Nicole shares a special announcement, a thank you gift for all of you and closes out the season before our podcast goes on winter break. We'll see you all again in January 2023 for a new season.

Nicole chats with Instagram branding strategist Kat Coroy about how to create an authentic brand on Instagram that attracts your ideal customers, ways to create content without feeling overwhelmed, a mindset shift to help you feel more confident on social media, how to deal with negativity online and more.

Even the most successful business owners deal with impostor syndrome, negative beliefs, limiting mindsets and other underlying issues that can sabotage their path from where they are to where they want to be. On today’s podcast we talk with Topsie VandenBosch a Mindset & Emotional Intelligence Coach & Consultant about these common mindset spirals and how to crush them.

Delilah and Nicole talk to Mei Pak of Tiny Hands Jewelry and Creative Hive Co. about how to pitch, preparing your business before you pitch, the do's and dont's of pitching, following up, combating the fear of rejection and more!

Visit www.dearhandmadelife.com for the show notes...

Delilah and Nicole talk with professional portrait photographer Sarah Deragon of Portraits to the People about standing out in a crowded industry. They discuss Sarah's journey to being a full-time creative entrepreneur, how she booked a years worth of clients from one press mention, the importance of designing your business with your client in mind, passion projects, staying current and more.

Visit www.dearhandmadelife.com for the show notes...

Delilah and Nicole talk to Robin Christenson, co-owner of the Blinking Owl Distillery. They discuss how she and her husband started the first craft distillery in Orange County, how she translated her skills from running a successful medical business, the process of getting investors, and what it means to create a business - not a job.

Visit www.dearhandmadelife.com for the show notes...

Delilah and Nicole have 25 years of experience running businesses between the two of them. And there’s so much they wish they knew at the beginning. The ladies share their top ten lessons they've learned while running all sorts of businesses.

Visit www.dearhandmadelife.com for the show notes....

Delilah and Nicole chat with photographer, videographer, and their podcast producer, LP Hastings, about the freelance life. They discuss having a safety net, how to know what to charge for your services and products, determining your ideal work schedule, productivity tips, how to find the right clients, the myth of instant social media fame and more. 

Visit www.dearhandmadelife.com for the show notes...

Delilah and Nicole discuss a few of their favorite moments from Craftcation Business + Makers Conference 2017 and share what they've learned during 10+ years of event production. Topics include building a solid team, scheduling downtime, putting your customer's happiness ahead of your own and more.

To view photos, read our Craftcation recap, or for the show notes visit www.dearhandmadelife.com

Delilah and Nicole talk to Portland-based community organizer and event planner Isaac Watson of the Academy of Handmade about the importance of in-person connections in an online world. They offer advice to help introverts make connections, share how they maintain those relationships, chat about places to meet fellow creatives, and more.

PLUS - In celebration of their 50th episode they're giving away access to ALL FOUR of their online workshops to a couple lucky winners. If you love the podcast and want to enter the giveaway go to the iTunes store to leave a review of the podcast. They'll be announcing the winner on Episode 51, so be sure to listen.

Visit www.dearhandmadelife.com for the show notes…

Delilah and Nicole talk with Katie Hunt of Tradeshow Bootcamp about hiring help for your creative business. They discuss how to determine when you need to hire help, how to find help, how to train employees, and share some positive and negative experiences on finding and maintaining help.

Visit www.dearhandmadelife.com for the show notes... 

Delilah and Nicole talk with Todd and Anthony of T & A LeatherWorks about how they have created a community of regular customers that have been an integral part of the success of their business. We chat about techniques to connect with your customers and keep them coming back for more whether it's in-person sales or online.

Visit www.dearhandmadelife.com for the show notes...

Delilah and Nicole talk to artist, designer and Craftcation 2017 presenter Robert Mahar about diversifying your income streams as a freelancer in the DIY world. They discuss Robert’s path to making a living through juggling several different projects, saying yes or no to prospective opportunities, keeping your eyes open to new possibilities, the importance of finding your own way to hustle, and never being bored!

Visit www.dearhandmadelife.com for the show notes...

The ladies talk to artist, author, mother, and Craftcation 2017 presenter Anna Joyce about why she doesn’t shy away from not only sharing her political views and personal life on social media, but about adding products to her collection that reflect her views.

Visit www.dearhandmadelife.com for the show notes...

Delilah and Nicole talk about the trends of 2017. They make predictions about what lies ahead in DIY, crafts, lifestyle, design, fashion, business, social media, décor and more! A few surprise guests make appearances with their own predictions too!

Visit www.dearhandmadelife.com for the show notes...

Nicole and Delilah are saying goodbye to 2016 and hello to 2017. They talk about the notion of being and doing enough, success, gratitude, transitions in their businesses that they went through this year and they share some of the best and worst moments of 2016 submitted by listeners. 

