Voting for next year’s panels, talks and convo’s, at South by Southwest, is now in full swing! SXSW, or “Spring Break/Camp for Geeks” as many of us lovingly refer to those 5-10 days, is one of my most favorite times a year, and I’m beyond thrilled to be a part of the actual conference, too! I’m up for two rad panels (and have linked to a few recommended panels, at the end of this post):

• Social Shopping: The Future of Selling Stuff Online
• Brand Your Friends: Social Asylum at SF Embassy

Below you can read about the talk that I’m giving, which will be structured very much like what SXSW calls a “core-convo”, even if it gets listed as a talk, because I’m a firm believer in the power of many minds and voices for the process of reflection and learning! It’s somewhat similar to talks I’ve done previously, but this one has a new twist. I’m really interested in thinking about how we’ll be buying and selling online in a few years from now, and am excited to discuss the topic in that realm, in addition to best practices for selling online today.

So, I would greatly appreciate it if you would take a minute to read through these, and if you like what you see, give me your thumbs up vote! I also welcome any comments, suggestions, questions, etc. Actually, if you can click through and add those right on the SXSW Panel Picker website, that’s best.

Social Shopping: The Future of Selling Stuff Online

Markets are conversations. As the web continues its neverending voyage toward Social, indie merchants must learn to engage and interact with their existing and future customers in new ways. The era of Social Shopping has begun, so get the info you need to stay ahead of the curve. Learn how to take advantage of the social web to help your indie business make more sales, connect with your community, and build devoted followers around the world. Perfect for small business owners, artists, crafters, musicians, authors and anyone else with something to sell.

1. What online tools make it easiest for your fans/customers to share your products throughout the web?
2. What is the Social Graph, and what does it mean for my independent business?
3. How can sellers use their online presence to reach a global audience?
4. How to create a network of support – both through your online social media networks, and with friends in your own city.
5. Beyond Twitter and Facebook, what online communities can add value to your brand?

Vote & Comment »

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Then, I’ve also been included on an awesome panel, based off our phenomenal SF Embassy experience earlier this year (SXSW’10). I’m really excited about this one (as well as SF Embassy ’11!), and truly honored to be a part of it alongside Gabe, James and Micah. My friends are rockstars. <3

Brand Your Friends: Social Asylum at SF Embassy

With a bag of one inch round buttons featuring San Francisco’s Sutro Tower and the promise of bacon and a band at brunch, the SF Embassy helped a couple hundred people form instant, powerful, trusted connections at last year’s SXSW. By branding a group of connected apartments in the madness of 6th Street as a place of social asylum, the SF Embassy gave this spontaneous community a framework to navigate the conference and their relationship with it and each other. Brand has played a powerful role in identifying and differentiating our communities for as long as we’ve had community. Increasingly, this identity is provided not by tribe or nation, but by lifestyle brands, technology companies, and rock bands. In this panel, we’ll explore the hunger for cultural identities unmediated by corporate interest, how the SF Embassy satiated that hunger for its citizens, and discuss how to apply several design patterns to strengthen ad hoc communities of all kinds. Towards the goal of creating a United Nations at SXSW, we’ll also provide downloadable templates and tools that you can use to establish your own embassy!

1. How are corporate and cultural branding different? What do they have in common?
2. What responsibility does a branded community have to make it’s intimacy gradient (how inclusive or exclusive it is) clear?
3. What came out of SF Embassy, both during the week of SXSW and in the year following?
4. What went horribly wrong?
5. How can I start my own embassy?

Vote & Comment »

Lastly, I want to tip you off to a few others I’m really looking forward to attending. Note, however, this is just a start, and a running list, as I still need to take the time to do some scouring. Therefore, feel free to give me a heads up on ones you think I should see! Post a link in the comments, or tweet @ me & I’ll check em out.

