Let’s Prune the Branches and Take a Look at Our Early Stats

The First 7 days:

The store has been officially live for around 7 days, and since then we’ve made hundreds of updates.

We’ve added:

• A new Our Store page - live

• Date picker tools - live on checkout page

• Leveled up our gift messaging platform - live on checkout page

• How to Order Page - in final edits

• Big Orders and Corporate Order Tools - in final edits

Here are a few stats from the first week:

• 33 orders (im looking forward to the comma club!)

• $2,505 in revenue

• 4,022 sessions (we have a combined influencer, ad and coyote strategy)

• Conversion rate is under 0.96% (room for improvement here)

To officially join the festive journey you can place an order here:

Redefining Traditions: Building a Seasonal Business with a Twist

It feels pretty special trying something completely new—taking on a business challenge that I’ve never faced before. Admittedly, it’s less scary surrounded by really smart people (this community included), and it helps when there’s some tribal knowledge in the group too.

Nevertheless, we’re building a brand from scratch and straying from the traditional vibe that has worked so well for others in the seasonal space. Speaking of seasonal, it’s wild to think about compressing an entire year's worth of business into a few short weeks. The season doesn't really start until after Thanksgiving. Here we come!

Well, That Depends on Who You Ask. 

Our local Costco has been trumpeting Christmas for about three months now. It’s amusing to see Santa next to a 10-foot-tall animatronic werewolf. Then again, isn’t that a scene from The Nightmare Before Christmas? For the sake of debate, which holiday does that movie really belong to?

A Competitive Advantage:

Speaking of Costco, I was talking to a friend recently about wreaths, and she mentioned that Costco sells a ton of them. That’s no surprise. But she also mentioned that they tend to dry out quickly.

Until going down this road, I would have never understood why. Oftentimes, these wreaths are made well in advance and then stored in a cooler to preserve their greenery until we're ready for the season. That’s the large retailer challenge.

Some of our challenges as a small brand might also act as an advantage. I stressfully called our wreath maker to ask how our boxes were doing. They've been delivered—in the pouring rain. They’re safe for now, but there’s a real silver lining. Our greenery is getting a shower, happily soaking in moisture, and is ready to be transformed into beautiful wreaths. Our wreaths are made to order, and they end up staying fresh much longer.

An operational challenge might be our competitive advantage.

Mingling Tech with Ecommerce

I’ve gained more than just a business education. I’ve spoken to artisans, box makers, arborists and customers. I’m thankful for everyone willing to help, share their knowledge, and for all those who’ve gotten excited about this venture!

I will admit, it’s a bit of an ego check going to tech events and telling the community that I’m launching an e-commerce business. I’d say 1 in 10 gets really excited, while the rest wonder why a wreath guy is at a tech event.

Perhaps that’s the curse of the Coyote. As they say, it’s just water off a coyote's back.

I never take it personally, though. In fact, each interaction is an opportunity to tell a better story. This is how we improve!

'Tis the Season to be Thankful, and We Can Start Right Now:

Now, about those 1 in 10 I mentioned above? These are my heroes this season! I really don’t want this to be a 12-pager, but in the spirit of Thanksgiving, we should thank a few:

Niraj - You were the very first order. Thanks for the support. Let me know if we can help you with the satellite challenge. I know zero about this space, but perhaps I can learn quickly?

Tim - You pushed us to solve the date-picking issue. Thank you for the thoughts, comments, and the order once we figured it out. Those little nudges are so valuable.

Ti and Ali - Your questions confirmed that we needed dates and additional tools. Gotta talk to potential customers! Especially those willing to give real-time feedback. Family never holds back.

Carolyn - Our favorite arborist. Thank you for teaching me about the genealogy of evergreens and pines. I had been using them incorrectly for years. No longer!

A quick lesson from an Arborist:

• Evergreen Trees: These trees retain their leaves throughout the year, never becoming completely bare. Evergreens include a wide variety of trees, such as firs, spruces, cedars, and pines. They can have either broad leaves, like holly or magnolia, or needle-like leaves, common in coniferous trees.

• Pine Trees: These are a specific genus of evergreen trees known as Pinus. Pine trees are characterized by their long, slender needles that are typically grouped together in clusters called fascicles. The number of needles in each cluster can help identify the specific species of pine. Pines also produce cones, which are their means of reproduction.

Aus - You hold the record for the largest order and no one gets as fired up about building in public as you do.

Rene - You make an insane wreath, and we’re pretty excited to team up with you.

Silvia - I’m thrilled to learn that you’ve also spent time in the industry, and it sounds like we need to find a way to work with Lions, Tigers, and Bears. So cool.

Phillis - The queen of mom groups and the super connector, always willing to offer a hand, a bit of advice, or a Spin-that-Ad backpack for events.

Chris - Thank you for finding the missing "t." Our hero! Enjoy the wreath.

You might not know these folks above yet, but many of them have selflessly offered to support us and share their feedback. There are obviously many more. It shows the value of building a community and putting yourself out there.

Happy Thanksgiving, a little early,

Jonah

What’s next? 

• Get your wreath here

• I’m back to Washington to help dial in operations

• Setting up corporate orders

• Go Time!