I Built A Worldwide Business From Broke.

[Carol Jones]

You are amazing.

G'day @cmor16 from Oz,

Thank you!

You get out of life. What you put into it. Sometimes not in equal proportions.

But if you don't give back - if you can - when the opportunity arises, your soul remains barren.

When I look back on my life, I've had help on every journey. Setbacks too. But I remember the people who helped me.

It starts with my 4th grade teacher, Violet Deitsch. Who gave me confidence. After my 2nd and 3rd grade teachers tried to demolish it. Because I wouldn't be steamrolled by authority. That character trait does not bode well for any child in the school system.

And for every person who tried to undermine me in my pursuit to get from A to B. And everyone has them in their life. In spades. I have a memorable person who lifted me up with a helping hand.

I can never repay those people directly.

But I can pay them the honour of payback by offering others a helping hand.

That's how life works.

Never. Ever. Have I killed the dreams of another person.

I've mentored several people. For free.

Some had ambitions which they probably couldn't reach. But I didn't dissuade them from their dream. I just simplified it for them. Drilled down to the core of what they wanted. And helped them change trajectory. While still keeping their dream alive.

Life is negative enough without me adding to it. There's a plethora of negativity in the lives of most people.

But few people know someone who wants to offer them a helping hand. To let them know that what they want to achieve just might have a chance.

That's who I am. I'm an optimist. And a realist. I know how easy it is to want to do something. But also know how difficult it can be to take the first step.

I want to encourage people to take that first step.

I hope we stay in touch. ~Carol❤

 

[Carol Jones]

@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]

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❤

 

[Carol Jones]

@Carol Jones, you said that you bought a 54-hectare rural property and that you turned it into a wildlife sanctuary. I absolutely love the idea and actually have something similar on my list of goals.

I'm curious about one thing, though: how did you manage to buy 54 hectares of land? I mean, 54 hectares is almost like a small town. It must have been either incredibly expensive or it's located very far away from the civilization.

I understand if you don't want to answer - just shocked that you have such a huge property and am a bit puzzled about it (perhaps it's normal in Australia that such big plots of land exist and I'm just not aware of it).

Good morning @MTF from Oz,

Turning land over to the wildlife to live and roam free from human predators is always worthwhile.

54 hectares is 135 acres. Not really the size of a small town. I'm the smallest rural property in my little village. The sheep farms here can be as large as 4,000 hectares, or 10,000 acres.

Big cattle stations up north and west are larger than most small towns. The largest working cattle station in the world is in South Australia. It's Anna Creek Station. Is 1,977,000 acres. 8,000 square kilometres. Larger than Israel. And is more than twice the size of King Ranch in Texas. Which is the biggest ranch in America. Which is 825,000 acres. Or 3,340 square kilometres.

This is the story about the property.

When we lost everything. And I mean everything. We had no money. Our only source of income was the remnants or two architectural jobs that Victor needed to finish. We had to leave Sydney Australia because we couldn't afford to live there. And try to find someplace affordable in the bush.

A friend told us about this area. Not because it was beautiful. Which it is. Jaw dropping beautiful. But because it was devastated by a 9-year drought. No one wants to live on barren land. We found a farmer who was trying to sell his property, but couldn't. He agreed to rent it to us at a rock bottom price. Low enough that even we could afford it.

The property was still for sale while we were renting it. And he never had any takers.

After renting it for 3 years, he was more desperate to sell. He offered to sell it to us at again, a rock bottom price. We told him no bank would give us a loan. He said that wasn't a problem. He would finance us. And that's how we got to afford to buy this property.

We removed the sheep. Let the native vegetation regrow. Trees self-seeded. And grew like topsy. Today, we have more than 120 species of birds that fly in. And fly out. Of our property. There are many more birds that I can hear. But can't identify because they never leave the safety of the leafy tree canopy.

Kangaroos roam free from the threat of human predators. Wild goats pay us visits. We see the occasional wombat. Lizards. Snakes. Frogs. And we now have our neighbour agist his sheep at intervals to keep the paddock grass low to avoid bushfires.

We created a hectare (2.5 acres) of garden in the paddock that encloses the farmhouse. 110 trees surround our house. 200+ fragrant climbing roses ramble along the fence line. Kilometres of fragrant honeysuckle is trained to grow along the roof line of our house. And we planted thousands of fragrant shrubs as understory and habitat for small wildlife.

Today, it's worth 7 times what we paid for it. And is a rural showpiece.

Serendipity is an important part of life. Some of the best things happen when we don't plan them.

Thank you for asking @MTF . If ever I can help you, please let me know. ~Carol❤

 

[Carol Jones]

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.

[AgainstAllOdds]

@Carol Jones Great introduction!

From your posts it's evident that you're great at copywriting (your writing is extremely readable). Would you mind sharing your top books/resources on copywriting?

Also, if you don't mind me asking, how do you guys currently generate the most sales? Is it cold calling? And how has that changed? Was it previously catalogs?

 

[Carol Jones]

Can a Introduction thread become GOLD?

@MJ DeMarco

Good morning @Raoul Duke from rural Australia,

Thank you so much!

Your extraordinary generosity in gifting me a year's INSIDERS subscription overwhelms me. And delights me.