• Are Your Customers a Crowd or a Community?
  There is no better person to speak on this topic than the loving, darling, and “community cultivator” Thomas Knoll.
• Agile Ain’t Just For Developers: Agile People Manifesto
  Two great friends (one of them is my NBFF/Canadian Husband, Jay!) & incredible minds in the field of HR and managing/cultivating successful teams.
• Abolish The Hourly: How Value Pricing Wins Clients
  As a freelancer for 8+ years, I can relate to this one!! Right on, Lee.
• The Future of E-Commerce (Spoiler Alert: It’s Social)
  This is my friend Jon‘s talk, and while it may seem similar to mine, he’s got an AWESOME lineup of panelists joining him (to be announced soon). His viewpoints take on a more grand scale view of the innovation we’ll be seeing in the technology behind e-commerce. I’m excited to hear what they all have to say.
• Empowering Conscientious Consumers: Take the Power Back
  Jon’s wife, Janette, is also doing a talk… and this one is one that is close to my heart! My eco-friendly, organic-loving, let’s-change-the-world hippy heart! :)
• Love Can Pay The Bills
  Not only am I new fan of Evernote, I’m fascinated with the premise of Freemium. So going to this!
• Everything You Wanted to Know About Launching Websites
  Jay Goldman has been in this industry for so long (seriously, read his bio), making waves on everything from design to coding to management & HR… this is going to be super informative for anyone looking to hear what you need to know for a successful launch.

Bah, there’s so many more, I know – sorry for those I’ve missed – but I’m running out the door & want to get this posted. Again, please post a link in the comments, or tweet @ me with a heads up on ones you think I should see, and I’ll gladly check em out.

Thanks in advance, my friends! I’m excited to see you all in Austin for another year of making mistakes. Um, I mean, memories. :)

p.s. Seasoned SXSWers, you might also be interested in the other post I wrote (aka ranted) today, The Evolution of SXSW & the Hive Mind. I’d love to hear your comments and perspectives on that one (after you go read/vote on the panels above, of course. ;)

I’ve been seeing so many people complain about people “begging” for votes on their SXSW panels. What happened to wanting to support your friends in sharing their hard-earned knowledge, experience, proven track-records and information with other people in their industry, or to those who are looking to learn more and/or jump into a new field/career?

I realize there will always be evolution – and revolution, for that matter – when it comes to moving forward in thought and the structure of conferences/sharing information… but I also feel like people are so quick to get snarky, and all of a sudden something’s “not cool.”

Again, I know that this “uprising” is just the first few seeds of what will inevitably create something new (cracking out of the egg shell of SXSW as we know it), and that next thing is *bound* to be even more amazing, thought-provoking and transformative around how we exchange information. And I’m VERY excited to be a part of that. I guess I just don’t think that people tweeting/posting about their panels needs to be regarded as “begging.”

Personally, I really appreciate hearing about my friend’s SXSW talks. We’re all just getting to see them now (we all submitted individually over a month ago), and it’s been so fun to see what everyone has put together. Or, as a few have commented, a view into “the hive mind.” Plus, I’m BUSY! We’re ALL busy! So when my friends take time to contact me directly to point out their panel, I’m like “Oh, good!” because I haven’t yet taken the time to look through each one. And let’s face it, there’s no easy “Find my Friends” tool on the SXSW Panel Picker. ;)

I feel extremely fortunate to be connected to so many truly talented and forward-thinking people across many different disciplines, who have put forth the effort to assemble a panel or talk in effort to share their insights with the rest of the community. And I have really enjoyed reading through their talks and having the opportunity to support (aka thumbs up) many dear friends whom are truly experts in their fields. We’re in an exciting time, and on top of how awesome all of the relationships are, in terms of our own personal evolution and growth, I just absolutely love the exchange of information, and am super stoked to see where it takes us over the next few years.

Also, just to be clear in my rant, please know that if I truly don’t feel a panel is necessary, or going to help the attendees at SXSW, then I don’t thumbs up. Same with if I don’t want to follow someone on Twitter, or add them on Facebook… I don’t! So, by all means, have an opinion and be honest with your self and your actions – always – but don’t spin it to be a bad thing that people are trying to get the word out about their panel.  We are in fact on the internet, where we exchange information, and, in my opinion, *thankfully* this is also a place where we engage our trusted networks in hopes that they will consider supporting us in our endeavors. Seriously, halleluah on that, right? Of course I’d love your supportive thumbs up on the talks I’m a part of for SXSW 2011, but just like anything else online, all I can do is throw it out there. The rest is up to you. Free will is a beautiful thing! :)

Anyway… if we’re not happy with the way it is, how would you like it to be? Maybe SXSW’s Panel Picker system needs to be changed. Maybe it’s too big. Maybe we’re simply ripe for a new revolution around our geek conferences, in general. Regardless, one thing that won’t change (or at least I sure as heck hope it doesn’t!), is our having a genuine community we can reach out to, share our experiences/successes/failures, and continue to learn and grow, personally and professionally.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on all of this.

