WHERE THOUSANDS OF ENTREPRENEURS LEARN HOW TO GROW WEEKLY
How Organic Marketing Was The Secret Weapon To Growing A 7-Figure Business with Ceata Lash, founder PuffCuff
Learn from Ceata Lash, founder of Puff Cuff.
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"Diversify your marketing portfolio because you're not in control. Own as much data as you can. Period!" - Ceata Lash
Hey, It's Alex here!
Who doesn't love change? As founders, we kinda have to, amiright?! ;)
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What you'll find in this traction briefing:
How to build your community of customers and engage with them.
How to build a company with social media marketing and how to find the right balance between paid promotion and organic growth.
How to own 100% of a company that's successfully scaling after nine years that only raised $200k.
What would you do with $120 Million - Here are some ways not to spend it!
Founder: Ceata Lash| Company: PuffCuff| Location: Marietta, Georgia
Where was she before PuffCuff?
Ceata considers herself an "independent hustler". She's a graphic designer, who's worked as a freelancer off and on in her career.
Problem
How do you grow and scale a multimillion dollar beauty business with just an idea?
As Ceata transitioned her hair from chemically straightened to all-natural, she identified a gap. There were no products in the market that could hold her natural hair without causing pain and/or damage.
That realization began her PuffCuff journey. With little information to rely on, she networked and collaborated with her peers to engineer her dream product and successfully brought it to market.
Your Target Market Might Not Be Your Actual Market
Although Puffcuff was originally created to help women of color hold their hair without breakage and pain, she quickly realized that there was a need from a different audience.
Lesson - Test out your product to see where it fits best - you might just realize there is a greater need than you anticipated.
Own Your Data
It seems like, with every new year, there is a new regulation when it comes to privacy and data. These changes have made marketing on social platforms not only more expensive but so much more difficult to convert your target market.
Lesson - Own your data and diversify your marketing portfolio! Learn more here.
All Money Is Not Good Money
Ceata has been able to bootstrap her company with little to no funding. Along the way, she's realized that all money is not good money. With each new funding comes added pressure and an increased risk of losing ownership of your company.
Lesson - Even as you accept investment, have a strategy in place of how you are going to pay it back.
Where women business owners get stuck.
"Women are creating jobs for themselves in their businesses." The biggest barrier for women entrepreneurs is revenue. Kara finds that women are struggling from Moving from creating a job for themselves to small business owner to scale. Kara breaks this down into 3 phases: Phase One: Making yourself a job where you don’t have employees. Phase Two: Putting together a small team and starting to put processes in place. Phase Three: Scale. Getting into the millions with multiple employees. Learn how you can get unstuck to get on a path to scale.
Pick Your Specific Box
"One of the things that helped us go from $250k to we’re looking towards $10M now is that we have chosen a very specific box." Y’all have heard me say it before and I’m got’ say it again, and again, and…. Niche is SEXY! Early-stage founders get stuck in the clouds by failing to get focused on one segement that creates iniital momentum early on that leads you to the big vision. One way to conquer this is by getting focused on what we call your "Hell Yes" customer. You don’t need to convince them of your value and they’re willing to pay a premium for what you offer. Speaking to everyone means you're solving for no one. Learn how to refine your box to grow.
Your #1 Job as CEO - Finding Your $10k Hour
"My job as CEO is to set strategy and keep cash in the bank. There are 4 types of hours: You have a $10, $100, $1000, and $10,000 hour. It’s your responsibility as the owner of the business to free yourself up for the $10,000 hour. If I’m spending my time on a $10 task, I’m literally stealing $9,990 from my business" Figure out your $10k hour here.
Here's Your Weekly Tea
The $120M Failure.
Fast failed as quickly as its name. Despite raising $120M, the company only generated $600,000 last year.
Here’s where the founders & funders f**ked up:
Pressure: Pushing companies to grow faster than they’re able to in order to achieve a mythical unicorn title vs. building a solid business.
Reactivity: The pressure VC’s put on founders to "beat competitors" creates an internal pressure cooker where founders are reacting instead of building out the core business model. Stripe didn't force Fast to do anything. Stripe is in its own league, which Fast was nowhere near despite the capital raised. Fast could have benefited from taking a page from the Netflix playbook - allow other players trying to come for ya neck tire themselves out while you stay focused and keep delivering value. #RIPBlockBuster
Stupid Spending: Startups start spending money on stupid acquisition strategies to saturate the market vs fulfilling customer needs, spend all their coins, then need more capital but have no progress to show for.
