Make Good Things Happen

In the season finale, Angela and Renée unpack the inaugural Ballarat Craft and Design Week and the collaborative exhibition "Bound". With questions from Renée, Angela reflects on her role delivering the professional development program for the exhibiting artists, the challenges and rewards of creative collaboration, and the incredible installations created for the Mining Exchange. Our ladies also...

In this special episode, Angela and Renée unpack Fashion Revolution Week and the global movement calling for greater transparency, ethics, and accountability in the fashion industry. Founded in response to the Rana Plaza factory collapse in 2013, Fashion Revolution Week asks a simple but powerful question: who made your clothes? From fast fashion’s hidden costs to the principles of slow fashion, t...

In this episode of Make Good Things Happen, Angela and Renée unpack a new type of scam that is starting to impact small businesses, where artificial intelligence is used to generate fake “evidence” for refund claims. They also explore what makers should look for when applying to markets and events, especially as new event opportunities emerge, and not all of them are created with stallholders in m...

In this episode of Make Good Things Happen, Angela and Renée dive into one of the most challenging parts of running a creative business: pricing . As costs continue to rise and new changes impact small businesses, they explore what it really takes to price your work sustainably. How do you set prices on your handmade products without turning your business into an expensive hobby? From recent chang...

In this episode of Make Good Things Happen, Angela and Renée dive into the latest Australia Post eCommerce Report and unpack what it reveals about how people are shopping online right now. From smaller basket sizes to rising purchase frequency, they explore the shifting behaviours shaping customer decisions. CW: This episode includes discussion of CSA as it relates to social media use What happens...

In this episode of Make Good Things Happen, Angela and Renée unpack a shift in online retail that’s changing how makers approach e-commerce: the decline of free returns. If “free” was never really free, what does that mean for your business? Starting with a recent article on retailers moving away from free returns, our gals explore what’s driving the change and why customers are increasingly valui...

In this episode of Make Good Things Happen, Angela and Renée return to their regular format with a fresh educational segment designed to support makers navigating a challenging business climate. How can small changes to your digital presence make the difference between being discovered or overlooked? Drawing on insights from Angela’s recent Ballarat Craft and Design Week practitioner workshop, the...

In this episode of Make Good Things Happen, Angela and Renée return for the first episode of Season Three with an honest conversation about where they are right now as business partners, podcast hosts and humans navigating the realities of running a creative business. How do you keep going when the path forward isn’t entirely clear? After nearly ten years in business together, Angela and Renée ref...

In the season 2 final of Make Good Things Happen, Angela and Renée take a pause from their usual format to do what they so often encourage makers to do: reflect on the past year and properly acknowledge what’s been achieved along the way. As the Season Two finale, this episode is about slowing down, taking stock, and recognising progress that can easily be overlooked when you’re always focused on...

In this episode of Make Good Things Happen, Angela and Renée reflect on shifts and trends shaping maker businesses, from changes in social media to the evolving realities of showing up online. As platforms shift, they explore what this means for makers navigating community and sustainable growth. When changes happen, how do makers adapt without losing connection in the process? From Australia’s un...

In this episode of Make Good Things Happen, Angela and Renée dive into a digital-age cautionary tale that no maker wants to wake up to, and unpack what it says about risk, trust and the shaky systems small businesses rely on. How can one hacked-ads nightmare reveal so much about the fragility of modern digital tools? From Bea Bellingham’s overnight Google Ads disaster to the $96.5 million BOM webs...

In this episode of Make Good Things Happen, Angela and Renée dig into the sting of being “Black Friday’d,” and unpack what it says about trust, loyalty and modern marketing. How can one messy discount experience reveal so much about customer confidence? From the sudden discount drop that left them “Black Friday’d” to the rise of overly personal SMS marketing, our ladies discuss what this shopping...

In this episode of Make Good Things Happen, Angela and Renée dig into the coloured sand asbestos recall, unpack what it says about supply chains and consumer trust and remind us why buying from makers matters more than ever. How can a tiny recall story reveal so much about our supply chains and safety standards? From the coloured sand asbestos recall to the realities of supply-chain blind spots, o...

