We’ve made it all the way to the end of the year and more than likely, you’re super busy right now. In my business, we call it Beast mode because inevitably this time of year we’re working our tails off with different projects and fulfilling orders to keep up with seasonal orders. It’s very easy to stress yourself out, so on this week’s podcast I’m going over what I’ve learned over the years managing stress, burnout, and rest at this time of the year.

Key Takeaways:

- Growth at the expense of your health is not worth it! Sometimes, we just need to get through the season with what we have rather than taking on new projects that may or may not bring you joy, but also bring you added work. Think about what benefits you’re getting from expanding or what you could gain by scaling back.

- This time of year is hard on everybody, including your employees! Don’t forget about all of their hard work over the year and understand that doing what’s in the best interests of your workers can pay dividends.

- It’s a perfect time after the Beast mode to think about what you’re going to do next year, how you want to grow, what direction you want to go, and what you need to do to get there.

One more thing:

Do you run your own handmade business? And are you ready to take that business to the next level?

After seven years of growing my hand-dyed yarn business into a multi six-figure success, I'm excited to share my best strategies, resources, and actionable tips with you.

At Indie Made Biz, where handmade artistry meets business mastery, I’m not holding back. I’m sharing all of my knowledge and experience with you. Ready to grow your handmade your way? Subscribe to my Indie Made Biz email list for the best advice delivered straight to your inbox!

We’re sad to say that for the time being, this will be the last episode of what we’re calling Season One of the Makers Gonna Sell Podcast. There may be a Season 2, but when that may or may not happen is still up in the air. That doesn’t mean we’re giving up! 2023 is looking to be a full year for Cheryl and Nicky, but if we are able to get everything we need to build our businesses and we have the time to make this the priority it should be, you’ll be the first to know. You can still connect with us through our social media profiles, and we always love hearing from you. All our previous episodes are going to be available for further listening, and we have loved bringing you the content and look forward to serving you more in the future!

Come find us online - we would love to hear from you!

• Cheryl: Indie Dyed Entrepreneur on Instagram or Facebook
• Nicky: Avery Lane Creations on Instagram or Facebook
• Hypnotic Yarn on Instagram or Facebook
• Yarnable Subscription Box - Cheryl’s Subscription Box
• ALC Yarns - Nicky’s Yarn Shop

Are you so busy working IN your business that there’s no time left to work ON your business? 

We’ve all said it, “There aren’t enough hours in the day.” 

It really does feel that way when you’re wearing all the hats in your creative business. And it can be downright impossible to embrace the visionary role that your business requires of you when you’re bogged down with perpetual product making and never-ending to-do lists!

But guess what? We all get the same 24 hours each and every day. It’s what you do with them that counts.

Imagine what it would feel like if you had an extra set of hands every now and then. Would it change your life if you could take a day off (or *gasp* go on vacation) all the while things are still getting done? 

Hiring is a big step, and you might be thinking, “Yeah, that all sounds great, but I’m not even paying myself yet! How the heck am I going to hire someone?” 

In today’s episode we’re going to walk you through getting the right type of help without breaking the bank, and why it might be the best thing you can do for your business.  

Topics discussed in this episode:

• 1:00: Are you being pulled in too many directions?
• 5:54: The different shapes and sizes of hiring help.
• 28:26: Finding the right fit is sometimes trial and error.
• 32:30: Do you really need to spend money to make money?
• 40:59: Where do you find the help you need?

...and so much more!

Needle Mover 

• We’re closing out every episode by declaring a Needle Mover in each of our businesses. You learn more about what a Needle Mover is and what it isn’t in episode 2 of the 
• podcast.
• 49:01: Cheryl’s Needle Mover
• 54:30: Nicky’ Needle Mover

Don’t forget to share YOUR Needle Mover with us on Instagram by posting it to your Stories and tagging us, or shoot us a DM. Together, let’s make a BIG impact in our businesses over the next 2 weeks!

Come find us on social media - we would love to hear from you! 

• Cheryl: Indie Dyed Entrepreneur on Instagram or Facebook 
• Hypnotic Yarn on Instagram or Facebook
• Yarnable Subscription Box
• Nicky: Avery Lane Creations on Instagram or Facebook 
• ALC Yarn Club
• For a Text Notification from Cheryl when new episodes drop, text “Makers Gonna Sell” to 603-928-7108

After weeks apart doing solo podcast episodes, the stars have aligned, and fate has finally reunited us! It’s a double the flavor, double the fun episode with both Cheryl and Nicky back from our solo journeys and we’re happy to be together again. This happy meeting has reminded us how important it is to have a business friend to share all the feelings of running a business, and if you don’t have one yet we’re laying out everything that we’ve learned finding each other and what the differences are between a friend in your personal life and someone to share our business adventures with.

You wouldn’t think that having a business friend that you can share your wins and worries with would be an important part of being a successful business owner, but when it really gets right down to it, being able to share your experiences with someone who’s been there before, or who might be able to give some insight, that kind of relationship can be invaluable. We don’t know where we would be if we couldn’t send each other messages of encouragement or bounce our frustrations off of each other. Hopefully our experience can help you find the right person for you to connect with and create your own business friend!

Key Takeaways:

-    The importance of Business friendships cannot be overstated -  if you’re going to be a successful business owner, you need to have a network you can relate to all those highs and lows

-    Personal friendships mean well, but they’re no substitute for someone who is going through or has been through a similar experience

-    Your peers are looking for those types of relationships too! Don’t be afraid to reach out and start talking

Quotes:

“Because we're business owners, our work takes up so much of our time that our family members, our children, our parents, our significant others, they all want to be there and to be supportive of us. But if we don't have actual business buddies, kind of separate from those people, then all we have is our family and our like regular life friends to talk to about our business and it can get repetitive.” – Cheryl

“When you run into a problem, a business friend can usually see things from a different perspective and has the experience to see things that we miss because we're so close to it.” – Nicky

“At some point, if you want to have a friendship, you need to trust somebody. If you're not comfortable with people in your own industry, look for people outside of your industry. Your business friend does not have to be somebody within your industry; it can be somebody who does something completely different.” – Cheryl

“But you will surprise yourself. When we started talking, it was about if I had a question or just wanted to run something by her. But slowly it just evolved into this amazing friendship.” – Nicky

Have a subject you’d like us to cover or just want to comment about how much you love the podcast? We want to hear from you! You can like, subscribe, and leave us a 5-star rating everywhere you can download podcasts.