← How to Sell Your Stuff on Etsy
How to Sell Your Stuff on Etsy
Ep 173 | Mastering the ETSY SELLER Mindset -with @JennyfromtheShopp
00:51:50
Struggling with the rollercoaster of Etsy selling? Mindset might be your missing piece! Join us as we chat about our favorite mindset tools that help us weather business storms, including the liberating "let them theory" that changed how we handle...
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- [00:01]
Lizzie Smiley
Hey, my name is Lizzie Smiley and I absolutely love helping people connect with their calling and all the tools they need to kick roadblocks and excuses right out the door so they can cultivate the life they dream about. If you want to launch, grow, pivot or scale your Etsy shop, or you've always wanted to develop the mindset and skills to run your own business, then I'm your girl. I've had that entrepreneurial spirit going strong since my very first lemonade stand. And now I'm a work at home mama with multiple online companies and a full time Etsy shop, all while being present with my kids for the everyday chaos and most important milestones. On this podcast we'll talk about all things business, mindset, Etsy, creativity, dazzling our customers, and so much more. There's plenty of room at this table for you, so scooch on in and let's go. I'm holding nothing back. Welcome to how to sell your stuff on Etsy. I'm so glad you're here. Hey guys, welcome back. I'm so excited. This is like one of my very, very, very tippy top favorite types of episodes to record. Jenny and I always get rave reviews from you guys about our mindset episodes. I think this is our fourth, I believe this is our fourth one where we are just in it raw, real, talking about all things mindset, our current journeys and what's happening, what we're learning, some of like the big concepts that have pulled us through. We're all over the map today, like buckle your seatbelt, it's going to be a ride. You also know that we're just totally free flowing out of our mout, you know, from our brain, from our heart, out of our mouth. So enjoy that as we get started. I want to remind you that upcoming soon is the AI Coloring pages workshop. Make sure you grab your seat if you haven't yet for that. It is going to be a blast. I'm having so much fun creating coloring pages with Mid journey and a couple of other tools. It's like such a, there's so much demand for it right now. It's a very interesting time in coloring pages. We also have now on the schedule a beginner's Etsy workshop. So if you are a beginner, you haven't started yet or you started, you're having issues, you just, you'd consider yourself a beginner and would like some really, really basic training. We have a live workshop for that coming up. Make sure you get that. You grab that if that's a Good fit for you. But let me tell you a little bit about Jenny. If you're hearing her for the first time, she's been on even more episodes in the mindset ones because she's one of my trusted Print on Demand experts. After replacing her teaching salary by Print on Demand shirts on Etsy, Jenny of Jenny from the shop is now living part of the year in Greece with her family and enjoying time and financial freedom that a corporate job simply can't offer. She's continuing to run her Etsy shop no matter where in the world she finds herself. And she teaches Print on demand tips on TikTok, ToK, YouTube and Instagram. So this is so fun. Jenny is just like the human embodiment of a Disney princess. The way that she comes across is how she really is. She is so sweet, she is so kind. I completely and implicitly trust her. We become such dear friends and I just know that you're gonna, if you haven't heard her before, this is gonna be a joy for you. So let's buckle up because Mindset can push some buttons, right? Let's just put on our very open minded, you know, headdress right now. We're gonna come out of being in our ways, in our normal thought patterns and open up space to learn and grow and have our buttons pushed so that we can become the very best versions of ourselves. So I'm super excited, getting really vulnerable with you today. So let's welcome Jenny to the podcast. Jenny. Hi, Lizzy. The discipline it takes for us to hit play, we're like, we just got to take this conversation public right now.
- [03:27]
Jenny
It's insane. We should have just recorded the last like 40 minutes.
- [03:31]
Lizzie Smiley
I know. Well, okay, but let's, let's bring everyone into where we left off because this was so fun. So, okay, background guys. Here's, here's just the background. So I'm working on, I'm working with a, an amazing branding company on a brand refresh for how to sell your stuff. And it's super fun and I love the process and I'm very excited to unveil it to you soon. But Jen and I were talking because one of the things I'm going to do is I'm going to. There's like here in San Antonio and they're everywhere. But here in San Antonio there's this, there's this woman who has a company and she does personal, a personal color analysis and like, and then a personal style analysis. So they literally like, look at you and your complexion and your eyes and Your hair. And they tell you, here's the best hair color for you. Here's the best makeup for you. Here's the best lipstick for you. Here are the colors that you should wear that are just the best for you. And then they. And then I guess they assign you a season. Do you know about this, Jenny? Is this something you've heard of before?
- [04:19]
Jenny
About this? Heather's talked to me about this. There's, like. But I think she. She. There's, like, a website that you can go to that that will give you, like, your color palette. That's what I've heard of.
- [04:29]
Lizzie Smiley
Oh, a website. Okay. So guys. Yeah, we have, like, an Etsy. An Etsy Sweet Girls Club. It's like the. The. The leaders, the leading Etsy sellers that have, you know, like, a public. Public platform. And so Heather and Jenny and Cassie and myself are all. Are all buddies. And then I talk a lot with. With angel, but when she says Heather, she means Heather studio from. From YouTube. Okay. So I could totally see that. And you and I were debating. I. Gosh, I think she might be a winter, like, with her complexion, but I don't. I don't know yet.
- [05:01]
Jenny
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I forget what hers is, but she's definitely, like, a cozy vibe. I feel like.
- [05:06]
Lizzie Smiley
Totally. And I mean, I. She wears, I think, a lot of more muted colors, which, objectively, I wish I looked good in muted colors. I so badly want to be, like, a fall. And I'm not at all. Like, fall colors generally look terrible on me. I'm. I don't know. I. I personally think you're probably a spring, Jenny. Like, you're wearing pastel right now. If you guys are not on YouTube right now, you can see us.
- [05:26]
Jenny
That exists. I mean, right now.
- [05:29]
Lizzie Smiley
She came on camera. My jaw was on the floor, and I'm like, girl, you were. Pastel was literally made for you. Like, whatever. The Easter Bunny just, like, pooped one day and was like, this is Jenny's. This is Jenny's color palette.
