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Standing Out with Patricia Zapata

Hi patricia everybody how dare you? Good okay and I'm so glad you're here. I like to be here. Thank you for that having me yes, we are thrilled patricia had to take time off from her job today to join us and I'm just so glad that she was able to do that. I've been using your photographs from your website throughout the whole presentation I don't know if you've been able to tune in and see what we've been doing it all but it's just such amazing mark I've really been ragging on you I appreciated a combination peace it's not all of it but I've caught some of it. Okay, great, well, let's dive right in and we have gotten a lot of questions from our online audience and then I have some questions that people e mailed me directly. So do you mind if we just jump on in? Ok, so I've told people that we really can't answer a lot of specific questions about printers because it's different for everybody, it depends on the kind of monitor they have. It depends on what kind of paper they're using that...

there's a lot of different elements that tie into finding a printer that's right for them so rather than answering a really spit s, if it question about printing, I'd like to talk to you I'd like to ask you about printing general generalities like how what size printing run do you think makes the most sense for a beginner? I didn't say let's say cards well um I remember when I started cards I started with a few dozen no more than that idea because I didn't know what would sell I didn't know what would stand out uh so I just did like a few dozen of each of my designs and that was at the very, very beginning and then customers pretty much you pretty quickly telling you what sells and if you already have wholesales account wholesale accounts, then you're venter's give you great feedback very quickly so I wouldn't say no more than in prison and sometimes I wasn't even sure of a particular design when I was introducing something so I would print based on my orders so we were just before you came on we're actually talking about getting wholesale accounts. What do you think that there's a standard for minimums teo offer to stores when you are selling wholesale? I feel like when I had a story always had two by six of each design that I wanted with that a minimum of say like five designs from a particular line do you think there's are there any industry standards based around that? Um I don't really know that number right now because I haven't done that in a while but I do remember that I at a minimum my goodness it's been so long I don't remember what the minimums were but I do remember that sometimes I based my minimums on quantity and sometimes my minimums were on dollar amount because I would give my wholesale accounts you know, a certain discount if they reached I think it was I forget it was two hundred fifty or five hundred dollars of a purchase that I would give them a somewhat of a discount on my other order yeah, I think that that is pretty standard still if you order a store orders five hundred dollars from you that you sometimes offer free shipping which you should be careful about because that can add up quicker then you realize especially with paper is heavy you know if you're sending a really large quantity so making sure that you or you know you might give an incentive for a high volume amount of you know, ten percent off your holiday order or whatever it might be yeah I never really gave free shipping very rare occasions because shipping is like he said it's very tricky and you don't know how much in order is going away and you end up maybe losing money because of yeah free shipping is a tricky one but it is a big incentive to shop so if you are really trying to court somebody in the beginning I mean maybe you would offer that if you wanted to but be very, very careful that you understand what that means to your business if that's something that you decide to dio yes for sure so you make such a variety of products which I love him and we've had a lot of questions about pricing and I'm wondering if you have any general philosophies or thoughts about pricing that you can share well, it depends on your business it depends on if you're in paper goods like journals and the books or you're in paper goods that means stationery and cards um I think it just depends from business the business I think now what I would do is do a lot of research I would go out and look at you I would be an equivalent teo and when I did that I did that all across the board I did that in stores and my local stationery stores and check out what the big guys are doing and then I would look and see who my counterparts are for example, hundreds cnn's but people are doing there and then I would price myself around you know what I would consider appropriate for mine kind of customer that I'm looking for and also be competitive, you know, remain competitive and within the realm of everybody else s so it's a lot of research, I just I did a lot of research yeah, I think that that's really true about pricing that were sort of always hoping for some kind of magic a formula or magic pill and at the end of the day it really comes down to how much the market will bear for what you make as I quit and how much money you need to make so you know as long as your accounting for things like your supplies your time your ink, your effort you know, the trips to the post officer whatever it costs you to make your work and then slotting that and I think that a lot of times we're too focused on finding a a formula when we really you know do seem to say what of our guests for a fast start that we did for the soap faster we did that that woman said that she puts in all of her necessary costs and then times is times that by twenty percent or whatever it is and that's how she makes up for things like her rent you want to make sure that you're getting paid and you want to make sure that your supplies are paid for and you will find that number you know? So I think that it's important said no that there's no right way to do it but there is a wrong way to do it and that's where you don't make your money back or you don't get paid well, we have a question about that very specifically which came from creatively carol because she's asking how do you when you know that somebody is under selling their