We’ve made it all the way to the end of the year and more than likely, you’re super busy right now. In my business, we call it Beast mode because inevitably this time of year we’re working our tails off with different projects and fulfilling orders to keep up with seasonal orders. It’s very easy to stress yourself out, so on this week’s podcast I’m going over what I’ve learned over the years managing stress, burnout, and rest at this time of the year.   Key Takeaways:   -    Growth at the expense of your health is not worth it! Sometimes, we just need to get through the season with what we have rather than taking on new projects that may or may not bring you joy, but also bring you added work. Think about what benefits you’re getting from expanding or what you could gain by scaling back. -    This time of year is hard on everybody, including your employees! Don’t forget about all of their hard work over the year and understand that doing what’s in the best interests of your workers can pay dividends. -    It’s a perfect time after the Beast mode to think about what you’re going to do next year, how you want to grow, what direction you want to go, and what you need to do to get there.   One more thing:   We’re sad to say that for the time being, this will be the last episode of what we’re calling Season One of the Makers Gonna Sell Podcast. There may be a Season 2, but when that may or may not happen is still up in the air. That doesn’t mean we’re giving up! 2023 is looking to be a full year for Cheryl and Nicky, but if we are able to get everything we need to build our businesses and we have the time to make this the priority it should be, you’ll be the first to know. You can still connect with us through our social media profiles, and we always love hearing from you. All our previous episodes are going to be available for further listening, and we have loved bringing you the content and look forward to serving you more in the future!   Come find us online - we would love to hear from you!  Cheryl: Indie Dyed Entrepreneur on Instagram or FacebookNicky: Avery Lane Creations on Instagram or Facebook Hypnotic Yarn on Instagram or FacebookYarnable Subscription Box - Cheryl’s Subscription BoxALC Yarns - Nicky’s Yarn Shop

Are you so busy working IN your business that there’s no time left to work ON your business?    We’ve all said it, “There aren’t enough hours in the day.”    It really does feel that way when you’re wearing all the hats in your creative business. And it can be downright impossible to embrace the visionary role that your business requires of you when you’re bogged down with perpetual product making and never-ending to-do lists!   But guess what? We all get the same 24 hours each and every day. It’s what you do with them that counts.   Imagine what it would feel like if you had an extra set of hands every now and then. Would it change your life if you could take a day off (or *gasp* go on vacation) all the while things are still getting done?    Hiring is a big step, and you might be thinking, “Yeah, that all sounds great, but I’m not even paying myself yet! How the heck am I going to hire someone?”    In today’s episode we’re going to walk you through getting the right type of help without breaking the bank, and why it might be the best thing you can do for your business.     Topics discussed in this episode: 1:00: Are you being pulled in too many directions?5:54: The different shapes and sizes of hiring help.28:26: Finding the right fit is sometimes trial and error.32:30: Do you really need to spend money to make money?40:59: Where do you find the help you need? ...and so much more! Needle Mover  We’re closing out every episode by declaring a Needle Mover in each of our businesses. You learn more about what a Needle Mover is and what it isn’t in episode 2 of the podcast.49:01: Cheryl’s Needle Mover54:30: Nicky’ Needle Mover Don’t forget to share YOUR Needle Mover with us on Instagram by posting it to your Stories and tagging us, or shoot us a DM. Together, let’s make a BIG impact in our businesses over the next 2 weeks!   Come find us on social media - we would love to hear from you!    Cheryl: Indie Dyed Entrepreneur on Instagram or Facebook Hypnotic Yarn on Instagram or FacebookYarnable Subscription BoxNicky: Avery Lane Creations on Instagram or Facebook ALC Yarn ClubFor a Text Notification from Cheryl when new episodes drop, text “Makers Gonna Sell” to 603-928-7108

After weeks apart doing solo podcast episodes, the stars have aligned, and fate has finally reunited us! It’s a double the flavor, double the fun episode with both Cheryl and Nicky back from our solo journeys and we’re happy to be together again. This happy meeting has reminded us how important it is to have a business friend to share all the feelings of running a business, and if you don’t have one yet we’re laying out everything that we’ve learned finding each other and what the differences are between a friend in your personal life and someone to share our business adventures with.   You wouldn’t think that having a business friend that you can share your wins and worries with would be an important part of being a successful business owner, but when it really gets right down to it, being able to share your experiences with someone who’s been there before, or who might be able to give some insight, that kind of relationship can be invaluable. We don’t know where we would be if we couldn’t send each other messages of encouragement or bounce our frustrations off of each other. Hopefully our experience can help you find the right person for you to connect with and create your own business friend!   Key Takeaways:   -    The importance of Business friendships cannot be overstated -  if you’re going to be a successful business owner, you need to have a network you can relate to all those highs and lows -    Personal friendships mean well, but they’re no substitute for someone who is going through or has been through a similar experience -    Your peers are looking for those types of relationships too! Don’t be afraid to reach out and start talking   Quotes:   “Because we're business owners, our work takes up so much of our time that our family members, our children, our parents, our significant others, they all want to be there and to be supportive of us. But if we don't have actual business buddies, kind of separate from those people, then all we have is our family and our like regular life friends to talk to about our business and it can get repetitive.” – Cheryl   “When you run into a problem, a business friend can usually see things from a different perspective and has the experience to see things that we miss because we're so close to it.” – Nicky   “At some point, if you want to have a friendship, you need to trust somebody. If you're not comfortable with people in your own industry, look for people outside of your industry. Your business friend does not have to be somebody within your industry; it can be somebody who does something completely different.” – Cheryl   “But you will surprise yourself. When we started talking, it was about if I had a question or just wanted to run something by her. But slowly it just evolved into this amazing friendship.” – Nicky   Have a subject you’d like us to cover or just want to comment about how much you love the podcast? We want to hear from you! You can like, subscribe, and leave us a 5-star rating everywhere you can download podcasts.