- [05:39]
Jenny
That's so funny.
- [05:42]
Lizzie Smiley
But I don't know. I. I don't know what I am. I'm curious.
- [05:44]
Jenny
Pastels. I don't know. I feel like that color looks really good on you, the forest green.
- [05:49]
Lizzie Smiley
It's kind of. Okay. So interestingly, it's got kind of like a teal.
- [05:53]
Jenny
Yeah.
- [05:54]
Lizzie Smiley
When you come closer, blues look great. You know what looks amazing? Which Red. Like, a bit of red or a hot pink or peach looks crazy. Or teal. I don't know. I don't know what the. I Don't know what season they are, though, because I'm fashion simple.
- [06:11]
Jenny
Like, I cannot wear red. There's no way I can see. Actually, one time a psychic told me never to wear red.
- [06:19]
Lizzie Smiley
I don't know why.
- [06:20]
Jenny
And I, like, have not ever worn red ever since they said that. But even before that, I didn't know. I just feel like it's my skin. Red doesn't go well.
- [06:29]
Lizzie Smiley
What do you think is your. What is your favorite color to wear?
- [06:31]
Jenny
I have this lavender, actually. Okay. I love the Puma brand. They have great quality. This is Puma great quality. Like, comfy clothes. And I have this really cute set that's lavender, and I love it.
- [06:45]
Lizzie Smiley
I think you literally got on this video and said if I could be a color and a scent, it would be lavender.
- [06:49]
Jenny
Lavender? Yeah. Like a light purple, definitely.
- [06:53]
Lizzie Smiley
But not the chemically scent. The like earthy. I just picked a bunch of lavender scent.
- [06:58]
Jenny
Yeah. Like when I literally. I stopped the car to snip lavender off the side of the road here.
- [07:04]
Lizzie Smiley
I mean, I would do the same thing. How are you getting Puma brand stuff in Greece? Are you not.
- [07:09]
Jenny
There is this store here. It's like my favorite store. And they have like, puma and like, skater girl stuff and like, like, like, funny fact was, like, I used to be like a skater girl.
- [07:22]
Lizzie Smiley
I'm. This doesn't surprise me at all. You guys need to see her husband nos like, you. You're gonna crack up. We've got like a Disney princess with skater boy kind of vibe. And so, like. Yeah, when you say that because you're high school sweethearts, right?
- [07:33]
Jenny
Yeah, well, we. We were friends in high school, but we didn't start dating till after college, so.
- [07:39]
Lizzie Smiley
Okay.
- [07:39]
Jenny
He was too cool for me, actually. Like, he wanted to date me in high school, but he was. He scared me. He was like, bad boy. Like, too cool. And I was like, goody, goody. And then I got over that when we were out of college, and then we hit it off.
- [07:51]
Lizzie Smiley
College has a way of doing that. Same, same. I was so innocent until college. But anyway, I'm still innocent. We're still. We're white as snow. Okay, we got to talk about mindset, because people eat this up. Like, we love hanging out and talking about it and everybody loves listening to it. So they all know it's going to be a stream of consciousness. Can we start though? Like, what's. We have so many talking points. But, like, tell us about your personal mindset journey right now. Jenny, what's happening? What are. Where are you Growing. What are you working on? What are you pressing into what? Tell me what's happening.
- [08:25]
Jenny
I'm forever learning. But I will say I feel like it's the same things that I already know. Like, I know I always refer to Kathy Heller. I love her podcast. She's always talking about, like, abundance mindset and, like, money mindset and just, like, being in alignment with yourself. So I can, like, I literally, on the treadmill today, I listened to one of her episodes. So I'm constantly listening and reminding myself I. I hear the same things, but, like, they're delivered differently every single time, if that makes sense. So even if you think you know something, I think it's important to still, like, listen and learn about the same things over and over again because you might be at a different part in your time in your life where you need it in a different way, if that makes sense. So I'm continuing to, like, learn the same things about, like, abundance mindset and all that kind of stuff. But a new thing that I've been doing, I'd say in, like, the last month, and I don't know where I heard this probably like, TikTok or something, but. Do you know Abraham Hicks?
- [09:24]
Lizzie Smiley
Yes.
- [09:24]
Jenny
Yeah, so it's a Abraham Hicks thing, and it's called. I think it's called the 17 second rule. Have you heard of that?
- [09:34]
Lizzie Smiley
Yes.
- [09:34]
Jenny
So basically, like, if you. So basically, it's like a little trick to manifest what you want. So the idea is that, like, if you hold a thought, positive or negative, for at least 17 seconds, it starts attracting similar thoughts. And if you can focus, if you can keep that focus for 68 seconds, I don't know why. That's just the magic number. You've set the energy in motion for real change. So, like, if you want something like a new job or more money or a great relationship, like, they're saying, like, just sit with that thought and, like, try to do it for 17 seconds and, like, feel the excitement and don't let, like, doubt or other voices creep in. And the longer you hold that feeling, the stronger the attraction will be, they say. So, like, I've been practicing this when, like, if I feel like a weird negative thought or, like, thought of doubt pop into my head, I immediately, like, like, no, because if I. If I let that take control and I sit there and I'm. Oh, like, the weather, it's, like, rainy all over that like. Or, like, even worse, like, thoughts that people might have said about me or whatever. If I sit there for more than 17 seconds, that's going to start to attract more negative things, you know, So I right away now, like, literally in the past couple weeks, it's been working. Like, I just remember 17 second rule. I'm like, no way am I going to continue to think about that thing. And then I start thinking about things that I'm grateful. Like, that's the easiest way for me to flip it is to think about things that I'm grateful. And I'm like, oh, well, I'm very healthy right now. I'm not sick. My, you know, we just had the flu recently. So last night in bed, I'm like, I don't have the flu anymore, thank God. And I'm like, you know, like, think of little things that you're grateful for. My family's healthy. I have a roof over my head, my fridge is full. Any little thing or big things too. And to shift out of the negative and doubts and all those thoughts into positive thoughts. And then like when you're in a good space to try the 17 second rule, where you sit and you visualize what you want and you feel good about it, try to hold it for like 17 seconds to a minute. And it sounds like, oh, 17 seconds. I can do that. But like, our brains these days, like, our attention span is so insane that it's actually like kind of hard sometimes. So that's what I've been working on. That's like the new thing I've been practicing and it's been working out really nicely.
