328: Julie Rowley – Scaling back strategically can give you more Amazon Sales and Selling on Amazon Canada yet?

selling on amazon podcast

Julie is such a strong seller. The thing is she doesn’t know what she knows! I love the innocence. So refreshing. In this discussion she shares some serious knowledge like the true veteran she is. Her experiences selling in the Canadian and US marketplaces can offer us all some perspective on our business plans. Expand into Canada with the right product lines? Why not?

Mentioned:

Julie’s Facebook contact

Sponsors

Gaye’s Million Dollar Arbitrage List

Solutions4ecommerce

Scope from Sellerlabs

Tactical Arbitrage – Get an 18 day free trial with code: “Tactical”

Freeeup– Save 10% (forever) and get an instant $25.00 voucher for your first hire.

GoDaddy

Grasshopper

Transcript: (note- this is a new tool I am trying out so it is not perfect- it does seem to be getting better)

Julie:                                      [00:00:00]               There’s one person that called me for advice and actually went to meet for coffee and he actually taught me something I didn’t even know he was looking for me for advice and by talking he helped me as well.

Stephen:                             [00:00:26]               I’m excited to talk about my sponsors today. Gaye Lisbey’s million dollar arbitrage group. Amazing, amazing group. This is a teacher. This is Gaye, she was a teacher. She is a teacher. Still. You need to learn. This is the type of environment you want to be in because she’s going to help you understand why, and I think that’s the hardest part of this business is understanding why. Why is the red one popular when the green one isn’t? Well, there’s usually a reason and what Gaye does is probably parsed that better than anybody and she’ll explain the reasons for those things. I think that’s really powerful. Yes, she puts out a list. You’re going to get a good use of that list if you get in the group. Now here’s the deal. The group isn’t always open, right? So you get on the waiting list and you can join the waiting list through my link.

Stephen:                             [00:01:12]               Doesn’t cost anything to get on a waiting list and if you like her service, which I find that most people do that, that’s why there’s not so many openings. Um, you’ll be with her for a long time. And so it’s amazing. Freedom Dot com. She’s part of Andy Slamon’s group. Amazing freedom.com. Forward slash momentum. And you’re going to get in to the waiting list. That’s all I can get you on right now. You can use my name and see if that gets you anywhere. But what I like about in the, uh, what I like about what they teach in that group or the things that are going on, you know, the current things. I’ve seen a lot of stuff going on about stores going out of business. Well here’s where an opportunity is, here’s why you want to do this. Hey, be cautious about this, you know, with toys r US coming out, you’ve got to think about this and that’s the learning that you need to do.

Stephen:                             [00:01:56]               And Gaye is better than anybody else I’ve seen. So I’m amazing. Freedom Dot com. Forward slash momentum will get you to the waiting list. Then hopefully I can get you in the group and then you’re gonna. See me in there and we can chat anytime you’re ready. Karen lockers, group solutions, the number for ecommerce solutions, four ecommerce.com. Forward slash momentum. It’s going to save you 50 bucks. Karen’s our account manager. We recommend her to everyone because she’s done so well for us. I mean that’s quite frankly the reason we’ve been paying her for last few years, but she’s become an important part of our team. Her and her team are so involved in our account. I just see the emails coming back and forth, hey, we did this for you. I just saw two listings today. I’m like, wait a second. Why did they show up? I didn’t put any listings up.

Stephen:                             [00:02:38]               They got a. They got a set off to the side by Amazon and they reactivate them for me. You know what I mean? That’s the stuff that just happens when you have a strong team and I can’t recommend Karen enough if you use my code. Momentum. Karen pays me. I don’t want to hide that, of course we all know that, but you’re going to save $50 and it’s a great opportunity to really, really, um, build out your team with somebody you can trust. It’s why I recommend them. So solutions four ecommerce solutions, the number four e-commerce dot com forward slash momentum is going to save you $50. Oh, and by the way, she’s going to do an inventory health report. Why is that important? Well, guess what fees are going up. Is your inventory health number declining like ours is? Well, here’s why, and here’s what they can do.

Stephen:                             [00:03:26]               What I like is I get a spreadsheet from them and it says, Hey, here’s a bunch of inventory, here’s what we recommend. And I’m like, Yep, read refund. I mean delete a, returned to us, blah, blah, blah, whatever it is. And it’s or destroy and it just happens. That’s what I like. The other thing that I have Karen helped me with a lot is creating new listings. You know, we do a lot of the research ourselves. We upload our images and then boom, magically the listing goes live. And I don’t have to worry about it. Those are the services that Karen offers. CanNot recommend her enough solutions. Four ecommerce.com forward slash momentum. Save 50 bucks. Use My code. You save $50 a month every single month and it’s a great service. Plus you get that free inventory health report. I think it’s a really powerful way. So I can’t.

Stephen:                             [00:04:12]               I’m so excited how many people have been joining her because I see it and I’m excited because the messages I get from people saying, hey, this is great. I finally feel like I can focus on something else because Karen and her team are watching this for me and you know, I highly recommend her. Next up is a seller lambs and scope and we’ll set it wrong. It’s, it’s amazing. I mean it really is amazing when you sit back and think about, hey, I want to get this product up and it’s similar to this product and that product as well. Well therefore, if that product does well, they have the right key words, they’ve chosen things correctly. So guess what? You scope and you could see all that stuff. And that’s what the, the most powerful thing in the world is to copy somebody who’s done it right.

Stephen:                             [00:04:54]               That’s what you want to. You want to take advantage of that, right? I mean, it’s, it’s fair, uh, to see. And so therefore you could take and apply it to your listing and immediately get that same benefit. That’s what scope does for me. Sellerlabs.com, forward slash momentum. It’s going to save you $50 on the service. Oh, by the way, it’s free to try. So sign up, try it and say, oh, this is how it’s done. Boom. And then you’re going to, the light’s going to go on and you’re gonna be like, man, I can get my products out there. I just can’t wait. Can’t wait. So are labs.com forward slash momentum? The other day I bought another domain. Yes, I bought it. The other domain, it’s almost like a, I’m admitting guilt, but it’s because I had an idea and it was something that was a pretty good idea I think is going to go pretty far.

Stephen:                             [00:05:44]               And so what do I do? I go to try go godaddy.com forward slash momentum and save 30 percent. So domains aren’t very expensive. You get a few services, it adds up a little bit and I usually buy years. I usually by privacy, by the way, I recommend that to buy that, you know, it’s not that much money but when you can save 30 percent it makes it that much sweeter and it makes it easier when you’re buying domains, especially if you buy a bunch of domains. I am a domain collector and so I do tend to do that, but that 30 percent makes it a lot easier and I used to go daddy because what I like is I can pop in an address I’m thinking and it’ll say nope, nope. Could try this version or try this extension and then boom, there it is.

Stephen:                             [00:06:24]               Hey, you better hurry before it goes away. And they’re right. You know, and so try Godaddy.com forward slash momentum save 30 percent. Also want to mention about grasshopper. Was that just talking to somebody the other day and they were like, Oh yeah, use this company called grasshopper. I’m like, Dude, did you buy it through my link and save 30 percent? Hello? No, they missed that. So save 30 percent. It’s try grasshopper.com forward slash momentum. No surprise there, but you’re going to save 30 percent. And what the real cool part about that is they’re using it for their private label business and it gives them virtually a second phone on their current phone without having to get another number. They can make up a vanity number. They don’t have to go and do all the grief and signed loan contracts. Pretty easy stuff and so if you’re creating a brand that you want to identify, you want to look professional, you want to look like a real company. Grasshopper is a great tool. It’s an app you put on your existing phone and boom, you now have a customer service to. You now have a sales department. You’d have a manufacturing division. You could forward it to somebody else. You can have it go to different voicemails, different departments, and it’s all included. So try grasshopper.com, forward slash momentum. Save 30 percent.

Cool voice guy:                  [00:07:39]               Welcome to the ecommerce momentum podcast where we focus on the people, the products, and the process of ecommerce selling. Today. Here’s your host, Steven Peterson.

New Speaker:                   [00:07:53]               Welcome back to the ECOMMERCE momentum podcast. This is episode 328. Julie Rally. You know, I really love this interview because Julia is a person who’s going to show you what determination can do for you, right? Uh, not knowing anything about selling on Amazon, selling it dundee place. She put her head down and did the work. She figured it out. She figured it out without any of us, without the groups, without the experts, without buying time is I like to say without taking courses. She figured it out. She realized, Hey, one of her products went away, and so therefore I need to find it while I can’t, so I’m going to make it myself and bring it into the Canadian world and bring it to market. And not every time when she successful, but through grit and determination, she found success and that’s all cool. And it’s very, it’s very cool.

New Speaker:                   [00:08:45]               And her life might’ve been good and maybe complete until she found the facebook world, until she put herself out there, until she realized there’s got to be more other people might be having some of the challenges I am. So therefore, let me put myself out there. Boom. Fast forward. She’s going to tell you how much her business has grown because of the relationships she’s developed. Now, in her case, we’re talking real relationships. But take that aside. Um, the benefits of getting to know others likeminded and the advancements it’s done for her business are mind blowing. And that’s what I just saw somebody else do it. I mentioned it in facebook to from Rocky Mountain. They made contexts and they think travis and Paul for that. This is what you gotta do and it’s uncomfortable. It’s not easy and not everybody’s going to be the right person for you.

