Gift Biz Unwrapped | Women Entrepreneurs | Bakers, Crafters, Makers | Startup

It goes against all your instincts but offering too wide a variety of products will block your ability to sell your products. As a maker, you love being creative and have the skills to make so many beautiful or delicious things. This is where the problem begins. Listen in to hear why this is a problem and what to do about it. CONNECT with me here: Website | Facebook | Instagram SUBSCRIBE to the podcast: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify PAY IT FORWARD by leaving a rating and review. I'd love to hear your comments. Tell me how the show has helped you or a specific guest or point that had an impact. You can do that right here. Thanks for listening! Resources for Growth of  Your Handmade Biz 5 Rookie Mistakes Webinar (FREE) Start with Confidence Networking Ninja Content for Makers Inspired! Daily Planner Makers MBA Check out the Merch Shop Gifts for you or your biz friends that will make the days brighter and add a touch of inspiration and happiness. Enter the shop here. Join our community

Do you find the idea of running Facebook ads scary? If so, you're in luck. Because we're getting into how to use Facebook ads effectively for your handmade product business - even if you've never done it before. Shelby is the founder and CEO of Fempire Media, a Facebook and Instagram Ads Agency. She is obsessed with ads and helps women scale their businesses using paid promotion. In addition to running ad campaigns for her clients, Shelby takes interest in empowering female entrepreneurs to set up and manage their own profitable Facebook and Instagram ads. On the personal side, Shelby loves reality television, prosecco, and cooking with her two daughters. BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS When you're ready to get help with your business, hire a platform specialist. They'll be able to help you faster than a generalist who does everything (especially when it comes to ads). How to Use Facebook Ads General Facebook Ads Tips: Ad platforms like Facebook and Instagram are constantly evolving and changing. And

An integral part of making sales is where you direct your customers to go when they are ready to buy (hint: the ultimate best choice will always be *your* website). So, we're diving into how to build an eCommerce website that gets visitors to buy! Matt Edmundson is a real-world eCommerce entrepreneur and Coach, a digital business guy who has had more failures than successes. It’s just that his successes far outweigh his failures. He’s the creator of the Jam Jar Course and the eCommerce Masterclass. He also hosts The Ecommerce Podcast. Matt shows aspiring entrepreneurs sure and simple steps to getting a digital business off the ground and seasoned entrepreneurs on how to take their business to the next level. BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS Figure out what your customers really want. Is there enough demand for your product online? Every good eCommerce business starts with a product that people want to buy. Go where your customers are hanging out and connect with them. Get to know people and talk to them to

Do you struggle with how to talk about your small business? If so, you're not alone. This is something many people struggle with. So today, let's discuss how to tell your brand story with confidence. Dr. Michelle works with brilliant business owners who are shaking things up but having trouble talking about it. She combines the tools of successful social movements with the qualitative research skills she earned in her Communications Ph.D., to help them craft their powerful, captivating message. Author of the 3 Word Rebellion, host of the Rebel Uprising podcast, and featured in Fast Company, Entrepreneur and Inc., Dr. Michelle knows that speaking about what you do in a clear and captivating way is the key to reaching the people you can help the most AND making more money in your business. This is part 2 of our Self-Confidence mini-series: Part 1 - Makeup Talk to Show Up as Your Best Beautiful Confident Self Part 2 - What is Your Brand Story? How to Talk about your Small Business with Confidence <--

The truth is - how we feel about how we look matters. It affects how we show up and our confidence. Today's guest is sharing her best makeup and self-confidence tips to help us show up as our best confident selves. Beverly is a professional makeup artist, beauty expert, and educator specializing in beauty and bridal makeup. To her, makeup is not only art but also a way to express oneself creatively, be it showing off your personality or otherwise. She operates her business from a place of love and passion. Empowering women by teaching them - online and in-person - how to enhance their beautiful features and achieve a flawless makeup application. Beverly lives in the UK and is the proud mum of 2 beautiful girls. This is part 2 of our Self-Confidence mini-series: Part 1 - Makeup Talk to Show Up as Your Best Beautiful Confident Self <-- YOU ARE HERE Part 2 - What is Your Brand Story? How to Talk about your Small Business with Confidence BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS Surround yourself with people wh

