What’s your money story?
When it comes to money, everyone has different stories they tell themselves, including you - though you may not even realize it.
Most people start out with negative money stories that take serious work to clear. They can be inherited from family, picked up in the media, established from experience, etc.
No matter where it started, fear around money always stems from some form of scarcity mindset and will only ever get in the way of your success.
Successful entrepreneurs put in the work to transform their money story into one that’s compatible with a growth mindset.
And that’s what we’re going to do today.
Sometimes you hold on to stories about the world and your place in it that hold you back from our true potential.
Those stories will keep limiting you until you acknowledge them and do the work to clear them.
Negative mantras that drag you down, like, “There isn’t enough money to go around.” can be reframed in the positive: “There is enough money to go around.”
The first step is to identify YOUR limiting beliefs and stories. What it will take to clear them?
Have you ever caught yourself playing the “Blame Game?” I know I have.
Tsk tsk tsk.
It’s easy to blame others for your problems and avoid taking responsibility, but it’s neither realistic nor productive.
As a jewelry-preneur and creative visionary, you are responsible for your own success. Own it. And when those sweet moments of success do come, they’ll be even better!
At times, it can be a challenge to stay positive and operate from a growth mindset, rather than a scarcity mindset. But when you do it, it pays off.
Every. Single. Time.
Don’t expect miracles to happen when you haven’t done the work. Take action. Implement what you learn. The miracles will come.
If you nurture a mindset that is open to new opportunities, you will start to notice them all around you. It’s like magic.
That’s all I can say for now. To hear the rest of the 7 lessons from 2019, listen to the full episode above.
I’m wishing you restful holidays, m’dear!
Have you ever thought about the impact your brand has on the environment and in communities around the globe?
There’s a shift happening in the jewelry industry right now. People all the way down the chain, from consumers to designers to miners, are becoming aware of the environmental and social impact of jewelry.
The Chicago Responsible Jewelry Conference is an annual event dedicated to changing the jewelry industry for the better. It’s only in its third year, but its already making an impact.
Director of Education Jessica Gebauer sat down to talk through the major takeaways from this year’s conference with Niki Grandics, founder of Enji Studio and the co-chair of marketing and communications for Ethical Metalsmiths.
They talked about a few things YOU can do to start making a difference.
Someone asks a critical question about your business or offers constructive feedback, and you immediately snap into defense mode. That’s a red flag.
As the creative visionary, you may be too close to your biz to see some of the big-picture problems.
I get it, you’re passionate about what you do. That passion is what fuels your success, but it can also get in the way of growth if you let it.
If you find yourself feeling overly defensive of your business decisions, that’s usually the first sign it’s time to get some outside perspective on things.
You feel stressed because there’s not enough money to go around, not enough room in the marketplace for your work, etc.
It’s not true.
Repeat after me, and believe it: money is limitless, sales are limitless, your opportunities for growth are limitless. It’s only a matter of getting your head in the right space and putting in the work.
The best cure for a scarcity mindset is to reach out to a supportive community of like-minded artists who can help you shift your thinking.
You are setting ambitious goals but not making a plan or implementing the actions that will allow you to follow through.
Here’s the unfortunate truth: sometimes the person you are today is not going to the person you want to be in the future.
Recognizing this forces you to reflect on your own approach to business. This is where a coach or mentor can really help you out.
If you’re feeling a little called out right now, don’t be too hard on yourself! This is the first step of tapping into your potential for growth.
Listen to the rest of the podcast, where I talk about the actions you can take once you’ve identified that it’s time to ask for help.
Until next week, m’dear!
xo, Tracy
If you’re ready to get some help from business experts who KNOW jewelry, I invite you to jump on a free call with us so we can dive a little deeper into how to propel your business forward.
Our Strategic Online Sales Accelerator is designed to help you identify your pain points and come up with reasonable, easy-to-implement solutions.
With our experienced community of designers and coaches, you’ll get the support you need to flourish and thrive in business.
Fill out the application and book your free consultation call!
Do you ever feel like you’re trying to do everything at once?
This is a problem. When you’re trying to run a business and handle everything by yourself, it quickly becomes overwhelming and you end up focusing on menial tasks that aren’t actually moving your business forward.
That’s why “Delegate to Elevate” is an intrinsic part of the Desired Brand Effect methodology.
In this episode, I chatted with Krista DeJoseph, someone who really took “Delegate to Elevate” to heart.
As the creative behind Queens Metal, Krista has been at the helm of her company for over a decade. Designing and fabricating jewelry is her passion, and nothing makes her happier than smashing the hell out of a piece of metal.
