The Entrepreneur Forum | Financial Freedom | Starting a Business | Motivation | Money | Success

Welcome to the only entrepreneur forum dedicated to building life-changing wealth.

Build a Fastlane business. Earn real financial freedom. Join free.

Join over 80,000 entrepreneurs who have rejected the paradigm of mediocrity and said "NO!" to underpaid jobs, ascetic frugality, and suffocating savings rituals— learn how to build a Fastlane business that pays both freedom and lifestyle affluence.

Free registration at the forum removes this block.

I Built A Worldwide Business From Broke.

Iammelissamoore

Silver Contributor
Read Rat-Race Escape!
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
239%
Sep 23, 2014
393
938
Trinidad and Tobago
Turns out I am a bit late to this party, lol. Let me start by saying a Major Congratulations to you on this process and your continued success. Thank you for explaining the process involved in your success, I appreciate learning the importance of it in all the remarkable entries on this forum.

The beauty I am learning is that in building success, while we may encounter many challenges, even failures, these serve as the basis and stepping stones for the success we create ahead - it is the remarkable Process - which makes the Event even more sweet.

Thank you for sharing your empowering story and I continuously adore the power of this online community.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Iammelissamoore

Silver Contributor
Read Rat-Race Escape!
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
239%
Sep 23, 2014
393
938
Trinidad and Tobago
That changed the way we received business. And over the years, the internet started to become more important than the live events.

We hung up the car keys in 2008. And the wheels of our car did a little jig in celebration.

Today, we don't mail out catalogues. But email our customers several times a year to stay in touch

Proof that as time changes, we evolve. As Entrepreneurs, we always see the opportunity to grow, not that we ignore the traditions that lead us to success, but, in addition to those important traditions, we evolve along our paths, unafraid of what lies ahead, every experience offers an opportunity to learn and see things from different perspectives.
 

Carol Jones

Platinum Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
903%
Oct 5, 2017
326
2,944
Rural Australia
Thank you for sharing your empowering story and I continuously adore the power of this online community

Good morning @Iammelissamoore from Oz,

What a pleasure it is to meet you.

Thank you for taking the time to read this thread. And I totally agree about the Fastlane community. It's like no other community!

I hope we stay connected. If ever I can help you, please let me know. ~Carol❤
 

Iammelissamoore

Silver Contributor
Read Rat-Race Escape!
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
239%
Sep 23, 2014
393
938
Trinidad and Tobago
Good morning @Iammelissamoore from Oz,

What a pleasure it is to meet you.

Thank you for taking the time to read this thread. And I totally agree about the Fastlane community. It's like no other community!

I hope we stay connected. If ever I can help you, please let me know. ~Carol❤

Thank you so much, you are beyond kind, I am happy to have crossed paths with you and the family we have built on this forum.

I wish you continued success in All your endeavours. :)
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

devingisraving

Contributor
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
168%
Feb 21, 2018
22
37
24
Lebanon
Good morning from rural Australia,

In a nutshell, my partner and I design and make textile products that are simple solutions for difficult problems. We have 400,000 customers in 30 countries around the world who think our products are the best thing since sliced bread. The icing on the cake is that all our products are made with love and care in rural Australia by men and women who have a disability. We are renown for our simple solutions that work. When others don't.

That's the event.

The process is this.

In 1992, my partner and I lost everything in Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating's 'recession we had to have'. We closed down two businesses. My partner's 12 year old architectural practice. My market research consultancy. We farewelled 16 loyal and supportive staff. We sold our home of 22 years. Two cars. And our personal possessions. To pay off what debt we could. And made a scheme of arrangement with our creditors to pay off the remaining debt.

Poor as church mice. We left the city lights of Sydney Australia. For a rural life in a remote village with no internet access. No email. Not even call waiting. But it met our most important criteria. We could live in a farmhouse whose rent we could afford to pay. The village was heavily affected by a severe drought. And the house was not a desirable place to live. But it was our safety net.

We made a decision to find our way back by utilising simple solutions. Our skills were in design. And research. So we reinvented ourselves as designers and makers of textile products. Our first product didn't capture the hearts of the marketplace. But our second product did. We redesigned the humble ironing board cover utilising a low tech solution to make sure it was firmly anchored to an ironing board. So it never moved. Which is what makes people hate ironing.

If you make one good product. Customers want more. So we designed 6 more textile products. And today we have more than 400,000 customers in 30 countries. Without any retail distribution. And all done online today. But in the beginning, it was all mail order.

We've been down dark alleys. Wondered if we were certifiably mad to keep doing what we were doing when ironing board covers are not top of mind with most people.

But we discovered they are very top of mind with men and women who must iron.

Even though the subject is not sexy, our products, and our story, have been written about in every major publication in Australia.

We've been featured on mainstream TV. Interviewed on radio. Included in two books. The latest being 'Hunch' by international best selling author Bernadette Jiwa. I'm the 'Ironing Whisperer' on page 73.

The process of working every day is what got us to where we are today.

We did what everyone said we couldn't do. We built a worldwide business from broke. On a remote rural property. Before the internet and email came to our rural village.

