693. "How to Build a Profitable Product-Based Business Around Purpose (Not Just Product)" | Coaching Session

Hi, I'm Jacqueline Snyder and this is the Product Boss podcast. I've helped launch and grow thousands of product based businesses, even one of my own. And over the last 20 years, I've seen behind the scenes of businesses just like yours. Whether they are makers, manufacturers, artists, or food and beverage businesses. I have spent so many hours studying it all. I've discovered what makes them successful, what mistakes they could have avoided, how did they turn their ideas into successful business, and what are the strategies that they have used to make more sales and be discovered by more customers. And this is what this show is all about. Whether you're just starting out or you're looking to become a million dollar product boss, I'm here to give you the permission to chase your dreams, no matter how big or small. All you need is the right mindset, a little courage, strategy and support, and you too can be the next million dollar product boss. Let's do this. Oh my goodness. Friends, if you are anything like me, you probably spend more time running errands than running your business. Am I right? Like, everything needs something, we gotta run around. And I knew that this was like a major issue for me back in the day, which is why I decided to get help where I could. And I decided to let Instacart handle all of my grocery shopping. So I no longer had to worry about running all the errands and having to run out and get more almond mil for my lattes. Rather, I was like, you know what? We're just gonna let Instacart handle that. So I want you to imagine skipping the store and getting back to designing packaging, orders, making, or maybe actually taking a break, even a nap. Remember those? Okay, so with Instacart, you can get groceries and essentials delivered in as fast as an hour, so you can focus on growing your business without sacrificing a meal. Plus, less stress and more focus. And here's a tip. I've actually used Instacart before to order gifts from my daughter's friend's birthday parties because I haven't had time to run out and get presents. And I've been able to get the packaging, like the gift bag and the g, like hello, Sephora, delivered to my house while I was in the middle of coaching sessions so that I could have the present right. It's like having a personal assistant without having a personal assistant. So if you want to do what I do and get the help where you can, you can try it now if you head to the Product boss. Com Instacart Hey. Hey, product bosses. Welcome back to the Product Boss podcast. I'm so glad you're here because today is another one of our coaching episodes. That's right. I know you love them. And so we are digging in behind the scenes into a fellow product boss's business. And so today's coaching episode is one that's going to touch your heart and expand your mind. I mean, I still have chills from this episode and just thinking about when we recorded it. So I'm really excited to share it with you today. So I'm sitting down with Francina Kahl and she is the founder of Be Still Tea, a soulful, purpose driven brand that's about so much more than tea. Right? Can you imagine that her product based business is so much more than the product she sells. Listen, it's about stillness. It's about presence, it's about healing, and it's actually about a greater purpose that Francina has in this world. Now, she started her company back in 2020 at a time when the world was forced to pause. And that stillness mirrored her own life's turning point. Through a deeply personal journey, she discovered that steeping tea could become a pathway to emotional clarity and connection. Now, she brings that same practice to others through her teas accessories, her ceremonies and her coaching. But with the big changes on the horizon, I mean, she's got a lot of big changes coming up. Like she's relocating across the world with her family of seven and she's at this pivotal moment in her life. She's feeling the need to scale back her physical presence, but still wants to expand her impact. She's asking, how do I run this business from anywhere? And to be honest, she's wondering if her passion is still in her product. So whether you're seeking deeper purpose in your product like Francina, or maybe you're navigating a season of change, or simply craving more intention in how you run your business. This episode is going to inspire you to slow down, listen and connect with the next version of yourself. And my friend, as always, your business. All right, let's get into it. So tell me where you're at. What's going on?

Hi, my name is Francina and I am the founder and owner of a company called Be Still Tea. I have been in business since 2020. March 2020. I always say that I started that year because it was the year everybody was forced to be still and they were ready for the message of stillness. My brand is multifaceted. I sell tea and tea accessories, but really it's rooted in my story of my own personal journey where I had a mental health crisis. And the one thing that helped me to get through that season as I was going through therapy was being still. My therapist would give me the homework to go home and feel. And I'd never really done that inquisition inside my own body. And when I steeped loose leaf tea, I could feel and I could identify what was going on and I could execute for myself and advocate for myself. And so I bring tea to the world and to invite people into what I call a stillness practice to enable them to have, you know, access to themselves. So aside from selling the product of tea, and I know we were talking about the product specifically, I do coaching and I do tea ceremonies and really are helping people to. To access themselves in a world that inundates us with messages about who we should be, what we should be eating, and someone else should be telling us that when we are our own megaphone for that.

