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In this episode of Made It, we speak with Camila and Christopher from Eggpicnic about the way they combine design with conservation.  For inspiration and tools to grow your business head to makeracademy.co

In this episode of Made It we speak with Elise Blaha Cripe on the power of setting goals, the importance of balance and how to beat the comparison trap. If you're looking for a producitivity tool, we've got one for you in our FREE resource library. Get yours at www.makeracademy.co

In this episode of Made It we speak with Caitlin Benson from Cinder and Honey about the way experimentation, family, and passion led to a successful business. If you're looking to take your business to the next stage then we've got resources to help! Head to makeracademy.co/resources and get your hands on our blueprints designed to help you grow!

In this episode of Made It we speak with Rin Dawson, the social artist behind Papered Thoughts about finding community, connection and the importance of being kind when building a business.   If you're looking for more business advice or inspiration, you can find it in the Maker Academy FREE resource library. www.makeracademy.co/resources

Understanding what makes you stand out in the marketplace and knowing exactly why your product so special can transform your business. Discover how tapping into your unique selling point can shape your marketing effort and attract buyers with ease. Access our FREE resource library to help skyrocket your sales at www.makeracademy.co

In this episode of Made It, we speak with Kelsey DeLange from Honey and the Hive about finding her voice, taking inspiration from her family and working through her doubts led to a profitable business. 

Learn why community is the secret ingredient to creating a super successful business that fuels your passion with regular, consistent income. If you’re an Etsy Seller, Maker, creative entrepreneur, or blogger,  you’re not going to want to miss this episode! Want free resources to grow your business? Head to makeracademy.co and get our FREE Instagram blueprints

Discover how craft can fuel your passion in this interview with Alex Klein from Alex Stitches. For free business growth resources, head to makeracademy.co

Discover how regular content can drive engagement for your online store and how you can curate content that converts in just 5 minutes per day.

If you've ever struggled with perfectionism, or made the "practical" choice rather than following your heart, then you're going to love Samantha Dion Baker's story.

Learn why Calls to Action are the missing ingredient in your social media posts. I’m breaking down how calls to action can turn the casual scroller into a passionate buyer. For FREE resources to help grow your business head to www.makeracademy.co

Have you ever felt lost trying to "find your passion." If you're someone looking to find your niche, or searching for the courage you need to take a chance on your art, you're going to love Alex's story. If you're feeling stuck on how to grow your business, our FREE resource library is here to help. Download the goodies at: www.makeracademy.co

Discover why business plans are essential for building your business and the five things you need to include to make sure you smash your goals. Get your FREE buisness growth resources at www.makeracademy.co/free-resources

Where are you at in your creative journey? If you're looking at growing and expanding, while staying true to your brand, Alexis Winter has some valuable insights.

Are you considering moving away from marketplaces and onto your own self-hosted site? I'm breaking down 7 FREE design resources you need to know about.  www.makeracademy.co/made-it

If you’re looking for insights into how to create an amazing brand and uncover the power of networking, then you’re going to love our chat with Samantha Mabe. Samantha Mabe is a brand + web designer behind Lemon and the Sea. She’s what you might call a reluctant entrepreneur. Samantha always thought her career would be somewhat traditional, studying architecture and working for a small firm. But life had other ideas. When Sam moved cities, she was presented with the opportunity to start her own business. And it paid off. Samantha has a business helping creative entrepreneurs brand themselves and build beautiful websites. In this episode we speak with Samantha about: The importance of word of mouth in growing your business. How Facebook groups can help you find your niche. Why you need to grow at your own speed. How a brand builds connection with your buyers If you’re someone looking to develop your brand and trust your intuition, you’re going to love our chat with Samantha. We hope that you take inspiration from Samantha's story and turn her lessons into your own actions. We have loads more interviews and business tips coming so make sure you subscribe to Made It. In the mean time, I'd love to know what you like most about this episode? Let me know in the comments below!

