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Margin Magic Masterclass

Sandra Velasquez

​​La Onda is a newsletter by Sandra Velasquez, founder of Nopalera, with actionable insights around brand building and selling.

Hi Founders!

One of the questions I received the most from you all is about getting into wholesale.

Wholesale is 55% of my business and DTC is the other 45%. 
It's a nice mix. 

BUT. 

Would you be surprised if I told you that the wholesale accounts that are my bread and butter are the ones you've never heard of? 

That's right. It's not Nordstrom, Credo, Free People, or even Whole Foods, that are fueling my revenue. 

Big retailers have Net payments terms and often times chargebacks. This means you are waiting to get paid for 2 months sometimes and then when you DO get paid, there are deductions. You don't get as much money as you thought. 

I sell to over 300 boutiques nationwide. They pre-pay (money goes straight to the bank account!) and they don't ask for anything. I love them.
I want to give you a checklist and some things to think about. 
Questions for you:

1/ Why do you want to get into wholesale accounts? 
2/ What does that mean to you? Do think it will make you money ?
3/ Do you have the operational backend to support fulfillment?
4/ Do you have a warehouse with a loading dock?
5/ CAN YOU AFFORD TO SELL WHOLESALE?

#5 is the most important, ya'll. 
You need to have strong margins to be able to AFFORD to sell wholesale. 
So many brands do not and then they end up making no money. 

If you are unclear about cogs and margins, you are welcome to attend my next Margin Magic Masterclass. Info here: https://lu.ma/lo8mk960

Wholesale checklist ✅
1/ Have GS1 barcodes for all your SKUs
2/ Have case packs built at the manufacturing level
3/ Have your assets ready: hi-res photos on white, product briefs for each SKU for retailer education, a training video for retailers, founder bio, founder headshot.
4/ Hi-res digital sell sheet. Full color bleed. Product pics with barcodes, case packs, order contact.
5/ Order & fulfillment system. Create a company email for orders. Determine the workflow. Who will process, ship, invoice?
6/ inventory management system (who's tracking it?)

These are all the things you want to have in place before you start trying to sell into wholesale accounts.

Let's say you have all of that. 
How do you actually get into the accounts?

This is a deeper question. There are no tricks. 
You have to have a strong brand that is adding to the store's assortment or category.
Think like a buyer. They get hundreds of submissions regularly. 
What is your brand bringing to the table that is missing in the marketplace and can help the retailer make more money? 

Did I get my brand into Nordstrom because my products perform well?
Absolutely not. 

I got into Nordstrom because I created a strong brand (visually) with a unique point of view that looks good on their shelves and makes them look good because now they can say they have diverse founders on their shelves. 

Everything comes back down to "will this sell?"

As a former sales rep, I want to leave you with one piece of advice about pitching your brand: 
It's not about how good it works (or tastes, if you have a food brand). 

The presentation  & positioning is everything (translation: branding and value proposition)

How did I get into the 300 boutiques? 
They came to me. 
How?
Because I ran facebook and instagram ads and they saw them and reached out.

Be ready. Have a wholesale application form on your website.

Discovery is a mythical unicorn. All of us like to feel like we discovered things but the reality is it was put in front of us. Usually through some sort of paid method. 

I've talked about advertising in other posts. Scroll my previous posts for that info.

I hope this answers some questions. If you need more clarity on this, reply back with your question.
I may hold a live Q&A for everyone on this list if there is still any confusion. 
But you need to speak up if you need more help!
Xx
P.S did you hear the latest episode of The  Nopalera podcast? https://the-nopalera-podcast.captivate.fm

<div class="mirror-content"><hr/>​​​La Onda is a newsletter by Sandra Velasquez, founder of Nopalera, with actionable insights around brand building and selling.<hr/>​Hi Founders! One of the questions I received the most from you all is about getting into wholesale. Wholesale is 55% of my business and DTC is the other 45%. It&#x27;s a nice mix. BUT. Would you be surprised if I told you that the wholesale accounts that are my bread and butter are the ones you&#x27;ve never heard of? That&#x27;s right. It&#x27;s not Nordstrom, Credo, Free People, or even Whole Foods, that are fueling my revenue. Big retailers have Net payments terms and often times chargebacks. This means you are waiting to get paid for 2 months sometimes and then when you DO get paid, there are deductions. You don&#x27;t get as much money as you thought. I sell to over 300 boutiques nationwide. They pre-pay (money goes straight to the bank account!) and they don&#x27;t ask for anything. I love them.​I want to give you a checklist and some things to think about. ​Questions for you: 1/ Why do you want to get into wholesale accounts? 2/ What does that mean to you? Do think it will make you money ? 3/ Do you have the operational backend to support fulfillment? 4/ Do you have a warehouse with a loading dock? 5/ CAN YOU AFFORD TO SELL WHOLESALE? #5 is the most important, ya&#x27;ll. You need to have strong margins to be able to AFFORD to sell wholesale. So many brands do not and then they end up making no money. If you are unclear about cogs and margins, you are welcome to attend my next Margin Magic Masterclass. Info here: <a href="https://lu.ma/lo8mk960" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://lu.ma/lo8mk960</a> Wholesale checklist ✅ 1/ Have <a href="https://www.gs1.org/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">GS1 barcodes</a> for all your SKUs 2/ Have case packs built at the manufacturing level 3/ Have your assets ready: hi-res photos on white, product briefs for each SKU for retailer education, a training video for retailers, founder bio, founder headshot. 4/ Hi-res digital sell sheet. Full color bleed. Product pics with barcodes, case packs, order contact. 5/ Order &amp; fulfillment system. Create a company email for orders. Determine the workflow. Who will process, ship, invoice? 6/ inventory management system (who&#x27;s tracking it?) These are all the things you want to have in place before you start trying to sell into wholesale accounts. Let&#x27;s say you have all of that. How do you actually get into the accounts? This is a deeper question. There are no tricks. You have to have a strong brand that is adding to the store&#x27;s assortment or category. Think like a buyer. They get hundreds of submissions regularly. ​What is your brand bringing to the table that is missing in the marketplace and can help the retailer make more money? Did I get my brand into Nordstrom because my products perform well? Absolutely not. I got into Nordstrom because I created a strong brand (visually) with a unique point of view that looks good on their shelves and makes them look good because now they can say they have diverse founders on their shelves. Everything comes back down to &quot;will this sell?&quot; As a former sales rep, I want to leave you with one piece of advice about pitching your brand: It&#x27;s not about how good it works (or tastes, if you have a food brand). The presentation &amp; positioning is everything (translation: branding and value proposition) How did I get into the 300 boutiques? They came to me. How? Because I ran facebook and instagram ads and they saw them and reached out. Be ready. Have a wholesale application form on your website. Discovery is a mythical unicorn. All of us like to feel like we discovered things but the reality is it was put in front of us. Usually through some sort of paid method. I&#x27;ve talked about advertising in other posts. Scroll my previous <a href="https://lu.ma/sandravelasquez" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">posts for that info.</a> I hope this answers some questions. If you need more clarity on this, reply back with your question.​I may hold a live Q&amp;A for everyone on this list if there is still any confusion. ​But you need to speak up if you need more help!​Xx​P.S did you hear the latest episode of The Nopalera podcast? <a href="https://the-nopalera-podcast.captivate.fm" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://the-nopalera-podcast.captivate.fm</a></div>

La Onda is a newsletter by Sandra Velasquez, founder of Nopalera, with actionable insights around brand building and selling.