product? How do you compete with them? Do you have any advice for that? You know, sometimes it's very frustrating because you say how could this person be selling something for two dollars one of militia be costing five and you really can't worry about that you have to cover your own costs and handling your own business and if you're selling up quality product that people enjoy, they've moved by it at the price of their you know that you're selling it at um I used to worry a lot of the beginning when people would do that, but you have to really think about what do you deserve? What covers your costs and you can't you can't guide your business through somebody else's do you have to follow your own path? I agree I would say carol that that person isn't really your competition because that person isn't either has something going on in their business that allows them to manage it differently than then what you think should should be happening or they're just flat out, you know aren't up to speed on what they should be doing so that person isn't on your level really if they're under charging just because they're already harming their business in your conscious about not not doing that, people who don't know go ahead now that I was going to say that one of the things is that you don't know what's going to be the long term this person made go out of this is sooner than you think because they are underselling, so keep your prices the way they should be and don't worry about the rest don't so worry about people who sell something similar to you at at a much different price, they put they maybe have a very different ideal customer. Maybe they just haven't learned yet and just keep your eyes on your own paper that's a paper due tomorrow heart is joining us online and potentially got a huge fan club online here, creative life saying petition your awesome and amazingly talented thank you for that way have some great questions coming in for you. One view is asking a lot of people voted on this one excuse me, I'm interested to know if patricia has any tips on selling digital paper cutting files as this is her specialty need tips? Oh my goodness, I would say for tips pretty much stand out, do your own designs, and I think I think my mantra when I designed my products for my shop right now are things that are going to be useful, make things that will be useful that people and enjoy clear instructions because the thing is, I don't mind getting emails for people that don't understand my instructions to build my projects. I welcome them, but you want to make sure that those e mails are cut down to a minimum and the way you make sure about that is to make really clear tutorials of your projects and those air I attached the mess. Pdf. So with my files on dh, I don't get a lot of questions, and I think I attributed to the fact that I make sure that all my steps are as I make my projects, writing down notes of things that I think ok, I thought that I would tell people how to make it this way, but it really ends up being easier to do it this way. So as you build something, take notes and remind yourself with steps you took so that he could write those tutorials clearly and attach them to your projects and then as far as what you want to sell. Really? So what? I in my in my shop, I sell things that I would be proud of to put in my own house, like, in fact, I do have a lot of pieces all around or frames in my own home, so let's kind of the big ones for me. And I would say from my experience with people who make digital downloads that having somebody tester patterns do you ever do that ask somebody else to make something? It was complicated projects yes, I have done that I asked I have a few you know, followers that are very, very kind and when I asked them if you know if they'd be willing to give something a test, they do do that for me and I give them either coupon to my shop is an appreciation of thank you or given the fight you know, the fathers and give them the vase for free over things like that andi this very hopeful sometimes they do see things that I don't see because when you're close the project you really see what others might so it's helpful. Yes, yeah, I also think it's really good to be clear on what your return policy is for digital files and mine would be no returns it's a digital file so if you get it you have it, you own it, you can't send it back, you're always going to have it. So really knowing how much you, um, how you want to interact with your customer around a downloadable digital file I think is something really important to consider before you start selling them because people will write you and say I didn't realize this was a digital file or I thought I was going to get this actual product we see this a lot with other people who sell digital patterns for things like sewing her, knitting that somebody will buy the pattern and then say, I thought you were selling me this hat scarf in mitten set for two dollars winners and my hat's carvin miss things that have to me a lot, yes, a lot and unfortunately unfortunately my shop and I don't know if there are there my my online shop has a way I could tell when somebody has downloaded something because I have been five chances to download it in case any technical issues come up with the download, so sometimes I can tell that somebody has, you know, like what you were saying where's my order, I paid for it and they're expecting something in the mail and I don't know anything everything is downloadable files what happened? But I do have a policy that I don't return money on downloadable files because of the nature of the business like he said, but in some cases I've noticed that I go to the a person's account and I can go in the back end of my shop and see that there have been no downloads, and in those cases I do return the money because I just feel kind of guilty keeping money that I know that they sent in a mistake and it's their mistake but I'm okay with returning that money bad that's like a tip to know that you can tell if somebody's downloaded it or not by looking at your back end of the service that you used to do that yes it's helpful because I don't want anybody's money if it's you know right and I don't want to do that you're so good now we have a very specific question about this I think patricia's covered part of this already but maybe get a pass because a lot of