← How to Sell Your Stuff on Etsy
How to Sell Your Stuff on Etsy
Ep 202 | Fast Success on Etsy with Embroidery -with Emily Bowser
01:10:58
As AI grows in influence, high-quality handmade products are more in demand than ever. Listen to Emily’s story of fast success with her custom embroidery Etsy shop—she shares how she’s scaled with the right help, her approach to trends and SEO,...
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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.
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The life they dream about.
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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.
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Hey guys, welcome back to the podcast. This is another spectacular handmade seller conversation. I just think there's so much goodness in this chat for every single one of you listening. No matter what you sell. We are hitting on so many of the points that just lead to amazing sales, which is exactly what happened with Emily. As we get started this week, I want to let you know I'm having a lot of fun playing with Profit Tree's new tool called Etsy Radar. If you are on a real budget, you're paying for all of the subscriptions and things that are suggested by all of the Etsy coaches. I know it can become a lot. We're all trying to just get you all of the information, the tools that are available, but then you need to make the decisions about what you can and can't pay for right now based on where you're at. And what I'm loving about Profit Tree is that they have the lifetime access option right now. It's not going to be around for forever. In fact, with as robust as the tool is becoming, I don't think that the lifetime is going to be available much longer. So you can get this the new tool come. Etsy Radar comes with their 67 one time fee lifetime offer. You get access to this free forever and it has all of the data that you need to be able to do research. So when I'm telling you make data informed reset decisions, create products that are in demand. Profit Tree's Etsy Radar tool is going to teach you exactly how to do that. I'm going to link both where you can get that lifetime offer. If you want to jump on it before it's gone, it's going to be down in the show notes. I also created a YouTube video to show you all the different ways that I'm using it. Because sometimes that's the thing, right? It's like learning a new tool. Not only is it like you're paying for it monetarily, you're paying for it with your time. So let me cut the learning curve for you. The lifetime also comes with the profit tracking. So you can know your numbers like you're going on Shark tank. You can make sure your ads are profitable. I'm really, really a big proponent on Etsy ads and our seller here today is as well. Because once I figured out Etsy and I got my sales to about six or seven thousand dollars per month with Handmade, I turned on Etsy ads and was able to scale it to 12 to 13,000amonth like just by adding it. And you need the data that Profit Tree gives you to be able to do that wisely without losing a bunch of money on ads. It's going to help you know your numbers, which if you're like me, maybe some ADHD going on undiagnosed numbers aren't your strong suit. Having a tool to do it for you that just knocks Etsy's stats out of the water is really helpful. So if you want to make sure and lock in the lifetime access, go ahead and grab that link below. I'll keep you posted as soon as I hear that they're phasing that out. But she's kind of been hinting like this isn't going to be around forever. So I wanted to let you know the other thing I want to ask you about is I've been working with so many of you guys on building digital product businesses and my membership of Etsy sellers and in trendspotting and all of that. And I am thinking about adding another membership that is for templates. So every single month, every week I would give you a new template that you can then sell. You can sell it at it as is or what I recommend is you tweak it to make it very specific to a micro niche or a niche you like take the base template, whether it's a tracker or a planner or a some, some kind of digital template that you can then go take and make your make your own and resell it. You can then also turn it into several other templates. You know if it's a tracker, you could literally create 30 trackers out of the one template. So I'm curious to find out your interest. Would you be interested in me giving you a template once a month? This would be a very affordable membership, but you'll just get these delivered to you every single week to use. So I'm going to put a link down in the show notes where you can opt into that if you want or if you want to know more about it. I'm. Anyone who joins that list, seeing they're interested, you're going to get a special offer. You're going to get like a, like a bonus if you decide to join the membership that won't go out to the full email list. I'll let everyone know if and when it's coming out. But if you're on that list, you're going to get a bonus. But right now I just want to gauge your interest. It's something that my team and I are talking about. We think it would be a really, really helpful tool because what I'm hearing from students is they know that they need to be adding more to their Etsy shops, but time is the problem and then like design skill. And so if I, I'm trying to figure out where I can take some of that off your plate. And I think a template membership could really be the ticket if it was super affordable. So let me know below if that's something you want to know more about and I'll let you know when it comes out and get you a, a special bonus for that. Otherwise, I'm so excited to tell you about Emily, our guest today, and I'm going to talk about this more on the podcast, but I'm really leaning into handmade a lot. You guys know I'm really big on digital and I think that digital products are going to continue for the next couple of years to be a great place to be getting our feet wet on Etsy, to be making some more passive income. But I'm paying attention a lot to the handmade space right now because my prediction is that with the advent of like, AI becoming more and more a part of our lives, there's going to become less and less demand for digital products. I don't think it'll go away because while the AI can build anything, you have to know how to prompt it. And I think that there's going to be plenty of people alive who are not going to necessarily develop that skill. You know, like basically maybe anyone a millennial and over only some of them will choose to develop that skill. And so there will still be a place for us, but the demand I think will go down. Whereas for handmade products, really high quality, like the things that Emily is doing, experiences like memory making, actual crafted things, I think that's really going to be a place where we can safeguard. So if you're worried about your job going the next couple of years, you could dabble in, in digital because that's easier to do alongside your, your job. But really start thinking about handmade as well. This conversation came about because I saw someone wearing a sweatshirt that had their kid's name embroidered along the collar. It was like a crew neck and the, the names were embroidered along the collar and I fell in love with it. I just thought it was so cute, like so preppy, so stylish. And so I wanted to order one and I went and found someone on Etsy who did it and it was Emily. So I ordered up and and love with this sweatshirt. Her service was excellent. The quality is excellent. I get compliments on it all of the time. People go bananas over the sweatshirt. It's so interesting. And so when I was just like, oh my gosh, you're in the embroidery space doing something so unique and beautiful, I invited her on the podcast and she's like, that's kind of crazy, Lizzy, because I listen to your podcast or I have listened and so that's where this all came from. And I'm really excited because it's such a rich conversation. Like she's really sharing a lot of wisdom about what it takes and she's. She's had very fast success on Etsy. So let me tell you a bit about Emily. Emily Bowser is the designer behind I should have asked if it's Magel or Magl M a G I L L a San Diego based clothing brand that creates custom vintage inspired sweatshirts. After falling in love with sewing in high school, Emily pursued her passion at Cornell University, earning a degree in fashion design and after graduating, began her career at urbn Inc. Where she designed clothing for bhldn, Urban Outfitters and anthropology.
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My favorite.
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After several years in the design world, Emily went on to earn her MBA at Georgetown University and transitioned into marketing customer strategy, blending her creative background with business expertise. In 2018, after relocating to California, Emily launched Magel as a creative outlet that reflected her personal aesthetic and love of vintage style and design. Drawn to the craftsmanship and individuality of vintage sweatshirts and athletic wear, she became inspired by the hand finished details and heirloom quality of garments from the past. This passion continues to inform her work today as she thoughtfully merges timeless design with modern sensibilities through her brand, Magyl. So we are going to dig into embroidery business, handmade on Etsy, scaling into Shopify and Fair photography, all of the things that have come together to make this brand a fast success and all of her tips for you guys. So with that being said, please help me welcome Emily to the podcast. Emily. Hey, welcome to the podcast.
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Emily Bowser
Hi. Thanks for having me. I'm excited to chat and be here.
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Lizzie Smiley
Well, thank you for being willing to take a risk on me since I'm pulling you into the deep end. I was letting everyone know in the intro that this all happened because I bought the most incredible sweatshirt from you. So have you ever. Are you familiar with the show at all?