We hear about it all the time: how do we, as creative entrepreneurs, maintain a healthy work / life balance? We want to dedicate as much time as we can to making our business successful, but how much of our personal life should we sacrifice to achieve that result? On this episode of the podcast, Cheryl’s sharing her experience building her business from the ground up while also having a professional career and a growing family, and how realizing our life is more about seasons than work and play helped her be able to find a good balance between both.   Key Takeaways:   -    Not every season of our personal and professional life is going to be the same -    As such, balancing those two aspects of our life requires thought and planning to be successful -    Communication with our family and our work associates is key to finding that balance -    Sacrificing one side for the other is tipping things too far! We’re more than our work, but our work is important to us as well   Quotes:   “I believe that we all have seasons in our lives and in our business. A season might last a month, or it might last a quarter, or it might last six months. It could even last a year. It could be any span of time. However, we all have the seasons that bring different things into our lives.” – Cheryl   “I think to run a successful business, you need to be showing up for your people. However, we can't always be on. And there's no sense in beating ourselves up about times in our lives where we just can't show up in that way.” – Cheryl   “There are only so many things we can do in a day, even if we are the most organized person, even if we have the most perfect systems in place. We can't do everything because we are not superhuman, and it’s okay to recognize that because it means not having a breakdown, not burning out, or not finding yourself in crisis because you're trying to do too many things. To me, having it all means being able to maintain my business while still being able to enjoy the other aspects of my life without letting the stress become overwhelming.” - Cheryl     Have a subject you’d like us to spin a yarn about? We’re dying to hear from you! You can leave us a comment wherever you download your podcasts, and while you’re at it, subscribe and leave us a 5-star rating. Grow with us as we put out more podcast episodes!   Come find us online - we would love to hear from you!  Cheryl: Indie Dyed Entrepreneur on Instagram or FacebookNicky: Avery Lane Creations on Instagram or Facebook For a Text Notification when new episodes drop, text “Makers Gonna Sell” to 603-928-7108Hypnotic Yarn on Instagram or FacebookYarnable Subscription Box - Cheryl’s Subscription BoxALC Yarns - Nicky’s Yarn ShopNicky’s Maker’s Momentum Inner Circle

What happens when you’ve built your business to the point where in order to keep up with everything, you need to hire some help? What happens when you need help even though you’re still working out of your home? It might be time to find your first employee! Today Cheryl is talking about what happened when she hired her General Manager Jess to help her with the day-to-day working of her business.   At the core of Cheryl and Jess’s experience working together was the idea that this wasn’t going to be a traditional type of employer-employee relationship. At the time she was hired, Cheryl was still working out of her house and working at a corporate job, so when she first approached Jess they established clear boundaries, clear responsibilities, and most important of all, a clear line of communication to make the relationship work. It can be hard to find someone willing to work on an irregular/flexible schedule, so clear communication is crucial when you are able to bring on someone to help out.   Key Takeaways: -    It’s likely to start out as an irregular employment, so being flexible is key -    Clearly establish responsibilities and allow your employee to take ownership of tasks -    Communication is so important to keep the relationship professional and positive! -    Flexibility, Honesty, Appreciation, and Communication are the cornerstones of a good working relationship   Quotes:   “I think that people get held back thinking, ‘Well I can do this myself. Why do I need to bring somebody else in?’ And yes, you can do everything yourself, but eventually you’ll just be exhausted.” - Cheryl   “You always have to be aware of the relationship between you and your employee. If you’re friends, you can’t just take the friendship for granted and assume that they know what you want from them, or that you know what they want from you. You have to be able to speak to each other.” – Cheryl   “It’s really important to vocalize that you appreciate that they’re giving you their time. Understanding that they’re carving out hours of their day to help you and that they want to do that, showing your appreciation for your employee goes a long way.”  - Jess   Have a subject you’d like us to cover or just want to comment about how much you love the podcast? We want to hear from you! You can like, subscribe, and leave us a 5-star rating everywhere you can download podcasts.   Come find us online - we would love to hear from you!  Cheryl: Indie Dyed Entrepreneur on Instagram or FacebookNicky: Avery Lane Creations on Instagram or Facebook For a Text Notification when new episodes drop, text “Makers Gonna Sell” to 603-928-7108Hypnotic Yarn on Instagram or FacebookYarnable Subscription Box - Cheryl’s Subscription BoxALC Yarns - Nicky’s Yarn ShopNicky’s Maker’s Momentum Inner Circle

Are you worried that the market you're trying to break into is oversaturated and there’s no room for you to stand out? Or maybe you think that getting ahead means you need to outshine the competition? If you’ve ever struggled with how to get noticed and feel like you’re attempts to be seen are falling on deaf ears, it’s not your fault. It super hard to blaze your own path. And if you’ve done your fair share of Googling, you know that information on this topic is scarce.  You are not alone!  We felt this way too when we were starting out, but then realized that we're not actually in competition with everyone our market, and actually, there is plenty of room for all of us. In today's episode, we share our thoughts on strategies you can use to stand out and grow your business, even when it feels like everyone else is selling the same thing as you.  Topics discussed in this episode: There’s room at the top for everyone [00:03:15]Switching your mindset from selling product to building a community [00:14:53]How to serve instead of sell [00:29.40]Why it’s so important to get yourself a business buddy  [00:34.50] ...and so much more! Needle Mover  We’re closing out every episode by declaring a Needle Mover in each of our businesses. You learn more about what a Needle Mover is and what it isn’t in episode 2 of the podcast.Cheryl’s Needle Mover [0:45:48]Nicky’s Needle Mover  [0:46:40] Don’t forget to share YOUR Needle Mover with us on Instagram by posting it to your Stories and tagging us, or shoot us a DM. Together, let’s make a BIG impact in our businesses over the next 2 weeks!   Come find us on social media - we would love to hear from you!    Cheryl: Indie Dyed Entrepreneur on Instagram or Facebook Hypnotic Yarn on Instagram or FacebookYarnable Subscription BoxFor a Text Notification from Cheryl when new episodes drop, text “Makers Gonna Sell” to 603-928-7108Nicky: Avery Lane Creations on Instagram or Facebook ALC Yarns ALC Yarn Club Waitlist

