Episode 31 – Finding Inspiration with Jessica Swift

Hey Rebels!  Today we chat with Jessica Swift, the women behind pattern camp and the reason Kelly is so obsessed with patterns.  We chat with Jessica all about inspiration..finding it, keeping it, and what to do when you don’t have any!

Jessica Swift, a full-time artist, is on a quest to inspire and teach creative people everywhere to pursue their wild + colorful dreams… and never give up. Her magically uplifting, colorful artwork is licensed widely for iPhone cases, fabric, stationery, rugs, and more. Her art and products are designed to serve as tokens of happiness — reminders that you need (and deserve) to feel GOOD in your life. Her book, The Crafter’s Guide to Patterns, was published in April 2015. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband, toddler, and two cats, and you can find her colorfully creating at JessicaSwift.com and teaching at PatternCamp.com.

What to do when stuck:

– Start making something, anything to get your mind into creation mode
-Just start doodling
-Look at old drawings/work/website
-Put on some good music
-Do something else that is not related to what you need to do

Quote Love From Jessica Swift

Morning is my time for inspiration.
The creative Muse comes and visits us when we least expect it.
You have to cause inspiration to want to come to you.

Pattern Camp, Jessica’s weekend class for creatives who want to make seamless digital patterns is coming this April!!  Go to Pattern Camp to find out more!

Jessica’s new membership site for creatives is now open! Campfire is a private membership community for creative souls. It’s for anyone who wants to take their pattern and/or art-making skills to the next level, get inspired, have real, honest conversations + get real answers to questions, and who want to connect with like-minded creative people from around the world and be part of a supportive and encouraging group of fellow creatives.Go to the Campfire/Pattern Camp website and click on the fire to learn more and join us!  

Links from the show:

Blog-Go Fug Yourself
Big Magic By Elizabeth Gilbert
The Candle Creative

Where to find Jessica:

Website | Etsy Shop | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | Courses | Pattern Camp

You can see all of Jessica’s Daily Animal Project in Instagram using the hashtag:  #DailyAnimalArt

 

Follow us on instagram (@creativebizrebellion) and use hashtag #creativebizrebellion for a shop shout out!!!

If you have a second please jump over to iTunes and leave us a review!
Click on the link and then click on “view in iTunes” to leave us a review.  We give you all the virtual fist bumps.  Thank you!

JOIN THE REBELLION! Signup for our newsletter and get our fave list of Instagram hashtags FREE!

YOU CAN FIND KELLY ONLINE AT:

www.helloworldpaperco.com
www.kellyparkersmith.com
www.helloworldstamps.etsy.com

YOU CAN FIND CAROLINE ONLINE AT:

www.carolinecreates.com
www.carolineannhull.com
www.carolinecreates.etsy.com

SHOW YOUR REBEL SPIRIT WITH SOME AWESOME GEAR FROM THE CREATIVE BIZ REBELLION SHOP: www.creativebizrebellion.com/shop

*This post does contain some affiliate links*

 

Episode 30 – What to Do When Sales are Slow

Hey Rebels!  In this episode, Caroline and Kelly talk what do about when sales are slow.  For product based biz this is just one more hurdle we have to get over.  Caroline and Kelly give great tips to help you when this does happen.  Every biz has a slow season, learn when your slow season is!   Think of it like homework-things to do when business is slow.   Downtime is sitting down, doing something, and always moving your business forward!  

Preparing For the Slow Time:

-Find of theme for each month-Kelly plans this out in Trello!
-Have a dump list for big projects
-The financial ups and downs-save money for slower times
-Take a class or learn a new skill
-Dive into a blog article or email you have not had the chance to read
-Reorganize the office/business

Maintenance:

-Revamp photos, update product listings, tags….All the Things
-Update your accounting
-Think/design new products

Read A Book To Help Your Biz: Kelly & Caroline’s Fav. Business Books:

Big Magic By Elizabeth Gilbert
Art Inc By Lisa Congdon
Show Your Work By Austin Kleon
Make it Happen By Lara Casey
Grace, Not Perfection By Emily Ley

Start Teaching What You Know:

– Teach online course
– Teach a workshop
– Great Source for extra revenue
– Take courses on Creative Bug, Creative Live, Skill Share
– Kelly’s Etsy Action Plan course coming April 2017!

 

Quote Love from Caroline & Kelly

We are always moving forward -Caroline
We all have something that we can teach others -Caroline
I am always thinking about Christmas -Kelly
June can be your new January -Kelly

Etsy Action Plan – Kelly’s Course Coming Soon!

Follow us on instagram @creativebizrebellion and use hashtag #creativebizrebellion for a shop shout out!!!

If you have a second please jump over to iTunes and leave us a review!
Click on the link and then click on “view in iTunes” to leave us a review.  We give you all the virtual fist bumps.  Thank you!

JOIN THE REBELLION! Signup for our newsletter and get our fave list of Instagram hashtags FREE!

YOU CAN FIND KELLY ONLINE AT:

www.helloworldpaperco.com
www.kellyparkersmith.com
www.helloworldstamps.etsy.com

YOU CAN FIND CAROLINE ONLINE AT:

www.carolinecreates.com
www.carolinecreates.etsy.com

 

Episode 29 – Shake it off – How to Deal with Negative Feedback and Internet Trolls

Hey Rebels!  In this episode Caroline and Kelly talk all about dealing with negative feedback and internet trolls.  For product based biz these can cause lots of anxiety and tears.  Caroline and Kelly give great tips to help you get through these tough times and focus on the good.  It is impossible to make everyone happy.  Dealing with negativity is all about swallowing your pride and doing what you have to do.  Chin up Rebels!  Don’t let the negativity bring you down!

Tips for Dealing with Negative Feedback:

-Take a small break and come back and continue your work
-Do not respond for 24 hours-it may not be as bad later
-Swallow your pride sometimes and just give a refund
-During the holidays you may need to bend your shop rules to diffuse any issues.
– Go back read through all your good reviews

Instagram Trolls:

-slide on the comment, click on the exclamation mark, report as spam or delete/block them!

Blog: Dealing with People’s Opinions

-You must have a spam filter
-Do not let comments post automatically to the blog (have them approved first)  or do not have any at all

Product Reviews-Etsy:

-Breathe-reach out to the client and offer solutions to fix the issue
-Be very factual when replying to reviews on Etsy-give all the facts
-Have policies in place for when something happens
-Keep convo’s in Etsy incase the customer opens a case and then you have proof and documentation

Quote Love from Caroline & Kelly

Breathe & Focus on the good -Caroline

How you approach the negativity will affect how it goes down -Caroline

Sometimes you have to swallow your pride and give a refund -Kelly

Don’t be afraid to block people -Kelly

Keep it short, sweet, to the point & Factual -Kelly

 

Follow us on instagram (@creativebizrebellion) and use hashtag #creativebizrebellion for a shop shout out!!!

If you have a second please jump over to iTunes and leave us a review!  Click on the link and then click on “view in iTunes” to leave us a review.  We give you all the virtual fist bumps.  Thank you!

JOIN THE REBELLION! Signup for our newsletter and get our fave list of Instagram hashtags FREE!

YOU CAN FIND KELLY ONLINE AT:

www.helloworldpaperco.com
www.kellyparkersmith.com
www.helloworldstamps.etsy.com

YOU CAN FIND CAROLINE ONLINE AT:

www.carolinecreates.com
www.carolineannhull.com
www.carolinecreates.etsy.com

Episode 28 – All About Wholesale with Katie Hunt

Hey Rebels!  Today we chat with Katie Hunt, the wholesale guru, to tell you all about the ins and outs of wholesale.  You don’t want to miss this one!

Katie Hunt is the founder of Tradeshow Bootcamp, a business strategist, and mentor to creative entrepreneurs. She is a firm believer in professional development, surrounding yourself with community and pushing ‘go’ even when you might not feel 100% ready.

Katie has taught classes for CreativeLive, The Savvy Experience, Seanwes Conference, Be Sage Conference, Unique Camp, and Makers Nation. She frequently speaks about strategies for creating a product line, selling wholesale, business planning and the importance of community for entrepreneurs.

Katie earned a dual MBA in marketing and finance from Loyola Marymount University and has spent the last 16 years coaching large corporations and entrepreneurs on marketing and business development strategies.

Her strengths lie in connecting people and bringing ideas to life – brainstorming, making a plan and executing. Katie has a passion for creating, a mind for business and a strong desire to help others succeed.

Quote Love From Katie Hunt:

Focus on your product first.

Variety keeps the company coming back!

Always communicate clearly with your buyers.

Function over fashion is critical when shipping your orders.

 

Links from the show:

Issuu.com-wholesale catalogue
Genius Scan App
Stitch Labs-inventory management
Quickbooks
Convertkit
Mailchimp
Shipstation
Podio
Insightly

Where to find Katie:


Website
| Instagram | Facebook | Courses

 

Follow us on instagram (Creative Biz Rebellions) and interact with us for a shop shout out!!!

If you have a second please jump over to iTunes and leave us a review!  Click on the link and then click on “view in iTunes” to leave us a review.  We give you all the virtual fist bumps.  Thank you!

JOIN THE REBELLION! Signup for our newsletter and get our fave list of Instagram hashtags FREE!

YOU CAN FIND KELLY ONLINE AT:

www.helloworldpaperco.com
www.kellyparkersmith.com
www.helloworldstamps.etsy.com

YOU CAN FIND CAROLINE ONLINE AT:

www.carolinecreates.com
www.carolineannhull.com
www.carolinecreates.etsy.com

SHOW YOUR REBEL SPIRIT WITH SOME AWESOME GEAR FROM THE CREATIVE BIZ REBELLION SHOP:


www.creativebizrebellion.com/shop

*This post does contain some affiliate links*

Episode 27 – 5 Ways to Give Back

Hey Rebels!  In this episode Caroline and Kelly talk all about the importance of giving back. This is actually how Caroline and Kelly met!  Kelly and Caroline talk about how important giving back is to them and their biz. Kelly wanted to continue her love and passion for teaching. By giving to  Pencils of Promise each month she is working towards building a school!   Caroline continues her passion by giving to a non profit organizations.  Her inner hippy came out after her Colorado trip.  After her trip she decided to use recycled paper and products for her biz and she wanted to plant trees. Now her donations go toward an organization that plants trees and educates people for “green jobs.” There is also an option of adding planting a tree at checkout when you shop with Caroline!

Ways to Give Back:

Recycle your materials you use to produce your products or use in your office

Volunteer in your community

Donating items for various causes/events

Being a mentor

Give back at what you are good at-business specific-get creative

 

Quote Love From Kelly & Caroline:

You don’t have to give away the farm -Kelly

You are doing more than someone who is doing nothing -Kelly

It makes a difference when you are doing something you love -Caroline

When you give back, you are in total control -Caroline

I was single handedly killing all the trees -Caroline

 

Kelly’s Pencils of Promise School Page

Toms Shoes

Start Something That Matters- By Blake MyCoskie*

The Promise of a Pencil by Adam Braun*

Website that will help you find a reputable charitable organization:

Charity Navigator

 

Follow us on instagram (Creative Biz Rebellions) and interact with us for a shop shout out!!!

If you have a second please jump over to iTunes and leave us a review!
Click on the link and then click on “view in iTunes” to leave us a review.  We give you all the virtual fist bumps.  Thank you!

JOIN THE REBELLION! Signup for our newsletter and get our fave list of Instagram hashtags FREE!

YOU CAN FIND KELLY ONLINE AT:

www.helloworldpaperco.com
www.kellyparkersmith.com
www.helloworldstamps.etsy.com

YOU CAN FIND CAROLINE ONLINE AT:

www.carolinecreates.com
www.carolineannhull.com
www.carolinecreates.etsy.com

 

SHOW YOUR REBEL SPIRIT WITH SOME AWESOME GEAR FROM THE CREATIVE BIZ REBELLION SHOP:
www.creativebizrebellion.com/shop

*This post does contain some affiliate links*

Episode 26 – Managing Your Money with Amy Northard

Hey Rebels!  In this episode Caroline and Kelly chat with CPA Amy Northard.

Amy Northard is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) who has a passion for working with creative entrepreneurs all over the US and making the tax and accounting side of owning a business less stressful. When she’s not getting nerdy with numbers, she loves to knit and take Instagram pictures of calculators.

In this episode Amy and the Rebels talk about:

  • The early process of money management and setting up your business.
  • Some bookkeeping tips to get you started.
  • Tools that Amy recommends for managing your biz finances.
  • Tips for preparing your product based biz for taxes.
  • Amy’s course – Be Your Own CFO    
  • How you shouldn’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help!

Quote Love from Amy:

If you can keep on top of the taxes, you will be good to go.

It is nice to get a refund back at the end of the year.

If your system is working, stick with it.

I’m trying to get out of my comfort zone & try new things

Links:

Quickbooks
Wave
GoDaddy Bookkeeping
PaperandSpark
Genius Scan App

Where you can find Amy!

Amy’s Website & Blog
Amy’s Youtube Channel
Course: Be Your Own CFO
Instagram: @amynorthardcpa
Twitter: @AmyNorthardCPA
Facebook:  @AmyNorthardCPA

Follow us on instagram (Creative Biz Rebellions) and interact with us for a shop shout out!!!

If you have a second please jump over to iTunes and leave us a review!
Click on the link and then click on “view in iTunes” to leave us a review.  We give you all the virtual fist bumps.  Thank you!

JOIN THE REBELLION! Signup for our newsletter and get our fave list of Instagram hashtags FREE!

YOU CAN FIND KELLY ONLINE AT:

www.helloworldpaperco.com
www.kellyparkersmith.com
www.helloworldstamps.etsy.com

YOU CAN FIND CAROLINE ONLINE AT:

www.carolinecreates.com
www.carolineannhull.com
www.carolinecreates.etsy.com