In this episode, I’m sharing why I decided to bring the podcast back to its roots as Simply Hooked: A Crochet Podcast. For the past few months, you’ve known this show as Creative & Called—but I realized most of you came here for crochet inspiration, amigurumi tips, and that spark of yarn-filled joy.

So today, we’re making it official: Simply Hooked: A Crochet Podcast is back!

🧶 You’ll still hear conversations about creativity, mindset, and building a handmade business, but front and center, this show is once again about crochet—celebrating it, learning it, and growing through it.

If you’ve been searching for:
✨ Beginner-friendly crochet patterns

✨ Amigurumi tips and tutorials

✨ Encouragement to use your creative gifts in meaningful ways

…you’re in the right place. Whether you’re crocheting plushies during nap time, starting a handmade crochet business, or simply craving a cozy new hobby, this is your crochet community.

✨ Thanks for sticking with me through the changes—it feels good to come home.

For a deeper dive into growing your handmade business, check out my new book, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hooked on Growth⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, which goes into much more detail on scaling!

🔆⁠⁠⁠Join Our Skool Community⁠

🔆⁠⁠⁠Join The Next Crochet Kit Club⁠⁠⁠

🔆⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn to Crochet Course⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🔆⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shop My Crochet Patterns⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🔆⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Grab The Crochet Snuggle Buddies Pattern Book⁠⁠

🧶⁠⁠⁠⁠Grab Some Crochet Merch⁠

🧶⁠⁠Grab The FREE Donkey Pattern⁠⁠⁠

In this episode of Simply Hooked: A Crochet Podcast, we’re talking about one of the most freeing truths you can embrace as a maker: you are the potter, and your life is the clay.

If you’ve ever felt stuck on a path that didn’t feel like your own—or wondered if your crochet business or handmade dreams could really support you—this conversation is for you. I share how I went from hiding my dream of becoming a full-time crochet designer to building a handmade business I truly love, and why you have the power to shape your creative life into something meaningful and fulfilling.

Inside this episode, you’ll learn:

✨ How to break free from the “safe” path and rewrite your own creative blueprint

✨ What it takes to pursue your crochet business dreams with confidence

✨ How to use your God-given creative gifts to build freedom, joy, and purpose

This episode is especially for crochet lovers, handmade artists, creative entrepreneurs, and faith-driven women who are ready to build a life of freedom—without waiting for permission.

For a deeper dive into growing your handmade business, check out my new book, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hooked on Growth⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, which goes into much more detail on scaling!

🔆⁠⁠⁠Join Our Skool Community⁠

🔆⁠⁠⁠Join The Next Crochet Kit Club⁠⁠⁠

🔆⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn to Crochet Course⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🔆⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shop My Crochet Patterns⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🔆⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Grab The Crochet Snuggle Buddies Pattern Book⁠⁠

🧶⁠⁠⁠⁠Grab Some Crochet Merch⁠

🧶⁠⁠Grab The FREE Donkey Pattern⁠⁠⁠⁠

🔹 This episode was originally recorded during the Creative & Called season and is now part of Simply Hooked: A Crochet Podcast—your go-to show for crochet inspiration, creative business tips, and mindset shifts to help you craft a life you love.

Is selling on Amazon Handmade really worth it for crochet makers and handmade business owners? In this episode of Simply Hooked: A Crochet Podcast, I share my honest journey of what it’s like to run a crochet business on Amazon—the wins, struggles, and lessons I’ve learned along the way.

From the early days of mug cozies dominating search results to learning Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA), Brand Registry, and managing holiday inventory deadlines, you’ll get a real behind-the-scenes look at how Amazon can fit into your handmade business strategy.

Here’s what you’ll discover in this episode:
● How I made $4,000 in one December selling crochet mug cozies and crochet-themed mugs

● The strategies that helped me revive my Amazon sales after years of silence

● Why Amazon has become my “Q4 sales machine” for handmade products

● The real pros and cons of Amazon Handmade for crochet and handmade sellers

Whether you’re a crochet artist exploring new income streams, a handmade seller wanting to boost holiday sales, or just curious about selling on Amazon Handmade, this episode is packed with encouragement, practical insights, and actionable crochet business tips.

For a deeper dive into growing your handmade business, check out my new book, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hooked on Growth⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, which goes into much more detail on scaling!

🔆⁠⁠⁠Join Our Skool Community⁠

🔆⁠⁠⁠Join The Next Crochet Kit Club⁠⁠⁠

🔆⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn to Crochet Course⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🔆⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shop My Crochet Patterns⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🔆⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Grab The Crochet Snuggle Buddies Pattern Book⁠⁠

🧶⁠⁠⁠⁠Grab Some Crochet Merch⁠

🧶⁠⁠Grab The FREE Donkey Pattern⁠⁠⁠⁠

🔹 This episode was originally recorded during the Creative & Called season and is now part of Simply Hooked: A Crochet Podcast—your go-to show for crochet inspiration, creative business tips, and mindset shifts to help you craft a life you love.

What happens when you feed your story into an AI tool and let it tell it back to you? In this episode of Simply Hooked: A Crochet Podcast, I share my experiment with Google Notebook LM—an AI platform that can take your notes and transform them into a full podcast episode with AI-generated hosts.

I gave it my journey as a crochet artist and handmade business owner… and the results blew me away. You’ll hear what the AI created, plus my honest reflections on what this means for crochet makers, creative entrepreneurs, and the future of content creation.

Inside this episode, you’ll learn:

● How AI tools like Google Notebook LM could change storytelling for creators

● What this experiment revealed about sharing my journey as a crochet entrepreneur

● The opportunities and challenges AI brings to handmade businesses and podcasts

● Fresh ways AI can support crochet designers, makers, and creative entrepreneurs

Whether you’re a crochet lover, a handmade business owner, or just fascinated by how AI can support makers, this episode will inspire you to think differently about technology, storytelling, and your own creative journey.

For a deeper dive into growing your handmade business, check out my new book, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hooked on Growth⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, which goes into much more detail on scaling!

🔆⁠⁠⁠Join Our Skool Community⁠

🔆⁠⁠⁠Join The Next Crochet Kit Club⁠⁠⁠

🔆⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn to Crochet Course⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🔆⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shop My Crochet Patterns⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🔆⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Grab The Crochet Snuggle Buddies Pattern Book⁠⁠

🧶⁠⁠⁠⁠Grab Some Crochet Merch⁠

🧶⁠⁠Grab The FREE Donkey Pattern⁠⁠⁠⁠

🔹 This episode was originally recorded during the Creative & Called season and is now part of Simply Hooked: A Crochet Podcast—your go-to show for crochet inspiration, creative business tips, and mindset shifts to help you craft a life you love.

Are you stuck hoping your handmade business will grow instead of deciding it will? In this episode of Simply Hooked: A Crochet Podcast, I share the mindset shift that completely transformed my journey from overwhelmed mompreneur to confident crochet designer and creative entrepreneur.

We’ll talk about the crucial difference between passive hope and powerful decision—and why your crochet business, handmade side hustle, or creative dream can’t thrive on hope alone. True growth begins the moment you decide.

Inside this episode, you’ll discover:

● How I shifted from “I hope this works” to “I’ve decided this will work” in my crochet business

● Why mindset is just as important as crochet skills for makers and entrepreneurs

● Practical encouragement for creative women and mompreneurs ready to build income and freedom through their gifts

This is your reminder: you don’t need permission, luck, or chance. You get to decide to build the life, crochet business, and creative freedom you were made for.

For a deeper dive into growing your handmade business, check out my new book, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hooked on Growth⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, which goes into much more detail on scaling!

🔆⁠⁠⁠Join Our Skool Community⁠

🔆⁠⁠⁠Join The Next Crochet Kit Club⁠⁠⁠

🔆⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn to Crochet Course⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🔆⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shop My Crochet Patterns⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🔆⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Grab The Crochet Snuggle Buddies Pattern Book⁠⁠

🧶⁠⁠⁠⁠Grab Some Crochet Merch⁠

🧶⁠⁠Grab The FREE Donkey Pattern⁠⁠⁠

🔹 This episode was originally recorded during the Creative & Called season and is now part of Simply Hooked: A Crochet Podcast—your go-to show for crochet inspiration, creative business tips, and mindset shifts to help you craft a life you love.

Ever wish you had a marketing coach, copywriter, and business strategist in your pocket 24/7? You do—it’s called ChatGPT. In this episode of Simply Hooked: A Crochet Podcast, I share 9 powerful ways I use ChatGPT to grow my crochet business—and how you can use it to level up your handmade or digital product business, too.

From writing SEO-optimized Etsy listings and high-converting email funnels to brainstorming Pinterest pins, podcast content, and even mapping out six-figure growth strategies, I’ll walk you through the exact ChatGPT prompts and workflows I use to save time and scale smarter.

Inside this episode, you’ll learn:

● How to use ChatGPT for Etsy SEO and write listings that actually rank

● Ways to create engaging emails, blog posts, and product descriptions with AI

● How ChatGPT can spark new ideas for crochet patterns, social media, and Pinterest marketing

● The role of AI in building a sustainable crochet or handmade business

If you’re a crochet pattern designer, handmade shop owner, or creative entrepreneur who wants to work smarter (not harder), this episode will show you how to combine your God-given creativity with AI tools like ChatGPT to grow your business with confidence.

For a deeper dive into growing your handmade business, check out my new book, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hooked on Growth⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, which goes into much more detail on scaling!

RESOURCES & LINKS

🔆⁠⁠⁠Join Our Skool Community⁠

🔆⁠⁠⁠Join The Next Crochet Kit Club⁠⁠⁠

🔆⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn to Crochet Course⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🔆⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shop My Crochet Patterns⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🔆⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Grab The Crochet Snuggle Buddies Pattern Book⁠⁠

🧶⁠⁠⁠⁠Grab Some Crochet Merch⁠

🧶⁠⁠Grab The FREE Donkey Pattern⁠⁠⁠

🔹 This episode was originally recorded during the Creative & Called season and is now part of Simply Hooked: A Crochet Podcast—your go-to show for crochet inspiration, creative business tips, and mindset shifts to help you craft a life you love.

Still feel like something’s “off” in your business or life? In this episode of Simply Hooked: A Crochet Podcast, I dive into one of the most transformational books I’ve ever read as a crochet designer and creative entrepreneur: The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks.

This book reshaped the way I view my time, talent, and business growth. If you’ve ever found yourself burning out doing work you’re good at (but not passionate about) or hitting a ceiling in your success, you may be stuck in what Hendricks calls the Zone of Excellence—when you’re really meant to create from your Zone of Genius.

Inside this episode, you’ll discover:

● The 4 key concepts from The Big Leap, including the Upper Limit Problem

● How hidden beliefs may be quietly sabotaging your crochet or handmade business growth

● The 4 Zones of Functioning—Incompetence, Competence, Excellence, and Genius—and how to identify where you’re currently working from

● Practical encouragement to step boldly into your unique gifts and God-given creativity

Whether you’re building a crochet side hustle, scaling a handmade business, or longing for more freedom and fulfillment, this episode will inspire you to move beyond limits and step fully into your Zone of Genius.

📚 Mentioned in this episode: The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks
For a deeper dive into growing your handmade business, check out my new book, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hooked on Growth⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, which goes into much more detail on scaling!

🔆⁠⁠⁠Join Our Skool Community⁠

🔆⁠⁠⁠Join The Next Crochet Kit Club⁠⁠⁠

🔆⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn to Crochet Course⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🔆⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shop My Crochet Patterns⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🔆⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Grab The Crochet Snuggle Buddies Pattern Book⁠⁠

🧶⁠⁠⁠⁠Grab Some Crochet Merch⁠

🧶⁠⁠Grab The FREE Donkey Pattern⁠⁠⁠

🔹 This episode was originally recorded during the Creative & Called season and is now part of Simply Hooked: A Crochet Podcast—your go-to show for crochet inspiration, creative business tips, and mindset shifts to help you craft a life you love.

This episode isn’t polished—it’s personal. I’m just days away from welcoming our second baby, and I’m sitting with so many questions about motherhood, creativity, and identity—and how to carry it all with grace.

From the transition of loving two children to the invisible pressure of postpartum body image… from guilt over time and attention to wondering when it’s okay to return to my crochet business… this is a raw, honest reflection on the beauty and tension of what’s to come.

This isn’t an episode full of answers—it’s full of vulnerable questions I hope you’ll respond to. Because we weren’t meant to do this alone.

Inside this episode, you’ll hear:

● The emotional transition from one child to two

● How moms balance creativity, handmade businesses, and family life

● Honest reflections on postpartum body image and identity

● Encouragement for moms building a crochet or handmade business while raising little ones

Whether you’re deep in motherhood, preparing for a new season, or simply wondering how to keep showing up for your dreams with kids underfoot, this conversation is a reminder: you’re not alone, and you were made for this.

For a deeper dive into growing your handmade business, check out my new book, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hooked on Growth⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, which goes into much more detail on scaling!🔆⁠⁠⁠Join Our Skool Community⁠

🔆⁠⁠⁠Join The Next Crochet Kit Club⁠⁠⁠

🔆⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn to Crochet Course⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🔆⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shop My Crochet Patterns⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🔆⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Grab The Crochet Snuggle Buddies Pattern Book⁠⁠

🧶⁠⁠⁠⁠Grab Some Crochet Merch⁠

🧶⁠⁠Grab The FREE Donkey Pattern⁠⁠⁠

⁠

🔹 This episode was originally recorded during the Creative & Called season and is now part of Simply Hooked: A Crochet Podcast—your go-to show for crochet inspiration, creative business tips, and mindset shifts to help you craft a life you love.

In this episode of Simply Hooked: A Crochet Podcast, we meet Melinda—a woman who walked away from housekeeping after chemical exposure caused debilitating migraines… and walked straight into her God-given creative calling.

What began as a health crisis became the catalyst for a complete life pivot. Melinda didn’t just start over—she built multiple handmade and creative businesses rooted in faith, service, and purpose. Her story is raw, real, and a powerful reminder that sometimes the hardest detours lead us exactly where we’re meant to be.

Inside this episode, you’ll discover:

● How Melinda turned a painful health challenge into a creative business journey

● The courage it takes to leave behind “safe” jobs for meaningful handmade work

● Why faith, creativity, and service go hand-in-hand for handmade entrepreneurs

● Encouragement for anyone considering a career pivot or creative business path

If you’ve ever wondered whether your creativity could become your livelihood—or if you’re navigating your own life transition—Melinda’s story will inspire you to step forward with courage, purpose, and faith.

VISIT MELINDA's BUSINESSES

Shiplap & Sage

The Stables Marketplace

Sacred Honor

For a deeper dive into growing your handmade business, check out my new book, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hooked on Growth⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, which goes into much more detail on scaling!

🔆⁠⁠⁠Join Our Skool Community⁠

🔆⁠⁠⁠Join The Next Crochet Kit Club⁠⁠⁠

🔆⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn to Crochet Course⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🔆⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shop My Crochet Patterns⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🔆⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Grab The Crochet Snuggle Buddies Pattern Book⁠⁠

🧶⁠⁠⁠⁠Grab Some Crochet Merch⁠

🧶⁠⁠Grab The FREE Donkey Pattern⁠⁠⁠

Welcome to the very first episode under our brand-new name: Creative & Called! In today’s episode, I’m sharing the heart behind the change, why I felt led to shift the direction of this podcast, and how sometimes the best thing we can do in business (and life) is pivot.

If you’ve ever felt stuck trying to force something to work the way you thought it was supposed to—or if you’ve started a project that ended up evolving into something entirely different—you’re not alone.

This episode is your permission slip to change direction, follow the nudge, and trust that your God-given creativity will lead you exactly where you’re meant to be.

Let’s talk about why this podcast name changed, what that means moving forward, and how embracing the unexpected might be the very thing that sets you free.

🧶 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Hooked on Growth⁠⁠⁠⁠ – now on Amazon

🌐 Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠marcymade.co⁠⁠⁠⁠ for crochet patterns

🔆⁠⁠⁠Join Our Skool Community⁠

🔆⁠⁠⁠Join The Next Crochet Kit Club⁠⁠⁠

🔆⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn to Crochet Course⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🔆⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shop My Crochet Patterns⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🔆⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Grab The Crochet Snuggle Buddies Pattern Book⁠⁠

🧶⁠⁠⁠⁠Grab Some Crochet Merch⁠

🧶⁠⁠Grab The FREE Donkey Pattern⁠⁠⁠

🔹 This episode was originally recorded during the Creative & Called season and is now part of Simply Hooked: A Crochet Podcast—your go-to show for crochet inspiration, creative business tips, and mindset shifts to help you craft a life you love.