- [12:12]
Lizzie Smiley
So here a little context for people. Jenny approaches this very much from like a new age spiritual manifestation perspective. Is that fair, Jenny? A fair way to characterize it?
- [12:22]
Jenny
Okay.
- [12:23]
Lizzie Smiley
And I, I come from a Christian background, not so much growing up, but I became a Christian at the age of 28. Like a pretty, a pretty serious Christian. So what's important to me is finding where in the Bible things line up with what I'm choosing to believe. And I really think, I personally believe the church misses a lot of what God has given us. Like we, we in the name of practice religion, we lose the fullness of the scripture and the promise. I'm not going to go super Christian. Everyone is welcome here. Some of my best friends are atheist or agnostic. I am very respectful. Actually, one of my very best friends is also Muslim. So I'm very, very welcoming. But I'm just wanting to give you framework. So there's a scripture that says, as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. Or as a person is thinking or meditating in their heart that is who they are or who they become. And there's also. Well, there's, there's so many verses. But anyway, recently I had a story happen. So I completely agree with what you're. And this is, it's. It's funny because I don't want to get. We would call it in the fate. We'd call it like legalistic about something where you're just getting too rule oriented because it gets too rigid. So I, I tend to just. I'm a very free flowing person. And we've been talking about our farmhouse which if anyone's following on, on Instagram, you've probably seen reels of this atrocious farmhouse. I'm so grateful for the lamb at the house. And so people would be like, how do you like your new house? And I'll be like, I want to burn it to the ground. Like, you know, I'd be joking, but I'd be like, oh, we're going to renovate it. They're like, well, what are you going to do? I'm like, I'm going to start by burning it down. And I'd be just. Joe, I'm just laughing. I'm just joking. Right? I mean it so casually, no joke. Jenny. About a week ago, I'm sitting in my office and there's a store. Yep. There's a. You would already know. There is a. We have a. We have a back porch that I look at from my office, covered back porch where we sit with our little outdoor couches. And we have a cute sign that was passed down from my husband's family. It's her parents. They're both, They've both passed away. It's a neon sign that says Smiley Casa. It's ancient. It's as old as my husband. And I kid you not, it catches fire and I am running out there trying to stop this electrical fire from catching. Like I'm just. It was interesting because I like step out and I hear this weird. I just hear this weird sound from my office. I step out and I walk over there and, and the, the where the cords meet because it's on an extension cord. It's like sparking and fizzing everywhere and I am just rushing to pull the thing out and I'm like, I think I'm gonna stop saying that I need to burn this house to the ground.
- [14:53]
Jenny
Seriously. Can you believe that into existence? Yes, I, a million times like believe that. That's insane.
- [15:05]
Lizzie Smiley
Yes. So lesson learned. And it's so funny because I know better. Like I know Thoughts become things. I know out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. I know that the world was created with words. Our words are powerful. There's lots of verses about that I could get into, but I won't. So super, super interesting. So I have been on a two year, a two year delve into a lot of Joe Dispenza's work. Dr. Joe Dispenza, who is interested in neuroscience and neuroendocrinology. Is that what it's called? And the quantum. Quantum physics and all of how science and the spiritual meet and create incredible results. Yeah. If you're curious about Dr. Joe, I'll write it down. You guys need. The first book to read would be Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself and he's, he's put me on an amazing journey. I've been meditating for two years and at first I was meditating with the goal of trying to heal my body because I have a few things that bother me about my. Nothing serious, but that bother me. I've always believed in physical healing because I have seen it with my own eyes. I've actually experienced it. Yeah, I had, I used to have chronic bladder infections and that was healed by prayer. My husband used to be deaf in one ear and that was healed by. I have seen crazy things happen. When my daughter was little, she tended to get sick a lot. She was a preemie. And what was amazing is I would pray over her immediately. If I did it right away, the, the, the fever, the whatever, the vomiting would immediately stop and go away. And so I believed in healing. I've seen too much. You can't convince me otherwise. I've seen too much. You getting the chills when I was.
- [16:42]
Jenny
Pregnant and having such a hard time this past time around. And you would send me voice recordings like praying over me. And it truly helped. Do you remember that? I don't know if you remember. Yes. I was like, I don't know if I can do this anymore. Just in so much pain. My body couldn't handle it anymore. And you would send me voice recordings and it worked every single time.
- [17:05]
Lizzie Smiley
I believe in the power of it. And, and you know, some, some, some, some of the church gets this and some of it just rejects it and whatever. I'm not here to convince anybody, but Dr. Joe Dispenza's got thousands, thousands of documented healings and it's from, it's from meditation because it's all about connecting with the spiritual. It's always like all about connecting with the divine, with God through The quantum field, which is the spirit realm. So that has been my big thing. And I just ordered. So I, I was just interviewed the other day by Tracy Otsuka, who is an ADHD specialist for business women. She was on the podcast a year ago or so and I just got to go on hers and she was telling me about this really cool tool called the Muse too. I don't want to forget to link that for you guys. I just ordered it. It's coming today. It actually tracks your brain waves. So when you're trying to be mindful or meditate or whatever, and you want to know if you're in a really high range beta state where it's just like there's too much stress and static in your energy to make any. To attract anything. Or you want to know if you're in like the theta brain state where you're.
- [18:06]
Jenny
It's.
- [18:07]
Lizzie Smiley
It's a slower, more suggestible. It's where you can connect with the quantum field. This headband thing tells you what your brain waves are.
- [18:16]
Jenny
That's amazing.
- [18:17]
Lizzie Smiley
I'm so excited to try it.
- [18:21]
Jenny
You also.
