Behind the Scenes with The Happy Glamper

#013 - Julie is interviewing one of her Subscription Box Bootcamp students Brandi Hebert. Brandi is currently in the very early stages of launching her own subscription box The Happy Glamper. Let's hear what inspired her to start a subscription box, the challenges she's facing at this stage of her business and what she loves about the subscription box industry.

Brandi Honeycutt Hebert is the Founder and HGIC (Head Glamper In Charge) at The Happy Glamper- A Subscription Box, Blog and Lifestyle Brand for the adventurous traveler. Brandi achieved Road Warrior status by age 14, after traveling from coast to coast with her family. Visiting the iconic monuments and viewing breathtaking scenery across the United States gave her a Wanderlust that meant travel was now in her blood. From Glamping in The Keys, to staying over a small charter boat company in Homer, Alaska, Brandi is always looking for new adventures- Ones she can now share with her husband and children.

Brandi also owns a real estate referral company, is a Certified Health Coach, International Speaker, Writer and a huge advocate for land preservation, remodeling old houses, and getting kids outside. She lives with her family in the countryside of North Carolina.

Links:

Sparkle Hustle Grow
Subscription Box Bootcamp
The Happy Glamper

Transcript

Julie: 0:01

So you want to launch a subscription box, don't know where to start? Girl, you are in the right place! I'm Julie Ball, a subscription box coach and your host here at Subscription Box Basics, a podcast for new and aspiring subscription box entrepreneurs that want to avoid overwhelm. So grab a coffee, some pen and paper and let's have some fun! Hey everyone! Welcome back to Subscription Box Basics, a podcast for new and aspiring subscription box business owners. My goal is to help reduce the overwhelm of starting your own subscription box business. Today's episode is a little bit different as I'm interviewing one of my Subscription Box Bootcamp students who, disclosure though, she is also one of my best friends. In any case, I wanted to bring her on the podcast and she's currently in the very early stages of her own subscription box. I thought it would be helpful to hear from the trenches, maybe a place where you can really relate to. Without further ado, I'd like to introduce to you Brandi Hebert, founder of The Happy Glamper. How's it going, Brandi?

Brandi: 1:08

Hey, Julie Ball. I'm good.

Julie: 1:10

I'm so glad you're here.

Brandi: 1:12

Thanks for having me.

Julie: 1:13

Yeah! Let's start with a little bit of your backstory. Can you just tell our listeners a little bit about yourself and your background?

Brandi: 1:21

Okay. So I am a communications and marketing major and um, started out in radio where you and I met each other a long, long time ago. And uh, from that I ended up in banking as a banking manager and that was totally not my jam. So, um, as you can imagine with, with children, when you start having kids, early mornings, late evenings. It was treacherous and I was not serving my purpose at all. So I went to my Reiki instructor who I've just had a huge fondness for, and I asked her what I should do with my life because I was making a lot of money and not having time to do anything and definitely not spending it with my family. And she told me to take everything I want to do, whether it was work-related, personal related, write it in a book, put my intention down with it, put the book away and leave it be. And I thought that was a little hokey. But I do believe in the power of prayer and intention and manifesting things. So I did what she said. And six months later I was in real estate school and I remembered that book and I, it was a really pretty book. I still have it right here beside me because I wrote down March 29th, 2010, that's when it first happened. I opened up that book and all the things that were in there that I had written down, reading, traveling, organizing, helping people, talking to people. Uh, there were so many different words. I just write down so many of them related to real estate and I thought that was amazing. And so I was serving my purpose again and super happy. So flash forward to the beginning of 2019...

Julie: 3:09

So wait, when was that? When was that? When you had the notebook and you reopened it?

Brandi: 3:13

It, Oh, that was still 2010 and it was like six months later. So I was, you know, had no idea when I wrote this down, anything that I was going to do with my future, it was a clean slate. So eight years later, um, I am in real estate. I just started my own business and I'm not serving my purpose again. I am, I'm beat down, I'm tired, I'm working 60 hours a week once again, not spending time with family. And I was praying about it and just trying to envision myself in a different, different career. I had no idea what that was because at 40 something you shouldn't be changing careers again according to my parents, you know. You start something, you work 30 years and you finish it, you know. And so, you know, just feeling, you know, what's my next step and I happen to remember that book and I took the notebook out and some of the words in there that I wrote down, travel, organizing, shopping, thinking of ideas, planning fun stuff, thinking alternatively, designing, seeing something from start to finish. It gives me cold chills now.

Julie: 4:23

I know me too!

