017 | Rosanna Kvernmo, Iron Curtain Press on her experience as both a wholesaler & a store owner, product development and finding your unique voice.

TSBC alumni, Rosanna Kvernmo is the owner of Iron Curtain Press, a letterpress studio in Los Angeles. In the spring of 2016, she and her husband, Joel, are also opened Shorthand, a little store specializing in beautiful supplies for your desk. On today's episode, Rosanna and I talk about her experience as both a wholesaler & a store owner, product development and finding your unique voice in your products and business.

ON TODAY'S EPISODE:

• The start of Iron Curtain Press as a side business making invitations for her friends
• Lessons she learned in the first several years of business
• Refining the services offered by Iron Curtain Press
• Rosanna's experience in the retail space as both a wholesaler & a store owner
• Her advice for people pitching retail stores
• Opening her retail shop, Shorthand
• The types of products sold at Shorthand and where Rosanna finds them
• The National Stationery Show
• Planning & launching new product lines
• The importance of knowing why you are adding a new product
• Understanding that every business is unique & finding your own voice

KEY TAKE-AWAYS:

"It's important for people to remember that they are in control, that they set the rules for their business and if something's not quite working the way they want it to, they can pivot and change gears and make those decisions." - Katie Hunt

"Here's the bare bones honest truth, as a person with a store like mine, that when you add product categories in a hurry and haven't thought through what it is, it's pretty apparent to me on my end." - Rosanna Kvernmo

"If you're going to invest in something and go into a new product category, you need to do your homework." - Katie Hunt

"With my very small business, every decision that I make really matters. The passion behind what I do is what makes my business stand out from a mass market store." - Rosanna Kvernmo

"No two people, no two companies are going to make the same decisions. Their paths are going to be different." - Rosanna Kvernmo

"But I think finding your voice is really important because that's the quickest killer to your line, is being too similar to anybody else." - Rosanna Kvernmo

MEET ROSANNA KVERNMO:

Rosanna is the owner and designer behind Iron Curtain Press, a letterpress studio in Los Angeles with products sold in cute boutiques world-wide. In the spring of 2016, Rosanna and her husband Joel opened Shorthand, a little store in the heart of Highland Park specializing in beautiful supplies for your desk.

CONNECT:

Website: ironcurtainpress.com | shopshorthand.com

Facebook: @ironcurtainpress | @shopshorthand

Instagram: @ironcurtainpress | @shopshorthand

Twitter: @ironcurtainpress | @shopshorthand

JOIN THE TSBC FAMILY:

Interested in learning more about launching or refining a wholesale line or exhibiting at trade shows? Join us for our next Paper Camp conference in Los Angeles. Get more details and register at www.tradeshowcamp.com/papercamp

ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT:

Proof to Product is brought to you by Tradeshow Bootcamp and hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, TSBC has worked with hundreds of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode.