Proof to Product

Hosted by Katie Hunt

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576

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Oct 2026

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About the show

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

Listen to episodes

60 recent

November 5, 20268 min

Quick Hit: How Many Emails Should I Send on Black Friday & Cyber Monday?

I know you have a lot on your plate right now. You've got products to make, orders to ship, and about a hundred decisions that you're making every day. I do not take it lightly that you are spending time with me today and I want to thank you for being here. Today's episode is a short, focused, throwback episode designed to give you one thing that you can do today to move your business forward. No fluff, no filler, just ideas that we've shared in the past that will benefit you today. Let's dive in! You can listen to the full episode with Jessica Totillo Coster of eCommerce Badassery here: http://prooftoproduct.com/416 Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp Mentioned in this episode: Take the free quiz! Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz

November 3, 202625 min

467 | Why Your Budget May Need Adjustments Throughout the Year with Katie Wilson, The Good Twin [Part 2]

How do you make spending decisions that keep a product business sustainable and profitable year after year? In Part 2 of my conversation with Katie Wilson of The Good Twin and Crush and Touch Art Supply , we talk about money. Katie walks through her yearly budgeting process, from projecting sales to setting aside funds for new products, and explains why she treats her budget as a living plan rather than something to set and forget. She also shares why she keeps her team small and well-paid, and why she believes the world needs more good small business jobs. In this episode, you’ll learn: How Katie projects her sales for the year ahead How she allocates money for new product development How she sets her non-negotiable expenses Why she’s paid herself through payroll since day one Why your budget is a plan that may need adjusting throughout the year, not something set in stone Why she keeps fulfillment in-house instead of using a 3PL Why she believes in keeping her team small and well-paid, and creating good small business jobs Listen to part 1 at http://prooftoproduct.com/466 or wherever you get your podcasts. Katie talks about product trend cycles and creative fulfillment, and explains why your bestsellers deserve to stick around. Today's episode is brought to you by our Retailer Roundtable interview series. To make a strong first impression with wholesale buyers, we need to do a few things well. We need to make it easy for stores to purchase from us We need clear pricing and terms and conditions We need to build strong relationships with our customers All of that gets easier when we listen to our customers. This on-demand interview series gives you a window into what buyers want and need from you, and it's only $27. You can get access to it at prooftoproduct.com/roundtable . You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/467 Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp Mentioned in this episode: Take the free quiz! Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz

October 29, 20265 min

Quick Hit: How Soon Should You Send an Abandoned Cart Email?

I know you have a lot on your plate right now. You've got products to make, orders to ship, and about a hundred decisions that you're making every day. I do not take it lightly that you are spending time with me today and I want to thank you for being here. Today's episode is a short, focused, throwback episode designed to give you one thing that you can do today to move your business forward. No fluff, no filler, just ideas that we've shared in the past that will benefit you today. Let's dive in! You can listen to the full episode with Arianne Foulks of Aeolidia here: http://prooftoproduct.com/114 Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp Mentioned in this episode: Take the free quiz! Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz

October 27, 202630 min

466 | How to Balance Creativity and Profit in Wholesale with Katie Wilson, The Good Twin [Part 1]

