Creative Biz Rebellion

Latest Episodes:

Episode 28 - All About Wholesale with Katie Hunt Mar 07, 2017

Show notes

Hey Rebels! Today we chat with Katie Hunt, the wholesale guru, to tell you all about the ins and outs of wholesale. You don’t want to miss this one!

Katie Hunt is the founder of Tradeshow Bootcamp, a business strategist, and mentor to creative entrepreneurs. She is a firm believer in professional development, surrounding yourself with community and pushing ‘go’ even when you might not feel 100% ready.

Katie has taught classes for CreativeLive, The Savvy Experience, Seanwes Conference, Be Sage Conference, Unique Camp, and Makers Nation. She frequently speaks about strategies for creating a product line, selling wholesale, business planning and the importance of community for entrepreneurs.

Katie earned a dual MBA in marketing and finance from Loyola Marymount University and has spent the last 16 years coaching large corporations and entrepreneurs on marketing and business development strategies.

Her strengths lie in connecting people and bringing ideas to life – brainstorming, making a plan and executing. Katie has a passion for creating, a mind for business and a strong desire to help others succeed.

Quote Love From Katie Hunt:

Focus on your product first.

Variety keeps the company coming back!

Always communicate clearly with your buyers.

Function over fashion is critical when shipping your orders.

Links from the show:

Issuu.com-wholesale catalogueGenius Scan App Stitch Labs-inventory managementQuickbooks Convertkit Mailchimp Shipstation Podio Insightly

Where to find Katie:

Website | Instagram | Facebook | Courses

If you have a second please jump over to iTunes and leave us a review! Click on the link and then click on “view in iTunes” to leave us a review. We give you all the virtual fist bumps. Thank you!

JOIN THE REBELLION! Signup for our newsletter and get our fave list of Instagram hashtags FREE!

YOU CAN FIND KELLY ONLINE AT:

www.helloworldpaperco.com www.kellyparkersmith.com www.helloworldstamps.etsy.com

YOU CAN FIND CAROLINE ONLINE AT:

www.carolinecreates.com www.carolineannhull.com www.carolinecreates.etsy.com

SHOW YOUR REBEL SPIRIT WITH SOME AWESOME GEAR FROM THE CREATIVE BIZ REBELLION SHOP:

www.creativebizrebellion.com/shop

*This post does contain some affiliate links*

Episode 27 - 5 Ways to Give Back Feb 28, 2017

Show notes

Hey Rebels! In this episode Caroline and Kelly talk all about the importance of giving back. This is actually how Caroline and Kelly met! Kelly and Caroline talk about how important giving back is to them and their biz. Kelly wanted to continue her love and passion for teaching. By giving to Pencils of Promise each month she is working towards building a school! Caroline continues her passion by giving to a non profit organizations. Her inner hippy came out after her Colorado trip. After her trip she decided to use recycled paper and products for her biz and she wanted to plant trees. Now her donations go toward an organization that plants trees and educates people for “green jobs.” There is also an option of adding planting a tree at checkout when you shop with Caroline!

Ways to Give Back:

Recycle your materials you use to produce your products or use in your office

Volunteer in your community

Donating items for various causes/events

Being a mentor

Give back at what you are good at-business specific-get creative

Quote Love From Kelly & Caroline:

You don't have to give away the farm -Kelly

You are doing more than someone who is doing nothing -Kelly

It makes a difference when you are doing something you love -Caroline

When you give back, you are in total control -Caroline

I was single handedly killing all the trees -Caroline

Kelly’s Pencils of Promise School Page

Toms Shoes

Start Something That Matters- By Blake MyCoskie*

The Promise of a Pencil by Adam Braun*

Website that will help you find a reputable charitable organization:

Charity Navigator

If you have a second please jump over to iTunes and leave us a review!Click on the link and then click on “view in iTunes” to leave us a review. We give you all the virtual fist bumps. Thank you!