people voted on this when it came from koco emotional designs they're saying how our digital download purses approaches handled and does the by get a code? How many times can they print out their purchase and how does the seller release the download? I want to sell prince of my original handmade colored car large work, but I'm concerned about how many times they can download and then what they do with that down look and they share it with anybody okay that's that's something you're going to just have to live with that last part of that that's one of the things that happens the sharing part ok as far as my would've site what happens is when somebody places in order they get an automatic you know and this is all my west it handles that it's all back in but I don't have do any of that it's automatically set? Unfortunately my husband is an I t person, so he helps me with all those issues the person gets any no with a link they click on that they come to my accounts page and they downloaded it's very easy they don't want it to their computer and they haven't followed forever now if they happen to have ah technical issue their internet went down in the middle of the download or whatever happened they have five chances like I said to download the file now what happens to the file after that is up to everybody's? I guess good will basically I it's obvious that I don't want people to share my files because that's what I'm selling that's the product and I do know of instances because I do have followers that do let you know hey, these files are being shared for example, closed groups on facebook are a big issue there are specific groups on facebook that are there created for file sharing and unfortunately that happens and there's nothing we can do about it. Um but you know what? I honestly used to infuriate me really? I would get really frustrated about that here I am trying to make my living as an artist, doing what I love to do and sharing what I love to do and people taking advantage of that now I used to spend a lot of energy getting frustrated about that in policing and getting e mails from people that were whistleblowers and whatnot. I decided a long time ago that there will always be somebody that wants to take advantage of something, and you just have to live with that. I tried tio just yeah, basically just live with it because there's really nothing else you can do about it. I like to people the benefit of the doubt, and there are a lot of honest people out there that purchase my files and are happy with them, and they recommend their people that you know, to buy them from me. So I'm a big believer in karma. What goes around comes around eventually somewhere another, so I just don't worry about it anymore. Do you have disclaimers on your files? Are on your work that says, you know, copy, right, not to be shared, it is eccentric centers, so I meanwhile, that certainly won't stop that from happening, you know it's nice tio to your best from the get go and then, you know, let go, d'oh! One of the steps in, for example, one of the steps that people have to take when they buy something for me is they have to, you know, click on I agree of a page that has my terms and conditions and that includes the noodle refunds it includes please in a chair all those things and it also includes I don't mail anything but they still click on it is still ask for something in the mail so all that's included there and been designs that are very particular I do try to copyright as much as I can and protect my work and that's all you can do so what website platform do you use that has dysfunctionality for you right now I use open card force website source so it's very reasonable and I'm just customized it to my taste and you have a beautiful website gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous website so I hope everybody has had a chance to visit patricians website before she came on or I hope you're there looking at it right now because we talk a lot about how you designed your website and the look and feel of that and the private podcast because I I thought it was so it's so great thank you yeah like I said, I have a very helpful husband pressure we have a question here about where do you look for for forecasting trends and looking for inspiration for new color palettes, new color palettes I look at fashion for color a lot of that luke fashion and we talked about it with kerry in the podcast also that I look at interiors terry design a lot of inter designed logs and magazines, and I am always inspired by architecture and furniture, both sites that's, where I get my inspiration, that's a great one, I like to look at paint pallets like boards on pinterest that say, like these colors go together for your mid century modern home are like, whatever it is that sometimes people sort of do that work for you in pain pallets, or at least give you a good jumping off point or a place to start there's many with looks like, for example, design seeds, this one that gives them great color boats, and I found on pinterest, one of my big inspirations has been a floral arrangements. Oh, wow, you just pick a pick a photo and you could pick any color palette like, you know, according to the arrangement, whether it's a ok, your something in the vase or something, and since those air pretty seasonal, you could start seeing them come by our interests and whatnot, those air inspirational to yeah, that sounds flowers are always good for me when I'm stuck. So is which is one of my favorite reasons about the city I live in. Is there so many flowers there year round that it's always always get a pop of color when you're out and about what how can we what sort of skills do you think that people who work on the computer to do their design work what are some of the skills that they could work on practicing or brushing up on as they begin their businesses like are there any programs or things that people should really have in mind when they're designing online are light on their computer like is it best to invest in a really good monitor color, color, color calibration thank you very much are there things like that that we should be aware of our tools that we could get access to that would make our design work easier when we're working on a computer? Well, mostly I'm working photoshopping illustrator primarily for all my projects illustrated there I do design