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Nick: (00:03)
Hey, what's up, everyone. Welcome to the Million Dollar Sellers podcast. I'm your host, Nick Shucet. Today we have Prue on the show. Thanks for coming on. For those of us that don't really know you too well, why don't you just tell us a little bit about yourself, and you know, where you're calling in from?
Prue: (00:25)
Sure. I'm a mom of two boys. I have a ten and eight-year-old son, and I live in sunny Tampa Bay at the moment.
Nick: (00:37)
Nice. And I think I saw you... are you originally from Australia? cos that what it said?
Prue: (00:44)
I am
Nick: (00:45)
Nice. How long did you live there?
Prue: (00:47)
I lived there for the first nine years of my life. I'm of Australian descent also. So, you know, as far back as I've ever met... everybody's Australian, and or New Zealanders. So, pretty close.
Nick: (01:02)
Okay. Cool. And I've always been a fan of Australia as a surfer. They have really good waves there, but I've never gotten to visit. Do you go back there often or…
Prue (01:13)
It's been a while. It's a long track with kids. So it's been a bit... most of my immediate family moved to the US when I was nine. So they’re here. But you know, extended family is all still back there, so we do go back and visit for sure.
Nick: (01:30)
Nice, nice. Yeah. Hopefully, I'll make it out there someday soon. So yeah, so what's going on with you lately? How did Prime Day treat you this year?
Prue: (01:42)
Prime Day was actually pretty good this year. You know, in years past I haven't had the highest expectations, or maybe I did at the beginning. You know, back when Prime Day was a new thing, it was a little more exciting. People were using that day more exclusively to shop. And over the years, I feel like it's been diluted a little bit. Especially the Prime Day lightning deals.
I would say those have become diluted because they used to be very unique opportunities, and now they're just too widely available. But I think the introduction of Prime-exclusive deals has helped. I tend to, you know, feel let down most Prime Days. So I went into this year with not very high expectations, but it actually turned out quite good.
We hit our highest sales day ever on day one Prime Day. Yeah, we were really excited about that. Obviously, with the deals, the deal prices, and giving some hefty discounts to customers. It maybe wasn't our highest profit day of the year, but it was... we're grateful for everything. So it was good.
Nick: (03:07)
Yeah. I guess in your space it has the potential. You have the potential to get some new repeat customers, right? Cause you're doing replenishables in your space, correct?
Prue: (03:17)
Correct. Yeah. We have a fair amount of subscribers to our products. So that always helps if people are, you know, getting a further discount by subscribing to a product. So yeah, for sure.
Nick: (03:32)
Okay. Well, Prue, how did you get into this journey into Amazon? Like, was this your first entrepreneurial thing? Why don't you tell us that story a little bit?
Prue: (03:46)
Sure. So back in, oh, I guess 2013, I started getting the itch to sort of, you know... My oldest son had some severe medical issues occurring at the time I was pregnant with my second kid. I was quite distracted at my regular job due to my son's medical condition, and the amount of time and effort I was putting into researching how to solve that.
And I was just kind of itching to like spend more time focusing on his health and getting away from my job. I actually worked for some really great people. So it wasn't a matter of disliking the situation I was in. But I felt it was unfair for me to be there for both my kids and for them because I was so distracted. So I was pretty upfront and honest with them about it. And they were very understanding, of course.
Prue: (04:58)
I had been flipping some houses in L.A. where I lived at the time, so I wouldn't say it was my first journey into the entrepreneurial world. I don't... don't ask me how I flipped houses while working a regular job, being pregnant, and being a mom. But anyway, somehow I did that.
And so I had been hearing about people starting businesses and selling on Amazon. A few of my friends had done it, but I thought it was like an MLM type thing and I was not interested at all. And I'm sure a lot of people felt that you know. I had several friends trying to sell me this course on how to start a business and sell on Amazon. And I kind of was like, Nah, no, thanks, MLM is not for me.
I didn't realize it wasn't MLM. But it was similar people coming to me that had earlier come to me with MLM type. Anyhow, eventually, I kept hearing about it, and I kept wondering, “What is this? Is this the thing, you know?
So I reached out to a close friend of mine who had started her business and was selling well and successfully on Amazon. English was her second language, and she had no prior marketing skills or business skills for that matter at all. So I reached out to her. And I was kind of like, “Is this a thing? Is this real? Do you think I could do it?” And she was like, “Yeah.”
So the course had since closed and wasn't available anymore. So I kind of just leaned on her, “What do I do? What do I do? What do I do next?” You know, that annoying friend for sure, I was for a little bit. And she kinda wasn't maybe the best teacher because she was just getting started in her own journey. She was kind of figuring it out as she was going.