Launching my own product line was a huge step. For one, I finally did it! It had been my dream for as long as I could remember, and I finally put everything else aside, invested the time and money and went for it. However, its challenged me in ways I never expected, and I’ve learned more than I bargained for… it’s been an adventure! What’s funny is that, looking back to 2007 when I launched it, I just dove in – not knowing what the hell I was doing, but not caring that I didn’t know, either… I just went for it!

A few weeks ago, while attending the Summit of Awesome in Portland, I took a great workshop led by Bridget Benton (who happens to have her Masters in *Creativity*, how great is that?), who explained the various different ways we creatives work. Based on FourSight’s Breakthrough Thinking Profile, I can now see that the part of me that dove head first into making my freelance business happen, then a few years later launched my product line (and can even be traced back to the Willo, who at 20 years old, packed all her belongings into a little car & drove out West!), is what they call being a strong “Implementer”. However, each of the four profile groups all have pros and cons, and in the workshop we discussed how the downside of working on your own in the Implementer realm, can be that you don’t quite think things through, nor have all the facts and resources necessary to take it to the next level, once you’ve got your shiny new product(s) out there. But, as I detailed out in my Time for a Change post yesterday, I was just thrilled I had made it happen, and I was ready to dive in & learn!

Now, referencing back to the Thinking Profiles, I am also a huge “Ideator.” Anyone who knows me at all knows this. I have lists and lists and LISTS of ideas. I have big visions, I’m optimistic and enthusiastic, and given the time & resources I feel like I could never be bored! (In fact, I’m always dumbfounded hearing anyone state that they are bored or have nothing to do. Really? Here, help me do some of my ideas!) However, in the past few years running WilloToons, and still taking on some Web design and Custom Illustration work for cashflow, I sadly haven’t seen a lot of my new ideas through to fruition (classic downside of the Ideator), because I’ve been so busy keeping all my plates spinning! Funny little conundrum I have with being both an Ideator and an Implementor, huh? This might be a big clue into how I run myself ragged, ya think?!

Anyway, this brings me to the biggest lesson I’ve learned out of ALL of this:

To build any great company, it takes a great TEAM.

Now this may sound simple, but let me break it down a little…

Often as a small business owner, you dive into it, as I did, with a big vision and a passion. You have a big idea, and (depending on how much of an Implementer you are on your own), you make it happen! Now, I’m even coming from the craft/artist side of it, where there’s been a rampant resurgence and respect to the notion of DIY (and the Arts and Crafts Movement)… and Here! Here! I have always been independent; haven’t worked for any company that has more than probably 30 some employees, and I grew up in a family where both my parents owned their own businesses. I wanted my own thing and I went out & made it happen! Alas, at some point, we can’t do it all ourselves.

Now, while I did hear about this whole “ask for help” and “concentrate on your strengths” thing early on, I didn’t fully listen. I couldn’t hear it. I wanted to dive in & figure it out! I’m smart, I’m independent, I’m DIY. I can do this! And I did – as you all know, and it wasn’t half bad – which is awesome. But I just can’t help see now how it could have been done better/smarter/faster/etc. (I know, I’m my own worst critic.) What’s funny is that talking to other small business owners, I hear them making this same mistake! Not that they won’t eventually get where they want to go – as I surely will, myself – but it’s amazing how you just realize that sometimes we have to do it wrong ourselves before we get it.

The thing is, I also understand why it’s really hard to find people to help you “do the rest,” in whatever that might mean for you. It can be hard to ask for help. It can be daunting to believe that other people will have the time… especially when you’re most likely knee deep in it, juggling 2000 different things running your small business, and maybe even strapped financially to boot; how could anyone else just have a bunch of free time to donate for you and your crazy ideas?

I’m actually going to tell you the big secret here, are you ready?

Believe in your ideas, get yourself out of the way and ASK. You’ll be surprised.

If you’re a small business owner or crafter reading this, please go back and read that last sentence again, and take this post to heart. If I can help anyone through learning from my experience, it’s this lesson! :)

Now, coming back to WilloToons, I have to say that while I was knee deep in taking the business planning class, hustlin’, launching my new organic line, traveling, speaking and selling at several events around the country – AND maintaining a steady stream of web/design/illustration client projects (oh right, and maintaining some semblance of health, combined with my rock ‘n roll lifestyle), I feel very fortunate that I had help. See, this whole idea of sticking to your strengths and asking for support wasn’t entirely lost on me… I’ve actually had a LOT! I’ve had mentors and coaches, I took classes & workshops, I hired bookkeepers and consultants, and I’ve even had interns, and hired help since Sept, 2008, when I brought on Jen as my Merchandise Manager (or as I often call her, Lifesaver). However, there’s still been WAY more to do, and coming to terms with this (as detailed in my Time for a Change post yesterday), I realized that if I actually stepped back, re-evaluated what I’ve learned about what it takes to take this business to the next level, then I would need to REALLY concentrate on my strengths and be SURE to delegate the rest. I’d need funding, maybe even an official co-founder/business partner, and I’d need to start building the TEAM that it would take to go bigger.

