Weekly-ish notes on navigating big change

What I’m Reading: April 2015

What I'm Reading April 2015

 I follow my enthusiasm by reading…a lot. And once a month, I share (some of) the books I read last month and the books I intend to read this month. You can join the informal book club by sharing your own list in the comments and find all the posts here.

 

 What I read

 

  • Zero to One, by Peter Theil – This is a book about how to create something from scratch (through the lens of a venture funded tech start-up). Even though you probably don't have investors to please, the book is filled with smart advice for how to think of your tiny business and the mindset that's required to make something completely new (to go from 0 to 1).
  • The Saga series, by Brian Vaughn –  So good. I read a lot of comics and I don't know why I don't talk about them here, but I love this one. Also, the new Thor is fantastic and Hawkeye has beautiful art (and one of the best female characters in I've read anywhere, in a while).
  • Fun Home, by Alison Bechdel – Oh man. This is one of the best memoirs I've read. Ever.
  • Funny Girl, by Nick Hornby – Funny! I was obsessed with I Love Lucy as a kid (I've read all of Lucy's biographies and watched all the episodes multiple times, thanks to my local library), so this book was right up my alley. I notice that in months where I have a LOT of work (I wrote 6 weeks worth of class content and 4 weeks worth of blog content in 2.5 weeks in March!), I tend to stick with fiction. Non-fiction (especially about business!) gives me so many ideas and sparks so many new projects, that I have to avoid it if I'm going to follow-through on months that are already packed.

What I’m reading

Find of the month: Love Gilmore Girls and reading? Olive made an awesome Rory Gilmore Reading List! LOVE!

What are you reading?

 

PS. What I was reading last year.

 

 

 

The usual disclaimery disclaimer applies! 

 

 

 

The key to your business success

The key to your business success

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Every successful creative entrepreneur I work with has one thing in common. It sounds almost ridiculous, but science backs me up. What matters most to your business growth (and success, however you define that) is … your mindset. Do you believe you can grow or change? Or do you believe everything is stuck?

In this episode you'll learn:

  • The science behind why it matters
  • The two mindsets you can have (and which one gets better results)
  • How it affects your growth and success (and how to get yours right)

How to listen to the podcast:

  • 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.

 

 

What I’ve learned about marketing since writing the book

What I've learned about marketing

I’ll be honest with you, this week I am deep in writing content for the new class, and I can think of very little else…so that’s what I’m going to tell you about.
(The class is a kind of read-along + deeper dive into my book. Learn more + join the class right here.)

To write the lessons, I'm reading through the book that I wrote 3 years ago and well, to be honest, it's awesome. I am thoroughly enjoying myself (I crack myself up) and am totally inspired to say a million more things, deeper and more specific things about it (which is good, because that’s what the class is!).
Luckily (well, it wasn't luck, I planned it!) the book doesn't dive too deep into any particular tool (because I knew they'd become outdated) and instead focuses on foundations of an effective marketing plan. But there's so MUCH I've learned in the intervening three years. I have worked with hundreds more small businesses. I have seen some Captains' businesses quintuple in size, and others (even ones I used as examples!) blink out of existence, because the makers burned out or just found something they wanted to do more (which is great!).

Here are the additional lessons I’ve learned about marketing:

  • New content is king. No, everyone doesn't need a blog, but everyone does need to give their people something new to share – whether that's new images, new posts, new events, or new products. You can systematize this so it doesn't drive you crazy, but you can't ignore it.
  • Ignore everyone else. I think I say a version of this about 100 times throughout the book, but you know what? Working with more students has taught me that you need to hear it another 100 times before it sinks in. IGNORE EVERYONE ELSE. Their success, failure, decisions have nothing to do with what's going to work for you.
  • You stand out from the competition by not only focusing on your sparkle and your people (which we cover!) but also by building a business YOU want. Because, you see, you're going to want a different kind of business than everyone else. So you'll make different decisions, use different tools, show up in a different way. By doing this, you're going to have a business that looks and feels different. I've seen Karen do this beautifully with Gentle Clothing. She got clear about her North Star, and then built it right into the business and she ended up with something totally new and fresh.
  • It's all about feelings. (Really!) How do you want your buyer to feel? How will your product make her feel? Take THAT and infuse it everywhere – your website, your descriptions, your photos, your emails, the way you write your contact page! The book actually has a worksheet about this in Chapter 4, but over the last three years I've become 100x more addicted to this idea, as I've seen it work over and over for clients (and my own business)!
  • The more you can strip away your I-don't-want-to-fail or I-don’t-want-to-look-stupid, the faster you’ll do work that matters and that stands out (and that sells). This is just a fact of life and it’s true in every arena.

