Your Handmade Business

In this episode, Isaac looks at the ways that “treating yourself” can actually undermine your well-being and a few things you can do to amp up taking care of yourself without a lot of investment of time or resources. Later on, he talks with Arrowyn Craban-Lauer of Little Gold Fox Designs about running a creative business with an auto-immune disease and how important her self-care practice is to staying productive AND healthy.

Isaac dives deeper into how the holidays are uniquely stressful for the maker community, how our desire to compare ourselves to others can backfire, and talks with Dr. Samantha Brody about how we can balance our stress with what we actually need most.

It’s time for a bonusode! In this special edition of Your Handmade Business, Isaac recaps our brand new video series, YHBTV, with 3 lessons related to our monthly theme with your hosts, Sharon and Isaac.

Isaac draws encouragement from one leader’s persistent actions and looks at how failure and rejection are not the end of your efforts. Michelle Baines (Four Letter Word Cards) joins with her thoughts on predicaments, persistence, and perfectionism.

Isaac addresses the idea that there’s one path to success as a handmade business, encourages taking action on your dreams, and interviews Nicole Stevenson from Dear Handmade Life about her own unique journey as a maker, artist, and community organizer.

Isaac emphasizes the benefits that come from knowing your numbers, from pricing to inventory to finances. He then talks with Tina Rodas of Hi Tree about how she tracks her numbers in her own unique way.

And we're back! Summer hiatus is over and Isaac's coming at you with an update on changes at Academy of Handmade's programs, some thoughts about pricing, and wise words from Kristen Pumphrey at P.F. Candle Co.

In this episode, Isaac illustrates how it can get worse before it gets better when you’re in the throes of failing, but that’s okay! It’s normal, even. He also talks introduces the power of a pre-mortem exercise when you're working on a big project.

Isaac talks about those experiences in every business where no matter what you do to prepare, things can just go south. He also interviews two very experienced women who have encountered major failures in their businesses—Jenny Hart and Lela Barker—and dives into how they cope with failure, what kinds of lessons they learn, and how they keep failure from breaking them down.

Isaac defines the best type of maker friends, jumps back to the first days of having his own handmade business, and pays homage to a woman who was a huge influence on his business and work in the community.

There’s no such thing as going it alone when you’re a maker. Isaac stresses the importance of finding others to help with your journey, and talks with Brianne Mees, co-owner of Tender Loving Empire about the family she’s formed over the last 10 years.

Isaac has recuperated from being sick and pops back in this week to talk about the importance of trusting what you already know and listening to yourself instead of getting sucked into “education desperation”.

In Episode 5 of Your Handmade Business, Isaac talks about the value of building your business skills just like they were your craft, and how that can help you build confidence as a business owner. Then he recaps his recent experience The Makers Summit.

In this episode Isaac covers the importance of letting go of your perfectionism, the perils of the do-it-all-yourself mentality, prioritizing what to work on. He talks to Dawn Ambuehl-Sadek about the ways that she’s acknowledged her own limitations in life and business, how she seeks help, and what she’s chosen to let go.

Signing up for a gym membership won't magically get you in shape—you need to focus on what’s really important for your business and follow through. TeDi Jansen joins Isaac to talk about how her business is simplifying in the new year.

Planning for your business at the beginning of the year is great, but there's more to be done than just setting it and forgetting it. Jill Evans of Hapertas & Co also talks about what it's like to have a catastrophic shift in her business vision.

Every handmade business needs a vision. Isaac shares a cautionary tale, some great questions to ask yourself, and interviews Holly Marsh (MarshMueller) and Melissa Wert (Print therapy) about their own goals.

Host Isaac Watson and Academy of Handmade founder Sharon Fain discuss how they got here and what's to come with "Your Handmade Business".