Buyer Personas are an amazing way to connect with your audience, generate sales and flesh out new product launches.  As a maker and creative entrepreneur, I know that so much of you goes into the work you’re producing. You’re passionate about your craft and create from a heart centred space. And I never want that to change. What I do want is help you to get smart about what you’re producing.  I want to help you understand what makes your audience tick and create products for them. Buyer personas can be really helpful when you’re thinking about your next product. If you’ve been producing content or handmade pieces for a while but not seeing a lot of sales, it can be discouraging. I want you to know that the lack of sales are not due to your lack of ability. Rather, it’s because you’re not targeting the correct people in your marketing.  Knowing your target audience like you know your best friend helps you find success.  Having personas help you identify what really want, what makes them tick and effective strategies to promote your business.  When you know your ideal customer, you’ll also feel so much clearer on your businesses direction.  You’ll know exactly what sort of features you could add to a product or the next line you want to create to make it irresistible to customers.  The best way do this is by developing personas for your customers. You’ll refer to these personas by name and go from making for a faceless group to a single person.  We have personas here at Maker Academy. This piece was developed with a particular one in mind. This is for Jess who is 34, runs an online store which has had a few sales but knows she has more potential to reach more. Jess is actively looking for ways to educate herself with marketing knowledge. I am producing this to help her specifically. And for all the folks out there who are like Jess. Do you sound like Jess? So, to all the Jesses, Lu’s, Nathans and Rosies out there, here some tips that can help you to create personas for your target audience. Start Broad and define who you want to target You might think trying to be broad and reach everyone is the way to success. Unfortunately, that is not so. There is so much power in having a niche and being the leader in that one space. You stand out, seem focused and you’ll reach more folks who really get your products and your mission. Think about 3 - 4 types of people you would like to target. How old are they? Wha

If you’re looking to find your niche and take a gamble on growing your business, then you’re going to love our chat with Amy Eaton of Amy Takes Pictures. Amy is a brand photographer living in Toronto where she specialises in helping entrepreneurs tell their story visually. From the time Amy picked up her first camera, in a McDonald's happy meal nonetheless, she knew her future was behind the lense. Starting with a successful career in wedding photography, it wasn't long before Amy found herself caught in a position all entrepreneurs face at one point or another; to follow her passion or go where the money is. For Amy, she tried to follow the money and ended up feeling owned by this kind of work. It didn’t bring the inspiration or freedom she wanted so she paused, spent time away from the camera and came back a year later refreshed and ready to get to work. And the decision has paid off. Amy now works exclusively with makers and entrepreneurs to help them grow their brands through imagery. She currently shoots people's work in her home studio or local surroundings but will be expanding into online education, and we can't wait. In this Interview with Amy, we speak about: How to take incredible product images How McDonalds is to thank for her love of photography Why taking a leap from steady income to follow her passion paid off The power of finding your niche on your business We absolutely loved speaking with Amy and hearing the way her passion for serving her niche has allowed her to create a business that is truly thriving.  We hope that you take inspiration from Amy's  story and turn her lessons into your own actions. We have loads more interviews and business tips coming so make sure you subscribe to Made It. In the mean time, I'd love to know what you like most about this episode? Let me know in the comments below!

Kristen Sgalambro love of paper commitment to the #100dayproject and created a successful business that's been featured by Pixar. Kristen Sgalambro is a paper artist and graphic designer from New York. Her work is based on pop culture, food and custom creations. It was a 100-day project that started Kristen in her business. She committed to creating one piece of paper art per day, primarily focused on food, for 100 days and built a community of keen buyers. Since then, Kristen has gone on to create custom pet and partner portraits as well as pop culture pieces that have been picked up and featured by Pixar. This interview was full of amazing gems, including: How she balances her full-time job with growing business The importance of doing something every day How her creativity is fuelled by late nights The way passion can lead to opportunity If you're someone who has a niche passion, Kristen's interview is going to help you let go of any doubts about pursuing what you love. We hope that you take inspiration from Kristen's story and turn her lessons into your own actions. We have loads more interviews and business tips coming so make sure you subscribe to Made It in iTunes. In the meantime, I'd love to know what you like most about this episode? Let me know in the comments below

Courtney Weston followed her passion for DIY and created a career that combines her passion and interests. Courtney has three online stores and runs a blog, Always Rooney that shares lifestyle content, DIY projects and provides Etsy sellers with advice for finding success on the platform.  What's unique about Always Rooney and Courtney's businesses is that she has managed to bring together multiple passions and niches together into one cohesive brand, something that can be really challenging to execute well. In this episode, we speak with Courtney about:  Why reading is an essential part of her day Why community is so important to her business How she has grown brand awareness through influencers The importance or small steps and being in the moment If you're someone who has wanted to reach out to Influencers or work directly with brands, then you're going to get some practical advice you can implement in your business immediately.  We hope that you take inspiration from Courtney's story and turn her lessons into your own actions.