It was so so fun to have a fellow crafty person on the podcast! I know that many, many of you center your businesses around a craft, and my guest today literally wrote the book about hers before shifting her focus to supporting and uplifting crafting professionals.  

Abby Glassenberg is  the Co-Founder and President of Craft Industry Alliance, the premier trade association for the crafts industry. Abby and her team provide in-depth news coverage, top-notch professional development opportunities, and networking opportunities to connect and collaborate. She is also the host of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, which I had the privilege of joining as a guest in an episode from early May! I’ll link to it in the shownotes.

Whether you’re a craft professional or not, there is so much applicable advice for anyone trying to start a small business, including some mindset tips. I found Abby’s journey to co-founding Craft Industry Alliance fascinating, I can’t wait for you to give this one a listen.

In today’s episode, we’re going to talk all about that marketing superpower: what it is, why it’s so powerful, and I’m going to give you some concrete strategies for putting it into action.

She’s back! I loved talking with Tanessa so much in our last episode of the podcast, episode 254, that I had to have her back on a second time. In our second conversation, we deviated from Tanessa’s expertise in health and wellness to talk about another passion she has: financial independence.

In case you need a refresher or missed the last episode (go check it out because it is SO good), Tanessa is a health and wellness coach who specializes in working with entrepreneurs to eliminate brain fog and wake up well-rested so they can maintain consistent, stable energy throughout the day. She is also the host of the Becoming Limitless podcast, which I highly recommend.

However, as we learn in this episode, Tanessa’s business is no longer her primary source of income. A few years ago, Tanessa and her husband learned about an investment strategy based on the idea of financial independence, essentially, earning a living through passive income. I was so intrigued by this idea, and wanted to have Tanessa on the show to share her experience taking this route, and what it has meant for her and her family.

Just a note before we dive in. I loved talking with Tanessa about her journey to financial independence and am so grateful to her for her openness and willingness to share during our conversation. ​​It really shows me what is possible if we're willing to think about our lives and just a slightly different way from what might be considered conventional.

But of course, neither Tanessa, nor I are financial professionals, so this is just sharing about Tanessa's experience. Please consult with a trusted expert before you make any big changes in how you approach and invest your own money.

For a podcast that centers well-being in how we run and market our small businesses, today’s topic is overdue! I am so thankful to have had such a grounded, enthusiastic pro at my side while thinking through how we keep our bodies healthy. Because when we do, our minds (and ultimately our businesses), really reap the benefits.

I have been a fan of Brené Brown for about a decade, and so it is truly mind-blowing to me that we haven’t discussed one of her books for Book Club until now.

Brené Brown is a researcher and self-identified storyteller who has spent the last two decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy. I first learned about Brené from two incredible TED talks she gave in 2010 and 2012, which I’ll link in the shownotes. From there, I deep-dived into her books, which are also linked.

While Charelle and I both LOVE Daring Greatly and Brené Brown this is one of the least specifically business-focused books we’ve done on the podcast, so we had to get creative in order to connect the themes in Daring Greatly to small business and marketing. BUT, this book was absolutely worth covering on the podcast, as there is so much to pull from, especially some powerful ideas around mindset and mental health that would be life-changing for any small business owner.

If you’re new to Brené Brown’s work, I hope this conversation inspires you to dig deeper!

Let’s be real:

A business does not exist without sales.

It just doesn’t.

As much as I know that you, dear listener, are a big-hearted small business owner who wants to make a difference through your small business. (I LOVE THIS ABOUT YOU).

You do have to make sales.

And making sales opens up huge opportunities. Not only for your business, for yourself and your life, but for the impact you’re able to make.

But I think you’ll agree: Build it and they will come is not a thing. And even when you get people there – to your website, to your social media, to your email list – being there also doesn’t mean that they’re going to buy.

So. How do you actually make the sale? Well my friend, that is what today’s episode is all about: the elusive art of sales.

What does it take to TRULY connect with your ideal customers?

To show them who we are, to demonstrate what we have to offer them, and to get them excited about becoming a customer with us?

Anyone who has tried marketing their business knows that this isn’t an easy thing to do at all.