Visit www.dearhandmadelife.com for the show notes...

Delilah and Nicole send their warmest wishes to you for a lovely and drama free holiday season. Catch up with them and a new batch of episodes on January 7th.

Visit www.dearhandmadelife.com for the full archive and blog posts on everything business and creative.

Delilah and Nicole talk with the creator of Oodle Ba Doodle pillows and the co-leader of the San Francisco Etsy group, Rebecca Saylor. The ladies discuss how we can grow our businesses without compromising our original mission statement. They chat about growing through people vs. technology, being realistic with growth, and about how overnight success can turn into a nightmare.

Visit www.dearhandmadelife.com for the show notes...

Delilah and Nicole talk to the owner of Epheriell Designs jewelry and Create & Thrive consulting, Jess Van Den. They discuss navigating the waters of living with someone and being business partners.

Visit www.dearhandmadelife.com for the show notes.

Delilah and Nicole talk to the insanely successful and charming women behind Bella Lucce Skincare and Lucky Break Consulting, Miss Lela Barker. They discuss ways to set up your business so that it stays for the long haul, how to streamline tasks, and why you shouldn't feel bad about your business mistakes.

Visit www.dearhandmadelife.com for the show notes and Lela's special offer to listeners... 

Delilah and Nicole talk to Abby Glassenberg of While She Naps and Craft Industry Alliance about the reality of running your own business. Surprise - it's not as easy as opening an Etsy shop. They discuss the rise in creative businesses, the role technology plays, and how to decide if you’re ready to turn your passion into a job.

Visit www.dearhandmadelife.com for the show notes...

Delilah and Nicole talk with Rachel Smith of The Crafted Life about comparison and authenticity online. The ladies share times when they’ve fallen into the comparison game as well as tips for dealing with moments when you’re feeling less-than. They also touch on how much to share about your personal life with your online audience and stay authentic when working with sponsors.

Visit www.dearhandmadelife.com for the show notes...

How can you be authentic and impactful on Instagram for your creative business without spending all your time planning content, mastering every new feature and feeling overwhelmed? KatieMac our online operations director joins Nicole for this special episode where they sit down with Instagram strategist Manu Muraro, the founder of Your Social Team and answer that question and more. They talk about the benefits of being salesy on Instagram, time management, new features, what metrics you should analyze, how to know if a post is successful, reposting guidelines, the question you need to ask yourself before every single post and much more!

Delilah and Nicole talk with Lisa Cherry, the owner of The Makery Craft Co, a studio in Anaheim that offers creative workshops for adult makers. The ladies discuss adjusting your money mindset, the importance of financial goals, starving artist syndrome, diversifying your income, and more.

Visit www.dearhandmadelife.com for the show notes.

Delilah and Nicole talk with maker, sewist, creative entrepreneur and Craftcation presenter Sonya Phillip about crafting a wardrobe that fits your style and body. We discuss how Sonya created an “accidental business,”breaking the rules of sewing and fashion, and learning to love your body as it is right now.

Visit www.dearhandmadelife.com for the show notes.

Delilah and Nicole talk to writer, editor, maker and speaker Kim Werker. They discuss the culture of perfection online and in the artistic process. Kim explains how her book, Mighty Ugly, helps people let go of that unnecessary need to be perfect. 

Visit www.dearhandmadelife.com for the show notes...

A quick update for our podcast listeners. The Dear Handmade Life podcast will return after a summer intermission on August 11th. We cannot wait to connect with you again. Cheers!

We've all heard it, and it's still true: how you display your products is just as important as the products themselves. On this episode of DHL, Delilah and Nicole talk to Jessica Pohl, an expert visual merchandiser and owner of Crochet Magic. They ladies discuss Jessica's journey from being a high-fashion merchandiser to hitting rock bottom and rising again with her own business, all with the help of what she learned in retail.

Visit www.dearhandmadelife.com for the show notes... 

Dealing with legal jargon and product laws is one of our least favorites parts of owning a creative business. Unfortunately, operating in the dark and without knowledge of these laws can come back to bite you - and hard! Delilah and Nicole talk to lawyer and artist consultant Kiffanie Stahle about trademarks, copyright, and how personal ethics fit into both.

Visit www.dearhandmadelife.com for the show notes...

Like it or not, a new generation of creators and consumers are entering the marketplace. This week, Delilah and Nicole talk to local university Publications Manager and Events Coordinator for student media, Natasha Monnereau and freelance Graphic Designer & Marketing Manager, Nancy Herrera, about how to market your products to this next generation. It turns out these young things are not just on their phones all the time.

Visit www.dearhandmadelife.com for the show notes...

Delilah and Nicole return to the podcast after a long break. The ladies talk about how this year's Craftcation Conference went, what they've been doing to decompress, and begin planning for next year already!

Visit www.dearhandmadelife.com for the show notes...