Hot Take: Charismatic storytelling doesn't build good businesses. We gotta stop treating startups as saviors of the universe wrapped up in speeches from "charismatic" founder's. Startups will NOT save the world. Startups can solve problems we face in the world. The moment we shift from problem-solving to savior-ism, we've already failed.
How to Get & Stay Focused
"People are trying to solve problems they know nothing about." Some of the BEST companies are started by people solving problems that A. They’ve experienced and found the solution or B. They have industry-specific expertise. Kara mentions that in order to make this happen you need to first figure out what you are the best to solve for. More importantly, she mentions that it does NOT need to be sexy. So many founders are chasing trends instead of solutions. Some of the most lucrative businesses don’t mention AI, VR, Crypto, or whatever the hell is the buzzword today. They tap into a feeling by telling you what solution they’ll solve for their customer. Get the playbook on how to get and stay focused here.
What if You’re a Solo Entrepreneur or Have a Small Team?
"I will sacrifice almost anything to sell. I will not show up for meetings. I will ditch one-on-ones. The highest priority and the highest best use of my time is selling" Das it. That’s Kara’s advice. However, she acknowledges that this is super hard for women because we’re natural nurturers. We want to touch every employee, be at every game for the kids, etc and she says there’s no shame in that. However, Kara mentions that you have to decide whether you want to have a job or build an empire. Neither is wrong but it is a choice. Figure out what choice is best for you here.
Scale Major Keys - Pricing & Confidence.
"Sir, I think we’re too sophisticated for you at this point." This is exactly what Kara said to a lead who tried to nickel and dime her on price. Major BVE (big vagina energy) It’s key to nail your pricing and have confidence that what you’re offering is worthy AF. Once you get pricing down - scale happens in retention. Therefore, figuring out what in your business can generate recurring revenue is critical to creating your flywheel. Learn how to nail pricing & be confident in asking for what you deserve.
Prioritizing Your Time
"It takes me just as long to close a project-based client at $20k vs. a $120k retainer client." You’ll hear a lot about sales but what I love about Kara’s breakdown is she gives you the run-through of how she utilizes her time. From who she hires, to what sacrifices she makes, to her content planning frameworks. For example, they closed a $25,000/mo deal just from 1 LinkedIn post that she worked with a ghostwriter on while batching content. Learn how you can better prioritize your time.
Where You Can Support Kara?
If you're a company using Hubspot and want to level up your leads and sales funnel, connect with Kara.
TRACTION TOOLS: How to get it done...
Here are some tools that will help you get to your $10,000 hour, get pricing right, and prioritize your time<3
Get the Breakdown on the math behind getting to your $10k hour here.
Have you mastered the 80/20 rule? If not, get the guide on high leverage time management.
Maybe you never learned pricing? That's ok! We hear this often with founders. It's never too late to get started. Check it out Startup Pricing 101.
Check out the 7 different pricing strategies startups use here
Ready to develop your pricing hypothesis? Learn how to map it out here.
How Pricing Drives 20-30% of Top Line Growth: Get Sh!t Done Growth Ally & Founder of Pricing Tool, Accrue lays it out below.
TRACTION TOOLS: How to get it done...
Here are some tools that will help non-profits scale<3
If you understand your customers, it's the ONLY marketing you'll need.
The BEST companies have mastered Organic Marketing and you can too here.
Paid ads will NEVER be as powerful as person-to-person connection. Master guerilla marketing.
Your customers can help with Customer Acquisition. Find out how here.
Learn how to turn your customers into a marketing machine here.
JOIN THE COMMUNITY
Explore community membership here.
GET YOUR WEEKLY 5-MIN TRACTION BRIEFINGS SO YOU CAN GROW
How 99% Earned Media Scaled a Legacy Company with Fawn Weaver, founder Uncle Nearest
Learn from Fawn Waver, founder of Uncle Nearest.
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"My end game is not to sell to one of the big guys. My end game is to BE one of the big guys." Fawn Weaver
There are 2 common and toxic misconceptions within the startup space about scale...
