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Katie Jo runs the Etsy shop Katie Jo Artsy where she sells light-up under-the-sea decor and whimsical creations.
If you think that sounds dreamy, it is… But it gets even better. She’s had the opportunity to create pieces for Universal Studios Orlando as well as Netflix Studios and she’s setting her sights even higher!
Katie Jo Nelson working in her studio 
Pirate’s Treasure Chest by Katie Jo 
Katie Jo handcrafts her illuminated jellyfish 
Light Up Jellyfish by Katie Jo
Katie Jo is a former nurse (just like Leigh from a few episodes ago!). I think I may be seeing the beginning of a trend maybe…?
She also left her career in nursing to pursue entrepreneurship full time and now her Etsy shop ranks in the top 6% of shops on the site. Not a bad tradeoff I’d say 🙂
Having the true nurses’ heart that she does, she couldn’t help but give back to the maker community because she got so much from it, and now she’s a mentor to other makers in her community.
Topics Discussed:
- What to do when a product doesn’t do well (with regard to sales)
- Timeline for gauging when to give up on a product
- Time management and how Katie Jo organizes her day
- Getting found by major production studios for your products
- Pinterest strategy for driving traffic to Etsy using videos
- Maker Spaces – joining them and connecting with other makers locally
- And much much more…
Katie Jo’s Etsy Shop ShoutOuts
- PJ Scrubs – this is Katie Jo’s mom’s shop! Her name is Pam and she makes scrub caps (some reversible) and masks. Katie Jo helped her set up her shop just this year and she’s already well on her way to 200 sales (at the time of this writing).
- Madly Wild – run by Teri who is one of the makers in Katie Jo’s local maker community, she’s also one of the people that Katie Jo mentors. She makes hair accessories, pet products and decals. Teri also just opened her Etsy shop in 2020 and at the time of this writing is well on her way to 500 sales…
Resources Mentioned:
- Katie Jo is generously offering a $10 discount off any product in her shop to podcast listeners. Use this code to redeem it: “katiejoartsy10” or follow this link: Katie Jo Artsy Discount
- eRank – Etsy keyword research and listing optimizing tool
- Decatur Makers – local maker community that Katie Jo belongs to
- Repository of other maker groups here
- Shopify-sponsored meetups – local meetings organized by Shopify (and you don’t necessarily need to have a Shopify store to attend)
- Katie Jo’s Skillshare class
Connect With Katie Jo
- Etsy shop: Katie Jo Artsy
- Instagram: @katiejoartsy
- Email: KatieJo [at] gmail [dot] com
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Connect With Me:
- Instagram: @EtsyConversations
- Twitter: @ConvoMePodcast