Dear Handmade Life

Delilah and Nicole talk with Lisa Cherry, the owner of The Makery Craft Co, a studio in Anaheim that offers creative workshops for adult makers. The ladies discuss adjusting your money mindset, the importance of financial goals, starving artist syndrome, diversifying your income, and more. Visit www.dearhandmadelife.com for the show notes.

Delilah and Nicole talk with maker, sewist, creative entrepreneur and Craftcation presenter Sonya Phillip about crafting a wardrobe that fits your style and body. We discuss how Sonya created an “accidental business,”breaking the rules of sewing and fashion, and learning to love your body as it is right now. Visit www.dearhandmadelife.com for the show notes.

Delilah and Nicole talk to writer, editor, maker and speaker Kim Werker. They discuss the culture of perfection online and in the artistic process. Kim explains how her book, Mighty Ugly, helps people let go of that unnecessary need to be perfect.  Visit www.dearhandmadelife.com for the show notes...

A quick update for our podcast listeners. The Dear Handmade Life podcast will return after a summer intermission on August 11th. We cannot wait to connect with you again. Cheers!

We've all heard it, and it's still true: how you display your products is just as important as the products themselves. On this episode of DHL, Delilah and Nicole talk to Jessica Pohl, an expert visual merchandiser and owner of Crochet Magic. They ladies discuss Jessica's journey from being a high-fashion merchandiser to hitting rock bottom and rising again with her own business, all with the help of what she learned in retail. Visit www.dearhandmadelife.com for the show notes... 

Dealing with legal jargon and product laws is one of our least favorites parts of owning a creative business. Unfortunately, operating in the dark and without knowledge of these laws can come back to bite you - and hard! Delilah and Nicole talk to lawyer and artist consultant Kiffanie Stahle about trademarks, copyright, and how personal ethics fit into both. Visit www.dearhandmadelife.com for the show notes...

Like it or not, a new generation of creators and consumers are entering the marketplace. This week, Delilah and Nicole talk to local university Publications Manager and Events Coordinator for student media, Natasha Monnereau and freelance Graphic Designer & Marketing Manager, Nancy Herrera, about how to market your products to this next generation. It turns out these young things are not just on their phones all the time. Visit www.dearhandmadelife.com for the show notes...

Delilah and Nicole return to the podcast after a long break. The ladies talk about how this year's Craftcation Conference went, what they've been doing to decompress, and begin planning for next year already! Visit www.dearhandmadelife.com for the show notes...

Things are gettin' crazy over here at Dear Handmade Life - we're preparing for Craftcation, Spring Patchwork Shows and Delilah is opening her new store! We're so excited to share these experiences with you, but we have to take a quick break beforehand. We'll be back on April 21st and this Intermission Show will give you some rich content to check out in the meantime. Happy Spring!

This week, Delilah and Nicole talk to chef, television personality and food writer Aida Mollenkamp. Aida’s resume includes being the Food Editor at CHOW magazine, hosting the Food Network’s Ask Aida and the Cooking Channel’s foodCrafters and writing the cookbook Keys To The Kitchen. The ladies discuss the importance of support from your creative community, how life is better when you talk to a new person everyday, and tips and destinations for travelers on a budget. Visit www.dearhandmadelife.com for the show notes.

Delilah and Nicole get deep with Meighan O'Toole on all things social media in 2016. Meighan is a seasoned independent business owner who has over a decade of experience working for heavy hitters like Yahoo, Wikia (Wikipedia’s sister community website) and Silicon Valley’s Wired Magazine - that's just to name a few! The ladies discuss why your social media numbers are less important than your engagement, trends, Periscope tips, the culture of perfection, and much more! Visit www.dearhandmadelife.com for the show notes.

In the first episode of 2016 Delilah + Nicole talk to Mark Hentemann, an illustrator, Family Guy writer, and creator of Bordertown, a new animated series on FOX. Mark shares his tips for managing a team of creatives and how he keeps them, and himself, motivated to work those long hours in show business.

2015 is coming to a close so Delilah + Nicole remember all of their favorites things from the year. Whether it's technology, books, movies, or business, this episode will give you some great things to check out while you're writing those New Years resolutions. Plus, Delilah and Nicole bring on some friends to give their trend forecasts for 2016. We'll see you next year! Visit www.dearhandmadelife.com for the show notes...

More and more makers are beginning to look at diversifying their income streams and teaching their craft is one of those ways. BUT… Just because you can make something doesn’t mean you can teach someone else to make something. In this episode Delilah and Nicole talk to Lisa Solomon, an amazing Craftcation presenter, who is also a veteran teacher, artist and entrepreneur. They discuss what makes a good teacher and will help you determine if teaching is the right path for your business.

This week Delilah and Nicole talk to Rosalie Gale, the inventor of Shower Art, about the value of humor in business and creativity. Rosalie shares her experience in stand up comedy, explains how humor can help anxiety, and why it's key in realizing when to move on from a project. Find the show notes at www.dearhandmadelife.com...    

Have you ever done something and wished you could start over and do it a different way? It's possible but difficult, especially in business. Delilah and Nicole talk with Sé Reed, a regular Craftcation Conference presenter, business advisor and web designer about disbanding your business and starting again.

Negotiation seems like it ought to be reserved for corporate chats and board meetings, but just beccause you work with your hands doesn't mean there's no deal making. It's a skill we need in everyday life, but especially in business. In this episode, Delilah and Nicole talk to attorney Ayshea Mahapatra on the difficult to cultivate art form. See www.dearhandmadelife.com for the show notes...

This week Delilah and Nicole talk to Alfonso Cano, the produce director of Southern California-based Northgate Gonzalez Markets. It turns out we can learn a lot from the produce industry. The three discuss dream jobs, staying humble, working smarter not harder, consistent branding, pricing, and so much more. Visit www.dearhandmadelife.com for the show notes.

Delilah and Nicole talk to writer, journalist, and debut novelist of The Things We Tell Ourselves, Victoria Namkung. They explore the process of writing a novel and how it can take what feels like a lifetime to be prepared for. Even though Victoria is a working writer, the inspiration and challenges of a novel were completely different.

Life always throws us curve balls, and when you have a business things can go from 0-100 on the stress scale in seconds. How do you get through those tough times without losing it? In this episode, Delilah and Nicole talk to Erin Whitcomb of Front Porch Pops about the times when sh#t hit the fan for their businesses, and how they plan to prevent it from happening again.