March 11, 2019 • 33 mins
FYI!!! Carla Marie is no longer the host of a morning show in Seattle but she is still supporting small businesses in every way possible. She’s even started her own small business with her radio cohost and best friend, Anthony. All of the links below will help you stay up to date!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
If you're sitting at your job right now and you're like,
I hate this place, then this episode of side Hustlers
is definitely for you. I'm Carla Marie from my Heart Radio.
I'm your host of side Hustlers, the podcast where we
talked to people following a passion outside of their day
job or people who have turned that side hustle into
their full time hustle. And this week we're going to
(00:22):
talk to Amanda. She created Palms, Psalms and Prosecco. It's
an online store. She's also a photographer full time, but
she had a corporate job and she hated it, so
she left. So let's get amanda story for a lot
of people. You know, why are you? Why do you
know what you want to do? And this is what
you want to do? Do it. I'm a hustles side,
(00:43):
side hustle. Do it. I'm a hustle side sign hustle.
Do it. I'm a hustles side sid hustlove. Come on,
ask about me, yo yo. It's the side Hustless podcast
we call the Root. Okay, So Amanda is joining us today.
Where are you right now? In Minnesota? It's very cold,
very Oh yeah, what's the temperature there today, UM, today
(01:05):
is probably a little above zero, but we had like
negative sixty this year. It's been it's been crazy. Oh
my god. Okay, so you're at home right now though,
Is this your home slash office? Now? This is where
you spend all your time when you're unless you're doing photography,
I'm assuming yes. Okay, So let's go through the what
you were explaining to me earlier about how you full
(01:27):
time job, side hustle to side hustles, may to side hustle,
the full time job. Take me through how that happened,
and then we're gonna get into everything you do. Yeah,
so I guess it starts back when obviously, I graduated
college two thirteen, and then I got a full time
job right out of there. I had been doing photography
for a while, um probably for about five years before that,
just freelance nothing really like flowers basically, and so I
(01:51):
left my UM, left college, got my nice full time job,
was all settled in and started my photography business about
six years ago. And last year I decided that I
wanted to I was just like super depressed, and so
I wanted to leave my corporate job. I never really
knew that I wanted to do photography full time, but
I had thirty eight weddings last year. I was planning
(02:13):
my own I was planning my honeymoon. I started this
Palm Songs Prosecco, and so there's just there's so many
things going on. And so I left my purporate job,
made a photography my full time job, and then I
started this boutique all lookin the same few months. And now,
I mean it's been almost a year since I left
my corporate job and it's been insane. So you're obviously
(02:34):
much happier after leaving the corporate job. Yeah. Yeah, I
just found myself very like, very sad just sitting there
was the job. Sorry, Like, what were you doing you?
I was. I was a marketing manager for about five years,
so doing a lot of events, a lot of traveling.
I had a team. It was just it was a lot.
And did you just kind of like one day I'm
out or did you give the two weeks? Like how
(02:55):
did that whole I'm always so intrigued at how that
process works. Yes, it's kind of funny. Actually, So I
had actually given like a six month notice, such a planner,
and I was like I want to be done by
like July. And then I got to the point because
I think I probably said that to my boss and
don't on January maybe, And then I got to the
point where I was like, I can't be here, like
(03:16):
I was so sad all the time, and I'm not
a sad person. I'm actually like like borderline annoyingly happy
mot of the time. And so I just was like, Okay,
we're just gonna do it in May instead, and so
I left and it was probably like the best timing, honestly,
it was perfect. So you had this full time job.
Your side hustle was photography. When you left, you made
(03:38):
photography your full time job and then decided I want
to open a store. And that's when you created Palm,
pms and Prosecco. So what made you say I need
to do something else now? So I actually have another
side hustle. I'm a stylist with Stella Dot. It's an
online clothing and accessories company. And so I kind of
(03:59):
have always been uzy. I just I think that's just
how I am. But I've wanted to start a boutique.
It's more of a gift shop than a boutique. But
I've been wanting to start one since I don't like
elementary school. Um, I had my own little bracelet business.
I think I sold like to and I was like ecstatic.
I was like so happy, and so I figured, so
I was getting married. I got married last year, and
(04:19):
I figured, if we're gonna have children, this is the
time to kind of experiment with another business before they
stuck all my money out of me and I would
have to get like major loan. So I always loved
talking about how I find people, and how I found
you was through my friend Crystal, and I actually was
texting her right before we started talking because I was like,
by the way, Crystal, how did you find her Instagram?
(04:41):
And she said, you were just in her Explore page.
She's from Minnesota. She actually grew up, she said, in
the town that's right near where you are. And she's
just become obsessed with you without she was I'm seriously
a fan girl. She was freaking out that I get
to talk to you. She loves your Instagram, she said,
I followed her whole honeymoon in Ireland. I was obsessed
with it. So she's like a huge fan of everything
(05:03):
you do. So she's sending me questions like, well, ask
her what's helped her more her corporate job or her
photography job with the business. So that question right there,
what has helped you grow your own store more? So?
I would say it's a combination of both, which is
probably so cliche to say, but honestly, it has nothing
to do with my store and the products that are
in my store. What I've learned about three or four
(05:24):
years ago is I have a v I P group
for my other side hustle on Facebook, and I asked him,
I was like, why are you guys here, Like what
do you actually? Are you here to buy stuff for me?
Because I don't feel like that's the case, And they're like,
we're here for you, like you're selling yourself. And I
took many many like market obviously have to take marketing
courses and ongoing education and all those things. But what
I realized was that people aren't buying products, they're not
(05:46):
buying services. They don't buy my they don't book me
for their weddings for photo shoots because of my photos.
And I found that at a long time ago it
has not to do with my photos, like they could
probably just like my photos, but they hire me because
of me, and so different is like showing my life
out there and like showing that I'm showing up every day,
(06:06):
whether I make up on or not. I mean today
I do. I showered for you, Carla, but I did not.
So but just being like vulnerable and being real and
people want to follow you and buy from you because
of you and not because of what you're selling. So
you do personally, like purposely put your personality in your
Instagram posts and things. You notice that that makes a difference.
(06:27):
It does, And what I learned is through Instagram, people
again they follow you because of pretty pictures and what
you're selling off like obviously that you like what you're selling,
but also they're looking at it and seeing like trying
to figure out who you are and like what what
do you believe in? And you know, do you swear
or not? I feel like that's really big and I
do I swear too much? Exact same typically in today.
(06:49):
But you're fine. It's a podcast. I heard someone else
where on one of the last podcasts and I was like,
that's my girl. It's like, okay, but let's talk about
the name why ms psalms and Prosecco which, by the way,
if you want to check it out, it's pomps Psalms
Prosecco dot com. Or on Instagram is the end in
their on Instagram. No, it's just PROMP songs Prosecco Instagram perfect.
(07:11):
I definitely have a marketing background. Like I said, Um,
I wanted something that was catchy, easy to say, kind
of palms like PROMP songs. Prosecco is very much of
a tongue twister, but yes, and just something that like
I wanted it to be very clear of what my
brain is gonna be about. And so columns is all
about exploration and exploring the globe and like getting out,
like loving life but also knowing that it's okay to
(07:32):
stay home and drink wine and eat donuts and watch Netflix.
And then songs is all about like uplifting obviously Jesus
because songs stuff, but just really being out there and
like uplifting and being positive because of the world. Listening
is more that. And then Prosecco, I mean, prosecco is prosecco. Well,
you're aesthetic on your website. It's very clean, and I'm
(07:54):
assuming a lot of that comes from you being a
photographer and knowing how to have an aesthetic. So I
don't want to say you have a leg up, because
that's obviously a skill that you have. But so many
people have to outsource photographers. They don't get to do
it themselves. So when you went into this where you like,
this is what it's all gonna look like, or if
you change things over time. When I launched, I wanted
to launch a big company, so I had a ton
(08:16):
of products that I had to photograph, which sounds like, great,
your photographer, you can suit yourself. Honestly, sometimes it'd be
nice if I could just sell their products to someone
be like go, because I have a full time job
and it's really hard being able to schedule time and
make things look pretty and all that. So when I launched,
I took the pictures. I was like, there's good enough pictures,
let's just launch it. And then as I've been going,
(08:37):
I've been like being a little bit more picky, a
little bit more picky and like lighting, and then also
noticing that I need photos for Instagram. So not only
do I need like this picture of this too little sweatshirt,
but I need it like with a girl, like drinking wine.
