Podcast Summary: Ep 193 | Print on Demand Power Hour with Cassie Johnson

Released on August 7, 2025

Podcast Information:

• Title: How to Sell Your Stuff on Etsy
• Host: Lizzie Smiley
• Description: A podcast dedicated to helping entrepreneurs launch, grow, pivot, or scale their Etsy shops. It covers topics such as business strategies, mindset, creativity, and customer engagement.

1. Introduction

Lizzie Smiley opens the episode with her signature enthusiasm, emphasizing her passion for empowering individuals to overcome obstacles and achieve their entrepreneurial dreams. She sets the stage for the episode by highlighting the focus on print on demand (POD) and introduces the guest, Cassie Johnson.

2. Guest Introduction

[00:59] Lizzie Smiley: Introduces Cassie Johnson as a prominent Etsy YouTuber specializing in print on demand. She highlights Cassie's experience of selling POD products on Etsy for over four years, her success in quitting a full-time job, and her role in teaching thousands of students to start and scale successful POD stores.

[02:39] Cassie Johnson: Greets listeners warmly, expressing excitement about being back on the podcast and appreciating the opportunity to engage with Lizzie's coaching group through a Print on Demand Power Hour.

3. Current Trends in Print on Demand

The conversation kicks off with Lizzie inquiring about any exciting developments in the POD space, particularly concerning the recent merger between Printify and Printful.

4. Merging of Printify and Printful

[03:24] Cassie Johnson: Discusses the merger between Printify and Printful, two major players in the POD industry. She shares a personal anecdote about attending the Printify Amplified event in Latvia and discovering that both companies originated from the same town, characterized by a friendly rivalry. The merger is poised to enhance the platform's capabilities, notably by integrating Printful's embroidery services into Printify's user-friendly platform. Cassie anticipates significant advancements for Fall and Christmas seasons, particularly with full chest embroidery on Gildan sweatshirts.

[04:24] Cassie Johnson: Highlights the growing popularity of embroidery in POD products, encouraging sellers to explore this trend.

5. Combining Digital and Print on Demand Products in One Shop

Lizzie poses a question about the feasibility of selling both digital products and POD items within the same Etsy shop.

[07:06] Cassie Johnson: Advises that while it's possible, she generally recommends having separate shops for digital products and POD items to avoid confusion and protect unique designs. Combining both can sometimes lead to issues like copying designs or customer confusion over product types and pricing. However, if the shop maintains a focused niche where both product types serve the same customer base, it can be effective.

[08:48] Cassie Johnson: Elaborates that for niche-focused shops, combining digital and POD products is manageable. She emphasizes the importance of choosing products based on profitability and personal passion, suggesting sellers focus on mastering one product type before expanding.

6. Potential of Print on Demand Mugs

Lizzie inquires about the viability of selling mugs through POD.

[09:27] Cassie Johnson: Confirms that mugs have significant potential, sharing her own success with POD mug creations. She notes that while mugs may not always be the primary focus, they can generate substantial sales, especially when leveraging popular designs from other product categories like clothing.

[10:12] Cassie Johnson: Appreciates the improvement in mug mockups, making them more appealing and easier to create.

7. Placing Designs on Multiple Products

A listener asks whether to test a new design on multiple products simultaneously or to start with a single item.

[11:23] Cassie Johnson: Recommends that beginners focus on mastering one product type to avoid spreading themselves too thin. She advises selecting a best-selling product from Printify's catalog and dedicating efforts to perfecting designs for that item until achieving substantial revenue. Once proficient, expanding the design to additional products becomes more feasible and effective.

8. Handling Shipping Costs and Free Shipping on Etsy

A technical question arises about setting free shipping on Etsy when using Printify, which handles shipping costs separately.

[13:39] Cassie Johnson: Explains that sellers should treat the product and shipping costs as separate entities. By integrating shipping costs into the product price, sellers can offer free shipping on Etsy without directly linking to Printify's shipping rates. For example, if a product costs $12 and shipping is $5, the seller can price the item at $17 and mark it as free shipping on Etsy, ensuring profitability while adhering to Etsy's promotional preferences.