Misconception #1 You have to raise venture capital to scale.
Wrong! Let’s do the math...
Less than 1% of ANY entrepreneurs will ever raise venture capital (2% of that goes to women)
Venture Capital is a baby! It didn’t hit the scene until the 1960’s and didn’t get super popular until decades later. The last time I checked, many household brand names or companies were built before this and still scaled.
Misconception #2 Legacy = Lifestyle or Slow
Nothing is wrong with a lifestyle business but legacy is not synonymous with lifestyle. If you’re a founder who wants to scale a big company with impact, you don’t have to exit if YOU don’t want to. If your vision of impact includes you continuing to run it, honor that! You also don’t need to "scale fast and break shit". This is a lure of investors who know you’re building something great and want to get in on the opportunity you’re creating but do it on a timeline that yields a return for THEM.
The only path that matters, is the one you choose that's on your terms and in alignment with scaling your vision of impact.
Ready to learn how to scale a legacy business?
What we'll brief you on:
How to tell a powerful brand story
How to build a company on 99% earned media with 50+ different stories circulating/month (which means you don’t pay for 99% of those mentions)
How she raised $60M all from individuals and plans to buy out her investors
How to build a legacy business that won’t be bought by one of the "big guys" but will become one of the "big guys"
How to Become One of the Big Gals: Building & Scaling a Legacy Business
Founder: Fawn Weaver | Company: Uncle Nearest| Location: Shelbyville, Tennessee
Receipts before Uncle Nearest
Fawn started her career in special events and PR. This is where she developed her skillset for telling compelling stories through the press. Do you know those restaurants that take damn near a decade to get a reservation at? Fawn was one of the people working behind the scenes adding magic to make thangs pop. Learn how she did it.
Problem Solving
Did you know that Jack Daniels (yup! the founder of that brown liquor you’ve sipped on) learned how to be a distiller through his unlikely relationship with a slave, Nearest Green? Nearest not only became the first master distiller for Jack Daniels but also became a mentor to Jack Daniels. If you’re like me and Fawn when she learned years ago, this is a Reading Rainbow moment. Unlike most people who would get that info and keep it pushing, Fawn got drawn in because of how powerful the story was that she believed needed to be told so she set out to build The Motown of Whiskey. Fun Fact: Fawn’s father was one of the original hitmakers at Motown records back in the day.
Solution
"We are the keepers of the story of Nearest Green and charged with cementing his legacy forevermore. We are in the legacy building business at this moment." Fawn invested 2500 hours to understand the story of Nearest Green to carry out his legacy. However, to cement his legacy, they needed a product and can you guess what it was? Yup! Whiskey. Cementing Nearest Green as THE master distiller of whiskey by using his techniques that the world can enjoy. Learn how they cemented his legacy
The Story is EVERYTHING.
Uncle nearest is one of the fastest-growing whiskey brands in history and they’ve only been in business since 2017! Brand and story are one of the most powerful things that will allow you to build awareness and create longevity in a company built to last. Your brand story goes far beyond your product or service. Think of your story as a tree. The hippie in me is comin’ out, y’all! The trunk and roots are your WHY. The branches: are extensions of your why that develop into the chapters that make it whole. The leaves: are the parts of your story that are temporary but add splashes of color to the mix. The most powerful thing about the Uncle Nearest brand is the story Learn how Fawn developed the Uncle Nearest brand story to become one of the fastest-growing whiskey brands in history not only built by a woman but also a woman of color in a majority white male-dominated vertical.
How to Circulate 50 Different Stories Per Month
"Focus on everybody else. I think when people pitch a story, their whole focus is themselves or their product and they want for other people to be so in love with either them or their product and that’s not how it works. You have to take the time to figure out what’s important to that person and you become the person of service to that press person. Not the other way around" As a founder, you’re going to want people to be as excited about what you’re building as you are but that’s rarely the case. It’s the same with earned media. When you’re reaching out to media, it’s not about your "cool new product" or "vision", it's about understanding that particular outlet, what they write about, who it’s for, and aligning your brand to their goals so you help them do their job in getting more traffic, clicks, etc because at the end of the day, media is a business with KPI’s just like your company. Learn how Fawn circulates at least 50 different stories/month.
