Crickets to Cha-Chings, Episode 210: Steal This Etsy POD Strategy from a $725K Seller

Date: November 26, 2025
Host: Cody Berman (Gold City Ventures)
Guest: Emily, Expert Print-On-Demand (POD) Seller and Creator of “The Gift Lab”

Episode Overview

In this episode, Cody interviews Emily, an accomplished Etsy print-on-demand seller who has generated over $725,000 in revenue in under three years. They discuss Emily’s journey from side hustler to six-figure entrepreneur—emphasizing her unique strategies, especially around selling 'giftable' print-on-demand (POD) products on Etsy. The conversation focuses on staying ahead of trends like personalization and leveraging automation tools, with practical, evergreen advice for new and experienced Etsy sellers alike.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Emily’s POD Journey: From Chaos to Success

• Started as a busy mom of two balancing family life and a new business (00:24).
• Began with apparel (t-shirts/sweatshirts), then pivoted quickly to focus on unique giftable POD products.
• Landmark revenues:
  • First Year: $170K+
  • End of Year Two: Over $500K
  • End of Year Three (projected): $725K and counting (01:35)
• Takeaway: “I shifted away from selling apparel… really focusing on gifts and thinking about Etsy as a go-to platform for gifts… my sales just started skyrocketing.” — Emily (00:24)

2. Why the Giftable Niche? Product Examples & Data

• Giftable products defined: Items centered around specific, personalized occasions or milestones, distinct from generic apparel.
• Emily’s Top Five Gift POD Products:
  • Candles
  • Tote bags
  • Mugs
  • Hardcover journals
  • Ornaments
• Notable Success Stories:
  • New sellers achieving large, bulk orders (e.g., 80 journals, 60 ornaments in a single sale) — “There is just so much opportunity.” (08:09)
• Advantages for beginners: Less design skill needed and lower risk of returns compared to apparel.
• “With these giftable products, like a candle or a journal, you can really put words on a design and it will sell.” — Emily (08:24)

3. Timing Your Etsy Hustle: The Power of Q4

• Advice for listeners: Late November/early December is a vital window for new and scaling Etsy sellers due to increased holiday traffic.
• Now is “the season of gifting. Sales just go bonkers.” — Cody (03:25)
• Even starting late in the year provides data to see what works before the next big season.

4. Changes & Trends in the Etsy Print-on-Demand World

AI Integration (09:40)

• Early business: Minimal AI involvement, used ChatGPT sparingly for ideation.
• Now: Robust use of AI for
  • Customer communications
  • Product ideation (nano banana, ChatGPT, etc.)
  • Writing product descriptions, SEO, and generating design elements
• “AI is a big one… I use it all day, every day in so many ways.” — Emily (10:02)
• In Gift Lab: Custom GPTs to automate prompts, customer messages, and product descriptions (12:41)

Evergreen vs. Trend-Driven Products

• Evergreen products: Sell year-round; foundational for steady revenue.
• Students succeeding most focus on these products, not just chasing trends (11:10).

Personalization at Scale

• Personalization is still “queen on Etsy” (13:43)
• Massive time-saver: Adoption of Anywhere Pod, an automation tool that
  • Automates customer’s personalization input directly into production
  • Auto-generates mockups, listing videos, and AI-driven SEO elements
  • Frees up time and reduces manual workload
• “It automates the personalization... it just opens up so many doors of opportunity that I avoided for so, so long because it was just too much work.” — Emily (17:13)

Winning Niche: The Events Space

• Focus on “milestone events” (e.g., baby showers, bridal showers, retirements, graduation)
• Events niche is evergreen: “There are baby showers happening every weekend... There’s so much to uncover in this area.” — Emily (19:39, 20:19)
• Example tip: Journals as guest books for baby showers (20:00)

5. Standout Strategies & Tools for Etsy Sellers

Top Strategies:

• Lean into non-apparel, unique, and easily customizable gift products.
• Prioritize products that are both evergreen and have event-based spikes.
• Embrace automation (especially for personalization) to scale passively.

Tools:

• Anywhere Pod: Main personalization and automation platform
• AI tools: ChatGPT, Playground, Kittl for design, customer messaging, and ideation
• Community-created resources: Custom GPTs for message and design prompt automation (12:41, 25:15)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“My only regret is that I didn’t start sooner.”
— Emily (03:52)

“Gifts is where I had found a lane… it was very affirming that gifts was working.”
— Emily (04:58)

“Candles, tote bags, mugs, hardcover journals, and ornaments… the students in our community selling ornaments and journals, it is exploding!”
— Emily (07:09)

“You can really put words on a design and it will sell… you don’t need to be a really great graphic designer.”
— Emily (08:37)

“Being able to offer these personalized products has allowed me to take my shop to the next level without it taking so much time.”
— Emily (14:38)

“If you understand what people are typing into the search bar and you deliver that thing, it’s the same formula from 2018 to 2025 and beyond.”
— Cody (11:44)

“Evergreen ideas… products or designs that will sell year-round… something we focus on for sustainable shops.”
— Emily (11:17)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:24 – Emily’s Etsy story, revenue milestones, and shift from apparel to gifts
• 03:52 – The best time to start your Etsy shop is now; don't wait
• 04:51 – Why and how she pivoted from t-shirts/apparel to giftable products
• 07:00 – Defining “giftable products” and why they work
• 09:40 – How AI has changed Emily’s approach to ideation, design, and automation
• 13:43 – Personalization strategies and the impact of Anywhere Pod
• 19:39 – Diving into evergreen event-based products and the “events niche”
• 21:50 – Overview of the Gift Lab course and community
• 25:32 – What are “Evergreen Lab Reports”?; resources for members
• 26:15 – AI Lab Assistants: Automated tools for sellers
• 29:36 – Community wins: Notable student success stories and the power of sticking with it
• 32:56 – Emily’s advice for new sellers: Start, take one step at a time, give yourself permission to be bad at first, and focus on learning
• 36:23 – Community challenges and gamification for motivation

The Gift Lab: A Resource for Etsy Sellers

What’s Included:

• Step-by-step course on launching/selling POD gift products
• Five favorite POD gift product templates offered as a bonus
• Micro Niche Workbook: Unlock hundreds of sub-niche ideas
• Community: Weekly live calls, design audits, evergreen lab reports (timeless design ideas + templates)
• Custom AI Lab Assistants: For writing prompts, customer service, and product ideation
• Anywhere Pod Mini Course: Personalization automation tutorials
• Exclusive Workshops & Challenges: E.g., “First 100 POD Sales” replay, Black Friday listing challenge

Student Success Stories (29:36+)

• Students hitting first sales and high bulk orders (up to 80 journals in one sale).
• Many shift from apparel to gifts and see rapid improvements.
• Strong community support: “She was having a rough week… then literally a day or two later she got a sale.” (30:26)

Closing Words & Advice

• You don’t have to do everything at once. Take it a step at a time, make small daily progress, and give yourself permission to learn by doing.
• Focus on action: “You just got to start—take one step at a time.” — Emily (34:50)
• Lean on the community for support, motivation, and to speed up your learning curve.

Final Call-to-Action

• Black Friday offer: Gift Lab at lowest price ever, exclusive bonuses, and 7-day free community trial.
• For more: Search “Gift Lab” or visit Gold City Ventures.

This episode is a goldmine for aspiring Etsy sellers: start with high-demand, low-friction gift POD products, use automation and the event niche to stand out, and leverage community and incremental learning for sustainable side hustle success.