But, you know, at the time, me not realize that when she was telling me how much money she was making per month, she was telling me her gross sales—not her profit. So I was like, “Wow. You know, that's amazing.” Anyway, so fast forward, I was trying to figure out, “Oh, what space did I wanna go into?” I very much... in dealing with my son's health issues.
I was in this space where the pediatrician had told me, “Hey, you need to check that you're not using household chemicals that could be adversely affecting his health.” We lived on a golf course at the time. The chemicals they spray the golf courses with are very bad. We were already eating organic and all this. So I was mostly looking into household cleaners and the personal care products that we were using at the time. In sort of an effort to figure out what was causing this issue.
And you know, I thought I was a pretty savvy consumer as far as ingredients were concerned. And I was always buying the clean brands, and the, you know, whatever you can buy at Whole Foods kind of thing. And the more I engrossed myself in reading ingredients because I now had to, the more I was pretty disappointed. Even in these brands they sort of promoted themselves as being clean or green brands.
So that's what kind of led me to this space that I'm in now. Yeah.
Nick: (08:50)
Nice. Yeah. I love that the journey just stemmed from, you know, kind of a struggle, trying to help out your son. And it just went from there. I feel like that's how so many of us get into the space, and it's kind of like the differentiator between the ones that make it or don't make it. It's just like that drive to overcome some type of obstacle in your life that you’re facing. And then, I mean, that's kind of how I got started.
And I had a friend, and like… I was like, what the hell is this? Like, it seemed super MLM. And it, kind of, was the thing that I got into. But they had this aspect of like, yeah, you could sell the course and make money. Or you could just do the course, and make money. So there were people making money doing both things or just the affiliate side. But man, you know, I mean, I had a failed business, and I had that happen, that come across my plate. And that's how I got into it as well.
So I can definitely kind of relate to somewhat of a similar journey there. But I think it's great that you were doing all this, you know. You were pregnant, you already had a kid, like... I think there are so many women out there in the world who like, want to do something similar. And like, how would you speak to a woman in that situation where maybe they have a couple of kids? Or they're pregnant and have a kid, and they want to get something going on their own.
Like, how did you actually make that happen, and manage, you know, being a mom too?
Prue: (10:31)
Yeah. So, you know, I kinda have mixed feelings about that. Some women, you know, are cut from different clothes than others. I feel like some women love to stay home and raise their kids for a living. And I think that that's absolutely fantastic. I think that's a commendable thing, and I think that women should not be turned into men. I have a very strong opinion about that, for sure. And at the same time, I know women who don't thrive staying home.
And I think a lot of it has to do with your kids, how you were raised, and all that. I would have not been happy staying home. My kids are the type of kids that needed companionship, so they needed to be in a school or daycare situation. I'm not patient enough to homeschool children either. So I think that I like the adult interaction. I love talking to people helping people, and networking with people.
So I would've been quite miserable staying at home. But I feel like a lot of women do great at that. And I think that's absolutely amazing. And honestly, I don't think it's an easier job staying home than it is working. I think it's harder to stay home with kids than it is to work a job. That's my opinion, but, so, you know, I just... I guess the necessity level has always been a thing for me. Like how badly do you need something?
I did not come from a rich family. I didn't have my life handed to me on a silver platter. And I know a lot of business owners in our network that you and I are in, come from poverty, or near poverty, or low-income families. And so when you just have this next level of drive and necessity to just make it go, you know. And while I didn't grow up in poverty, I didn't grow up wealthier, or even middle class either.
So I wanted a better life for my kids, like most of us do. I wanted to be able to support my parents and support charities that I'm very passionate about. So I too had this necessity level to just... there's no other way than to succeed. Like that is the only option, you know. And it was a mindset thing for sure. And, it was a lot of late nights at the beginning. It was, you know, working from literal nine-to-five, commuting to work. I worked in an office.
I got home, put my kids to bed, and then headed to my home office to try to figure out how to start a business I had no nanny. I had no help at home. My husband was on the graveyard shift. He was in law enforcement. And so honestly I was by myself a lot of the time with the kids. When I had them, I dropped them off, I picked them up all of those things. And I just worked late.
I, you know, I didn't waste time watching TV, or movies, or like that time that people normally wind down for four hours. And I was in my office starting a business and working. And I had no clue what I was doing, to be perfectly honest.
But again, there was no plan B. This was where I was going. This was what I was going to use to change the outcome of my life for myself, my husband, and my kids. And so that's what I did.
