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with Cheryl Sutherland www.valerielavignelife.com/116 for full show notes [00:28] Valerie LaVigne: Welcome to the women's empowerment podcast today I'm really excited because I get to introduce you to our special guest, Cheryl Sutherland, Cheryl is a transformational speaker business strategist and founder of please notes. A for purpose company and affirmation Feld products creator Cheryl felt restless and underwhelmed at her nine to five.   After spending over 1400 hours in learning and facilitating personal development coaching and reigniting her inner creativity, Cheryl created a company that inspires women to step into their own power by building confidence clarity and creativity as a woman's empowerment expert, author and entrepreneur, Sheryl Sutherland and please notes have been featured in instyle Huffington Post Forbes, Fast Company, American Express open forum thrive global Britain co travel and more. And on podcasts, such as the creative Empire, I love success. nofilter with Phil Palin, and more, including now the women's empowerment podcast resides between Los Angeles and Toronto, Ontario and again, Cheryl I was so excited to have you here I feel like this was just the right timing and we came together in this really powerful way through the make lemonade community in a very strange time, but what I love about this whole thing is that it's become this kind of organic serendipitous little like no we're talking about little adventure that we've, we've been on together.   Cheryl Sutherland: Yeah, it's been so so delicious and I'm super excited to be here with you today.   VL: Thank you. Well, I was doing a little bit more research on you and kind of getting to know. But what I really discovered I was looking for the juiciness, but I really discovered was that you're like a fairy godmother. you just like pull all these magical things out of people and you're like this is who you are and you fold up this mirror for people and you are like confirming and affirming. They're, like, they are light, I guess you could say so. I was just thinking like, oh my god I feel like she just like their buddy Bobby boobs into, into people's lives and like creates this magic. And speaking of magic your, your products are absolutely stunning and pleasing.   CS: I think that might be the next tattoo I get is booty bump. And then just put it on my left butt cheek. because I am quite magical let's let's be real.   VL: Oh my gosh, that's amazing. I love it, I love it, love it. I've never actually I don't know if I've inspired anyone to get a tattoo before so this might be a first.   Well I'm also really excited to have you on the show because, as I read in your bio you are an expert in women's empowerment and what better place to talk about that than on the women's empowerment show. So I really would like to learn a little bit more about what you share and how you you serve your community.   [3:33] CS: Oh my god, I love this so thank you again for having me on. Perfect timing as per always, and I mean I guess I am a fairy godmother I'm just gonna take that, because I'm all about helping you become your favorite version of you, and whatever that means to you because everybody's got something different. Some people really want to be an amazing parent some people their version of success is to, you know, have an amazing company or, you know, be able to support, like kids in a certain way that they feel like is super important.   And I feel like the more that we allow people to step into their zone of genius and really do those things, follow their curiosity and believe in themselves. That's how we get the ingenuity that we desire that's how we, you know, create the advances, not only in technology, but in society as a whole, like, really allowing for us to move forward and to be better and to be even more successful more fulfilled than we were before. As you had indicated before I have this amazing line of affirmation for both goods and that was my first step into that space. Because I really wanted it to be about the individual like for them to be able to have the tools that they needed to move forward to really delve in deep to really discover who they were, what their passions were etc etc. And then, I've kind of expanded since then so of course I've got like the guided journals, which included like clarity dream manifestation and gratitude. And I've made it in such a way that it's comfortable.   And if it's not fun if it's not easy why I do it right. And then of course I've got the additional goods like we already held the water bottle labels the enamel pins as continual reminders of who you really are and what you want to create.   From there I've expanded into more bits like doing more workshops doing more speaking doing more facilitation. Because the thing that I've noticed is that people will get really excited get themselves a journal and be like, I'm going to change things in my life, and then get stuck so in me being able to provide not only like a service of saying, okay, here are some different journaling tools here are some different techniques. Let's do this together right now, it really allows us to start creating that inertia, start creating that momentum, increase the change that they really want to have in their lives.   [6:16] VL: That is incredible and I feel like, as you're explaining this, it really becomes clear that there there is a gap in this type of field like that personal development. The journaling, all of that fun and pretty amazing. You know that like inspirational stationery, it's all wonderful but if you're not using it and you're not putting it into practice or not taking action then you're not going to see those results you're not going to see that growth.   So, I love that you have kind of evolved in this way to to offer these workshops to go that little extra bit in really supporting your community, and not just like selling a product. So I think that's really powerful. Can you tell us a little bit more about how you kind of started these notes because I know you said you started in your nine to five job and then you're getting and also this all into this personal development, did you see that gap as well like how did you. How'd you get to where you are now.   [7:11] CS: So I always say My life is either going to be a Lifetime movie, or people won't be like this show so to make the longest story short, I was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta shout out Stan Peters, and I got involved in personal growth at a really complicated time in my life I had just seen the dissolution of a horrific relationship and then a lot of other relationships decided to leave my life at the same time. And then so that's when I got into personal growth because I knew I was ready to let something new come in and anything had to be better than this and what I discovered was so much better than anything I really discovered.   And really, whatever I thought it could be, and then going and continuing that journey, I had decided that I was going to move to California, because why not write. I'm really big into manifestation I've been manifesting things for years without even knowing. And then when I got clear that that was happening within 24 to 48 hours I ended up getting two job offers and they took one and then six months later, I mean they trucked on down drove down.   And then I worked for a couple different companies which was really great because both of them were led by female entrepreneurs and I can really see that day to day difference in how you feel when you have like high EQ would you feel when you feel like the results that you get when you feel abundant, the results that you get when you are coming from that space of joy and love versus restriction lack etc etc. And then in being able to work for these two companies I was able to see what to do and then what not to do and then again that's very big gap that was in the market, not necessarily something that I was like, Oh, I need to build products with but like really noticing. There's a tangible shift in people's results when they feel good about themselves when they're confident in themselves.   And I guess perhaps even then that's when the seed was planted to really support female entrepreneurs, or entrepreneurs period, because they're not getting that support from their HR like we're not having someone saying hey you're doing a good job or I feel one to 10 like you get a raise right it's just us out here in the streets with our processes.   Right. And then from there. I've reached a point with that second company where I was like, Okay, I know that if I leave here, and I just attempt to get another job. I'm still gonna feel the same level of emptiness because I know that I'm ready to create something that I'm really in love with that really supports people in the way that I want to support them, and something that makes me feel excited like I'm actually doing something I'm creating some sort of difference. And that, at that point, again I had no idea what that was, however, whenever I create room for the universe to jump in.   Honestly the most amazing things happen so I ended up quitting that job. And just spend some time with myself just doing a lot of journaling, going back into personal development magic and working with affirmations really getting into an amplifying my practice, and then that's when that idea came in was really to surround myself with affirmations because I noticed the huge difference in myself, because I had been pouring so much into these different companies I didn't know who I was. I didn't know what I was in love with.   I didn't know what was important to Cheryl, and so in taking that time to pour into myself and boost my self esteem boost my self confidence and, you know, got clear on the ground that I wanted to stand on. Then I was able to allow that idea to come in and then say hey I can actually do this. I think that's something that a lot of people go through, they'll get like a really great idea.   And then the first thing that they have is like, Oh, I can't do it because of X, Y and Z and we pummeled to the ground. However, if you're able to create that sort of fertile ground, and really take care of that. Like take care of your mental space. When you do have an idea, then you can actually support it and allow it to grow.   So with that it was the stickiness of my first item, and it was really like again surrounding myself with all these affirmations because I noticed how quickly we forget who we really are how capable we really are how deserving we really are and that life is supposed to be fun and it's supposed to be great for us right so really taking the time to reprogram and then from the sticky notes. I ended up going to do the, the journals and then migrated into all these other bits because I noticed that, again, like there's just so many different ways that you can choose to integrate affirmations in your life, and it's all about that repetitive like you have to the repetition is the thing that really allows you to change your habit of thought.   So, if you're not continually seeing these things, then you're not going to change the way you think. So when it hits you, the journals they were amazing, but you're probably gonna leave them at home. So what about having like a mirror to cows What about having a water bottle labels, you're going to the gym or wearing like an enamel pin yearly in your meeting and creating these sorts of things. And then from there again like as we talked about like really making sure that people have the tangible, tools, and then the support to actually start implementing these things. And, and I feel like when it comes to business. Personal like it's the biggest personal growth thing ever and anybody that started a business like you.   Right. And it really comes down to the fact that me starting this business, actually has allowed me to grow in such a delicious way, in a way that I couldn't have done by myself through whatever courses through whatever workshops, and it really has allowed me to step into my zone of genius and the place that I really love playing that I can give the most value in a place where I feel like I'm operating at my highest self, and therefore, really creating the changes that I want to create more.   [13:25] VL: Oh my goodness, I feel like that was just the perfect spot for a mic drop.   So, first of all, I want to congratulate you for just really coming to that realization of this isn't for me and who is me and how can I learn more about this person, and the person that I want to be and that's what's really cool about personal development because I've been, you know, doing the same type of work that you've been doing and really understanding myself and figuring out who the best person of me is so that I can serve my community better.   