One of the questions I received the most from you all is about getting into wholesale.

Wholesale is 55% of my business and DTC is the other 45%. 

Would you be surprised if I told you that the wholesale accounts that are my bread and butter are the ones you've never heard of? 

That's right. It's not Nordstrom, Credo, Free People, or even Whole Foods, that are fueling my revenue. 

Big retailers have Net payments terms and often times chargebacks. This means you are waiting to get paid for 2 months sometimes and then when you DO get paid, there are deductions. You don't get as much money as you thought. 

I sell to over 300 boutiques nationwide. They pre-pay (money goes straight to the bank account!) and they don't ask for anything. I love them.

I want to give you a checklist and some things to think about. 

1/ Why do you want to get into wholesale accounts? 

2/ What does that mean to you? Do think it will make you money ?

3/ Do you have the operational backend to support fulfillment?

4/ Do you have a warehouse with a loading dock?

You need to have strong margins to be able to AFFORD to sell wholesale. 

So many brands do not and then they end up making no money. 

If you are unclear about cogs and margins, you are welcome to attend my next Margin Magic Masterclass. Info here: 

2/ Have case packs built at the manufacturing level

3/ Have your assets ready: hi-res photos on white, product briefs for each SKU for retailer education, a training video for retailers, founder bio, founder headshot.

4/ Hi-res digital sell sheet. Full color bleed. Product pics with barcodes, case packs, order contact.

5/ Order & fulfillment system. Create a company email for orders. Determine the workflow. Who will process, ship, invoice?

6/ inventory management system (who's tracking it?)

These are all the things you want to have in place before you start trying to sell into wholesale accounts.

How do you actually get into the accounts?

This is a deeper question. There are no tricks. 

You have to have a strong brand that is adding to the store's assortment or category.

Think like a buyer. They get hundreds of submissions regularly. 

What is your brand bringing to the table that is missing in the marketplace and can help the retailer make more money? 

Did I get my brand into Nordstrom because my products perform well?

I got into Nordstrom because I created a strong brand (visually) with a unique point of view that looks good on their shelves and makes them look good because now they can say they have diverse founders on their shelves. 

Everything comes back down to "will this sell?"

As a former sales rep, I want to leave you with one piece of advice about pitching your brand: 

It's not about how good it works (or tastes, if you have a food brand). 

The presentation  & positioning is everything (translation: branding and value proposition)

Because I ran facebook and instagram ads and they saw them and reached out.

Be ready. Have a wholesale application form on your website.

Discovery is a mythical unicorn. All of us like to feel like we discovered things but the reality is it was put in front of us. Usually through some sort of paid method. 

I've talked about advertising in other posts. Scroll my previous 

I hope this answers some questions. If you need more clarity on this, reply back with your question.

I may hold a live Q&A for everyone on this list if there is still any confusion. 

But you need to speak up if you need more help!

P.S did you hear the latest episode of The  Nopalera podcast? 

https://the-nopalera-podcast.captivate.fm

 Wholesale Checklist

La Onda is a newsletter by Sandra Velasquez, founder of Nopalera, with actionable insights around brand building and selling.

I felt fortunate to have a sales background before launching Nopalera because I understood how margins and selling into stores worked.

However, there are still two things I wish I would have known before launching:

1/ Big beauty retailers like Sephora and Ulta take a 60% margin.
2/ A fulfillment center will cost you 20% of your monthly revenue.

I don't share these things to scare you or keep you from aiming high. And certainly not to scare you into doing your own shipping for the rest of your life!

I share these things to prepare you to run a profitable business. 

How would this knowledge have changed how I launched?

I would have positioned my products differently, priced them higher,  and focused on lowering my COGS more from the start. 

Let's break down this math real quick.

A margin is the percentage of revenue one gets to keep once the costs are subtracted.
Example: If your body butter sells at Sephora for $20 on shelf, they want to keep 60% of those $20.
60% of $20 is $12.
That means they need to buy it from you for $8. (20-12=8)
And if you want to make a 60% margin as well, that means you need to make it for $3.20. 
Here's a screenshot of the custom margin calculator I built for my Margin Magic Masterclass.


As for fulfillment centers....shipping is expensive regardless of whether you do it or you pay someone to do it.  

The thing to remember is this: you live and die by your margins. 
So, make sure they are strong out of the gate!

If you need clarity on COGS and Margins, I am inviting you to the next Margin Magic Masterclass next month.

Details here: ​https://lu.ma/lo8mk960

​​​ICYMI
Here is a recap of topics covered in previous posts.
You can always visit my page and scroll down to see all posts.
If you haven't yet read them all, do so. Lots of gems in each post.

How to find suppliers and co-packers in beauty: here

My short list of BIPOC bookkeepers/CPAs: here
​​​​​Building your email list and outsourcing shipping: here
​​​​​Trademarking your name: here
​​​​​Building a team and Paid Ads: here

<div class="mirror-content"><hr/>​La Onda is a newsletter by Sandra Velasquez, founder of Nopalera, with actionable insights around brand building and selling.<hr/>​I felt fortunate to have a sales background before launching Nopalera because I understood how margins and selling into stores worked. However, there are still two things I wish I would have known before launching: 1/ Big beauty retailers like Sephora and Ulta take a 60% margin.​2/ A fulfillment center will cost you 20% of your monthly revenue. I don&#x27;t share these things to scare you or keep you from aiming high. And certainly not to scare you into doing your own shipping for the rest of your life! I share these things to prepare you to run a profitable business. How would this knowledge have changed how I launched? I would have positioned my products differently, priced them higher, and focused on lowering my COGS more from the start. Let&#x27;s break down this math real quick. A margin is the percentage of revenue one gets to keep once the costs are subtracted. Example: If your body butter sells at Sephora for $20 on shelf, they want to keep 60% of those $20. 60% of $20 is $12. That means they need to buy it from you for $8. (20-12=8) And if you want to make a 60% margin as well, that means you need to make it for $3.20. ​Here&#x27;s a screenshot of the custom margin calculator I built for my Margin Magic Masterclass.<img alt="Image" class="image" src="https://cdn.lu.ma/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,dpr=2,quality=85,width=800/editor-images/39/ff4ae624-c458-4a4f-9def-ea4bdcd2d2a2" style="display:block;max-width:100%;max-height:400px;margin:24px auto"/>​ As for fulfillment centers....shipping is expensive regardless of whether you do it or you pay someone to do it. The thing to remember is this: you live and die by your margins. So, make sure they are strong out of the gate! If you need clarity on COGS and Margins, I am inviting you to the next Margin Magic Masterclass next month. Details here: ​<a href="https://lu.ma/lo8mk960" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://lu.ma/lo8mk960</a><hr/>​​​​ICYMI Here is a recap of topics covered in previous posts. You can always visit my page and scroll down to see all posts. If you haven&#x27;t yet read them all, do so. Lots of gems in each post. How to find suppliers and co-packers in beauty: <a href="https://lu.ma/p/DIk5oFJUgOxsVop/How-To-Find-Manufacturers-Suppliers-for-Beauty" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">here</a> My short list of BIPOC bookkeepers/CPAs: <a href="https://lu.ma/p/z1MZFlwXBJE6Pxd/BIPOC-WOMEN-CPAs-BOOKKEEPERS" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">here</a>​​​​​​Building your email list and outsourcing shipping: <a href="https://lu.ma/p/RBzoHSjx4eiKmHa/Building-your-email-list-Outsourcing-shipping-Finding-a-bookkeeper-and-more" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">here</a>​​​​​​Trademarking your name: <a href="https://lu.ma/p/MWxrDze1dxa3Kcq/Trademarking-your-name-Make-decisions-for-where-you-want-to-go-not-where-you-are-now" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">here</a>​​​​​​Building a team and Paid Ads: <a href="https://lu.ma/p/ZHJWFiHRfBV7Zu8/How-to-build-a-team-Attracting-luxe-wholesale-accounts-Paid-ads-more" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">here</a><hr/></div>

I felt fortunate to have a sales background before launching Nopalera because I understood how margins and selling into stores worked.

