Invisible to Invincible Podcast: Marketing and Branding for High Achievers

As a small business owner, have
you ever felt that there's only a

limited number of options available
for you to promote your business?

A lot of times we rely on what's
online and what we can do there.

But when you think outside of
your computer and you think of

the real world, there is a ton of
different options available to us.

And one of them is custom
brand and merchandise.

And if you've ever been concerned about
how to get started or worried that custom

brand and merchandise felt too out of
reach or too expensive, today's guest

is here to flip that script because
Amanda Hofman, the co founder and CEO

of GoToMarket is proving that custom
high quality branded products can be

significant game changer for growing
your business, no matter your size.

In today's episode, Amanda walks us
through concrete strategies and how

to use merchandise to improve your
visibility, drive sales, and take

your business to the next level.

It's an opportunity that's often
overlooked and has the potential

to change everything for you.

So get ready to rethink what's
possible in this episode.

Thank you for joining us today.

We're all about passionately driven
entrepreneurs, guiding you to success in

business and in life, because it's never
too late to make your business and career

work for you and not the other way around.

Learn more at KendraLosee.

com.

Welcome, Amanda.

Thanks for being here today.

Thanks so much.

I'm really excited to talk to you.

I know I've been following your
Instagram account and some of the

stuff that you're doing online
for a while and it's fantastic.

So you're welcome.

Can you share with those people who's
are fabulous and tuning in a little

bit about yourself and what you do?

Yes.

My name is Amanda Hofman.

I live in New York city and my company
GoToMarket, is really focused on changing

the way that businesses approach branded
merchandise on a large scale, right?

Like we're trying to teach companies
how to be more sustainable, more

interesting, and how to use merchandise
as a tool to actually grow their

business instead of just like junk that
you're handing out or an annoying, you

know, Task on your to do list, right?

Like it should be a part of
your marketing engine and it's a

really fun part of the business.

And so we're teaching people how
to embrace that and get excited

about their brand of merchandise
because they're doing it in this

like sustainable, non stressful way.

I love so many things about this.

And as someone who started my career
as the marketing specialist and doing

booths and trying to be responsible
for the brand, for buying merchandise

for trade shows and that kind of thing.

I, it was, I can't tell you how many books
I've poured through, how many websites

I've poured through trying to figure
out like what's going to be meaningful

and actually tie into what we're doing
and still be something that people are

going to want to wear, keep around, like.

I call it like coming from a beach,
like Northern California, like hippie

town, like waste drives me nuts.

So seeing all the waste at
trade shows drives and like just

merchandise in general, I think
it makes a lot of people upset.

And I think that one thing that
companies miss is that when you're

giving someone a gift, if they
don't want it, it is not a gift.

It's garbage and it's a burden.

So it's just the kind of
thing that's, it's a wildly.

Large missed opportunity because
not only are you creating a

negative experience, right?

Obviously, it's a positive experience
when somebody first gets something

because everyone loves to get a
little gift But then they realize

like oh this keychain is garbage.

I don't actually want this.

And then it's like, well, then
you have the waste question.

It's like, okay, well now I
have the choice of like throwing

this out or donating it or
finding a way to repurpose it.

And then people have the decision fatigue
and they end up just like shoving it in a

drawer, which is really bad for everyone.

So we encourage companies.

And just going back to another
thing you said about trade

shows, how it's stressful.

One of the things that companies
get wrong is that they're thinking

about getting like the latest
tech thing or trying there.

They think that the magic of
branded merchandise is actually

in like the gadgetiness of
the item that they're getting.

And that's actually not it at all.

We advise companies to design trendy,
cool on, on trend, fashionable, exciting

items that people actually want to wear.

So it is still a t shirt or a
sweatshirt or a hat or a tote bag.

There's no like, chip in it.

It's not like, it's not doing
anything magical, but it's like

meaningful because it represents
the company and it looks cool.

Which is magical in itself.

Right.

When you can get it right.

There's so many times where like the
polos with the logo, you're like, cool.

There are some people who want
the polos with the logo though.

And that's why we're such
big advocates of choice.

Right, like we like to say, let people
choose the merchandise that they want.

And there are people, so one
of our clients is a bookkeeping

and accounting firm, and they're
really like edgy and cool.

We have these, this shirt for them
that says Finance Rebel, and it's

really cool, but there's a big part of
their team who are these like middle

aged white guys and they want the.

with the embroidered logo on it.

And like, we can offer that to them,
but not everybody has to wear that.

Some people can have the finance rebel,
lightning bolt, David Bowie type t shirt.

And so there's something for everyone.

