In this first guest episode of the season, I’m joined by Charlotte from Another Loop — a beautifully designed hot-foiled stationery brand based just outside Newcastle, co-founded with her partner Tom.

Charlotte shares how they grew from just 5 to 24 stockists in under a year, how they used local grants to fund mentoring and equipment, and why wholesale felt like a more sustainable way to grow — without the pressure of going viral on Instagram.

We talk about pitching, getting ghosted, creative flyers, and what it really takes to build a product business with momentum and meaning.

📥 Free Resource:

Want to send stronger, more confident wholesale emails?

Grab my Email Pitch Checklist — it’s quick, clear, and helps you pitch without second-guessing every sentence.

👉 https://smallbusinesscollaborative.myflodesk.com/checklist

⏱️ Timestamps:

00:00 – Welcome to Let’s Talk Shop

00:33 – Meet Charlotte from Another Loop

00:47 – Starting the business and running it with her partner

03:06 – Why they pivoted into wholesale and how it changed their growth

06:30 – Overcoming the fear of silence and rejection

09:02 – How she built confidence with pricing and wholesale conversations

11:45 – Creative outreach: making flyers and sending physical mail

14:20 – Why little touches (like handwriting and stamps) still matter

15:27 – Using local grants to fund mentoring and buy equipment

19:30 – How to approach your council for support (and what to say)

20:01 – Building relationships with stockists and gaining confidence

22:44 – What surprised her about wholesale vs. selling DTC

23:55 – Lessons from Faire: it’s not the be-all and end-all

26:01 – Big goals ahead: Liberty, Oliver Bonas, international growth

28:00 – Proudest moments and stockist feedback that made it all worth it

30:00 – Where to find Another Loop online

✨ Find Another Loop:

Website: https://www.anotherloop.co.uk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/another_loop

👋 Connect with me:

Website: https://www.smallbusinesscollaborative.co.uk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/small_business_collaborative

🎧 Subscribe for more guest interviews, solo sales episodes, and behind-the-scenes support to help you grow your wholesale with confidence.

Episode 7: Why Your Stockists Don’t Reorder (And How to Fix It)

You worked hard to get that first wholesale order — so why aren’t they reordering?

In this episode, we’re talking about one of the most common gaps in wholesale: the follow-up. Because most buyers don’t ghost you on purpose — they just haven’t heard from you. And staying visible is what keeps you relevant… and keeps the reorders coming in.

We’ll cover why reorders are the easiest sales to make (and often the most overlooked), how to follow up without feeling pushy, and what kind of visibility actually builds trust and gets results.

💡 Real-life result: One client shifted her follow-up strategy and turned a quiet stockist into a consistent monthly buyer — without discounting or chasing.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 — Introduction: Why Customers Don’t Reorder

00:28 — Meet Therese: Your Wholesale Growth Guide

00:37 — Season Overview: What’s in Store

00:56 — The Importance of Follow-Up for Reorders

01:30 — Overcoming the Fear of Following Up

02:13 — Building a Solid Reorder Strategy

02:23 — Staying Visible: Tips and Tricks

03:31 — Real-Life Success Stories

03:56 — Shifting Your Strategy for Consistent Reorders

04:29 — Join the Sales Growth Lab

04:57 — Conclusion: What’s Next?

🔗 Links & Resources:

✨ Join the Sales Growth Lab waitlist and get your free Email Pitch Checklist:

https://smallbusinesscollaborative.myflodesk.com/checklist

🌐 Learn more about the Sales Growth Lab program:

https://www.smallbusinesscollaborative.co.uk/sales-growth-lab

📱 Follow Therese on Instagram:

https://instagram.com/smallbusinesscollaborative

✅ If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to follow Let’s Talk Shop so you never miss a new one. Interviews with product-based brands are coming soon — and they’re packed with practical wholesale tips you won’t want to miss.

Episode 6: 5 Big Mistakes I See in Wholesale Pitches

If you’ve been sending pitches and hearing crickets — this episode is for you.

Even with great products, unclear or hesitant emails will get ignored. In this episode, I break down the 5 most common (and fixable) pitch mistakes I see from product-based business owners — and what to do instead.

We’ll talk about:

• Why vague pitches don’t work (even when your products are amazing)

• The “hope you’re well” trap — and what to say instead

• How to sound confident without being pushy

• Why clear next steps matter more than ever

• The truth about follow-ups (hint: you’re not being annoying)

I’ll also share a real result from one of my Sales Growth Lab students — and how a simple pitch rewrite lead to two replies and one order right away.

If you want to pitch with more confidence and finally start hearing back from stockists, this one’s a must-listen.

🧠 Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction: The Struggle with Wholesale Pitches

00:23 – Recap of Previous Episodes

01:05 – Today’s Focus: Improving Your Email Sales Pitch

01:26 – Common Mistakes in Email Pitches

02:01 – Mistake 1: Vague Pitches

03:13 – Mistake 2: The ‘Hope You’re Well’ Trap

04:06 – Mistake 3: Lack of Confidence

04:56 – Mistake 4: No Clear Call to Action

05:17 – Mistake 5: Not Following Up

05:42 – Success Stories and Final Tips

06:23 – Conclusion and Next Episode Teaser

🎯 Want to improve your pitches today?

Join the Sales Growth Lab waitlist and I’ll send you my free Email Pitch Checklist right away. You’ll also be the first to know when the programme reopens and inside you get access to my custom chat gpt that helps you write a full 6-touchpoint email funnel in 30 minutes — tailored to your business.

→ https://smallbusinesscollaborative.myflodesk.com/checklist

🔗 Resources & Links

• Sales Growth Lab info: https://www.smallbusinesscollaborative.co.uk/sales-growth-lab

• Website: https://smallbusinesscollaborative.co.uk

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/smallbusinesscollaborative