When Krista decided she wanted to take winters off to travel, she knew she needed someone to keep an eye on things while she was gone. This led her to “stumble into” (her words) hiring a virtual assistant.
But she never expected what happened next.
In the six months since Peggy Houchin, the designer behind Peggy Houchin Jewelry started Laying the Foundation, she’s increased her online following by 75% and doubled her sales from last year!
I brought her on to talk about the changes she made in her biz that brought her such raving success.
You won’t believe what she’s accomplished with a few simple tweaks!
Listen to episode #227 of Thrive by Design to get your all-access pass to How One Skeptical Designer Doubled Her Sales This Year By Taking Our Advice
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - faceless brands are dying. As sales move to the online sphere, social media is shaping buying decisions more than ever. People buy from people.
At the end of the day, sales is about building relationships with your customers.
Gone are the days of target demographics. In an oversaturated online market, it’s all about dialing into the specifics of your Dream Client and standing out in a sea of faceless brands.
The connections you make - through messaging, branding, pricing, customer service, web copy - are what set you apart from the crowd.
As a jewelry designer, you may feel afraid to sell.
It’s okay to admit it; I was too, in the beginning. It took years of flexing my confidence muscle to feel comfortable converting a prospect into a buyer.
Even if you’ve built an authentic connection with your Dream Clients, the sales won’t be rolling in if you’re sitting behind your bench all day.
It takes consistent outreach and excellent customer service to maintain a steady flow of sales. If you’re not getting enough sales, you’re probably not doing the right outreach.
You probably want freedom and security in your business, right? The key is to build a business that is not dependent on you for profit.
This is where the big-picture stuff comes in. Systems and automation that free up time and allow you to step back, and long-term planning that can be broken down into bite-sized goals.
Above all, this also includes your community. Whether it be hiring the right people, seeking mentorship, or just connecting with fellow designers - the people around you can make or break your business.
I’ve only grazed the surface of these 3 pillars. If you’re ready to dive deeper into these concepts, listen to the full episode of Thrive by Design. Or, even better, pre-order The Desired Brand Effect!
Until next week, m’dear!
xo, Tracy
Are you ready to learn how to implement these practices in your business?
My new book, The Desired Brand Effect, is full of resources, case studies, and exercises that are designed to help YOU build the business of your dreams.
Whether you’re just starting out, in the middle of growing, or totally successful but ready for more, this book is a resource you’ll be able to reference back to over and over again.
Sound good? Let’s do this!
I have the amazing Lisa Lehman here from Studio Jewel with me to talk about her very successful Facebook live sale!
The girl made $7,000 in just two hours using Facebook live, like, are you kidding me?
Seriously she’s awesome! She has been in our mastermind for a year and is all signed up for our SOS Accelerator as well.
We love Lisa, and I know you will too once you hear her story!
Listen now to hear all about how she did it.
It’s super important to build up anticipation for your event! Social media is an awesome tool to create a buzz. Start posting well in advance and often! Make an event on Facebook and send out invitations. Seriously, people will love it and totally show up on the day of your live sale!
Send out emails! Your email list is another great way to get people excited for a live event. Listen now to get more awesome tips from Lisa for your email list!
I hear designers say all the time they want to move past selling to their friends and family. That’s great! However, friends and family can be a huge source of business. They will still show up to events and sometimes spend a ton of money.
Your friends will tell their friends! Make sure your friends and family know about the event. Posting on your personal Facebook can get friends and family engaged. More often than not they’ll totally want to share the deets with their friends too!
Going live can be a little scary, I get it! Just remember it’s supposed to be fun. You get to talk with your clients in real time which is so cool! Creating a fun environment will get people excited and allow you to have a stress free live event!
Lisa had her daughter model the pieces, which I think is so great! It adds a personal touch, plus she totally hammed it up and made it really exciting. Lisa also had the sale in her studio.
I think that’s so cool for clients, they get to see where you actually make all your amazing stuff!
These are just a few ways to keep your sale light and playful.
I’m often asked: what does it really take for an emerging jewelry brand | designer | maker to successfully sell jewelry online?
It requires 4 things:
Here’s why: There’s a lot of strategy “conversion nuance” involved in getting customers to actually buy from your jewelry website or online channels.
Because of that, you’ve gotta be creative in your approach to selling online, take action to implement your ideas, and resourceful, especially when, things don’t go your way!.
Typically, designers try something once and think: ‘that doesn’t work for me!”
Instead, they should be thinking: “how can I tweak my strategy to make this work for me?”
So, when I hear people out there saying, “I sell jewelry online” –
I’m ready to show them how it’s done…
and proof that with the right strategy and actions, you can sell WAY more than your dinky holiday shows….
