[189] The Power of a Unique Brand – with Jill from For Strange Women

[189] The Power of a Unique Brand – with Jill from For Strange Women

by | May 17, 2019 | Branding, Interviews, Other, Podcasts

Jill from For Strange Women works with natural ingredients to make perfumes. Which she sells – with wild success – on the internet.
Jill started on Etsy in 2009, and today, she not only sells online, she also has her own store in downtown Kansas City. With over 35,000 sales in her Etsy shop alone, Jill’s business is incredibly successful – and all based on selling something – scent – that people can’t even smell until they’ve bought the product. Jill formulates all her perfumes, and even today, it’s just her and one assistant running the whole business.

So – how has she grown such a successful business? I believe it’s been via the power of her branding and storytelling – and the fact that she’s remained true to herself, even when she was surrounded with doubters.

In this episode, we discuss the importance of being true to you in your business, and the way Jill’s business has naturally grown to where it is today.

If you would like to hear a beautiful and peaceful approach to running a handmade business, don’t miss this one.

[188] Belle and Union – the Realities of Running a Brick & Mortar Biz

[188] Belle and Union – the Realities of Running a Brick & Mortar Biz

by | May 9, 2019 | Interviews, Podcasts, Retail, Shop Design, Wholesale

What is it really like to own a brick & mortar retail boutique in the current economic climate?
My guest today – Meg Sutton of Belle & Union – has an interesting business trajectory.

She was working full-time, doing wedding invitations on the side… and then decided she wanted to launch her own business.

Instead of just opening an online shop, she worked for a full year behind the scenes, then launched her business at a major trade show in the USA.

It was a big success, and her business grew from there – to moving from strictly wholesale to also selling online – to now, where she has been running her own brick & mortar shop in San Antonio, Texas.

In this episode, we discuss her journey, and the realities of owning a b&m business – the ups and the downs.

If you’ve ever dreamt of opening your own shop (and let’s be honest – who hasn’t?!) don’t miss this episode.

[187] Do the Work

[187] Do the Work

by | May 3, 2019 | Marketing, Podcasts, Time Management

One of the most common laments I hear from my students is that ‘I’m not where I thought I’d be by now’.
There are oodles of reasons this may be. Life happens.

But one of the most common reasons is a lack of commitment and focus.

If you don’t commit to carving out the time to do your work – and then actually doing it – you simply won’t move forward.

Obligation, procrastination, lack of confidence – all of these things can get in the way of us actually doing the work. Goodness knows I’ve been there myself too many times to count.

But the people who succeed… they’re the ones that show up, consistently – for years – and just do the work.

Over, and over, and over again.

[186] 9 Strategies to Overcome Analysis Paralysis [Premium]

[186] 9 Strategies to Overcome Analysis Paralysis [Premium]

by | Apr 26, 2019 | Podcasts

What the heck do I do next? How often do you ask yourself this question? How often do you feel stuck and overwhelmed, and like you can't move forward? Often, we get stuck because we're in analysis paralysis - there are no good options, or too many good options - and...

[185] 4th Anniversary Q&A – I answer your handmade business questions.

[185] 4th Anniversary Q&A – I answer your handmade business questions.

by | Apr 19, 2019 | Etsy, Podcasts

To celebrate the 4th anniversary of the start of The Create & Thrive Podcast, I’m answering YOUR handmade business questions in this episode.
I got a ton of great, meaty questions – and I answered a number of them in this episode. If I didn’t answer yours, never fear! I do plan on doing a follow-up episode answering more questions in a future episode.

I answer questions like:

“Should I have a business, or just a self-sustaining hobby?”;
“What do I do when I feel I’m at the crossroads of continuing my business of getting a ‘real’ job”;
“How can I get my motivation back?”
“How do I overcome the fear of not being good enough?”
“I’ve only got a small number of products – should I open my shop now or wait until I have more?”
Huge thanks to everyone who sent in a question – I loved this opportunity to help you out directly.

[184] How to Teach In-Person Workshops on your Craft

[184] How to Teach In-Person Workshops on your Craft

by | Apr 12, 2019 | Podcasts

Do you want to teach your craft? Do you dream of running in-person, live workshops to pass on your knowledge? Or – maybe you already teach handmade workshops, but want to make them even better?
My guest in this episode – Dr. Rie Natalenko – is a teacher, writer and textile artist. She’s an expert in the art and science of teaching creative workshops to adults.

She has penned a book titled Share Your Skills – An Ultimate Guide to Running an Art or Craft Workshop.

If you need the confidence to start teaching creative workshops or you would like to enhance your existing skills, then this episode is for you!

This is one from the archives – I first published it a few years ago – but given that I plan on publishing an episode in the near future about how to teach craft workshops online, I thought this would be a great primer for that – because the ‘teaching’ part is the same.

[183] Handmade Shop Policies: What you MUST Include (with Etsy-Specific Guidance)

[183] Handmade Shop Policies: What you MUST Include (with Etsy-Specific Guidance)

by | Apr 5, 2019 | Etsy, Organisation, Other, Podcasts

A lot of potential issues with your handmade business customers can be side-stepped through the judicious use of policies.
A well-planned policy preempts a lot of issues, and makes sure everything is spelled out clearly to your customer prior to purchase.

It also keeps everything fair and transparent, and makes sure you can’t be accused of making up one set of rules for one customer, and another for others.

It’s as much about your protection and peace of mind as it is about informing and protecting your customers.

In this episode, I discuss the ins and outs of policies – what you NEED to have in there (no matter what platform you use), and give you some Etsy-specific guidance, as well.

[181] 5 Non-Negotiable Keys to Selling Your Craft Online

[181] 5 Non-Negotiable Keys to Selling Your Craft Online

by | Mar 21, 2019 | Etsy, Other, Podcasts, Set Up Shop

Selling your craft online via etsy, another venue, or your own website has so many benefits.
Having an online presence is one of the most important things you can do for your handmade business.

If you are yet to launch your online shop; are on the fence as to whether it’s worth it; have been thinking about it for a while and don’t know where to start; or you have one but you aren’t sure about how improve it – this episode is for you!

I outline the main benefits of having an online shop – even if selling online is not your primary venue of choice.

I also share the 5 things you need to get a handle on before you can start successfully selling your work online.

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