- [08:42]
Emily Bowser
Yeah. So I have listened to your podcast before. I've been always. I'm always kind of looking for resources to improve my Etsy game and hear from other sellers and such. So, yeah, I've listened to your podcast. So when I actually saw your name in my Etsy, like, in my shop, I was like, wait a minute, how many Lizzie Smileys are there? I feel like that's not too common of a name. So that's kind of how I connected the dots on that. Yeah, so I've listened definitely before.
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Lizzie Smiley
That's a riot.
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I'm glad that you. I'm glad that you're aware of what's about to happen to you. But also, that's crazy that you kind of were already curious when you saw I didn't remember that nuance that you were just like, huh, I wonder. Hopefully I was on my best behavior in the DMs.
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Emily Bowser
Yeah, definitely.
- [09:27]
Lizzie Smiley
Okay. So one of the reasons I was just like, we have to talk. There's a couple of them. I mean, embroidery is huge. This space has so much potential. So I'm really excited about the work that you're doing. But also, you had some, like, insane results. Emily, I don't know if you realize, like, I look at, you know, thousands of shops a year. You are one of the best performing ones I've seen. Like, you're. You've grown really fast for the handmade space. Like, has it been kind of a crazy ride?
- [09:51]
Emily Bowser
Yeah, I mean, I'd say. And there's kind of two sides. I mean, one, it's been crazy and, like, I've had to learn a lot of things on the fly and how to kind of grow with sales, but I've also been kind of like, trying to figure this sort of, like, entrepreneurial selling of handmade stuff for a while now. So, like, it's kind of one of those things you hear. Like, it seems like it's overnight when I feel, like, on my side of, like, but kind of trudging through the mud in a lot of ways. It just doesn't get seen. So, like, there's kind of two sides to it.
- [10:22]
Lizzie Smiley
Yeah, I'm so glad you said that, because, first of all, it's like, the most relatable thing I have ever heard. Like, when my. When my podcast kind of, like, took off, people are like, where did you come from? I'm like, I have been working my butt off for over a decade. Like, you have no idea how hard. So I'm so glad you said that. And I think that's really encouraging to other people. Like, it's very rare there's an overnight success. It's most likely they have been like, tell. We didn't even talk about this. Tell us some things that you. You did before. Like, where did you get some of your scars?
- [10:53]
Emily Bowser
So, I mean, I have always kind of been passionate about selling things that I've made and, like, trying to figure out how to be, like, have a business in that way. I mean, like, my family will tell you. Like, I. I think I have my first, like, I'll say quotes business. When I was, like, 8 or, like, 10 or something, I would, like, selling, like, I would make homemade. I was making what I call stationary. I would, like, cut up computer paper and, like, design the borders and things and, like, sell them to, like, my relatives. Or, like, I had a newsletter subscription. I, like, would write a newsletter and sell it to my, like, cousins and make them, like, you know, 10 cents an issue or whatever. So I was always trying to, like, figure something like that out. And I think my first started on Etsy, like, after college, but I didn't really know what Etsy was. And I was knitting, like, doing a lot of knitting at the time, and I was doing, like, vintage customization. So I started posting stuff on there with no. No knowledge of SEO, no knowledge of. I mean, nothing. The photos are probably terrible. I should try to find them. But. So I. I think I sold, like, one thing, and then I let it go. Like, years went by. And then I kind of thought, like, you know, maybe I'll revisit Etsy again. And, like, went back to that shop, which is, like, hilarious because now my shop says. It says my shop is super old. And it's like, it is because I started it like way back then it hasn't been that long in the format in for one of my shops and then. Yeah, so I mean like I've just had and like with any shop I've had my fair share of issues with like when I started learning, like just even production things were like I did something and like the color bled and I didn't know and I had to replace it. Like all kinds of. I've had every issue in the book, I feel like, and every time I think my, my perspective on it is like learn, learn and improve so it doesn't happen again. Like I feel like that's the way you have to think about it. Like no one's ever going to grow their shop, do anything really perfect the first time. As long as you're learning from the mistakes and you don't make that same one, then you're better off and you'll be, you'll be better for the next one. So I've kind of just had that sort of perspective on it. Like how do I, it won't always be perfect but if I'm always trying to improve and like not make the same mistake twice, it'll just continue to get better.
- [13:07]
Lizzie Smiley
Okay, so I think also you've made some really smart choices about choosing things that were like, you already have a great knowledge base. So like, like let's. Well, first of all I have to ask you this other question I want before I forget to ask you. You were telling me before we got started. You are, you're. Because you're also running a Shopify shop, a fair shop and a second Etsy shop. But you also have a full time job and three kids. Can we know more please? Like, can you, I mean like are you wanting to go full time with Etsy or do you like this chaos? How do you manage it? Can we just talk about that for a minute?
- [13:39]
Emily Bowser
Yeah, I mean it sounds, I mean it is kind of crazy. I will say. Like it, it all happened, it didn't all happen at the same time. I mean I started with one. I think when I started my like brand that I have now, I started first on Shopify because I think I had read like, oh, if you want your own clothing brand, like you need your own website. So I was like, I need my own website. So like I made a Shopify realized like it's very hard to get besides your own network and where you're driving, maybe on social, it's hard to get traffic to an independent site like that. So I kept doing that. But I Said, okay, I'm going to get an Etsy shop kind of like up and running too because I can get traffic to there. So that's kind of when I started investing more in Etsy. And I had one Etsy shop and I had kids and adult products in there. And then as that started to pick up traction, I wanted to be able to share on Instagram or other locations, kind of kids stuff. But then I also wanted to have the adult stuff. It just, the message started to get kind of muddied because it was all in one store. So that's when I decided to open a second shop to kind of keep kids in one and adults in another so I could target more specifically for the customer and just it was a little easier on the marketing end to keep them separate. So that's how that kind of like that evolution happened. And then I had been getting questions through Etsy about wholesale and can I do kind of larger bulk orders. And that's sort of when I kind of. And Fair is very recent. That was like within the last year I kind of started exploring that. It's actually pretty interesting for, for other Etsy sellers it's. I mean the Fair platform is fairly similar to Etsy. You're just selling to retailers instead of individual consumers. But there are a lot of crossover similarities. So it is a good. And we can chat more about that, but that is a good opportunity for some Etsy sellers to potentially consider. But so then I opened the Fair shop like within the last year to kind of do more wholesale stuff there. So that's kind of how that evolution has happened. It wasn't like I tried to do them all at the same time because I certainly wouldn't recommend that. And then about like, I mean the wholesale or the corporate, like my corporate job, I mean I started doing the Etsy stuff and it was small peanuts at the beginning. And I mean like you're not making a lot of money. I was making good money from my corporate job. So all along I've kind of been doing them on the side basically because I, I had a high bar or have a high bar for what I want to be making as a personal income. That has been very hard to reach from my Etsy that can match my corporate. So I, the reason I haven't like jumped ship to do it full time is I'm like, like I'm kind, I'm still. Long story short, I would like to be able to go full time and that is where I'm hopefully headed and sooner rather than later. But I've just been very strategic about building foundations with my Etsy Shopify, Fair, all those, all those accounts so that when I can leave my corporate job, I have like a really robust, strong income financial support system there. Because the last thing I want to do it wanted to do and still do is like quit my full time corporate job and then be so stressed because I'm trying, I'm trying to have like make up for it and like it's not stable and some months are different and like I want to. So I'm trading one stress for another basically of like doing all the things. But it's not the financial burden to kind of get to the place where I can kind of leap off and feel really good about where I'm at, where I am. So that's, that's kind of how, how and why I'm there. And then we can also dive in more into this. But then the other piece is I do have help that by the way, in the way of like some assistance and like how I get support for my Etsy shop. Okay, so we can talk about that.
- [17:31]
Lizzie Smiley
Yeah, I want to do all about that.
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Emily Bowser
So, so I don't do it all myself, let's say, because it's handmade.
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Lizzie Smiley
Right. Are, are you having another, another company bulk make them for you or are they handmade by you?
