Amber was working in Healthcare Emergency Management and feeling totally overwhelmed. She knew something needed to change for her and her family.
Check this interview out to see how an aha moment led her to the Rainmaker Challenge and the steps she took to make over $13,000 in the first 3 weeks of launching her first product!
1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started with The Rainmaker Family?
I started my career in public service as a law enforcement officer. I arrived in that field because I felt compelled to help others, and it was very rewarding.
That’s also how I met my husband, and I served my local community for 10 years in that role, (even got some letters of commendation and awards along the way). But as time went on, I felt there was something else I was called to do. When we started our family, it became very clear that being a mom was what I had been waiting for.
I immediately desired to spend as much time with my girls as I could, so I left law enforcement and jumped into a career with a more “normal” schedule, Healthcare Emergency Management. It pays well and has afforded me great opportunities. But, even that career has drawbacks, as I’m on-call 24/7.
Particularly during COVID, I was working at vaccine clinics for 12+ hours a day including weekends, and I lost a lot of important time with my youngest daughter, who was born 5 months before the lockdown. That’s when I learned the meaning of “burnout.” It is a real condition! And during one conversation with my husband where I was crying and saying “this is all too much,” something clicked in my mind, and I realized it was time to re-organize our lives.
The first side-hustle I got into was independent consulting, including web design and search engine optimization/ SEO. That made sense for me, given my background, but the part I wasn’t wild about was “prospecting” (the sales part).
While I was willing to cold call local businesses and spend time on the phone convincing business owners they could benefit from my services, it wasn’t my favorite thing to do, AND it took time, which I couldn’t afford to spend. So I got a year of web design and SEO under my belt, but it wasn’t bringing in much money.
Then one day, I saw the ad for Rainmakers. I don’t recall if it was through Facebook or YouTube, but I do remember being in a mindset where it struck me exactly in the place that I was in, and I was ALL IN very quickly.
I used small jobs like web builds to come up with the capital to invest in Masterminds, and I was completely convinced this was going to be “the” thing I had been looking for.
2. Were you hesitant about working with Rainmakers at the beginning?
When I saw the ad for rainmakers, I did a little research about Amazon FBA, because I really didn’t know anything about it. I didn’t doubt that it could be a successful venture, but I wasn’t sure if I, (ME), could do it.
Some of my “what if’s” were “what if I can’t come up with enough capital?” and “what if there’s more to this than what I know?” I was a little worried about what might be around a corner that I wasn’t prepared for.
BUT – after a day or two, I chose to give the 7-day challenge a shot. I knew I could afford that, and in the worst case scenario, I would consider it a business expense and keep moving.
3. There are different ways of approaching Amazon through private labeling, wholesale, etc. What route did you take and how would you explain the process of how the method you chose works to a friend?
I have never tried any type of Amazon selling other than FBA. Now that I’m selling on Amazon, I’ve encountered those who do (or have done) private label, resale arbitrage, etc., but I haven’t encountered anyone doing those methods who has created a really successful business from it (except the ones with their own YouTube channels who I’ve never actually met).
4. Did you have any experience with this before getting started?
My experience prior to Rainmakers was in working with executive-level leaders at my organization, handling budget expenses, working with our supply chain department (particularly when critical items were hard to source), and then I learned the trade of SEO optimization.
I had no experience whatsoever with selling on Amazon, but I do think my background in business, and particularly the skill of understanding search engine optimization, has supported me in my Rainmaker journey.
5. Any Pros or Cons to working with The Rainmaker Family? Anything you wish the course had, but didn’t? Anything you’re especially grateful for?
In terms of Cons (because I like the bad news first), I did feel I could have benefitted from more coaching in the beginning. I understand the necessity of putting a time limit on it, but I would have loved to have been able to “check back in” with my coach when I finally got my product idea and moved into sourcing, then launch.
So maybe, for instance, if I had 6 weeks in product innovation, then coaching paused until I had my product idea and I was sourcing, then have another 2 weeks with a coach, then pause again and have a final 2 weeks during launch, I may have felt a little less anxiety with my first product.
I felt in the beginning like my product research muscle was really strong, but by the time I got to launch, I was running from lesson to lesson without a lot of knowledge of what I was doing.
There are many pro’s in working with Rainmakers, though. First and foremost, I don’t know that I would have pursued this at all, had it not been for the 7-day challenge, which helped me get my mindset where it needed to be.
