If you’ve designed a brilliant product, created a brand and launched a business, only to find that it doesn’t sell…
Or if you thought you could just launch your website and sales would automatically happen…
You’re not alone!
There’s a reason why killer products don’t sell. But fortunately, it’s completely fixable!
Let me tell you about Katie. Because Katie’s story is your story. And if you’ve ever found yourself staring at the ceiling at 2am, mind racing with endless to-do lists and wondering if you’ve bitten off more than you can chew… this article is for you.
Katie’s Story
“It was 2am as Katie Brown lay in bed, staring at the ceiling and waiting for sleep to arrive.
Her mind would not shut up. Rolling through her endless to-do list – and honestly, that thing was like the laundry basket. No matter how much you got through, there was always more.
The socials to schedule to promote this weekend’s trade show. The promo for the event. The posters, shelves and decorations and how she planned to set up her stand. She had this particular stand design in mind to make it really attractive to potential buyers attending the show. But now she was starting to panic about the fact that she hadn’t even rehearsed how to set the bloody thing up!
Her sales script, which she kept repeating over and over in her mind in an endless loop.
And then – damn it! – she remembered she had forgotten to call her account manager at the manufacturer again this afternoon. The last thing he’d said was that the delivery was due tomorrow.
Talk about cutting it fine…
Tomorrow was the day before the big day. The big event that she hoped would put her fledgling brand on the map.
She’d invested more than she secretly felt she could afford to sign up for this trade show – the biggest event in her industry. Not to mention, worked her absolute butt off to try and make this happen.
This event was supposed to be the launchpad for her business. The thing that would put her brand on the map and her products into the hands of customers everywhere.
But right now, it was looking like a distinct failure.
Because without anything to sell, how on earth could it be anything else?
Her factory had promised to get her inventory to her two weeks ago. Why was it that the factory always said yes and promised everything, but then nothing ever went to plan? She hoped this wasn’t an indication of their future working relationship…
As she lay there thinking about her product and worrying whether it would be delivered in time, her mind wandered back to the day she came up with the idea in the first place.
She remembered that day, early in her first pregnancy, when she woke up and looked in the mirror only to see a face staring back at her that was so spotty and irritated and oily it could have rivalled a teenager working the fries station at McDonald’s!
One minute she was riding a wave of euphoria and excitement at the knowledge she was pregnant.
The next minute, her self-confidence was back in the toilet as all the memories of her acne-plagued teenage years came flooding back.
That memory still brought a tear to the corner of Katie’s eyes as she thought about it now.
But rather than allow the experience to derail her completely, she’d used it as fuel to come up with a solution that worked, once and for all.
Because when she started Googling to find something she could use to treat her skin effectively – something with no nasties that might be damaging for her baby – she quickly realised that SO many people suffered with acne.
In fact, Katie discovered acne affects 85% of young Australians between the ages of 15-24, but many adults like her continue to struggle with it for years. Decades even.
And it wasn’t just the skin that suffered. She also learned that people with acne are much more likely to develop depression and anxiety, compared to those without acne. She could relate to that, for sure.
So she’d spent months researching how to resolve acne, from topical formulations to supplements and diet advice that might influence the hormonal fluctuations on the inside.
A far cry from her profession as a high school English teacher!
She connected with an independent skincare formulator who specialised in natural and organic ingredients. And she had countless conversations with one of her best friends who happened to be a naturopath.
The process of researching and formulating, testing and creating the products was hard work. Almost like gestating a baby, to be honest! But really rewarding too.
After two years of research and development, trying and testing countless different versions on herself, and a second pregnancy and baby later, she felt absolutely thrilled with her product.
Next, of course, was the process of naming it, designing the branding and packaging, and then manufacturing her first batch.
Ready to sell – eek!!!
That was all finalised and delivered six months ago. Since then, she had started trying to get the word out to people and find ways to drum up sales.
If she were honest with herself, she had assumed the hardest part would be developing and manufacturing the products.
Surely having a product that really worked and was the best and most effective on the market was enough? Don’t customers come looking for the best and just buy it?
Apparently not…
And so here we are. The night before the day before the big event.
