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

It's a struggle to make sure my businesses don't overtake my life. Can you relate? Finding tools or apps that help streamline projects has been the solution to providing me newfound time and balance. While I have many, these are the top 8 I use every single day. Tune in to hear how they are applied to projects and work with each other to bring even more efficiency to my days. Google Mail | Canva | Lastpass | Carbonite | Dropbox | SmarterQueue | Podcast App | Braintoss Here's where you can see all the recommended Tools and Apps I use in my business. 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 Conten

We all know keeping up with social media can be exhausting. But today's guest shares fresh insights on how to challenge social media best practices in order to create a sustainable social media strategy. Katie is the founder of KW Content, a content and social media marketing agency that develops and launches content and social media programs for purpose-driven brands. Strong Brand Social is the newest project that empowers small brands to develop their own high-performing marketing programs that are guaranteed to drive growth. Katie’s goal is to demystify the art of social media marketing to offer focus, efficiency, and measurable results to small business owners, brand directors, and social media marketers. Challenge Social Media Best Practices With social media, change is constant. Focus instead on what doesn't change. Put your customer at the center of your story and tell the right brand stories that they really want to hear. Tie your content and social media publishing schedule to your business

Getting people to come over to your website is one thing. But that's only the first step. Once they're on your site, how do you keep them there and direct them to the ultimate goal ... making a purchase? Here are 7 Barriers that may be lurking on your website preventing a sale from taking place. Most likely you aren't even aware of them and they can be corrected relatively easily. So let's fix your website and get sales coming in! 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 ma

We've all heard to "do what you love," but how does that work, exactly? Today's guest shares her story of how to follow your passion and succeed. Shelley is the author of Move the Needle, Yarns from an Unlikely Entrepreneur. This book has a singular goal: to inspire you to believe that you can pursue your passion and stick to it, even in the face of adversity. The book traces Shelley’s journey from leaving the successful advertising firm she founded with her husband to open a local yarn store. Along the way, Shelley shares stories from her life to show that you can pursue your life's passions - both personal and professional - no matter how quirky or impossible they may seem to everyone around you. Shelley’s Tulsa, Oklahoma-based luxury boutique storefront is the flagship of the Knit Stars/Loops brand. It's also where she hosts her Knit Stars MasterMasterclass Events - the most-attended online knitting festival in the world. How to Follow Your Passion and Succeed Pursue your life's passions. Have real

Customer testimonials can be the deciding factor that prompts someone to make the decision to buy. The fact that Amazon uses this strategy tells you it works. But getting people to give a testimonial is difficult ... for the buyer and the seller. Here are 3 easy ways to start capturing reviews and then how to use them to your advantage. The resource mentioned in this episode is Repuso 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 inspir

How can you stand out from all the other businesses that do something similar? Today we're talking about nurturing customer relationships and how it can set you apart in the minds of your existing and potential customers. Handwrytten provides scalable robotic solutions that write your notes in pen and changes the way brands and people connect. Prior to Handwrytten, David founded Cellit, a leading mobile marketing platform servicing clients such as Abercrombie and Fitch and Walmart. Both Handwrytten and Cellit were on Inc. Magazine’s 500 list of fastest-growing companies. Today, David speaks on marketing technology, has been featured in the Washington Post and Wall Street Journal, and is a contributor to Inc. Magazine. BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS If you want to start a company, now is the time. Have confidence that you’ll be able to figure things out. Don’t give up right away. In the game of entrepreneurship, you only lose when you leave the field. Nurturing Customer Relationships With all the di

By keeping your business too close to your chest, you're limiting your ability to attract new customers, get new sales and expand your product line. Plus, it puts you in a position of management through paranoia. NOT a good feeling ever! I explain in today's show why this is not a good way to run your business and the only time it actually makes sense. Yes, there's always one exception to the rule. But OMG - once you truly get this, it's so freeing! 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

Are you afraid to make videos for your business? If so, you're not alone. The whole idea makes so many of us squirm! Today's guest shares exactly how to be comfortable on camera so you can reap the benefits of video in your biz. Holly helps high-performing leading ladies save time on both sides of the camera by teaching them the skills they need to create not just video but Business Cinema™. And she knows what she’s talking about having worked on projects for the Sundance Channel, HBO, Sony Music, and Nick.com. She’s also been a camera operator, video producer, and editor. I think we’ve got the right gal! Holly creates videos with a plan, purpose, system, and strategy. Videos that move your business forward and have a bigger purpose. How To Be Comfortable On Camera Push past your fears and barriers. Love the creativity that videos allow you to have. If you're just uncomfortable in front of the camera, dig into that a little bit deeper and find out what your real fear is.  There's fear of being visibl

Running your own business doesn't mean you can't enjoy all life has to offer. And part of that is taking time away for yourself, your family and your customers. Relaxing breaks away are rejuevenating and even allow for renewed creativity and excitement for your business. Here's how to do this without losing customers and sales. 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 communit

Sue started her craft 26 years ago due to a laundry error. Yes, you heard me right - a laundry error that reduced Sue's beloved sweaters to a pile of carnage. And since then, she's learned so many lessons in business as she found her own way. What would have brought most to tears, became a lightbulb moment for Sue. Blending her graphic design with her sewing skills, she refashioned the sweaters into new wearables and launched Baabaazuzu. The brand has grown to include hats, mittens, scarves, bags, and more for women and men, all made from post-consumer woolens. The past 25+ years have been a whirlwind of growth, excitement, challenges, and brilliant ideas that have tested her patience, as well as rewarded my efforts. Sue says she’s grateful for the learning curves that are part of the journey as an artist and entrepreneur. LESSONS IN BUSINESS Know if there’s a market for your product. Stay open to changes in how and where you do business based on where the market and opportunities are. Be available