Are you finding that you’re in a rut with your business? That you feel like you’re almost to that next level, but something is holding you back? This is a feeling that is way too common for first time entrepreneurs. We’ve all felt it, that feeling that something has got to give, and you just need a win to get you to that next level. That’s what today’s podcast is all about: three things that can help you get into the right mindset to get you through that rut and help you have a business breakthrough.   Let go of the Labels we give ourselves – When you’re first starting out, you might have some big dreams but not much in the way of practical knowledge. You have the creativity and the products, but you’re not a salesperson or a marketer. You’re a business owner, not a podcaster. Y’all, you can do whatever you put your mind to. You’re so much more capable than you give yourself credit for, and you won’t be able to see what kind of potential you have if you limit yourself with labels.Operating in Fear – It might seem backwards but being worried about what success might look like can be petrifying. The idea of “what if” can be a scary thing when you’re doing things for the first time. We all have a fear of failing, but we can also have a fear of not being able to handle things if we’re actually successful. This is an irrational feeling, no matter how real it feels, and knowing you’re falling for it is the first step to pushing back on those fears.Let go of Distractions! – This one is the easiest one to fall for. Finding any reason to not do the things we need to do, letting the small things balloon out of control, distractions can stop us dead in our tracks. Identifying distractions and avoiding being caught in their trap can help us keep that momentum that will make us successful.   Quotes:   “When you start noticing the labels that you’re putting on yourself becoming limits or obstacles, press forward into them because they are not going to move unless you push back.” – Nicky   “When we step into those things that scare us and we go through them, we’re going to come out the other side a little braver, a little more courageous, and a little more ready to take on the next level of your business.” – Nicky   Key Takeaways:             -    Labels limit what we can achieve and sap away our success -    Identify what gives you fear and push through it. It’s only there to hold us back -    Don’t let distractions pull you away from the momentum you’ve built in your business!   Have a subject you’d like us to cover or just want to comment about how much you love the podcast? We want to hear from you! Like, subscribe, and leave us a 5-star rating!   Come find us online - we would love to hear from you!  Cheryl: Indie Dyed Entrepreneur on Instagram or FacebookNicky: Avery Lane Creations on Instagram or Facebook For a Text Notification when new episodes drop, text “Makers Gonna Sell” to 603-928-7108Hypnotic Yarn on Instagram or FacebookYarnable Subscription Box - Cheryl’s Subscription BoxALC Yarns - Nicky’s Yarn ShopNicky’s Maker’s Momentum Inner Circle

Today’s podcast is about a subject that we mention frequently when we’re talking about how to be successful as a maker entrepreneur. In our type of business, we thrive when we build and develop our relationship with our audience. Without that relationship, without that trust between us and our audience, we wouldn’t have a consistent place to sell the products that we create. Understanding this relationship is so important to staying successful, and it’s something that we can’t lose sight of the bigger our business gets.   We always need to show up for our audience. Reaching out, creating content for our audience and showing them interesting ways that they can create is how we build the know, like, and trust that’s so crucial to keeping them as an audience. It’s that trust that allows us to turn around and sell to them when we have a new product to launch, and keeping us in mind when they’re interested in purchasing the products that we create.   Quotes:   “The gift that you can give to your audience is serving them so that they can get to know you and trust you so that they want to buy your product. We’re giving something to our audience so that they can have some value out of our content, so that they can get to know who we are as people.” – Cheryl   “When I learned different ways that I could serve my audience, I no longer really was just selling, and now that has made me comfortable with showing up and making the pitch to sell what I had put out there. When I’m serving my audience, I don't feel like I’m just a door-to-door salesman.” – Nicky   “The things you have going on in your business are interesting to other people who might end up wanting to buy from you eventually.” – Cheryl   “If you think of creating posts on social media as checking the box off of your to do list every day, you are really missing out on an amazing, fun community that you can build with your audience if you just let yourself enjoy it.” - Nicky   Key Takeaways:   -    Staying connected with your audience is key to getting them to know you, like you and trust you -    Your audience wants to hear from you! -    You can also use serving your audience as a chance to make connections in the maker community   Check out our YouTube Channels:   Cheryl: https://www.youtube.com/c/HypnoticYarnHY Nicky: https://www.youtube.com/c/AveryLaneCreations   Have a subject you’d like us to cover or just want to comment about how much you love the podcast? We want to hear from you! You can like, subscribe, and leave us a 5-star rating everywhere you can download podcasts.   Come find us online - we would love to hear from you!  Cheryl: Indie Dyed Entrepreneur on Instagram or FacebookNicky: Avery Lane Creations on Instagram or Facebook For a Text Notification when new episodes drop, text “Makers Gonna Sell” to 603-928-7108Hypnotic Yarn on Instagram or FacebookYarnable Subscription Box - Cheryl’s Subscription BoxALC Yarns - Nicky’s Yarn ShopNicky’s Maker’s Momentum Inner Circle

