Her Etsy Students Earned $3.3 Million in Digital Downloads | Ft. @GoldCityVentures

Summary

In this conversation, Julie shares her journey of balancing entrepreneurship with motherhood, navigating the challenges of starting a business during the pandemic, and building a successful online community. She highlights the importance of mentorship, feedback, and continuous personal growth. Julie discusses how she overcame obstacles, including the difficulty of managing childcare and work during the pandemic, and how she now prioritizes flexibility through outsourcing tasks like meal prep. Her story is a testament to the power of perseverance, adaptability, and creating a business that provides freedom and personal development.

Takeaways

• 😀 Flexibility in business allows for better work-life balance, especially when juggling family and entrepreneurship.
• 😀 Julie's journey highlights the challenges of starting a business while managing personal life during the pandemic.
• 😀 Outsourcing tasks like cleaning and meal prep can create more time for family and personal pursuits.
• 😀 Early planning and seasonal product listings are crucial for success on platforms like Etsy, especially ahead of major holidays.
• 😀 Building an entrepreneurial community with peer support, including regular design audits, helps creators improve their businesses.
• 😀 Julie's '100 sales' milestone program celebrates achievement and motivates students by offering tangible rewards.
• 😀 Overcoming pandemic-related struggles, like childcare and lack of external support, shaped Julie's business philosophy and resilience.
• 😀 Learning from financial independence and retirement bloggers was pivotal in Julie's early business strategy, though she later shifted focus to entrepreneurial growth.
• 😀 Entrepreneurship offers flexibility, allowing business owners to adapt to family needs and work from unconventional hours.
• 😀 Personal development is a lifelong journey, and Julie now focuses on simple, enjoyable activities like learning new skills (e.g., crocheting).
• 😀 Julie's experience with childcare challenges, like her daughter's health issues, underscores the importance of having flexible career options for parents.

Q & A

What is Julie's approach to helping her Etsy students improve their sales?

Julie emphasizes a supportive and constructive approach to helping her Etsy students. She refers them to regular audits, offers honest feedback, and encourages them to get feedback even if it’s uncomfortable. Julie’s community, with its 4,000 members, fosters a collaborative atmosphere where people can learn from each other, especially through her team of experienced Etsy coaches.

How does Julie’s community support Etsy sellers in terms of design and aesthetics?

Julie’s program includes regular workshops on design and aesthetics. She has hired multiple Etsy coaches, many of whom were successful former students, to run regular audits and give design feedback. This ensures that sellers get expert advice on their shop aesthetics to improve their sales, despite not being able to access Julie or Cody directly at all times.

What is the significance of reaching 100 sales for Julie’s Etsy students?

Reaching 100 sales is a major milestone in Julie’s community, marking a seller’s graduation. This is celebrated with a gift to the seller, reinforcing the importance of this achievement. It’s seen as a significant indicator of progress and success within the Etsy community, and Julie encourages this goal through challenges and support.

What lesson did Julie learn about the timing of seasonal products on Etsy?

Julie stresses the importance of getting seasonal products listed early, ideally 6 to 8 weeks before a major holiday. She notes that people often start shopping for holidays much earlier than expected, and those who get their listings up in advance have a better chance of success. However, she also shared an example where last-minute listings, like a Halloween sign, can still perform well if there's low competition.

What was Julie's biggest challenge during the pandemic while building her business?

Julie’s biggest challenge during the pandemic was balancing her new business, Gold City Ventures, with being a new mother on maternity leave. She was faced with the difficult decision of whether to return to her job, and it was compounded by the pandemic and a lack of child care. This period of uncertainty and exhaustion, while overwhelming, ultimately led her to continue building her business successfully.

How did Julie manage the difficulties of working while having a young child at home?

Julie recalls the stress of working full-time while caring for her infant without child care. She describes the experience as traumatic but acknowledges it as a valuable learning opportunity. As her business grew, she was able to outsource tasks like cleaning and meal prep, which helped her regain time and focus on spending quality time with her children. This highlights the importance of balancing business growth with personal life.

What kind of entrepreneurial mindset does Julie emphasize?

Julie emphasizes a mindset of flexibility and adaptability. She encourages entrepreneurs to continue learning and growing, focusing on personal development. Julie’s own journey reflects a constant drive for improvement, both personally and in her business. She also stresses the importance of not giving up, even when faced with tough circumstances.

How does Julie feel about the entrepreneurial path after having children?

Julie reflects on how becoming a mother changed her approach to entrepreneurship. She initially had grand plans for a lifestyle that combined being a boss with having children, but the reality was more challenging than expected. However, she wouldn’t change it because being an entrepreneur gave her the flexibility to work around her family’s needs. She sees it as a path that offers more control over her time.

What advice does Julie give regarding building a business with young children?

Julie advises that building a business with young children requires flexibility and prioritizing tasks. She stresses the importance of learning skills that offer flexibility, like building an online business, so that you have options and can adapt to unforeseen challenges, such as health issues or childcare problems. Having multiple income streams and skills is a safety net when life changes unexpectedly.

What resources does Julie recommend for entrepreneurs looking to grow their businesses?

Julie recommends listening to entrepreneurial podcasts such as 'My First Million' and following blogs focused on financial independence. She draws inspiration from financial bloggers and entrepreneurs who emphasize investing, saving, and making smart business decisions. As her business grew, she shifted focus from financial independence to more entrepreneurial insights, as this gave her strategies to scale her own business effectively.