge today!Resources:Join the Shop 1 in 5 Small Business Shopping Directory. Get listed now!101+ HOLIDAY CONTENT IDEAS Beyond the Discount is YOUR shortcut to creating a marketing strategy for the 2021 holiday season so that you can create content that successfully resonates with your customers during the busiest seaso

Real talk. Fear and comparison can creep in no matter where you are on your entrepreneurial journey, and having constant access to everyone's lives can trigger all sorts of limiting beliefs to come up and stop us in our tracks. During a recent episode of Bosses & Breakfast (every Wednesday at 11 am ET on our Facebook and Instagram pages), we discussed how to shift out of a hypothetical "what if" spiral, silence your inner critic and get clear on what you truly want in business and life. Tune in to learn how to pay the bills and get aligned with your vision – not other people's timelines. Brought to you by the Shop 1 in 5™ Pledge! Commit to making 1 in 5 of your purchases from a small business, whether online or offline. The Shop 1 in 5™ Pledge is a way to make an impact together when (and where) it matters most. Join us and take the pledge today!Resources:Watch this entire episode of Bosses & Breakfast on Facebook or Instagram.101+ HOLIDAY CONTENT IDEAS Beyond the Discount is YOUR shortcut t