I'm here to mix with like minded men and women. I have 35 years of business experience to share. I've done the hard yards. And would love to be of help to those of you who can't see the light at the end of the tunnel.

And. I want to travel further along the road to wealth.

It will be a pleasure to meet you. ~Carol❤
This post is really motivational and really helps me wake up from all the excuses that I put on myself for not working everyday hard enough. Would like to meet you too Carol and have some ontresting conversations!
 

Carol Jones

Platinum Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
903%
Oct 5, 2017
326
2,944
Rural Australia
This post is really motivational and really helps me wake up from all the excuses that I put on myself for not working everyday hard enough. Would like to meet you too Carol and have some ontresting conversations!

Good morning @Georges Ch from Oz,

Thank you so much!

And welcome to the forum. I see you joined today.

This is a very special place to be. Everyone here wants to help you. All you have to do is ask.

A word about working hard enough.

Victor and I were stone broke when we started this business. We had to work hard just to be able to put food on the table. And pay the rent on the farmhouse we were living in. Those are huge motivating factors.

If you're comfortable. It's harder to convince yourself to work harder. Because much of what you're doing is really difficult. And not glamourous.

Reflecting back on the 24 years we've spent building up this business, I can assure you that every minute of the hard work is worth it. But the rewards are apparent mostly in retrospect. Not in the moment.

Except when something exceptional happens. Like now. Meeting you!

If ever I can help you, please let me know.

Best wishes on your journey. One day you'll be able to look back and say, "I did this!" ~Carol❤
 

devingisraving

Contributor
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
168%
Feb 21, 2018
22
37
24
Lebanon
Good morning @Georges Ch from Oz,

Thank you so much!

And welcome to the forum. I see you joined today.

This is a very special place to be. Everyone here wants to help you. All you have to do is ask.

A word about working hard enough.

Victor and I were stone broke when we started this business. We had to work hard just to be able to put food on the table. And pay the rent on the farmhouse we were living in. Those are huge motivating factors.

If you're comfortable. It's harder to convince yourself to work harder. Because much of what you're doing is really difficult. And not glamourous.

Reflecting back on the 24 years we've spent building up this business, I can assure you that every minute of the hard work is worth it. But the rewards are apparent mostly in retrospect. Not in the moment.

Except when something exceptional happens. Like now. Meeting you!

If ever I can help you, please let me know.

Best wishes on your journey. One day you'll be able to look back and say, "I did this!" ~Carol❤
Hope I will Carol☺ You really motivated me and I hope one day I will be able to tell you that I did it!
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Private Witt

Gold Contributor
FASTLANE INSIDER
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
220%
Feb 20, 2018
984
2,168
Oklahoma
What a great opening post! Look forward to reading the rest of this thread. Congrats on your success and thanks for sharing.
 

Carol Jones

Platinum Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
903%
Oct 5, 2017
326
2,944
Rural Australia
What a great opening post! Look forward to reading the rest of this thread. Congrats on your success and thanks for sharing.

G'day @Private Witt from Oz,

Thank you!

And welcome to the forum. You will meet many amazing people here. Every one of them has a nugget of wisdom you can learn from.

If ever I can help you, please let me know.

And best wishes on your journey. To wherever you want to be. ~Carol❤
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Private Witt

Gold Contributor
FASTLANE INSIDER
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
220%
Feb 20, 2018
984
2,168
Oklahoma
G'day @Private Witt from Oz,

Thank you!

And welcome to the forum. You will meet many amazing people here. Every one of them has a nugget of wisdom you can learn from.

If ever I can help you, please let me know.

And best wishes on your journey. To wherever you want to be. ~Carol❤

Thank you so much for the kind welcome! Im so pumped about this forum and just taking it all in. Im about to finish an industry related book and will for sure tackle MJ's books next.
 

Carol Jones

Platinum Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
903%
Oct 5, 2017
326
2,944
Rural Australia
Thank you so much for the kind welcome! Im so pumped about this forum and just taking it all in. Im about to finish an industry related book and will for sure tackle MJ's books next.

Never hesitate to ask anyone for help @Private Witt. Someone will always raise their hand.

What do you do now?

And what do you hope to do? ~Carol❤
 

Private Witt

Gold Contributor
FASTLANE INSIDER
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
220%
Feb 20, 2018
984
2,168
Oklahoma
Never hesitate to ask anyone for help @Private Witt. Someone will always raise their hand.

What do you do now?

And what do you hope to do? ~Carol❤

Thanks will do!

I have a media-related project in the cannabis industry in Seattle.

I want to run my current business plan for 2018 and see where I end up and hopefully can return to the country of Colombia in 2019 where I have a highly developed travel business waiting for me.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.
Last edited:

Carol Jones

Platinum Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
903%
Oct 5, 2017
326
2,944
Rural Australia
I have a media relate project in the Seattle cannabis industry that is doing very well.


Thanks will do!

I have a media-related project in the cannabis industry in Seattle.

I want to run my current business plan for 2018 and see where I end up and hopefully can return to the country of Colombia in 2019 where I have a highly developed travel business waiting for me.

