The Merriweather Council Podcast

Do you ever feel like you know how to do a lot of things and how much knowledge you have from your years of random online learning and freebie gathering and yet… still struggle to make progress in your business? I've been there!! (I do not feel nostalgic for it, but because I learned some vital lessons, I will revisit those wayward years today for the greater good!) On this episode, I am diving into why that happens. I'll be answering the age-old (just me?) question: Why do we struggle to achieve our goals, and what do we really need to reach those goals a little bit easier?  For full show notes and all the links mentioned in this episode, please visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/156

It’s no secret that as a business owner you will, at some point, usually multiple points, have unhappy customers. While unhappy customers are less frequent than happy customers or customers we never hear from, either way, customer service is a daily activity in any business. It is true that customer service exists at every turn, but the part of it that I’ve noticed is trickiest is at the very end of the transaction, specifically if someone is unhappy. What should you do, as a handmade business owner who wants to remain human and friendly but also not have anxiety and stress over what to do with customer service issues that might come up? Drum roll, please… You have actually probably already done it: it’s your policy. For full show notes and all the links mentioned in this episode please visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/155

The idea of launching a product line usually brings up one of two emotions: YAY or UGH. (Both are entirely valid!) If you feel more UGH than yay, I get you. I, too, dislike using the launch model in my own business. The launch model I am referring to is one you are probably familiar with. It starts with teasing out a new product line for a few weeks before launching it live for sale at a certain time on a certain date. Usually, there is some fanfare in that build-up process and on the launch date! It might involve a mailing list, email blast, social media campaign or even the help of influencers. It tends to be a multi-faceted project and quite a bit of work concentrated on a single ‘event.’  Launching is a semi-popular approach particularly for product-based businesses and many handmade business owners enjoy it! (I’m not one of them but many sellers do love it.) I get asked about product launching quite a bit and I’ve heard a variety of concerns. I am going to address as many of those today as possible! For

Today I am diving into the quandary of consistency in business. So elusive! What does “consistency” in business actually look like? What does it mean when we say we want more consistency? And why does it sometimes seem unattainable or frustrating to accomplish that at times? We are ALL always looking for consistency in business, usually, that means sales but it could mean other things like subscribers or followers, depending on what you are trying to accomplish. Is this achievable? I believe that is! BUT we have to work on what we REALLY mean when we say it. Like, truly define what we mean when we say we want consistency. Consistency is too loose of a term for most of us to feel secure with.  If we give ourselves a more liberal and realistic view of consistency then we have the opportunity to celebrate and ‘succeed’ more often! For full show notes and all the links mentioned in this episode, please visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/153

Here at The Merriweather Council, we are VERY pro-Etsy. That is probably pretty obvious by now. However, we are also huge proponents of having your own standalone eCommerce site in addition to Etsy. (We recommend Shopify for building that standalone site!) We wholeheartedly suggest handmade business owners have both! We love Etsy and believe it’s the best marketplace handmade business owners have available right now.  Are there things I wish they would change? Of course! I’ve been in a relationship with Etsy for nearly 11 years. Just like any long-term relationship, there are things I have found I don’t LOVE. But, for me, none of these issues were deal-breakers.  There are a lot of great features of Etsy, and one of those is choice. Sellers can CHOOSE to use many functions or not. Such as shipping labels, sales and couponing tools, listing videos, and on-site Etsy ads. You’ve likely heard me say I do not recommend using Etsy’s on-site ads. I am not against on-site ads; I just don’t think you need them - I kno

Every year I make an effort to deliver this message regarding the summer sales slump to help you get proactive and manage expectations during this time so you can turn your slump into your most valuable season. This is about using summer wisely to avoid a lack of focus and preparing for a successful holiday season! My hope is to make this summer sales slump feel less scary and to assure you that it is very, very normal! I want to give you the heads up on what you need in order to maximize this season of summer and the season that's coming after it based on what I know from real-life experience. In this episode, you’re going to learn the three major pitfalls that most makers fall into during the summer months that you definitely want to avoid. It will also cover the timeline that you need to understand and know how to work with. Plus, the five key pieces to turning your slump into the most valuable season. For full show notes and all the links mentioned in this episode, please visit merriweathercouncilblog.com

