Pattern Design Circle Podcast Jessica Brist

Sometimes life (and business) is a lot... and that's ok. It seems to me like designers, entrepreneurs, and society as a whole seem to be collectively overwhelmed and exhausted. So if that feels like you, you are so not alone.

In this podcast episode, I share my own experience of life feeling like a lot and how to navigate business during the unexpected, the exhaustion, and the overwhelm.

And spoiler: if you aren't feeling overwhelmed or exhausted right now, you're feeling like life is grand, this episode is also for you, because I share tips on what to do when it's going more smoothly to help yourself when everything feels like a lot.

Check out Pattern Design Circle for resources and community for knitting and crochet pattern designers.

Megan's been designing for 10 years, and I've been designing for nearly 5 years. In this episode we share the seasonal trends that we see in our pattern sales - and the sense we make of it. There's one month in particular that really surprised us as newer designers. We share the highs, the lows, and what you can do to raise the lows... and even discuss leaning into the seasonality of your own body.

Tune in to hear us spill the beans, including whether we even pay attention to the seasonal trends in our businesses or not.

Find Megan online on Instagram and at www.pipandpin.ca.

Check out Pattern Design Circle for resources and community for knitting and crochet pattern designers.

There are so many platforms available for selling knit and crochet patterns: Ravelry, Etsy, LoveCrafts, Ribblr, Making app... the list just goes on and on... and it's a lot to keep track of when publishing and updating patterns. Perhaps you feel like you're spread thin because you're trying to be everywhere, or perhaps you feel like you're missing out because you aren't on all the platforms. Either way, gosadi is working to make your life easier.

The platform is currently open for beta testing, so not all of the platforms are currently available, but the beta testing program includes 6 months of free access to the platform.

In this podcast episode, learn how gosadi started and what it's working toward, meet two of the gosadi team members, and hear some of their greatest business advice.

Note: I am an alpha tester for gosadi, so I've been testing the new platform for over a year. I'm happy to answer any questions that you have; just send me a DM on Instagram @patterndesigncircle or send me an email at patterndesigncircle@gmail.com! Additionally, the gosadi links are affiliate links; if you join the  program via my link, I may receive some compensation; it does not impact the price that you pay.

Check out Pattern Design Circle for resources and community for knitting and crochet pattern designers.

Beliefs affect everything: what we do, say, and think; how we present ourself; how we perceive the world; and beyond. So what happens when we realize a belief isn't in alignment with who we are?

Whether it's because a belief is no longer serving you, it's limiting your potential, you've discovered the foundation of that belief is something false... or any other reason, changing a belief is no joke. It's hard work that requires intentionality and a solid understanding of why you're choosing to change the belief.

In this podcast episode, I give space to acknowledge how difficult it is to change a belief, whether it's personal, business-related, or both; and share the step-by-step process for changing beliefs.

This is a rather personal episode for me (spoiler: tears were shed) because so much of the last 8 months for me has been spent in deconstructing beliefs and building new ones in their place, but I also share how this applies to so many things in our businesses too. Because beliefs impact everything.

Dive into this episode to unlock validation, space, grace, and guidance in your journey of beliefs.

Check out Pattern Design Circle for resources and community for knitting and crochet pattern designers.

We are each on our own journey, and we love to hear about other's journeys: what inspires them, how they got to where they are, if they have any secrets, and more. Last year I hosted a featured pattern designer every month on my Instagram account to talk about all the details that we don't usually see online.

Join us for our eleventh featured designer, Tif Neilan, the knitting pattern designer behind Tif Neilan Handknits.

In this live chat, we talk all about Tif's journey to knitwear design (via interior design), inspiration, the design process, inspiration, creativity, horses, and beyond. We hope you enjoy getting this deeper look behind her design work!

You can find her work on Instagram (@tifneilan_handknits), on her website, and on Ravelry.

Join the Pattern Design Circle for community support and help elevating your designs and business.

Sometimes it feels like AI (artificial intelligence) is taking over everything, including the business world, with platforms like Chat GPT being utilized by so many businesses; and it doesn't look like it will be disappearing anytime soon. So, how do we take advantage of these new tools and the benefits that they offer without losing ourselves and our brand identity in the middle of it?

That's exactly what we're diving into with this episode with Kinsey of Feel Good Social and Authentic AI for Entrepreneurs. Kinsey is passionate about using AI in a way that supports your business, to build your brand, without losing your voice or brand personality. She truly believes it's possible to amplify your business with AI and keep authentic in your business.

AI can be such a wonderful tool for increasing efficiency, overcoming creative ruts, and taking care of tasks that can feel mundane and frustrating. So let's use AI for what it's good at - allowing us to spend more time on the parts of our business that we're good at and love.

Unlock the balance between authenticity and AI in this podcast episode.

Check out Kinsey on Instagram at Feel Good Social and Authentic AI for Entrepreneurs. Since releasing this episode, Kinsey has created a mini-course for training Chat GPT to use your brand voice! Check it out here.

Check out Pattern Design Circle for resources and community for knitting and crochet pattern designers.