While all the goodies and surprises are happening on the Membership Party email list, I wanted to share with you today's thoughts from the email. Make sure you're on the the list so you don't miss anything.
You probably got into this because you loved making something, or at least were good at making something. It was also something that you discovered people would pay for. The cycle of making and selling seemed to turn into a business. Maybe that happened by accident or it’s been the plan all along.
It’s likely you didn’t get into this because you thought, “I know a way to make millions! HANDMAKE ALL THE THINGS!” or “A business where I’m the one running just about all the details is surely a recipe for early retirement.”
But you also care about money and a healthy business. Because these things let you continue to make what you originally loved doing and do stuff like eat and go on vacation and not stress about paying for a place to live. It’s what you see as living the dream (hey! we happen to think that's a pretty awesome dream).
There’s a lot of stuff out there that wants to tell you how to live the dream or how to make the dream happen (hint: if you are already making and selling what you love, then you’re already making that dream a reality!). Shark Tank wants to tell you that you need investors and think about how to scale by offshoring. Others tell you that success comes by these steps that have been neatly laid out for everyone.
But you know that your definition of a successful, happy life involves you creatively expressing yourself through making. And you probably also have a few other requirements (they often involve making your own decisions because you're over bosses, working in your PJs and other things along those lines). So, your path to success will always look a little different— even different from other makers.
From the very beginning it was always important for us to create a space for makers who cared about their businesses. Where it would be about celebrating and supporting the path you’ve chosen.
Because your insights and “AHA!” moments in your business are likely going to come from sorting out all the information and deciding how you want to proceed. It's unlikely going to come from Googling "How to be a successful maker."
I'd like to challenge you to think about what's out there right now and think about if it's supporting your business. Are you tired of being on forums where people seem to just vent and gossip? Are you surrounded by enough peer-level makers in the groups you're in? Can they help you get where you want to go?
If the answer is no, then I hope you'll continue thinking about becoming a member of Academy of Handmade. No pressure or call to action right now. Just want you to think about it.
I'll be emailing again in a couple days so we can chat more then... but in the meantime, feel free to email me at sharon@academyofhandmade.com if you do have any questions about us. I'm happy to answer them!
-Sharon