 I wish I would have known before launching:

1/ Big beauty retailers like Sephora and Ulta take a 60% margin.

2/ A fulfillment center will cost you 20% of your monthly revenue.

I don't share these things to scare you or keep you from aiming high. And certainly not to scare you into doing your own shipping for the rest of your life!

I share these things to prepare you to run a profitable business. 

How would this knowledge have changed how I launched?

I would have positioned my products differently, priced them higher,  and focused on lowering my COGS more from the start. 

A margin is the percentage of revenue one gets to keep once the costs are subtracted.

 If your body butter sells at Sephora for $20 on shelf, they want to keep 60% of those $20.

That means they need to buy it from you for $8. (20-12=8)

And if you want to make a 60% margin as well, that means you need to make it for $3.20. 

Here's a screenshot of the custom margin calculator I built for my Margin Magic Masterclass.

As for fulfillment centers....shipping is expensive regardless of whether you do it or you pay someone to do it.  

So, make sure they are strong out of the gate!

If you need clarity on COGS and Margins, I am inviting you to the next Margin Magic Masterclass next month.

Here is a recap of topics covered in previous posts.

You can always visit my page and scroll down to see all posts.

If you haven't yet read them all, do so. Lots of gems in each post.

How to find suppliers and co-packers in beauty:

My short list of BIPOC bookkeepers/CPAs: 

​​​​​Building your email list and outsourcing shipping:

​​​​​Building a team and Paid Ads: 

two things I wish I would have known

La Onda is a newsletter by Sandra Velasquez, founder of Nopalera, with actionable insights around brand building and selling.

Two newsletters in one week? Dang.

It won't always be this way. Only when it's important.

And this one is:)

Growing up, my father was a homicide detective. Yes, as in solving murder cases.

One of the things he taught me was : Document Everything.

I created The Nopalera podcast because I want to leave a documented trail for my community (you) on what it’s really like to build a company from the ground up — in real time. When you don’t have access to capital —When you are not a former marketing executive—When you are not a beauty industry veteran.

I used to be a musician.

Anyone that has ever taken one of my classes knows that my purpose is to tell you the truth.

So many people have built companies and yet, why is it so challenging for new entrepreneurs to access information on the nitty gritty of the HOW.

Ep 2 of The Nopalera Podcast is out. This is a short but important solo episode on what I believe to be the six pillars of building a brand from the ground up.

                                                                LISTEN NOW




Leave me a review on your fave platform!

During the last Margin Magic Masterclass, Amazon came up. I shared my views.
I wanted to leave this important article here for you all to read.

AMAZON HITS SELLERS WITH 5% FEE DUE TO INFLATION


​​ICYMI
Here is a recap of topics covered in previous posts.
You can always visit my page and scroll down to see all posts.
If you haven't yet read them all, do so. Lots of gems in each post.

How to find suppliers and co-packers in beauty: here

My short list of BIPOC bookkeepers/CPAs: here
​​​​Building your email list and outsourcing shipping: here
​​​​Trademarking your name: here
​​​​Building a team and Paid Ads: here

The next Margin Magic Masterclass is next month!
Learn more and register here: https://lu.ma/lo8mk960

<div class="mirror-content"><hr/>​La Onda is a newsletter by Sandra Velasquez, founder of Nopalera, with actionable insights around brand building and selling.<hr/>​Two newsletters in one week? Dang. It won&#x27;t always be this way. Only when it&#x27;s important. And this one is:) Growing up, my father was a homicide detective. Yes, as in solving murder cases. One of the things he taught me was : Document Everything. I created The Nopalera podcast because I want to leave a documented trail for my community (you) on what it’s really like to build a company from the ground up — in real time. When you don’t have access to capital —When you are not a former marketing executive—When you are not a beauty industry veteran. I used to be a musician. Anyone that has ever taken one of my classes knows that my purpose is to tell you the truth. So many people have built companies and yet, why is it so challenging for new entrepreneurs to access information on the nitty gritty of the HOW. Ep 2 of The Nopalera Podcast is out. This is a short but important solo episode on what I believe to be <a href="https://the-nopalera-podcast.captivate.fm/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">the six pillars of building a brand from the ground up.</a> <a href="https://the-nopalera-podcast.captivate.fm/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">LISTEN NOW</a>​<img alt="Image" class="image" src="https://cdn.lu.ma/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,dpr=2,quality=85,width=296/editor-images/7z/f5ceda07-8974-4532-a896-fc19444dec1a" style="display:block;max-width:100%;max-height:100%;margin:24px auto"/>​ Leave me a review on your fave platform!<hr/>​During the last Margin Magic Masterclass, Amazon came up. I shared my views. I wanted to leave this important article here for you all to read. <a href="https://www-businessinsider-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.businessinsider.com/amazon-hits-sellers-inflation-fuel-cost-surcharge-fee-2022-4?amp&amp;fbclid=IwAR0RUdaRpoZ2DQUlescZq0owoEEnjE_C6b08sTl5u0IQun3zUo8T9zMmVzo" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">AMAZON HITS SELLERS WITH 5% FEE DUE TO INFLATION</a> <hr/>​​​ICYMI Here is a recap of topics covered in previous posts. You can always visit my page and scroll down to see all posts. If you haven&#x27;t yet read them all, do so. Lots of gems in each post. How to find suppliers and co-packers in beauty: <a href="https://lu.ma/p/DIk5oFJUgOxsVop/How-To-Find-Manufacturers-Suppliers-for-Beauty" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">here</a> My short list of BIPOC bookkeepers/CPAs: <a href="https://lu.ma/p/z1MZFlwXBJE6Pxd/BIPOC-WOMEN-CPAs-BOOKKEEPERS" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">here</a>​​​​​Building your email list and outsourcing shipping: <a href="https://lu.ma/p/RBzoHSjx4eiKmHa/Building-your-email-list-Outsourcing-shipping-Finding-a-bookkeeper-and-more" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">here</a>​​​​​Trademarking your name: <a href="https://lu.ma/p/MWxrDze1dxa3Kcq/Trademarking-your-name-Make-decisions-for-where-you-want-to-go-not-where-you-are-now" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">here</a>​​​​​Building a team and Paid Ads: <a href="https://lu.ma/p/ZHJWFiHRfBV7Zu8/How-to-build-a-team-Attracting-luxe-wholesale-accounts-Paid-ads-more" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">here</a><hr/>​The next Margin Magic Masterclass is next month! Learn more and register here: <a href="https://lu.ma/lo8mk960" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://lu.ma/lo8mk960</a></div>

It won't always be this way. Only when it's important.

Growing up, my father was a homicide detective. Yes, as in solving murder cases.

I created The Nopalera podcast because I want to leave a documented trail for my community (you) on what it’s really like to build a company from the ground up — in real time. When you don’t have access to capital —When you are not a former marketing executive—When you are not a beauty industry veteran.

