Etsy Conversations Podcast

My guest this week is Patty and she runs the Etsy shop , but that's just one aspect of what she does as business owner...

Patty is a graphic designer and she sells stationery for creative business owners who own Etsy shops and have online businesses. She also has a website where she blogs and in particular shares tips and information about blogging as a means to run and grow an online business.

Patty has lots of information to share with fellow entrepreneurs who are moms (especially of young children like hers) and who are working a full-time job while building a business on the side.

We also talk about...

Selling internationally

Squarespace vs. WordPress for blogging

Developing new product lines

... and more...

Resources mentioned:

Best ways to reach Patty:

Email: CharmingTreeDesign [at] gmail [dot] com

Website:

Social media: ,

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Okay Etsy sellers, get ready to have your socks blown right off...

In this episode of the podcast I talk to Richie and Gordon of and if you've never heard of this fabulous tool that is designed to help you super-charge your Etsy sales and business then you definitely will want to take the time out to listen to what its all about.

As of this writing, I have not yet personally used  so I had lots of questions about it and how it works and who its for, etc. But by the time the episode airs, I plan to be already subscribed... :)

So what is Marmalead? To quote Gordon and Richie, it is...

The best Etsy SEO and market research tool for Etsy sellers

Are you intrigued yet?

Think about this way, all that research that we tend to do manually on Etsy such as comparing pricing, fishing for good keywords for our titles and tags, figuring out what terms buyers are searching for and which tags are trending, and on and on... does all that for you now.

The guys were kind enough to answer all my questions about this tool and delved very deeply into the inner workings of the tool and how it can help you grow your Etsy sales. Here are some of the things we discussed:

How to use

Ideal candidates for the tool

How to interpret the information provided

Subscription to the service and support provided

Future plans for

And lots lots more...

I really enjoyed talking with Richie and Gordon because they are very personable and have a great passion for solving these pain points which just about every Etsy seller experiences (because they had them as well when they embarked on opening their own Etsy shop, so they really get it)... And, they got my jokes :)

If you have any additional questions about the tool that we didn't discuss in our convo please do leave it in the comments section below or use the contact information for Gordon and Richie to ask them directly.

I know they'll be glad to answer your questions and to get any feedback from you too, so, share away! 

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I just had a lovely conversation with Lisa Lehmann, the artist, maker, and gold-smithing creative genius behind the Studio Jewel brand - and Etsy shop .

Lisa creates her handmade jewelry from her home studio while at the same time raising 4 teenagers whom she home-schooled while she was initially building her business.

If you need some inspiration on your Etsy and creative business journey, especially if you're feeling somewhat overwhelmed with the responsibilities of your own life then sit back and listen to this convo with Lisa.

You're not alone... If anyone understands and has worked through all that, it's Lisa. We talk about:

How she created her product line and what the inspiration behind her products is

The importance of having a mentor

How being transparent and authentic has helped her audience connect with her in a very personal way

Instant selling on Instagram

And lots more...

Resources mentioned:

Etsy team - (for Jewelry sellers on Etsy Team)

Connect with Lisa:

Email: studiojewel [at] gmail [dot] com

Social media: , , ,

Website:

Etsy shop:

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Grab your notebooks and get ready for this episode...

My guests are Todd and Rachel Swenddal and they are the husband and wife team behind the Etsy shops , and the ecommerce website . There was so much I wanted to discuss with them so this isn't a typical episode...kind of...

There are a number of things that they are doing that is quite unique so our conversation went off the usual track.

They started in January 2014 where they sell handmade children's activity books, and in September 2014 where they primarily sell some of the most adorable birthday and holiday outfits for little boys and girls.

Listen in to hear the inspiration behind their Etsy shops and how, in less than a year, they have grown one of them to the point where they have had to hire part-time staff in addition to creating an independent ecommerce website.

Topics discussed:

Staying true to the mission of your business

What it's really like working with your spouse

Using Facebook ads to launch an Etsy shop

Tools for doing great keyword research

Calculating profit margins and customer acquisition costs

Multi-channel selling... Think eBay, Bonanza, etc.

...and so much more...!

Resources mentioned:

Google Keyword Planner

Best ways to reach Todd & Rachel:

Etsy convo: &

Website:

Social media: Facebook, Pinterest

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Joelle Weber runs the Etsy shop where she makes and sells handmade art which incorporates the use of recycled and upcycled  paper such as wallpaper samples, magazine ads, and worn out books.

She has made it the goal of her Etsy business, not only to create unique products, but also to make products that are eco-friendly. I really like that Joelle makes an effort to connect with fellow makers and she shares how she uses these connections to gain more exposure for her products and brand.

She also talks about sourcing from other Etsy sellers and why she makes an effort to do that.

Topics discussed:

Selecting craft shows

Etsy shop promotion using social media, blog giveaways, and email marketing

Creative ruts and how to get out of them

...and more!

Resources mentioned:

Etsy Listings Manager

Adobe Creative Suite

How to reach Joelle:

Email: PageFreeArt [at] gmail [dot] com

Etsy shop:

Social media: , ,

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Rachel Potucek is my guest this week and she runs the Etsy shop . She also started her own ecommerce website at around the same she opened up her Etsy shop so she provides some great insight into the ins and outs of running both, time management, ROI (return on investment) from each, etc.

