Updated: September 2020
In this detailed Shopify case study, you’re about to learn how Goodnight Darling founder Aycee Brown went from idea to income in just 90-days, so let’s dive in.
The Goodnight Darling.co Shopify Case study
How it all started….
Sat in her stuffy cubicle with some little bald headed dude (I’m imagining he looks like this) telling her when to clock in and clock out. It’s fair to say when Aycee Brown, reached out to me at Brazen Profit Lab, she wasn’t satisfied with where she was at in life.
She wanted more.
She wanted better.
She wanted to thrive on her own terms. Maybe you can relate?
Aycee had already toyed around with starting her own business before she became a BPL consulting client. In fact, a few of her ideas had managed to bring in additional income streams.
The problem was, none had really gained any traction.
And all had failed to produce the freedom, finance and flexibility she desired and deserved–so she felt trapped.
That’s why I knew the BPL launch coaching programme – where we get your Shopify store ready to open (with a pre-launch mailing list of interested people) within 90 days, would be perfect for her.
Shopify case study: Now what seems to be the problem here?
Based on her own personal struggles with insomnia, her dream was to launch a business called Goodnight Darling – an idea she’d been, err… sleeping on (pardon the puns) for far too long.
Getting in touch with BPL was her first committed step to making that dream a reality. And in this Shopify case study, you’ll get an overview of the steps she took to go from idea-to-income in little more than 90 days.
It’s been a heck of a journey!
Two very important things happened from the moment Aycee decided to invest in herself and book in her first months 1:1 coaching sessions which were game changers:
- She decided to commit to her success
- She got her actions in-line with her desired outcomes
It never ceases to amaze me (even after 7 yrs in the Ecommerce and coaching space) what happens when these two activities finally align. But that doesn’t diminish the fact that she was in for 90 days of hard work, heart, and hustle.
Did she rise to the challenge, you ask?
Well let’s just put it this way, you wouldn’t be reading this Shopify case study if she hadn’t!
But Aycee did so much more than just ‘rise’ to the challenge. Let me explain…
From idea to income in just 90-days
Our first session was focused on refining her business idea and brand concept.
Originally, Aycee planned to sell sleepwear and sleep related accessories.
A great starting point, surely, but as often happens when you work with a skilled coach this idea quickly evolved into a more profitable business model designed to encourage repeat customers.
However, it’s what she did next that shocked me.
…See, instead of white-labeling a pre-existing product from a US or Chinese wholesaler (like most people would) Aycee decided to develop a new line of high-end, herbal, sleep and lifestyle products FROM SCRATCH, but more on that later.
A strategic plan of ACTION, not a bunch of tactics:
Time on our 1:1coaching calls was spent wisely.
First, we looked at the most valuable tasks she needed to do reach her intended goal, then:
- We created a plan of action
- We decided on deliverables
- We gave these deliverables deadlines.
- We got down the business.
She wasn’t left to work it all out by herself, though. At BPL clients are expected and encouraged to regularly check-in and get support along the journey, which is exactly what Aycee did.
As you can imagine, she had lots of questions as she kicked the creation of Goodnight Darling into high gear. And that’s why I created this Shopify case study, ‘cos maybe you too have some of these questions?
1. Profit: How do I work out my COG’s, RRP, and shipping?
Aycee and I worked on her numbers to make sure the business remained profitable while still delivering exceptional value.
2. Packaging: How do I create a brand that’s memorable both visually and emotionally?
As a creative professional Aycee didn’t need much help in this department-as you can see for yourself.
But having someone to bounce ideas off of and get feedback from quickly, meant she nailed down her brand look and feel in no-time.
3. Presence: How do I make sure I don’t launch to crickets?
This is something so many of us forget when we’re knee deep in our to-do list.
But Aycee wanted to know what she could do to build anticipation before her launch, so I shared a simple pre-launch strategy that helped her build not only her mailing list, but her social media following rapidly.