my because of the fact that I am selling cutting files I build the team illustrator as victor files because that's what I need to say that speedy files and then the photoshopped comes in when I'm taking my photos because I should know my photography and then fix him up into the shop if they need to be you know proctor at it a bit, I will work hard to shop for that no if somebody doesn't have money to invest in illustrator there is an equivalent and I believe it's open source is escape thanks so primarily those were the two sources that I or what programs that I use now before getting on the computer, though, brought I'm I mean, illustrating and drawing that's. What makes your heart unique? So I would recommend if you feel like you're illustration ability need some more practice than maybe take some classes and illustrating for painting? Uh, that because that's what's really going to give your art your unique touch and personality for any computer program, will. Good answer was shared with us. That it's affect vector scope is what you need to actually calibrate the colors and know what color it is. Vector scale and scope. Okay, so you make a such a variety of prod of product. You know everything from your paper while quelled. Tio box toppers, tio gift bags. You told me that the cards are always the standard. You always know you're going to need cards. How do you determine if something is good enough for you to actually produce her cell? How do you get from idea to product? Ready to go online? I think it's something. Usually I go with something that I would buy e think always that's. Always been my guy. What? I actually put them money for this. And is it of my paces of my style, and then the second, I think idea I always have isn't a useful is gonna be something fun that I could put together I try to think of the end user is gonna be fun for them to build together with friends or by themselves is it going to be useful is going to be pretty also is going to be easy enough to build because I think I can I can come up with many projects that are very complicated but I want to try to make paper crafting accessible to people I don't want to make it this big mysterious oh my gosh this has twenty thousand steps I don't think anybody really has time for that so I also edit my ideas down to something that people could sit down maybe making an hour or less uh because I know that people don't have time for more than that and then a ce faras ideas for projects sometimes they'd seasonal sometimes it's because it's something that I wanted to make for a friend for a gift for a card and then I was like wait a minute I can extend this into making of set of being carded box and whatever else s o the inspiration what the projects are it's kind of comes from a variety of areas of sources even my kids sometimes you know hey mom what about it made this or that s o they beat back to that too I like that I like that answer and I had a great question from susie illustrates and she's daunted by the digital aspect of designing and designing cars it just scares her do you should she start with just taking a basic course in photo shop all releases something you can teach yourself she feels like she's a strong artist it's the digital designing that's concerning her it just seems to me this seems to have so much to learn ten technologically well I didn't start it ideologically inclined I do know illustrator reporter shot because of the fact that I'm a graphic designer and that's where I started so I have that background and that ability to use now but when I started my business I'm saying on bank cards and my first cards were people pieces of illustrations that I would make one at a time and I got to the point where I've been streamlining my work so that it would go a little faster and I also sold at one time printed cards and those air you gonna block ah linoleum block by hand illustrating it by hand so there's no computer involved and then you're printing by hand so I remember there was a time where we had cars driving all over the kitchen counters and what not so when you're starting out you can give yourself permission to do things that are handmade, strictly handmade and then really the only thing in that regard you would have to we're in a bit of photo shop or some other similar program for your photography because photography especially if you're gonna be selling online it's a a big deal because whatever you will see on screen that's what they you know it needs to be enticing it needs to move pretty online it's a matter if it looks great in person but if your photography is lacking then I would invest in take classes in the photography detection of for example creative life and that that that would mean my first big investment it digital is daunting then may can made and then go to work on the photo shop skills or the photography schools it's so interesting that you say that because all four experts that I talked to through these various fast start courses all noted that photography was the number one thing that made her break could make or break their sales and patricia and I talk a lot about the photography on her website in the podcast because I was just I just love it so much there's no real problems I think I saw one picture that had a pair of scissors and you know she's just was does a really good job of it showing you what she makes and it makes me want tio own touch it see it you know have it it's you just do such a good job with that and it's interesting because some of your work is flat, some of your work is three dimensional, you know? And yet you've done a really good job with all of that, and I think that investing in photography is really important for any business that runs primarily online, even and that even includes if you're making a digital catalogue that you want to sell to potential retailers, toehold sell your product you still need to include photos for that, even if you don't sell to customers through an online marketplace for the importance of photography, for your business cannot be undersold and, you know, I can't. And when I started my first one of them place that I will go to other websites of places that I would shop at and like their photography and not necessarily paper goods, just any kind of product, and I would say, ok, why do I like this one talking? Why do I think it works? What is striking about