Products to Profits with Sarah J Cross

In this exciting episode, Sarah chats with the incredible Monica Little, the founder of Monica Little Coaching. Monica is a renowned business coach, focusing on product-based businesses and their successful presence on Etsy. With her wealth of knowledge and expertise, she shares invaluable strategies to help you establish and expand your online product business effectively. And today, she will share with us some valuable insights and practical tips to help listeners maximise their Etsy presence. From selecting the right products for Etsy to setting up a successful store and overcoming common challenges, Monica offers expert guidance that can transform your Etsy game.

She shares:

1. Her background and journey into business coaching

2. Identifying the ideal products for Etsy and understanding their suitability for the platform

3. Five key recommendations for setting up an effective Etsy store as a product business

4. Common mistakes observed in Etsy stores and how to avoid them

5. Strategies to leverage Etsy for business growth and increased revenue

6. Exploring potential roadblocks on Etsy and actionable solutions for business owners

In this episode, we are thrilled to have Diana Simpson, founder of Simpsons Web Design, a Shopify expert and web strategist, as our guest. Diana shares her insights on leveraging Shopify websites to increase sales for businesses. And today, she’s going to share with us how web design is important in today’s business world.

She also shares:

1. More about her background and how she got started in the business

2. What are the essential details to put on a website

3. What are some of the biggest challenges business owners face when it comes to their website design

4. Diana’s recommendations for increasing sales to a Shopify website

In this episode, we had the pleasure of hosting Rachel Reiter, founder of Hopscotch Branding Studio, a renowned expert in branding and design. Rachel shares her insights on how businesses can effectively harness the power of their brand to captivate their dream customers. And today, she’s going to share with us how branding is important in today’s business world.

She shares:

1. More about her background and how she got started in the business

2. Most common mistakes that business owners make in branding

3. Why is branding important

4. The three powerful ways the business can demonstrate their personalities through their branding

5. Her advice to new business owners on what they need to do to resonate their message with their branding

In this episode, Sarah is chatting with Tanya Ambrosini from Botanist Aromatherapy. She is the founder and creative behind her business. She is an incredible woman who thrives in business with ADHD. And today, she’s going to share with us how entrepreneurs and individuals can succeed with ADHD despite the challenges that they may face in the world of business.

She shares:

1. More about Botanist Aromatherapy

2. Why self-care is so important

3. The biggest successes and challenges that she and her business have encountered so far, especially with ADHD

4. How she navigated the world of business with ADHD

5. The strategies that made the most significant impact on her success

In this episode, Sarah is chatting with Victoria from The Scenic Route, who is an artist and surface pattern designer. She works with multiple product-based businesses to help them create unique patterns and brand designs. And today, she’s going to share with us her extraordinary journey in her business so far.

She shares:

1. More about The Scenic Route

2. What has the journey looked like so far

3. The Scenic Route's biggest successes so far 

4. What strategies have made the biggest impact on their success

5. Things to focus on the most that are going to give new business owners the biggest results

6. Three things to consider when collaborating with an artist

In this episode, Sarah is chatting with Nell Casey, who is a brand strategist and e-commerce copywriter. She works with online brands to help them create unique personalities, tell their story, and connect with customers online. And today, she’s going to share with us how thought leadership can help in today’s business world.

She shares:

1. More about brand thought leadership

2. Why brand thought leadership is the perfect strategy for an e-commerce business

3. The hints for business owners to consider brand thought leadership 

4. The steps to figuring out brand thought leadership strategy for businesses

5. Some examples of brand thought leadership in action

6. How she helped other business owners achieve these strategies for their businesses

In this episode, Sarah shares the power of ensuring that your customers have a positive experience from the moment they interact with your brand could keep them buying from you. Are you looking for strategies and tips to retain your customers or do you just want to keep them buying? Get ready to turn your customers into repeat buyers with this episode!

She shares:

1. 10 tips about turning your customers into repeat buyers
2. How keeping in touch with your customers can be beneficial to your business

In this episode, Sarah is chatting with Amy, a Financial Coach. And today, she’s going to share with us how she helps small businesses think big, her extraordinary journey in her business so far, the challenges she faced and how she navigated them to reach her business's success.

She shares:

1. More about her business as a financial coach
2. What has the journey looked like so far in her business?
3. Amy’s biggest successes so far
4. How is it important to understand the business cash flow of a startup
5. The strategies that have made the biggest impact on her business success
6. Her recommendations to new business owners and the important things to focus on to be able to reach success in their business
7. The importance of a financial coach in a small business

In this episode, Sarah chats about negative reviews, and how to handle them, both mentally and for your business. Most importantly, how they can actually benefit your business! If you have trouble dealing with negative reviews and "bad" feedback, then this episode is for you!

