The Merriweather Council Podcast

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The key to combating underpricing on Etsy or anywhere else Oct 24, 2019

Show notes

Ever been scrolling Etsy or Instagram and felt annoyed by the other makers in your niche who are severely underpricing their items and wonder how you could ever stand a chance when people are so willing to sell so low?

It is very likely that you have.

I hear it so often, from so many people that they simply 'can't compete' and feel discouraged about it.

You likely know enough to spot a ridiculously low price in another shop, so even if you aren't completely positive of someone else's costs, or even of your OWN prices, you know enough to know when there is just no possible way that a price THAT low is worth the work.

SO what to do about it? That's exactly what I'm talking about in today's episode.

I think the answer might surprise you!

For full show notes and links mentioned in this episode, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/98

For more free handmade business advice, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/podcast

Disclaimer:

*This content is published by The Merriweather Council. The Merriweather Council is not affiliated with Etsy Inc. Etsy is a trademark of Etsy Inc. We write about Etsy, from our own experiences, not for Etsy.

Being a military spouse, parenting + running a business from abroad feat. Ruthie Covert Oct 22, 2019

Show notes

This season i had the great pleasure of speaking with so many amazing people. Many of them are people i have followed on the internet in one way or another for quite some time. Ruthie is one of those people!

Ruthie and I go way back. I'm not sure how far back exactly but, trust me, it's pretty far.

When I invited her to be a guest I told her I wanted to cover a few things: being a mom in business (something I can't speak on but that I know is so valuable and interesting for other moms and parents in business, particularly parents who work from home) and being a military spouse in business AND living abroad while running your business.

Amazingly enough Ruthie can speak on all of those things. I know there are quite a few moms/ parents who are also small business owners who listen to this podcast, and also quite a few military spouses!

I, too, am a military spouse! It doesn't come up a lot, but i figured let's give this topic some love while we have the opportunity! I would love to hear from you if you are also a military spouse running your own handmade business.

For full show notes and links mentioned in this episode, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/97

For more free handmade business advice, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/podcast

How the Jonas Brother used storytelling to create PR magic + how you can, too. feat. Brittney Lynn Oct 17, 2019

Show notes

Since we are on a boyband kick recently, i figured let's just top it off with this fabulous episode in which i spoke with PR professional Brittney Lynn about the magic that is the Jonas Brothers' recent documentary "Chasing Happiness."

What is so magical about it? Why is a PR professional THE one to speak on it? Gather round, kiddies, these and many other questions are about to be answered. Here's how this episode became a thing...

I am one of those people who only used Amazon Prime for the free shipping benefit until like, three months ago. And around the time I started watching Amazon Prime Video, the Jonas Brothers released this documentary.

Being the pop music super fan that I am, i checked it out. And I actually loved it and started down a bit of a Jonas Brothers black hole. The next day, I saw Brittney on Instagram talking about how awesome their documentary was from a PR perspective and, well, here we are.

Brittney shares some key insights in this episode about how and why Chasing Happiness was a brilliant business and PR move for the Jonas Brothers and how storytelling was at the heart of it. Of course, she did not leave us hanging and also explained how small business owners can follow the example the JoBros have set. Similar to the situation we spoke about on the episodes about BSB DNA, the Jonas Brothers really needed this return to the spotlight to go well. Thanks to great marketing (among other things) it seems like it definitely did! They have been crushing it this year.

For full show notes and links mentioned in this episode, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/96

For more free handmade business advice, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/podcast

To learn about our handmade business community visit the jointhecouncilnow.com

#BSBDNA marketing lessons continued with Brianne from Brianne2k Oct 15, 2019

Show notes

This might surprise some of you but i actually did NOT plan on having two episodes about the backstreet boys and how they marketed their latest album release: DNA. I swear!

I recorded my solo episode on the matter and was satisfied with it.

But then something magical happened and the powers that be (Facebook) showed me some highly targeted content (JK... i saw it because I am in a BSB related fan group.)

Picture it: i'm scrolling casually through on the BSB fan groups I'm a member of on Facebook and all of a sudden I see Brianne's post...

OMG?! Is this real life?! I emailed her immediately and we both squealed like the fangirls that we are and promptly scheduled a time to record this episode.

For full show notes and links mentioned in this episode, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/95

For more free handmade business advice, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/podcast

To learn about our handmade business community visit the jointhecouncilnow.com

What makers can learn from the modern marketing strategy that got the Backstreet Boys back on top in 2019 Oct 10, 2019

Show notes

Is there a subject I enjoy speaking about more than the Backstreet Boys? Honestly, no.

Will I take any opportunity to discuss them at length? Absolutely, yes.

