Etsy Conversations Podcast

My guest this week is Christine and she runs the Etsy shop . Christine shares with me in our convo the story of how she went from being four and a half months pregnant and unemployed for the second time to now running her Etsy shop full time with a team of 9 sales consultants spread across the United States. Wow! She talks about the importance of face-to-face selling and instilling that human connection into your online ecommerce business. She also shares about her experiences with craft and vendor fairs... Did you know these were two different things? Christine also shares about her experience using Facebook to sell from her Etsy shop. There's lots of valuable info here on how you as an Etsy seller can really leverage social media to help increase your Etsy sales. Best ways to reach Christine: Etsy shop -  Email - HilltopDesignsHD [at] gmail [dot] com Social media - , , , and 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 of fun convos & Etsy shop promos here too! Facebook: Like the Pinterest: Instagram: Google+: Email: Use the OR interview [at] convome [dot] com

This week I have on another special non-Etsy shop owner guest! I "met" Jessica Hardecke on Twitter (I just love Twitter because of all the fun and interesting people I get to meet on there), and Jessica is the Senior Manager of Marketing Communications for . Okay, So I'm excited to have a conversation with her but you might be wondering what and who ShipWorks is right...? That's exactly what we discuss in our convo this week. She shares lots of great information about and the solution they offer for (or at least, a lot of) your shipping woes. We talk about international shipping, domestic shipping, best practices for shipping in general and also as it relates to Etsy and your ecommerce pursuits. Now isn't for everybody so we get real about who should or should, and who or may not be the best candidate for the service they provide. Thank you to Angie who runs the Etsy shop and Nick who co-host of the Beats & Eats podcast for the questions they submitted for Jessica. She tackled them both and provided some very valuable guidance for all sellers in general as well. ShipWorks also offers a free ebook with tips and techniques for shipping for ecommerce sellers. If you'd like get your hands on it here's the link to it: 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: Like the and see what we're discussing there Pinterest: Instagram: Google+: Email: Use the OR interview [at] convome [dot] com

Marci is my guest this week and she runs the Etsy shop . She makes and sells mostly organic spa grade face and body products. She's also a photographer and uses her skills there to create her product labels and also a line of notecard sets that she also sells in her Etsy shop. Talk about a one-woman show! From body butters and lip scrubs, to candles and more, Marci has a passion for creating products that take her customers on a luxurious spa experience right from her Etsy shop. We talk about the struggles she has faced when it comes to marketing her Etsy business and I really think a lot of new (and veteran) Etsy sellers will be able to relate to her story because to some extent we've all been there. Marci also has a second Etsy shop - - which she sells an additional line of products in. I had the opportunity to have a great discussion with her about the idea and reason for separating distinct product lines and not diluting one's Etsy shop or confusing customers. Best way to reach Marci: Etsy shop convo: Also check out her website and blog on Social media: , , , and 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: Like the and see what we're discussing there Pinterest: Instagram: Google+: Email: Use the OR interview [at] convome [dot] com

Have you ever wondered if you could be doing more to help your Etsy sales along? Have you ever wished that people who bought and liked your products would tell the whole world (or at least their friends and family) about them and send them your way? Have you ever wished you could have a sales and marketing team but one that worked on a budget that you could afford? Okay, okay... I can hear you saying "enough with the questions already... get to the point!" Well my guest on the podcast this week is Jordan Whelan, and he is the co-founder of , the premiere (well, actually the only one I know of) social commerce site. So what is Social Commerce? Well, I'm glad you asked! I had the very same question and I posed it and many others to Jordan and he tells all. Find out how can help boost your Etsy sales. Learn how the system works and determine if the solution that's offered is right for you and your Etsy business. If you're an Etsy seller who is already using , I'd love to hear your feedback about your experiences with it. If you're an Etsy seller and you decide to give a whirl based on what you hear Jordan and I discuss in our convo then I'd love to hear about your experience too! If you have additional questions for Jordan you can reach him at Jordan [at] Framestr [dot] com PS: no, that isn't a typo, Framestr is spelled without a second "e" ;) 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: Like the and see what we're discussing there Pinterest: Instagram: Google+: Email: Use the OR interview [at] convome [dot] com

Anna is one enthusiastic Etsy shop owner and it's almost hard to believe that she opened her shop - - literally on a whim because she had a felt need while planning her own wedding and ended up filling it herself. There's a saying that goes like this: Necessity is the mother of invention. Well, that's exactly how Anna's Etsy shop and business came to be. And naturally, since she had this need, that is, sandals to wear for her destination beach wedding, there was a market of other brides who needed the same thing. We talk about the trajectory of her Etsy business, from slow initial sales to gaining momentum at the peak of bridal season which thankfully has not tapered off! Anna's plate is quite full and she shares how she manages and organizes her time between a full-time teaching job during the school year and summer employment with running her ever-growing Etsy business. We also discuss how she uses social media to promote her Etsy shop and what the return on time invested in social media is for her. Anna shares very candidly about mistakes she made in the beginning and how she has learned to do things differently, and better, in order to improve her and what she says is very valuable for all new (and veteran) Etsy sellers that may be making similar mistakes without even realizing it. Best ways to reach Anna: Etsy shop:  Social media: , , , and Website: 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: Like the and see what we're discussing there Pinterest: Instagram: Google+: Email: Use the OR interview [at] convome [dot] com