Nick: (14:34)
Nice. Yeah. I love how you mentioned, just like, you know, when I came home from work, I put the kids down, and then, you went back to work, right? Like so many people, they have similar goals, and they're thinking in their head, like, they want to do things like you want to do. But then they come home from work and they're just like, “Oh, you know, I'm tired. And I just wanna relax. And I'm just gonna sit here, and scroll through my phone, and watch Netflix.”
And then, they wake up tomorrow and, you know, they're frustrated about their life or whatever. But then they just come home, and they do the same thing again and, you know, just make excuses. And it's... I'd be like, even for me, it's like, it's easy to kind of fall into that trap sometimes. But at the same time, I mean, I honestly, like, I can't really sit down and watch a movie anymore. Like I'm either, I either fall asleep, or I get up and go do something.
Prue: (15:32)
Yeah. I'm incapable of relaxing for sure. I sit down and I'm like, “Oh, I should be cleaning the kitchen, making food, meal pumping for the week, working, answering emails.” Something other than letting my life flash before my face unproductively, you know.
Nick: (15:48)
It's kind of crazy to think, like, you mentioned some things specifically, like, that is kind of how I relax now. It's like taking care of things around me, or like, you know, going on a vacation or like. I am a very hands-on parent, still to this day. I’m present with them… So I don't ever wanna outsource that part of my life. I get relaxed from going on a surf trip. Like, I'm exhausting myself, but at the same time, I'm kind of recharging myself at the same time.
It's kinda weird. Yeah. It seems like you kinda go through it... similarly. Yeah.
Prue: (16:22)
Yeah. I'm a big fan of… I definitely take time. Like I am a very hands-on parent, still to this day. You know, I... when my kids are home from school, after school, between school time, and bedtime. I’m present with them. I play games with them. I take them to sporting events that they're involved in. I'm, you know, I cook dinner every night for the family.
So I don't ever wanna like, outsource that part of my life. That's important to me to be there for them. But it's funny that you mentioned these people who, they wanna do it so bad. And I have many friends who have come to me, like ‘Show me the ways,’ you know, as I'm sure we all do. And you know, you can lead a horse to water, and you can't force them to drink, you know.
And a wise man once said, you know, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting a different result. If you are scrolling your phone on Instagram every night, wasting away hours of your day, or watching TV shows for four hours a day. That's four hours a day, you could have been changing your life. So I'm all about, like, if there's some aspect that you don't like, you want to change in your life, you have to change your life, to change that thing.
Not just think about it and, you know, pray on it.
Nick: (18:01)
Yeah. I think you’re spot on. And I think one thing people miss is like, you don't have to dedicate a huge amount of time to making it happen. You know, it doesn't have to be that you work all night, and you never sleep. It could literally be like, “Hey, for one hour, every day, I'm gonna work on this and, you know, see where I'm at in a month”’
You know, that's 30-hour hours. You can accomplish a lot in 30 hours if you know what you want to do, and you have a plan. And it sounds like you're really... like, I'm listening to you talk, and it's like, you know yourself. It sounds like you have goals. It sounds like you structure things, and you plan it out, and you just get it done. It is what it sounds like.
And I think when you're cramped for time, whether that's from kids, or work, or whatever it is, like, that's a big key to making it happen. It’s like planning, taking the time to plan it out, and then sticking to that plan. I made... I would always make the mistake of trying to keep everything in my head. And you know, when you throw a couple of kids in the picture, and a significant other, and like... you can't keep all that up there—in my opinion.
At least I haven't been able to. Like, I gotta get it out and plan it out.
Prue (19:25)
Yeah. And I'm by no means perfect at it. I get distracted too, for sure. I have goals in many areas of my life, not just business. So it's a delicate balance of trying to figure out, you know... I recently listened to the book “Atomic Habits.” Which I think is really good About... yeah, taking those small steps, making incremental changes. And eventually, those one percent become a hundred percent. Right?
So I think that there's, that. I'm also a big believer in the whole, like visualizing, whether it's... you consider it like visualizing, or dreaming, or postulating, or whatever it is of. Like, in your mind, putting there what you want to be. But then, I'm also a huge believer that you have to go after it and do it now. Just visualizing, or just dreaming or praying, or whatever that thing is for you, is not enough.
You have to make... you have to build those atomic habits and make those one percent changes in order to get there eventually.
Nick: (20:45)
Yeah. I think you're spot on. Like, you get those two halves to work together. And man, when they... when it lines up, and you map out that plan and you visualized it, and you've been specific and you're taking that. Even if it's one hour a day, like the magic starts to happen, you know. And then before, you know it... it's like now I see all the things in the past that I've done, and how it led me to being in MDS.
