Archives for June 2012

What’s your Vision? {take a sneak peek at mine}

Hey there,

As new seasons, events, partnerships and adventures approach I am constantly aware of the larger vision I have for myself and my future. Though constantly evolving and growing, there are a few consistencies I have found that have stayed with me. My vision (and mission) is for every person to fill their home with things that not only create memories but also create a place that continuously inspires giving and beautiful living. More simply put – my mission is for everyone to step into Pink Olive and feel loved…. and to translate that feeling into their homes.

Being a highly visual person, I find inspiration for this larger mission all around me. Here are some of my inspirations for Fall 2012 and how I translated it into my vision board.

* Blues and grays… with pops of color
* Watercolor illustrations
* Textiles and patterns that bring to mind feelings of comfort
* Natural elements
* Typography, numbers and unique fonts, folds. Anything that challenge the norm
* Elements of old school & rustic elements – things that bring back old memories and simpler times
* Chalkboard and handwritten anything (we love all things snail mail!)
* Being “uniquely” you..

Take a moment to assemble your thoughts and find what drives you and your brand. Create a journal or other space to gather thoughts, clippings, photos or other things that grab your attention and inspire you. Having a clear vision will help you evolve with a more clear purpose and style!Most importantly, have FUN! :)

xoxo,

Grace Kang
Your Retail Product Mentor

Are you ready to make your product retail ready and sell to more stores? We will be launching our first e-workbook filled with actionable tips, exercises, templates, store lists..etc next month. Be sure to sign up for our mailing list or email us at hello@retailrecipes.comto be in the loop with the launch date. There will be juicy bonuses for the early birds so you don’t want to miss it! :)

Filed Under: Blog Tagged: vision

is it really easy as pie?

by grace kang

Happy Thursday!

After last week’s post I hope you’ve warmed up to the idea of hosting a trunk show. Perhaps you’ve hosted your first one and realized how lucrative they can be or you need to do a couple more to get in the groove of it! As I mentioned previously, part of what makes a trunk show such an inspired idea is the fact you’re also adding your own knowledge and advice. Customers want to be guided towards what will work best for them. Your knowledge of your own product, mixed with what you know or learn about each person in attendance, helps you strengthen the connection the customer makes to your work.Easy as pie, right? Well, as any artist or creative will tell you, it can be a lot easier to sell someone else’s work than your own. Some people struggle with selling their own pieces, or feel that someone else may be more qualified to sing their praises.Hiring a stylist or merchandiser can be a huge benefit to those who feel this way, or those who wish to expand their trunk show experience. Hiring a professional (or a few!) to host trunk shows can expand your business exponentially. After being educated by you, they will not only have in-depth knowledge of your work ethic and pieces, but also of the market and style in a much broader sense of the word. They can style not only your customers, but also your trunk shows based on their knowledge. Stylists know what’s trendy now and they know how to cater style to many unique tastes. They have the vocabulary and objectivity to sell your work in ways you never dreamed possible.

Hiring people is always an investment, and any investment comes with some risk. But proper training, trust and incentive can lead to some beautiful and inspired things. You never know what great idea they may have for expanding your business or line!

Do you have a story to tell? Please share your comments below or on facebook and let’s continue this party conversation! :)

xoxo,

Grace Kang
Your Retail Product Mentor

p.s.s. We will be launching our first e-workbook filled with everything you need to know about making your products retail ready! Stay tuned…

We had so much fun meeting the Etsy NY team at at our invitation-only event at Pink Olive last week. It was a fun evening of meeting aspiring creative artists and designers and teaching them hot to grow their wholesale business. If you are interested in getting invitations for future events, please sign up for our mailing list and we will keep you in the loop!

Filed Under: Blog

Are you Ready to Show and Tell? Plus, S.H.E. Summit Week! :)

by grace kang

Hey there,

Are you ready for a trunk show?

A trunk show is similar to throwing a house party in that it’s a great way for people to connect and have fun! However, rather than just socializing and enjoying the food (not that there’s anything wrong with either ;) your work would take center stage in a trunk show.

A trunk show can be a larger gathering in a rented space, a more intimate group in someone’s home, or even just a pre-selected assortment of products you bring to one person’s home for a fun shopping experience. This model works especially well for those who create smaller items (i.e. jewelry) and products that engage conversations among like-minded people. The event would center around creating a relaxed, fun environment in which you could utilize your knowledge and expertise to match each person to the piece they reflects their style. As the designer, you will be on hand to answer questions, model. give advice, and make connections.

An important and consistent similarity between a party and a trunk show is the focus on relating your work to each person who walks through the door (without being pushy of course!). The room should be set up to encourage people to check out your work as they catch up with each other, intermingling tasty treats and drinks with beautifully displayed work. Ensure that each piece remain accessible and within reach. Leave the glass cases at home! Encourage people to try an item on, take a piece in their hands, and really connect with it. The more a piece gets handled and tried on, the better chance of them walking out the door with it :)

Want to replicate this model and bring on other stylists to hold trunk shows on your behalf? Stay tuned for next week :)

Pink Olive is a proud partner of anew event SHESummitWeek.com (kicking off soon the week of June 18-24 in NYC)! It’s a weeklong series of 35+ grassroots, pop-up events around NYC designed to inspire & celebrate women. The events are organized by women-led brands/organizations and the activities range from networking, entrepreneurship panels, career advice, beauty parties, yoga-meditation classes, cool charity events, art education, film screenings and even relationship workshops!

Event schedule is HERE .

**There will also be ONE INCREDIBLE VIP Event on thurs 6/21 that I am attending & recommend you get tickets for: Remarkable Women’s Evening – hosted by SHE Summit Week’s founder ClaudiaChan.com. Enter code: PinkOlive20 and get 20% discount off ticket price.**

Filed Under: Blog Tagged: claduia chan, she summit week

Subscription Business Model ROCKS! Plus, Etsy Meetup :)

by grace kang

Hey there,

What’s better than a new customer? How about a new customer that’s guaranteed month after month? When you offer a subscription service, that’s exactly what you’ll be getting.

Subscription services come in many shapes and sizes, but the basics are always the same: customers get a monthly delivery of some product, a service or a curated assortment of products. If it’s a new assortment every month, it can be a great way to introduce new products, or re-introduce older ones that may not be selling as well as you expected. If it’s one particular pre-established product, such as a flower arrangement, it can be a great way to show off your know-how and remind customers how much they love your product.

The subscription can also be a service, where customers sign up for exclusive access to you, your expertise and perhaps some added bonus like free shipping or a small discount on additional products or services.

While a subscription service should offer some form of “deal” on what you offer, but the guarantee of a returning customer is worth the discount. The monthly arrival will also serve as a well-planned reminder, keeping you and your best products and services top of mind.

xo,

Grace Kang
Your Retail Product Mentor

images: examples of businesses using subscription business model – birchbox.com and babbaco.com