On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we're talking about running a brick-and-mortar yarn shop with my guest, Annissa Essaibi-George.

Annissa is the owner of Stitch House. She taught at East Boston High School for 13 years before being elected to the Boston City Council. In 2021 she ran for Mayor of Boston.

Annissa recently served as CEO and president of the Big Sister Association of Greater Boston and now is the Partnership Advisor for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts. Annissa is a mom to 4 great boys 20-year-old Douglas and 18-year-old triplets Charlie, Kayden, and Samir. Annissa and her husband Doug are both lifelong residents of Dorchester and live just up the street from the Stitch House.

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This episode is sponsored by Thinkific, the easiest way to turn your crafting expertise into an online education business. Whether you're teaching painting, quilting, jewelry making, or any other craft, Thinkific makes it simple to share your skills, grow your audience, and generate a new income stream. Start your free trial today at Thinkific.com.

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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about product and surface design with my guest Hollei Hayes.

Hollei is the owner of Hollei Anne Design Co. After honing her craft for over ten years in the design industry, she made the leap from working in Fortune 500 corporations collaborating with esteemed brands such as Toys R Us and Skip Hop. Now, she's fully immersed in her passion as a Surface and Product designer and has had her art seen in big box retailers like Target, TJ Maxx, Hallmark and more!

Today, she's fortunate to own a creative studio where she dedicates her efforts to providing trending art and design to elevate product collections and brand identities for entrepreneurial women in retail for the homegoods, stationery, gift and textile industries.

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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about activism with my guest Omakri Williams.

Omkari Williams is the Gold Nautilus award-winning author of Micro Activism: How You Can Make a Difference in the World (Without A Bullhorn). Her book helps readers identify their “activist archetype" and map a personal action plan for engaging in small, change-making activities with potentially big impacts.

She has worked as an actor, political consultant, and coach. Now she welcomes all people into the world of micro activism, a sustainable path to change-making based upon honoring the inherent dignity of all people. 

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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about embroidery with my guest Melissa Galbraith.

Melissa is the fiber artist behind MCreativeJ. She was born and raised in the desert of Washington state where her mother instilled a love of making things by hand at an early age. Melissa shares her love of nature through whimsical and modern hand embroidery kits, hands-on workshops, and her books, How to Embroider Texture and Pattern and DIY Embroidered Shoes.

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This episode is sponsored by The Academy for Virtual Teaching.

You know video is the most effective way to market your brand, but as the “CEO of everything,” you have NO time to make it happen. It’s overwhelming. We get it! We want to help you to stop leaving money on the table.

The Academy for Virtual Teaching FREE webinar, “Make a Promotional Video in 3 Easy Steps!” No stress, no fancy gear—just your phone. Learn how to create quick, engaging videos that work. Register now at AcademyForVirtualTeaching.com or a4vt.com—that’s A, the number 4, VT.com.

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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

In this special episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we are talking with a variety of industry players about the second bankruptcy of JOANN Fabrics including:

We start with Grace giving us an overview of the current situation at JOANN (January 2025), go through 10-15 minute interviews with each guest, and wrap up with Grace as we look towards what the future might be like for JOANN. 

We hope you enjoy this slightly different format for the show! 

To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about sewing machines with my guest Jason Zielke.

Jason Zielke is the Chief Product Officer for SVP Worldwide, where he leads global brand marketing, new product development, and industrial design for iconic sewing machine brands Singer, Viking, and Pfaff. A seasoned executive with expertise in strategic planning and engineering leadership, he has successfully launched innovative products and driven significant market growth throughout his career.

Previously, Jason held leadership roles at Stanley Black & Decker and MTD Products, managing initiatives ranging from corporate turnarounds to pioneering autonomous technologies. An award-winning mentor and inventor, he holds advanced degrees in engineering management and mechanical engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.  

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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about starting a fabric company with my guest Tracy Krauter.

Tracy is the founder of Splash Fabric. Raising three boys, Tracy knew there had to be a better solution to everyday messes. When she couldn't find the perfect fabric—one that was soft yet waterproof, durable yet sewable—she didn't just settle. She innovated. 