- [18:23]
Lizzie Smiley
I feel like I'm getting, like I'm having really amazing experiences in meditation. I haven't necessarily. Oh, I didn't complete this thought before. I started with the goal of healing. And I, I realized about a year in, so about a year ago that actually I needed to focus on fear and anxiety because I have to become a new person, to become a person that doesn't have the sickness in me because a lot of it is created by the stress hormones that we create through fight or flight. Freeze. All of that. The adrenaline and cortisol we have constantly running through our body in chronic anxiety. And so let me tell you what. For someone who has lived in anxiety her whole life, there's a lot to unravel, a lot. Jenny. And so meditating, I try to go for twice a day, at least once a day, but usually twice a day and change my brain state. And I have seen massive improvement. It's not perfect and sometimes I fall. In fact, you were just saying, like you. If you notice a negative thought start to take hold. The 17 second concept, Dr. Joe has a way of dealing with that. And so I'll say I'll have something start. I like to describe it as it's trying to come on me. It's not just a thought floating by, it's trying to attach. And so I'll say when I notice that, I'll say change. And there's something about that word for me that Just makes it like, clicks me out of it.
- [19:37]
Jenny
Yeah.
- [19:38]
Lizzie Smiley
And then I can go, yeah, that's good. So that's where I'm at. And I'll tell you what I was just telling Jenny before we started recording about a book that I heard of last year called Dollars Flow to Me Easily by Richard Dotts. It's going to be more of a New Agey thing. You've got to be okay with that. You've got to be open to manifesting miracles and all that. I'm always sifting through that, looking for the truth, because again, we're not seeing in the church the results of the fullness of God's promises. And I'm watching these people who, who wouldn't reject Jesus, but wouldn't necessarily claim him, have the results the church is supposed to have. And that's honestly challenging me a lot right now.
- [20:16]
Jenny
Yeah, yeah.
- [20:17]
Lizzie Smiley
I can't believe I just said that on air, you guys. The vulnerability has gone to a whole new level.
- [20:22]
Jenny
Well, what I'm thinking too, like, this whole conversation and mindset in general, like, I feel very comfortable talking about all perspectives of it, but I feel like. I don't want to say the majority of the people, but I feel like 50% of people, maybe even a little bit more, feel uncomfortable when it comes to talking about this kind of stuff, which is like, in turn, I don't know, I just feel like we live in a society where they want this kind of stuff to feel uncomfortable to talk about, but it's like limiting people's lives from. Limiting people from living, like, their life to the fullest and, like, unlocking their desires and like, do you know what I mean? I don't know. Because, like, a lot of times when you and I have conversations would be like, we feel like we can't say it on air because we might get some backlash. But at the same time it's like, but why, like, why do we feel that way? I feel like it's society making, like, they call it like, woo woo and stuff, but really I feel like they're calling it that so that people feel like it is woo woo and when it should really be, like, the norm.
- [21:41]
Lizzie Smiley
Meaning, like, it's maybe even a force of trying to control. Trying to control the narrative, trying to control the conversation or influence at least.
- [21:47]
Jenny
Yeah. Like, they feel like, I don't know, maybe I'm making this up in my head, but I just get a sense that, okay, there's. Okay, if I have a conversation with somebody, they're either, like, all in, like, If I gauge people, I'll like simply because I love talking about manifestation. Yes. So I'll like, you know, I might meet somebody and like talk about it a little bit and like get my feelers out and see if they're into it. And either they're like so into it or like they think I'm a weirdo and I don't take offense to it. I'm like, do you, boo? I'ma do me. I'm gonna keep manifesting things. And I think if people are still listening at this point, you're the people that are the people that are listening at this point. I think that you're in the club with Lizzy and I. Great. That's awesome. I'm so happy if you are still here with us. I'm so happy because you're part of the club and we should all have like shirts or cute jackets, like jean jackets with like a cool like club saying on the back.
- [22:48]
Lizzie Smiley
Anyways, make it and I'll sell it.
- [22:53]
Jenny
I just feel like you're either into it or you're not. And if you're not, people like that aren't into it are like judging the people that are into it. Like they're crazy or they're weird or they're woo boo or they're love, make believe and magic and blah, blah, blah, imagination. When like, it's like, no, this is real stuff. And like, do you know what I'm saying? Am I just like, I don't know?
- [23:19]
Lizzie Smiley
Yeah. No, it's so true. I mean, I think some people literally think it's dangerous.
- [23:23]
Jenny
Yeah.
- [23:25]
Lizzie Smiley
Or they just think it's silly.
- [23:26]
Jenny
They think it's silly, but like, no, I think that manifestation and affirmations and mindset was literally like 90 of why I'm successful in everything I put my mind to.