[15:08] Cassie Johnson: Emphasizes the importance of adjusting product pricing to cover shipping costs, allowing sellers to offer free shipping seamlessly.

9. Necessity of Running Daily Sales

A listener questions whether running daily sales is essential for Etsy success.

[15:39] Cassie Johnson: Responds that daily sales are not mandatory for success on Etsy. While many top stores implement daily sales strategies, it's not a universal requirement. The key factor for sales is the quality of designs. If a shop isn't generating sales, it's likely due to subpar designs rather than the absence of daily sales. Improving design quality and adding value are paramount.

10. Importance of Designs and Value Addition

Cassie delves deeper into the significance of design quality in driving sales.

[16:19] Cassie Johnson: Shares personal experiences of evolving her design strategy, moving from minimal sales to consistent success by enhancing the value and uniqueness of her designs. She introduces a "value add" framework that categorizes design improvements into three levels: slight modifications, personalization, and adopting trending styles within niches. This approach has been instrumental in her growth, enabling her to tap into new trends and expand her product offerings effectively.

[21:05] Lizzie Smiley: Reinforces the importance of value addition and shares her success with leveraging trends across multiple niches, echoing Cassie's strategies for sustained growth.

11. Patience with Listings and Understanding Etsy Algorithm

Lizzie shares her journey from initial struggles to significant sales growth after mastering market demand and SEO.

[22:21] Cassie Johnson: Highlights that successful Etsy listings often require patience. While some listings may become "unicorns" that sell rapidly, most require time to gain traction within Etsy's algorithm. She explains that the algorithm prioritizes listings based on customer interactions, such as clicks, favorites, purchases, and reviews. Therefore, persistence and continuous optimization are crucial for long-term success.

12. Advice for First-Time and Niche Sellers

A listener seeks guidance on whether to maintain a niche shop or open a broader store.

[27:00] Cassie Johnson: Suggests that niche shops are acceptable, especially if they cater to a specific customer base with both digital and POD products. However, she personally advocates for starting with a general store to experiment with various niches and products. This approach allows sellers to identify profitable areas before concentrating their efforts and possibly creating a specialized brand around the most successful niches.

13. Handling Favorites vs. Sales

A listener is perplexed by receiving more favorites than actual sales and seeks advice.

[29:36] Cassie Johnson: Reassures that receiving more favorites than sales is common and advises sellers to stop fixating on favorites. She explains that favorites often indicate interest but do not necessarily translate to purchases. Instead of worrying about favorites, sellers should focus on creating more designs within niches showing potential. Cassie emphasizes using favorites as a signal to diversify and expand product offerings rather than a direct metric of success.

14. Efficient Mockup Creation with Simply Listed

A listener expresses frustration with the time-consuming process of creating mockups and seeks strategies to streamline it.

[32:11] Cassie Johnson: Introduces "Simply Listed," a mockup automation tool developed alongside her husband. This tool significantly reduces the time required to create and upload mockups by automating the placement of designs on products, generating video slideshows, tagging colors, and publishing listings efficiently. Cassie explains that Simply Listed is compatible with various products beyond shirts and offers features like watermarking for digital downloads. She highly recommends the tool to enhance productivity and focus on revenue-generating tasks.

[36:12] Cassie Johnson: Further endorses Simply Listed, noting its effectiveness in streamlining mockup creation and enhancing listing presentation, which contributes to higher conversion rates.

15. Staying with Tried and True Products vs. New Releases

A final listener question addresses whether to adopt newly released items from POD catalogs or stick with established products.

[37:43] Cassie Johnson: Advises prioritizing tried and true products over newly released items. She cautions that many new POD products may not perform well on Etsy unless they already have a proven market presence. Unless sellers are prepared to drive their own traffic through strategies like social media marketing or paid advertising, it's more effective to focus on products that are already in demand on Etsy. This approach leverages Etsy's inherent traffic and aligns with customer search behaviors.

