Etsy Conversations Podcast

Featuring inspiring interviews with Etsy (& some non-Etsy) shop owners

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148 – Her Joyful Studio

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Being a mother of twins is exhausting! Throw in running a successful Etsy business and you can just imagine how busy Kathleen Ahern Sheets of Her Joyful Studio stays on a daily basis.

Kathleen is my guest on this week’s episode and we talk about all things related to growing her successful business while chasing after toddlers. She shares how she manages her time, what she does to promote her products – all while taking care of the house, kids, pets, and a loving husband.

etsy shop her joyful studioIf you’re either a busy mama or a busy papa selling on Etsy you’ll definitely be able to relate to and draw inspiration from Kathleen.

In 2013, Kathleen transitioned from the corporate world into the world of entrepreneurship. She learned about Etsy while planning her wedding.

Shortly after she learned how to sew, she opened the virtual Etsy doors at Her Joyful Studio. About a month later, she learned she was pregnant and a month after that, she discovered she was pregnant with twins!

Then it all got really real… 🙂


This news delighted her and also made her realize that she wanted to be a stay-at-home mom while still providing a stable income for her growing family. That’s when her passion for making her store a success grew and  – because of the beautiful babies she was about to welcome into the world – she decided to pivot her business into selling handmade hair bows, headbands, and hair accessories for babies, children, and adults.

Kathleen considers herself an entrepreneur first, and an artist second.

She says she believes that this mindset has significantly helped her turn a passion and hobby into a very successful business – one that now makes up about half of her family’s income and has allowed her to purchase her first home after only about a year and a half into her business!

Kathleen shares her journey as well as some valuable insight, tips, advice, and interesting resources that she recommends other sellers consider. She explains how improving her product photos have helped improve her business and increase her sales, and even explains how she utilizes “Brand Reps” from Instagram to help her provide beautiful product photos in her shop and on her e-commerce website.

Kathleen is a true inspiration to the Etsy selling community, one who has seen significant success in a short three year period of time and I am so excited to introduce her to you.

[bctt tweet=”It’s okay to reflect the quality and craftsmanship of your products in your prices. @HerJoyfulStudio” username=”ConvoMePodcast”]

Her Joyful Studio – Topics Discussed

  • Kathleen explains how her business evolved from a “hobby shop” into a successful home-based e-commerce business
  • Why her products evolved several times before she settled on making hair accessories
  • Advice to sellers about evaluating profit margins vs. time consumption, when and why to outsource tasks, handling unhappy customers, and what you should do if you’re not seeing the results you think you should
  • Kathleen describes what a typical day is like for her while raising toddlers and running a business
  • Online promotion, social media marketing, and business planning strategies
  • Branding and how quality product photos can significantly impact your success
  • What Brand Reps are and where she finds them
  • Tips, strategies, and resources she has used throughout her business to make it a success
  • How selling her products through Etsy Wholesale has impacted her business

Her Joyful Studio – Resources Mentioned

Her Joyful Studio Etsy Shop Shout Outs

  • SweetheartElegant Etsy Shop – run by Kathleen’s friend Mary, where she sells beautifully crafted, customized portraits, watercolor art cards, tote bags and more.

Best Ways to Reach Kathleen

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