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This episode is sponsored by The Academy for Virtual Teaching.

You know video is the most effective way to market your brand, but as the “CEO of everything,” you have NO time to make it happen. It’s overwhelming. We get it! We want to help you to stop leaving money on the table.

The Academy for Virtual Teaching FREE webinar, “Make a Promotional Video in 3 Easy Steps!” No stress, no fancy gear—just your phone. Learn how to create quick, engaging videos that work. Register now at AcademyForVirtualTeaching.com or a4vt.com—that’s A, the number 4, VT.com.

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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about craftivism with my guest Shannon Downey.

Shannon is an artist, activist, craftivist, community builder, and general instigator. Her work moves people from passive consumers of art into engaged creators and leverages craft-based art forms to bring people together, present opportunities to transition from makers to change makers, and inspire radical hope for what is possible.

She’s the founder of Badass Cross Stitch and her new book Let's Move the Needle provides a roadmap and accessible toolkit for burgeoning art activists with self-reflective activities, exercises, prompts, and stories.

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This episode is sponsored by Craftsy. 

Calling all crafters! Are you ready to dive deep into your favorite crafting projects and learn new techniques along the way? Then it's time to join Craftsy Premium Membership. Take advantage of this extended Black Friday Deal! For ONLY $1.49, you'll receive a full year of access to expert-led tutorials, patterns, and projects in every category you can imagine. With a massive library of resources at your fingertips, you'll be able to create your best work yet and bring your crafting dreams to life. Don't wait – sign up now at CraftsyOffers.com and discover the endless possibilities of Craftsy Premium Membership!

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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about weaving with my guest Jen Duffin.

Jen is the designer and teacher behind Nova Mercury Design. Jen has been creating fiber art full-time since 2016, specializing in frame loom weaving. Inspired by color and whimsy, Jen loves creating art that brings joy to people's lives and homes. She aims to create beautiful heirloom artworks and to inspire a love of creating in others. She has taught many sold-out workshops in Montreal and Toronto, hosted online workshops for students from all over the world, and also created a course with the online platform Domestika. Her signature rainbow art was selected as a finalist for the 2019 Etsy Awards, and she took home the Canadian People's Choice Award. Jen's first instructional weaving book, The Joy of Weaving: Modern Frame Loom Projects for Beginners, was published in September with Page Street Publishing. She lives with her partner, two children, and a dog in Montréal, Canada. 

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Today’s episode is brought to you by h+h americas 2025. Dive into creativity from May 7-9 in Rosemont Illinois at the crafts industry’s premier trade show. Connect with industry leaders, discover trends, and ignite your passion. And join us the day before the show opens for h+h University, a daylong conference with outstanding education and networking! See you at the show.

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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about designing fabric with my guest Anna Maria Parry.

Having grown up in a creative home, Anna Maria Parry earned an honors BFA in drawing from the University of Tennessee in 1995 before opening a small clothing shop with her mother the same year. Designing and sewing a clothing label while managing a shop primed her for a career in textiles and small business. Since her first fabric collection debuted in 2005, she has designed hundreds of illustrative fabric prints that have inspired crafters and quilters around the globe. She is now the design director for Anna Maria Textiles and sharing her distinctive quilt-making process has taken her all over the world to teach and lecture. Anna Maria’s Blueprint Quilting is her fourth book, and she self-publishes an ongoing collection of sewing, quilting, and needlework patterns at annamariaparry.com. She lives with her husband and family between Franklin, Tennessee, and Sydney, Australia.

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This episode is sponsored by Craftsy.

Calling all crafters! Are you ready to dive deep into your favorite crafting projects and learn new techniques along the way? Then it's time to join Craftsy Premium Membership. Take advantage of this Black Friday Deal! For ONLY $1.49, you'll receive a full year of access to expert-led tutorials, patterns, and projects in every category you can imagine. With a massive library of resources at your fingertips, you'll be able to create your best work yet and bring your crafting dreams to life. Don't wait – sign up now at CraftsyOffers.com and discover the endless possibilities of Craftsy Premium Membership!

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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.