Concentrate on your strengths, and accept your weaknesses
So what are your key strengths? Or determine where you think you may fall in the four FourSight Thinking Profile areas to see what kind of business/creative person you are, if you don’t know already. It might actually be that you’re a super savvy business person, who loves doing research and crunching numbers, and you just wish you could think of an awesome product to launch and utilize all those skills. (Uh, call me! :p)

The bottom line is, we all have our strengths and we all have our weaknesses, and the sooner we can come to terms with them, and ACCEPT them–making no apologies or feeling embarrassed or less-than because we’re not Superhuman–the sooner your business can reach new levels of success. This might mean financial growth, or it could even mean that you actually get to sleep more than 5 hours/night, take time to eat healthier meals or spend quality time with your family on a regular basis, because you’re not trying to break your back to do it ALL. Whatever the benefit, it’s the KEY to being a healthy, balanced business owner.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on all of the above. What are your strengths? Has this post helped you realize the parts of your business, or job, where you can ask for support, thereby freeing you up to work more effectively? What are your fears in asking for help? Let’s talk it out. :)

Seven years, two businesses…
For the last six months I’ve been looking back at all that I have learned running my own business(es) over the last 7 years.

I started my first business almost by accident, after being laid off from my last “real” job in 2003, where I worked for 3 years as the Lead Web/Flash/Graphic Designer, at a small firm in Potrero Hill. Wasting no time in the few weeks after I got the news, I quickly put together a quick website and business cards to launch WilloToons Baby, offering custom wall painting for nurseries and playrooms. However, it wasn’t long before I started getting inquiries to do freelance Web & Graphic Design, and next thing I knew I had a full client load.

The years to follow were full of a lot of great experience. I’ve had the pleasure of working with some great clients; designing & launching sites for both small and large organizations. I learned valuable skills around managing projects, timelines and client expectations. I hired developers, copywriters and did all my own bookkeeping. And I learned a lot around managing my time, and maintaining a healthy work/life balance. (Raise your hand if you relate to that one. A common side effect of being a passionate, driven person, I suppose, but I feel like I could write a whole book on it! :)

However, after a few years, I started thinking, what’s next? I really didn’t want to start my own design firm, but instead – for as long as I could remember – I’d been wanting to do something more with my illustrations. So, in May, 2007 I dove in to do just that: designing, producing and launching WilloToons – my super fun product line of tees, onesies & bibs (that since then has developed into greeting cards, jewelry, totes & more) – where geek meets rock ‘n roll! [Note: If you're interested in reading about this transition, check out my launch post or my mission/vision post.]

Up until then, most of my professional experience had been in services, but I was ready to learn… and boy, did I! The last three years I have learned a LOT about product development, e-commerce, marketing, Quickbooks & bookkeeping, inventory management, COGS, cashflow, customer service, you name it! And honestly, while I could have done a lot of things differently (read: better/smarter/faster) in hindsight, I feel like I’ve been fairly successful, given my means and experience prior to diving in. I feel grateful that in this time I have met friends, and gained happy customers and fans, all around the globe. It’s provided me the opportunity to step into more speaking roles, sharing what I have learned, and consulting other crafters and small business owners in everything from how to get their business online, to marketing through social media, crafting your community, and to some of the more philosophical and psychological realms of being a small business owner (yes, this is another area I could write a whole book on :).

It’s not you, it’s me…
WilloToons has been my baby over the last 3 years, and I’m really proud of all that it’s become, but I’m at this place now–7+ years in, owning and running two fairly successful businesses–where I have some options. I’ve actually been wrestling with this decision for almost a year, really. Because, while I still haven’t seen WilloToons to the full potential I see in my vision, I’ve also learned what it would take to realize that vision. Therefore, causing me to seriously reevaluate if this is even the business that I want to continue growing. I mean, I of course still love illustration and design, I’ve just started feeling like there’s more I can do with ALL of my skills.