With your friends or I need it like a flat
light so they can see how to wear it. And
just so it's been it's been a very much of
a journey. But I'm excited to see so I have
(08:59):
a new line coming up that I'm excited to go
photograph and just really mix it up and keep mixing
apps on my Instagram and my website just stays fresh.
And how do you find the products? Because you well,
first of all, do you hand make your candles? Do
how the hell do you find the time to do that?
I don't sleep a lot really good. I cream. I
know this is really really bad for some other side
(09:20):
hustlers out there, like, oh my god, balanced And I'm like, no,
there isn't any when you're side hustling, like just stay
up late, get it done. Um. I sometimes like everyone's
a while. I think twice I've had friends come over
and just they want to learn. So I'm like, you
can make these candles all day and you'll get one
when you leave and it'll be great. But other than that,
it just stay up late. So I'm actually burning the
(09:40):
mimosa one that you sent me right now. Love it.
But what what made you say Okay, not only am
I selling other people's products in my store, but I
want to do my own, Like at what point did
that happen? So part of my business is all about
like supporting other small businesses because I know how hard
people work, and literally getting like a wholesale deal is
like Jesus came down and ringed upon me, and all
(10:01):
of a sudden, Prosecco is falling from this guy. And
and so I just I wanted to be able to
do that for other people. And I think we have
so much talent out there that I wanted to be
able to wholesale from other people and get their things
in my shop. And so I would say about half
the stuff about three forces and stuff I designed and
get printed locally, and then the other fourth I get
through other companies. But yeah, it's been it's been figuring
(10:24):
out the advance has been challenging for sure. So I'm
wearing a sweatshirt of yours right now. So tell me
about this one. It says, what does it say? Strike Adonia,
strike Campania? What? Okay? What does this mean? Tell me more?
It's one of my favorite words because it means to
hell with it, because you're find that I didn't know
the word until you sent me the sweatshirt. Yeah, I
think it's like I don't know, I'd have to look
(10:45):
at up Greek or something. But it's one of my
favorite words because you know, at the end of the day,
to help, like literally nothing matters, just go to bed
happy and that's I just love that. So I first
found that word when I was treating my sister to
a trip to Mexico. I got it in write down
a necklace for her. It just strick it on you
because I was surprising her, like te with it. I
just go to Mexico by ourselves, just relax. I just
(11:08):
love that word. Just mean it's like, you know, my
hands in the air out with it. Yeah. I think
a lot of us need to live that word a
little bit more. So you decide I'm going to put
this on a sweatshirt. Are people like, oh my god,
I love this, I need this? Or what is your
biggest selling item on your website? My candles, the candles.
I love the little napkins that you have. What is
the one that says old and hot? Is it that
(11:31):
good birthday birthday nappens? I just have my twenty birthday
and I was like, we need these in the shot
because yes I'm old, yes I'm still and you know,
my birthday just happened too. I'm like, damn it, why
didn't I see these before my birthday? These would have
been awesome. I love it. It really is a perfect
place to go if you have something you want to
get a girlfriend or I mean really anyone in your life.
(11:52):
But you really do have unique different things that I
can vouch are great quality. Burning the candle, it smells awesome.
The clothes are super comfortable, and I really do love
the way everything you you do and the way it
comes out. It's not just like buying a product. There
is almost another story. But you can tell that what
you're putting in your store is that that you actually
(12:14):
like and it means something to you. So it makes
such a difference when you're shopping from someone like that.
But you even have these little cards. Do these go
in everyone's order? Yep? I handwrite a thank you card
in everyone's order. I get so many compliments on that
because I don't know I've gotten from small businesses before,
and they just throw in a little like already typed
(12:35):
up note that everybody gets. And I was like I know,
I know for fact they're not that big, like they
could have just wrote something really small on there. And
then the shops that I do order from repeatedly, it's
because I remembered that they sent me a handwritten note,
and I just think it goes such a long way
just to say you know, it takes five seconds to
write it, but just meaningful. So I write something different
on each one. Um and people. So I have people
(12:57):
that I ordered from me like fifteen times, and obviously
I can't say thank you for you harder again, like
I just send something. I'm like, I hope you're doing
so well out there in North Carolina or whatever. Yeah,
just like making it personal, Oh absolutely, because when you
make it personal, then they I don't want this sounds bad,
not feel obligated to come back to you. But they've
made a connection. So whether they may say, Okay, I
(13:18):
made a connection with her, I'm going to go buy
her candle opposed to this random store that I just found,
and making those those people connections that we lack so
much today are so important. So I am with you
in that if you have a small business, buying these
cards and handwriting is totally worth the time and investment
because these are so cute, they're not that expensive, right,
(13:42):
It's like there's so many places that there you can
go and order those things. Yeah, and they always have deals,
like whether it's I don't know if custom Inc Does those,
but there's so many places where you can just buy
involved and boom done. You have them forever for sure. Yeah.
When you set out and you were obviously doing photography
that became your full time job, you said I want
to open a store. Did you do a business plan
(14:03):
or you were like throwing something in the wall, see
what sticks? How did you go about that business? Well,
since I have a marketing background, I was used to
creating marketing plans and like working in different aspects of marketing,
so I knew it's like the timeline that had to happen.
I wrote out an entire timeline um in a notebook.
Nothing fancy. There isn't like a fifteen page summary that
(14:23):
I could give you, but it was definitely like, this
is what has to happen in order for me to
be able to launch this business, especially with what I
learned from my photography business and my old marketing job. Right, Like,
how do you launch a new product or how do
you launch anything? You have to start like backwards, And
so that's that's how it started. And you said you
set out with some goals and you hit those goals
(14:44):
right away. Yeah, last year was crazy. It was I
don't even know how many through alive. But I'm here.
You don't have to give me numbers, but talk me
through a little bit of what those goals, why you
send those And for someone who's wanting to start a
business and wants to set goals, how do they make
them attainable? But even know where to start? Yeah, so
I just kind of I didn't have a huge financial
(15:05):
plan last year. I just I threat a number that
I thought was going to be really aggressive because it
was my first year. I had only a couple of
hundred followers on Instagram at the time when I launched,
and I was like, you know what, I'm getting married.
I can't really put a ton of effort into this
because I got married in December, which is right smack
dab in the middle of Christmas shopol season. We're planning.
But I set a sales goal, I hit it within
(15:27):
two and a half weeks. I hit another sales goal,
thinking that it was aggressive. I hit that in another month,
and then I had another one, and I was like, Okay,
I'm done setting goals for this year because either I'm
really bad at it or I need some help, or
I'm just like selling way too fast and so, which
sounds like a really good problem to have, but when
it's your side hustle, you have to know how much
(15:49):
time you can because I'm making these candles one by
one in my kitchen literally, not like a massive batch
of them, like it's one by one hand cords. So
that's crazy, and those are my biggest sellers. So I
had to how much I could actually be marketing because
I didn't want to be selling out and selling out
and selling out because some people are going to come back. Now,
the portion of the stuff that you said you sell
(16:11):
from other people's companies, how do you find them? Like,
how do you say, oh my god, I want to
sell this person in my store. A lot through Instagram?