Anyone that has ever taken one of my classes knows that my purpose is to tell you the truth.

So many people have built companies and yet, why is it so challenging for new entrepreneurs to access information on the nitty gritty of the HOW.

Ep 2 of The Nopalera Podcast is out. This is a short but important solo episode on what I believe to be 

the six pillars of building a brand from the ground up.

During the last Margin Magic Masterclass, Amazon came up. I shared my views.

I wanted to leave this important article here for you all to read.

AMAZON HITS SELLERS WITH 5% FEE DUE TO INFLATION

​​​​Building your email list and outsourcing shipping:

​​​​Building a team and Paid Ads: 

The next Margin Magic Masterclass is next month!

The Six Pillars of building a brand + Can you make money on Amazon?

​​​​La Onda is a newsletter by Sandra Velasquez, founder of Nopalera, with actionable insights around brand building and selling.

I've just returned from one of the most amazing mastermind conferences of my life. 

Over the course of 2 1/2 days, I had the opportunity to hang out with some of the most badass women I have ever met. Some of them were even my sheroes — like, Arlan Hamilton. 

If there is the slightest chance that you don't know who Arlan is, a quick google or youtube search will fix that. Here's one of many.
Anyway...

I almost didn't attend this conference because it was thousands of dollars. EVEN WITH the scholarship, which I won. But, I simply have too much proof at this point in my life that when I invest in myself, it pays off. 

To be an entrepreneur requires you to push the boundaries of what you thoughts was possible. Sometimes it costs money.

And what I also know is this: money is a renewable resource. Your time is not. 

I put this event on my Amex. Rented a car on my Amex. Rented an Airbub on my Amex.

And it was all worth it. 
Do you hear me? I have thousands of dollars in student loan debt right now, no real savings, and I invested in myself anyway. 

Being in the room with next level people will force you to level up. 
I cried tears of clarity. I cried at my fears and felt them release.
In short: I am transformed. 

Lesson: put yourself where amazing people are even if it costs you money. 

One of the gems from the conference was something Arlan Hamilton said: "Pride is not an asset." [insert mic drop]

This is coming from a woman who used to be homeless and was sleeping on the floor of the San Francisco airport when she decided she was going to start an VC fund for underrepresented founders and went to meetings to ask for the money.  Do you think they all said YES and that's why she's here? No. She heard NO over and over and over again.

Lesson: Every road to success is littered with Nos. 

If you are out there feeling defeated because you tried to get your product into 10 stores and they all said NO, keep going. 

If you are out there looking for loans or investment and 10 people have told you NO, keep going.

Don't complain until you have HUNDREDS of Nos. 

Most people give up too early because their pride is hurt. 
They are embarrassed. They are worried about what people with think of them.
Family, friends, even strangers.

Pride is not an asset. 

got it?

As you may know, I've been teaching classes to CPG founders since 2019. I used to vet them to understand where they were in their business and where they wanted to be.
90% of them used to say they wanted to be the #1 blah blah blah.

Listen, I want you to reach for the stars. But I also want to invite you this reality: You don't need everyone to like your product to build a million dollar brand. 

There are 329 million people in the USA alone. Can you even picture how many people that is? That's enough for everyone's brand to win. You don't need them all to like you. In fact, my experience has been that when you great a brand that stands for something strong (like celebrating Mexican culture) some people will come out to hate you. Let them come! That's what the block feature is for!

Every person in history that  has made a impact for good has haters. 

Focus on speaking to your customers about things they care about. Your values. Your WHY.

xx

Sandra

p.s. if you missed the last margin magic masterclass, there's another one next month
https://lu.ma/lo8mk960

<div class="mirror-content"><hr/>​​​​​La Onda is a newsletter by Sandra Velasquez, founder of Nopalera, with actionable insights around brand building and selling.<hr/>​I&#x27;ve just returned from one of the most amazing mastermind conferences of my life. Over the course of 2 1/2 days, I had the opportunity to hang out with some of the most badass women I have ever met. Some of them were even my sheroes — like, Arlan Hamilton. If there is the slightest chance that you don&#x27;t know who Arlan is, a quick google or youtube search will fix that. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0-BwRA-q5g" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Here&#x27;s one of many.</a>​Anyway... I almost didn&#x27;t attend this conference because it was thousands of dollars. EVEN WITH the scholarship, which I won. But, I simply have too much proof at this point in my life that when I invest in myself, it pays off. To be an entrepreneur requires you to push the boundaries of what you thoughts was possible. Sometimes it costs money. And what I also know is this: money is a renewable resource. Your time is not. I put this event on my Amex. Rented a car on my Amex. Rented an Airbub on my Amex. And it was all worth it. Do you hear me? I have thousands of dollars in student loan debt right now, no real savings, and I invested in myself anyway. Being in the room with next level people will force you to level up. I cried tears of clarity. I cried at my fears and felt them release. In short: I am transformed. Lesson: put yourself where amazing people are even if it costs you money. <hr/>​One of the gems from the conference was something Arlan Hamilton said: &quot;Pride is not an asset.&quot; [insert mic drop] This is coming from a woman who used to be homeless and was sleeping on the floor of the San Francisco airport when she decided she was going to start an VC fund for underrepresented founders and went to meetings to ask for the money. Do you think they all said YES and that&#x27;s why she&#x27;s here? No. She heard NO over and over and over again. Lesson: Every road to success is littered with Nos. If you are out there feeling defeated because you tried to get your product into 10 stores and they all said NO, keep going. If you are out there looking for loans or investment and 10 people have told you NO, keep going. Don&#x27;t complain until you have HUNDREDS of Nos. Most people give up too early because their pride is hurt. They are embarrassed. They are worried about what people with think of them. Family, friends, even strangers. Pride is not an asset. got it?<hr/>​As you may know, I&#x27;ve been <a href="https://distrotalk.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">teaching classes to CPG founders </a>since 2019. I used to vet them to understand where they were in their business and where they wanted to be. 90% of them used to say they wanted to be the #1 blah blah blah. Listen, I want you to reach for the stars. But I also want to invite you this reality: You don&#x27;t need everyone to like your product to build a million dollar brand. There are 329 million people in the USA alone. Can you even picture how many people that is? That&#x27;s enough for everyone&#x27;s brand to win. You don&#x27;t need them all to like you. In fact, my experience has been that when you great a brand that stands for something strong (like celebrating Mexican culture) some people will come out to hate you. Let them come! That&#x27;s what the block feature is for! Every person in history that has made a impact for good has haters. Focus on speaking to your customers about things they care about. Your values. Your WHY. xx Sandra<hr/>​p.s. if you missed the last margin magic masterclass, there&#x27;s another one next month <a href="https://lu.ma/lo8mk960" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://lu.ma/lo8mk960</a> </div>

I've just returned from one of the most amazing mastermind conferences of my life. 

Over the course of 2 1/2 days, I had the opportunity to hang out with some of the most badass women I have ever met. Some of them were even my sheroes — like, Arlan Hamilton. 

If there is the slightest chance that you don't know who Arlan is, a quick google or youtube search will fix that. 

I almost didn't attend this conference because it was thousands of dollars. EVEN WITH the scholarship, which I won. But, I simply have too much proof at this point in my life that when I invest in myself, it pays off. 

To be an entrepreneur requires you to push the boundaries of what you thoughts was possible. Sometimes it costs money.

money is a renewable resource. Your time is not.

I put this event on my Amex. Rented a car on my Amex. Rented an Airbub on my Amex.

