Welcome to Episode 57 of the Indie Business Podcast! In this episode, I'll introduce you to Danielle Vincent of Outlaw Soaps in Colfax, California. Danielle started her business five years ago when she became restless at her job at the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). Restless though she was, she's the first to acknowledged that the digital marketing and business planning experiences she enjoyed at OWN have proven to be extremely valuable to her at Outlaw Soaps today.
Danielle sells her products on her branded website, and also at Whole Foods Markets. She has also invested considerable resources in selling on Amazon. This episode treats you to a behind-the-scenes look at how Danielle and Russ, her business partner husband, keep things humming in their business. It's also chock full of resources and tips you can use on your own entrepreneurial journey. Enjoy my interview with Danielle NOW!
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Episode Show Notes
Here are the topics discussed in this episode, with time stamps to help you find the information that most interests you:
- Danielle shares her startup story, and how being challenged and wanting a different type of life took her from OWN to Outlaw Soaps. (starting at 2:37)
- Danielle shares the methodological product development approach she uses at Outlaw Soaps, which includes things like market evaluation, understanding product development costs, identifying specific selling criteria, stock forecasting, and classifying scent profiles. (starting at 6:09)
- Danielle describes the Outlaw Soaps subscription options. (starting at 10:20)
- Why “It's not ‘sales' if you really mean it,” and this is brilliant, so don't miss it. (starting at 13:41)
- Where Danielle sells Outlaw Soaps products, by “finding her right customers wherever they are,” including why she sells her products on Amazon which Danielle says is “on its way to taking over the world.” (starting at 18:23)
- What it's like to work with your spouse. (starting at 24:41)
- How Danielle hired her first employees, simply by sharing her brand story. (starting at 28:20)
- Danielle's thoughts on the mindset needed to be successful as an entrepreneur. (starting at 35:50)
- How responsibilities and tasks are divided between Danielle, Russ (her husband-business partner), and their employees. (starting at 40:06)
- How Danielle markets her business. (starting at 41:58)
- Why we live in the best time for entrepreneurs, and also, spear fishing. (starting at 46:46)
- What social media outlets work best for Danielle's business, and how she uses them. (starting at 47:42)
- Why Danielle decided to pay more for Shopify than less for other e-commerce platforms, and the importance of focusing on net return on investment. (starting at 49:20)
- What's on the horizon for Danielle and Outlaw Soaps, including some upcoming books. (starting at 52:00)
Danielle Vincent, Outlaw Soaps
Episode 57: Resources and Links Mentioned in this Episode
In this episode, we mentioned the following resources:
- Outlaw Soaps website: Outlaw Soaps
- Upcoming book: Danielle's Inner Unicorn Workbook
- Consultant: Lucky Break Consulting
- Boutique business conference with Donna Maria: Maker Mastermind Live
- Soapmaking business training: Modern Soapmaking
- Soapmaking workshop: Central Soapers Workshop
- Book: To Sell Is Human: by Daniel Pink, available in the Indie Business Book Store
- Book: Good to Great by Jim Collins, available in the Indie Business Book Store
- Children's toy BB gun: Red Rider BB gun
- Natural foods distributor: UNFI
- Digital marketing app for Shopify: Kit
Danielle Vincent, Outlaw Soaps
Summary of Danielle's Tips for a Maker Business Success
- Find your customers wherever they are
Danielle says that her customers are focused on buying online, and most of them buy everything on Amazon. As a result, she is committed to selling on Amazon. Your customers may buy elsewhere. It's your job to figure that out, and then go where they are to sell your products.
- Newsletter • Newsletter • Newsletter
Danielle mentioned that her newsletter drives more sales than anything else. If you don't have one, get one. Now. Today.
- Keep your eye on your net return on investment
It's so important not to focus solely on the short term gains that result from any particular daily business activity. Danielle talked about how she made the decision to commit to a more expensive online platform, rather than a less expensive one, because she was looking at the long term benefits of doing so, and not just a the short term costs of doing so.
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