173 | Creating Social Change Through Products & Intentional Business Practices with Betsy Garcia, Bloomwolf Studio

Hey friends! I am really excited for you to listen in to today’s episode with Betsy Garcia of Bloomwolf Studio.  Betsy was on her way to medical school when she decided she wanted to pursue the small business life and sell her art. Bloomwolf Studio is a Latina owned & operated illustration and design studio based in Orlando that strives to create change through art and messaging.  In this powerful and transparent episode, Betsy and I talk about the mission behind Bloomwolf and how Betsy and her husband Luis actively weave their personal beliefs into their everyday business practices. Betsy shares details about developing and expanding her product line, including mistakes they made in their first product runs. We also talked about business finances.  At the beginning of 2020, Betsy and Luis set out to increase their annual revenue by 25% and they exceeded this in the first 8 months of the year.  Betsy talks about tools they use to track their financial progress and what they’ve done to pivot their business model to stay on track with these financial goals, despite the pandemic. And, we capped off the convo talking about  TikTok.  How she’s using it to promote her brand and products, how she gained 7,500 users in her first month on the platform and what she  does to plan out her marketing for the year.   ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Why she decided to start a business instead of pursuing medical school How they got started with zero background in business Their process of developing their first products How Betsy decided which products to add into her line Why she’s decided to be more vocal about social issues and the action steps they’re taking Her process for planning out her marketing strategy How she and Luis decided to reach for a 25% increase in annual revenue What they’ve done to pivot this year to stay on track toward financial goals New things they’ve implemented that weren’t in their 2020 plan Where they’re currently at in their revenue goal Tools they use to track their financial progress Her experience with using TikTok for her business   RESOURCES: Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine MEET BETSY:  Bloomwolf Studio is a Latina owned & operated illustration and design studio based in Orlando, Florida. Launched by husband and wife, Luis Sosa and Betsy Garcia, Bloomwolf Studio was started in November of 2015 after Betsy forewent her plans of applying to medical school. With the unwavering support of Luis, and no formal art training, Betsy began illustrating again in the summer of 2015, after not doing so for many years. This period helped renew her passion for art and helped cement her purpose, pushing her to follow her dreams of pursuing art as a career. Since then, thanks to Betsy’s passion and determination and Luis’s continued support, Bloomwolf Studio has evolved into the creative business it is today and has exhibited at national trade shows, participated in hundreds of pop-up markets, and their products are carried in over 400 small shops and boutiques nationwide. Bloomwolf’s small, but mighty team of three is now based in sunny Orlando.   CONNECT WITH BETSY:   Website: https://bloomwolfstudio.com Instagram: @bloomwolfstudio Facebook: @bloomwolfstudio TikTok: @bloomwolfstudio   SLOW STEADY GROWTH ARE HOW STRONG BUSINESSES ARE BUILT Building a business is a long game, won with patience, fortitude, intentional decisions and passion.​ Inside Proof to Product LABS, you’ll receive the support, education and accountability to move your business towards your goals.   ​Join Proof to Product Labs, our 12-month group coaching program built specifically for product based business owners. SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app.  WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.   SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know!  ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!