It's early morning in Oz. The sun is just rising now. The birds are chirping their good mornings on my remote rural property. And your wonderful news has certainly added a liberal dash of sparkle to my day.

I'll use your unexpected gift to accelerate my trip down the millionaire fastlane .

If ever I can help you. Or someone you know. Please let me know. Seriously! ~Carol❤

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Guest06196]

Good morning @Andy Black,

That's an unexpected surprise! But I'm delighted.

I'll give you some links to follow.

But before I do, you need to know that we ship via Australia Post. And the cost of shipping to Ireland is AUD$45.00.

There's more.

Australia is not part of any EU agreement. And as such, in July 2015, the UK imposed tariffs on parcels arriving from Australia. All parcels, regardless of cost, including gifts, incur VAT at the current rate. As well as a customs import duty. And a customs service fee determined by them. All this must be paid by you at your local post office before your parcel is released.

This is a dealbreaker for me. America is my biggest export market. The UK was 2nd. But no longer.

You must check this information with Customs to find out what extra taxes will be added to your parcel.

If you still want to proceed, here are some links. All costs are in Australian Dollars. Your credit card company converts to the Euro at the time of debit. The Euro today buys $1.51 Australian dollars. So a parcel total of say, AUD$133.35. Should be Euro$88.90. Check what their conversion rate is.

This is the link to the Fitz Like A Glove™ Ironing Board Cover page. Fitz Like A Glove™ Ironing Board Cover. Details

Our website is mobile friendly.

From there you can navigate to every other page, including the Superior Felt Underlay page. Which I strongly suggest you purchase if you don't have a good felt. People all over the world wax lyrical about this felt. It's included in the AUD$45 postage & handling.

On that page is a link to the PayPal shopping cart. All Products

You don't need a PayPal account to use this shopping cart. This shopping cart is also mobile friendly.

Also on that page is a link to a non-PayPal shopping cart. For those who have an aversion to PayPal.

https://interfaceaustralia.com/cgi-bin/cart/smart.cgi.

This cart is not mobile friendly. But. I have many customers in their 70's, 80's and 90's who prefer this shopping cart. So it's there for their benefit.

Our credit cards are MasterCard. Visa. American Express. Diners.

I think I've told you everything you need to know before you shop! If you didn't live in Ireland, 90% of the above wouldn't be necessary to tell you.

Everything you order from us comes with a Twelve Month Wear & Tear Guarantee. We guarantee that you can't wear any product out within 12 months. If you do, we replace it. At the end of 11 months, I send you an email to let you know your guarantee expires in 30 days. So. If you're having a problem, tell me, so I can fix it. We want happy customers. Not grumpy customers.

We also guarantee a complete no questions asked refund. Including your postage. If what you purchased doesn't meet your expectations. In 23 years I have only been asked for one refund. A customer ordered a cover. A week later her mother-in-law gave her a cover as a gift. Victoria didn't want to ask Barbara to take the cover back. So she asked me if I would give her a refund. Of course I would. And did.

If you need more information, please let me know. I would be beyond thrilled to see an order from you. But do know that the tariffs and VAT can be a dealbreaker.

By the way, in July 2017, Australia followed the UK's example. And we have to pay GST on all overseas orders we place. ~Carol❤

This post alone is enough for another thread titled: How to Deliver Superior Customer Service

1. Always be clear and upfront about your fees.

2. Create a separate shopping cart for a different demographic.

3. Take Amex & Diners. So many shops don't even take AMEX.

4. Send a follow up email close to the end of your warranty. Let them know you're happy to solve problems, if there are any.

5. Include customer's postage in your refund!

 

[Walter Hay]

Hi Carol,

True, your story was about the size of a small novel, but it was a good read.

I was born at Rylstone but I know Ilford well, having hunted rabbits and feral pigs there many years ago. My ancestors were pioneers in the Rylstone district.

Having recently downsized from our large cattle property where that bucolic scene out of the office window was my workplace. I am now living on a much smaller property where smaller allotments have largely crowded out the kangaroos, so I don't see them through my window. Cattle are still an every day sight, and I don't need to travel far to see kangaroos, so as age imposes a less active lifestyle I still enjoy the countryside.

Yes I have lived in 4 countries as part of my importing business in which I set up franchises in those countries. Living there gave a better knowledge of the local business practices and opportunities, rather than relying on what I had learned from relatively short visits. Those visits have involved me driving in 17 countries, but there were others where I would never attempt to drive myself.

Operating that franchise organization involved the difficult task of instilling the customer first mindset into people who bought a franchise because they saw an opportunity to make money. Few seem to understand that by going the extra mile and sometimes sacrificing some profit in the short term you can reap greater rewards later.

I have even replaced free of charge a competitor's faulty products that the customer thought were mine. I casually mentioned it when personally delivering the replacements together with their small order, and they were gobsmacked. Repeat orders grew ever larger and that customer was mine for life.

I was drawn to read your story because of your attitude to people and to life in general, and I have no doubt that it is the major factor in your success.

Walter

 

[DeppyJ]

Good morning Deppy @DeppyJ from Oz,

Thank you! Very much appreciated.

Greece. The cradle of Western civilisation. Where would the western world be without you?!