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Emily Bowser
Yeah, so they, so I have a few different kind of nobody like part time, like help employees that help me kind of get everything done and manage. But as far as production, I have a, like a local assistant who helps me. Two local assistants really that come and kind of do a lot of the production prep work. They do packing for me, they do some of the embroidery production for me. This is all in. I have my own kind of separate studio slash office so she works out of there. And then I also have some local sewing support that helps me with my stitched letter sweatshirts. A lot of the production that I started doing everything myself, I have been able to get support on that. So I'm not, I'm making everything in house in my kind of brand and business here in San Diego. It's just not everything comes from my own two hands.
- [18:33]
Lizzie Smiley
I'm so glad you said that. I'm so glad people are hearing that. Like I'll often get how, how do you do it all? And I go, I don't, you know, like I don't. And I think it's so scary sometimes for people to let go of the reins. Was that hard for you to delegate it or, or no oh, yeah.
- [18:48]
Emily Bowser
I mean, like, I have. One thing I've been really working on is trying to, like, get out of the, like, maker mindset where, like, everything has to be done by me, which is really hard. You're on Etsy because you have that passion to make things and do things on your own. So, yeah, delegating has been hard, I think, like, you. I train someone on something, and then you kind of have to, like, hope for the best in some ways, and you. And you expect, like, they'll make mistakes sometimes, like the rest of us. But, like, I feel like as I've grown, there's no really other option than getting help and delegating things. So it's definitely hard, but it's like, sort of like something you got to push through as you grow.
- [19:29]
Lizzie Smiley
Have you found people who've kind of stuck with you through time? I think that was so, for me, when I was doing the sign shop, I had to have people come in and help me paint. But for the first, at least couple months they were there. I was having to redo everything they did. But there's no other way to learn other than to learn sloppy. Do you know it? Like, it's just how it had to be. But the problem was when after like, three to six months, they kind of, you know, would move on because also it was going to be seasonal. Right. So, like, in fairness. Yeah. And come March, I'm not going to have a ton of work to delegate.
- [19:58]
Emily Bowser
Yeah. I mean, I have been lucky to have found the. The production help that I do in San Diego. That's kind of been with me for a long time now. And they, like, I. I felt passionate about them and investing in them. So I've continued. Even when there's been mistakes, I try to, you know, coach and advise. Like, okay, this is how you do it. This is how it can be better. And, like, I've seen them get better with their skills. So I've tried to, like, instead of try to find other people, really invest in them. And my one assistant who does a lot of the embroidery help for me, I've even, like, by way of investing in her, like, I. As she's been taking on more work, as she's been doing more, like, I make it a point of paying her really well.
- [20:42]
Lizzie Smiley
Yes.
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Emily Bowser
Like, that's important to me. Like, I. I pay her well above minimum wage, like, for everything she does and like, that, like. And that's maybe just more of, like, the values of a business owner, one way or another. But, like, I believe if you Want quality employees who do their best work. You have to, you have to pay them well. So, yes, I'm not trying to kind of like pinch pennies in that. Like, I want, I really value high quality in my production and I want a high quality employee and like, I'm gonna pay to support that. So I think that also has really helped because she's more motivated to learn and improve and stick around. And like, that only ends up benefiting me as well. So I think that is another thing that has been helpful in kind of keeping those employees.
- [21:28]
Lizzie Smiley
I love you so much, Emily. We are on exactly the same page. I think people stick around when you pay them really well. I always try to pay like almost double minimum wage. And I would rather, I'm not taking a loss, but I would rather invest in price the person, A, because it's the right thing to do, but B, because long term they're going to stick. They're going to like, there's, they're not going to want to go anywhere else. It's. They're going to have a vested interest. And I think that, like, that. I think that strategy is so underutilized and it's hard as an Etsy seller. Right. We are small businesses. But I think your attitude of just, I'm going to stick it out in my corporate job and I'm going to delegate this and I'm going to take the slow road is the way to build the solid foundation. That, that means that long term you really can pivot as opposed to pivot jobs, as opposed to having to like scrap this in a few years because it's too, it's too much. I absolutely love that. Okay. And I started trying, I started asking earlier and then I asked you for other questions instead because this is classic Lizzie. When you chose this particular product, you had such a solid background. Like you kind of. And not all of us have this advantage. Right. I definitely was not in interior, like, you know, interior decorating before choosing signs. I can't decorate anything. But you have a fashion background. Did that really inform you choosing this niche?
- [22:40]
Emily Bowser
Well, it's interesting because I have gone through some evolutions of my. The products that I sell. I like when I first started, and like I mentioned, I kind of started building a Shopify first and then kind of brought in Etsy after I started really looking at and creating women's wear. When I left my design job to go to business school, I was working for anthropology doing women's blouses, soft woven dresses. So that's kind of where my mind was at. So I was designing pieces kind of my. My aesthetic, but, like, that's kind of what my, like, most recent design experience was. So I was doing a lot of that, and I was sewing all of those myself. And a lot of them were very detailed and intricate. And I realized, like, the pieces were beautiful and I was getting like. And other ones I was doing with, like, smocked embroidery on Etsy. I was. Would get sales, but I had to sell them for like $300. Like, they were. They were. So. Because there was so much intricacy and work and I. People would like. I did have people buy them. I mean, not like, super frequently, but I got sales. But I didn't want to keep doing that. I didn't want to have to charge people $300 or something. Like, I didn't feel good about that. I also was thinking, like, already thinking long term how I wanted to grow this business. You know, unless you're competing with, like, couture brands, like, it was going to be really hard to compete at any scale doing that. So I started exploring other products, and that's where I first got into these vintage, like, vintage inspired sweatshirts with stitched letters. Kind of. My aesthetic has always been, like, inspired by vintage. I love vintage clothing and, like, the details of the stitching and the embroidery. And that's kind of where my kind of passion was. So I first started with this one type of sweatshirt that started to pick up traction really well, and I pivoted away from the women's wear and kind of like slowly weeded those out and then went full into these, like, stitch letter sweatshirts. After having success with that for a few years, I was really interested in getting into embroidery and like, specifically, like, the chain stitch script type of embroidery and like, the vintagey vibe that that had. I had never embroidered in my entire life. Like, I had done plenty of sewing, but I never embroidered at all. But I really wanted, like, to try this, and I believed that it would be worthwhile. So this was like, the first, like, big investment I made in my business. I like, bought an embroidery machine and I didn't want to buy, like, a little one. I was like, I need to buy the one that I believe is, like, the right one to get. And it was like a $12,000 boring machine, which, like, I had never. I mean, like, it was like, it was a big leap of faith because I, like I said I never. I never even embroidered before. Like, I was like, not that I didn't think I could do it, but I Was like, I'm assuming I'll be able to sell things with this. This is, like, a big investment with, like, no proven sales behind it, but I'm gonna go for it. I think my husband was like, you're crazy. But, like, I ended up, like, being able to basically, like, I put it on a credit card. I don't recommend that for everyone, but that's what I did. And then, like, was able with my sales. I think I, like, completely paid it off, like, three months later or something like that. So, like, it worked out. I, like, kind of. I got it. I hustled things, took off, and, like, it. It worked. But, like, that was probably. That's kind of, like, how I got to, like, the embroidery side of things. And, like, not saying I would necessarily recommend that, but that's. That's what I did in an end up working out. Okay for that.
- [26:10]
Lizzie Smiley
Okay. But I have to know, I. I have such an itch to try. Is. Is embroidery hard to learn? Was it hard?
- [26:16]
Emily Bowser
Well, there's a million different ways you can do it. I really focus on the. This, like, chain stitch script. It's beautiful.