I would say, um, some people find me through Instagram
and then I see that they have a shop, so
a lot of I have. I'm in two stores right
now with my candles gold by the New Years to
be in thirty we'll get there. But I some of
them reached out to me and then we just met
each other and like showed each other our products. Others
(16:34):
have just been stores I've walked into before. There's also
really some really good wholesaling websites on the internet give
us something like Fair dot Com used to be called
Indigo Fare. So some of the things I get are
through Fair dot Com. It's like small companies. There's a
couple of others, but that the Fair is the one
I used the most. And I noticed that you have
a actually you sent to me the wax melting wax
(16:57):
cubes and you have a subscription for those. Yeah, so
I've si ccription for those and the candles, and so
people can sign up and get it. What is it monthly?
How does it work? So there's two different draftdowns. One
is um one, two or three, and then one is
months or week. So if they want one once a week,
they can. If they want one once every three months
they can. So they get to pick that and cancel
any time, skip anytime, because I hate having subscriptions that
(17:19):
like make me pay, you know, it's the worst. It's like,
oh you don't want this, well, we're still going to
send it finally, seriously, but what made you think let
me do a subscription? Was that right in the beginning
or was that after some time? I know that was
after some time because I didn't think my candles were
going to be so big. I didn't. I literally had
no idea. I have never been a candle maker, to
(17:41):
be frankly honest with you. My husband and I are
shopping at Cole's later or not, and he's like, whyn't
you just make these? Like you're paying for dollars for
candle And he's like, why you just make these? When
someone tells me to do something, I can't not let
I can't let it go. So I'm like, Okay, I'll
figure out how to make it. So I figured out
how to make candles last year, and so I didn't
think that they're going to be such great sellers. And
so my customers were like, you need to do a subscription.
(18:03):
So they get a little bit of discount, they get
a surprise candle every month. They sometimes get months that
aren't even in the store, which have been the favorites
because it's something that no one else has. And then
it gives me monthly recurring revenue, which is huge for
a business as size. So I can't handle the fact
that you were just like going through coals and your
husband said, why don't you make this? And you're like sure.
(18:23):
It's like I want to tell you to make something
crazy and you can start making It's good, that's wild.
What are your next step for there are products that
you want to make or things that you want to
have for the store. Maybe in Yeah, so, I am
still trying to find someone local that can make soaps.
I do have soaps in this shop, but they're made
through companies I don't I don't know, and I feel
(18:45):
like it's such an intimate product that I would love
to be able to have someone local to me, or
at least in the United States making something. I just
want to have a relationship with someone that actually makes
soaps in their house. I just like that offense. I
just love that. I think that's so cool. And then
I'm working at a couple of other things. People give
me suggestions all the time, like you should get you know, sweatpants,
(19:05):
and I would love to get swept pants because I
live in sweatpants, like I'm in lightnings right now, and
I'm very uncomfortable like giving me sweatpants. Um and I UM,
I would love to do that, but I really need
to perfect like the sweatshirt and T shirt side of
things first because I want that. I want to be
really really good at that. And then oh, by the way,
since I'm really good at that, here are sweatpants. Here
(19:27):
are sweatpants. And I don't even know what I'm doing.
So when you say perfect sweatshirts and T shirts, what
do you mean? So A, keeping the sizes I need
in stock is huge. I don't know what people are
going to buy. I know its size I like, but
that doesn't mean everyone else is so like not only
figuring that out how many things to buy what people
are actually wanting to buy because I love just like
a sweatshirt. I love just like a crewnet T shirt
(19:49):
and some people are like, oh, we should do off
the shoulder and I'm like, oh, I like that idea,
but how like how many am I going to sell?
So just figuring out like what works for me? And
that's kind of that stage of the business I'm in
right now, is like figuring out what works and like
running with whatever that is. Now, does your house look
like a fulfillment center? Yeah? I took except the husband's basement.
(20:11):
He has like two areas down there for himself at least.
But my I'm very organized person. I don't like masses,
so at least everything's like neatly and they're cute little
bins downstairs. My candle supplies are everywhere, though, Like we
don't really have a dining room anymore. There's just no
reput it. It's all out of my house. Do you
have plans to do a storefront at all? Or that's
like no, never, not even thinking about it. So I
(20:32):
was definitely that was the plan for this year until
I was like, okay, take a step back, like cool
your jets, woman, because you have a lot of things
going on. But I wanted to test whole saling my
candles more first, because I feel like that's going to
be the biggest seller in my shop anyway, and so
one of the reasons I wanted to even have a
store where so my people could come smell all the
candles right before they buy them, and so I figured
(20:53):
that an easier way to do that is by whole
saling them and seeing how that works first. So my
goal at the end of this year is to get
to thirty shops and if that's successful, then maybe next
year I'm gonna start looking at a place for a store.
So cool, it's It does make such a difference when
you can feel something and try it on, because how
many times are we hesitant of I don't know if
that's actually gonna fit or what is it for like
(21:15):
or stuff like that. So when people can feel it,
they already have that Okay, I get it, it fits,
I'm going to buy it. And you don't just click
out of the website. You actually have to leave the
store after touching the product that you love. So it
definitely makes a difference. But that's a huge investment, like
buying or renting a store or buying a place. It
is huge. So I think you were smart and saying like,
(21:38):
all right, cool your jets, calm down, calm it down,
just work out of the dining room for now. You
said that people find you through Instagram? Is that the
number one place where you get your customers? It's a
half Instagram half Facebook. Still, I have a big song
(21:59):
on Facebook. I don't know where it comes from. I
started my photography business just on Facebook, and I think
those followers just kind of migrated over, it's it's been crazy.
I Facebook and Instagram. I literally look at my sales
and for both. Do you use a newsletter at all
to stay in touch with customers? Yeah, I use emails,
so I do through mail Chimp I send. It's not
(22:21):
like so much like a newsletter because I personally hate newsletters.
Don't read them. An't good time nobody. I don't think that.
But when I launched new products or I have like
I just hey can subscription and so exciting, like you
get a free work trimmer or something like. I sometimes
do like cute little things with that or sales, So
I try and I try and email them when they
need to be email because completely agree. If you don't
(22:42):
have something to say, don't email me. I got a
lot of things going on. I'm with you on that.
That's what social media score. That's the new news. Right.
If someone wants to see what's going on in my life,
they'll look at my little highlights or their look at
my Instagram pictures and I'll see what I swear word
I'm throwing out that day. But I I think that
I personally don't read news letters anymore, even if it's
(23:03):
from my very favorite shops. I don't. I don't have
the time. I'd rather run on Instagram, like see what's
happening that day? Do you have a plan for Instagram?
Do you say, Okay, this week, I'm going to post
X y Z this day, this time? Because I know
that is a constant struggle for people who use Instagram
for their business or as an influence or whoever it
may be. It's coming up with the social media game
(23:25):
plan and trying to win the game of social media,
which I have decided as completely impossible. So what is
your game plan? Is it a week thing, a month thing,
or you're just day by day? Whatever you post, you post.
One of my favorite apps is the plan l A app.
I use it. It's p l A and l l
I um. I'm sure they have other ones like it too,
(23:45):
but I use it because I and I post real time,
Like I don't schedule my post, but I like seeing
how they look on my feed because I'm so I'm
very particular about that. I think that's the photographer and
me though I like things to be pretty. But I
use that because I think it helps me post daily
because I don't have to scramble through my phone to
find a photo to post or something to post. So
I try. I try and do daily, but usually about
(24:07):
five times a week. Is is good. And the Instagram algorithms,
I just kind of gave up on that because it's
change way too often. As long as you become them
to take your being real, your followers are real followers.
I think that's really have to worry about now. I
always ask everyone what is their favorite app to get
them through their business or their day to day is
plentally like your this is it? I couldn't survive without it?
(24:29):
Or do you have other ones? Definitely that because it
helps me not again not have to like shuffle through
all my photos and my whole um iPhone. But also
having an editing app to keep your brand consistent, I
think it's huge. I want people to see a photo,
mean like before they even see whose photos. I want
them to know what's mine for both businesses actually because
it means it's huge. But so whether so I use
(24:51):
light Room obviously because I use I mean I edit,
but oh my god, that I buy your presets, I'll
just edit your photos or just getting into this world
a presets And I'm like, and if you're listening right now,
and you're like, what the hell is she talking about?