And so it's cool to, to hear kind of that journey for you, and we always talk about manifestation on the podcast too so I'm really excited I want to circle back to that in a minute. You mentioned EQ and for some people who don't know what that is it's emotional intelligence which is a huge part of personal development and of life.   And absolutely starting a business is, is a great way to dive into and take action in personal development my friend says that being an entrepreneur is personal development paycheck.   CS: So there you go, sometimes yeah sometimes.   VL: Sometimes you find your hair and your hands.   CS: But yeah, I love that it started with the sticky notes. Do you have a sticky note with you What does it have participant course I use all of my stuff I feel like Hair Club for men I'm not only the owner I am a, I'm a member too but. So, I wish you could see behind me but I'm not going to pivot my thing. But yeah, so this is what the sticky notes look like, and the original ones that used to have a different affirmation on every single page with a different image. Now the tricky part was that people love them so much that they didn't want to use them. And I was like, yo, if you like my company, buy more sticky notes yeah gotta use them, and then so I actually changed the design ever so slightly so now they come in a pack of three, and each three packs there's there's three different, I guess, what are they called three different color schemes, right, so we've got the pink which is the cheeky and this falls into the majority of like the additional thing, so it's more messages that are like playful and sarcastic so if you're taking notes you have messages like I'm a gift of the world gets a bad rap, I'm amazing at everything and anything that I do, I am legendary etc etc. The blue is war messages of calm so if you're dealing with a lot of anxiety or like you know you're feeling like you would like to top up the amount of love that you have messages like life loves me I'm living a joyful life. I'm so excited to, and then with the golden black collection The Confident collection that really gets into abundance that gets into competence I get into courage messages like everything I touch turns to gold messages like I'm ambitious and abundant, or I only manifest greatness in my life like those are the things that really allow you to build that level of, I guess, confidence as well or EQ and like really allow you to expand into all of you. So depending on what you're going through your journey on what you choose to work on, you know, you might be gravitating to one set of messages versus the other. Or you might want to just talk yourself up on all sides it's really up to you.   [16:57] VL: That sound fun. Okay so manifestation. Something that I learned about you is, and you kind of shared a teeny bit of this is that you manifested. And you you use manifestation you use journaling, to manifest your business success. Can you break that down at all for us, maybe like take us a little bit behind the scenes, and how we could also do that STICKY NOTE PHOTO + LINKS HERE   [17:40] CS: For sure so we've got some tangible tips so if you want to listen to this again. you totally can. I mean we've gotten records for you, or you can start writing them down to feel good to you. So the great thing about when it comes to manifestation is it's really about the energy of what you feel right. So when you are looking to apply this specifically to your business you kind of want to be as specific as you can. That feels good, if you feel like you're pushing if you feel like there's resistance than you're actually kind of taking yourself backwards so again, let success feel natural. Taking yourself backwards, is first everybody's like you need to have a proper business plan right so have that business plan so you know what would be the ideal way you would like to move from point A to point B. If you're like oh I'm going to create a widget and it's going to take over the world, it's just like yeah that's great but how do you want it to. So really getting into stuff like who is your target market. Who is your clientele like Who do you want to buy it, are they buying it for themselves, are they buying it for friends etc etc so you've got that part that's in the business plan. Now we have the opportunity to step into that manifestation journaling part. So when it comes to you getting being like this multimillionaire or creating this delicious huge business, what does that actually look like, what is your day to day.   Who do you talk to where you live, how many employees you have. Do you have a logistic system. are you like really big on social media platform really writing out what this actually looks like. Now, as you're doing so you're gonna notice internally, does this feel good. Are you excited about this, or does this feel like you're forcing it does it feel icky does this feel like kind of like this doesn't really make sense. Pay attention to that. Now, it could be that you have the opportunity to delve into why you have a Glock some people have a block against being successful or having a lot of money or, you know, like, or they have a fear of success or fear of failure like all these things come into play and then by doing that, to discover that it could also be that you're just attempting to make something work that isn't what you, what is in your highest or in your best priorities to actually create and you're going to notice that there's a block there you're going to notice there's a slow down there. And until you have that conversation of is this actually for me or is this something that I feel like I need to do, then you're not going to be able to make that next step and then move through that.   So, let's say for example we've already gotten very very clear that, and I know for myself, that please note is already a multi million dollar business that I have my product shipped all over the world that I get to engage with the most delicious people and I just love the feeling of people purchasing and giving and receiving my goods it just feels so great to see that people really love themselves that are valuing themselves and then also see other people in this way that they deserve the gift of personal growth. Now, also take a look at what you actually want the buyer experience to be like how does that, how does that look like and then also what is your company look like five years down the line, 10 years down the line, how are you growing How are you pivoting really again taking the time to write that out reiterate it to yourself, and then say it to yourself multiple times.   So some people will have like a vision board, some people will have, you know, just like journal it like you've got so many different ways to create that anchor and then when you create an anchor enveloping and relishing the feeling of having what it is you desire is so, so important, because that's the thing that's going to allow it to come into fruition. Now, oftentimes you'll hear with a lot of these like really big athletes that they win, they're like, Oh, you won the championship How does it feel and they're like, Oh, you know like, it feels like it makes sense or it feels natural. Oh look at this person they're so full of themselves. No, they've actually practiced getting the thing that they want so much that it just makes sense for the universe to give it to them therefore they're able to allow it in.   We hear so often about people that win multimillion dollar latos and stuff like that and then 15 minutes later they're broke again. This is because they have not worked on their wealth consciousness and made it so that level of success that they desire is natural. So if it doesn't feel natural then like, It's very difficult to hold on to it. Now, one other thing when it comes to using journaling for your business or for any sort of growth when it comes to your company or, like, your life is what I love to call “post manifestational awareness.”   So this gives you the opportunity to look. Take a look back at what actually happened, especially if it's something that you did not want to happen, and figure out what was the reason behind it, why did this actually occur. So there was actually a show that I did, I was really nervous about doing it I was like no Cheryl this makes sense, it's the next step in your business, etc etc really coming from that space of if I don't do it something bad is gonna happen, aka lack scarcity limitation however I did not know that at the time. Did the show was not great spent like way too much money, and definitely did not make back my investment, and then when I sat down, I was like, Oh, this is why I didn't turn out, because I did not do it from a place of love, or finance or excitement, or happiness. I did it because I thought that I had to, and then also I thought that money was a key to actually allowing my business to grow when it was really about the feeling of it growing and really listening to myself when it came to these things so now I'm able to actually have that conversation and then choose differently and then I noticed when I'm feeling a certain way. That is not what I want to happen. Also if you take a look at something delicious that happened like I was just doing something random and my girlfriend like I was inviting my friend onto clubhouse which is this new social app Hey what's up, and I was like hey do you want to check this out like here's a thing and it was a PR agent that lives in America that I knew from like a hot minute like a long time ago we used to just work in a co working space together. And she was just like, yeah. Oh, and I was actually thinking about you because I actually am doing the holiday gift guide with Ebony and I would love for you to be in there and then we can also have you on like Instagram Live and you can do a little session probably like, okay, that's cool. Because every magazine you like, that's pretty big. And I didn't have to sleep with anyone. I didn't have to do anything. I was just like, yeah, this makes sense like let me just give you this uh this person like.   And it just fell into place for me and really allowing me to step back into the feeling of what actually transpired to allow that to happen. I was in an amazing mood. I was feeling giving, I was like, who could really benefit by having this invite to clubhouse who I actually really like, and then I thought of this girl and she was like hey, Merry Christmas. So really allowing you to notice the feeling that's attached to the things that you are doing so that you can practice, taking action from that, that same feeling of allowing of expansion of happiness and then abundance.   [24:58] VL: Oh my goodness I'm getting like tangley and excited this is so great. So, I love this because I often forget about the power of manifestation, I forget that when I'm reaching a goal I outline all the logistical things I can, I feel like most of the time I think logically and then I'm like, oh yeah but then there's also this magical power of our mindsets. So you mentioned a couple kind of, I guess the word, we could use is like mistakes people make when they're manifesting, is there anything else that people should avoid doing when they're manifesting?   [25:34] CS: Yeah, I definitely think people think that they have to be the catalyst and that was a big problem for myself, my kids, my personality is naturally like a controller personality.   And so I used to having if anything's gonna get done, I have to be the one to do it, which is not conducive to building a multimillion dollar Empire like I have to be able to learn right I'm choosing to be able to learn how to delegate how to give to people and how to also attract amazing people that are operating within their zone of genius, as they're supporting me. And so I think what a lot of people think is okay, what is the end result that I want and how am I going to bring it to fruition and be like, I'm sitting with her I'm deciding I'm sitting with Oprah at her house, eating avocado, this is what's going to happen, or like, you know, I am going to get this next business deal and it's going to be feel so great and to do that, but even in me saying that you can kind of hear the energy behind it and just like are you forcing things like this is not good. So being really general. So if the thing that you want to come into fruition has a lot of energy around it, it's kind of sticky, you're not able to kind of like, you know, jig rejigging around just go general so stuff like you know: Everything is always falling into place for me Life loves me I living in a friendly universe Things that you can say and feel that they are in fact true like I am secure, you know, you might not be feeling rich but you might feel abundant you like even though you don't have the zeros in the bank account right. You might feel like, you know what I'm secure and safe like that things are things are just delicious today, were like, oh, like I love surprises surprises and the universe continues to surprise me in the most amazing ways and letting that be the thing that you allow to grow for you and then all these other places are gonna fall into place for you too.   [27:26] VL: That's such great advice. I am really glad that you said that because something you mentioned at the beginning of this episode was, you know, when you started your your your personal development journey. You didn't even realize how amazing it was going to be. I think that's what people forget is like, we think, what we want is so great and we think that like this is the goal we're striving for. When really, it's so much bigger than that, like it's so much more amazing and so much more powerful and more incredible. And so I'm really glad that that you gave those those examples, I love them. I'm gonna write them down their own manifesting I'm very excited. So, another key piece to manifesting that you mentioned was the action taking so you're you're following your feelings, and then you're taking actions, and then another action, another action. All of this is leading to, to the goal or like the big picture, and I know a lot of people stop themselves at the action taking piece I know for myself like when I first got into personal development I was reading all the books, until all the books were saying the same thing and I wasn't doing anything to get there, like I wasn't really putting myself out there for. So for some of the people who are listening and new to manifestation, or maybe new to their business?   [28:58] CS: What is some advice to take out action. That's great. So I think that the most important thing is it's not really about action it's about aligned action right so you have to do things that feel really good not because just logically it makes sense. Now, as you start practicing you're going to notice that feeling within your body. Are you afraid to do something or is this actually like a block to not do this, like, is this your intuition, telling you, no.   So I would actually say start practicing a lot with meditation if you don't have a meditation practice, then please do take a look at some whether it's some guided meditations I've got some available on the website, or you can use YouTube or, you know, sitting for five minutes, 10 minutes, 20 minutes at a time, and just connecting because then that's really what's going to allow your intuition you really notice the difference in your intuition versus being trial and error because I mean trial and error is great but it's just like, why. So, as you practice with the aligned action, you're going to be able to know okay like for example when I got a virtual assistant, I was like, ah, but I'm like I know I need to do it, but also like I had a lot of fear but it's just like, Okay, what is this fear this fear is not about the fact that I need this person or this person is amazing at what they do, or that my business will amplify itself as a result of having additional support. It was the fact that I was worried that I wasn't going to be able to consistently pay this person and that might get in trouble with that. Right.   That is not the truth. Because in fact, in me employing this person that I'm going to actually be able to create more streams of income and do it much quicker than if I attempted to do it myself. And I'm not going to be burnt out like everybody's like, Oh, I want to be successful but if all you're doing is hustling and struggling this whole time, then you're never going to be successful because you don't know how to rest in success. You don't know how to rest in that level of achievement and we're so good at pushing ourselves, and having the opportunity to take that step back and just say, Oh, this is what I've created, let me be proud of myself really acknowledge where we're at and that's going to be one of the key things for you to actually be that successful person that you really desire to create that life you want. So, but going back to that when you're taking action really understand like, what is the purpose of this action, and is it pulling and you can feel internally is is pulling you towards the thing that you want or is it kind of like sidetracking or taking you away from it.   Now sometimes the universe will end like you will do it for yourself Take the, the slightly scenic route. However, there was always opportunities for growth and everything that you go through so there's never a wrong thing that you've done it's just like, oh I'm learning right so if you're doing something new. It's not mistakes, it's just learning opportunities. And as long as you actually learn those lessons, then you won't keep repeating it so again. I know a little diatribe but when you're coming down to making decisions really understand the come from, is it coming from your heart is it coming from your head, or from the gut. Does it make sense for you in your business does it feel good.   Does it feel aligned with what you want to create and when you want to serve, and if so then you know just step ahead and step in for.   [32:14] VL: That's perfect. And it really comes back to getting clear about the intention, and getting clear about how you want to feel, which I feel like is a perfect segue into one of your offerings that is an A newer I guess this year, and it's called Create Clarity in Your Calling. Tell us about this. How can we be a part of it?   [32:39] CS: Oh my gosh, okay so basically what I've done is I've taken some of my favorite class is to really support people again in starting to just do the things right but also do it with the extra little sauce like the extra bit of mindfulness like the cheat code I guess is the best way to say it. Not a cheat code, a legend. There you go. So this particular bundle actually has my journal your way wealthy class, it is basically a modified version of my journal your way to clarity class that one actually has or this one actually has different like four different journaling exercises that you get to practice, and you can continue to put into implementation for yourself so you can understand how to actually get into the process of journaling, how to journal for manifestation how to really take a look at the life that you really want to create and against deep yourself in the feeling of having the thing that you want, so it's easier for the universe to give you the things that you desire, and for you to act in alignment versus in scarcity, right. It also has some additional downloads that you can get so you can actually start practicing with different prompts and stuff as well. And then there's also a amazing money manifestation to really allow you into opening up your money files, kind of changing the way that you feel about money, and then making sure that your money is working for you money is your best friend she's out here just in the streets trying to support you the best way she knows how However, if you don't let her help you. She's not going to be able to really opening that up for you and allow your business to come in. [34:12] VL: Cheryl Sutherland www.cherylsutherland.com www.pleasenotes.com instagram: @pleasenotesgoods [35:13] VL: Rapid Fire Round! Question One: What are you currently reading? What is your favourite book? CS: Okay, so if you'd asked me this a little bit ago I would have given you a different number but okay so my favorite book. The longest one has actually been The Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda. The reason I love this book is it really gets into the life of this man who actually started bringing yoga to the, to the west. However, the thing that I love about it is that he lives in this space of possibilities when he was a child and, like, just imagining walking through like the town that you're in and just seeing all these people like this one guy's a disappearing Yogi. this one guy's a floating Yogi and just like having that sense of magic and possibility around you.   I just finished this other book and which is a one steak sauce is called The Game of Life and How to Play It by Florence Shovel Shin, you can get it on like iBooks or whatever for 99 cents and literally it's talking about the law of attraction how to manifesting, how to ask for that space of like, it is versus like oh can I have this, and it's so honestly it changed the way it's kind of amplified the way in my belief and my knowingness that I can really have what I want the universe is here to deliver it to me.   Question Two: What do you love most about being a woman? CS: What do I love most about being a woman I mean like I recently just fallen in love with my body because it is hashtag amazing. But I also think one of the things that I love is just being able like that level of emotion that we're able to connect and share with, and it's kind of sad that it's not as emotional like it's not as accepted for men, because I really feel like that would be so delicious but just being able to be with a group of women and be like oh my gosh hey how are you, I love your hair Let's be friends like I love that and authentically like care and connect to one another, really, really quickly while I feel like it might be a little bit more difficult for our male identifying counterpart.   Question Three: What does Empowerment mean to you? I think it means really it's about being able to stand in all of you, you know, being able to be 100% yourself whether it's your hair, whether it's your clothing, whether it's like the way that you like to pronounce your R's like just allowing you to come and step out and being all of you, and that's actually where we are going to have the most delicious things happen because someone has said yes to themselves.   Question Four: What are you currently working towards? I would like a snack I'm kind of hungry. No, I'm what am I, I'm currently working towards really allowing myself to have support like I had said before, that's something that I'm really excited to have, and also excited to allow in more ways. And then also, multiple streams of income so making, I used to have this thing where if it wasn't hard, then I wasn't doing enough.   Do you know what I mean like if I wasn't, you know, work if I wasn't struggling, that like the money that I received was not as valuable, and I have I've realized that that is in fact a lie. And that, that I don't have any value in the past to struggle or striving anymore so really allowing it to like me to have the things that I desire and it comes easy and it'd be fun, and it'd be life and continue to grow in that way.   [40:32] VL: I'm so glad you said that that's something that I've been really moving away from also is like my, my family grew up, you know, struggling to get to where they are and putting in that, you know, the elbow grease and the blood and sweat and the tears and you know we did this so you could have this and it's like, Okay, I did doesn't have to be such a struggle and that was hard for me because it almost was like part of my identity, but it was like growing up, learning these things from my parents, and now I'm. It's funny because it's like I'm moving away from the home, and also moving away from like that family mindset. Anyway, I feel like that's a whole other episode we could get into.   [41:00] CS: I hear you on that I mean I know for myself like I'm a first generation Canadian and my parents like God bless them they had to go through so much in order to you know make sure that their family members were taken care of that like you know that we were taken care of, and I'm so proud to say that like my parents are really happy that I'm happy you know they're really happy that I've chosen a different path and like, I think that's an opportunity to actually give to our parents in that way as to, to show them that things can be different, and if we're able to strong enough to stand up on our own and say, this is something we're changing for the family.   Like, I know my mom would not say no if I paid off like a couple of like things for her or like, you know, send some extra money here and there for her, she would not, she would not buy that so I'm excited for that to be what everybody in my family lives from.   VL: Mm hmm. That's amazing. Well congratulations for being that that leader in this new way and this new thought,   CS: Okay, thank you.   VL: Well, like I said before, I feel like you are a fairy godmother to many people including myself You inspire me every day that I see you show up on social media, and I love what you're coming out with I love the ideas of the workshops, I feel like that's something that I really look for is like this product is amazing but I need that deeper connection, I need that next step I need that action so I'm really excited to learn more about your funnel and getting involved with it.   CS: Thank you I receive that and thank you so much for creating the space for people to come and have these conversations, and then also for people to listen and understand that the things that they want that they are not alone, that they are possible to have like things are possible for them to have, and that you don't need to do anything to prove your worth you're already worthy, so go and do the things.