How to feel the fear, give it the finger, and do the work anyway
You know what they say: nothing worth having comes easy! And as Aycee started to see the vision she had in her heart and mind become a reality, doubt and fear started to kick in – it happens to the best of us.
The great thing is, she leaned in. And together, we were able to identify the old mindsets and mental frameworks holding her back and stopping her from revelling in her progress.
I mean, she’d gone from wanting to sell sleep shirts, to producing a line of tea, bath salts, and candles in less than 8-weeks. She DID THAT!
While it’s not the sexiest part of this process, and it may feel like someone’s ‘all up in yo biznizz.
Helping you transition from a mindset of fear and not being good enough, to a mindset of abundance and awe and wonder at just what you’re capable of, is a big part of the BPL process.
In fact, for many, it’s this shift in how they see themselves and their capabilities that determines their level of success.
But as her samples got closer and closer to being ready to share with the world, shit got real…
Remember how earlier in this Shopify Case Study I mentioned that Aycee created a new product line at home (from scratch)?
Well not only did she research and make her products by hand, but she also styled and shot her own brand imagery, which you’ll find displayed throughout this post. First class, right?
So damn good in fact, that when I shared it with my private community of Shopify store owners, many reached out to her to see if she could work on their imagery.
While I loved that her creativity was being recognised, I encouraged Aycee not to get off track and to keep her focus on launching Goodnight Darling – she could become the ‘product photography go-to girl,’ AFTER her store was launched.
It’s funny, but I’ve noticed that whenever we’re just around the corner from achieving our greatest goal, some ‘opportunity’ always seems to come up to distract us and make us take our eye off the prize.
The really weird part is, it’s usually a much smaller prize than the one we were originally working for.
Crazy how that happens, ha? Anyhoo.
Dot those I’s, and cross those T’s – KEEP IT LEGAL:
Due to the nature of her product, digestibles’ such as sleep tea and herbal tinctures, Aycee needed to make sure she was following all FTC guidelines for how she presented and promoted her products.
Going into the wellness niche is a serious business, and if you find yourself making all kinds of unsubstantiated claims you’ll soon find yourself with a lawsuit on your hands – and no business.
Which is why we made sure she had all the correct pages and disclaimers on her site designed to protect her business, before we dived into the fun (and frustrating) part.
Crafting the perfect brand message:
Copywriting is a key part of any online business.
You need great product descriptions, compelling home page copy, not to mention a crazy good about page – oftentimes one of the first places new visitors to your site will go.
So Aycee got busy crafting her brand message, and the goal was to tell a bold brand story, without making bold (banned) claims.
But there was still some anxiety around whether she was getting her message across as clearly as she needed to. If you’ve ever tried to write your own copy, you’ll probably know the feeling?
While copywriting is not included with the BPL launch coaching programme lots of feedback is – and that extends to your copywriting and brand messaging.
Wisely, Aycee took this support and used it to level up all the copy across her site, making sure it truly sounded like the Goodnight Darling brand and spoke to her ideal customers.
But when I went back to her website just a few weeks later and saw THIS, I knew she’d taken everything she’d learned about writing compelling copy that sells your products on the page, and used this to fully define her brand voice and values. Because her Mission statement was on FIRE and smokin’ hot.
Take a sneak peak at part of it below, and you’ll soon see I’m not exaggerating.
Thou shalt know thy numbers & make data-based decisions:
Knowing your numbers is essential if your business stands a chance of being profitable. That’s why things like getting your analytics installed and set up correctly – so you can access the data you need quickly – are baked into the BPL process.
We made sure that Aycee had her Facebook Pixel installed so she could start pixeling her website traffic (even before she launched). And that her own views were filtered out from Google analytics so the 23432523 times she visited her own website wouldn’t skew her data.
