And She Looked Up

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And She Looked Up

A podcast for Canadian women who create for a living: artists, makers, writers, musicians, digital content creators, photographers, designers and more.

Hear stories of inspiring creative Canadian women along with tips for running your creative business

12/10/2024

If you gearing up to sell your products at holiday markets, now’s the perfect time to set up your digital payment options! 💳

Keep in mind that most people don't have cash on them and many of them don't even carry physical wallets anymore, so if you are not equipped to accept cards or if tech glitches hit at the last minute, you could miss out on sales. 😱

On this week's episode of our Prep for the Holidays series, Melissa goes over some of the options available to get going with e-payments, tips on the importance of setting it up in advance, troubleshooting and, most importantly, staying calm when technology misbehaves. 👍

🎧 LISTEN to EP175 on your favourite podcast app
🖥 WATCH on YouTube: https://youtu.be/M16g_VQiZlk
🔗 LISTEN NOW: https://www.buzzsprout.com/879889/episodes/15898344

10/10/2024

🎙 It's time for this week's Prep for the Holidays minisode and it's very specific this week. Payment processors. If you're doing markets or events or even running your own website, you need a payment processor for digital payments!

And, if you already have one, you have for sure experienced a tech fail moment that strikes sheer panic in your heart! 😱

This week we cover the basics of getting a payment processor set up and give you a checklist of things to do BEFORE your markets to make sure everything runs smoothly - whether it's your first of 50th market!

🎧 LISTEN to EP175 on your favourite podcast app
🖥 WATCH on YouTube: https://youtu.be/M16g_VQiZlk
🔗 LISTEN NOW: https://www.buzzsprout.com/879889/episodes/15898344

08/10/2024

Did you know that this season you can also watch our podcast episodes on YouTube? It's a fun way to see a little behind the scenes and put faces (and facial expressions!) to the names. It definitely adds another dimension to the experience.
You can listen/watch to my latest episode with .ca right here: https://youtu.be/NbZYNOmkjKk

To find us on YouTube just search for And She Looked Up. We've also uploaded our entire backlist of episodes from the previous 5 season (without video) to YouTube and they're organized into helpful playlists by season, for inspiration, productivity, creative mindset, marketing, prep for the holidays, business and of course, very cool creative Canadian women!

07/10/2024

🎙NEW EPISODE MONDAY!

It was a pleasure to welcome classically trained fashion designer and personal stylist .ca to the show this week!

Classically trained fashion designer Rebecca Rowe and I talk about how she pivoted her business (and how a disaster pushed her to embrace that pivot full force!) from a designer to a stylist who helps other women find confidence in their wardrobe. And then, she took on what, at first glance, appeared to be a surprising collaboration to expand her business even further. Take a listen and it will all make sense!

Rebecca shares her top tips for connecting and collaborating with other businesses and initiating a successful creative business pivot.

🎧 LISTEN to Episode 174 on your favourite podcast app
🖥 WATCH on YouTube: https://youtu.be/NbZYNOmkjKk
🔗 LISTEN NOW: https://www.buzzsprout.com/879889/episodes/15878936

02/10/2024

Stop! 🙅‍♀️ Do not believe in the myth of the starving artist!

Yes, social media algorithms and information overload are making it harder to get new clients. However, have you thought about the possibility of increasing your revenue and your profit without actually having to increase your customer base?

Growing your average order value, aka AOV, may be the answer.

🤓 AOV is calculated by dividing the total number of sales by the total number of customers and there are many ways to make it grow.

On EP 172, I share 15 strategies to increase your AOV such as bundling products or introducing upsells and add-ons.

🎧 LISTEN to your favourite podcast app
🖥 WATCH Episode 172 on YouTube: https://youtu.be/PM7a0g069co
🔗 LISTEN NOW: Click the link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/879889/15795450

28/09/2024

From proper, well-lit photos that capture many eyeballs to human-sounding yet SEO-friendly product descriptions, it is important to have your online store ready to go before the holidays 🎄.

Using images, words and even videos, you may also want to work on the storytelling aspect of your website or Etsy page (or wherever you sell your products) so that buyers are reassured that what they are getting is handmade and not the result of an AI-generated production line. Make sure to tell them who you are and a little bit about your process. 🧑‍🎨👩‍💻

On EP 173 or Task #12 in our Prep For the Holidays minisode series I share more useful tips on how to prep your online shops for the Holiday rush.