And I think I may have talked about this in
another episode. Presets are when okay, you know what, I'm
going to let you explain it because you're a photographer,
(25:11):
So can you explain what presets are? Yeah? So in
layer Men other apps too. It's not just light Room.
They have other photographers or artists have come up with
preset settings for your photos. So basically, bringing a photo,
you click their preset, it adds. However, they edit to
your photo and then you can tweak it from there.
So it just helps you or brand stay consistent. Almost
(25:33):
every photographer I know either has created their own presets
or uses someone else's presets and tweaks it to be
their own, just because it makes your brand consistent. It
helps you from you know, taking hours and hours hours
to edit one photo. Yeah, almost everybody uses them. Yeah,
it's crazy. When I was like, I feel like I'm
ninety when I first heard people like, oh download presets
or can do you want to share presets? And I'm like,
(25:55):
what is going on? And then I went on Etsy
and bought some and I was like, how do I
even how do I even get them in there. Oh
my god, I've turned me to my mother. So it's
a whole another world. But if you are launching a business,
it's so important to stay on brand, and something as
simple or ridiculous as presets and keeping your pictures the
(26:16):
same is very important because, like you said, if someone's scrolling,
I mean, how fast are we scrolling? But if I
see a picture instead of seeing the tiny handle, there
are a lot of times when I know, oh, that's
that person, because that's what their stuff looks like. Especially
with you, it's already happening with you. I know, oh
that's palm songs and prosecco. I know what your pictures
look like. So you're right, it is important to have
(26:38):
that branding and something as silly as a filter, really,
but it's important. It's so important, and a lot of
people don't know that. Instant I mean, Instagram is free.
It's your tool for advertising. I mean, you get nine
pictures to convince someone that you're worth a follow, and
if those photos kind of don't go together, then they're
not going to follow you. Because people want pretty things,
(27:00):
and that's what Instagram is for. Pretty none is a
hot mess. And luckily I'm not a business, but I'm
totally with you. I completely agree. So how do you
Because we were obviously trying to schedule this podcast in
between both of our schedules, it was almost impossible. How
do you schedule? Okay, I've got a photography business to run,
(27:20):
but I just got all these candle orders, Like how
do you plan that out? Yeah, it's it's been a challenge.
Um this year is slowly getting a little bit more
and more easy because I've been better at telling people,
like I have this day open, and I'd be like, okay,
I have these five days because there are days this
week that you know, I stayed home all day because
I had to edit, or I had to make candles,
or I had a package up the fifty orders I
(27:42):
got last week or whatever. And so I try and schedule,
Like yesterday, I had a meeting, two photo shoots, a
happy hour, and had like eight errands to run and
I had to find lunch in there somewhere and I didn't.
I barely eight yesterday. But like, I schedule those really
busy days so I can come home and just sit
the next day. Yeah, you know, I've been noticing that
I'm doing the same thing. Like today you saw me
(28:04):
post answer them all the things I have to do
because instead of spreading things out and be like, oh,
I have to on Wednesday do this one thing, and
it kind of throws off your whole day. If you
jam pack your day like you're saying, you do have
time those other days to either relax or if something
comes up, get it done on those days. Yes. Yeah,
So I try and do like two really really busy
(28:25):
days every week, and then the other three mother, I
mean during the week days. I usually have a wedding
on Friday most of the time, and the other two
want to try and take off. I think that's a
funny term for business owners. But I try and like
at least watch like an episode on Netflix, or have
my coffee a little slower in the morning, or not
go to my computer right away um, or go for
(28:46):
a walk with my dog or something um. And then
the other couple of days that I'm not doing anything,
I'm editing, I'm making candles, I'm you know, getting the
house picked up because I hate when there's clutter everywhere
and just like doing things for myself. Come over, please
love me. When you left your corporate job was it
weird not having structure right away or did you love it? Yeah?
(29:08):
It was, actually it was. It was weird. I thought
that it wouldn't be because I was trying to prepare
myself for it mentally. But it was weird knowing that
I could sleep in the next day, but I didn't.
I don't know if I've ever really slept in since
I left my corporate job because I'm so excited to
get to work and knock things off my ted list
for myself finally, Like it was, it was weird not
having to work for someone else and knowing that my
(29:29):
income realized totally on me getting my ass out of
bed in the morning. Yeah, it's scary, but it's so
exciting too. Oh yeah. And I text my husband probably
three times a week. He's probably listening to this um
at a later date, but I'm like, I'm so tired,
I like noon, and he's like, take a nap, and
I was like, you don't understand. I can't take it now.
But then I sit back and I'm like, no, this
(29:51):
is why you left for corporate jobs, so you can
take a nap if you want to. But I've been
struggling with that mentally. So that's one of my big
goals this series. But I feel like you need an
app taken nap because it's huge that I get to
allow myself to do that. One of the episodes I
talked to her name is law she's actually I heart
Radio DJ and has a shaved ice truck in Phoenix,
(30:11):
and she said something along those lines of like, you know, where,
are we smart because we have all these side hustles
or are we dumb because we have all these side
hustles because we're supposed to figure out how to work
less and still make more money. And when she said that,
I was like, you're so right. And then on the
Decks with the Laney episode, she talks about how sometimes
you just have to say no and do something for yourself.
(30:32):
And I think we beat ourselves up so much of
over over, like, oh, people are gonna think I'm being
lazy because I'm not working, but like really, an eight
hour day is normal life and none of us are
doing that anymore. They're working way longer. So girl, take
your nap. That's your new shirts. Girl take a nap.
Y seriously that you need that. So if someone right
(30:57):
now was sitting at their desk at their corporate job
and they feel the same way you felt before you
left yours, and they're listening to this podcast. What is
something you would say to that single person listening right now?
I would tell him, First off, breathe. I didn't breathe enough,
and I was so concerned about everything that I didn't
take time for myself. And that's where I became like
(31:17):
mental breakdowns, depression just so much, always terrible. Um, So breathe.
First off, calm down. This life is too short to
like think about it way too much. You're making money,
You're good. Um. And then to figure out what makes
you happy. So photography makes me happy, my boutique makes
me happy. My other side house on makes me happy.
But that's not why I have those businesses. I have
(31:38):
those businesses because I found that I have a passion
for creating businesses, which I thought was such a scary
thing because I'm like, call, like crap, I don't have
a passion for photography or making candles or what am
I doing? And then I realized, I'm doing this because
I love owning businesses and that's okay, So figuring out
it might not be like, oh my god, I'm so
passionate about like bite writing, like you can't really do
(31:59):
anything with that, but is something that if you're not
going to start a business with bike writing, but go
volunteer and be around it more often and being able
to be around things that bring you joy. If you
can't get out of your corporate job yet, find things
that bring your outside of working. And that was that
was huge for me. That's huge, that's awesome. I love that.
And the breathing thing is extremely important. I've been working
(32:20):
on it as well. So if you're sitting at your
desk right now and you're breaking out about your annoying
coworker next to you, focus on you and breathe with
you that So this is awesome that you're doing this.
Anyone listen to the podcast. You can use code Carla
Marie fifteen. That's one five and you'll get off your
order at palms psalms prosecco dot com. There's no end
in the website. Okay, good Palms psalms Prosecco dot com. Amanda,
(32:45):
thank you for taking time to be on this podcast.
I know you had a billion other things to do today,
so thank you, yes, thank you so much. It's been
so fun. Thanks for listening to another week of Side Hustlers.
Support Amanda It's Palms Psalms Prosecco dot Com use code
Carla Marie one five off of your next order. I
(33:05):
swear herself as super comfy. The candle smell amazing, so
check her out and I will see you next week
on Side Hustlers. Just in case you need one more
round the Last Called podcast with Carla Marine Anthony One
Last Little Taste to hold you over until tomorrow, Available
(33:27):
worldwide on the r Heart Radio app
If you're sitting at your job right now and you're like,
I hate this place, then this episode of side Hustlers
is definitely for you. I'm Carla Marie from my Heart Radio.
