• 3 Email Automations Every Subscription Box Owner Needs
    Apr 9 2025
    What if I told you writing six simple emails once could bring ongoing revenue into your subscription box business? There are three email automations (also called flows or sequences)every subscription box owner needs to have in place. Write these once and they’ll work for you for a long time. If you’ve listened to my podcast, seen me on social media, or read my blog, you know I like to keep things simple but effective. That’s why I recommend that each automation needs to be only two emails. The three types of email automations you need are: Waitlist flow. New subscriber flow. Abandoned cart flow. Each email has a purpose. Each email contains a call to action. Each email needs to connect with your audience, engage them, and encourage them to take action. These email automations - plus the bonus automation I tell you more about in this episode - account for a full 5% of my monthly revenue. 5%! That’s a lot of revenue coming into my business that requires no work from me. I wrote the emails once and they keep working for me… month after month. Join me for this episode as I share more details about each of the three types of email automations you need to put in place right now. Learn what to put in each email and how to write subject lines that get noticed. Important Links: Join me in all the places: Facebook Instagram Launch Your Box with Sarah Website Are you ready for Launch Your Box? Our complete training program walks you step by step through how to start, launch, and grow your subscription box business. Join the waitlist today!
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    23 min
  • 186: Spring Sales: How to Generate Extra Revenue with One-Time Boxes
    Apr 2 2025
    Spring is here, and it’s the perfect time to bring in some extra revenue—even if you don’t add any new subscribers. In this episode, I’m sharing two super simple, super effective ways you can generate quick cash flow this season by creating limited-time, one-time boxes your audience will love. These strategies work, whether you want to clear out inventory or make the most of gift-giving opportunities. Spring is the perfect time to launch limited-time boxes to bring in extra revenue and keep your audience engaged. Two of my favorite spring offers are Mother’s Day Gift Boxes and Spring Cleaning Mystery Boxes. They’re easy to curate, fun to promote, and they provide an injection of cash into my business. One-time boxes serve a specific purpose in your business, giving you a quick revenue boost without the need for new subscribers. One-time boxes are: Easy to market–seasonal urgency or limited quantities A great way to re-engage and re-energize your email list Perfect for testing new themes or audiences A low-commitment way for new customers to try your brand One-time boxes require you to temporarily shift your focus from recurring subscriptions to creating hype and excitement around these one-time purchases. Mother’s Day is like Christmas in May for your business. Make the most of this gift-giving holiday and create one-time boxes. Some examples that have worked great for me and members of Launch Your Box include: Self-care for moms Mom’s Night In “Treat Yourself” boxes for moms to buy for themselves (because yes, moms will buy for themselves) Sarah’s One-Time Mother’s Day Box Pro tips: Start promoting in mid-late April Build a waitlist and create urgency Offer themed packaging and gift notes Ship in early May– make order deadlines clear Price one-time boxes similar to your subscription price or average order value (AOV) Turn extra inventory into profit—without running a clearance sale. Mystery boxes: Create FOMO and excitement Let you surprise and delight customers Help clear shelves of inventory and bring a revenue boost to your bottom line Spring Mystery Boxes Pro Tips: Curate using past box items or extra stock Offer 1–2 price points Include at least one high-value item in each box Make value messaging very clear: e.g., “$100 worth of products for $50” Marketing these seasonal boxes doesn’t need to be complicated. Keep it simple and show up. Go LIVE on social media to build excitement and show sneak peeks Email your list—your list is your best sales tool Social media content: unboxings, packing videos, behind-the-scenes Paid ads to warm audiences for last-minute sales Pick one of these seasonal box ideas and:: Set a launch date Build a waitlist Start planning your promo schedule Grab your notebook and join me on this episode as we talk through Mother’s Day Boxes, Spring Cleaning Mystery Boxes, and how to use both to re-engage your audience, boost sales, and build even more excitement around your subscription box business. Join me in all the places: Facebook Instagram Launch Your Box with Sarah Website Are you ready for Launch Your Box? Our complete training program walks you step by step through how to start, launch, and grow your subscription box business. Join the waitlist today!