The 99% Earned Media Playbook
"There has never been a brand built on earned media...until now" This is a response Fawn received from one of the top PR people in the game UNTIL he met Fawn. Here are the SparkNotes for Fawn’s earned media playbook: 1. Research: What does that particular outlet cover and who is covering it? Don’t go wide, narrow down to the people who are actually covering areas that align with your brand 2. Identify: Who are they selling to? Who is reading them? Who is watching them? Who is important to them for them to succeed? 3. Generate Your Stories: We often advise our founders to write down and come up with as many ideas as possible for how their business aligns with current events. From there, you can start seeing themes Emerge. Ex: Woman Founded Company with 100% Female Leadership, Black Owned Business Surviving COVID, Immigrant woman founder getting to an exit, etc. The world is constantly evolving with new trends, new world events, etc. Where does your brand fit within it? Then create stories that are situated within it. Get the full 99% Earned Media Playbook here.
Why She Said NO to VC’s & PE
"I wouldn’t allow any VC or PE $ in because I understand they have a 5-year timeline. I’m not mad at them for it but when you see people who get VC $, the thing that’s consistent...that you can clock with an egg timer is that by year 3 if that company is not doing what is expected, the CEO gets ousted. By year 4 they’re trying to make changes because, by year 5, they’re trying to get their $ money." Learn more about Fawn’s thought process on how she decided NOT to raise VC or PE.
How to Raise $60M from Angel Investors
I know where each of my investors wants to exit and they know that whenever they want to exit, I want to be the one to buy them out. Ownership MATTERS. I’m sure you’ve heard the rationale that 100% of nothing is nothing and that’s correct unless you’re building something of value. Here’s the thing about predatory systems... they will convince the very people they prey upon to act in a way that’s out of alignment with their best interests by tapping into a basic human need - belonging. In this case, the need to belong is tied to wanting proximity to power. Trauma is a b***h, ain’t it?! Ownership is what generates wealth. Period. So here’s what Fawn did: 1. She brought in individual investors and learned when they wanted to exit. 2. She knows where the company needs to be at in order to buy them out. 3. She didn’t give up any board seats but treats each individual investor like a board member with full transparency. Get the Angel Investor Raise Playbook here.
Why Ownership & Legacy Matters
When people ask me about the exit and are so thrown off that I have no desire to exit, I always say to them - Who am I going to exit to? Every other company is owned by a white male so if I exit to one of them, guess what? We’re back at square one! Learn more about the ownership game here.
How to Scale a Legacy Company
"We still followed the scale quickly model. It just wasn’t scale quickly to flip or sell. It’s scale quickly to be able to raise the kind of capital that we need to make sure that this brand became so big that 200 years from now… Johnnie Walker, Jack Daniels, Jim Beam, and Uncle Nearest will all be on a shelf side by side." Learn how legacy scales here.
Where You Can Support Fawn?
Grab yourself a bottle of Uncle Nearest, kick back, and listen to this episode.
TRACTION TOOLS: How to get it done...
Here are some tools that will help you gain earned media and scale your legacy <3
Did you know that media tends to prefer speaking directly to the source ie you? Check out how to master founder PR.
Do you want to become the authority in your space? Learn how to build your brand as a founder to become the authority and amplify the company's traction.
Need the Templates & Tools to do Outreach to gain earned media. Check it out!
Learn How to Craft Your Media Pitch in 2022 here.
JOIN THE COMMUNITY
Explore community membership here.
GET YOUR WEEKLY 5-MIN TRACTION BRIEFINGS SO YOU CAN GROW
How to Build a $50k Waitlist & Raise $3M with Tiffany Dufu, founder The Cru
Learn from Tiffany Dufu, founder of The Cru.
You're viewing an archive of Get Sh!t Done Weekly Email Traction Briefings. Join free to receive your weekly 5-minute growth playbooks & grow alongside thousands of entrepreneurs
"Startups exist not just to make stuff, make $, or even serve customers. They exist to learn how to build a sustainable business. This learning can be validated scientifically by running frequent experiments that allow you to test each element of your vision"
Tiffany Dufu validated the crap out of her business idea by building a $50,000 waitlist before launching which led to raising $3M from investors.
