The Create & Thrive Podcast

Welcome to the Create & Thrive Podcast Summer Series, where I replay the highlights from the show in 2018. If you’re a long-term listener, and you’re looking for fresh content – why not check out my NEW show –  The Business of Making ? Also! In this ep I announce the return of my free mini-couse –  Look Back Move Forward  – which will be kicking off on January 1st! Click here  to find out more...

Welcome to the Create & Thrive Podcast Summer Series, where I replay the highlights from the show in 2018. If you’re a long-term listener, and you’re looking for fresh content – why not check out my NEW show –  The Business of Making ? Also! In this ep I announce the return of my free mini-couse –  Look Back Move Forward  – which will be kicking off on January 1st! Click here  to find out more...

  Welcome to the Create & Thrive Podcast Summer Series, where I replay the highlights from the show in 2018. If you’re a long-term listener, and you’re looking for fresh content – why not check out my NEW show – The Business of Making ? Also! In this ep I announce the return of my free mini-couse – Look Back Move Forward – which will be kicking off on J...

  So, I’ve been working on a secret project… you may have seen me mention it on social. The time has come to let you in on it! I’m so excited to introduce you to my NEW podcast… and I’m not doing it alone. I’m launching The Business of Making Podcast with my friends and co-hosts Mikaela Danvers of The Makers Collective & Deborah Engelmajer of Tizzit (an...

  In this episode, you’ll find out how a joke turned into a micro-niche… and then into a successful full-time business for artist Alice Tams! Alice sells prints of her iconic birds in hats, as well as doing custom artwork, and currently, painting murals in public spaces as she travels around the world. In this episode, she shares how her art career evolved from drawing funny pictu...

  My friend Megan Auman has been running her eponymous jewellery line for over 12 years. She also, like me, teaches makers how to craft successful businesses. It was a pleasure to chat with her in this episode – we talked pricing, branding, marketing & more! We highlight the difference between the ‘one to many’ and ‘1000 true fans’ marketing/business growth s...

  This month marks my 10-year business anniversary! I wanted to celebrate the milestone by sharing 10 of the many, many lessons I’ve learnt over my 10 years in business. From the importance of self-motivation; the natural waxing and waning of enthusiasm and passion; the non-linear march of progress; and the joy of self-direction, I discuss the things about being self-employed that I lov...

  Do you wish you could see your handmade creations in your fave magazine? Or maybe get a feature on a podcast? If so, you need to do some PR – public relations – and get in touch with them! But how should you go about doing this? What sort of email is most likely to pique their interest and get you the chance to land a feature? In this episode, I pick the brain of PR expert Brigi...

  Do you like the thought of making money while you sleep? Of not having to make an order till you’ve already been paid? Or how about having your weekends all to yourself? All of these reasons – and more – are why I personally LOVE selling my jewellery online. The invention of the internet has made growing a successful handmade business more accessible, more possible, and mo...

  I have seen so many handmade business owners flounder and give up, and there is one thing so many of them have in common. I call it the ‘what, how, when’ problem. This happens when makers don’t know what to do, how to do it, or when to do it in regards to their business. You can know the what… but not the how or when. Or maybe you know the when, but not the how&#8230...

  Do you ever feel frustrated and overwhelmed because you don’t feel like you’re moving forward with your handmade business? Sometimes we can get so focussed on the big picture that we forget how far we’ve actually come via the small steps we’ve taken. In this episode, I talk about the power of focussing on small steps.            

What if you could sell 95% of your handmade creations via wholesale? My guest today has done just that. She quickly grew her business – and her income! – by focussing on selling via wholesale, rather than online or at markets. But where do you start? How do you know if you’re pricing correctly? And what’s the best way to approach stores? How to you show them what you’...

  Do you struggle with putting boundaries around your work – especially if you work from home? Maybe you have trouble setting working hours and sticking to them… or getting friends and family to respect them. Do you find yourself checking your email at 11pm and then having to go into work mode because you’ve read an email you feel like you need to answer right now ?! Do you...

  Want to get featured in a big magazine or online publication? Making sure your Etsy shop is top-notch is a great first step. My own jewellery has been picked up and featured on Buzzfeed, Ring to Perfection, and in many other places, but that wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t put in the work to have eye-catching product photos. Of course, that’s only part of the story &#82...

In this members-only episode, I outline why you need to work out the marketing strategy that suits you, and your business… rather than doing what works for others! I share a couple of stories from my own businesses to illustrate the point – for example, for my own jewellery business, my mailing list and social media aren’t a big part of my marketing… what?! Yep – and...

Does your marketing copy sometimes just feel a bit… blah? Like – you’re not quite sure what to say to really explain how awesome your product actually is? In this episode, you’ll learn a key tactic that will make your product descriptions SO much more powerful and persuasive – and it’s called the benefit statement. My guest today is Shannon Bush, who has been wo...

We live in a world of distractions. Our technology, our family… even our own brain can distract us constantly from the work we set out to do. In this #MakingItPodcourse lesson, I talk about how you can minimise distractions and improve your focus – and use the time you make to create and grow your business. P.S. Are you on Instagram? Want to join me for a fun photo-a-day challenge in A...

  Welcome to the final week of the #MakingItPodcourse! This week is all about business – and life – management. We’re kicking off today with a lesson on managing your expectations – around the sort of business you want to have, the time you really have to work on it, and more. Listen in below! P.S. Are you on Instagram? Want to join me for a fun photo-a-day challenge i...

  How do you successfully market your business? In lesson 21 of the #MakingItPodcourse I summarise what we’ve learnt this week, and give you a few extra tips and resources to help you win at marketing.   Want a weekly lesson summary – including a list of all the action steps for that week in a handy downloadable and printable pdf?   Just enter your email below… [et_bloom_inlin...

  This is a big one – how to effectively use social media as part of your handmade business marketing. Welcome to #MakingItPodcourse lesson 20! In this episode I outline some general tips to help you use Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook etc. to get the word out about your business. If you want to get deeper into Instagram in particular, don’t miss my #CTMonthInTheLife challenge star...

Social media is the lifeblood of many handmade businesses. But what happens if IG shuts down tomorrow? You don’t OWN your IG, FB, or Pinterest accounts. But you can own a mailing list. The people who sign up have chosen to give you their email, and access to their inbox, and no-one but that person themselves can take that away from you. In today’s #MakingItPodcourse lesson I discuss th...

If you want to make sure your products get found, this is a crucial lesson! On the #MakingItPodcourse today, we’re talking about Search Engine Optimisation – and how to make sure you’re optimising your product listings (and posts on IG and Pinterest) so that they get seen by your ideal customer.   Want a weekly lesson summary – including a list of all the action steps for th...

Today’s #MakingItPodcourse lesson is all about visuals. In an ever-more visually-saturated world, we need to have stellar imagery to stand out from the crowd. In this episode I focus on talking about why you need to improve your branding and photography in order to have a successful handmade business (and share some tips to help you improve!).   Want a weekly lesson summary – including...

  Yesterday we answered the question ‘what is marketing?’. Today’s #MakingItPodcourse lesson is focussed on honing in on a vital part of the marketing puzzle – clarifying your brand story, including clarifying your Unique Selling Point (USP). P.S. If you want more step-by-step help with this, check out my course Brand Your Craft .   Want a weekly lesson summary –...

  This week on the #MakingItPodcourse is about all things marketing! But what exactly IS marketing? Why does it matter? In this lesson, I outline the fundamentals of marketing, and give you a list of things you need to know about your business – and about your ideal customer – that you need to clarify before you can even think about creating an effective marketing strategy for you...