Read this if you own a product business!

Or if you're curious about what I do for an actual job

Hello, product business owners!

And hello to those of you who do other kinds of work and wanted to read this anyway!

For six years, I built and ran Emily McDowell Studio (now Em & Friends) entirely on instinct, tenth-grade math, my background as a copywriter and art director in advertising, and Google.

During those years, I was desperate for some kind of mentor-advisor person who could answer all my questions, help me figure out what I really wanted, and prevent me from learning so many things the hard [and expensive] way.

…Like the time 25,000 tote bags were delivered to my studio from India with every single handle coming loose—because I didn’t know I was supposed to specifically INSTRUCT the manufacturer to reinforce the handle stitching, and I didn’t know about vendor agreements? And then we had to re-sew all 25,000 bags in Los Angeles?

And then we had to rent a storage unit for them, because I’d vastly (vastly) underestimated their cubic volume?

Yep, that happened.

…Or like the time I spent years giving myself a massive amount of extra work and stress by putting unique art on every product, because I didn’t know that retailers actually prefer it—and you sell more—when you apply bestselling art across different piecetypes to create a suite of products. (It’s not lazy, it’s strategic!)

…Or like when my team and I worked for weeks creating and presenting a special sales manual for our reps, hoping a better sales tool would encourage some of them to care more (erm, at all) about selling our line, but it was a gigantic waste of time and resources because that’s not how it works.

There are so many more stories where these came from.

During those years of fumbling my way forward, I spent a lot of money on different consultants, most of whom were great. But they all specialized in one or two areas, and none of them had run a business similar to mine.

What I wanted, but couldn’t find, was an advisor who’d walked the path I was on, and who brought the expertise and skills to support all the facets of my business: sales, operations, manufacturing, pricing, product ideas and development, packaging, marketing, brand voice, artistic style, employee and management stickiness, and “am I doing this right?”

What I also needed, and I didn’t realize how badly, was for this imaginary advisor to also help me get clear on the kind of life I actually wanted.

Fast-forward a decade, and now I AM that advisor.

And it brings me immense satisfaction to support you on your path.

Applications are now open for the 2025 cohort of The Greater Goods Alliance!

Would you like to be coached by me AND the incredible, wise, accomplished, loving force of nature that is Lisa Congdon?

The GGA is our intimate, small-group program that combines six months of Zoom coaching, a two-day IRL retreat in Portland, Oregon, and a tight-knit cohort of no more than 12 brilliant folks (aka, you) who are facing similar challenges and opportunities.

If you don’t know Lisa, you’ll want to: she’s an internationally award-winning illustrator and fine artist, author of ten books, and CEO of Lisa Congdon Inc., a thriving business selling her products wholesale to retailers, directly to customers online, and in her brick & mortar shop, located inside Cargo in Portland.¹

Lisa and I have been friends since 2013; our businesses took off at around the same time. We’ve been coaching together since 2021, and our knowledge is complementary—similar in many ways, but very different in others— which means when you work with us, you benefit from double the perspective and experience.

According to external metrics, Lisa and I have both had very successful careers, but we’ve both also navigated deep burnout, recovery, and the big questions about life and work. Our approach is human-first and heart-centered.

Between the two of us, we’ve been through almost anything you can think of when it comes to making and selling products.

Now, we’re sharing everything we know with you.

“I knew this cohort would be life-changing, and it was. I have nothing but glowing and positive things to say about the Greater Goods Alliance. This course was exactly what I needed, when I needed it. Business therapy at its best and at its most caring. Every single person showed up each week as they were, shared honest struggles and triumphs and I learned SO much from each person. The coaching was thoughtful, direct, inspirational and honest. I would recommend the GGA a thousand times over.”

--Meghan Buchanan, founder, Then Came June, GGA 2024

Lisa and myself with our inaugural 2024 cohort, minus Rubeena and Karen.

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Applications close on March 28th, or potentially sooner if we have a large number of applicants. Applications will be reviewed roughly in the order we receive them, so if you’re interested, I recommend you get on it.

I can’t wait to read your application!

PS: If anyone is going to Alt Summit this weekend, Lisa and I will both be there! She’s giving the opening keynote, and I’m doing an “Ask an Expert” session on Saturday for product biz owners. If you’re there, please come by and say hello!

1. If you take nothing else from this email, if you visit Portland, you MUST visit Cargo.