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    22 min
  • 185: “It’s Never About the Money.” Scaling past 1,000 subscribers with Jane’s Agenda
    Mar 26 2025
    When Jane Wild of Jane’s Agenda first joined me on the podcast in Episode 92, we were celebrating a huge milestone: 500 subscribers to her planner subscription. That was a big deal—and one that meant Jane had to start doing things differently in her business. Now she’s back, and her numbers have more than doubled. With 1300 active subscribers and an 85% growth rate in 2024, Jane is sharing exactly how she got here—and what she’s doing to scale intentionally in 2025. When the pandemic hit in 2020, Jane’s one-off planner sales dropped off. After all, no one had anything to plan. So Jane created a subscription box to give her customers something to look forward to—and some much-needed structure in uncertain times. Reaching 500 subscribers was a major turning point. Jane had to shift from small-scale planning to: Ordering in bulk Sourcing from overseas Hiring help and defining roles Creating systems—because “everyone doing everything” no longer worked Those changes laid the foundation for what came next. The secret to Jane’s growth? Consistency and connection. Jane committed to going LIVE 2–3 times a week, every week. Not just random LIVEs—she scheduled them in advance, gave each one a purpose, and showed up even when she felt nervous or unsure. This consistent visibility: Built her know/like/trust factor Helped her audience get to know the real Jane Made it easier for people to say yes when she opened the cart Jane also ran a KingSumo giveaway, following the step-by-step training inside Launch Your Box. The result? 1,000 new email subscribers 300 new paying subscribers Giveaways aren’t just about free stuff. When done right, they build your list, generate excitement, and drive conversions. Jane uses a closed-cart model and leans hard into: Urgency Scarcity Exclusivity She keeps a waitlist and creates serious FOMO with high-value, wow-worthy products her audience doesn’t want to miss. And when her box hits its anniversary each September? She celebrates BIG—with a special edition box and a major sale in her online shop. Jane’s success didn’t come without some hard lessons. She realized: She needed to hire ahead of growth Her team needed clear roles and responsibilities Moving into a separate office space (away from the warehouse) helped her focus and lead more effectively Now she’s building out SOPs, instituting team reviews, and cultivating a culture of "Why are we doing what we’re doing?" Oh—and she’s taking weekends off. If you’re in that 300–500 subscriber range and feeling like you’re about to outgrow your systems, Jane has some advice: Negotiate! Once you hit certain volume levels, use your buying power to get better pricing from vendors—including shipping. Look at your marketing. If people aren’t buying, it’s not always about the price. It might be the photos, the messaging, or how you’re communicating the value. Create content that connects. Show people why they need what you’re offering—and build the relationship that makes it easy to say yes. Join me for this episode as I check in with a past guest whose subscription has grown from 500 to 1300 subscribers since our last interview. Find out what’s behind that growth and why canceling is “never about the money.” Listen to Jane’s first interview on episode 92. Find and follow Jane: Jane’s Agenda on Facebook Jane’s Agenda on Instagram Jane’s Agenda’s Website Jane’s Agenda on YouTube Join me in all the places: Facebook Instagram Launch Your Box with Sarah Website Are you ready for Launch Your Box? Our complete training program walks you step by step through how to start, launch, and grow your subscription box business. Join the waitlist today!
