Podcast Summary: How to Sell Your Stuff on Etsy

Episode 209 | She made $725k in under 3 years with Giftable POD– with EcommEmily
Host: Lizzie Smiley | Guest: EcommEmily (Emily) | Air Date: November 27, 2025

Overview

This episode dives deep into EcommEmily's incredible journey from former educator to Etsy entrepreneur, scaling her print-on-demand (POD) gift-focused shops to over $725,000 in under three years. Emily joins Lizzie Smiley to share actionable strategies for Etsy sellers, especially those seeking fast, sustainable growth without focusing on apparel. The conversation is honest, practical, and full of encouragement for both beginners and scaling sellers.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Starting & Mindset for New Sellers

[04:26] Emily on "Secrets" to Success:

• There are no hidden secrets or magic tricks. Consistency and willingness to be bad at first are the keys.
  • “A lot of it is being really willing to be bad at something... I was awful, my designs were terrible.” – Emily [04:44]
• Be prepared for slow starts—progress comes from repetition and continuous improvement.

Emily’s Core Mindset Tips:

• Consistency beats talent at the start (show up, keep learning, keep posting).
• Be willing to push through "zero sales" days—these are normal and necessary.
• Experiment boldly: The worst outcome is that a listing gets ignored.

2. Why Emily Focuses on Giftable Print-On-Demand Products

[06:10] EcommEmily’s Main Strategic Shift:

• Instead of crowded t-shirts, Emily found explosive growth with giftable products: candles, journals, tote bags, mugs, ornaments.
  • “You don’t have to worry about sizing or material... There’s a lot more room for new sellers to be successful.” – Emily [07:01]

Why Gifts Work on Etsy

• Etsy is marketing itself as a gift platform (“Come to Etsy to buy gifts”—Etsy commercials [07:12]).
• These products:
  • Stand out with less competition than apparel.
  • Are appealing for their uniqueness and personal touch.

3. Pricing & Margins in POD

[08:51] Pricing Strategies:

• Emily targets a minimum 30% profit margin, but often achieves 45–50% on items like hardcover journals.
  • “Don’t shortchange yourself. You can make 30% margins or higher easy in print on demand.” – Emily [09:32]
• Even with competitors pricing low, unique and emotionally resonant designs command higher prices.

4. What Makes Products Sell? (Designs and Emotional Connection)

[10:46] The Design Secret: Simplicity and Specificity

• Many top sellers are simple text designs targeting a micro-community or niche.
  • “Some of my best-selling designs are literally five words in black text.” – Emily [12:23]
• Emotional resonance beats trendy graphics for giftable products.
  • “I could find these unique pockets of people... and put words together that spoke to them.” – Emily [13:03]
• Simple, relevant wording (often “inside jokes” of a profession, hobby, or group) outperforms “trendy” t-shirts for gifts.

5. Fast-Tracking Success: System & Focus

[17:13] High Output Through Templates & Focus

• Emily’s initial goal: 2 listings a day—made sustainable by using repeatable design templates.
• Study successful niche shops. Many succeed by:
  • Focusing on just one or two product types.
  • Creating design variations with only minor changes (e.g., same candle label, new niche wording).
• Deep market research is vital: “Become a wizard at one product.”

6. Research Tactics for Winning Products

[24:43] How to Find Demand (and Ignore ‘Keyword Scores’):

• Focus on finding real sales activity, not just keyword tool recommendations.
  • “I’m actually not a fan of keyword scores... Go onto Etsy and search—see what’s actually selling.” – Emily [25:13]
• Use tools like EverBee or Profit Tree for real Etsy data:
  • Filter by “Bestseller” or products that have sold recently.
  • Look for new listings (few months old) with strong sales as proof that the niche isn’t saturated.
    • “If a new listing can rank, my new listing can rank for it.” – Lizzie [29:13]

7. Emily’s Year-One Story: Wild Early Success

[32:42] $173,000 Revenue in Year One

• Started Jan 1 as a “New Year’s resolution.”
• Apparel (t-shirts) floundered until she pivoted to candles, journals, and other gift products.
• Candles, in particular, “took off” almost instantly.
• Year one Q4 was pivotal: 125 sales in a single day on Black Friday.
  • “I made more in those three months than I had the rest of the year.” – Emily [37:38]
• Success attributed to matching products to emotional gifting occasions and being “willing to be messy.”