Those are definitely plans @Private Witt! You obviously have skills in both the media industry and the travel industry. You'll benefit from being a member of this forum. And the members will benefit from your skills. Best wishes ~Carol❤
 

Carol Jones

Platinum Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
903%
Oct 5, 2017
326
2,944
Rural Australia
@Carol Jones Your story is really inspiring. Wish u all the best, first health then wealth. Bookmarked for sure.

G'day @Vermilion from Oz,

Thank you so much!

You have your priorities right.

Health first.

Then wealth.

When you're healthy, you can do anything! It's THE most important attribute a person can have. With good health, you're unstoppable.

Welcome to the forum. You'll love it here. And I wish you all the best on your journey to wherever. And whatever.

A pleasure to meet you. ~Carol❤
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Deliafiori

New Contributor
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
220%
Feb 22, 2018
5
11
42
london
Good morning from rural Australia,

In a nutshell, my partner and I design and make textile products that are simple solutions for difficult problems. We have 400,000 customers in 30 countries around the world who think our products are the best thing since sliced bread. The icing on the cake is that all our products are made with love and care in rural Australia by men and women who have a disability. We are renown for our simple solutions that work. When others don't.

That's the event.

The process is this.

In 1992, my partner and I lost everything in Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating's 'recession we had to have'. We closed down two businesses. My partner's 12 year old architectural practice. My market research consultancy. We farewelled 16 loyal and supportive staff. We sold our home of 22 years. Two cars. And our personal possessions. To pay off what debt we could. And made a scheme of arrangement with our creditors to pay off the remaining debt.

Poor as church mice. We left the city lights of Sydney Australia. For a rural life in a remote village with no internet access. No email. Not even call waiting. But it met our most important criteria. We could live in a farmhouse whose rent we could afford to pay. The village was heavily affected by a severe drought. And the house was not a desirable place to live. But it was our safety net.

We made a decision to find our way back by utilising simple solutions. Our skills were in design. And research. So we reinvented ourselves as designers and makers of textile products. Our first product didn't capture the hearts of the marketplace. But our second product did. We redesigned the humble ironing board cover utilising a low tech solution to make sure it was firmly anchored to an ironing board. So it never moved. Which is what makes people hate ironing.

If you make one good product. Customers want more. So we designed 6 more textile products. And today we have more than 400,000 customers in 30 countries. Without any retail distribution. And all done online today. But in the beginning, it was all mail order.

We've been down dark alleys. Wondered if we were certifiably mad to keep doing what we were doing when ironing board covers are not top of mind with most people.

But we discovered they are very top of mind with men and women who must iron.

Even though the subject is not sexy, our products, and our story, have been written about in every major publication in Australia.

We've been featured on mainstream TV. Interviewed on radio. Included in two books. The latest being 'Hunch' by international best selling author Bernadette Jiwa. I'm the 'Ironing Whisperer' on page 73.

The process of working every day is what got us to where we are today.

We did what everyone said we couldn't do. We built a worldwide business from broke. On a remote rural property. Before the internet and email came to our rural village.

I'm here to mix with like minded men and women. I have 35 years of business experience to share. I've done the hard yards. And would love to be of help to those of you who can't see the light at the end of the tunnel.

And. I want to travel further along the road to wealth.

It will be a pleasure to meet you. ~Carol❤
Dear Carol your story is just amazing,
I have a small winary in Sardina and my dream is to sell the wine on line only!
I am living in london and I am finding very dificult the sell process here, I have to be honest I dislike selling into restaurant becouse they want to kill my price and don t see too much value on the product! That s why I believe the only way out is the on line selling! Now my problem is how can I create a funnel that make people buy my product since is quite unknown?
Thanks very much
Delia
 

MTF

Never give up
FASTLANE INSIDER
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
455%
May 1, 2011
7,560
34,430
@Carol Jones, have you always been so warm and kind to other people? Even when reading your posts, I can feel that you really care about people. How can one become such a warm and caring person? Is there any advice you can offer to improve this skill?
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Carol Jones

Platinum Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
903%
Oct 5, 2017
326
2,944
Rural Australia

Carol Jones

Platinum Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
903%
Oct 5, 2017
326
2,944
Rural Australia
@Carol Jones, have you always been so warm and kind to other people? Even when reading your posts, I can feel that you really care about people. How can one become such a warm and caring person? Is there any advice you can offer to improve this skill?

G'day @MTF from Oz,

The answer is yes. I have always been a caring, warm person. It's my signature trait.

But.

I'm not caring and warm to everyone.

I can't abide rudeness. Bad manners. Abysmal customer service. Deceit. Disloyalty. People hurling verbal abuse. And violence towards children.

And I will quickly change from Dr Jekyll into Mr Hyde. I take a stand. And I have been known to reduce grown men to tears.

I'm not one to turn a blind eye. My partner often wishes I was!

99.9% of the time. What you read here is who I am.

If we don't care about other people, we leave the world poorer for not helping.

I'm where I am today because other people helped me. I can never repay them. Nor would they expect me to.

But I can pay it forward.

