Episode Details
Back to EpisodesEp 231: A Retailer & Wholesale Brand Owner on What Really Sells with Lauren Rauter
Description
Lauren Rauter has one of the rarest vantage points in the product world: she’s both a retailer and a brand. She opened her boutique, Rock Paper Scissors, in downtown Franklin, Tennessee back in 2003 — and then turned two decades of retail-floor instinct into a thriving wholesale business now spanning three brands. In this episode, she pulls back the curtain on how living on both sides of the sale shapes everything: what she makes, how she prices it, how she shows up on Faire, and how she treats the retailers who carry her. It’s a masterclass in selling from the buyer’s point of view — plus an honest, funny look at imposter syndrome, pivoting through hard seasons, and building a business alongside her family.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
● Build from the buyer’s side of the table. Before you make a product, ask what a retailer will actually reorder — not just what looks cute in a flat lay. If you’d get stuck with it, so will they.
● Price for the customer you actually have. The “right” price isn’t the highest or the lowest — it’s the one your specific buyer says yes to. Know your niche and price into it.
● On Faire, story sells before product does. Buyers decide in seconds based on your look, your lifestyle, and the feeling you evoke. Merchandise your page like a shop window.
● Loyalty is built one thank-you at a time. Reorders come from retailers who feel genuinely appreciated — treat every order like an honor, because it is.
● Pivoting is what keeps you alive. Every hard season (recession, COVID, a lost account) pushed Lauren into a new revenue channel. Don’t give up — adjust.
GUEST OFFER FOR SHE SELLS DIFFERENTLY LISTENERS
Use code ANDEE10 on Faire for 10% off orders of $150+ — valid across all three of Lauren’s brands: Rock Paper Scissors, Pip & Co., and Pop Squish Co.
WHERE TO FIND LAUREN
● Instagram (store + brand): @therockpaperscissors
● Instagram (wholesale/retailer-facing): @rockpaperscissors.thebrand
● Website: https://www.rockpaperscissor.com/
Resources & Links
👉🏼 Apply for the Faire Accelerator
👉🏼 Grab your seat for the Retail Ready Wholesale Challenge.
👉🏼 Join the waitlist for my signature She Sells Wholesale course – doors open soon!
👉🏼 Best SEO Tool to drive organic traffic to your website
👉🏼 My favorite email marketing platform
** Some links in this post are affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you buy—at no additional cost to you. I only share what I genuinely use and love.
Connect with Andee Hart @ She Sells Differently
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