16. Lizzie's Resources and Promotions

Lizzie shares her own resources to help new Etsy sellers bridge knowledge gaps, promoting her beginner course "Six Figure Secrets to Getting Started on Etsy."

[39:35] Lizzie Smiley: Describes her personal journey from struggling to achieving substantial sales by mastering demand understanding, SEO, and product positioning. She introduces her course, emphasizing its concise, actionable content designed to help sellers quickly implement strategies and start generating sales. Lizzie offers a special discount code "save50" to encourage listeners to enroll.

17. Cassie’s Additional Resources and Final Advice

[41:58] Cassie Johnson: Outlines her various resources for continued learning, including her YouTube channel, a free two-hour mini-course on starting with POD, monthly trend reports, and a private community offering live calls, shop reviews, and exclusive courses. She encourages listeners to invest in their education and utilize these tools to enhance their Etsy businesses.

[44:10] Cassie Johnson: Emphasizes the importance of focus and warns against "shiny object syndrome." She advises sellers to concentrate on one platform or strategy until they achieve proficiency and success.

[47:24] Cassie Johnson: Provides motivational insights, encouraging sellers to trust themselves, stay patient, and remain committed to continuous improvement. She highlights the importance of emotional resilience and maintaining a positive mindset throughout the entrepreneurial journey.

18. Final Thoughts and Encouragement

Lizzie and Cassie conclude the episode by reiterating the significance of focused action, ongoing learning, and maintaining a positive outlook. They celebrate the listeners' efforts in starting their own businesses and offer heartfelt encouragement to persevere despite challenges.

[49:26] Cassie Johnson: Pays heartfelt compliments to Lizzie, appreciating the wealth of knowledge shared and underscoring the value of mentorship and community support in achieving Etsy success.

[49:49] Lizzie Smiley: Wraps up the episode by directing listeners to additional resources on her website, encouraging ratings, reviews, and subscriptions to support the podcast's growth and reach.

Notable Quotes:

• Cassie Johnson [03:24]: "Now being able to do the full chest embroidery on Gildan sweatshirts is going to be absolutely one of the biggest things, in my opinion for Fall and Christmas this year."

• Cassie Johnson [11:23]: "You really want to get good at designing for one item... But if you're trying to get your first sale... you might be accidentally procrastinating by doing that and kind of spreading your attention too thin."

• Cassie Johnson [13:39]: "You can still do free shipping. You're just basing that free shipping off of the total price of the item, not the separate shipping and product cost."

• Cassie Johnson [15:39]: "If you're not getting sales, it's not because your SEO sucks. It's probably not even your mockups. It's probably not like anything else. Your designs are what sucks."

• Cassie Johnson [29:36]: "If you're getting tons of favorites on something and no one's buying, go make 10 more designs for that niche."

• Cassie Johnson [32:11]: "Mockups don't like take that long... So I built something just for you... it's called Simply Listed and I think you'll love it."

• Cassie Johnson [37:43]: "The name of the game on Etsy is figure out what people are already searching for and buying today on Etsy and make them a new thing that adds value that they're already searching for."

• Cassie Johnson [44:13]: "Stay super laser focused and you'll get there. Shiny object syndrome is super normal in entrepreneurs. But just try and put your blinders on and just take action until you see results."

• Cassie Johnson [48:24]: "We believe in you. And if no one has told you in your life that they're proud of you for starting your own business... then we are so proud of you."

Conclusion

Episode 193 of "How to Sell Your Stuff on Etsy" offers an in-depth exploration of print on demand strategies, shedding light on industry trends, effective shop management, and the critical importance of design quality. Through the insightful dialogue between Lizzie Smiley and Cassie Johnson, listeners gain valuable knowledge and actionable advice to enhance their Etsy businesses. The episode emphasizes patience, continuous learning, and strategic focus as key elements for sustainable success on Etsy.