But, it’s not something that gets a lot of airtime in marketing conversations.

It’s a lot sexier to talk about growing your audience or making sales, but this space between someone discovering your business and the point where they decide to make a purchase?

What you do in this time really matters. And that’s what we’re talking about today.

Today’s episode is a very exciting one because in it, my guest, Antonia Bowring and I, chat about a topic that I have not yet covered on this podcast. And that is coaching!

We all have moments in our lives where we could really use some guidance, or at least an exterior influence to keep us moving toward our goals. I think as small business owners, this is sometimes especially true. Working with a coach, developing relationships with mentors, honing skills to coach yourself- these are all great options that Antonia Bowring endorses and was kind enough to talk me through.

Antonia Bowring is a highly credentialed executive coach, consultant, and strategic facilitator with comprehensive experience in early-stage, nonprofit, and corporate settings. For Antonia, the essence of coaching is partnering with clients to help them flourish and thrive. Her approach emphasizes goal-setting, pragmatism, action-oriented business solutions, and accountability.

I learned so much from this conversation, which was full of great recs and ideas. I can’t wait for you to give this one a listen.

There are times when the “shoulds” we are either taught or have convinced ourselves of pile so high it can be overwhelming. It is in this state of overwhelm that we lose track of ourselves, our passions, and our “why.” The balm, according to my guest today, is to re-root in our identities and uncover our purpose based on a true understanding of who we are. It’s in creating from a sense of self that we find contentment and success.

Jessica Huie is a visibility mentor who helps people bring their purpose-driven projects to life and share their unique gifts with the world through a process she calls Transformational Visibility. She has twenty years of experience working in the media as a publicist, speaker, entrepreneur, and author. Jessica believes in a universal truth: “When we go beyond intellect and create from our soul, an incredible congruency occurs. It’s an almost alchemic combination of inspiration and strategy that creates momentum and magic.”

I could definitely feel the magic during our conversation, and I know you will too.

This book was an absolute joy to read. As always, Charelle and I resonated with different parts and pieces, and maybe more so than past books the sections we pulled out clearly illustrated the ways our brains work so differently, which is always fun to see.

I have been following the author, Elise Blaha Cripe, for a long time, and when she came out with her book I immediately jumped on getting a copy. I really admire Elise for her creativity and dedication to making space for joy, whether it’s a craft project or a baking experiment or a business venture. She’s currently on a break from social media, but you can still find plenty of inspiration by scrolling her Instagram page, @elisejoy.

Big Dreams Daily Joys is an intuitive, approachable and honestly visually fun book for anyone who could use some fresh ideas for making progress, setting goals, and making time for the things that matter most. There were so many jewels in this book we couldn’t cover them all, So if you enjoy this discussion and you learn something, you will definitely want to pick up a copy for yourself. Plus it's really, really beautiful.

Raise your hand if you’ve had any of the following thoughts recently.

“Marketing is overwhelming.”

“I have no idea where to start.”

“I am just an inconsistent person.”

“I’m just not good at this.”

“I hate social media.”

“Sharing marketing content is just annoying.”

“Email marketing is just spam”

“Nothing is working.”

“I don’t have anything interesting to say.”

Now, while I don’t have the magical ability to see you through this podcast transmission, I DO know my listeners pretty well, and my guess is that you’re raising your hand – physically or metaphorically – to AT LEAST a couple of those statements.

Suffice it to say: We tend to have a lot of mindset junk about marketing! After all, it is inherently kind of scary to market your business. To ask people to take a look at what you have to offer, to react to it, to engage with you. To buy. This is no small thing, and it is scary for a LOT of us to do.

However. I want us all to market our businesses. Because marketing is one of the best ways of making a bigger impact on the world, and I want that for you! And for the world!

Here’s the truth: Our businesses need to reach the right people and make sales. And that is EXACTLY what great marketing helps us do: reach people and make sales.

But this isn’t a “necessary evil”. The truth that I am 1000% convinced of is this: Marketing can be totally do-able, and even fun.

But we have to intentionally design it that way. And in this episode, I’m going to give you 7 principles to help you do just that: create an approach to marketing that feels good, and that works.