I know what it's like to wander aimlessly in dark tunnels. Not seeing the light. Not knowing what to do next in my business. I often had to figure it out for myself. Because not many people in business do what I do.

I'm here because I want to share my experience. And help other people make their journey less haphazard.

If this skill doesn't come naturally to you. You can easily develop it.

Be outward focussed. Instead of inward focussed.

We all have memories of feeling awkward or isolated from other people. Remember what it's like to be in that situation. And make sure you reach out to someone who's feeling that way right now. And ask if you can help them. It's like a shot of adrenalin when you do that.

A story.

When I was a high flying businesswoman in Sydney Australia. Before we escaped to the bush. I joined The Institute of Directors.

I was not only a director of my own company. But on the Board of Directors for The American Chamber Of Commerce in Australia. On the Board of Directors for The Pan Pacific Direct Marketing Symposium. The largest direct marketing conference in the southern hemisphere. And on the Board of Directors for The Restaurant And Catering Association.

I was eminently qualified to be a member of that organisation.

I went to their first luncheon. By myself. Which I usually do. I was there to meet people. Not to stay glued to someone else.

I pushed open the huge doors to the dining room.

And was met with a wall of suits. A formidable wall of suits. Many of these men standing shoulder to shoulder in a circle. With no room for someone else to squeeze in.

I am literally 5'2". With eyes of blue. And was dwarfed by these men.

Teetering on my stilettos, I quickly grasped that I was the only woman there.

I took a deep breath. Accepted a glass of mineral water from the waiter. And started to circle the room. Pretending I was looking for someone.

Which I was. I was looking for someone standing alone. Looking lost.

I found him. I walked up. Introduced myself. Asked him his name. What he does. Where he works. And we started a conversation.

We sat at lunch together. On the way out, he confessed this was his first luncheon. He knew no one. And was so grateful to have someone ~ !with experience! ~ come up and say hello.

It doesn't take much to add a bit of razzle-dazzle into the life of another person. You just need to let them know you care. About them.

I hope this answers your question @MTF. ~Carol❤
 

Carol Jones

Platinum Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
903%
Oct 5, 2017
326
2,944
Rural Australia
Dear Carol your story is just amazing,
I have a small winary in Sardina and my dream is to sell the wine on line only!
I am living in london and I am finding very dificult the sell process here, I have to be honest I dislike selling into restaurant becouse they want to kill my price and don t see too much value on the product! That s why I believe the only way out is the on line selling! Now my problem is how can I create a funnel that make people buy my product since is quite unknown?
Thanks very much
Delia

Good morning @Delia from Oz,

Welcome to the forum! Fasten your seatbelt. This is really the FASTLANE!

What a pleasure it is to meet you. And have you tell me your story.

Although I have an online business, 24 years ago I started out differently.

There was no internet.

And like you, I wanted to stay out of wholesaling. For someone like me, who likes to get to know their customer, it's a soulless way to do business.

It works for others. But not for me.

Like you, I also detest the constant droning about how it always has to be cheaper. It's a lazy way to sell.

We started out by going anywhere we could set up a microphone to spruik. And demonstrate why our products worked. When others didn't.

From 1994 to 2008, my partner and I travelled 60,000km per year. Meeting people. And introducing our products, face to face, to those people.

Having prior experience in the direct marketing industry, I was also capturing mailing addresses (remember, this was before email and the internet) from purchasers.

My first database was 250 names.

It was the beginning of my mailorder business.

I didn't just mail out brochures. I mailed out brochures with handwritten thank you notes for buying my products. Within the week after the event where I captured their details.

That grew my word of mouth referral business. Which is still a significant part of my business.

All that meeting and greeting drew the attention of the media. We've been written about in every major publication in Australia. I've been on radio. Featured on TV. Invited to participate in podcasts.

We got known!

Maybe I'm wrong, but as a wine drinker, wine isn't something you can offer cold online without a track record.

You really do have to get out and meet the public. Get them to taste your wine. Get journalists to write about you. Create a story about your vineyard.

Discover what other people are doing. And adapt it to what you want to do.

Many vignerons and wine merchants do this very well with videos on YouTube.

Gary Vaynerchuk is famous for having built his father's wine business into what it is today purely by doing videos with experts tasting his wines. And giving their opinion.

I accept he's a wine merchant. And doesn't own a vineyard. But he is in the wine business. And he knows why people buy certain wines over others.

This is a link to someone who does own a vineyard.

Video | Mirabeau

He started a vineyard in Provence. With 600 competing vineyards all around him. He now has his wine into 50 markets.

No, he doesn't sell his wines online. But he has some awesome videos about his vineyard. His wines. And his lifestyle. Which makes me want to buy them!

You have to get known. Pure and simple. You need to put in the work to achieve this. It's tireless. And exhausting.

But looking into the future, you will look back and pat yourself on the back for what you've achieved.

Meet the wine journalists. Send them your wine. Get their feedback. Find out why they choose to write about A over B.

Cultivate wine merchants. Find out from them why and how people choose wine. And find out what they're looking for in a wine before they stock it. Give them a bottle of yours. And get their feedback.

