Emotions Vs. Evidence – What I’ve Learned as a Top 3% Etsy Seller

The February magazine is live!

Now that we’ve all had a month to recover from the holidays, it’s time to dive into our business plans and make sure we’re scheduled for success this year. It’s the PERFECT time to read Michelle’s story from Rockin’ Chalk. She’s a top 3% Etsy seller and has learned a lot along her journey. She attributes her success to two major things: pinpointing how to attract her ideal customer and learning the difference between emotions and evidence when running a business.

“It’s EVIDENCE (metrics, reports and customer interactions) that steer us in the right direction. Don’t use emotions to navigate. After years of over-reacting, I’ve finally learned to take a quick glance every day at a simple spreadsheet that gives me a clear, fact-based snapshot of my business. A little data goes a long way in making better speculations!”

-Michelle Baker from Rockin’ Chalk

Our second featured seller, Laura from Dolphin Wood House, joined a local competition for small businesses and won a $10,000 grant for her soap business! The competition was similar to Shark Tank and Laura had to work hard to complete the program, but the biggest challenge was being brave enough to give her presentation. If fear has ever held you back, her inspiring story is a must-read.

“The goal was to win the $10,000. When we asked how the pitch would go, they asked us if we had ever watched Shark Tank. My answer was no, and they said to go onto YouTube and search for it. Later that night I looked it up and within 15 minutes of watching it, I was crying. I am very shy and an introvert. Just the thought of getting up on stage scares me. I told my husband that I did not think I could do this. Still, the next Thursday, I was there in class.”

-Laura Hatt from Dolphin Wood House

Here’s a quick preview of the goodies inside the February magazine!

• Question of the Month: read all the ways that handmade sellers are using paid ads for their businesses
• How Michelle became a top 3% Etsy seller and what she learned along the way about emotions, evidence, and her target clients
• Is Facebook organic reach dead? Here’s the ONE thing you should be focusing on with your account
• How Lauren won a $10,000 grant for her soap business in a competition similar to Shark Tank
• The Book Club: lean about this month’s recomended business book and submit your own favorite book for a chance to be featured
• Creating eye-catching Instagram photos: part 2 (with 21 Instagram photo examples)
• The Newsstand: get updated on the latest industry news, shopping trends, social media changes and more