Melissa and Heather explore the transformative power of intentional rituals in our creative practices. Rituals are different from habits. And, there's real science behind them and how they affect our brains. They can help shape our creative mindset, help us achieve a state of flow, quite our inner critic and much more!
Read MoreIncreasing Average Order Value (AOV) can have a big impact on your bottom line! I share 15 ideas for you to try in your creative business that will help you grow your revenue without growing your customer base (but you should work on both!). You’ll learn how this simple shift can transform your business, no matter what you sell or what creative services you offer. It also happens to be kinda fun!
Read MoreIn the Season 6 opener of the podcast, Melissa and Heather jump into the deep end to talk about creating our creative process. When was the last time you questioned why you create the way you do? Are you in a rut - or too comfortable? Have you mixed things up lately? So here's your reminder that we, as creatives, get to CREATE - or RECREATE our own creative process! Here's how...
Read MoreWith the Season 5 finale, Melissa and Heather talk about rest and why it's so critical for self-employed creatives. What does rest look like (no it's not sleep - but that's critical too!)? It's not a "one size fits all" concept. It may be a two week vacation but what if a "leave the house" vacation isn't possible? We dig deep into ways we can ensure rest is part of our creative cycle - whether you're an introvert, extrovert, parent, caregiver, managing multiple roles, financially strapped or somebody who needs movement or somebody who needs stillness.
Read MoreThis episode is all about the risks of building your creative business on the backs of other businesses - namely social media platforms and marketplaces - like Etsy. These are platforms where the customers and users are not yours, where you can be removed at any time and where algorithms are created to support the platform's goals - not yours. So, what can you do instead?
Read MoreYou’ve made or created the thing. You’ve put it on social media and your website or Etsy. But nobody has bought it. So how the heck are you supposed to find your customers?? Melissa and Heather do a deep dive into how to find your people - and how to sell to them without it being weird or uncomfortable - even if you’re an introvert or shy (or both).
Read MoreMelissa and Heather do a quick recap of how 2023 went for them and then dive into discussing some of the trends they think will have a big impact on their creative and art businesses in 2024 - as well as some things that are beyond trends and are, in fact, here to stay!
Read MoreTransformational Coach Geneviève Retzlaff joins the show this week to help us lean into change in order to have fulfilling creative careers and lives. Whether you're thinking of leaving a traditional career to start a creative business or, you want to ramp up a side business or, you've already got a creative business but it's just not lighting your fire anymore, Gen helps us through the roadblocks we tend to put in place for ourselves!
Read MoreInspirational speaker and certified life coach Sara Fisher joins the show this week to talk about the Law of Vibration and how we can use it to foster both personal growth and growth in our creative practices. We talk about the Law of Vibration, the Law of Attraction and manifestation - and how they all work together. And just as importantly we talk about why you still need to do the work in order to grow and create change in your business.
Read MoreWith so many of this season's guests asking me off air whether or not they should start a podcast and how to get started, I thought it might be time to do an episode on the ins and outs of podcasting for a creative business. So today, with 140+ episodes in the can, I take a deep dive into the pros and cons of podcasting for creatives, and how to get started in 2024!
Read MoreGoing 'viral' is something a lot of small business owners hope for - but are you ready for it if it happens to you? Episode 146 dives into what can happen when you go viral - including two case studies and tips for how you can be prepared
Read MoreThis week, healthy aging advocate Zanna Reza joins the show to talk about shaking up the system so we can grow older on our own terms. In a world where getting older (at any age) can come with a lot of stereotyping and discrimination, we talk about why we, as women, need to own our age - and the wisdom we've earned every day. In this conversation we discuss the importance of staying passionate, curious and creative at every stage in life - and why all humans need to feel a sense of purpose at any age!
Read MoreToronto based registered social worker and psychotherapist, Yu Tong Hannah Lin, explores how we, as working creatives, can manage and overcome the ongoing challenges perfectionism and burnout present to our work. Hannah shares valuable insights that will help us understand and identify when perfectionism and/or burnout are creeping into our lives and businesses (and what to do when it's impacting our work).
Read MoreSlow September sales and signs of a flagging economy have a lot of Canadian creatives worried about the upcoming holiday selling season. Even Etsy has made efforts to boost sales on behalf of shop owners! And, with no real relief in sight, what does 2024 have in store? Melissa and Heather tackle this head on with lots of practical strategies and tips to help creatives, artists and makers get focused and make a plan - both for the holiday season and next year!
Read MoreTired of struggling to get traffic to your website or Etsy shop? Unleash the power of blogging. It can help you build traffic and SEO for your creative business as well as improve brand awareness, visibility and customer and client engagement.
Read MoreHow do you manage inventory and demand in your creative business? Do you use and market a scarcity model? An urgency model? Or an always available model? We walk you through each of these and outline the pros and cons of each as well as showing you how you can use a mix of all three in your creative business!
Read MoreCan I use that in my work?
Have you ever asked yourself that question about somebody else's work? Or has somebody asked you that question about your work? What happens when somebody uses your stuff without asking you? How do you get copyright? Is it different in Canada from the US? What does it mean to sell your rights to somebody? What is licensing? What happens to your copyright when you die? Canadian copyright lawyer Lesley Ellen Harris answers all your burning copyright and IP (intellectual property) questions in this absolutely jam packed episode!