JOIN THE REBELLION! Signup for our newsletter and get our fave list of Instagram hashtags FREE!

YOU CAN FIND KELLY ONLINE AT:

www.helloworldpaperco.com www.kellyparkersmith.com www.helloworldstamps.etsy.com

YOU CAN FIND CAROLINE ONLINE AT:

www.carolinecreates.com www.carolineannhull.com www.carolinecreates.etsy.com

SHOW YOUR REBEL SPIRIT WITH SOME AWESOME GEAR FROM THE CREATIVE BIZ REBELLION SHOP:www.creativebizrebellion.com/shop

*This post does contain some affiliate links*

Episode 26 - Managing Your Money with Amy Northard Feb 21, 2017

Show notes

Hey Rebels! In this episode Caroline and Kelly chat with CPA Amy Northard.

Amy Northard is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) who has a passion for working with creative entrepreneurs all over the US and making the tax and accounting side of owning a business less stressful. When she’s not getting nerdy with numbers, she loves to knit and take Instagram pictures of calculators.

In this episode Amy and the Rebels talk about:

The early process of money management and setting up your business.
Some bookkeeping tips to get you started.
Tools that Amy recommends for managing your biz finances.
Tips for preparing your product based biz for taxes.
Amy’s course - Be Your Own CFO
How you shouldn’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help!

Quote Love from Amy:

If you can keep on top of the taxes, you will be good to go.

It is nice to get a refund back at the end of the year.

If your system is working, stick with it.

I’m trying to get out of my comfort zone & try new things

Links:

Quickbooks Wave GoDaddy Bookkeeping PaperandSpark Genius Scan App

Where you can find Amy!

Amy's Website & Blog Amy's Youtube ChannelCourse: Be Your Own CFOInstagram: @amynorthardcpaTwitter: @AmyNorthardCPAFacebook: @AmyNorthardCPA

If you have a second please jump over to iTunes and leave us a review!Click on the link and then click on “view in iTunes” to leave us a review. We give you all the virtual fist bumps. Thank you!

JOIN THE REBELLION! Signup for our newsletter and get our fave list of Instagram hashtags FREE!

YOU CAN FIND KELLY ONLINE AT:

www.helloworldpaperco.com www.kellyparkersmith.com www.helloworldstamps.etsy.com

YOU CAN FIND CAROLINE ONLINE AT:

www.carolinecreates.com www.carolineannhull.com www.carolinecreates.etsy.com

Episode 25 - Running a Subscription Box with Justine Woods Feb 14, 2017

Show notes

Hey Rebels! In this episode Caroline and Kelly chat with Justin Woods. Justine is the owner and creative behind Appraising Pages, The Bookish Box, and Beaulitful Buzz author agency. In this episode we talk about how Justine got started in the t-shirt and subscription box biz and all the challenges and rewards that come with running a multi-million dollar business. This is a must listen for sure!

Quote Love from Justine:

I see an item I want to put in a box, and build the theme around that item.

I want all these sales, all the time.

I am a lister, I have to write list.

You must be able to personally connect with your market.

You have to be in it for the long haul.

If you can do it, it could be life changing.

Links:

Cratejoy Big Cartel

Where you can find Justine!

Instagram: @thebookishboxTwitter: @thebookishboxFacebook: @thebookishbox

Websites: www.thebookishbox.com www.appraisingpages.com www.beaulitfulbuzz.com

JOIN THE REBELLION! Signup for our newsletter and get our fave list of Instagram hashtags FREE!

YOU CAN FIND KELLY ONLINE AT:

www.helloworldpaperco.com www.kellyparkersmith.com www.helloworldstamps.etsy.com

YOU CAN FIND CAROLINE ONLINE AT:

www.carolinecreates.com www.carolineannhull.com www.carolinecreates.etsy.com

Episode 24 - Calling In Sick Feb 07, 2017

Show notes

Hey Rebels! In this episode Caroline and Kelly talk all about Calling in Sick.