She shares:

• Top 3 reasons why bad reviews can be good for your business
• How to build brand trust and loyalty by turning bad reviews into an opportunity to grow your business 

In this episode, Sarah is chatting with Carmel from Aroma Pot. And today, she’s going to share with us her extraordinary journey in her business so far, the challenges she faced and how she navigated them to reach her business's success.

She shares:

1. The biggest challenges of her business and how she managed to overcome them
2. The strategies that have made the biggest impact on her business success
3. Her recommendations to new business owners and the important things to focus on to be able to reach success in their business
4. How she created and succeeded with her artist collaboration
5. The next big thing to watch out for at Aroma Pot

In this episode, Sarah is chatting with Julia Stafford from Jujo Baby. And today, she’s going to share with us her extraordinary journey in her business so far, the challenges she faced and how she navigated them to be able to reach the success of her business.

She shares:

1. More about Jujo Baby
2. Jujo Baby’s biggest successes so far
3. The biggest challenges of her business and how she managed to overcome them
4. The strategies that have made the biggest impact on her business success
5. Her recommendations to new business owners and the important things to focus on to be able to reach success in their business
6. The next big thing to watch out for at Jujo Baby

In this episode, Sarah shares about limiting beliefs that are holding entrepreneurs back in business and tactics on how to overcome these. She speaks about how her own limiting beliefs affected her and how she overcame them. Is your fear of success holding you back? Are your limiting beliefs causing you to fear success? This episode is for you!

She shares 3 tactics to overcome limiting beliefs:

1. Articulate what has been true in the past
2. Turn those limiting beliefs into powerful beliefs
3. Reflect on what to do if the thing that you fear does happen

In this episode, Sarah shares the power of thinking big in small business. Did you often think small because it's comfortable and familiar? Are you hesitant to push yourself, dream large, and pursue your goals? Whether you're looking to boost sales, broaden your market, or simply advance your business, this episode is for you!

She shares:

1. Top 4 big businesses that have incredible success and how to learn from their success
2. 5 simple tips and theory to practice in achieving success by thinking big

In this episode, Sarah is chatting with Jess Ruhfus. She is a collaboration strategist and founder of Collabosaurus. Jess helps brands partner together and grow their reach and build their business through impactful collaborations. And today, she’s going to share with us her tips and tricks.

She shares:

1. Why is collaboration so important for growing your business and brand
2. Top tips for finding the perfect brand collab match
3. Besides social media, what else can a brand collaboration offer for marketing
4. Her favourite strategies that she has seen used between brands
5. Top tips for keeping a healthy relationship between businesses during a collaboration
6. How to decide on what to offer and gain in return during a brand collaboration

In this episode, Sarah shares her journey from her early entrepreneur days when she went through burnout, before learning how to manage her time, and work smarter not harder. Now she runs two businesses from home, and is sharing her tips and tricks on her she keeps balance in her life.

She shares:

• How to prioritise your time
• Creating a weekly schedule
• Programs I love to use to keep everything on track
• Avoiding burnout
• The essential aspect of taking breaks
• Why you should avoid multitasking
• Not overscheduling your time
• Learning the art of outsourcing

In this episode, Sarah shares why it is so important to focus on retaining your current customers, rather than always seeking new buyers

She shares:

• The top 5 benefits of relationship marketing
• how to build your ROI through customer retention 
• and how to create relationships with stockists

In this episode, Sarah shares how to know when it’s time to start outsourcing and not feel overwhelmed by the process. Are you struggling to let go and delegate? Are you focusing on non-income generating tasks? Are you tired of doing the same draining tasks? This episode is for you!

She shares:

• How to recognise the common signs that it’s time to outsource
• Where to begin delegating tasks
• Finding the joy in outsourcing
• Building systems to simplify your life

In this episode, Sarah shares her best advice to grow your business and sell your products internationally to increase your brand awareness and overall profitability.

She shares:

• Where to get started when going global
• How to support international buyers
• The difference between a sales agent and a distributor
• How to deal with payments from abroad
• How to grow your e-commerce business internationally
• Managing the logistics and shipping regulations

In this episode, Sarah is talking to Laetitia Andrac from Essential Shift. She’s a holistic business coach and a ‘soul doula’. She helps women leaders & entrepreneurs in creating a soul-aligned business, career & life.