And now we're surrounded by all these people that just motivate the crap outta you to do even more. Because it's just, you're surrounded by these people that just make you kind of... they inspire you to want to do better, and just keep growing. And man, I mean, every time I go to an event or have a conversation with someone it's like, you know, things that could have taken me a year before to kind of figure out like... just happened in a five-minute conversation.
Nick: (21:46)
And it happens here at my workspace too, man. I was out here. They have a happy hour at four o'clock every day. And I usually don't go because I'm usually working. But the other day I did, and I met a guy who does Artificial Intelligence, and he increased Volkswagen's productivity by 17 percent. You know, by using AI. And I'm like, “Man, let me get your phone number, we need to talk, you know?”
And then I've been trying to hire interns and a guy in the office... I've watched his office grow from like a one-person office to like 10 people. And I was like, where are you getting all your people? And he was like, Bryant and Stratton man, internship. I'm like, “What do you gotta do? Put a... you know, I've done this a little bit before. You gotta put like a job description up.”
He's like, “No, I'll just give you the number of the guy to call. Tell him what you want, and he'll send them to you.” You know, just like that happened literally in 15 minutes, just the other day. Right.
Prue: (22:45)
That's amazing.
Nick: (22:47)
Yeah. So when you get yourself around these people, man, it's just... it's insane. But those are the steps that we... I had to take it to get me there. That visualization, putting that plan together, and then actually showing up and, you know, walking the walk. But I'm still blown away at... just the things that happen when you do that. I mean, it's amazing the opportunity that's out there.
Prue: (23:18)
Oh, there's so much opportunity, you know. And I feel like every time I... Well, I have a very firm policy in my life that I do not surround myself with anybody who sucks from me. And when I say that, I don't mean so much like financially or... I mean, energy-wise. I don't wanna be around ‘Debbie Downers.’ I don't wanna be around people who are like, have mindsets that they can't do, can't accomplish, or everything's hard.
It's morbid. Not that I don't wanna help those people, but I... they're just a life suck. And so I have a very firm policy of, I either like, lift them up if I can, to get them to a place where they're not that way. Or I move along, and just keep my close circle around me being people who are also getting after it, and wanna do something about helping people, and changing conditions in this world.
You know, I'm... my drive is not just money. Money is a means to an end. Money is an energy that allows you to do things, right? So, for me, my goals are around financial-related things, or so that I can give more. I can help change things, not just in my life, but in the world, you know. There's a lot, there's a lot to do. So I like to surround myself with people like that, motivated, happy, uplifting, and encouraging types of people.
And I think if you do… even in MDS, you know, I remember I went to my first ever meet-up, which was a very small group of people. It was, I think, six or seven of us in LA. And I was like, “Oh, I thought I was doing pretty well,” You know, until I got around these guys and. I was like, “Oh my goodness, I have so much work to do.”
Prue: (25:31)
But I left that… I remember I went on Instagram that night and I was like… how I got into that small group was because I was helping a few of them. They liked me, and so I was invited into the inner circle if you will. And I just thought, oh, I do this all the time. I help people. I answer people's questions. No problem. But it allowed me to have a connection with these guys.
And they inspired me like, next level. I left there and I was like, oh my gosh, this is an amazing trip to LA. I got so much out of this. Just even… just in inspirational and mindset-wise, and strategies, but still… So I think all that is huge.
Nick: (26:18)
Yeah. It's definitely important to surround yourself with the right people 100 percent. And I agree like there are certain people, like, they just… like you get around them, and you start yawning, and you get sleepy, and you get tired. They start to drain your energy. And you know, they're not really providing anything in return. And I can relate to, like wanting to help people.
And I mean, I cannot count on… I can't count how many people I've literally like given the keys to a business to, and they just don't do anything with it. Because at the end of the day, they don't want to do anything. You know, they just don't want to do it. They're comfortable where they're at, you know. They see something on Instagram, and they're like, oh man, maybe that could be me, but, you know… and then that's just kind of it. You know, and they just don't really want to take the action.
Which sucks, you know. It sucks. So that's great that you've been able, you know, to build this business. So why don't you talk to us a little bit? Like what have you been able to accomplish? Where are you at now with your, with your brand?
Prue: (27:33)
Yeah. So, with our brand, you know, we have in the last year really been focusing on our direct-to-consumer channel, and we've grown that tremendously in the last 18 months. We really are, you know, trying to be that brand that goes over and above for our customers. Not just on the customer service side, and delivering an amazing experience, if there are issues.
But, you know, in shipments, we throw in random gifts. We throw in handwritten cards with a photo of who packed their orders, so they feel some connection to our brand and know who is packing your order. And so everyone in the warehouse has cards with their photo on the top, and then little notes are written. And it gives you a few little facts about that guy who packed your order or that gal.
