Weekly-ish notes on navigating big change

185: Permission to Rest

Just because you run an indie-biz doesn’t mean you can’t take time off. In fact, taking the time to rest and rejuvenate is incredibly important for you AND for your creative business! Listen in to get a giant permission slip to take time off at TaraSwiger.com/podcast185

You are your business's number 1 asset. You are the producer, packager, marketer, seller and face of your biz. You know what that means? It doesn't survive without you!

Now, some of you use this as a reason you can NOT take time off, but I am telling you this is why you NEED to take time off!

Links I mentioned:

How to listen

  • You can subscribe to it on iTunes (If you do, leave a review!)
  • You can listen to it using the player above or download it.
  • Subscribe or listen via Stitcher (or subscribe in whatever you use for podcasts – just search “Explore Your Enthusiasm” and it should pop up!).

Find all the podcast episodes here.

184: Sane Holidays: 3 questions for the busy creative

The winter holiday season can be the busiest and MOST profitable time of the year in your creative biz. But it can also be the most overwhelming, and least enjoyable time of the year. Learn how to have a busy, profitable, enjoyable, and sane holiday season at: TaraSwiger.com/podcast184

Welcome to your busiest, and potentially your most profitable time of year! And…also potentially the LEAST sane time of year. If you are dreading the holiday season and busyness and scramble, I wanna help you get you ready to have a killer season and fantastic good time.

As we leap into Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas, I hope this collection saves a bit of your own sanity.

On CraftyPod:

On Karina Dressess:

I gather all my favorite sanity-saving posts on this Pinterest board (new articles are added all the time!).

Don’t forget to sign up below to get access to Holiday Sanity Guide in the Black Friday Bundle!

How to listen

  • You can subscribe to it on iTunes (If you do, leave a review!)
  • You can listen to it using the player above or download it.
  • Subscribe or listen via Stitcher (or subscribe in whatever you use for podcasts – just search “Explore Your Enthusiasm” and it should pop up!).

Find all the podcast episodes here.

183: How Emotions are Made (and how that impacts your business)

Feelings, both positive and negative, are part of being human. But when we try to deny or ignore what we’re feeling, our feelings can really mess up our creative businesses. Learn all about how to not let what you’re feeling mess with your creative biz on this episode of #ExploreYourEnthusiasm! Listen in at TaraSwiger.com/podcast183

Think about all the decisions that are impacted by your emotions:
Doing a scary thing, you feel fear – is this a sign you shouldn't do it? Getting a grumpy email from a customer – do you react with anger? Or with shame? How does that impact the email you send in response?

Emotions are part of a healthy life, and I'm a big believer in FEELING your feelings, not just shoving them down or ignoring them. They can shine a light on what's going on and what you need to do or stop doing.

Because when they're ignored, or when you act on them unthinkingly, you can really mess up your business! You can lash out or hide or give up entirely, depending on what your emotions tell you.

Links I mentioned:

How to listen

  • You can subscribe to it on iTunes (If you do, leave a review!)
  • You can listen to it using the player above or download it.
  • Subscribe or listen via Stitcher (or subscribe in whatever you use for podcasts – just search “Explore Your Enthusiasm” and it should pop up!).

Find all the podcast episodes here.

182: Fear of disapproval: get over it

Fear of rejection and disappointment are too real when it comes to running a creative biz! In this episode learn all about how to let go of the fear of disappointing people so you can get unfrozen and keep moving forward in your biz. Listen in at TaraSwiger.com/podcast182

Are you unsure of your next step, because you’re afraid of the reaction you’re going to get? Are you avoiding rejection, because you want to have the approval and acceptance of your customers and audience?
Yeah, me too.

Links I mentioned:

How to listen

  • You can subscribe to it on iTunes (If you do, leave a review!)
  • You can listen to it using the player above or download it.
  • Subscribe or listen via Stitcher (or subscribe in whatever you use for podcasts – just search “Explore Your Enthusiasm” and it should pop up!).

Find all the podcast episodes here.

181: Your Questions Answered

This week on Explore Your Enthusiasm I answer listener questions all about creating a successful creative biz. Listen in at: TaraSwiger.com/podcast181

Today I’m answering YOUR questions about whether you should announce a change in your prices, how to find your people, and how to get in the habit of creating your content ahead of time.

Links I mentioned:

How to listen

  • You can subscribe to it on iTunes (If you do, leave a review!)
  • You can listen to it using the player above or download it.
  • Subscribe or listen via Stitcher (or subscribe in whatever you use for podcasts – just search “Explore Your Enthusiasm” and it should pop up!).

Find all the podcast episodes here.