Talk to wine drinkers. What's their worldview? From them, you'll discover what you should be talking about in your videos. Which is never you. But definitely the wine experience.

What about celebrity chefs? Not restaurant chefs. But people in the food industry who can be influencers. Give them some of your wine. And get feedback.

Get yourself a YouTube channel. And spruik your wines there. Tell your story. Especially matching your wines with food. Food porn is a big magnet for the public.

I live in wine country. The world famous wines made in Mudgee NSW is an hour's drive away. The vineyards consistently travel to major metropolitan areas spruiking their wines. They're always meeting and greeting.

Every year Mudgee has a food and wine trail. People come from all over to sample the wines. And the food.

I can't emphasise enough how important it is for you to get on the road. And get known.

Delia, I don't use funnels. I don't believe in them. I think if you tell a good story with honesty and enthusiasm, you don't need funnels.

I don't believe in trapping customers into buying things they might regret later.

As an online merchant, my criteria is NOT to get people to buy as much as possible in one go. It's to make sure they are able to make an informed purchase. If they do. And they're happy. They come back again. And again. And again. I have people on my database from 1994 who still buy from me. As do their extended families. And friends.

My shopping cart has all my packages available. Very few purchasers order single items from me.

I abandon carts which make me go through a maze. It's insulting to most customers.

Regarding more input. Find people in the forum who have experience in the wine industry. And get their perspective. People are here to help each other. The more people you talk to. The more you know.

Regarding funnels. I'm sure you will find people on this forum who have a more positive opinion of them. And who use them successfully. Who will share with you what they know.

I hope this helps you. And best wishes! ~Carol❤
 
Last edited:

Deliafiori

New Contributor
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
220%
Feb 22, 2018
5
11
42
london
Good morning @Delia from Oz,

Welcome to the forum! Fasten your seatbelt. This is really the FASTLANE!

What a pleasure it is to meet you. And have you tell me your story.

Although I have an online business, 24 years ago I started out differently.

There was no internet.

And like you, I wanted to stay out of wholesaling. For someone like me, who likes to get to know their customer, it's a soulless way to do business.

It works for others. But not for me.

Like you, I also detest the constant droning about how it always has to be cheaper. It's a lazy way to sell.

We started out by going anywhere we could set up a microphone to spruik. And demonstrate why our products worked. When others didn't.

From 1994 to 2008, my partner and I travelled 60,000km per year. Meeting people. And introducing our products, face to face, to those people.

Having prior experience in the direct marketing industry, I was also capturing mailing addresses (remember, this was before email and the internet) from purchasers.

My first database was 250 names.

It was the beginning of my mailorder business.

I didn't just mail out brochures. I mailed out brochures with handwritten thank you notes for buying my products. Within the week after the event where I captured their details.

That grew my word of mouth referral business. Which is still a significant part of my business.

All that meeting and greeting drew the attention of the media. We've been written about in every major publication in Australia. I've been on radio. Featured on TV. Invited to participate in podcasts.

We got known!

Maybe I'm wrong, but as a wine drinker, wine isn't something you can offer cold online without a track record.

You really do have to get out and meet the public. Get them to taste your wine. Get journalists to write about you. Create a story about your vineyard.

Discover what other people are doing. And adapt it to what you want to do.

Many vignerons and wine merchants do this very well with videos on YouTube.

Gary Vaynerchuk is famous for having built his father's wine business into what it is today purely by doing videos with experts tasting his wines. And giving their opinion.

I accept he's a wine merchant. And doesn't own a vineyard. But he is in the wine business. And he knows why people buy certain wines over others.

This is a link to someone who does own a vineyard.

Video | Mirabeau

He started a vineyard in Provence. With 600 competing vineyards all around him. He now has his wine into 50 markets.

No, he doesn't sell his wines online. But he has some awesome videos about his vineyard. His wines. And his lifestyle. Which makes me want to buy them!

You have to get known. Pure and simple. You need to put in the work to achieve this. It's tireless. And exhausting.

But looking into the future, you will look back and pat yourself on the back for what you've achieved.

Meet the wine journalists. Send them your wine. Get their feedback. Find out why they choose to write about A over B.

Cultivate wine merchants. Find out from them why and how people choose wine. And find out what they're looking for in a wine before they stock it. Give them a bottle of yours. And get their feedback.

Talk to wine drinkers. What's their worldview? From them, you'll discover what you should be talking about in your videos. Which is never you. But definitely the wine experience.

What about celebrity chefs? Not restaurant chefs. But people in the food industry who can be influencers. Give them some of your wine. And get feedback.

Get yourself a YouTube channel. And spruik your wines there. Tell your story. Especially matching your wines with food. Food porn is a big magnet for the public.

I live in wine country. The world famous wines made in Mudgee NSW is an hour's drive away. The vineyards consistently travel to major metropolitan areas spruiking their wines. They're always meeting and greeting.

Every year Mudgee has a food and wine trail. People come from all over to sample the wines. And the food.

I can't emphasise enough how important it is for you to get on the road. And get known.