🎧 LISTEN on your favourite podcast app
🖥 Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/_kP5SjOgyds
🔗 LISTEN NOW: https://www.buzzsprout.com/879889/episodes/15818031

26/09/2024

🎙NEW PREP FOR THE HOLIDAYS EPISODE!

It's Week 12 on our checklist of things to do for the holiday selling season. Today is a checklist within a checklist as we get ready to prep our online shops: Etsy, ebay, your own website - anywhere you sell online. In 15 minutes I go through a quick checklist of things to do to make sure your customers have a great experience buying from you - no matter where you sell online! Avoid the most common frustrations have shopping online with these tips!

🎧 LISTEN on your favourite podcast app
🖥 Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/_kP5SjOgyds
🔗 LISTEN NOW: https://www.buzzsprout.com/879889/episodes/15818031

🔗

23/09/2024

🎙NEW EPISODE MONDAY. Want to make more money as a working artist, maker or creative services provider? Let's talk about AOV - Average Order Value.
This week's episode is SUPER practical! I'm sharing 15 strategies to help you increase your average order value -whether you sell at markets, on Etsy or through your own website.

It's a powerful metric and when you put your energy into it, it can create an immediate and long term boost to your revenue - even if you don't increase your overall customer count!

🎧 LISTEN to Episode 172 on your favourite podcast app
🖥 WATCH Episode 172 on YouTube: https://youtu.be/PM7a0g069co
🔗 LISTEN NOW: Click the link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/879889/15795450

21/09/2024

Ready to give holiday markets a try? 🎄

In this week’s Prep for the Holidays episode (or Task #11), Melissa shares some must-do as you ready your booth.

For example, you may want to get your own table and definitely get a tablecloth - which is mandatory in most markets.

Also, you should have signage so that people know who you are as they wander through the market. 🪧

Business cards yay or nay? Melissa says yay! 👍

Check out more tips on how to draw people into your market booth on EP 171.

🎧 Listen on your favourite podcast app
🖥 Watch on your YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/4tr43VIsrPs
🔗 Click the link to listen right now: https://www.buzzsprout.com/879889/15716050

19/09/2024

🎙 We're up to Week 11 in our Prep for the Holidays minisode series and this week, it's time to start thinking hard about your holiday market booths.
🎯 Do you have everything you need to display your items?
🎯 Does everything look good?
🎯 Have you thought about how you're going to draw people TO your booth?
🎯 And how you'll stay in contact with them after market season?

That's what we're talking about this week! If you've got 12 minutes, give it a listen!

🎧 Listen on your favourite podcast app
🖥 Watch on your YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/4tr43VIsrPs
🔗 Click the link to listen right now: https://www.buzzsprout.com/879889/15716050

15/09/2024

Promo time! Or is it?

Can you afford to sell your products for 40 or 50% off to join the Black Friday/Cyber Monday frenzy? 🤑

If you think the answer is “absolutely not,” this week’s episode is for you. Melissa shares a few strategies to jump on the promo wagon without selling at a loss. ✅

For example, you may try clearing out your inventory by running some deep discounts on items that have been hanging around for a while and taking up studio space.

Learn about other promo tactics on EP 170 or Task #10 in our Prep for the Holidays series.

🎧 LISTEN on your favourite podcast app

🖥 WATCH ON YouTube: https://youtu.be/kANylCSm0DU

🔗 LISTEN RIGHT NOW: https://www.buzzsprout.com/879889/15716048

12/09/2024

🎙 A new Prep for the Holidays Episode dropped this morning!

It's week 10 and we're getting closer and closer to the busy selling season. It's time to plan out your promotional calendar for the rest of the year! Will you be doing a Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale? What about Boxing Day? Will you run a pre-order for a new item? Will you offer discounts at any of your markets - like 'Buy 2 and get the 3rd free"?

Don't wait to the last minute to make these decisions - it will result in chaos as you try to manage everything else happening. Plan them out now, prep your social media graphics, make your market signs, write your emails and schedule everything that can be scheduled! And then just focus on selling, delivering and customer service!

