Explore Your Enthusiasm

We're replaying a popular episode from the past, because it's always a good reminder that you have permission to say no - to anything!

In today’s episode you’ll learn:

• How to get comfortable saying no.
• 4 ways to say no
• My exact scripts for getting more time, avoiding aggressive askers, and saying no.

This is the second part of a three-part (free!) mini-class on Saying No (for fun + profit). Part 1 is here, Part 2 is today’s podcast, and Part 3 is a worksheet (to apply this to your own business), only available if you sign up at the bottom of today's post.

Listen in and get the FREE worksheet right here.

I hear from SO many people that they just don't feel motivated to work on their To Do list - from the daily small tasks to the bigger goal-oriented projects.

That's why it's so important to have a system of identifying your goal, breaking it down, and checking off your To Dos. This week we're revisiting a popular podcast from the past, with an all-new transcript and a FREE guide to go with it!

In this episode we’ll discuss

• The principles for Getting More Done
• How to stay motivated when you don't feel like working
• The process I use to make progress on my quarterly goals

Want to get more done? Get my FREE distraction-free guide to getting more done.Grab it here.

Check out the other posts + podcasts in this series:

• How I Get Stuff Done
• How to Get Stuff Done, Part 2

• It's not about getting more done
• Map-making guide
• Omnifocus

Listen to the episode at TaraSwiger.com/podcast119/

How can you be a real person  and not be a hot mess, on social media?

In this episode, inspired by something Caitlin Bacher said at Schoolhouse Craft, I’m going to give you three questions to answer, so you can figure it out once and for all. These questions will help you develop your strategy and connect with your customers, without sounding like either a robot (boring!) or oversharing (ew!). 

Want to be authentic online? Get a FREE worksheet to help you work through the questions from this episode! Grab it here.

Listen to the episode at TaraSwiger.com/podcast120/

Today we're talking about collaborating and finding promotion partners with knitwear designer Lisa Barnes. Lisa discusses how she found collaborator (and fellow Starship Captain!) Ann Tudor and how they created a new product together, and how she connected with yarn shops.

• The Knitalong blog posts 
• Where to get your pattern, yarn and stitch markers
• Lisa's Ravelry group
• Sign up for the KAL (and be entered to win prizes!) by signing up at Lisa's site and clicking "interested in knitalongs"!

Get more buyers by focusing on the RIGHT people.

This is the heart of effective marketing - speak directly to the person who is going to love (and want) what you sell. Remember, you’re not trying to convince anyone, you’re giving (compelling!) info to interested people.

But how do you figure out who that person is? Are you limiting yourself by just focusing in on one set of Right People? And how do you find out where they are?

In this episode we’ll discuss

• Why focusing on your Right People IS scary (and why you need to do it anyway)
• How to find the people + be where they are.
• 5 questions to get closer to your people

Want to focus on YOUR Right People? Apply what you learned in today’s episode with a free worksheet (and today's transcript!)

Get them both at TaraSwiger.com/podcast117

Should you focus only on the people who love your work, and dismiss everyone else as "not your right people"? Or should you take criticism so you can improve and grow and serve your people better?

The answer is: It depends.

No, you shouldn't listen to ALL criticism.
No, you shouldn't ignore ALL criticism.

Instead, you should pay attention to what's useful and ignore what's not.

How do you know which is which? 

In this episode we discuss the  difference between focusing on your Right People and ignoring criticism. You'll also learn how to figure out what you should pay attention to, and what to DO with the criticism you get.  Get the free worksheet to apply this to the next bit of criticism you get!

Listen to the episode and get the transcript at TaraSwiger.com/podcast116/

Last week we talked about the difference between a Threat vs a Challenge. At the very end of the podcast I gave you a way to turn a threat into a Challenge. This is an example of reframing, or changing the way you think about a problem, in order to see more possible solutions. If you're an email subscriber, you got an email that walked you through the reframing of my own recent obstacle (Didn't get it? Subscribe here!)

I recorded a podcast about this 2 years ago, episode 3, but Starship Captains asked me to dive into it deeper this week. We'll discuss what reframing is, how to do it, and how to turn it into a habit. 

Listen to the episode and get the free transcript at TaraSwiger.com/podcast115/

Let's face it - there are obstacles you'll face on your way to building your creative business. The question isn't how to avoid them, but how to overcome them. It comes down to how you approach them and think about them: Are these obstacles threats or challenges?

In this episode we discuss the difference between a threat and a challenge reaction, and how to have a challenge mindset to the obstacles in your handmade business.

This is inspired by one of the most popular lessons in the #monthofbizlove challenge: Threat vs Challenge Mindset.

Listen to the full episode + get the free transcript at http://taraswiger.com/podcast114/

But how? 

You need systems, support, and then... tenacity. It's a matter of sticking with it, day after day. To inspire you to become consistent, you may want to build your own challenge around whatever habit you'd like to develop.

Some examples I mention: 

• #MonthofBizLove
• Kim Werker's #yearofmaking workbook
• #100dayProject

To listen to the episode visit TaraSwiger.com/podcast113/

What should you focus on to grow your business? What really matters?

You can boil it all down to the four foundations of a crafty business. Work on these, and you'll see growth and expansion!

If you want to work on these foundations in your business, join us in Lift Off (it closes tomorrow!). Over 6 months you will build each of the foundations, and get greater clarity about what to do in your business.

Learn more about Lift Off at TaraSwiger.com/lift

Listen to the episode at TaraSwiger.com/podcast112/