it? And I would try to emulate that in my own way and I think that's where I got the idea of no props or very little because the mostly websites that I was attracted to use any they just like a product stand out right? And I think that really good photography can can save you time, because if if your picture really is expressing what you have done well, you know it means less e mails it means less returns it means less customer dissatisfaction because people see right away what they're going to get so the photograph can actually be a time saver if you're doing it right and really expressing what you have to sell through your photography which you do a really good job of and your response to that question originally you mentioned how you would dreyer work in the kitchen and one of the things that we do really cover in the podcast in our ways that paper crafters can batch their work because I think we are all looking for ways to save time and teo do as much work in bulk the same time is possible if you can stream we outlined your process in any kind of way it means you're going to make more money because you're spending less time making the product correct yeah I want to know what I know what makes this all worth it for you you know there are big concerns about people sharing your work or copying or you know things that are hard to deal with sometimes but you have kept going and you've been a really important member of our creative community for so long you're one of the first crafters that I ever became really aware of and started following a little how years ago I tell a story in the podcast actually but I was afraid tio I ask patricia to do this with me because I felt like she was too famous and that she was going to say what what but what makes all of this worth it for you at the end of the day at the end of the day it's almost a compulsion seriously I just love working with paper I get and see I need to make something with my hands and I think that uh I believe that there are other people like that you know out there that they do like to work with their hands and they do love papers which is I do but maybe they don't have the ability to design projects like the ones that I make so the fact that I can offer them a chance tio to do the same in their home that to me is fun you know, paper nerds unite I say but um I just love and sometimes I get feedback from people and that may sometimes I do I'm not going to say sit here and say that it has been easy to be constant you know, continuous with this type of work sometimes you go into lowe's and sometimes you go why am I going this and I don't know why but certainly seventy I can't even say that anymore just when that happens when I have that feeling that I'm doubting what I'm doing I get an email from somebody it always happens I get either an email from a customer or a photo that they sent me and it always brings me back up because they think they think me they showed me what they've done. I remember getting one, you know, from somebody she was so proud to show off the project that they had worked with her grades, she had worked with her granddaughter and they made me feel so great I mean, I'm offering what I'm offering not only is paper crafting and something to do or to make it's also, I think it's going to sound kind of cheesy, but kind of memories building memories of either something that you made with somebody or that you've given to somebody is a gift and you're very proud of and hopefully they will enjoy it too, so building that ability to make something to give that to somebody else it's it's a gift and I love doing it, so I just don't start that's why that's wonderful? I don't think that sounds cheesy at all. I think we're all in some sort of handmade business because of how it makes us feel and it's important to us to make other people feel good or feel what we want to express and that's really sort of the backbone I think of why we do this work, I want people to feel empowered and encourage you want people to make memories? I think that having that touchstone and part that part of your why you're doing this figured out it's really helpful if you are having one of those low days. Oh, definitely and I would have to add to that that whenever if you're a customer and you are really a fan of one of your makers don't think that they are out of reach and that you can't send them a message, send them a message on dh thank them for what they're doing because it's really something that's you know, our passion and we love making it, but hearing sometimes you don't for feedback for a long time, and then when you do, I, for example, keep a folder on my inbox I keep all my thank you special e mails because every now and then, if I feel low and I haven't gotten an email, I will go through those and those were remind me of why I'm doing what I'm doing, so send those e mails people I'm sure would appreciate from they do I save all of the ones that I get to I have a little file and I keep it as part of my social proof so it's good for my business in another way, but also just when I think what the heck is happening here? Why am I doing this? That it's useful to know ah this is why you know exactly I want to thank you so much for being with us I really appreciate you taking the time out of your day to connect with us and be with us and encourages and definitely inspire us oh carrie for having me it's been fun really you're welcome patricia and all of the guests that I interacted with for these fast starts had to spend a lot of time with me because we created a tip sheet together they did a podcast with me they were going toe come here you know so everybody's really been so generous with the time that they've devoted to these courses and to your benefit and I am I'm so grateful for all of it oh no thank you it's been great oh good thanks. Thanks. Thanks patricia this is her autumn paper quote that she made so these air actually three d boxes and you would fit the paper in behind her outlines and then you could change them out if you changed your mind or the seasons changed on there they're the boxes themselves are made of paper so they weigh almost nothing they wouldn't damage your walls you could she says she says the genius and so you can see it unframed on that side and then what it would look like with the paper behind it on this side so incredible so speaking of incredible