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    32 min
  • Running a Giveaway to Build Your List
    Mar 19 2025
    Audience building should always be on your to-do list. Whether you already have a subscription box or you’re just getting started, consistently work to reach and engage new people. One audience building strategy I teach inside Launch Your Box is to run a giveaway on social media. I use a free, easy-to-use software called Kingsumo to run my giveaways a couple of times a year. My last giveaway added 1500 people to my email list! When you run a giveaway, follow four simple steps Determine your goal - why are you running a giveaway? To grow your following. To build your email or text list. To gauge interest in your potential box. All of the above! Determine your prize. Your prize needs to be “worth it” - what would make you enter a contest? Consider offering a box or a 3-6 month subscription. Create your timeline. Your giveaway should run for 7-14 days. Share, share, share! Send an email to your list - remember, some of them may not follow you on social media yet. Social posts - videos, stories, etc. Keep talking about it throughout the 7-14 days to keep the excitement going. There are rules for running giveaways on social media. You need to be aware of these rules and follow them. The contest must be free to enter - it cannot be combined with a purchase. The winner must be chosen randomly. The winner must be announced publicly. You must state clearly (in posts and your contest rules) that your giveaway has no affiliation with the platform. Every week inside Launch Your Box, members are setting up and running giveaways. It’s one of the best things you can do to jump-start your audience building no matter where you are in your subscription box journey. Join me for this episode as I talk about why you should run a giveaway as part of your audience building strategy, the steps to follow to make it a success, and the important rules you need to follow! Important Links: 6 in 60 Workshop - Sarah’s Method for Curating 6 Subscription Boxes in 60 Minutes Kingsumo Join me in all the places: Facebook Instagram Launch Your Box with Sarah Website Are you ready for Launch Your Box? Our complete training program walks you step by step through how to start, launch, and grow your subscription box business. Join the waitlist today!
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    21 min
  • 184: Hiring a Digital Marketing Assistant for Your Subscription Box Business
    Mar 12 2025
    As subscription box business owners, we wear all the hats—marketing, customer service, tech, fulfillment—you name it, we do it. But trying to do everything can hold you back from growing your business. That’s where hiring help–a Virtual Assistant (VA) or a Digital Marketing Assistant–comes in. If you've been thinking about hiring help but aren’t sure where to start, this episode is for you! I sat down with Emily Reagan, who specializes in training smart women to provide digital marketing services to online business owners. Inside her Digital Marketing Assistant School, Emily teaches the core marketing skills businesses need, from SEO and blogging to email marketing and funnels and so much more. She also runs the Digital Marketers Workgroup, where experienced freelancers continue honing their skills. Emily brings online business owners’ needs to her experienced freelance digital marketing assistants, often resulting in a match made in online business marketing heaven! I turned to Emily to hire my first VA who is still on my team many years later and has grown far beyond her original VA title and role. What is a Digital Marketing Assistant? You’ve probably heard the term Virtual Assistant (VA) before—it’s a general term for anyone working remotely to help a business. A Digital Marketing Assistant is a specialized VA who focuses specifically on marketing tasks that drive growth for online businesses. A Digital Marketing Assistant can help with: Email marketing Social media management Blogging & SEO Funnels & automation Affiliate marketing Tech setup In short, they help you get more done in less time—so you can focus on growing your subscription box. If you’re thinking: I’m not ready to hire someone yet, the truth is that by the time you feel ready, it’s already too late. You don’t have to hire a full-time employee. Start small! My first VA worked just 10 hours a week, and she got SO much done in that time. These team members often work faster and take things off your plate—especially those tasks you keep putting off. (I’m looking at you, tech stuff!) Instead of feeling overwhelmed and unproductive, focus on the things you love to do and those things that will move your business forward. And delegate the rest. Where do you even find a digital marketing assistant for your subscription box business? Emily makes it easy—just head to hireaunicorn.com and post a job. Up to 10 digital marketing assistants will reach out, and you can get on Zoom or Google Meets and have a conversation with the ones who seem to be the best fit. Sarah’s tip: Personality matters. You want someone who’s not only skilled but also a great fit for you and your business. Setting Your Digital Team Member Up for Success Hiring a digital marketing assistant is just the first step—making it work is just as important. Give both of you the best chance of success by: : Being clear about expectations Providing feedback Vetting before hiring Onboarding properly Emily said it best: “No one successful does it alone.” And something I say inside Launch Your Box and Scale Your Box: Hire before you feel ready. Because if you wait until you finally feel ready, you’ll already be drowning in tasks that could have been delegated months ago. Find and follow Emily: Emily Reagan on Facebook Emily Reagan on Instagram Emily Reagan’s Website Emily Reagan’s Podcast Hire from Emly’s Digital Workgroup Join me in all the places: Facebook Instagram Launch Your Box with Sarah Website Are you ready for Launch Your Box? Our complete training program walks you step by step through how to start, launch, and grow your subscription box business. Join the waitlist today!