It's been quite a busy and successful first year for Rachel and we talk about some of her first year's hits and misses, just as importantly, we also discuss her definition of success and how one's definition of success can determine your own outlook when it comes to your business.

What you see on Etsy when it comes to the number of sales a seller has is not necessarily the whole story. Rachel went big in her first year by diving into wholesale, and private label products on top of individual customer sales.

Topics discussed:

Landing corporate clients; private-label products

Creating relationships locally for local sourcing

Creatively using free Facebook services for marketing your business ...Genius...

Methods for determining final product pricing

Resources mentioned:

Book - Words for Wise Women by Katherine Jordan

Best ways to reach Rachel:

Email: Hello [at] PeoplesSoap [dot] com

Etsy shop:

Website:

Social media: , ,

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Shannon DePalma of Shannon DePalma Coaching and The Etsy Course is my guest this week and if you're a new or struggling Etsy seller then you'll really want to listen up and take note of what she has to share... And what she has to offer.

In our convo, Shannon shares very candidly about how she first started selling on Etsy and gradually transitioned from having an Etsy shop to an offline wedding floral design business (which had its roots in her Etsy shop)... To now offering coaching services for Etsy sellers as well as an Etsy course and live workshops (but these are only limited to folks in the South Orange, NJ area...

Or to anyone who might want to travel there for the workshop) :) Shannon's coaching comes from a place of personal experience and she takes a unique approach which involves teaching her clients how to be more vulnerable and self-confident as a way of growing to bigger and better things.

It's worked for her you'll hear from her own personal story why she has chosen to take this approach with her clients.

Topics we discuss:

How to parlay your Etsy skills into other areas and expand your handmade business

Hiring help for your business/outsourcing tasks

Knowing your target market and why it's an integral part of your success

Shannon's current favorite tools and resources

Resources mentioned:

Best ways to reach Shannon:

Website:

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If you're an Etsy seller and you're thinking about (or have been thinking about) expanding your brand to an ecommerce website but you don't want to leave Etsy completely...

Then grab a cup of your beverage of choice and listen in to this conversation I had with Annika Schauer and Chris Craig of . was founded by Annika and her business partner and Etsy seller Raina Scott and the site officially launched on June 21st, 2015.

The goal of the service they provide is to offer Etsy sellers an effortless way to create websites while still maintaining their (your) brand and shop on Etsy. Topics discussed:

How came to be

Mechanics of site-building with Beeswax and ease-of-use

Content creation, SEO, newsletter/mailing list, and social media integration

Syndicated content vs. duplicate content... What does this all mean?

Pricing... Availability... Support...

...and lots more info about what you can do with a

Contact information:

Annika: Annika[at]BeeswaxWebsites[dot]com

Chris: Chris[at]Beeswaxsites[dot]com

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Connect With Me:

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This quote won't come as news to you:

In this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes. - Benjamin Franklin

Today I'm talking to Mark Faggiano and he's the founder of , a cloud-based service that automates sales tax compliance for ecommerce sellers.

If you thought you were somehow exempt from paying sales tax, unfortunately, that may not necessarily be the case. Please note that neither Mark nor I are lawyers or accountants, however, we are talking about the service he provides which takes the headache out of filing sales tax.

Mark started his entrepreneurial journey in ecommerce and now he focuses on making apps that make the business side of ecommerce easier. He's passionate about solving complex problems for small businesses.

You'll need to consult with a lawyer or accountant to get advice specific to your situation but when it comes down to actually wrangling the data and info you need to properly file your sales tax, then you might want to take a closer look at what has to offer. In my conversation with Mark, he shares lots of information about what does and how it can help you; not just Etsy sellers, but ecommerce sellers in general...

So if you're selling on multiple channels online, listen up :)

Topics discussed:

Quickbooks vs. - what's the difference? Do you need both?

How to determine if you need to file taxes in multiple states

Autofiling of sales tax with

Nexus...? What's that...?

...and all the other extra good bits that come along with a TaxJar subscription

Contact TaxJar:

Email: support[at]TaxJar[dot]com

TaxJar 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:

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My guest is Danielle Vincent and she and her husband Russ are the brains behind .

They started off with an independent ecommerce business on their own website Outlaw Soaps and then expanded the wholesale line of their business onto Etsy in their shop .

Danielle spent 10 years working as a corporate Digital Product Manager before she quit to start making a living making and selling soaps.

Topics we discuss:

Running a business with a spouse and the division of labor

Focusing on using Etsy primarily for bulk wholesale orders rather than individual retail orders

All things Shopify for running an ecommerce website

Blogging for marketing

Approaching the press and media outlets to get exposure for your brand and product

Resources mentioned:

Chuck Revell (photographer) -

- home of the tool for determining product pricing

- ecommerce-building platform

Reach Danielle:

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:

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Facebook Group: - This is where I'm connecting with you after the podcast. Lots of fun convos & Etsy shop promos here too!

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Pinterest:

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Email: Use the OR interview [at] convome [dot] com