I don’t work for an algorithm. I understand that every platform has best practices and things it’s good to be aware of. I’m okay with basic rules and guidelines, but I’m not okay with being told I shouldn’t even bother unless what I want to do will make an invisible robot happy. That is so discouraging and toxic. I don’t have any issues with the existence of the algorithms on any platform. I understand and support that there has to be an algorithm in place; otherwise, things would move so fast it would be useless.  Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and other massive platforms handle so much content from so many users and deliver it to so many users; there needs to be a system (algorithm) to manage it.  The algorithm is a huge part of what makes those platforms functional and enjoyable as a user. Are they perfect? No. Are there a million things about it that we don’t know and don’t understand? Yes. My issue is with the culture surrounding the algorithms - and the messaging that seems commonplace to appeal to the alg

At one point or another, I believe all makers will receive a message requesting information related to HOW they make their products and with what materials exactly.  I know this is a moderately controversial topic in the maker space, and as always I want to remind you that we do not have to agree on this at all. Everyone gets to choose how they run their business - it’s important that we all respect the choices other business owners have made even if they aren’t the same as the choices we would make for our business. Of course, those kinds of prodding supply questions could come from potential buyers who have a particular interest in something that is not currently outlined in your shop, for example, ‘is it vegan’ or similar. Often though, these inquiries come from people who just want to make what you make, either to bypass the purchasing process thinking it will save money (does it ever?) or because they do already (or want to, or think they want to) sell that same sort of product that you do. It’s entirely

The ever-popular topic of Etsy SEO is on the docket for today, so let’s chat! What is Etsy SEO? Of course, when we say Etsy SEO, that means Search Engine Optimization specific to Etsy’s native search engine. Etsy SEO is a common focal point for Etsy sellers, maybe even to a fault. What I really wanted to highlight in today’s episode is the reality of search ranking! There is a lack of perspective here that is causing some unnecessary drama and anxiety for a lot of sellers. I hope that in breaking this down by the numbers, I can help shift the mindset about SEO and the desire to rank on the first page of results. For full show notes and all the links mentioned in this episode please visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/148.

If this is your first time joining us for an episode of The Merriweather Council Podcast,  well, you’re diving into the deep end today. I’m okay with it if you are!! ⚠️ Just a fair warning: this is one of my soapbox topics, and I get so fired up about this! Today I am doing an extended rating of the coupon types makers in business tend to offer. I did a short version of this on TikTok, but 60 seconds was not quite long enough for all the many things I want to say.

✨ If your product went viral tomorrow, would you be ready? Small business owners are so lucky to have an abundance of tools at our disposal for creating and sharing content right now, such as Youtube, Instagram, and TikTok. I know that can be overwhelming at times, but it is a good thing overall. There are so many ways to create content and places to publish that content. Content is being consumed more than ever. It’s probably ‘easier ‘ than it has ever been to go viral.  But what does “going viral” mean? For the context of this episode, “viral” just means you are getting a lot more attention than you usually average or anticipated, rather quickly.  Going viral can be fantastic for your business! It can create a lot of visibility and increase your sales short or long term and help your business grow! A viral post can lead to even more new opportunities! It can connect you to more of your ideal customers.  Whether you are trying to go viral or not, you want to be able to handle it if you do, in fact, find your

Pricing handmade products is so challenging, but this is a critical topic (obviously.) Today I’m recapping some of my top pricing reminders for handmade business owners because I know the struggle is very real, and I need to hear these things more than once, too!  If you are a long-time listener of The Merriweather Council Podcast, you have probably heard some of these things before - maybe even more than once! I wanted to smash them all together so we can drive this home! Pricing is such a vital topic in ANY business, and I know it is difficult to feel confident about pricing in handmade. For full show notes and all links mentioned in this episode please visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/145

⚠️TOUGH LOVE ALERT ⚠️ I’ve posted about this on Instagram before, and it always seems to ignite a little fire. No one cares about your Etsy sales number besides you. Etsy is not a perfect platform, but it is a damn good one. We believe it is the best marketplace handmade business owners have right now. ⁣ Sellers (and some buyers) often gripe about Etsy changes, but for me I find this one UNCHANGED thing is my biggest grips: displaying the seller’s sales number on the homepage of the Etsy shop. It’s been this way since day one and hasn’t changed.⁣ The fact that Etsy publicly displays your sales number has ALWAYS seemed ridiculous to me.⁣⁣ For years, I have heard so many sellers express discomfort with this number on display so publicly. ⁣Etsy sellers take it to mean something about them and their product or as an indicator of success or failure.⁣ It’s not. For full show notes for this episode and a list of all episodes visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/144

What problems do non-essential, luxury, handmade products solve? Great question, maker! Oh, you’re only asking because it showed up on some ideal customer avatar worksheet? There’s a reason you keep bumping into this question. It can be hard to answer.  You might think of other issues people regularly seem to seek to fix like weight loss or better health or learning a new language or skill. Again, likely your product doesn’t address those. The problems your product does solve are still worthy of investment though. The people who have those problems absolutely agree. Your non-essential, luxury, just for fun, handmade item DOES solve someone’s problem though. To figure out what problem that might be, you need to expand your understanding of what a problem is. For full show notes and all the links mentioned in this episode please visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/143.

