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How makers can stand out in a crowded marketplace

Standing out in a Crowded Marketplace: A Q&A with Simply Made Local

23 Ecommerce Trends You’ll See in 2020 from Dear Handmade Life

23 Ecommerce Trends You’ll See in 2020

11 budget-friendly ways creative business owners can expand resources & reach Dear Handmade Life

11 budget-friendly ways creative business owners can expand resources & reach

Craftcation: Business + Makers Conference 2020 Registration is NOW OPEN!

4 steps to prepare your maker business for growth Dear Handmade Life

4 steps to prepare your maker business for growth

summer business checklist for makers Dear Handmade Life

The Summer Checklist for Your Maker Business

5 Things to Know to Create an Unforgettable Unboxing Experience

3 Ways Makers Can Improve Workflow Dear Handmade Life

3 Ways Makers Can Improve Workflow

Six Tips to Help You Save Money and Protect your Bottom Line in your Small Business Dear Handmade Life

Six Tips to Help You Save Money and Protect your Bottom Line in your Small Business

6 DIY Tips to Create the Best Business Card for Your Creative Business

Dear Handmade Life Angie Chua bobo design studio no issue

How to elevate your brand with custom packaging and unique unboxing experiences

10 Things you need to know before you sell on Amazon Handmade Dear Handmade Life

10 Things I Wish I’d Known About Amazon Handmade

How selling on multiple online platforms gives makers longevity Dear Handmade Life

4 Reasons Why Makers Should Diversify Where They Sell

The Most Commonly Missed Business Tax Deductions from Dear Handmade Life

The Most Commonly Missed Tax Deductions for Makers

How to prepare your online shop for the holidays from Dear Handmade Life

How to Get Your Online Shop Ready for the Holidays

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Three things you may not know about me…⠀⠀⠀

Three things you may not know about me…⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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1. My go-to ice cream topping is salt.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
2. I used to be a Hollywood costumer & I’ve dressed Alec Baldwin & Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
3. When I was 8, I started my first business, a handmade (I mean VERY handmade) stationery “shop” located in front of our condo.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Since I haven’t done an intro here for a while, here’s a bit more about me.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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At 24, I turned my passion into my profession when I started selling Random Nicole, my handcrafted clothing line at flea markets & backyard craft fairs. I grew it into a thriving six-figure business that was carried at over 250 shops around the world.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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My desire to help other creatives pursue their dreams led me into teaching, consulting & eventually co-founding Dear Handmade Life in 2007 with my aunt who left the business a few years ago.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Now, I work with a tiny team of incredible creative women & together we bring you #PatchworkShow, #Craftcation & our blog, podcast, online shop & workshops.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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It’s taken me a few decades of self work to proudly fly my freak flag & the people I’m drawn to/connect with most embrace their weirdness too. Like Meryl Streep says, “Whatever makes you different or weird - that is your strength."⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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After a 7 year struggle with infertility, I finally got that positive test & in January my first (& only, hey, I’m 44!) son, Luca, was born. A few weeks later, COVID arrived & postpartum depression/anxiety hit me & I’ve been working to find my footing as a middle-aged new mama, grasping my mental health struggles & figuring out how Dear Handmade Life (the events business that I’ve poured over a decade of my blood, sweat & tears into) will evolve in the pandemic.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Bonus: One more odd fact about me… I can’t stand turtlenecks or shorts.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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What’s a fun fact about you? 📷: @nikvphotography

🌟BIG NEWS! 🌟 So many of our vendors and gues

Seeing this Road Trip @mixbook from #Craftcation a

Seeing this Road Trip @mixbook from #Craftcation alum and presenter @bobodesignstudio made me nostalgic for my annual beach trip to Ventura which isn’t happening this year.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Instead, my “summer vacation" is happening at home where I’ll be taking a break from posting on social media and recording our podcast for a few weeks to focus on some behind the scenes Dear Handmade Life work, hanging out with my little baby and keeping up with my social justice work.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Pic and Roadtrip Photo Book by @bobodesignstudio in partnership with @mixbook

This week on the Dear Handmade Life podcast I’m

This week on the Dear Handmade Life podcast I’m chatting about time management with writer, artist and art book editor Bridget Watson Payne (@watsonpayne). We talk about how to find hidden pockets of time, time management from a cultural perspective, aligning your to-do list with your values and ethics, techniques to tackle your inbox, priorities, her book How Time is On Your Side and more. 📷: @watsonpayne ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Listen on your favorite podcast app or by clicking the link in our bio. Thanks to this week’s sponsors, @spoonflower and @ampjar!

This week on the Dear Handmade Life podcast I got

Thanks to #craftcation alum & last year’s keynot

Thanks to #craftcation alum & last year’s keynote speaker amytangerine for this beautiful reminder to lead with gratitude and let our regrets and anxieties about the past and future fall to the wayside.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Pic and lettering by @amytangerine

© DEAR HANDMADE LIFE 2020. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS SITE USES AFFILIATE LINKS. WE DISCLOSE ALL SPONSORED POSTS BY NAMING THE SPONSOR IN THE POST.

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