 I have thousands of dollars in student loan debt 

no real savings, and I invested in myself anyway. 

Being in the room with next level people will force you to level up. 

I cried tears of clarity. I cried at my fears and felt them release.

put yourself where amazing people are even if it costs you money. 

One of the gems from the conference was something Arlan Hamilton said: 

This is coming from a woman who used to be homeless and was sleeping on the floor of the San Francisco airport when she decided she was going to start an VC fund for underrepresented founders and went to meetings to ask for the money.  Do you think they all said YES and that's why she's here? No. She heard NO over and over and over again.

 Every road to success is littered with Nos. 

If you are out there feeling defeated because you tried to get your product into 10 stores and they all said NO, keep going. 

If you are out there looking for loans or investment and 10 people have told you NO, keep going.

Don't complain until you have HUNDREDS of Nos. 

Most people give up too early because their pride is hurt. 

They are embarrassed. They are worried about what people with think of them.

since 2019. I used to vet them to understand where they were in their business and where they wanted to be.

90% of them used to say they wanted to be the #1 blah blah blah.

Listen, I want you to reach for the stars. But I also want to invite you this reality: You don't need everyone to like your product to build a million dollar brand. 

There are 329 million people in the USA alone. Can you even picture how many people that is? That's enough for everyone's brand to win. You don't need them all to like you. In fact, my experience has been that when you great a brand that stands for something strong (like celebrating Mexican culture) some people will come out to hate you. Let them come! That's what the block feature is for!

Every person in history that  has made a impact for good has haters. 

Focus on speaking to your customers about things they care about. Your values. Your WHY.

p.s. if you missed the last margin magic masterclass, there's another one next month

Pride is not an asset. 🎤 Not everyone needs to like your product for it to be successful. + Investing in yourself.

​​​La Onda is a newsletter by Sandra Velasquez, founder of Nopalera, with actionable insights around brand building and selling.

Hola,

You've heard me talk about the importance of email marketing to grow your brand. 

I'm going to talk about it again:)

You need to have the following at a bare minimum:

+ An email marketing platform like Mailchimp or Klaivyo that is connected to your webstore
+ Automated Welcome flows that are triggered when someone joins your email list
+ Automated Winback flows that are triggered when someone hasn't purchased in a while
+ Any other segmented flows you want! Like, ask for reviews two weeks after a purchase etc..
You can hire a Mailchimp or Klaviyo expert to help you set it up. 

Like with everything else, you need to nurture it.  Don't collect email addresses and then NOT talk to your community!

You can plan your marketing by quarter (this is what we do at Nopalera), and work in batches so you don't feel like you are always thinking of content the week or day before. That is not sustainable. 

There is a great website called MailCharts to get inspo for your emails: https://www.mailcharts.com/email-examples

Happy emailing!

Sandra

p.s. The Nopalera Podcast is launching this week and the trailer is up now!
check it out: https://the-nopalera-podcast.captivate.fm/

p.s.s. Thank you to all who came to the last Margin masterclass! I will try to host it again next month for anyone that missed it.

<div class="mirror-content"><hr/>​​​​La Onda is a newsletter by Sandra Velasquez, founder of Nopalera, with actionable insights around brand building and selling.<hr/>​Hola, You&#x27;ve heard me talk about the importance of email marketing to grow your brand. I&#x27;m going to talk about it again:) You need to have the following at a bare minimum: + An email marketing platform like Mailchimp or Klaivyo that is connected to your webstore + Automated Welcome flows that are triggered when someone joins your email list + Automated Winback flows that are triggered when someone hasn&#x27;t purchased in a while + Any other segmented flows you want! Like, ask for reviews two weeks after a purchase etc..​You can hire a Mailchimp or Klaviyo expert to help you set it up. <blockquote>​FACT: To have an email list is to have the power to print money. </blockquote>​Like with everything else, you need to nurture it. Don&#x27;t collect email addresses and then NOT talk to your community! You can plan your marketing by quarter (this is what we do at Nopalera), and work in batches so you don&#x27;t feel like you are always thinking of content the week or day before. That is not sustainable. There is a great website called MailCharts to get inspo for your emails: <a href="https://www.mailcharts.com/email-examples" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.mailcharts.com/email-examples</a> Happy emailing! Sandra p.s. The Nopalera Podcast is launching this week and the trailer is up now! check it out: <a href="https://the-nopalera-podcast.captivate.fm/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://the-nopalera-podcast.captivate.fm/</a> p.s.s. Thank you to all who came to the last Margin masterclass! I will try to host it again next month for anyone that missed it. </div>

You've heard me talk about the importance of email marketing to grow your brand. 

You need to have the following at a bare minimum:

+ An email marketing platform like Mailchimp or Klaivyo that is connected to your webstore

+ Automated Welcome flows that are triggered when someone joins your email list

+ Automated Winback flows that are triggered when someone hasn't purchased in a while

+ Any other segmented flows you want! Like, ask for reviews two weeks after a purchase etc..

You can hire a Mailchimp or Klaviyo expert to help you set it up. 

Like with everything else, you need to nurture it.  Don't collect email addresses and then NOT talk to your community!

You can plan your marketing by quarter (this is what we do at Nopalera), and work in batches so you don't feel like you are always thinking of content the week or day before. That is not sustainable. 

There is a great website called MailCharts to get inspo for your emails: 

https://www.mailcharts.com/email-examples

p.s. The Nopalera Podcast is launching this week and the trailer is up now!

https://the-nopalera-podcast.captivate.fm/

p.s.s. Thank you to all who came to the last Margin masterclass! I will try to host it again next month for anyone that missed it. 

Email Marketing Inspo ⭐

​​La Onda is a newsletter by Sandra Velasquez, founder of Nopalera, with actionable insights around brand building and selling.

Hi Founders,

This past Monday I announced the end of Mentor Mondays on the Nopalera IG channel. 
Thanks for all of you that attended and submitted questions.

I'm taking the party over to The Nopalera Podcast launching next month! I'm excited to continue to share resources and have transparent conversations with other entrepreneurs.
The trailer is actually live on Spotify now! Go ahead and subscribe so you don't miss an episode. I haven't even announced this to the Nopalera email list! Lucky you:)


Looking for more packaging suppliers? One of my favorite resources is the Beauty Independent Uplink Connect Database. Check it out: here

Feel free to hit up my packaging printers: Integrated Packaging. They are just printers, FYI, you still need to have a designer. One designer I like to recommend is: Wagon Design Studio.

When engaging with Co-packers, you want to make sure you both sign an NDA prior to handing over any of your formulas. If you aren't going to have a lawyer draft one up due to cost, you can always look into online resources like : this one, or this one. 

Getting a business off the ground takes a lot of time. Literal hours in the day!
I want to recap the advice I gave on the Mentor Monday Live: stop trying to do everything at home and it your business! You will burn out and that helps nobody. 

I outsourced my laundry, cleaning, and meal delivery. The amount of time I save by NOT doing these things gives me more time to focus on generating revenue for my business!