Where in Greece do you live? On one of those gorgeous islands? Or on the mainland?

Tell me more about you! What's your story?

Especially as I so LOVE your avatar. What made you choose that one? ~Carol❤

Hey Carol thanks for the connection, what a pleasant surprise you got back to me!

Haha, yes. But that was a long time ago lol.

Nah, I live in Patras, have you heard of it? By your tone I presume you've been to Greece and those beautiful islands you're saying?

Well thanks for asking. I am a 28 year old civil engineer graduate, chose this major in college because of parent and school pressure as a result of my good grades at school but untamed and restless as a spirit, I couldn't follow the path everyone in my country followed or expected for me. My mother had joined Amway at some point where I first heard of the "passive income" concept, and I was fascinated by this. During my college years I found a guy who was teaching how to make money through Amazon's Kindle pulblishing and said it was newbie friendly, so me, someone with zero experience in Internet marketing or anything whatsover,bought his course and started with it.

As a deeply spiritual and very sensitive human being though (I am Libra as well, I don't know if the stars or sth have anything to do with anything, I'm just saying lol) I wasn't heart and soul into it because I didn't know my place as a human being in this world. I couldn't find the meaning in pursuing money and financial freedom, since "we are going to die afterall, what's the point in trying"? I am not very materialistic either as a person either, thanks to my lucky upbringing as my parents are absolute slowlaners but amazing souls. Anyway I was deeply confused, had many psychic questions, and I wasn't happy. Something was missing. I was going back and forth with Kindle publishing, had some amazing results for a period of time, made some good money, which I didn't know how to handle though, my "sidewalk lane" insticts (instant gratification) lit up and then I was back to point zero again.

I don't want to drag this because it's a many-years journey but, I was reading a lot and thankfully I bumped into two books that literally changed my life. First book I read was MJ's Millionaire Fastlane , that put the bits and pieces I had in my mind in a correct order and changed my whole way of thinking in money terms, and the other one was " The power of now" by Echart Tolle. Those two books are my perpetual gift to everyone's birthday-nameday-celebration, I literally have gifted at least 6 copies of those to my friends (hope the Millionaire Fastlane was translated in Greek though, I want to gift this book to EVERYONE I know, especially those I care about mostly but they don't know English or they're too bored to read in English!).

They say the hardest battle you'll ever going to give is with yourself and you are your own worst enemy. That's like the most important thing a person must know and believe. Because there are no obstacles to fight than those we put to ourselves. I know I am my only obstacle and I fight me everyday. Not my spirit, but my brain. My not so easily distracted brain anymore, a skill I strengthened after a loooong and highly discomforting period of time. In a world full of distractions, it requires constant practice and fight and patience. I know it will never stop, every moment I need to fight my urges of instant gratification but I will never give up. Every moment I know become stronger and even when I fall back to old patterns, I stand up again and re-practise, until it is second nature to me. Life is an experience, and all it matters is to "smell all the roses". So wherever I "smell" discomfort, there I go
And that is the answer to your question on why I chose "Supergirl" as my avatar

P.S. I am still in Kindle publishing but this time I am following long term strategies and I am building a system, a brand. It is not easy, but nothing worthy is easy right? My goal is to create enough income from Kindle publishing to fund my entrepreneurship, which is the only "problem" right now, as I haven't found what that will be. I believe that will come to me as I expose myself to the unknown. I know I NEED to add value , but I don't know how. Yet! Do you maybe have any advice on this part here..? maybe?

My answer was long sorry! Anyway I was inspired by your story and I wanted to thank you that you shared your experience with us, I am happy to connect with all those likeminded people I can't easily (or at all!) find at my country!

xx,Deppy

 

[The-J]

The book talks about the Fastlane Forum. I looked it up on Google this morning. And signed up instantly. And I've been gobsmacked at the number of members I've already met.

I am so delighted to be here. And hope I get many opportunities to exchange stories and ideas with members about overcoming the depths of despair that are part of 'the process'.

This place is different from most of the Internet.

By the way, I found you and some of your stuff, specifically the ironing board cover + the videos. That's a pretty cool piece of handwork.

I'm not going to lie, your landing page is... pretty unorthodox. But I can tell it works. Why? Because the info on it had me pretty convinced that it was a damn good ironing board cover. And I don't even iron!

By the way; if you're working on new projects or something like this, open a Progress Thread and let people know how it goes.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Raoul Duke]

Thank you, Andy Black. Love your feedback.

To answer your question regarding Google. My stats show that most of my visitors come from direct links. They are looking for me.

But I do have a presence on the first page of Google for my best search terms for ironing board covers. And have been there for many years.

People do search for premium ironing board covers online. Because retailers no longer stock them. Institutional customers like members of the military. Corrective services. Nurses. All have to iron their own uniforms. And search for me either directly. Or by keying in ironing board covers Australia. Or variations on that.

I ring online customers on a regular basis. To introduce myself. Thank them for their purchase. And to ask them why they purchased my cover, when it's one of the most expensive covers online. And to discover what search terms they used.

Their feedback is phenomenal. I don't get this information when they place an order. And. They are always shocked. And delighted. That I cared enough to ring them.

I use that feedback to keep my website up to date. And relevant to visitors.

