Built Online Podcast Episode Summary
Episode: $1M in Etsy Sales Without Ads with Cassie Johnson | Ep.100
Host: Cody McGuffey
Release Date: May 12, 2025

Introduction

In the milestone 100th episode of Built Online, host Cody McGuffey welcomes back veteran e-commerce seller Cassie Johnson. Reflecting on her journey from her early days with Cody as her fifth guest to now achieving nearly a million dollars in Etsy sales without relying on ads, Cassie shares invaluable insights into building and scaling an online business.

Scaling Etsy Sales Through Consistency

Consistency as a Growth Driver

Cassie emphasizes the critical role of consistency in listing products on Etsy. She notes a noticeable increase in sales approximately four to six weeks after maintaining a steady listing schedule.

"When you start listing really consistently, I feel like is when you start to really see a big bump in your sales. And then if you keep going, it keeps going."
— Cassie Johnson [00:00]

For Cassie, consistency means actively listing new items at least a couple of days each week. She advises aiming for 50 to 100 listings per month, highlighting the importance of maintaining momentum to sustain and grow sales.

Batch Processing and Evergreen Designs

Cassie advocates for batching tasks to maximize efficiency. Instead of creating entirely new designs each time, she leverages successful niches by producing multiple variations of best-selling items. This approach minimizes research time and capitalizes on proven demand.

"Use the same SEO and the same research multiple times. So it's not like you're having to do the research and do all the keyword research and all that a bunch of times."
— Cassie Johnson [19:27]

She also stresses the importance of evergreen designs—products that remain relevant year-round, such as items for professions, hobbies, or general gifts. This strategy ensures sustained sales beyond seasonal trends.

"Building up your evergreen designs, that way the effort that you're putting in pays off eventually because sales don't come quick."
— Cassie Johnson [24:03]

Mindset and Motivation

Influence of Early Learning

Cassie attributes her entrepreneurial mindset to her upbringing, where her parents introduced her to motivational books like Rich Dad, Poor Dad and The Magic of Thinking Big. This foundation instilled a belief in her ability to create and sustain her own business.

"I think that as I talk to more and more people in this space, not everybody has that. So if you're sitting here listening to this and you're like, is this even possible? Like, can I do this? Is this for me? Like, it is."
— Cassie Johnson [07:33]

Feel Good Productivity

Cassie recommends Feel Good Productivity by Ali Abdaal, highlighting the connection between a positive mindset and increased productivity. She shares an experiment from the book illustrating how feeling good can enhance creative problem-solving.

"If you feel good, you will be way more productive, which is super interesting."
— Cassie Johnson [08:05]

Creativity and Value Addition

In The Laws of Creativity by Joey Kahn, Cassie explores the concept that creativity involves combining existing interests in unique ways rather than creating something entirely new.

"Creativity is taking what the world has already shown that it's interested in and combining it in unique ways."
— Cassie Johnson [14:00]

Financial Management and Tax Advice

Setting Aside Money for Taxes

Cassie highlights a common oversight among new business owners: failing to set aside funds for taxes. She advises reserving 30-40% of profits in a separate account to cover tax liabilities.

"Putting 30% of your profit into that account and don't do anything with it. It's not your money."
— Cody McGuffey [37:33]

Hiring a CPA

For those earning substantial income (e.g., $80,000+ annually), Cassie recommends consulting a CPA to optimize tax strategies, such as transitioning to an S Corporation to save on self-employment taxes.

"I definitely would recommend if you're in that range where you're making like 80k 100k a year... then I would talk to a CPA and see if that makes sense for you."
— Cassie Johnson [32:02]

Income and Expense Reporting

Maintaining an income and expense report monthly is essential for understanding business health, identifying cost changes, and ensuring adequate tax reserves.

"Making sure you're doing your income and expense report every single month, that's mistake number one."
— Cassie Johnson [29:06]

YouTube Growth Strategies

Consistent Content Creation

Cassie shares her strategy of posting two YouTube videos every week during her first year. This high frequency helped her build a substantial subscriber base by providing continuous value and engaging content.