I'm your host of side Hustlers, the podcast where we
talked to people following a passion outside of their day
job or people who have turned that side hustle into
their full time hustle. And this week we're going to
(00:22):
talk to Amanda. She created Palms, Psalms and Prosecco. It's
an online store. She's also a photographer full time, but
she had a corporate job and she hated it, so
she left. So let's get amanda story for a lot
of people. You know, why are you? Why do you
know what you want to do? And this is what
you want to do? Do it. I'm a hustles side,
(00:43):
side hustle. Do it. I'm a hustle side sign hustle.
Do it. I'm a hustles side sid hustlove. Come on,
ask about me, yo yo. It's the side Hustless podcast
we call the Root. Okay, So Amanda is joining us today.
Where are you right now? In Minnesota? It's very cold,
very Oh yeah, what's the temperature there today, UM, today
(01:05):
is probably a little above zero, but we had like
negative sixty this year. It's been it's been crazy. Oh
my god. Okay, so you're at home right now though,
Is this your home slash office? Now? This is where
you spend all your time when you're unless you're doing photography,
I'm assuming yes. Okay, So let's go through the what
you were explaining to me earlier about how you full
(01:27):
time job, side hustle to side hustles, may to side hustle,
the full time job. Take me through how that happened,
and then we're gonna get into everything you do. Yeah,
so I guess it starts back when obviously, I graduated
college two thirteen, and then I got a full time
job right out of there. I had been doing photography
for a while, um probably for about five years before that,
just freelance nothing really like flowers basically, and so I
(01:51):
left my UM, left college, got my nice full time job,
was all settled in and started my photography business about
six years ago. And last year I decided that I
wanted to I was just like super depressed, and so
I wanted to leave my corporate job. I never really
knew that I wanted to do photography full time, but
I had thirty eight weddings last year. I was planning
(02:13):
my own I was planning my honeymoon. I started this
Palm Songs Prosecco, and so there's just there's so many
things going on. And so I left my purporate job,
made a photography my full time job, and then I
started this boutique all lookin the same few months. And now,
I mean it's been almost a year since I left
my corporate job and it's been insane. So you're obviously
(02:34):
much happier after leaving the corporate job. Yeah. Yeah, I
just found myself very like, very sad just sitting there
was the job. Sorry, Like, what were you doing you?
I was. I was a marketing manager for about five years,
so doing a lot of events, a lot of traveling.
I had a team. It was just it was a lot.
And did you just kind of like one day I'm
out or did you give the two weeks? Like how
(02:55):
did that whole I'm always so intrigued at how that
process works. Yes, it's kind of funny. Actually, So I
had actually given like a six month notice, such a planner,
and I was like I want to be done by
like July. And then I got to the point because
I think I probably said that to my boss and
don't on January maybe, And then I got to the
point where I was like, I can't be here, like
(03:16):
I was so sad all the time, and I'm not
a sad person. I'm actually like like borderline annoyingly happy
mot of the time. And so I just was like, Okay,
we're just gonna do it in May instead, and so
I left and it was probably like the best timing, honestly,
it was perfect. So you had this full time job.
Your side hustle was photography. When you left, you made
(03:38):
photography your full time job and then decided I want
to open a store. And that's when you created Palm,
pms and Prosecco. So what made you say I need
to do something else now? So I actually have another
side hustle. I'm a stylist with Stella Dot. It's an
online clothing and accessories company. And so I kind of
(03:59):
have always been uzy. I just I think that's just
how I am. But I've wanted to start a boutique.
It's more of a gift shop than a boutique. But
I've been wanting to start one since I don't like
elementary school. Um, I had my own little bracelet business.
I think I sold like to and I was like ecstatic.
I was like so happy, and so I figured, so
I was getting married. I got married last year, and
(04:19):
I figured, if we're gonna have children, this is the
time to kind of experiment with another business before they
stuck all my money out of me and I would
have to get like major loan. So I always loved
talking about how I find people, and how I found
you was through my friend Crystal, and I actually was
texting her right before we started talking because I was like,
by the way, Crystal, how did you find her Instagram?
(04:41):
And she said, you were just in her Explore page.
She's from Minnesota. She actually grew up, she said, in
the town that's right near where you are. And she's
just become obsessed with you without she was I'm seriously
a fan girl. She was freaking out that I get
to talk to you. She loves your Instagram, she said,
I followed her whole honeymoon in Ireland. I was obsessed
with it. So she's like a huge fan of everything
(05:03):
you do. So she's sending me questions like, well, ask
her what's helped her more her corporate job or her
photography job with the business. So that question right there,
what has helped you grow your own store more? So?
I would say it's a combination of both, which is
probably so cliche to say, but honestly, it has nothing
to do with my store and the products that are
in my store. What I've learned about three or four
(05:24):
years ago is I have a v I P group
for my other side hustle on Facebook, and I asked him,
I was like, why are you guys here, Like what
do you actually? Are you here to buy stuff for me?
Because I don't feel like that's the case, And they're like,
we're here for you, like you're selling yourself. And I
took many many like market obviously have to take marketing
courses and ongoing education and all those things. But what
I realized was that people aren't buying products, they're not
(05:46):
buying services. They don't buy my they don't book me
for their weddings for photo shoots because of my photos.
And I found that at a long time ago it
has not to do with my photos, like they could
probably just like my photos, but they hire me because
of me, and so different is like showing my life
out there and like showing that I'm showing up every day,
(06:06):
whether I make up on or not. I mean today
I do. I showered for you, Carla, but I did not.
So but just being like vulnerable and being real and
people want to follow you and buy from you because
of you and not because of what you're selling. So
you do personally, like purposely put your personality in your
Instagram posts and things. You notice that that makes a difference.
(06:27):
It does, And what I learned is through Instagram, people
again they follow you because of pretty pictures and what
you're selling off like obviously that you like what you're selling,
but also they're looking at it and seeing like trying
to figure out who you are and like what what
do you believe in? And you know, do you swear
or not? I feel like that's really big and I
do I swear too much? Exact same typically in today.
(06:49):
But you're fine. It's a podcast. I heard someone else
where on one of the last podcasts and I was like,
that's my girl. It's like, okay, but let's talk about
the name why ms psalms and Prosecco which, by the way,
if you want to check it out, it's pomps Psalms
Prosecco dot com. Or on Instagram is the end in
their on Instagram. No, it's just PROMP songs Prosecco Instagram perfect.
(07:11):
I definitely have a marketing background. Like I said, Um,
I wanted something that was catchy, easy to say, kind
of palms like PROMP songs. Prosecco is very much of
a tongue twister, but yes, and just something that like
I wanted it to be very clear of what my
brain is gonna be about. And so columns is all
about exploration and exploring the globe and like getting out,
like loving life but also knowing that it's okay to
(07:32):
stay home and drink wine and eat donuts and watch Netflix.
And then songs is all about like uplifting obviously Jesus
because songs stuff, but just really being out there and
like uplifting and being positive because of the world. Listening
is more that. And then Prosecco, I mean, prosecco is prosecco. Well,
you're aesthetic on your website. It's very clean, and I'm
(07:54):
assuming a lot of that comes from you being a
photographer and knowing how to have an aesthetic. So I
don't want to say you have a leg up, because
that's obviously a skill that you have. But so many
people have to outsource photographers. They don't get to do
it themselves. So when you went into this where you like,
this is what it's all gonna look like, or if
you change things over time. When I launched, I wanted
to launch a big company, so I had a ton
(08:16):
of products that I had to photograph, which sounds like, great,
your photographer, you can suit yourself. Honestly, sometimes it'd be
nice if I could just sell their products to someone
be like go, because I have a full time job
and it's really hard being able to schedule time and
make things look pretty and all that. So when I launched,
I took the pictures. I was like, there's good enough pictures,
let's just launch it. And then as I've been going,
(08:37):
I've been like being a little bit more picky, a
little bit more picky and like lighting, and then also
noticing that I need photos for Instagram. So not only
do I need like this picture of this too little sweatshirt,
but I need it like with a girl, like drinking wine.