Things are gettin' crazy over here at Dear Handmade Life - we're preparing for Craftcation, Spring Patchwork Shows and Delilah is opening her new store! We're so excited to share these experiences with you, but we have to take a quick break beforehand. We'll be back on April 21st and this Intermission Show will give you some rich content to check out in the meantime. Happy Spring!

This week, Delilah and Nicole talk to chef, television personality and food writer Aida Mollenkamp. Aida’s resume includes being the Food Editor at CHOW magazine, hosting the Food Network’s Ask Aida and the Cooking Channel’s foodCrafters and writing the cookbook Keys To The Kitchen. The ladies discuss the importance of support from your creative community, how life is better when you talk to a new person everyday, and tips and destinations for travelers on a budget.

Visit www.dearhandmadelife.com for the show notes.

Delilah and Nicole get deep with Meighan O'Toole on all things social media in 2016. Meighan is a seasoned independent business owner who has over a decade of experience working for heavy hitters like Yahoo, Wikia (Wikipedia’s sister community website) and Silicon Valley’s Wired Magazine - that's just to name a few! The ladies discuss why your social media numbers are less important than your engagement, trends, Periscope tips, the culture of perfection, and much more!

Visit www.dearhandmadelife.com for the show notes.

In the first episode of 2016 Delilah + Nicole talk to Mark Hentemann, an illustrator, Family Guy writer, and creator of Bordertown, a new animated series on FOX.

Mark shares his tips for managing a team of creatives and how he keeps them, and himself, motivated to work those long hours in show business.

2015 is coming to a close so Delilah + Nicole remember all of their favorites things from the year. Whether it's technology, books, movies, or business, this episode will give you some great things to check out while you're writing those New Years resolutions. Plus, Delilah and Nicole bring on some friends to give their trend forecasts for 2016. We'll see you next year!

Visit www.dearhandmadelife.com for the show notes...

More and more makers are beginning to look at diversifying their income streams and teaching their craft is one of those ways. BUT… Just because you can make something doesn’t mean you can teach someone else to make something. In this episode Delilah and Nicole talk to Lisa Solomon, an amazing Craftcation presenter, who is also a veteran teacher, artist and entrepreneur. They discuss what makes a good teacher and will help you determine if teaching is the right path for your business.

This week Delilah and Nicole talk to Rosalie Gale, the inventor of Shower Art, about the value of humor in business and creativity. Rosalie shares her experience in stand up comedy, explains how humor can help anxiety, and why it's key in realizing when to move on from a project.

Find the show notes at www.dearhandmadelife.com...

Have you ever done something and wished you could start over and do it a different way? It's possible but difficult, especially in business. Delilah and Nicole talk with Sé Reed, a regular Craftcation Conference presenter, business advisor and web designer about disbanding your business and starting again.

Negotiation seems like it ought to be reserved for corporate chats and board meetings, but just beccause you work with your hands doesn't mean there's no deal making. It's a skill we need in everyday life, but especially in business. In this episode, Delilah and Nicole talk to attorney Ayshea Mahapatra on the difficult to cultivate art form.

See www.dearhandmadelife.com for the show notes...

This week Delilah and Nicole talk to Alfonso Cano, the produce director of Southern California-based Northgate Gonzalez Markets. It turns out we can learn a lot from the produce industry. The three discuss dream jobs, staying humble, working smarter not harder, consistent branding, pricing, and so much more.

Visit www.dearhandmadelife.com for the show notes.

Delilah and Nicole talk to writer, journalist, and debut novelist of The Things We Tell Ourselves, Victoria Namkung. They explore the process of writing a novel and how it can take what feels like a lifetime to be prepared for. Even though Victoria is a working writer, the inspiration and challenges of a novel were completely different.

Life always throws us curve balls, and when you have a business things can go from 0-100 on the stress scale in seconds. How do you get through those tough times without losing it? In this episode, Delilah and Nicole talk to Erin Whitcomb of Front Porch Pops about the times when sh#t hit the fan for their businesses, and how they plan to prevent it from happening again.

In homage to one of Delilah's favorite podcasts, Filmspotting, the ladies decide to do their own episode on the top films and TV shows about business. Maybe you can learn valuable lessons just by vegging out with Netflix after all!

This is part two of a two-part series. For the show notes, visit www.dearhanmadelife.com.

In homage to one of Delilah's favorite podcasts, Filmspotting, the ladies decide to do their own episode on the top films and TV shows about business. Maybe you can learn valuable lessons just by vegging out with Netflix after all!

This is part one of a two-part series. For the show notes, visit www.dearhanmadelife.com.

Do you dream of having a retail store? In this episode, Delilah and Nicole chat with their friend Beth Giles of Salvage Life and share their stories, tips and experiences in running a brick and mortar business.

Visit www.dearhandmadelife.com for the show notes.