How To Be A Handmade Boss
Whether you’re a complete beginner on Etsy, or want to scale your handmade business to multi-6 figures, the “How To Be A Handmade Boss” podcast gives you actionable advice and workshop style full length episodes to grow your handmade business on Etsy and beyond.
We get it. Starting or growing a handmade business can be really overwhelming, and sometimes you feel like you have an expensive hobby rather than a profitable business. If you have questions like “How can I make sales in my business?” “How do I start a handmade shop?” “How can I make this passion my full-time gig?” or “How do I sell my crafts online” then you’re in the right place boss!
I’m Steph, a multi 6-figure handmade business owner (in the top 0.1% of all shops on Etsy), bestselling author of “How to be a handmade boss”, visionary and coach behind Handmade Bosses.
However, It wasn’t always rainbows and unicorns though. Today, my business(es) are bustling, but way back in 2014 when I started, it was HARD. Favourites but no sales, slow sales and low profits seemed in the beginning, like the trajectory of my business. Luckily following the system I’ve now curated, All of that changed and I went full-time in my handmade business in 2016.
Let’s focus on turning your passion into profit, because the world really does need these special creations that you only bring to life.
How To Be A Handmade Boss
#86 - From Origami to Etsy: How Gillian Turned Paper into Profitable Jewellery
What do you do when chronic illness forces you to give up the craft you love? If you’re Gillian, you reinvent everything and end up with a jewellery business as unique as the pages it’s made from. 💛
In this heartwarming and inspiring episode, Steph sits down with HBSA student Gillian, the creative mind behind Paper2Pearls, to talk about the unexpected journey from patchwork quilts to paper jewellery, the challenges of crafting with arthritis, and how she’s used the Handmade Business Success Academy to bring structure, strategy, and new energy to her handmade business.
Expect real talk about mindset, planning, SEO, and how to keep going when life throws curveballs. Whether you’re at the start of your handmade journey or deep in the pivot stage, this episode is full of gold.
You’ll hear about:
• How Gillian’s business began with origami experiments after a health diagnosis
• Why learning to plan ahead changed everything
• The challenges of marketing a super-niche product (and how she’s tackled them)
• What it’s really like to go through HBSA as a neurodivergent maker
• And… how a peanut up the nose started a lifetime of “what if” creativity 😂
This one’s a gem. You’ll leave feeling grounded, inspired, and ready to keep building.
Website - www.paper2pearls.co.uk
Newsletter https://paper2pearls.eo.page/8fywb
Etsy - www.paper2pearls.etsy.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Paper2pearlsbyGilli/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/Paper2pearlsbyGilli
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🎙 Welcome to the Handmade Bosses Podcast with Steph 👋
If you’re dreaming of starting your handmade business or knee-deep in Etsy listings and feeling stuck - you’re in the right place.
I’m Steph - handmade business coach, Etsy seller since 2016, and founder of Handmade Bosses. I help makers go from overwhelmed to consistent sales (yes, even if you’re just starting).
🛍 Learn how to:
• Start and grow on Etsy
• Turn browsers into buyers
• Master SEO, branding, pricing
• Find your niche and ideal customer
• Scale beyond Etsy to your own website
💸 I’ve helped thousands of makers build profitable 4 and 5-figure shops — and in this podcast, I’ll show you how too.
✨ Free starter resources: handmadebosses.com/freeresources
🎓 Deeper help? Explore the HBSA, the SMS & more: handmadebosses.com/paidresources
📅 Join our Facebook group for free workshops: facebook.com/groups/handmadebosses/events
📸 Follow us on Instagram for tips and inspo: instagram.com/handmadebosses
Hit follow, grab a brew, and let’s grow your handmade biz.
Love, ...