It’s almost inevitable that if you’re a creative person, there’s going to be a time when you create something and find another thing that looks very close to what you made. We’re not talking about actively copying other people’s creations, but those coincidences when two things look similar. For creative people, this can be a real moral dilemma! Nobody wants to be seen as unoriginal, so we might tend to overcorrect to make sure that we stay on the right side of the argument.   Look, we’re not saying that you shouldn’t be aware of what you put out there, but we are saying that the more you do put out and the bigger your business grows, you’re inevitably going to find that some of your products are like others, and that’s ok! The simple fact is, art is inspired by art, so similarities are going to happen. Knowing this and being ready to be ok with that is a big step in being in a creative business, so on this episode we’re sharing our own thoughts and experience to help you though this dilemma!   Quotes:   “We can’t let a fear of copying or being copied keep us small, and if it does end up happening, we can’t let it hold us back from continuing to create.” – Nicky   “I think it speaks to a scarcity mindset where you think that there’s not enough room for both of us to have something similar, and that isn’t true.” – Cheryl   “We get to choose, when these situations come up, do we want to be bitter, or do we want to be better? And to me, I want to be better.” – Nicky   Key Takeaways: -    Don’t let the idea that what you create is like someone else’s design stop you from putting your products out there -    At the same time, don’t let the fear of being copied stop you either! -    All art is derivative – it’s the intention that counts -    Be aware of what’s out there, but try not to be quick to judge   Have a subject you’d like us to cover or just want to comment about how much you love the podcast? We want to hear from you! You can like, subscribe, and leave us a 5-star rating everywhere you can download podcasts.   Come find us online - we would love to hear from you!  Cheryl: Indie Dyed Entrepreneur on Instagram or FacebookNicky: Avery Lane Creations on Instagram or Facebook For a Text Notification when new episodes drop, text “Makers Gonna Sell” to 603-928-7108Hypnotic Yarn on Instagram or FacebookYarnable Subscription Box - Cheryl’s Subscription BoxALC Yarns - Nicky’s Yarn ShopNicky’s Maker’s Momentum Inner Circle

When you’re starting out, every cent you make counts. Any money that you make is either put back into your business or used to keep your personal life afloat. The thought of using any extra money that you have to better yourself seems frivolous, at best. But investing in business courses or signing up to be part of a professional group, or really anything that involves bettering yourself is actually a solid investment in your future. The hard truth about starting a business is you only know what you know, and sometimes what you don’t know might mean the difference between being successful or falling behind.   We wouldn’t be here today with this podcast if it wasn’t for us investing time and money to improve ourselves! Both of us met in a professional group where we became fast friends and eventually, business partners and podcast co-hosts. The benefits of personal development are not just in what kind of knowledge is offered, but also what kind of relationships you can build and outside of the box ideas that might never have occurred to you. You’ve taken those first huge steps turning your passion into a business that you love, and you can be proud of the progress you’ve made. But it’s time to take yourself to the next level and start building the foundation of a professional entrepreneur by investing in yourself.   Quotes:   “I think that investing in yourself, no matter how that looks, is important because we don’t just wake up knowing all the things. There are some things that you figure out through trial and error, but there’s also value in not having trial and error for a year before you have a light bulb moment.” – Cheryl   “For me, it was that point where I really started believing in myself when I realized I was willing to spend this money on this coaching group because I believed I would make that money back, plus some.” – Nicky   “When you show up in those professional groups and you see other people owning their businesses and acting like business owners, you start to see yourself as a business owner too. You’re no longer think of yourself as just somebody who started a business with the hopes of selling a few things. You start to see your own success.” – Cheryl   “So many times, the biggest thing standing in the way of growing your business is ourselves and the mindset we’re holding on to. When I realized that the one obstacle in my business is the way that that I was stuck in my own expectations, that was a game changer for me.” – Nicky   Key Takeaways: -    Don’t let your mindset limit your business growth! Be open to new perspectives -    An investment in yourself is an investment in your business -    Being around like-minded people can show you paths to success you never even considered -    You’re the boss, but you’re also your first employee, so be open to development as your best assets   Have a subject you’d like us to cover or just want to comment about how much you love the podcast? We want to hear from you! You can like, subscribe, and leave us a 5-star rating everywhere you can download podcasts.   Come find us online - we would love to hear from you!  Cheryl: Indie Dyed Entrepreneur on Instagram or FacebookNicky: Avery Lane Creations on Instagram or Facebook For a Text Notification when new episodes drop, text “Makers Gonna Sell” to 603-928-7108Hypnotic Yarn on Instagram or FacebookYarnable Subscription Box - Cheryl’s Subscription BoxALC Yarns - Nicky’s Yarn ShopNicky’s Maker’s Momentum Inner Circle

So, you’ve started your business by posting your crafts online and building an audience, and now you’re ready to start expanding. That’s the subject of this week’s podcast: identifying your ideal customer so that you know exactly who you’re attracting and how best to expand your reach. It’s not just a numbers game where any customer is a good customer. Trying to be everything to everyone is a good way to burn yourself out on doing what you love, so knowing exactly who you’re marketing your products and expertise to is so important to keeping the momentum that you’ve spent so much time building.   As you’re listening and doing the work identifying your ideal customer, it can be helpful to remember that the best way to attract like-minded people is to keep doing what you’re best at: being yourself! The enthusiasm and expertise that you brought to the table and helped build your audience in the first place is one of the best ways to make sure that you’re always attracting the right people to your business. It’s the joy of doing what you do best that is going to keep people noticing your work, and so understanding yourself can be a great way of knowing just who it is that you want to be your ideal customers.   Quotes:   “What we put out online is either going to attract people to you, the kind of people who are liking and resonating with everything that you're talking about, or you're going to repel the wrong people. And by wrong, I'm not using that as a negative, like one person's right, and one person's wrong. I mean some people are going to like what you have to say, and some people are just going to scroll by.” - Cheryl   “When people love your products, they’re gonna want more.”- Nick   “What are people looking for when they're crocheting a project? What do they want to happen? How can my product do that for them, but even better than what they're already getting at their local craft store?” - Cheryl   Like is going to attract like, and you're gonna thank yourself later because you don't want to show up as somebody else and try to be all the things for everybody and end up burning yourself out and disappointing yourself.” - Nicky   Key Points and Take-Aways:   -    Who is it that is buying your product? What kind of people are you trying to reach? -    How is your product helping your customers? What problems does your product solve for them? -    Don’t be afraid to ask your customers the kind of questions that will help you understand them better!     Have a subject you’d like us to cover or just want to comment about how much you love the podcast? We want to hear from you! You can like, subscribe, and leave us a 5-star rating everywhere you can download podcasts.   Come find us online - we would love to hear from you!  Cheryl: Indie Dyed Entrepreneur on Instagram or FacebookNicky: Avery Lane Creations on Instagram or Facebook For a Text Notification when new episodes drop, text “Makers Gonna Sell” to 603-928-7108Hypnotic Yarn on Instagram or FacebookYarnable Subscription Box - Cheryl’s Subscription BoxALC Yarns - Nicky’s Yarn ShopNicky’s Maker’s Momentum Inner Circle