How do you run a high-volume wholesale business with a tiny team, and still make room for the work you love? Katie Wilson has been in the greeting card and gift industry since 2008, and her brand, The Good Twin , is 95% wholesale and stocked in more than 1,500 independent shops around the world. She and her partner Scotty also run Crush and Touch Art Supply , a neighborhood art store and gift shop in Los Angeles. You’ve heard Katie talked about the shop side on the podcast before in episode 129 , episode 316 , and episode 317 . This time she focuses on the brand: why wholesale is still her main revenue stream, how she keeps orders moving, and which products she’ll never cut. This episode was so juicy, we had to split it into two parts! In part 1, you’ll learn: Why Katie chooses to keep wholesale as The Good Twin’s primary revenue stream How a tiny team handles high-volume wholesale orders with strong systems, and why she keeps fulfillment in-house How to spot trends in product cycles and categories How to balance making money from your work with projects that fill your creative cup Why you should think twice before discontinuing a bestseller, even if you’re tired of looking at it years later Today's episode is brought to you by our Retailer Roundtable interview series. To make a strong first impression with wholesale buyers, we need to do a few things well. We need to make it easy for stores to purchase from us We need clear pricing and terms and conditions We need to build strong relationships with our customers All of that gets easier when we listen to our customers. This on-demand interview series gives you a window into what buyers want and need from you, and it's only $27. You can get access to it at prooftoproduct.com/roundtable . You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/466 Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp Mentioned in this episode: Take the free quiz! Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz

October 22, 20267 min

Quick Hit: How Important is it to Have a Beautiful Website?

One pattern I've noticed time and time again after working with thousands of product brands across lots of different categories, is that while our products might be different or our tools and platforms might change, all of our core business foundations and fundamentals are not changing. And that's exactly why I wanted to share this short clip from the archive, something that I think is worth revisiting because the takeaways still hold true today. Maybe listening will spark an idea or help you take action on a decision that you've been sitting on. Really, the goal here is to help you take your next intentional step in business. That's what I want for you. Enjoy this clip! You can listen to the full episode with Reese Spykerman of Design By Reese here: http://prooftoproduct.com/224 Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp Mentioned in this episode: Take the free quiz! Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz

October 20, 202631 min

465 | How She Got Her Products Into 1,000 Stores in 3 Years with Melissa Gullatte, Gracefully Made Art

"How did you get your products into so many stores?" Melissa Gullatte hears this question often. Her business, Gracefully Made Art , started with original paintings and wedding invitations. After her first daughter was born, she pivoted to officially licensed collegiate and sorority gifts. She took Paper Camp in spring 2023, thinking wholesale would be a nice side channel. Three years later, wholesale is two-thirds of her revenue and she's in more than 1,000 stores . In this episode, you'll learn: How collegiate and sorority licensing works: applying school by school, getting each product category and every piece of artwork approved, and planning six months to a year ahead of launch How Melissa landed Ole Miss after two years of rejections Why sorority licensing opened up a national market when collegiate products sell regionally How she prices for wholesale first, with royalties of 12 to 20 percent built in, then sets her retail price from there What tactics got her into 1,000+ stores How she keeps retailers reordering, and why fewer SKUs helped her business grow Today's episode is brought to you by our Retailer Roundtable interview series. To make a strong first impression with wholesale buyers, we need to do a few things well. We need to make it easy for stores to purchase from us We need clear pricing and terms and conditions We need to build strong relationships with our customers All of that gets easier when we listen to our customers. This on-demand interview series gives you a window into what buyers want and need from you, and it's only $27. You can get access to it at prooftoproduct.com/roundtable . You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/465 Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp Mentioned in this episode: Take the free quiz! Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz

October 15, 20266 min

Quick Hit: How Aggressive Should I Get With My Holiday Marketing?

I know you have a lot on your plate right now. You've got products to make, orders to ship, and about a hundred decisions that you're making every day. I do not take it lightly that you are spending time with me today and I want to thank you for being here. Today's episode is a short, focused, throwback episode designed to give you one thing that you can do today to move your business forward. No fluff, no filler, just ideas that we've shared in the past that will benefit you today. Let's dive in! You can listen to the full episode with Mei Pak of Creative Hive Co here: http://prooftoproduct.com/265 Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp Mentioned in this episode: Take the free quiz! Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz

October 13, 202638 min

464 | How to Grow Repeat Customers Instead of Always Chasing New Ones with Elizabeth Rees, Chasing Paper