#facts

I can't wait for the Margin Magic Masterclass this Sunday!
Are you coming? 
I used to hate math, ya'll. Now it's my favorite subject and I love to give other entrepreneurs clarity about COGS and Margins!
Margin Magic Masterclass  - https://lu.ma/event/evt-vlAo9umk1h3Womd?
xx

<div class="mirror-content"><hr/>​​​La Onda is a newsletter by Sandra Velasquez, founder of Nopalera, with actionable insights around brand building and selling.<hr/>​Hi Founders, This past Monday I announced the end of Mentor Mondays on the Nopalera IG channel. Thanks for all of you that attended and submitted questions. I&#x27;m taking the party over to <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3xedxXwM2jp6w3TfknEOVS?si=xU95apOxTiuRPEwYrT5vzg" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">The Nopalera Podcast</a> launching next month! I&#x27;m excited to continue to share resources and have transparent conversations with other entrepreneurs. The trailer is actually <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3xedxXwM2jp6w3TfknEOVS?si=xU95apOxTiuRPEwYrT5vzg" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">live on Spotify now</a>! Go ahead and subscribe so you don&#x27;t miss an episode. I haven&#x27;t even announced this to the Nopalera email list! Lucky you:) <hr/>​Looking for more packaging suppliers? One of my favorite resources is the Beauty Independent Uplink Connect Database. Check it out: <a href="https://uplinkconnects.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">here</a> Feel free to hit up my packaging printers: <a href="https://integratedpackaging.net/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Integrated Packaging. </a>They are just printers, FYI, you still need to have a designer. One designer I like to recommend is: <a href="https://www.wagondesignstudio.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Wagon Design Studio</a>.<hr/>​When engaging with Co-packers, you want to make sure you both sign an NDA prior to handing over any of your formulas. If you aren&#x27;t going to have a lawyer draft one up due to cost, you can always look into online resources like : <a href="https://legaltemplates.net/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">this one</a>, or <a href="https://www.legalzoom.com/forms/nondisclosure-agreement" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">this one</a>. <hr/>​Getting a business off the ground takes a lot of time. Literal hours in the day! I want to recap the advice I gave on the Mentor Monday Live: stop trying to do everything at home and it your business! You will burn out and that helps nobody. I outsourced my laundry, cleaning, and meal delivery. The amount of time I save by NOT doing these things gives me more time to focus on generating revenue for my business! #facts<hr/>​I can&#x27;t wait for the Margin Magic Masterclass this Sunday! Are you coming? ​I used to hate math, ya&#x27;ll. Now it&#x27;s my favorite subject and I love to give other entrepreneurs clarity about COGS and Margins!<a href="https://lu.ma/event/evt-vlAo9umk1h3Womd?" style="border-radius:4px;padding:16px;margin-bottom:20px;border:1px solid #ebeced;display:block"><div style="font-size:16px;font-weight:500;color:#131517;margin-bottom:3px">Margin Magic Masterclass </div><div style="color:#737577;font-size:13px;font-weight:400">Sun, Apr 3, 5:00 PM UTC</div></a>​xx </div>

This past Monday I announced the end of Mentor Mondays on the Nopalera IG channel. 

Thanks for all of you that attended and submitted questions.

 launching next month! I'm excited to continue to share resources and have transparent conversations with other entrepreneurs.

! Go ahead and subscribe so you don't miss an episode. I haven't even announced this to the Nopalera email list! Lucky you:)

? One of my favorite resources is the Beauty Independent Uplink Connect Database. Check it out: 

Feel free to hit up my packaging printers: 

They are just printers, FYI, you still need to have a designer. One designer I like to recommend is: 

 prior to handing over any of your formulas. If you aren't going to have a lawyer draft one up due to cost, you can always look into online resources like : 

Getting a business off the ground takes a lot of time. Literal hours in the day!

I want to recap the advice I gave on the Mentor Monday Live: stop trying to do everything at home and it your business! You will burn out and that helps nobody. 

I outsourced my laundry, cleaning, and meal delivery. The amount of time I save by NOT doing these things gives me more time to focus on generating revenue for my business!

I can't wait for the Margin Magic Masterclass this Sunday!

I used to hate math, ya'll. Now it's my favorite subject and I love to give other entrepreneurs clarity about COGS and Margins!

Learning to let go + NDAs + Packaging Suppliers

​La Onda is a newsletter by Sandra Velasquez, founder of Nopalera, with actionable insights around brand building, selling, and a recap of the most asked questions during Mentor Mondays.

Co-Packers (manufacturers) receive a lot of inquires from founders who do not understand the business, can't afford their minimums, and don't have a clear roadmap.

It takes as much energy to produce 1000 units for a small brand as it does 10,000 units for a midsize brand. 

Put yourself in their shoes. Who likes their time to be wasted? Nobody.



HERE ARE SOME TIPS ON HOW TO TALK TO CO-PACKERS 
Personalize your subject line. It sounds simple and mundane, but the first step is to get them to open your email. Example: Hi John: Nopalera x Copacker name - New Client Inquiry

Introduce yourself + your brand + power statement in the first sentence. 
Example: Hello John, This is Sandra from Nopalera, a Mexican Botanical Bath and Body brand currently sold in Nordstrom, Credo, Free People, and over 300 independent retailers nationwide. 
* If you are just starting out, no worries! Still introduce yourself and brand and say what your mission is.

Ask the following questions to show them you understand how this works.
"I'd like to speak to someone regarding your capabilities, MOQ's, and lead times for new products. I am happy to send over a product brief in the interest of time." 

Have a product brief ready! What is a product brief? It is a pdf document that outlines what the product is. Ingredient must-haves. Ingredient No-no's. Size, dimensions, packaging. I make all my product briefs in Canva. NOTE: If you are looking to have them use your formula, you need to send over an NDA first. 

Once the conversation is rolling then you want to ask more questions about line trials (these may cost), micro testing, case packs, payment terms etc...


If you have any doubts about COGS, Margins, or pricing, I'm hosting the Margin Magic Masterclass again on Sunday April 3rd at 1p est. You can register below.

p.s. reminder that Mentor Mondays will be going away soon as the Nopalera podcast will be launching in April!
Margin Magic Masterclass  - https://lu.ma/event/evt-vlAo9umk1h3Womd?

​ICYMI
Here is a recap of topics covered in previous posts.
You can always visit my page and scroll down to see all posts.
If you haven't yet read them all, do so. Lots of gems in each post.

How to find suppliers and co-packers in beauty: here

My short list of BIPOC bookkeepers/CPAs: here
​​​Building your email list and outsourcing shipping: here
​​​Trademarking your name: here
​​​Building a team and Paid Ads: here