It’s kind of like that point in a relationship where you’re like, “sure, we could try to work on this… but I think we both know we need a break.” It’s been rather difficult to get clear on that. Like any relationship, I want to work on it. I don’t want to give up on it, but instead I want to do everything I can to know that I’ve taken responsibility for my part in all of it, and get clear on what it would take to make it better, or to know (really KNOW) that it’s best to just let it go.

Now, I’m not saying I’m letting go of WilloToons at all, which I think has been a big scary thought in this process for me. WilloToons is a part of me! I am WilloToons! :p But, thankfully the store runs itself for the most part right now (with big thanks to my Merchandise Manager, Jen!), and I have a relatively steady stream of client work that comes my way, so I’ve sort of had the luxury of doing this soul searching. I knew one thing was for sure though, just like in any relationship, figuring out what was best for me, meant taking care of myself first. And that, for me, is all about getting back to my creativity. My source. I want to get back to designing, creating, and giving birth to new ideas. I’ve needed to for a long time now, but as any creative in business knows, it can be hard to do that while you’re busy keeping all the plates spinning!

So, over the last few months I’ve been REALLY digging in to look deeper at what I want. For one, after juggling SO MUCH over the last 7 years, I’ve really felt called to unplug a bit more. Since I’d been feeling lost and stuck, instead of allowing myself to stay there, I decided I wanted to flip my life on it’s head, shake it up a bit and see what wanted to rattle out. A big part of this has been clearing and making way for the new to come through. First and foremost, decluttering and refreshing my wonderful little home, that I’ve lived in for these last 7 years, and worked out of for the first 5. Which even included getting rid of my TV, and all the habits that surrounded having that in my space, in order to transform my living room into more of an art studio… huzzah!

So much happened exactly 7 years ago, that has led me into my life as I know it right now… that I think mostly I’ve had to really allow myself to release who I have been – my identity – and how I have let this time, and these businesses, define who I am. I have *reveled* in owning my own business, and launching my dream! I mean, so awesome, right? Aren’t I living the dream, of what so many people in Corporate America™ wish they were doing? So how could this be not enough for me anymore? These are all rhetorical, mind you, but you can imagine what a rollercoaster it’s been trying to make heads or tales of it. All I knew was I just kept hearing my mind say, “I want to be a part of something bigger.”

Well, thankfully these last few weeks have *finally* brought some clarity… YES!! And the answer? Waaaaait for it…

I want to be a part of something BIGGER!
That’s what it comes down to. I have accumulated SO many awesome skills over the last 7 years and I have SO much to offer now more than ever! I have done this. I have worked on my own and experienced developing and running a business two businesses, giving me experience in both services and products; I’ve managed my time, clients, and employees; I am passionate & motivated, and not afraid (in fact, downright good at) working hard to make something happen, and I want to be a part of a team!

So, over the weekend, I started getting even clearer on what this means for me. Here are some of the questions I have been asking myself:

What does it mean (to me) to “be a part of something bigger?”

• I see so many of my friends, whom I respect so much, accepting positions or starting companies that are developing products on the cutting edge. The tech space has changed SO much over the last few years, and in my opinion is truly more exciting than ever!
• I want to work and learn from other business owners, and professionals who compliment my skills.
• I want to have the means to hire and manage a rockstar team.
• I want my creativity and all that I have to offer to reach a larger population.
• My WilloToons’ mission is to celebrate individuality and expression, so how can I do that on a larger scale?

What are the qualities that are important to me, in feeling good about working with another team or company?

• Forward thinking
• Social/economical awareness
• Environmental awareness
• Fun, easy going people, with healthy communication
• An understanding around what it takes to build a smart team. i.e. Building a team where members are encouraged to work within their strengths

What skills come naturally to me?

• If I look at the last few years in this business, I think one of the most rewarding aspects has been helping people. Through my speaking engagements, teaching, consulting and connecting people… it’s what comes so naturally to me! I love offering perspective to other creatives and small business owners, sharing my process, mentoring and giving tips on how they can make money, develop their community, step into their creativity. I’ve loved helping my clients; I enjoy the communication, knowing that I’m making their lives/businesses easier (not to mention prettier!), and helping them position themselves for success.
• Design & illustration (of course), but now even on a broader scale, with creative direction & strategy. I’m a natural problem solver, big idea thinker, and rapid implementer. In addition to the joy I’ve experienced designing my own site/shop & product line, I’ve taken great pride in working with my clients, designing and developing their vision, and consulting them through the various phases of growing their business.

What am I most passionate about in business? aka What do I have to offer?

