Etsy Conversations Podcast

For many people with sensitive skin, finding high quality bath and body products like soap, shampoo, body lotion, bath salts and scrubs is a lifelong challenge. Carma Wood, owner of the Etsy shop , can relate to this struggle on a personal level. Her challenges with finding soap and other bath products that wouldn’t irritate her skin is what set her on the path to learning how to make handcrafted bath and body products. Carma lives in Minnesota with her family and fur-babies. She originally started on Etsy as a buyer before transitioning into a seller of handmade sewn items. Soon after, she discovered that she had a passion for making handcrafted soaps that were not only easy on her sensitive skin, but also made from mostly biodegradable ingredients. Carma explains that she holds two things very close to her heart - a passion for helping others with sensitive skin and a passion for helping the environment. By combining these two passions, she has decided on the unique name for her Etsy shop - , named after an endangered fresh water fish from Lake Superior. In this week's episode, Carma shares how she learned to create her own soap and other bath and body products... Step aside ... ;) She also explains her process for taking and fulfilling custom orders in her shop, and how she “human tests” all of the products before releasing them for sale in her Etsy store. Additionally, Carma shares a marketing secret that most Etsy sellers do not utilize - but should, as well as how she manages her time working on her shop while working full-time and creating. Carma has lots of valuable tips for sellers ready to scale their business by outsourcing tasks or hiring full-time or part-time employees. [bctt tweet="Catalogs help u get more eyes on ur products than most other advertising methods #EtsySellers" username="ConvoMePodcast"] Kiyi Kiyi Cosmetics - Topics Discussed Carma explains why she believes starting out as an Etsy shopper makes transitioning to being a seller easier How Carma learned how to craft high-quality handcrafted body products by reading books and studying recipes for 6-months before making her first batch of soap Carma's process for creating a physical catalog highlighting specific products in her shop and what she believes her return on investment is for this marketing strategy How Carma ensures her "sensitive skin assurance" policy - ensuring customers know the ingredients before they buy She explains how she got started in wholesaling Valuable insight on how and when Etsy sellers should consider outsourcing. Kiyi Kiyi Cosmetics - Resources Mentioned Podcasts: Catalog Making Tools: | Etsy Networking Groups: | Etsy Wholesale Facebook Group | | | Website Building: Email Marketing: Carma's Etsy Shop Shout Outs  - for handcrafted sweaters, scarves, and other clothing and accessories. - Historically inspired, hand blended tea. - Beautifully handcrafted leather and waxed canvas bags from Australia Best Ways to Reach Carma Wood Etsy Shop Convo:  Website:  Email: KiyiKiyi [at] Outlook [dot] com Social media:  Please take a minute to subscribe and leave an honest review of the podcast in and . That really helps to get the word out about the show. Connect With Me: Twitter: Follow Facebook Group: - This is where I'm connecting with you after the podcast. Lots of fun convos here too! Facebook: Like the Pinterest: Instagram: Google+: Email: Use the OR interview [at] convome [dot] com For more help growing your Etsy-based business, check out these resources:

Growing up in an entrepreneurial focused family, AshleyMarie "Sey" Lively of the Etsy shop, has always had a passion and dream of becoming an entrepreneur herself. Her journey started as a name artist at Disneyland, where she worked for a year, and while her husband still works at Disney, her dream of becoming a creative entrepreneur shifted after attending art school and starting a family. Sey’s first Etsy shop was opened while she worked at Disneyland, but she quickly discovered that the crafts she was selling in her first shop were not as worthwhile as she originally thought. As an Etsy seller, you can probably relate very well with that sentiment. Although she still enjoys making a variety of arts and crafts pieces, she has transitioned and found a niche product that she not only loves to create, but one which is also more profitable.  now focuses primarily on selling name art, where she creatively designs paintings using people’s names and incorporating a variety of characters into each painting. Sey's beautiful name art pieces are all uniquely handmade, and she has been able to incorporate a wide variety of characters - from Star Wars and Ghostbusters to My Little Pony and Legend of Zelda - into hundreds of name art pieces. On today’s episode, Sey shares her experiences of working at Disneyland, why she decided to quit working outside of her home and become and entrepreneur, as well as what made her decide to find a specific niche for her business. She also explains how her crafts have been featured in magazines and even on the Conan O’Brien show. That's right... THE Conan O'Brien Show :) She also explains how she uses local events to help drive traffic and new customers to her Etsy shop, marketing techniques she has used that have helped increase her sales and conversions on various social media platforms. Sey and I also discuss lessons she has learned about making the shipping process easier for her craft business.   Sey Studios - Topics Discussed How Sey started working at Disneyland and why she transitioned into becoming a creative entrepreneur How she prices her handmade name art pieces - especially for longer names How local events, comic cons, and craft shows have impacted her Etsy online sales Managing her time while being a stay-at-home mom What social media tools she uses to promote her products Using the Etsy Seller Handbook to start and improve her business Sey’s advice to new or struggling Etsy sellers Sey Studios - Resources Mentioned Podcasts: Etsy Conversations Podcast Tools: Cell phone calendar Best Ways to Reach Sey Etsy Shop:  Email: SeyStudios [at] gmail [dot] com Social Media: , , Upcoming Event: Stop by and visit Sey at the ! Please take a minute to subscribe and leave an honest review of the podcast in and . That really helps to get the word out about the show. Connect With Me: Twitter: Follow Facebook Group: - This is where I'm connecting with you after the podcast. Lots of fun convos here too! Facebook: Like the Pinterest: Instagram: Google+: Email: Use the OR interview [at] convome [dot] com For more help growing your Etsy-based business, check out these resources:

Listen in to get all the latest information about what's going on in the Etsy community. Please take a minute to subscribe and leave an honest review of the podcast in and . That really helps to get the word out about the show. Connect With Me: Twitter: Follow Facebook Group: - This is where I'm connecting with you after the podcast. Lots of fun convos here too! Facebook: Like the Pinterest: Instagram: Google+: Email: Use the OR interview [at] convome [dot] com

Listen in to get all the latest information about what's going on in the Etsy community.   Please take a minute to subscribe and leave an honest review of the podcast in and . That really helps to get the word out about the show. Connect With Me: Twitter: Follow Facebook Group: - This is where I'm connecting with you after the podcast. Lots of fun convos here too! Facebook: Like the Pinterest: Instagram: Google+: Email: Use the OR interview [at] convome [dot] com

Listen in to get all the latest information about what's going on in the Etsy community. Please take a minute to subscribe and leave an honest review of the podcast in and . That really helps to get the word out about the show. Connect With Me: Twitter: Follow Facebook Group: - This is where I'm connecting with you after the podcast. Lots of fun convos here too! Facebook: Like the Pinterest: Instagram: Google+: Email: Use the OR interview [at] convome [dot] com

Angela Doherty is my guest this week and she runs the Etsy shop Hooked By Angel. Tune in to hear how things took off in her Etsy shop once she decided to go from hobbyist to full-scale business. Please take a minute to subscribe and leave an honest review of the podcast in and . That really helps to get the word out about the show. Connect With Me: Twitter: Follow Facebook Group: - This is where I'm connecting with you after the podcast. Lots of fun convos here too! Facebook: Like the Pinterest: Instagram: Google+: Email: Use the OR interview [at] convome [dot] com

Kathleen Sheetz runs the Etsy shop Her Joyful Studio and this week she shares the story of het Etsy journey and success as a full-time seller. Please take a minute to subscribe and leave an honest review of the podcast in and . That really helps to get the word out about the show. Connect With Me: Twitter: Follow Facebook Group: - This is where I'm connecting with you after the podcast. Lots of fun convos here too! Facebook: Like the Pinterest: Instagram: Google+: Email: Use the OR interview [at] convome [dot] com

Listen in to get all the latest information about what's going on in the Etsy community. Please take a minute to subscribe and leave an honest review of the podcast in and . That really helps to get the word out about the show. Connect With Me: Twitter: Follow Facebook Group: - This is where I'm connecting with you after the podcast. Lots of fun convos here too! Facebook: Like the Pinterest: Instagram: Google+: Email: Use the OR interview [at] convome [dot] com

Maxwell Ryan is the Founder of Apartment Therapy and he's my guest this week. We're talking about growth for small creative businesses and learning how to navigate the meandering paths that involves. Listen in for a huge dose of inspiration and very practical information. Please take a minute to subscribe and leave an honest review of the podcast in and . That really helps to get the word out about the show. Connect With Me: Twitter: Follow Facebook Group: - This is where I'm connecting with you after the podcast. Lots of fun convos here too! Facebook: Like the Pinterest: Instagram: Google+: Email: Use the OR interview [at] convome [dot] com

Khin johnson runs the Etsy shop Paper Bound Love which came about during a 6-yr long-distance relationship with her then boyfriend (now husband). Now she makes her full-time living running her Etsy shop and catering to the wedding market... And her husband is poised to quit soon and join her full-time as well! Please take a minute to subscribe and leave an honest review of the podcast in and . That really helps to get the word out about the show. Connect With Me: Twitter: Follow Facebook Group: - This is where I'm connecting with you after the podcast. Lots of fun convos here too! Facebook: Like the Pinterest: Instagram: Google+: Email: Use the OR interview [at] convome [dot] com