Katie’s husband Simon interrupted the blur of her frantic thoughts as he snored and rolled over in bed next to her.
They’d had a row again tonight. Not a big, loud shouting match – that wasn’t their style. No, their arguments were quiet, intense and drawn out.
It was always the same argument and Katie played it on repeat now in her mind.
After getting the boys to bed – bath, warm milk, three stories and two songs later – she’d asked Simon to clean up the dinner dishes in the kitchen so she could get some work done before bed.
He’d given her a very annoyed look and sighed deeply. Not because he expected her to do all the housework – he wasn’t like that – but because he knew ‘get some work done’ meant she’d be at the computer till the wee hours of the morning. Again.
“What?!” Katie demanded.
“I miss my wife, that’s what. When are you going to stop working every single night and weekend? You’re spending so much family time on this, and for what? I’m pretty sure it’s costing us more than you’re earning.”
“But we spoke about this months and months ago. We agreed that I could work on this start-up idea while the boys are little. It’s not like it’ll stay like this forever – but right now it’s a start-up!”
Simon sighed again and headed to the kitchen. And was that an eye roll she caught as well? Maybe she was projecting that onto him, she wasn’t sure…
Katie knew this conversation wasn’t over. But for tonight at least, she could head back to her laptop and get some work done.
She’d stifled a yawn. God, she was tired! Maybe a cup of tea would help. In the back of her mind, she ignored the fact that Simon was right – she couldn’t keep going like this indefinitely…
Despite how utterly exhausted she was when she’d eventually crawled under the covers at 1am, she still couldn’t sleep. This adrenaline-fuelled insomnia was becoming a bit of a habit, which was a bit worrying… Hopefully just another symptom of being a start-up – one that might settle down as business grows, she hoped.
What was it she was trying to grow? Her wakeful mind turned to ponder that question again now.
She pictured her products sitting on the shelves of major retailers nationally.
A busy team fulfilling orders for hundreds and thousands of website customers.
A thriving Instagram page where customers regularly posted before-and-after photos and videos, showing their skin transformation and sharing how life-changing these products are.
And she saw herself as the leader of this thriving multi-million dollar business, earning a really nice income for herself, but also enjoying some flexibility in her days. Maybe turning up to her boys’ school assemblies, or taking regular holidays with the family, or heading out to lunch with Simon sometimes.
Finally, sleep descended…”
The Universal Journey
Sound familiar? That pit in your stomach when everything you’ve worked for hangs in the balance? The weight of investment – financial and emotional – pressing down on your chest at 2am?
Katie’s story is every productpreneur’s story. It’s pretty similar to my own first business. Maybe your product isn’t skincare. Maybe it’s sustainable packaging, or innovative baby gear, or revolutionary fitness equipment. But that feeling? That desperate hope mixed with paralysing fear? That’s almost universal.
Because here’s what no one tells you when you’re starting out. The product development? That’s actually the easy part. I know it doesn’t feel like it when you’re knee-deep in formulations or prototypes or finding manufacturers. But creating something amazing? That’s your zone of genius. That’s what you live for.
The hard part? The part that keeps you awake at 2am? That’s everything that comes after.
It’s discovering that “build it and they will come” is complete rubbish. That having the best product on the market doesn’t automatically translate to sales. That marketing isn’t just about posting pretty pictures on Instagram.
It’s the isolation. The feeling that no one – not your partner, not your family, not your friends – really understands what you’re going through. They see the glamour of being an entrepreneur, but they don’t see the sleepless nights, the constant decision fatigue, the weight of carrying everyone’s expectations.
It’s the imposter syndrome that creeps in during quiet moments. “Maybe I’m not cut out for this. Maybe I should just get a regular job like everyone else. Maybe they were right when they said I was crazy to try this.”
It’s the relationship strain. Your partner wondering where the person their partner was went. Your kids competing with your laptop for attention. Your friends who’ve stopped inviting you out because you always say you’re too busy working.
It’s the financial pressure. The credit cards, the loans, the investment you can’t really afford but somehow scraped together anyway. The knowledge that if this doesn’t work, it’s not just your dream that dies – it’s your family’s financial security too.