Thank you for caring enough to make a comment. And I hope that we get to know each other better. If I can help you further, please ask away. ~Carol❤

Can a Introduction thread become GOLD?

@MJ DeMarco

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Carol Jones]

Welcome to the forum, Carol. Your story is so inspiring, and just what we need here.
I don't mean to derail your intro thread, but when I saw your words above I just wanted to say I am a bit jealous. I have only been to Australia once, and what a great and beautiful country. I can't wait to visit again sometime. Your picture reminds me of a day when we were driving around sunset in a rural area north of Sydney, and we saw a whole herd (not sure if that is the right term) of roos in a field. It was kind of mind-bending for me when they all started bouncing away, given I had never seen a kangaroo before. Seeing your picture and hearing you talk about rural Australia really brought that great memory back to me.

Thanks for sharing your story and take care.

Good morning @TheSmokey1. Thank you! LOVE your comment.

I'm an ex-pat American. Born and raised in New York City. I came to Australia on a lark. A few years after uni. I loved Australia so much, I stayed.

I lived in Sydney for many years. In a terrace house in the inner city suburb of Balmain. To date, I had never even seen a rabbit.

I was like you when I saw my first mob of kangaroos on the property. Completely awestruck.

Nothing has changed in the 25 years we've lived here. I'm completely smitten by them. And I swear I have the most handsome and photogenic Eastern Grey Kangaroos in all of Australia.

I post photos of my rural property on Instagram. They're all taken at sunrise. Which is the perfect light for someone who doesn't photoshop their photos. Also. The sunrises can be very dramatic in the BIG sky that's overhead. My account is caroljones.ironingdiva. They might evoke even more memories of your trip Down Under. Drop in to say G'day. ~Carol❤

 

[Andy Black]

Marked GOLD.

Thanks for being you Carol, and thanks for taking your time to show how to build a business ethically, and that's adds value to so many.

 

[Carol Jones]

Good morning @Kristin R from Oz,

A big thank you to you and your husband for taking the time to read such a long thread! I'll answer your questions in as much detail as possible.

And no. You're not repeating yourself as no one else has asked me these questions before.

In short, my husband and I are starting a business in performance-enhancing altheticwear and, like you and your partner, we are trying to be wise with our budgeting decisions. That said, I have a few basic questions for you:

1. Why did you start off with mail-orders only?
2. When and how did you know that it was time to call it quits on the first product?
3. How did you spread the word about your product in the early days?

I'll answer question #2 first. Because that relates to my answer to question #1. And then question #3. Because that also relates to question #1.

2. When and how did you know that it was time to call it quits on the first product?

My partner, Victor Pleshev, is an architect. Although the building industry was demolished in 'the recession we had to have'. He still had a strong desire to design.

So we turned to product design.

We knew nothing about product design. Which is why we chose to improve already existing products with his simple design solutions.

Our first product was a dog collar. Called 'Dashing Dogs'.

We noticed that all the dog collars on the market were heavy. And stiff. And cut into the neck of one of our dogs. Who had short hair. A cheeky and gorgeous Dalmatian. Rescued by us after being dumped in our rural patch.

Because Victor understands strength. And tension. He designed a collar made of soft leather. Where two pieces of leather are crossed over each other at certain points. The crossover reinforced with a rivet. To make a whole collar. It was not only very strong. But very elegant.

This was 1993. Shortly after we left Sydney and moved to the rural property we were renting.

We sourced the leather ourselves in Sydney. From a tannery on Botany Bay. Tanneries are a very dirty, highly poisonous place to work. And pollute the waterways on which they're located.

But it was still legal to operate a tannery in Australia then.

We had the leather tanned to our specifications and cut by laser to Victor's design.

And the leather pieces were then given to a company who braided them together into the collars. This company was run by an old-style business gentleman. Who was 78. The writing was on the wall that he wouldn't be in business in the long term.

Victor and I come from the service industry. Architecture. And me from the market research industry.

We knew absolutely NOTHING about getting products into the marketplace. We were the blind. Leading the blind.

We focussed on retailers. Who. We discovered. Were monumentally uninterested in these collars.

The pitifully few retailers who did stock them, had them ridiculed at the time, by the leader in dog collars in the pet industry. Their representatives, upon seeing the collars on the collar rack, telling the retailers they were not only too expensive, but were inferior quality dog collars. That would break in an instant. And beloved dogs who strain at the collars would be breaking free and running into traffic. Getting killed.

They really whipped up the horror stories.

All but one retailer returned stock. And asked to be reimbursed. The problem was, we had already spent the revenue we earned from those sales. And had no money to reimburse these retailers. So we told them, on advice from our solicitor, who was also a family friend, that as we hadn't signed any agreement regarding 'sale or return', we weren't legally obligated to reimburse them. And returned the collars to them. COD postage.

There was a glimmer of hope with veterinary practices. Which were just starting to sell pet accessories. Vets could see how good these collars were. And placed orders. And reorders.

Distributors to veterinary practices weren't interested in our product. So we had to contact vets ourselves. Which was very slow.

And.

Financially. We couldn't service them.

To secure orders, we had to send a free sample to every veterinary surgery. When we calculated how much this would cost. And what our expected return would be, we couldn't see how we could afford to do this without borrowing. And we couldn't borrow to develop this business.

