Weekly-ish notes on navigating big change

podcast

What works (and what doesn’t): Lessons from 4 years aboard the Starship

What Works (And What Doesn't)

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In four years of leading the Starship, I have had an inside look at dozens of creative businesses. I've seen what works (and what keeps them stuck).  I've watched captains grow their business until they could quit their day job, captains start their business from scratch, and captains totally change directions. I've noticed some things are true of all the captains who have met their goals, and I'd like to share them with you today.

In today's episode I'll share: 

  • What the most successful captains have in common
  • What stops businesses (and people) from growing
  • What it really takes to be a successful knitwear designer (Since the Starship is about 30% knitwear designers, I've learned a lot by watching what works for them.)

The Starship is an online community for makers, artists and writers with a library full of classes, a forum to ask and answer questions, and a weekly live chat with me, where everyone checks in on what's going well, what they're working on, and how we can help.  It is open this week (it closes on Oct 1); join here.

 

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.

Want to beam aboard the Starship or sign up to learn when it's open? Click here!

 

Assume the Best {Podcast}

Podcast: Assume the Best

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When I hired my Number One (ie, my editor, my assistant, my Vulcan), I told her in our first email, “The motto of my company (my life!) is: Assume the Best. Of each other, of our customers, and of every interaction.” When I mentioned this in the episode on Personal Responsibility, I got a lot of feedback from you that you've found this both hard and necessary to running an online business. So let's dig deeper!

In today's episode, we'll talk about:

  • How this is completely different from just “hoping for the best” and giving up your agency.
  • How to have a friendlier and more FUN business by assuming the best.
  • How to assume the best, of even the worst people.

 

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.

 

 

 

Delight your people, fulfill their needs {PODCAST}

Untitled

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Now that you've identified your buyer's needs, you can use this information to make ALL of your business decisions easier!  In today's episode, we talk about knowing the needs of your buyers and how to use this knowledge to make your business better and your marketing more effective

Once you identify the needs of your buyer, you can:

  1. Identify who, exactly, has this need.
  2. Create marketing material that is as useful and valuable as your product.
  3. Adapt your product to better fills those needs.

 

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.

 

 

Just Say No: How to say it {PODCAST}

Just say no

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Tired of saying “yes” when you want to say no?

In today's episode you'll learn:

  • How to get comfortable saying no.
  • 4 ways to say say no
  • My exact scripts for getting more time, avoiding aggressive askers, and saying no.

This is the second part of a three-part (free!) mini-class on Saying No (for fun + profit). Part 1 is here, Part 2 is today's podcast, and Part 3 is a worksheet (to apply this to your own business), only available if you sign up below.

Links I mention:

      The FREE worksheet is available if you sign up below!

 

How to listen

 

 

 

 

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

Finally found peonies for sale! (Trader Joe's AVL) #nofilter because they don't need it! #peonies #yaysummer
This day never recovered, even after location change. The solution: knocked off early to get fabric. The fabric store never disappoints! #100happydays #100happytaradays

While Jay picked up his comics, I explored our tiny downtown. I've been meaning to tell you: I downloaded the app Moves, and it's totally changed the way I think about waiting. I take a SHOCKINGLY low number of steps in my tiny home or working at coffee
Still obsessed with #peonies. #yaysummer

Embroidery done by my great-grandma, hanging in my mom's studio. Grandma knew how to put a bird on it. (Also used in Mom's logo: bluebirdlegacy on Etsy).

I am so grateful for…

  • A lovely weekend with my family, exploring Nashville
  • The Moves app, it's totally changing my days
  • Clarity of purpose. Is there anything better than knowing that you're doing what you should be doing?
  • The patience of Jay, Mom, and my friends while I freak out over what I'll wear (and how I'll do my hair) for my CreativeLIVE class. It's so obviously the least important aspect, and yet the one I talk about the most often.

 

The Finds:

I’m reading:

I’m eating:
(I share my favorite meals as they happen, on Instagram. Since there's always at least one person who wants the recipe…here they are!)

In case you missed it: 

  • I had a great conversation with Mei, of Tiny Hands, about how she got her work on a popular TV show (and in many magazines and blogs!)
  • Next week I'm sharing a much-requested (free!) mini-course on How to Say No. Get the whole thing in a handy PDF (with worksheets!) here.

What adventures have you had?

 

PS. The beautiful embroidery of birds, above, was made by my great-grandma. You can see the whole thing in the header of my mom's shop here. (Did you know you can get wool from her sheep?)