And here’s the kicker – you’re probably doing it all wrong. Not because you’re not smart enough or talented enough or passionate enough. But because no one taught you how to build a brand. How to create desire for something people didn’t even know they needed. How to turn your brilliant product into an experience people can’t stop talking about.
You’re trying to figure it out as you go, and honestly? That’s like trying to perform surgery while learning anatomy. You might get there eventually, but you’re going to make a lot of expensive mistakes along the way.
But here’s what Katie didn’t know yet. What you might not know yet. This struggle? It’s not a sign you’re failing. It’s not proof that you’re not cut out for this.
This struggle is a sign you’re exactly where you need to be.
The Mentor Appears
I’ve been exactly where Katie is. Where you might be right now.
Back in 2007, I was lying in my own bed at 2am, mind racing with the same fears, the same to-do lists, the same weight of everything I’d invested in my own product-based business.
I was designing and manufacturing eco-friendly baby products, selling them online and through retailers. And I was making every mistake in the book.
I thought having amazing products was enough. I thought customers would just find me. I thought manufacturers and suppliers always told the truth. I thought if I just worked harder, posted more, tried more tactics, something would eventually stick.
I was drowning in the tactics without understanding the strategy. I was so focused on selling products that I forgot I needed to be building a brand.
But here’s what changed everything for me. The moment I stopped trying to figure it out alone. The moment I realised that every successful brand – from Apple to Patagonia to your local café that always has a queue – they all understand something that I was missing.
People don’t buy products. They buy better versions of themselves. They buy the future they want to create. They buy the story they want to be part of.
And once I understood that? Once I learned how to build a brand instead of just selling products? Everything changed.
My products went from sitting in my spare room to being stocked in retailers across Australia, New Zealand, and Europe. I had stockists from Asia to Dubai to the Czech Republic to the UK and US. I won the Telstra Business Awards – basically the Academy Awards for private business in Australia.
But more importantly, I found my rhythm. I created the flexibility and financial independence I’d been chasing. I could attend my kids’ school assemblies and take family holidays and actually be present for the life I was working so hard to build.
And then I realised something else. I wasn’t meant to just build one successful brand. I was meant to help other brilliant productpreneurs like you build theirs.
Because the truth is, the world needs what you’re creating. Your innovation, your solution, your vision of how things could be better. But it needs you to succeed. It needs you to break through the noise and get your products into the hands of people who desperately need them.
And that’s why I became the mentor I wish I’d had when I was lying awake at 2am, wondering if I was crazy to think I could build something significant.
The Truth About Success
Here’s what I want you to understand. What Katie needed to understand. Success isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about having the right framework.
It’s not about being perfect. It’s about being strategic.
Most productpreneurs fail not because their products aren’t good enough. They fail because they’re trying to build a business using outdated playbooks that don’t work in today’s market.
They’re competing on features when they should be competing on feeling. They’re focusing on transactions when they should be building transformations. They’re shouting about their products when they should be whispering about their customers’ dreams.
The brands that break through? The ones that become household names and build multi-million dollar businesses? They understand that modern consumers – especially the consumers who have the money, who typically adopt new products ahead of the curve and have the influence to make or break your brand – they don’t buy rationally. They buy emotionally.
They don’t want the cheapest option. They want the best option for who they’re trying to become.
They don’t care about your features list. They care about your story and how it connects to their story.
They don’t want to be sold to. They want to be understood, inspired, and invited into something bigger than themselves.
And here’s the beautiful thing – this isn’t about manipulation or trickery. This is about authentically connecting your genuine desire to solve problems with people who genuinely need those problems solved.
It’s about taking the passion that drives you to create and channelling it into communication that makes people care.
It’s about building bridges between your innovation and their aspiration.
What Katie Learned
So what happened to Katie? Well, her trade show didn’t go exactly as planned. Her inventory arrived just in time, but her booth setup was chaos, her pitch was scattered, and she came home feeling like she’d wasted thousands of dollars on an expensive learning experience.
Sound familiar?
