Success With Jewelry – Episode 148: Laryssa and Liz Chat With Tracy Carswell About Getting Organized With Google Tools

Date: October 27, 2025
Hosts: Laryssa Wirstiuk & Liz Kantner
Guest: Tracy Carswell, founder of Powerful in Pink and co-founder of Queer Metalsmiths

Overview

In this engaging episode, hosts Laryssa and Liz are joined by Tracy Carswell, a multi-faceted coach, curator, and advocate for creative equity, for an in-depth conversation on how jewelry business owners and creatives can harness Google tools to organize and streamline their work. The episode covers Tracy’s journey supporting creative entrepreneurs, the importance of community, and practical, actionable tips for using Google Drive, Calendar, Sheets, and beyond to regain control of business tasks and foster creativity.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Tracy’s Creative and Coaching Journey

• Background: Tracy shares their background as a lifelong artist from a family of educators, walking through both their creative and identity journeys, including coming out and embracing non-binary identity.
  • “What’s been wonderful is as I’ve gotten confidence in my own self and what I have to offer, it’s allowed me to be of service to others in a huge way.” (03:09, Tracy)
• Powerful in Pink: The story behind Tracy's personal brand and organization rooted in visibility and self-expression through the color pink.
  • “I bought a pink miniskirt, and from there the pink just started. And now, for 20 years, I’ve worn pink every day.” (04:42, Tracy)
  • “I’d really rather be Powerful in Pink, because it’s been so interesting... showing up as pink, there’s been a lot of conversations around that color and gender and power.” (05:00, Tracy)
• On Coaching and Community: Tracy details their work as a business coach, the importance of collaboration over competition, and supporting marginalized creatives.
  • “Chances are there’s someone doing what you want to do... two of you together are going to have a lot more to offer than if you’re fighting as competition.” (08:01, Tracy)

Building Meaningful Communities

• Queer Metalsmiths: Tracy traces the origins of Queer Metalsmiths during 2020’s pandemic lockdown, their desire for a space that centers queer makers, and notable milestones including partnerships and exhibitions.
  • “I wrote down ‘queer metalsmiths’... went on Instagram and grabbed the handle... but I didn’t want to do this alone.” (15:05, Tracy)
  • On expanding the project: “I want this to be something that’s not about me... as a leo, that’s very hard, it’s a little bit about me, that’s OK.” (17:40, Tracy)
  • On legacy and support: “If we get money, y'all get money. If we have opportunities, you have opportunities. This is not being done to make money… this is being done as a service.” (18:24, Tracy)

The Challenges and Value of Organization for Creatives

• Why Creatives Struggle with Organization: Tracy candidly discusses neurodivergence, creative distraction, and why organizing isn’t always a maker’s priority.
  • “As a neurodivergent creative who gets distracted by shiny things... sometimes we leave things in the dust or sitting around.” (20:29, Tracy)
• How Organization Supports Creativity: Emphasizing that systems and structure actually free up space for genuine creativity.
  • “That structure tells my brain what I need to be doing so I don’t have to worry about it. It allows my brain to have space to do other things.” (21:25, Tracy)
  • “If you do the heavy lifting in the front end, you can use that time to do what you love.” (22:38, Tracy)

Google Tools: Practical Tips and Favorites

• Top Google Tools:
  • Google Calendar: Use the taskbar to break down tasks, set reminders, and allot time for business and self-care.
    • “I need those [reminders]. I have to capture my thoughts somewhere and put them in a structure.” (24:10, Tracy)
  • Google Sheets: Tracy loves customizing Sheets with colors and formats that work for their creative mind; great for sharing, organizing, and protecting information.
    • “I make things pink... so it looks a way that I want it to look because I am a creative, and I don’t like looking at just blocks.” (25:03, Tracy)
  • Drive, Docs, Slides, and More: All integrated, easy to use, and free — ideal for collaboration and delegation.
    • “You can make a tab for someone else, lock tabs so nobody can mess with them... It is also a nice tool for that.” (25:28, Tracy)
• Setting Up Sustainable Systems:
  • “Figure out what’s going to support you, what looks good to you, what makes sense to your brain.” (27:05, Tracy)
  • For some, many subfolders are helpful; for others, just a few big categories suffice.
  • Adapting systems to your own neurotype and workflow is crucial.

Staying Consistent & Creating Habits

• Consistency Is Key: Tracy advocates for recurring calendar events to regularly clean up files, emails, and systems.
  • “Create a calendar event that repeats... in the notes, here are the steps I take on this day for this task.” (29:02, Tracy)
• Self-Assignment: Solopreneurs must learn to direct themselves and practice self-discipline; reminders and scheduled habits help.
  • “As a solopreneur... I have had to learn how to break that up, but it’s consistency, creating a structure that works for you.” (30:13, Tracy)
• Personalizing Reminders: The number and type of reminders or calendar alerts are extremely individual — do what works for you.
  • “I like abundance... one is good, five is better, even if I don’t need it.” (32:24, Tracy)
  • Laryssa’s adage: “The best system is the one you’ll use.” (31:48, Liz attributing to Laryssa)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “If you have more to give, you give a little bit more. If you need more, you ask for it.” (11:52, Tracy)
• “When someone allows you to support them, it’s actually a gift for you, you know?” (12:33, Tracy)
• “Community over competition... that’s been my experience especially within the jewelry industry.” (10:51, Tracy)
• “Use that task list, because that is one way to start building out a structure and seeing how you like interacting with the tools.” (33:52, Tracy)
• “Put your stuff in Google Drive. I’m not a fan of Google, but as someone who runs a small business and does not want to spend a lot of money, they have a robust set of tools that are free and work together really well.” (34:44, Tracy)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |-------------|-------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:09–04:20 | Tracy’s creative/life journey and embracing service | | 04:42–07:18 | Origins and ethos of Powerful in Pink | | 08:01–09:54 | Coaching philosophy; supporting marginalized creatives | | 12:53–19:54 | Founding and evolution of Queer Metalsmiths | | 20:29–23:20 | Why creatives struggle with organization; benefits of systems| | 24:10–26:57 | Google tools: Calendar, Sheets, custom reminders etc. | | 27:05–28:55 | Setting up Google systems: adapting for your brain | | 29:02–30:56 | Consistency, self-assignment, and creating habits | | 33:52–36:21 | Quick wins & essential tools: where to start |

Actionable Takeaways

• Start with Google Calendar: Block tasks, appointments, and even self-care. Use reminders that suit your style.
• Gradually build your Google Drive: Centralize business assets; use folders and subfolders as it makes sense to you.
• Customize Google Sheets: Make them visually appealing to boost ease of use for creative minds; leverage collaborative features.
• Form consistent organizational habits: Schedule recurring “cleanups” or admin blocks in your calendar.
• Adopt systems that feel natural: As Laryssa and Tracy emphasize, the “best system is the one you’ll use,” regardless of what it looks like.

Where to Find Tracy

• Website: tracycarswell.com
• Queer Metalsmiths: queermetalsmiths.com
• Instagram: @queermetalsmiths, @queermetalsmithsAVL, @queermetalsmithsATL
• Powerful in Pink: @powerfulinpinkbytlc

Closing Thoughts

This episode is packed with warmth, empathy, and hands-on organization tips for creative business owners. Tracy’s perspective is particularly helpful for neurodivergent or easily distracted creatives, and their emphasis on building community, choosing collaboration over competition, and making systems work for you is immediately actionable for jewelers and other entrepreneurs alike.