Laetitia shares:

• Why Energetics in Business matters
• How to connect with your intuition for success
• How can busy entrepreneurs bring flow into their day
• How to reclaim the role of CEO in your business
• The biggest obstacles she sees product-business owners deal with
• How reconnecting to the energetics can be life-changing

In this episode, Sarah discusses her top 10 ways to streamline your business and productivity in your product-based business.

She shares:

• The importance of knowing your numbers
• Why knowing your best seller is important
• How to create systems and the best platforms to use
• The benefits of connecting with likeminded people
• How to increase your customer average spend
• How to set clear deadlines and measure results
• When to hire an expert and how it can benefit your business
• The best tools for your business toolkit

In this episode, Sarah speaks with Christine Corcoran. 

Christine is a Business Mindset Master Coach, Speaker, Podcast Host and Co-Founder of the Rise Up Conference and Creator of The Energetics of Money Program. Christine shares how she helps heart-centred business owners overcome their imposter syndrome, uplevel their mindset, and reclaim their confidence and power.

Christine shares:

• How to overcome self-sabotage
• How to uplevel your mindset and business
• How your mindset can hold you back
• How your childhood can impact your mindset and success
• How our identity beliefs show up in business
• How to adopt a new mindset and work through fear

In today’s podcast, Sarah discusses one of her favourite topics: where attention goes, energy flows.

Sarah discusses:

• How to use intentional business goals to get to your desired outcomes in business
  
• How to elevate your business goals
  
• The six steps to help with intention setting to elevate and build the business of your dreams
  
• The importance of intention setting and when to set intentions for the best results
  

In today’s podcast, Sarah chats with the wonderful Verity Sewell. Verity Sewell is the founder of Smart Little Space. She works with Product Brand Owners to help them set up and launch their brands on the world's largest e-commerce channel and grow a new revenue stream.

After her own personal success on Amazon, Verity went on to lead a team of e-commerce specialists at an agency where she helped hundreds of clients skyrocket their business's on Amazon. She then transitioned into becoming the founder of Smart Little Space and working with female-focused brands.

Verity shares every about:

• How to know if Amazon is the right fit for you and your business
  
• The benefits of selling on Amazon
  
• If it is worth keeping your branding the same for your business on Amazon?
  
• Common mistakes and red flags to look out for
  
• Advice for business owners who are feeling overwhelmed with getting started on Amazon
  
• Her top tips to get to the next level
  
• The top three marketing strategies that have massive impact.
  

In this episode, Sarah discusses how you can take the leap from side hustle to creating and running a successful small business.

She shares:

• Her own journey going from side hustle to taking the leap
• How to grow and scale your business
• How to look at your finances to see if you are ready to take the leap
• Outsourcing for success
• Taking sacrifices for the growth of your business
• Protecting yourself from burnout
• How to test the waters and then scale your business gradually

In this episode, Sarah discusses how to build the business of your dreams!

Something on your own terms, something you have always dreamed about.

She shares:

• Her own journey going from starting her own business at her kitchen table to becoming a multi-million dollar nationally recognised company
• The steps needed to get to the business of your dreams
• Mastering your fears, doubts and limiting beliefs
• The importance of going with your gut feeling and saying yes
• The importance of listening to people who have been where you want to go and not necessarily those around you
• What happens when something goes wrong in business
• The lessons learnt during business

In this podcast, Sarah discusses how to stop comparing yourself to others. This episode will help you step out of the shadows and into the limelight.

She shares:

• The effects that comparisonitis has on us and our business
• How to overcome comparisonitis
• How to tap into your strengths to grow and connect with your audience
• How to focus on your own journey
• Tips for success

In this episode, Sarah shares the 5 most common mistakes she sees product businesses make and how to avoid them.

Save yourself the time and check out this episode to get the best tips so you don't have to make the same mistakes.

She shares:

• Why do you need to outsource
• How to avoid these common mistakes
• Why seeking advice might be the quickest way to success

In this episode, Sarah shares her greatest tips when it comes to growing and scaling a business without burnout.

She shares:

• Why most businesses fail when trying to scale
• The importance of systems
• Why you need a 90 day business plan to hit milestones
• How to get support
• Real life examples of how she grew businesses for her and her clients
• Key takeaways you can implement now

In this episode, Sarah chats with Johanna Clark, Chief Boss Lady, visionary and designer behind Pink Nade. She is a hustler, a multi-tasker, as busy as they come but a get shit done kinda gal. She’s also a mother of 5 children, runs Pink Nade alongside her retail store Pink Nade Boutique. She loves her Girl Gang HARD and is ALL about empowering women.