<div class="mirror-content"><hr/>​​La Onda is a newsletter by Sandra Velasquez, founder of Nopalera, with actionable insights around brand building, selling, and a recap of the most asked questions during Mentor Mondays.<hr/>​Co-Packers (manufacturers) receive a lot of inquires from founders who do not understand the business, can&#x27;t afford their minimums, and don&#x27;t have a clear roadmap. It takes as much energy to produce 1000 units for a small brand as it does 10,000 units for a midsize brand. Put yourself in their shoes. Who likes their time to be wasted? Nobody.<blockquote>​TIP: Use their language to instill confidence you will be a good partner. Think of it like a partnership, because it is. </blockquote>​<hr/>​HERE ARE SOME TIPS ON HOW TO TALK TO CO-PACKERS <ol><li>​Personalize your subject line. It sounds simple and mundane, but the first step is to get them to open your email. Example: Hi John: Nopalera x Copacker name - New Client Inquiry </li><li>​Introduce yourself + your brand + power statement in the first sentence. Example: Hello John, This is Sandra from Nopalera, a Mexican Botanical Bath and Body brand currently sold in Nordstrom, Credo, Free People, and over 300 independent retailers nationwide. * If you are just starting out, no worries! Still introduce yourself and brand and say what your mission is. </li><li>​Ask the following questions to show them you understand how this works. &quot;I&#x27;d like to speak to someone regarding your capabilities, MOQ&#x27;s, and lead times for new products. I am happy to send over a product brief in the interest of time.&quot; </li><li>​Have a product brief ready! What is a product brief? It is a pdf document that outlines what the product is. Ingredient must-haves. Ingredient No-no&#x27;s. Size, dimensions, packaging. I make all my product briefs in Canva. <ul><li>​NOTE: If you are looking to have them use your formula, you need to send over an NDA first. </li></ul></li><li>​Once the conversation is rolling then you want to ask more questions about line trials (these may cost), micro testing, case packs, payment terms etc...</li></ol><hr/>​ If you have any doubts about COGS, Margins, or pricing, I&#x27;m hosting the Margin Magic Masterclass again on Sunday April 3rd at 1p est. You can register below. p.s. reminder that Mentor Mondays will be going away soon as the Nopalera podcast will be launching in April!<a href="https://lu.ma/event/evt-vlAo9umk1h3Womd?" style="border-radius:4px;padding:16px;margin-bottom:20px;border:1px solid #ebeced;display:block"><div style="font-size:16px;font-weight:500;color:#131517;margin-bottom:3px">Margin Magic Masterclass </div><div style="color:#737577;font-size:13px;font-weight:400">Sun, Apr 3, 5:00 PM UTC</div></a><hr/>​​ICYMI Here is a recap of topics covered in previous posts. You can always visit my page and scroll down to see all posts. If you haven&#x27;t yet read them all, do so. Lots of gems in each post. How to find suppliers and co-packers in beauty: <a href="https://lu.ma/p/DIk5oFJUgOxsVop/How-To-Find-Manufacturers-Suppliers-for-Beauty" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">here</a> My short list of BIPOC bookkeepers/CPAs: <a href="https://lu.ma/p/z1MZFlwXBJE6Pxd/BIPOC-WOMEN-CPAs-BOOKKEEPERS" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">here</a>​​​​Building your email list and outsourcing shipping: <a href="https://lu.ma/p/RBzoHSjx4eiKmHa/Building-your-email-list-Outsourcing-shipping-Finding-a-bookkeeper-and-more" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">here</a>​​​​Trademarking your name: <a href="https://lu.ma/p/MWxrDze1dxa3Kcq/Trademarking-your-name-Make-decisions-for-where-you-want-to-go-not-where-you-are-now" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">here</a>​​​​Building a team and Paid Ads: <a href="https://lu.ma/p/ZHJWFiHRfBV7Zu8/How-to-build-a-team-Attracting-luxe-wholesale-accounts-Paid-ads-more" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">here</a></div>

La Onda is a newsletter by Sandra Velasquez, founder of Nopalera, with actionable insights around brand building, selling, and a recap of the most asked questions during Mentor Mondays.

Co-Packers (manufacturers) receive a lot of inquires from founders who do not understand the business, can't afford their minimums, and don't have a clear roadmap.

It takes as much energy to produce 1000 units for a small brand as it does 10,000 units for a midsize brand. 

Put yourself in their shoes. Who likes their time to be wasted? Nobody.

HERE ARE SOME TIPS ON HOW TO TALK TO CO-PACKERS 

If you have any doubts about COGS, Margins, or pricing, I'm hosting the Margin Magic Masterclass again on Sunday April 3rd at 1p est. You can register below.

p.s. reminder that Mentor Mondays will be going away soon as the Nopalera podcast will be launching in April!

​​​Building your email list and outsourcing shipping:

How to Talk To Co-Packers

La Onda is a newsletter by Sandra Velasquez, founder of Nopalera, with actionable insights around brand building, selling, and a recap of the most asked questions during Mentor Mondays.

Hi Founders,

During today's Mentor Mondays I announced that the series will be replaced with the Nopalera Podcast, launching next month! Stay tuned.

Second, I wanted to let you know that I will be hosting the Margin Magic Masterclass again on Sunday, April 3rd. 

REGISTER NOW - https://lu.ma/nqd5yjys

I get a lot of questions about marketing, shipping, and all sorts of other things that happen after your product is made. But LET ME TELL YOU, the most important thing you should focus on in the beginning is understanding your COGS and MARGINS. 

I am constantly amazed at how many people take their product to market without understanding these two things first. If this is you, please register for the next Margin Magic Masterclass. I will personally walk you through doing your cogs and calculating your margins. Everyone that attends will get a recording of the class + all of the templates. I even include a sales tracker I built and use for my own brand! 

In the meantime, here's a recap of topics discussed during today's LIVE. 
(Scroll down to the bottom for past resource links.)

FEAR. 
Are you scared you will spend money and launch a brand only to have it fail?
Are you scared of being judged? Are you scared of letting people down? 
All of these feelings are normal. I assure you that even people who HAVE money still have self doubt and fear they could lose it all. 

Whatever your fears are, Identify it. Write it down. Say it out loud. 
And then, look at the facts.

Scared of losing money? Fact: money is a renewable resource and you can always make more.

Sacred that people won't like your product/ brand? Fact: Not everyone will and that's ok. You don't need everyone to like your product in order to build a successful and profitable brand. There are over 7 billion people on earth.  There's more than enough people for everyone to have a healthy customer base. Take out a piece of paper and write "not everyone will like my product and that's OK." Get comfortable with this fact. 

Today I shared that I created my brand because I had a burning (borderline desperate) desire to change my life. At the age of 44, with no savings, students loans, and a child to raise — it was do or die. My life was not going to change by getting yet another job. I already had 3! 

I share this because if you are truly committed to building a great brand, you have to be ALL IN. You have to do your homework (study the competitive landscape). You have to be willing to learn A LOT of new things every.single.day. You have to get good at math. You have to want to WIN. These are more important that having all the money to start! I did not start with money. I paid for things in increments over the course of a year. 

Whenever I get paralyzed with fear or doubt, the only way to make it go away is to take an action. Success will not "discover" you or be handed to you. It will ,however, move towards you though if you move towards it. 

I've been provided many great opportunities since starting my brand but it was because I took the first step. 

FORMULATIONS
I studied formulation with Formula Botanica. Most brands don't formulate their own products though. Most hire chemists or work with manufacturers to create products. The pros work backwards from the end math. ie " I want to create a $12 body wash to sell at mass retail so I need you to make it for $2 all in". 

When approaching  co-packers you want to put your best foot forward so they take your seriously. Create a product brief. I make mine in Canva. 

A product brief is nothing more than a pdf document that outlines the product you are trying to create. 
What are the main product call outs and non-negotiables? 
For example: Must be vegan and contain these ingredients...
What is the size of the product
How will it be packaged?

Does the manufacturer have capabilities for turn key (they take care of the packaging).

Manufacturers also want to know you will be a solid partner. 
How frequently will you be ordering from them?

Most co-packers / manufacturers have in house testing labs or relationships with third party labs for micro-testing. Ask them. 

You can also check out MicroQuality Labs (based in CA) or NJ Labs (based in New Jersey).


ICYMI
Here is a recap of topics covered in previous Mentor Mondays.
You can always visit my page and scroll down to see all posts.
If you haven't yet read them all, do so. Lots of gems in each post.

