This week I had the opportunity to talk to Grace Burby, one of our students from the Next Level program, about growing her sales from $600 a year to over $35,000.
I love hearing from our students because they are such a great reminder and inspiration of what's possible when we're willing to commit to our goals and finally put our fears and doubts in the backseat.
Grace started Twirl In Pink with ZERO resources. She didn't have a great idea of what she wanted her product to be or know what direction she wanted to go, but she moved forward anyway.
We chatted about her background in entrepreneurship, how she chose her product, and what she did to get traffic to her store. Grace offers her advice to those who may just start out and explain why she loves the Next Level program so much.
The Next Level program is currently exclusive to those in the 0-100K System group, and seats are filling up fast. Shoot me an email at support@alisonjprince.com if you're interested in being a part of the fun!
How Grace Burby Got Started
I love Grace Burby's spirit. She firmly believes that everyone has a talent, and those who don't know theirs just haven't discovered it yet.
After spending many years focused on raising her young family, Grace felt it was time to lean into herself and develop a new skill. She had no clue what it would be but knew that she could do so much and wanted to take that chance on herself.
So she did.
Grace just started working. She didn't have any guides or resources in the beginning, and there was a lot of trial and error. She knew she wanted to help provide for her family and supplement her husband's income, so she just kept on moving forward until she eventually stumbled on the 0-100K System.
In those first four months, she made $600 in her business and knew she wanted to step it up, so she joined the Next Level program. She felt like she needed more clarity and guidance on what to do and found that the program's support definitely provided that.
And now she's made over $35,000 in sales!
How Grace Burby Chose A Product And Drives Traffic
I want to take a moment and reiterate that it's so much more important to just start than have it all figured out. Grace Burby went through several products before finding one that would be a fit.
At first, she thought she wanted to sell kids' clothes. But then realized she didn't want to have to deal with various sizes so thought even smaller and came up with 3-d greeting cards. But then those didn't really sell, so she meditated on what she would really enjoy doing. And with the support of the Next Level program, she settled on selling jewelry.
Jewelry spoke to her passions because they went hand-in-hand with her love for minimalism and elegance. She wanted her product to be something her customers would interact with every day and radiate their inner beauty.
With that big step out of the way, she could now focus on driving traffic to her store. Remember, she didn't have unlimited resources to do this, so she got creative. Grace takes all of her product photos herself using props that she got at the dollar store. She's learned how to use her phone and camera to get high-quality photos that are beautifully lit.
To get traffic to her site, she works with many deal sites and focuses on influencer marketing. She's big on building strong relationships with her customers, and getting a note about how happy they are with their purchase is the biggest gift of all.
Grace shares that if you don't see sales coming in then that means it's time to do something that makes you uncomfortable. Maybe for you, that looks like connecting more on Instagram or putting more offers out. Whatever it is, just go and do it.
Advice For Entrepreneurs
Number one is to trust yourself. You can do anything as long as you hold on to the self-belief that you can do it. You might not have your product right away or know what you're doing, but that's okay. This is just a part of the journey, and you are building skills for your future. Trust the process and trust yourself.
Next, don't compare yourself to others. You might not be making as many sales as the person next to you, but that doesn't mean you aren't doing great! Grace makes goals for herself to hit and just tracks her progress against herself.
Train your brain to accomplish your goals by first breaking them down. If you want to make x amount of dollars a month, divide it into palatable chunks to feel so overwhelming.
And finally, appreciate the growth and self-confidence that comes with the journey. You are doing so much and should be proud of the transformations you're making.
Top Takeaways
- You don't have to have all the business skills to get started. You don't need any skills! Just get started.
- What you sell should make you happy.
- Do you ever get kind of confused with all the lingo that's being used out in the business world when you first get started? You gotta learn the new terms, and you're not gonna know them on day one, so just get out a pen and paper and start doing a little Google research. Take it one step at a time!
- When you start a business, you are going to need some guidance and counseling. You don't have to go through this alone.
- When you change your environment, you change your outcome. That's why coaches are so great to have. It's because they help you change your environment.
- Those tiny, small steps you're taking are actually what you need to help create the clarity you're looking for in your business.
- Whenever you're doing something in your business, and you feel like you're jimmy-rigging it and it's kind of embarrassing, remind yourself that you're the only one who finds it embarrassing.
- If you're not making sales, then it might be time to make yourself a little uncomfortable.
- Plan around your schedule.
- Get in a group that asks questions!