• Excellence in Design & Usability
• Awareness and Experience in Social Commerce
• Big Vision & Creative Direction
• Developing Strategy for Implementation
• Marketing, Community, Communication, Connection, Promotion
• Management: Client, Team & Product

Now, how can I wrap all of that up into my next step?
Honestly, I’m not quite sure where all of this is going to take me, but, being the excitable, positive person that I am, you can bet I’m on the edge of my seat! :)

I envision myself being a part of a core team. So, whether that means I’ll be starting up another company of my own, or joining a company at the ground floor (or close to it), I’m really looking forward to being able to really have an impact, utilizing my strengths and passion for the ultimate good of a great product or service. I’ve been talking to some friends, and we brainstormed a few things. Even that it might be a good idea to talk to some of our friends who are investors, or on Boards of startups who have the business, finance and tech aspects figured out, but need more creative direction. Who knows, but I’m putting it out there, and I’m ready!

Thanks so much for those taking the time to read this, and so many of you who have been with me on every step of these adventures thus far. I feel incredibly grateful for every single one of my friends and supporters out there, so seriously, thank you. I’d love to hear if you feel I’m missing anything in all of the above, or if while reading it you had a vision for what you see me doing with all that I have to offer. I’m looking forward to taking this next step, and you know I’ll be sharing it with you… that’s what I do! :)

A continuation from my Summit of Awesomeness, Part 1 of 2.
This was originally written in my journal on the plane ride home from Portland, Saturday, June 19th, 2010.

Hey Summit of Awesome peeps!

Did anyone else come back more inspired & feeling more creative than ever? I sure did! It was absolutely awesome to meet so many other creatives – literally to be surrounded every day with other crafty, creative, earth/consumer conscious, business minded people – pretty much a dream come true, right? :)

Sometimes I just wish I could give you all money, just for being awesome. haha. But then I think, how can I do something instead to help promote you – so that not only are you just getting money – and believe you me I wish I had the funds to give you all some anonymous grant to fund all of your fabulous creative minds – but even BETTER is to share your work with my friends and family, so that they can become customers. So you not only make $ off of the sales, but you get a new happy customer, and they get to enjoy your crafty creation – which is what the business side of craft IS ALL ABOUT!

I think about this a lot… the beauty in the business side of crafting and creativity. That flow & exchange. For example, when I was buying from all the awesome vendors (literally, at the Show of Awesome), I was SO delighted to circulate money – flow – to light up & charge (fuel) all those awesome creative engines.

I heard my mind get worried about spending money – and instead was like, are you kidding me? My spending $x on this purchase, I have not only brightened the life of the artist behind the work, but then goes on to touch so. many. other. lives! If I give it as a gift, my friend’s life is brightened up (as am I from the joy of giving), AND all the people that may see that art in the future who get to enjoy it through me or my friend. I mean, listen to all of that love & light! So exciting. And since I returned, many of the items I purchased for myself and for friends have already done this ten-fold. People are inspired by art & creativity! It fuels ideas and gets people talking. And that flow, and exchange of money (aka energy) is such a beautiful way to look at how it all works.

So ya, I really truly loved it all. Getting to exchange ideas & share in our processes; truly supporting each other; helping us remember that we’re not alone; validating our creative processes, that listening and acting on our creative visions is not only rewarding to ourselves, but can be a path towards actually making a living off of what we want to do… which is the ultimate dream, right?! It is for me anyway. :)

I also filled my journal/sketchbook with TONS of new ideas. One of them being a strong call to lead my own workshop.

To back up a little about that, I will preface by saying I’ve been really looking at what comes naturally to me, and what I love doing, and I really *love* speaking and sharing ideas with people. There are so many things to learn in running a business, both personally/psychologically and practically, and I’d love to share all that I’ve learned – aka help save others some of the mistakes I made!

Here’s my on-the-plane initial workshop outline… I’d love to hear what you think!

• When “DIY” (Doing It ALL Yourself) isn’t the way to go; collaboration & cultivating a team is the key!
• Recognizing what your strengths are, and accepting your weaknesses
  • (There’s so much I have to say in this realm! I could write a whole ‘nuther post about it. Ok, adding that to my to-do list now.)
• Visualizing having support – who do you need to help you in your business, so you can concentrate on what your passion is (what you’re best at & enjoy doing)?
• Visualizing and getting clear on what it would take to grow your business to the next level. What would it look like if it made you $50,000/year? Or—the often highly regarded, and yet sometimes elusive *six figures*—$100,000+/year?
• Marketing (might be a day 2)
  • Social Media, including Facebook & Twitter (which I always feel like I could do a whole 3 hour workshop on alone!)
  • Advertising
  • Press
  • If this isn’t your strong suit, consider finding an intern or hiring someone to help!
• Crafting your Community
• Craft shows vs Tradeshows
• Time Management
  • Getting organized
  • Holding yourself accountable w/o negative self talk
  • Giving to yourself first, taking care of your Self
  • Working in relationship with your Self

What do you think? Who knows if it will ever come to life, but I figured I could see about offering a 1-day, and just see how it goes. Get the feedback & go from there. Thoughts? Please leave a comment below, or contact me directly.

