We recently connected with Trish Stoecker and have shared our conversation below.
Trish, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Looking back, what’s an important lesson you learned at a prior job?
My background is military. I was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army in 1984, and subsequently retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2016. During that time I learned so much about people, the world, how I fit into it, and of course, myself. Naturally, everything I do and have done throughout my life is framed through my military experience.
While I was going through ROTC at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 1983/84, a very wise and grizzled Sergeant Major took me under his wing and mentored me. He coached me through that program and despite the fact that I wasn’t a natural athlete, ran with me and trained me so I could pass the physical fitness test with flying colors.
During our thrice-weekly runs, he would mentor me on everything a young Second Lieutenant needed to know and how to act so as not to make a complete fool out of herself, and also gain the respect of her Soldiers. You have to understand, Soldiers who have been in the Army and have any experience at all really don’t respect Second Lieutenants. At. All. I wanted to be different.
I remember asking him what his most important piece of advice was he could give a brand new young officer so she wouldn’t step all over herself when she reported in for her first assignment. He gave me two. First, don’t act like you know anything, because you don’t. And Second, always take care of your troops. That overall meant many things. Obviously, as their Platoon Leader, it was my job to ensure they got properly trained, signed up for the right schools, became a cohesive unit, and stayed out of trouble. But it also meant I was the buffer between the Soldiers and higher leadership. In other words, no one else could discipline my troops, and I made sure they got the recognition they deserved.
When I became a Company Commander, I applied the same principles. Fortunately I had a great senior Enlisted Soldier (First Sergeant), with whom I worked very well. I ensured my Soldiers got trained, fed, taken care of when they had personal issues and so on. I was extremely well-respected by my Company, and when I left to go on to another assignment, there were more than a few tears shed by many of those I commanded.
Fast forward to current day. When I mentor young people, I always give them my best piece of advice which is, always take care of your “troops.” Of course in the civilian world, that takes on a different connotation than it did in the military, but the basic principles remain. If you look after the people who work for you – make sure they get the proper training, are mentored in their current position, identify their future goals, given proper feedback (both positive and negative, and in the correct manner), and given the opportunity to excel, they will, for the most part, be loyal to you. They will also go on to be successful in their own right, which is a direct reflection on you and they way you molded and shaped them for that success.
Those who are on my team receive thorough training, have access to me to ask questions, are given opportunities to excel at events, and are mentored along the way. Some do very well. Others don’t. But the ones who don’t can’t claim they weren’t offered the same favorable conditions the others were. But I still give the same advice to the young people who ask. Don’t go into your first job like you know anything, because you don’t. Be a sponge – watch and learn from the best your company has to offer. Ask questions when you don’t know something – don’t pretend you know the answer because people can see right through you. Then they won’t believe a word you say from then on. Always dress for the position you want to have, not the one you have currently. And find a good mentor who will help you navigate the world you are in now.
Trish, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
As mentioned previously, I was in the Army for 32 years. I got an MBA while I was in the service, so I always knew that I would start a business after I retired.
My Husband and I retired to Apollo Beach, FL in 2017. I thought I would start a fashion consulting business, since I also have a strong background in women’s retail fashion, and had had a successful fashion blog on Facebook for over three years. However, that all changes when I was invited to go to a Pure Romance party by a friend.
I had been to another similar type of party a few years prior to that, so I knew what to expect. My friend, however, did not. Pure Romance is the number one in-home Party-Planning Company that specializes in Bath, Body and Intimacy items. During the party, once the Consultant got to the intimacy items, my friend got very uncomfortable and wanted to leave. I told her we couldn’t leave, and, frankly, I was interested in those products! But since she was driving, I had no choice. I made my apologies to the Consultant, but said I would be in touch.
I ordered several hundred dollars worth of products from the Consultant, but, more importantly, I talked with her about becoming one myself. So in February, 2018, I started my own Pure Romance business.
From the start I wanted to set myself apart from the other Consultants in several ways. First, I wanted to offer superior Customer Service. I keep an extensive stock of products in my home that are ready for immediate local delivery or shipping to anywhere in the U.S. My record from order to delivery is 30 minutes, so I pride myself on getting orders out very quickly. I also include extras such as sample packets, a couple pieces of candy, and a lip balm that is branded with my company information. I get requests just for my lip balms all the tie!