with Alora & Veronica May of Sam & Lance! Full show notes, links, and more at WWW.VALERIELAVIGNELIFE.COM/SAMANDLANCE  [0:31] Valerie LaVigne: Ladies, thank you so much for joining me on the women's empowerment Podcast. I am so excited that you're both here I know that one of you is in Canada, and the other is in Singapore so it's so great that we can be connected via zoom today. And, why don't you tell us a little bit about your brand and what you do.   Alora May: Thanks so much for having us. Um, so I'm Laura and I am the co founder and CEO of Sam and Lance. So we started this business in April of 2019 as a way to help empower people to shop ethically and shop transparent transparently, and also shop women owned   VL: On the show, we talked about sustainability we talked about shopping, like we we talk about women's empowerment I feel like this is a great. This is a great episode in partnership so I'm so excited that were chatting today, and because we're coming into the holiday season, and we're getting ready to spend a little bit more and shop a little bit more. We're also going to be talking about some of your favorite products, or our audience. So, let's go through the kind of gift guide that we've prepared for today. What's our first item on the list.   Veronica May: So, hi I'm Veronica. Other co founder of Sam and Lance, and for gifting this year we really wanted people to really stop and think about the things you want to send to your relatives. You want to make sure you're supporting things that are local you want to make sure that you're supporting women so we put together gift boxes to kind of help you on this journey. So one that's really excited about is our Zero Waste starter kit. So we have a number of different items that are going to help your friends and family and maybe even up shop yourself, I can do that, terribly. And so in this kit, you're going to have like reusable cotton pads that people can take their makeup off, or you can actually even use them for like children's faces like throw them in your purse. They're a mom. We have produce bags. So you can bring your produce bags to the grocery store and you don't use the plastic. So the number of products in there to help people start their Zero Waste journey. And we also like to advocate like zero waste is happy perfect it's just baby steps. So, by giving this to family members and helping them, put them in the mindset of shopping ethically    AM: and it was really cool about the zero waste kit on to that okay jump in is a few products in there that you might not think of, like for example we have a vegan and sustainable floss that's in a glass bottle so people don't really think about floss when they think of a scannability but there's a lot of plastic and things that go into floss that isn't great for our environment so you know we really like bringing these products to the forefront and having people have these conversations so then that way you know when you think about your next purchase or you're thinking about, oh my floss just ran out let me, let me get a new one and you just kind of start thinking about how my next purchase and my next thing can be sustainable. So that's why we really love the zero waste kit because it helps people just start that conversation in their own head about the products that they're using that they might not have thought of before.   VL: That's a really great point. And that's kind of where I've been on this zero waste journey, and the beginning of my Zero Waste journey I felt so guilty for like company I guess I was out oh my god this is single use plastic like oh my god I had to use a Glock bag and not beeswax, like, three years. But what I started to realize was it actually starts with just being more aware about the products that we're currently using like, where does this go when I get rid of it where does this flasco when I throw it out and so I actually switched my floss recently to in like q tips or bamboo q tips, which is again like something you don't think about they're not gonna reuse your kitchen. That's weird. Anyways, this sounds like an amazing kit and for people who are listening who maybe have heard the term Zero Waste but aren't exactly sure what it is, can you tell us a little bit about that.   [4:16] VM: Yeah, so the terms are especially a little misleading. A lot of people get nervous cuz you're like, oh I could be one of those people that puts trash in a mason jar and I'm literally create zero waste, but what it is is a journey, it's a momentum to reduce the amount of waste and to start consciously, like you said, thinking about where does this go at the end of its life, everything I'm using so start like everything that's been made of plastic is still on this earth today, every single toothbrush you have ever used is still somewhere on this planet and when you start taking this mindset be like okay, what can I use differently. And the other thing too is we actually named the company after our grandmother's, but thinking about your grandparents is a great way to get in the zero waste mindset, because what we're grandparents doing before all this plastic came into the world. So there's so many tips and tricks there's so many things you'll find online if you're lucky enough to still have your grandparents around you can actually ask them like, what did you guys used to do. And so it's about this journey to just reduce your waste to be really conscious of where it's going and where what you decide to do.   VL: And love that you guys named your company after your grandparents because I my grandma actually lived with us. my whole life ago. I only remember my grandparents living with us my grandma's still around. And I do notice little things that she does that I'm like oh that's over cork, but she's basically reusing jars or containers or whatever it is that she's doing and it's very different from what we're used to, or used to doing but I feel like we're kind of turning backwards a little bit with that so that's exciting. And I'm going to link to actually each of these products that we're talking about on the show notes page. So before I forget, that's going to be at Valerie Levine life.com, forward slash Sam, and Lance spelled out completely, so it's easy to find. Okay, what's our what's on our shopping list for number two, what's the next thing that we're going to get, for us, and then also for other people.   [6:09] AM: So we've curated different gift boxes and all of our different themes. So one of them we call be relaxed box. And this is just an awesome gift to give somebody, you know, to relax. So we have some bath salts in there, incense some body oil and some tea. So, it's also pretty gender neutral as well so you could gift it to anybody you know a friend, your mom, your brother, it doesn't really matter. It's a great gift for everybody. And then we'd like to also say that like our products tell us story so the T is tes t so it's a Toronto based brand, and it's an amazing ethical tea but a lot of the proceeds go to their charity program and give back and, you know, all of our products kind of have this lovely story behind it and story but the woman who made it so you know even with these gift boxes you're giving them this relaxing gift that also, you kind of get to learn these stories behind all these really awesome products, it's not just, you know, something off the shelf that doesn't give back.   VM: And the cool thing about the relaxed box to actually it just happened to be every box is different but this relaxed box is all Toronto based, which is kind of cool. So for any of you like Toronto listeners, you want to shop local. This box is all local Toronto women owned businesses which is extra. We think it's good for Toronto right   VL: We think it's good for Toronto right yeah I love, I love the idea of getting like all my gifts as local businesses or supporting local businesses, tell us a little bit more about the other businesses that you're supporting so you have women in Toronto. Do you have them all over the world or is it mostly Canada.   AM: Yeah, so we have suppliers and products from all over the world so we have Ghana's Cypress Madagascar, obviously Canada in the US but it's really really interesting to see, you know the the different charities and people and women around the world that they support. So, you know, we have these women in Palestine who embroider this beautiful designs onto bags and shoes so that's one of our favorite suppliers and we have karma who makes necklaces and jewelry and from Porsche the transitioning and homeless youth in Toronto, make these jewelry and that helps to give them an income so that's another one of our really awesome suppliers that we have here,   VL: I'm actually get like goosebumps when you talk about this because as you know my brand is all about empowering women. And it's so incredible that we live in such like a small world like that we can connect to people in Africa, and people in Europe and people through we can even Canada in the US like these are huge countries that were able to support all these women globally. So, this is really exciting I know I have listeners from all over the world so I'm sure that it's happening all over the world today.   AM: We only ship to the US but however we do ship globally if someone emails and gives us a certain request so we've had that before and we've made accommodations based on like individual requests, which is fine.   [9:10] VL: Yeah. Okay, that's really good to know. That's, I'm glad I asked that. So, we have the relax box, and let's say like, I love baths, so much. I love tea, but I don't drink a lot of tea. I don't drink as much tea as I'd like to drink. So let's say I want extra vassals, can I also order these products separately. When I'm shopping.    VM: Yeah, absolutely.   VL: Okay. Perfect. Okay, so this is all exciting because already I'm just like yes I want that because I want that, maybe I'll just tell people this is the link that I want everyone to shop at and that will be for me. We have one more special box that we want to talk about. [9:59] AM:  I also want to talk about the wearable aroma therapy gift boxes I just thought about one and I feel like you would love this and you should put this on your Christmas list because it also includes two products from brands that I just mentioned so there's a necklace from kind karma, which is the one that's made by transitioning and homeless youth and it has three different stones on it. And basically you can put essential oils on these stones and then you can, you know, relax and empower yourself throughout the day with whatever your scent is, but then also within the wearable aromatherapy bonds be included in essential oil that's made in Madagascar so it's a really cool bond that has these two items that's a really really fun gift to give somebody that we feel like we haven't seen anywhere else or done anywhere else.   VL: Oh my gosh, I love that I'm always looking for wearable aroma therapy because the special stones are typically they're lava rock or lava stones. And, yeah, they're like little diffusers basically and you just had a couple of drops in them, oh my god I love that actually, I couldn't find any necklaces and bracelets that I really liked so I started making just my own for, like, I wouldn't want to do retreats and things like, I make little extra ones but oh my god I'm so excited about that we're definitely going to add that into the list.   Okay everyone, we've done all my shopping today. Check. Okay, so now we have a fourth, we have a fourth kit that we want to talk about what which ones that one.   VM: Yep, so we want this year we launched our subscription service. So we think this week four times a year you would get a box full of ethical, sustainable items that are from companies made by women delivered to your doorstep. So we have two options we have the classic box, which is $66 and that's a collection of pieces that are already on our website you kind of get to try some kind of usable items like candle, with some nice bullet candle in there or like skincare. I think you'll actually use from our stuff and then we have the exclusive box where sometimes we can't. If we can't work with the supplier directly or you find some really special ones. He's good to go into our exclusive box and these aren't yet available on our site. So we do extra work to find new brands for you to love. And the thing about the box is to make sure that these items are usable. And we also try and make sure that the packaging is as eco friendly as possible. And we do everything in our power to make sure there's no plastic in there. And if there is we've actually worked with suppliers to have them change their packaging to be able to put them into the box which was a really big deal for us and it was wonderful that they're able to do that. So one thing that we think is great is that, to give this as a gift. It's like the gift that keeps on giving. So you know when you have like your sister or like your best friend for you spend a little more on her like giving her a couple months of the subscription boxes throughout the years to us will be about 16 per special, and we think would make an awesome gift and if Alora didn't already have a subscription that's probably what she would be getting from me for Christmas.   