How This Jewelry Designer Got an 83% Increase in Online Sales & Sailed the World
*We feature stories from our community to inspire others to launch, grow, and scale successful jewelry businesses that support their desired lifestyle.
Today's story is an awesome example of how to create a business that works for your lifestyle (and not the other way around).
Cheryl Fuhs is the designer behind SS Magpie Jewelry, based in White Stone, Virginia.
When she took Laying the Foundation four years ago, she had a very specific goal: to retire early so she and her husband could travel around the world on their boat.
Talk about lifestyle goals!
She was an active part of our community and her business was growing, but Cheryl was still working full-time in her corporate job. They had a hard deadline to set sail: September 2018.
Working nights and weekends helping get her business moving, but she knew she had to move faster.
Her September 2018 deadline was creeping up and she wanted to supplement their retirement savings with about $50K in annual revenue from her business.
She had a few small collections designed, a brand new website and was posting on Facebook and Instagram fairly regularly. The problem was she didn’t have any communication with her customers outside the sale.
Plus, she wasn’t regularly blogging on her website which weakened her brand identity.
Most of her sales, 80% to be exact, were coming from custom projects and consignment partners which required her to be “on land” to deliver.
She was starting to worry her goal of setting sail would never be more than a dream.
When she heard about the Momentum coaching program at our Flourish & Thrive Live event, she was hesitant to apply at first because it was a significant investment and she wasn’t exactly sure how it would work. She knew about business masterminds, and hiring consultants, but this was something completely new.
Cheryl mentioned the SOS program to her husband and they both agreed investing would give her the best chance of hitting their deadline – which was a little less than a year away!
Ultimately, she decided to apply because she trusted Flourish & Thrive Academy based on our other programs & communities she loved so much.
When we jumped on a strategy session call with Cheryl, it was clear she was focused.
Her goals were to triple her online sales so that 80% of her sales were coming from online and 20% from custom (eliminating the consignment accounts).
She also wanted to set up systems & standard operating procedures so her business could run remotely while they were on the boat. Because of these clear goals and her obvious commit
ment to making them happen, we accepted her into the program with open arms.
The commitment to making her dream a reality sparked 3 key action steps.
When we dug into the SS Magpie brand, our coaches saw a disconnect between Cheryl’s brand and her Dream Client. This trickled into everything she did from marketing to how she presented herself on her website.
In just a few short months (9 to be exact), she made incredible progress in 3 areas: branding, marketing, and accountability. And her results were exciting!
1) Branding
She started by getting clear on the “why” behind her brand. Then took a serious look at her customer’s pain points and motivations to buy.
Because of this, she was able to develop a cohesive brand image and a marketing platform to connect with her customers.
This brand message was communicated through her maker video and the user experience on her website. As a result, she created a stronger connection with her current customer and attracted more DREAM customers.
2) Marketing
First, Cheryl focused on one social platform at a time instead of trying to be everywhere at once. She created a plan – executed on it – then moved on to the next platform.
One reason she saw success was because she embraced video content in her marketing strategy! With the help of Flourish & Thrive Academy, she created a maker video for her website and learned how to use video on her social platforms.
Her dream clients love seeing her and feel even more connected to her message now which is ahh-mazing!
Plus, she started running ads using Facebook and Instagram to get in front of new customers. She was scared of it at first, but with help from our expert coaches, she knew exactly what to do!
Next, she put herself on a monthly blogging schedule. Using strategies from the private SEO workshop for SOS, she strategically increased web traffic and email subscribers through her blogging.
She didn’t stop there!
To stay in touch with customers and new subscribers, she integrated a MailChimp CRM into her website complete with an automated sequence of emails when people sign up, purchase, and even leave items in their online shopping cart.
With help from our coaches, she had the confidence and support to set up these automated marketing efforts so her website would work – without her.
How was she able to do all this in 9 months?
3) Accountability
The fact Cheryl could meet with an expert coach once a month held her accountable.
She knew there were people to turn to with questions and advice. Plus, every month in the hot seat sessions she could present her current roadblock and immediately get multiple ways to overcome it!
Beyond the official coaches, she was placed in an accountability pod with other designers and makers in the SOS program. They quickly formed a bond and developed a mini collaboration station for all things business!
Cheryl’s time was limited (remember, full-time job) but the last thing she wanted was to show up to her accountability meetings with nothing to show for herself. So she planned short work sprints to get the most important things done – and it worked.
The truth is, you don’t have to spend every minute working in your business to see results.
By joining Momentum, Cheryl realized that part of the reason she was struggling to grow her sales online was that she didn’t have the proper focus to develop systems and automation. People would come to her website and leave – but now they visit, sign up for her email list, get tracked with a Facebook pixel, and buy somewhere down the line.
She tripled her sales, replaced her consignment shop revenue with ecommerce revenue, and stepped on the boat September 1st to sail away with her hubby.
Cheryl is proud of her business and excited about the future.
When I asked Cheryl if she’d recommend Momentum, she said this:
“I would recommend SOS to anyone who is truly committed to growing their business online. SOS teaches, challenges, and motivates designers who have a solid platform already in place upon which to build their business.
The Flourish & Thrive Academy team supports you with expert coaches, relevant trainings, weekly accountability, and monthly challenges. You will learn applicable marketing techniques and gain exposure to new methods of promoting your business online.
The community is one of strong support and collaboration with someone always ready to provide guidance and advice.
After going through the program, I am more confident and accountable in my ability to take my business to the next level.”
I can’t wait to welcome the next “Cheryl Fuhs” to our Momentum Coaching Program. Stories like this are why we do what we do.
It’s true, creatives run the world – by land, and now by sea.