When a big brand notices you for the first time, it’s hard not to think that you’ve finally made it in the makers business! Sometimes these collaborations can come organically with them contacting you, or maybe you’ve reached out to them and now you’re communicating… either way the clout from your collaboration is worth whatever you need to do to get it, right? Y’all, we’re here to break some bad news to you: not all brand relationships are necessarily good for your business. But don’t worry, it’s not all bad! You just need to go into any agreement to work together with both eyes open.   On this week’s podcast, we’re speaking with Sarah Korth, founder of SEK Handmade, about all the peaks and valleys of professional collaborations with brands. We talk about some of the hard lessons we’ve learned as entrepreneurs, as well as some of the hidden benefits you might not have thought of. We’re not afraid of exposure in this podcast collaboration, and we’re giving away some great freebie information!   Quotes:   “There's always the thing out there that you feel like, if I get that thing, then I've arrived. The illusion of that is that you never arrive, because once you get there, there are other places to go.” – Sarah   “The first thing you should think about when you work with some sort of company is: what do you want to get out of it? If you were under the assumption that working with a company is going to catapult you to the status and success that you are chasing, you’re in it for the wrong reasons.” – Sarah   “If you are saying the only thing that makes this collaboration worth it is the potential extra exposure I might get, then I would say it's not worth it. The way that I look at those things now after my experiences is I say, what are they going to pay me is the amount that they're going to pay me to make it worth doing. The truth is a lot of times the only guaranteed thing out of collaborations is the payment.” – Sarah   “I find that sometimes the smaller people I work with, the more beneficial the collaboration because we are in similar spots in our business. And when we promote each other back and forth, it's much more mutually beneficial.” – Sarah   Key Points and Takeaways:   -    Understand what you want out of any potential collaboration -    Not all exposure is created equal -    Read the fine print! Know what you’re getting into -    Big collaborations can be lucrative, but don’t count out smaller collaborations   You can find Sarah at her Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sekhandmade/ and on her website at http://www.sekhandmade.com    Have a subject you’d like us to cover or just want to comment about how much you love the podcast? We want to hear from you! You can like, subscribe, and leave us a 5-star rating everywhere you can download podcasts.   Come find us online - we would love to hear from you!  Cheryl: Indie Dyed Entrepreneur on Instagram or FacebookNicky: Avery Lane Creations on Instagram or Facebook For a Text Notification when new episodes drop, text “Makers Gonna Sell” to 603-928-7108Hypnotic Yarn on Instagram or FacebookYarnable Subscription Box - Cheryl’s Subscription BoxALC Yarns - Nicky’s Yarn ShopNicky’s Maker’s Momentum Inner Circle

We became business owners to have the freedom to determine our own success. Since we are now our own bosses and sometimes even our only employee, we tend to see all of our time as potential work hours. You hear about “the hustle” from influencers and how as an entrepreneur, all your time must be devoted to achieving success. Look y’all, we’re here to tell you a secret that we’ve learned the hard way: taking a break from work, and even planning out rest periods is not a bad thing at all but needed if you’re going to keep having the energy you need to keep advancing forward.   Allowing for some time during your week for rest is absolutely essential. This can be in the form of a slow start to the day to have some coffee or tea and do some reflecting or completing a set number of tasks and taking some time off for you and your workers. It’s not enough to just work until you’re done and then take a rest. Taking the time to plan out some periods of rest are what’s needed not only for peace of mind, but also to recuperate your creativity and motivation to keep going. So grab that coffee or brew that tea and listen to our conversation about the important need to take it easy.   Quotes:   “This is the thing: your business isn't a dash, you're wanting to create longevity here, longevity in your business. It's it isn't created from nonstop work! The secret sauce is being able to rest, not just physically but also your mind; you've got to shut it off.” – Nicky   “If you have a business, there is never going to be a day that you're going to wake up and be like, oh, there's no more work left to do. It's all been done. Never going to happen. I think we all need to acknowledge that like, there is a never-ending supply of work, and you can't work 24/7. I think when you wrap your head around that it makes it a lot easier to take rest times.” – Cheryl   “I think it was really hard for me to make the decision in my brain that rest is good. For me, it's good for my business for me to realize that just because I'm sitting here doesn't mean that all of a sudden, my business is going to fail.” – Nicky   “I would challenge you to think about doing something if you're not paying yourself yet. I think it's important for your business to be rewarding you in some way. Even at the very beginning, when you're not making a ton of money to support your household or whatever yet, you should still find some way to reward yourself for your work.” – Cheryl   Key Points and Takeaways:   -    Work to live, don’t live to work! Make time in your schedule for yourself outside of work -    Learning that stepping away isn’t going to ruin you is crucial to renew yourself and your creativity -    Resting isn’t about being lazy, it’s for your mental health and to keep you working toward your success   Have a subject you’d like us to cover or just want to comment about how much you love the podcast? We want to hear from you! You can like, subscribe, and leave us a 5-star rating everywhere you can download podcasts.   Come find us online - we would love to hear from you!  Cheryl: Indie Dyed Entrepreneur on Instagram or FacebookNicky: Avery Lane Creations on Instagram or Facebook For a Text Notification when new episodes drop, text “Makers Gonna Sell” to 603-928-7108Hypnotic Yarn on Instagram or FacebookYarnable Subscription Box - Cheryl’s Subscription BoxALC Yarns - Nicky’s Yarn ShopNicky’s Maker’s Momentum Inner Circle