The challenges of 2020 have brought some overlooked ideas to the forefront. One of those? Online craft shows. Today, we're diving into exactly what you need to know to be successful with virtual shows - because guess what? They're here to stay. Robert has emerged as one of the most sought after virtual event producers working today. With over 30 years of video production expertise, he helps companies pivot to take their event experiences online. For more than three decades, Robert was an award-winning event video journalist. He was inducted into the WEVA Hall of Fame in 2002, received the prestigious Bob LeBar Vision Award, a multi-year International Creative Excellence Award winner and for two years in a row was named to the Event DV 25 who are considered to be the most influential videographers in the field. In 2005 Robert advanced onto the new media landscape with the creation of Wedding Podcast Network which quickly became a leading authority in bridal media. Today, Robert develops and produces strate

How do you choose which sales platform is best for you? What's the difference between Amazon Handmade vs Etsy? Today, we dive into what makes Amazon Handmade different from the other options for selling. Rachel Johnson Greer is a global business strategist who specializes in helping entrepreneurs increase their internet product sales, curate their brand image online, and avoid catastrophic legal threats. After getting her MBA in international business at Seattle University, she spent nearly a decade at Amazon working in product development. Since then, Rachel has founded companies that reached both multi-six figure and multi-seven figure growth in under three years. As a consultant, she supports clients in everything from international product expansion to 4x-ing their sales through online retailers. Rachel has appeared on the Today Show, CNBC, Business Insider, The Wall Street Journal, and Bloomberg. When she’s not working with clients, she’s scaring friends at parties with stories about the most probl

Have you heard of Clubhouse? It's a social networking app that allows you to connect with people you'd never have access to otherwise.  Today's guest is here to give us all the answers about what is Clubhouse and what to expect when you join. Jen Lehner is a business coach and digital marketing and systems strategist. She shows entrepreneurs how to build an audience, monetize their expertise online using social media and digital tools, and how to hire and train their perfect match virtual assistant. Jen creates online courses and trainings and her favorite place to hang out is in her private mastermind, The Front Row VIP. She lives in Shaker Heights, Ohio with her husband, three kids, and two small barking dogs. BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS Go for what you want because you don't have it now, so what do you have to lose? Life is too short to sit anywhere but the front row. What is Clubhouse Clubhouse is a social networking app. It is a drop-in audio chat app - sort of a cross between a podcast, web

I am so excited to make a very special announcement today. This week is dedicated to honoring all handmade product creators. AND, it leads up to the first-ever, formally registered National Bakers Crafters Makers Day! That's right, from now and into the future, every January 21 is officially a recognition day for bakers, crafters, and makers. The Origin of National Bakers Crafters Makers Day This idea came to me back in November. I thought about how you'd scrambled this past year (if you have a business) to have an online presence if you didn’t already – because that was the primary way you could sell given social distancing. And as the holidays drew near, I saw you hustling to promote your products, make and fill order after order, and ensure that all the gifts arrived in time (especially given the crazy delivery delays we had). Even with 2020 being so different, this hustle happens all the time. Because as makers, we give of ourselves, many times to the point of exhaustion (even sacrificing family time)

If you've struggled to build your online audience, today's show is for you. My guest today shares his best tips for how to get Facebook followers for your small business and build an engaged audience of true fans. He is the owner of Artist Marketing Formula, a company that supports artists and other small specialty business owners. David spent years going to art fairs selling his copper and stained glass sculptures. That is, up until a few years ago when he researched how to successfully and consistently sell his work online. He now teaches others how to do the same. David shows them how to utilize the power of the internet and social media marketing to sell online and also set up a sustainable online future. BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS Understand the fan/artist relationship - why people buy, why they collect, why they connect to your personality and come back to you. Connecting with people online provides opportunities to build relationships. Getting brand exposure is valuable. Artisans and speci