In this bonus episode of Make Good Things Happen, London-based artist Morag Myerscough joins Angela D’Alton to talk colour, community and Chasing Sunbeams, her large-scale installation for Sunnyside , showing inside the Ballarat Mining Exchange this November.. Together they discuss the magic of co-creation, the joy of collaboration, and the power of art to create belonging. Morag shares insights f...

In this episode of Make Good Things Happen, Angela and Renée unpack how customer-service fails (and wins) show why feedback is the best gift a small business can receive. Make Good Things Happen, The Podcast, is a uniquely Australian podcast discussion between two best friends, both of whom have been working together amongst makers in business for almost 20 years. Are you treating feedback like a...

Angela D’Alton and Renée Baker chat postage pauses, why clicks don’t always mean customers, and share quick tips to get makers ready for market and Christmas season, plus a dose of good news and what they’re watching. Make Good Things Happen, The Podcast, is a uniquely Australian podcast discussion between two best friends, both of whom have been working together amongst makers in business for alm...

Angela D’Alton and Renée Baker are back, and what an awesome online shopping tale to share! Plus, discussion about how makers build trust in a world of ads and ghost sites: quality, story, returns and care. Make Good Things Happen, The Podcast, is a uniquely Australian podcast discussion between two best friends, both of whom have been working together amongst makers in business for almost 20 year...

BONUS: Craft Lab 2025 – A Curator’s Perspective with Angela D’Alton - Event Breakdown special In part 3 and the final bonus episode in this special Event Breakdown series on Craft Lab 2025, we zoom in on The Great Takeaway; a curated dinner like no other, where every detail is handmade and every guest takes home more than just memories. Angela shares the behind-the-scenes magic of commissioning 60...

BONUS: Craft Lab 2025 – A Curator’s Perspective with Angela D’Alton - Event Breakdown special In part 2 of this special Event Breakdown bonus episode series of Make Good Things Happen , Renée and Angela take a deep dive into the exhibition component of Craft Lab 2025, curated by Angela. From plinth shapes and colour theory to lighting magic and the emotional journey of community connection, Angela...

BONUS: Craft Lab 2025 – A Curator’s Perspective with Angela D’Alton - Event Breakdown special In this special bonus episode, Angela D'Alton and Renée Baker take us behind the scenes of Craft Lab 2025 , an ambitious sector development program led by the City of Ballarat. Angela, who serves as the curator, shares the story of how this project supports regional craft practitioners through professiona...

In the XL Season Finale, our ladies talk cost per wear, innovative fabrics, AI dolls and making good things like exhibitions happen . Gruen LITE - Collective Closets' value proposition of cost per wear marketing angle for their collection of sustainable and ethical fashion; Making Headlines - Innovations in eco-fabrics by Stella McCartney, the return of lowercase lettering for Gen Z and the AI dol...

Angela and Renee dig up some dirt on their past projects with a ripper Making History segment, and a dive into the data from PayPal's ecommerce report. From Scroll to Cart - PayPal's Ecommerce Index for 2025, the key findings and how they affect your choices as a maker in business; Making Good Things Happen - Grandmacore and cosy pursuits, why they've always been a part of Renee's life; Making His...

Angela has had a whirlwind of blissful online shopping with a medical issue that allows her to catch up on Netflix. Renee is chuffed with some client-based news of their brick-and-mortar expansion and reminds us about the benefits of deadlines. From Scroll To Cart - Angela's end to end joyful customer experience with Castle; Making News - Australian Design Centre announces Sydney Craft Week for 20...

TW: Please note this episode discusses the sensitive topic of miscarriage Angela and Renee seem to be obsessed with returns policies, but get on with some sensitive topics and enchanting stories. Shit Customer Service - In a climate crisis, why is it acceptable practice to throw returned items in the bin?; Making Good Things Happen - Rachel Burke's "Thanks For Nothing" exhibition and it's emotiona...

Make Good Things Happen Angela and Renee get into some nitty gritty in S1E6 of Make Good Things Happen. This Week I... starting on the segment they usually end on but Renee was so keen she had to talk about Netflix's Apple Cider Vinegar; From Scroll To Cart... an extended segment on returns policies, potties, uber eats and what happens when you eat someone else's nachos (spoiler alert: nothing); M...