Understanding there were moms and other small business owners out there who actually had a shot against the “goliath” competitors in various markets when selling on Amazon was something I had to really grasp.
The other most beneficial thing that really propelled me forward were the coaching calls. In the beginning of my journey, I’d just sit on the calls at noon (I’m on EST time) and listen. I felt like I was almost “downloading” knowledge just by hearing questions from others.
In terms of what I’m particularly grateful for, it would certainly be the free “Second Eyes Session” and “DFY SEO.” I also took advantage of the MMM content, the power profit tool, KDP 1.0 and now 2.0, and DFY Product Research. Those things really propelled me forward.
And at the end of the day, what I think I’ve appreciated most are the Rainmakers Team. Melissa, Nicole, Megan, Gratiela, Wesley and Brennan have all interacted with me and given me support. Gratiela was my coach, and she still cheers me on, and Brennan was the one who looked at my product in the 2nd eyes session and said, “you can do this.” So I have a ton of gratitude for the whole team.
6. How much did you invest before you saw any results?
Aside from all those initial expenses including trademarking, barcodes, Helium 10 subscription, and of course the programs, I spent approx. $7,000 on my first bulk order. So roughly $18,000 of investment over the year.
I will say, however, that I would have gone larger on my first bulk order, had I known how fast I would be selling. My initial bulk order was 1100 units, and we have sold through half our inventory in 3 weeks!
So a tip I’d share would be to pull together enough capital to buy as large a first order as you think you’ll need, based on sales from competitors. It’s a tricky thing to gauge and every product is different.
7. Knowing what you know now about Amazon, do you think it is necessary to work with a coaching program like Rainmakers to get started or could you have done this on your own?
I absolutely would not ever have endeavored on Amazon FBA selling if not for a coaching program. From the outside looking in, it seems like an insurmountable thing to get into, and the question EVERYONE, (including me) asks when they first hear about it is, “can you really make money doing that?” I think Stephen sums it up pretty well by saying you have to surround yourself with like-minded people as an entrepreneur. Because not everyone gets all this!
8. After joining Rainmakers how long did it take for you to get your first sale?
I joined in October of 2022 and my first sale was on November 2nd, 2023. I hung out for a while in the product research phase, and I was really conservative on what product to go for first, because I knew I might not have a second chance if I invested in something that turned out to be a flop.
I came close with one product while I was still in coaching, but I got scared off by the idea that it may be a “TikTok Trend.” But when I finally found my product, I KNEW it was different. Just to be sure though, I cashed in that free 2nd eyes session. 🙂
It took time to get the sample from the manufacturer, then a month to complete the bulk manufacturing. Then, my shipment was stalled in customs, and by the time everything started checking in at Amazon, it was 4th quarter (October).
Patience is part of this game, but the hardest part is while that first order is coming through.
9. How much have you earned since joining Rainmakers?
Ok, here’s the exciting part! After doing Maldives launch in early November, things just took off. We hit the Benjamin Club before I even started launch, while my units were still checking in!
I was trying to figure out how people could even see my product then, and my only guess is it had to do with the listing SEO. We did Maldives/give-aways, and I tried a couple days of PPC, but then chose to turn it off to see what would happen.
We did well on the few days leading up to Black Friday, but then the following Saturday, November 25th, we sold over $1,500 in a day! From that day on, we’ve done over $1,000 in sales almost every day (just missed it on 1 day).
So, keeping in mind I’m one of the newer Grand Rainmakers out there, I’m so excited that in 21 days since launching my first product, we have sold over $13,240, while investing $76 total in PPC!
I really believe that’s a combination of a product that’s in high demand, but also successful listing SEO paired with a competitive (but still profitable) price point. How incredible is it that we are making back the investment in our first bulk order in our first month of sales??
10. What tools or resources are needed to become successful with the Amazon FBA program?
MIndset is the #1 most important tool that anyone will need to do this. While this journey can be life-changing, there will be inevitable challenges to overcome, and you won’t always be able to predict what those will be.
That’s why as a Rainmaker/Entrepreneur, you’ve got to insulate yourself to address the challenges and keep moving without getting too bogged down.
I teach verbal de-escalation skills and physical intervention tactics in my full-time job to help nurses learn to be safe from workplace violence. One of the things I teach to every class is that you have to learn not to take things personally.
