October 10, 2011

embracing abundance: breaking the scarcity mindset

This week we’re taking time out to share some classic Scoutie Girl posts. Today’s post originally appeared on March 19, 2010.

lola at the playground

when i was about 10, my dad left our family.

and while broken families would soon become quite normal, in my grade & group of friends, i was the first to go through the process. one of the greatest lessons i learned from this time in my life was how to embrace abundance. even though my dad leaving took the vast majority of income away from our family, even though we were forced to down size from a beautiful newly built home to a home bought out of bankruptcy court that my mother & community moms spent weeks cleaning to make fit for habitation, even though shopping became a vastly different affair, i never felt that resources were scarce.

my family lived a life of abundance.

my mom never said “we can’t afford that” or “that’s too expensive” – or if she did it’s certainly not the part i remember! i went to basketball camp and softball camp and church camp and music camp. i had piano lessons and new trendy clothes. we always had a computer. and i never doubted for a second that i would go to the best college that i could get into and wanted to attend.

scarcity wasn’t even an option in my mind.

now my mom isn’t a lawyer or a doctor or even an assistant with a steady job. she was a seamstress who worked from home & was her own boss (a luxury that was her own abundance). she learned to never accept no – or “too much” – as an answer. i learned that i could have whatever i wanted and go wherever i wanted to go as long as i was creative about it. i learned that when you gave a lot you got a hell of a lot more back in return. i learned that if you embrace abundance, you’ll be more abundant than you can imagine!

as i’ve grown, i’ve continued to embrace abundance – and that’s why i get to do what i do here everyday. i never thought for a moment that this wouldn’t work. i didn’t let my husband get me down, i didn’t let friends get me down, i didn’t let myself get me down. i knew could create success and i lived every day as if i was already successful (with a smaller budget, of course!). when i made one level of reality a success, i focused on a higher level and i embraced that abundance & embodied that success.

embracing abundance gives us the mindset that we need to live our goals while we’re achieving them.

but that’s WAY too much about me. i’m piggybacking, this beautiful friday afternoon, on the post i wrote last week with my opinions on being a thriving artist. thank you all for the wonderful comments – so many of you obviously see yourselves as thriving. but i just couldn’t stop there after reading dave navarro’s post on breaking the scarcity mindset. while there is so much positivity in our creative community, i just can’t help but get caught up on the scarcity mentality that i hear from so many artists trying to breakthrough.

stop trying already. kick the damn door down.

these are the four beliefs that dave uses to outline his path for escaping scarcity:

* First, the specific belief that there are plenty of people out there who are willing to exchange money for something of value.
* Second, the specific belief that you can offer something of value.
* Third, the specific belief that you can communicate that value to the people willing to pay for it.
* Fourth, the specific belief that you can make an offer – right now (or very soon) – that can generate the money you want to have.

now, perhaps your goal isn’t money. side note: we all need to make a living – so if your goal is money right now, embrace it and don’t let others tell you that’s not okay. perhaps your goal is clout, authority, friends in high places, exposure, gallery space, art classes, etc… you can substitute any of those things that you wish you had in abundance into those four beliefs.

forget all the i-wishes and if-onlys and make a choice today that embraces the abundance that you already have and the abundance that is right around the corner. and then walk around the corner and pummel that abundance into submission too.

now i’m quite certain (cause i embrace my own abundance that makes me think that you actually care what i have to say) that you’ve already thought of those one or two things (a new job, quitting your old job, materials, a new website, a blog post, an advertising budget, a friend, a class…) that you need in order to take the next step. do me a big favor, leave it in the comments. i want need to know what doors you are breaking down tomorrow today.

Filed Under: inspiration, mindful spending, taking action Tagged With: , , , 7 Comments
May 25, 2011

through shaded lenses: is there a lack of vision in the new art & crafts movement?

maple wood eyeglasses by tumbleweedsoddities - click image for more info

“I love making stuff.”

“I have a passion for craft.”

“I need to express myself.”

These are worthwhile pursuits. And I say, “Get to it!”

These statements are killer reasons to explore your artistic side. To get creative. To see what your own two hands can do.

But they are not good reasons to start a business.

Your passion for craft, art, design, and creativity is pure motivation. It’s fuel for your soul. But it doesn’t mean that opening an Etsy store will change your life.

The new arts & crafts movement is built on a huge vision. Led by Etsy, Martha Stewart Omnimedia, Sublime Stitching, and other companies ahead of their time, a world is being built based on quality over quantity, craftsmanship over automation, and originality over sameness. This world is beautiful, a little strange, and always new.