We’re all going to run into situations when running our business where we don’t make the best decisions. The reality is, we’re going to mess up and make mistakes y’all, it’s a fact of life that we all need to come to grips with. It’s how long it takes us to get our heads back on straight and deal with those mistakes that we’re discussing and hopefully give you some perspective on this week’s podcast.   The unfortunate part of making mistakes in your business is that most of the time, those mistakes are going to cost you money, or time, or in the worst cases: a customer. The thing we have to learn is how to quickly pivot to a problem-solving mode and push out any negative thoughts that might be trying to paralyze you. When you’re able to see those mistakes and automatically go into a mode of taking action, those rare times will start to feel less like the end of the world, and just another workday. In this episode, we’re going to hit you with some real situations that we’ve gone through (and some of them are a doozy!) and what we were able to do to work through them and come out better on the other side!   Quotes:   “Where we used to be was, ‘I can't do this’ to ‘how? How can I?’ Just that little shift there, there's so much power in there, because you're telling yourself ‘I can,’ now I just have to figure out how.” – Nicky   “We all are going to do things that are going to make us go ‘Oh my god.’ They’re either going to be self-created or sometimes it's just stuff out of our control that happens to us.” – Cheryl   “Nothing is set in stone, and everything is fixable, it’s just that sometimes it might take a stick of dynamite and just starting completely over. But it can feel very big in the moment so just take a moment and process those feelings. Once you get those feelings and emotions out and you’re not reacting in those emotions, then you can start thinking, ‘Okay, this is fixable, and I'm going to go forward and do this.’” - Nicky   “Being self-aware and understanding who you are is the key. It's not that one of us does it better, or is right, or whatever. It's knowing who you are as a person and understanding what is going to drive you bananas so that you can plan for that and work with what you’ve got.” - Cheryl   Key Points and Takeaways:   -    We all make mistakes! Coming to peace with this fact is a huge step forward -    Give yourself some time to process the situation and calm down, but then be ready to act -    Give yourself the grace that making mistakes is just a normal part of owning your own business   Have a subject you’d like us to cover or just want to comment about how much you love the podcast? We want to hear from you! You can like, subscribe, and leave us a 5-star rating everywhere you can download podcasts.   Come find us online - we would love to hear from you!  Cheryl: Indie Dyed Entrepreneur on Instagram or FacebookNicky: Avery Lane Creations on Instagram or Facebook For a Text Notification when new episodes drop, text “Makers Gonna Sell” to 603-928-7108Hypnotic Yarn on Instagram or FacebookYarnable Subscription Box - Cheryl’s Subscription BoxALC Yarns - Nicky’s Yarn ShopNicky’s Maker’s Momentum Inner Circle   Cheryl's freebie mentioned in the episode: https://hypnotic-yarn.ck.page/top-nine

So much of our marketing is centered on posting on social media that sometimes tried and true methods of marketing are cast aside. If there’s one thing we can convince you, one thing for you to get the most out of, it’s building and maintaining and well-crafted email list. There are just so many advantages to having an effective email list for engaging with your audience and potential customers, and we’re getting into it in this week’s episode of the podcast. Crafting an effective email list goes so far beyond just an excel spreadsheet that you send an email to with some marketing materials inside. Emails are one of the most effective ways to keep things close with your most engaged customers through things like coupons, informing them about sales or item availability from your site and others, it’s so much easier to really get personal in an email. We have a wealth of great information for you this week, and if you can’t tell, we’re very passionate about this subject! So come join the conversation and be ready to take some notes. Quotes: “I think that we need to have a mindset shift around sending out emails. Think of the people on your email list as your friends who really want to be there.” – Cheryl “Another mindset shift is that it's not about vanity numbers. You can have a very small email list and have a lot of sales just from them because they're very specific.” – Nicky “As business owners, we have a completely different thought process than we do as customers. We know how we shop as customers, but then we don't apply that to our own customers. Sometimes as customers, we come from a mindset of: I don't want to be taken advantage of. If we understand that as business owners, we can really set ourselves up to provide a great experience and blow the socks off of our customers.” – Cheryl “Giving your customers things in your emails that can really benefit them is a good reason to get people on the list. You could have a cheat sheet sizing chart or lists of the best items to use. There are just different ways that can you make their life easier. How can you how can you give them something handy that they see value in? That's another way that you can get them on your email list.” - Nicky Key Points and takeaways: -   Give your customers a reason to sign up for your emails with some kind of benefit -   Emails are a great way to communicate personally with your most engaged audience -   Provide value in every communication -   Be consistent and make every email a welcome sight!   Have a subject you’d like us to cover or just want to comment about how much you love the podcast? We want to hear from you! You can like, subscribe, and leave us a 5-star rating everywhere you can download podcasts.   Come find us online - we would love to hear from you!  Cheryl: Indie Dyed Entrepreneur on Instagram or FacebookNicky: Avery Lane Creations on Instagram or Facebook For a Text Notification when new episodes drop, text “Makers Gonna Sell” to 603-928-7108Hypnotic Yarn on Instagram or FacebookYarnable Subscription Box - Cheryl’s Subscription BoxALC Yarns - Nicky’s Yarn ShopNicky’s Maker’s Momentum Inner Circle   Cheryl's freebie mentioned in the episode: https://hypnotic-yarn.ck.page/top-nine

