LISTEN - HEIRLOOM

Tracy Matthews is a Jewelry Designer, Entrepreneur, Mentor, and Podcast host. Her passion is supporting makers to tap into their unique creative brilliance factor to make more money and impact. She has been featured in InStyle, Elle, Us Weekly, Martha Stewart Weddings + more!

Tracy joins me in this episode to take about the power of branding your jewelry (or handmade) business, how to stand out amongst your competitors, and how to keep going when things don’t work out. She shares with me some of the amazing stories and lessons from her book The Desired Brand Effect: Stand Out in a Saturated Market with a Timeless Jewelry Brand and how many of these same strategies can be used for any handmade business.

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Have you subscribed to my podcast? If not, I’d recommend you do it now so you don’t miss an episode. The line-up for the coming year looks amazing and without subscribing you’ll likely miss out on them. Subscribe on itunes here.

Want to share a little love for the Podcast? That would certainly make my day. Please leave a review on itunes. These reviews help other makers and creative folks find and connect with the podcast plus they are just wonderful for me to read. Click here to review, then select Ratings and Reviews, and then select Write a Review and share what you love about the podcast. Thank you SO much.

‘Making a Life’ starts with Melanie sharing her journey of coming to a cross roads in her career and finds herself determined to write a book (she was previously a book editor at Abrams) of her own “investigating and celebrating the role making by hand can play in making a good life.” At the time I came across this book I had been doing a lot of research about the value that we place on handmade items as a society and how this has changed over time. I knew this book would be something significant. And I certainly wasn’t disappointed.

Melanie spent 3 1/2 years traveling the globe; making things, visiting and interviewing makers, and learning about herself, and the value of making by hand. I really think you are going to enjoy this episode!

I also wanted to share something with you that, well, I made just for you. When it comes to the holiday season, as artists and makers many of us find ourselves immersed in what is, the busiest time of the year. We are making and selling our goods, planning all the holiday things for our businesses and families, buying christmas gifts, and well, just doing all the things. So, I wanted to make sure that your Christmas is also great - So, I have put together a gift guide that is just for you. A gift guide for Creative entrepreneurs. To create the guide I polled a whole bunch of artists and makers and creatives to see what books, products, and items they use and love for themselves and their businesses. And make it extra special, this week you’ll have the opportunity to win some of the items from the guide. Starting today, for the next five days. There are so many beautiful things inside the guide and some lovely products that you have the opportunity to win, I think its a fun way to start off the holidays. You can find all the guide HERE - I can’t wait to hear what you think of it.

Subscribe / Leave a Review
Have you subscribed to my podcast? If not, I’d recommend you do it now so you don’t miss an episode. The line-up for the coming year looks amazing and without subscribing you’ll likely miss out on them. Subscribe on itunes here.

Want to share a little love for the Podcast? That would certainly make my day. Please leave a review on itunes. These reviews help other makers and creative folks find and connect with the podcast plus they are just wonderful for me to read. Click here to review, then select Ratings and Reviews, and then select Write a Review and share what you love about the podcast. Thank you SO much.

Once in a while with your work you come across a product that is just, like the EXACT thing you need to get the job done. That is how I felt when I came across the Canvas lamp, I was like YES this is it! If you are a maker or artist and have ever tried to film yourself while working, well you know how tricky it can be. My previous set-up before the Canvas lamp was two strategically place stacks of books with a 2x4 set across the stacks and then my phone balanced on top. It wasn’t exactly a speedy or glamorous set-up. 

Stuart and Abby saw a gap in the market; makers and artists were wanting to easily film their work for social media and for course creation, but really struggling with this. Oh yes, did I mention it has a built it light with a whole bunch of different settings? 

I wanted to take a minute to invite you to a free challenge I am hosting from October 4th to 8th. After working with hundreds of makers and artists I hear that a lot of hand makers struggling  during the holiday season. It is hard as a hand-maker to juggle all the things, to organize yourself, your business, and market everything you have to offer during what is suppose to be not only a highly profitable time of of the year, but also one that is filled with joy. 

In this 5-day challenge I am am going to walk you through creating a well-defined marketing plan for your handmade goods over the next three months, I’m going to give you step by step instructions on how to make space for what is important to you, your business and your customers, and help you gain clarity on what to focus on to have a successful holiday season. There are also going to prizes, because well, that is just fun, 

The challenge is perfect for you if you’ve ever thought you were terrible at being a sales person, struggle to prioritize the tasks on your to-do list, or are unsure about how to best market your work. 

To join the challenge, click HERE

In this episode we cover:

+ The story behind CANVAS Co Lamp

Subscribe / Leave a Review

Have you subscribed to my podcast? If not, I’d recommend you do it now so you don’t miss an episode. The line-up for the coming year looks amazing and without subscribing you’ll likely miss out on them. Subscribe on itunes here.

