Stacey Trock is the owner of FreshStitches. After a technical failure during our interview at The National NeedleArts Association summer show in June, we talked over Skype about the success of her kit club and why she is switching to digital subscriptions. We also discussed how and why she's diversified her income and her perspective on pacing her business growth, customer service, social media, and more. This post contains affiliate links. About Stacey Trock Stacey Trock, the owner of...

Kim Russo is the yarn dyer behind Kim Dyes Yarn. We met at The National NeedleArts Association summer show in June, and later I spent some time talking to Kim, who shared how her business has transformed over the past 10 years, how she transitioned her fully online business to one that includes face-to-face elements, and her approach to time management. This post contains affiliate links. About Kim Russo Kim Russo, owner of Kim Dyes Yarn, lives in Virginia. She is obsessed with gorgeous...

Dedri Uys is the crochet designer, blogger, author, and teacher behind LookAtWhatIMade. I spent some time talking to Dedri and she was incredibly open and generous in sharing how she is able to work a full time job, be a devoted wife and mother, and still find energy and inspiration for her crochet business. This post contains affiliate links. About Dedri Uys Dedri Uys is the crochet blogger, designer and teacher behind LookAtWhatIMade.  She is best known as the designer of Sophie's...

Jennifer Dickerson is the crochet and knitting designer, blogger, author, and YouTuber behind Fiber Flux. I had the chance to chat with Jennifer about how she got started with video and grew her YouTube channel to over 125,000 followers in less than two years. In this interview, she shares her practical tips for working with video, building a YouTube channel, time management, working for free, and monetizing your blog and videos.  This post contains affiliate links. About Jennifer Dickerson...

Heather Solos is a director at Feedblitz. I met Heather at the 2016 Snap! conference and we later had a Skype chat about best practices for growing, maintaining, and monetizing your email list.  About Heather Solos and Feedblitz Heather Solos started blogging in 2004 and became a professional blogger in 2006. She joined FeedBlitz, an RSS and email marketing company, in 2012 where she built the customer service team. She’s now a director at Feedblitz and swims in a sea of email, marketing,...

I answer questions about teaching crafts and self-publishing as I wrap up the virtual tour for my new book, Make Money Teaching Crochet. About this episode In this episode, I share the edited audio of a Facebook Live event I hosted earlier in the week where I answered questions from listeners about teaching crafts and self-publishing. Thanks to Rosalba Bassora, Novella Bobo from MadebyNovella, Patrice Walker from Yarn Over, Pull Through, Rachel McKinney from 100 Creations, and MG Camacho...

Leslie Albertson is the director of marketing at Mixbook. I had the chance to get to know Mixbook in person at the 2016 Snap! conference and was later introduced to Leslie. We scheduled a Skype interview to talk about the best ways to present your creative business to potential sponsors and collaborators, following up after networking events, and more. About Leslie Albertson and Mixbook Mixbook's mission is to help you share and relive life's most important memories through its custom photo...

I kick off the virtual book tour for Make Money Teaching Crochet: Launch Your Business, Increase Your Side Income, Reach More Students by talking about how teaching has helped to grow my yarn-related business and earn me a stable side income. I also share more information about the book and self-publishing. Listeners are invited to enter a giveaway through June 26, 2016 for their chance to win a copy of the Ultimate Printable Edition, which is also 25% off through July 4, 2016. About this...

Alexis Middleton is the crochet designer and craft blogger behind Persia Lou. I had the chance to meet her in person at the 2016 Snap! conference and we later scheduled a Skype interview to talk about the panel workshop, Generate and Pitch Ideas Like a Boss. About Alexis Middleton    Alexis is a work-at-home mother of three and a lifelong crafter. She learned to crochet from her great grandmother as a child but put down the hook until a few years ago. She started her blog, Persia Lou, as a...

Carrie Leahew is the Senior Consumer Marketing Manager with Coats Crafts. She works most closely with Red Heart. We chatted at the 2016 Snap! conference about how professional crafters can work with Red Heart. About Red Heart  Coats has been in business for over 250 years and is the world's leading industrial thread manufacturer. One in four garments in the world is made with Coats thread! Coats also manufactures consumer crafts supplies, including sewing thread, zippers, fabric, Susan...

Erica Dietz from 5 Little Monsters had been blogging for less than a year when she started working with sponsors. We chatted at the 2016 Snap! conference about blogging, taking risks, how to work with sponsors, and more. About Erica Erica Dietz is the crochet, sewing, embroidery, and craft blogger behind 5 Little Monsters. She shares designs and tutorials on her blog and hosts the Creatively Crafty Link Party on Thursdays. Erica is also a stay-at-home mom to (you guessed it) 5 children. You...