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    37 min
  • Bounced Payments & Personal Follow-Up
    Mar 5 2025
    Are you relying solely on automations to recover failed payments? If so, you are losing money and experiencing unnecessary churn in your subscription box business. Business is personal. Recovering failed payments needs more than just automation - it needs a personal touch. Your personal touch. Think about how much time, energy, and money you spend getting new subscribers. How much time and energy are you willing to spend to keep them? In my subscription business, we use a combination of automations and personal outreach to follow up on failed payments. The result? Each month we recoup 98% of our bounced payments. Keep in mind, most failed payments are not due to subscribers wanting to cancel or intentionally not paying. Credit cards expire and need to be updated. Other things happen that unintentionally cause payments to fail. Assume subscribers want to stay with you and just need help updating their info. Every subscription box business should have a failed payment automation set up. You can do this directly in your subscription platform or CRM. The goal is to recover as many payments as possible through automation, reducing the time spent manually recouping payments via personal outreach. The automation process we use in my subscription box business is set up like this: Payment Run #1 - failed payment Email #1 sent - something like “There was an error processing your payment for XXX subscription. If you need to update your card, please do so at this link. Your payment will run again in 12 hours.” We aren’t accusing them of anything. We blame the error on ourselves and direct them to update the payment if they need to. We create urgency by letting them know the payment will run again in 12 hours. Payment Run #2 - failed payment Email #2 is very similar to Email #1 - they may not have seen the first email yet. Payment will retry in 24 hours. Payment #3 - failed payment Email #3 - 36 hours after initial payment has run. They’ve likely seen one of the first two emails. The first two emails are text only, this email includes an image. “Hi Subscriber. We are busy personalizing and packing all our subscriptions and want to make sure you get yours on time. If you need to update your card, please do so at this link. If you need help with that or have an issue, please hit reply and let us know how we can help.” This email includes a picture of the team packing a box. Payment runs again in 48 hours - they have time to reach out to customer service before the payment runs again. At this point, we start working through the list of remaining failed payments with personal touch points. Personal email Personal text Now we’re ready to run one last automation. Email #4 - on day five of failed payment Last chance email “Boxes are shipping and we want to make sure you get a Monogram Box this month. Please let me know how I can help.” We follow this plan every month. And every month, we recoup 98% of our failed payments. Business is personal. Don’t forget the importance of a personal connection point when working to retain your customers. Business is also business. Don’t leave money on the table. Following up on bounced payments reduces involuntary churn and retains more recurring revenue. Join me for this episode as I talk you through the automations combined with personal touches process I use to recoup 98% of bounced payments every month. Important Links: 6 in 60 Workshop Join me in all the places: Facebook Instagram Launch Your Box with Sarah Website Are you ready for Launch Your Box? Our complete training program walks you step by step through how to start, launch, and grow your subscription box business. Join Launch Your Box today!