And you know, we throw in little coasters or stickers, or something so that when a customer gets a package, and they're expecting X, they're getting X and Z. And they're… it's a great experience, not just an okay experience, but a great experience because we're delivering to them, not just an exchange for their money of whatever they paid for, but an abundance as well. We're giving them something extra, making them feel like, wow, this brand really cares.
So we've been really focusing on that. We sort of… what inspired us to do that was a book called, ‘Be like Amazon.’ It actually has nothing to do with selling on Amazon, but it's an absolutely amazing short book, very to-the-point on all about that customer experience. And so, we really… We had our whole marketing team listen to the book, and then we just brainstormed.
Okay, how can we implement this and keep it on brand?
We, you know, we're not really aggressively working on getting into retail right now. We're more consumed with our direct-to-consumer eCommerce business. And you know, we've been able to scale. I'd say we've been a slow and steady grower for sure. We didn't have any years that were like, you know… we weren't out of the gate crazy successful. We've been on an upward trajectory that's slow and steady.
So, and that's fine by me because, you know, growing too fast is also a silent killer. So we wanna do it in a way where we are growing at a pace that we can maintain sanity, and not disappoint customers in the process. And yeah.
Nick: (30:46)
Nice. Cool. So, how's like… how are your Amazon sales compared to your Shopify sales? Now, I know you dropped a really good post. I think it was just like a week or two ago, on what you're doing on Shopify right now. And you actually laid out, like exactly what you did. I think, like, I know that post got a lot of traction, and people were really happy about that. But for those that are not in MDS, why don't you just hit us with a little, like, high-level view of what you're doing?
Prue: (31:21)
Yeah. So I think the way to grow a direct-to-consumer channel is multifaceted. And you can't just do one thing. You can't just do advertising. You can't just do email marketing. You can't just have a good website, or just deliver an amazing product, or just do good customer service. I think you have to do all of it. So, we've been hitting affiliates, social media marketing, social advertising, search advertising, and email marketing.
And my business partner and I don't come from a marketing background. So we've brought in experts to sort of lead us, consultants help us on these traffic sources. And we use agencies to help with different aspects. And we take agencies that are, you know, highly recommended by our professionals in that specific channel. And we, we sort of just plugged it all in at once and spent the money to do it right. Or at least, what we think is right. I feel like you're never always right. You, right?
Nick: (32:37)
You just kinda. I feel like the path to getting it right, is filled with wrong steps.
Prue: (32:45)
We trip over a lot of rocks for sure. We hire bad agencies. Realize they're not great. Get new ones. Like, so I think that you can't expect everything to work out, but you have to go in hitting it from all those angles because you wanna capture the customer. But why pay to capture a customer to then not convert that customer, and not resell to that customer, and retain that customer?
So you have to have your retention strategies in place. Your upsell strategies are in place. Your mind-bogglingly good customer service and over-delivering strategies are in place. And do it all, so that people wanna come back and buy from you. They feel connected to you. They like your story. They like the service that they get. If you have… if they have an issue, they know you're gonna resolve it.
Like, so that's kind of the approach that we've taken. We haven't just done one thing. We're kind of trying to do it all, in order to scale as quickly as possible.
Nick: (33:56)
Nice. That's exciting. Yeah, I really… You know, I started getting some Shopify stuff going, and then, I just really wasn't prepared for how much cash I needed to do everything that you mentioned. So, I kind of... you know, I had to take a break... I had to put it on pause. But man, I learned so much, and it actually made me better at my Amazon business because I learned copywriting.
I learned a little more about advertising, and I learned a little bit more about, like upsells, and you know, how do I really give a customer a good experience, which just, you know, improved my Amazon game a little bit. And now, you know, I'm ready to rock and roll on the Shopify side of things. I just had to get some more cash, and build the team a little bit because… You know, I fell into that trap of just trying to do everything myself, you know?
Yeah. Or… and trying to save money, hiring people that really weren't that good. So I wasn't saving money. I was just wasting money. I really like what you said about finding experts in very specific areas. I think that's great advice because you'll come across these people who like, “Oh yeah, I do Facebook ads. I do Google, and you know, I do Pinterest. Oh. And I do SEO too, by the way.”
And I've learned to stay away from those people.
Prue: (35:27)
Yeah, exactly. No.
Nick: (35:30)
I wanna find someone that's like…
Prue: (35:33)
They’ll be a Jack-of-All Trades, Master of None, right?
Nick: (35:36)
Yeah. I want the master of one. And you know, I can count on you to do one thing, and then I've got someone else I can count on to do the other thing. And man, I mean, it's just such a learning experience of just making mistakes, until you realize what you need to do differently, man. It's such a journey, but it's great to have people like you sharing stuff in the group, and saying, “Hey, I did X, Y, Z,”.