VL: That's such a great gift because you're right it does get like the gift that keeps on giving. If I got a gift, every four months. Oh my god.    AM: Because you it's seasonal right so it's each season you get a new box, all winter, spring, summer, fall, and then we try to keep it seasonal as well so on our summer box we had like all natural bug spray and some other summer items and fall we made sure to have a nice like cozy candle. And so I would have tote bags that would be like perfect for apple picking like we really like really thought about this. You told me I gravel thinking this is my number one thing we need to find this.   VL: Yes Oh my God, I went apple picking for the first time this year and they gave us like a reusable tote but there was there was like third plastic on it so I was like, oh, okay, I mean it's reusable but anyway. Wow, that's so exciting. Oh my god, and then is it a surprise every month or do you are each season I mean, or do you know what it is  AM: surprise each season, and we do you know spoilers leading up to it, but it is pretty much a surprise and then we also do have an add on market so if you're a subscriber to the subscription box right before we ship it out we send you you know a few of our select products from our site and we offer a pretty great discount on those to add on to your subscription box that's something that we,   VM: we also do which is like another little perk that you get just if you're as a scription box subscriber, but also for guests we had a few people who bought subscription boxes for themselves and then we're like, you know what I'm going to get out I'm going to look at the products that I'm going to give out a few of them which were like yep that's an awesome idea. And then after they got to be like, I just want to keep everything myself having to purchase additional just for their friends because they just kept everything for themselves,    VL: that's I'm so that person I'm like yeah just get this subscription box and then I'll share and I'm like, like, what, no I want this and I want this, so amazing. I love the idea of the add on market that is such a great idea for business but also for just getting more of these sustainable ethical products and supporting more women with these products bringing them into your home. That is amazing. So now that we kind of have this idea of all the products that we want for our holiday gift. And our holiday self giving.    [15:10] Let us know about I want to know about like the top three products and each and each home that you use every single day or like the most often that you use. I'm very curious.   VM: But so tough because yeah we everything on our site, we, it's very curated, we wouldn't put on our site if we won't use it, which makes it dangerous for us in our personal wallets as well. But in the best way. Um, so, I think my top of view we have a, it's a plain white tea, and it sounds super silly that I'm saying this but it's my favorite item I literally wear it like three times a week and have to wash it, so often. It's plain white tea it's a zero waste tea so it's made with all organic cotton fibers, and it comes with a barcode. So at the end of the natural life cycle when you are done with the shirt, you get to send it back to the woman on manufacturer of their twat, and they properly recycle it into a new t shirt, and then resell it. So it's really really cool it's a great woman owned company and this T shirt is just perfect. It's so soft, it's just the perfect cut and I yeah I say daily and I wear that shirt.   I think the other one would be province apothecary has a beautiful oil based cleanser I'm really big on skincare and oil based cleansers it just works so well for my skin and it just smells like a spa I end up just like sniffing my face one washing it and it's such a beautiful relaxing experience. The other problems apothecary moisturizing oil based cleanser.    I'm so big on the loofa. Okay, first of all, I learned this recently a loofa is actually a vegetable vegetable when it grows on land, I always thought it was like a sea sponge or something, but it's not like a bikini looking gourd thing. And, and you can actually eat them. But if they leave them on the vine longer they dry out and scrub your body. So we had this wonderful vendor from Nova Scotia, and she was looking to retire but wanted to have a farm and she just wanted a crop that would make some money and give her something to do so she created this loofa farm and so she's like the loofa Lee. And so it's just so wonderful like to support this woman's second career and these are just adorable vegetable based on the scrubbers and I just, I love that really gentle exfoliating. The don't get like the musty smell like you would on fire or something. So it has like certainly at microbial properties are really cool and then when you're kind of done with it for your body you can use it on the dishes or disrupt your floor and stuff. It's really cool. So yeah, good point or I do love the little lady.   AM: I'm probably like wearing my top three, which I know it's a podcast and bespoke can't see but I'll show you. So this is one of my favorite bracelets is again by kind karma, and it's a Morse code bracelet. So, it's a bunch of different things.   You can pick so this one actually says string in Morse code. And so there's like love and there's hope so you can kind of pick what message you want to wear just kind of like as a nice reminder to yourself, and that you got it and there this year. Um, so I ran this daily in the shower and it's like my favorite one.   Another one would be, we have what's called like a Yukon soap, so it's actually made up north in the Yukon and it's an indigenous made soap and has like three ingredients, and it's just like so good It's so nice. I usually like every day in the shower, and it's really nice to support I get paid in companies on indigenous made products and women who are doing great things in Canada. So those are two, um, what's my third favorite, there's so many.   Um, I just started using it and like I just ran out of my other shampoos or I just got, we have like a color hair and everywhere on shampoo bar. And so, for people who don't know shampoo bars are just like kind of a bar soap but you just use them like shampoo. So that way you're eliminating waste because it's just the bar you're not having a plastic bottle or even a glass bottle. And so it's really really great to just kind of get more into that less is more lifestyle. And then it's made from all like Zambian ingredients and hundred percent of the profits go to clean water in Zambia, so you just like washing your hair with purpose. [19:47] VL: I think that's so amazing and I feel like people should really be aware of not only Where is my product going. But where did my product come from. So this is a really cool part of, of what you offer and how you support, support other businesses to with your business. When we are shopping on your site. Do we see the stories do we see the people do we see where it's coming from, or is that like something that you get when you open up your product, you open up your package   VM: on the site so when you click on every product you can scroll down to the bottom, and we have a section that describes like the product itself the ingredients if it's skincare anything and then we have a story about the woman and a story about the brand. So, it's really interesting to see how different the braid of the women are but but usually the woman has her own beautiful story behind why she started it or what her story is and then again then the story behind, who the brain supports. And then we also if they do support an external charity or cause we do have that description in there as well. So you actually get to learn everything about it. And we do a whole bunch of research and verifications and checks before we put anybody on the site so if there's information that you're not sure of about a product but you want to know more about the raw materials you can actually just reach out to us, and we have the verification there if it's what you're looking for.   So, which is pretty cool but we can only conclude so much information because we just think people get bored.   AM: Yeah, and also have everything categorized by six values. So within that woman brand, and all that information we have another tab that's our values so we have six different values, which is certified so if they have certification like GTS or Fairtrade we have cruelty free, which of course all our products are but we have thought of ethically manufactured purpose driven sustainably sourced and waste reducing so you can see that that's what we're talking about. We're really really transparent and we have these like special categories that we created you can shop by your values and filter out all the products that are purpose driven they give back or that are sustainably sourced so we really really go deep into all of that to try to make it easy for people when they're shopping, so amazing.   VL: It's like a whole experience around these six values and the and supporting supporting female businesses. So, you are both females, and you are both running this business, tell us a little bit about your story I know you mentioned your grandmother's before and how you created SAM & LANCE   AM: It's like a whole experience around these six values and the and supporting supporting female businesses. So, you are both females, and you are both running this business, tell us a little bit about your story I know you mentioned your grandmother's before and how you cope with it but how you played it safe. VL: That's so cool. I love that I find that probably is one of those like eye opening things that you are getting this experience you're gaining all of these amazing memories but you're also learning so much about different people and different cultures and it's really cool because I think a lot of people go on trips and they think like, Oh, I want to change this, I want to bring this back and, but you're actually doing it, and I can't believe your business is so young, you guys are doing amazing I'm so proud of you both one oh my god I had no idea that you were only like a year and a half. That's like a little baby this is so exciting. Oh my goodness. Okay, we have one more. It's like part of the segment or one more segment in the show and it's the rapid fire round. So I'm going to ask you both for questions, and you can choose whoever wants to go first. And it's really fun and exciting and easy. Are you ready. I think so, yeah, I feel like, so usually like, are   [24:39] RAPID FIRE ROUND!   Question One: What are you currently reading or what is your favourite book?   VM: I have so many favorite books, I'm, I'm super into merch Haruki Murakami right now because I've read one to 84 and it is one of my top three favorite books of all time. And I'll say that I am reading.   AM: By, again, going on to like travel train but like my favorite book is a book, a little book called The desire for elsewhere and Veronica actually found this book for me i think you know like in a Singapore museum gift shop or something like that. And it's just like this little beautiful novel. It's just like a narrative about this woman's desire for elsewhere and travel and just talks about like little stories and you can probably read in an afternoon but it's just like this, like, like my favorite book.   Question Two: What do you love most about being a woman?   VM: I love feeling empowered about the little thing. I just, I love like. I love like putting on cozy sweatpants and like a little t shirt and feeling sexy I love like being able to have this opportunity to do whatever I want. Without these inhibitions where I feel like so many men have this inhibition to get to be masculine you have to be this you have to be that you can't have feelings but we're allowed to we get to have these feelings we have so much more. I just feel like we have a little bit more richness to our lives and sorry to the men who have their richness I don't know do you but I just feel like we have so much more of a chain to express ourselves and to be ourselves and there's more room for us and I also love this supportive sisterhood, especially lately like women are supporting each other so much more. And, and there's always been these tight knit communities of women all over the world throughout history and I just love that about women.   AM: Yeah, I was gonna say like the sisterhood like I just love like women coming together and like we've seen that obviously in the last you know two years that the community that we've built the same Atlanta, but then also you know like we met through make lemonade and I just love seeing these like groups of women come together and like kind of maybe an off side but you like stories about like in World War Two and like how the women like what all band together and they were like actually having better survival rates because they would take care of each other, whereas like the men wouldn't have that type of like camaraderie and help that they didn't have as high of survival rate so I just think it's like throughout history like just seeing women come together and support each other and care for each other and with each other off I think that's so awesome.   