I also have a home office where I set appointments for individuals and couples to come and discuss their intimacy issues and be able to touch, taste and sniff all the products we have to offer. Since I keep an extensive inventory, they get to purchase those items at their appointment and take them home without having to wait for me to order them and have them delivered in a week or ten days.
I am very discreet and easy to talk with. I have clients tell me their most personal secrets that affect the intimacy with their partner. I help them work through those issues in a compassionate and informative way. I want to empower women to take control of their intimacy to ensure they are completely satisfied sexually. Unfortunately, for a number of reasons, many women aren’t, and they have nowhere to turn to discuss why. That’s where I fit in. Many women think they are alone in what they are experiencing, when that couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s very helpful for women to know that others are going through the same thing, and there are ways to help offset that.
I recently re-branded, developing my personal logo, trademarked slogan and website. My website is www.pureromancebytrish.com, and not only is it an e-commerce website, I provide content on it as well. I regularly post a blog that covers many different types of topics, from sexual health and sexuality, to enhancing relationships, to product information and more. I am working on adding featured content in the future so it will become a go-to resource for those seeking information on issues that affect them and their daily lives. I also have a private, women-only Insiders’ Group on Facebook where I share new product information, demonstrations, memes, sexual health information and, of course, all my sales. It can be found at https://www.facebook.com/groups/VIPPureRomanceByTrish.
My slogan is “My passion is helping you find yours,” and it describes how I feel about what I do perfectly. I will celebrate my sixth anniversary as a Pure Romance Consultant in February, 2024, and I couldn’t be more proud to help women with their relationships and to get the satisfaction they deserve.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
From the outset, I have been determined to set myself apart from other Pure Romance Consultants. I have done this by being discreet, easy to talk with, knowledgeable, having a home office where individuals can make appointments to talk in person about their issues, and, most importantly, putting the focus on my clients and not on my pocketbook. Yes, I am in business to make money, but with what I do, if my clients think I am just pushing a product on them because I want to make a sale, then they won’t be back. Nor will they refer their friends to me. By taking the time to talk with clients about their personal issues, identifying exactly what they are facing, and then recommending specific products for them to consider, I build a great trust with my clients that they know what I am recommending is right for them. I also know when to recommend that my clients seek professional medical advice and why.
In the area where I am located, I am the go-to Pure Romance Consultant and have built my brand up to consistent referrals from new clients as well as a steady business with existing clients
Do you sell on your site, or do you use a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc?
We have a legacy website that is personalized for each Consultant. So when a customer either uses our specific link, or chooses us when asked if they know a Consultant, it takes them to our web page where we can customize certain aspects, such as create our own product bundles, choose their pricing, write certain content that will show, and a couple other customizations.
For awhile I. had my own Square retail site, which I created from scratch and listed all the inventory I had. It was OK, but. I felt expensive for what I was getting and extremely time-consuming to keep it up-to-date. While I still use Square to checkout at my in-home parties, I am not using my Square retail site for active sales.
When I re-branded, I decided to partner with a web designer and create a beautiful, classy and informative website that was my own (www.pureromancebytrish.com). The platform is WooCommerce and WordPress. I had professional headshots taken for the purpose of using on my new website. I really thought through how I wanted it to look and function, and spent countless hours with the web designer to select the right template and construct my vision. It was money well spent, although it did take longer than I anticipated to come to fruition. Not only does it have my inventory where customers can go to purchase current and vintage precuts, scents and flavors, but I also write a blog on topics relevant to my audience. I am still working through some ideas I have for additional content to post, but I am extremely proud of how it turned out. My web designer and I have been working diligently on the SEO to raise the visibility of my website and get it in front of more individuals in the right audience. Since I launched, my profile has gone up from the ninth page when searching over 25 Key Words, to the first page with three, and the top ten websites on one. Given my Corporate HQ has a firm hold on many of the same key words, my level of progression since I launched on Halloween is considered remarkable. I am learning how to make changes and add content myself, so I am not dependent on another individual to make those changes for me. It also helps to keep my costs down.
But if you are just starting out, I recommend selecting a domain and using a website such as GoDaddy.com to secure it for yourself. Yes, it costs money, but you have secured the domain you want for yourself. And by using a website such as GoDaddy, you will know if there is something of anything being used out there that is the same or similar.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.pureromancebytrish.com
- Instagram: @prbytrishstoecker
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pureromancebyPat
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patriciastoecker/
- Other: My Facebook Insider’s Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/VIPPureRomanceByTrish
Image Credits
All the photos are mine.