When it's in MDS, you have that instant kind of trust factor where it's like, “Oh, hmm, I'm gonna go try X, Y, Z, and see what happens for my business.”
Nick: (36:20)
And it… you know, there's a good chance it's gonna work. But you know, maybe it doesn't. Maybe you're in a different niche, or maybe you're in a different situation, and you know, you just gotta do things a little differently. But for the most part, I feel like you can take what you see in MDS, and run with it, and it's gonna work out pretty well. So that's one of my favorite things about the group outside of just meeting all the great people.
I know we got to meet finally in Puerto Vallarta, I think right at the end. It was like the last day, I think. But man, that was another great event. I'm excited for all the ones we have coming up.
Prue: (36:58)
Yeah. I'm actually headed to one this afternoon.
Nick: (37:01)
Okay, you're going to New York?
Prue: (37:03)
No, I'm going to Florida.
Nick: (37:06)
To Florida… Is that for the fishing one?
Prue: (37:10)
Yeah. So I'm meeting up with a bunch of guys tonight, and then, we'll be together all day tomorrow as well.
Nick: (37:19)
Nice. That's gonna be fun. It's always a good time…
Prue: (37:22)
I have about a four-hour drive ahead of me, but that's good.
Nick: (37:25)
Yeah. Okay. Well, I'm sure it'll be worth it.
Prue: (37:28)
Absolutely. It always is.
Nick: (37:31)
Yeah. Yeah, it definitely is. So, Prue, what's on the horizon for your brand? Like what's the goal? Are you guys gonna sell? Are you gonna keep building? What do you have in mind?
Prue: (37:46)
Yep. Right now we're on the keep-building path. We have about 40 SKUs to launch, in total this year. Which is a lot for a company like ours. Cuz we custom develop and formulate everything. So it's a very time-consuming process to launch a product.
Prue: (38:08)
And, so we're growing, you know, we are starting to look at… you know, we're doing more on the influencer marketing side. We're gonna start getting into SEO and SEM, and really just scaling our direct-to-consumer channel more. And then we'll kind of see where that leads us. We… My partner and I are very aligned in that we make decisions based on the present situation. You know, we've bootstrapped this whole company.
We've never taken money. And we started this company with, with pennies, you know, so we're scaling as we can afford.
Prue: (38:56)
And as we keep money invested in the business, and growing it. And basically offering everything that our customers could want, that is aligned with our brand, we want to be able to offer. So, we still have a lot of growth ahead of us. And, it's just, you know, continuing to build an amazing team, because we already have an absolutely fantastic team, that is the support system for everything that goes on.
And many of them, are experts in what they do. So, just continuing to build, and build the team, build the offering, build the sales, all of it.
Nick: (39:43)
Nice. And I see you got a… you have a pretty big team, right? Like 10 to 20 people?
Prue: (39:50)
We have about 28 people.
Nick: (39:53)
Nice. And how many are overseas? How many are local?
Prue: (39:59)
Two are overseas.
Nick: (40:01)
Wow. So you built mostly local, that's awesome. So do you guys… are they virtual, or do you guys like, do some office work together or what?
Prue: (40:11)
Yeah, we have a 30,000-square-foot warehouse in Dallas, with offices. So a lot of our team, you know, cuz we do our own fulfillment as well. So We have a decent size warehouse team. We have a decent size marketing team, because of all the marketing efforts that we're doing. We have some designers, and social media gals, and customer service gals, and you know, a director in marketing.
So we have a good-sized in-office team, and then we have our marketplaces team, which are remote. So they work from home.
Nick: (40:53)
Okay. Nice man. Well, I'm excited to see what you guys do in the future, and how it grows. With a team like that, and a mindset like yours, I know it's gonna, I know it's gonna be crazy good. So I'm excited to continue to watch your journey. Before we wrap up here, I've got a few quick questions for you, that I'd like to throw your way.
So let me see here. Our first one… What do you think sets a successful Amazon seller apart from an unsuccessful Amazon seller?
Prue: (41:33)
That's an interesting question. I would say authenticity and a good product. I think the scammers, and the people not really growing businesses, but doing money grabs are short-lived. So I think that in the end, if you have an amazing product, that's great quality. You're gonna have repeat buyers. You're gonna have word-of-mouth sales, and you're in it to succeed, you know?
Nick: (42:08)
Yeah. Spot on. I think you're right. It's getting tougher and tougher for Amazon to really stand out. And I think the days are kind of fading away where you could just throw up a product and, you know, make some money. I mean, it used to be easy back in, you know, 2013, 14, 15, and, before that. But yeah, I think, you know, Amazon's going that direction and with like, Amazon Live, and all this new stuff, they're rolling out.