- [26:23]
Lizzie Smiley
I'm obsessed with my sweatshirt. Obsessed. I get compliments everywhere I go. It is my favorite piece of clothing. If I wasn't so insecure about my neck, I would be wearing it right now. I'm obsessed, Emily.
- [26:36]
Emily Bowser
So that. I mean, like, I. There was a bit of a learning curve to figure out because, like, And I don't know that I even. I kind of charted my own way to figure out how to do it. I had to, like, find the right, like, learn all about embroidery fonts, which I didn't know about. And then I had to buy this embroidery software, which I knew nothing about, that I used to design the actual, like, the text for each sweatshirt. And then you have to. So I kind of had to figure out my own process, which there was no, like, the way I do all of this. Like, there were no resources for that that I could find. Really.
- [27:06]
Lizzie Smiley
Like, you could sell and package that?
- [27:08]
Emily Bowser
Yeah. But then I would have not have my unique. Unique thing, maybe.
- [27:12]
Lizzie Smiley
I know I can't help myself. I'm sorry.
- [27:16]
Emily Bowser
But yeah, so that. There was definitely a learning curve. Like, I wouldn't say it's hard, but it was trial and error. Trial and error of figuring out, like, I had the vision of what I wanted. And, like, without a playbook, you kind of have to, like, inch your way along of, like, okay, what. What is the qu. Like, what is the question? I'm trying to figure out, like the question is like, how do I get a font like this? And then you're like, you solve that piece and then you're like, okay, but how do I get it to do this? And then you have to solve that piece.
- [27:43]
Lizzie Smiley
So.
- [27:44]
Emily Bowser
And honestly, like that's how I've done most of the things in my business is like breaking it down into the questions and then you have to like go out and solve them one by one. And like that's sort of like how I inched forward in a lot of ways. So yes, long story short, it's not. There's a bit of a learning curve, but I don't know, you kind of just got to jump in and figure out in a lot of ways.
- [28:07]
Lizzie Smiley
Are.
- [28:07]
You a print on demand or digital product, Etsy seller who's tight on time or still learning all of the Etsy secrets? I totally remember the days of having no idea what product to create next before I learned how to make those informed decisions. So I can really identify with where you're at. I know how stressful and frustrating it can be to just create listing after listing and see little to no results. You wonder what you're doing wrong and you just want someone to tell you what to create that's actually going to sell. Where are those opportunities? So let me give you a leg up with my weekly trends and opportunities report. You just join my membership and every Monday I'm going to send you an email with a list of exactly what is trending right now with a video tutorial showing you how I found those trends and how to apply them in your shop. We're taking guesswork and time, extensive time off of your table. I'm also going to send you five print on demand and digital product opportunities that are growing in demand right now, helping new shops make sales and still have very low saturation in the marketplace. So your tight schedule, your newbie status doesn't have to hold you back anymore. I'm going to help you earn while you learn. You can grab my free demo to start and see an example of what the weekly trends and opportunities email looks like right from the show notes, see what you're going to get and I will see you on the inside soon.
- [29:23]
Okay, so I have to ask this. So the sweatshirt I got guys, it has my kids names stitched along the side of the collar so she had to not only figure out how to do the font but how to get it to arch. And now I'm wondering if you have to do math for every single one that you do because it's a different length of characters that you then have to chain along the exact. Right. And then the size of the shirt, too. Does it change based on the size of the church shirt and the names? I need. I just need to know how complicated this is.
- [29:50]
Emily Bowser
So there's an embroidery software that I use with this. You can import photos to use as like a. Like a base kind of. And then you can design the embroidery, like on the photo, sort of, if that makes sense as a background. So, like, I can do that to really mock up on the computer how it will look.
- [30:10]
Lizzie Smiley
Okay.
- [30:11]
Emily Bowser
So that's how I can tell based on whatever the order is, how big it's going to be, how long it's going to be, how to adjust the curve and things like that. And then you'll be able to use that to kind of like translate on the sweatshirt. So that's kind of how I figure out, like, the placement and things like that.
- [30:25]
Lizzie Smiley
So the software is doing the calculus?
- [30:27]
Emily Bowser
Yeah, pretty much.
- [30:29]
Lizzie Smiley
Thank goodness, because I was over here like, whoa, you need a math PhD in addition to be able to. That is. That is so cool. Okay, what. What equipment are you loving? What are you using? What's working?
- [30:42]
Emily Bowser
Well, I mean, I think like, one of the things, like, probably a lot of your listeners are aware of the various Etsy kind of tools out there that help you with, you know, seeing what traffic looks like, keywords, stuff like that. And like, honestly, I don't use those very much. I mean, I have dabbled in the past on that, but it's not. I don't know. I don't. I don't put a lot of clout in that. So, like, personal preference. But I would say something that's maybe a little bit different that's been instrumental for me is a software. Well, it's a tool that I. It's Notion is the tool.
- [31:13]
Lizzie Smiley
Yeah, yeah.
- [31:15]
Emily Bowser
Like a way. And you could maybe use something like a Google Sheets. But, like, I use Notion to track all of my production and all of my orders. And it's super helpful in getting things organized so they can be done like in a batch process. So I learned early on, like, basically I was like, even before FAIR began and I got started working in that I had my Shopify and two different Etsy shops. And trying to manage all the orders was just like, impossible because everyone had customization details. I would have to click into one account to see what was. What order was coming up, when. And like, what is the date? And like, I would forget. And then before I Knew it. Like, oh, my gosh. And this one over here is due, like, it was. They were all in different places. So I started this tracker in notion that basically brings together all of my orders from all of my shops and it organizes them by the product. So the specific type of sweatshirt, the size, the color, the design that's needed. Is it embroidered? Is it stitched? Like, it has all these details in it. And from there I can filter to see, like, okay, what are all the embroidered items in the production queue and kind of prep all that together at one point. Or I can print that as a list and give it to my assistant and she has that to work off of. And it also has the dates things are due. So, like, it really helps kind of consolidate all of the production we do so we don't miss anything. And if I have to place an order for sweatshirts, I can see like automatically in that list, like, these are the colors, these are the sizes, and, like, makes it so much easier. So that is a lifesaver. If you have like a shop with a ton of personalization details, it. Yeah, I mean, I would say that's probably my, like, holy grail like, tool that I use. That not even like a normal Etsy tool, but it's super, super helpful.
- [33:03]
Lizzie Smiley
Well, it makes. It makes perfect sense. Like somebody who's doing something as specific and handmade and in demand is what you are. Like, most people can't compete with you. You know what I mean? So you don't need the SEO tools as much as others would. Like you already, we already know it's in demand. You're not adding a new, like, how many products you have in your shop.
- [33:21]
Emily Bowser
So we really only have, like, I mean, I don't know the number offhand. Like, I don't have a ton of different products. I have different listings that showcase kind of different styling, different colors. Like some on a man, some on a woman. So, like, I have a lot of different listings. They're all. Not all unique products. I mean, we don't make. It's only, you know, probably less than 10 different, like, products.
- [33:46]
Lizzie Smiley
Products, right? You have like 30 something listings.
- [33:48]
Emily Bowser
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And I've paired that down a lot. I used to do a lot more, and then I kind of like, wanted to keep it simple and like, easy to navigate. So.
