Where do I go when I need advice about my creative business? Answer: Create & Thrive
Create & Thrive and its membership community, the Thriver Circle have guided me in my handmade business practically from the start. I genuinely believe that, had I not discovered Jess when I did, my business would not be what it is today – and may not even be anything at all. I wanted to share this awesome resource with you too.
Through my involvement with Trove Canberra, I often used to speak to people who are just starting out in handmade business or thinking about beginning to sell their handmade creations. I always recommended they listen to the Create & Thrive podcast. I have listened to every episode and it is packed with excellent advice and information for creative businesses, particularly those who want to sell successfully online.
Create & Thrive
Create & Thrive is the creation of Jess Van Den, an Australian jeweller, successful Etsy seller with her brand Epheriell and former teacher who has also turned her vast array of skills to teaching others how to be successful in their own handmade businesses. One of the things I love about Jess is that she speaks with such intelligence and authority about handmade business. She still runs her jewellery business with her husband, Nick, so her knowledge is current and she is very generous with it.
Thriver Circle
An extension of Create & Thrive is the membership community Jess has created called the Thriver Circle. This is a large and active, supportive online community of creative business people from around the world. Post a question or predicament in the Thriver Circle Facebook group and you are showered with fantastic advice and support in minutes. “Thrivers” also have access to thirty or so workshops covering topics from SEO to self-care (something Jess is very passionate about being, in addition to everything else, a qualified yoga teacher). And there are lots of other perks to being a member too.
I had the absolute pleasure to meet Jess ‘in the flesh’ a year or two ago in Canberra. She came to visit friends but, while she was here, she organised a get-together with local members of her Thriver Circle. I had to work hard not to come across too ‘fan girl’ but it was such a thrill to meet the person belonging to the voice that had guided me for nearly three years. It is always risky meeting someone face-to-face whom you hold in such high regard online. There is a risk that the person won’t live up to the persona crafted online. But Jess was just as lovely as she seems on the podcast – a testament to her authenticity.
Listen to the Create & Thrive Podcast
If you are in creative business or thinking about starting on the path to selling your handmade goods, I thoroughly recommend listening to the Create & Thrive podcast. If you like what you hear – and you will! – think about joining the Thriver Circle.