New Speaker:                   [00:09:32]               You got to find the right person, but the right mix. Make sure there’s trust established and you’ve got to give a lot to them. It can’t be one sided, but Julie will show you what’s possible because anything’s possible. If you really want it according to joy, let’s get into the podcast. All right. Welcome back to the ECOMMERCE momentum podcast for excited about today’s guest. All the way from the great north. I mean the Tundra. You might as well. They probably have snow right now. Julie Rally. Welcome Julie. Welcome. Steven. I think you do have snow. Is there when, when did this. When is the last glimpse of snow you had beyond just when was the last point you can remember?

Julie:                                      [00:10:11]               Uh, actually when I visited my mom, I believe in May. We still had snow over there. Now she’s in Quebec city. I’m in Ottawa, so we have a little bit like whipping. We have two months less of snow, but it’s still lingers way too long.

New Speaker:                   [00:10:27]               It might as well be Alaska to me. I mean, it might as well be I, although I do, you know, it’s funny. I’ve been to Canada a couple of times, been to Toronto, beautiful city. Oh my goodness. I remember that. And Niagara Falls, of course everybody’s been there, but that’s about my frame of reference of Canada, yet it’s monstrous, right? I mean, it’s, it’s in each city. The way I understand it, it’s almost like a little country because you’re so far apart from anything. Is that right?

Julie:                                      [00:10:50]               Yes. Yes. Everything is far. Uh, we have a lot of land here. It’s very different from the United States. It’s beautiful country. Um, there’s a lot less. People I think were only like 35, 33 $35 million compared to a over 100. How many I was there?

New Speaker:                   [00:11:06]               I think there’s almost $300 million now I think. And I might be way off. We know what, neither one of us or a story.

Julie:                                      [00:11:14]               We need to go online and Google.

New Speaker:                   [00:11:15]               That’s what you have Google for it, right? Hey, how many people in the US? I will often. Do you need to know that right? This is once, probably in the last five years we’ve talked about it. Right? That’s so, so where is Ottawa? When I look at the United States are going up, I think of Detroit going to windsor. I think of Toronto being to the East Coast. I think of Vancouver on the far west. Where would audit would be?

Julie:                                      [00:11:39]               Uh, you’re familiar with New York state and Syracuse? Sure. Well that is probably if you go straight north and now we’re in a, a from Syracuse is about three hours.

New Speaker:                   [00:11:49]               Okay. So not too far from Toronto. Is Toronto West or east of it?

Julie:                                      [00:11:55]               Uh, Toronto will be West

New Speaker:                   [00:11:57]               five hours. Oh Wow. So West. Oh Wow. So you go further. He. Okay. Alright, now I got it. All right. So you’re almost made like you say, I mean New York, Maine. You’re almost there. Okay. It’s very similar climates.

Julie:                                      [00:12:11]               Very similar. I think we get colder a little bit during the winter being a little bit further north, but very similar, very humid during the summer. Very cold during the winter, which I cannot tell you in Fahrenheit to how much it is, but we get a cold below 40, 40 belows a zero Celsius. Uh, so unfair and it will be quite cold as well.

New Speaker:                   [00:12:37]               Well I give you socks that’ll take care of that. You watch or you wait, you’re going to be like Steve, send me more. And we’ve been talking about. All right. So. So now you, I hear a little bit of an accent that’s not a Canadian, a takeoff kind of accent. What is that accent? What is that?

Julie:                                      [00:12:53]               I am originally from Quebec City, so I am a French Canadian. So my first language is French. No kidding. I will struggle with some words even though I’ve been speaking English for many years. I still sometimes struggle with words. I make lots of mistakes in my spelling English sometimes because of it. But yeah, I’m born and raised in French. I only started speaking English when I was around the 18.

New Speaker:                   [00:13:15]               No kidding. And so when you, when you were to school, did they teach in French?

Julie:                                      [00:13:21]               Yes. Everything is in French.

New Speaker:                   [00:13:22]               Everything’s in French. And then English as second. That’s fascinating. Okay. So people are going to be like, well why do we have Julie? She sounds very nice. Um, Julie is an Amazon seller. And what fascinated me about joy now there are many things that fascinate me. What one was that? Canada is her Amazon of choice for now, but it’s 90 or 95 percent. Is that still about right?

Julie:                                      [00:13:47]               Yes. Ninety five percent selling on.ca

New Speaker:                   [00:13:50]               and I think back to having a Brian Vino beaver, everybody knows him as, but Brian has been on a show a couple of times and he always talked about Canada being slow. Now he sells toys and things like that. Um, so I guess he just said that, you know, compared to the US it was night and day the difference in sales, but for your experience it isn’t. Would you think that that’s a category specific issue? Um, do you think that, I mean, is that you get what I’m asking. I mean, why, why would it be different? Why would Canada be so attracted to the stuff that you sell?

Julie:                                      [00:14:21]               Uh, versus. I do not sell any brands. Uh, I do private label all my products. I wonder if that could be part of it.

New Speaker:                   [00:14:32]               Well, one of the other things that you told me, it was just very cool is that you have French written on your packaging too, right? So you have a. is it, is it Spanish and French and in English or just French and English.

Julie:                                      [00:14:43]               Just French and English, but that’s a good idea. I should probably put all three languages.

New Speaker:                   [00:14:47]               You definitely should put Spanish on it. I mean, it could because in the US it’s just a, as a, as you move into the US, it’ll be dominant. I mean it’s, it’s one of those things that you’ll, especially the type of products you sell. And so I think about that and you can mention the category you’re in. State his broad as you want. Go ahead. Yes, I’m in the health and beauty health and beauty. And so I think that that’s very cool. And I think that that is part of the reason you’re having so much success. I think category specific, um, because of geography. So I think Canada is a better example than the US where, you know, because there’s nothing in between cities, right? Between Toronto and Ottawa is pretty vast, right? There’s not much space, right? There’s not much population there. And so therefore to get a product you need a service like an Amazon or whatever the equivalent. Ebay was a committee or Kijiji, Kijiji, ICIC, a Kimchi. It’s true though, right? To to fill out your, to fill out your needs, you need to use a service. And I think you’re good example of that intent fascinates me that Canada has got an escrow.

Julie:                                      [00:15:53]               When I started I did started doing retail arbitrage and a lot of my friends were like, why would people spend so much? I’m like me, they can go to the stores. A lot of people are in the middle of nowhere. Like if you think of the grand prairie, Middle Saskatchewan, they don’t have a walmart like five minutes from their house, like a lot of people. So they will spend a lot more money to get it delivered to their house. Um, I think it’s a big big for them.

New Speaker:                   [00:16:18]               And it started Amazon service. Did it start with Amazon Fba for you?

Julie:                                      [00:16:23]               Uh, no. I didn’t mention that merchant fulfilled on Amazon to start with.

New Speaker:                   [00:16:27]               Okay. So you, you started selling how long ago on Amazon or a period. Let’s go. Let’s go period first. Yeah. Is I want to, I want to build it out because I think there’s a, there’s something to learn here. But go ahead. Yeah, for all the way back.

Julie:                                      [00:16:42]               Well, all the way back, I think my first sales were uh, doing like a lot of kids do. Lemons to lemonade stand. Sorry. Uh, when I was probably five, six years old, I used to lemonade, I’m sure. Oh yes. Ice Lemonade. I got shut down by a mean police officer that was always in front of a bank officer stopping, called the six year old girl. Oh, come on. No Bank. All the police on me and my sister. That was very intimidating. So I, I, I kind of put an x on the lemonade stand up through that eliminates or uh, yes, I was very interesting.

New Speaker:                   [00:17:19]               No, when I think of Canadian police. But your whole bunch of people are thinking of Dudley do, right? Was He, did he look like deadly? Do Right? Did he have the hat?

Julie:                                      [00:17:27]               No, no, no, no. Regular. A dark suit. Nothing.

New Speaker:                   [00:17:31]               Yeah, man, I want to think Dudley do. Right. How would he do to you ma’am? I’m going to take away this. So. So that wasn’t a good experience for you? What your parents tell you when, when that happened? I mean, what, what, what was the conversation, do you remember? Any of it?

Julie:                                      [00:17:46]               Vaguely. My mom and I sometimes still talk about it because she thinks it’s funny that I always wanted to have my own business. Um, she didn’t say she cannot believe that the bank did not just come outside and tell us to move a. That was a little.

New Speaker:                   [00:17:58]               I would have given you 100 bucks. Look Sweetie, here’s $100. Go home, don’t come back to. And then that way it doesn’t affect anything, you know? And you’ve made your money and you could have been out of there and it would have been goodwill. All right. So you didn’t get discouraged?

