The Create & Thrive Podcast

It’s time for a change. Since I started my handmade business, Epheriell, in 2008, the world has changed so much. I have changed so much. In 2008 I was a 27 year old tuition centre manager, living with my English boyfriend in the Brisbane suburbs, and I started making jewellery in my spare time to fulfil a creative urge I had neglected for years. When I started Epheriell as a hobby business,...

As of August 29th, 2025, the de minimus tariff exemption ends for EVERYONE. This will affect both product-based businesses shipping TO the US, and product-based business IN the US who buy materials from outside of the country. And that’s not even the worst part – because your customers might end up paying WAY MORE than just the tariff fee for the next 6 months. You can listen to the po...

There are 2 business models you might be using for your handmade business. 1. You make products that people want to come back for over and over again. 2. You make products that people will most likely only buy once (or maybe once or twice). Which one are you – and are you using the right marketing channels for your business model? Today I’ll outline the difference between these two mod...

In early January, I decided to start writing Morning Pages. This is a practice taught and made famous by Julia Cameron in her classic self-help book The Artist’s Way. Written in 1992, The Artist’s Way (TAW) is actually the written version of a creativity course that Julia developed and taught – and has become a well-known book in creative circles. I have avoided TAW for many years, because I...

When I started selling my handmade jewellery online in 2008, it was so easy. You could ship pretty much anywhere, for just a few dollars, and the world was my oyster! Globalisation was the theme of the time, and the internet was still in its flush of 2.0 growth – the world of online business was only just beginning to pick up momentum, and anything felt possible. Things have changed. Over th...

So I can’t remember how many times I have mentioned this Etsy hack to my students over the years – but this week I realised I had never shared it on the YouTube channel or podcast! Today I’m explaining a very simple trick you can use to multiply your Etsy search traffic – without creating any new products. This hack will work for you if you make any products that feature va...

Have you ever considered selling both digital and physical products? Today’s guest – Emily Sheehan of Woolly Bear Knits – is doing exactly that. She is a knitter and knitting pattern designer who started her business in 2019. At Woolly Bear Knits, you’ll find cozy, modern knit accessories all hand-knit with ethically-sourced yarn to keep you warm on all your everyday advent...

Etsy fees SAVE me money. No, I’m not kidding! I see so many people on social media complaining about Etsy fees, and perpetuating this myth that ‘Etsy fees are SO expensive’. Well, I disagree. And today, I’m explaining how Etsy fees actually SAVE me – both money and time. And why I’m HAPPY to pay them. You may disagree, but I encourage you to hear me out, because...

I see this question pop up regularly – ‘how do I get more of my customers to leave reviews’? And of course, when we say we want more reviews, what we REALLY want is more 5-star reviews, right? This week I’ve shared my own personal secret weapon (plus a few other important strategies I use) to get a ton of 5-star reviews from my jewellery business customers. It’s a sim...

On the 26th of January, 2015, I started the Thriver Circle. I saw a desperate need amongst the maker community for a supportive, educational space where we could gather together and learn what it took to make our handmade businesses a success! Fast-forward to today – and in just 2 day’s time, the Thriver Circle will celebrate it’s 10th birthday! Over the last 10 years, over 2,000...

Today I’m discussing a metric that we all look at and use, but ultimately tells us NOTHING about how successful (or not) a business is. We often use this number as a proxy for success – but it really tells us very little about how much profit a business is making – which is the more accurate financial metric of success. Although, it’s not the only metric that matters, and I...

Thinking of starting a new handmade business, or looking for new products to make? To kick off 2025, I decided to do a fun episode outlining 25 trending handmade products that you can make in 2025 – for less than $100! If you want to start your own craft business this year, but you’re not sure what you want to make and sell, then today’s episode might just give you the idea that...

So Etsy’s put a payment reserve on your account?  Or maybe they haven’t, but you’ve heard horror stories about it, and want to avoid it happening to you? Yep, it happened to me, too (and I’ve been selling there since 2008)! I worked out why it happened to me – and how to stop it happening again – and in this video, I outline why it might have happened to you, an...

Is Etsy a good place to start a business in 2025 – or is it a waste of time? This week on the show, I’ll lay out the pros and cons of starting a shop on Etsy in 2025 to help you decide if it’s the right choice for you. 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 se...

Etsy’s D omestic & Global pricing is broken. If you are an Etsy seller outside of the USA, you NEED to know about this ongoing Etsy issue. I am far from the only person who this has happened to – so today I want to amplify this issue. Long story short – they have been charging my international customers domestic prices. And it’s been costing me (and many others!) money....

Have you ever dreamed of selling your handmade creations at the top craft markets/shows/fairs in your country? Today, I’m chatting with Mona from River Timber Designs, who has built her business up by doing just that! After starting on the local artisan market circuit, she has focussed on getting her work into the big (and profitable!) markets around Australia – and today she talks abo...

Thinking about selling your handmade products via wholesale? In this video and podcast episode, I’ll guide you through 8 steps to follow in order to get your handmade creations stocked in brick & mortar retail shops and boutiques! If you need more help, and you’re ready to dive into the world of wholesale, don’t miss our W holesale Know-How course ! AND, if you just want to d...

“Choose Your Hard.” I love this quote to live by shared by our guest on the show today – Laurel Taylor. Laurel and I have a wide-ranging discussion in this episode, where she shares her journey from learning to knit as an aid to focus, to starting and growing her business – Alabaster Purl – through many twists and turns – including moving from Alaska to Oregon t...

This has been a tough year for handmade business owners.  I’ve seen so many people closing up their shops – even people who’ve been in business for well over a decade. With the economic crisis; the rise of platforms like Shein, Temu, Amazon; the increased cost of postage and materials; and the downfall of Etsy – is it game over for handmade business – especially onlin...

So you’ve got one Etsy shop… but you want to sell something that doesn’t quite fit there. You’ve been thinking about opening a second shop, but aren’t sure if it’s a good idea. In this video/podcast, I’m going to outline the pros and cons of having more than one Etsy shop so you can go into it with your eyes wide open and make the decision that’s rig...

There is so, so much that goes into having a successful online craft business. Truly, the path is long, and can be hard, and has so very many steps. However, I’ve been in the handmade business for a long time now, and over the last decade+ I’ve built up my businesses to the point where they support our family. Some days, I can’t quite believe that I’ve reached this point. When I started, it seemed...

So you want to sell your handmade crafts online… but you’re not sure if you should use Etsy or Shopify? Today I’m going to help you answer this question: should you use Etsy, Shopify… or both? I’ll take you through the pros and cons of each platform, before comparing them to see which one is better across a range of criteria. You can listen to the podcast below, or on...

Sick of relying on Instagram and it’s increasingly worsening algorithm to drive traffic to your handmade businesses? Ready to tap into one of the fastest-growing marketing platforms on the internet instead? I’m talking Pinterest – and I believe it is one of THE best potential drivers of traffic to your handmade business. Those of you who’ve been in the Thriver Circle for ov...

Today’s interview is with Michelle Danielson of Grandma Skills and Make Your Mark Labs. Michelle Danielson is a veteran creative who is an expert on selling handmade goods at markets. She opened her handmade product business Grandma Skills® in 2013. After many years of continued success and growth she knew she had something worth sharing. In 2021 she started the education side of her busines...

Laurie   Caffery  grew up in Boone, North Carolina, a small town surrounded by the peaks and valleys of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Encouraged by her creative parents – a painter mom and a custom home designer and builder dad,   Laurie   spent her childhood enthusiastically exploring different mediums, primarily painting and drawing. Laurie   received her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Studio...