The Create & Thrive Podcast

So I can’t remember how many times I have mentioned this Etsy hack to my students over the years – but this week I realised I had never shared it on the YouTube channel or podcast! Today I’m explaining...

Have you ever considered selling both digital and physical products? Today’s guest – Emily Sheehan of Woolly Bear Knits – is doing exactly that. She is a knitter and knitting pattern designer who...

Etsy fees SAVE me money. No, I’m not kidding! I see so many people on social media complaining about Etsy fees, and perpetuating this myth that ‘Etsy fees are SO expensive’. Well, I disagree. And...

I see this question pop up regularly – ‘how do I get more of my customers to leave reviews’? And of course, when we say we want more reviews, what we REALLY want is more 5-star reviews, right? This...

On the 26th of January, 2015, I started the Thriver Circle. I saw a desperate need amongst the maker community for a supportive, educational space where we could gather together and learn what it took to make our...

Today I’m discussing a metric that we all look at and use, but ultimately tells us NOTHING about how successful (or not) a business is. We often use this number as a proxy for success – but it really tells...

Thinking of starting a new handmade business, or looking for new products to make? To kick off 2025, I decided to do a fun episode outlining 25 trending handmade products that you can make in 2025 – for less than...

So Etsy’s put a payment reserve on your account? Or maybe they haven’t, but you’ve heard horror stories about it, and want to avoid it happening to you? Yep, it happened to me, too (and I’ve been...

Is Etsy a good place to start a business in 2025 – or is it a waste of time? This week on the show, I’ll lay out the pros and cons of starting a shop on Etsy in 2025 to help you decide if it’s the...

Etsy’s D omestic & Global pricing is broken. If you are an Etsy seller outside of the USA, you NEED to know about this ongoing Etsy issue. I am far from the only person who this has happened to – so today I...

Have you ever dreamed of selling your handmade creations at the top craft markets/shows/fairs in your country? Today, I’m chatting with Mona from River Timber Designs, who has built her business up by doing just...

Thinking about selling your handmade products via wholesale? In this video and podcast episode, I’ll guide you through 8 steps to follow in order to get your handmade creations stocked in brick & mortar retail...

“Choose Your Hard.” I love this quote to live by shared by our guest on the show today – Laurel Taylor. Laurel and I have a wide-ranging discussion in this episode, where she shares her journey from...

This has been a tough year for handmade business owners. I’ve seen so many people closing up their shops – even people who’ve been in business for well over a decade. With the economic crisis; the rise...

So you’ve got one Etsy shop… but you want to sell something that doesn’t quite fit there. You’ve been thinking about opening a second shop, but aren’t sure if it’s a good idea. In...