Julie:                                      [00:18:14]               No, I didn’t want to go to first grade. My told my mom like, no, I’m going to start my own candy business. That’s what’s my second idea. And she said, well sweetie, if somebody buys for ten cents of candy and to give you a quarter, how much change are you going to give them? So apparently I told her, well, fine, I’ll do my first grade only.

New Speaker:                   [00:18:38]               So you didn’t have to worry about giving change. Hey, did what made that thought go into your head? I mean, that just doesn’t happen. Why you wanted to own your own business? I mean, did you see somebody else? Was there somebody influential that, that gave you that?

Julie:                                      [00:18:51]               Or. My Dad, my dad always had his own business. He owned convenience stores. I was growing up, um, and I don’t know, maybe that’s why I always wanted, always find a way to make money for my candy. Right. So when you’re determined to one something and uh, it’s always there. I’ve been there in the back of my head.

New Speaker:                   [00:19:10]               But what was so attractive about that to you? I mean, did he have something that you wanted? Was it the freedom you saw? Because I mean, I’m sure he had, especially with the convenience store, that grief, right? The because it’s labor and,

Julie:                                      [00:19:23]               and theft. So no, from that perspective, no, I think it’s just the freedom to not the freedom, but knowing that you build something, you’re, you’re working for yourself. I think I would rather work harder for me than helping somebody else’s business, if that makes sense. I would read her.

New Speaker:                   [00:19:44]               When you went to school, what were you thinking you were going to be?

Julie:                                      [00:19:47]               I had no idea. No idea, no idea. Detroit, take all those tests to figure out what you were going to be because everybody tells you you need to do the nine to five. I keep saying I cannot do the nine to five, uh, work and try to figure out what my skills are, what I was good at and nothing stood out. I always wanted to go back to my own business, but I did not even know what exactly I wanted to do at that point. I knew I just had a hard time working for somebody else. I would rather create

New Speaker:                   [00:20:15]               my own, um, my own

Julie:                                      [00:20:18]               business and the nine to five, which now I work a lot more than nine to five, but it’s on my own terms.

New Speaker:                   [00:20:23]               Yeah, it’s on your own terms. That’s what I saw that, you know, rather work 80 hours in a week to avoid working 40 hours for somebody else. When you think of like, I’m trying to think of Canadian high school versus American High School in and I think it’s different today. I mean it’s definitely different today than what it would be back. I’m much older than you, but back even, you know, 10, 15 years ago they didn’t give you a lot of direction. They would help advise you and. But it was kind of really up to you. Now in Canada, it sounds like they tested you to help you figure out what you were strong in.

Julie:                                      [00:20:57]               Well, because I couldn’t figure it out. Yes. They got me to do some kind of answer questions like a. So you can decide if you have more skills for no electronics for. It’s like, what was your passion, I guess? And did anything show for you? No, not really. They say I was more of an entertainer side, but nothing really stood out. No.

New Speaker:                   [00:21:22]               The test results are back, Julie. And guess what they’re saying?

Julie:                                      [00:21:27]               It’s very discouraging because I didn’t know what I wanted to do.

New Speaker:                   [00:21:29]               We can’t help you. We can’t help you. I mean we’re just a. sorry. Just give up. Go, go. And you’re going to be homeless, Julia, just want to let you know you’re destined to a life on the streets. You’re going to be homeless. I mean, it’s a funny. What would you do with that right now? Today? We would sit back there and say, my God, this is probably somebody who can’t be contained. That creativity within her, she’s probably got the most potential. Yeah, it’s funny. I. The more I watched this, the more I see the outliers. Who I used to think were the outliers are the standard. It’s just a negative term that the sheepfold they call them, you know, there’s the people, the lemmings, right. Which I was one, but now the outliers that I see, or the people kinda like yourself who will not be held down, who probably excel almost at anything they do. So therefore when they do find that lane there are standout, all of a sudden you’re an overnight success. Right. Yet, you know, all along you were successful. But one just jumps out. And to me that’s new thinking. For me at least I haven’t. I’m not. I’m noticing that that’s so different than what I grew up with, you know, because the smartest kid in the class I always thought was going to be the most successful, right? The best athlete was going to be the best at everything. And that’s not so true.

Julie:                                      [00:22:41]               That is so true. Because you are right. You, you do a, you did say something that just resonated with me right now is I could be good at anything if I really want to do it. I could have a and a lot of, um, classes at school if I really interested in it and a lot of time that I now give up. I just, why put the effort in something I’m not interested in.

New Speaker:                   [00:23:04]               Oh, so you just push along like, okay, yeah, I’ll do, I’ll do the minimum move on and then I’ll find something really interesting. What was the first thing that really interested you? What was the thing in school? Or did you have a teacher or a class or something that sparked like, Huh? Like some people have entrepreneurship, some people have a counting. Those of us who like accounting and hill, but what I mean, what was it for you,

Julie:                                      [00:23:27]               um, what was the person that.

New Speaker:                   [00:23:30]               Well, the person or the class that, that all of a sudden that reinforced your entrepreneur or was it. I mean, was it fashion? Was it a beauty school? Was it, um, economics? Was it accounting? Was it something that you’re like, Huh, this is reinforcing my six year old getting kicked out of, in front of the bank? This is me.

Julie:                                      [00:23:50]               Uh, you know what? I tried a lot of different small business along the way. I think there’s something that’s stood out. I think I was just, I knew I wanted an online business, but I want it to something that I love and they just weren’t. So there’s no, no class per se, but everything that had to do with business. I did a small business class in college. It was just like a summer just to see if I was interested. So maybe that one would stood out that really enjoy what I was learning. I’m a, I really love getting information. I’m kind of person that needs to learn all the time. What was your degree in? Uh, I actually turned out to have a degree in early childhood education. So nothing to do with business.

New Speaker:                   [00:24:33]               No. We’ve had this conversation you and I face to face and to me it’s one of the best things you did because you understand people. I mean, to me that’s, that’s an art because if you understand the customer and you right? Let’s, we all know keywords, right? If you write the keyword, if you could figure out the keyword for your health and beauty product and you write it knowing who the person, what they’re looking for, and you can answer their question and connect with them. Magic. Yes. You Win, right? Yes. So to me, I think it’s the perfect for you because I think it connects all the things that you wanted to, you know, maybe it’s not the accounting, maybe it’s not the bookkeeping nonsense that you can get hired,

Julie:                                      [00:25:09]               can hire people for that stuff. You can hire. C does is my own fault. I wanted to learn everything. I wanted to do my own bookkeeping. I wanted to do my own accounting, so I think that’s what pushed me back a little bit. I wanted to learn everything. Nowadays, I learned at any to a year to hire you to help write a. you’re not going to learn to fly a plane if you want to go somewhere, she’ll just take a plane. So that’s something I’m learning to let go and focus on what I’m good at and find the people to help me doing good things. I don’t necessarily need to know in depth what to do that. Why is it hard for you? I, I, it’s in me. I need to understand. I’m a kind of person that needs. I’m not a risk taker per se, so I need to understand what I’m doing to make sure I do the right steps. So a lot like, especially in accounting, I want to make sure I’m not losing money, but it’s some subject that really turns my stomach. You can talk to my accountant about that. He knows,

New Speaker:                   [00:26:12]               but that’s it. That’s the best way though, is to understand it or fight your way through it, learn it, and then say, okay, this isn’t what I want to do. Boom, here you go, but these are what I want. You know, when you can expect, you know, good financial statements. I’m going to be doing an episode on financial statements when you, when you can talk about financial statements and these are the things that you really need to measure. How they get there at some point really doesn’t matter as long as it’s accurate and it’s real. You look for the delta and then you can deal with it. Um, I don’t, I think that’s very healthy actually. Um, it’s just interesting. Your personality wouldn’t give it up until you understood it. I think that’s a, that’s a strong point.

Julie:                                      [00:26:47]               It is, yes and no, because I think in some ways I could have been a little bit further along right now in my Amazon.com. I think I wasted my first year and trying to figure out how to keep track of my inventory. I was, that’s a long story. I’ll keep maybe for another show, but I was keeping track of every cell that or every purchase I was doing at that time I was starting with a lot of Kijiji cell, so I was putting everything there in the spreadsheet, how much I bought it for, how much the fees were, what one profit, but I was doing that for every single item I have. When you get to now over 500 to a thousand items and every sales every morning it takes you a lot of time.

New Speaker:                   [00:27:27]               You have it, you know, and I would agree with you. That’s way too much minutia, but there might be a point where you might’ve. You might’ve should’ve stopped, but maybe not at the end. Do you know what I’m saying? So if it, if it took you a year to do that, maybe six or eight months, you should have stopped and then you were comfortable enough because that, that information you gleaned is invaluable. I mean that the fact that you knew your number so strong, I would hope would make you make different decisions.

Julie:                                      [00:27:54]               Oh, it did. It definitely did. The only thing is I didn’t leave me enough time and I want it to grow, but then I did this because I thought everybody was doing that. My background is early childhood education. I know I’ll to potty train people kids very fast. I can put kids to bed the same time. I have a larger scale, but business part a, all the accounting, how to keep track of a damage during, during my daycare was pretty easy. I buy some diapers and I buy what I need for my business, but it keeping track of a business and how to grow. It was a completely foreign language to me and I had not really any help in that department, how to do it. So I even asked my, the owner of the grocery store here, I’m like, how do you keep track of inventory? That’s how bad I was in this whole thing.