How to find suppliers and co-packers in beauty: here

My short list of BIPOC bookkeepers/CPAs: here
​​Building your email list and outsourcing shipping: here
​​Trademarking your name: here
​​Building a team and Paid Ads: here

<div class="mirror-content"><hr/>​La Onda is a newsletter by Sandra Velasquez, founder of Nopalera, with actionable insights around brand building, selling, and a recap of the most asked questions during Mentor Mondays.<hr/>​Hi Founders, During today&#x27;s Mentor Mondays I announced that the series will be replaced with the Nopalera Podcast, launching next month! Stay tuned. Second, I wanted to let you know that I will be hosting the Margin Magic Masterclass again on Sunday, April 3rd. <div style="text-align:center;margin-bottom:1rem"><a href="https://lu.ma/nqd5yjys" class="btn" style="background-color:#de3163;color:#ffffff;border:1px solid transparent;padding:0.75rem 1.5rem;border-radius:8px;font-size:1rem !important;line-height:1 !important;word-break:break-word;display:inline-block;text-align:center;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none !important">REGISTER NOW</a></div>​I get a lot of questions about marketing, shipping, and all sorts of other things that happen after your product is made. But LET ME TELL YOU, the most important thing you should focus on in the beginning is understanding your COGS and MARGINS. I am constantly amazed at how many people take their product to market without understanding these two things first. If this is you, <a href="https://lu.ma/nqd5yjys" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">please register for the next Margin Magic Masterclass</a>. I will personally walk you through doing your cogs and calculating your margins. Everyone that attends will get a recording of the class + all of the templates. I even include a sales tracker I built and use for my own brand! <hr/>​In the meantime, here&#x27;s a recap of topics discussed during today&#x27;s LIVE. (Scroll down to the bottom for past resource links.) FEAR. Are you scared you will spend money and launch a brand only to have it fail? Are you scared of being judged? Are you scared of letting people down? All of these feelings are normal. I assure you that even people who HAVE money still have self doubt and fear they could lose it all. Whatever your fears are, Identify it. Write it down. Say it out loud. And then, look at the facts. Scared of losing money? Fact: money is a renewable resource and you can always make more. Sacred that people won&#x27;t like your product/ brand? Fact: Not everyone will and that&#x27;s ok. You don&#x27;t need everyone to like your product in order to build a successful and profitable brand. There are over 7 billion people on earth. There&#x27;s more than enough people for everyone to have a healthy customer base. Take out a piece of paper and write &quot;not everyone will like my product and that&#x27;s OK.&quot; Get comfortable with this fact. <blockquote>​Don&#x27;t try to make a product for everybody. Make it for somebody. </blockquote>​Today I shared that I created my brand because I had a burning (borderline desperate) desire to change my life. At the age of 44, with no savings, students loans, and a child to raise — it was do or die. My life was not going to change by getting yet another job. I already had 3! I share this because if you are truly committed to building a great brand, you have to be ALL IN. You have to do your homework (study the competitive landscape). You have to be willing to learn A LOT of new things <a href="http://every.single.day" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">every.single.day</a>. You have to get good at math. You have to want to WIN. These are more important that having all the money to start! I did not start with money. I paid for things in increments over the course of a year. Whenever I get paralyzed with fear or doubt, the only way to make it go away is to take an action. Success will not &quot;discover&quot; you or be handed to you. It will ,however, move towards you though if you move towards it. I&#x27;ve been provided many great opportunities since starting my brand but it was because I took the first step. <hr/>​FORMULATIONS​I studied formulation with Formula Botanica. Most brands don&#x27;t formulate their own products though. Most hire chemists or work with manufacturers to create products. The pros work backwards from the end math. ie &quot; I want to create a $12 body wash to sell at mass retail so I need you to make it for $2 all in&quot;. When approaching co-packers you want to put your best foot forward so they take your seriously. Create a product brief. I make mine in Canva. A product brief is nothing more than a pdf document that outlines the product you are trying to create. What are the main product call outs and non-negotiables? For example: Must be vegan and contain these ingredients... What is the size of the product How will it be packaged? Does the manufacturer have capabilities for turn key (they take care of the packaging). Manufacturers also want to know you will be a solid partner. How frequently will you be ordering from them? Most co-packers / manufacturers have in house testing labs or relationships with third party labs for micro-testing. Ask them. You can also check out <a href="https://microqualitylabs.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">MicroQuality Labs</a> (based in CA) or <a href="https://njlabs.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">NJ Labs</a> (based in New Jersey). <hr/>​ICYMI Here is a recap of topics covered in previous Mentor Mondays. You can always visit my page and scroll down to see all posts. If you haven&#x27;t yet read them all, do so. Lots of gems in each post. How to find suppliers and co-packers in beauty: <a href="https://lu.ma/p/DIk5oFJUgOxsVop/How-To-Find-Manufacturers-Suppliers-for-Beauty" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">here</a> My short list of BIPOC bookkeepers/CPAs: <a href="https://lu.ma/p/z1MZFlwXBJE6Pxd/BIPOC-WOMEN-CPAs-BOOKKEEPERS" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">here</a>​​​Building your email list and outsourcing shipping: <a href="https://lu.ma/p/RBzoHSjx4eiKmHa/Building-your-email-list-Outsourcing-shipping-Finding-a-bookkeeper-and-more" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">here</a>​​​Trademarking your name: <a href="https://lu.ma/p/MWxrDze1dxa3Kcq/Trademarking-your-name-Make-decisions-for-where-you-want-to-go-not-where-you-are-now" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">here</a>​​​Building a team and Paid Ads: <a href="https://lu.ma/p/ZHJWFiHRfBV7Zu8/How-to-build-a-team-Attracting-luxe-wholesale-accounts-Paid-ads-more" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">here</a> </div>

During today's Mentor Mondays I announced that the series will be replaced with the Nopalera Podcast, launching next month! Stay tuned.

Second, I wanted to let you know that I will be hosting the Margin Magic Masterclass again on 

I get a lot of questions about marketing, shipping, and all sorts of other things that happen after your product is made. But LET ME TELL YOU, the most important thing you should focus on in the beginning is understanding your COGS and MARGINS. 

I am constantly amazed at how many people take their product to market without understanding these two things first. If this is you, 

please register for the next Margin Magic Masterclass

. I will personally walk you through doing your cogs and calculating your margins. Everyone that attends will get a recording of the class + all of the templates. I even include a sales tracker I built and use for my own brand! 

In the meantime, here's a recap of topics discussed during today's LIVE. 

(Scroll down to the bottom for past resource links.)

Are you scared you will spend money and launch a brand only to have it fail?

Are you scared of being judged? Are you scared of letting people down? 

All of these feelings are normal. I assure you that even people who HAVE money still have self doubt and fear they could lose it all. 

Whatever your fears are, Identify it. Write it down. Say it out loud. 

 money is a renewable resource and you can always make more.

Sacred that people won't like your product/ brand? 

: Not everyone will and that's ok. You don't need everyone to like your product in order to build a successful and profitable brand. There are over 7 billion people on earth.  There's more than enough people for everyone to have a healthy customer base. Take out a piece of paper and write "not everyone will like my product and that's OK." Get comfortable with this fact. 

Today I shared that I created my brand because I had a burning (borderline desperate) desire to change my life. At the age of 44, with no savings, students loans, and a child to raise — it was do or die. My life was not going to change by getting yet another job. I already had 3! 

I share this because if you are truly committed to building a great brand, you have to be ALL IN. You have to do your homework (study the competitive landscape). You have to be willing to learn A LOT of new things 

. You have to get good at math. You have to want to WIN. These are more important that having all the money to start! I did not start with money. I paid for things in increments over the course of a year. 