On the plus side, pet shops paid on delivery of product. Long before we had to pay the tannery. The laser cutter. And the collar maker.

Veterinary practices paid in 60 days. So we were always owing money to our suppliers before we got paid. With nothing left over to develop the business.

So we called it a day. Which was always going to be on the cards anyway.

Shortly afterwards, Our tannery was forced to close down because of air and water pollution problems. They rang us wanting to know if we would like to buy their leather at a factory closing down sale.

And our maker of collars died. And no one was interested in continuing his business.

How strong were these collars? Our Dalmatian was still wearing his when he died 11 years later.

3. How did you spread the word about your product in the early days?

After our experience with retailers, we concluded they know little. Or nothing. About the products they sell. And are rarely interested in selling something that's different because 'me too' products, that require no explanation, are much easier to sell.

And. To be honest. They weren't a group of people we could develop a personal relationship with.

They were mainly interested in how much money they could make from each supplier. They weren't really interested in us. Or in most of their suppliers. And would cut short most telephone conversations. There was nothing in it for them to develop a personal relationship.

We had no money for advertising, so we hit the road. Spruiking about our products anywhere we could set up a microphone. We demonstrated why our Fitz Like A Glove™ Ironing Board Cover was different to everything else on the market. And told our story loud enough for passers-by to hear. Who rewarded us by buying our products.

I had never spruiked before. Was horrified at the thought. But an experienced gal in the agricultural show business stopped at our stall. Showed me how to do it. Convinced me sales would soar if I got the attention of passersby. And on my first spruik, I scored a sale of 3 covers from a passerby! I was hooked. And never looked back.

From 1994 to 2008, we travelled at least 60,000kms per year. Spruiking. And selling.

Because I have a history with direct marketing, I was educated about the value of a name and an address. (No internet. No email. In 1994). I asked everyone who purchased if they would like to become part of my mailing list. To keep in touch. And had forms available for them to fill out their details. A surprisingly high 80% said yes.

1. Why did you start off with mail-orders only?

The above is why. And how. I started my mailorder business.

As soon as we returned from an event, I wrote a handwritten thank you note to everyone who gave me their name and address. It was a simple note. Saying how much I loved the fact they chose us above everyone else. I also included a photocopied brochure. Asking them to save it for future orders. Or to pass it on to a friend or family member.

And once a year we mailed a brochure, run off our photocopier, to these names and addresses. And built up a mailing list that's in the tens of thousands today.

When the internet arrived in our rural village in February 2001, we were ready. And launched our internet site on day 1. With the help of marketing students from Charles Sturt University in Bathurst NSW. Our closest regional centre. They were happy to take us on for free as a class project. And we benefitted from their enthusiasm.

By 2008, our internet business had grown to the stage where we were receiving more orders online than the volume of product we were selling at events. The internet was international. Events were local.

So we hung up our car keys. And the wheels of our car did a little jig!

May I say first, Kristin, if you already have funds to start your business, you're so much further ahead than we were. We had nothing.

How you spend them is dependent on your goals. What you want to achieve in the short term. And the long term.

I know nothing about the market for athletic wear, but I'll ask you some questions.

What are your long-term goals? And short-term goals?

Do your short-term goals segue into your long-term goals?

Does your athletic wear need to be explained? Or are the benefits obvious?

How different is it to other athletic wear? And why?

Why did you develop it? What need are you addressing that other athletic wear doesn't? Or can't?

Do you want to wholesale to on-sellers?

Or do you want to develop personal relationships with customers one-on-one?

It's hard to have both relationships.

On-sellers view your own retail site as competition. And they will often discount your product. Leaving you vulnerable in your one-on-one relationships. Customers today shop around. Voraciously. They know where the bargains are. Which is why no one else sells my products except me.

As far as helping you further is concerned, I only know about my business. And how to run it.

My values are not often aligned with the values of other people. In the short term, I'm more interested in building love and loyalty. Because I know the money will follow that. It's not the priorities of most people. And may not be a priority that you can afford to indulge in right now.

When it comes to your next step, there are members of this forum who are eminently more qualified than me to give you advice. And I'm sure there will be an abundance of good advice proffered.

It's been a pleasure to meet you, Kristin. I'm touched that you would ask me these questions. And I wish you and your husband only the very best. ~Carol❤

 

[Carol Jones]

I think you could potentially also benefit from opening your sales channel up to Amazon (USA, Europe, Canada).

Thank you @Kerin.

I would never deal with Amazon. I don't share their values. I care about how people who work for a company are treated. And Amazon has the same reputation as Apple under Steve Jobs. They burn people up. And treat them poorly. And there is nothing about Jeff Bezos personally that I admire.

This is also why I don't have my products in retail outlets. Retailers are more interested in their bottom line. Than they are in the people who help them earn that bottom line.

It's harder to do what I'm doing. But the warm relationship I have with my customers is so rewarding. I just love the feedback. My Fitz Like A Glove™ Ironing Board Cover is going to travel the world as the ironing board cover of choice on an $8 million yacht that hosts 8 guests at a time as it cruises Australia and New Zealand. The owner placed the order yesterday. And told me how excited the crew is knowing it will be ironing on the best cover in the world.