🎧 LISTEN on your favourite podcast app
🖥 WATCH ON YouTube: https://youtu.be/kANylCSm0DU
🔗 LISTEN RIGHT NOW: https://www.buzzsprout.com/879889/15716048

11/09/2024

When was the last time you questioned why you create the way you do? 🤔

Maybe some things come extremely easily to you and when you come up against something that pushes you to learn and raise your skill level, you give up quickly and move on to the next thing. But what if that thing you refused to learn is what's going to help you get out of a creative rut?

In the Season 6 opener of the podcast, Melissa and Heather Travis discuss how to reignite the flame of our own creative process by -among other things- embracing the difficulty or uncomfortableness that comes with getting better at something.

🎧 LISTEN TO EP 169 NOW - on your favourite podcast app
🖥 WATCH ON YOUTUBE - https://youtu.be/2MmXxMQzUvs
🔗 LISTEN NOW: https://www.buzzsprout.com/879889/15711138

09/09/2024

🎙NEW EPISODE MONDAY!
And it's not just a new episode today - it's the kick off of Season 6 of the podcast! Can you believe it? 5 years and 6 seasons (we did two season in Year 1).

And of course, it wouldn't be a season opener if and weren't both behind the mic... and in front of the camera! That's right, Heather is here and we filmed the whole episode for YouTube as well!

Today's episode is a look into the creative process - specifically when our process isn't working for us. As creatives, we sometimes forget that our super power is... being creative! It's not unusual for us to fall into a rut or to get tunnel vision around how we do things - even when that process isn't working for us anymore or, we try to apply our existing process for one thing, to a completely different task where it just doesn't work. So to start the new season, we're talking about how to create - or recreate - new creative processes that can serve us better depending on where we're at in our project or workflow!

🎧 LISTEN TO EP 169 NOW - on your favourite podcast app
🖥 WATCH ON YOUTUBE - https://youtu.be/2MmXxMQzUvs (or search for And She Looked Up)
🔗 LISTEN NOW: https://www.buzzsprout.com/879889/15711138

07/09/2024

🎙 SEASON 6 LAUNCHES MONDAY!

It's September and that means we're back with a brand new season of The And She Looked Up Podcast! The Season 6 opener with and will be available Monday on your favourite podcast app and on YouTube (that's right, you can see us!). Can't wait to be back!

04/09/2024

Have you realized that there are only 16 weekends left between now and Christmas? 😱

Between creating your products, selling at markets, and personal commitments, you're likely already spoken for many of these weekends.

One way to make sure you stay on track with your engagements is by printing off calendar sheets and marking, from December backward, the dates you're going to be at markets, shipping products, promoting them, and so on.

Get the deets on how to do this on EP 168, which corresponds to Task #9 in our Prep for the Holidays series.

🎧 LISTEN on your favourite podcast app
🖥 WATCH NOW on YouTube
🔗 LISTEN NOW by clicking the link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/879889/15639022

03/09/2024

A reminder to our Premium Subscribers on Patreon and Buzzsprout that August's exclusive episode is live! This month I talk about why September has always been the "real" new year to me and how you can use that philosophy to your advantage both in your business and your creative practice!

Not a Premium Subscriber? For less than a cost of a latte each month you can help support the show (and keep it ad free!) and get access to an exclusive premium episodes each month! And any time you sign up, you'll get access to the backlist of exclusive episodes! Head over to patreon.com/andshelookedup to sign up!

We also have a free community on Patreon where you can follow along with regular updates of interesting articles and links to help with inspiration, business and your creative practice!

02/09/2024

🎙 NEW EPISODE MONDAY!

It's Week #9 in our Prep for the Holidays series! To make sure you're on top of all your key deadlines and dates this holiday season, start by working backwards from December 31st. 📆 I'll walk you through key dates to make note of and how to ensure you've got enough time for making, marketing, selling and shipping!

🎨🎵✏️ Whether you’re an artist, maker, or creative service provider, this episode has lots of strategies to keep you organized and ahead of the game. Let’s make this holiday season not only manageable but also wildly successful for your creative business!

🎧 LISTEN on your favourite podcast app
🖥 WATCH NOW on YouTube
🔗 LISTEN RIGHT NOW by clicking the link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/879889/15639022

29/08/2024

If you want to participate in holiday markets, start researching now to find the best fit and get those applications in! ✔️

Big events may already be full due (it's a great time to research their spring market deadlines though) but a great alternative is to check out local neighbourhood markets - almost every community hosts them every holiday season. Those can be a great starting point!

