Update: How We Tripled Monthly Revenue And Enrolled 1,200+ Students Into Our Course
This is a follow up story for Diva Dog Bakery. If you're interested in reading how they got started, published over 3 years ago, check it out here.
Hello again! Remind us who you are and what business you started.
Hi! I’m Kristin Larsen, founder of Diva Dog Bakery™, a program that teaches students how to start a dog bakery business at home. We have students making a few hundred dollars per month up to high four-figures a month.
The course, launched in November 2020, is entirely based on my experience as a successful dog-treat bakery business owner.
Since its inception, we have welcomed more than 1,200 students into the course, and both the course and student success have excelled beyond my wildest dreams.
Tell us about what you’ve been up to. Has the business been growing?
Business has been incredible! We’ve enrolled over 1,200 students and have tripled our monthly revenue this year from $11,000 per month to $33,000 per month. And we’re just getting started!
More important than the success of the course is the success of the students of the course. I delayed launching this course for years because I was busy working on my Pinterest management programs business and I couldn’t find the time to dedicate to creating and launching a brand-new course and community.
Doing too many tests at once can become chaotic and it will be difficult to see what’s working.
As I was delaying the course, I told myself it was okay to delay it because it would probably take a long time to grow, and maybe people wouldn’t be as passionate about a dog treat bakery business as I was.
I’ve never been happier to be wrong! The course has exploded in popularity and is filled with students who are incredibly passionate, dedicated, hardworking, and focused. They are in this for the long haul and are building true dog treat bakery brands. I am certain Diva Dog Bakery™ is going to produce some multi-million dollar dog treat businesses!
The course has been out for about a year-and-a-half, and I’ve intentionally kept marketing fairly relaxed up until this point because I wanted to see how it could grow organically. I’ve primarily marketed the course through my brands and a small network of affiliates.
In addition to the course successfully, we’ve seen big growth in our Diva Dog Bakery™ Community, which is housed on Facebook. Purchasers of the course receive a free month, then they can choose to continue for a nominal monthly fee.
This is where the magic happens – the community is the most supportive, uplifting, helpful space for dog treat bakery owners online. I live by the mantra ‘community over competition’ and so does our community.
Bigger things are on their way, including our very first in-person event later this year in Nashville! We’ll be hosting 30-60 attendees for an all-day event with expert guest speakers, hands-on workshops, and lots of fun extras like a champagne cart. It’s in a beautiful space in Nashville and I’m looking forward to meeting some of our students in person!
What have been your biggest challenges in the last year?
We’ve been in a sweet spot for the last year where growth is on an upswing with few challenges. I should say a few challenges for me and my team.
I say this because this isn’t my first experience launching a course, and my team members have been with me for a while so we’re a well-oiled machine. We’re used to all of the little frustrations that come with managing a course-based business, especially one that’s paired with a growing community.
Tech glitches, minor customer service issues, managing the occasional rule-breaker in the community – we know how to deal with all of those issues.
One new challenge – but relatively minor in the grand scheme of things – is Facebook ads. I initially ran one ad for the course and experimented with several others throughout the year, but I had trouble tracking conversions like I used to (thanks to the iOS changes) and several other frustrations, so I turned the ads off. The result? Zero impact on sales!
Finally, I dealt with some burnout as I mentioned in my other Starter Story update. As a team, we implemented three main changes:
- More automation
- No more open-ended Slack conversations
- Permitting ourselves to spread projects out
What have been your biggest lessons learned in the last year?
Launch that course.
I’m not a ‘what if’ person so I haven’t spent any time thinking about what would have happened if I had launched the course years ago as I initially planned, but the experience with this course has taught me that it’s worth a shot, especially with something low-risk like an online course. Put it out in the universe and see what happens!
it’s okay to take breaks and it’s okay to not run your business at 200% every single day. Stepping away or stepping back sometimes can help your business grow.
Other lessons I learned this year include:
It’s okay to spread work out to avoid burnout. There are so many things I want to do with the Diva Dog Bakery™ brand, but I’m taking the slow and steady to avoid the burnout I experienced last fall.
It’s okay to lean on your team. I’ve given my team more responsibilities this year and doing so has given me a chance to enjoy life outside of the business more, including several trips!
Projects are better done than perfect. This goes back to the ‘launch that course’ lesson. Projects and courses can always be improved over time, so I’ve learned not to stress about getting it ‘just right’ at the beginning.
What’s in the plans for the upcoming year, and the next 5 years?
Where do I start? We have so much planned and I couldn’t be more excited!
First, we’re in the process of a branding and website redesign project. We’re using a company I’m excited about and I can’t wait to see what they come up with. The current website is bare-bones (better done than perfect), so I can’t wait to uplevel the brand.
Next, we’re going to start marketing on TikTok. I’ve seen success using the platform for my Pinterest management brand, so we’re going to start building out the Diva Dog Bakery™ TikTok this summer. Dogs do well on TikTok, so I think it’s a natural fit!
We’re also planning a full range of complementary products at different price points to sell on our newly designed site in addition to the course. The dog industry is huge, so there is a lot of potentials.
Finally, I would love to see the conference become a yearly event and grow every year. This is my first time planning a conference so I don’t know how it will go, but I’m excited about the possibilities!
What’s the best thing you read in the last year?
I stepped away from listening to my usual list of business-related podcasts in the past year and haven't cracked open any new business books. I found they weren't bringing me joy or inspiring me in the way they once had.
Instead, I've focused on seeking out business owners from all backgrounds on TikTok. I love hearing the unedited, unpolished takes on their thoughts, goals, and plans. A few hashtags I like to check out are our #creativeentrepreneurs, #entrepreneur, and #quitmy9to5.
When it comes to this business specifically, the best thing I’ve read is posts from members of our Diva Dog Bakery™ Community.
I know that might sound a little self-promotional, but it’s true. I am inspired daily by their positivity, hard work, and well-earned successes. Every day I visit and read stories of someone selling out at a farmer’s market or getting their products stocked at a local store or receiving an order for hundreds of packages of dog treats. They are my biggest motivation and inspiration!
Advice for other entrepreneurs who might be struggling to grow their business?
Growth doesn’t have to mean chaos – that’s something I’m still learning, although I’ve started embracing it this year.
That means it’s okay to take breaks and it’s okay to not run your business at 200% every single day. Stepping away or stepping back sometimes can help your business grow.
Also, don’t try to test a hundred variables at once. Put something out there and see how it goes, then start to make tweaks slowly. Doing too many tests at once can become chaotic and it will be difficult to see what’s working.
Where can we go to learn more?
If you have any questions or comments, drop a comment below!
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Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
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