Beyond Crafting: Creating Your Most Inspired Life‪.‬ Holli Mostella

This week on Beyond Crafting we are flipping the script! In honor of World Mental Health Day, Yours Truly is in the hot seat as Cricut's own Lansia Wann sits down with me to dive deep into good, vulnerable conversation surrounding mental health awareness + crafting. 
In this episode you'll get a better glimpse into my story -- my battle with mental health, how I use my platform to spread awareness + hope, and how a Cricut maker saved my life.
Here are some highlights from this episode you don't want to miss:
- How CRICUT is bringing more + more awareness to mental health 
- How I rebounded after failing nursing school + found my true passion in crafting
- How I found CRICUT and how it ultimately saved my life
- How my parents responded to me taking a more unconventional career path
- How I find light in the darkness of mental health struggles
+ so much more. 
If you have a mental health story you would like to share + potentially have posted on Cricut's blog, email pr@cricut.com or get in touch via their socials @cricut on Instagram and www.facebook.com/OfficialCricut/. 
You can check out the article I did with Cricut on their blog. Read it here. 
As always, I love to hear from you. If you ever need someone to reach out to about your mental health struggles or really anything, connect with me @hollimostella on Instagram. 
You got this, sis 
xo,
Holli
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In this week’s episode we meet Nicole:  a maker, mama, mental health warrior, and the CEO and creative director at Dear Handmade Life. Nicole wears allllll the hats. She has a blog, a podcast, a shop, directs Camp Dear Handmade Life, puts on local makers festivals, and the highlight of her year is hosting the Craftcation Conference in California. (Did I mention it’s at the BEACH?!)
Through curating events, education and community for creatives, Nicole is helping thousands upon thousands of women turn passion into profession while connecting and inspiring one another. Amazing, right?!
There’s no denying Nicole does it all. How does she do it?? In this episode you’ll hear how Nicole juggles business, motherhood, and taking care of herself. 
Here are some episode highlights you won’t want to miss:
Looking at your life through a lens of gratitude and also growthCollision between therapy and craftingProcess over ProductPriorities at different parts of lifeWhat Nicole wishes she had known about before starting her businessCoping with mental health disorderHow Nicole finds the good in the badBONUS: Find out which P word Nicole doesn’t use ;) Listen here!
You can find Nicole on Instagram @dearhandmadelife and head on over to her website www.dearhandmadelife.com to find her latest blog posts, podcast episodes, and event information. 

If you have questions for Nicole, email holli@hollimostella.com.  
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In this episode, we meet Nikki with Steel Magnolia tumbler company. Nikki is a super math nerd and crafter turned bad ass business woman. As the owner, designer and creator of The Steel Magnolia, she just hit a HUGE milestone, selling her MILLIONTH cup! 🎉


When it comes to cups, Nikki is the queen of versatility, originality and quality. She intentionally designs cups with YOUR busy, on-the-go schedule in mind. As a woman business owner in a man-led business world, it hasn’t always been the easiest. However, Nikki is an expert in her craft and she knows her customers which has truly allowed her business to grow to the successful place it is now. She loves hosting TumblerCon, an annual tumbler even to test new products from top vendors + learn techniques from some of the top designers! Check out @tumblercon on Instagram to see for yourself what it’s all about! 


As an artist, here are three of Nikki’s favorite tips:


Heat Part A of your epoxy Seal, Seal, Seal!Get a plastic storage bin, cut a side out of it and cover your turners to protect from dust! Nikki's biggest piece of advice to other women in business is to LET GO OF CONTROL. Don’t kill yourself trying to do it all yourself! Remember our nemesis burnout?! Take a breath. Take a step back. Let people HELP YOU so you don’t experience burnout like Nikki did. 
If you’re interested in launching your own business, whatever that may be, Nikki’s advice is to get out there and TRY, just like she did! Start small, test the waters, see if you have a passion for it and then see where it takes you! She never in her wildest dreams thought she would be where she is now, having just sold her MILLIONTH cup! You’ll never know until you TRY. 


Listen to this episode to learn more about Nikki and her awesome company. 


You can find Nikki on Instagram @thesteelmagnoliacompany or her personal handle @the_nikkihamilton and on her website www.thesteelmagnolia.com. 





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Dear Younger Self…

“Believe in yourself. No one else will as much as you can.”
“If you get a credit card, get only one. Only use it for what you can pay for that month and pay it off at the end of each month.”
“It's normal to feel anxious sometimes, but when it's too much to handle, don't be afraid to ask for help.”
“Follow your dreams and passions, not everyone or anyone else's.”
“Everything truly does happen when it's meant to happen. The journey may not be easy, but it's worth it in the end.”
 “The worst you let someone treat you is the best they're ever going to treat you.” 
“You're going to wish that you were this fat in 10 to 15 years.”
“Figure out the things that make you the happiest in life. Give yourself a few of those things daily. This promotes self-love.”
“Set healthy boundaries and don't be afraid to keep them. If I would have done this earlier, I would be a lot healthier mentally.”
“Don't be afraid to be the weird friend or the outspoken friend. You'll have more fun if you just embrace it. And don't worry about what other people think so much.”
“Always wear the sunscreen. Tans will fade. Wrinkles are forever.”
“Stop comparing yourself. You are enough.”
“Your struggles do not define you. You will hurt. You will struggle, but you will heal. The days will seem endless, but the sun will always set and rise again, just as you do.”
“Laugh, encourage others, build a community so that if you cannot stand, they will be there to catch you.”
 “For the love of God, do not cut your bangs yourself.”


