Episode 71: Managing Subscriptions, Diversifying Your Income, and Growing Your Business at the Right Pace with Stacey Trock from FreshStitches
Creative Yarn Entrepreneur Show
Release Date: 11/13/2016
Episode 71: Managing Subscriptions, Diversifying Your Income, and Growing Your Business at the Right Pace with Stacey Trock from FreshStitches
Creative Yarn Entrepreneur Show
Stacey Trock is the owner of FreshStitches. After a technical failure during our interview at The National NeedleArts Association summer show in June, we talked over Skype about the success of her kit club and why she is switching to digital subscriptions. We also discussed how and why she's diversified her income and her perspective on pacing her business growth, customer service, social media, and more. About Stacey Trock Stacey Trock, the owner of , recently relocated to Los Angeles with her husband and daughter. Stacey started her business in 2008 selling crochet amigurumi...
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Episode 70: Transitioning Your Business from Online to Face-to-Face - Time Management - and More with Kim Russo from Kim Dyes Yarn
Creative Yarn Entrepreneur Show
Kim Russo is the yarn dyer behind Kim Dyes Yarn. We met at The National NeedleArts Association summer show in June, and later I spent some time talking to Kim, who shared how her business has transformed over the past 10 years, how she transitioned her fully online business to one that includes face-to-face elements, and her approach to time management. About Kim Russo Kim Russo, owner of , lives in Virginia. She is obsessed with gorgeous colors, the way colors look when mixed and matched with each other, and how to achieve the next great idea in her head. She is a life long learner...
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Episode 69: Staying Inspired, Being Authentic, and Learning to Say No with Dedri Uys from LookAtWhatIMade
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Creative Yarn Entrepreneur Show
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Episode 67: Mailing List and Email Marketing Best Practices with Heather Solos from Feedblitz
Creative Yarn Entrepreneur Show
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CYESmmtc2: Make Money Teaching Crochet Virtual Tour Wrap Up/Question and Answer Session
Creative Yarn Entrepreneur Show
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Episode 66: Showcasing Your Creative Business and Pitching to Brands and Clients with Leslie Albertson from Mixbook
Creative Yarn Entrepreneur Show
Leslie Albertson is the director of marketing at Mixbook. I had the chance to get to know Mixbook in person at the 2016 Snap! conference and was later introduced to Leslie. We scheduled a Skype interview to talk about the best ways to present your creative business to potential sponsors and collaborators, following up after networking events, and more. About Leslie Albertson and Mixbook Mixbook's mission is to help you share and relive life's most important memories through its custom photo products. As director of marketing, Leslie brings her passion as...
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Make Money Teaching Crochet (and Other Crafts)
Creative Yarn Entrepreneur Show
I kick off the virtual book tour for Make Money Teaching Crochet: Launch Your Business, Increase Your Side Income, Reach More Students by talking about how teaching has helped to grow my yarn-related business and earn me a stable side income. I also share more information about the book and self-publishing. About this episode In this episode, I talk about Make Money Teaching Crochet, including... Sharing how I got started teaching crochet and how it has impacted the development of Underground Crafter, Discussing why I wrote the book and key decisions I made in the...
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Episode 65: Organizing Your Inspiration, Branding Your Creative Business, and Working with Brands with Alexis Middleton from Persia Lou
Creative Yarn Entrepreneur Show
Alexis Middleton is the crochet designer and craft blogger behind Persia Lou. I had the chance to meet her in person at the 2016 Snap! conference and we later scheduled a Skype interview to talk about the panel workshop, Generate and Pitch Ideas Like a Boss. About Alexis Middleton Alexis is a work-at-home mother of three and a lifelong crafter. She learned to crochet from her great grandmother as a child but put down the hook until a few years ago. She started her blog, , as a place to share her crochet projects and it has since expanded to include other crafts and home decor...
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Episode 63: Blogging, Taking Risks in Your Business, and Working with Sponsors with Erica Dietz from 5 Little Monsters
Creative Yarn Entrepreneur Show
Erica Dietz from 5 Little Monsters had been blogging for less than a year when she started working with sponsors. We chatted at the 2016 Snap! conference about blogging, taking risks, how to work with sponsors, and more. About Erica Erica Dietz is the crochet, sewing, embroidery, and craft blogger behind . She shares designs and tutorials on her blog. Erica is also a stay-at-home mom to (you guessed it) 5 children. You can learn more about Erica by visiting . You can also follow her online on | | | | About the interview In this episode, I talk with...
info_outlineStacey Trock is the owner of FreshStitches. After a technical failure during our interview at The National NeedleArts Association summer show in June, we talked over Skype about the success of her kit club and why she is switching to digital subscriptions. We also discussed how and why she's diversified her income and her perspective on pacing her business growth, customer service, social media, and more.
About Stacey Trock
- She is the author of Cuddly Crochet, Crocheted Softies, and Modern Baby Crochet.
- She is a nationally recognized knitting teacher (and she explains why in the interview), as well as a crochet instructor of Craftsy/Bluprint classes. She also teaches business classes from time to time.
- She blogs and sells crochet and craft kits and craft eyes through her website.
- She designs crochet and knitting patterns.
- And, she recently transitioned her kit club to a digital ami club.
About the Episode
This episode was inspired by a question Delisa Carnegie, the yarn dyer behind Apocalypse Friday, asked in the Creative Yarn Entrepreneurs Facebook group. Delisa wanted to hear from someone who had a subscription club, and since Stacey's club was the most successful one I knew about, I reached out to her. (Since the original request for an interview in the spring, Stacey has actually ended her kit club. You can read more about that and watch the video where she explains this to her audience here. Her new digital Ami Club is opening soon.)
Stacey shared her perspectives on several important business topics in this interview, including:
- How and why she diversified her business from exclusively selling PDF amigurumi patterns in 2008 to starting an educational blog, selling individual kits, a her kit club (which has now transformed into the digital Ami Club), selling craft eyes and other supplies, writing books, teaching, and launching a yarn line;
- Managing a club, starting with understanding your customers, determining your price (and cost), deciding between prepaid and month-to-month subscriptions, being strategic about supply orders, technology for managing payments, inventory, packaging, shipping, and more;
- Her DIY approach to running her business, how she thinks about scaling, and deciding when and if to bring in contractors and employees to help;
- Her business philosophy, including her focus on flexibility, customer service, time management, organization, and social media; and
- Mindset, including speaking your business fantasies into reality.
Stacey also answers questions from Delisa at Apocalypse Friday, Angie Doherty at Hooked by Angel, Carmen Nuland at A Simple Homestead, Angela Plunkett at Little Monkeys Design, and Anita Bose Natarajan from NitaB&NishaN.
Listen to the podcast for more discussion from me and Stacey.
If you enjoyed this episode
The Creative Yarn Entrepreneur Show is no longer broadcasting. Episodes are available as a service to the yarn community. This episode originally aired in November, 2016. Be aware that content may be outdated.
If you'd like to chat with other yarn-related business owners, join the Creative Yarn Entrepreneurs Facebook group. Support Marie's work by buying one of her books, Make Money Teaching Crochet: Launch Your Business, Increase Your Side Income, Reach More Students (Amazon | Gumroad) or Design It, Promote It, Sell It: Online Marketing for Your Crochet and Knit Patterns (Amazon | Gumroad).