Hey Julie by Moss Bags

What does it look like to build a creative business that is colorful, handmade, empowering, and completely true to who you are? In this episode, I’m joined by Tori King, the artist, maker, and owner behind Tori Tornado - a bold paper goods and gift brand based in Skagit Valley that inspires what Tori calls “badassery.” Her work is bright, funny, honest, and often a little sweary, but behind every...

Marisa Papetti, founder of Marie’s Bees, didn’t set out to build a large product-based business. What started with honey, beekeeping, family, and caregiving slowly grew into a thriving Pacific Northwest brand with wholesale accounts, farmers markets, in-person events, cooking classes, employees, and a full production setup. In this episode, Marisa shares the real story behind Marie’s Bees - from c...

You started growing your email list… now what? In this episode, I’m talking about the next step after list-building: setting up email automations that help your business keep working even when you’re not manually sending every single email. Because your email list shouldn’t just sit there waiting for you to remember to send a newsletter. With the right automations in place, your email can welcome...

Have you ever been told, “You need to grow your email list,” and immediately thought, “Okay… but how?” In this episode, Julie shares why one of the smartest things you can do for your small business is start growing your email list before you feel fully ready - not when your website is perfect, not when your product line is huge, and not when you have a complete email strategy mapped out. You’ll h...

In this episode of Hey Julie by Moss Bags , I’m joined by Jessi McNeal of Jessi McNeal Marketing + Bookkeeping . Jessi started as a maker, artist, singer, and songwriter before evolving into marketing and bookkeeping support for other small businesses. Today, she helps product-based business owners with websites, email marketing, wholesale pitching, bookkeeping, and the behind-the-scenes systems t...

Today I’m chatting with artist and muralist Darcie Gray , the creative behind RANGE | Art by Darcie Gray . Darcie’s work is immediately recognizable: natural landscapes, a limited palette of blue, green, black, and white, and this beautiful balance of calm and energy that feels so connected to nature. In this conversation, we talk about what keeps her creating - how she stays motivated, builds mom...

If you’ve ever pieced together your business across Etsy, Squarespace, in-person sales, email, and wholesale inquiries, this episode is for you. This week, I’m sharing why I outgrew the platforms that helped me get started, how Shopify became the home base for my business, and what I think every product-based business owner should consider when building an online store that actually supports growt...

In this episode, I’m sitting down with Mary Morris Solomon, the artist and storyteller behind MaryGold Tales, to talk about her path from secret childhood art to building a creative business filled with small-batch stationery, illustrations, paintings, and live event portraits. Mary shares what it looked like to leave behind a career that no longer felt aligned, start creating during a season of m...

Helen didn’t plan to rebuild her business because of a trademark issue - but that’s exactly what happened. In this episode, I’m sitting down with Helen Worthington, the designer and maker behind Three in Kind, to talk about her journey from U.S. Navy jet pilot to creative small business owner. Helen first built CAVU Creations, a brand deeply connected to her aviation background and love of making,...

In this episode of Hey Julie by Moss Bags , Julie sits down with R hiannon Troutman , owner of Fringe Boutique in Bellingham, Washington, for a behind-the-scenes conversation about the maker and retailer relationship. Rhiannon shares how Fringe began from her lifelong love of styling, curating, and small business retail, and how she has intentionally created space for local makers from the very be...

In this episode of Hey Julie by Moss Bags, Julie sits down with Teresa Remple, textile artist and founder of Texture Clothing - a brand she officially launched in 2001 after years of selling at festivals and markets. Teresa shares what it looked like to build a clothing business through farmers markets, wholesale, festivals, and even a brick-and-mortar shop, and how that journey has evolved into t...

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Nicole of Headwaters Farm for a conversation about family legacy, flower farming, motherhood, and building a business season by season. Nicole shares how growing up around her dad’s flower shop shaped her love of flowers, what the early years of building her farm business looked like, and how she found her way through pop-ups, wholesale, and community collaboratio...

If you’re getting ready for your first market, event or pop-up, there are so many little things no one really tells you until you learn them the hard way. Not just what to pack, but how to set up a booth that actually works. How to make it easy for people to shop. How to think beyond the sales you make that day. And how to prepare for all the little things that can go wrong - from weather to payme...

Marijo Martini didn’t build her business overnight - in fact, it took decades. In this episode, I’m sitting down with the founder of Martini Metal Craft and Martini Mercantile to talk about what it really looks like to build something meaningful over time. From making jewelry while working multiple jobs, and navigating burnout, to finally taking the leap into her own brick-and-mortar shop - Marijo...

In this very first episode of Hey Julie by Moss Bags , I’m taking you behind the scenes of how my business began - and what 13 years of building a handmade product-based business has really looked like. From buying my first sewing machine at 10:30 PM and teaching myself how to sew… to navigating the highs, the hard seasons, and everything in between - this is the story of Moss Bags. In this episod...

In this very first interview on Hey Julie by Moss Bags , Julie sits down with Kira Rainy, founder of Cascadia Jewelry - a brand known for its handcrafted, everyday pieces, including her signature hammered earrings. Kira shares how her business began with a simple metals class and evolved into a full-time career rooted in markets, community, and doing things her own way. From the early days of sell...

If you’ve ever felt like you constantly need to create new products to grow your business, this episode is for you. In this episode of Hey Julie by Moss Bags , Julie shares one of the biggest shifts that changed her business after more than a decade - focusing on bestsellers instead of constantly launching something new. From real-life market experiences to building product ecosystems, this episod...

Welcome to Hey Julie by Moss Bags - a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to build a small business that lasts. Hosted by Julie, founder of Moss Bags since 2013, this podcast shares honest stories, practical systems, and sustainable growth strategies for makers, handmade sellers, and product-based small business owners. From Shopify and Etsy to wholesale, markets, and marketing systems,...