Open & Awkward: Shop Talk with Katie and Amanda Katie Elzer-Peters and Amanda Thomsen

Subtitle: Create a Garden Wonderland



Summary:

Last in the episode but first in Katie's priority list: Check out the GORGEOUS new book "Garden Wonderland" by Leslie Bennett and Julie Chai. Katie gives a review. (And she's real picky about garden books.) Other topics of discussion include big box garden centers vs. indies, Argylle the movie (Katie loved it even though it was technically a flop) and what she learned about creating a sense of discovery for customers, and how everyone with one dollar wants plants.



Highlights:


Book recs
Amanda's "Ast-holes" about page
Katie's beef with zone 5 gardeners
Matching energy with customers
Asking questions to control the conversation
And so much more, of course!



Photos:

No photos this week. Click the links!



Links: 

AMAZING BOOK: Garden Wonderland by Leslie Bennett and Julie Chai

⁠https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/708807/garden-wonderland-by-leslie-bennett-and-julie-chai/⁠ 

Book: Unbound:

⁠https://www.kasiaurbaniak.com/unbound-book⁠ 

Periwink (coffee shop):

⁠https://www.instagram.com/periwinkink⁠ 

Concorde themed coffee shop:

⁠https://www.instagram.com/concordeespressobar⁠ 

Dinosaur themed coffee shop:

⁠https://www.instagram.com/hiddengroundsilm⁠ 

Amanda's about page - "Meet the Ast-Holes":

⁠https://kissmyaster.com/meet-the-ast-holes⁠ 



The Stuff at the End

Amanda’s Work Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/shop.aster.gardens⁠

Katie’s Work Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/thegardenofwordsagency⁠

Katie’s Personal Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/katie_gardenofwords⁠

Amanda’s Website: ⁠https://kissmyaster.com/⁠

Katie’s Website: ⁠https://thegardenofwords.com/

Subtitle: Make your art



Summary:

A post-eclipse episode that will still be fun two months later. Katie and Amanda talk about why unscripted social media is important, how Amy Stewart is Katie's Beyonce, and how people who have already summited cringe mountain won't criticize you. The only people who do are still in base camp.



Highlights:


Eclipse Hydrangea videos
Weird art
Katie's dogs
Bingbong
Stretch goals



Links:Amy Stewart: https://www.amystewart.com/

Sookie and Ivy:

https://www.instagram.com/sookieandivy/?hl=en

Movie: Inside Out:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2096673/

Midwest Groundcovers video:

https://www.instagram.com/p/C5gx23iuU3F/

Cringe Mountain:

https://www.tiktok.com/@erilikecherry/video/7344967413768768770?_r=1&_t=8mNGvOmqdzS



Pictures:

Jump over to The Garden of Words website to see pictures of Katie's dogs, Lucy and Bogart, wearing their Eclipse glasses as well as the "weird art article," Katie mentions.




The Stuff at the End

Amanda’s Work Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shop.aster.gardens

Katie’s Work Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegardenofwordsagency

Katie’s Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katie_gardenofwords

Amanda’s Website: https://kissmyaster.com/

Katie’s Website: https://thegardenofwords.com/

Subtitle: Wired for Novelty



Summary:

Katie shares her Harry Styles origin story. Amanda brings up the Apple Surcharge when boosting posts from the app and why you might or might not want to boost posts and why if you’re really going to pay money to Facebook, ads are a better bet. Katie and Amanda discuss something actually useful for listeners regarding “convenience fees.” Finally, we talk about the Enshittification of the online world.



Highlights:


Katiesitters
Surcharge on boosting posts on IG and FB through app/via phone
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Low stakes fun (our stores are that)
Kids today don’t suck
Opinions are like A$$holes, everyone has one
Peaches
You can’t be Target and be Amanda
Wired for novelty



Photos:

No photos today. Click the links!



Links: 

Business of Fashion podcast:https://open.spotify.com/show/6Y1STt6SGDnPc8AdDzGMzn?si=a3c6355cdedb4006 

Harry Styles on SNL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3hsVTEucMo

Harry Styles Fruit Stripe Outfit: https://footwearnews.com/fashion/celebrity-style/harry-styles-today-show-performance-onesie-outfit-1203289416/ 

Apple post boost surcharge: https://www.theverge.com/2024/2/15/24073228/meta-apple-tax-facebook-instagram-boosted-posts 

Goodwill bins: https://www.binstorefinder.com/goodwill-outlet-near-me/

Brie Arthur YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJjehwRXiIa25aV7kLHLZoQ 

Cory Doctorow: https://www.wired.com/story/tiktok-platforms-cory-doctorow/

Sad baby toys: https://www.instagram.com/officialsadbeige/



The Stuff at the End:

Amanda’s Work Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shop.aster.gardens

Katie’s Work Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegardenofwordsagency

Katie’s Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katie_gardenofwords

Amanda’s Website: https://kissmyaster.com/

Katie’s Website: https://thegardenofwords.com/

Subtitle: There actually IS crying in business

Summary:

During episode 5 Katie made Amanda cry, but it was a good cry. Katie discussed how she crawled out of her worst year (personally) of business, 2022, and why you might not want to grow your business beyond a certain point. They talked about taking up space in the world of business, owners vs. managers, and Amanda sang, “This Ain’t Taxes,” a cover of “This Ain’t Texas.” 