The branding has to be strong now. The product's gotta be strong. And it's… you know, we've all seen how they're cracking down on sellers and stuff for all the Black Hat stuff that goes on. So, I think having that good offer, and that good brand, and being authentic is… that goes a long way. And it's refreshing to see Amazon crackdown on that stuff because it sucks to do it the right way, and then be beat by someone doing it the wrong way.
Yeah. That's so frustrating. Alright, next question. What's one habit you're working on right now?
Prue: (43:27)
My… one habit… I'm always working on my health.
That's… my habit around my health, because I want to live long, and pain-free. So yeah, I'm always working on… You know, I've got devices that track my every move.
Nick: (43:51)
Is that a Whoop?
Prue: (43:53)
Yeah, that’s a Whoop.
Nick: (43:54)
Yeah. Nice. I've got one too.
Prue: (43:56)
Yeah. So I'm always working on just, you know, being the healthiest, energetic version of myself that I can be.
Nick: (44:06)
Is there anything specific you're doing right now around that? Like any, any diet you're trying or any exercise program or…
Prue: (44:13)
Yeah. So I work out six days a week. It's a mixture of weightlifting, functional fitness, and cardiovascular. I ride a Peloton, and I run 5Ks or 10Ks, depending on how hot it is outside in Florida. And, dietary-wise, I pretty much try and stick to a not-strict Paleo sort of diet, but a, non-processed foods, Gluten-Free for sure. Only because I have Hashimoto's, so I have to be gluten-free.
And, just not like… there's a guy I follow called, The People's Chemist, and he has a book called, “The Stop Eating So Fucking Much Diet.” And so I'm really working on just like, you know, portion control… Americans, in general, eat far too much food. The portion sizes are out of control. So I'm just, you know, scaling that all back. And taking supplements that’ll improve… like, based on my blood work, that will improve my body's functionality.
I don't drink, I don't smoke, and I don't use drugs. So, I figure if I do all of that, I should be good.
Nick: (45:39)
Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, I think those are a lot of great habits, man. And like, it ties into work like, causes you to perform better. When I'm exercising, I'm thinking better, I'm more productive. I have more focus. I have more energy. And the exercise portion was always easy for me. It took me a long time to get the diet dialed in, and you hit the nail on the head with like, the eating too much, and like calories.
And, I think one thing I always missed, like, when I was looking for more energy, I would always reach for coffee, or tea, or caffeine, but calories are where your body really gets its energy from. And if you can dial that in, you will have the best energy, like out of doing anything else. Like there's nothing compared to it. And, when COVID hit, you know, gyms shut down, I just had my third kid.
I couldn't really lift anymore, and I was sitting down… and man. I got in bad shape, and I was like, all right, it's time for me to figure out this diet thing. And I did, and I lost 30 pounds, and I had more energy than before. So I was losing weight, and I had more energy, and I wasn't drinking coffee. I actually stopped for a little bit because I just didn't feel like I needed it. And it's just a delicate balance. Like if you overeat, you wake up the next day, you're a little brain fog, and you're just not as motivated.
And you know, now you're gaining weight. And, once I dialed in those macros and calories, and I used an app, and I just did what the app… right, it kind of falls back to what we said before. Like, let the experts be the experts, and you know, there's this app. That's like all they do. It's these doctors, and, you know, people that are obsessed with this stuff.
So, it worked, and I've kept the weight off, and you know, over a year later it's been great.
Prue: (49:13)
Congrats, that’s awesome.
Nick: (49:14)
Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you very much.
Prue: (49:15)
That’s a huge accomplishment.
Nick: (49:18)
Yeah, it wasn't easy, but I'm glad I did it. It was definitely worth it. I'm trying to live a long time too. All right. Let's see. I think I can get two more questions your way. What are some hobbies? I mean, what do you do besides… I know you mentioned exercising and, you know, hanging out with the kids, but is there anything else that you really enjoy doing?
Prue: (50:22)
Hmm… Hobbies? I'm not a big hobbyist, I would say. I don't knit or like, play an instrument, or anything specific like that. I'm more of a… I like to do Standup Paddle Boarding. I like to go out on a boat, and like Wakeboard, or do something. All my hobbies, if you will, are things that get me outside and active. Go to the beach with my kids, or… I'm not a homebody. I work from home. So I like, on the weekends, I'm just like, get me out of here.
