Makers Gonna Sell: A Podcast for Creative Entrepreneurs with Cheryl Ham and Nicky Avery Cheryl Ham & Nicky Avery

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:
 
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.

We hear about it all the time: how do we, as creative entrepreneurs, maintain a healthy work / life balance? We want to dedicate as much time as we can to making our business successful, but how much of our personal life should we sacrifice to achieve that result? On this episode of the podcast, Cheryl’s sharing her experience building her business from the ground up while also having a professional career and a growing family, and how realizing our life is more about seasons than work and play helped her be able to find a good balance between both.
 
Key Takeaways:
 
-    Not every season of our personal and professional life is going to be the same
-    As such, balancing those two aspects of our life requires thought and planning to be successful
-    Communication with our family and our work associates is key to finding that balance
-    Sacrificing one side for the other is tipping things too far! We’re more than our work, but our work is important to us as well
 
Quotes:
 
“I believe that we all have seasons in our lives and in our business. A season might last a month, or it might last a quarter, or it might last six months. It could even last a year. It could be any span of time. However, we all have the seasons that bring different things into our lives.” – Cheryl
 
“I think to run a successful business, you need to be showing up for your people. However, we can't always be on. And there's no sense in beating ourselves up about times in our lives where we just can't show up in that way.” – Cheryl
 
“There are only so many things we can do in a day, even if we are the most organized person, even if we have the most perfect systems in place. We can't do everything because we are not superhuman, and it’s okay to recognize that because it means not having a breakdown, not burning out, or not finding yourself in crisis because you're trying to do too many things. To me, having it all means being able to maintain my business while still being able to enjoy the other aspects of my life without letting the stress become overwhelming.” - Cheryl
 
 
Have a subject you’d like us to spin a yarn about? We’re dying to hear from you! You can leave us a comment wherever you download your podcasts, and while you’re at it, subscribe and leave us a 5-star rating. Grow with us as we put out more podcast episodes!
 
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  For a Text Notification when new episodes drop, text “Makers Gonna Sell” to 603-928-7108 Hypnotic Yarn on Instagram or Facebook Yarnable Subscription Box - Cheryl’s Subscription Box ALC Yarns - Nicky’s Yarn Shop Nicky’s Maker’s Momentum Inner Circle

What happens when you’ve built your business to the point where in order to keep up with everything, you need to hire some help? What happens when you need help even though you’re still working out of your home? It might be time to find your first employee! Today Cheryl is talking about what happened when she hired her General Manager Jess to help her with the day-to-day working of her business.
 
At the core of Cheryl and Jess’s experience working together was the idea that this wasn’t going to be a traditional type of employer-employee relationship. At the time she was hired, Cheryl was still working out of her house and working at a corporate job, so when she first approached Jess they established clear boundaries, clear responsibilities, and most important of all, a clear line of communication to make the relationship work. It can be hard to find someone willing to work on an irregular/flexible schedule, so clear communication is crucial when you are able to bring on someone to help out.
 
Key Takeaways:
-    It’s likely to start out as an irregular employment, so being flexible is key
-    Clearly establish responsibilities and allow your employee to take ownership of tasks
-    Communication is so important to keep the relationship professional and positive!
-    Flexibility, Honesty, Appreciation, and Communication are the cornerstones of a good working relationship
 
Quotes:
 
“I think that people get held back thinking, ‘Well I can do this myself. Why do I need to bring somebody else in?’ And yes, you can do everything yourself, but eventually you’ll just be exhausted.” - Cheryl
 
“You always have to be aware of the relationship between you and your employee. If you’re friends, you can’t just take the friendship for granted and assume that they know what you want from them, or that you know what they want from you. You have to be able to speak to each other.” – Cheryl
 
“It’s really important to vocalize that you appreciate that they’re giving you their time. Understanding that they’re carving out hours of their day to help you and that they want to do that, showing your appreciation for your employee goes a long way.”  - Jess
 
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.
 
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  For a Text Notification when new episodes drop, text “Makers Gonna Sell” to 603-928-7108 Hypnotic Yarn on Instagram or Facebook Yarnable Subscription Box - Cheryl’s Subscription Box ALC Yarns - Nicky’s Yarn Shop Nicky’s Maker’s Momentum Inner Circle

Are you worried that the market you're trying to break into is oversaturated and there’s no room for you to stand out? Or maybe you think that getting ahead means you need to outshine the competition?
If you’ve ever struggled with how to get noticed and feel like you’re attempts to be seen are falling on deaf ears, it’s not your fault. It super hard to blaze your own path. And if you’ve done your fair share of Googling, you know that information on this topic is scarce. 
You are not alone! 
We felt this way too when we were starting out, but then realized that we're not actually in competition with everyone our market, and actually, there is plenty of room for all of us.
In today's episode, we share our thoughts on strategies you can use to stand out and grow your business, even when it feels like everyone else is selling the same thing as you. 
Topics discussed in this episode:
There’s room at the top for everyone [00:03:15] Switching your mindset from selling product to building a community [00:14:53] How to serve instead of sell [00:29.40] Why it’s so important to get yourself a business buddy  [00:34.50] ...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. Cheryl’s Needle Mover [0:45:48] Nicky’s Needle Mover  [0:46:40] 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 For a Text Notification from Cheryl when new episodes drop, text “Makers Gonna Sell” to 603-928-7108 Nicky: Avery Lane Creations on Instagram or Facebook  ALC Yarns ALC Yarn Club Waitlist