I’m excited to dig into the big sometimes-scary topic of investing in your business today.  For the past ten (nearly 11) years, I have been operating and making financial decisions about my businesses. I have spent about half that time working with small business owners full time, so I am very familiar with all the hesitations and concerns of making business investments. It might surprise you to know that I have found most of those concerns are the same regardless of how significant the investment is. It’s important to note that investing and spending money is so personal. How and where we each spend our money is our business. It’s absolutely none of my business what you choose to do with your money. I am regularly asked about investing, though. I want to give my response to those inquiries a bigger platform here on the blog.  For full episode notes and links mentioned in this episode visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/142.

Season 8 of The Merriweather Council Podcast has landed! I cannot believe this is the start of our 8th podcast season!!  If this is your first time listening to The Merriweather Council Podcast, welcome! The Merriweather Council is a female-owned and operated small business that provides support resources for makers in business. Our mission is to lead makers to turn their crafty tendencies into profits and become empowered business owners who thrive on their own terms. We have already published over 130 episodes of The Merriweather Council Podcast; you can see them all right here. To kick this season off, I will highlight one episode from each season that is worthy of the re-listen (or first-time listen!) For full show notes for this episode and links to all the highlighted episodes please visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/141.

We’ve made it to the end of another season of the merriweather council podcast! It is always bittersweet for me to end a season but I truly hope you enjoyed this one as much as I enjoyed making it! To end this unexpected year, I thought it would be fitting to look ahead. Has a new year EVER been more anticipated?! (Probaby, but I’m not old enough to remember another one so it’s at least been a few decades.) 2020 HAS BEEN A ROLLERCOASTER!  One for the books. A LOT happened… to say the least. Because of *gestures widely at everything* all the things going on, the fact that you decided to tune into this podcast, a podcast about building a handmade business, is extra meaningful. We are so honored you allowed us to be a part of your business this year in that way! With 2021 nearly upon us, I do of course think about my own goals and plans but, I think about yours, too! I am curious – what’s next for you?  WHAT WILL YOU DO FOR YOUR HANDMADE BUSINESS IN 2021? No clue? Too many ideas? Can’t decide? I hear you —  the

Today, I want to explain myself.  I want to tell you why I've been holding out on you. We have shared a lot of information with you since 2015, when we started focusing on the education side of the business. I've shared A LOT. Over 120 podcast episodes, countless Instagram posts, videos, and other pieces of content… I've shared a lot! There is one thing I haven't shared, though. I haven't told you the four hacks to skyrocket our sales… because they don't exist. I cannot tell you about them because, well, there aren't any. Any such tips masquerading as such are just that: a masquerade. There is no such thing as '4 hacks to skyrocket your sales.' For all links mentioned and full show notes for this episode, please visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/139 To see a full list of episodes please visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/podcast

This is an essential message to the person who steers the ship in your small business: you. The C.E.O. C.E.O. Y-O-U. We get lots of emails and messages here at MWHQ from small business owners looking for advice, guidance, and support. We have noticed that many are not in the correct place, mindset-wise, to really receive and make use of even the best advice that we could possibly give. And that is NOT a call out. That's a call FOR! I'm calling for you and all small business owners to step into a C.E.O. state of mind to become better equipped, mentally, to make use of any and all advice and guidance that befalls you! For full show notes and links mentioned in this episode, please visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/138 To see a list of all Merripodcast episodes, please visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/podcast  

Overwhelm is everywhere. Things 'to do' pop up everywhere - TikTok lists, IGTVs, Pinterest pins, posts in Facebook groups… everywhere you go that entrepreneurs hang out, you will hear and see people talking about things you absolutely MUST DO to be successful. It's impossible to avoid seeing them, and it's tough not to let these things take hold and rule your time if you aren't in a place to know how to react to them. Being an entrepreneur can be very overwhelming, and we are inundated with information. The good news is, there are not, in my opinion, a lot of MUST-DO things that apply to everyone. Today we are talking about the misconceptions of must-dos and things we KNOW you do not need to do. More importantly, we are talking about the things you need to HAVE and BE to be successful. Let's dive in! Connect with me on instagram @merriweatherc All of the resources mentioned in this episode can be found HERE: merriweathercouncilblog.com/137 To see our full podcast lineup, visit: merriweathercouncilblog.com/pod