Founders build a lot of shit no one asked for.
They may be following a trend or, more likely, building something that solves the wrong problem because they didn't experiment and listen to feedback.
Founders fall victim to overhyped "motivational speakers" yelling at us on the internet to go "all-in" so we may go "all-in" on something that doesn't matter.
But here's what they don't tell us about going "all-in"...
Going all in is an intentional process that takes time and is ever-evolving. Not an overnight action made on a whim.
Ready to learn how to build with intention while getting to the bag?
What we'll brief you on:
How to validate a concept through a landing page.
How to build a $50k waitlist and what Tiffany did with it.
How to develop tech as a non-technical founder.
How to determine what to charge.
How to raise $3M from investors not knowing anyone in the VC world.
Learn the #1 thing we ALL need to get better at.
Founder: Tiffany Dufu | Company: The Cru | Location: New York, NY
Receipts before The Cru
Prior to The Cru, Tiffany had already dedicated her life’s work to advancing women and girls. She spent a decade curating and developing leadership through a peer inquiry-based model to support your peers working for organizations like Forte. Tiffany learned that having a supportive network of peers was key to her success and would often tell other women to do the same.
Problem-solving
You’ve probably heard the saying that your network is your net worth. However, what if you aren’t in a place or position to invest in building your network, especially when you have a high-demand job and life? Tiffany found that while she was preaching about building a crew because she already built one, most women she spoke with didn’t have the bandwidth to build their own.
Solution
Through one of "Tiffany’s Epiphanies" (dope AF, right?!) She realized that offering a service that matched women who were mid-level professionals with their own crew could be powerful. And this just wasn't a good idea in theory - with the rise of coaching and mentor platforms, there's a need. 79% of millennials see mentors as crucial to their success.
It Started with 1 Landing Page...
If you’re an OG Get Sh!t Done Queen or Comrade, you know we started with 1 email. No website. That was similar for The Cru. She started with 1 landing page detailing her background with images of her personal crew, how her crew has driven her success, and a CTA (call to action) to sign-up if you wanted to take the headache of networking and get a Cru. She simply promoted across her social platforms and had several women sign up. From that initial landing page, they got 400 people to sign-up. A quick note - this is a POWERFUL approach that I recommend to test concepts. However, if you do not get the volume Tiffany did, that does NOT mean you failed. Keep in mind that Tiffany had already built some level of influence through speaking and a book prior to launching her business. Even if you get dozens, that’s awesome. #ComparisonIsAThief Learn how Tiffany set up her landing page and what she put on it.
How they validated the Concept of The Cru.
Tiffany went to werk! They did interviews with every.single.person. It took the entire summer, which served as additional market research and to know who would fit well in a Cru together. Don’t worry - her personal Cru showed up to help her do the interviews ;) The moment of truth for whether this concept would work was determined by 2 things - Them sending an email "We found your Cru. Sign-up" and if the person was willing to pay $499. 90% of women signed up and paid within 24 hours. Learn how they got to this conversion rate here.
How they Developed Tech.
You would have thought I was looking for another husband. Tiffany was now sitting on $50,000 given the women who signed up. 50% of that would build the initial tech platform to eliminate the manual nature of matching. However, going tech first wouldn’t have given them the rich data they needed to know WHAT to build. Too often founders jump to building technical products without knowing what they’re solving for and what features actually matter. Once the matches were made, she engaged an engineer to build the 1st algorithm, which is how they make matches today. Learn how she became the architect of what was built as a non-technical founder.
How they determined what to charge.
Tiffany is a self-proclaimed "joiner". She is a member of several communities. The way she determined pricing was by taking all of her memberships and then averaging out the annual membership. It ended up being $1k. She then told herself - "cut it in half". Learn how she determined pricing here.
She Raised $3M by learning about VC through Google.
When Tiffany launched, she had no idea what venture capital was. Not even kidding. However, as the Cru was growing from the original $50k they got from launching the landing page, they learned the cost of taking care of Cru’s was more than the $499. She decided she needed to get additional capital to create a high-quality experience. However, she had to ask herself whether or not VC was in alignment with her values and the vision she had for the company because Tiffany quickly learned that all money is not good money. Learn how Tiffany stayed true to her vision and values, and successfully raised $3M by finding the right sponsors to help her demystify the process.
