In this episode, Leah sits down with author and entrepreneur Tina Koutras, whose journey took one of the wildest turns we’ve seen inside Legacy Launchpad. What started as a plan to build an audience for her upcoming book suddenly flipped into an unexpected “side quest” — launching a niche candle brand that exploded far beyond her expectations. Tina originally joined Leah’s program to fix what past programs couldn't deliver. This time she wanted clarity, strategy, and a real social presence before releasing her next novel. But while waiting for her manuscript to come back from editing, she decided to test Leah’s launch system on something smaller… a hobby she’d always dabbled in: horror-themed candles. What happened next shocked even her.

By following the program step-by-step — without skipping the “ingredients” — Tina and her husband launched Horrified Candles, tapped into a passionate 365-day Halloween/horror niche, collected over 120 post-purchase survey responses, and generated $13,000 in the first 45 days and $24,000+ within two months. And then came the plot twist: Shopify terminated their store without warning, shutting down 30+ pending transactions. Instead of quitting, they rebuilt a new site in 24 hours, got reinstated, and kept going.

This episode is a must-listen for any entrepreneur who feels stuck, overwhelmed, or afraid to pivot — especially creatives and authors who want to build a loyal audience before their big launch.

In this episode, we explore:

Tina’s original goal: launching her book the right way after her first attempt fell flat
Why she chose to “test” Leah’s launch system on a candle brand
* The power of choosing a hyper-specific niche (horror fans & 365-day Halloween lovers)
* How she validated demand fast with pre-orders and early email list building
* The 120+ post-purchase survey insights that shaped her direction
* Why skipping steps in the process derails most new entrepreneurs
* Shopify shutting down her store — and how they rebuilt everything in 24 hours
* The mindset shift needed to push through “sink or swim” moments
* How this candle brand will now feed her book launch audience
* Building a 2,200+ person “seed list” before publishing
* The long-term plan: cross-pollinating readers and buyers, bundles, and loyalty fans
* Why every failure is “just a data point” — and how to use it as fuel

This conversation is encouragement, strategy, and real-world resilience all in one.

⏩ CHAPTERS
(00:00) Introduction and Initial Setback
(00:18) Welcome to Legacy Launchpad
(00:32) Meet Tina: Pivoting From Book to Candles
(04:21) Launching Horrified Candles
(05:21) Overcoming Challenges and Achieving 5-Figure Success
(12:50) Email Lists, Niche Fans & Future Book Launch Plans
(18:52) Lessons on Consistency, Research & Messy Action
(26:49) Conclusion and Where to Find Tina

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