Are you a fan of biology and Buffy? Then you'll love my guest this week! She's Robyn and she runs the Etsy shop . Robyn sells stippling portraits, Buffy the Vampire-themed artwork and jewelry as well as human anatomy jewelry. Intriguing huh...? In our convo, Robyn shares the personal story of what led her from a career as a model to the world on arts and crafts and selling on Etsy. We also discuss how she developed her pricing strategies for the items in her shop and how she handled a dispute with a customer in the past. Best ways to reach Robyn: Etsy shop: Website: Social media: , , eBay shop: 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: Like the and see what we're discussing there Pinterest: Instagram: Google+: Email: Use the OR interview [at] convome [dot] com

Rachel Fisher loves animals and she sells paintings of them in her Etsy shop . I'm an animal lover and my favorites are dogs and cats, but I have to say, seeing Rachel's rat art almost has me creating a special place for rats in my heart... :) I love that Rachel has made a very deliberate plan to make a full-time living on Etsy eventually and in our convo today she shares how she drew up her business plan then broke it down into manageable steps and is now working her way towards that goal by making and meeting her very realistic goals and milestones. Rachel's journey is offers lots of encouragement for any Etsy seller that is starting to feel overwhelmed at the thought of what it will take to achieve their Etsy business goals so listen in and takes notes from her :) Rachel also does custom pet portraits so if you, or someone you know has a beloved pet, these would make a nice gift... Just in time for Christmas/Hanukkah, so check out Best ways to reach Rachel: Etsy shop: Website: Blog: 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: Like the and see what we're discussing there Pinterest: Instagram: Google+: Email: Use the OR interview [at] convome [dot] com

My guest is Heather Davis again and we're following up on her Vadis Artist crowdfunding campaign! You might remember Heather from of the podcast which originally aired back on May 14th, 2014. During our convo we talked about the Indiegogo campaign which she was about to launch and Heather promised to come back on and share more about her experience running a crowdfunding campaign for launching a new line of products for her Etsy shop - . What's more, Heather also reached out to another former podcast guest - (Tristan was my guest on of the podcast which originally aired back on March 26, 2014) and through the service they offer, she now also runs a monthly pop-up shop with other Etsy sellers... Wow!!! Heather ran the Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign to start a new line of wood block art prints for her shop and today she shares lots of tips that she learned about running a crowdfunding campaign... Lots of food for thought here for other Etsy sellers who might be considering doing something similar. Best ways to reach Heather: Etsy shop: 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: Like the and see what we're discussing there Pinterest: Instagram: Google+: Email: Use the OR interview [at] convome [dot] com

Thanks to the weekly #HandmadeHourUSA Twitter chat I was fortunate to meet TJ. TJ runs the Etsy shop and what really caught my eye was the Rockabilly style of accessories she had in her . I've always been intrigued by the look so when we started chatting it didn't take long for me to ask her to be my guest on the podcast. Before signing on to sell on Etsy, TJ was very intentional and purposeful and did a lot of homework about the ins and outs of selling on the site. We talk about how she prepared to launch her Etsy business and how that helped to set her up for a more fruitful and productive time as a new seller. She also leads an Etsy team - Beautiful Treasury Box - and is very involved with the One Big Sale Day Team on Etsy which just happens to be having their One Big Sale Day on October 4th, 2014! The timing of this podcast is just perfect so if you're listening to this before October 4th, 2014 and want to jumpstart your holiday shopping, you'll be able to save big (at least 20% off with coupon code: OBSD4OCT2014) by shopping in the Etsy shops that belong to that team and are participating in the big sale. If you're an Etsy shop owner and you think you might want to join that team and participate in next year's big event OR if you'd like to grow your Etsy sales by joining the Beautiful Treasury Box Team, then get in touch with TJ for more information. Best Ways to Reach TJ: Etsy shop: Blog: Social media: , , , and Etsy teams: Beautiful Treasury Box and 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: Like the and see what we're discussing there Pinterest: Instagram: Google+: Email: Use the OR interview [at] convome [dot] com

Thanks to the wonderful world of podcasting and the power of networking I was fortunate enough to be introduced to this week's guest - Kara Lamerato (big thanks to her sister Kate!) Kara owns and runs the Etsy shop and she shares the inspiring and touching story of how she left her full-time 9-to-5 career in the finance industry to pursue and subsequently run a very successful Etsy business all the while always putting family first. Her niche on Etsy is in the very competitive wedding space and Kara shares tips on how she went about differentiating herself and her business from others in the same area. We talk about some stressful experiences she's had selling on Etsy and how she grew from them; you'll also get to hear one of the most creative ways that I have heard to date, of how to resolve an issue with a customer. Seriously, this is top-notch customer service at it's best. Best ways to reach Kara: Etsy shop: Email: karalamerato [at] gmail [dot] com OR karasvineyardwedding [at] gmail [dot] com Website: You can also find her on , , , and 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. My Contact Information: Twitter: Follow Facebook: Like the and see what we're discussing there Pinterest: Instagram: Google+: Email: Use the OR interview [at] convome [dot] com