Whether you are just starting your business or looking to grow, today's show is perfect for you! Lauren Schwartz shares a ton of pro tips and tricks on how to get attention online using creative advertising - and more! Lauren describes her business as “a small design studio with a knack for simplicity.” With over 15 years of experience, she serves as a creative director and strategist for e-commerce brands. Her profitable ad campaigns have been used by top brands on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Google. Lauren’s mission is to help brands grow by affecting performance throughout a customer’s journey, from prospect acquisition all the way through to post-purchase experiences. BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS Learn creatively what works for you and the passion and hustle will come along with it. It’s about trial and error. Figure out what works for you AND the people you’re selling to. Showing people why they need your product in their lives is a big part of selling online. There are so many places

With so many of us working from home this year and as business owners, it's past time to talk about ergonomics! Today's guest shares professional tips for setting up a home office in a way that will help you stay healthy, strong, and productive. Dr. Joella is a Sports Chiropractor and an Injury Prevention Specialist. She has over 27 years of experience treating people with acute and chronic pain due to soft tissue injuries. She has trained and evaluated hundreds, if not thousands, of people in different industries to create work environments that fit them and keep them injury-free. Now she brings her expertise to the online world and works with home-based businesses and entrepreneurs to turn any area of their home or apartment into a customized ergonomic workspace that allows them to be productive in comfort and create their Joy in Life! BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS Pursue what your heart tells you. Keep your mind plastic - be curious, find new things, think new things, be exposed to new things. Make

Get into the holiday spirit with today's light-hearted episode. Enjoy a reading from a special holiday story by Heidi Swain (revolving around a small-town craft market), who also shares her journey to becoming a best-selling author. Although passionate about writing from an early age, Heidi acquired a degree in literature, flirted briefly with a newspaper career, married, and had two children before she plucked up the courage to join a creative writing class and take her literary ambitions seriously. A lover of vintage paraphernalia and the odd bottle of fizz, she now writes feel-good fiction with heart for Simon and Schuster. Her debut novel, The Cherry Tree Café was published in July 2015 and since then she has had a further ten books published, becoming a Sunday Times Bestseller in 2017. Heidi is currently celebrating the release of her 2020 festive title, The Winter Garden. Listen now to hear Heidi's reading from her holiday story, Mince Pies And Mistletoe At The Christmas Market (in her charming Bri

Modern life offers plenty of distractions, but if we want to move forward, we need to focus. If you struggle with focus, overwhelm, and stress, tune in to today's episode for tips to focus on the things that matter - in your business and in life. As a Life Coach, Shaun educates to increase awareness as well as coaches clients to help uncover obstacles that may be causing overwhelm and stress. Certified through The Life Coach School, and the International ADHD Coach Training Center, she helps clients reduce stress by learning how to better manage their minds. She's driven by the desire to help neurodivergent minds access their brilliance. As a creative serial entrepreneur, she's owned a dance studio, a furniture repurposing business, and created a product TwinkleTies, before becoming a Coach. As an introverted extrovert, she’ll stay home and read or hit the town and boogie down with the best of them. Her favorite ways to spend time are reading and playing board games, or spending time outside with her adul

Looking for tips on how to start a craft business or grow your existing one? Today's guest shares tips learned along her journey from stay at home mom with two kids to a successful small business owner in just two years. In early 2018, Ari Candles began from a desire to create not just a candle but something that will purify and benefit the atmosphere and air quality of your home. The idea was ignited after burning a candle received as a gift and seeing black residue in her kids' noses after burning the candle. That’s when Dasha said, “Never Again!” and began work on creating a candle that would not only be pleasant to burn but also beneficial. Dasha is now the owner and founder of Wellness by Ari. They hand-pour 100% pure beeswax candles combined with aromatherapy essential oils. BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS Check that your business name is unique and available to register before you start creating social accounts, etc., even if you don't actually do the paperwork and legal stuff until later. If possib