Highlights:


Owner vs. Manager
Taking up Space
Business is F*cking hard
Katie makes Amanda cry
Beyonce
The Rockettes
Who the podcast is for, part 5

Links:

Business books  written by women and non-binary people, a list  compiled by Jessica Lackey:  https://jessicalackey.notion.site/A-different-list-of-recommended-business-books-by-women-and-non-binary-authors-a369773b84e14c7498ed083373ea16c9

Pop Culture Happy Hour Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1NbdVF2ULZeH2SVDLiFZXc?si=e127cf5e81bc4910

BS Free Business Podcast: https://bsfreebusiness.com/solo-to-agency/

Beyonce’s album - Cowboy Carter: https://open.spotify.com/album/6BzxX6zkDsYKFJ04ziU5xQ?si=LLgKyEfPTs-NVKx2i1dBFQ

Rockettes dancing to Texas Hold ‘em: https://www.instagram.com/p/C5GcxsTuLTS/

MISA (Madeline Island School of Arts): https://www.madelineartschool.com/

Maru Godas: https://www.instagram.com/marugodas/



Jump over to ⁠The Garden of Words website⁠ to see pictures of Katie's little sketchbook and big watercolor



The Stuff at the End

Amanda’s Work Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/shop.aster.gardens⁠

Katie’s Work Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/thegardenofwordsagency⁠

Katie’s Personal Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/katie_gardenofwords⁠

Amanda’s Website: ⁠https://kissmyaster.com/⁠

Katie’s Website: ⁠https://thegardenofwords.com/

Subtitle: Hoist the Sails (to boost your sales!)



Summary: 

When you plant magic beans, what do you reap? (That got super existential super fast. Well, what do you expect when Amanda is taking business advice from alien mediums? Today Katie and Amanda discuss ways they fill their sails (as in boat sails) to fill their sales (as in money). Katie is the queen of taking workshops, while Amanda is the queen of hosting workshops. Yes, that’s related to “sale-ing.” More in the highlights. AND! Pictures are back in the show notes, so click over to take a look at all the giraffe comics.



Highlights:


The lost episode
Carnivorous plants
How Amanda learned about the tooth fairy
Intergenerational staffing
Who is this podcast for, part 4
GREETINGS! 
We need more flair
Books are experiences and so are we
Workshops
Fake magazine covers
Loyalty programs - they’re not what you think!



Links:

TickTok - Bashar

Amanda’s Green Profit magazine article - The Parasocial Paradox

Illinois population map

Podcast - Art to Life

Store: Island Passage Lumina Station, Wilmington, NC

Book: Dandelion Wine, by Ray Bradbury

Garden: Carnivorous plants!



Pictures:

Jump over to The Garden of Words website to see pictures of Katie's desk, little sketchbook, big watercolor, Sally (giraffe) comics, and Amanda's magazine cover!



The Stuff at the End

Amanda’s Work Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shop.aster.gardens

Katie’s Work Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegardenofwordsagency

Katie’s Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katie_gardenofwords

Amanda’s Website: https://kissmyaster.com/

Katie’s Website: https://thegardenofwords.com/

Subtitle: And why things cost $75



Summary: This one’s mostly about community: local community, community with other business owners, what it means to be a part of one’s community. It’s nearly impossible to summarize an episode, but that’s a pretty good one. However, we also cover pricing psychology, Katie manifesting Harry Styles on the cover of Better Homes & Gardens, how classes help you sell more stuff, and, of course, flop sweats.



Highlights:


Why tech fails are so embarrassing
Hosting classes helps people understand why handmade things cost a lot more
Ideas to make more money at your little plant shop
What you water will grow
Manifest profit, not busyness
Making automatic emails for customers to get them to come back
What’s a B Corp?
Why community is so important to us
Pricing psychology
Statement pieces
Spaceballs, the movie



Links:

Harry Styles on the cover of Better Homes & Gardens

Get the Webinar Replay for Making Automatic Emails

Crustacean Menstruation Station

Deb’s Greenhouse Instagram

Pine House Edible Gardens

Botany - Ben Futa’s shop

What’s a B Corp?



The Stuff at the End

Amanda’s Work Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shop.aster.gardens

Katie’s Work Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegardenofwordsagency

Katie’s Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katie_gardenofwords

Amanda’s Website: https://kissmyaster.com/

Katie’s Website: https://thegardenofwords.com/