New Speaker:                   [00:28:44]               I think this is going to come up later in the conversation. That’s where networking is the most valuable and you weren’t doing it to be fair. We’re going to get there, so we’re going to talk about that. Alright, so you’re in college, you’ve got this dream of watching other people’s kids and you’re going to help the ad and then realize, wait a second, what’s happening here?

Julie:                                      [00:29:05]               Actually that was not even my dream. I started the early childhood education because my daughter was born and I did not want somebody to send her to a daycare, so I figured out what the best way to have my own business and keep my daughter at home.

New Speaker:                   [00:29:22]               Wait, you were going to open a daycare?

Julie:                                      [00:29:25]               I did. I did. I had my own daycare on and off for 12 years.

New Speaker:                   [00:29:29]               Oh dear God. No. I run away from kids now. I find them cute for like great. Just I have three granddaughters and they’re little and we’re watching this weekend and I’m panicking because they, you know, they a, they don’t have any. They just jump and they don’t have any concept of, you know, hurt. They cry all the time. There’s always somebody crying with the three of them and I’m always like, I don’t know what to do. Here’s my wallet. Here’s, here’s a toy. Take this, take some money. Anything. But it’s true. I don’t know what to do very well with those manipulate. They know it too. They’re so good. Well, Mama said, if I do this well, if I watched two shows and they’re like little negotiate. I’m like, what are you getting this? You should be in a, you should be in sales. So like what? Can I do two shows and then I can do this and then I won’t get up GRANDPA. And I’m like, all right, you can have whatever you want, just go to bed. So. So how do you get through that? I mean, how big when you scaled, how many kids did you have at one point?

Julie:                                      [00:30:27]               Um, the biggest I had was 15. Oh my goodness.

New Speaker:                   [00:30:32]               How many, how many helpers along with you? I had dozens, I hope. No, unfortunately only two full time and one part time. Okay. So four of you running this, this 15 kid business, it’s a pretty big business. I mean it doesn’t sound like it, but my, my kids and it makes me cry. Spent $40,000 a year on daycare and for three kids. I mean, it’s crazy how big of a business that has become. So what did you learn when you look back at those 12 years and I know you’re avoiding other people’s kids and I get that, but what did you learn? What did you learn from that? I mean, honestly, when, when you think back about it, what was good and what wasn’t so good and what do you do differently?

Julie:                                      [00:31:12]               Uh, what was good? I loved the aspect, the challenge. Uh, I had to put the business. I was in Seattle, then I had to put the business up to code for the standard of Washington state. I’ve learned that I could actually, if I’m really determined and if I want to do something I, they told me I will take a bit. I will take you about nine months to a year to get your daycare running. After two months I was up to code and I had my license. I have learned that anything is possible. If you really want to know was you pushed your way through it? Yes. I was doing the daycare during the day and I was studying at night, so I did my study as I had my daycare as well and having my own daughter the same time.

New Speaker:                   [00:31:58]               Not Busy, not busy at all. That was so good. So you learned that you can push through anything that you’re not going to be held down, that you know. Again,

Julie:                                      [00:32:07]               that’s where anything is possible. If you’re reading wants something, even if people tell you no, you’re not going to be able to do it this fast or you’re not going to be. It’s not going to be achievable with did time for me to give yourself. If you really want to go after something, go for a dollar. People make you think otherwise. If you believe in yourself can do it

New Speaker:                   [00:32:26]               and that still you still rings true for you. Oh yes. Okay. All right, good. I, I know that having mentioned like I definitely I know that no, in a positive way,

Julie:                                      [00:32:37]               I’m a very stubborn, determined. Then when I want something

New Speaker:                   [00:32:41]               I. I understand. Okay. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. I get it, but they know that’s the way life is. It is good and bad, right? That’s kind of in the back. You can do a lot of good. The bad will make you good if you push through it, right? I mean other or you can end up in the corner. I always say this, my wife hates it. Suck on your thumb in the corner, but when you push through it. How about this?

Julie:                                      [00:33:04]               We all have those moments, right? That we just want to be. I called it, I, I’m not in a corner. I’m under the table. Second night out there like, okay, why am I doing this? And then 10 minutes later it’s like, okay, let’s go and do this.

New Speaker:                   [00:33:17]               So that was what you learn the positive and I think that’s very strong. What was this stuff that’s not so good

Julie:                                      [00:33:26]               during my daycare or.

New Speaker:                   [00:33:28]               Yeah, I mean I just think that 12 years is a long time. So you, you’ve seen it all. You’ve obviously figured out you can’t go for 12 years, you know, most businesses. And in five. So the fact that you’ve made it past five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10, 11 and 12 would tell me that you know, what you’re doing, you figured stuff out. But what was the stuff that when you look back, maybe there’s no way around it. Maybe it’s the employee issue and the heavy controlled government has over the employee issue. Um, or what was it for you?

Julie:                                      [00:33:57]               For me was I had a maximum of kids I could have in my daycare to me was I cannot expand further than what I was. Huh. And that was to me is like I had to be better than this. I don’t want to do 12 hours a day anymore and not having my weekends because during my weekend on my daughter is, I’m still kinda playing or doing daycare and things, but I have to replenish everything for the week, make sure we have enough food and preparing my curriculum. I’m like, this has something, something has to be better than this. So

New Speaker:                   [00:34:29]               scaling was the issue for you. So if you could have scaled it, then you could have hired more people that would have handled those things. But,

Julie:                                      [00:34:35]               and I did try, I did try, I W I was licensed. I actually wouldn’t mind study. I could have a big daycare, 50 kids if I wanted or even more. Uh, I did go and go look at two commercial buildings, but that’s when I decided, no, I can’t, I don’t want to do 12, 12 hours a day doing this now, dealing with more employees, more kids, more parents. I figured it must be something better than this. I went back to a smaller, smaller daycare, more quality by myself and try to figure out, uh, what I was going to do until my daughter was old enough.

New Speaker:                   [00:35:11]               And let me ask you this because I’ve heard this from other retail businesses now, not necessarily retail, maybe service businesses that when they went back and scaled back significantly from when they scaled up, they actually made as much or more money than they did when they had all those extra people in all those extra hassles.

Julie:                                      [00:35:29]               Fair. That is fair. I actually could charge more per kid per week because I having less kids so I can get more quality with my, um, my background. And all that. So the parents were very, very happy, so they were happy to actually pay more.

New Speaker:                   [00:35:46]               Well, let’s take this concept forward is that when you think of Amazon businesses and you know, a lot of them and you know, a lot of workings of a few of them, would you say that that’s advice that’s should be heated in the Amazon world? Should they get to 20 million to be as big as they can be? Where could they be just as content being a three person shop or something like that?

Julie:                                      [00:36:10]               Uh, yes, I agree with that. I think sometimes having more employees and more,

New Speaker:                   [00:36:15]               um,

Julie:                                      [00:36:16]               you’re not making necessarily a lot more,

New Speaker:                   [00:36:19]               um,

Julie:                                      [00:36:19]               depending on your model, right? Everybody’s a little different. It depends on what you want. If you want to say, okay, I make $20 million this year, um, just because it is satisfying, I would ride her at my age now. I’ve been where I’ve been in life. I would rather have something that gives me what I want to be comfortable and not have as much stress. So it depends also as your stress level and what you’re after.

New Speaker:                   [00:36:42]               Um,

Julie:                                      [00:36:44]               but I, I believe that sometimes killing bag gives you more and in the short term anywhere maybe in the long term as well.

New Speaker:                   [00:36:52]               I like that scaling back gives you more. Um, I think that’s a lot of responsibility. I mean, I think that that’s the thing to measure for me is responsibility, right? When you, when you have to go home, all right. Here, looking back to your daycare days, right? You had the responsibility for those three employees. So you had to make sure there were kids in the house, you had to make sure that everything was right because not only were you feeding yourself, you’re feeding those three families. Um. Yeah. And so that’s really, that, that’s a lot that weighs on you. So when you lose, you know, two or three families, that was probably devastating in your world.

Julie:                                      [00:37:25]               Oh yes. Oh yes. That could be actually I had a waiting list. But if you lose somebody, you’re employees still get paid. So you’re not, you’re the one that losing because you still have to feed your family. Yes. Your newer employees. So he couldn’t be a little bit stressful at times.

New Speaker:                   [00:37:41]               I think the challenge in our world is we all see big numbers from a lot of people in your circle, you travel, you’ve seen some pretty big numbers now. And it’s like, oh, you know, you get a little envious. I mean, to be honest, we’re human, you get a little envious in like, man, I should do that or I want to do that. And then. But then I sit back and I’m like, hm, do you see what it takes for them to do that? First off, they’re outliers right there. They’re that good, they’re better than me. And that’s why I’ll say it because I’m, I know what myself probably better than anybody. And so therefore I don’t have what it takes to make that easy. So I would have to work four times as hard as him.