(I’m not dissing shows…they’re good too! 😂)
Enter Jeana and Jared Rushton of the TheFoxandStone.com.
The millenial power couple 💃🏻🕺 (giggles) just absolutely crushed their Black Friday Weekend promotion for the first time and they’re here to tell us how.
But first, let me set the stage.
In previous years, Jared and Jeana banked on Etsy sales and live events for a large portion of their Holiday Jewelry Sales.
When a fluke occurrence happened early in 2017 and they got a flood of orders from Etsy, they knew they needed to do “something” to fill in the income gaps between months (sometimes upwards of $10K).
At the time, they were members of the Diamond Insiders Mentorship program and Jared quit his full-time job to support Jeana in the business.
Knowing they could use some outside eyes on their biz, they joined our SOS coaching program and leaned on several of our coaches to help them fill in those gaps this year.
In previous years, they rarely paid attention to Black Friday, BUT they were dropped from their “Best Show” in Seattle so they had to find another way to fill that income gap.
They worked with many of our coaches, including our planning master, Inta, to map out this kick-butt strategy…
And, M’Dear, I hope you’re inspired to put some of these ideas into action!
Enjoy our Best of Series EP224:The Epic Black Friday Online Promotion Strategy that Brought in $8200 in 4 Days…
Creating online content for your product-based business doesn’t have to be a headache if you have an effective strategy.
I’d like to introduce you to two incredible ladies who have been working with brands just like yours to launch innovative products and gain visibility online.
Meet Minna Khounlo-Sithep, owner of Lil' Labels, LLC, and Jacqueline Snyder, owner of Designer Consulting Coop.
They’re both business experts with years of experience and knowledge. Together, they formed the Product Boss Podcast for high-achieving women who own product-based businesses.
One thing their demographic has in common is a struggle to create online content. When you own a product-based business, you might hope your product will speak for itself and you can sit back and watch the sales flow in.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that.
In this day and age, people buy from people. If there’s no face to your company, there’s nothing for your customers to connect with.
So, Minna and Jacqueline came up with their 3 Pillars Product Content Strategy to help business owners create content that builds know-like-trust with their customers.
Just remember the three C’s of content, Calendar, Conversational, and Cornerstone.
Running a business is a full-time job. There’s so much to keep track of, and it takes serious focus to stay on top of everything. Now imagine running TWO!
Introducing, Mary Ann Saville…
Mary Ann owns two different businesses, Vedeli Designs, and VDI Jewelry Findings. She started our Strategic Online Sales Accelerator (SOS) at the beginning of this year, and her sales are already up by 40%! She anticipates that the number will be closer to 75-80% by the end of this year.
Talk about record growth!
When I heard about Mary Ann, I was so inspired, I wanted to get her on the podcast pronto. I’m always going on about how great SOS is, so I think it’s about time I had someone on who can talk about the benefits firsthand.
And who better to conduct the interview than F&TA Community Director and SOS Director Jessica Gebauer?!
I met Jess three years ago when she applied to Flourish & Thrive Academy. At the time, she was fed-up with the archaic way most of the jewelry industry operates. I was so impressed by her passion for our mission, I just knew I had to hire her.
Now, Jess works closely with our SOS students, and she and Mary Ann hit it off from the get-go.
The two got together to talk about how Mary Ann was able to transform her businesses so quickly, with just a few simple changes.
If you’re struggling with social media, read on…
You can have a strong social media presence and an online community of raving fans without having millions of followers.
What’s more valuable than numbers is how you engage with your following and how they engage with each other. Having 100 active followers is so much better than having 1,000 that never say anything.
And you don’t need a huge team of social media managers, copywriters, and marketing experts for your online accounts to succeed. With the right strategy, you can build a flourishing community around your brand.
Introducing, Chelsea Farmer. She’s the founder of Horsefeathers Gifts and one of our very own SOS coaches!
I’ve worked with her for a while now, and let me tell you she is such a gem.
Her bubbly and magnetic personality translates well to her social media, and she’s cultivated quite the community of die-hard supporters for her jewelry brand.
With a private facebook group of over 1,000 happy customers, you could say she’s a bit of a social media whiz.
I sat down with Chelsea this week to talk about how she built this community, and how she leverages it for online sales.
I am just beaming today, m’dear! My team and I just wrapped up our quarterly SOS Live Retreat in NYC… and it was incredible!
When I was just getting started in business, it was mastermind sessions with peers that were the most groundbreaking for my professional growth.
I think getting together and brainstorming is one of the most valuable things we can do as a community.
