Discover how Juliana VanLaanen and Samantha Alavi-Jackson transformed their small Etsy shop into a luxury playhouse brand, navigating challenges from hand-painting in a sweltering warehouse to partnering with Amish artisans. Listen as they share their journey of innovation, resilience, and game-changing market strategies that landed 2 Momma Bees in over 110 stores.
Below are the key takeaways from this episode:
- Starting Small and Scaling Up: Juliana VanLaanen and Samantha Alavi-Jackson began their venture, 2 Mama Bees, as a small Etsy shop from their backyards, eventually growing it into a brand that features in over 110 stores.
- Consumer-Centric Product Development: The duo emphasized the importance of listening to customer feedback which influenced their decision to design and manufacture more user-friendly, higher-quality playhouses domestically with Amish artisans.
- Handling Production Challenges: They tackled significant hurdles including switching from overseas production to domestic manufacturing to ensure consistency and quality, despite initial cost challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Innovative Presale Strategy: Their approach to product launches involves presales where they collect customer interest and payment details without charging until they’re sure of the product's market fit, minimizing risks and inventory costs.
- Intuitive Business Decisions and Team Building: Despite their initial lack of experience, their intuition, willingness to learn, and commitment to hiring skilled team members allowed them to navigate complexities, resulting in remarkable success and industry recognition.
Todays guest, Juliana VanLaanen, can be found online at:
Website: https://2mamabees.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliana-vanlaanen/
Todays guest, Samantha Alavi-Jackson, can be found online at:
Website: https://2mamabees.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-alavi-jackson-30a5b8264/
Your host, Scott Turman, can be found online at:
BrightRay Publishing: https://brightray.com/
Entrepreneur Website: https://scottturman.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottturman/
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