As a business owner, the hardest thing in the world is to take a sick day. When you work alone at home, there is that internal pressure to work and get shit done. Caroline and Kelly talk how they struggled at first and never would give themselves time off when they were sick. We are allowed to take time off, isn't this why we wanted to work for ourselves? In this episode, Kelly shares her story of how she struggles with Crohn’s Disease on a daily basis and why its is important to take a day to rest and get well so you feel better and are more productive with your work.

Kelly was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease in 2006. Kelly was very sick and in and out of the hospital for 2 years. She was very weak and a single mom at the time so she had to find something that would make her feel better. Kelly went to several doctors and kept getting more opinions because she did not want to give up until she found out what was going on. She finally found one she was happy with and in 2008 she started IV meds for her disease. Do this day she is still on them. Kelly takes what she calls “liquid gold” every 6 weeks which takes 4 hours at the hospital and is administered through an IV. Crohn’s Disease can cause many different symptoms in each individual case. Kelly struggles with joint pain everyday, must watch stress levels and stay away from certain foods that cause flare ups with the disease. Working from home has really helped her with her symptoms and feeling better. She is know able to focus more on her health and is able to take the time to rest when her body tells her so!

“When days get hard and I feel bad it is nice to have the chance to just rest and call it a day” -Kelly.

Kelly’s Tips for handling sick days:

Have a built in turnaround time for your business
Set up an autoresponder for email
Communicate with your customers and be honest, they will understand.
Take a day to rest and get well so you feel better faster and be more productive with your work.

If you don’t feel good, you are no good to anybody -Kelly

As a business owner the hardest thing in the world is to take a sick day -Caroline

It is really about giving yourself grace -Caroline

Everyone and everything will survive for 24hrs -Kelly

If you have a second please jump over to iTunes and leave us a review!

Click on the link and then click on “view in iTunes” to leave us a review. We give you all the virtual fist bumps. Thank you!

JOIN THE REBELLION! Signup for our newsletter and get our fave list of Instagram hashtags FREE!

YOU CAN FIND KELLY ONLINE AT:

www.helloworldpaperco.com www.kellyparkersmith.com www.helloworldstamps.etsy.com

YOU CAN FIND CAROLINE ONLINE AT:

www.carolinecreates.com www.carolineannhull.com www.carolinecreates.etsy.com

Episode 23 - Paige Poppe - Getting Involved in the Local Scene Jan 31, 2017

Show notes

Alright Rebels, we know that Spring and Summer markets and shows are coming up fast and we want you to be ready to represent your brand in person so we asked Paige Poppe to come on the show and talk all about getting involved in your local scene! Paige is an amazing artist from Arizona who has recognized online brand, but also has this whole local craft/art show thing down to a science! I can not wait to hear how much you all fall in love with her!

Here is a little more about Paige:

Paige Poppe is an Arizona native, currently living + working as a full-time artist in the Valley. Painting every day in Scottsdale, she is surrounded by the beautiful Sonoran desert. She works in watercolor + acrylic, painting the desert landscape and botanicals as her subject matter.

Paige is a graduate from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and holds her Bachelor of Architecture degree. This has left her with a great appreciation for sketching + working in analog, but her digital skills, including proficiency in the Adobe Creative Suite, allow her to work digitally, create mockups, and clearly communicate ideas with clients.

Paige is proud to connect with her local community by participating in several local art markets and including Phoenix Flea, the Tempe Arts Festival, and an art installation at Cartel Coffee. She has collaborated on exclusive designs with local apparel brand Overthrow Clothing, and shared her work at events at Madewell Fashion Square and West Elm Kierland. Her work can also be found at several retail boutiques including MADE Art in downtown Phoenix and !Viva! Paso in Paso Robles, CA.

Her painting and design work extends to her own products, wedding stationery design, branding and packaging for small businesses, design work for Phoenix Flea marketing, and large scale painting commissions for clients.