- [23:42]
Lizzie Smiley
Are you brand new to Etsy, about to get started, or struggling a bit to find your groove? What I'm about to say is just for you. Okay. I can completely relate to where you're at because I think I can help you achieve success faster. When I first started my Etsy shop, it was not one of those success stories that we hear on, you know, on the big YouTube channels, even on this podcast where I just had crazy success and it took off right away. Right. I all but failed for my first six months, just like a lot of new sellers. And so it's very relatable. And the issue for me was I didn't understand demand for one. I didn't understand SEO. I was way too broad in my search terms and I didn't know how to position my product so that customers just couldn't help but click add to cart. And so once I learned those things, I went from making about $25 a month in sales to $6,000 a month and up. And in the holidays, I would even have $13,000 a month like at my shop's peak. And the thing about me, if you've been here for a minute, you already know this. I'm a terrible gatekeeper, okay? When I figure something out, when I crack a code, when I get excited, I cannot help but tell everybody who wants to listen. It's like either my, my best asset or my toxic trade. I can't decide. But I put everything that you need to know to fill that beginner knowledge gap into a low ticket. Just under three hours that I have called Six Figure Secrets to getting started on Etsy. In it, I'm teaching you how to find what's in demand for your niche, how to find and use trends, how to start your shop if you're worried about that part. SEO strategy to find the micro niches where the opportunity is, how to understand the Etsy algorithm and a ton more. The whole thing is bite sized videos. Not long form, just small bite sized videos, zero fluff and to the point. You could get the course today, go through the less than three hours over the next couple days, launch your shop this weekend and have sales coming in as soon as Sunday. So let's get you the few missing pieces of the Etsy success puzzle, those little tweaks you need to make so you can start making the sales that you deserve. Because I have never been more convinced that there is room at this table on Etsy for everyone. And the opportunity is so ripe right now. I am in the numbers in the data every day and my mind just keeps expanding on the possibilities. Okay, so as a special treat, use the code save50 to save $50 on the six figure secrets course today. That's $50 off of the coupon save50. And by all means DM me or shoot me an email when those sales start popping because I want to celebrate with you. Well, I do think there's like a delineation like some people would just be mindset, just adjusting the way that you think, discipline, the way you think having, having personal goals for improving yourself is to me there's a lot of overflow to the both of them. They flow back and forth. But then it'd be a separate thing to talk about. The manifestation community thoughts become things it is. There is a bit of a delineation there. But when we sat down to make the list we were talking about Mel Robbins new book, the. The Let them theory. Yeah, like talk about a full swing. Like let's go super practical from the woo because there's always two sides of the coin. I've been listening to the Let Them Theory on audiobook which I highly recommend it on here. I'll make sure I link it. Oh my gosh. I know you guys have heard buzz about this. Like I'm so curious to hear what you've heard and like snippets here and there, but it's actually such a phenomenal book. Have you, did you. I know you hadn't picked it up yet last time we talked. What have you heard about it, Jenny?
- [26:57]
Jenny
I've heard snippets of it and like I've already been practicing it. My husband and I practice it all the time actually. We send each other snippets of it when it comes up online but we haven't dove into it yet. But I want to.
- [27:10]
Lizzie Smiley
What's funny is when I think about you, I can't imagine you ever needing to use the let them theory.
- [27:15]
Jenny
No. Oh, I've had to many times. I mean I drastically changed my life, Lizzy, in the last like two years. Like so many drastic changes with quitting my career to have an online Etsy business which people think, oh, like how's your little craft business going? You know, you're quitting your career for a little hobby business, you know, like I had to deal with that and then I moved to another country. I had to deal with a lot of people, a lot of noise about up and leaving my country and family and friends and all that kind of stuff. So I've had to let them a lot for that. Makes sense for me to have peace. Yeah. No, no, no horrible. Let them, you know, no, horrible, but let them let me. Basically, which I think you said is a part of the book, like let them let me go so I can live my life, my life to its fullest potential and purpose.
- [28:24]
Lizzie Smiley
Do you have any regret on all the big changes?
- [28:27]
Jenny
Not one single regret.
- [28:30]
Lizzie Smiley
Were you scared before you went? You didn't seem like it, but were you?
- [28:34]
Jenny
I used to cry to you like Marco Polo. I remember like a couple of days before I was like crying, like just. I was so scared. But I knew deep down inside that that's what I wanted to do for sure. Like I. There were like no doubts. No doubts. But you're leaving like A huge part of your life behind one when you're quitting your career. And then the other huge part was like, leaving where I grew up and everything and leaving family and friends, like. But I knew it was for a better me, if that makes sense. I mean, with any change, it's going to be uncomfortable. You have to get uncomfortable to get comfortable.
- [29:14]
Lizzie Smiley
When we first bought the farm, I mean, the month, the several months coming up to, I mean, even. Even at the point when we were about to list the house, I remember just crying to my husband, like, I can't do this. We need to pull it. Pull the plug right now. I can't do it. And just like having to push through. Obviously we did it. We had to push through that. And then just like it's been my dream for 15 years to move out to a farm. And I was resisting it with every fiber of my being. Just crying, desperate, terrified, like second guessing. And I had to just. I mean, for me, I was just like, okay, God, I trust you. I trust you. I trust you, I trust you, I trust you, I trust you. And it's all I could say because nothing about it felt, to be honest. And I like to follow the gut, which I believe is like the leading of the Holy Spirit. Like, I like to listen to my spirit. And the moving out resonated like I knew that was what we were called, which is why I ultimately did it. But I wasn't completely settled about the location. I think it was a vanity issue because of moving from our, like, really nice updated house to this really sweet farmhouse. Yeah, so it's like, it's. Yeah, but just for people who are like, wondering. So the let them theory, the concept is the bottom line, you cannot control other people. You can't control what they say about you. You can't control what they do with their lives. You can't control how they interface with you. You can't control the decisions they make. You can't control what they. What they. What decisions they want you to make. You can't control other people. The only thing you can control is yourself. So stop wasting all of your energy, all of your capacity, which is so vibrant, which is so precious, which you only get so much like that life force. Stop spending it in the tension of trying to control and change other people. Let them, Let them think what they're going to think. Let them do what they're going to do. Let them say what they're going to say. And instead of focusing your energy on trying to control and change and suffer through that instead take your, take your power back, your control back, your energy back and let you do what's best for you.
- [31:18]
Jenny
Yeah.
- [31:19]
Lizzie Smiley
Sometimes that's going to be letting it roll off your back. Sometimes it's going to be setting a boundary. Sometimes it's going to be changing the relationship. Sometimes it's going to be a mixture. Do you know there's always. There's going to be different. She's very practical on the application. She even has. I'm right now listening to a chapter on addiction and like for example, parents or spouses dealing with an addicted person and just how gut wrenching the let them concept can be in those scenarios. And yet all the data and the experts have proven that the more you try to control people in those scenarios, the worse they're going to spiral. And the best thing you can do is let that like, let them. Yeah, yeah. So super, super fascinating concept. Very applicable to us for sure.
- [32:01]
Jenny
I'm gonna get it. I'm gonna get it on audible.
- [32:04]
Lizzie Smiley
Yeah. She does it. I love when an author reads it themselves because there's just herself. She does.
- [32:09]
Jenny
Oh, that makes me want it even more.
