Podcast Summary: Art + Audience

Episode 32: Why Diversification Is the Key to Surviving as a Creative Entrepreneur with Sophie Timms
Host: Stacie Bloomfield
Guest: Sophie Timms
Date: September 9, 2025

Brief Overview

In this episode, Stacie Bloomfield sits down with Sophie Timms, founder of Mindful Mantra Embroidery, to explore how diversification is critical for thriving as a creative entrepreneur. Sophie shares her journey from law student to full-time creative, details her multi-stream business model, and offers actionable advice on building community, automating processes, and adapting to big challenges like tariffs and shifting markets.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Sophie's Journey: From Law to Embroidery Business

• Background

  • Sophie began as a law student and paralegal in the UK. The pandemic, lockdown, and personal need for connection led her to embroidery.
  • Embroidery started as a hobby, became a side hustle, and eventually, a full-fledged business.
  • “I was actually studying law…fully set to become a solicitor in the UK. And then that just didn’t really go to plan when Covid came along and I picked up embroidery for the first time, fell in love with it, and just went with the wind. And here we are.” — Sophie (02:12)

• First Steps

  • Sophie launched an Instagram account to share her work, repurposing her old blog name, "Mindful Mantra," originally focused on mindfulness and self-care.
  • Her account quickly grew as the pandemic created widespread demand for creative, calming activities and online community.

2. Building and Diversifying Income Streams

• Early Business Model

  • Started with digital PDF patterns on Etsy.
  • Expanded into physical embroidery kits and supplies due to audience requests.
  • Launched a membership program (Bloom Embroidery Academy) and workshops/courses.

• Current Revenue Streams

  • Digital products (patterns)
  • Physical kits and embroidery supplies
  • Bloom membership (ongoing online community and education)
  • Standalone courses and workshops
  • Etsy shop (less focus now, but still operating)
  • Occasional wholesale

• Importance of Diversification

  • “I noticed the same thing, that I was very reliant on one form of income...I needed to find another way of bringing in income so that regardless of what happened in life… it was really important to kind of branch out.” — Sophie (06:34)

3. Membership Model: Bloom Embroidery Academy

• Membership Stats

  • Nearly 200 members, 93% monthly retention—a notably high rate.

• Structure & Offerings

  • Roadmaps for skill progression from beginner to advanced.
  • “Flourish Friday” weekly content: new patterns, tutorials, stitches, community highlights.
  • Monthly challenges, “outline challenge” (creative interpretation of a black-and-white pattern).
  • Emphasis on community: frequent interaction, peer support, and milestone rewards.

• Community as Core Value

  • “The majority…stay for the community because there’s such a close knit group of women in there that just support each other through everything and it’s just so lovely to see.” — Sophie (14:01)

• Automation

  • Most rewards and progress tracking are automated, freeing her to focus on content and community engagement.
  • “Whenever anybody meets certain criteria, they get an automatic direct message from me, and that includes their link to go and get their free gift.” — Sophie (17:32)

4. Creative Work & Personal Life Balance

• Efficiency & Automation

  • Inspired by necessity: with a young son and limited time, Sophie has learned to automate and simplify wherever possible.
  • “I don’t have the capacity to be working every hour under the sun. I knew that if I wanted to be successful, I needed to find a way to make it simple. And I have really tried to do that…” — Sophie (19:59)

• Single-Person Operation

  • Manages almost everything herself, with occasional virtual assistant support.
  • Despite challenges, automation and methodical planning keep everything running smoothly.

5. Navigating Challenges: US Tariffs and Market Changes

• Impact of US Tariffs

  • Majority of customers are US-based; recent tariff changes dropped US physical orders by 65% over the past six months.
  • Diversification softened the blow: “It makes me very thankful that in the early stages of my business I did diversify as much as I have because it’s meant that that hasn’t shut me down.…I’m just really grateful for my past self.” — Sophie (21:27)

• Adaptation & Future Plans

  • Emphasizes the need to pivot and focus on unaffected income streams, like the membership and digital products.

6. Key Lessons & Advice

• Listen to Your Audience

  • Products and services have always evolved in response to feedback and customer needs.

• Value of Education as Income

  • Teaching not only builds expertise and recurring revenue, but positions you as a trusted authority.
  • “It also allows people to see you in a completely different light… brings in like a whole other level of expertise and authority.” — Sophie (10:54)

• The Power of Community

  • Reciprocal support between members breeds loyalty and engagement.
  • Incentives and recognition further enhance connection and retention.

• Sustaining Creativity

  • Even with creative work as a job, Sophie finds embroidery still brings her joy and stress relief.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Sophie on Diversification:

  • “I noticed the same thing, that I was very reliant on one form of income...I needed to find another way of bringing in income so that regardless of what happened in life… it was really important to kind of branch out.” (06:34)

• Stacie on Automation:

  • “The ability to find a way to even automate what you just discussed is really, really hard for some people...finding those little pockets where you can kind of automate here, streamline there, it’s a lifesaver.” (19:23)

• Sophie on Personal Balance:

  • “I don’t have the capacity to be working every hour under the sun. I knew that if I wanted to be successful, I needed to find a way to make it simple… I actually find it exciting. An email funnel. I’m there. I love the concept of working smarter, not harder.” (19:59)

• Sophie on Community:

  • “The majority…stay for the community because there’s such a close knit group of women in there that just support each other through everything and it’s just so lovely to see…” (14:01)

• Sophie on Navigating Tariffs:

  • “My order rate from the last six months has dropped 65% from the U.S...it makes me very thankful that in the early stages… I did diversify as much as I have because it’s meant that that hasn’t shut me down.” (21:27)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Sophie's story & background: 02:12–04:35
• First income streams & listening to her audience: 06:34–08:50
• Membership structure & community: 13:07–15:34
• Automation and balancing solo business & motherhood: 17:32–19:59
• Challenges with US tariffs & resilience: 21:27–22:41
• Future vision & sustaining community: 24:30–25:40
• Finding joy in creative work despite growing admin demands: 26:11–27:52

Where to Find Sophie

• Main Website: mindfulmantraembroidery.com
• Membership: bloomembroideryacademy.com
• Instagram: @mindfulmantraembroidery

Final Takeaway:
Sophie Timms’ story is a testament to listening to your audience, diversifying income streams early, prioritizing community, and systematizing for sustainability. Her approachable teaching style, commitment to automation, and willingness to adapt have made her a standout in the creative entrepreneur space, especially in challenging times.