If you’re feeling stuck or confuzzled or not sure where to start, start here. Start with what you want from your business, how you want people to feel, and keep giving your people new things to share and talk about (uh, and then share and talk about them!).

And if you'd like to get a better handle on your own marketing and create a plan that works for YOU, sign up for Craft Your Marketing right here.

The simplest marketing tool: Listening

simplest marketing tool listening

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

The key to making your marketing effective: Talking directly to your people, about what they care about. But how do you know what they value and what will speak to them? It's super simple: Listen in. 

In this episode you'll learn:

  • How I listened to create my best-selling product
  • How you can listen in (without being a creep)
  • What to listen for

Listening to you, my dear listeners (!), led me to create the Starship, which is now open, just until this Friday. Beam up here.

How to listen to the podcast:

 

 

Are you doing what matters? Here’s how to know.

are you doing what matters

What are the last 5 things you did for your business?

I don't mean big crazy things, but the very last 5 actions you took.

Now zoom out – what were your big goals for 2015? What had you planned to work on this quarter?

Do the actions you recently took have anything to do with the big goal? Can you see how they fit together?

Or are they totally unrelated? Are you spending your working time reacting or distracted?

What about today's to do list and plan? Is it related to your goals?

As we wrap up the first quarter of 2015, it's the perfect time to check in on what you've done (celebrate it!) and realign your daily actions into a plan for what you want.

If you find yourself doing a lot of unrelated stuff that has nothing to do with your goal, don't beat yourself up, just take the time to reset. There are lots of ways to reset. You could:

  • Revisit your map (if you made one) and mark off all the things you did (and celebrate!) and pick 2 of the next steps to do this week.
  • Write down your goal and brainstorm the VERY next action you could take towards it.
  • Tell someone what you're going to work on next (accountability makes it much more likely to happen!)
  • Schedule a time to work on your goal, in the very next 2 days. Put it on your calendar.
  • Take a dance break…then sit down and get to work.

Need help getting clear about what actions will move you towards your goal? Want to make a plan for getting there? Need accountability?

The Starship provides exactly this..and it's now open! Make a plan, choose the best actions, and be held accountable when you beam up here: https://taraswiger.com/help/starship-adventure

Make a plan. Choose the right actions. Be accountable.

Click To Tweet

Boarding this quarter is super-short and it closes on FRIDAY. Join here.

 

What to do with design rejects? Ask Tara #2

Tammy asks:

“I do some design work for the knit/crochet toys I make. What should I
do with my “seconds” or failed design attempts? They are completed,
it's just that I'm not really happy with the way the turned out and
end up making a modified version of the same toy.

Would selling them at a discount at a craft fair devalue my other work?”

In the second episode of Ask Tara – I answer this conundrum with three options.

Don't miss an episode!

To ask your questions, send an email with the subject line “Ask Tara” to vulcan@taraswiger.com, or fill out the form here.

The simplest business tool

the simplest business tool

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Not everything requires a complex solution. Sometimes, you need to make a decision but you feel stuck. You're not sure what you should do and your head is all swirly. It's time to pull out my favorite business tool: a conversation.

The Starship opens next Monday for only 5 days. Get on the list here to be notified first.

 

How to listen

Find all the podcast episodes here.

 

 

 

Adventures in Business with Fiber Artist Grace Shalom Hopkins

DSC_1805

 

Today I'm happy to share the insights of Starship Captain and fiber artist, Grace Shalom Hopkins. Grace Shalom Hopkins is an author, handmade lifestyle blogger and all around handwork geek. You can find her beautiful photos, videos and fiber here. 

 

People have this fantasy of what it's like to be a full-time artist. But what's a normal day for you really like?

Firstly, I really struggle maintaining schedules and blocked off hours so I work from a To Do List and that means I have one big project every day that is comprised of several little supporting tasks.

The biggest fantasy fulfillment is right there – knowing I suck at schedules and being able to work with my strengths to find a rhythm that works for me and my business without outside pressure.

The structure of my days are pretty consistent though, regardless of what big project I'm focused on.

I usually wake up at 5 in the morning to my Army husband's PT alarm and then fall back asleep unless he's lost his keys (like this morning!). I'm awake again at 7 when he gets home to change and go into work.
I finally wake up naturally at around 10:30 or 11. This part is great, I lay in bed from the time consciousness is barely on me to the time I can't help but open my eyes and think about my day and my big project and whatever else is on my brain. It's my personal form of meditation!

From there I check my phone and do any quick replies to emails or Etsy messages from bed.

Then I'm up and ready to do whatever big project is at hand, today it's writing here and working on my blog so “up” just means an extra pillow to prop me up. However this afternoon I am finishing up yesterday's big project by spinning in the living room, so I do get up-up eventually!