- [33:57]
Lizzie Smiley
Yeah, but you're a rare. You're a rare butterfly because typically, like a lot of the Etsy sellers that listen print on Demand or digital products, and even handmade, they have to have a lot of skus and so you don't need to be adding new because so let me just give everyone a little bit of a lesson on how the algorithm works. So we add new listings regularly because it helps boost us in the algorithm and also it helps us find out what's going to sell really well. When you're in the handmade space, you don't need to do that because your sales, your constant sales will create more traffic to your shop. So when I'm saying continue to add new listings either a, it's because you're selling a very low profit item and you need to move a lot of volume, kind of like a Walmart. You've got to have a lot of choices and you've got to sell a lot of it to make the same money that Emily can make with fewer products that are, that have a higher profit margin. So every time hers, her, she makes a sale, so long as she's selling something that's in high demand, that's moving, it's going to keep her established in the algorithm and she's going to keep getting views, visits, favorites, sales. When you're in a, when you have to stack your income more in a, in a shop that's moving print on demand or moving digital products, it's going to work differently. So that makes complete sense. How are you? I mean, and this is why I think people who are willing to go the handmade route and make a higher quality product, honestly. And like, the more I'm about to do like a whole episode on this, but the more that AI continues to take over the workspace and we have to, we, we all have to pivot and a lot of jobs won't exist anymore. If we can create experiences for people, whether it's in person and it's, or it's entertainment or it's a beautiful handmade product, something like that, that's how we can stay relevant. So someone like you is so perfectly positioned for what's coming. Emily, it makes me really excited for you and it makes me want to just like show you to the world, be like, pay attention to what Emily's doing and find your way. Whether it's cupcakes or it's, you know, crocheted stuffies for a newborn or it's whatever it is, something handmade. But how are you then finding your SEO? How do you go about it?
- [35:56]
Emily Bowser
Yeah, I mean, it's interesting because I have tried a lot of different things and ironically, like for me I found that like my best seller listings tend to be like, it's the same. Like, I try to, like, update ones or I try new tactics or new, new things. And like, I like my one adult sweatshirt. That's the, like, the best my best seller is. Continues to be. I think, like, the lifetime sales I've had on that is like $50,000 from like one listing because it just continues to be the one that performs the best. So I'm like, well, I'm not going to, I'm not going to mess with that if that one keeps, like, keeps going. So, like, that's one is like, if it's working, I let it go. And I. In the past, I've done more, like, frequent changes and try to be up on like, the seasonal trends and have a different SEO, like every time it's, you know, back to school and this and that. And like, I do, like, try to change them, like, seasonally, but I also don't want to overwork it because I think that can go against you. And I also like big picture. Like, I've thought, like, the amount of time I could get in the nitty gritty on this SEO, like, is that really the best use of my time for you?
- [37:06]
Lizzie Smiley
It's not.
- [37:08]
Emily Bowser
Yeah. Like, like, so, like, like, I think it comes down to that too. Like, how much, like, what really is your ROI on, like, tweaking things on SEO and like, if you can do it quickly and you test and learn and you iterate and like, find what works and dive in, like, do that. But if it's, if it's a crutch of like, tweaking my SEO is me being busy and like, feeling like I'm productive. But it's not actually, like, changing my bottom line. Like, don't do that. Like, that's not like. Because I've fallen into that trap too, where it's like, oh, yeah, I'm gonna. It's on my to do list. I gotta update my SEO. And like, how much does that really help you? So I don't know, maybe this is unpopular opinion, but, like, I, I definitely don't, like, I don't kill myself over SEO. I think what I've also found in doing some research is, like, a lot of the best sellers depends on the product. But in things that I'm looking at, their SEO is really bad. They're just like, they've gotten a lot of sales in the past, like, with literally, like, horrible, no SEO, horrible titles, and they just continue to stay at the top because they're at the top. And it's the one that's seen and so they just, they just stay up there. So.
- [38:16]
Lizzie Smiley
Or they're driving their own traffic.
- [38:18]
Emily Bowser
Or they're driving their own traffic. I have found that like what can help, like get your SEO, like do the research, learn how to do the SEO. Yes. I'm not saying like don't do it, just like don't kill yourself like hours over it when like at some point the ROI is not there. But the other thing that I have found, like to try to help if you're trying to get boosted more to be seen is a combination of sale, a state running a sale, like a discount and then paid ads. Because if you can pay for the ad to at least get you seen and you have the sale running and kind of like jumpstart that traffic, it can then even when you turn that off, if you can get the boost initially from there, it can kind of keep you, keep you there. It's like the way to get seen. It's not a long term strategy, it's like a short term get seen. You have to have the good product to back it up. It's not going to work if your product isn't good.
- [39:08]
Lizzie Smiley
Exactly.
- [39:10]
Emily Bowser
But it is, it can help to kind of like jump start you to the front and then it's up to you, if with your product, with your customer service, all of that to like maintain that position. So that's. No.
- [39:20]
Lizzie Smiley
And you don't, you don't. This is what I love. You do not need to worry about SEO so much because you are making a high demand handmade product. It's those of us who are trying to compete in other spaces where there is a ton more competition. So few people can compete with you. Who's going out to buy a $12,000 machine with no proof of concept? Who is. We haven't even gotten into your photos yet and your photo shoots yet. I don't know.
- [39:43]
Emily Bowser
It was a risk, but no, here's the thing.
- [39:45]
Lizzie Smiley
Do you know what? Okay, so first of all, I'm going to say some things. First of all, I love that you put it on a credit card because if it hadn't worked out, you could have gone and sold it, made back most of your money and you could have paid off that credit card at least most of the way. So you didn't take on as much personal risk. That is what businesses do. They leverage money, individuals freak out about credit, leverage big, big business leverages credit. Do I think that can get abusive? Absolutely. But it's also like, how many of us have a mortgage? Do we think that that's wrong. We don't. We're leveraging. So I think you're a genius. Second of all, you knew the industry. You were not you. You didn't come from fashion and be like, I'm gonna sell. I'm gonna invest $12,000 in creating finance tracking software, which would have been something you would have had no grid for. You know what I mean? Like, you made an educated decision based on what you already knew. You guys heard her intro. This girl. This girl could put me to shame. Like her. Your resume is insane. Insane. So you were going into an industry that you knew you work already worked for the heavy hitters. So, like, there are things that are happening here that isn't just the everyday Etsy seller, but also, again, like, I think that we have to take calculated risks, like maybe unpopular opinion. I even print on demand. You have to have a credit card to have print on demand. I lost my train of thought, but I liked my rant anyway. There was actually like something very specific I was going to address and then it went right out of my brain. What about. Let's, let's then pivot until it comes back to me. Let's talk about your photos. Because your, your photos are unexpected. They're, they're, they're like, they're perfect. They're like a little bit vintage. You kind of look at it and you're like, is this from a 90s catalog? So. But in the best way in a, like a. Emily understands the marketplace better than anybody kind of a way. Are you taking those photos and videos yourself?
- [41:30]
Emily Bowser
So I, my photos have gone through like everything, an iterative process. But when I was started, when I started, I, I had to figure out, like, with the sweatshirts, I had to figure out how to take photos of that in a way that I felt like, looked good. And I struggled at first to figure that out, figure that out. And then I. One of the ways that I ended up doing it and kind of like diving into was I got a, like a, like a backdrop, like a fake. And, and I live in, like, I live in San Diego. It's nice weather, but like, we have a tiny little house. And like, I don't have a ton of space for like a photo room. So I found a faux wood backdrop like, that I could roll out just in like a well lit area of my house. And then I did research, like looking on store websites, looking on Pinterest. I'm like, how do you fold a sweatshirt in a way that like, looks professional and like, and like I Had to just figure, test it, try whatever. I came up with a formula that worked to kind of fold the sweatshirt in a way that looked normal and not too big and would kind of work in the size of an Etsy photo and put it on that wood background and I took photos on there like for a long time of like every item that I ever made I took a picture of it. So I had every possible combination photographed every color, like just everything I before I shipped out every order I was like take a photo, take a photo, take a photo. Yeah, continue to like build that in and then so that I could have a ton of listing photos. But then also I had them in my back pocket. If ever, ever, ever anyone was like, what is this sweatshirt? A red sweatshirt with white letters look like I'm like I have a photo. So I did that, that was one thing I did with the photos. But and I kind of just iterated on that. I last year I decided to invest in a professional photo shoot because I really felt and like this is also for my shop like to use in my Shopify store and then also on Etsy is that like I felt like having the photos on a person makes a huge difference and I wanted them to look really professional and really well done and I another big investment. I I will say like I am not shy about making investments in my business. If it's a thing that I feel confident in I, I will do it. So this was another big investment but I made sure like basically hedge, hedge as much as I could. I took our most classic, well like well sold styles. I did them in photos that could kind of be evergreen. They weren't super seasonal specific. They weren't really trendy trend specific. They were like very kind of general in a way so that I could use them in a lot of locations. I could use them for years to come. I wanted someone, a man, someone, a woman, some of them together like just kind of like get as much as I could out of that photo shoot. So that was another thing I think was huge for me is to enable kind of the on person product photos in addition to the sort of flat lay ones.