Brandi: 4:23

I saw that and I was like, that's my purpose. That is still 10 years later. That's my purpose. And so I put the book away and I got your Sparkle Hustle Grow box one month. And I was like, you know, how fun is it that Julie Ball gets to go shopping? And it's like Oprah's favorite thing. I love this! I want everybody to have one. And it just, it just resonated with me how much you enjoyed what you were doing and your aspect of helping other people with your monthly, um, you know, empowerment seminars that's in Sparkle, Hustle Grow. And I just, I loved it and I thought, you know, if I could do a box that had to do with travel, which is like my number one favorite thing in life, then I would totally be on that. And so I talked to my husband and he said,"Well, why don't you?". And I was like,"I don't know, why don't I?". So here we are and so The Happy Glamper was born. And you know, the first thing that happens is people will look at you like you're absolutely crazy.

Julie: 5:30

Right.

Brandi: 5:30

What are you doing? That sound that's a stupid name. Or you don't, you don't own a camper. Well, it's not camper, is it? It's Glamper. So yeah, you just, you just take all the naysayers and push them aside when you have got that vision, as long as you keep to it, you're, you're going to get it. But I will have to tell you my biggest challenge and I could not be so, so happy you had the bootcamp because I'll have this vision and I knew what I wanted to do, but if I had to go into this blind and have no idea how to do product sourcing, how to do emailing with consistency, social media.

Julie: 6:13

Scary, right?

Brandi: 6:15

Different apps to use. Oh, it's still scary. Right now I'm navigating through it because you know, the technology train missed my generation. I'm jumping on and taking what I can. But yes, so it's your, your bootcamp's been a godsend for me because I could not have done it otherwise, for sure.

Julie: 6:29

Thank you. And you know, I saw a big shift in you personally too. When you went to the Work Hard Play Hard retreat and you started sharing your idea, your concept with so many other successful women entrepreneurs and sometimes we need to talk it through with our tribe or with other people that have a good perspective on it. You know people that would maybe be in your target audience and getting that validation and getting some of that feedback and meeting some people that could help you with your launch. Things like, you know, I'm the video vendor that you use and I think all of that really catapulted you to be like, why not? Like why not now? Let's do this! And you, you jumped right in it.

Brandi: 7:16

100%! Because what you have to do is find your tribe and your tribe is not always going to be your family and the people that love you so much.

Julie: 7:23

Yes, exactly!

Brandi: 7:23

You know, they love you so much, they don't want to see you fail is I think a lot of the issues. You have to find those, those people that want to lift you up. And there was something special about our retreat and I think every woman there can say it, but we were all lifting each other up and there was no negativity. It was only what can we do to help each other. And as soon as I mentioned that I had not really vocalized my dream out loud to the point of just talking to my husband to see if it's something that we could consider as a household and to see the excitement that they generated. Oh gosh! It, and it just, it came back on me. So I left that retreat a completely different person.

Julie: 8:07

Yeah. I think it's so important to, as new or aspiring subscription box business owners vocalize that. Like what you've said, like talk it out with other people to help you get perspective on, does this thing have legs? Um, what are, what ideas do you have for it? Do you see this filling a need in the market and would this delight you if you received it? So I'm really glad to hear that. And I would encourage anyone who's got a box idea to start talking to people outside of just your family.

Brandi: 8:35

Oh yes!

Julie: 8:36

Talk to people who would be in your target audience.

Brandi: 8:38

Yes, 100% and I did something else too. I started after, it was after I started my business and and was getting everything rolling because I still have another month until my first box goes out. I'm still in the pre-launch phase.

Julie: 8:52

Right.

Brandi: 8:52

Just started advertising yesterday and that was super huge. One thing I did immediately after I came back and was feeling my validation. I got my business, got it together, and I started a secret Facebook focus group with women that were my target audience because that's something you learn in boot camp is how to define your target audience and it needs to be pretty defined. And so after, after I did that, my focus group is my target audience. So I will go to them when I'm product sourcing and ask them, do you like this? How would you feel about this versus this?

Julie: 9:28

Right and you're not necessarily, and correct me if I'm wrong, you're not using it for lead generation right now. You're just using it to almost like a, um, what do they call it? Not case study. Um, focus group.

Brandi: 9:41

Yeah, that's exactly what it is.

Julie: 9:42

It's a focus group. I love that. So before we go on, tell everybody about The Happy Glamper box. Like what is it, what its mission, what you can expect to receive in it.

Brandi: 9:51

Okay. So The Happy Glamper is a monthly subscription box for the adventurous traveler who can be a little extra. Uh, she, we are not campers, we're glampers. Uh, when you become at a certain age, you no longer like to sleep on the floor of a tent. Yes. So, so for me, glamping at a minimum is private bathroom and climate control.

Julie: 10:16

I love it!