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    18 min
  • 183: Stu McLaren Reveals the Messaging Shift That Will Transform Your Sales
    Feb 26 2025
    When I first started my subscription box, I thought I was selling cute products. I didn’t realize my audience wasn’t just buying things—they were buying transformation. They wanted to feel confident, stylish, and put-together, but my messaging wasn’t reflecting that. Making that shift—from selling products to selling a feeling—was one of the biggest game-changers in my business. And it can be the biggest game changer in your business, too. The person who helped me understand the need for this shift in messaging was my very special guest on this episode, my mentor Stu McLaren. Stu McLaren is the go-to expert when it comes to creating and scaling profitable memberships. For the past 17 years, he’s helped business owners build recurring revenue models that provide stability, growth, and freedom–hello, recurring revenue! And now, he’s packed his best insights into a brand-new book, Predictable Profits. Before I took Stu’s course in 2018, I had about 300 subscribers in my subscription box business. I had hit a plateau and didn’t know how to break through it. Stu’s course showed me the biggest reason for my plateau. I was focusing on selling instead of serving. People don’t subscribe to a box because of what’s inside. They buy it because of how it makes them feel. My audience wanted to feel stylish, confident, and put together without spending hours shopping or second-guessing their outfits. Once I shifted my messaging to reflect that transformation, my business took off. How to Shift Your Messaging to Serve Instead of Sell Want to make this shift in your own business? Here are three key takeaways from my conversation with Stu: 1. Understand Your Customer’s Journey Instead of just thinking about what’s inside your subscription box, think about how it impacts your customer’s life. Ask yourself: What problem are you solving? What feeling are you creating? 2. Speak to Their “Before and After” Stu shared a simple but powerful exercise. I did it with him and want you to do it, too. Draw a line down the middle of a piece of paper. On one side, write down all the frustrations and struggles your customers feel before they purchase. On the other side, write down how they feel after they’ve experienced your subscription box. Your messaging needs to focus on bridging that gap. 3. Focus on Transformation, Not Just Features My customers don’t just want earrings, bags, or t-shirts—they want confidence, ease, and style. What does your audience want? Your messaging should highlight the outcome, not just the product itself. I went from 300 subscribers to 750 in my next launch. And over time, I’ve built a seven-figure subscription business that gives me the stability and confidence to scale even further. With predictable, stable income coming in each month, you can make smarter business decisions, invest in growth, and stop feeling like you’re constantly chasing sales. Recurring revenue is business and life-changing! And that’s why Stu’s book Predictable Profits is such an amazing resource—it walks you through exactly how to build and scale a business that runs with you, not just because of you. If you’re ready to learn more from Stu, go grab your copy of Predictable Profits by Stu McLaren. You can find it at all major retailers, or head to Stu.me/book for links to order. I’d love to hear your biggest takeaway from this episode! Screenshot it, share it on Instagram, and tag me @launchyourbox. And if you’re loving the podcast, hit subscribe and leave a review—it helps more subscription box business owners find us. Find and follow Stu: Stu McLaren on Facebook Stu McLaren on Instagram Stu McLaren Website Join me in all the places: Facebook Instagram Launch Your Box with Sarah Website Are you ready for Launch Your Box? Our complete training program walks you step by step through how to start, launch, and grow your subscription box business. Join the waitlist today!
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    35 min
  • 5 Ways to Increase Perceived Value in Your Subscription Box without Blowing Your Budget
    Feb 19 2025
    Is your subscription box missing something that would increase its value in the eyes of your subscribers? Maybe things are feeling a little monotonous or routine. Or maybe some months you feel like you need “a little something extra” to make your subscription box feel like the complete experience you want it to be. But, how can you add value without blowing your budget? Remember, you need to stay profitable to stay in business. In today’s episode, we’re talking about increasing the perceived value of your box. Perceived value is simply a subscriber’s perception of the merit or desirability of a product. There are five things you can do to increase the perceived value of your subscription box for little or no cost. Customization Style - i.e, home decor - farmhouse or modern. Size - i.e., clothing or wearables. Type - i.e., breed of dog. Teachers - i.e., grade level or type of school. YOU - Your Personal Connection Remember, being “ME” is free marketing. Include a handwritten note. Put a birthday card in their box the month of their birthday. Surprise & Delight - include a gift in the box periodically (not every month) Coupon to your store or “bonus bucks.” The “Golden Ticket” - a special gift included in only select boxes. Anniversary gifts - on the anniversary of them becoming a subscriber. Early bird bonuses during launches. Exclusive Content or Collectibles First access. Digital bonuses. Tutorial or training access. Exclusive meet-ups. Zoom parties. Bundle Items One thing by itself can seem too small, but bundle two or three of an item and tie a ribbon around it or put it in an organza bag to make it look special. Hair clips Chapstick Sticker sheets Dog treats Join me for this episode as I talk about five ways you can increase the perceived value of your subscription box and stay within your budget. Important Links: 6 in 60 Workshop Join me in all the places: Facebook Instagram Launch Your Box with Sarah Website
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    33 min