With your friends or I need it like a flat
light so they can see how to wear it. And
just so it's been it's been a very much of
a journey. But I'm excited to see so I have
(08:59):
a new line coming up that I'm excited to go
photograph and just really mix it up and keep mixing
apps on my Instagram and my website just stays fresh.
And how do you find the products? Because you well,
first of all, do you hand make your candles? Do
how the hell do you find the time to do that?
I don't sleep a lot really good. I cream. I
know this is really really bad for some other side
(09:20):
hustlers out there, like, oh my god, balanced And I'm like, no,
there isn't any when you're side hustling, like just stay
up late, get it done. Um. I sometimes like everyone's
a while. I think twice I've had friends come over
and just they want to learn. So I'm like, you
can make these candles all day and you'll get one
when you leave and it'll be great. But other than that,
it just stay up late. So I'm actually burning the
(09:40):
mimosa one that you sent me right now. Love it.
But what what made you say Okay, not only am
I selling other people's products in my store, but I
want to do my own, Like at what point did
that happen? So part of my business is all about
like supporting other small businesses because I know how hard
people work, and literally getting like a wholesale deal is
like Jesus came down and ringed upon me, and all
(10:01):
of a sudden, Prosecco is falling from this guy. And
and so I just I wanted to be able to
do that for other people. And I think we have
so much talent out there that I wanted to be
able to wholesale from other people and get their things
in my shop. And so I would say about half
the stuff about three forces and stuff I designed and
get printed locally, and then the other fourth I get
through other companies. But yeah, it's been it's been figuring
(10:24):
out the advance has been challenging for sure. So I'm
wearing a sweatshirt of yours right now. So tell me
about this one. It says, what does it say? Strike Adonia,
strike Campania? What? Okay? What does this mean? Tell me more?
It's one of my favorite words because it means to
hell with it, because you're find that I didn't know
the word until you sent me the sweatshirt. Yeah, I
think it's like I don't know, I'd have to look
(10:45):
at up Greek or something. But it's one of my
favorite words because you know, at the end of the day,
to help, like literally nothing matters, just go to bed
happy and that's I just love that. So I first
found that word when I was treating my sister to
a trip to Mexico. I got it in write down
a necklace for her. It just strick it on you
because I was surprising her, like te with it. I
just go to Mexico by ourselves, just relax. I just
(11:08):
love that word. Just mean it's like, you know, my
hands in the air out with it. Yeah. I think
a lot of us need to live that word a
little bit more. So you decide I'm going to put
this on a sweatshirt. Are people like, oh my god,
I love this, I need this? Or what is your
biggest selling item on your website? My candles, the candles.
I love the little napkins that you have. What is
the one that says old and hot? Is it that
(11:31):
good birthday birthday nappens? I just have my twenty birthday
and I was like, we need these in the shot
because yes I'm old, yes I'm still and you know,
my birthday just happened too. I'm like, damn it, why
didn't I see these before my birthday? These would have
been awesome. I love it. It really is a perfect
place to go if you have something you want to
get a girlfriend or I mean really anyone in your life.
(11:52):
But you really do have unique different things that I
can vouch are great quality. Burning the candle, it smells awesome.
The clothes are super comfortable, and I really do love
the way everything you you do and the way it
comes out. It's not just like buying a product. There
is almost another story. But you can tell that what
you're putting in your store is that that you actually
(12:14):
like and it means something to you. So it makes
such a difference when you're shopping from someone like that.
But you even have these little cards. Do these go
in everyone's order? Yep? I handwrite a thank you card
in everyone's order. I get so many compliments on that
because I don't know I've gotten from small businesses before,
and they just throw in a little like already typed
(12:35):
up note that everybody gets. And I was like I know,
I know for fact they're not that big, like they
could have just wrote something really small on there. And
then the shops that I do order from repeatedly, it's
because I remembered that they sent me a handwritten note,
and I just think it goes such a long way
just to say you know, it takes five seconds to
write it, but just meaningful. So I write something different
on each one. Um and people. So I have people
(12:57):
that I ordered from me like fifteen times, and obviously
I can't say thank you for you harder again, like
I just send something. I'm like, I hope you're doing
so well out there in North Carolina or whatever. Yeah,
just like making it personal, Oh absolutely, because when you
make it personal, then they I don't want this sounds bad,
not feel obligated to come back to you. But they've
made a connection. So whether they may say, Okay, I
(13:18):
made a connection with her, I'm going to go buy
her candle opposed to this random store that I just found,
and making those those people connections that we lack so
much today are so important. So I am with you
in that if you have a small business, buying these
cards and handwriting is totally worth the time and investment
because these are so cute, they're not that expensive, right,
(13:42):
It's like there's so many places that there you can
go and order those things. Yeah, and they always have deals,
like whether it's I don't know if custom Inc Does those,
but there's so many places where you can just buy
involved and boom done. You have them forever for sure. Yeah.
When you set out and you were obviously doing photography
that became your full time job, you said I want
to open a store. Did you do a business plan
(14:03):
or you were like throwing something in the wall, see
what sticks? How did you go about that business? Well,
since I have a marketing background, I was used to
creating marketing plans and like working in different aspects of marketing,
so I knew it's like the timeline that had to happen.
I wrote out an entire timeline um in a notebook.
Nothing fancy. There isn't like a fifteen page summary that
(14:23):
I could give you, but it was definitely like, this
is what has to happen in order for me to
be able to launch this business, especially with what I
learned from my photography business and my old marketing job. Right, Like,
how do you launch a new product or how do
you launch anything? You have to start like backwards, And
so that's that's how it started. And you said you
set out with some goals and you hit those goals
(14:44):
right away. Yeah, last year was crazy. It was I
don't even know how many through alive. But I'm here.
You don't have to give me numbers, but talk me
through a little bit of what those goals, why you
send those And for someone who's wanting to start a
business and wants to set goals, how do they make
them attainable? But even know where to start? Yeah, so
I just kind of I didn't have a huge financial
(15:05):
plan last year. I just I threat a number that
I thought was going to be really aggressive because it
was my first year. I had only a couple of
hundred followers on Instagram at the time when I launched,
and I was like, you know what, I'm getting married.
I can't really put a ton of effort into this
because I got married in December, which is right smack
dab in the middle of Christmas shopol season. We're planning.
But I set a sales goal, I hit it within
(15:27):
two and a half weeks. I hit another sales goal,
thinking that it was aggressive. I hit that in another month,
and then I had another one, and I was like, Okay,
I'm done setting goals for this year because either I'm
really bad at it or I need some help, or
I'm just like selling way too fast and so, which
sounds like a really good problem to have, but when
it's your side hustle, you have to know how much
(15:49):
time you can because I'm making these candles one by
one in my kitchen literally, not like a massive batch
of them, like it's one by one hand cords. So
that's crazy, and those are my biggest sellers. So I
had to how much I could actually be marketing because
I didn't want to be selling out and selling out
and selling out because some people are going to come back. Now,
the portion of the stuff that you said you sell
(16:11):
from other people's companies, how do you find them? Like,
how do you say, oh my god, I want to
sell this person in my store. A lot through Instagram?