Question Three: What does empowerment mean to you?   VM: I thought about this whole blog, especially because of the Stacy working and I still have such a hard time coming up with an answer. But I think kind of what I touched on before it's like empowerment to me means being brave and being able to be every part of you, and feeling strong enough to be able to do that. So I think that's why things like your podcasts are so important to is to help people find that part of them and to empower themselves to find that bravery and to find that strength.   AM: Oh yeah, I know I did something similar to like, I, I agree. And I think for me empowerment is, you know, being brave enough to do things, be brave enough to talk about it and be brave enough to fail. And, you know, I think that especially at the beginning of starting this company, you know, we had a lot or at least I know I had a lot of imposter syndrome and like, barely would talk about what we were doing was almost not good enough for you know maybe when we have more products on holiday, you know tell more people and they just felt like it was never good enough and now that we're doing this. Well, we'll see. And we just did subscription boxes and you know, we're just like talking so much because if it you know something works or something people like it that's great but you know if they don't, if that part doesn't catch on that's okay it's, we'll chalk it up as a learning and we'll just keep moving on to me that is one part of it.   Question Four: What are you currently working toward?   VM: Oh yeah, I know I did something similar to like, I, I agree. And I think for me empowerment is, you know, being brave enough to do things, be brave enough to talk about it and be brave enough to fail. And, you know, I think that especially at the beginning of starting this company, you know, we had a lot or at least I know I had a lot of imposter syndrome and like, barely would talk about what we were doing was almost not good enough for you know maybe when we have more products on holiday, you know tell more people and they just felt like it was never good enough and now that we're doing this. Well, we'll see. And we just did subscription boxes and you know, we're just like talking so much because if it you know something works or something people like it that's great but you know if they don't, if that part doesn't catch on that's okay it's, we'll chalk it up as a learning and we'll just keep moving on to me that is one part of it.   AM: I'm working towards taking my time, I am such a rush through things do things quickly do 10 things at a time that I know that sometimes it ends up being a hindrance and not a help. So that's something that like I've done all my life and it's. I'm really really working towards just like slowing down, and it's, it's so hard for me to slow down but just like taking things, you know, one day at a time and really focusing on what I'm what I'm doing   VM: Fun Fact at Alora's old job they used to call her a laser because she did things like *fast lazer sound effect*   VL: Slowing down, it's going to be a good theme for me do all, ladies, thank you so much again for being on the show before I let you go, let us know where we can find you, where we can follow you. We feel like this question is a little bit obvious but how we can support your business.    AM: We feel like this question is a little bit obvious but how we can support your business. Yeah, so our website is WWW.SAMANDLANCE.COM,  and then on all socials it's Sam and Lance, so you can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and yeah just follow us and sit down. We love just chatting with people we answer all our DMS because running in Singapore I'm in Toronto, we say that we're available 24 hours a day, because we are.    VM: So, another thing too, one thing we like to talk about is supporting small businesses doesn't have to cost anything so making sure you're following people on social media sharing stuff commenting. It's all all greatly appreciated like even if you love something we're doing like send us a message makes you feel good. And, yeah, you can you don't always have to spend money to support women to which is something that we like to remind everyone.   VL: I think that's a really good point but not everyone kind of remembers because a lot of times you will get zero waste products and you will get will be sustainable and ethical these ethical products as well and then you think like, oh my god like that. That's so expensive for floss or but so expensive for shampoo. I'm not used to paying that but you also understand that like you're making it an investment for your health, because the products are better quality but also for the world as a whole, like, the URL. Right. And then it's a great point to say that even just sharing and liking and commenting and yeah just being engaged and involved, mother. Gonna were so good. So amazing so we're getting our relaxed box we're getting our Zero Waste starter kit. We are shopping for wearable aroma therapy, love it, and are also getting and getting subscription boxes. This is just gonna, like, quietly send this episode to everyone and be like that. This is a great episode you should check it out and also has a really great gift ideas for the people in your life, pointing at myself.   VM: And we'll send it direct to your friends and family as they live far away and we'll write a little note for you so there's extra love and alaura learned like we don't pack them with love if we don't pack them with love, they're worried that it won't get ready to go so there's that there's always love in the book, there's good intentions whenever we pack it, it's important.   VL: Yes, it is. And I feel like those little things make such a big difference overall and I know when I open a package. If I'm opening. One of my friends from the States she sent me a little care package and it was like such a beautiful surprise to get you just feel. You just feel more whole and more happy when you get these boxes of love, so I'm really excited to be able to share this gift giving guide with everyone today. Ladies again thank you so much for being part of the show this has been an absolute blast I can't wait I'm going to go shopping right now.

Question one: What didn’t work well in 2018?When planning, a good place to start is to ask yourself what were the one or two things that didn’t work well in 2018. Maybe you planned to sort out your super and didn’t get around to it? Or maybe you didn’t have a good enough handle on expenses (spending)? The idea is to identify one or two big things that didn’t turn out how you had hoped and develop a plan for rectifying them this year. Here’s two tips:1. Often, it’s not a what, but who question. The best way to find a solution to a problem is not by asking “what steps do I need to take” but “who has solved this problem previously that can help me”. Seeking advice or experience from someone that has been in the same situation you will save a lot of time and help you avoid repeating common mistakes. People such as family, friends, colleagues or an independent advisor could help.2. Who’s going to hold you accountable? Creating some sort of accountability has a massive impact on the likelihood of someone achieving a goal. When you set a goal, you must set a deadline and then have someone hold you accountable for achieving that deadline. That could be your spouse, friend, accountant or an independent advisor.Question Two: What are the one or two things you need to achieve in 2019?All of my financial advisory clients have a very clear understanding of the one or two priorities that they need to focus on/achieve this year in order to achieve their longer-term goals. This could include reducing/offsetting debt by a predetermined amount (through good cash flow management assisted with software), investing a certain amount in super, making regular share investments, investing in property or similar.The key question to ask yourself now is “what can I do this year that will have the largest impact on my financial position by 2030?” This will force you to take a long-term view and not be distracted by short-term worries or noise. Don’t try and take on too many goals in 2019 – you really only what one to three goals. And if you are struggling to develop a long-term plan then grab a copy of Investopoly and follow the 8 rules outlined therein.Question Three: Are you safe and secure?It is very important that you periodically consider the things that are in place to protect your wealth and family and the start of a year is a perfect time to do that:· Are your wills up-to-date? Are your executors still wiling and able to preform their role? Have any beneficiaries changed? Do you have current medical and financial powers of attorney? Should/does your will include a testamentary trust?· Are your personal risk insurances (Life, TPD and income protection) up-to-date and still appropriate? Are they structured is a way that you are getting the best value for money i.e. deepest, quality cover for the lowest cost?· Have you reviewed your mortgage interest rates? Should you convert loan repayments to principal and interest (to reduce the interest rate ≈ 0.50% p.a.)? Should you lock in access to equity now? Should you fix any interest rates (3-year fixed rates can be lower than variable rates)?· Is your super invested in the correct investment option? If you have multiple super accounts, should you consolidate them? Have you looked at your super fund’s long term (10 year) performance compared to the leading industry funds (see here – refer to Chart 2)?· Are your tax structures effective? Have you had a review of your taxation affairs?One hour of planning could be the best investment you make this yearMany of the above questions and items really don’t take a lot of time to answer or address. As I say in my book (Investopoly), investing and building wealth is very, very simple – people (and finance professionals) often make it way more complex than it needs to be. So, keep it simple. Spending one hour thinking about the above could reveal some valuable opportunities and help kick start 2019. Of course, if you need any help or referral please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Time Codes Question One: What sets being a player in PBTA apart from being a player in another system? Submitted by David LaFrenierre (01:51) Question Two: What strategies and practices do you employ as a player in a PBTA game to set the other characters up for success? Submitted by Matthew Doughty (10:24) Question Three: What should I be doing during other players scenes? Submitted by Rob Diebold (21:14) Question four: How do you best engage Hx/Strings/Bonds/interPC mechanics? Submitted by Mischa Krilov (28:19)

The entrepreneurial road is one that involves all of life, not just what you’re doing in business. On this episode, Scott shares a good deal in the way of updates on his own family and personal life to show you how integrated life has to be with your business if you’re going to be truly fulfilled. In the midst of telling his stories, Scott highlights the importance of finishing what you start and how that kind of commitment will fuel in you in life and in business. It’s just one example of how The Amazing Seller is about more than the money - it’s about a great life. Are there certain states that are better for entrepreneurs? If you spend even a little bit of time in the online entrepreneurial space you’ll discover that there are certain places in the country that entrepreneurs seem to be drawn to. Two of those places are San Diego and San Francisco. But are there other places that are good locations for entrepreneurs to hang out and network? A listener to the show is moving soon and wants to consider these kinds of issues when he makes the decision about where he’s going to live - and he wanted Scott’s opinion. Be sure to listen to hear how YOU can help answer this question! When I order products from another country what format should my invoices be in? In past episodes, Scott has mentioned that it’s vitally important that you have the documentation you need from your overseas supplier to verify what you purchased, etc. It’s important not just for your records and peace of mind but also because of issues that can arise regarding customs, product specs, etc. It’s much better to be safe rather than sorry, so doing the legwork to get the right paperwork from the outset is worth it. You can hear Scott describe the kind of things your paperwork should contain, on this episode of The Amazing Seller. What is it that makes a private label product truly “private label?” A listener who is fairly new to selling private label products is coming at it very carefully because he’s done numerous online business opportunities in the past that have not all worked out. He’s heard a lot about private label sales and wants to make sure he’s understanding the concept correctly - and know how to approach it wisely. Scott is very impressed with this guy’s thoroughness and spends a little extra time unpacking some of the nuances of private label sales, so be sure you take the time to listen. Do you want to ask an experienced seller your eCommerce or private label questions? The Ask Scott session of The Amazing Seller podcast is your chance to ask an experienced, street-wise Amazon and eCommerce seller your situation-specific questions. You can ask about anything - mailing lists, product selection, PPC, off-Amazon sales and websites, and much more. Don’t be shy. Scott Voelker loves to answer your questions to help you make the most of the amazing opportunities available. Listen to this episode to find out how you can ask your questions - maybe you’ll be featured on the next Ask Scott episode! OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast! [0:29] Updates on Scott’s family and situation - sad and happy at the same time. [3:50] Word of the week: finishing. [7:00] QUESTION ONE: Are there business-friendly states that are better for entrepreneurs? [13:00] QUESTION TWO: What kind of invoices do I need to get from my suppliers to avoid problems? [18:05] QUESTION THREE: What is it that makes a product “private label” for real? RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE www.TheAmazingSeller.com/307 - last Ask Scott episode www.TheAmazingSeller.com/296 - the “open brand” episode www.TheAmazingSeller.com/ask - Ask your own questions! www.TheAmazingSeller.com/FB - join the TAS Facebook community