And that is what I'm doing on this episode- but for a very good reason: there is so much to learn from the launch of their most recent album.

You've heard me talk about Taylor Swift and her marketing genius, and you've heard me talk about Gilmore Girls and the business lessons they illustrate perfectly. Now we can add BSB to the list of pop culture entities we can learn business lessons from.

For their tenth studio album, DNA, the Backstreet Boys pulled out a lot of marketing strategies that not only created widespread buzz but also triggered deep emotional connections in their existing fan base. And as we know, that is a recipe for success.

So what did they do? Why did it work? What specific things did they do to activate their existing fan base's emotional response? Listen to this episode to learn all about it. It was FASCINATING. Certainly, yes, I am a fan and I would have showed up either way - BUT because of the lead up to this release, I definitely showed up in a much bigger way than I have in the past for other releases.

The strategies that were used in the release of DNA can all absolutely be translated to your own business. Don't miss this episode.

For full show notes and links mentioned in this episode, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/94

For more free handmade business advice, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/podcast

Top considerations for handmade business owners before paying to advertise (including with Etsy promoted listings or new ads!) Oct 08, 2019

Show notes

Paid advertising seems like a really good option and it is likely you have considered it. You've probably seen it work really well for others. You have also probably seen or heard of experience that others had with paid advertising that were not profitable at all.

Today's episode includes several things. It actually could have been two separate episodes but the ideas really piggy back on each other so I kept them together!

For full show notes and links mentioned in this episode, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/93

For more free handmade business advice, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/podcast

Setting the example + expectation for your customers (and why you need to stop leading with discounts) Oct 03, 2019

Show notes

Ohhh, snap. Some of you are not going to like this. How do i know? I speak about this quite a bit and every time I do, a handful of people reach out to say they disagree. I'm cool with that. I'm perfectly fine with disagreement. I just still really believe in this message. It's my truth... but it doesn't have to be yours.

My job is not to twist your arm about something you're not into. I don't find any joy in convincing people to do things they really do not want to do. My job is to share insights that i believe you could learn or benefit from. If you happen to find something I say valuable and worth trying then i've done my job. So listen to this episode with an open mind, and decide for yourself based on DATA.

For full show notes and links mentioned in this episode, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/92

For more free handmade business advice, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/podcast

The power of Etsy, creative careers + big opportunities for makers feat. Dani Barbe Oct 01, 2019

Show notes

Ever been scrolling Etsy or Instagram and felt annoyed by the other makers in your It's always a thrill for me to be able to chat with my students about their businesses and how they have grown and changed since working with me. When I reached out to Dani, I told her I wanted to have her on season 5 of the merriweather council podcast to chat about how she has turned her two creative passions into businesses and overall, her creative business trajectory. What we ended up speaking about did cover that, but also included so much more!

I can't wait for you to hear from Dani about her music career, her thriving jewelry business and the incredible power of Etsy.

For full show notes and links mentioned in this episode, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/91

For more free handmade business advice, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/podcast

Disclaimer:

The first three steps to Etsy success (in no particular order) Sep 26, 2019

Show notes

If you Google "Etsy success" a bunch of articles about tips, hacks and tricks will likely show up. Some of that is probably helpful (particularly if its from merriweathercouncilblog.com wink) but these things actually are only useful or relevant AFTER the FIRST, TRUE and surprising keys to Etsy success.

It's true that being successful on Etsy DOES include strategy in listings, photos, etc. (We can teach you all of it in our Etsy Training Course merritrainingcourse.com ) But that stuff won't get you very far if you haven't gotten on board with thed first essential 3 keys to Etsy success.

For full show notes and links mentioned in this episode, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/90

For more free handmade business advice, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/podcast

Disclaimer:

Overcoming fears + investing in your business feat. Grace from Maker Mountain Fabrics Sep 24, 2019

Show notes

It was so wonderful to chat with Grace of Maker Mountain Fabrics about hew sewing shed. What is a sewing shed you ask? Well, for Grace, it is her workspace - a separate structure she built on her property to run her business from. But it is also a symbol of all the things she hopes and works hard for in her business. The shed is literally a physical representation to the dedication Grace has to her business and her commitment to the work she does - also to the confident decision she made to invest in herself.

For Grace the decision to build the shed was a "now or never" moment. I spoke with her about how she felt facing this large investment, what her motivation was, how she overcame the fear and what's happened since she has had the shed!

This episode addresses something all business owners will face at one point or another: having to decide to go all in or stay status quo.

In Grace's case, building her sewing shed meant saying yes to her business and its future. I'm excited for you to hear from Grace about how this investment of time, effort and money was a family affair and a true commitment to her business.

For full show notes and links mentioned in this episode, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/89

For more free handmade business advice, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/podcast

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