Understanding exactly how to sell on Pinterest can be tough- especially with all the changes that keep happening. In today's show, get Catherine's best Pinterest tips and tricks for using Pinterest to sell your handmade products. Catherine is the owner and designer of Classic Legacy Custom Gifts. Her business has always been in her home and through the years, Catherine has employed many women to create and help manage her growing enterprise. The Classic Legacy wholesale line has been shown in major gift showrooms in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Dallas. Major hotels, museums, and luxury retailers discovered Classic Legacy at those markets. After being chosen to design gifts for the New Orleans Tricentennial she added a retail Shopify store to her website. The newest collection includes handmade oyster shell dishes. The blue and white ikat oyster shell dish is currently featured in the Thomas Jefferson Monticello catalog and website. Catherine loves the challenge of learning and designing!  

Ready or not - the holiday season is here! That's why in today's show, Bobbi is sharing holiday social media ideas you can use NOW to help you bring in more sales this season. Bobbi is the President of Think Big Go Local, a digital marketing firm specializing in social media, web design, and messenger bot creation. She’s passionate about sharing her knowledge with businesses that need an edge over their competitors and a solid strategy for capturing the attention of their desired audience. Bobbi delivers actionable tactics that business owners are looking for, to develop and execute effective marketing strategies. In her own authentic style, she illustrates the most effective ways to reach and engage online audiences, providing valuable recommendations on how to convert them into loyal, paying customers. Bobbi’s been published in Huffington Post, Inc. Magazine, the Chicago Tribune, and is a TedX Speaker. BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS Take advantage of new technologies to increase visibility as they become

All over the country small towns and big cities are making new adjustments to manage through what, hopefully, will be the final round of this 2020 lifestyle. The vaccine is on the way and I think we have every reason to be optimistic about a freer future. But addressing the here and now … what do you do for the holidays? You’ve already been making product in preparation for the shows. Or maybe you have an alternate plan in place yet still feel like you need to be doing more to drive sales this season – but what?!? Announcing The At Home Holiday Craft & Gift Show I’ve partnered with Holli and Robert from At Home Events to present the At Home Holiday Craft and Gift Show on December 6th. Boost Holiday Sales This is your golden ticket to holiday sales. And perhaps for you, a replacement for recently canceled in-person shows. It’s your answer to selling all the holiday-themed products you’ve already made. Plus, even if you hadn't planned any holiday shows this year, here’s your chance to do something similar

There is so much conflicting information about email marketing - do this, do that - don't do either of those things! That's why I've got Gabriella here to share email marketing best practices so we can finally get it right - and much more. Gabriella has worked every angle of email marketing, seen the high price of “not knowing” and the struggle that comes with it. So, she works to free us from these struggles. Gabriella has worked at an email service provider, owned an email service provider, and ran an email agency for 10 years – consulting for brands like As Seen On TV, United Online, and Classmates. Based on all this experience, she’s seen that solving problems with simple solutions is how to optimize email for profit. She’s an expert at engagement, open and click rates, and delivery to the inbox. Email Maverick was created because Gabriella is convinced that you’re sitting on a goldmine. You just don’t realize it. BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS For maximum profits, you must know your audience and what

Some days, running a business feels like, well ... work. But we all dream of building a business we love, even when it's hard.  Tune in to hear what my guest did to fall back in love with her business after almost calling it quits. Joyce is the owner of Joyce’s Baskets, a full service Corporate and Personal gifting company that specializes in "Welcome to Florida" gifts for conferences, conventions, and corporate functions or events. The mission at Joyce's Baskets is perfectly captured in their slogan: We Make You Look Good. They have been designing gifts and gift baskets for almost 20 years and are located in bright and sunny Miami, Florida. Joyce is an award-winning designer and a Certified Gift Designer who has been featured in many A-list publications – most recently VoyageMIA magazine in Southern Florida. Putting the needs of their customers FIRST is Joyce’s top priority as they seek to build meaningful relationships that will last forever. BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS Don't just guess - validate if