You have to be able to detach your emotions from what someone is saying to you to be able to address it objectively. Entrepreneurship is no different- you can’t take things personally, and you have to be ready to let go of things that aren’t serving you or your business, even if you really wish they would.
Once you’ve got your mindset right, it’s also important to have a tool like Helium 10 to help you see the whole picture. You can’t (or you shouldn’t) try to guess which products will be successful. Then, from there, you’ll need support. Rainmakers is brilliant at that, it’s such a nurturing environment.
And, finally, it takes some wisdom to move through the phases of the program and make the right decisions. That’s where the coaching calls are really helpful because everyone has the opportunity to garner wisdom from those who have been there and done it.
We are all accelerating so much faster through the journey because we benefit from learning from the mistakes that others are willing to share. That is what makes this community truly special.
11. What does a typical day look like for you now?
While the goal of our business is ultimately for me to be 100{b06a7c74d927971cbbdd1edabb743a60c7d4f6f57c6d783eae1ce476151148b2} working from home, realistically, we’re not there yet. My husband and I have set goals and a timeline, and my “retirement” date from my full time job is planned as April 30th, 2025.
We have the opportunity to use my fixed income to get ourselves in a strong financial place, so we are using that to our advantage. I will say, however, that after our first month of sales, my husband is already saying, “maybe we COULD do this sooner than we thought.” And that in itself is so awesome to hear!
Having said that, my day is still up in the morning, workout, get ready, kids ready, and off to work. I track our daily sales through the Amazon Sellers Central app throughout the morning, then use time during launch to return emails, make price adjustments, etc..
And during periods when manufacturing is going on, I set the alarm a little early so I can chat with our awesome manufacturers in China (they are 12 hours different from me on EST, so when it’s 5am here, it’s 5pm there).
It’s very important to me to have the evenings with my family and kids, and I’m still able to do that, even with my full time job and Rainmakers.
12. What advice would you give to someone who wants to become successful with Amazon FBA?
First of all, be realistic about your commitment. How sold out are you to this venture? That question is important, because it makes the difference between pushing through obstacles or saying, “well, that was worth a shot, but it didn’t work out.”
Your resolve HAS to be strong, and that’s why the “what’s your why?” question in the Rainmakers Challenge is so powerful. You are going to need that WHY!
Next, be realistic about your capital. This will take funding, and I love how the challenge also discusses how to make money now. But what I would add is that you need to have a solid number in mind as to what you can afford for your first product, and make sure you take into account your give-away expenses, and potential ad spend.
Fortunately, that’s all in the Mastermind program. I love how there are even services in the “resources” section like 7-figures funding to help Rainmakers breakthrough.
Having learned what I have, I’d be careful to plan for about an additional 20{b06a7c74d927971cbbdd1edabb743a60c7d4f6f57c6d783eae1ce476151148b2} of the bulk order amount to be set aside for launch expenses. It really sets you up for success. And having said all this, I’d also tell anyone to protect your own day-to-day finances.
There is inherent risk here, so be sure you’re not waiting on a check from Amazon to pay a bill until you’re established, and this truly has become your livelihood, because this is a long game.
There are so many pieces of advice to share, but the final thing I’d say is BE the BOSS you are, right now! Don’t wait until you think you’re going to reach that place where you wake up and realize you’ve “arrived,” because I’m learning right now that “arrived” is actually a moving target!
So in order for you to feel confident and make decisions you believe in, you need to know NOW that you are the owner of your business, and you are capable of all the success!
13. What types of products do you sell, feel free to be as specific or broad as you’d like?
Our brand, FRYE | READY, is focused on home safety and lifestyle products. We’ve built a website with downloadable resources such as info sheets, and even a 32-page “Home Safety E-book,” which can be accessed for free by anyone who purchases our product.
The web link, which is separate from our overall brand website, is accessible via a QR code after purchase, so we don’t share it publicly. In the future, we plan to publish content through KDP, as well.
14. Would you like us to mention your brand for more exposure in the article? If YES, list your brand name here:
Sure, we’d love that! We are FRYE | READY. 🙂
Biz FB: https://www.facebook.com/FryeReady
Biz Insta: https://www.instagram.com/frye_ready_tm/
Biz TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@frye.ready?_t=8hpVCKiNSRi&_r=1
Thank you Amber for such an honest review. Your success is inspiring. If you want to try the 7-day Rainmaker challenge click here (aff link)
Now, this was just ONE of the reviews, if you’d like to binge on the rest, see below:
