Going Against Conventional Wisdom for Massive Success – with Sophie Howard

Why do we often think we have to follow someone else’s rules for success? It’s refreshing to hear the success story of someone who lives and runs her business model against the grain of what everyone else says to do. From her quiet little corner of the world, my guest has followed her intuition and trusted her gut on the path to building her multi-million dollar business.

Sophie Howard is a seven-figure Amazon seller and online business coach. She helps entrepreneurs source profitable products, build premium brands, and sell their online businesses. Sophie has sold two Amazon businesses, one for seven figures, and is currently building her third global brand. Sophie lives her own financially – free lifestyle, residing with her family in Wanaka, New Zealand. In this episode, Sophie shares how she was able to reach $2 million in revenue in her first 18 months, running a business that was only taking one day per week to run. She also shares the unique challenges of an Amazon e-commerce business, and why she decided to share her knowledge and teach other aspiring entrepreneurs to launch their own products with Product University.

Finding products that sell

When Sophie first started in the Amazon world, the weight – loss and detox tea market was crowded with pages and pages of items, and the competition was tough. She stuck with pure, organic teas that didn’t have detox or laxative properties. Using her naturopathic background, she found that functional teas did really well on the market, especially the menopause tea, because it was difficult for other sellers to copy. Sophie proved that you can be successful with a little corner of Amazon to yourself because there are plenty of people shopping on Amazon for less obvious products. 

“It seems like a game”

Sophie says that finding the best products never really seems like work, but more like the fun parts of the shopping process. She likes the design and creative process, looking for current trends like homeware products, which are very profitable right now. She explains that it’s a low – risk category where the customer can see and understand exactly what they’re getting when they order. Teaching people to do this business means steering them toward certain categories and away from others. Sophie says that homeware and food items are among the most profitable, but it takes common sense to think like a customer while running your business.

The unique challenges

This kind of online business comes with unique challenges, one of which is managing cash flow. Since you have to buy your stock up front and ship it to an Amazon warehouse. The margins are great on some products, but there are some bumps along the way in placing orders before you’ve made sales, which can add up to tens of thousands of dollars of investments. This can vary from product to product, so adjustments have to be made according to your individual risk profile.

The first mover advantage

Those that got on board a few years ago with Amazon e-commerce have a distinct advantage in the marketplace. They were making big money in aggressive ways and have the big accounts to prove it now, but Sophie explains that some of them were resorting to “dodgy” ways. Those who have been the most successful in the long term chose the right products, kept them in stock, and stayed consistent with their growth. Sophie says the general rule is that more products for sale mean more revenue.

The difference in mindset

Once upon a time, Sophie was a stressed-out mom just trying to make ends meet on her salary as a New Zealand diplomat, and now she is a successful seven-figure businesswoman. There have been pros, cons, and sacrifices along the way, one of which was that her marriage ended as she was hitting her stride with business success and getting connected with high – energy business people all around the world, which only contributed to her increased dissatisfaction at home.

Balancing international travel and motherhood

Sophie says her kids are used to her traveling for work, which she used to do with her government job as a diplomat for New Zealand before launching into e-commerce. When her kids were younger, she would take shorter trips when possible. Now, she employs a simplistic philosophy of letting the kids chose a toy online when she returns from a trip, and they’re OK with that. A big bonus is that their dad is supportive, lives nearby, and helps share in parenting responsibilities. Sophie and her ex try to keep the kids grounded with a consistent routine of table manners and bedtimes, and they try not to employ nannies and babysitters. Sophie says her kids have a wonderful lifestyle even though they lead very privileged lives.

Traveling the world

Sophie stays busy traveling the world to international trade shows in places like Vietnam, Germany, and India. She often takes large groups of her students to source products, teach, and coach, pointing out the best products. She says Vietnam is a great place to source her natural homeware products, while India has lovely leather, wood, silk, and brass premium products. In the beginning, finding the suppliers took a lot of online research, and Amazon provided the customers, and she figured it out on her own. Sophie says suppliers in the US are the hardest to work with because they don’t respond and communicate promptly and efficiently. 

Building a company to sell it

Sophie says her government job prepared her for this process, so when her business was doing well, she had it valued at over $1 million. She put it on the market, found a cash buyer, and received a nice, fat check. Who buys an online business like this? Sophie says that her buyers were private investors who were looking for cash flow businesses in which someone else had done the creative and startup work, which happens to be the part of business-building that Sophie loves best. Since she doesn’t love the day – to – day routine, she has optimized the process so she can do the parts she loves the most.

Teaching others

In the beginning, friends asked Sophie for tips, and she realized she was telling them all the same thing over and over again. Some were willing to pay for one-on-one coaching, but then she recorded video courses and put them online along with live webinars. Sophie says teaching keeps her on her toes and keeps her sharp while providing another stream of income. She realizes her business model may not sustain itself forever and is at risk whenever Amazon makes policy changes. 

What’s next?

Sophie is looking to branch into interior design because she’s interested and wants to learn more. She realizes that learning more in this area will help her Amazon brand, too. She’s looking into partnerships with companies abroad that wouldn’t require major upfront investments. She’s also looking into more handmade products, which are not big in the Amazon marketplace.

A simpler business model

A simpler business model has always given Sophie better results. She’s learned to cut back and say no to certain things, and what’s been left on the table has helped her fare better than before. Greg McKeown’s book, Essentialism, has helped her develop her small business philosophy. She does this by avoiding social media and not relying on an email list. She doesn’t pay attention to what everyone else is doing, preferring rather to figure out what products are profitable and get on with it.

Highlights of this episode:

  • 6:03 – An example of an item that sells slower but has less competition
  • 7:45 – How to identify and source successful products
  • 9:49 – The most profitable Amazon product categories
  • 14:10 – The unique challenges in launching and growing an e-commerce business
  • 16:55 – The first mover advantage
  • 18:46 – The change in business mindset
  • 21:10 – Balancing travel, business, and motherhood
  • 25:40 – Travels to support the supply chain
  • 28:57 – Building a company to sell it
  • 31:05 – Teaching others
  • 33:56 – What’s next?
  • 36:40 – A simpler business model
  • 39:47 – Fem Five

Resources mentioned:

The Fem Five:

1. Favorite book to recommend for women?

  • Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown

2. Favorite self-care hack?

  • “I ride my horse to clear my brain.”

3. Best piece of advice and who gave it to you?

  • “My godmother said that nobody cares about your business as much as you do.”

4. Female CEO or thought leader you’re into right now?

5. One piece of advice you’d give your five years younger self?

  • “Trust your instincts to do things your own way.”

Last Time on The NextFem Podcast

Using the Brain Science of Female Erotica to Empower Women – with Gina Gutierrez


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