Want to share a little love for the Podcast? That would certainly make my day. Please leave a review on itunes. These reviews help other makers and creative folks find and connect with the podcast plus they are just wonderful for me to read. Click here to review, then select Ratings and Reviews, and then select Write a Review and share what you love about the podcast. Thank you SO much.

Have you ever come across someone on Instagram and thought “I want to be friends with this person’? Well, that’s hope I felt about Sallie Dale. Sallie is a mom, a maker, and if she ever decides to change careers, could be a comedian. Her Instagram stories and posts will make you laugh OUT LOUD.

Sallie creates stunning punch needle designs and sells a selection of kits and patterns in her very successful ETSY shop. She created her business with the goal of being able to be have the flexibility to work from home with her adorable baby Dot (soon to be joined by a brother). Not only has Sallie succeeded in doing this, but she now is able to other stay-at-home mothers who are part of her team.

Sallie also hosts workshops where she coaches ETSY sellers to improve their shops, build their confidence, and create a better shopping experience for their customers.

In this episode we cover:

+ How to know if ETSY is a good choice for selling your work
+Best practices for getting your ETSY shop started
+Sallie’s fantastic ETSY workshops

Subscribe / Leave a Review

Have you subscribed to my podcast? If not, I’d recommend you do it now so you don’t miss an episode. The line-up for the coming year looks amazing and without subscribing you’ll likely miss out on them. Subscribe on itunes here.

Want to share a little love for the Podcast? That would certainly make my day. Please leave a review on itunes. These reviews help other makers and creative folks find and connect with the podcast plus they are just wonderful for me to read. Click here to review, then select Ratings and Reviews, and then select Write a Review and share what you love about the podcast. Thank you SO much.

I am a book-a-holic. A book nerd. Book-lover. You get it. I love the books, allll the books.

On todays episode I share with you three of my favourite books for creative entrepreneurs. Business, creativity, work-flow, these books are inspiring and I am sure you will find a few that you will want to add straight away to your must-read list. These are the kind of books that have post-it notes in them, pages folded over, and often stay out on my desk rather than living on the bookshelf.

**Want to get a copy of my Absolutely Brilliant Books for Creative Entrepreneurs? I’ve complied a guide of 24 Must-read books. Download your copy here: GET THE GUIDE

IN THIS EPISODE WE COVER:
+ Why I think reading is so important for moving forward with your creative business
+ Three books that I read over the last 12 months and LOVE

SUBSCRIBE / LEAVE A REVIEW

Have you subscribed to my podcast? If not, I’d recommend you do it now so you don’t miss an episode. The line-up for the coming year looks amazing and without subscribing you’ll likely miss out on them. Subscribe on itunes here.

Want to share a little love for the Podcast? That would certainly make my day. Please leave a review on itunes. These reviews help other makers and creative folks find and connect with the podcast plus they are just wonderful for me to read. Click here to review, then select Ratings and Reviews, and then select Write a Review and share what you love about the podcast. Thank you SO much.

Mentioned in this episode:

Micheal Hyatt

Me & Orla Podcast

Design Sponge

I am super jazzed to bring this lovely interview with Joanne Hawker to you today. Joanne is a designer and maker from the south west of England. She runs her handmade business from her home studio and focuses her work on cheery stationary and items for artists and creatives. She is also the maker behind ‘March Meek the Maker’ a really fun Instagram challenge that helps gets artist and creatives to share the stories behind their work.

Joanne has been running her creative business since 2012 and in this episodes she shares lessons she has learned along the way, how ‘March Meet the Maker’ came to be and her dreams for the future.

In this episode we cover:
+ The important of being part of a community.
+ How to learn from things that didn’t go quite right.
+ That it’s good to try things that are outside of your comfort zone.

Subscribe / Leave a Review

Have you subscribed to my podcast? If not, I’d recommend you do it now so you don’t miss an episode. The line-up for the coming year looks amazing and without subscribing you’ll likely miss out on them. Subscribe on itunes here.

Want to share a little love for the Podcast? That would certainly make my day. Please leave a review on itunes. These reviews help other makers and creative folks find and connect with the podcast plus they are just wonderful for me to read. Click here to review, then select Ratings and Reviews, and then select Write a Review and share what you love about the podcast. Thank you SO much.

Mentioned in this episode:

March Meet the Maker

In this episode I dig into the big question of balancing motherhood with running your own creative business with the oh-so-talented Amy Whetton of Wild Canary Studio. Amy is mother to two energy-filled twins (aged six) and lives with her husband in the suburbs of Toronto (they live in a really lovely small-ish house that is SO filled with character, I love when she shares peeks of their home on her Instagram feed!)