Thanks again to all who came to our talks. Thanks to all of you – speakers and attendees – who shared your process, your vision, your tips and feedback, and overall gave me SO much food for thought. I am a better person, and crafter/artist from all of our exchanges. Not to mention I feel really fortunate to have gained some amazing new friends, whom I hope to keep in touch with for years to come!

The photo above is one I snapped [of a greeting card] at Red Bird Studios, an inspiring little shop we visited on the Albert Arts District tour, where nearly everything sold is designed and created by the owners Paul Evans and Melissa Rau. Love it!

Oh, and if you didn’t catch it in my Part 1 of 2, here’s the photoset from the Summit of Awesome 2010 on Flickr, and be sure to check out the SoA10 Flickr Photo Pool, too.

For those of you keeping up, you’ll know that last week I flew up to Portland, OR, to speak & attend the 2nd Annual Summit of Awesome! It was only my second time to Portland (the first time being probably 10 years ago, and that was a whirlwind weekend trip), so this time around I truly fell head over heals. The city is so lush, and the art & creativity there is oozing… I loved it!

The conference itself was beyond awesome, just as it was last year. Again I was able to reunite with many of my crafty friends from across the country (third year in a row for a lot of us who met at CraftCon in 2008!), and meet some AMAZING new friends. I mean, seriously, how great is it to go to a conference where you’re surrounded by super creative, crafty, talented, earth conscious, super friendly people!? Best.

Plus, I got to see my good friend Justyn, who I know from high school, and his wife, Stephanie, AND my old coworker, Andrea & her two cute kiddos! It was such an amazing trip. Check out all the photos & videos in the slideshow below, or you can also view the photoset on Flickr.

I have a lot more to expound upon about all that I gleaned from my time at the Summit conference itself, so be sure to read my entry Summit of Awesomeness, Part 2 of 2, which is actually speaking directly to those who attended the Summit with me, and dives a little more into my creative inspiration around the business side of craft. :)

View the photoset from the Summit of Awesome 2010 on Flickr, and be sure to check out the SoA10 Flickr Photo Pool, too.

I’m delighted to report I’ve been invited to speak again at this year’s Summit of Awesome!

Last year’s Summit (the first one!) was held in Washington D.C., and I led a talk, with Danielle Maveal of Etsy Success/Virtual Labs, called “What’s a Social Network and How to use it for Good.”

• Read my announcement post & 2009′s talk details here »
• Here’s the wrap-up post, with photos, too »

This year’s Summit, however, is coming to the West Coast… wooo! Just over a month away, it will be held in Portland, OR., from June 16-18th, 2010, at McMenamins Kennedy School. I am thrilled I’ll be surrounded by so many talented, like-minded crafters & speakers! Plus it’s just a few days before my birthday… fun!

The details & official descriptions on all of the talks/workshops haven’t been posted yet – however, registration is now open! This year, I am confirmed to speak twice, on the following topics:

• Accepting Credit Cards
  In this talk, I will share what I have learned through both accepting credit cards online, on my shop, as well as being a beta tester for the raved-about & in-high-demand Square, which is an adapter for mobile phones, enabling anyone to not only accept credit cards on the go, but get a swipe/imprint of the card, too! I’m really excited about this talk, as I’ll be able to bring a few of the devices with me, enabling the crafters present to sign up & get started on the spot! Read all of the posts I’ve written about my experience using Square »

Speaking of Square, it deserves to be noted that *just today* they officially launched, and it’s now open to the public! They released clients for the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, and Android devices, and are sending out their first batch of free card readers. So exciting… congrats, guys!!

UPDATE: I’ll now be speaking with my awesome friend & fabulous crafter, Caitlin of Rebound Designs! Our official course description, we just submitted today:

Mobile credit card options
Learn the ins and outs of accepting credit cards at craft shows, or anywhere! We will discuss the pros and cons of integrating credit card processing into your bookkeeping process, handling chargebacks, and more. Various mobile credit card processors will be reviewed, including PayPal, ProPay, and the new in-high-demand Square. We will even have few Square devices there, enabling Summit of Awesome crafters to sign up & get started on the spot!