Butlers and housekeepers in BIG houses in Australia buy my cover. And we've formed very warm friendships. Butlers are amongst my biggest referrals.

I also count celebrities. And members of the BRW Rich List amongst my customers. They're not looking for me on Amazon.

Earlier this year we covered all the boards at the new prestige MacQ01 hotel in Hobart, Tasmania. The hotel group which manages the hotel chose us, even though we were the most expensive cover. Because of our quality. And they love that it's made with love and care in rural Australia by men and women who have a disability. After they received their order, they asked me to thank the men and women who make the cover. And to tell them how much their dedication to quality is appreciated.

We all have reasons as to who we choose to do business with. And why. I choose not to travel the route of businesses who have no vested interest in me personally.

I'm alone in this viewpoint, Kerin. My friends think I've got a screw missing. I don't. I instinctively know not to build a business on rented land. Where the rules change at the whim of the landlord. Which is why I don't cultivate Facebook. Amazon. Or any other platform like them.

I'm interested in long-term loyal customers. Who aren't distracted by what else they see when looking at my product range. Which is why I spend my time cultivating them on my land. But. Again. It's a harder road to travel.

I don't have children. But have many friends who do. It's natural to be distracted by your child. They need to be nurtured. And focussed on. That's what makes them. And you. Happy. And confident. You'll know when it's time to reignite your fire for your business.

Please keep me in the loop. ~Carol❤

 

[Carol Jones]

Marked GOLD.

Thanks for being you Carol, and thanks for taking your time to show how to build a business ethically, and that's adds value to so many.

Good morning @Andy Black from Oz,

It's 3:24am. I'm up because I have a 4am webinar to attend.

I'm utterly astonished at my thread being marked Gold. And I have you to thank. Please accept my sincere appreciation for making that decision.

Andy, the pleasure in answering members' questions is all mine. It's not only a learning experience for them. But for me too. It's been years since I've talked about our experiences publicly. Their questions have made me ask myself, why did we do things this way? This has been, for me, like a walk down memory lane. And it has brought me much joy to bring the past. Into the present.

You're a treasure, Andy. As we like to say in Oz about people who do special things for other people. Thank you! ~Carol❤

 

[Choate]

I have one major takeaway from all of this...

"What would Carol do?" - something anyone here should ask themselves when faced in a tough situation.

After reading these 4 short pages of this thread, I've gleaned so much insight from you telling your story. Even picked up a new word, "salubrious". Thanks a ton for sharing.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Carol Jones]

I have one major takeaway from all of this...

"What would Carol do?" - something anyone here should ask themselves when faced in a tough situation.

After reading these 4 short pages of this thread, I've gleaned so much insight from you telling your story. Even picked up a new word, "salubrious". Thanks a ton for sharing.

G'day @Dark Water from rural Australia,

Love the compliment. Thank you!

We roll over too easily. Rather than fight the hard battles.

Because confrontation is difficult. And is not what most of us want in our life.

But if we don't fight the hard battles, we lose who we are. And that's a terrible price to pay for wanting the easy way out.

The secret is to know how to pick the right battles.

Not to fight every battle. That's exhausting. But to fight those battles which will rob us of the next step. Which will get us to where we want to be.

Developing a spine of steel comes with practice.

It's a pleasure to share my story with you Dark Water. And I hope we stay connected. If ever I can help you, please let me know. ~Carol❤

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Carol Jones]

Watched the Tony Robbins vid. Love it! I certainly need to control my state into an empowering one more often. Until now I have focused too much on the spiritual ''accept whatever is'', but that doesn't always allow further progress.

I will certainly keep on digging

It's a pleasure to meet you too Carol !

How wonderful @LPPC! Thank you for that feedback.

We all have negative chatter that crushes our brains every day. It takes discipline to drive it away. But it can be done. Tony Robbins gives some of the best down to earth, easy to understand reasons, why this happens to everyone.

Another person to watch is Mel Robbins. Especially her talk with Tony Bilyeu. 'Why Motivation Is Garbage'. She also talks about the negative chatter in our brains that can destroy us. This is the link.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCHPSo79rB4


It's a pleasure to be able to help you, LPPC. And it's very rewarding to let me know! I look forward to staying in touch. ~Carol❤

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Carol Jones]

Good morning @garyfritz from Oz,

Thank you! I'm delighted you've read my story on The Fastlane Forum. It's almost getting to be the size of a small paperback novel!

I hugely admire and respect your business practices:

I've been working since I was 13 years old. Have never been without a job since then. I worked in a department store on Saturdays until I went to university. Did babysitting gigs. Worked my way through university. And have been working continuously ever since. For large companies. George Washington University in America. Small companies. My own businesses since 1983. And have acquired two more degrees since then.

I'm a master voyeur. And an intrepid eavesdropper. And it never ceases to amaze me how much I learn how to live life just from observing. And listening.

I am fully aware of how people talk about other people behind their backs. And I know exactly what I want people to say about me behind my back. Whatever that is. I have to walk the talk.

My first. And biggest takeaway. Is that your reputation is your baggage. And it travels with you everywhere.

My first job after uni was working at George Washington University. Although I now live in Australia. I was born in New York City. So I'm an expat American.