[My vision for Etsy is,] instead of having an economy dictate the behavior of communities, to empower communities to influence the behavior of economies. In my mind, Etsy’s ecosystem is about empowering and supporting these very small businesses. That goes well beyond just a marketplace.
– Rob Kalin, Etsy CEO via the Wall Street Journal

The vision of this world is the “why” behind movement. It’s why it’s caught on so fast. It’s why people care so passionately about it. It’s why people are willing to spend money on things we might not have even considered buying 10, 5, or 2 years ago.

And it’s all about you.

The movement and the businesses leading it are focused on a bigger purpose. It’s not only about their passion and certainly not only about their profit. The purpose of this movement is to build a whole new economy, way of doing business, method of consumption, and manner of operating in the world.

While it may sound idealistic, I’m concerned about the number of designers, makers, and artists that seem focused so completely on what they want for themselves in their business: a creative outlet, a way to stay home with the kids, a side business, a way to get rid of some of those extra craft supplies. These are wonderful results to be striving for, goodness knows I’ve worked towards all but the last, but they don’t inspire action.

I don’t think these fledgling business owners are self-centered. They just haven’t been pushed to have a dream for anyone but themselves.

Products with a clear sense of WHY give people a way to tell the outside world who they are and what they believe. Remember, people don’t buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it.
– Simon Sinek, Start With Why

My argument here isn’t actually a marketing one. I don’t write this post as a business coach. I write it as a consumer.

The lack of vision shows up in telling ways: blindly following trends, putting faith in outside parties, not accepting challenges, copying others designs, or settling for last year’s tactics.

I’m not interested in why you’re doing this for you when I stand in front of your craft show booth or when I’m perusing your blog. I’m interested in what you want for me. I don’t need you to cater to me, I just want to know what I’m buying into. If I buy from you, I want to become a part of your vision.

I need to at least feel your purpose. I want to melt into your vision and become something bigger than myself.

Is that a lot to ask of a tiny business? A fledgling product? It sure is. But there is an overabundance of stuff that demands it. I demand it.

There is always room in the market for one more business, product, or passionate person with a clear sense of WHY.

Meaning. Vision. Purpose. Intention. Aspiration.

Sell me on those and you’re well on your way to making me want your stuff.

Filed Under: mindful spending Tagged With: , , , 21 Comments
April 19, 2011

on factories: why respect is more important than craft

industrial ad pop art by frozen time photo

industrial ad pop art by frozen time photo - click image for more info



There is a fundamental problem with the idea of buying “handmade.” Chiefly that the vast majority of things we buy are made by hand.

The hands don’t look familiar, though. They maybe a different color. They may be rough, cracked. They use tools & machines we don’t understand. The hands that made your bookshelf, sofa, or television may be thinner than yours – achy from lack of food.

Those hands have never had much of a choice in how they earn a living. Nor have they had much choice in how they live, where they live, or who governs them.

Those hands get no respect.

Yes, those hands work in factories. But factories aren’t bad. This handmade movement isn’t about factories. It’s not about mass production, it’s not about luxury vs austerity. The handmade movement is about respect: for ourselves, for our goods, for others, and for our community.

The factory system as we know it now is about subjugating workers, concentrating power, and maximizing profit at the expense of quality. In this system, people – and their hands – are merely pawns in a game of profit. Respect is not a consideration.

In recent years, we have rediscovered the ties that bind us together as humans. The digital age – coupled with crippling consumerism – has helped us see each other as equals and not human steps on a ladder to higher status. We recognize the respect due to all of those around us.

Including makers of all ilks.

Is it possible that striving to create a business model that generates respect is as valid as a business model that generates profit?

When I look around the blogosphere, Etsy, eBay, and other marketplaces, I see many individuals, makers, and mom & pop businesses that don’t respect themselves, let alone those who are buying from them. I see makers underselling, I see coaches apologizing, I see designers ceding power, and I see potential visionaries wearing blinders.

I see petty conversations. I see back stabbing. I see values out of focus.

As the handmade movement has grown, it has adopted its own limiting set of expectations.

Instead of creating new rules, we have a tendency to apply old rules to a new paradigm. This is a moment in time where that won’t work. The rules are being rewritten and reimagined – we can choose to be a part of it or not.

I propose that we codify an expectation of respect throughout craft culture, microbusiness, and personal consumption. If you’re an entrepreneur, respect yourself in your prices, your product descriptions, your conversations with cooperititon [definition coming!], and your use of the marketplace. If you’re a consumer, respect others – all of them – for the value they add to your life through the products they produce – whether lovingly handcrafted or mechanically constructed.

As the contemporary handmade movement grows, matures, and scales, we will learn to create factories, collectives, franchises, and chains that embody the respect we have rediscovered in ourselves & those around us.