we talked about this a little bit during our hang out just now and we certainly talked about this in extreme detail in the podcast that you get with purchase but I want to just go over it it really quickly one more time because as I said before it cannot be undersold the photography is keith to the success of your online business if that is how you're conducting business you need to have the best photographs possible so and as patricia said creative live actually has some not actually I mean they obviously have some really phenomenal photography courses that I think you would find quite useful we also do prat product photography and my first creative life course that I did to start a handmade business and patricia gives some of her tips because she does it all by herself in the podcast that we have recorded but somebody also asked about illustrator I want to just mention this really quickly before I move on I needed to learn illustrator recently for my new online shop that features a lot of designed products that I wanted to design myself this time around and that hasn't it's it's something that I've been working on for a really long time and I actually used to creative live course on adobe tio learn photo shop and illustrator and it was really really easy and fascinating so I know that that's that's a plug but I got to tell you, it totally worked for me, and it was amazing. So I would recommend that there's resource is everywhere all around. I'm so, so photography, please, please, please do your very best. This is something in your time map that you want to schedule some time for. I would even say each week, like you need to practice photography to get better at photography, different times of day when different, lighter, coming in different ways to style your products, or how not to start air, not feeling your products that are like patricia, but what she needs to do then, because she's not putting in any props, is she has to make sure that she has the right backgrounds and that she can do the work that she needs to do in photoshopped to enhance the brightness or two tone something down, whatever it might be. If there's a particular thing that you think you need to learn, tio, enhance your photos that you've taken, I suggest that you do a search for it. And you, too. If you need a quick fisk, if you need a quick fix and your photos are coming out to darker, you want to know how to eliminate a shadow sometimes, if it's a very civic problem or detail that you're trying to work on or improve. I found that you can just search for video that talks about that very specific thing with your camera type, and often times you can get some really great advice online in a pinch, which is really helpful, let's, see, so get to know your own style. We have touched on this often on through the duration of this particular course, and I just want tio reinforce this, know where your own style is, own it, be it, practice it, and then study it, and you will find out what your own style is by putting things through these lenses or filters that we've been discussing throughout this fast start. And that patricia mentioned during our chat, knowing what your own style is, and being really true to that, or is going to help you make decisions, that's going to help you. Market it's going to help you write your copy, it's going to help you reach that target audience who you know wants to buy from you. But the part of your artistic sensibility that you need to infuse into your work is on ly something that you can have. So if you feel like there's, a lot of competition out there are a lot of people are saying hand lettering and that's something that you want to d'oh it's not something that you need to worry about as much if you are making sure that you are doing your own version of it. It's going to be what really expresses you and what really separates you from your competition is going to be you and how you interject yourself into your work, so get to know your style, own it, be it and stayed true to it. So this is one of my favorite images that I took from patricia's website. She also does surface design, and she has a line of fabric, or you can purchase her fabric and wrapping paper from her through spoon flower, which is a really interesting way to go. But this comes directly from her web site and I and just really liked how this looked a lot, so the last thing that I want to talk to you about her, the last tipper trick that I really have for you is that I want you to define what success means for you, and this means that you have a lot of things to think about, and you, khun, you can take what you have in your vision, the time that you have available to work on your business from your time map. The money that you have to invest the resource is that you want to create. If you put all of those things together, you're going to be able to see what you think is going to make you successful. I want you to pick a definition for what success means to you and that's what I want you to work toward. You could set your definition of success for what is the first quarter of the year going toe look like all know, I'm successful in three months if although I'm successful, if at the holidays season I I know I'm successful, if in two years my business, although I'm successful, if I get x amount of wholesale accounts all know I'm successful if I sell this many units of product, whatever it is that you think is going to make you successful, I want you to decide what that is, and I want you to write it down, and I want you to keep it in mind if you know where you want to go it's going to be so much easier for you to get there if you know what you're going if what you want to achieve, it's going to be so much easier for you to achieve it don't let yourself to sort of be flip flopping around in the dark, not sure what to do next. If you know what being successful means to you, you're going to be able to start your work time with an end goal in mind and it's going to save you a lot of time and a lot of heartache and it's just going to make being a business owner so much more enjoyable, and that is what I want for you. I want you to love your business, I want your business to love you. I want the world to love your business and I wanted you to love the world, so know what you want to d'oh and then allow yourself to do it don't stand in yourself in your own way.