Julie:                                      [00:38:16]               I’m already working way more than I want to. So I’m like, oh, okay, check off the list, move on to the next one. And I hope more people get there. Definitely. And for me, I think I do have, um, I do speak French. So even though I’ve been speaking English for a long them, I know my learning curve because my background was not in business. People came to me once and like, what’s Your Roi? I had no idea what the Roi was. That’s how I did not know anything about business. I was like, wow, I’ve got a long ways to go.

New Speaker:                   [00:38:51]               Well, but that’s a maturity to. Right. So the fact that you were willing to learn that, right? You know what it is now, right? Fair. Yes. Yes I do. But how much better? Oh, that’s a good. This is. This is a good discussion. I think this could be something interesting for people. So you been plugging along, you’ve had success with private label on your own before you really knew anybody else?

Julie:                                      [00:39:10]               Yes. I have no idea what I was doing. I think at that point.

New Speaker:                   [00:39:13]               Right. And so you. But you had success with it. How, how much better has it been now these other business metrics have been entered into your life?

Julie:                                      [00:39:23]               Oh my God. It’s a lot. It makes a huge difference. I wished I would just start talking to people and networking and learning by talking. Could you

New Speaker:                   [00:39:35]               qualified it? Could you, could you say, Hey, my business is 50 percent more profitable, therefore I could have done 50 percent less work and had the same results if I would have invested in reaching out to you. You get what I’m trying to get to?

Julie:                                      [00:39:50]               Yes. Yes. I think from last year already double. Um, so 50 percent more.

New Speaker:                   [00:40:00]               And you’re going to say that that’s 100 percent from your networking and learning from others, the shortcuts and things that you struggled with?

Julie:                                      [00:40:08]               Yeah. Well, I didn’t even know I could actually have a sourcing agent, so this is new to me. I just hired my first one, which this is gold for me, but yes, this is definitely from networking, listening to podcasts, which I was doing a little bit of listening to a podcast. We’re going on youtube. Um, but talking to people, networking definitely a hundred percent.

New Speaker:                   [00:40:32]               Yeah. So, so, so this is, this is, I want to pause here for a second. I wanted to do this two different ways. One, you said your business is up 50 percent, so you, you’ve expanded your business, which is what your goal was with, with just by investing in, into getting to know others and boom, you shot forward or you could have been doing it in half the time and had the same result you. So either way. So if your goal is to work the four hour work week, that mysterious four hour work week, we’re all going, I don’t see it, but anyway, but let’s just say it. So if you want to, if you’re happy with your results and you want to work half of it, Joey saying, Hey, get out there and network because the things that you’ve learned from others, right, that’s not, I mean, how many videos do you have to watch to really understand what they’re saying as opposed to, hey, you know, Steve, here’s what I’m doing. And, and it’d be like, oh, why don’t you just do this? And you’re like, Huh? And then boom.

Julie:                                      [00:41:27]               I know. I know. For me that was like, really, you can do this that way. Uh, there were so many things I’ve learned just by talking to people. They’re like, Oh yes, look at my computer. I like showing me just with a seller APP. I didn’t even know there was a seller APP, so that’s all.

New Speaker:                   [00:41:43]               But I think that’s part of it. The innocence that you just, you know, you pushed your way through this. Again, we’re back to you knowing yourself that you could just push through anything, right? Determination, yes. Anything is possible. Julie, if you really wanted. So you push your way through. It

Julie:                                      [00:41:57]               did. I called myself the little turtle. I am slower than most people in this business because of where I went and I did not network. If I would have net work from the start, I wouldn’t have been a lot further sooner, but that’s okay.

New Speaker:                   [00:42:12]               Well, let’s talk about networking. How do you come about networking? How did that happen for you?

Julie:                                      [00:42:22]               Okay, true story. There’s a real story here.

New Speaker:                   [00:42:29]               Single guys, single guys. Listen, not that she’s available, but she’s not. I’m just telling you though. Listen,

Julie:                                      [00:42:36]               well, I was, I, I met somebody on facebook. Um, mind you, I, at that point, that’s another story, but I appointed even though, uh, I just, you know, when you have people in common, um, your feed on facebook

New Speaker:                   [00:42:54]               33 years now, the, none of this makes sense to me. I mean I have none of this

Julie:                                      [00:42:58]               connected on facebook. Sometimes they will say, Oh, do people you might know or you might be interested because you have a lot of mutual friends on facebook. So the facebook suggests friends for you. So it’s a matchmaker facebook matchmaker to just say, okay, you’re already. Because I was like friending people that was doing Amazon and uh, I’m also a scuba diver. Uh, so I was friending people but I was not ready to talking to anybody. Uh, but there was one person in particular that a reach back to me because I did ask it, okay, we have a lot of friends in common, why not add this person? And this person went like, well, you’re gonna ask me to be your friend but you’re not going to talk to me. And my reply was like, Yup, that one. So are you an Amazon friend or a scuba diver friend that’s like, I didn’t even know. Is there a difference? Just because I was friendly. I had a lot of friends in common so he could have been Amazon friends or scuba dive.

New Speaker:                   [00:44:06]               I didn’t know. I didn’t know if this was going to tell me, hey, the type of guy that’s an Amazon friend is this guy and the type of scuba diving.

Julie:                                      [00:44:12]               No, no, it’s just because we had a lot of friends in common and those are to comment interests I guess when did most people I was friends with, but then again I was not even that I’m working with them. I was just adding people and looking at where they were putting. So just reading right? Uh, when people are talking about their Amazon or scuba diving and um, so yeah, so this person in particular, and then he said that Amazon and we started changing conversation. That was my first real networking with somebody that was doing Amazon.

New Speaker:                   [00:44:42]               So this would be this developed into a friendship. I mean to be fair, let’s just call it a friendship. A business friendship. At first though, right? I mean the common interest and you’re talking about things, hey, what do you do with Amazon and what do I do with Amazon? Right?

Julie:                                      [00:44:55]               Yeah. Well, one from a few emailed I quickly, it’s like, Oh, do you want to do a phone call? And I said, Oh, why not? So the phone call lasted an hour. So. And we’re talking about Amazon, the way you’re doing, where you’re at, where you starting?

New Speaker:                   [00:45:06]               Um, yeah. Not with the interest upfront to be fair. I mean it was really just a common, I want to say it to. I don’t think I’m saying it the right way. Not with a, a, a possible relationship. Interest. It was at this point it was, hey, we both have the same thing. You’re the first person that reached back to me in this Amazon world, so therefore I could, you know,

Julie:                                      [00:45:29]               most asking for help in a weird way, dating somebody at a time. Um, briefly, it was a new relationship. It was not going to go anywhere, but yeah, no, that, that went for months. We were just friends talking. We had a lot in common and yeah, and just kind of helping me with my business. Where you’re at. Are you doing and. Yeah, talking every flash forward. Yeah, there was not. That was not that. Oh my God, they’re these cute. Let’s see if there are. No, that was not a dating site or any. No, there was no thought. Actually this person was so is still to this day so far away from me. The thought didn’t even cross my mind.

New Speaker:                   [00:46:12]               So the other benefits other than it being cute and now that you have a relationship, fast forward, you got entered into a huge network. His network, correct? Yes. And all of a sudden answers magically came to you. Thinking back to some of the questions now that you didn’t know where you weren’t certain about that are now reinforced because of this network and the connections that you’ve made or you like to yourself, Duh, I should have known to do that. Or Man, I thought about that. I mean it. So, so that’s the advantage, right? I mean, yes. You know, obviously the, the, the romance thing is separate, but I mean realistically, what did that cost you and yet as you say your business is doubling this year because of it, not, not the relationship part, the networking part,

Julie:                                      [00:46:57]               it that matter. Working is huge. I didn’t even know what PPC were and how to do them. I’m actually, uh, that, that was huge. Do you, uh, um, this person, like we can say his name. Jason told me you should go. There was a, a conference in Toronto does, it was the first Canadian Toronto Conference. I was very happy to go there.

New Speaker:                   [00:47:18]               Oh, they are smart guys to some smart guys

Julie:                                      [00:47:21]               network with them. Yes. Or they’ll do the thing. And Dixon love the fact that I could be. Because a lot of things online is vir two us, United States. Everything is United States. I felt so alone as a Canadian. And you know, the difference between private label and retail arbitrage is very different. It’s a different beast. Well, Canada and United States is a near there. Another you get to approach things a little differently. So for me, finding Canadian people and, and again I would not know there was a Canadian group if I have not network and met Jason and then talk to me about, yes, there’s a Canadian group. I’m like, oh my God. And so networking is huge, huge, huge. If you want to help yourself network.

New Speaker:                   [00:48:08]               And, and so I just saw somebody else say that they went to the rocky mountain and he now has a deal with two other sellers where they’re receiving palettes together, which is unbelievable. To me. There’s a, uh, when you, when you spend that much time with somebody, a trust develops, a bond develops. And because I say this all the time, our business and our personal life are so intermingled in a good way for us. And I would say you would say the same thing, right? Fair.