- [44:21]
Lizzie Smiley
Have you seen a difference? Are the models converting better for you than the flat lays?
- [44:24]
Emily Bowser
I haven't actually seen that on Etsy which is interesting.
- [44:27]
Lizzie Smiley
I don't think it would. Yeah, it's interesting like curious to see.
- [44:31]
Emily Bowser
And like because it definitely I feel like stands out on Etsy. But like yeah, I don't know, I haven't, I haven't actually noticed them to do any better than the flat lays.
- [44:39]
Lizzie Smiley
A few years ago they did like, they definitely models worked better a few years ago and now flat lays are everything. It's really interesting. It totally changed in the last 48, no, 24 months and maybe you can.
- [44:49]
Emily Bowser
See the details, you can see the details a little better. I think on the flat lay it could be that. But then the last thing I was just going to say about the photos is I've found for me all the photos that I, and I do take photos. I have a separate office studio now with some space to do like hanging photos. I have a little more room there, but I take all my photos with a nice Canon camera. IPhones are great. You can take great iPhone photos. I personally don't do any iPhone photos for any of my shops. I find that the professional DSLR Canon camera just, just it blows them out of the water every time. So I take them all with that camera and then I will edit them in lightroom, like light editing. Just if the color, if the, you know, different tweaks need to be made and I just think that they're crisper, they look more professional and I think it goes a long way. So to me, photos like on Etsy, like, it's another thing that's worth investing in. Like, and you may have to test and figure out for your product what works best. But like, it's like so, so, so important.
- [45:55]
Lizzie Smiley
I think I love how you said that you first spent a bunch of time looking at how a number of stores, brands that had the aesthetic that you wanted to be inspired by you. Like we call that building your brain. Cash and I always talk about that before people even go to design or, or create a new product is go and study what's trending. Well, not to copy it, but to understand. Because nine times out of ten if I do a shop audit in my coaching group, the problem is design quality. You're either, you either don't understand the trends, you're not paying attention to the details and you just need to level up the design you do. It's the same thing for the mock ups or in your case the photos because there's no way you could use mockups. There's not good enough like software to show how embroidery would look. Yet our workarounds are mediocre at best. So you went and paid attention to those details before you tried to do it. You also, I think probably drew on your experience. But the rest of us, we have to, we have to pay attention to the details. And I totally remembered thank you to you. What I was going to say before, and I'm glad because when you were saying that you used to go in and seasonally, like, test different SEO and backdrops and things like that, I just wanted to tell people, if you have a listing that's performing well, don't edit the actual listing. And Emily's talked about doing this before. Duplicate the listing that's doing well and make the changes there. So if she wanted to do something for, like, with Christmas SEO or Christmas photo, she would take her listing that's doing really well with her bestseller sweatshirt, duplicate that listing, and make the changes there, and she'd leave the original alone so that she wouldn't affect her standing in the algorithm. Because the minute you change a title, a tag, or your photos, especially that thumbnail photo, you get refiltered in that algorithm. So don't mess with it. I'm guessing that, like, just wanted to make sure people heard that, because when you were saying tweaking them, I was like, oh, yeah, someone's going to assume just go in and change it out.
- [47:37]
Emily Bowser
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, like, I will say if I have some that are just, like, totally, like, dead listing, they. They. If they're not doing well anyway, I'm like, well, there's nothing to lose on that one. But certainly if it's doing well, I'm like, well, I'm just gonna leave that baby alone.
- [47:51]
Lizzie Smiley
Exactly, exactly. You know, some of it is just, like, that instinct, right? Like, you and I literally became entrepreneurs at the age of, like, eight. So we've tried things enough, but a lot of people are new to it, and they just don't. That just doesn't even occur to them yet. And so I want to prevent anyone from putting themselves in hot water. What. What about the. The videos? Did you do your own listing videos before the videos?
- [48:09]
Emily Bowser
I usually just do. I mean, like, I. I think I have a few different ones on there. Like, some I've tested, I've had some where I kind of did where, like, I modeled it. And, like, we kind of. It kind of like zooms in and out on me. I tried some of that. Mostly I do them where I kind of, like, pan over the sweatshirt so you can see the details really closely is generally what I do for them just to be able to, like, really see, like, the stitching and, like, the style specifics of the item. But, like, those I do on my iPhone, and I feel like that works just fine.
- [48:41]
Lizzie Smiley
That's perfect. Because literally adding B roll onto a photo shoot is no inexpensive addition.
- [48:47]
Emily Bowser
Yeah. I mean, and the photo shoot was like, I. Another one of those things where, like, I certainly wouldn't recommend that to everyone. But the other thing I'll mention about the photo shoot is there are ways, depending on what your product is, that you can kind of do this on a cheaper scale. I mean, before when I started and I had like, no, literally no money for a photo shoot, I, like, made a plan with myself, like, okay, today's the photo shoot. I'm gonna do this. I, like, made a list of, like, I want this type of photo, this type of photo. This, like, I made my shot list. I gathered all, like, all the things I was gonna need, and it made it happen really quickly. So, like, you can still do that on your own as, like, one option if you have no photo shoot budget. But the other thing that I also did for a kids photo shoot this year is I had a photographer that I had partnered with in the past, and she's in. I forget where she is. She's not in San Diego. She's in, like, Montana or something. Like, she doesn't even live here. But she does a lot of, like, she's a photographer and has. Does adults and kids photos. So I contracted her to do a kids photo shoot for me. She found, like, the child models that she was going to be using. She gave me their sizes and their names, and I made kind of like, designed all the products I wanted to be shot. I sent them to her in a box. I gave her, like, images of the direction I wanted for the shoot and how I wanted them styled. And she did the shoot remotely and then, like, sent the stuff back and got me the photos. So, like, it's just another way you can do it if. Depending on where you live, if you're like, I live in, you know, there's nowhere. There's no photographers here. Like, this isn't a photo place. Or like, you can find someone who's elsewhere and like, like, there's ways to do it if you're creative. So that's just another even avenue to think down if you're willing to invest but maybe not go, like, as high budget as, like, my adult photo shoot that I did. You there. There's like, in between middle grounds you can find too.
- [50:46]
Lizzie Smiley
I'm so glad you talked about this because it. It's. I'm kind of running an experiment right now to see. To compare, like, the photos that I took with my iPhone in a shop against professional photos that my photographer, Brittany, she came on the podcast a While back and she's out. She's an outstanding product photographer. Like you would not believe her stuff. But so like kind of running an ab test of here's what it looks like when you do them yourself. And I'm a mediocre. You know, I've done enough before where I can figure it out. I usually still win out on volume. Like I don't have the greatest photos. That's why I was like, well, let's try what happens if I invest a couple thousand dollars in a true shoot, have somebody who really knows what they're doing? What is. I just want to be able to tell everybody what it means. So I love that I have to ship things to her. So I think that's a great. I don't even know what episode that was. I'll link the episode below for anybody who's curious which one that was. If you want to listen. Okay. As we kind of like wrap up here, where do you see your shop a year from now? Like, where do you want to. How do you want to grow this baby? Can we talk about Fair and Shopify? And are you driving traffic from social media? So any of that you want to throw in, please do.