Once you get to a certain point in your business, you’re going to have to start thinking about using paid ads to reach a wider audience. Investing money into advertising is a big step, and you want to be able to get the most bang for your buck, but where do you even start to have a strategy that is going to win for you? If these questions and worries are rolling around in your head, we have just the episode for you this week! We’re talking about what you’ll want to consider before spending your hard-earned money, the types of ads you can use, and how to be intentional.   The whole purpose of running ads is to get people to view your products and really, because we’re trying to sell those products. But a great ad is not something that’s just trying to be a one and done, sell this one product and move on with your life. You’re trying to create community, and so your ads are just to get them in the door. Once you have them at your website, or your social media, having a strategy beyond that is crucial to retaining the customers that showed up. There’s so much to talk about on this subject, regarding the type of ads, the technology that’s available to you, and more. So make sure you’re taking notes because we’re getting into it!   Quotes:   “When we first start out with ads, we jump in thinking that we just want to make a sale. So we set up an ad for a product and we just hope that it's going to entice someone who's never heard of our business before to click through to our website and make a purchase. We're disappointed when we don't see those results, or maybe we only see one sale. What we don't realize is that asking a cold audience who's never heard from you to see your ad and jump over to your website and give you their money, well, that's a really big ask. It takes several touchpoints like upwards of six or seven before someone becomes an actual paying customer.” - Cheryl   “Make sure your ads aren’t overselling what you’re offering or you’re making them jump through hoops. When people come to your store and have a positive experience, they're probably going to tell a friend or two, but if you let somebody have a negative experience, they will tell everybody. You don't want anybody to leave your platform or leave your page feeling salty, because they might spread this opinion of you that may or may not even be anywhere near accurate.” – Nicky   “Increasing your ad spend slowly gives the algorithm enough time to adjust to new budget and optimize the delivery of your ad. Increasing it too quickly or by too much can do more harm than good. So a good rule of thumb is to scale your ad spend. It's kind of like scaling a business where you get the formula down first, you make sure everything’s working the way it should, and then you scale and grow at a rate that fits your business model. It’s the same with ads.” -Cheryl   Key Points and takeaways: - Make sure you have a strategy before investing money into an ad campaign - Utilize all the analytics and technology that’s available to you through platforms like Google or Facebook - Know your audience, and know what step of the journey toward being a customer that they’re on so you can properly target ads to them   Have a subject you’d like us to cover or just want to comment about how much you love the podcast? We want to hear from you! You can like, subscribe, and leave us a 5-star rating everywhere you can download podcasts.   Come find us online - we would love to hear from you!  Cheryl: Indie Dyed Entrepreneur on Instagram or FacebookNicky: Avery Lane Creations on Instagram or Facebook For a Text Notification when new episodes drop, text “Makers Gonna Sell” to 603-928-7108Hypnotic Yarn on Instagram or FacebookYarnable Subscription Box - Cheryl’s Subscription BoxALC Yarns - Nicky’s Yarn ShopNicky’s Maker’s Momentum Inner Circle

It’s one of the biggest mysteries to entrepreneurs when they’re first starting out: how do I build an effective social media community? We’ve all been there, creating content and sending out posts into the wild hoping beyond hope that someone will see it and give it a like. It can be disheartening when our posts don’t get the likes you were hoping for, or the views you think it deserves. This is our topic this week: we’re going to share with you what we’ve learned building our own social media audiences.   The biggest takeaway you’ll want to absorb from this week’s podcast is what REALLY matters in social media marketing. We can create content all day long, and gaining followers and likes is a quick way to feel like you’re really accomplishing something, but take a step back and ask yourself what those followers and likes are doing for you? Engagement is the name of the game when you’re trying to build an audience. Which is better: 10k followers and a few sales or 500 followers and every one of them is a customer and supporter of your brand? We go over the whole thing in our conversation, so grab a notebook and hopefully you’ll learn a thing or two!   Quotes:   “I remember one time, I had to put a media kit together to be a potential influencer for a company. And I remember telling them that my Facebook following was small, but it was mighty. That was what my focus was when I first started: I wanted to build a community, and then it led to sales organically.” – Nicky   “We're not out there to build an audience full of people who don't care about what we're doing. We want to make real connections with people who really want to be there” - Cheryl   “At the end of the day we're trying to make a living, and we're trying to feed our families, and so we do need to be strategic about why we're doing the things that we're doing, because we don't have time to be messing around. We need to go all in with the things that we are going to do, but make sure there's a purpose behind them.” – Cheryl   “I wish I would have jumped on the reels train from the beginning, but I was in my head, and I was just like, no, I am not getting in front of the camera. But you know you can create reels where you're not even in it, so the next time you're making your product, just take a little video of just your hands or whatever. Once you try it a couple of times, you’ll start to think maybe it wouldn't be so bad to be in front of the camera.” - Nicky   Key Points and takeaways: - Gaining followers is good, but building community is going to go a lot farther for you - Don’t be afraid to try different things to build that engagement - Your community wants to see you! Doing lives, stories, and reels is critical to building engagement   Have a subject you’d like us to cover or just want to comment about how much you love the podcast? We want to hear from you! You can like, subscribe, and leave us a 5-star rating everywhere you can download podcasts. Come find us online - we would love to hear from you!  Cheryl: Indie Dyed Entrepreneur on Instagram or FacebookNicky: Avery Lane Creations on Instagram or Facebook For a Text Notification when new episodes drop, text “Makers Gonna Sell” to 603-928-7108Hypnotic Yarn on Instagram or FacebookYarnable Subscription Box - Cheryl’s Subscription BoxALC Yarns - Nicky’s Yarn ShopNicky’s Maker’s Momentum Inner Circle

