108 | Shifting our definition of success with Ginger Lyons, Buffalo Girls Salvage

Hey friends, welcome back to Proof to Product! Today's guest is Ginger Lyons, a serial entrepreneur who believes positive attitude, abundance mindset, and perseverance are the keys to a successful business model. A military veteran, Ginger is the creator behind Buffalo Girls Salvage, a jewelry design company that transforms salvaged copper, metal and bullet casings into beautiful, handmade pieces.

Since 2012, Ginger's company has been inspiring women and honoring law enforcement officials through creative designs. She is also passionate about investing in mainstreet America, supporting small businesses and coaching female entrepreneurs.

On today's episode, Ginger and I talk about her incredible "backward" business journey. She shares what it was like to have a storefront, employees, national manufacturing network and the opportunity to appear on Shark Tank, and why she pivoted her business to stay true to her 'why'. We talk about how our definition of success often changes over the course of time, how entrepreneurship is always a choice, and the importance of sharing our journey to help others.

I hope you enjoy Ginger's story of growth, strategic pivoting, and the lessons she learned along the way!

ON TODAY'S EPISODE:

• Ginger's first business
• What she learned about herself from her experience in the military
• Her job as a main street manager in Texas
• The types of products and core customers at Buffalo Girls Salvage
• Why Ginger treats her wholesale and shopify accounts as two separate companies
• The materials and process that goes into creating jewelry
• Advice for entrepreneurs trying to do it all
• Fears Ginger had about expanding her team and ensuring quality control
• Ginger's backward business journey
• Important questions to ask yourself as a small business owner
• How Ginger said "no" to Shark Tank and stayed true to her "why"
• What's next for Ginger, Buffalo Girl Salvage and how she's encouraging more women entrepreneurs

KEY TAKE-AWAYS:

"I think some of us were just born with it. And we discover later in life that's what it is. But there's this feeling of entrepreneurship." - Ginger Lyons

"As an entrepreneur in general, I love the idea that we can all contribute to ... I know it sounds cliché, but the American dream. I love that we can all make an impact." - Ginger Lyons

"As a main street manager for a city in the state of Texas, I discovered how important main street is in America. We need small businesses and we need to keep them alive. " - Ginger Lyons

"If I can give any advice ... it's start asking for help as fast as you can, and getting help in the things that you know you can afford to get. Even in the smallest details, it's important to have others alongside you and not be the-everything-girl." - Ginger Lyons

"As entrepreneurs, we're doers. We want to do all the things and it's hard to give up control." - Ginger Lyons

"It's hard to give up the control. In the early stages we worry about paying somebody else and we worry about delegating and having the management skills to manage another person too." - Katie Hunt

"I believe in the main street, and I believe in us bringing up boutiques, and helping our fellow entrepreneurs develop their businesses. We have to do as much as we can in the US so that we can build up that together." - Ginger Lyons

"That's just life as an entrepreneur. We're faced with adversity, we're faced with challenges, we're faced with tons of decisions and we just have to choose to keep going." - Katie Hunt

"I firmly believe we are all born with what our path is in life. And our job is to figure out what that is. And so if you spend too much time looking at the path of everyone else around you, you are never going to find the success that you were supposed to find for yourself." - Ginger Lyons

"If you're being told "no", fine. Move on. Seriously. Just get over the "no's". And put yourself in positions to do hard things that are uncomfortable." - Ginger Lyons

LINKS

Website: https://buffalogirlsjewelry.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/buffalogirlssalvage

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

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ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT:

Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands 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!