Julie:                                      [00:48:35]               Yes. Oh yes. One hundred percent. And you just brought something to my attention here. Um, you know, commingling is so big. Like I think for me, I didn’t want to talk to New People because I thought, oh, they’re not gonna want to talk to me because I’m might be a competition. Right? They’re not going to answer my [inaudible] that’s where I was. That’s why I never network. I never talked to people. I thought, oh, that’s their secret. They’re not going to want to share. That is such the opposite. When you start talking, people are happy to help you. They’re happy to guide you. Tell them what they’ve learned. Um, I was shocked

New Speaker:                   [00:49:10]               because they realize that that’s how they got started, right? So somebody started the, the, the, the rock rolling down the hill. Somebody started it, right? So somebody helps somebody helped you and then therefore you’re willing to help the next person and vice versa. You know, somebody’s always. Somebody always has something to add to the conversation. And I think, I think you’re a good example of somebody who’s was not in that world to push their way through it because anything is possible if you really want it, Steve, right? That’s what you’re telling me. Anything is possible. But it’s true, right? So you pushed your way through it, but then it gets so much easier now that you expand your network and you can just say, Hey, what do I do with this? Anybody Handle Blahblahblah customs? And I’m sure Canadian customers are way different. Okay. All right. So, so you’ve seen that huge benefit. When you think about the things that you still struggle with, what, how do you approach that now? Because I’m sure life isn’t easy for you and you have challenges in that. How do you deal with these struggles that you run into now? It’s different than today than what it was before.

Julie:                                      [00:50:14]               Oh yes, definitely. Because I know now I can actually ask, um, the friends that I’ve made in the community for help, they will point me in the right direction if they don’t know the answers. So that’s, uh, the struggles are a lot different. They’re still struggling. They’re always going to be. I think we’re always going to learn and everything is gonna change and you have to adapt to it. Um, but at the struggles are a lot different. Now

New Speaker:                   [00:50:41]               here’s another one I’m gonna ask you because I was thinking about this too with you, you’ve had a lot of success, you’ve been pretty successful, but yet you meet people who aren’t. What’s your, what’s the advice you give them? How to get past it because it can’t be just, hey, you know, anything is possible. Just want it right. It’s not that easy. What? Oh No. What are you telling them? What are you advising them?

Julie:                                      [00:51:06]               Well, let’s learn. First of all, first thing is learning from things that don’t work. I don’t. A mistake is they’re not. Mistakes were all like in the school of, uh, of life, right? So any things that you do, just learn from it. Don’t get discouraged a learn from it and see how we can do things better. I have lots like my first private label ideas sometimes, or some of the ones I come out, they didn’t work. I lost a little bit of money, but you know what? Not Too much. Be Smart about what you’re doing. Don’t get discouraged. Don’t be afraid to ask people for help. That’s mine. And my big downfall, I do not ask, I tried to do things on my own and if you want to succeed, don’t be afraid to ask for help and guidance from other people.

New Speaker:                   [00:51:48]               How about, uh, you, you, uh, the friends that you have there in different roles in this business because we as we all know that this business is vast, right? There’s all opportunities everywhere. But which one’s right for you? Have you learned a lot by participating in their businesses and watching the way they do things and then bringing it back to your private label world?

Julie:                                      [00:52:11]               Yes, yes, definitely. Just seeing the process on how to, uh, do you have a mentor has been processed and other people’s place. It’s like, wow, okay, I shouldn’t do that. Why don’t not thinking doing that, it’s so much faster.

New Speaker:                   [00:52:25]               Oh, so seeing a. because your guys, the guys you know are mostly Ra guys. And so seeing that and watching that, you’ve been able to bring that back to your place and say, Huh, I can take my private label and improve it. Process wise, have you documented your process?

Julie:                                      [00:52:40]               Uh, no. No, I have not. I’m going to change if I’m in the midst of changing my process right now, I’m actually going to move out of my house. I’m not moving me personally, but moving my most of my business out of my house to start learning to use, uh, under warehouse three pls, which my first shipment is coming there this week. So we’ll see how that goes and if all goes well and the numbers make sense, everything’s going to be shipped there instead of here now. So that’s going to free a lot of my time to actually source more items. Um, and, and also I just got my first a sourcing agent, so that’s shouldn’t be. I’m seeing a lot change in the next six months, three to six months for sure.

New Speaker:                   [00:53:29]               But do you think, you know, when your personality, and I know the answer, you wouldn’t have done it, you probably wouldn’t have been successful if you would have done it a different way. If you would have outsourced your stuff to a three pl and outsource your stuff to a sourcing agent when you weren’t comfortable with yourself knowing how to do that. I don’t think you would have been content you would have been, you know, your expectations would have been different. They wouldn’t have met them and then you’d be disappointed. Probably give up.

Julie:                                      [00:53:54]               Yes. Probably because if you look at the amount of money that will cost you to use a three pl, you know, I can do it the law that you need to know what is involved in doing it and see if it makes sense for you to pay somebody to do it. I’m like a little bit about when you do a, you sell yourself yourself. Whoa, sorry. Can I talk now? If you sell your, your stuff yourself versus using Fba. The first thing I thought when I first used Fba is like, oh my God, their fees are so much. No, I’m going to continue doing that myself all four days, four times a day at the post office in line. Which huge box I always have done. You’re just start saying, okay, it makes more sense to send it to Fba to free more time. So you don’t have to do all the packing yourself. So you just kind of learn. Um, you’ll have to do it in order to know what it’s worth

New Speaker:                   [00:54:46]               where when you’re a single person operation and you go on vacation and you have to turn off your merchant fulfill, but your Fba just keeps going and you see the sales sitting on that beach in July.

New Speaker:                   [00:54:57]               Yes. Yes. Silent team keeps working and they don’t complain. They don’t call off sick and they don’t have any company. They’re not the uh, I’m not back in that daycare with all those kids screaming. I mean this is the best way.

Julie:                                      [00:55:10]               She have a lot of kids and somebody calls in sick. You know, your day is going to be held.

New Speaker:                   [00:55:15]               Is that what are the things that keeps you motivated? Is the possibility of going back to daycare? Is that what it is that keeps you? I better get, I got to put an extra box in because otherwise those screaming kids that would.

New Speaker:                   [00:55:28]               Yes,

Julie:                                      [00:55:29]               yes. I will never go back to doing daycare and that’s what drives me to keep going. Of course I can do other things. I’m, I’m always selling things on this side, so I’m bad to keep you happy and keeps me motivated to keep going. And the thought, my goal is to be basically living by the ocean. I’m diving and having a lot of free time. So that’s, uh, that’s the short term goal here or longterm

New Speaker:                   [00:55:58]               when you look at the habits that you’ve developed over time, right? Because we know that you’re willing to push through and do the work. What are some of the habits that you have that have really, um, really done well for you over time?

New Speaker:                   [00:56:12]               Uh, the habits that are like, to me, I got this

New Speaker:                   [00:56:15]               goofy. I’m, I’m, uh, I’m an old dude so we

New Speaker:                   [00:56:18]               use a thing. We’re close in age. They’re, so I’ll say that the kids today, there’s things called legal pads.

New Speaker:                   [00:56:24]               They’re these big eight and a half by 11. It’s a paper. It’s like this white thing with lines on them. And I write my to do list. Oh yes. So you know what papers, how I write my to do list out on

New Speaker:                   [00:56:35]               paper. Yes. And have these little boxes

New Speaker:                   [00:56:38]               and I had my little boxes, my categories and I do it just about every day and I have legal pads. One, two, three, four. I can see for within arms reach right now for separate legal pads. Right? Within a five there’s five. Yes. And on my desk, my desk is still a mess. My desk is still a mess. I still haven’t cleaned it but, but so for me, I keep a list and I try to track and I try to prioritize and that kind of thing. What’s it for you? What are some of those habits that have really helped you advance?

Julie:                                      [00:57:06]               Oh, well I do. I do have my list a everywhere and now I tried to combine my list. So that’s very important for me to, to do that. If not, I forget a lot of things. So I have to write down things everyday. Uh, I do the same thing every morning. I get up every morning tea every morning for the most part. Things have changed a little bit now that I’m in the relationship, but for the most part it’s always,

New Speaker:                   [00:57:31]               Ooh, what am at home

Julie:                                      [00:57:33]               is what I do. I get up, I get my tea. Uh, I mark down everything that needs to be done for the day. Prioritize a separate personal to business.

New Speaker:                   [00:57:43]               Are you checking email at this point yet or are you still. Is this done before email?

Julie:                                      [00:57:47]               Not First thing I do is check my numbers from the night

New Speaker:                   [00:57:51]               and see one to profit. I think we just saw the real jewelry right here. Right now. Number one, didn’t do anything out. Didn’t even get her tea. She’s checking last night sales to see what her profit is. Yeah. Nice. Nice.

Julie:                                      [00:58:08]               You have to do that. I have my spreadsheet and I compare the cells from this year to around the same time last next, last year and see how much increase it is and it’s a real real motivation.