We can build a system that promotes respect instead of denying it.

How are you working today to promote respect in business & in life? What businesses around you – or around the world – promote respect in innovative ways?

Filed Under: mindful spending Tagged With: , , , 23 Comments
March 30, 2011

heartsy: coup for handmade or discount disaster

It seems I’ve been living under a rock and missed the launch of Heartsy a few weeks ago.

Heartsy is a Groupon-type site for makers & artists. There are a few deals per day – which range from 50-90% off retail prices. I have to say, despite my pleas for spending more on your stuff, I love this (in theory). I love the exposure it could create for makers, the new hearts it could expose to handmade goods, the opportunities to “try” before you invest, and the word-of-mouth that could be generated.

When I shared my opinion on Twitter, people were taken off guard. How could I be into this?

In the video above, I share my big reason:

There’s a difference between a discount and discount culture.

Namely, discount culture – as espoused by Walmart and other big box retailers – hurts every one in the supply chain from the makers to the shippers to the retail workers to the shoppers. A discount, when used strategically, can be a great way to build cash flow and introduce new customers to your product.

Although my product base is quite different, I use discounting for exactly that reason and it works well for me.

I also share my (perhaps somewhat unique) experience of really using Groupon to try out new things at a discount and then coming back for more & more at full price. I might be an exception but I’m the kind of exception you really want in your customer base. And I have a feeling there are more of me than you might think.

So what other reasons are there to like this crazy discount idea?

  • Advertising is expensive and doesn’t always convert.
  • Getting your product into people’s hands means more people offline can see it.
  • Goods should be priced for profit at wholesale, not retail, so any loss is minimal at worst.
  • Makers can build lists of qualified buyers who can then be up sold to easily in the future.

I have more. Ask Megan.


Sure, there are plenty of ways this whole scheme could go horribly, horribly wrong. There will be a lot of people who get burned. But I don’t see that as Heartsy’s fault.

While some may use the site get a cheap handmade thrill, it’s unfair to assume that shoppers can’t discern the difference between a one time deal and the value of the goods they’re consuming. Shoppers are getting over discount culture but that doesn’t mean they grab a discount!

Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the makers & artists who use the site as a marketing vehicle to develop great relationships with their buyers. It is the makers’ responsibility to celebrate maker culture as opposed to discount culture.

Heartsy should be used from a place of power, for both buyers & makers, not a place of desperation.

So, what do you think? Can makers who price properly benefit from this type of discount exposure?

Also recently wrote about the trouble of underselling (or why “discomfort” is a terrible pricing strategy) on Oh My Handmade.

Filed Under: mindful spending Tagged With: , , , 19 Comments
January 26, 2011

Are you a risky shopper?

los angeles lomo art print by tara ville - click image for more info

I spent the weekend in Los Angeles helping Megan Auman show her wares to buyers from California and beyond.

This was not a retail craft show (think Crafty Bastards or Art Start Craft Bazaar or Renegade). This was a massive national gift show bringing in vendors and and purchasing representatives from all over the world.

The majority of the goods shown were mass-produced, designed by artists & designers working for or in partnership with large corporations. These are goods you’ll find in all the usual places you shop: the mall, Target, and the department store where you registered for your wedding. Not bad, just usual.

Megan was showing in the Beckman’s West section – reserved for goods that are made by hand.

The show was quite positive and feedback was good. But I got the distinct feeling that many buyers looked on the handmade merchandise with suspicion.

In a down economy, carrying goods at a higher price point with unfamiliar labels and no celebrity endorsement is not a way to secure sales or guarantee foot traffic for your store.

Handmade is a risk…

So what can you do to make buying handmade a less risky endeavor for your local boutique or department store?

Ask for them.

While shopping at independent shops or boutiques, you’re often dealing directly with someone who makes buying decisions. Ask for lines or brands by name. Know who you would love to see in the store and let the owner or manager know where to find them.

Make a point of saying thanks.

Whether at the Farmer’s Market, tourist shop, or mid-town boutique, thank the owner or clerk for carrying handmade items. Even if it’s a product you’re not buying, pointing it out and saying thanks provides encouragement to those who are taking the risk by carrying it.

Plan ahead.

Even more than price, lack of planning stops us from buying handmade as often as when we’d like. Although you can pick up a gift more quickly at a local store than by ordering online, boutiques and gift stores aren’t open 24 hours a day like their big box cousins. Plan to purchase your gift a few days a head of time and thank the owner for helping you shop the way you prefer!

Buying handmade goods is not just a unique way for your to shop, it’s always a new experience for many brick & mortar store owners and buyers. Give them a hand in selecting the items you want to buy!

Filed Under: mindful spending Tagged With: , 5 Comments