- [32:11]
Lizzie Smiley
Yep. I think every author should do that. Like right now at this point. Unless it's fiction, which I don't listen to on audiobook. I don't even really read a whole lot of it. I only buy an audiobook if the person read it. Like I'm working on a book. I will be. I have a plan to release a book and I will absolutely do my own audio. And I mean, I know I'm a smaller time writer at this point to.
- [32:32]
Jenny
Buy a hard copy, a paper copy and audio copy.
- [32:36]
Lizzie Smiley
Thank you, Jenny. I will send you a signed copy all the way to Greece. We'll see if it makes it to you.
- [32:41]
Jenny
Yeah, seriously.
- [32:42]
Lizzie Smiley
It might not, but I mean, I guess so. Like Mel. Mel Robbins. Oh, and you were talking about Kathy Heller earlier. I just started the. Her audiobook that she read. Abundant Ever After.
- [32:52]
Jenny
Yeah, I haven't, but she, she promotes that on her podcast.
- [32:56]
Lizzie Smiley
But I love her voice.
- [32:58]
Jenny
Yeah, she's awesome. She, she's a big part of like my life changing. I started listening to that podcast before I even knew that. I like, I think before I even like had an Etsy shop, I just knew there was something else out there for me. So I started listening to that kind of stuff and it would again excite me, but it would bother me because I didn't have like a business or anything to like work on. I'm like, why am I listening to These podcasts, like. But then it. It did turn into something. And her. I don't know, just like, her mindset and view on abundance and all that kind of stuff, like, I relate to so much.
- [33:33]
Lizzie Smiley
So I love her approach. I think she's. I think she's a nifty person. We're gonna meet her one day.
- [33:37]
Jenny
Oh, totally. I'm gonna be on her podcast.
- [33:40]
Lizzie Smiley
Absolutely.
- [33:40]
Jenny
Can I tell you.
- [33:42]
Lizzie Smiley
Yes. We've said that on this podcast multiple times before.
- [33:46]
Jenny
Yeah.
- [33:47]
Lizzie Smiley
But something that you were telling me. I was thinking of Kathy Heller, because you told me you. And this is a. I'm paraphrasing here, so you can probably polish it up, but you told me a quote that she said that really resonated with you, and it was, in order to make brilliant things, you've got to be okay with making mediocre things. Did I say that right?
- [34:02]
Jenny
Yes, you are right. How do you.
- [34:06]
Lizzie Smiley
How would you apply that?
- [34:07]
Jenny
Anything that anybody puts their mind to and wants to start in the beginning, you're not going to be perfect at it. Anything that I've started, I had no idea what I was doing. I just started. And it was messy. Like, for example, my Etsy Print On Demand designs. The beginning, the first, like, 100 designs, were awful. Awful. Some of them sold, but they were awful and, like, embarrassing for me to look back on. But I had to be okay with getting messy and jumping in and learning as I go to get better and to get good at it, you know? Like, even Picasso wasn't a great painter in the beginning. Like, anybody starting something new is not going to be perfect. I actually had. And it's funny, Liz, because I actually had a comment the other day on TikTok, and somebody was like, I want to do this. But I. Or they were like, I got my first sale, but I'm scared to continue with this. And I was like, oh, my God, that's amazing. Congrats on your first sale. But, like, why? What are you scared about? And they said, I'm scared that I'm not going to be good enough. And I'm like, no, please don't have those thoughts, because nobody's good enough when they first start. Yeah, you're right. You're not good enough yet. But if you continue to sit there and say, I'm not good enough, then you'll never be good enough. You have to start not being good enough to get good enough. And you have to be okay with being messy and like. And being okay with starting without knowing all the answers. Like, just jump in and take it one day at a time and learn as you go. And when speed bump comes up, then, like, handle it and figure it out and get over it and continue to go on until something else comes up that you're not good at or you're confused about. Well, then just learn about that and get good at it and continue to go. Yeah, I don't know. Basically, it's okay to be messy in the beginning. There's no, there's no way around it, honestly.
- [36:18]
Lizzie Smiley
Well, and let me ask you this, Jenny. You still. You still put up print on demand designs, right?
- [36:24]
Jenny
Yeah.
- [36:24]
Lizzie Smiley
Does every single one sell?
- [36:27]
Jenny
No.
- [36:28]
Lizzie Smiley
Yeah, exactly. So some of them are even.
- [36:34]
Jenny
I'm not a graphic designer. I just do what I think and I don't. I'm not a perfectionist with my designs. In the beginning, I would spend so much time and, like, get frustrated and be like, it's not perfect. And like, the funny thing is when I would put up certain designs, I'd be like, this is going to be a best seller and it would never sell. Right. Then the ones where I was, like, rushing and put it up ended up being a bestseller. So that's the other thing too. Like, don't put too much thought into your designs. Don't put any attachment or emotion into your designs. And I know that's hard to do because I still will get really excited about designs that I work on. I'm like. And I laugh at myself because I'm like, you're falling into the trap. Like, this is probably never gonna sell. It's one that you're excited about. Because it's not about what I'm excited. Like, it's not. When you're designing for Etsy and print on demand to be successful, it's not about, like, what you like. I get. I love making designs that I like. Right. But they don't always sell. To be successful, you need to design what other people like, what's in demand. And it might be a really ugly, ugly aesthetic that's in right now, but we're going to, we're going to design it because that's what's in demand. That's what people are buying. Right. So it's basically. Yeah, it's getting messy. It's getting messy and it's just throwing it. Just put, just, just, just do it. You just got to do it. You got to put up a listing, one listing at a time, and just keep swinging the bat. Don't have any emotion or attachment or any thoughts about your designs. Like, you know, does that make sense?
- [38:09]
Lizzie Smiley
It makes complete sense. And. And literally a month ago, I launched another physical product shop. I actually relaunched my old one with different products in it. I haven't made a single sale yet, Jenny. It's been a month. And some people would be like. Some people would be like, oh, Lizzie's, like, lost her touch. I'm like, no, I've got other shops making constant sales. It's not that. It's that I'm not good enough yet. I need to get better designs. You know what's terrible? My pictures. I need to. I need to retake the pictures. I maybe need to hire a photographer because I'm just not good enough. Or I'm not good enough yet.