After all these years, I’m so happy to be hosting a quarterly live retreat for the students in my Strategic Onlines Sales Accelerator program (SOS).
I’m still riding the high from working with so many brilliant designers to help them plan out their goals and build their dream biz.
So, I thought it would be fun to go over the top 10 takeaways from the event for anyone who couldn’t be there.
Let’s dive right in!
Have you ever noticed that grocery store layouts are all pretty much the same?
The bakery is near the front, where you’re met with the comforting aroma of fresh bread. The dairy is in the back, so you have to walk through the whole store just to buy milk. The candy is by the register, a tempting and effective upsell.
This is not by accident – in fact, there are professionals who get paid a lot of money to map your journey through the store in a way that gets you to buy more stuff.
The psychology of profit has been of interest to owners of grocery stores and supermarkets since, like, forever. So why wouldn’t we apply the same principles to online stores?
That’s where Erin Alexander comes in. Founder of Alexander Design Co. and our very own SOS coach, Erin specializes in website and conversion design for e-commerce businesses.
When it comes to web design, this gal’s been thinking 10 steps ahead the whole time. She sat down with me to discuss the common mistakes she sees on jewelry designer’s websites – and how to fix them
I am constantly blown away by the resilience and creativity from the designers in our community.
Twyla Dill is one radiant example.
While living in Turkey, Twyla learned how to make Oya, a delicate lace crocheted from thread.
With plenty of inspiration, but no background in jewelry, she set to work creating pieces that blended the Turkish lace technique with a modern aesthetic. Eventually, Twyla Dill Designs was born.
In April of 2019, Twyla’s second year in business, her mom passed away after years of battling Multiple Sclerosis.
Needless to say, it was a tragic loss for Twyla and her family.
Balancing business and grief is no easy feat, but Twyla navigated it with grace and was even able to increase her sales from the year before.
She sat down with me this week to share how she did it.
We both know that selling at shows can be back-breaking work, m’dear. And it doesn’t get easier as you get older… trust me.
Plus, what would happen to your biz if you had to take a break and couldn’t attend shows? Would it still function and make money while you were away?
When I quit my day job to focus on building a business full-time, it was a real struggle. It was impossible for me to walk away because I did not set myself up for success.
I realized that I had just created a new job for myself, not a business.
Here’s the difference:
If you’re relying on live shows for your primary source of income, I hate to be the one to tell you but… you have a job.
Don’t get me wrong, shows aren’t all bad when you leverage them right. But I don’t want you to be dependent on one stream of revenue.
So, if you’re feeling stuck in the trunk show grind and sacrificing too many weekends, maybe it’s time to re-evaluate your strategy…
And I have just the thing to help you – let’s make a live show pros and cons list!
What makes a jewelry designer successful?
Is it talent? Hard work? Luck?
Not even close! If being talented and working hard was all it takes to make it in the jewelry biz… most jewelry designers would be successful.
In-demand designers succeed because they know what to do, ditch, and delegate to scale sales and work on their business.
This is much easier said than done! You might catch yourself thinking, “No one else can do what I do.”
But… that’s just not true m’dear!
Like many designers, I didn’t want to let go of production when my business started taking off.
My mind changed when I got a really big order from a wholesale customer that I just could not fill by myself. I hired a local jewelry arts student to come in and help with production.
After that – there was no turning back.
This an inevitable part of scaling a business. But as your business grows and you find yourself running short on time every day, how exactly do you figure out what to do, ditch, and delegate?
That’s what I’ll be talking about today.
Are you struggling to come up with content ideas for your brand? I’m here to help…
When someone buys from you, it’s your chance to build a relationship and gain a loyal customer. Content is an empowering way to do that – and it can be repurposed over and over!
I know, I know… You (like many designers) are probably thinking “I don’t know what to write! I don’t know how to write! What do I do?!”
Okay, take a deep breath. Making content is actually pretty simple once you get the hang of it!
But I get why it’s so intimidating! When I was starting out, the thought of making content felt so daunting. I thought, “Do I really need this?”
The answer is a big fat YES! And here’s why…
Ever wonder how you’re supposed to convert people who land on your website into actual paying customers?
There’s so much talk about getting more website traffic, but there’s a big piece missing in this convo!
Most people who land on your website aren’t just going to immediately buy from you!
You actually need a strategy to capture that cold traffic and turn the right people into customers.
Maybe you already know where this is headed… you might be aware that building a list is your next step. But do you actually know HOW to build -an email list for your jewelry e-commerce business?
If you have a million people landing on your site each day but no one is purchasing, what’s the point??