Delia, I don't use funnels. I don't believe in them. I think if you tell a good story with honesty and enthusiasm, you don't need funnels.

I don't believe in trapping customers into buying things they might regret later.

As an online merchant, my criteria is NOT to get people to buy as much as possible in one go. It's to make sure they are able to make an informed purchase. If they do. And they're happy. They come back again. And again. And again. I have people on my database from 1994 who still buy from me. As do their extended families. And friends.

My shopping cart has all my packages available. Very few purchasers order single items from me.

I abandon carts which make me go through a maze. It's insulting to most customers.

Regarding more input. Find people in the forum who have experience in the wine industry. And get their perspective. People are here to help each other. The more people you talk to. The more you know.

Regarding funnels. I'm sure you will find people on this forum who have a more positive opinion of them. And who use them successfully. Who will share with you what they know.

I hope this helps you. And best wishes! ~Carol❤
Dear Carol thank you so much for all this amazing information, and l
do believe you are right: people need to feel the wine and the story behind it! That s why a started event that promote Sardinian food and wine and my idea now is to create wine testing only about sardininian wine.
My concept:" Sardinia is a blue zone, blue zone areas are population around the world where people live longer 100 years and more!
Sardinia is the does on the ranking and the Cannonau wine, the grape that l produce is a key factor for that! My idea is to create wine testing that promote sardinia towards food wine and art! That s allow me to create a online window where l can supply my wine!
Let me know ur thoughts and whenever you want to come to Sardinia please be my host at the vineyard
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Carol Jones

Platinum Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
903%
Oct 5, 2017
326
2,944
Rural Australia
My concept:" Sardinia is a blue zone, blue zone areas are population around the world where people live longer 100 years and more!

G'day again Delia from Oz,

That's a hook to hang a concept on. Wine and longevity! Just what the wine drinking public wants to hear!!

Sardinia is a beautiful island. With a rich history. You have so much geological and historical material with which to tell wonderful stories. And to produce heart-stopping picturesque videos.

Food. Wine. Art. A trifecta of interesting topics to write. And talk about.

Go for it.

Hire someone who will translate your stories into good English. And post as blog posts. And distribute to social media platforms. As well as journalists. And other people in your industry.

Get your beautiful videos of Sardinia up on YouTube. And do the same with them.

Find people who do podcasts about wine and travel. And see if they will interview you.

These are three areas you can start to develop right now.

The rest you will learn as you go.

This is a multi-year journey, Delia. And you will be amazed at where it takes you. If you're consistent. And disciplined about doing something every day to get you from A to B.

I will now have to put Sardinia on my bucket list. Thank you for the invitation.

If you're ever in Oz. And want to experience some quiet time away from the hub-bub of a busy life, we have a guest house on our rural property you will love. Meadow House Getaway. Meadow House Getaway | Relax. Renew. Recover.

I have a page on my website for my Travel Bug Shoe Bag that features places to visit. If you have a website, I would love to do a small post about Sardinia. With a link to your vineyard.

This is what the page looks like. The Travel Bug Shoe Bag. Places To Visit.

I love including personal information about a destination if I can. As Sardinia is so beautiful. And travellers love knowing about food and wine. You will be a perfect addition to the page. Let me know what you think.

I look forward to staying in touch. ~Carol❤
 

Dave Daily

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
209%
Feb 22, 2018
163
341
54
Chico, CA
Hey Carol from Oz,

Your story is thrilling to read! And I'm amazed at how much time you've spent with each person in this thread. Your giving style will be hard to match, but I'm inspired.

So on to my question: In your experience, have you met many entrepreneurs who are now successful, but who just couldn't get themselves and their path figured out until later in life? We all come with different baggage and sometimes it's hard to sort it out. Do you have any wisdom on this subject?

Thanks and congratulations on your success.

Dave
 

Carol Jones

Platinum Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
903%
Oct 5, 2017
326
2,944
Rural Australia
Hey Carol from Oz,

Your story is thrilling to read! And I'm amazed at how much time you've spent with each person in this thread. Your giving style will be hard to match, but I'm inspired.

So on to my question: In your experience, have you met many entrepreneurs who are now successful, but who just couldn't get themselves and their path figured out until later in life? We all come with different baggage and sometimes it's hard to sort it out. Do you have any wisdom on this subject?

Thanks and congratulations on your success.

Dave

G'day @Hugh Nivers from Oz,

Welcome to the forum! You will meet fabulous people here. And become friends with many of them.

It's also my pleasure to meet you, Dave. And thank you for your very kind words.

So on to my question: In your experience, have you met many entrepreneurs who are now successful, but who just couldn't get themselves and their path figured out until later in life?

I'm a later in life example of someone who has done just that.

Not voluntarily. But certainly, my partner and I started this business at an age when most people wouldn't be thinking of reinventing themselves.

When we started in 1994, the word entrepreneur wasn't a description used to describe a person starting a small business. The word was reserved for a higher echelon of business types. Elon Musk comes to mind. Richard Branson.

Today, anyone who isn't working in a corporate environment is an entrepreneur.

The answer to your question is YES! There are many people who didn't get it together until later in life. Who are running very successful businesses.

