The Create & Thrive Podcast

Rebecca Haas has been an independent jeweller for over 20 years. She has a small jewelry design studio based in idyllic Southern Vermont. Each unique piece is handcrafted with skill and care by  Rebecca  in her hilltop studio from ethically sourced metals. Rebecca  makes simple, nature inspired jewelry with bold yet delicate lines. Her work is designed to fit seamlessly into your life, and skillfu...

What happens when your business evolves? This is a central theme of my interview with Chereen – formerly of Smeeny Beanie Knits, now Smeeny Made Wild. We discuss her beginnings – from making a few beanies to sell at a local store – to now having a full-time business with multiple sales channels, product categories, and marketing strategies. Chereen sells on Etsy, her own website,...

If you’re moving from employment to self-employment, there are some essential money management practices that you need to be aware of right from the get-go. Today I’m going to share a few crucial steps you need to take to ensure you’re setting yourself up for long-term financial success and security as a creative business owner. I’ve been 100% self-employed since 2010, and...

Welcome to 2024! If you’re ready to have your best year in business yet, you might like to join me for the Handmade Business Boot Camp – starting January 8th! In the Boot Camp, you’ll find clarity, focus, and a make rock-solid plan that will move your business forward! Find out more or sign up now here. In this video & podcast, I’m getting you ready for a new year by re...

There are 2 types of handmade products you can sell.  Reproducible and one-of-a-kind (OOAK). Reproducible products are where you make a prototype, and then basically copy it over and over again (this is what I do in my jewellery shop, Epheriell.com ). OOAK products are actually unique – you only ever make one that looks like it does, and it can’t be reproduced. I generally encourage my...

You may be wondering if you should start or continue your business on Etsy in 2024. Today I’m outlining pros and cons when it comes to selling handmade items on Etsy, and I’ll give you my thoughts on whether it’s worth it in 2024. Download your FREE Etsy Quick-Start Guide here. You can listen to the podcast below, or on your fave podcast app – or you can watch it on YouTube...

✨ Get 30 Reel Ideas for Makers! FREE Download .   Makers – do you struggle to come up with ideas for Instagram Reels? Reels are one of the best ways to grow and get seen on Instagram, but it can be exhausting to come up with new ideas for Reels. This week I’m going to share 7 ideas specifically for handmade business owners – all of which you can use without showing yo...

Starting and running a handmade business can be challenging – there is so much to learn and so many balls you have to keep in the air in order to grow your business. Today I’m sharing some common mistakes I’ve seen people make with their handmade businesses in the hope that you can avoid them! You can listen to the podcast below, or on your fave podcast app – or you can wat...

If you’ve opened an Etsy shop but are still waiting on your first sale, this is for you! Today, I’ll be sharing 5 steps you need to take in order to get your first sale on the Etsy platform. You can listen to the podcast below, or on your fave podcast app – or you can watch it on YouTube! Watch on YouTube… Support the show You can make a secure donation (of the amount of yo...

Product photos are KEY to success on Etsy!   Today I want to share my top tips to help you take the best photos you can, so you can stand out from the crowd and get customers clicking on YOUR products! Avoid the common mistakes that most beginner handmade business owners make with their photography… You can listen to the podcast below, or on your fave podcast app – or you can watc...

Ever wondered about selling printables or other digital products on Etsy? Today I talk to printables expert Cody Berman, and he gives you the crucial details that will teach you how to use Canva to create printables that will SELL on Etsy! Cody is a digital nomad who quit his corporate job to pursue entrepreneurship full-time. He started selling digital products in 2018 and became hooked after ear...

Oh boy, when I started on Etsy, I had NO idea what I was doing. So I made aaaaaalllll the mistakes. Terrible photos. Short, useless titles. Underpricing. And so much more. Today, I want to share the main mistakes I made when I started to help you avoid doing the same things with your shop! And, if you’re ready to sell your handmade goods online, but you need help getting started, I hope you...

You may have heard people say things like…   “Etsy is oversaturated, I’ll never get seen.” “Etsy is full of resellers now, I can’t compete.” “Etsy doesn’t care about its sellers.” “Etsy is horrible for reasons a, b, c, d…” And so on. Basically – there’s a lot of chatter about whether Etsy is still worth...

