START to SOLD

What turns a lead into a client?

I LOVE this question because part of the answer is FORMULA and the other part is an FINESSE.

But ALL of it requires knowing how to skillfully connect with people.

I had the honor of teaching “Turning a Lead into a Client” to 60 business leaders at Retail LaunchPad, hosted by ECRM during their Natural, Organic, Plant Based & Gluten Free Session.

And I got to share the stage with some seriously smart women: Tiffany Harris, Tia Ellis and Beth Morris.

Thank you to ECRM for creating an opportunity for brands to learn.

“I love helping founders and brand leaders PITCH, SCALE, and EXIT. That’s why I’ll be back in Dallas, Texas, for the upcoming ECRM September Sessions—connecting with brands and helping them make the most of their buyer conversations.”
— Emily 💙

From natural and organic food to foodservice, frozen foods, deli, dairy, bakery, meat, and seafood, Emily Anne Page will be on site throughout the ECRM September Sessions in Dallas—connecting with founders and brand leaders, answering questions, and helping brands think clearly as they head into buyer meetings.

Along with speaking on From a Lead to a Client: The Formula & Finesse That Turns Your Passionate Pitch Into a Sale on September 28, Emily will be at the show the entire time—available to support brands as they fine-tune their pitch, positioning, and next move.

📍 Dallas, Texas
📅 September 2026 ECRM Sessions I’ll be attending:

• Next-Gen Campus Dining Session| Sept. 27–29
• Deli, Dairy & Bakery, Fall | Sept. 27–29
• Natural, Organic, Plant-Based, Keto, & Gluten Free Food & Beverage | Sept. 27–29
• Foodservice & Menu Innovation Session | Sept. 28–30
• Foodservice Technology, Equipment & Supplies | Sept. 28–30
• Frozen Foods, Fall | Sept. 28–30
• Meat & Seafood, Fall | Sept. 28–29

Want to connect at the event? Drop a comment or send a DM with the session you’ll be attending, and we’ll find time to connect.

BusinessGrowth

We’re excited to be back with ECRM this September in Dallas!

On September 28, Emily Anne Page, Founder of START to SOLD, will be speaking at ECRM’s Natural, Organic, Plant-Based & Gluten Free Food & Beverage Session.
From a Lead to a Client

The formula & finesse that turns your passionate pitch into a sale.
A great product can open the door, but turning buyer interest into a sale takes more.

Emily will share practical ways to better understand your buyer, communicate your value clearly, strengthen your follow-up, and build the trust needed to move conversations forward.

📍 Sheraton Dallas Hotel
📅 September 28
🕑 2:00 PM CST

If you’re attending the session, be sure to sign up and join us!

P.S. Going to ECRM in Dallas?

Emily will be at ECRM throughout all four days of the Dallas sessions, connecting with brands and supporting conversations around their pitch, positioning, and next move:

• Campus Foodservice | Sept. 27–29
• Deli, Dairy & Bakery, Fall | Sept. 27–29
• Natural, Organic, Plant-Based, Keto, & Gluten Free Food & Beverage | Sept. 27–29
• Commercial Foodservice | Sept. 28–30
• Foodservice at Retail | Sept. 28–29
• Foodservice Technology, Equipment & Supplies | Sept. 28–30
• Frozen Foods, Fall | Sept. 28–30
• Meat & Seafood, Fall | Sept. 28–29

Drop a comment or send us a DM with the session you’ll be attending, and we’ll find time to connect.

Most people think a great PITCH is about having the perfect answer.

I think it’s about asking better questions.

Questions create curiosity, reveal priorities, uncover concerns, and help people feel heard.

When we’re nervous or eager to prove ourselves, it’s easy to fill every silence by talking more.

But connection isn’t built by saying everything you know.

It’s built by making the other person feel understood.

The strongest business relationships are created through better conversations.

So before your next meeting, ask yourself:

What question could I ask that would help me understand this person better?

That one question may do more for your business than another five minutes of talking.

You already have the drive to grow and clear goals. What you need isn’t more effort. It’s a better priority.

Growth isn’t about being busy. It’s about being busy doing the right things.

I love seeing clients experience this kind of momentum. It’s a privilege to walk alongside them as they build businesses with greater clarity, confidence, and intention.

Where are you on your growth journey? Are you clear on your priority?

Wishing you huge success as you continue building a business that works for you.

From START to SOLD,
❤️ Emily

P.S. If you’d like an outside perspective to help you identify what’s slowing your growth and build systems that create momentum, that’s exactly what we do inside our consulting and 1:1 strategy sessions.

Learn more at the link in bio 👆

I wish someone had taught me about the supply chain before I started my business. It would have saved me time, stress, and costly mistakes.

One of the biggest lessons? Your biggest risk isn’t losing the pitch. It’s getting the order... and going out of stock or getting returns—a.k.a. doing a bad job delivering on your promise.

Landing a retailer is exciting, but that’s when the real work begins.

I explained these crucial lessons in my conversation with ECRM and Joseph Tarnowski about what it really takes to scale successfully after landing a retail account.

I hope this conversation helps founders and growing brands avoid unnecessary risk, build stronger systems, and scale with greater confidence.

Thank you to Joseph Tarnowski and the ECRM team for the opportunity to share these insights. I hope you enjoy the conversation!

📖 Want more? Read the blog at the link in bio.

Reasons come first. Answers come second.

Whenever something feels stuck — a deal, a partnership, a sale, an exit — our instinct is to push harder, explain better, or refine our argument.

But measurable progress isn’t just about more effort.
Faster progress comes with better understanding.

+ What motivates them?
+ What are they afraid of?
+ What risks are they trying to avoid?
+ What outcome makes them look successful?

Clarity about motivation allows you to create connection and then influence.

If you’re not clear on what motivates the people influencing your goals, start there.

Study their perspective. → Listen more than you speak. → Ask questions that surface what truly matters to them.

It’s amazing what becomes possible when you understand the right reasons!