If you're like most home-based business owners, you're bootstrapping your business and keeping costs low with a DIY approach. In this episode, I interview author, speaker, and digital entrepreneur, Lorraine C. Ladish, about how she bootstrapped her business. We also discuss when to invest and spend in your business, taking risks, taking care of yourself, and more. Show notes for this episode are available at http://creativeyarnentrepreneur.com/episode62. About Lorraine  Lorraine C. Ladish is...

Have you considered joining The National NeedleArts Association (TNNA)? In this episode, I interview knitting teacher, designer, and tech editor, Beth Whiteside, about the benefits of membership, newly formed Business and Creative Services sector, and power tips for getting the most out of the TNNA trade show. Show notes for this episode, including links to all the resources mentioned, are available at http://creativeyarnentrepreneur.com/episode61. About Beth Beth Whiteside is a knitting...

I interview Elayna Fernandez, author, speaker, and owner of The Positive Mom. Show notes for this episode, including links to all the resources mentioned, are available at http://creativeyarnentrepreneur.com/episode60. About Elayna Elayna Fernandez is an author, international keynote speaker, and a key Latina influencer and storyteller through ThePositiveMOM.com. She lives with her loving husband and her three brilliant bilingual daughters (and home school students) in Fort Worth,...

Today's episode is a double header. I'm interviewing Kara Gott Warner, host of Power Purls Podcast, and she's interviewing me! Read on for more details and then have a listen to both episodes. About Kara Gott Warner Kara is the Executive Editor of Creative Knitting magazine. She began her career in the yarn industry as a knitting designer in 2002. Kara's designs have been published in several magazines, including Creative Knitting, Vogue Knitting, Family Circle Easy Knitting, and Interweave...

This episode is all about multi-business collaborations, including blog hops, multi-designer make-a-longs, and in-person events. I share 4 reasons you might want to participate in such a collaboration, 7 tips for organization a multi-business collaboration, and 5 ways for being an ideal collaborator when you're not organizing the event. First, some examples of multi-business collaborative events (online and offline) I share several examples in the episode, including... Wonder Blanket...

I interviewed Polly Hammond from Butterscotch Press about the business services she offers to yarn industry indies, including pattern support, marketing and social media, website and visual branding services, and coaching. About Butterscotch Press Polly Hammond is a former yarn shop owner who launched Butterscotch Press to provide support services to yarn-related businesses (especially knitting designers). You can learn more about her background and the services Butterscotch Press offeres in...

I share six different income streams for yarn-related business owners to consider in this episode. Many of us start our own businesses part time and by leveraging our existing skills. As you plan for expansion in 2016 and beyond, consider these different options for earning money for your business. Six Income Streams for Your Yarn-Related Business Here are some options to consider. Most successful businesses have a combination of income streams which helps to mitigate risk and to standardize...

If setting up (or enhancing) an email list for your business is on your list of New Year’s Resolutions, listen to this episode. In this episode, I talk about why you should start an email list, how to get started, the different approaches you can take to an email list, and how to grow your subscriber base. Why should you have an email list? Here are just a few reasons why having an email list by benefit your business. It provides you with a direct connection to your fanbase without...

Time management can be more challenging for part-time business owners. Whether you work full time, run another business part time, or rely on several part time jobs or gigs, if your yarn-related business is part time, you may struggle to manage your time and stay productive. In this episode, I share my time management approach to being a part-time business owner: Start by setting your short- and long-term goals Look for "chunks" of time in your schedule that can be devoted to your...

As creative business owners, we thrive on feeling inspired. But what about those days when you just aren't feeling inspired or creative? I share 5 things that I do when I'm not feeling inspired to keep my business moving forward. Work through it Focus on other crafts Do a "mindless project" Take a break from the creative side of your business Express gratitude to someone else Other resources mentioned in this episode: Interview with Steven Pressfield on The Creative Penn podcast An...

In this episode, I talk about increasing blog traffic in response to feedback from the listener survey and and email exchange with Lindsay Lewchuk from Knit Eco Chic. I'm listening to episode 48 & am a bit bummed that she wouldn't get into particular dollar amounts.  I've got content on my site (content I'm proud of), but I have very little traffic...  I know I haven't done any SEO but am completely lost online with how to do it & what to do.  I want to budget for this, but have no...

In this episode, I answer a listener question from Caroline Ruzicka from Cherie in Wonderland about using LinkedIn for a yarn-related business. Caroline asks, What about LinkedIn? I didn’t see anything on your podcast about it, so I believe you didn’t cover it yet. I use LinkedIn a lot in my main job environment (which is not related to yarn) but honestly I’m not sure this is really working in the yarn industry or for networking in this creative environment yet. I had a quick look today...

In this episode, I answer a common listener question: Do I need to formalize my yarn-related business? There are legal, tax, and mindset reasons for formalizing your business. But first, let me mention that I'm neither a lawyer nor an accountant. You may want to consult one if plan to formalize your business. So, why might you choose to formalize my yarn-related business? You may find it easier to get a business bank account, buy products wholesale, and protect your personal assets in the...