Podcast Summary: Built Online with Cody McGuffie
Episode: How Kate Hayes Built a $70K/Month Etsy Shop | ft. @KateHayes
Date: August 25, 2025
Guest: Kate Hayes – Creator, Etsy shop owner, coach
Episode Overview
This episode dives deep into the entrepreneurial journey of Kate Hayes, who scaled her Etsy shop to $70K in a month, built a multi-six-figure business, and now teaches others how to achieve time, financial, and location freedom via digital products. Host Cody McGuffie and Kate cover her first steps, major turning points, the value of digital products, and actionable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. They also stress how new sellers still have plenty of opportunities on platforms like Etsy—especially with modern research and AI tools at their disposal.
Key Topics & Insights
1. Kate’s Origin Story
[01:55–04:41]
- Kate was a theater major, working two jobs unrelated to e-commerce while raising two kids. She was overwhelmed and looking for a change.
- Her first attempts selling handmade canvas signs on Etsy resulted in slow sales.
- The turning point came after several months, when she shifted her approach to research and intentional business strategy:
"I realized I've got to research… There's something people are doing here to have these successful Etsy shops, and I'm not tapping into it currently." — Kate ([03:30])
2. The $70K Month & Scaling Up
[06:23–08:36]
- After years of steady work and improvement, her shop hit $70K revenue in 30 days.
“That was like the turning moment when I looked at my financial dashboard and was like, did we really just do this?” — Kate ([06:30])
- This success, while life-changing, brought fulfillment challenges—physically producing and shipping products was intense and unsustainable.
3. Shifting to Digital Products for Passive Income
[08:36–14:04]
- Kate sought income streams that didn’t require so much daily physical labor, researching passive income and transitioning towards digital products (templates, courses, printables).
- Digital products allow for scalable, repeated sales without the fulfillment bottleneck:
"Sales are coming in while you're not actively working on something… It's true, though. I've experienced that in my own life." — Kate ([12:05])
4. Defining Freedom & Flexibility as an Entrepreneur
[14:04–16:38]
- Kate describes freedom as the ability to spend time with family, travel spontaneously, and be generous—all made possible by business systems that work for her, not the other way around.
- Building stacks of passive income produces financial and time freedom:
"I really value being able to have a business that serves me and not the other way around necessarily." — Kate ([15:05])
5. Action Steps: How to Get Started with Digital Products
[17:18–19:45]
- First step: Decide on the type of digital product to create (templates, printables, courses, etc.).
- Use tools like ChatGPT and EverBee to brainstorm, validate ideas, and do market research.
"ChatGPT is an amazing tool… You can just go on and say, 'Give me a list of 20 different types of digital products that would fit my interests.'" — Kate ([18:36])
- Templates are popular because people want to save time and effort, even if they are creative themselves.
6. The Power of Research, Niches, and Market Demand
[19:45–25:49]
- Market research is critical; don't just rely on personal tastes.
- Identify trends, gaps in the market, or underserved niches—often by examining your own frustrations as a consumer.
"The turning point for me was when I started to be research-based and care about the data and making data-driven decisions.” — Kate ([24:40])
7. AI & Market Opportunities (It’s Not Too Late!)
[28:50–30:06]
- Tools like ChatGPT and EverBee make it easier than ever for newcomers to succeed.
- New niches and product opportunities constantly emerge (e.g., AI tools, Pickleball courses), showing it's never “too late” to start.
“It's more doable than ever for beginners to come in… I hope people listening here don't ever feel like, man, I'm too late to the game." — Kate ([28:54])
8. Hands-On Workshop: “Business in a Weekend”
[30:19–32:58]
- Kate introduces her new two-day online implementation workshop (“Business in a Weekend”), guiding participants step-by-step to build and launch a digital products business, covering product validation, shop setup, SEO, and marketing.
- Designed for those looking for fast action and accountability.
“We’re working through building all of that out in your shop in real time during that event.” — Kate ([31:44])
9. Advice & Lightning Round
[33:49–39:53]
- What Kate wishes she'd known:
"I wish I knew about the research tools that were available to me..." — Kate ([34:02])
- Worst advice received:
“The worst advice would be not to niche down… you’ll get there so much faster if you niche down.” — Kate ([34:19])
- What makes a good entrepreneur/business owner:
- Grit, willingness to hustle, self-motivation, but also flexibility and readiness to pivot.
- Kate's closing encouragement:
"I've never once… felt totally ready to do the thing I'm about to launch. It's always imperfect. It's messy. I'm figuring it out as I go." — Kate ([39:53])
Notable Quotes
- On opportunity:
"There are plenty of places where you can plug in and start to meet the needs of people who are looking for those specific products." — Kate ([00:00])
- On imperfection:
“Imperfect action. That’s what I always go back to.” — Kate ([39:53])
- On niching:
"To me, just my personal opinion, [not niching down is] not great advice." — Kate ([34:19])
- On getting started:
"ChatGPT is an amazing tool... You can just go on ChatGPT and say, hey, I'm interested in selling digital products. Give me a list of 20 different types." — Kate ([18:36])
- On new market trends:
"Trends are changing all the time... Pickleball came out of nowhere, right?" — Cody ([23:06])
Memorable Moments & Timestamps
- Kate realizes her Etsy side hustle could replace her day job: [06:23]
- Kate discusses the stress of a $70K month—success not always being “easy money”: [07:33]
- The shift to digital products and the joys of making “money while you sleep”: [12:05]
- An in-depth, step-by-step breakdown of how to pick your first digital product: [18:36]
- Story about trying (and failing) to find a perfect “plant lady” sweatshirt on Etsy—and using personal experience to identify market gaps: [25:49]
- Rapid-fire advice on niching, worst business advice, and embracing imperfection: [33:49–39:53]
Where to Find Kate Hayes
- Website: kate-hayes.com
- YouTube: Kate Hayes
- Instagram: @katehayes
Final Takeaway
Kate’s story exemplifies how entrepreneurship is about solving real problems, being willing to research and adapt, and persevering through trial and error. Digital products present a uniquely scalable opportunity—and with the right tools, market research, and a willingness to niche down, anyone can build an online business that delivers both financial success and lifestyle freedom.