My guest today is the amazing Prue Simmons from Dyeing to Weave. Prue is a member of the Modern Marketing Collective and has lived her life by following her true passions and embracing life as it pivots and changes to build a successful business with incredible growth. 

Prue started working in the environmental industry as a zoologist and travelled across the world, she then went on to host her own radio show and is now running a very successful business, Dyeing to Weave, as a Saori weaver from her lama farm in Victoria. 

She has become one of only 3 people in Australia accredited to teach a uniquely Japanese style of meditative weaving, Saori. She has definitely embraced a super niche! 

People from all over the country come to her weaving workshops, join her membership and attend the weaving retreats and immersions each year!

In this episode, Prue Simmons is sharing her journey through previous careers, her self discovery travels, her experience in the Modern Marketing Collective and starting and growing her own business. She has had tremendous success and has even paid off her mortgage, reached 6 figures and lives a life that truly lights her up. 

I can listen to Prue’s amazing stories all day. Her passion and belief in herself are truly inspiring and you’ll feel motivated to embrace your dreams and achieve your goals.

After all, life is too short to not do what you love. 

Topics we discussed:

[2:59]: If you want to learn how to convert your followers into clients – register for my free online workshop here. 

[3:25]: If you’re not booked out yet and you want to attract more ideal clients, get coached by me for a year, and join an amazing network – head over to the Modern Marketing Collective now. 

[4:07]: If you’re ready to scale – join me in the Scalable Mastermind! 

[5:30]: Prue introduces herself and talks about her business as a Saori weaver. Saori weaving is a Japanese style of freestyle weaving. 

[9:38]: Prue is based in regional Victoria on a lama farm. There are challenges running her business with intermittent internet available. 

[13:16]: Running a business on her property is very important to Prue. 

[13:43]: Prue talks about her previous careers as a zoologist and working around the world in the environmental sector and hosting a radio show in Melbourne. 

[15:26]: Prue has a passion and love for Japanese culture. In her late 20s, she booked a ticket to Japan on a working visa and started working at a ski resort in Hokkaido in northern Japan. She then volunteered around Japan for the next 2 years.  

[18:22]: While she was travelling around and living on an island in the inland sea of Japan she wanted to go into the mountains to find a tanuki (Japanese racoon dog). She stayed at a schoolhouse turned arts and craft building in a very small village where she was taught saori weaving by a local. 

[21:53]: saori helped Prue to get rid of the day’s stress and meditate. 

[23:11]: Prue went to the saori headquarters to ask if she could teach saori weaving in Australia. She was told she had to live and breathe saori weaving for a month with the teachers in Japan to become accredited (after 8 years of weaving in Australia). 

[26:51]: Even our closest relationships are the ones who have reservations about us jumping into a new venture.

[29:17]: Prue talks about the revenue streams in her business – workshops, becoming a licensed importer and distributor of the loom, retreats, immersions and a membership program. 

[35:07]: Covid and lockdowns helped launch her idea for the membership. 

[39:06]: The community aspect of Prue’s membership is the most powerful because it brings people together to support each other. 

[40:55]: Social media marketing (involving imagery) has been very successful for Prue in her business. 

[42:49]: The Modern Marketing Collective has helped Prue to market powerfully with social media, particularly Instagram. 

[44:42]: Email marketing has helped Prue to launch her membership successfully. She used to have a fear of people unsubscribing but now she acknowledges that when people do, they’re just not her people. 

[49:45]: Prue is running 5 retreats this year due to popularity! She used to only run one. 

[51:14]: There’s a challenge when you join the collective to make $2000. Prue joined the challenge and sold 4 looms for over $2000 each. 

[54:39]: As owners, we have to be everything in our business. The Modern Marketing Collective has helped Prue to get clarity in each element, become very efficient in each task and understand her numbers. 

[59:09]: As you develop more and more into your memberships, your price needs to be updated to reflect the value. 

[1:00:59]: Being a super niche can be scary at times but has enabled Prue to focus and stop being so scattered. 

[1:01:39]: Where to find Prue.

LINKS:

Where to find Prue: 

Website: http://www.dyeingtoweave.com.au/ 

Instagram: @dyeingtoweave

Facebook: @dyeingtoweave

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