- [38:39]
Jenny
Yeah, you're learning as you go.
- [38:44]
Lizzie Smiley
Hey there. How to sell your stuff, fam. Real quick, I want to make sure you guys know about my most popular free resource that's waiting for you over on my website. Seriously, thousands of people have downloaded this puppy because it's so packed with meaty tips to help you get more sales in your Etsy shop. So, first of all, just a little background or this won't mean much to you at all. But in case you don't know my story, when I first started my etsy shop in 2016, I had been blogging for a while and had built a decent following on Facebook. We did a nursery reveal for some DIY reclaimed wood signs that my husband built and we painted with homemade stencils. So cringeworthy now. And a few of my followers were like, oh, my gosh, those are so cute. They're so rustic. Where can I buy those? And so, as you can imagine, the wheels were just turning in my entrepreneurial little mind with my baby. I wasn't going to be able to continue the social media consulting work that I've been doing because I was constantly on these team calls and needing to do hours and hours of deep, focused work and it just wasn't going to fly. And I really wanted to be present with my daughter. So that's how I ended up on Etsy and I decided to try and sell reclaimed wood signs. It was the height of the farmhouse craze. Just imagine, like, thank you to the lovely Joanna Gaines. Everything, farmhouse, everything, painted wood. And I thought with my blog followers, I might just have a bit of a leg up. But I was wrong. I was dead wrong. I put in the hours, I got my first round of products ready, photographed, meticulously put together, my listings clicked publish, and absolutely nothing happened. And I think I made $60 total in the first few months because of my blog followers. And then it was like absolute crickets. So like you may feel if you're just getting started and not seeing results yet. I was confused and definitely a bit discouraged. I for sure thought that I was onto something and I didn't know at all why it wasn't working. But the thing about a true blooded entrepreneur is that we ultimately see business like a puzzle to solve, right? Like we find ways to make it fun and we're a little bit stubborn and determined to just figure it out. As I always like to say, thanks to the book and phrase coined by Marie Forleo, everything is figureoutable. And so I dug my heels in and started studying everything I could find about making sales on Etsy. I studied the competition, I poured through best selling listings all over the Internet. I took an Etsy course and I started testing things. And lo and behold, by about six months I was making more and more and more sales. Like I just keep learning and tweaking and growing and testing until it started to work and I built my monthly income to $6,000 plus per month. Like there were even months when I would hit 10, 11 or 12K. And it was the best feeling ever. Like if you can just kind of put yourself in that moment where like you figure it out and you start really making the money. So full circle back to that free resource that started this whole conversation. When I moved into the Etsy coaching space, I sat down and I wrote out everything that I had done to create results, like all the changes and tweaks I made that turned into more and more sales. And from that I wrote the first rendition, my Etsy course Listings that sell. So I had somewhere to house like all of the details. And I created a free PDF outlining four major strategies I used so that I could help someone new or struggling to at least get started without having to invest in a course. Right? So that PDF is called the four strategies I use to grow my Etsy shop from 25 to 6000 plus per month and it is by far my most popular, most downloaded freebie. You can absolutely check it out. The link is in the show notes for you and I hope it gets your wheels turning and helps you start to move the needle in your Etsy shop in the direction of your goals. So grab it today and I cannot wait to hear about your takeaways. So I think a good final topic to finish on, which is so relatable to or related to what we just talked about is just the repetition that's required to get good. Do you know what I mean? Like, don't expect to be good outside of the gates. Some people will be there. The unicorns. I'm not. I'm not. And I've made hundreds of thousands of dollars on Etsy. It's crazy, but you keep going, you keep iterating, you keep learning. You allow yourself to be messy. Just don't expect it to be glamorous. I was saying to Jenny the other day, I was like, you know what this makes me think of? People love Taylor Swift or think of any musician that you're in love with, and we think their lives are so sexy, so glamorous, so full of adventure, maybe. But at the same time, they're singing the same exact songs over and over and over and over. I am sure Taylor Swift is so tired of some of those songs. And let me just tell you, traveling, when you are working like that, every stadium, hotel room and airplane, I'm sure she's got her own. But are the same. There's, you know, she's not out seeing the sights. She is disciplining herself to do the work. So, like, even the people at the highest level are having to discipline themselves through repetition. That is mundane, that is not sexy, and. And that is rarely new or flashy.
- [43:36]
Jenny
Yeah. To be successful, you have to, like, every single day, you're doing mundane, boring, repetitive tasks, like, over and over again to find success. Like, you know, with Etsy, we're listing every day that's boring. The design part's fun. And I actually like researching. Like, that's fun to me too. But the listing part, I'm like, ugh. But it's part of the process and you have to show up and do it every single day. And it's boring, but it's. What's going to make you successful is if you're consistent. And sometimes that ties into mindset. You wake up, you don't feel like doing it. Like, you know, you. There's that saying, it's like, no one's gonna show up and do it for you. And also, the time will pass anyways. So, you know, if you, you know, like, dedicate a certain amount of time a day and just get up and do it unless you're, like, really sick. You know, make some boundaries for yourself. If I'm really sick or if my kid's really sick or something, these are the days where I can, like, allow myself to take a break. But otherwise, consistency is key. And it's not glamorous. It's not glamorous, but it'll get to get you to where you want and need to be.
- [44:56]
Lizzie Smiley
The results are so worth it. You know what is sexy? Having that consistent income coming in and knowing that you created it.