If you’re not 100% clear about the future of your business, don’t miss today’s episode! My guest is Katie Hunt, and she’s going to share how you can take the temperature of your business by focussing on 4 key areas: Time Money Heart Impact Katie is the founder of Proof to Product , a podcast host , business strategist and community builder for product-based business owners....

Today is an in-depth interview with my friend Jessica Rose of Jeweller’s Academy . She’s just released a wonderful book – ‘ Start & Grow a Profitable Jewellery Business ‘ – and today, she’s sharing her top 5 tips for INCREASING your profit margin in your jewellery biz! Even if you have a handmade business in another niche, most of what we share today w...

I have been selling on Etsy on 2008 ( here’s my shop ) – but if I was starting a new shop TODAY, this is the exact system I would follow. I have an 8-step system for you to follow to start an Etsy shop from scratch and ensure you set yourself up to GROW your shop this year! You can listen to the podcast below, or on your fave podcast app – or you can watch it on YouTube! Watch on...

I started my handmade business in 2008, and have been fully self-employed since 2010. Today I’m sharing 10 truths about what it takes to run a handmade business. You can listen to the podcast below, or on your fave podcast app – or you can watch it on YouTube! Watch on YouTube… Support the show You can make a secure donation (of the amount of your choice) via the Paypal button be...

If you want to start a business on Etsy, there are 6 fundamental things you need to get right in order to succeed. 💡 MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE 👉 Your Year to Thrive Course 👉 Thriver Circle workshops 👉 Etsy U Branding Workshop 👉 How to Take Better Product Photos with your Phone 👉 ETSY SEO SECRETS – Search Explained 👉 A Basic Pricing Form...

There are some quick and easy things you can do to increase your chances of making amazing, viral Instagram Reels. In this podcast and video, I share 6 tips (PLUS one bonus marketing idea you’ve probably never thought of before!). ALSO! If you’re a member of the Thriver Circle – we’re having a Reels Challenge in the Circle starting December 5th! For 7 days, we’re goin...

This is a podcast prompted by a recent email from a Thriver, who wondered whether someone they knew was breaking the rules by reselling on Etsy. Turns out – the person probably wasn’t, and I explain why today. Get your FREE Etsy Resources 🌟 Etsy Keyword Planner 🌟 Etsy Quick-Start Guide 🌟 Etsy SEO Cheat Sheet You can listen to this podcast below, or on your fave...

There are some simple tweaks you can make to your online handmade shop to get more sales this Christmas season! In today’s video & podcast I outline 5 such changes you can make – let me know in the comments if you try any of them out! Get your FREE Etsy Resources 🌟 Etsy Keyword Planner 🌟 Etsy Quick-Start Guide 🌟 Etsy SEO Cheat Sheet You can listen to this po...

There is a lot to understand about the Etsy search algorithm… ….BUT you can simplify things a lot by asking the one simple question I outline in today’s podcast/video. Start with the basics, and you’ll be leagues ahead of many other people straight away! Get your FREE Etsy Resources 🌟 Etsy Keyword Planner 🌟 Etsy Quick-Start Guide 🌟 Etsy SEO Cheat She...

I’ve been selling on Etsy since 2008, and self-employed full-time since 2010. I’ve been teaching other makers how to succeed with an online handmade biz since 2012, and today, I’m sharing 10 top tips for crafting a stellar Etsy shop! Want to finally SET UP SHOP online? My 30-day course that will teach you a system to successfully set up your online handmade store – on Etsy...

If you find yourself trying over and over to start a handmade business, but never quite getting it off the ground, you might be making one of 5 HUGE mistakes! Want to finally SET UP SHOP online? My 30-day course that will teach you a system to successfully set up your online handmade store – on Etsy or elsewhere! Find out more here . Get your FREE Etsy Resources 🌟 Etsy Keyword Planne...

New for 2022 – Etsy is introducing the Purchase Protection Program! What is it? Will you be eligible (it’s tricky). How many times can you use it? How will it work? Let’s dive in… Get your FREE Etsy Resources 🌟 Etsy Keyword Planner 🌟 Etsy Quick-Start Guide 🌟 Etsy SEO Cheat Sheet You can listen to this podcast below, or on your fave podcast app &#8211...