Welcome to Episode 90 of the Indie Business Podcast! Today's Indie Story introduces you to Jennifer Watt of Jenny the Hemp Goddess, in Armada, Michigan. Jenny's story perfectly illustrates the fact that a supportive spouse or partner is key to business success. Several years ago, Jenny and her family moved to a 10-acre farm and started selling eggs and produce. They phased that out once Jenny and her husband realized they were not farmers, and Jenny began a bath and body business with her sister, which eventually led to the launch of Jenny the Hemp Goddess in early 2019 with a hemp facial serum, a hand balm and a lip balm.
Today, Jenny focuses on selling her products from her website, Amazon, Etsy, and via her email club, which you'll hear a lot about in this episode. You'll also hear Jenny describe how her husband's support is one of the keys to her success thus far. Not only does he offer physical assistance, but he also contributes an attitude of positivity, curiosity, experimentation and faith in his wife's ability to succeed.
Finally, you'll enjoy the impromptu target audience coaching session I somehow ended up providing for Jenny during the second half of the podcast. That was a fun and unplanned surprise! Enjoy my interview with Jenny 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 interests you most:
- The brilliant way Jennifer points to sales funnels on her webpage. (starting at 4:50)
- Jennifer details how her supportive spouse is a key to her business success thus far.. (starting at 6:10)
- How her daughter's bad reaction to an over-the-counter drug sparked Jennifer's interest in skin care, and how that influenced Jenny the Hemp Goddess. (starting at 9:37)
- How Jennifer uses her resources wisely to create her own market opportunities. (starting at 13:40)
- Jennifer talks about how her website is her best sales stream and how its all due to an Indie Business Network member benefit. (starting at 17:10)
- About Jennifer's hunt for the easy button, and how there isn't one. (starting at 21:00)
- The hoops Jennifer jumps through to take Jenny the Hemp Goddess across multiple marketplaces. (starting at 22:53)
- Jennifer and Donna Maria mine deep into the world of the target audience and pull out a whopper of a gem! (starting at 25:12)
- Event details, marketing tips, and how Jenny's husband is one of the keys to success and fulfillment in business. (starting at 38:00)
- Jenny's tips and advice for new entrepreneurs. (starting at 45:27)
Resources and Links Mentioned in this Episode
In this episode, Jennifer and I mentioned the following resources.
- Jenny the Hemp Goddess website
- Jenny the Hemp Goddess on Instagram
- Jenny the Hemp Goddess on Etsy
- Indie Business Member Benefits
- Jenny the Hemp Goddess on Amazon
- Anything You Want by Derek Sivers on Amazon and on Bookshop.org
Important entrepreneurial insights from Jennifer
Let's unpack some of the most significant business insights Jennifer and I discussed in this episode.
1. The support of a great partner
Jenny's husband, a retired firefighter, sounds like a dream, so this little segment is more about what to look for in a life partner than anything else. Jenny says that her husband will do pretty much anything she needs help with. As a big dreamer with great ideas, he believes in Jenny and her capabilities. He is always tossing ideas her way, but not only that. He does household chores, helps her organize her office and pitches in to label and pack products.
2. The importance of face-to-face
Jenny says that she loves having an online business, but acknowledges that there is no substitute for meeting people face-to-face as often as possible. She does this as much as she can now, even in the midst of the pandemic, and has plans to eventually open her farm to visitors who can come and hang out with her, learn more about self-care with natural ingredients, and, of course, purchase her products. Road trip anyone?! …
3. Publish that newsletter!
Jenny recently launched a regularly published newsletter and is finding great success. It's boosted her sales as it has also allowed people to get to know her better. She publishes bi-weekly and enjoys sharing events of interest that happen in her business, as well as sharing new products, sales and promotions and general behind-the-scenes looks at her lifestyle and business.
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