Case studies and testimonials
Investing in yourself and your business can be really scary.
I want you to feel confident about making a decision that is right for you. To do that, you may need to hear from someone else but me. So I asked some of my clients and students to share their thoughts.
"We now have 30 stockists in total - and that number is growing steadily!"
I had no idea how to even start with wholesale! I'd wanted to get in to shops and had signed up to my first trade fair, but I really didn't know where to go next to get my small business ready!
The reservations I had about working with Therese were nothing to do with her or her services - as a very small business, I was concerned that perhaps it was a bit of financial outlay for the stage I was at. I knew I wanted to invest in growing my business, but it felt daunting. I have no regrets, though, it was absolutely worth every penny!
I went into my first trade show feeling confident that I had the planning and preparation done. The show went smoothly and I was able to use the tips Therese had given me to speak to buyers professionally, and get some great leads. We took more than 20 orders at the show, and we now have 30 stockists in total - and that number is growing steadily!
Maddie went from dreading wholesale orders to being stocked by dream stockists like the London Zoo & The Natural History Museum
Therese came highly recommended to me through a small business friend. I wanted to make my business my full-time job after the pandemic, but I was nervous about reaching out to stockists, especially when I knew sales were down. I instantly clicked with Therese and her no-nonsense, sales-focused mentoring and started working with her one-on-one at the beginning of 2021 shortly after finishing one of her courses. It's the best investment I've ever made.
I felt overwhelmed, burned out, buried under the weight of trying to run my business alone and not understanding how to dig my way out. Packing orders was taking too long, so I stopped looking forward to orders, and I dreaded getting a wholesale order because I wasn't sure if I'd be able to have the stock to fulfil it.
I had started wholesaling before I started working with Therese, but I went from dreading orders to being excited to receive them. I've been able to reach out and build relationships with dream stockists like London Zoo and The Natural History Museum and I never would have had the confidence to do that before. Wholesale now makes up the bulk of my sales and I'm confident Also the Bison will continue to be my full time job and I will continue to grow.
Wholesale is directly responsible for helping me to become more financially independent as well as giving me a platform to quit my full time job.
I could instantly see the value you could add to my business and I knew the 1-1 mentoring would be the most transformative for me. I knew I needed both a sounding board and some guidance to point me in the right direction and that you were the right person for this part of my journey.
Even though I knew you were also dyslexic, I still worried about having to explain how my brain thinks which was of course completely unnecessary. I am so inspired by the way you talk about the topic and grateful for the example you set.
When I think I have done everything, you push me further and when I had periods I couldn’t do much, you also just kindly encouraged me to do what was right for me and the business. What more could you want from a mentor
I started the year with I think 2-3 stockists and I’m finishing with 15 (which was the first target we set for me to achieve by March) but what I learnt was the right stockists mean the really scary hard work only needs to happen once. I now feel so much more confident and have some really lovely relationships with my stockists.
The thing I’m most proud of achieving this year is that I’m finishing the year with no credit card debt, which is something I struggled to be completely free from for a while. Wholesale is directly responsible for helping me to become more financially independent as well as giving me a platform to quit my full-time job.
Sara exhibited at her first trade show and is now stocked in John Lewis
Before I hired you or purchased from your business, I felt ... like I had absolutely no idea when it came to wholesale - I didn't know where to start and it seemed very intimidating and overwhelming.
I almost DIDN’T purchase from you or hire you because ... I was a little concerned about the cost as I've not paid for a lot of professional services so far, but it was more than worth it.
My favorite part was ... I really liked the structure, knowing I was going to have a call each month kept me accountable. It was useful to have the email templates and the trello board is awesome (but I'm a massive trello fan anyway!)
What kinds of gains, income, outcome, or compliments have you received since working together? I have gained lots of stockists, I had my first trade show where I received loads of compliments on the brand and products and just generally felt like a real success.
What would you say to someone looking to work with me? Go for it! It's an excellent investment if you're looking to feel knowledgeable about, and grow, your wholesale.
"this (drop-in call) was the cherry on top."
Before I hired you or purchased from your business, I felt ...
Not confident that I actually knew what I was doing!
I almost DIDN’T purchase from you or hire you because ...
Its expensive, there isn't a lot of cash flowing around in the business, especially as I hadn't sold anything yet!
I chose this specific service or product because ...
Therese is friendly, knowledgeable, shares info in easy-to-understand ways and gives you really useful tips! Definitely already learnt a lot from the wholesale course, but this (drop-in call) was the cherry on top.
My favourite part was ...
Insider tips - how to stalk through LinkedIn & to joke about how I match my dogs collar and lead to my outfit!
What kinds of gains, income, outcome, or compliments have you received since working together?
Lots of interesting leads from some of my dream retailers- nothing has happened yet, but they are making noise in the right direction.
"Working with you was pleasant, easy, informative, interesting and
confidence-boosting."
Why did you decide to work with me?
I've followed you for ages and really enjoy your content. Listening to your Lives is always like having a coffee with a friend. I always intended to work with you in the future when I was going to venture beyond selling from just my website. The opportunity with Spring Fair was the catalyst that galvanised me to speak with you sooner rather than later.
How has your wholesale/business grown since working together?
Nothing concrete as it's only been a couple of weeks, but I'm much more confident with my strategy and approach to attracting retail customers. Working with you was pleasant, easy, informative, interesting and confidence-boosting. I very much look forward to working with you again going forward.
What’s one thing you’re looking forward to in 2023?
The possibilities! Lots of little potential opportunities to pursue. But the big one is starting the year with Spring Fair, increasing TingTang's reach, having a chance to introduce the new products and our snazzy new branding!