Establishing and running a successful eCommerce business is a challenge for anyone - no matter how experienced or talented you are. There are so many blind spots and unknowns, it’s helpful to have some experienced advice going in. That’s what the Friday “Ask Scott” episodes are about - Scott’s answers to YOUR questions. You’ll hear him deal with all kinds of issues - from getting started to pivoting into bigger and better ideas outside of Amazon. You’ve got to hear this one, it’s got some great questions and good answers. Cash flow for a new eCommerce business: How do you do it well? Getting started with private label sales is not an easy thing, especially if cash is tight. But even if you have a lump of cash to start with you have to be able to stimulate sales in a way that keeps your cash flow consistent. If you can’t do that you’re going to run into all kinds of problems keeping inventory available, which in turn causes your search engine rankings to be inconsistent. If you want to hear Scott’s advice about managing cash flow, including some cool software or app ideas, be sure you take the time to listen. I got damaged custom merchandise from my supplier, should I return it? A listener called in to ask a very interesting question on this episode. He received some customized products from his supplier but they are damaged. He’s not typically shy about returning defective or damaged products but in this case, since they have his logo on them, he’s concerned about returning them. Why? Because he can envision the supplier fixing them, then selling them on Amazon themselves, bringing disrepute to his brand. What can he do? Find out how Scott suggests he avoid that possibility, on this episode. How to optimize a product bundle effectively. You’ve heard Scott talk a lot about creating product bundles to build a second listing on Amazon that can generate cash flow. There are all kinds of benefits to it, including the ability to rank for a different set of keywords than your original product. But that won’t happen if you don’t optimize the bundle listing well. On this episode, Scott answers a question about bundling complementary products and optimizing that new listing, and there are all kinds of tips he gives to help you do it right. You’ll want to hear this one. What are the best ways to move from retail arbitrage into private label sales? If you’ve ever sold products using the retail arbitrage model you know that it’s not a model that you can scale very well, simply because your product supply is inconsistent. You can’t expect to build a business on somebody else’s brand. So how can you make the switch from retail arb to private label sales? A caller asks for Scott’s advice about that very thing on this episode and Scott gives 3 free resources he can tap into to teach him the step by step process to get it done. Are you interested? You can use the same free resources too, so be sure you listen to find out what they are. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast! [2:40] What does it mean to think in terms of “abundance?” [9:59] QUESTION ONE: How did you handle the issue of cash investment in your business and ongoing cash flow? [18:15] QUESTION TWO: What would you do if you received customized merchandise from your vendor that’s damaged? Would you send it back? [23:00] QUESTION THREE: Two complementary products that I’m considering bundling - how would you optimize the listing (bullets, etc.) [28:31] QUESTION FOUR: I’m thinking of moving from retail arb to private label sales. What is my best approach? RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE www.TheAmazingSeller.com/ask - Ask your own question! www.TheAmazingSeller.com/FB - join the Facebook group! Post from the Facebook group Scott mentioned. www.TheAmazingSeller.com/Resources (find Fetcher affiliate link) www.TheAmazingSeller.com/workshop www.TheAmazingSeller.com/start Jungle Scout www.TheAmazingSeller.com/189

It’s time for the next Friday episode of The Amazing Seller podcast - the “Ask Scott” episode where Scott Voelker, an experienced online business guy and Amazon seller answers listener questions. That means YOU can get in on the action by asking questions related to your Amazon Private Label business - or any other business you may be running. Scott’s got the experience to give you some insight to feel free to reach out to him with your situation - and listen to this episode to find out how you can do that! Here’s one way you can use product variations to your advantage. One listener to the Amazing Seller called in to ask how his competitor is getting his product to show up in search results for two different, gender-specific searches with DIFFERENT TITLES for the same product! Does he have two listings? Scott says it’s most likely that he has the product set up with variations. Product variations, when done right and in a way that is genuine are a great way to target your product to different audiences. You can hear how Scott describes it and get an idea of how you can use product variations on this episode of the podcast. When dealing with product suppliers, should I use a domain-based email that matches my brand? A listener called in to ask about the best way to correspond with a potential vendor. What he’s concerned about is whether or not the vendor will take him less seriously if he uses a generic email like gmail or yahoo mail - as opposed to an email that was something like NAME@GarlicPress.com. Do you know if it makes a difference? What do you think Scott recommends? You can find out my listening to this episode of the Amazing Seller podcast. If you were just starting out, here are Scott’s most important episodes you should listen to. A listener’s wife is getting started on Amazon as a private label seller and he wanted to know which of Scott’s over 270 episodes of would be the most important for her to listen to in order to understand the basics and get started. Scott says that even though Amazon has changed a lot over the years the basics of how to get started are pretty much the same. So the episodes he mentions all have to do with product research and selection. You can hear this list of “best of” episodes from Scott on this episode. Would you like to sit across the table from Scott to get some helpful advice? That’s what’s going to happen at the TAS Breakthrough LIVE event coming up in Phoenix, Arizona in November 2016. A small group of Amazon sellers will come together to experience the power of corporate strategizing, brainstorming, and “hot seat” product evaluations with Scott Voelker leading the way. This event could truly change your profit margin and the success of your business like nothing else. If you’d like to get in on this great event you can find out how to get registered on this episode. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER [0:03] Scott’s introduction to the podcast! [3:43] QUESTION ONE: One competitor’s product is coming up with a description as “for men” AND “for women.” How does he do that and is it advantageous? [11:34] QUESTION TWO: What are your thoughts about the importance of a domain and email that matches your brand? [20:23] QUESTION THREE: My wife is going to get started selling on Amazon, what are the most important podcast episodes she should listen to? RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE www.TheAmazingSeller.com/ask - Ask your own questions. www.TheAmazingSeller.com/LIVE - TAS Breakthrough LIVE: get in now! www.TheAmazingSeller.com/212 - Brand Registry episode www.TheAmazingSeller.com/56 and www.TheAmazingSeller.com/151 and www.TheAmazingSeller.com/189 www.TheAmazingSeller.com/workshop www.TheAmazingSeller.com/Start

Here is the regular Friday version of The Amazing Seller Podcast - the “Ask Scott” session! This is where you’re able to ask your very own questions about Amazon Private Label sales, online sales in general, and how to do your pay per click, promotions, and more. If you’ve got your own questions about selling on Amazon you can ask Scott directly and possibly be featured on an episode just like this one. You can find out how to ask your question by listening to this episode! I have an online following and want to promote a private label product through it. Is that a good idea? One of the listeners to the Amazing Seller is a guy who does his own podcast and has his own online following established already. He wanted to know if there is a way that he could effectively begin selling physical products that he lists on Amazon through his other brand. Scott’s answer to his question was a big, fat, enthusiastic, “YES!” and you can hear why Scott’s so excited about this kind of opportunity by listening to his response. Can I get a Chinese supplier to customize a product for me in unique ways? Ordering products from China is one of the most affordable and easy ways to get a private label product brand started. But are you limited to the products the suppliers have on hand? Nope. You can take any product idea - even one you haven’t seen on their platforms - and send them sketches, schematics, etc. and ask if they can build it for you. You’ll go back and forth with the supplier for a while getting the details right, then you’ll have to front some cash to get a prototype made. You can find out what comes next by listening to Scott’s answer to this great question - on this episode. Is it OK for me to copy the URL of my Amazon product and ask people to go there to buy? It’s the most natural thing in the world to ask people to buy your product. It’s also natural to make it easy for them to purchase by sending them the direct link to your product on Amazon. But the way Amazon’s algorithm works that’s not always the best idea. Why? It’s because Amazon continually calculates how many purchases of your product happen based on the number of views it receives. So if you send someone directly to the product and they don’t purchase, you could be hurting your product rankings. Find out how it all works out on this episode. Is it OK for me to try to sell a product where the competition has more than 100 reviews? A listener has been doing his product research and wants to know if he would be safe to try to enter a product into a market where the competition has over 100 reviews. Scott says it’s OK but more important than the reviews the competition has is what he calls the “depth of market.” What is that and why does it matter? You can find out all the details by listening to this episode of the podcast. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER [0:03] Scott’s introduction to the podcast! [0:34] Scott’s recording on his birthday to spend time with his family later! [5:09] A question to ask yourself right now. [7:42] QUESTION ONE: I have an online presence and brand already. I want to combine that with private labeling. Will product suppliers customize products for me? [16:05] QUESTION TWO: What links should I use to drive outside traffic to my listing? [22:19] QUESTION THREE: I’m having trouble finding a product to start out with that has competition with lower numbers of reviews. Is that OK? [27:20] An audio from a listener about the success she is experiencing. RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE: www.TheAmazingSeller.com/ask - ask your questions www.TheAmazingSeller.com/FB - get into the Amazing Seller Facebook group www.TheAmazingSeller.com/workshop www.TheAmazingSeller.com/189 - Scott’s video of product validation.