I love that. Oh, my gosh, thank you for sharing that. And being still in that time spent and like, not buffering and really like leaning into the emotion and things like that. And especially I think in 2020, being a time when we almost had to sit still, but then we had to be alone. We had to be with ourselves.

And that's really the process of it. Like, I invite people, I always say, you cannot connect with other people until you're able to connect with yourself. We are only as close to people as we are to ourselves. And when we're able to listen, then we can listen to other people's stories. Are you listening to your own story? Right. And for me, I only sell loose leaf tea. I will never sell a teabag because it's all about connection, right? Connection with self, connection with what you're putting in your body, connection with what you're putting in your orbit. Who are your people who are surrounding you?

Yeah, and it's almost a meditative practice, right? Like to the art of making tea.

Yes, that's exactly it. Some people, when they hear go and meditate, are intimidated by the process of meditating. But if I say go and make a cup of tea, that is a very easy access point for people to say, I can make a cup of tea, even though it might be difficult to meditate, but I can make a cup of tea and I can guide people through the process of. Well, when you put your tea leaves in there, you're listening. When you pour water, you see the transformation. When you lift your leaves out, you're present. When you sip, it's an inhale. Blowing the tea is an exhale. All of it is connecting with yourself.

I had to whisper that. I don't think I've ever whispered on the podcast. That's okay, listen, because I did, you know, I was in Japan last year. And then like, there's the tea ceremonies and the care and the precision and the, like we said, the art and the honor of it all, you know, and you're bringing that, that slowing down practice to people. So I love that. You know, sometimes we start a business thinking it's about the product, only to discover it's actually about the message. It's what we're putting out in the world. So for Francina, T is the tool. Her true gift is connection. Through tea ceremonies, coaching, and storytelling, she invites people to slow down, tune in and truly listen to themselves and to each other. But here's the challenge. As she prepares to move across the world with her family, she also is navigating a business that's product heavy, inventory bound, and rooted in logistics and location that she won't be able to manage from afar. And because what truly lights her up, which is holding space for stillness, is intertwined with her product, she feels like she can't just drop that part of her business. So this is where the real work is going to begin. Because if you're in a similar place, feeling pulled between what you can do and what you want to do, then this is the part of this podcast and this coaching is for you. It's about getting clear on your purpose, letting go of what's weighing you down, and designing a business that fits the. The life you're stepping into, not the one you're leaving behind. Okay, let's get back to the conversation. So in the direction of where you're leading and what you're saying that you want, I'm not going to coach you on what fulfillment company do you get and how do you grow your shopify store? Because I don't think that's actually the direction. I think we can still sell tea. But you're not just selling tea. You're selling like a ritual in a box, right? You're selling practice and presence. You're selling a portal to the next level. You're selling. There's very much a part of you which you can do from anywhere in the world. When you said you want to do, like what I do, where you can create experiences for people, they can come visit you and do retreats. You can have the ceremonies, the practices, you can help other People fulfill on those practices by buying into the product.

But.

But I think it's a very different way than we would do. Okay, let's whittle down your products to your bestsellers. Let's get these things on Amazon. Cause when we first started and I listened to, I read your intake form, I was gonna be like, well, you know, another way is Amazon, right. You can get some products there. As long as it's shelf stable, it can do all the fulfillment for you and the selling. And you just have to sit at your computer tweaking it.

Yeah.

And people can buy it. But I don't think that that is.

Your soul's purpose, honestly. You're right. And I've known that for a minute. I have other people that I follow that do tea as well. And like one of the ladies was showing a video of herself getting like a container of tea from Kenya and I was like, I'm not that girl. I don't want to have that much tea coming in that I have to process myself. Like, it's just not. And it's great. Like she comes from a farm that grew tea her whole life. Like it's her thing. But I'm not, I'm not interested in being that high volume now. Would I love to be on Oprah that, you know, she gets me on her best gifts because this tea that I'm about to bring into the world is incredible and you know, really good for your body, really good for your health. Absolutely. I just need to know, like, if I was to land something that great. Right. Or whatever, like had to produce high volumes of it. I already have a co packer. I need to be able to have my tea in a place that I can get that kind of thing moving. But I also see what you're saying. Like I'm caught between the rock and the hard place.