During our “Best Of” series, we’ve been going back through the episodes from the Thrive by Design Podcast that have had the most downloads ever. In our last episode, we covered getting traffic to your site.
But now the question is, what do you actually do with that traffic?
Well, I’m here to tell you – an email list is your absolute #1 tool for capturing traffic and turning those leads into sales.
If you know you’re ready to dive deep on this topic, go ahead and listen to the full episode, How to Build an Email List for Your Jewelry E-Commerce Business on the Thrive By Design Podcast to learn all 27 ways to build your list!
But for now, let’s get started with a few of my favorites and things you need to know before you start…
Slowly but surely, summer is winding down…
In our industry, the summer season is often one of plans and strategy.
With the busy holidays ahead, I’m gonna guess you’ve been thinking about how to ramp up your sales this year. Especially your online sales!
Far too many designers fall into the trap of thinking that making online sales is all about traffic.
But that’s just one little piece of the puzzle!
See, it's NOT about just random traffic. It's about the right kind of traffic. I’m talking about getting those DREAM customers onto your site. Not just anyone who stumbles there.
Getting consistent sales in the e-commerce space means having a conversion strategy that works. A way to lead the right people to visit your site, and then lead them naturally into the next step in your sales conversation.
So today we’re doing a throwback as a part of our “Best Of Series,” to episode 84 of the Thrive By Design Podcast – The #1 Way to Get More Traffic to Your Jewelry Website.
For most designers, making a $100,000 salary is what it will take for you to quit your job or achieve your goals.
I hear it all the time. “Tracy, I want to make $100,000 a year. What does it really take?” The truth is, it’s… complicated.
Someone who is bringing $1 million in revenue still might not be able to take home $100,000 if their business isn't run like a well-oiled machine. At the same time, a smart business owner bringing in $250,000 could still take home that $100K if they do it right.
People like you and I, we’re idea generators. Seeing our visions come to life is what really drives us. Finances, profitability, break-even points, margins… Those aren’t the things that come naturally to us.
But it can be learned!
You don’t have to sacrifice your creative passion to be a smart business owner. When you really hone your visionary and leadership skills, you will be blown away by what you can accomplish.
When I started my first company, Tracy Matthews Design Inc., I was NOT approaching my business like a visionary. That’s totally changed. Instead of CEO, I call myself the Chief Visionary Officer.
That has a better ring to it, don’t you think?
So how did I go from being a hopeful hobbyist with no business experience to the CVO of Flourish and Thrive Academy? It started with a simple goal to transform my jewelry business so I could take home $100,000 a year. Let’s talk about it…
Wanna know what’s crazy? Business owners notoriously underutilize their email list. They’re missing out on a HUGE opportunity for growth.
This week I chatted with the clever and energetic Tarzan Kay! She might be even more passionate about email marketing than I am. And that’s saying something…
She started as a copywriter and soon discovered the magic of well-written emails. With only 37 people on her email list, she found stunning growth through bi-weekly email marketing.
With thousands of people on her list now, Tarzan works with businesses to help them grow their company and define their brand.
Plus, she has the coolest name ever…
Listen to this week’s episode to catch a bit of her genius!
I am so thrilled about this week’s guest, you guys! She’s the kind of woman who talks the talk and walks the walk.
Before getting into jewelry, Meri Geraldine worked as a sustainability consultant. But after having her daughter, she wanted to be able to work from home. That’s how her jewelry company, Gardens of the Sun, got started.
There aren’t enough conversations about building a sustainable brand in the jewelry industry. Meri is out to change that.
Part of her company vision is to know every part of the supply chain, right down to the people mining and cutting the gems.
She’s traveled all around the world to source her jewelry sustainably and has become a leader in the ethical jewelry movement.
Today, she sat down with me to talk about how the everyday designer can be more conscious and responsible about their sourcing.
Today’s topic is very close to my heart: recession-proofing your business.
If you’ve listened to my story, you know my first business got wiped out by the Great Recession of 2008.
I used to carry a lot of shame about it until a good friend of mine made me see the light. I didn’t fail my business, it got taken down by the recession.
This isn’t something to feel bad about, it’s something to learn from.
But there were some things I could have done to that might have saved my business. Like they say, hindsight is 20/20.
I’m no economist, but things are shifting. Small boutiques are closing down, wholesale is slowing and sales are moving online.
While other business owners scramble to react to these changes, you can prepare in advance and stay calm when chaos hits.
In this episode, I cover six things you can do to proactively protect your biz from the worst-case scenario.
Listen to episode #210 of Thrive by Design to get your all-access pass to How to Recession-Proof Your Business.