The Create & Thrive Podcast

  Today we summarise and wrap up our week of Money on the #MakingItPodcourse. What do you need to change? What have you learnt going forward. Listen in for today’s Action Step to help you improve your relationship with and management of money in your handmade business.     Want a weekly lesson summary – including a list of all the action steps for that week in a handy download...

  Do you want to make ALL your income from your handmade business? Why, or why not? Are you less ‘successful’ if you have alternative and passive income streams? I would argue no, not at all! In fact, I think having alternative and passive income streams is brilliant – and the smart thing to do. In this #MakingItPodcourse lesson I discuss why, and give you some suggestions f...

  In this lesson in the #MakingItPodcourse, I discuss profit. What is profit? How do you create more of it? Why does profit matter to the ongoing success of your business? Let’s dive in to this one…   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_in...

  If you’re not managing your money, you’re not managing your business. Proper bookkeeping and regular financial check-ins are the only way to have a hope of managing your cashflow in a way that keeps your business going strong. In this lesson of the #MakingItPodcourse, I outline why this is so important, and a few key steps you can take – today- to get yourself in a better...

  Did you know that it’s perfectly normal to NOT make any profit in the first year of business? So many people give up when their business doesn’t seem to be making money straight away – when the reality is that it takes most small businesses YEARS to become profitable. In this episode of the #MakingItPodcourse, I discuss this issue, and talk about some ways to ensure that b...

  Undercharging is a HUGE problem in the handmade business community. In this episode, I outline why this not only hurts you – but everyone else, too. And, I discuss why charging what you – and your work – is worth, is so crucial to your businesses ongoing survival & success.   Want a weekly lesson summary – including a list of all the action steps for that week in...

  Welcome to Week 2 of the #MakingItPodcourse! This week is all about money. We’re kicking off with a lesson on your Money Story. This is the story that you tell yourself about money – is it good, bad? Does it come easy, or is it hard to come by? What’s your relationship with money, and where did you learn it from? Do you and your partner have conflicting or complementary mo...

  As we reach the end of a week of #MakingItPodcourse lessons on Mindset – what have we uncovered? Mindset issues are at once incredibly common across the board, and also very personal. Today, I summarise mindset issues for makers, and add a few new strategies that will help you to craft a positive, pragmatic mindset that serves you and your business development.   Want a weekly le...

  How often do you find yourself procrastinating? It’s something we all do – but why? Is procrastination getting in the way of you achieving your handmade business goals? Are there particular jobs that you keep avoiding? In this lesson I discuss the pull of procrastination, and outline a few strategies you can try to overcome it where necessary.   Want a weekly lesson summary...

  Overwhelm – that feeling that everything is just too much. That we are swamped, snowed under… and we can’t see a way to escape. Where does it come from? And more importantly – how do we overcome it? That’s the topic of today’s #MakingItPodcourse lesson.   Want a weekly lesson summary – including a list of all the action steps for that week in a handy...

  Do you feel confident when it comes to running your handmade business? Or do you constantly suffer from self-doubt? If so – you’re not alone. This is extremely common in the handmade business world – especially if you’re transitioning from being a hobby maker, and if you don’t have any business experience. In this episode of the #MakingItPodcourse I discuss how...

In Lesson 3 of the #MakingItPodcourse I discuss the pitfalls of perfectionism. I call myself a ‘recovering perfectionist’ – because it took me a long while to realise that action is more important than perfection. That done is better than perfect. That perfect is actually the enemy of good. And that excellence is what we should really be striving for. Does perfectionism hold you...

  In Lesson 2 of the #MakingItPodcourse, I discuss the cognitive dissonance and negative feelings that can arise when we are confronted with the gap between our expectations about our handmade business, and the reality of our handmade business.   I outline a few examples of where your expectations might be tripping you up, and causing stress, and how to work on creating more realistic id...

  In lesson 1 of the #MakingItPodcourse, I talk about fear. The fears we all face, the fact you’re not alone in your fear, and what to do about the irrational fears that arise around starting and growing a handmade business.   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...

  Welcome to the Making It Podcourse! Today is the first episode of the course, and in it, I tell you what to expect, as well as sharing a little bit of my own story for those of you who don’t know me. Over the next four weeks, I’ll be releasing an episode every day via the Create & Thrive Podcast – 30 in total – on the topics of mindset, money, marketing, and busi...

  So many business come about because the creator sees a problem, and can’t find a solution… so they create it themselves. Soak Society is one such business. It’s founder, Natalie Thorogood, started the business a few years ago when she wanted to use bath salts without any artificial colours or fragrances. She couldn’t find what she was looking for, so she created it....

So – Etsy are putting their fees up for the first time in 13 years. And a lot of people are unhappy about it. I’ve shared my brief thoughts on this already on social, but I thought it would be helpful to put together an episode outlining my thoughts – as well as some financial comparisons so you can make an informed choice on this change. I’ve researched and compared the fe...

     

This month’s member-exclusive episode was inspired by a question asked on our last Thriver Circle monthly call. “How do I get more of my customers to leave reviews?” I had a pretty lengthy answer on the call, and I realised… I have quite a few strategies that I use to improve the quality and quantity of customer reviews – no matter whether you sell on Etsy, your own s...

  Or, listen below:   Want help with starting (or sticking to) a simple bookkeeping system? My bookkeeping basics for small biz workshop is aimed at those who don’t have a solid bookkeeping system in place, or who do a poor job of maintaining their bookkeeping on a regular basis. I hope to convince you why keeping on top of your books is not only important for tax time, but also fo...

  Have you heard of the Being Boss podcast? If so, you’ll know my guest today – one half of the BB duo – Emily Thompson. If not, you’re in for a treat. In this episode, I interview Emily about what it means to be the boss of your business and your life. We cover a lot of juicy mindset topics, and we discuss Emily & Kathleen’s new book – Being Boss. I lo...

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  To celebrate hitting the 150 episodes milestone, I’ve put together a roundup of 10 unmissable episodes from the last 3 years of the show! It was a tough choice – but I’ve narrowed it down to 5 solo shows and 5 interviews that will inspire you, educate you, and give you a ton of practical advice to help you grow your handmade business. I also want to give a HUGE thank you s...

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  Today I’ve got a suite of awesome digital tools and apps that will help you more effectively and efficiently run your handmade business. There are all tools I’ve tried and/or use on a regular basis to manage my own businesses – and I’ve shared a number of them over the last 6 months during my Facebook Live Q&A sessions. Today I’ve brought a number of them t...