And people can order in the size,
shape, style, color that they

want in a way that The company
doesn't have to have any inventory.

And that's really important too.

So there's, I have so many questions
for you because as a small business

owner, it's, you usually think of
merchandise, you're like, Oh my gosh,

it's going to be really expensive.

I want to give something
out to my clients, but I

don't necessarily know what.

There's a lot of things
or something to my team.

If I, if people have a small team, like.

And even like, I would love to
have something cool to be able

to send out to my podcast guests.

Like, how do you work with people?

Who are in that situation?

Like I said, it's really
different from what traditional

branded merchandise is, right?

So like a traditional company is going
to funnel you into bulk purchasing.

And what that means is that
there's order minimums.

You have to know your sizes in advance.

You commit to a style with like limited
colors and you're like, okay, I'm going

to do this like yellow and blue t shirt
this many and small, this many and medium,

this many and large and ship it to me.

I'm going to have it here and
then I'm going to distribute it.

And that model is.

Very like time consuming, expensive,
annoying, and inefficient.

So what we do, and wasteful, yes.

So what we do is we design custom
print on demand shops for businesses.

So if your podcast.

For example, where to have branded
merch, we would create a beautiful

digital storefront f for, for you
that had, that highlighted the

values of invisible to invincible.

So it's not just gonna say invisible to
invincible, it's gonna really make, it's,

it's like gonna feel like what people feel
like when they're listening to the show or

relating to you or like working with you.

People who are drawn to you
are drawn to you for a reason.

And we are figuring out what that
reason is and designing it for beautiful

branded merchandise, and then setting
up a custom print on demand shop so that

you can have merchandise for everyone
who listens to you, no matter where

they are in an inventory free way.

That's amazing.

That is absolutely amazing.

What an amazing service.

Once again, as someone who has
spent hours, I would say days or

weeks of my life trying to figure
out like what the perfect thing is.

And it's all, and it's very, and this
might just be my age talking, but like

I always think merchandise and giveaway
stuff, I always think like trade shows,

but it doesn't have to be limited now that
we don't have to have inventory on hand.

It doesn't have to be
limited to trade shows.

It can be, it opens it up for.

cool t shirts just to be able to wear
like yours, like you're wearing now.

So it goes way beyond trade shows, right?

So trade shows are a few people think of
them for branded merchandise because you

want to have something to give people.

But I would say don't, if you
don't have anything nice to

say, don't say anything at all.

If you only have junk,
don't give away junk.

Better to give away nothing than
to give away junk to somebody.

But we like to advise.

That companies use brand and merchandise
as a gifting platform as a loyalty

reward as an incentive for purchase for
community building as thank you gifts.

Like there's a million ways to and
also to highlight your values in

social media to help you stand out
and to add legitimacy to your business

and excitement and fresh content.

Like there's so many ways that
you can use merchandise to

actually grow your business.

It's not just the pens that you're
giving out to people, right?

In fact, we tell people not to print pens.

Like pens are not relationship builders.

Unless you're a stationary company
or there's some like really

compelling reason to do it.

Right.

Yeah, no, that makes sense.

I have a friend who they went
to, Oh gosh, the big tech.

I momentarily forgot the name, the big
tech conference in Vegas every year.

And they had led backpacks
that had messages on the back.

And she's like, I've never had been
stopped so many times with like that

creative idea of for her business.

And like, then she had the cool t
shirts and things to go with it.

And it's just so fascinating how creative
you can become When you stop thinking of

like, okay, it's gotta be a polo shirt.

It's gotta be this, it's gotta be a
pen and all the traditional ways that

we're used to seeing merchandise.

Well, companies really run
into a problem because.

They're thinking in terms of giving
something to everyone, right?

I would say, and then the budget
gets really small, which is

why people end up making junk.

They're like, okay, well we
actually only have $5 per person.

And it's like, well, what can
we, I get this all the time.

What can we do with $5 per person?

It's like, do nothing.

Invest in something.

I would say instead, take
your budget, give fewer.

thing, give high quality
things to fewer people, right?

So like just give it to your team or
give it to your top, the people who

spend the most amount of money with
you, the people who spend the most

amount of time for you, people who are
referring the most number of people,

give them a gorgeous hoodie, right?

Let them buy into your business
and think about branded merchandise

as an investment in advertising.

So like if you have a local business,
There is no reason that you should

not be designing something beautiful
that people actually want to wear

and will wear around your town.

Because how much would you pay someone
to wear your brand around town?

That's a walking billboard.

Such a good way to look at this.

And Amanda, how did
you get into this area?

So this is my second company.

My first business was an events company
for women in New York city, which

was really fun and crazy and wild.