Everyone has baggage. Including teenagers. And some people never get it together. And drift from A to B to C.

Evidence is that the older you are when you start a business, the better your odds are of lasting the distance.

You're not as impatient. You already know that 'Business Is A Tough Gig'. You're more committed to the end result. You have wisdom. And a greater experience of life.

All that being said, there are three words that apply to everybody who starts a business.

Commitment. You must be committed to seeing it through. Regardless of how crushing it can be at times. And it can be extremely crushing. And disappointing. There are so many times when you run into a headwind. The sails fall off the mast. The boat is taking on water. And the temptation to quit and throw in the towel is just too easy to do.

One of LinkedIn's most successful Virtual Assistant recently did a post about why she's so successful. And it's simple. She said she gave herself no option to call it quits. It had to work. There was no escape hatch.

Discipline. Dan Kennedy said it best. "Self discipline is the magic power that makes you virtually unstoppable."

That means you do things even if you don't feel like doing them. Or aren't motivated to do them. Or you just prefer to procrastinate.

As with everything in life. We are all where we are today because of how much. Or how little. We do.

Consistency. Do something every day to get you from A to B.

I'm a lover of Microsoft's OneNote. My whole business and personal life is in that notebook.

My plans. My ideas. My goals. My ambition. My To Do's.

I keep it open on my desktop all the time so I can key in thoughts as they come into my head during the day.

I use that information to, on Sunday afternoon, make a weekly list of everything I need to do. I break it down into daily activities.

Social media.

Blog posts.

Website.

Target markets.

Online orders.

I have developed the habit of doing these things on a consistent basis. Not when I feel like doing it. But consistently. Every day.

I wouldn't be where I am today if I did things only when I felt like it.

Examples of late in life successful entrepreneurs.

These three are from Australia.

A lawyer who is 76. Who couldn't bear another day of conflict in divorce cases.

She quit her law firm when she was 70. And started her own law firm. Handling only those divorces cases that are amicable. With no conflict regarding property. Or children. Her clients love this approach. Appreciate her fixed fee. And word of mouth is making her very successful.

A gentleman who is 79 started a business at age 72 placing older men and women in employment.

He's even providing older workers to Australian banks. In their customer service area. The banks have discovered that these people have wisdom and experience of life that enables them to empathise with customers better. And their level of customer complaints has dropped.

He's now expanding into placing men and women who have a disability into gainful employment.

A prominent woman in the wellness industry started her business at age 67. And hasn't looked back. She also has 4 employees. None of which are under the age of 65.

I'm sure none of these men and women found it easy. But they gave themselves no option but to make their businesses work.

You can be anything you want to be, Dave. So long as you're committed to doing the hard yards to get from A to B. Older age is no barrier to success. But laziness is!

People agonise too much today over their purpose in life. And their why.

The self help industry has perpetuated the myth that your 'purpose in life' and your 'why' are important to leading a meaningful life.

Nobody asked those questions 25 years ago. Most people just got on with life.

As we did.

We crashed. We got up. Looked around for something else to do. And did it.

We weren't paralysed into inaction by deciding we should now discover our 'purpose in life'. And our 'why'.

And back then, it never occurred to anyone to 'do what they love'.

Bernadette Jiwa, the Australian international best selling business author, included our story in her latest book 'Hunch'. I'm the Ironing Whisperer. On page 73.

When she asked me what made us start a business selling ironing board covers, I laughed.

I told her no one in their right mind would choose ironing board covers as the product most likely to be successful.

My partner, who is an architect, designed this cover for his mother as a gift. To help her with her ironing when she was recovering from a stroke. It was never meant to be a business.

But it turned into an accidental one.

Why did we proceed with it?

Because we were flat broke. No other source of income presented itself. People were throwing money at us to have an ironing board cover that didn't move on their board. We would have been irresponsible not to have run with it. And make something of it.

Did we love it? No. We didn't. We had aspirations to do something more glamourous. More awe inspiring.

But this business gave Victor the opportunity to design new products.

And gave me the opportunity to do something I excel at. Customer service. Letting customers know I love them because they chose me above all other companies. And they responded in kind.

Do I love my business today? Absolutely! I wouldn't trade the last 24 years for anything.

We dragged the prevailing image of the ironing board cover out of the cheap, trashy, supermarket bin. And elevated ours into a must-have product if you crave quality.

We created romance around our business by emphasising our remote location in rural Australia. By using photographs of our beautiful rural property on our website. In our email newsletters. And in our printed literature. And by writing about our rural lifestyle in blog posts. We discovered that our lifestyle is now the envy of our customers. And our friends.

And by choosing to have our products made with love and care in rural Australia by men and women who have a disability, we set ourselves apart from everyone else.

In the beginning, we had no strategy. And none of what we did had anything to do with a 'purpose in life'. Or a 'why'. Or 'do what I love'. It had everything to do with earning $$$$ to put food on the table.

This business is now part of 'my purpose in life'. It's a part of 'why' I love my life. And it allows me to 'do what I love to do'. Which is to give back to other people.