8. Scaling Up, Staying Grounded

[38:46] $725,000 in Three Years

• Emily doesn’t set revenue goals; she focuses on daily, controllable actions (listings, research, customer service).
  • “Control what you can control... I rarely even look at my revenue.” – Emily [38:54]
• Still actively selling, designing, and engaging with her community.

9. Practical Black Friday & Cashflow Tips

[41:05] Running Black Friday Sales

• Emily joins Etsy-wide sales to get platform promotion, keeps other strategies simple.
• On cashflow: Big surges (like Black Friday) mean you may hit credit card limits before Etsy payouts catch up.
  • Emily managed with daily credit card payments and business cards; suggests planning ahead but assures “there’s a way through it.” [43:24]

10. The Gift Lab Course & Support Resources

[49:16] How Emily Teaches Others

• The Gift Lab course (normally $297, Black Friday: $147) covers:
  • A–Z of launching a successful, non-apparel POD shop
  • Templates for five top gift products
  • Micro-niche workbook to generate product ideas
  • Personalization strategies, SEO, research tutorials
  • Community access: weekly coaching calls, trend reports, audits, continuous support
• Membership includes “Trend Tuesday,” audits, and an evergreen research approach.

Connect with Emily

• Instagram & YouTube: @ecommemily
• Gift Lab preps sellers for the current and upcoming market shifts and is touted for comprehensiveness and support.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Be willing to be bad at something. The path to getting better was to be willing to be bad at it and just put it out there.” – Emily [04:48]
• “You don’t have to kill yourself in apparel when you get started.” – Lizzie [55:30]
• “Become a wizard at one product... There’s so much to dig into in that space. Sometimes if you just stay put, you’re able to see all the opportunity there.” – Emily [19:06]
• “Some of my best-selling designs are literally five words on a product in black text.” – Emily [12:23]
• “If a new listing can rank... then my new listing can rank for it.” – Lizzie [29:13]
• “I never set revenue goals, I just focus on actions I can control.” – Emily [38:54]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 04:26 – Mindset & “No magic secrets” for new sellers
• 07:10 – Giftable POD products vs. apparel
• 08:51 – Pricing strategies and margins in POD
• 12:04 – Why simple, text-focused designs work
• 17:13 – Listing strategies: output, batching, and research focus
• 24:43 – How to research demand: new listings, bestseller analysis
• 32:42 – Emily’s year 1 story and pivot from apparel to gifts
• 38:46 – Hitting $725k, scalability, and staying focused
• 41:05 – Black Friday sales, cashflow challenges, practical tips
• 49:16 – The Gift Lab course, student community, and resource overview

Tone & Takeaways

This episode is packed with honest, actionable wisdom from someone who has genuinely “been there.” The tone is warm, supportive, and empowering. Both Lizzie and Emily encourage listeners to be patient, focus on controllable actions, get scrappy and curious, and remember there’s plenty of room at the table for new sellers.

Key Takeaway:
If you want to grow fast on Etsy with POD, focus on emotionally resonant, giftable products, research with real Etsy data (not just keywords), iterate quickly, and don’t be afraid to do it badly at first. Consistency, niche focus, and willingness to learn are far more important than “finding a secret.”

For more:

• Follow @ecommemily on Instagram or YouTube
• Check out the Gift Lab course (discounted through Dec. 1)
• Visit Lizzie’s trends & opportunity membership for ongoing research support