180: How to be great at sales (without being sales-y)

Your creative business relies on sales. That means YOU need to get good at sales. Yes, you need to be a salesperson. But did hearing that sentence just totally freak you out or turn you off? Listen to this episode of Explore your Enthusiasm and learn how to get great at sales without being gross: TaraSwiger.com/podcast180

Your business relies on sales. That means YOU need to get good at sales. Yes, you need to be a salesperson. But did hearing that sentence just totally freak you out or turn you off?

We have some gross connotations with that word…. and it may be impacting the sales you make and the health of your business.

Links I mentioned:

How to listen

  • You can subscribe to it on iTunes (If you do, leave a review!)
  • You can listen to it using the player above or download it.
  • Subscribe or listen via Stitcher (or subscribe in whatever you use for podcasts – just search “Explore Your Enthusiasm” and it should pop up!).

Find all the podcast episodes here.

179: My best-ever marketing tool (and how to use it in your creative business)

The best marketing tool I’ve ever used was my podcast, and I’ve seen podcasting work marketing wonders for other artists, crafters, and makers too! Listen to how my podcast works for me, and how I got started on this episode of Explore Your Enthusiasm at: TaraSwiger.com/podcast179

In April of 2014, I completely changed my business, because I made one small, spur-of the moment decision to follow my enthusiasm. It took me less than a week to kick-off what would become my best-ever tool for reaching new right people, building trust and loyalty, and increasing my sales at least 50% every year since. I started this podcast. And I've seen podcasts do the same thing in makers’ and artists’ businesses.

Links I mentioned:

How to listen

  • You can subscribe to it on iTunes (If you do, leave a review!)
  • You can listen to it using the player above or download it.
  • Subscribe or listen via Stitcher (or subscribe in whatever you use for podcasts – just search “Explore Your Enthusiasm” and it should pop up!).

Find all the podcast episodes here.

178: How I found time for a whole new business

Finding time for a new venture when you already have one successful creative biz can sometimes feel impossible. But it’s not! Find out how I created time to start a whole second business on this episode of Explore Your Enthusiasm at: TaraSwiger.com/podcast178

In April of 2017, after 8 years of self-employment, shifting my business focus a few times and having my best year ever in 2016, I started an entirely new business…while keeping my current business almost exactly the same. I record a weekly video and audio podcast, hold live weekly chats, teach classes around the country and started a whole second business, based in collaboration. How the heck did I find the time for it?

Links I mentioned:

How to listen

  • You can subscribe to it on iTunes (If you do, leave a review!)
  • You can listen to it using the player above or download it.
  • Subscribe or listen via Stitcher (or subscribe in whatever you use for podcasts – just search “Explore Your Enthusiasm” and it should pop up!).

Find all the podcast episodes here.

Mindfulness: our favorite tools with Kara Gott-Warner

Mindfulness is essential to success in your creative biz, listen in to this episode of Explore Your Enthusiasm to listen to Tara Swiger and Kara Gott-Warner chat about about their favorite mindfulness tools. Listen in at TaraSwiger.com/podcast177

In today's episode I talked with Kara Gott-Warner of The Power Purls Podcast, we talked about mindfulness, and some of our favorite mindfulness tools including apps and of course essential oils.

Kara is a knitter, podcaster, business coach, and also a certified nutritional consultant. She focuses on working with individuals who wish to create a holistically – balanced life and business that converges creativity with mindful living, – “knitting together” creativity, body, mind and spirit.

Be sure to visit The Power Purls Podcast for more about Kara's favorite mindfulness tools!

Links I mentioned:

How to listen

  • You can subscribe to it on iTunes (If you do, leave a review!)
  • You can listen to it using the player above or download it.
  • Subscribe or listen via Stitcher (or subscribe in whatever you use for podcasts – just search “Explore Your Enthusiasm” and it should pop up!).

Habits make the business

Success in business is about focus and consistency. But how do you remain consistent when life get’s overwhelming? The simple answer is HABITS. In this episode of Explore Your Enthusiasm with Tara Swiger where we talk all about creating solid, sustainable habits so you can keep your creative biz successful even when life gets chaotic - listen in at: TaraSwiger.com/podcast176

If you read any business book, it all comes down to the same things: your business is built from your beliefs, which affect your actions, and the most important of those actions need to become habits. Habits are what you consistently do day after day, and, as we talked about in last week’s episode, those habits build up to create success (or failure).

Links I mentioned:

How to listen

  • You can subscribe to it on iTunes (If you do, leave a review!)
  • You can listen to it using the player above or download it.
  • Subscribe or listen via Stitcher (or subscribe in whatever you use for podcasts – just search “Explore Your Enthusiasm” and it should pop up!).

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