- [51:42]
Emily Bowser
Yeah, I mean I like, like I've mentioned, like I've been taking the slow road. I'd say like the slow strategic road to growth.
- [51:51]
Lizzie Smiley
And she says that and she makes.
- [51:52]
More sales than like everybody. I don't know.
- [51:55]
Emily Bowser
But, but I mean like, and it, but like I said, like I've been sort of hedging for a long time with my corporate job and like that is strategic because I want to, I really want to get to the place where I can like jump off from that and feel really, really good that I have a stable business to, to be going to. So that's kind of the vision and where I hope to be going within the next year. And I've been investing more in my Shopify and what I'm doing there and kind of like wanting to build the brand beyond Etsy. I think Etsy is an amazing place because you have that built in marketplace of traffic there that they don't need to know anything about you. Like, they don't need to find your Instagram. Like you have such a wider net of people you can reach on Etsy. So that will remain a part of our sales strategy, a part of our, like one of our channels. Like, I don't plan to go anywhere off of Etsy, but instead I'm really shifting the focus to kind of expand beyond that and like within my own Shopify store is one place I'm doing that. So I have actually work that's happening right now. I'm working with a graphic designer, brand strategist. We're kind of like building out a new brand identity and going to be updating my Shopify website to really build into that. And then I'm also going to be doing some more influencer partnerships to kind of like help drive traffic there from our social media. So like that's where a lot of my current focus is right now to, to, to be building towards that. And then Fair is interesting because that was not really on my radar after, until being kind of asked by a few, few businesses about that. And it's been like it's grown a ton. Like I've, I think I opened that shop less than a year ago. It was like maybe the end of 2024 I opened that. I think like even in that amount of time I've made like 30 or $40,000 of like wholesale sales through there. So like that and it continues to grow. The margins are lower but you get high ticket order. So and like that's a whole nother like rabbit hole we could go down about that. But like it definitely, if you have a product that can be sold that makes sense to be sold in that way, it's, it's a, could be a really good opportunity for Etsy sellers to explore to like expand their business because you can do way more in sales and like yes, you have the vault, you're doing the product. But like it's repetitive, it's all the same one. So like it's not, it's not as tricky as like one offs you'd be doing on Etsy. So I think like the way I see my business growing is kind of like an amalgamation of all of those. I think there's a role for Etsy, I think there's a role for our own kind of like brand hub in Shopify. And then there's a role to kind of grow as sort of like a revenue engine with the wholesale on Fair. So I think they all have their pieces. But I mean I've like I mentioned invested in employees to help me. I have a virtual like online assistant who helps me like manage orders and, and production and that like tracker I mentioned. So it's all about kind of getting that support system too because I like even to get to where I am now with my business, I could not like, I don't do it alone and I couldn't have done it alone. And there's certainly no way I can like continue to grow by doing it alone. I think that's kind of the vision is to keep doing what we're doing and kind of invest in those sort of unique pockets I mentioned. But hopefully if we chat again on here, I'll be able to tell you about how I quit my corporate job and that'll be the next thing to talk about.
- [55:30]
Lizzie Smiley
But can I be like your fifth phone call after that? Like, call your mom, call your aunt, whatever. And then somewhere in there, like, lizzy, it's time. That would be incredible.
- [55:43]
You're reminding me. I really need to find like a.
- [55:44]
Fair coach to bring on here and talk about. I had. I had a gal who sells unfair like on Etsy and on Fair come on and do a full episode like a over a year ago. And people love that and learn so much. But I think it'd be really cool to find someone who can actually be a bit of a Sherpa for us about it. Oh, I. Maybe I shouldn't. I should probably shouldn't use that word. I apologize. I don't mean any disrespect. Someone who can guide us through. Through.
- [56:07]
Emily Bowser
There is a. I ended up buying her course. It was like how to sell on wholesale. And like she talks a lot about fair. Her name is Emily Gray.
- [56:18]
Lizzie Smiley
Her name is Emily.
- [56:20]
Emily Bowser
Yeah, Emily Gray. I saw it may have even like I saw her through a. Like an Instagram ad or something like that. I don't know how I found her, but she had like a limited podcast where it was like every episode was teaching about like, like a different component of wholesaling and setting. Like it's not just specific to fair, it's more like setting up a wholesale in general. And then she also has some online courses that she does. She actually has her own. She's a retailer with like a really. With a boutique that does really well. So she kind of teaches from the boutique owner, but she's teaching to sellers. So like kind of speaking like I'm a customer, I'm run a boutique and I'm going to tell you the tips of like, like how you can sell to people like me.
- [57:03]
Lizzie Smiley
Did you think it was a really good course?
- [57:04]
Was it worth your investment?
- [57:05]
Emily Bowser
It was. I mean, I don't think it wasn't like a huge investment as far as courses go. I mean some, like you spend a lot more on. I think I got a lot. And like the podcast, she has like a training podcast, or at least it was available when I had it. Like that was really helpful when I got. Was, like, getting my toes into it, like, first, like, where do I even begin? How do I think? From the mindset of wholesale. So I found that to be really, really helpful. I don't. I don't really turn to the course now. It was, like, a good starting point. So she's definitely a good resource for either potentially to have on the show or just like that people could look into if they want to learn more.
- [57:40]
Lizzie Smiley
Yeah, absolutely. I'm gonna, like, I'll reach out to her. Maybe she'll come, come chat. Because I don't. I am, like, for me, wholesale does not sound fun. I think so many of you guys should do it. And if I had a handmade product, that would be one thing. But otherwise, if I had a handmade product, but I was like, yes, let's make a ton of these, it would be one thing.
- [57:57]
Emily Bowser
Yeah.
- [57:57]
Lizzie Smiley
Gosh, there's so many other things I wanted to talk to you about. You are utterly brilliant, Emily. You are.
- [58:04]
Emily Bowser
Well, you know what? Like, I like my. Like I mentioned before, like, I have made my fair share of mistakes. Like, there's certainly things, like, I've, like, learned so much along the way. And, like, I think the key is just like, keep going. Like, keep going. Iterate from the mistakes. Like, iterate. As long as you're improving on something that didn't work, you have to get better. It will get better. You just have to take it all in stride, keep the big picture and just keep going. Yeah.
- [58:38]
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, 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 months 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.
- [59:41]
I can't decide.
- [59:41]
But I put everything that you need to know to fill that beginner knowledge gap into a low ticket hours beginner course 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, in the numbers in the data every day and my mind just keeps expanding on the possibilities. Okay, so, so as a special treat, use the code save50 to save $50 on the six figure secrets course today. That's $50 off with a coupon. Save 50 and by all means DM.
- [60:55]
Me or shoot me an email when.
- [60:56]
Those sales start popping because I want to celebrate with you.
- [61:02]
I think there's so many lessons we can learn from you though. It's take calculated risks, it's expect this to take a long time. It's make make really smart decisions so you're not working out of like desperation, you're working out of creativity. So like keeping your job. It's use other people's money when appropriate. It's gosh, I mean they were like so it, it's take on one, tackle one thing at a time and scale. It's don't try to do it all. I mean literally the, the amount of gold nuggets that you dropped is immense. But you're doing it all the right way. And, and the biggest thing I want people to know is this is completely worth it. And as our culture and economy change with AI, it's going to be the only option for some people. I really think that hospitality and gifting and getting back to craft things is going to be one of the only ways we can differentiate ourselves. Which is why I'm really like staring down handmade a lot again right now. Digital is still great, but I'm like starting to talk about this more Emily because I think it's really important and I think it's going to be an ongoing conversation. Digital and print on demand is still awesome and it's going to become much harder to make enough money as the world changes. So people like you taking the time now to build in the solid foundation. Doing it wisely, like letting it, letting it play out where you're watching it rather than trying to make a rash decision. Delegating so that you can do it that way is so it's wise and it's necessary and it's brands like yours that'll stand the test of time. It's very sobering but it's very true. So creating experiences like what you do. Oh I wanna, I'm so bad. Do you respond to your own DMS on Etsy? I wanna know if I was talking to you or someone else.