What you “should” have done. {PODCAST}

How to get perspective when you're frustrated by slow growth...or just not being where you "should" be. Podcast on TaraSwiger.com | Explore Your Enthusiasm‘

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Inspired by your response to last week's email, let's talk about how to deal with the frustration of what you “should” have done already – the business you should have, the progress you should have made, where you should be. The best way to deal with this frustration: Perspective. In today's episode, I'll share a few ways to get perspective:

  • The truth about how long it takes for other people.
  • A birthday-inspired list of what you've done.
  • Review your own goals.
  • Dedicate yourself to taking action. (Make a map, if you don't know what to do.)

 

Links mentioned

How to listen

Your Turn!

What have you accomplished this year? How has this shifted your perspective? 

 

Navigating an art career, with Claudine Hellmuth {PODCAST}

Claudine Hellmuth Interview on Tara Swiger's podcast

 

Yay! Today I'm thrilled to have my very first podcast guest: Claudine Hellmuth!

Claudine's an author, illustrator and designer, who's been featured in The New York Times, The Martha Stewart Show, HSN, HGTV and more! I first picked up her first book waaay back, 10 years ago! I was delighted to talk to (and learn from!) someone who's navigated many opportunities and options(licensing, publishing, etsy shop)  in her art career and how she gets it all done.

 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

We talk about: 

  • The path to her first book deal
  • The truth of licensing deals
  • The importance of celebration in your art career
  • The difference between making for committee and making what you love
  • “People buy your joy”
  • How Claudine spends her days (and the productivity “rule” she breaks)
  • Being the World's Best Boss
  • What we're enthusiastic about! (It may surprise you!)

Links we discussed: 

 

You can find more about Claudine, her work, and her blog at CollageArtist.com.

(Don't forget – if you love the show, leave a review on iTunes and Instagram or tweet what you do while you listen and tag it with #exploreyourenthusiasm)

Listening to an interview with Claudine Hellmuth at TaraSwiger.com

How to listen

  • You can subscribe to it on iTunes (If you do, leave a review! This helps it spread!)
  • 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.

 

Fear + Marketing {PODCAST}

Fear + Marketing - A podcast episode on TaraSwiger.com

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What's keeping you from sharing your work with the people who will love it?

Fear that:

  • It takes too much time?
  • It might not work?
  • You'll look bad?
  • Everyone will hate it (you?!)?

In this week's episode of Explore Your Enthusiasm, I share my own fear around marketing (it ain't pretty) and share three tools for getting past the fear and communicating with the people who will love your work.

Links I mention:

 

How to listen

Find all the podcast episodes here.

What have you been avoiding? What wonderful things could it bring into your life?

 

 

 

The secret to turning readers into buyers

This week's podcast is live! Talking about my favorite question to your marketing floundering: Where does it fit on your Customer Path?

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How customers find you, fall in love, and choose to buy = your Customer Path.

In today's podcast episode, we talk about what it is, what you already have and how to start improving it.

A “Customer Path” is a framework to think about your marketing. Once you think through your message and your goals from your own point of view (like we do in the book), you need to shift and think about how this all fits together for your ideal customer. What do they come in contact with first? Where do they go next?

This is how you turn a casual reader (or random googler) into a customer, and then a raving fan.

This framework will help you know:

The good news: you already have a Customer Path! Your job, your responsibility is to make it as easy and effective as possible, both to boost your own sales AND to provide service to your customers (they want to know how to find out more!)

In the podcast I share some questions to get you started in your own Customer Path building and a list of 5 things to remember as you map out your own Customer Path.

If you'd like to build your Customer Path, increase it's effectiveness, and get clear on how you make sales, join the brand new class: From Hi to Buy: Craft a Customer Path.

Links I mention: 

How to listen

Your Turn!

What does your Customer Path look like right now? Are there gaps? Cliffs? Too many options? 

What are you going to do this week to make it clearer (and thus, more efficient)?

If you don't know the answer to that question, sign up for my FREE marketing e-course:

 

 

Reframe it: A Podcast

Reframe: a podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

One of my most-used tools with clients is the simple reframe. When you're feeling stuck or disappointed in your creative business, taking a moment to look at the situation from another point of view can help you see possibilities and opportunities.

As much as we'd like business to be a series of logical decisions, the fact is we get distracted, disappointed, and doubt creeps in. In order to stop ourselves from giving up too soon, or jumping around too much, we can take a moment to reframe the situation by asking one of these questions:

  • What else is true?*
  • Is there another way?

*Hat tip to Havi for teaching me this question.

Reframing the situation by asking these questions allows us to look at the situation from another perspective. From this perspective, we can find a solution or create a new plan. From there, you can take action.

How to listen

Your turn!

What is one situation in your business where you feel stuck?
Reframe it!
Now, what's one action you can take, from this new perspective? Leave a comment below sharing the action you'll take this week.

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