So, I tend to just like to be outside. I definitely like my ‘Me Time’ when I go for a run. I run over to the beach and run along the beach, and that's my like, time to think, and reflect, and dream, and all those things. And so that's kind of what I do for myself. Outside of that, I'm not a big hobbyist.
Nick: (51:29)
Yeah. Okay. Yeah. That's cool. I love being out on the water as well. I mean, that's pretty much what I… where I like to be. I mean, if it's not surfing, like, I'll be… I love being on a Standup Paddleboard. I like the Standup because you know, for the waves to get good, it's like, you know, the stars have to align, and everything has to happen right here on the East Coast.
So if all I did was surf, I would hardly be out there. So, I love getting on the Standup Boards. I love getting on a boat, or Wakeboarding, or just going to the beach with the kids. Like, it's just my happy place. That's where I definitely want to be. All right, let's get one more. What is the best business book that you would suggest others read?
Prue: (52:19)
The best business book probably, would be a book called ‘The Road Less Stupid’ by Keith Cunningham.
It's about like 18 books in one. Each chapter is like its own book. You don't even have to read it consecutively. You could almost just take any chapter, and delve in. At the end of every chapter, he puts it on a bumper sticker. So he shortens it all up. He gives a lot of examples. He's a man with just a ton of business experience. He also does some courses in Austin, Texas called The Four-Day MBA
My business partner went to one of those, and it teaches you how to properly, like, understand your books, and all of that. But, the book, Road Less Stupid covers so many things to do with business, from customer service to every… I mean, literally every aspect of your business. And, it's kind of about what the book is called, The Road Less Stupid.
So like, how to do things, right? It's a long book. I think it's about 18 hours of listening. My business partner listened to it, I think four times now. He has avid notes and runs our business based on the core principles of that book. And I think it's one of those books that's just crucial. It's also an easy listen. It's not like rocket science, trying to figure out what the heck he's talking about.
He gives a lot of real-life examples of businesses that he's been a consumer of, or whatever, to try and clearly depict what he's talking about. And he does a great job of it. So, that's probably my most, all-incorporating business book. But, I listen to books on Audible, and I only listen to business books. So, there's a lot of good ones out there.
Nick: (54:26)
Nice. I've heard a few people recommend that book. I read The Road Less Traveled a long time ago. It was like a... you know, like a psychology book. But yeah, I've got to check out this Road Less Stupid book. I've been having a hard time, switching to audiobooks. Cause I really like reading, and I don't, I just… but I've been trying, I've been working on it. So I need to get these audiobooks going.
And I've even said, that one guy mentioned a habit. I think he read it somewhere, but like, he'll just read 10 minutes a day, in a book. And I was like, well, I need, I definitely have 10 minutes. Like I just need to start there, whether it's audio or listening, or reading. Cause I just don't get that information as much as I used to. So I’m just busy doing work and stuff, but I'm doing a lot of stuff I really shouldn't be doing.
Prue: (55:28)
Well, you make time for what's important to you, right? You just have to make time for it. I often listen, like, if I ever travel anywhere, if I'm driving in a car, I always have an audiobook on, rather than just like music. Especially if, like this afternoon, when I have a long commute, I'll be listening to an audiobook… and then, oh, one other thing is I listened to this podcast called, How I Built This, by Guy Raz. He’s the host.
It's an NPR podcast. It's… I got addicted to it a couple of years ago. He interviews the founders of businesses. Many of what you, most of what you've heard of. Billion Dollar uh… No, Dollar Shave Club, Spanx, Rent the Runway, Uber, Lyft… Like these types of businesses. And he is an incredible host, and he asked them all the right questions to really understand all the trials and tribulations that they've gone through, and why they started the business.
How, like… and each episode's just about like an hour or less. And so I just like, listen to those also, if I'm out on a walk at night or driving.
Nick: (56:42)
Nice, I'll have to add that one to my list as well. I've heard a couple of people mention it, and it sounds like it definitely sounds like a good one. Well Prue, thank you so much for coming on. It's been great chatting with you. Before we sign off, like where can people find out more about your company or reach out to you if they want to? Where should we send them?
Prue: (57:05)
We should send them to either Facebook or Instagram. I'm on Instagram. We’re @beautybyearth. So, @beauty b-y e-a-r-t-h. I'm pretty active on there or on the Beauty by Earth Facebook page.
Nick: (58:04)
All right. Awesome. I'm going to go follow you guys right now. And for those of you listening in, go check them out on Instagram and Facebook. I'm sure they're putting out some great content, and man, Prue, thanks again. Hopefully, I'll be talking to you soon, and see you at another event as well sometime soon.
Prue: (58:25)
Absolutely.
Nick: (58:26)
All right. Thanks.
Prue: (58:27)
Thank you. Take care.
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