I would say, um, some people find me through Instagram
and then I see that they have a shop, so
a lot of I have. I'm in two stores right
now with my candles gold by the New Years to
be in thirty we'll get there. But I some of
them reached out to me and then we just met
each other and like showed each other our products. Others
(16:34):
have just been stores I've walked into before. There's also
really some really good wholesaling websites on the internet give
us something like Fair dot Com used to be called
Indigo Fare. So some of the things I get are
through Fair dot Com. It's like small companies. There's a
couple of others, but that the Fair is the one
I used the most. And I noticed that you have
a actually you sent to me the wax melting wax
(16:57):
cubes and you have a subscription for those. Yeah, so
I've si ccription for those and the candles, and so
people can sign up and get it. What is it monthly?
How does it work? So there's two different draftdowns. One
is um one, two or three, and then one is
months or week. So if they want one once a week,
they can. If they want one once every three months
they can. So they get to pick that and cancel
any time, skip anytime, because I hate having subscriptions that
(17:19):
like make me pay, you know, it's the worst. It's like,
oh you don't want this, well, we're still going to
send it finally, seriously, but what made you think let
me do a subscription? Was that right in the beginning
or was that after some time? I know that was
after some time because I didn't think my candles were
going to be so big. I didn't. I literally had
no idea. I have never been a candle maker, to
(17:41):
be frankly honest with you. My husband and I are
shopping at Cole's later or not, and he's like, whyn't
you just make these? Like you're paying for dollars for
candle And he's like, why you just make these? When
someone tells me to do something, I can't not let
I can't let it go. So I'm like, Okay, I'll
figure out how to make it. So I figured out
how to make candles last year, and so I didn't
think that they're going to be such great sellers. And
so my customers were like, you need to do a subscription.
(18:03):
So they get a little bit of discount, they get
a surprise candle every month. They sometimes get months that
aren't even in the store, which have been the favorites
because it's something that no one else has. And then
it gives me monthly recurring revenue, which is huge for
a business as size. So I can't handle the fact
that you were just like going through coals and your
husband said, why don't you make this? And you're like sure.
(18:23):
It's like I want to tell you to make something
crazy and you can start making It's good, that's wild.
What are your next step for there are products that
you want to make or things that you want to
have for the store. Maybe in Yeah, so, I am
still trying to find someone local that can make soaps.
I do have soaps in this shop, but they're made
through companies I don't I don't know, and I feel
(18:45):
like it's such an intimate product that I would love
to be able to have someone local to me, or
at least in the United States making something. I just
want to have a relationship with someone that actually makes
soaps in their house. I just like that offense. I
just love that. I think that's so cool. And then
I'm working at a couple of other things. People give
me suggestions all the time, like you should get you know, sweatpants,
(19:05):
and I would love to get swept pants because I
live in sweatpants, like I'm in lightnings right now, and
I'm very uncomfortable like giving me sweatpants. Um and I UM,
I would love to do that, but I really need
to perfect like the sweatshirt and T shirt side of
things first because I want that. I want to be
really really good at that. And then oh, by the way,
since I'm really good at that, here are sweatpants. Here
(19:27):
are sweatpants. And I don't even know what I'm doing.
So when you say perfect sweatshirts and T shirts, what
do you mean? So A, keeping the sizes I need
in stock is huge. I don't know what people are
going to buy. I know its size I like, but
that doesn't mean everyone else is so like not only
figuring that out how many things to buy what people
are actually wanting to buy because I love just like
a sweatshirt. I love just like a crewnet T shirt
(19:49):
and some people are like, oh, we should do off
the shoulder and I'm like, oh, I like that idea,
but how like how many am I going to sell?
So just figuring out like what works for me? And
that's kind of that stage of the business I'm in
right now, is like figuring out what works and like
running with whatever that is. Now, does your house look
like a fulfillment center? Yeah? I took except the husband's basement.
(20:11):
He has like two areas down there for himself at least.
But my I'm very organized person. I don't like masses,
so at least everything's like neatly and they're cute little
bins downstairs. My candle supplies are everywhere, though, Like we
don't really have a dining room anymore. There's just no
reput it. It's all out of my house. Do you
have plans to do a storefront at all? Or that's
like no, never, not even thinking about it. So I
(20:32):
was definitely that was the plan for this year until
I was like, okay, take a step back, like cool
your jets, woman, because you have a lot of things
going on. But I wanted to test whole saling my
candles more first, because I feel like that's going to
be the biggest seller in my shop anyway, and so
one of the reasons I wanted to even have a
store where so my people could come smell all the
candles right before they buy them, and so I figured
(20:53):
that an easier way to do that is by whole
saling them and seeing how that works first. So my
goal at the end of this year is to get
to thirty shops and if that's successful, then maybe next
year I'm gonna start looking at a place for a store.
So cool, it's It does make such a difference when
you can feel something and try it on, because how
many times are we hesitant of I don't know if
that's actually gonna fit or what is it for like
(21:15):
or stuff like that. So when people can feel it,
they already have that Okay, I get it, it fits,
I'm going to buy it. And you don't just click
out of the website. You actually have to leave the
store after touching the product that you love. So it
definitely makes a difference. But that's a huge investment, like
buying or renting a store or buying a place. It
is huge. So I think you were smart and saying like,
(21:38):
all right, cool your jets, calm down, calm it down,
just work out of the dining room for now. You
said that people find you through Instagram? Is that the
number one place where you get your customers? It's a
half Instagram half Facebook. Still, I have a big song
(21:59):
on Facebook. I don't know where it comes from. I
started my photography business just on Facebook, and I think
those followers just kind of migrated over, it's it's been crazy.
I Facebook and Instagram. I literally look at my sales
and for both. Do you use a newsletter at all
to stay in touch with customers? Yeah, I use emails,
so I do through mail Chimp I send. It's not
(22:21):
like so much like a newsletter because I personally hate newsletters.
Don't read them. An't good time nobody. I don't think that.
But when I launched new products or I have like
I just hey can subscription and so exciting, like you
get a free work trimmer or something like. I sometimes
do like cute little things with that or sales, So
I try and I try and email them when they
need to be email because completely agree. If you don't
(22:42):
have something to say, don't email me. I got a
lot of things going on. I'm with you on that.
That's what social media score. That's the new news. Right.
If someone wants to see what's going on in my life,
they'll look at my little highlights or their look at
my Instagram pictures and I'll see what I swear word
I'm throwing out that day. But I I think that
I personally don't read news letters anymore, even if it's
(23:03):
from my very favorite shops. I don't. I don't have
the time. I'd rather run on Instagram, like see what's
happening that day? Do you have a plan for Instagram?
Do you say, Okay, this week, I'm going to post
X y Z this day, this time? Because I know
that is a constant struggle for people who use Instagram
for their business or as an influence or whoever it
may be. It's coming up with the social media game
(23:25):
plan and trying to win the game of social media,
which I have decided as completely impossible. So what is
your game plan? Is it a week thing, a month thing,
or you're just day by day? Whatever you post, you post.
One of my favorite apps is the plan l A app.
I use it. It's p l A and l l
I um. I'm sure they have other ones like it too,
(23:45):
but I use it because I and I post real time,
Like I don't schedule my post, but I like seeing
how they look on my feed because I'm so I'm
very particular about that. I think that's the photographer and
me though I like things to be pretty. But I
use that because I think it helps me post daily
because I don't have to scramble through my phone to
find a photo to post or something to post. So
I try. I try and do daily, but usually about
(24:07):
five times a week. Is is good. And the Instagram algorithms,
I just kind of gave up on that because it's
change way too often. As long as you become them
to take your being real, your followers are real followers.
I think that's really have to worry about now. I
always ask everyone what is their favorite app to get
them through their business or their day to day is
plentally like your this is it? I couldn't survive without it?
(24:29):
Or do you have other ones? Definitely that because it
helps me not again not have to like shuffle through
all my photos and my whole um iPhone. But also
having an editing app to keep your brand consistent, I
think it's huge. I want people to see a photo,
mean like before they even see whose photos. I want
them to know what's mine for both businesses actually because
it means it's huge. But so whether so I use
(24:51):
light Room obviously because I use I mean I edit,
but oh my god, that I buy your presets, I'll
just edit your photos or just getting into this world
a presets And I'm like, and if you're listening right now,
and you're like, what the hell is she talking about?