New Speaker:                   [00:58:24]               Alright. How long have you been doing that?

Julie:                                      [00:58:27]               Uh, for about seven months.

New Speaker:                   [00:58:30]               And has that changed things? I mean, has it put the spark back in for you? Nothing. You lost it. You’re not that you lost it, but you get what I mean. Is that like, given you that?

Julie:                                      [00:58:39]               See that month after month I see my real data on my real numbers. This is how much sell the compared to last month and seeing the number increasing, it gets me motivated to find more product to make automated my, my own process. Uh, better. Uh, it’s, it’s, yes. It motivates me to think sometimes I’m like, oh, I don’t want even want me to take my time,

New Speaker:                   [00:59:00]               shower now I just want to keep working. I’m like, no, go shower. Then come back. How long does it take you everyday to do that?

Julie:                                      [00:59:07]               Uh, maybe 10 minutes. Five minutes.

New Speaker:                   [00:59:10]               Five to 10 minutes. You’re sparking your day and it’s giving you the incentive. Okay. So then you get your tea eventually and we get a shower in there. We don’t need to know about that. What else? What else do you do that kept focus?

Julie:                                      [00:59:23]               Uh, I try to stay the think every morning to you about three things I’m grateful for. It could be the today, it’s sunny, as simple as that, uh, that I’m healthy. My, my daughter, I don’t know if you know that my daughter has had a health issues all our lives, so just the, that she’s okay. Uh, so I try to find three things that I’m grateful for every day to try to stay grounded. What’s important is simplicity.

New Speaker:                   [00:59:50]               And so that’s all before breakfast. I mean, that’s a pretty, that’s a pretty good start to the day because a, you’re now what happens if the sales suck? Is that correct? Does that motivate you to. Because it’s like, okay, I need to step it up now.

Julie:                                      [01:00:05]               Step it up. It happens. I actually, I learned, I learned to patterns like Fridays are really bad for me, for cells, like, by looking at my numbers so closely, so I know Friday will always suck. So it’s okay. I’m not discouraged by that because now I know it happens pretty much every Friday. Um, so that, I don’t know why exactly. Sundays on my best day cells, I’ve known the pattern, so I kinda tried to tweak it a little bit. What else can I do on Friday to hire those cells? I’m not discouraged. I just, uh, I’m a problem solver. When there’s a problem, there’s always a solution. So, okay, well maybe we’ll increase pbcs on Friday. I’m just trying to see if we attract more people. Uh, tried to do a little bit more, um, under advertisement outside of Amazon to attract people to my site. So I don’t discourage. I just, uh, actually motivates me to try to find a way how to fix it or how to make it better and if, if it’s not possible and so be it.

New Speaker:                   [01:01:03]               I think it is so powerful though. The fact that you’re working on your business, you’re working on, and I don’t want to call this a weakness, you’re working on the opportunities. You’re seeing it as, hey, Friday’s and opportunity. I know my sales are going to be soft. I’m not willing to accept it. I’m going to try and fix it and I’m going to try and figure it out. That’s working on your business. That’s ultimately the best use of your time. And I get it. I remember Steve has a big merchant fulfill, you’ve been at my warehouse, you saw I have a big door so I get it. So I understand that. But the fact that you recognize that that’s a better utility, that’s better, you know, so love it, love it, love it. When, when you think about where you’re going, so you’re not a big seller in the US yet? Nope.

Julie:                                      [01:01:41]               Yeah, I only has a. currently I had five products I’ve pulled back too because they work extremely well. One of them is actually my best seller in Canada does not work at all in the United States. I tried to push it. PPC tried to do. I’ve had a few reviews are good. Um, I have too many competition on that category for that product in particular and I’m not sure how they get where they get their product and what price goes. It’s not working for me.

New Speaker:                   [01:02:11]               Well, but that does that, that lesson too, that, you know, not everything crosses over right. Maybe either culturally or whatever or like you, there’s just so much competition here that that’s not a necessarily a bad thing. Right. What difference does it make if you have that product in Canada and some other product in the US? Right. The things that you know how to do are the same, right? There’s nuances of doing it in Canada versus doing it in the US, but it’s the same. So you just have to find a different product for the US to me.

Julie:                                      [01:02:40]               Exactly. I’ve got three now. They’re really good in the US are actually excellent here. They’re good. They’re the ones that didn’t work over there. I just kept him here.

New Speaker:                   [01:02:49]               Um,

Julie:                                      [01:02:51]               but for the most part, which is interesting to me, that is my best seller here. I was a completely flopped there and I did the exact same thing. So it’s selling in Canada is very different instilling in United States, you have to address it a very different way. I think the way you start your product and your strategy for launching is a little bit different.

New Speaker:                   [01:03:10]               Well, could you speak to that a little bit? I mean, what would it be? What would, what would, when you look at that product that didn’t do well here? You already said there was a lot of competition for the same thing.

Julie:                                      [01:03:19]               Yes. So you have to be a lot more aggressive launching your private label brand in United States like this is. I have about 12, 13 products here in Canada and uh, of course the United States. I’m brand new there no reviews for some reason here in Canada is a lot easier because probably there’s less competition so people a little bit,

Julie:                                      [01:03:46]               you know, if nobody sells, let’s say you’re for socks earlier, like well let’s say nobody sells the type of socks you’re having here. You have more chance of people buying your product. So I can start a launching strategy with just a lower prices versus in the United States you need to be more aggressive with advertisement because nobody will find you because there’s so many socks. Like you need to make sure people see you versus Canada. Well if only five people so socks while you’ll be fine a little bit faster so you can go with a lower price. But even with your lower price, there’s so many other people in the United States that sells at a lower price. So you need to do something else on top of that in order to make yourself seen

New Speaker:                   [01:04:31]               within. That makes me question, what’s your plans? Are you thinking, I mean, have you run out of the market of Canada you’d like tapped everything you possibly can, therefore you need to get to the u. s oh God. Well, all right. Well, I mean that’s really it. I mean it’s like why would you come to the u s and sell product until you tap out? I mean, that’s kind of the things that would go through my head because you got so much opportunity there.

Julie:                                      [01:04:55]               Hear, hear everybody saying, Oh, you make a lot more sales in the United States. Um, and uh, I, I, I did some cells, I did try Dra, I have a hard time staying focused, right? So during Christmas time and I realized, wow, uh, yeah, you can sell a lot things faster, especially during the four quarters in United States. I’m like, well maybe I’m going to try it and see if one of my products do there so I can. It’s not much harder for me to to by 2000 and 5,000 items. Actually it’s cheaper, so why not be able to extend to United State and then extend to UK is. And it was supposed to be this year, but things happened. I’m not in the a

New Speaker:                   [01:05:42]               luke cage. Yeah, that’s it. Networking came into the equation. We need somebody to blame. No, I think it’s interesting. I think.

New Speaker:                   [01:05:59]               I think the cool thing to me is I agree with you, right? So you’re saying, hey, might as well take advantage of it for me to add an extra thousand units or whatever. Hey, I’m going to save a little bit of money and so I might as well do it in both markets because it sorta makes sense but not in every case. And I think that that’s a lesson. So are you now approaching the US differently with products or are you more selective and saying, hm,

Julie:                                      [01:06:20]               this one? Yes. I will go now and check how many sellers there is an a what is what sole point cells are selling. So the things here that are less expensive, I’m an old them back for now and get my name and my brand because a lot of my products people will buy two or three, but I don’t know if that makes sense.

New Speaker:                   [01:06:45]               Yeah. Like a button when they see it, they also bought, they also bought it.

Julie:                                      [01:06:48]               You didn’t go back to my store and buy different items. So I think what I need to start it, that’s why I’m like my uh, my strategy is, and it seems to be working is going with my bigger pricier items that there’s not as many sellers. And then later on introduced the less expensive because my brand name will be a more recognized there too.

New Speaker:                   [01:07:11]               Okay, alright. You can bundle to in different things if that makes sense to get that average price up to.

Julie:                                      [01:07:18]               I have A. Yeah, I’m just starting boggling. That’s another thing. And even thought of it until like network people will say really I should’ve thought of that was trying to bundling thing.

New Speaker:                   [01:07:30]               So. So Julie. All right. You got a lot going on. You’ve got a lot of responsibility, but it sounds to me like you’re figuring things out. You’re pulling back and things that you’re capable of doing. You’re saying [inaudible] don’t want to do that because I want to put more effort into the part you love, which is the sourcing and then bringing those products to market and getting them launched.

Julie:                                      [01:07:51]               Well, that’s the fun part.

New Speaker:                   [01:07:53]               What else are you working on in your business? Because you know, the goal of this podcast is to help people who get stuck. Right? And you’ve been stuck and now you’ve been networking and you’ve got advanced obviously, and you’ve been re. You built a network of friends and trusted confidence that you could help get pushed you past these problems. What are you working on now to help flow into the,

Julie:                                      [01:08:16]               uh, I am trying a. are you talking about what I’m working on personally?