A lot of times people get stuck with trying to sell product. And if you're listening to the show recently, I'm really starting to talk more about a customer centric business. Your product needs to matter to the customer. Like it matters only if it matters to your customer. And the problem that people get on too is you're like, I'm selling. I'm not saying that you're selling a lavender tea, but like I have a lavender tea and this person has a lavender tea and there's nothing the difference. It's like their lavender teas. And so really what people are buying is like the brand, the messaging, the meaning. They're not buying the product. The product's like the last decision point because if it's product to product, they're either shopping on price because but if they're the exact product and some people will see two products next to each other and if you had two different types of customers, one's gonna just go buy the more expensive one. Even if they were legit, there's proven studies of this. Even if they were the exact same product, depending on the customer getting in front of it, they're going to spend more on the product because they think it's got better quality. They think it's there's more to it. They're not going to go for the cheaper one. So I just want you to think about what you're doing in the way of like I do think if you were to create yourself as a coach, you're showing up, you do well on online sounds like you do really well with emails, with expressing and also this journey and story of you moving your family to another country. Working on that already people are. And everything you've done, all of the stories that embody you. Whether you said you grew up in.

Kenya, I grew up in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe. I don't know where came from but you grip in Zimbabwe. You ended up in Thousand Oaks, California. You know, you're moving to Asia. You're like you've adopted a child. Like, you've got all of these layers to you. It's so interesting. And that's what makes a TED talk. That's what makes some things somebody wants to follow your vulnerability but also your leadership and everything in between. And so how do we package that up? And then you do. If I were to say to you, tell me the teas that I absolutely need to have in my life, if it's six teas, if it's four teas, like whatever it is that you're like, these are the best teas. These are the healing teas. These are like you've got the caramel one because maybe sometimes you just want a little sweetness and it's like a sip of joy and then. But then there might be the sleep tea and then there's the jasmine tea and there's certain teas that you're like, these are the teas you must have. How do we bundle those into something where there's tea for ritual and you can sell the. So I see it as levels. I see it as I follow you online. Maybe I can't afford to work with you as my coach. Maybe I can't be a part of a program you're doing Or I can't come visit you in Korea, but I can experience it. It's the same way that like Chanel and Louis Vuitton sell keychains or sunglasses. A lot of those luxury brands sell, they're still expensive, but they'll sell something on the cheaper end. So that somebody who can't afford the main product, they're buying an entry product. So what's a bundle that you were saying that you can create? That's like all day, everyday thing that somebody's, they get to experience the experience that you create online. They get to go through a tea journey or tea practice at home on their own. Francina's story is powerful and it's the heartbeat of her brand. She's not just selling tea, she's creating a moment, a ritual, a reconnection with self. And that's where the magic happens. Because when your product carries a deeper purpose, you have the chance to position it in a more than just a commodity, right? More than just the product itself. So for Francina, a cup of tea becomes a tool for transformation. And that's what sets her and her business apart. So if you're listening and wondering how your product stands out in a crowded market, I want you to start here. Ask yourself, what is the bigger experience I'm offering? What does my product unlock for someone? And when you can answer that, you're no longer competing on price or features or T versus T, you're actually creating an emotional connection. And that, my friends, is what sells. So let's see what Francina thinks about that. Hey, friends. Okay, so I don't know if you're anything like me, but sometimes it feels like my self care routine is slipping through the cracks. Because when I'm juggling and wearing all the hats in my business and doing all the things, I mean, the last thing I have to do is like really fulfill that self care routine that my daughter's talking about. She's like, mom. So listen, so when it comes to running a successful business, you can't really pour from an empty cup. And a lot of times that self care is like one of the first things to get yourself recalibrated. So that's why I want you to meet Glossy. Now Glossy is my favorite daily beauty supplement designed to transform your skin and gut health from the inside out. And I'm actually an investor in this business because I so believe in this idea of science backed ingredients for digestion and skin hydration. And glossy makes it really easy to look and feel your best without that whole 10 step routine in the mirror. The thing I don't actually have time for. All I have to do is simply mix the stick into my water and I'm good to go. So if you want to try this because I so believe in this business, I think it's amazing. It's done so many wonders for my skin and my gut, which are two things that I need help with. And you want to simplify your wellness and, and your beauty. All you have to do is click in the show notes and you can use the code Jacqueline Snyder. So it's my full name. Use the code Jaclyn Snyder. And I'm hooking you up with 15% off your order. So cheers to glowing skin and a thriving business.

I mean it sounds great and it sounds like, yeah, sign me up honey. But I still don't have the answer to what do I do with this tea when I leave my, this country. Right.

So let's get creative. So if we're going to kind of shut down where we currently are at and then re. Do you have a huge transition, you're already going to take off July, you, you. What we want to do is we're going to turn your product back into cash.

Yes.

So I think you really thinking through these markets you're going to do how do we sell more to people? How do we create bundles that they'll buy, raise average order values? Right. If they're coming in and they're excited about something, it's like you bundle it. It might be like explore the world in tea or the Moroccan, you know, tea ceremony. Like I have this video filmed that I'm going to teach you about it. When you buy the tea, there's a QR code on it. You can watch it. It takes them to a YouTube channel or something. Right. Like if you wanted to go that far. Otherwise you've been. The way you've been selling, you've been selling and you've been crushing it. I want you to think about raising your average order value at these events and how to just start selling it and selling it and selling it, like liquidate it, turn it back into cash. Because I don't think right now you need to spend money on a fulfillment center here. What I would rather you do is work with a co packer, a tea co packer. So what that is is then you could import your leaves to a co packer. They would do all of the mixing, putting it together, packing it and fulfillment. And if they're tea companies or coffee companies or co packers and then they can just handle all of it for you versus you sitting in a warehouse somewhere with fulfillment, which your tea does have shelf life. There's. You're gonna be paying for space versus you working with somebody who's already doing tea. You're just importing your own stuff.

Yeah.

The sigh out is because it's not really the thing that's gonna is driving you. It's not the light lighting you up. So what I actually want you to do, I'm not telling you to shut down your business. You're shifting your business. So you're going to liquidate your tea currently as you start to discover the new iteration of yourself, the new iteration of this next era for you and your family and leaning into what your actual power is and what your purpose is, which is being this guide and this healer online. And tea is the tool. You're this high end guide and in that too, you're using tea as the tool. And again you're either you're supplying them with the tea if it's specific to you. You have, you're like, oh, I went, you know, you tell me the story. You're like, I went to Morocco and I met with this tea and I did this and did it. I'm like, oh my God, I just want to taste that tea and then have that experience. It's like worldly experience.

Yeah, I definitely feel everything you're saying. I can totally see how that could all work. I think I'm stuck in between the I've been a product business and how do I incorporate those products that I've been sourcing through my travels and want to incorporate with my retreats and want to incorporate and I want people to be drinking this tea in the US I don't feel like on the, on this call I'm able to tangibly feel like I have a way to keep my sales going because it feels like a completely different direction to go with my business. Which, yes, I'm seeing all of it. I'm just like, I'm still here, I'm not there yet. And the logistical components of how am I going to get my tea from Kenya and where am I going to put it until it's in a box? And you know, these communities are great and I'd love to grow that whole side of my business. But you know, moving the product is still the problem for me.

Right. But what I'm trying to say is that you right now don't have the capacity to. I think for what it's going to take, I don't think it's going to be the thing that you really want to do. Like, we're talking about, like, okay, because we already can turn all this tea back into money. We have a plan for that if we wanted to. Because you're in this transition point. If we keep investing in bags and more tea and fulfillment centers, but you're not in the space to do the work of. Because, okay, the simplest way, if you're like, can I just keep it this way? You whittle down the tea, you have. You make less tea available. You have stories. You have a very specific brand to it. Right. So it looks like a certain brand. You hone in on your ideal customer. So we know our niche, we know our audience. We have a brand built around it. And then your whole job is to keep growing your email list and everything you do needs for your email list. Then your other job is you find the fulfillment center, the one in which it like, because why I'm. It's hard is like, you got the co packer, so they're making and mixing, and then it has to go to the fulfillment center. And then your whole job is selling. That's what your job is. It's like selling and refilling the supply and then selling and refilling the supply and then doing everything you're doing. You're already selling. You just need to put, like, gasoline on the fire.

Mm.

So that's really, like, that's the simplest, you know, business model in terms of the product.

Wow. This is not what I thought this call was gonna be.

I know. It never is. So to move you forward, to make you feel less overwhelmed and, you know, having something tangible to do, out of all the things, you know, we've kind of talked about, what to you feels most aligned in this moment for you with all of the things you're doing?

I think from everything you've said, none of it is a surprise.

Okay.