Welcome to this episode of The Amazing Seller Podcast. You’ve landed on the Friday version which an “Ask Scott” episode. This is where Scott Voelker fields your questions relating to Amazon private label sales and answers them for you. On this episode Scott is addressing questions about keywords and product rankings (and gives tons of resources on that one), whether potentially great products should be pursued if the competition for sales is high, how to do market research effectively, and the best margins for an Amazon private label product.   Why you need to focus your efforts on a more specific niche of products.   You may find a product that looks like a great possibility for sales but the general category is filled with competition and lots of product reviews. But you’ll find that the competition will thin out when you’re able to provide a product within that area that is more specific and specialized. A differentiated product will always enable you to have a better opportunity for good sales on Amazon and will make it more difficult for others to copy the exact thing you are doing. Find out more on this episode.     The best approach for choosing keywords to rank your private label products.   Keywords are one of the most important parts of private label sales on Amazon. If you don't choose the right keywords you will have a very hard time making sales. So how do you go about finding those keywords? Scott was asked that very question on this episode of the podcast and goes into great detail about the resources you can use and the websites that are available to help you discover the best keywords for your specific product. If you don't listen to any other part of this episode you will want to hear of this one. It is worth gold.   The best margins for private label sales.   When considering a product to sell on Amazon you want to make sure that you're going to have an adequate margin of profit to make the selection, purchase, shipping, and sales of the product actually worthwhile for you. Naturally, you want the margin to be as high as it can be, but what is an acceptable margin given all the fees and shipping costs that are involved in selling a private label product on Amazon? On this episode of a podcast Scott walks through his thoughts regarding the margins that are acceptable for him and what he shooting for with every product that he sells.   There are lots of different keyword fields in the Amazon backend. Which ones do I use?   When you begin to fill out all of the fields on the back end of a product listing in Amazon, you'll discover there are many of them that you may not understand or do not know what they are for. On this episode a listener ask Scott about the various keyword fields and how they should be completed. Scott gives a very good answer regarding the use of those fields and make some suggestions on how you can find keywords to place in them that will be effective for the search functions on Amazon. You won't want to miss this one.   OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER   [0:03] Scott’s introduction to the podcast! [0:29] How to submit your questions! [1:20] A shout out to one of the TAS members on Facebook [4:50] QUESTION ONE: What is the best approach for choosing the best keywords for the back end of my products? [15:34] QUESTION TWO: What if I find a great product with high demand, but the competition is very high? [24:53] QUESTION THREE: What are ideal margins for a private label product? [28:58] QUESTION FOUR: I’m a bit confused about the different keyword fields on my Amazon account. Can you help me? www.TheAmazingSeller.com/ask - You can ask your question! www.TheAmazingSeller.com/FB - get into the TAS facebook community. The post Scott mentioned from the TAS Facebook community. Google’s Keyword Planner www.TheAmazingSeller.com/Resources Simple Keyword Tool Merchant Words www.TheAmazingSeller.com/161 - episode mentioned www.TheAmazingSeller.com/155 and www.TheAmazingSeller.com/85 - episodes relating to keywords.  

Isn’t it great when you’re able to ask an experienced person how to do what you need to do? You get all kinds of insights and tips that you wouldn’t even think about asking for. The Friday episode of The Amazing Seller (this one) is where Scott answers your questions about Amazon Private Label sales and shares them with the entire TAS community. You’re able to ask your own questions by going to www.TheAmazingSeller.com/ask - as well as learn from the many other questions that are asked and answered on these Ask Scott episodes. Be sure you subscribe so you don’t miss any of his answers. I need to makeover my listing page. How should I go about it?   As you get going with your Amazon Private Label sales, you’ll realize down the road that some of the steps you’ve already taken need to be refreshed or updated. A listener today says that he’s ready to go back and makeover his product listing page and asks Scott how he should go about doing that. Scott’s got some great insights on that issue as well as some past conversations with podcast guests to point you to. Do you need to update your product listings? You won’t want to miss this episode for all the tips and tricks you need to know.   I was wondering what I need to change if I’m selling a generically labeled product on Amazon?   Is it possible to take a product from Aliexpress or Alibaba that is already generically labeled, and sell it as your own? That’s a common situation you might run into as you’re getting trial products and trying out different possibilities and you need to know what’s ethically right and what’s even possible if you’re going to do it right. On this episode Scott’s going to walk you through that issue and tell you what he would do in those shoes. It’s a great, practical issue that you can learn from, on this episode.   I have a unique product that fits within a broader niche. How do I research whether it’s as good an opportunity as I think?   Today's episode of the podcast, one of our Friday editions were you can ask your own questions, a listener ask Scott about a specific variation of a broader product, and whether it is possible to find out the viability of the product selling well on Amazon. It's a very busy broad niche but the unique qualities of this particular product are what makes the listener believe it will really be a big seller. Scott's got some good insights on the issue, and you can hear the mall on this episode.   Have you attended one of Scott’s live workshops? They’re free!   One of the amazing things about what Scott does through The Amazing Seller podcast, is that every month  he provides and absolutely free workshop to walk new Amazon private label sellers through the 5 steps he takes to research purchase and launch a brand new product on Amazon. If you have never been a part of one of these workshops, you are missing out. The end with live question and answer sessions where you can get clarity on anything that you didn't quite catch the first time. Listen to this episode to find out how you can register to be a part of the next free workshop.   OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER   [0:04] Scott’s introduction to the podcast! [0:30] How you can get your questions answered on these “Ask Scott” episodes. [2:00] Dealing with disappointments in business and life. [8:00] A TAS Facebook Community Member Scott wants to highlight. [11:37] QUESTION ONE: Doing a makeover of my listing. How should I go about doing that? [17:25] QUESTION TWO: What all needs to be included on customized product packaging when the item is already generically branded? [22:35] QUESTION THREE: How should I think about a uniquely niched product opportunity that is in already crowded “general” market?   See the post in the Facebook group that Scott mentioned: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TAS.Private.Group/permalink/564069530427851/ www.TheAmazingSeller.com/85 and www.TheAmazingSeller.com/155 - Episodes with Karon Thaxton about optimizing listings. The show notes guy Scott mentioned: www.PodcastFastTrack.com

Would you like to have your questions about Amazon FBA answered by someone who’s been successful on the platform?   This is your chance. Every Friday Scott Voelker answers questions that have been left on the voicemail app on the website. They could be about product selection, dealing with negative reviews, pricing, sourcing products from China, or anything else that has to do with selling your private label products on Amazon. You can ask your question by going to www.TheAmazingSeller.com/ask - and Scott just might provide an answer on a future episode of Ask Scott!   I’ve got a handful of negative seller feedbacks and want to get my seller ranking to improve. How can I do it?   If you’ve had issues where the people who have bought your products were not happy for some reason, there are some things you can do to deal with the negative feedback they may have left on your seller profile. First, contact them and offer to rectify the situation. You may need to simply refund their money and allow them to keep the product regardless. But either way, you’re building good will about you and your brand, which could result in those people adjusting their seller feedback. You want your customers to be happy so do whatever it takes. But what can you do about the impact those reviews have had on your seller feedback? Find out by listening to Scott’s response on this episode of The Amazing Seller.   I have a competitor who is slamming my products on their own product listings, saying that I don’t have the right to sell the products myself. What can I do about this?   It is frustrating when your competitors seem bent on sullying your brand or products in order to try and get a leg up on you in the Amazon marketplace. Is there anything you can do about it? Yes, you can contact that seller and ask them to show you proof of the claims they’re making or even send them a cease and desist letter to add a bit of pressure. You can also contact Amazon seller support to ask them to force the competitor to stop. But Scott recommends something else that you may not expect. Listen to this episode to hear his answer.   All of my products use the same basic keywords. How can I use Amazon PPC to target each product when the keywords are all the same?   Amazon PPC is pretty confusing to use as it is. But when your products are similar, perhaps different variants of the same basic product, how can you differentiate within the PPC interface to drive traffic to a specific product? Scott’s got some suggestions for this sort of situation on this episode that you’ll want to hear. It’s not only helpful for driving the actual traffic to the place you want it to go, but his response will also enable you to use PPC to do some research on what people are actually searching for in your niche. Interested? Listen in to hear more!   At what point should I consider using freight forwarders or shipping agents?   Obviously, you want to keep your Amazon business as streamlined and simple as possible. That way you maintain control of timelines and other things that impact the availability and sales of your products. But as your business grows you may need to find other solutions to help you expedite the sheer volume of products you’re dealing with. Those solutions may include freight forwarding services or private shipping agents. At what point are these needed and how do you know if you’re at that point? Scott gives some tips about those decisions and offers some other helpful suggestions about shipping in general in answer to this question.   OUTLINE OF THIS Q&A EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER   [0:03] Welcome to Session #28 of Ask Scott! [0:18] How you can ask your own question: www.TheAmazingSeller.com/ask [0:56] What to expect on this episode. [1:14] A shout out to the TAS community on Facebook: www.TheAmazingSeller.com/FB [2:08] Scott’s shout out to community member Thomas! [4:10] QUESTION ONE: How can I improve my seller ranking and how should I handle negative reviews? [10:04] QUESTION TWO: What should be done if a competitor is slamming my product in their own listings by saying my products are not the legitimate original product? [14:07] QUESTION THREE: I have many products that all use the same basic keywords. How should I use Amazon PPC to help target people to see my various products? [18:44] QUESTION FOUR: How do you coordinate your shipping for products? There are many options, how do you know what to do in each situation? And what labeling and inserts are your suppliers willing to do? LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE   Scott’s follow up email sequence: www.TheAmazingSeller.com/email   Scott’s free workshop  - http://www.TheAmazingSeller.com/workshop   www.TheAmazingSeller.com/FB - the TAS Facebook Community   The Greg Mercer episode about using Jungle Scout - www.TheAmazingSeller.com/56   Podcast 32 -.Scott’s $1000 mistake: www.TheAmazingSeller.com/32