In this episode, Johanna shares:

• Her start as a business owner alongside motherhood
• Her best advice on how to keep it together as a business owner, mum of 5 and as a wife
• Her failures in business and what she learned from them
• The important to give yourself space to spark creativity
• Why having a community to support you in crucial to success

In this episode, Sarah chats with Dahna Borg, Founder and Chief Strategist of Bright Red Marketing. Dahna knows what it takes to grow and scale eCommerce Businesses through Facebook and Instagram advertising.

Hear Dahna share everything about:

• How FB Ads are a key part of your E-commerce strategy
• Where to get started with FB Ads
• Her greatest tips to select an audience
• What Ad budgets to start with
• How to manage algorithm changes
• The top mistakes she sees business owners make
• Key growth strategies you can implement today

In this episode, Sarah meets with Ange Ritchie, Founder and Head Goal Coach at My Goal Squad. Her overwhelming passion is to help entrepreneurial females who are stuck; on challenges, or not getting the success they want, or just found themselves working solo without support, which led to her creating My Goal Squad to make success simple.

In this episode, Ange shares:

• Why goal setting is crucial when running a successful business
• How to implement goals
• Her best strategies when feeling stuck or overwhelmed
• How to stay on track and motivated throughout the year

In this episode, Sarah meets with Mon & Alisha, the co-creators of Rise With Reels - the first Reels Course set out to help product-based businesses and brands harness the power of video marketing AKA Reels to shine bright on socials, attract their dream clients and make sales!

In this episode, Mon & Alisha share:

• The importance of Reels for Product-Based Businesses
• Where to get started with Reels
• The best tips and tricks for creative inspiration
• What they see are the biggest challenges to getting started
• Best Reels Trends for 2022

In this episode, Sarah meets with Marissa, host of The Simpler Business Podcast, who is the queen of streamlining and simplifying your business for increased income & freedom. Through her journey as a mum and entrepreneur, Marissa has learned firsthand how to deal with overwhelm by simplifying her life and business for success.

In this episode, Marissa shares:

• How to manage overwhelm when juggling motherhood, work and a business
• How to play to your strengths when creating content
• Simplifying social media to minimise overwhelm
• Strategies to deal with tasks you don’t enjoy
• How to deal with comparisonitis
• Her best tips to create reels that attract sales
• How to refresh your content
• Looking through your Insights for inspiration

In this episode, Sarah meets with Martha, Melbourne-based mum of two beautiful boys, lover of journals, notebooks, handwriting, and old book shops. Martha shares her journey from graphic designer to successful business owner with the flexibility to be there for her kids.

In this episode, Martha shares:

• How she built her business in just 2.5 years
• How she dealt with overwhelm
• Why she outsourced to a 3PL company
• How adjusting packaging helped her scale-up
• How Fb Ads helped her grow
• The value of seeking coaching in growth
• Managing stock and cash flow

In this episode, Sarah is joined by Amey Lee from Heart Content. Passionate about showing businesses how to connect with their tribe, Amey is a Brandsmith who helps brands of all sizes make sure that what they say and do are in alignment.

Amey Lee shares:

• What is a Brand Story Strategy
• The importance of creating a Brand Story for your Business
• The difference between Brand Storytelling and Story Strategy
• How this helps you connect with your ideal customer
• How to create a consistent Brand Message

In this episode, Anaita shares the journey of how she started her incredible business Hero Packaging, Australia's first certified home-compostable, zero-waste shipping mailer, bringing sustainability into our product world.

Hear Anaita share:

• How she brought her genuine need for a better plastic-free solution to a profitable business
• The joy of being able to build you business around your lifestyle
• How she’s been able to manage cash flow in a growing business
• The key to diversifying your inventory with better margins to lower your pricing
• Learning to scale abroad and tailoring your offer to each market
• How their branding helped them spread the word
• What to do when FB Ads aren’t giving you the returns you wish for

In this episode Sarah meets with Jasmine, a pricing queen helping creatives to ‘bake profit into their pricing.’

In this episode, Jasmine shares

• The importance of business owners getting their prices right
• How to know if you’re pricing too low
• A method to pricing your services
• How creatives can add value without adding extra cost
• Tips for raising prices

In this episode Sarah meets with Kimberley, a manifestation and mindset mentor and number 1 source for manifestation based on science and truth.