Learn about some of the options available out there on Episode 167 or Task #8 in our Prep for the Holidays minisode series.

🎧 LISTEN on your favourite podcast app.
🖥 WATCH on our YouTube channel https://youtu.be/CSnMPd6sIjg
🔗 LISTEN NOW: https://www.buzzsprout.com/879889/15639013

26/08/2024

🎙 NEW EPISODE MONDAY!

We're up to Task #8 in our Prep for the Holidays series and today is all about getting your holiday market applications in! And that's not just for makers and crafters - creative service providers, there's a place for you at markets too!
Tune in to Episode 167, Task #8 for more!

🎧 LISTEN TO EP 167 on your favourite podcast app
🖥 WATCH on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/CSnMPd6sIjg
🔗 LISTEN NOW: https://www.buzzsprout.com/879889/15639013

22/08/2024

If you plan to market your products on local publications, online publications and/or through bloggers or content creators, crafting the perfect pitch is key! ✨

To nail your pitch you have to make sure to:

1. Showcase Your Product: Give content creators an idea of what your product is, where it will be sold, how people can buy it, available sizes, what colours it comes in, pricing, and so on.
2. Visuals Are Everything: Share eye-catching photos or short videos. Content creators love having these for their gift guides! 📸🎥

Pro Tip: Find the right influencers and get those pitches out there now. The sooner you start, the better! 🚀

Listen to Task #7 in our Prep for the Holidays checklist (EP 166) on your favourite podcast app or...

👀 WATCH the vid on our YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/mldOFWrWh50

🔗 CLICK THE LINK to listen right now https://www.buzzsprout.com/879889/15602411

19/08/2024

🎙 NEW EPISODE MONDAY!
We're up to Task #7 in our Prep for the Holidays checklist. If you want to get more eyeballs on your products this holiday season, being featured in gift guides can definitely increase awareness of you AND your work! But you need to act now if you want to make that happen because print and online publications, content creators and influencers work far in advance when it comes to the holiday season! Listen to Episode 166 for more!

To learn more...
🎧 LISTEN NOW on your favourite podcast app
🖥 WATCH on our YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/mldOFWrWh50
🔗 CLICK THE LINK to listen right now https://www.buzzsprout.com/879889/15602411

17/08/2024

Some people plan their gift-giving as early as June so now is the time to start getting pins up on Pinterest to redirect them to your products 📌.

People use Pinterest as a wish list or a dream list 🌠 so if they can pin your product from Etsy or your own shop, you will be using the platform to your advantage.

If you don’t have listings, you can pin your mock-ups (more on this in last week’s episode #164) and redirect them to a blog post describing your products or topics related to your products.

Learn more about Task #6 in our Prep for the Holidays series by listening to EPISODE 165 on your favourite podcast app!

📺 WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/xKbvXNs5gnc

📻 LISTEN NOW: https://www.buzzsprout.com/879889/15566890

13/08/2024

🎙 NEW EPISODE ALERT!

We're up to Task #6 in our Prep for the Holidays series and while there's a lot of things we could be working on this week, I chose getting started with Pinterest marketing and creating blog content.

These are great tools for generating traffic to your website or your Etsy shop and will also help with building long term SEO. People are already planning for the holidays - especially on Pinterest - so now is the time to start getting in front of them AND build that all important traffic!

🎧 LISTEN TO EPISODE 165 on your favourite podcast app!
🖥 WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/xKbvXNs5gnc
🔗 LISTEN NOW: https:/www.buzzsprout.com/879889/15566890

09/08/2024

Now is the time to ready mock-ups of your jewelry, crocheted coasters, greeting cards, or whatever it is you plan to sell during the holiday season.

It is also the time to start snapping pics of your creations if your goal is to participate in in-person markets and/or get featured in gift guides, curated holiday lists, or special online magazine or newspaper articles. 🌟📰

You don’t need mock-ups for everything—just a few standout items that capture your style. This helps market organizers and list makers see where you fit within their themes and plans.