And I think I may have talked about this in
another episode. Presets are when okay, you know what, I'm
going to let you explain it because you're a photographer,
(25:11):
So can you explain what presets are? Yeah? So in
layer Men other apps too. It's not just light Room.
They have other photographers or artists have come up with
preset settings for your photos. So basically, bringing a photo,
you click their preset, it adds. However, they edit to
your photo and then you can tweak it from there.
So it just helps you or brand stay consistent. Almost
(25:33):
every photographer I know either has created their own presets
or uses someone else's presets and tweaks it to be
their own, just because it makes your brand consistent. It
helps you from you know, taking hours and hours hours
to edit one photo. Yeah, almost everybody uses them. Yeah,
it's crazy. When I was like, I feel like I'm
ninety when I first heard people like, oh download presets
or can do you want to share presets? And I'm like,
(25:55):
what is going on? And then I went on Etsy
and bought some and I was like, how do I
even how do I even get them in there. Oh
my god, I've turned me to my mother. So it's
a whole another world. But if you are launching a business,
it's so important to stay on brand, and something as
simple or ridiculous as presets and keeping your pictures the
(26:16):
same is very important because, like you said, if someone's scrolling,
I mean, how fast are we scrolling? But if I
see a picture instead of seeing the tiny handle, there
are a lot of times when I know, oh, that's
that person, because that's what their stuff looks like. Especially
with you, it's already happening with you. I know, oh
that's palm songs and prosecco. I know what your pictures
look like. So you're right, it is important to have
(26:38):
that branding and something as silly as a filter, really,
but it's important. It's so important, and a lot of
people don't know that. Instant I mean, Instagram is free.
It's your tool for advertising. I mean, you get nine
pictures to convince someone that you're worth a follow, and
if those photos kind of don't go together, then they're
not going to follow you. Because people want pretty things,
(27:00):
and that's what Instagram is for. Pretty none is a
hot mess. And luckily I'm not a business, but I'm
totally with you. I completely agree. So how do you
Because we were obviously trying to schedule this podcast in
between both of our schedules, it was almost impossible. How
do you schedule? Okay, I've got a photography business to run,
(27:20):
but I just got all these candle orders, Like how
do you plan that out? Yeah, it's it's been a challenge.
Um this year is slowly getting a little bit more
and more easy because I've been better at telling people,
like I have this day open, and I'd be like, okay,
I have these five days because there are days this
week that you know, I stayed home all day because
I had to edit, or I had to make candles,
or I had a package up the fifty orders I
(27:42):
got last week or whatever. And so I try and schedule,
Like yesterday, I had a meeting, two photo shoots, a
happy hour, and had like eight errands to run and
I had to find lunch in there somewhere and I didn't.
I barely eight yesterday. But like, I schedule those really
busy days so I can come home and just sit
the next day. Yeah, you know, I've been noticing that
I'm doing the same thing. Like today you saw me
(28:04):
post answer them all the things I have to do
because instead of spreading things out and be like, oh,
I have to on Wednesday do this one thing, and
it kind of throws off your whole day. If you
jam pack your day like you're saying, you do have
time those other days to either relax or if something
comes up, get it done on those days. Yes. Yeah,
So I try and do like two really really busy
(28:25):
days every week, and then the other three mother, I
mean during the week days. I usually have a wedding
on Friday most of the time, and the other two
want to try and take off. I think that's a
funny term for business owners. But I try and like
at least watch like an episode on Netflix, or have
my coffee a little slower in the morning, or not
go to my computer right away um, or go for
(28:46):
a walk with my dog or something um. And then
the other couple of days that I'm not doing anything,
I'm editing, I'm making candles, I'm you know, getting the
house picked up because I hate when there's clutter everywhere
and just like doing things for myself. Come over, please
love me. When you left your corporate job was it
weird not having structure right away or did you love it? Yeah?
(29:08):
It was, actually it was. It was weird. I thought
that it wouldn't be because I was trying to prepare
myself for it mentally. But it was weird knowing that
I could sleep in the next day, but I didn't.
I don't know if I've ever really slept in since
I left my corporate job because I'm so excited to
get to work and knock things off my ted list
for myself finally, Like it was, it was weird not
having to work for someone else and knowing that my
(29:29):
income realized totally on me getting my ass out of
bed in the morning. Yeah, it's scary, but it's so
exciting too. Oh yeah. And I text my husband probably
three times a week. He's probably listening to this um
at a later date, but I'm like, I'm so tired,
I like noon, and he's like, take a nap, and
I was like, you don't understand. I can't take it now.
But then I sit back and I'm like, no, this
(29:51):
is why you left for corporate jobs, so you can
take a nap if you want to. But I've been
struggling with that mentally. So that's one of my big
goals this series. But I feel like you need an
app taken nap because it's huge that I get to
allow myself to do that. One of the episodes I
talked to her name is law she's actually I heart
Radio DJ and has a shaved ice truck in Phoenix,
(30:11):
and she said something along those lines of like, you know, where,
are we smart because we have all these side hustles
or are we dumb because we have all these side
hustles because we're supposed to figure out how to work
less and still make more money. And when she said that,
I was like, you're so right. And then on the
Decks with the Laney episode, she talks about how sometimes
you just have to say no and do something for yourself.
(30:32):
And I think we beat ourselves up so much of
over over, like, oh, people are gonna think I'm being
lazy because I'm not working, but like really, an eight
hour day is normal life and none of us are
doing that anymore. They're working way longer. So girl, take
your nap. That's your new shirts. Girl take a nap.
Y seriously that you need that. So if someone right
(30:57):
now was sitting at their desk at their corporate job
and they feel the same way you felt before you
left yours, and they're listening to this podcast. What is
something you would say to that single person listening right now?
I would tell him, First off, breathe. I didn't breathe enough,
and I was so concerned about everything that I didn't
take time for myself. And that's where I became like
(31:17):
mental breakdowns, depression just so much, always terrible. Um, So breathe.
First off, calm down. This life is too short to
like think about it way too much. You're making money,
You're good. Um. And then to figure out what makes
you happy. So photography makes me happy, my boutique makes
me happy. My other side house on makes me happy.
But that's not why I have those businesses. I have
(31:38):
those businesses because I found that I have a passion
for creating businesses, which I thought was such a scary
thing because I'm like, call, like crap, I don't have
a passion for photography or making candles or what am
I doing? And then I realized, I'm doing this because
I love owning businesses and that's okay, So figuring out
it might not be like, oh my god, I'm so
passionate about like bite writing, like you can't really do
(31:59):
anything with that, but is something that if you're not
going to start a business with bike writing, but go
volunteer and be around it more often and being able
to be around things that bring you joy. If you
can't get out of your corporate job yet, find things
that bring your outside of working. And that was that
was huge for me. That's huge, that's awesome. I love that.
And the breathing thing is extremely important. I've been working
(32:20):
on it as well. So if you're sitting at your
desk right now and you're breaking out about your annoying
coworker next to you, focus on you and breathe with
you that So this is awesome that you're doing this.
Anyone listen to the podcast. You can use code Carla
Marie fifteen. That's one five and you'll get off your
order at palms psalms prosecco dot com. There's no end
in the website. Okay, good Palms psalms Prosecco dot com. Amanda,
(32:45):
thank you for taking time to be on this podcast.
I know you had a billion other things to do today,
so thank you, yes, thank you so much. It's been
so fun. Thanks for listening to another week of Side Hustlers.
Support Amanda It's Palms Psalms Prosecco dot Com use code
Carla Marie one five off of your next order. I
(33:05):
swear herself as super comfy. The candle smell amazing, so
check her out and I will see you next week
on Side Hustlers. Just in case you need one more
round the Last Called podcast with Carla Marine Anthony One
Last Little Taste to hold you over until tomorrow, Available
(33:27):
worldwide on the r Heart Radio app
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