"I posted two YouTube videos every single week for my first year, which was a lot of work."
— Cassie Johnson [42:13]

Engaging with the Community

Responding to every comment was pivotal in fostering a strong community and encouraging viewer loyalty.

"I replied to every single comment on my channel for as long as humanly possible... build a community."
— Cassie Johnson [42:13]

Evergreen Content Focus

Cassie emphasizes creating evergreen content that answers timeless questions, ensuring that videos continue to attract views long after their initial posting.

"Make evergreen videos. Think of how someone would Google something... those types of videos, you might not get 10,000 views your first week, but you might get 300,000 views over three years."
— Cassie Johnson [45:43]

Personal Achievements and Life Balance

Family and Time Freedom

Cassie proudly discusses her ability to provide time freedom for her family, enabling events like annual family trips. These gatherings, hosted in spacious rental homes, foster quality time and strengthen familial bonds.

"We've done it the last two years. And so this year's the third year that we rented a house down in Ohio... it's just really beautiful to get to be able to do that."
— Cassie Johnson [52:11]

Teaching and Community Impact

Beyond her business success, Cassie values her role in helping others achieve their own entrepreneurial goals. She has mentored students who have become successful and are now coaching others, creating a ripple effect of empowerment.

"I've been able to like hire a couple of my students over the years to like become coaches in my community because they're making enough doing what they're doing."
— Cassie Johnson [48:11]

Final Insights and Encouragement

Embracing the Creator Mindset

Cassie defines a creator as anyone who shifts from consumption to creation, making something they are proud of and sharing it online. She encourages listeners to embrace this identity regardless of immediate success.

"As soon as you start doing something, guess what? That's what you are. You are a creator."
— Cassie Johnson [61:49]

Encouragement for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Both Cody and Cassie passionately urge listeners to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams, emphasizing that their efforts not only benefit themselves but also contribute positively to society.

"The answer is from Cassie and from me is 100% you do, and 100% you will achieve it."
— Cody McGuffey [70:12]

Personal Reflection

Cassie reflects on the personal growth and fulfillment derived from owning her business, highlighting the balance between hard work and time freedom as key to her pride in her achievements.

"I'm really proud of being consistent with it, you know, doing my own business stuff, not having a normal job for four years now."
— Cassie Johnson [49:23]

Conclusion

In this landmark episode, Cassie Johnson provides a comprehensive look into the strategies, mindset, and practical advice that propelled her Etsy store to nearly $1 million in sales without the need for advertising. From emphasizing consistent listing and creating evergreen products to managing finances effectively and building a thriving YouTube community, Cassie’s journey offers a blueprint for aspiring e-commerce entrepreneurs. Her personal anecdotes and heartfelt encouragement underscore the importance of perseverance, continuous learning, and maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

For more insights and resources, listeners can find Cassie Johnson on YouTube at Cassie Johnson, her website cassiejohnson.com, and explore her mockup automation software at Simply Listed.

Notable Quotes:

• "Believe in yourself that you can make this happen. And I promise you can achieve anything."
  — Cassie Johnson [07:33]

• "You are what you do. And you can't expect to feel confident in what you're doing before you've seen it work."
  — Cassie Johnson [69:19]

• "Cassie, I look at your life and as a friend... you've built a life of autonomy. You provide for people and invite them over to your house... you have time freedom."
  — Cody McGuffey [50:05]

Resources Mentioned:

• Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
• The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz
• Feel Good Productivity by Ali Abdaal
• The Laws of Creativity by Joey Kahn
• Cassie's Mockup Automation Software: Simply Listed

This summary captures the essence of Episode 100 of Built Online featuring Cassie Johnson, focusing on her strategies for achieving substantial Etsy sales without advertising, her approach to YouTube growth, financial management tips, and the personal fulfillment derived from her entrepreneurial journey.