How do you decide what to make next, what to cut, and where to put your limited time and money? For Elizabeth Rees, founder of Chasing Paper , the answer has come from her customers for nearly 13 years. She shares how customer feedback shaped her product format, her materials, her wholesale approach, and her newest line, and why she checks every instinct against the data before acting on it. In this episode, you'll learn: Why Chasing Paper sold wallpaper in panels instead of rolls from the start, so a customer with a small project could spend $60 instead of $250 and buy in at any budget How launching with two materials, Standard and Luxe, worked like an accidental A/B test, and why Elizabeth discontinued the lower-priced option about nine months in instead of continuing to explain the difference How Chasing Paper treats wholesale as a customer acquisition channel, drop-shipping for retail partners and using those placements to build brand trust Why the trade program, where repeat rate, average order value, and lifetime value run three to four times higher than direct-to-consumer, became the reason to launch fabric Why deepening relationships with the customers you already have can matter more than constantly finding new ones, and why a small team has to be selective about new channels How Elizabeth pairs instinct with data, and why one source of truth for attribution keeps her team from cherry-picking numbers to support a hunch Today's episode is brought to you by our Retailer Roundtable interview series. To make a strong first impression with wholesale buyers, we need to do a few things well. We need to make it easy for stores to purchase from us We need clear pricing and terms and conditions We need to build strong relationships with our customers All of that gets easier when we listen to our customers. This on-demand interview series gives you a window into what buyers want and need from you, and it's only $27. You can get access to it at prooftoproduct.com/roundtable . You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/464 Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp Mentioned in this episode: Take the free quiz! Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz

October 8, 20265 min

Quick Hit: Should I Create My Own Gift Guide For the Upcoming Holidays?

I know you have a lot on your plate right now. You've got products to make, orders to ship, and about a hundred decisions that you're making every day. I do not take it lightly that you are spending time with me today and I want to thank you for being here. Today's episode is a short, focused, throwback episode designed to give you one thing that you can do today to move your business forward. No fluff, no filler, just ideas that we've shared in the past that will benefit you today. Let's dive in! You can listen to the full episode here: http://prooftoproduct.com/419 Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp Mentioned in this episode: Take the free quiz! Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz

October 6, 202638 min

463 | How NY NOW’s New Ownership is Reimagining the Experience For Brands and Buyers with Dorothy Belshaw

Dorothy Belshaw has spent more than three decades in the gift, home, and trade show industries. She's led some of North America's biggest markets—from NY NOW to Atlanta Mart , and Las Vegas Market . Earlier this year, Dorothy partnered with industry veterans William Lacey and Karen Olson to acquire NY NOW through Rockview Management Group and bring the iconic 100+ year-old show into its next chapter. In this episode, you'll learn: What changes when a trade show is owned by a small, industry-embedded team instead of a large company What she and her partners changed in their first few months, and how the summer show performed How they're rebuilding category depth, including Home returning as a primary category and Handmade coming back under external jury How multi-line agency partnerships re-engage the reps who are already in stores year-round What NY NOW is doing to bring buyers back from the Northeast, mid-Atlantic, northern Midwest, and eastern Canada Why Dorothy believes buyers can't build a full assortment digitally, and what that means for your booth What support is being built for newer and smaller exhibitors, and how to make an impact in a smaller footprint What the strongest brands at the show have in common: evolving product, early commitment, and follow-up Why Shoppe Object and NY NOW are on different weekends for Winter 2027, and the plan to get back to the same dates Today's episode is brought to you by our Retailer Roundtable interview series. To make a strong first impression with wholesale buyers, we need to do a few things well. We need to make it easy for stores to purchase from us We need clear pricing and terms and conditions We need to build strong relationships with our customers All of that gets easier when we listen to our customers. This on-demand interview series gives you a window into what buyers want and need from you, and it's only $27. You can get access to it at prooftoproduct.com/roundtable . You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/463 Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp Mentioned in this episode: Take the free quiz! Map out your next 90 days here: http://prooftoproduct.com/quiz