Welcome to Season 4, Episode 1 of the Indie Business Podcast! This season is all about celebrating finalists in the Martha Stewart American Made Awards. We start with the Style category, and our featured Maker of choice is Riche Holmes Grant of BambiniWare in Silver Spring, Maryland, and I am thrilled to introduce you to her. BambiniWare makes smart + stylish gear that makes sense, works well and looks great on the modern mom + baby.
One thing I love about Riche is how she has created the life she loves, really! Just like we always talk about here on Indie Business Podcast — combining your passions, educational background, relationships, and ideas to create a lifestyle as well as a business. You'll also enjoy hearing a bit about how Riche became a guest blogger at Martha Stewart's blog, and how she became a part of Martha's highly curated American Made Marketplace on ebay — and how she didn't actually PLAN any of it. Showing up is the key, as you'll hear Riche say. Enjoy my interview with Riche NOW!
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Episode Show Notes
- Riche details how she started her entrepreneur life, including ditching her planned career as an attorney and starting not one, but two, businesses. (starting at 2:43)
- The story of how BambiniWare began to grow, and how Riche never really set out to start the business in the first place. (starting at 9:45)
- How Riche designed and found American Makers to make the products she designed, and what “American Made” means to her; how Riche incorporates her daughter into her business. (starting at 13:36)
- How Riche uses blogging and social media to connect with her target audience and build the BambiniWare community. (starting at 21:45)
- How Riche's company became a part of Martha Stewart American Made on ebay, and how she became a blogger at the Martha Stewart site. (starting at 24:30)
- How applying to be a part of the Martha Stewart American Made Awards forced Riche to reflect on the value of her brand and her journey creating it. (starting at 30:52
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Donna Maria Coles Johnson, Indie Business Network
Five Actions You Can Take Right Now
At the Indie Business Network, we are not just about listening and being inspired. We are also about thinking carefully about what we hear, and then taking measured steps toward specific goals. Here are 5 actions you can consider taking right now based on my interview with Riche.
- Show up: Riche said she went to the Martha Stewart event last yer without a real agenda. She showed up and things happened when she did.
- Plan as you go: So much of business success today is not based on a massive 5 or 10 year plan. We can have what I call an “evening bag” plan that is focused and clear, but also flexible. It's so important to have something that can grow with you, and Riche's story certainly supports that idea.
- Blog about what matters to your customer: Riche does not blog abut her products, she blogs about things her customers care about: self care for moms, healthy baby food recipes, and things that really have nothing to do with her products but which still attract her target customer to her website. Do this. (And if you don't have blog, here are several reasons why you should be blogging.)
- Be real: Riche talks about her real life, not that everything is perfect, but what it's really like to be a mom of a toddler running a business. It is hard work, and Riche says she makes sure to be true to that. Authenticity is so important in our transparent world today, so take note of that.
- Build a brand using ingredients and components that do not originate overseas: Riche's commitment to domestic Makers is admirable. Her products may be more expensive, but the American Made message is part of her brand and more and more, people are willing to pay more because they realize that they are getting more when they buy from a company that ensures that their products and its components are made in America.
Explore Additional Resources
Buy BambiniWare at the Martha Stewart American Made Marketplace on ebay.
Visit the BambiniWare website, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Visit Riche's posts at Martha Stewart.com.
Vote for BambiniWare
Binge on all of my Indie Business Podcast Episodes
If you want to listen to previous episodes, you can find Season 1 here, Season 2 (Women Wealth and Wow) here, and Season 3 (Makers on Main Street) here.
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