
How Lisa Turned Eco Values into a Global Brand
What happens when you’re willing to invest $3,000 on a trade show while your competitors stick to $150 local markets? Lisa Sjöblom found out – and it changed everything.
What happens when you’re willing to invest $3,000 on a trade show while your competitors stick to $150 local markets? Lisa Sjöblom found out – and it changed everything.
You don’t need a massive team or a viral TikTok to build a multi-seven-figure business. What you do need is a strategy that trains your audience from day one to do what you want them to do—buy.
In this episode of the Bringing Business to Retail Podcast, I’m joined by Natalie from So Hungry Hippie. She’s gone from being a nurse and military veteran to running a thriving eCommerce brand that sells out launches, turns free patterns into sales machines, and uses her personality and consistency—not gimmicks—to build loyalty and repeat purchases.
We unpack how she took her audience on a journey from freebies to full-priced products, why she doesn’t waste time on trends, and the surprising way she uses live shows to convert new and existing customers into raving fans.
If you’ve ever felt like your sales are stuck, or that your audience is watching but not buying—this episode will flip the switch. Natalie proves you don’t need to shout louder… you just need to show up smarter.
This one is full of practical gold—so grab a notebook, because by the end of it, you’ll know exactly how to start training your audience to convert.
Let’s dive in and take your business from busy to booming.
—Sal
I’ll be honest with you – I used to be guilty of this too. I’d get all excited about a new promotion, pull some round number out of thin air like $50,000, and declare “THAT’S my goal!”
Then I’d spend the entire promotion crossing my fingers and hoping for the best.
Here’s what I’ve learned: Hope is NOT a strategy, gorgeous.
Last week, I worked with one of our Scale Your Store Accelerator retailers who had her heart set on a $10,000 promotion. She had 150 units of a $40 product ready to go. Sounds reasonable, right?
Except when I grabbed my calculator (like I always do), the math told a different story. 150 units × $40 = $6,000 maximum. Not the $10,000 she was dreaming of.
But here’s the thing – we didn’t give up on her goal. We got strategic.
Instead of hoping people would magically spend more, we reverse-engineered exactly what needed to happen. To hit $10,000 with 150 units, her average order value needed to be $66.67. So we planned strategic upsells, bundles, and add-ons that made sense for her customers.
The result? She didn’t just hit her $10,000 goal – she smashed it.
This is the power of working backwards from your goal instead of crossing your fingers and hoping for the best. When you stop guessing and start calculating, you move from wishful thinking to a real, achievable plan.
Ready to ditch the crystal ball and grab your calculator? Your next promotion deserves a strategy that actually works.
Sal
Want to learn the exact formula I use to reverse-engineer profitable promotions? Listen to Episode 479 of the Bringing Business to Retail podcast.
What if being the most expensive in your market wasn’t a risk—but a strategy?
In this powerful episode of the Bringing Business to Retail podcast, I sit down with Cat, founder of a 7-figure photo booth business, who made a bold decision early on: she wasn’t going to be affordable—she was going to be premium. And not just in price, but in experience, positioning, and service.
Together, we dive into what it really means to charge more and still book out, how to shift your mindset when you’re not your own target customer, and what premium clients are truly looking for (spoiler: it’s not just a better product—it’s time, trust, and ease).
Cat opens up about her journey from broke and burned out to fully booked and in control, the behind-the-scenes pitfalls of premium pricing, and how she now helps other entrepreneurs charge what they’re worth. We also explore how selling to wealthy clients helped Cat scale her business, build a team, and launch a second revenue stream—all while working less.
If you’re tired of chasing price-shoppers, second-guessing your rates, or constantly being “busy” but not profitable, this episode will shift your thinking and show you what’s possible when you step into your value.
Let’s talk about building a business that feels as good as it looks.
Sal x
I didn’t want to release this episode.
I recorded it in the middle of a storm — personally and professionally — and honestly, it felt too raw to share.
But the truth is, I waited too long to make the hard calls in my business. I held onto team members because I believed in their potential, not their performance. I convinced myself we were just going through a rough patch. That things would get better. That people would step up.
Spoiler alert: they didn’t. And while I was busy avoiding discomfort, I ended up drowning in the tasks I thought I’d moved past — and my business paid the price.
This episode is for every leader who’s found themselves stretched too thin, stuck in the weeds, and wondering why everything feels heavier than it should. It’s for anyone who’s hesitated to act because they didn’t want to be the “bad guy.”
I’m sharing the lessons I learned the hard way — from the cost of inaction, to the weight of optimism, to the shift I had to make to finally lead with clarity instead of fear.
If you’re holding things together with duct tape, hoping it’ll last just a little bit longer… this is your sign.
— Sal
What can a rich man handing off a trash wrapper teach you about business?
More than you’d think.
In this episode, I share a game-changing moment that completely redefined how she thinks about selling premium products and services. From luxury hotels to $150 dog treats, this episode uncovers what wealthy customers really value—and how most businesses are missing the mark.
You’ll learn:
– Why selling to the middle market is a dangerous game
– What high-value customers expect (and are willing to pay for)
– How to reposition your business to attract premium buyers
– The mindset shift that could triple your revenue
Whether you’re in retail, ecommerce, or any service-based business—this episode will challenge your thinking and show you how to finally charge what you’re worth.
Sal
If you’ve ever found yourself resizing a Canva image at 11pm or manually replying to customer emails for the hundredth time this episode is for you.
I get it. You started your business for freedom, flexibility, and impact… not to become the Chief Everything Officer. But somewhere along the way, the hustle turned into burnout, and your to-do list became your boss.
In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on what it really takes to step out of the day-to-day and into your role as CEO. I’ll walk you through how to identify the tasks that are draining your time and energy, how to delegate or automate them, and how to get back to doing the work that actually grows your business.
I’m sharing real talk from my own journey, the tools I use, and a simple action plan you can start today to reclaim your time—and your vision.
Let’s get you back in the driver’s seat.
Sal
When it comes to promotions, there’s one word that can either make you cringe… or cash in: FOMO.
In this episode, I’m sharing why FOMO isn’t a dirty word — it’s actually your secret weapon for getting customers off the fence and into action, without sounding pushy, salesy, or desperate.
I’m telling you a story about one of the worst marketing decisions I ever made (spoiler: it involved a dusty TV screen and a golf club), and what it taught me about creating real urgency the right way.
We’re diving deep into how to use urgency and scarcity ethically — with tips you can actually apply today, like:
How to create momentum even if your numbers are small
Why your first and last day emails matter more than anything else
How to leverage SMS and real-time tools to boost last-minute sales
Plus, how one of my accelerator members turned a personal birthday into a brilliant, heart-driven campaign (that her customers loved!)
If you’ve ever struggled with feeling “icky” about selling, or worried you were being annoying by sending that extra email…
This episode is for you.
Let’s reframe FOMO — from pushy to powerful — together.
See you inside,
Sal
Ever wondered why you’re putting time, money, and energy into business coaches, masterminds, or programs… and still not seeing the results you were promised?
Trust me, I’ve been there—and I’ve learned the hard (and expensive) way. In this episode, I peel back the curtain on the actual roles of coaches, mentors, strategists, and masterminds.
Because here’s the truth: hiring the wrong kind of support at the wrong time isn’t just unhelpful—it can totally stall your growth.
I’m sharing the real talk on what a $45K mastermind taught me, how to know when you’re ready for strategy vs. coaching, and why getting clarity on your goals is the key to choosing the right person to help you hit them.
Whether you’re just getting started or already scaling but stuck in the weeds, this episode will help you figure out what kind of support will actually move the needle—and what to avoid.
This one’s part inspiration, part strategy, and a whole lot of “I wish I knew this sooner.”
—Sal
Unlock the untapped potential of your sales funnel and turn traffic into unstoppable revenue—without spending more on ads.
Back when I first opened my business, the economy looked a lot like it does now.
It was the Global Financial Crisis, people were tightening their belts, interest rates were rising…
But there were still things that would sell.
And for me, it was these super cool wet/dry bags that i used to import from America (fun fact, nearly 20 years later I STILL use those same bags, but I digress).
I started out selling them for $29.95, but with exchange rates blowing out, fuel price increase affecting shipping prices and import duty, I had no idea how one of my competitors could still be selling them for $29.95.
What were they doing, that I wasn’t?
Too many tasks, not enough time, and zero direction—opening Asana felt like staring into a year’s worth of chaos. Total leadership fail.
In this episode, I break down how I used ChatGPT—not as a distraction, but as a tool—to ask myself the tough questions that cut through the noise, stopped the busy work, and helped me get laser-focused on what actually matters.
What you’ll learn:
✔️ The four AI-powered questions that instantly helped me prioritize
✔️ How to separate urgent from important (and stop wasting time)
✔️ The Eisenhower Matrix—your new productivity superpower
✔️ Why calendar blocking is the secret weapon you’re not using
If you’re drowning in tasks and feel stuck in the procrastination loop, this episode is for you. Let’s get you back in control.
———–
💡 Introduction – The Overwhelm Is Real [0:01]
🤖 Why I Turned to AI for Help [2:00]
📝 Step 1: What’s Actually on Your Plate? [5:00]
⏳ Step 2: What’s Wasting the Most Time or Money? [12:00]
🚀 Step 3: The One Task That Will Set You Back in 6 Months [15:00]
📈 Step 4: Future-Proofing – What’s Critical for Scaling? [18:00]
📅 The Power of Calendar Blocking & Deep Work [21:00]
🎯 Final Takeaways – How to Stay Focused & Take Action [24:30]
Ready to ditch the overwhelm and start making real progress? Hit play now! 🚀
Sal