And then I had kids and I was
like, I don't, this is not,

this is not for me anymore.

So I sold that business.

I was home with my kids
for a little while.

And then when I was ready to start
another company, I was, Looking into

lots of different opportunities.

And obviously this is the
very cleaned up tidy version.

This was much messier than it sounds,
but I came across print on demand

technology, which is what I've been
talking to you about, which means items

print one at a time as they're ordered.

So you don't have any inventory and you
don't have the burden of distribution.

And I was like, coming from the
entrepreneurial world, I knew how

many businesses needed this, how many
businesses wanted branded merchandise

myself included, but like we're deterred
by these minimum order sizes and all

of this headache and just the sheer
overwhelm of like, what do you mean?

There are 80 types of t shirt, right?

Like I just, I can't like I have had
the same trouble when I was planning

my wedding a million years ago.

I'm like, I don't know.

They're all napkins.

Like just, I cannot bother
with like the colors here.

Now I was thinking about napkins.

I lost my train of thought.

How you started Print on Demand?

Actually helping to find choice.

I learned about print on demand.

I'm like, everyone needs to know
about this and how to do it.

So we positioned ourselves.

I approached my, my business partner
was my designer on my first company.

So we've been working
together for a long time.

We knew each other pretty well.

I approached her with this
idea and she was on board.

So.

Together we've been running this business
for four and a half years almost.

That's amazing.

And I think that when you start to
look at what you can do and the impact

that it can make, because a lot of
people in my mind get so used to,

especially since the pandemic, right?

Like are so used to working with
people online and meeting people online

that we forget the power of local.

And like you said, a walking billboard.

Well, not only that, when you're
talking about remote, the, that

people being digital now, it's
like some teams are fully remote.

And to have branded merchandise as
like a tangible item to bring you

together is actually quite powerful.

So like everyone shows up to the
team, to a team meeting and they're

wearing their company merch.

It's like nothing
replaces being in person.

But given that we're not like a lot of
companies are not doing that anymore or

doing it as often, branded merchandise
is a thing that you hold in your hands

that connects you to your company.

I have been, we're using, we're
streaming on e cam now and I just spoke

at one of their events last week and
it's like for a streaming software

company, they're excellent at this.

I've got a mug that they sent for
free and they offered us t shirts

and I frequently end up wearing my
e cam t shirts because they're cool,

they're comfortable, they're fun and
it's very much like, hey, I'm hanging

out in my key, my t shirt right now.

It does, there is an element of
that loyalty that I think a lot of.

Business owners and entrepreneurs,
it seems, I don't even know why,

like it's such an overlooked thing.

Because I think that people have this
impression, rightly, that branded

merchandise is expensive, bulky,
annoying, time consuming, and wasteful.

Yeah.

Which, when you order in bulk,
a lot of the times, it is.

That's why we add, that's why we're
trying to change things so dramatically.

We're creating this longterm, easy,
sustainable solution for businesses.

And I think that the most important
piece of what we do is that we're

not putting a logo on things.

I mean, your logo is on things,
but it's not about your logo.

It's about the values of your business.

This is about the special
part of your business.

It's that thing that draws your clients
and your customers to you made it.

like manifest in gorgeous
branded merchandise.

And I think that's, what's missing.

So like the e cam shirts that
you wear, I'm sure it's not just

their logo on a shirt or a hat.

No.

And it's very much like the e
cam fam and here's what it is.

And like, it's a very cool kind of edgy
streaming type focus, but you know, I want

to go back to you for a second because
you said this is your second business.

And.

When I see you on Instagram, like
it's very much you highlighting

what's possible and what's there.

How did you Like did you always highlight
yourself on as part of your business?

Is that something that you had to work
towards like talk a little bit about how

you've incorporated yourself into it?

Yeah.

So my first business was pre social
media and not to date myself too

much, but that, that was, we were
in business from 2009 until 2014.

So like Instagram had
really like just started.

Yeah.

So it really, I wasn't under pressure to
like make reels, feature myself that way.

However, I, The events company very much
grew from my own network and I actually

started very much front and center and
eventually needed to extract myself from

it so that the business could grow because
it wasn't just like friends of Amanda

and then friends of Amanda eventually
it was like 10 degrees away from me

growing and like people who didn't know
my name and that to me was success.

Could that work today?

Like, not as well.

Right.

I think that like the landscape
has completely changed with.

Reels and TikTok and all of that,
like people, I feel like if they

don't see that, they're like,
well, wait, what's wrong with you?

Why wouldn't I?

Why would I connect to you if I
can't like see you and meet you?

