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What it looks like to scale a handmade business with strategy, simplicity, and staying power.

What do you do when you’ve built a business that works… but it’s starting to stall?

That’s where Jen O’Rourke of Bear & Roo found herself.

She was already running a multi-six-figure handmade clothing brand, powered by a super-loyal customer base and a killer Facebook VIP group. But something wasn’t adding up.

Her sales were slipping. She was sewing all the orders herself (with a little help cutting and shipping). And while her return customer rate was through the roof, her growth had hit a wall.

That’s when she decided it was time to make a change—and this year, she set a big goal:
👉 $250K in sales.
👉 $20K months.
👉 Without losing the handmade, custom-fit magic her customers love.

Here’s the exact strategy she’s using to make it happen.

A Made-to-Order Model That Puts the Customer First

Everything Jen sells is made-to-order. Custom inseams. Custom waistbands. High-quality fabrics that rival Lululemon. But unlike Lulu, her leggings are made to fit actual human bodies—and they’re worth the 6–8 week wait.

“I target the customers that want the customized option and are willing to wait because they can’t find it in a store.”

This is her superpower. And going the manufacturing route wouldn’t allow her to do it.

The Problem with an 80% Returning Customer Rate

Sounds like a dream, right?

Until it isn’t.

Jen has a customer who has placed 300 orders with her store. Yep, 300.

But as she started to see, having 80% of your sales come from returning customers is risky. Eventually, even the best customers stop buying—and when you’re not consistently bringing in new ones, your growth starts to slide.

Jen’s ONE THING for this year?  New customer acquisition.

Simplifying the Store—and the Strategy

One of the first things she did was work with strategy coach Tina to clean up her website and simplify her offering.

She trimmed her store down to a core collection of 10 bestselling products. That way, new customers aren’t overwhelmed—they just see what sells best (and what other people are raving about).

And then she layered in a few smart systems.

Outsourcing the Tech, Keeping the Magic

Jen’s not afraid to hire out what isn’t in her zone of genius—especially when time is tight.

She’s using our Reliable Revenue marketing system to build out her email flows and automations. But instead of slogging through the tech herself, she hired help to get it done faster (and better), while still writing the emails in her own voice.

This gives her more time to sew, ship, go live in her group, and build the relationships that actually drive sales.

Building Her Audience with Low-Budget Ads (That Work)

Jen’s running three simple ad campaigns:

• A brand video ad to grow awareness ($5/day)
  
• A conversion-based “view content” ad to bring in traffic ($3.75/day)
  
• An engagement ad to keep her brand top-of-mind ($2.50/day)

She’s spending $11.25/day—and she’s not just watching vanity metrics. She’s tracking how many new customers she brings in and calculating how much it costs her to acquire each one.

That’s how she knows when it’s time to scale.

The Results: $20K Month (Without a Sale)

In March, Jen hit her first $20K month of the year. No big sale. No complicated promotion.

Just more new customers finding her brand, falling in love with the product, and placing orders.

“My first quarter is already up 12% from where it was last year.”

And she’s just getting started.

What’s Next: $250K, One $20K Month at a Time

With her average order value at $170 and a clear path to bring in new customers, Jen’s not just guessing anymore. She’s making strategic moves—one funnel, one ad, one email at a time.

If you’re trying to grow without doing more—this is the kind of story that will help you rethink what’s possible.

You don’t have to give up your process. You don’t have to do it all yourself. You do have to simplify, measure what matters, and get serious about bringing new people into your world.

That’s what Jen’s doing.

And it’s working.

RELATED LINKS:

Want to see Jen’s products? Visit bearandroo.com

Follow her on Instagram: @bearandroo

Learn more about Reliable Revenue here:

https://classroom.thesocialsalesgirls.com/reliable-revenue

$100K Sales In One Year, By Focusing On One Thing

https://thesocialsalesgirls.com/100k-sales-in-one-year-by-focusing-on-one-thing-episode-240/

The Path To A Full-Time Paycheck From Your Business

https://thesocialsalesgirls.com/the-path-to-a-full-time-pay-check-from-your-business-episode-220/

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GROW YOUR SALES

(without breaking the bank)

Conversion School is a step by step process to grow your sales,
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Works for Ecommerce stores at all stages.

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