I am excited to announce the 2016 Artisan Entrepreneur of the Year Awards! The Artisan Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards allows artisans and their customers and clients to nominate and vote in six categories that uniquely reflect the creativity and innovative spirit of the artisan entrepreneur: • artisan product(s) • product photography • Instagram imagery…
I received this fun video via email over the weekend. It’s all about the product that that put in motion the sequence of events that led to the start of the Indie Business network: soap. The first part of the video is about the many varieties of soaps and detergents (key word there) on the…
One of the most critical teachings in my Indie Business Blueprint is that Makers and Handmade Entrepreneurs must leverage the power of the video to build their brands and boost customer engagement and sales. Most of my students know how important this is, but they are fearful that it will take too much time or…
As I shared a few days ago, the first My Maker Box shipped last week, and the unboxing videos are pouring in. If you missed that post, you can get it and watch some of the videos at this link. Today, I am excited to share a close-up look at all of the handmade products…
Do you know what a bath bomb is? It’s mainly a combination of ingredients you use in everyday cooking, including baking soda and citric acid. Fragrance and color are usually added. When you drop a bath bomb into your tub, it fizzes up and dissolves in the water providing a wonderful scent and the benefits…
As entrepreneurs, we have many ideas, yet only a small fraction of them ever rise to the top and actually ship. I’ve had tons of ideas and many of them are on the cutting room floor … but not this one. This one shipped, and it will ship again. I am thrilled to announce that…
If you love all things handmade and you live in San Francisco, then you may have been at the Renegade Craft Fair over the weekend. If so, you would only have enjoyed yourself if you had been sure to stop by and meet some of our members there — in particular, the lovely ladies pictured…
This week is so much fun! I am in my hometown of Washington, DC, for several days to enjoy time with my family and to set the stage for some exciting things coming up here at the Indie Business Network. You’ll be hearing a lot more details in the coming days, but for now, I…
American manufacturing is not dead. It’s alive and well, and living here at the Indie Business Network. Need some proof? Today, we launched My Maker Box, an exclusive, hand-curated box of Handmade In America products. My Maker Box is a monthly subscription box For Makers, By Makers, and contains products created by Makers and Handmade…
If you have read this blog for a while, you know that I don’t spend a lot of time tooting my horn, or even IBN’s horn. I much prefer to toot IBN members’ horns, and I do that very well. But no matter how much or how little tooting I do, the truth is that…
One of the best ways for you to be inspired in your business is to learn from the insights and experiences of others. When you see someone else using a business to define success on her own terms, you can’t help but want to have a similar experience. Today’s featured Indie Business Network member says…
Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking at International Natural Hair Meetup Day in Washington, DC. I had such a fun time learning more about how to manage natural hair, especially my daughter’s, and enjoyed meeting tons of Makers and Handmade Entrepreneurs from the DC area. The nation’s capitol is my hometown, so I was…
One of the best ways for you to be inspired in your business is to learn from the insights and experiences of others. When you see someone else using a business to define success on their own terms, you can’t help but want to have a similar experience. Today’s featured Indie Business Network member uses…
Here’s a great chance for us to meet while I’m in DC this weekend! I’m delighted to announce that I am speaking at the International Hair Meetup Day outside my hometown of Washington, DC. Scroll to the bottom of this post for a link to buy your tickets to the event, and to enter to…
One of the most rewarding things about leading the Indie Business Network is serving handmade entrepreneurs who know how to support and encourage each other’s dreams. It melted my heart when I received emails over the weekend from some of our members who sold their handmade products at the 6th Annual Boonsboro Green Fest in…
Here is one of the most buttery things ever. It’s an handmade body balm from our member, Nieves Rathbun, of By Nieves in Petrolia, California. I love many things about this handmade body balm, most especially how it feels when it’s rubbed into the skin. It also smells to die for. Watch the video to…
Indie Business Network members are some of the most creative people in the world. They come from near and far, even in the smallest towns in America, they are creating a whole new way to integrate life and business. Today, I’m excited to tell you about one of them: Jennifer Hardaway of KleanSpa in Burbank, California.…
Indie Business Network members are some of the most creative people in the world. They come from near and far, even in the smallest towns in America, they are creating a whole new way to integrate life and business. Today, I’m excited to tell you about one of them: Shari Fowler of Iberian Skincare in…
Indie Business Network members are some of the most creative people in the world. Not only do they design and produce amazing products, but they also have creative ways to showcase and market them. From very cool logos to fun-to-watch videos (like the one below), there is never a dull moment when it comes to…
Indie Business Network members are amazing. While I have met dozens of them in person, I’m connected to many hundreds virtually. They all stand out for different reasons, and this week’s featured member is no exception. I’m excited to introduce you to Kelli Parisian, founder of Parisian’s Pure Indulgence in Woodland Hills, California, outside Los…
Im excited to share that I will be traveling to Tennessee to deliver the keynote address at the Tennessee Soap and Candle Social on May 3-4th, 2013, at the Montgomery Bell State Park outside Nashville. Hosted by Rachel Turner of Music City Suds, the Tennessee Soap and Candle Social is an annual gathering of soapmakers…