There's almost something
suspicious about it.

If you're asking me if it's
comfortable for me, like I

person, personality wise, yes.

And it's part of the reason that
my business partner and I work

so well together is that we have
completely opposite interests.

Like you'll never see her
on the Instagram feed.

She's very much as much, she is as
much a part of the company as I am, but

she is not She's an introvert, right?

Like she does not want to be, I
mean, she'd rather I can't, I can

make you a list of a thousand things
she'd rather do before she left.

And which is why it's
nice that I can do that.

And of course there are things
the other way around that she does

that I would never ever want to
do or don't have the skills to do.

So I think that's a luxury that I have
in Running a business with a partner.

That's absolutely true.

That is absolutely true.

I talked to so many people and so
many people who tune in who don't

love to promote themselves, who don't
love to get out in front of things.

But I also think that wearing brand
and merchandise and having brand and

merchandise is an easy way to get started.

Right.

Absolutely.

It just communicates
your values immediately.

It just, especially when
you're in a crowded field.

So like if you're a coach, if
you're a consultant, if you're a

fractional worker, if you're a VA,
like any kind of business accountant,

bookkeepers, any kind of business
that you're in, you want to stand out.

And a lot of that comes from like
your content and how you show up.

But in a moment, in, in the
blink of an eye, you want to

communicate as much as you can.

And like, so for example,
I'm wearing my merch mentor.

t shirt.

Like I think this t shirt says
a lot, even if you just see a

thumbnail of this podcast, it's
like, you know what I'm about.

It's like, without really just with
these two words and the way that this

is designed, you have an idea of.

Who I am and what I'm selling.

So I think that everybody could have
that and it would be like a huge

leg up in the social media world.

Absolutely.

Absolutely.

And my dog's growling over here.

I don't know if you can hear
him, but he's like, I don't care.

I'm in here so I don't
hear any background noise.

It's just all in the background to me.

Perfect.

Perfect.

Cause he's agreeing.

He's growling in agreement over here.

He's like, Amanda's right.

Yeah.

It's so interesting to me because
it also like, I think the other

thing that I see that I get a little
envious about is The people who show

up a lot in content and their merch
becomes almost their uniform, right?

Like you're used to seeing it.

They don't have to worry
about all their other clothes.

Pardon?

You're speaking my language.

I wear this shirt all the time.

It's this one or like my peace love
merch or my, I just keep a bag of

these clothes right next to my desk.

I never show up to a call or a
podcast without wearing one of

these things because it's my brand.

It's who I am.

I'm trying to connect in people's minds.

Amanda merch.

So anytime somebody thinks
about merch, they think Amanda.

And it's actually worked.

I get quite a number of referrals
from people who are just like,

Oh, this thing popped up.

And I thought of you and I'm
like, yeah, it's cause I'm putting

it in your face constantly.

It's like, there it is.

Like it's effective.

And it's so smart, and it's one of those
things where, if, for those of you tune,

tune, la la, for those of you tuning in,
I hope you're paying attention to this

because it is something that it's as
subtle as like having it on your back wall

when you see the neon signs or the signs
that people have about their brand behind

you, when behind them, it's the same, but
it's actually, I think, more effective.

Because it goes with you too, right?

Like you said, it's like a
billboard whenever you go places

and it's a conversation starter.

Absolutely.

I could not agree more.

And it takes the pressure off
of like, what am I going to

wear to this networking event?

You know what?

I wear these t shirts and sweatshirts
to every event that I go to.

And it's smart.

You should.

And they're cute.

They're cute.

They're super cute.

So as we're looking as someone who
might be thinking about how to stand

out what they can do What advice
do you have for someone who might

be a solopreneur who might be like,
that's not really in my budget.

Should it be like, what advice do you
have for someone who is new to the merch

world and might be wanting to get their
own networking, podcasting, video uniform?

Yeah.

So the, easiest thing that you can do.

Well, okay, I'll start at the top.

Everyone should hire us obviously
to make a beautiful brand of

merchandise page for them.

Short of that, if you're going to do your
own merchandise, the first thing I would

say is think about your brand values.

Right?

Don't just print your logo on a shirt.

That is not interesting.

It's not enough.

It's almost like printing the junkie pen.

It's like, it's good, but it's not
really doing what you want it to do.

It's not relationship building.

It's not moving the needle forward.

So, I would brainstorm about like
a two or three word phrase or a

few of them that encapsulates who
you are and what you're about.

You can look at your Instagram feed and
see what kind of text posts you've made in

the past that have your own language and
you can pull from there and then you can

design one or two things on your own or.

