AFCI Podcast: Inspired Talks The Association For Creative Industries

Join Traci Reuter, Founder and CEO of Divine Social and Jason Baum, AFCI, as they discuss how to adapt your business to the digital world during these challenging times.

Join Traci Reuter, CEO of Divine Social, for a discussion with Jason Baum, AFCI's Director of Membership and Operations, on how to enhance your brand visibility during times of crisis.

 
A craft industry professional for over 15 years, Jennifer has been featured in major publications and online by the likes of Apartment Therapy and MSNBC. Her digital marketing consulting firm, Smart Creative Social (www.smartcreativesocial.com), has a prestigious client list across multiple creative industries, connecting influencers with brands, developing digital marketing strategy, and guiding clients in creating a solid social media strategy for their brand. Jennifer is also a long-time member of AFCI (www.afci.global) and instructor at Creativation (www.creativationshow.org).

 

Kari Capone is a New Jersey-based entrepreneur and the creator/CEO of Kari's Kits, a leading brand in the knitting kits industry, which was founded in 2015 - with her revenue doubling each year! Through Kari's Kits, Kari creates simple gorgeous knitting kits for knitters who are brand new, beginners, and advanced beginners. She also just published her first e-book, titled Learn to Knit, and just launched new program called the Insiders Club.

Marjie Kemper is a New York-based mixed media artist, instructor and self described “solopreneur”, who has been teaching workshops nationwide and online for the past six years. Currently, Marjie has an online mixed media workshop available through Craftsy.com, focusing on techniques with distress inks, distress stains, and Dylusions ink sprays. 
 
Marjie’s newest venture is offering business courses designed for entrepreneurs, bloggers, and artists who want to teach, but just don’t know where to start through her online program, Teaching Your Passion™ . a 4-week online course for those who want to learn how to teach online and/or at stores, retreats and conferences. Marjie Kemper has taught at a variety of venues nationwide and online, and she’s created this course as a roadmap to help you to do the same. She takes the guesswork out and shares everything she wishes she knew when she started teaching. All of the prep work is included regardless of where you’d like to teach (locally, nationally, or online). This course takes you step-by-step through the process from planning and pitching to sealing the deal and getting hired. The course is structured into 15 detailed modules and contains lessons on contract negotiations, logistics, how to make videos and graphics, best practices for using social media, and more.
Next course dates are April 23-May 18, 2018. AFCI Members save $50, visit afci.global to learn more.
 

Join us for our second ever live broadcast, from Creativation 2018, as Jason interviews the Ultimate Pitch Finalists. The Ultimate Pitch was held on January 22 at the Phoenix Convention Center in Arizona during Creativation, the largest creative industries trade event in North America.
The Ultimate Pitch was judged by executives from major retail and manufacturing brands. The judges were Brigid English from The Michaels Companies; Christopher DiTullio from JOANN; Danica Lichtenwalner from the Home Shopping Network (HSN); Christine Stoelting from Crayola, LLC; and Victoria Katsarou from Walmart.com/Jet.com.
Four finalists were chosen for The Ultimate Pitch from a pool of 12 entrepreneurs who were showcasing a unique product or idea in the Innovations Center at Creativation. The other three finalists were:


* Yee Wong, inventor of DIY Frame Art Drawing Pad: a patent-pending drawing pad that upgrades the sketchbook by turning the flat paper into a 3D frame art ready for display.
* Marlene Tabibian, inventor of Flex Knit: a patented, flexible and ergonomic straight knitting needle designed to improve comfort during knitting by enabling bending with resiliency at the wrist level.
* Sofia Magnusson and Marielle Jensen, inventors of The Folklore Company: a website where customers can design a personal cross-stitch pattern in an easy, unique, and modern way.


Actress Kerry Cahill, who can be seen on The Walking Dead as Dianne, hosted the competition. Cahill is an advocate for Help Heal Veterans, an organization that provides free therapeutic craft kits to US veterans, and was recently named the national spokesperson for AmVets.

The BowVy Cutter was ultimately awarded the $10,000 as Top Creative Innovation of 2018.