How to Ask for Support.
There is no one that has invested in Tiffany Dufu that regrets investing in Tiffany Dufu. We are here for this BVE (big vagina energy) Tiffany has made strides across her career because she not only believed she was worthy but also knew that getting support would be critical to her success. The biggest barrier women have asking for help is that they see the other person is giving them something but they don’t understand their own value. Learn how Tiffany learned how to ask for support and her advice for how you.
Where You Can Support Tiffany?
If you know a woman who needs a Cru, check them out. And if you’re an investor who cares about community, connect with Tiffany.
TRACTION TOOLS: How to get it done...
Here are some tools that will help you build product for the low & raise capital<3
Why Build a Waitlist Before Building the Product. Hint: Save Hella $
Minimum Lovable Product: Learn how to build a Minimum Lovable Product from a queen who has raised $130M.
Not a designer? Neither are we. Learn how to create a simple yet successful landing page here.
Learn How this Company Grew Their Waitlist to 200,000 users.
Building Community: Tiffany essentially built a community. Learn how this queen built a 7-figure bootstrapped community.
Learn how this company grew a 1M waitlist before launching.
Get Feedback to Know What to Build: by listening to your customers and driving 50% revenues through organic marketing here.
How to Raise $11M 16 Months Post Launch with Queen Betsy Fore.
Turn an Investor No into a Yes with queen Jihan Thompson *with consent, allwwwayyys ;)
JOIN THE COMMUNITY
Explore community membership here.
GET YOUR WEEKLY 5-MIN TRACTION BRIEFINGS SO YOU CAN GROW
How Organic Marketing Drives 50%+ Revenues with Emily Grey, founder Flourish Market
Learn from Emily Grey, founder of Flourish Market.
You're viewing an archive of Get Sh!t Done Weekly Email Traction Briefings. Join free to receive your weekly 5-minute growth playbooks & grow alongside thousands of entrepreneurs
"The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fits them and sells itself."
Emily Grey scaled a 7-figure profitable empire driven by 50%+ organic marketing
I bang my head against the wall whenever a founder tells me their marketing strategy is paying for ads, ESPECIALLY when they don't have the budget.
Here's the problem:
The recommended spend on ads for startups is 25-30% of earnings. MOST startups can't afford this when they need to grow a team, build products, etc.
The largest ad platforms have close to a monopoly and suck you dry if that's your only source of traction.
Our growth allies at Female Startup Club suggest that unless you're doing at least $30k MRR, hiring an agency to do your ads is a waste. This means founders have to invest time to figure out ads, which requires expertise.
The MOST successful companies that sustain scale over time have strong organic marketing i.e word of mouth, content, PR, email, organic social engagement, etc.
You cannot spend or shortcut your way to success and scale.
While organic marketing takes time and effort but it's well worth it because it's what YOU can control as a founder instead of relying on paying platforms you can't control
Ready to learn how you can leverage organic marketing to drive 50% of revenues?
What we'll brief you on:
How small can be sexy and scale.
How creative funding can help you get the capital you need.
How to make your customers your co-authors.
How experience & activation led to a 64% repeat rate and how you can leverage it.
How to amplify your face as the founder.
How to manage your time and your team's.
Let's get it...
How Organic Marketing Can Drive 50% of Revenues
Founder: Emily Grey | Company: Flourish Market | Location: Raleigh, NC
Receipts before Flourish Market
Emily grew up in North Carolina and started working for a Swiss Investment Bank after college where she traveled for 8 years living in Europe, Asia, and NYC. When she left that job she had the title of VP of Communications and Change Management.
Problem-solving
Women have consistently informed 80% of purchase decisions. The impact of mass consumerism has had massive repercussions globally. "Do good fashion" has been on the rise in the last decade such as the ethical fashion movement, which is currently a sizeable yet small fraction ($5.84 Billion) of the multi-trillion dollar fashion market. However, more companies are starting to opt into initiatives like the 1% pledge, where participating organizations contribute at least 1% of annual sales to environmental causes. About 50% of fashion companies that interview for the Get Sh!t Done Accelerator, claim to be a part of this initiative.
