Conversation: Dodging the Media Clutter
A conversation with Paige, owner of Feline Yogi, an online store with a unique product for cats and their doting owners.
“My marketing plans were off the cuff. I was listening to media sales people who had their own agenda.”
Hi Paige. Business owners are busy people, so I am very appreciative of your taking this time to talk. Let me ask a few questions so we can consider marketing from your perspective.
First, what is your motto?
“’Follow the fear’” – Someone once told me this one was of the motto of The Second City Improvisational Group in Chicago and it was a very powerful concept to me. This is what pushes me to keep going and take risks. Especially starting a business with no other income for myself at the moment. I had been laid off and at some point in my job search I quit looking for a regular job and wanted to be my own boss.”
Where does your inspiration come from?
“Cats! And from the spirt of entrepreneurship that is alive and well in California! There is so much room for exploration and opportunity because of it.”
What makes your business unique?
“It is a people product that’s been tailored to meet the needs of their cat. People like to personalize and give their animal companions products that makes them feel like part of the family.”
Could you please give us three sentences about your business and then tell us when you started it?
“It’s a yoga mat for cats; a scratcher, lounger, and toy built into one, made out of traditional yoga mat material. It’s super cute and seems on the surface a bit extravagant but it’s really a very practical product for kitties. Anyone who has had a yoga mat understands cats enjoy the material, which sparked the idea. Feline Yogi (www.felineyogi.com) was started in November of 2012 and little by little over the years I have been growing it. I’m looking to grow and move to the next level which is why I attended Val’s workshop.”
And where are you with your marketing now, just generally.
“All over the place! I’m trying to zero in and come up with a specific marketing plan. After the workshop I learned to simplify things and visualize what I could do now. I’m in the process of getting a clear plan!”
Are you pleased with your current marketing program?
“I am pleased with the possibilities of where I could go!”
Would you do things differently if you were just starting out? And if yes, how would you do things differently.
“Yes; I would have spent less time trying to market to everyone who had a cat and hone in on a specific demographic of cat people and audiences.”
What are your next goals for you and your business and how will your marketing reflect this?
“More wholesale; 25 - 45 units rather than just one unit at a time.
In addition to a core marketing plan, I am working on packaging that can help retailers to easily display the product. Also, I want to focus on video marketing for the product to be seen in use and share on all platforms.”
Anything to add before we conclude the interview?
“Believing in a product and having the right guidance, reinforces your intuition of the success of your product and that is the value of reaching out to an expert, such as Val, which is a reason I took and believe in the workshop for growth in my business.”
If you could change one thing about yourself or your company, what would it be?
“More start-up capital!”
Val has some afterthoughts – the media world is complex. Media sales people come from their perspective. They can tell you – very persuasively – why their media is good for your business. That is their job. Good for them.
And many times, they are right. Their media will be good for your business. If you had unlimited money.
The job of the entrepreneur is to figure out what media is going to get results for the business of the entrepreneur, and do it cost effectively. How do you do this? With a marketing strategy and a media plan. This is where Marketing 101: The Essentials gets you started. Let’s connect. Marketing101Essentials@gmail.com