Queen! Today I had the honor to talk with Alison J Prince, who went from being a junior high teacher to building four multi-million-dollar online brands. Did I mention she did it all while being a wife and a mom of four kids?
Alison shares her amazing journey and all the lessons she learned along the way. She is a true example of what we can do when we lean into our femininity and go after our biggest dreams unapologetically.
You will learn the secret to making millions through online sales, the key step every female entrepreneur must take on the path to success, and why Alison made God her business partner.
We also talk about the ups and downs of the entrepreneurial roller coaster and why it’s so important to be in a community of entrepreneur Queens.
From Government Assistance To Making Her First Million
Alison felt the first nudge towards entrepreneurship when she was told her teacher salary qualified her for government assistance. She knew that was not the life she wanted to live, so she started a side job. Ecommerce was a natural fit for an introvert with four kids.
When she started out, she had neither money nor a huge inventory. Instead, she looked around the house and found some old crafting supplies. That ended up being her first $300 sale!
In the next couple of days, she didn’t sell anything and she was ready to quit. Then, she felt God say to her: “How dare you walk away? I just showed you what’s possible!”
That was the moment Alison made God her business partner. She decided to embark on this adventure and explore all the possibilities. One year later, she made her first million dollars in sales.
Still, she felt like she was a one-hit-wonder. And instead of getting down in the dumps as many do, Alison decided to prove herself wrong and start another business. When her model worked the second time, she knew she had hit gold.
Getting a Passion for Teaching
Although she was resistant at first, Alison decided to follow the guidance. And God was telling her it was time to start teaching her strategy. She started with her two daughters, who were 10 and 13 at the time. They went on to make six figures in nine months.
Alison spread the word and taught her sister and friends, before moving to online space. She knew she could do it, because if you can teach teenagers to sell, who can’t you teach?
She also understood a big truth: you have to build up your confidence as you go. It’s the movement that creates confidence. By moving forward, day by day, she got to a point where she felt confident enough to say: “Yes, I know this and yes, I can teach you how to do it.”
Key Things To Keep In Mind Before Starting Your Ecommerce Business
If you’re thinking about setting up your own online store, the good news is, you can start from scratch. Alison didn’t know anything about ecommerce when she started.
The first advice she has for beginners is to let go of any definitions. No one will remember the first product you start selling—that doesn’t have to define your whole career.
Alison also recommends that you don’t dwell too much on what to sell. You don’t need to have a brilliant idea or a brilliant product. To sell something incredible and inventive, you need to spend years prototyping and testing and researching and educating people.
So, you can start with something as simple as pillowcases. Everyone needs pillowcases! Sell what people are already buying. That way, you will learn and grow faster.
When Alison started out, she sold plain blocks of wood. Yes, you read that right. Who would buy blocks of wood? Turns out, a lot of people. Alison made $9,000 in one day!
The secret? Storytelling. She didn’t get all technical, explaining which wood and what size. What she sold was a story of getting together with your kids and painting the blocks so you can give them as gifts. When you sell something, you don’t sell what the product is, you sell what it does.
And when you understand the power of storytelling, you can sell anything. You just have to tell people why they need it.
What To Do When You Hit A Low In The Entrepreneurial Roller Coaster
If you’re not failing and making mistakes, you can’t really call yourself an entrepreneur. The entrepreneurial journey always involves ups and downs. And if you’re not hitting those lows, you’re probably not pushing hard enough.
In Alison’s view, failure keeps us humble and hungry. And when it comes to serving people, it also gives you a great prompt for consideration. If your product is not selling, that means it’s probably not good enough for your people.
That’s the time to ask yourself: “What do I need to do to be able to give them an offer they can’t resist?” It’s not about you. It’s about what your customer needs.
You figure that out and then you go out and do it again, as many times as necessary.
And What To Do If You Find Yourself Hitting The Same Wall?
Once you get stuck in a certain spot, it’s really difficult to get out of it yourself. What you need is a shift in perspective that usually comes from change.
Alison’s #1 advice for all entrepreneurs is to find a community, join masterminds, get in touch with people they admire.
You don’t have to do everything by yourself. Feminine is all about relationships. If you can’t figure something out, ask a friend. They can open a window to possibilities you would have never seen yourself.
God provides solutions through so many different people, whether they’re coaches, mentors, partners, friends, even Facebook comments. The solution does exist. It’s up to you to reach out!
Why It’s So Important To Lean Into Your Spirituality
In your business journey, you’re going to have sparks of inspiration and great, exciting ideas. These ideas come from God, or the higher power, or the Universe, whatever you believe in.
On the opposite side, there’s going to be self-doubt. You might think you’re not good enough. These negative thoughts pull us into the darkness and away from God.
Your number one task is always going to be choosing the light. God is trying to hand you all these great things and it’s up to you to receive, Queen. So many entrepreneurs give up because they feel they need to live up to some impossible ideal.
If you’re out there and serving people and living your dream, you’re on the right track. Always listen to what the universe is telling you and lean into its divine message.
If you want to learn about ecommerce, there’s no one better than Alison! Go to her website, sign up for her programs, listen to Because I Can Life podcast, and get in touch!
We’d also be so honored to hear your takeaways! Screenshot this episode and tag us on Instagram at @ginadevee and @alisonjprince. Let’s get talking, my dear Queen!
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