Amy’s days are filled with her family: her funny dog, kids covering her house in dominos, and her husband currently working from home, all the while with her running her wonderful creative business focussing on watercolour paintings, prints, and stationary. In this episode we talk about just this: is there such a thing as balance when it comes to these things? What does that even look like? Amy shares how things work for her, how she started her business, the roadblocks she has faced, and her dreams for the future.

In this episode we cover:
+ How to work in a small space…and make it work.
+ The benefits of working for yourself.
+ Taking the chance to try something new when things just aren’t working.

For Makers:
Be sure to check out this fun quiz that will tell you what type of maker you are and what steps you can take next to build the business of your dreams.

You’ll also want to check out COMPASS: The Society of Makers and Dreamers. This membership for makers is a truly welcoming space. It combines education, mentorship, and community to support you in creating the creative business you deserve.

Subscribe / Leave a Review
Have you subscribed to my podcast? If not, I’d recommend you do it now so you don’t miss an episode. The line-up for the coming year looks amazing and without subscribing you’ll likely miss out on them.

Want to share a little love for the Podcast? That would certainly make my day. Please leave a review on itunes. These reviews help other makers and creative folks find and connect with the podcast plus they are just wonderful for me to read. Thank you SO much.

In perhaps the most perfectly timed episode ever - I am thrilled to welcome my friend Bonnie Christine to the show to discuss one of my favourite topics - getting things done! This time of year many of us are deep into reflection after a year comes to a close plus looking ahead and annual planning for the year to come.

Bonnie is self-taught artist and surface pattern designer who not only creates stunning collections of artwork that she licences to companies to be printed on fabrics; but she also teaches and mentors other creatives on this very subject.

In this episode we chat all about how she took her big scary goal - becoming a surface pattern designer - and broke it up into bite-sized pieces to make it more achievable. We also dig into one of Bonnie’s favourite topics - productivity. We discuss annual planning, Bonnie’s new Flourish planner, and she shares tricks and tips that she uses to run her business more efficiently.

Leave a review on tunes to win a copy of Bonnie’s beautiful planner. Simply take a screenshot of the review and send it to me by email at [email protected] or as a DM on Instagram @heirloomisland.

Winner to be randomly selected on Friday, January 15th at 6pm EST.

In this episode we cover:

+ Batch working

+ Annual Planning

+ Following your dreams, even when they seem TOO big

+ ‘Focus to Flourish’ Bonnie’s online course about productivity offered though Skillshare (for a free trial of Skillshare, click here)

Subscribe / Leave a Review

Have you subscribed to my podcast? If not, I’d recommend you do it now so you don’t miss an episode. The line-up for the coming year looks amazing and without subscribing you’ll likely miss out on them. Subscribe on itunes here.

Want to share a little love for the Podcast? That would certainly make my day. Please leave a review on itunes. These reviews help other makers and creative folks find and connect with the podcast plus they are just wonderful for me to read. Click here to review, then select Ratings and Reviews, and then select Write a Review and share what you love about the podcast. Thank you SO much.

Mentioned in this episode:

+ The IMMERSION course

+ The FLOURISH Membership

I was very excited to interview my friend Isa Down for this episode of the podcast. Isa is an artist, mother, and nature lover who lives in Colorado the US (she is originally from Canada, I just feel the need to pop this in here!)

Isa started painting to have a creative outlet and over time, grew to love it. She developed her own creative style, began teaching, and really inspiring others take the time for themselves and really lean into their creativity. In this episode we chat about these things plus Isa’s new book ‘Inking Florals’ which recently came out. I asked her a million questions about book publishing and how she came to create this beautiful guide to painting in her style.

In this episode we cover:

Working towards defining your own creative style.

The importance of finding time to create.

How some projects take time, lots of time, but are really worth it.

Subscribe / Leave a Review

Have you subscribed to my podcast? If not, I’d recommend you do it now so you don’t miss an episode. The line-up for the coming year looks amazing and without subscribing you’ll likely miss out on them. Subscribe on itunes here.

Want to share a little love for the Podcast? That would certainly make my day. Please leave a review on itunes. These reviews help other makers and creative folks find and connect with the podcast plus they are just wonderful for me to read. Click here to review, then select Ratings and Reviews, and then select Write a Review and share what you love about the podcast. Thank you SO much.

Have you ever admired someones work from afar and then finally gotten up the nerve to say hi? Well, that’s what I did with Kody. She is a crazy-talented watercolour artist and I have admired her work on Instagram for a few years now. When I started this podcast I knew that I finally had a reason to reach out to her!

Kody’s work is beautiful. Like, down-right gorgeous. Delicate colour plus tiny details that really draw you in and make you feel all those good feelings. She paints portraits, does lots of custom orders, is currently working on illustrating a book, and has the most adorable set of printable paper dolls (like seriously cute!). I was curious to ask her ALL the questions about how she makes custom orders work for her business.