But here’s the thing about entrepreneurs like Katie. Like you. Failure isn’t the end of your story. It’s the beginning of your real education.
Because that “failed” trade show taught Katie something invaluable. It wasn’t about having the perfect booth or the perfect pitch. It was about having the perfect understanding of who she was trying to reach and why they should care.
She realised she’d been so focused on talking about her product’s ingredients and benefits that she’d forgotten to talk about the transformation it created. The confidence. The freedom from constantly worrying about their skin. The joy of looking in the mirror and liking what they saw.
She learned that brand building isn’t about you – it’s about them. It’s about painting a picture of the future they want and positioning your product as the bridge to get there.
She discovered that community trumps competition every time. Instead of trying to steal market share from big brands, she focused on creating a movement of people who believed what she believed.
She found out that systems beat overwhelm. Instead of working harder, she started working smarter. Instead of doing everything herself, she built processes that gave her back control of her time and her sanity.
Most importantly, she learned that purpose beats perfection. She stopped trying to be everything to everyone and started being exactly what she was to the right people.
And you know what? Her business transformed. Not overnight – real transformation never happens overnight – but systematically, strategically, sustainably.
Because she finally understood what I’m here to teach you. Building a successful product-based business isn’t about having the best product. It’s about building the best brand around that product.
It’s about creating desire for something people didn’t know they needed. It’s about turning customers into evangelists. It’s about building something that’s bigger than just a transaction – something that becomes part of people’s identity.
The Path Forward
So where do you go from here? Whether you’re lying awake at 2am like Katie was, or you’re just getting started on your productpreneur journey, or you’re somewhere in between feeling stuck and frustrated…
First, know that you’re not alone. Every successful productpreneur has been exactly where you are. The difference between those who break through and those who don’t isn’t talent or luck or even funding. It’s having the right guidance at the right time.
Second, understand that what got you here won’t get you there. If you’re still trying to figure this out on your own, if you’re still thinking that just working harder will solve your problems, if you’re still believing that good products sell themselves… it’s time for a new approach.
Third, remember why you started. Not the surface reason – not just because you wanted to be your own boss or make money. The deep reason. The change you wanted to create in the world. The problem you were uniquely positioned to solve. That vision? It’s still valid. It’s still needed. It’s still possible.
But it requires you to step up. To stop playing small. To stop apologising for charging what your products are worth. To stop hiding behind perfectionism and start putting yourself and your vision out there boldly.
It requires you to understand that marketing isn’t a dirty word – it’s how you serve people at scale. It’s how you get your solution into the hands of people who desperately need it.
And it requires you to get the right support. Because here’s what I know after building my own seven-figure product business and helping hundreds of other productpreneurs build theirs: you don’t have to figure this out alone.
You don’t have to lie awake at 2am wondering if you’re doing everything wrong. You don’t have to invest thousands in trade shows that don’t work. You don’t have to strain your relationships because you’re working all the time but not getting the results you want.
There’s a better way. A strategic way. A way that honours both your vision and your life.
This is where premium brands come, to show what’s possible when innovation meets the right strategy. When purpose meets the right positioning. When the crazy idea in your head meets the right framework to become the must-have product in their hands.
Your vision can become their obsession. But only if you’re willing to take the journey. Only if you’re ready to stop struggling alone and start building strategically.
Fast-Track Your Success With The Right Help
The revolution doesn’t start with perfect products or perfect pitches or perfect timing. The revolution starts with you. With your willingness to believe that what you’ve created matters. With your commitment to getting it into the hands of people who need it.
With your decision to stop settling for ordinary and start crafting extraordinary.
Katie’s journey continues. Her ultimate success story proves what’s possible. Her struggles along the way are a cautionary tale that shows what happens when we wait too long. So does yours. The question isn’t whether you have what it takes – you already proved that when you created something from nothing. The question is whether you’re ready to build the brand that your brilliant product deserves.
If you want to dive deeper into your specific situation and create a strategic roadmap for your brand, then I invite you to book a complimentary Brand Growth Strategy Session with us.
Click here to book your free Growth Strategy Session today.
Because the world needs what you’re creating. But more than that, the world needs you to succeed.
