This week’s interview brought a much-needed kick to my step, and I think it will do the same for you too!
As entrepreneurs, we tend to normalize doing it all. There seems to be this cultural mindset that hustling means having all the balls in the air at once. And it’s such an easy trap to fall into because we not only love our business, but we love the value we add to people’s lives. We start to believe that the more we do, the more we are helping ourselves and others. Rebeca Miller of Munchkin Lane reminded me that often the pep in our step we’re looking for is actually taking the leap and doing less.
Much to her surprise, she went from random orders with no consistency to just under 2,000 paying customers per month just by selling workbooks for kids.
You will love her as much as I do. She is such a light, and it turns out we both fangirl over one book that you have to get. It has changed both of our lives forever!
So if you’re ready to take back your life and find the much-needed balance you’ve been looking for, then keep on reading!
How It All Got Started
Rebeca became a student of mine and felt a bit stretched thin…not just in her business but in her home life as well. Her husband was away for medical school while she stayed home with FIVE kids between the ages of 2 to 7–and in COVID times where she’s now juggling mom, business owner, AND teacher.
She realized that she deserved to be present in her life and for her family. So she made the difficult decision to scale back on the products she offered, thinking it would mean a pay cut.
As it turns out, not only did she NOT take a pay cut, but she went on to massively increase sales in her business.
I had to ask how she was able to find so much success so quickly, and her answer was totally inspiring. Rebeca knew she needed to provide for herself and her family, and she just carried the self-belief that she was capable of doing it.
You gotta master your mindset!
From there, it was just a matter of getting to the next step and trudging forward. She joined the $1-100k Program, bought a new printer, and held tight to her confidence in accepting whatever came her way.
Why You Should Focus On The One Thing
When Rebeca started her business, her singular focus wasn’t on the busy books that she’s so popular for today. Instead, she had several selling products, but they weren’t making as much money as she hoped.
As we entered the new normal of schooling from home, her workbooks for kids really started to pick up. Rebeca was soon up to her neck in work, and her customers absolutely loved her products.
This is a dream come true for so many shop owners! Except, even though she was making massive sales, Rebeca was busier than ever.
She knew she would need to pivot again and make a change when she noticed it was affecting her personal commitments. Her son even got accidentally unenrolled in school due to an oversight she would have caught under typical circumstances.
Rebeca decided to stop fulfilling personalized orders and instead started a subscription service that would only be open for enrollment for a short period of time. The rest of the time, customers could buy individual books.
It turned out to be a great shift in her business. It allowed her to focus on what she’s best at, designing beautiful workbooks, and still keep her customers happy and satisfied.
And if you’re wondering what she uses for her subscription, it’s the app called ReCharge.
Rebeca Miller’s Advice to New Business Owners
Rebeca has just been doing such a great job, so I had to pick her brain for all you newbie business owners.
Her first piece of advice is to find a product you love, test it to see if it does well. If so, then keep at it! If you want to add other products to your site, choose ones that match well with that top-seller.
Rebeca Miller’s top seller is her busy books, so her add-ons include stickers and flashcards. Note that she doesn’t also try to sell toothpaste and hair accessories! It’s all about keeping the focus on the main product.
Her next piece of advice is to create a website. Maybe you feel like you’re too early in the process of building your business, and you’re kinda nervous about putting yourself out there. Well, kick that fear to the curb because a website will help you look extra professional. Remember: none of us know what we’re doing until we figure it out. You are much further along than you think.
And finally, she says that the best way to get clear on your product is to focus on the things you’re already good at. Figure out what you’re passionate about and run with it! (Oh–and read the book Essentialism. It will change your life! I’m obsessed!)
Top Takeaways From Rebeca Miller
- Get a copy of Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown here
- Listen to what your customers need. How many times do we create a product for us and miss the bandwagon of what is needed?
- Sometimes your so-called dumb thing is the thing that takes off. Satan is doing all he can to derail you from success
- Congratulate yourself on your one-star review vs being upset over it!
- Focus on the one thing
- Maybe you can do it all, but you don’t have to do it all
- Changing the thought from “What do I give up?” to “What do I want to go big on?”
- By scaling back her selling days, her growth exploded!
- Discover your talent and realize that you do have a talent for it and not everyone does.
- Focus on the one thing that leads to your highest contribution!