In this episode, Kimberley shares

• Why manifestation is so powerful
• How to get past the “woo woo” of manifestation
• Common misconceptions when it comes to manifesting
• How she manifested all of her wildest dreams
• Tips for intentional manifestation for your business
• Manifestation tips for making more money

In this episode Sarah meets with Michelle, founder of Show & Tell Video, sharing human stories behind the business world.

In this episode, Michelle shares

• Why video is so important for business owners
• The equipment you need to get started
• What type of videos you can film for your business
• Top tips for getting comfortable in front of the camera
• How to balance between being professional and authentic

In this episode Sarah meets with Tanja, founder and creative director of MADMIA - a crazy, fun, bright sock brand that is now a multimillion dollar global brand.

In this episode, Tanja shares

• How MADMIA got so successful without a marketing budget
• The struggles of building and running a business with young kids
• Getting creative to keep the cash flow going
• Not being afraid to ask for help

In this episode Sarah meets with Lee Doherty, the founder of Admin & Co providing high-level administration support to businesses with a team of Online Business Managers and Virtual Assistants.

In this episode, Lee shares

• The key differences between OBMs and VAs
• How business owners can work with OBMs and VAs
• How to stop wearing all of the hats in your business
• How to know when you’re ready engage an OBM and VA team
• Tips on how product businesses can outsource
• How to maximise your time with OBMs and VAs

In this episode Sarah meets with Eliza Ludwig, an experienced financial analyst and founder of The Flow Society. Eliza offers Wealth Coaching to make you feel in control of your business and find freedom and fulfilment.

In this episode, Eliza shares

• What a wealth coach is and how they can help your business
• What numbers business owners should be across
• How your financials are connected to your process
• The blocks of scaling profitably
• What the right stage of your business is to seek out a wealth coach
• Things to consider to increase your profits

In this episode Sarah meets with Sarina Lowe, a Partnerships Specialist from The Androsia Connection. Sarina is passionate about all things business, especially marketing and partnerships to help set up effective strategies for businesses to meet their objectives and maximise their potential.

In this episode, Sarina shares

• How strategic partnerships help businesses
• The difference between partnerships, sponsorships and collaborations
• Top tips on how to get started in partnerships for your product based business
• How to maximise existing partnerships
• Why agreements, formal or informal are so important

In this episode Sarah meets with Lisa Byrne, an award winning marketer who works with female founders of eCommerce businesses to create smart, simple and sustainable marketing strategies for their unique businesses.

In this episode, Lisa shares

• How to create a marketing plan that actually works
• How to track your marketing efforts
• Tips for business owners to get in front of the camera
• The importance of knowing your ideal customer
• Advice for overwhelmed business owners
• Taking your marketing to the next level

In this episode Sarah meets with Kerri from Yellow Door Digital. With her straight-talking, no-nonsense approach, Kerri cuts through the geek-speak to help her clients get clear on what they need to do to succeed online.

In this episode, Kerri shares

• Why SEO is so important for an ecommerce business
• Top tips for SEO
• Biggest mistakes businesses make with SEO
• The process of taking clients through their SEO
• Including SEO in your marketing strategy

In this episode Sarah meets with Naomi, founder of Avarcas Australia. Avarcas Australia started as a side hustle and quickly bloomed into a bonafide business within 6 months.

In this episode, Naomi shares

• Her biggest successes in her business so far
• Going from online to wholesale - turning Avarcas into a 7 figures business
• The biggest challenges she faced
• How outsourcing helped her business grow
• Her advice for new business owners
• Her plans for the future of Avarcas
• Tips for business owners looking to scale

In this episode Sarah meets with Emma from PR Pantry. Emma has been in the PR industry for over a decade working with brands both in Australia and overseas for some pretty epic brands including: The Australian Open, Wicked the Musical, Michael Bublé, Grease the Musical, Katy Perry and more. Emma now helps entrepreneurs, start-ups and small businesses see the endless opportunities of being their own publicist.

In this episode, Emma shares

• What PR really is.
• Why PR is so powerful for businesses
• Why PR isn’t just for big businesses or celebrities
• Finding your purpose to get in the media
• Tips when approaching the media
• How to maximise your marketing after the coverage goes live
• Things to consider when reaching out to PR agency

In this episode Sarah meets with Anna The Anxiety Coach to chat about how mental health can affect results in your business and tips on how to get your mental health on your side.

In this episode, Anna shares

• Getting back to basics to avoid overwhelm
• How mental health can affect results in your business
• What symptoms of anxiety look like
• How breathwork can help reduce anxiety
• How lifestyle factors can affect your mental health
• When the best time is to seek help
• Tips for creating more work/life balance