Love, 
Me



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In this week’s episode, I sat down with my AMAZING Virtual Assistant, Katie. If you’ve heard about ‘virtual assistants’ but not exactly sure what they do, what it’s like working from home or curious if YOU could potentially be a good fit in this role...then THIS episode is for YOU! 
Growing tired of the corporate job world, Katie knew she wasn’t meant for the 9 to 5 situation. Eager to be on the more creative side of things with a more flexible schedule, she joined some virtual assistant Facebook groups and landed her first few clients! Katie has now been working as a Virtual Assistant for 5 years helping bloggers, content creators, coaches + biz owners with the tasks that don’t light them up, so they can focus on the ones that do. 
Here are TEN key takeaways from my chat with Katie:
Join virtual assistant Facebook groups - and don’t be afraid to reach out to potential clients! As a virtual assistant you can do SO MANY THINGS (which is the coolest thing!) - BUT find your niche, your ideal client, + hone into that. You make your OWN schedule as a VA - flexibility is one of the best parts about the job. It’s okay to do a trial run with a client before committing to any specific hours or pay - use the trial run to avoid any guesswork, especially when you're first starting out.If you’re a small business owner looking for a VA - join Facebook groups! (Trust me, Facebook is the best place for VAs to find clients + clients to find VAs). Building a base of clients was the hardest part of becoming a virtual assistant BUT reach out to people + trust that you can deliver on your promises. On the topic of promising - Don’t make unrealistic promises to clients.When it comes to getting paid: do your research first. See what other VAs in Facebook groups are charging for similar services, Google VA salaries in your area and then work backwards toward an hourly or package rate, and most importantly know your own worth and then add tax. A virtual assistant’s role is to amplify, not replicate, the client’s voice or brand.THE BIGGEST TAKEAWAY: Do NOT undervalue yourself. Don't feel bad for walking away from the person who doesn’t see your value. You'll be so happy that you now have the capacity to take on that perfect client. You’ve heard me say it many times before, I don’t know what I would do without Katie! I am SO grateful for everything she does for me. Thank you, Katie, for such good advice. If you want to get more information about being a virtual assistant, you can look into those virtual assistant Facebook groups.

And NEVER underestimate your worth. 



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One way I love for my community to get to know me a little better is with a good ol’ Q & A. I have my amazing virtual assistant, Katie, on this episode with me asking me questions my patrons are asking + that I get asked often! We will cover topics ranging from mental health to spending fake money! Here’s a sneak peek into what Katie and I cover in this week’s episode of Beyond Crafting:


Q: Who inspires you the most?
There's a ton of people in our online community that inspire me. But overall, more than anything, my parents. They show me kindness, patience, and love.
Oh, and Glennon Doyle (If you don’t know who she is, look her up here. She’s amazing.).


Q: What is the hardest part of being a work-at-home mom?
I think there are a lot of misconceptions about work-at-home moms, but the truth is, being a mom is hard no matter what you do - work-at-home moms, work-outside-the-home moms - we all have our trials. 
Truthfully. Without a doubt. The hardest part of being a work-at-home mom is trying to explain to people that I actually work at home. Can I get an amen?! 


Q: What have you found to be the best type of marketing for your business?
Wait, you don’t just buy ads??? 
NOPE. I have in the past.
BUT the best type of marketing is organic marketing. Find your people that really, truly believe in you. Investing in building my community in an authentic way helped me expand more than any paid marketing.


Q: What goal or goals do you hope to accomplish by the end of the year? 
THIS PODCAST! I’m so passionate about staying consistent with this podcast. It’s not fair to me or you to keep letting it fall to the bottom of the list. 


Q:  When you have bad mental health days, what keeps you going?
You have to find the thing that keeps you going. Whatever it is. For me it’s my parents, my girls, and my amazing community + the work I get to do. 
And knowing that there will be a break is what keeps me going. 


Q: If you could buy anything, no money restrictions. What would it be? 
No spoilers here! Go have yourself a listen to see. 😄
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Another inspiring person in my life is @thebirdspapaya. Do yourself a favor and check out her Instagram account -- she helped me realize it's okay to love myself.

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Interested in what being a Virtual Assistant entails? We're going to do an episode with my VA, Katie, and she would love to answer any questions you have! Email those questions to holli@hollimostella.com.  



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