Business Profile: The SPIFTER
During a recent Easter Sunday, Diane D’Andrea — a Big Table Alumni (September 2012) — was making a batch of deviled eggs and ruined it by accidentally dumping too much paprika on them.
Big Table Alumni Diane D’Andrea
She got frustrated with paprika going all over the place, so she looked for a solution to her spilling struggle.
“There was nothing online, so I decided to create it,” Diane said.
Diane took her instinct and created The SPIFTER — “It makes everything you create in the kitchen a masterpiece. When baking, decorating, preparing hors d’oeuvres or flavoring your favorite entrees, the SPIFTER is fast and clean.”
As of late, business in her company, 4 Stir, Inc., has been booming — specifically her marketing.
The SPIFTER has made it onto QVC, Sky Mall and Kitchenware News. The SPIFTER will be featured in the Small Business Digest this fall, and Diane is in negotiations with three European distributors for making more products in her line. She was also recently featured on Business News Daily and is in talks with a few joint ventures to sell each others’ products.
And if all goes according to plan, she’s planning to hire a staff and full-time employees in the first quarter of 2014.
“A lot has been happening in the past six months,” Diane said with a laugh.
So, how did all of this success come about?
“A lot of it started this June when I went to a tradeshow event in New York,” Diane said. “It was a consumer products expo, and it was exclusive for news media. I had a lot of media tell me they wanted to write articles on my product, so I stayed persistent — like I was taught at Live Out Loud. I followed up often with these reporters who wanted to write a story on me so I could get my story out and increase my marketing.”
Diane also said her private coaching with Will Mattox has been “an amazing help” so far. She added that she’s hired several of the instructors who present at Loral’s Big Table who are “top-notch support and resources.”
What also has helped Diane tremendously is following my advice and hiring a personal assistant.
“She’s my bookkeeper, my accountant, my PR person, does sales calls, marketing pieces — everything,” Diane said. “Pray for the most loyal, committed, motivated people to join your team and you’ll find them. She’s been such an asset to me.”
The SPIFTER
With some amazingly helpful marketing in her back pocket, now, Diane has new goals in mind: She is planning on March 2014 as her first Freedom Day (she works Monday through Wednesday at a TV sales job) and will present at the International Houseware show during this same month.
Diane’s success has come in bunches as of late, and she’s grateful for the teachings and lessons she’s learned at Live Out Loud to help her progress.
“I’ve learned that if you’re scared, that’s good,” she said. “Know that you’re not alone. I learned that you don’t always need to be as prepared as you think you do. Sometimes you just need to jump in. Things seem to work in your favor more when you just do it.”
Do You Want Free Marketing?
- Fill out this quick questionnaire and your business may be featured in an upcoming newsletter! Click here to submit your application.