Brandi: 10:16

So that is me. And it's different for everyone. Some, you know, some people go as far as they have to have a bathtub and I'm like, well, you know, so, but, but we're just a little bougie. So the monthly box is gonna have, have some kind of luxe items for travel that you can, I'm still keeping in mind the backpackers and I'm keeping in mind the jet setters that are going to Switzerland to live in a Hobbit hole for a week, okay. So it encompasses, I'm going for the glampers and the RV campers that are out there. So I feel like everyone can use these items. Um, you know, some of them, you know, the, the gold eye mask may be a little much for some people or the disco ball, you know, that goes on your phone.

Julie: 11:01

Right.

Brandi: 11:02

But, but it's not items in there for everyone and they're a little different. We focus on a different state each month and I try to make sure that the items in the box are mostly come from that state and small business owners. And to focus out on the small business owners is, is very gratifying. But it's also super hard. And because you, you're trying desperately to connect with these people in the early stages when they don't know you.

Julie: 11:31

Right.

Brandi: 11:31

And you're saying, I have this great product. I'm, you know, this is what's going to happen with that. I'm gonna give you this and this. But they can look on Facebook and see I have less than 300 followers right now. And it's like, so you have to start somewhere. And so far it's been amazing. I think the coolest part of the box is I wanted to give an added value and something that people can use, not just when they open their box, but later on down the road they can take a vacation with it. So I'm working really hard right now on glamping destinations to give a special discount each month, whatever state we're focusing in to subscribers, a nice discount.

Julie: 12:13

I love that. There's so much to say about added value in a box because it makes it more than just a box of stuff. It makes it an experience. Added value could be things like community, it could be things like discounts or you know, free trials of places. Um, I think that's a really smart thing to do.

Brandi: 12:30

For sure. So, and also what I love about it too is it takes a box that someone is paying, you know, between$30 and$50 for let's say, and you know, you expect your items in there to be at least double that after your wholesale costs, you know and everything. But when you throw in a hundred or$200 discount for a glamping destination, then that ups your boxes' value exponentially.

Julie: 12:54

Absolutely! Yeah, 100%! Yeah. I love that idea. So if you're listening and you've not heard of the word glamping before, then you're probably not in the target audience. But essentially it's glamorous camping and I am in my forties as well. I'm kind of over the whole roughing it thing for various reasons. Um, so this is totally my jam and I cannot wait for this box to come out. I am definitely one of the founding members I've already subscribed. So where can they find you on social media and website.

Brandi: 13:27

Okay. So Facebook is The Happy Glamper, our website is TheHappyGlamper.com and Instagram is OfficialGlamper.

Julie: 13:36

Nice, nice. Yes. Everybody follow those along. So let me ask you this one last question. So what's one of your favorite things about working in the subscription box industry? Because as you know, it is, I think it's the best industry in the world and we've worked together in other industries, other fun industries like radio. So, so far, what do you think of the subscription box industry?

Brandi: 14:01

I love it. Coming from real estate though, I love the fact right now that my phone is not ringing 24/7. That is amazing for me. And I can't tell you that I am completely doing my own schedule now. And you have to be diligent about that setting, carving time out each day for different things because you will get overwhelmed quickly with your social media, your, um, emailing, blogging. It's uh, it's huge. So I, I love everything about it right now. My favorite thing is shopping. I love, and it's also one of the biggest challenges.

Julie: 14:35

It's true.

Brandi: 14:37

Product sourcing takes the most time. But I love doing it because, let's face it, it's what a lot of women do by nature anyway is we're online shopping. So I have to, I'll, I will tell you one thing that I shut it down at six o'clock because I will be sitting there watching family movies on, on websites, looking for hammock.

Julie: 14:57

Sourcing. I think I was guilty of that last night actually laying in bed and a lot of times I'll read right before bed and for some reason I had a product in my mind that I just could not stop trying to find. And so that's an unhealthy habit that I'm definitely going to have to kick. But I love that you talked about your schedule. That's one of the best things about being owning your own business is managing that schedule and it's sometimes, it's really hard to set those boundaries though.

Brandi: 15:28

Yes.

Julie: 15:28

So I'm glad to hear that you are setting those and I would encourage all of our listeners to do the same. Well this has been so much fun. Hopefully we'll have you on again so we can kind of check in on your progress through Subscription Box Bootcamp and your launch. So...

Brandi: 15:44

I would love to come anytime, anytime Julie Ball.

Julie: 15:46

Awesome! Well thank you so much Brandi. And we'll talk to you soon. If you guys are interested in getting more information about Subscription Box Bootcamp, head on over to SubscriptionBoxBootcamp.com where you can get all the details. We've got some free resources and you'll find more information about The Happy Glamper in our show notes. So thank you for spending this time with us as always, and I'll see you in the next episode.