I hope this helps you. And inspires you! ~Carol❤

PS. If I did what I truly loved, I would be a doo-wop girl in a rock band.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.
Last edited:

Xeon

All Cars Kneel Before Pagani.
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
191%
Sep 3, 2017
2,427
4,628
Singapore
Hi Carol, I'm not sure if I missed it in your thread, but after you and your husband went broke and moved to the farm, how did you guys get the money to fund the materials and inventory, marketing etc.?

Did you two started working at 9-5 jobs for a while to fund it, as you mentioned the banks refuse to lend any money for your ironing board concept initially.

Delia, I don't use funnels. I don't believe in them. I think if you tell a good story with honesty and enthusiasm, you don't need funnels.

What about copywriting? Below are some examples taught in this book called Cashvertising:

-Do you want a fast, easy way to coax your car to get 22 percent better gas mileage?

-Do you want a fast way to pack on 20 pounds of lean muscle without heavy weight training or crazy dieting?

-Would you like to know a simple, 5-minute trick that guarantees to improve your memory, or double your money back?

-Attention Food Servers: New Workshop Teaches YouHow to Boost Your Tips by 512%...or Your Money Back!”

When you sell to people (or on your website copy), do you use words like these? :smile2:
 
Last edited:

Carol Jones

Platinum Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
903%
Oct 5, 2017
326
2,944
Rural Australia
G'day @Xeon from Oz,

It's a pleasure to meet you.

How did we fund ourselves?

With great difficulty.

Remember. This is 24 years ago. Times were different.

The banks wouldn't lend to us. And wouldn't give us an overdraft. But a friend. Who was an accountant. Told us that the bank would issue a no questions asked credit card for a maximum of $500. Per person.

We were able to get 2 credit cards with a $500 limit. So we had a slush fund of $1,000 to work with. Which was a fortune to us.

All our orders were word of mouth. And cash up front. There was no Amazon Prime. Or eBay. That delivered the next day. Everything was mailorder. And people were prepared to wait 30 days to receive their order.

We would wait until the end of the month to see how many orders we had. And order enough fabric and accessories to fill those orders. So most of what we did came out of cash flow. We had no accounts. So these purchases were cash payments up front for us.

Face to face events and stocking up for them beforehand came out of the credit cards. Which we paid off at the end of every month.

Our marketing consisted of modest events. Which were mainly agricultural shows. And markets. That cost $10. To a maximum of $50. To attend.

We would leave our farmhouse at 2am to arrive at our destination by 6am. And arrive back at the farmhouse between midnight. And 2am. They were gruelling days.

We also did letterbox drops. We could do letterbox drops for 3 cents per letter. We produced the leaflets on my computer. And printed them off on our photocopier.

When we sold our possessions to pay off debt. We kept some things. My computer. Which was a bulky, boxy, CRT computer with a black screen and green lettering. No graphics. And our photocopier.

Victor, being an architect, was also a very good sketch artist. So our graphics consisted of his pencil sketches of the products.

We distributed the leaflets to rural areas only. Where rural women were still heavily into ironing. And were used to buying items mailorder. Also, it was rare to see a 'No Junk Mail' sticker on their rural mailboxes.

We did very well with those leaflets. And were able to build up a strong word of mouth business.

We led a frugal life.

We only bought what we needed in the supermarket. No luxuries. No meat. We couldn't afford it. No chocolates.

We had a vegetable garden. And ate what we could grow.

We couldn't afford beer. Or wine. Or spirits. Neither of us smoke. We never so much as bought a cup of coffee in a cafe.

We didn't accept social invitations because we couldn't afford to bring a bottle of wine. Nor could we afford to reciprocate.

Those were hard times. But we had a goal. Which was to get out of debt. And we were prepared to make whatever sacrifices were required to reach that goal.

Regarding copy. All the copy was written by us. I know nothing about those books you mentioned. Or special words.

We just told our story. And described the products in great detail. And offered everyone a no questions asked money back guarantee if they weren't happy. And a twelve-month wear and tear guarantee. Meaning. We guaranteed that whatever they purchased, they couldn't wear it out in twelve months.

No one else did that at the time. We were a first. And that gave customers confidence when buying from us.

We included a black and white brochure, produced on our photocopier, to customers with every order. Including a handwritten thank you note. And mailed to them once a year with another black and white photocopied brochure. Telling them how much we loved them for choosing us over other companies.

That's how we built this business from nothing. To something. Purely on trust. And a willingness to have a special relationship with people who care enough to buy from us.

The only special words we use are . . . love . . . thank you . . . we hope you like what you've purchased.

And that's how we continue to build this business. By developing trustful, deeply personal relationships with our customers.

We don't need anything else.

I hope this answers your questions. And thank you for asking. ~Carol❤
 
Last edited:

Post New Topic

Please SEARCH before posting.
Please select the BEST category.

Post new topic

Guest post submissions offered HERE.

New Topics

Fastlane Insiders

View the forum AD FREE.
Private, unindexed content
Detailed process/execution threads
Ideas needing execution, more!

Join Fastlane Insiders.

More Intros...

Top