308 | Benefits & Challenges of Running Two Brands with Stephanie Clarke, Dahlia Press

If there’s one constant in business, it’s change. But making big shifts as an entrepreneur can be pretty daunting. After all, it’s one thing to plan and strategize, but it’s quite another to take the leap and start implementing those steps.  While we usually talk to people who are in the midst of making a big change, today we welcome a returning guest and Paper Camp alum, Stephanie Clarke, for a business update after making some major changes to her company back in 2019.  After a decade of running Dahlia Press, a letterpress greeting card company based in Seattle, Washington, Stephanie recognized the need to split the company in two and start a sister brand under the name Chloe Clarke, The Art of Paper, dedicated entirely to bespoke wedding invitations.  If you’d like to learn more about how and why she made that transition, you can check out our conversation in Episode 160.  In today’s episode, you’ll find out how things have changed since the transition and how Stephanie’s brands are doing today. We delve into the challenges and benefits of running two brands, why she stands by her decision to diversify her business, and how she has matured as an entrepreneur.  Stephanie also shares the details of how she expanded her retail footprint post-COVID, what she’s learned from hiring her team (and managing team dynamics), and why it can be so difficult to relinquish control of certain aspects of one’s company. If you’re interested in the logistics of managing two brands and what this decision can look like a few years down the line, be sure to tune in for an insightful and informative update with Stephanie Clarke! Today’s episode is brought to you by our free, on-demand wholesale audio series. In this audio series I’ll walk you through the biggest mistakes and most common questions folks have when they are starting and scaling wholesale—so you don’t make the same mistakes myself and others did.  You can binge this audio series in less than an hour and you can listen on the go in your favorite podcast player.  No fluff here, just concrete action steps and answers to help you simplify and strengthen your wholesale sales.  SIGN UP You can view full show notes and more at prooftoproduct.com/308 Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp  

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Ranked in the top 1% of ALL podcasts, the Proof to Product podcast is your trusted resource for sustainable business growth - especially if you make and sell physical products! Join Katie Hunt, each week as she shares strategies & solutions to enhance your sales & marketing so that you’re building a business that supports your best life. If you’ve ever asked yourself can I make money selling physical products? Am I ready to sell my products wholesale to stores like Target, Anthropologie, Nordstrom or Barnes & Noble? When should I consider hiring a sales team or sales reps? Can I really turn my passion into profits? Whether you’re a just starting out on your business journey or you’ve been at it a while growing an empire, this show is for you. Proof to Product is like on-demand business school for product sellers spanning a wide range of industries. Whether you’re in home decor, apparel, beauty, food & beverage, hand-made items, jewelry, consumer gifts or the stationery world, you’ll gather new ideas each week to help you grow your profit, build your team and lead with integrity. Host Katie Hunt and her guests bring you actionable ways to expand your product line, manufacturing overseas, optimize your e-commrce websites on Shopify, Faire, Etsy, Abound, Tundra, Squarespace or in brick & mortar locations. How to start or scale wholesale sales including pitching stores, wholesale outreach, trade show exhibition, working with sales reps, managing inventory, warehousing product, sales systems, wholesale follow-up strategies and working with key accounts. Marketing strategies for small businesses including content creation, leveraging tik tok and instagram tactics without feeling burned out, why you can’t rely solely on social media for sales and why email marketing systems on platforms like Klaviyo, Flodesk and Active Campaign are so powerful. Listen in as Katie and our guest experts help you strategize and tackle your biggest business goals. Host Katie Hunt brings a unique perspective to entrepreneurship. Since 2011, she’s helped thousands of product brands get their products on the shelves of their favorite retail stores through her Paper Camp program (www.prooftoproduct.com/papercamp). Prior to that she worked in the corporate world for over a decade leading business development and marketing teams. She has two MBAs - one in finance and one in marketing. And, she owned & operated her own product based business for over 8 years, selling her products to stores throughout the world from her garage. Katie knows the struggles you face as a product based business and she’s here to pull back the curtain and share her best kept secrets so that you don’t have to learn things the hard way. Find our free trainings & resources for product based business owners at www.prooftoproduct.com/resources