The evening brings my mate home and I generally spend it cooking dinner, doing chores and cuddling up with a new favourite on Netflix.

 

There are so many ways to make a living as a maker – how are you doing it? What have you combined and how has that changed through the years?

I started selling hand dyed fiber with this vision of being 100% supported by it. That was 5 years ago.

I've grown a lot and learned to listen to my North Stars and myself in terms of success. Once I started to look inside instead of outside and slowly shed the playlists I thought I had to follow I really started to hone in on what my business looks like now.

‘I've grown a lot and learned to listen to my North Stars and myself' – @Grace_Hopkins

Click To Tweet


I still dye fiber, but I only dye 4-6 pounds a month. I specialize in unique blends and you will rarely ever see Merino shadow my door. By keeping it small I find I look forward to each dye day instead of panicking about how I am going to get all this to sell FAST so I can dye X lbs by YESTERDAY!

Next are my ebooks. I went through a lot of crash and burn variations of packing up my teaching passion into a neat e-course before I landed on ebooks. I adore the entire process of creating these and foresee them being a huge part of my business for a very long time.

The final major component is blogging. Building a thriving handmade lifestyle brand with my blogging is one of my big overarching goals this year. I have had a blog since that first sale but in the last year I have really buckled down and created something I am extremely proud of.

I also write for magazines and sometimes teach in person.

ROVING COVER

 

What new thing are you exploring now?

Right now I am stretching my wings in this new kind of peace that comes with having stability in my business and my personal life that I've never had before.

In all honestly, it's been a really hard stretch.

To a kid who has always found home in chaotic frenzy, it doesn't feel totally okay to be at peace with where my business is.

I'm leaning in and trying to embrace this stability by improving the aspects of my business that I didn't feel like I could focus on before like building a store apart from Etsy and my email list.

What's your definition of success in your business?

To me success is being able to do what I love, which is living and sharing a handmade lifestyle.
I get to share my passion through teaching and blogging and supplying beautiful fiber.

I also get to share by being able to buy handmade and ethical products for myself and my family, which means I put my money where my mouth is in terms of my ethics and beliefs. For example I bought my husband and I handmade slippers from Ukraine instead of Wal-Mart because I now have the financial freedom to do that.

Making thousands of dollars a month or making enough so that my husband can quit his job (he'd be crushed to leave the Army) isn't what I want or need. Understanding that is okay was the most freeing lesson I've learned in business to date.

 

What's the next destination you're working towards?

My North Stars this year are Bold and Intentional.

Right now that means building a strong foundation under my business which is requiring me to be bold and intentional because it means not losing myself in another chaotic new project but also because some of those tasks are extremely scary or boring, usually both!

 

Want to learn from other  Starship Captains? Sign up here to read their stories!

The Adventures

Every day is an adventure. I share the view, the gratitude and the news  on Fridays – you’re invited to join in. You can find all my adventures here, or follow along via email here.

The view

Just picked up @bluebirdlegacy's yarn from the fiber mill...and sold every last skein to Purl'sYarn Emporium. Stop in to squeeze it! It is SO GOOD.

Good morning! Will there be coffee? Or pastries? In line @jcStarbucks.

Yay! Done with the body of #bluesandcardigan! Picking up for the front. #knitting #pluckyknitter #knitstagram

Raylan apologizes for getting up at 5:30 & wants to know if we can go back to bed. #raylanpup #taralovesmornings #butnotthatearly

So much progress on #brandiedcherries! #taralovesmornings

I am so grateful for…

  • Warm weather!
  • I saw the first of the Spring daffodils and it's really the best news all week.
  • Total writing flow. I wrote over 3.5K words on Monday and 5.5k on Wednesday and whoa, does it feel good.

The Finds:

I’m reading:

I’m knitting: 

In case you missed it: 

  • I'm teaching at Craftcation in just two weeks! YAY! If you're in SoCal, please join me! (Or at the very least, let's have a coffee! Drop me a note here.)
  • Think you need to worry about “managing your time”? You don't.
  • Not sure where to start with keeping track of your business numbers? Start here.
  • The Starship will open for only 5 days this quarter. Sign up here to be the first to find out.

What adventures have you had?

The Time Management Fallacy

the time management fallacy

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

You do not need to get better at “managing your time.” You need to take action. This is not about getting more done. It's about spending the time on the things that matter to you (including your business!).

In this episode I'll share

  • Why “time management” is a terrible goal
  • What you should focus on instead.
  • How to stop wasting time
  • Where to find time if you're too busy already

 Links:

 

How to listen

Find all the podcast episodes here.

 

 

1 … 43 44 45 46 47 … 108