Stan was an MBA student. And sleazy. He couldn't be trusted.

A very important document went missing from the Dean's office in the School Of Business Administration. Which is where I worked. Just the three of us. The Dean. His trusted PA of 25 years. And me.

We had all seen Stan looking at the document. And it was assumed that Stan had taken it.

He hadn't. Another professor had taken it. And not let the Dean know he had it.

The Dean and his PA were full of remorse for accusing Stan. I wasn't. My logic was then. And still remains today. That if Stan was trustworthy. He would never have been considered as the villain.

I apply that logic to everything I do. My reputation is my baggage. And that baggage must always be a perfect package. And in pristine condition. Because it travels with me everywhere.

There is absolutely nothing that could tempt me to tarnish that reputation.

I've turned down under the table offers that would benefit me financially. Refused to betray people to further my career. Or ingratiate me with someone more powerful. I've refused to sell my products to customers who I don't think will gain any benefit from using them.

I'm a firm believer that people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. And if I expect people in business to act honourably, then I must be an example of one who does.

It's a simple philosophy. But it works for me. Whatever others think I may have sacrificed to maintain my reputation wasn't worth having in the first place.

I'm just astonished that so many people feel the need to invest in a premium ironing board cover!

We're all different. And have different needs. I have over 400,000 customers in 30 countries. So there are enough people in the marketplace who will pay for superior quality to keep me in business.

You are so fortunate to have such a perfect life partner to share your journey.

That makes me laugh, Gary. Victor and I aren't married. But have been together for 41 years. And have lived and worked together 24/7/365 for the last 35 of those years.

We disagree about many things. And disagree about how to do things. We spit. And we spat. I'm very fiery. Victor's very calm.

But we share the same values regarding family. Relationships. And how to run a business. Those are the ties that bind. We are joined at the hip. And in a time of crisis, we are a formidable duo. We always have each others back. And support. We also recognise that we are stronger as a team. Rather than as a solo act.

Those qualities do make for a perfect partner. They're hard to find.

I still miss my best buddy and partner-in-crime.

I'm so sad that you no longer have your 'best buddy and partner in crime' to share your life with. As we get older, sharing the journey becomes more important.

When I left America. On a lark. To dabble in the Australian lifestyle. The first thing that hit me hard was that I had no past that I could share with my new friends. We couldn't reminisce about things we had done together. The best I could do was create a new past that I would eventually be able to share with them.

Which I have done. My two oldest friends in Australia are the first two gals I met. And we are still firm friends. I also keep in touch with their children. Who I knew before they were born. And watched them grow up. I was their Auntie Mame. Taking them to places their parents disapproved of. So I have a lively past with those boys. That we reminisce about. Who now have wives and children of their own.

I keep in touch via Skype with a high school friend in America. And although he and I can reminisce about our high school days. We can't reminisce any further ahead than that.

And I have no one to share my wicked childhood in New York City with. I was the child from hell. Ask any one of my mother's friends. Independent. Can't be told anything. Couldn't stay out of mischief. My father was forever asking my mother if she was sure she brought the right baby home from the hospital.

But I did reform. Somewhat. Maturity caught up with me. And rounded out the sharp edges. While leaving the basic core intact.

I hope you find a gal who will travel with you along your Yellow Brick Road. It makes the journey much more interesting. Meaningful. And exciting.

It's a pleasure to meet you, Gary. Thank you for dropping in. And I hope we stay in touch. ~Carol❤

 

[Carol Jones]

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❤

 

[Carol Jones]

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❤

 

[Carol Jones]

Hi Carol, thanks a lot for your reply! This is so insightful and impressive to read. I must say you really have what the book Unscripted refers to as a productocracy where the product itself pulls in customers like a black hole, without needing much for funnels and gimmicks. All the best!

G'day again @Xeon,

Thank you! Appreciated.

I do have a productocracy. And I'm aware of it. And admit to not knowing about the term until I read Unscripted .

This is the reason why.

My products are utilitarian. Each one solves a problem.

People don't come to my website. Or order from me over the phone. For any reason other than they're looking for a solution to a problem they can't find elsewhere.

And when they discover my products work. When others don't. They become very loyal customers. Because that in itself fills a need. Products that don't disappoint.

The fact that my products aren't sexy. Or trendy. But low tech. Rather than high tech. Works in my favour. I'm not a fad. But I'm very much a staple.

After 24 years, I'm now receiving calls from customers worried that I've retired and they wouldn't be able to order. And after being relieved we're still in business, they tell me before they hang up that they're worried I'll retire before the product they're now purchasing wears out.

It's a compliment.

This loyalty has much to do with the quality of what we offer.

But it also has much to do with the love and attention we give to our customers. They come back because they remember how warm and welcoming we are every time they order. That's an intangible that can't be measured. But when someone tells me they still have my note that came with their parcel a few years ago, it's not hard to realise that these intangibles are what makes us memorable.

Forget the gimmicks. And the tricky words. Offer products that solve a genuine problem. Then talk to your customers from the heart. It's a sure-fire winner. ~Carol❤

 

[Carol Jones]

G'day again @Kristin R from Oz,

It's so nice to connect the dots between you and @Greg R. I'm a fan of Greg. So it's a privilege to get to know his significant other.

