PodcastsArtsProof to Product

Proof to Product

Katie Hunt
Proof to Product
Latest episode

532 episodes

  • Proof to Product

    439 | Lessons Learned from 25 Trade Shows in 4 Years with Andrew Fegler, That's So Andrew

    21/04/2026 | 37 mins.
    This week I'm chatting with Paper Camp alum Andrew Fegler, the founder of That's So Andrew. 
    Andrew has a really interesting pathway into the stationery world. He started selling cupcakes in high school. He later built a home decor business and eventually pivoted into stationery during COVID when he realized that he wanted his work to feel more meaningful and aligned with who he is. 
    We dive deep into what it really means to build a brand around personal values, navigating both the pull of loyal customers and the pushback from those that don't align. 
    Andrew opens up about his experiences in a largely female-dominated stationery industry as a queer man. 
    He discusses everything from the nuances of authentic allyship to making intentional decisions about suppliers and partnerships. Plus, with over 25 trade shows under his belt, Andrew gives us an insider look at the regional vibes, buyer dynamics at these major wholesale events, talking through lessons he's learned, financial strategies, and the impact of human connection in business.
    If you are building brand, navigating wholesale, or thinking about how your values show up in your business, I think you'll really enjoy this conversation
    Today's episode is brought to you by our Is Wholesale Right for You private podcast! This free 12-part audio series will help you decide whether wholesale is a good next step for your specific business. After listening to this audio series (in less than an hour), two things will be true. You'll know whether you want to pursue wholesale for your product business, and you'll have the confidence and action steps to get started with wholesale. Sign up for the private podcast today!
    SIGN UP
    You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/439 
    Quick Links:
    Free Wholesale Audio Series
    Free Resources Library
    Free Email Marketing for Product Makers
    PTP LABS
    Paper Camp
  • Proof to Product

    Quick Hit: Do Your Customers Need to See Your Products In Person?

    16/04/2026 | 7 mins.
    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 Sam Kramer of Near Modern Disaster here:  http://prooftoproduct.com/294 
    Quick Links:
    Free Wholesale Audio Series
    Free Resources Library
    Free Email Marketing for Product Makers
    PTP LABS
    Paper Camp
  • Proof to Product

    438 | How To Decide What Trade Shows To Do With Karen Sawyer-Meehan & Alyson O'Connor

    14/04/2026 | 20 mins.
    We just wrapped up our 47th round of Paper Camp a few weeks ago, and I am still riding high from working with this cohort. 
    It's an intense four weeks, for me, for our coaches, for our students. But so much progress happens in a short amount of time. I love hearing about their light bulb moments, their clarity, answering their questions, and there's so much forward momentum that comes. 
    One thing that is really important to me inside of Paper Camp is bringing in a variety of voices because there is no one singular way to build a business right?
    I want our students to hear directly from people who are doing this work in different ways. 
    During our weekly coaching calls, they get to learn from shop owners, wholesalers, sales consultants, and other experts that are in the wholesale field. People who are helping to develop and are currently utilizing relevant new sales and marketing strategies, which is what we focus on in Paper Camp: wholesale sales and marketing strategies.
    Today on the podcast, I wanted to share a small piece of this with you. This episode is an excerpt from our coaching call in Paper Camp that was centered on exhibiting at trade shows. I asked Paper Camp alums Karen Sawyer-Meehan of Pier Six Press and Alyson O'Connor of Rust Belt Love to come and share their experiences with the class. 
    Both are members of my Advisory Board mastermind, and between the two of them, they have done dozens of wholesale trade shows, including several this past winter. 
    They're sharing what's working, what they experienced at the winter shows, and sharing a lot of other insight. 
    In this snippet, you're going to hear them talk about the shows that they've participated in, how they knew they were ready to exhibit, and how they decide which trade shows are worth the investment. 
    We know these things cost a lot of time, money and energy and we want to make sure if you are going to say yes to a show that you're choosing the right ones for you. 
    Today's episode is brought to you by our Paper Camp program. Paper Camp is our wholesale coaching program where we teach you everything you need to know to build strong wholesale foundations. Over the course of 4 weeks, we tackle your product line, sales tools, and marketing plan, and we even talk about how to exhibit at trade shows if that's what you want to do. We start with your product line and go into everything from how often you should be releasing new products to ensuring that your numbers are sustainable for the wholesale market and their price for profit.
    Then we move into sales tools you must have for selling wholesale so you make a strong first impression with buyers like catalogs and your terms and conditions. Then, we cover marketing strategies and ways to reach various store owners. 
    Each week's teachings build on the previous week, and we host weekly live engaging coaching calls to answer all of your questions. We will open enrollment for our next round of Paper Camp soon, and we sell this program out every time we run it. Join the wait list and you'll get early access to enroll.
    SIGN UP FOR THE WAITLIST
    You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/438 
    Quick Links:
    Free Wholesale Audio Series
    Free Resources Library
    Free Email Marketing for Product Makers
    PTP LABS
    Paper Camp
  • Proof to Product

    Quick Hit: Do Your Products Need to Be Cohesive?

    09/04/2026 | 7 mins.
    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 Divya Guruju of Mellowworks here: http://prooftoproduct.com/325 
    Quick Links:
    Free Wholesale Audio Series
    Free Resources Library
    Free Email Marketing for Product Makers
    PTP LABS
    Paper Camp
  • Proof to Product

    437 | Why In-Person Retail Markets Still Matter & How To Make The Most of Them with Lib Ramos & Jessie Tyree Jenness

    07/04/2026 | 41 mins.
    Today's conversation is a really good one, especially if craft shows, retail markets, or in-person events are on your radar for this year. The market is shifting, fees to exhibit are higher, competition to apply and get into shows is stronger, and buyers are showing up differently than they did even a few years ago. 
    At the same time, I keep seeing how valuable it is to get offline and to connect with our customers face-to-face. That human connection is hitting differently right now. And people are craving that in person connection.
    What I love about today's episode is that we are looking at this from both sides of the table. We have Lib Ramos, she runs Indie Craft Parade with her team. This is an incredibly well respected, longtime running show.
    And we also have Jessie Tyree Jenness, founder of Root and Branch and one of our Proof to Product community members who has exhibited at shows like this multiple times.
    In the episode we're digging into what organizers are actually looking for when you apply for these shows, how exhibitors can decide if a show is worth it, and how to also measure ROI following a show and then how to think about your strategy so that you're not just showing up for the shows, but you're showing up with true intention.
    Applications are now open for exhibiting at Indie Craft Parade, you can apply now through April 20th!
    If you are planning to exhibit at retail shows this year, I want to tell you about some resources we have inside of our LABS community so that you can do this more strategically. 
    We have checklists, tools, and things that will help you bring your booth plus to life, but also have community discussions about things like inventory, sales goals, and strategies for upping your AOV. If you want support as you plan for your in-person retail events, join us!
    REQUEST YOUR INVITATION
    You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/437 
    Quick Links:
    Free Wholesale Audio Series
    Free Resources Library
    Free Email Marketing for Product Makers
    PTP LABS
    Paper Camp

More Arts podcasts

About Proof to Product

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
Podcast website

Listen to Proof to Product, ill-advised by Bill Nighy and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app

Get the free radio.net app

  • Stations and podcasts to bookmark
  • Stream via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth
  • Supports Carplay & Android Auto
  • Many other app features

Proof to Product: Podcasts in Family