New Speaker:                   [01:08:23]               Bully or. Sorry, I just want to make sure I understand correctly. Sure. We’ll go there. I’d be, Geez, I didn’t know we were going to go there. We can, uh, okay. Uh, no, I meant I’m in for the business. I mean, so when I think about like when I look at the majority of our business and the way of business cycles go and stuff like that, you clearly have pushed past that point. You’re now out of the toddler stage way out of the toddler stage and you’re into that place now that you could start, you know, those. I don’t want to call them golden years because you’re not that far, but you’re, you’re definitely making progress, man. If somebody could see my hand, my hand is going forward. Like you’re waving, like you know what I’m talking about and you’re just pushing forward like a, you know, I’m really fast and so when you’re looking at the path forward, where’s it going for you? Maybe that’s the. I don’t know if I asked that the best way

Julie:                                      [01:09:07]               the portfolio is going for me, let me know if I’m not responding right. But for me, what I’m getting from your question is where like what I want to do right now is make sure that at automating a lot of my process so I can spend more time on the things that I’m good at. Finding the key people to help me, like I do have a good uh, accounting now I get a good sourcing agent now, so I’m trying to find a key people to make my life easier, but finding if I don’t know, I reach out to other people. So I kinda tried to keep a balance which is awesome.

New Speaker:                   [01:09:46]               So you’re not getting hung up. I mean, I, I guess I and I did not ask the question. Well, but you answered it so much better than what I would’ve asked. I mean, but that’s right. And so, so you’re now at that place where you could just advance forward because you’re not getting hung up and stuck and stopped. You’re saying, okay, I get to this place. I don’t know the answer. Boom. Put this out to my network. Okay. I get a bunch of answers. I picked the best one. Boom. Plugging into my system and an ambush move forward.

Julie:                                      [01:10:10]               Yeah. Coming years ago, I’m going back to a little bit on what my story is. As I was doing a lot of our, a, and then I went to sell. I actually did use stuff ra a wholesale. Then one of my old cellar stopped carrying one of my best seller and I didn’t know what I was going to do. I researched, I think it took me six months before I decided that I need to do private label. I wanted to learn how to do it. I wanted to learn how to import. I wanted to learn everything. You got to stop trying to make it to know everything right away. I kinda jumped in the water with my eyes closed. I’m like, okay, like what’s going to happen? Or my first name foundation, the ups call me. It’s like, well, do you have your important number? Like, nope. I got to always prepare. I thought about everything but that. And it took five minutes to get it, which was not a big deal. I could have been a big deal, but what I’m trying to say here. So at some I tried to prepare for everything and I miss one of the most important thing and it was not a big deal. So he keep going. Don’t try to learn everything, just kind of go for it, learn on as you go.

New Speaker:                   [01:11:28]               Um,

Julie:                                      [01:11:29]               just, you’ve got to make the first step. You don’t want to be too scared about it. Just don’t be that irresponsible and put a lot of money. Like my first order was very small. I might, if I made mistake, if I lose it all, I’m going to be able to still put food on the table. So you’ve got to be responsible person, but take calculated risks. I’m like, okay, I’m Donna, what I’m doing? Um, so let’s see what happens.

New Speaker:                   [01:11:55]               But you get through it. And so that’s the point. It’s just just launch, right? Or Seth Godin always says, just ship it and then you figure out some of the details. Now you don’t want to miss the big ones because that’s fair. I mean I think it’s a very sound advice.

Julie:                                      [01:12:09]               No, I went to like, my first order was maybe a thousand dollars. I wouldn’t have not made an order of $20,000 not knowing what I’m doing.

New Speaker:                   [01:12:17]               So I’m looking at my water bottle here. So your example was, hey, I was selling wholesale to company sold my number one seller is this water bottle and then they said, hey, you know what, it’s not working. Probably because they were selling mostly to retailers and the retailers are all dying and so they’re like, yeah, we’re not going to carry it anymore. And you’re like, wait, I need that, I need that.

Julie:                                      [01:12:33]               Oh yeah, the United States. Yes.

New Speaker:                   [01:12:36]               And you just create your own good lesson there. Everybody hear that? That’s a big mess in there.

Julie:                                      [01:12:42]               Yeah. Yeah. And to figure it out, where can I find it? Working at Bidet, like my first time I had the samples shipped here, it costs me $50 for something that is very inexpensive. I was like, wow, do people have to do that? Like, and I’ve got like a lot of samples and so that was a lot of 50, $60 for little things. I’m like oh my goodness. But until I found a quality that I wanted, I had to put down the money to.

New Speaker:                   [01:13:11]               And at the beginning, which is important is possible if you really want it through determination. Yeah. Julie Riley, that’s my offer today that’s going to go and merge shirt. I’m going to have this shirt produced. It’ll be available on Amazon. Okay. So I do. I think, I think you answered the question, which is the one I always ask. What do you do when people get stuck in? What’s your advice? I think you’ve given solid advice is, you know, just ship it launch, don’t struggle to get through it. I think setting up the uh, you know, things for me that I’m going to take away from this conversation is that, you know, put in the process, figure out all the stuff that you know, and then Nick apps reach out to your network to help you fill them in because if you develop that network and how did you develop that network? You put yourself out there, right? Julie, right? You put yourself in a vulnerable position.

Julie:                                      [01:13:57]               Yes. Which is for me, people that know me know that I do not like to, uh, uh, like I’m starting now to be a little bit more active in group. I used to be one of those that stay there and read and not participate. Uh, I think it’s very important and not be shy. There’s no stupid questions. So go ahead and ask. Put yourself out there. Just just, just do it and make sure. Yeah. You network with people. It tried to make work. Would people are knowing the same things that you’re doing because it is a difference.

New Speaker:                   [01:14:32]               Yeah. You wanna you wanna you wanna play up. I mean ultimately the best thing you could do is to find people who are a little better than you who have got more experience because that’s where you’re going to really learn. But don’t forget, don’t forget when somebody reaches out to you to help them, you know, because somebody helped you. You can’t forget that. And sometimes I think we get away from that and we forget that somebody helped you. I don’t care who you are. Somebody helped you.

Julie:                                      [01:14:56]               There’s one person that called me for advice and actually, uh, went to meet for coffee and he actually taught me something I didn’t even know

New Speaker:                   [01:15:06]               he was getting to you for advice.

Julie:                                      [01:15:08]               He was looking for me for advice and by talking he helped me as well. Uh, so you can learn from anybody. It doesn’t matter where they’re at and sometimes you bolt want to, I don’t know, an answer. You can work together to find the information. So it’s a lot easier and lot less lonely and less and less a lot less harder when you do it with other people.

New Speaker:                   [01:15:32]               All right, so if somebody wants to follow up, what’s the best way

New Speaker:                   [01:15:37]               on facebook saying something? Because I want to go ahead and try. She’s not going to talk about

Julie:                                      [01:15:47]               a lot of people ask me do friends lately I do not talk. Even if they talk, say hello. I will say hello, but you got to talk a little bit more and asked me if you want help. If you need something, but then yes, ask for question and ask. Yes.

New Speaker:                   [01:16:02]               I’ll have that contact information in there. Julie, thank you so much man. I’m so encouraged to because I think a, you enlightened us to the world of Canada that you could let us over the border. You let us over the wall because I know there’s a big ice

New Speaker:                   [01:16:15]               well there and you let us be on the other side. There is a lot

Julie:                                      [01:16:19]               fraternity here. You just got to look at your product because there’s a lot less competition. You can price yourself higher as well. So

New Speaker:                   [01:16:28]               can everybody see that too? He’s pretty smart. Thank you so much. I wish you nothing but success.

Julie:                                      [01:16:35]               Thank you so much. Thank you for having me.

New Speaker:                   [01:16:37]               Great interview. A very, very cool story. Very cool lady. But just so cool to see somebody who’s figured it out again, you know, you can hear in her voice she was going to be successful no matter what. Um, but there are degrees of success and again, I don’t know how well I articulated it, but it’s true. Her results are because of her scaling her business because others have helped her fix all the little things that she skipped by because she didn’t know or didn’t know any better or didn’t take the time to learn because you’ve got so many other spinning plates to deal with. So boom, fastball. But her business doubles. So she could do one of two things. She gets scaled back her business and have the same. If she was content with her results and gain time gained time like nowhere else, or in her case, she can double our business whichever way you want, whatever ways, right for you.

New Speaker:                   [01:17:23]               There’s a huge lesson in this interview and I suggest you go back and listen to it again. It’s hard. It means you’re going to have to put up with the crazies and the perverts and the whack jobs and that, but then you’re going to find real people, real people that are likeminded, real people that have the same struggles. You have real people that want to still love their family and yet grow a business. Real people who need others to believe in him, real people who have the same interests that all exists in this world. You just have to find the right people and I think Julie has done a great job with it. It’s a great lesson for us all. ECOMMERCE, momentum.com, ecommerce momentum.com. Take care.

Cool voice guy:                  [01:18:00]               Thanks for listening to the incomers momentum podcast. All the links mentioned today can be found@incomersmomentum.com. Under face episode number, please remember to subscribe and like us on itunes.

 

Stephen-Peterson

About the author, Stephen

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