I do like the idea of a little face-to-face promotion. There is definitely something to be said for creating relationships and showing the consumer a tangible item that they can interact with it.

When starting out, it's imperative that you do face to face events. Not so much to sell. But to get the reaction from the interested public as to what you're presenting to them.

If you are prepared to ask the right questions, rather than launch into sell mode, this is where you will learn what to tell visitors to your website about your product.

Questions to ask are. And you always start out with their story first.

What active wear do they currently have?

What do they like about it?

What don't they like about it?

How did they find out about it?

Is it comfortable?

Whatever else you think is important. These questions will evolve and change as you become more experienced in selling your product.

When assessing this information, then ask them if you can show them your product. And ask for feedback.

Do they like it?

Exactly why? What are all the features they like?

What are the benefits to them?

How do they think they will feel wearing your range? (This is the emotion you want to elicit. Emotion is what sells.)

Why not? Can they elaborate as to why not?

And go from there.

At the end of all this, you will either sell to them at your event. Without having to ask. Or you won't. But if you don't, you will know why. Which most businesses never know. Why someone doesn't buy. And it's rarely ever about price.

Long term, we want to be endorsed by a major female athlete.

That's a plus. But expensive. They never do this for free.

The downside is. What happens if they run foul of drug testing? Or something else that finds them at the mercy of the shark hunting media?

When it comes to wholesale versus direct-to-consumer, I THINK we are leaning towards more towards the direct-to-consumer path. It is definitely something to evaluate.

Direct to consumer is a harder road to travel.

Wholesaling means you're selling to establishments that already sell to your customer. It's not personally rewarding. But for many, it's lucrative. And not as time-consuming.

On the downside, if an establishment drops you, there goes your income from them. And then you have to scramble to replace it.

Finding your own customers. Like we did. Is much more difficult. And means you are constantly looking for new markets.

But that, to me, is the challenge of being in business.

I've spent more than 15 years looking for a key to unlock a door that was akin to breaking into Fort Knox. I finally found it. And find myself in the position of being able to offer my product range - exclusively - no competitors - to a membership list of 36,000 men and women who iron. It's the equivalent of a captive audience.

I am so very excited.

What was attractive to this organisation is that I've no presence in retail stores. So what I'm offering their members is the ability to buy products that are not readily available to their members elsewhere. And once they purchase my ironing board cover. There are 5 other products they can also purchase.

That is what excited the directors of this organisation.

Businesses walk on both sides of the street.

Wholesaling.

And selling direct to customers.

How you get your product into the marketplace is totally dependent on what is personally the best fit for you. And what sort of relationships you want to build into your business life.

I'm delighted I was of help, Kristin. And please keep me in the loop. You can contact me anytime with a personal message. Many people in this forum already do.

Best wishes for your journey along this particular Yellow Brick Road. ~Carol❤

PS. Thank you for your generosity. Loved seeing it! And am surprised as well.

 

[Carol Jones]

Oh I would PAY to watch that!!!

Maybe a new business opportunity for you, Carol: a subscription service to a video channel of "Carol eviscerating some evil rude stuffed shirt who richly deserves it!" LOL !!

G'day @garyfritz from Oz,

My partner, Victor, often wants to just walk away from me when I turn into Mr Hyde. But he feels obligated to stay. Without interfering. Just to stop me from being arrested.

When we first started out, we were working with a company on our first product.

When we arrived to pick up the finished product, it was a complete stuff up.

The owner of the company, which was a relatively small company, took no responsibility. He simply blamed the problem on an employee.

I snapped. Got up on my soapbox. And pointed out to him that as the owner of the company, the buck stopped with him. And how dare he be spineless and accuse an employee. When he assured us he would be in charge of quality control.

That was just for starters.

I actually don't remember the rest.

Victor told me I was so angry, he was ready to pull me off the owner. Just in case it was necessary.

When he could get a word in edgewise, the owner assured us the problem would be fixed by 3pm.

When we returned at 3pm, Victor politely asked me to stay in the car. Which I did.

When he met with the owner, the owner looked around. And asked where 'she' was. Victor assured him 'she' was locked in the car. For his safety.

He then proceeded to commiserate with Victor about having to deal with a 'sheila' like me every day.

We found another supplier.

It's a pleasure to exchange stories, Gary. Until next time! ~Carol❤

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Almantas]

How did you know we've been turned down by every bank? You've read our story?

Thanks for your warm compliment. Yes, I've read your story and it's very inspiring! Especially to a guy who has started afresh.

 

[Carol Jones]

Thanks for your warm compliment. Yes, I've read your story and it's very inspiring! Especially to a guy who has started afresh.

That is amazing, Almantas. Starting afresh. Please stay in touch. We can share stories. And experiences. ~Carol❤

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Vigilante]

Can a Introduction thread become GOLD?

@MJ DeMarco

Marked NOTABLE

 

[Laughingman21]

Carol - this is an incredible thread. It shows the true highs and lows of running a business, but doesn't sugar coat the hard work. There are so many great take-away's for anyone readying it, but a few of my favourites are:

• Work through failures
• Have a great product
• Stick to your values
• Deliver awesome customer service
• Hard work is key to success

Thanks for sharing such an inspiring story and so many lessons.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.