Solution
What if we were able to support the Queens of commerce to make informed purchase decisions that drive impact at a local level? Flourish Market's way of "doing good" is by empowering their customers to purchase with purpose by partnering with 200+ brands who provide dignified jobs and fair wages to inspiring artisans and makers in vulnerable communities.
Small Can Be Sexy & Scale.
Emily partners with 200+ brands and has scaled a 7-figure profitable business in 3 years AND did it with 1 location, a 3,500 square foot storefront in Raleigh, NC. And contrary to what most retailers do, they do not want multiple stores. They are sticking with the 1 store in downtown Raleigh as they scale. So how in the hell does that scale? Learn how small can scale here.
How Did they Fund it Initially?
Inventory businesses are not cheap but Emily like my fave founders are great at creative funding. Emily didn't start w/ a retail location. She started the company by purchasing a truck that was transformed into a fashion boutique on wheels for $8k. She raised $5k on Kickstarter to fund the initial inventory with 10-12 brands. They have bootstrapped everything. No institutional funding, no loans, AND they've NEVER paid for advertising. Learn how to get creative with your funding here.
Make Your Customers Your Co-Authors.
Emily made customer listening an art. - "We listen and listen well" More importantly, she listens across platforms. They leverage tools like Instagram polls where a whopping 90% of their 13k followers vote and have a 93% open rate with an email list of 20k+ where they receive thousands of responses to surveys. Get a masterclass on customer listening from how they do their polls to drive engagement, to what questions they ask, how often they send surveys, where companies f*ck up on surveys and how you can do better, and so much more here.
Experience & Activation with a 64% Repeat Rate.
One of the driving growth forces for them has been in-person activations with a give-back component. You may be thinking -"I can’t do anything in-person with COVID" but Emily challenges you to think out of the box. For example, they did 91 porch pop-ups during the pandemic. This is why in-person shopping yields a higher AOV (average order value) and LTV (lifetime value). Humans create connections, not tech. Their highly interactive approach has led to a 64% repeat rate. Learn how to activate organic and engaging marketing that can work for YOUR company with Emily here that’s pandemic proof.
You Gotta Put Your Face Out There
Emily gets deep into how she engages with her customers and community. One of my favorite things that she said was "you gotta put your face out there". This is one of your superpowers as a founder. The bigger a company gets, the less it’s humanized unless you’re Oprah because let’s face it - she’s the Queen! When you’re small and mighty, humanizing your brand empowers you to be David to Goliath. Learn how Emily goes behind the scenes in her company and gets raw with her customers like being transparent about their finances when COVID hit
Manage Your Time & Team
Every quarter their team does an experiment to understand how they are spending their time, what they are spending their time on, AND how much money they are gaining or LOSING by doing those tasks. WHEW! If you feel attacked it’s because you know you ain’t spending your time where it needs to be. If you’re not, you may need to get a wake-up call. Figure out whether or not you’re spending your time wisely using Emily's framework here.
Where You Can Support Emily?
If you are in the fashion space and want to learn how to break into wholesale, learn more about Emily’s movement - The Wholesale Way.
MARKETING MOVES: Grow Awareness
Learn how this company drives revenues with 98% earned marketing (meaning they don't pay for it) with Fawn Weaver.
Want to learn one of the most impactful ways to grow awareness organically? Learn how to form partnerships with Maria Boustead.
Learn how to build your founder brand & master your content marketing strategy with Jessica Zweig.
Learn how mastering PR drove sales & funding with Stephanie Benedetto.
TRACTION TOOLS: How to get it done...
Here are some tools that will help you build awareness and develop partnerships<3
Successful companies listen to their customers by engaging with them often. Here is a kickass guide on how you can engage and interview your customers.
Once you complete the guide above, here are 142 engaging questions you can ask your audience on social media.
Here's a rundown on how to grow your startup organically.
Did you know that SEO is one of the top ways startups grow? Learn SEO for Startups here.
Get Your Outcome-Driven SEO roadmap here.
Need to outsource marketing hires? One of our VC allie's portfolio company used Market Hire and they 13X'd users. We've heard at least 4 recommendations for this platform in the last month from founders & funders.
Founder's get super caught up in vanity metrics around awareness like how many followers you have. Learn why Visibility isn't success as you focus on marketing.
JOIN THE COMMUNITY
Explore community membership here.