Think about an easier way to do that if
you know a designer, and then you could

just print like one or two things to wear.

If you just want to get started like
print one thing like you can do it.

Go to a print on demand website like
printful or printify upload your design

print one shirt, wear that one shirt.

That's like your, your, Step one, if
you just want to get started, it's going

to cost you a bit of time, a little
bit of trial and error and around 25.

And I actually can speak to that
because I had my old live video was

part series was part of my old brand.

And I had a show called cannabis
marketing live all puff, no fluff.

And so I created a hoodie and a
couple other things that just said

all puff, no fluff, period, right?

Perfect.

On the back was the logo, but
it was the all puff, no fluff

that like people got, right?

Like.

I'm going to interview people.

I'm going to talk to people.

There's zero extra, right?

We're going to get straight to the point.

It'll be fun.

It'll be entertaining,
but this is what it is.

There you go.

And the colors that you choose and
the fonts that you choose, all of that

also communicates about your brand.

And the same way that you take
care when you make your logo, like

these things should reflect who
you are and what you're about.

And if that feels intimidating,
then you can reach out to us or a

company like ours that can help you
design something That feels really,

it should feel good when you look at
it, it should feel like your brand.

If it doesn't, you know, start again.

Yeah.

And I'm going to reiterate that.

Cause I was playing around
to see what I could do.

And I took one of the like design your
own stuff and Options to try and see

and get into the merchandise area for,
so I'd have something for shows and

for guests and that kind of thing.

And I won't lie, it didn't feel like the
final product felt good, but not great.

And it was cool to see it in print
and wear it, but it wasn't like, it

was gray and it was just like, cool.

Yeah.

Brand and merchandise can feel like
rockstar amazing when you have it right.

Yeah, so I think that's like a
really good point that you've

made in terms of getting help.

So if you're thinking
about this, check it out.

There are different options, but
starting with someone like Amanda and

her company, someone that knows what
they're doing and a designer and all

the places is a really solid place to
start because then you're skipping all,

let's talk about how much time I spent
by the way, because I pretend I'm a

designer, like the amount of time I spent,
it would have been much better used.

handing it to someone who is an expert.

I think that people underestimate
the amount of time that they spend

handling bulk merchandise, right?

Like deciding what to
make, putting in the order.

And then the hardest part of
our branded merch at sorry, bulk

print is that once you have it,
that's when the real work starts.

Cause then you have to distribute that.

And for me, Going to the post
office is like a nightmare.

I just like, don't want
to do it really ever.

Like I will avoid returning things
because I'm just like, I can't.

I'll drive around with them in my car.

They'll be fine.

Don't waste your time.

Like your time.

If you're starting a company, probably
the thing that you're really good at,

the thing that you're selling, the thing
that you're making the most money from

is not designing branded merchandise.

I'm guessing.

Otherwise you would be.

In my company or doing something similar.

So like if you are a coach consultant,
fractional CMO, bookkeeper, accountant,

athlete, like do those things are
going to make you money and outsource.

I'm really glad one.

That's great advice.

And two, I just, as we're talking, like
I keep thinking of my, like I do an

outrigger canoe paddling and the teams
and the race jerseys and everything.

Like you have to order them ahead
of time because they're doing bulk

and you have this and you have that.

And there's so many things that could be
created that would be so cool to have.

And also not have to be worried about
excess inventory that's been sold

for way under cost the next year.

Yeah.

And also, or just like donate
it or you don't want to see it

like in your local Goodwill.

Exactly.

Oh my gosh.

Yes.

Yeah.

There's so many different
applications for this.

Not just, I know I'm talking to
entrepreneurs and coaches, consultants

and business owners, but there's
also Like a lot of us have more

than one thing in our lives, right?

And so there's so many different
applications that this could be used for.

When you really start to think about
how you want to stand out, what you want

to stand out, and also the different
aspects of our lives that include

teams, and that include groups, or
that include just fun things that,

you know, could use some branding.

Yeah, absolutely.

Amanda, we're going to wrap
up here as we get ready to go.

Do you have any advice?

You already mentioned how to get started.

Do you have, can you tell everyone
how they can get ahold of you?

The links and things
will be below as well.

Yeah, so it's all those links.

You can see our website at gotomarket.

studio on Instagram.

We are gotomarketstudio.

I'm very active on LinkedIn.

I'd love for you to follow me there.

I'm Amanda Hofman with 1F and if
you message me on any of those

platforms, I will happily reach out
and talk to you about your business.

Awesome.

Thank you so much and thank you
all for being here and until

next time, I'm Kendra Losee.

This is the Invisible
to Invincible podcast.

Thank you.