This week we’re talking about something I’m sure we’ve all felt at one time or another. You’ve started your own business, you have a great idea or craft that you’re ready to share with the world, but then the details on how to share or get your idea out there paralyze you. We want our content to be perfect and compare ourselves against other entrepreneurs who have been at it for a while, not realizing that nobody thinks their content is perfect, at least not the first time!   The truth is, we don’t know what we don’t know, and sometimes the only way we’re going to figure things out is by putting ourselves out there, imperfections and all. We can’t let our fears hold us back from even getting started! Sure, you might find that not everything works the way you wanted it, but it takes that trial and error that helps you refine your vision and create that community that is going to carry you forward into the future.   “Done is better than perfect. As you do tasks more and more, you’ll build the skill sets you need, and one day you’ll realize you’ve gotten good at it all, and now you can focus on leveling up a little bit more. But if you’re just trying to come out the gate perfect at something, I’m not going to say you’re not going to get it done, but you’re just going to make it super hard.” – Nicky   “If you spend so much time on making something perfect, just to find out it’s not going to work, that can be disappointing and very frustrating. Sometimes we need to do the thing, put it out and see if it works, and if it doesn’t, then we can pivot and change it. But if you’ve put months of work into something trying to make it perfect and become emotionally tied to it, then it can be very difficult to make those changes.” – Cheryl   “I really feel the first step is just making that decision, I’m going to do this and I’m not going to let anything hold me back. I’m not going to let what I think I lack hold me back, and I’m just going to do it.” – Nicky   “I challenge you this week to create something and put it out into the world before you feel ready. Even though it might not be perfect, create and release it. Don’t just keep it to yourself.” - Cheryl   Key Points and takeaways: - Don’t let a need for perfection be the enemy of your progress - Your audience and community values your content and ideas, so just get it out there - The only way you’re going to improve is by doing the thing and putting yourself out there   Have a subject you’d like us to cover or just want to comment about how much you love the podcast? We want to hear from you! You can like, subscribe, and leave us a 5-star rating everywhere you can download podcasts.   Don’t forget to share YOUR Needle Mover with us on Instagram by posting it to your Stories and tagging us, or shoot us a DM. Together, let’s make a BIG impact in our businesses over the next 2 weeks!   Come find us on social media - we would love to hear from you!    Cheryl: Indie Dyed Entrepreneur on Instagram or Facebook Nicky: Avery Lane Creations on Instagram or Facebook For a Text Notification when new episodes drop, text “Makers Gonna Sell” to 603-928-7108Hypnotic Yarn on Instagram or FacebookYarnable Subscription Box

This week we’re rolling up our sleeves and welcoming Erica from the Lopsided Crafter on to the podcast for a little up close and personal coaching. When you’re first starting out, you might have more ideas for new products than you have space or money. So as a business owner, you have to be able to sell any product that you make. But how do you know that the ideas that you have, and the products that you create, are going to click with your audience? If you’ve been wondering how you’re going to keep up with your audience’s demands, we’re here to give you advice on how to create your own demand with your most valuable talent: your own creativity!   Quote-worthy   “You need to build a business that you love. It doesn't matter how many customers love what you're putting out there if you hate doing it.” – Cheryl   “At the end of the day, you just have to be true to yourself. When you're just like, ‘This is me and this is what I like,’ you are going to attract some just diehard fans, and your joy and your enthusiasm is going to attract more and more people.” – Nicky   “There's really not a hard rule that says when you're starting out you should dye this much yarn or you should make this much productive at any given thing. It is about learning what you like, what your customers like, and what you're comfortable doing. Just try to be intentional, because I know if I could give myself advice for when I first started, I would say that you don't need to try all the things. Just stick with a couple of things that you really like.” – Cheryl   Key Points and Takeaways:   Your creativity is your most valuable assetStarting out you have limited space and funds, so use what you have effectivelyListen to your audience’s wants, but don’t try to chase their approval   You can find Erica and the Lopsided Crafter and all of her beautiful dyed yarn at:   Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheLopsidedCrafter?ref=shop_sugg Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelopsidedcrafter/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theLopsidedCrafter   Have a subject you’d like us to cover or just want to comment about how much you love the podcast? We want to hear from you! You can like, subscribe, and leave us a 5-star rating everywhere you can download podcasts.   Don’t forget to share YOUR Needle Mover with us on Instagram by posting it to your Stories and tagging us, or shoot us a DM. Together, let’s make a BIG impact in our businesses over the next 2 weeks!   Come find us on social media - we would love to hear from you!    Cheryl: Indie Dyed Entrepreneur on Instagram or Facebook Nicky: Avery Lane Creations on Instagram or Facebook For a Text Notification when new episodes drop, text “Makers Gonna Sell” to 603-928-7108Hypnotic Yarn on Instagram or FacebookYarnable Subscription Box

In today's episode, we are sharing a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most important topics of creative entrepreneurship: MANAGING THE MONEY. So much of what we do as makers is DIY and scrappy, but don't neglect your money management! This week we are sharing some of our best tips about keeping track of dollars in and dollars out.    Don’t forget to share YOUR Needle Mover with us on Instagram by posting it to your Stories and tagging us, or shoot us a DM. Together, let’s make a BIG impact in our businesses over the next 2 weeks!   Come find us on social media - we would love to hear from you!    Cheryl: Indie Dyed Entrepreneur on Instagram or Facebook Nicky: Avery Lane Creations on Instagram or Facebook For a Text Notification when new episodes drop, text “Makers Gonna Sell” to 603-928-7108Hypnotic Yarn on Instagram or FacebookYarnable Subscription Box