- [45:04]
Jenny
Yes, yes. You'll be so proud of yourself. And like, with this business, it's really a short amount of time compared to like any degree that people are going for or like a brick and mortar business like Etsy and print demand is like a short amount of time where you have to be really consistent. And by short, I mean, like, for me, I was like so crazy consistent for the first year, year and a half. And then I was able to back off a little bit. But, like, I was putting in a lot of time, a lot of effort, a lot of hours that first, like, year and a half. But then I got to the point and I was consistent every single day. But then I got to the point where I could sit back because, like, I'm benefiting now from all that work and consistency that I put in because my listings were just continuing to sell. Like, I did the work and now I'm reaping the benefits, you know, so just have like the goal in mind and the vision in mind. When you, like wake up and you don't feel like doing it, get those thoughts out and for 17 seconds, focus on your vision and your why you're not going to get there by closing your laptop and watching Love is Blind, which I am going to do in a couple minutes, but you're not gonna get there. Who watches Love is Blind? I'm obsessed. That's literally the only show I watch, by the way. I don't watch much TV because I work on my businesses.
- [46:29]
Lizzie Smiley
But anyways, you can design while you watch. Yeah, yeah.
- [46:33]
Jenny
And you might get an idea while you're watching show. But back to the point, like, you're not gonna get there if you wake up and I don't feel like it and closing the laptop. Like, the only way you're gonna get there is by doing the boring, mundane stuff over and over again. But I used to get so excited. Like, NOS has this vision of me still. Like in our old house when we still lived in the US and I was like on my way to success. Like, I was making consistent Etsy sales, but like, not enough to quit my job yet. But he remembers hearing waking up in the middle of the night, it was like 3am and hearing music. And he came downstairs and I was at the dining room table working on my Etsy shop with the music blaring. And I was just in such a good mood because I had my why in mind and my vision of us, like moving to Greece and like having time freedom and financial freedom. I remember that night, I was just like, I felt so good and that, that probably helped with manifesting, you know, I was holding the vision. So I was having fun working on my Etsy shop. And that was another point we were going to talk about was like, enjoy the process, enjoy the journey. So yeah, like these tasks are boring, but like play some music and like eat some chocolate and like envision your dream life and get excited because that work that you're putting in right now is like getting you one step closer to the life that you want.
- [48:01]
Lizzie Smiley
I love these episodes. I look forward to them so much.
- [48:04]
Jenny
It's always like a slumber party. Yeah, for me too. Because it's late here.
- [48:10]
Lizzie Smiley
It's actually late. It's lunchtime for me. It's bedtime for Jenny.
- [48:14]
Jenny
Insane.
- [48:15]
Lizzie Smiley
Yeah.
- [48:16]
Jenny
Really cool though. Technology. Gotta love it.
- [48:19]
Lizzie Smiley
Thank goodness for it. Thank goodness for you. Thank you so much for. For doing this with me. Where, where can people find you and connect? Where do you want to direct them right now?
- [48:28]
Jenny
So YouTube, Jenny from the shop with two Ps. Jenny from the shop, two Ps. Instagram. It's Jenny from the shop. And then TikTok if you know, we're praying that it continues. That's Jenny from the shop.
- [48:46]
Lizzie Smiley
I have a good feeling about TikTok.
- [48:47]
Jenny
My favorite right now because I share more in the stories and stuff of my everyday life when I get around to it. So it's fun. I feel like I can connect to people more on Instagram because I show more within the stories on there. I don't know why I don't really use Tick Tock stories.
- [49:03]
Lizzie Smiley
Do you ever look at Tick Tock stories, like when you're consuming content? I don't ever.
- [49:06]
Jenny
No. That's so interesting. So, yeah, I don't know, I'm having more fun on Instagram lately.
- [49:11]
Lizzie Smiley
So it's when we started, we both kind of blew up, you especially on Tick Tock and that I was like creating content for TikTok and then repurposing it for other places. And now I create for Instagram and I repurpose.
- [49:23]
Jenny
So funny.
- [49:24]
Lizzie Smiley
It's such a full circle. Instagram's become really cool. I used to say Instagram was useless.
- [49:28]
Jenny
I know. I love Instagram now. I agree. Maybe they changed the algorithm or something. I love it.
- [49:34]
Lizzie Smiley
They did. They changed it in the late last year and they took traffic away from the really big creators and gave it to the new or growing creators.
- [49:42]
Jenny
Oh, gosh. That was, like, the perfect time for me to start.
- [49:44]
Lizzie Smiley
Yes, exactly.
- [49:46]
Jenny
Yeah. I started repurposing my TikToks to Instagram last year. That's crazy. I love it.
- [49:51]
Lizzie Smiley
Do they perform pretty well?
- [49:53]
Jenny
Yeah.
- [49:54]
Lizzie Smiley
Interesting. I feel like such different things work on Instagram than Tick Tock.
- [49:58]
Jenny
Yeah, I. And I. I repurposed them from TikTok and they still perform pretty. Pretty good. Like, better than I thought Instagram could ever be for me. I tried so many different Instagrams, by the way, too, over the past, like, decade, because I wanted to be, like, an influencer. Before Etsy. Before Etsy, I tried to be, like, I. I tried to have, like, a dog Instagram for my Teacup Yorkie. I tried to be, like, a mom influencer. And then I didn't want to, like, show my kids on Instagram anymore, so I stopped that. But there was like. And then I had, like, one for my artwork. I tried so many different Instagrams because I. I don't know, I tried so many different things and failed at so many different things and was messy at so many different things until I found what worked. So there you go. Just try it.
- [50:45]
Lizzie Smiley
Resilience. Okay. Love you guys. Thank you so, especially today. Thank you so much for hanging out with us. We love you to pieces. We just want to walk with you on this journey and be real about who we are. I feel like being who I really am gives you permission and space to be who you really are, and I'm gonna just continue to do that, and I know Jenny will too. So we love you all so much. Until next week, go make something awesome. Bye, you guys. And that's a wrap on this episode of how to sell your stuff on Etsy. Thanks so much for hanging out with me today. If you're looking for more resources, head on over to howtosellyourstuff.com where you'll find podcast, show notes, all the links from today's episode, the blog, courses, coaching, and more. If this episode was helpful to you, awesome. The greatest compliment I can receive from from you is a rate, review and subscribe on this podcast. Not only will it allow us to connect again on a future episode, it lets me know I'm providing you with value and helps other people find this content more easily. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your support. Have a great day and see you next time.