It was my idea to even drop my tea company a while ago, and my business mentor said, you can't drop the tea because the tea is the central piece of what you do. Right. Whichever way you choose to use is my plan to do all the things that you talked about, like growing my online presence, making videos, and having those online communities. Community is a really, really big part of who I am in general. Coming from Africa. But that was going to happen when I was no longer here, doing the nitty gritty of the business stuff that drives me absolutely insane and takes all of my time, like packing orders, packing tea, making sure I'VE got enough canisters. How much tea do I still have? Oh, my gosh. I ran out of this packaging. I don't have cups, blah, blah, blah. So that leg of my business is going to grow once I leave because I won't have to do this nitty gritty. I feel like the things that I need to work on right now is to get this tea out of my house, right? And done, like, get it out and sell it.

One of the hardest parts of being a product based business owner is knowing when to hold on and when it's time to let go. Francina has inventory, a lot of it. And as she prepares for a major life transition, that product is starting to feel like a weight, not a win. So I've been there when I was going through a big transition in my own life, I remember moving boxes and boxes of product from my office at home, literally here. I had my home office in la. I moved it to storage. I shipped it across the country to New York and then to New Jersey. I mean, that product went so many places with me. And it's out there. And for a long time, until I realized that I was holding onto the past and that was blocking the future I wanted to build. Sometimes the bravest thing you can do as an entrepreneur is to release what no longer fits. Not because it failed, but because it served its purpose. And it's time for a new chapter. So if you're listening and something in your business feels heavy, maybe an old product line or inventory that won't move, or even a version of your brand that you've outgrown, consider this your permission to let it go. Clear the space, open the door, and give yourself the freedom to grow into what's next. Because what's next is so beautiful, my friend. Now let's see how Francina steps forward.

No truer words have been spoken. And I think even as you speak, the message that's coming through for me right now is even if I close this iteration of be still tea does not mean that I cannot reopen it at a different time, in a different way, in a different iteration. My capacity to let go creates room for more. And I need more that is going to support my family. And that has been my greatest income. Revenue stream has actually been the more that's come from helping people physically, myself.

Yeah, and it's going to help your family when their mother is more aligned in her true self instead of fighting against. Because the reason you're like, I don't think this is going to go but when you listen back to the call, you're going to hear how the languaging and the way you speak about the product is very different than when you talk about the other stuff. So clarity is going to come into what's next for you. Whether it's this idea of you being a coach, treating it as ritual, whether you have way less products and I'm just able to buy kits from you and like luxe kits that are ritual at home. They're not buying tea, they're going to be buying ritual. They're going to be buying meditative tools. It just comes in the form of tea.

Yeah.

That I feel like is your next. You're too big and great and amazing and anyone who sells tea and is listening to this, it's not that you're not. It's just that for you in your journey, you're really not selling tea. You're not David's tea, you're not coffee bean and tea leaf. You're you selling something else. And it's just in the form of tea.

Yes. Thank you for even seeing that in me, because I've known it, I know it. I'm a physical therapist. I went to school to be a PT and I felt like I should be doing that and it just wasn't lighting me up.

You're a healer.

I am. Thank you.

That's what you are. How can they support you, connect with you and buy from you?

So you can buy from my website, be stilltea.com I am on social media, estiltea on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook and I am actually on LinkedIn as well. There's another thing I need to work on. Yes, I am.

It's very corporate of you.

Yeah, exactly. Trying to get into that. Corporate marketing. Yeah. That's how you can support me. You can go on my website. I also have a coaching website, Franzenacall.com where you can sign up to get a coaching call with me. Yeah. That's how people can support me.

Amazing. Thank you. Francina came into this conversation standing on the edge of a major life, pivotal, moving across the world, shifting her product line and redefining what her business will look like moving forward. But what she walked away with is something so many of us need. It's the permission to realign, to release what no longer fits, and to lead our business from purpose and not pressure. Her story is a reminder that your product is only part of your business. But the most important part in entrepreneurship, the part that challenges us the most, is how entrepreneurship challenges us as people, right? It's for us. And as you grow, you will evolve and your business will evolve. And the whole point of this business is to support the life that you want and the life you're creating. And we want to move on and leave behind what we no longer want and what no longer fits us. So whether you're holding onto inventory, an old idea, or even a version of success that doesn't serve you anymore, I hope that Francina's journey encourages you to check in with what lights you up, because that's where your next breakthrough is waiting. Thanks for joining us today, product boss. Until next time, keep building the business that works for you and the life you imagine.