We told you she rocks! She also mentioned some great resources on the show that we wanted to link below.

6 foot folding table*4 foot folding table*PayPal credit card reader - point of sale system*Dolly/rolling hand truck for loading in display*

Display Rackshttps://www.etsy.com/shop/Wudls?ref=l2-shopheader-name

"10 Tips for Selling at Art/Craft Shows" Video by Paige Poppehttp://www.paigepoppe.com/blog/2015/4/29/10-tips-for-selling-at-artcraft-shows?rq=10%20tips

* Any link marked with an “*” is an affiliate link and Paige Poppe will receive a commission if purchased, however these are the items that she uses and recommends.

If you have a second please jump over to iTunes and leave us a review!

Click on the link and then click on “view in iTunes” to leave us a review. We give you all the virtual fist bumps. Thank you!

JOIN THE REBELLION! Signup for our newsletter and get our fave list of Instagram hashtags FREE!

You can find Kelly online at:

www.helloworldpaperco.com www.kellyparkersmith.com www.helloworldstamps.etsy.com

You can find Caroline online at:

www.carolinecreates.com www.carolineannhull.com www.carolinecreates.etsy.com

Episode 22 - More Instagram Please Jan 24, 2017

Show notes

Hey Rebels! In this episode Caroline and Kelly continue their advice about how they rock Instagram @creativebizrebellion and why they love it. In this episode they talk text and characters, hashtags, bios, links, automated trolls, and insta-stories to help your rock your product based business using social media.

Limits:

Text and Character:

2,200 limit on posts

Hashtags:

limit is 30 (this is too many anyway)
Use spaces between your hashtags
What hashtags will YOUR customers be searching-Be very specific
Only First 3 Lines Show in Feed: Make sure they are attention grabbing.

Hashtags serve a pretty important purpose- Caroline

#Jimmy fallon Hashtag bit

Bio and Links: Bio Photo:

Use headshots so buyers can see who you are, large teams can use branding, artwork, or product instead
Character limit is 150 characters
Describe your company and what you sell
Call to action for your customers

Links:

Bitly links: Link shortener (bitly.com)
Caroline also creates URL redirects to shorten links
You get one link in your Bio
In the comments use your bitly link and you can track how many people have clicked on the them.

Robots and Trolls: Automatic comments in your feed

Short comments are fine, just make sure you are not being a robot!
Caroline and Kelly talk about which ones you can keep and which ones you can report and block.
Do not purchase services that allow you to do this.
Kelly talks about great ways to get followers for your instagram account

I love that I can just like photos now -Kelly

Instagram Stories:

Gives you a chance to share your business other than using photos
Great for behind the scenes
You can tag people in stories and they receive a direct message
Start searching for insta stories to get inspiration

I have a problem with video-that’s a whole nother episode -Kelly

With instagram stories, I do not have to learn snapcha -Caroline

You can find Kelly online at:

www.helloworldpaperco.com www.kellyparkersmith.com www.helloworldstamps.etsy.com

You can find Caroline online at:

www.carolinecreates.com www.carolineannhull.com www.carolinecreates.etsy.com

Episode 21 - Being On Trend Jan 17, 2017

Show notes

In this episode Caroline and Kelly talk all about trends of the past and present. Should you get caught up in all the trends? Maybe you are in with all the new trends? If so, how do you use the trends to help with your businesses? Trends seem to keep recycling and come back around.

So what are trends? Trends have either been around for a long time or they are short lived and they will come back around It is okay to use trends in your business, just make sure it goes with your style.

Caroline talks about as she first started as a designer she immediately started with the popular trends but was having a hard time loving her work. It is important to keep your unique voice and find ways to incorporate trends into your work. Find a way to work the trend into what it is you do with your business.

Caroline and Kelly talk about how stores and websites seem to have trend forecasting for all things trendy. Do companies look at future trends and run with it? Maybe look at the upcoming trends and see how that can apply to a way that matches your brands. Caroline talks about how trends have nothing to do with your sales and how buyers do like to be “different” and not always be on trend.

Finding your place in the market is just an important as being on trend -Caroline

Caroline and Kelly talk about how the ultimate goal for you should be finding your style and sticking with it. Customers come to you for your style. Caroline and Kelly talk about how it is important to design stuff that is true to you, so you are happy with your work and your business. Caroline talks about how sticking to her own style has brought her lots of opportunities, so stick with your style and good things will come!

Sometimes you have to tune it all out and hunker down -Kelly

Kelly talks about creators who stick to their own style and if you see their work you know immediately who created it!

Rifle Paper Co Marimekko Jessica Swift Band of Weirdos Lily & Val Emily Ley Rachel Taylor Joanna Gaines Julie Ann Art Emily McDowell Ban.do Caroline Hull

Websites mentioned in this podcast:

WGSN website - Trend Forecasting

Go against the grain, be a rebel -Caroline

There is room for your style & your design -Kelly

Follow us on instagram and interact with us for a shop shout out!!!If you have a second please jump over to iTunes and leave us a review! - Click on the link and then click on “view in iTunes” to leave us a review. We give you all the virtual fist bumps. Thank you!

You can find Kelly online at:

www.helloworldpaperco.com www.kellyparkersmith.com www.helloworldstamps.etsy.com

You can find Caroline online at:

www.carolinecreates.com www.carolineannhull.com www.carolinecreates.etsy.com

Episode 20 - Planning for the Year with Jennifer Faught Jan 10, 2017

Show notes

Ok so we know you have all been busy planning your days, weeks, quarters and months, but how do we get it all done? How to we keep from getting distracted? SQUIRREL!! Well, we asked the lovely Jennifer Faught from the Society for Creative Founders to hop on the podcast today to chat with us about planning, staying focused, and avoiding #allthesquirrels! Get out your pen and paper because you are going to want to take tons of notes today!

Here’s Jennifer!

Hi friends! I’m Jennifer - a creative business growth strategist and founder behind the Creative Founders. I got my start in marketing and graphic design for the healthcare and tech start-up worlds, and then started my own wedding invitation design business in 2008. After five successful years in the wedding invitation business, I now serve creative business owners through a variety of learning experiences, both online and in person as the Founder of the Society for Creative Founders. I’m energized by empowering women to run their creative business with better strategy, plans, systems, and growth - and in a way that works for their lifestyle. I believe growth and abundance and a helping hand conquer fear, scarcity, and a stuck mindset. We’re better together!

Website: http://societyforcreativefounders.comBlog: http://societyforcreativefounders.com/blog/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creativefoundrs/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/founderssociety/Twitter: https://twitter.com/creativefoundrs

Productivity Post: http://societyforcreativefounders.com/productivity-strategies-for-creatives/ Trello Board: http://societyforcreativefounders.com/trelloplanningboardNewsletter Sign Up (and free 6 pillars guide): http://societyforcreativefounders.com/6pillarsguide

Fav Quotes From Jennifer Faught:

“If it is not working-it is okay to hit pause.”

“The people who are successful get up after every failure.”

Join our Facebook Group and celebrate all your wins with us!

If you have a second please jump over to iTunes and leave us a review!

You can find Kelly online at:

www.helloworldpaperco.com www.kellyparkersmith.com www.helloworldstamps.etsy.com www.helloworldpaperco.etsy.com

You can find Caroline online at:

www.carolinecreates.com www.carolineannhull.com www.carolinecreates.etsy.com

Episode 19 - Goals and Resolutions for our Businesses Jan 03, 2017

Show notes

In this first episode of the new year Caroline and Kelly talk all about Goals and Resolutions for your Businesses. This is a great way to start the new year by focusing on a few goals. Caroline and Kelly Share what their big goals and resolutions are for the year.

Kelly’s Goals/Resolutions