- [62:45]
Emily Bowser
For the most part it's me. I one thing I'm trying to like get into more is Etsy now has those like you can do like pre written responses that like I want to do that to save myself some time because I get a lot of the same questions again and again. So I do need to do that. I my assistant who does the production tracker if someone doesn't put in the details of like because everything's customized. Sometimes people like order something and they don't say the color they want or like they don't like they don't add all the details we need for customization. She will often message them if like the details are missing. But for the beyond that the communication comes from me. I'm like, like the one in there doing, doing those.
- [63:24]
Lizzie Smiley
Do you have a let go of control of that? It's seamless.
- [63:27]
Emily Bowser
The other thing I wanted to mention quickly about like just kind of building off like what you were mentioning like the digital and like there's the personal touch is like super important. Like that's. I think another key to success on Etsy is like really good customer service because I think there's a lot of Etsy shops that have really bad customer service. And like, honestly, like when I was like, I never really like thought that I was doing anything that exceptional for customer service. Like, I don't, I don't send like real time updates of your thing or like super, like, like I don't have time for that. So like, I don't think, it's not like I'm doing anything crazy. But like, respond when someone, when someone sends you a message, respond quickly, be friendly, be helpful, like, show you're a real person. Like all those things, like I have people come back to me and they're just like, like, so thankful for a response and so thankful for like the help. Like, like people really value, like, and it's not even like you have to go that far above and beyond and people value it. So like that I think goes a long way. And then the other thing that I think helps to kind of boost with reviews and in line with that is I have also invested in the packing materials that I give to people when I ship orders. I have custom stickers that I use, like to stick, like for every order that I package in, like tissue paper, I have like a, like a custom branded sticker on there. I have a little sticker I put that I seal on every like receipt that I put in there. I have cards that I put in that like, thank you for your purchase. If you love it, leave a review and here's a discount to kind of like encourage those reviews and repeat purchases. And I think that also goes a long way is like the customer experience when they open the package. So that's another thing that I've, I've invested in because I also kind of probably could get cheaper things that I put in there, like the inserts. But I want it to feel like they open it and they're like, oh, wow. Like that I think is like, can go a long way. And then here's another helpful nugget tip that I used in the inserts is I, because I have two Etsy shops, I have a kid shop and an adult shop. And a lot of times people could, you know, you could buy from the adult and you have kids, you just don't know about the kids or vice versa. So for in every kid's order, I have a card that advertises the adult shop with a QR code so they can scan it to go directly to the adult shop. And then I put a kid's one in the adult purchases to basically cross promote for every order that I have. So if you buy from one shop, you'll see like Basically the promotion of the other shop and vice versa, to, like, keep like, as many customers from one to kind of funnel them to the other. And I think that also helps in like, driving, driving traffic, driving awareness. You're kind of have like a warm audience already. They bought from shop A and so, like, serve them a message to send them to Shop B. And so, yeah, that's kind of another way I've tried to be smart about. Like, you have a captive audience with an order that you're sending. Like, how can you leverage that to, like, continue the relationship and continue sort of like the sale even further from that point? So I think that's like also within that customer service thing. That can go. Can go a long way.
- [66:35]
Lizzie Smiley
Do you send them to the Etsy Shop or the Shopify?
- [66:38]
Emily Bowser
I send them to Etsy. I want to, like, it's like. And it's. And potentially in the future I'll send them to Shopify. I'm like, reworking that site right now. So maybe that'll be the strategy going forward. Like, up until now I've tried to, like, keep them in the Etsy ecosystem, but it could be a interesting potential play to kind of then, like, send them over there. I'm always kind of like, and this is sort of also, like, the marketing business is me is like, you think about the customer journey and like the funnel of like, how do I. Every time they're somewhere, how do they send them to, like, the next point and how do they send them to the next point? Like, or even like, you put something in there. Like, another thing I, you could do, anyone could do is like, put in a little card for your Instagram to say, like, hey, and like, follow us on Instagram to kind of like, get them to go to Instagram and like, continue the relationship there. So, like, how do you, how do you leverage that? Yeah, that's another thought.
- [67:26]
Lizzie Smiley
I would be super curious to know what the data would show about because it's better for us as sellers if they go to the Shopify, but I wonder if they'd be more likely to repurchase again from Etsy. Do you know what I mean? It's like keeping them with what they're comfortable with, where all of their data is already input. I would just love to see the math on that. Just what does it say? What does it say gets the better result. It's super interesting.
- [67:51]
Emily Bowser
I don't know. Yeah, it's hard to know, like, if somebody's an Etsy seller, if they come from Etsy or they Just they want to stay in Etsy.
- [67:56]
Lizzie Smiley
Yeah.
- [67:57]
Emily Bowser
I mean, the benefit of, like, what I don't have as much on, like, Etsy has the social proof aspect built into it that, like, right now my Shopify doesn't. You can see my store has X amount of sales. It has X amount of reviews. You can read reviews, you see review photos. Like, you have that assurance there. Like, my Shopify, like, it's a little more like, if you're coming from Etsy, maybe you have a little bit like, of the reassurance. But like, right now you're like, this is a known website. Like, if you come from Instagram, you're like, I don't know what this business is. Like, there's no, like, there's no reviews on here right now. Like, how do I know? Like, so Etsy has at least that going forward of like, you can kind of build that reputation a little bit more easily with those, like.
- [68:36]
Lizzie Smiley
And Etsy has your back with a guarantee.
- [68:37]
Right.
- [68:38]
Like, they'll refund your order. It's. Right now I'm in two. And I'm not a big complainer. I'm. I'm the person who will eat the meal that came wrong to the table at the restaurant. I will not complain. I will still give a great. I'll probably. If I get bad service, I'll give a better tip. Like, I'm, I'm like that I don't complain. But I am in two disputes right now with online, just random Shopify sites that did me dirty. So it's, it's, It'll be interesting to see too, as the. I feel like the scams are going through the roof, but you have the advantage of. You're sending them from an Etsy, an Etsy purchase. Do you know what? They already know you. They already know your product. You have, like, you can leverage that. So we're just gonna have to talk again, Emily. We're just, we just have too many things to talk about. And we got into, we got into so much of the nitty gritty. This was, this was such a fun conversation for me. And I really want to thank you because you've served our audience so beautifully. Like, there's been so much just wealth that you've shared, knowledge that you've shared. And I just want to thank you so much for, for taking your time to do that with us today.
- [69:39]
Emily Bowser
Yeah, of course. And like I, like I said, I've always been kind of like, looking for more resources about Etsy and trying to learn as much as I can. So, like, to be able to give back to other people, like, trying to do the same thing. Like, I mean, I've. I've been there. I'm still there. Like, I'm always like, how can I learn from other people? So I'm just happy to be able to contribute and help in that way.
- [69:57]
Lizzie Smiley
Okay, well, I would love to keep in touch. There's so much I want to know. I'm so excited for you. You're of part position for utter greatness. So, you guys, thank you so much for listening in today. I'm sure you loved Emily and everything she had to say as much as I did. We will get her back. I'm gonna do everything I can. But until next week, y' all go make something awesome. I love you guys. Bye. Bye.
- [70:16]
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 how to Sell, 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 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.