Have those weeks where you're super busy but all that time and effort you put in doesn't transfer over to sales? True results come down to doing the right things to move the needle - not just lots of activity. Follow my 6 Step SCRIPT Method to identify what single goal you should focus on each week. One thing, the right thing, focused on each week will bring immediate progress and huge results over the course of a year. 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

Over the course of my business journey, I've learned the power of mindset. Get it right and you can conquer the world. But our own minds can also stop us in our tracks. Today's guest shares how to get unstuck by working through the mindset blocks that hold us back. Becca is on a mission to help people break out of the cycles of uncertainty and struggle that hold them back. She helps women who are going back and forth with the big, seemingly endless question of what to do next. They can stop going around in circles and finally figure out what they truly want and create the clarity and momentum they crave. Too many people find themselves stuck and unsure of their direction. Through her Clarity Journal and journaling prompts, Becca helps people become more honest with themselves. This moves them forward gently and empowers them to embrace their strengths while letting go of any negative self-talk that has held them back in the past. BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS What's really necessary is to realize you are s

The word brand gets used very freely these days. Do you know what it actually means? Or what's truly included in your "brand?" You should. Because if you aren't doing this right, you may be putting up obstacles unconsciously that are driving people away! 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 of handmade product makers Gift Biz Breeze is an active and inspiring gro

Do you have more than one income stream in your business? Multiple streams of income are how we avoid the "feast or famine" cycle and create stable revenue for our business. Today, we're diving into using Affiliate marketing to create additional income streams for your handmade business. Rick has been in affiliate marketing for nearly a decade, primarily managing affiliate programs for brands. But he’s been an affiliate too, so he has a unique position with insight on both sides. He knows what it takes to get started in affiliate marketing and promote other people's products and services. Rick is joining us today to talk about how affiliate marketing could fit into your overall income strategy being a handmade product maker. BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS Prioritize what really makes a difference in your business and focus on that. Make sure your product is validated and dialed in before you start working on less important things (like the perfect logo). How to Create Additional Income Streams With Affil

It's time to answer the questions. Should you have a Facebook Business Page? What about Facebook Groups? Today we cover how these are different, the pros and cons of each and what my recommendation is for your handmade product business. I believe when we're done, your answers will be clear! 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 of handmade product makers Gift Biz

As a product business, you may think you don't need to bother with a blog. But there are a ton of benefits of blogging for business - and we're diving into this topic today. Kate is a recovering workaholic perfectionist who values relationships and wellness as much as strategy. She’s been a writer her entire life and for the past 11 years has made a living from her words…following her passions and interests first and always. She’s an old soul who loves to read, cook, listen to old music, do crossword puzzles, and sit with her friends and family in the beautiful outdoors surrounded by good food and drink. Kate empowers women with actionable advice and inspirational content to turn their purpose into profits with an online business that reclaims their joy, power, and freedom without sacrificing their health, self-care, relationships and family, sanity, and spirituality. BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS Remember you have a life to enjoy - not just a business to run. Slow down. Be present. Create diverse revenu

Luck isn't as random as it might seem. You see people who appear to easily achieve succcess every step of the way. Let's talk about why this happens and what you can do to attract the same lucky streak. 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 of handmade product makers Gift Biz Breeze is an active and inspiring group of creators at all levels of business development.

Niche, niche, niche! Everyone says to choose a niche. But how to find a profitable niche that works for your business? Today's guest shows us how. Gail is an artisan specializing in hand-crafted, personalized gifts. She works mostly with businesses that use gift-giving as part of their client retention program. Realtors, mortgage brokers, insurance agents, financial advisors, CPAs, and business/life coaches are her best clients. Gail got started in the gift business at age 10 when she made customized mice finger puppets for a local consignment shop. Fast forward after a career in high-tech to 13 years ago when she started making glass and sterling jewelry. That led to personalized jewelry which eventually led to her current gift business. She says that when she left her high-tech executive position 4 years ago, she didn’t look back. And it was a great move because she’s having a blast today! BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS Take those next steps. Keep figuring out what the next thing is because eventually, it

"What website platform should I use to create my website?" If this is your question, I suggest you ask a different one because all website platforms are not the same. In this episode I break down the three platform categories to help you narrow in on which one is right for you based on the results you're after. Yes - I know your goal on a website is to get sales. But here too, there are different types of sales to go after - doesn't make sense? Listen in - it will! 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

Have you been wondering if Pinterest is really worth your time and effort? Today's guest shares all her Pinterest best practices so you can finally capture the power of Pinterest for your product business. As a Pinterest Strategist, Laura helps high-performing business owners & content creators implement content growth plans, outsource their visibility, and steadily grow their monthly revenue. All without tantrums over tech and trading sleep for success. She describes herself as a quirky, spunky, social butterfly who values open, honest relationships in every area of her life. She’s also the mother of two boys who are the center of everything. BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS Don't focus on the competition or feeling judged. Let your own personality shine. Stay true to the audience coming to you. Keep your eyes focused on them rather than what your competition is doing. Pinterest Best Practices Pinterest should be considered a search feed platform like Google and YouTube. It is not a social media pla