The second talk I’ll be a part of is one that I’ve done a few times before, and I really enjoy:

• Using Social Media To Grow, Market and Sell Your Product or Service
  Sounds like I’ll be co-leading this with Richard Fox of DIY Lounge, too… awesome! Here’s the summary:
  “With all the social media websites and services out there, it can be daunting to pinpoint which ones are the most effective for marketing your products or services. In this call, you’ll learn what it means to develop and engage with your community both online and off, as well as the best practices for each.”

I’m really looking forward to it! I learn so much every time I’m around fellow business owners and crafters/creatives. If you are called to learn more about how you can make a living from your passion or craft, register and join us!

Ooh, and it is worth mentioning, for those of you into this type of conference, there are two other really cool ones coming up soon, too:

• The Illustration Conference, July 14-17, 2010, in LA
• Conference of Creative Entrepreneurs, August 13-15, 2010, in Seattle

I’m hoping to go to at least one of those, if not both! :D

Are you going to any of these? Or do you have any questions, as a small business owner or crafter, that you would love to learn more about at a conference like these? Let me know in the comments. :)

I just added Facebook’s new Like button to both my product pages & blog posts. Pretty cool, I gotta say!

For my shop, since I use Shopify, I was able to find a helpful tip in the Shopify forums & it worked like a charm! Then, to add the like button to my blog posts, which are powered by WordPress, I found this helpful post/code. But there’s also an easy plugin, too (although FYI I haven’t tried that).

The cool thing is that you can also post a widget showing the recent activity. So, here’s some of the most recent activity from people liking products in the WilloToons shop:

And here’s posts that have been recently liked on the WilloToons blog:

If you could, maybe go like some of your favorite products & blog posts so these don’t look so empty. (haha, as I publish this, the blog one is empty, besides one like from me – hope to see a few more in there soon! :p)

My integrating all of this, this morning, was somewhat inspired by seeing this site Likebutton.me, which Maya (@mbaratz) posted a link to this morning. Thanks, lady! On that site you can even add other sites on the fly to see their recent activity. Man, all this technology… it’s like MAGIC!!

What do you all think of this?
I sort of threw them on (and should really get outside & enjoy the sunshine!!), but – for example – on the product pages, I used to have the “Share This” & “Add to Universal Wishlist” buttons located down below the photo thumbnails on the left. But, after adding the Like button, it seemed too hidden down there. So I mocked it up to have them all be right aligned under the add to cart button (see image below)… but couldn’t get the FB iFrame content to do that. I’m sure it’s doable, but in the interest of actually leaving my house today, I decided to just go with the left aligned.

Here’s a mockup of how I wanted it to look (props to my awesome friend Wes for being on IM with me & giving me feedback. AND ordering his first eat. sleep. rock. repeat. organic t-shirt!!)

I’d love to hear any & all feedback. My one concern is that it might be slowing down my site more. There’s optimization stuff like that I could use help with (I largely do all this myself, and I guarantee it’s not the best way! :p) So I’d love to hear what some of you smarter-than-me peeps think. Both from a visual and code POV.

Lastly, thanks SOO much to those of you who saw my tweets this morning & have already been pushing those like buttons! You’re THE BEST!! <3 <3

I started reading this awesome book this morning, Ambition Is Not a Dirty Word: A Woman’s Guide to Earning Her Worth and Achieving Her Dreams. Here’s a quote:

“The cornerstone of your capacity to live a life with few regrets is laid when you truly understand, on a visceral level, the importance of loving your work—and earning your worth—no matter where you are in your life and career, and no matter what competing obligations and pressures challenge your resolve to be true to your ambition. Living fully and authentically hinges on your ability to stay connected to the experience of lifelong passion for your work, to remain continually inspired, to stretch, to be open to fresh opportunities, and ultimately to be the best you can at what you do.

Simply put, your ambition should be nonnegotiable. It fuels the core of your being.”

Love it! If that strikes a cord, I recommend buying it:

You can also visit the author’s websites:

• http://ambitionisnotadirtyword.com
• http://damselsinsuccess.com

Totally behind on posting this here, and have way more of a wrap up to tell than I can jot down now – but suffice to say, it was fantastic!! I learned SO much (I attended a lot of the seminars), and made some great contacts!

Here’s the photos: