Dear Handmade Life

Improving your financial health with bestselling author, financial therapist, teacher & wealth coach Barbara Huson. I chat with Barbara about her book Overcoming Underearning, why it's never too late to start improving your relationship with money, dealing with your inner critic, how to know if you're an underearner, three things you can start doing right now (no matter how busy you are) to get smart about money and more.

Self-care for creatives with Minaa B. Minaa B. and I talk about her experience bringing self-care into her life to help her with her own depression and anxiety, how to recognize if you need to improve your self-care, how to prioritize self-care and be accountable, self-care practices that work for Minaa B. and her clients, why the way you talk to yourself is an important part of self-care and more. 

Intentions and manifesting with Marie LeBaron of Make and Takes and Creative Flow Life. Marie and I chat about discovering your intentions, transitions and change, setting goals, manifesting, the why of what you want and more.

Culture, ethnicity and the creative community with Kenya Miles of Traveling Miles Studio. I chat with Kenya about her travels and how they've shaped her and her creative work, natural dyeing, inclusivity and representation in the craft, art and maker community, appropriation vs. appreciation, the concept of Sankofa and the importance of reflecting on the past to build a successful future and more!

Productivity and scheduling secrets with Skye McLain. We talk about digital vs. analog planning, productivity and scheduling tools and platforms we love, the biggest mistakes that her clients make, being comfortable with change, letting your career journey evolve naturally and the Enneagram. 

How to create a lasting DIY career with crafting legend Vickie Howell of The Knit Show. I chat with Vickie about her varied career path, the idea of the Zone of Genius, marketing your business in a crowded climate, a holistic approach to business, life and creativity and more.

How to build a business from nothing with San Francisco based artist, entrepreneur, and teacher Jennie Lennick of Jenny Lemons. Jennie and I chat about how discovering art and the support of creative adults helped her through a difficult childhood, persevering through burn out and rough patches, the growing pains of scaling your business through streamlining productions, outsourcing, delegation and expansion, work life balance, productivity, information overload and more.

How to find and pursue your passion with Monique Malcolm of Keep Chasing the Stars and the podcast Pimp Your Brilliance. I chat with Monique about the first steps to take when trying to find your passion, how patience, curiosity and action are key in the journey, keeping in mind that your business is ever-evolving, analysis paralysis and more.

How to market beyond social media with Erin Dollar of Cotton & Flax. We talk about creating a well-rounded online presence emphasizing platforms you have control and ownership over and how to create unique in-person experiences at retail events like craft shows and pop-ups as well as mixers and conferences. 

Mental health, creatives and business with Sara McNally of Constellation & Co. I chat with Sara about her struggle to be honest about her anxiety and how her cards are a part of that, we share some of our go-to coping skills and we also talk about some general business stuff like the importance of knowing and staying true to yourself, how saying yes and no to opportunities evolves over time and setting boundaries.  

How to pivot to create a thriving business with Jennifer Perkins. I talk with Jennifer about our non-linear paths with our creative businesses, the many hats she’s worn including TV show host, craft show producer, record label owner and magazine editor, her new podcast Creative Queso, evolving your business while staying true to yourself, the importance of being multidimensional, knowing when it’s time to pivot and more. 

Today on the Dear Handmade Life podcast I'm talking about the realities of writing a craft book with the creative voice behind Flax & Twine, Anne Weil. I chat with Anne about how her first book was born, overwhelm and organization during the book writing process, the importance of collaboration, the money and marketing realities, the top things she learned and more. 

Today on the Dear Handmade Life podcast I'm talking about the inner critic with author of Playing Big: Practical Wisdom for Women Who Want to Speak Up, Create, and Lead Tara Mohr and my guest cohost Paige Wery, owner of The Good Luck Gallery. I chat with Tara and Paige recognizing and learning to live with the voice of your inner critic, how to discover and tap into your inner mentor, using criticism in a positive way and more. 

Today on the Dear Handmade Life podcast I’m talking about building a business around your core values with founder of Thimblepress and consultant/mentor for creative business owners Kristen Ley. I chat with Kristen about how having defined core values can increase brand strength, help you make difficult decisions and inform successful planning and goal setting. We share our stories of how we developed our core values, why it’s good to start before you’re 100% ready, starting a business without a plan and the ups and downs of running a creative business (including why the downs are so valuable).

Today on the Dear Handmade Life podcast we’re talking to serial entrepreneur, rebellious marketer, technology expert and author of one of my favorite marketing books The 1-Page Marketing Plan about marketing your creative business. I talk with Allan about letting go of money issues, the fault of glorifying busyness, the importance of getting clear goals, the "know, like and trust" strategy and we dive deep into the first few steps of creating a 1-page marketing plan.

Today on the Dear Handmade Life podcast I’m talking with contemporary fiber artist, photographer, and author Lisa Anderson Shaffer of Zelma Rose about the transformational power of a daily practice. I talk with Lisa about the intersection of fact and faith in ritual, how the political climate of 2016 led to Lisa's artistic labor that birthed her daily practice The Three Things, why a daily practice should feel effortless, the first question to ask yourself if you're thinking about starting a daily practice and how to get started, thew power and effects of daily rituals and more.

Today on the Dear Handmade Life podcast we’re talking to Christina Scalera, the attorney and founder behind The Contract Shop, a contract template store for creative entrepreneurs, wedding professionals, and coaches about legally protecting your business. I chat with Christina about how getting your legal ducks in a row can increase productivity, when you need a contract, the two basic types of insurance every business (no matter how small) needs, the GDPR, the most important legal and financial things you need to have in place when you start your business and more.

Today on the Dear Handmade Life podcast I chat with Angie Chua about the realities of running a creative business, what led her to leave her corporate job to pursue her side business full-time, and why evaluating your priorities and idea of success is key at every stage in your business and more.

Today on the Dear Handmade Life podcast we’re talking to designer, metalsmith, educator, and entrepreneur Megan Auman about getting and maintaining control over your marketing efforts through multi-avenue marketing.

Today on the Dear Handmade Life podcast we’re talking about Legacy and Estate Planning for Creatives with lawyers, crafters and Craftcation Conference Alums Allysia Holland & Jill Bates-Moore who run Dahlia Law Group LLP. We break down exactly what estate and legacy planning is, talk about their belief that everyone has a legacy to plan for, the first steps to begin planning and the empowerment that can come from closely examining your life in order to make a plan for your legacy and estate.