On EP 164, we go over why the time is now to get those photos ready and show off your holiday magic! ✨📷

🎧 Listen to Task 5 of our Prep for the Holidays minisode series on your favourite podcast app or watch it on YouTube 👀: https://youtu.be/4XSiNzxy4bE

🔗 Click the link to listen right now: https://www.buzzsprout.com/879889/15527584

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Videos

Being assertive and human in an age of AI with photographer Heidi Richter of @the_simple_green #creativecanadianwomen #canadianpodcast #canadianphotographer

It's crucial that we understand this so we can adjust our marketing focus and mindset accordingly! #marketingforcreatives #marketingforsmallbusiness #CanadianPodcast #creativecanadianwomen

Overcoming the fear of showing up in our creative businesses with Michele Mateus of Mateus Studios . You can listen to the full episode on your favourite podcast app: Episode 141 of The And She Looked Up Podcast #canadianpodcast #creativity #creativeexpression #creativebusinessowners #creativecanadianwomen

Back into the archives this morning... Episode 86 with Kristen Raney of Shifting Roots trying new things and making the most of failure!

SOUNDBITE: Heather Travis opens up on how art helped her process and work through difficult emotions and trauma. And She Looked Up Podcast, Episode 140 Listen to the full episode on your favourite podcast app or click the link: https://andshelookedup.buzzsprout.com/879889/13548107-ep140-behind-the-scenes-of-a-solo-art-exhibition-with-heather-travis

What's your biggest mistake as a creative freelancer? Tiffany Mayer shares some of hers in this episode on the biggest mistakes creative freelancers make. Listen to the full episode here: https://andshelookedup.buzzsprout.com/879889/9694418-ep087-creative-canadian-tiffany-mayer-the-biggest-freelancer-mistakes #freelancelife #freelancedesigner #freelancewriters #freelancephotographer #creativecanadianwomen #creativeentrepreneur

If your logo isn't your brand, what is? Well, it's a lot of things! #businessbranding #brandingforcreatives #brandingforwomen #brandingforsmallbusiness #canadianartists #creativecanadianwomen #canadianpodcast #podcastforentrepreneurs #podcastforcreatives

You can WRITE IT OFF!!!! 🤣🤣 Don't be afraid to sit down with an accountant or a lawyer in the early days of your creative business. It could wind up saving you waaaaaay more money than it costs you (they might even help you MAKE money)! And, professional fees that you pay to a bookkeeper, accountant or lawyer are almost always tax deductible in Canada! Listen to the full episode: https://andshelookedup.buzzsprout.com/879889/9610333-ep085-so-you-want-to-quit-your-day-job #creativeentrepreneur #makerlife #selfemployedlife #creativecanadianwomen

it's easy to get tired of perfection because frankly, perfection is boring! Our imperfections are what make us the perfect creators we are today. They're the basis of our style. They're what make us INTERESTING. Embrace your imperfections - they are what makes you imperfectly perfect! Listen to the full episode: https://andshelookedup.buzzsprout.com/879889/9491808-ep084-imperfectly-perfect-a-creative-mindset-episode

Creating products for your creatives services business - this one's for the photographers, designers, writers, makeup artists - all of you who provide a service based on your creativity. Yes, you can create products and use them to help you reach more people and... earn more money! Listen to the full episode: https://andshelookedup.buzzsprout.com/879889/12454871-ep130-creating-products-for-your-creative-services-business #creativecanadianwomen ##creativeentrepreneur #creativeservices

How can you develop your voice while still trying to balance writing for SEO. Author, editor and writing coach Diane Jacob gives us some tips. Listen to the full episode here: https://andshelookedup.buzzsprout.com/879889/8638453-ep064-creative-canadian-dianne-jacob-author-editor-and-writing-coach

Why you should do a 100 Day Project or a 365 Project and some tips to help you succeed with it! Listen to the full episode here: https://andshelookedup.buzzsprout.com/879889/7639426-ep047-why-you-should-do-the-100-day-project-and-how-to-succeed-with-it

What can you do to earn $100 right now? You might be surprised! And even more surprised by how that thing can turn into a repeatable revenue stream! Listen to the full episode: https://andshelookedup.buzzsprout.com/879889/7800166-ep048-what-can-you-do-to-earn-100-right-now

5 Key ways blogging can help you build your small creative business! FULL EPISODE: https://andshelookedup.buzzsprout.com/879889/13018255-ep135-blogging-to-drive-traffic-and-build-seo-for-your-creative-business SHOW NOTES: https://www.andshelookedup.com/resources/135-blogging-to-build-traffic-and-seo-for-your-creative-business #canadianpodcast #creativecanadianwomen #marketingforcreatives

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