As you can see, there’s a lot packed into the three month coaching programme, but let’s just pause for a hot minute and review everything Aycee’s achieved up until this point:
- We took her original idea and refined into one that has a higher customer lifetime value (her products need to be renewed every 6-12 weeks)
- She developed a product line from scratch, worked out her COG’s, designed her branding and labelling.
- She started producing samples, and had orders in for larger quantities of raw materials and packaging
- The great Shopify store build was underway, including taking product pictures, and writing her product descriptions and about page – keeping good SEO practices in mind from the get go.
- She was already growing her following over on Instagram (and starting to get lots of engagement)
- She was actively building her pre-launch email list, ready for when the ‘LET’S LAUNCH’ fun and games were ready to begin.
Results OR rhetoric: You decide?
Aycee decided to do a pre-launch sale July 4th weekend. The store wasn’t fully finished and she was nervous, especially as she only had ONE product available for sale and shipping at the time.
But I knew that at this point a positive (profitable) feedback loop was just what she needed to give her even more wind beneath her wings. Then THIS HAPPENED…. but I wasn’t surprised.
Now, I probably shouldn’t admit to doing this as it’s not the norm for how I work, but seeing as I was up when Aycee sent through this excited message at 4.27am, I replied back.
How could I not, look at how far she’d come….
By the end of Aycee’s 3 day pre-launch she made 20+ sales to people who were not family and friends, with just one product available.
Meaning that, not only had she truly validated her business idea by finding customers willing and happy to buy her product – with minimal marketing or advertising spend.
But, she’d achieved her goal of going from idea-to-income in the duration of her programme.
Mission accomplished. Achievement unlocked.
Although this is exactly what the Brazen Profit Lab Launch Programme is designed to achieve, I can’t lie, I still feel like a proud mama every time one of my clients graduates with honours.
What next: How will Goodnight Darling dominate the market?
Well, if you ask me, the sky’s the limit for this incredible new entrepreneur and her new lifestyle brand.
She has a clear message. A product which helps to solve a problem. And – most importantly – an audience of people looking for (and willing to part with money for ) a solution to that problem. She has the foundational three P’s of every world-class brand: Product – Positioning- People #BOOM
Like all Brazen Profit Lab alumni, I tend to keep an eye on their progress even after we’ve completed working together, occasionally dropping (unsolicited but appreciated) advice in their inbox when I see a gap in their marketing that is costing them money.
Un-pro I know, but I can’t help myself. Your success is my success and I’ve never been into failing!
But as you can Aycee is on a roll.
- She’s mailing her list and has started a sleep challenge.
- She’s getting involved in loop giveaways.
- She’s partnering with other brands for collaborations.
- She’s even bringing on brand ambassadors (when she put out the call on Instagram there was no shortage of interest).
While, like all of us, there’s always something new to learn, I couldn’t be happier for Aycee Brown and all the success she achieved with the Brazen Profit Lab launch programme.
www.goodnightdarling.co is no longer an idea stagnating in her head, it exists.
And her results where great enough to create this Shopify case study.
She’s no longer on the bleachers watching the game.
Now she’s slap bang in the middle of it, and it’s up her to decide whether she’s in it to win it or simply to compete. But by the looks of things, I’d say she’s going for GOLD.
Update: September 2020
Aycee was featured on www.Beyonce.com as a company to watch as part of her black parade publication. One of only 100 brands selected, this prominent mention (and back link) sold her out for months
If you’re a busy mom, CEO, business woman whose sleep is suffering to the point it’s affecting your life, I encourage you to check out her website and snap up some of her teas, tinctures and candles. You can thank me later.
But if you have a business idea that you need to get out of your head and into the world, without any further delay, excuses or stress?
Then you should get in touch with me at Brazen Profit Lab today to see if the BPL launch coaching programme is for you. You never know, the next Shopify Case study I write might be yours?
I only take on a limited amount of clients each quarter and usually run a wait-list, so the sooner we connect the sooner you can turn your dream into a reality, just like Aycee did. Congrats girl, you deserve every success!
