This series is for my awesome readers. Some of the feedback I’ve been getting from my readers is – “I love your articles and interviews. They are so inspiring, but what I want to know is – how are these entrepreneurs keeping the bills paid while chasing their dreams.” So, this is the first in a series of stories where entrepreneurs tell how they kept the bills paid, during the lean times. In this installment, you’ll meet Jennyvi, Nancy, and Colleen.

Jennyvi Dizon, owner of Jennyvi Dizon Couture said, “When I started my company Jennyvi Dizon Couture, I was in accounting. The very first time I decided to take the leap was when I worked in the tax industry for an accounting firm. I was upfront with my bosses, the busier I got. The busier I got with my gown orders, the less I was interested in working another tax season on a full-time basis. I quit the job to look for a part-time position and sure enough I was able to get an accounting job with a weddings magazine. It was perfect because I was able to keep up with the bridal trends. I was dreaming of dresses I could design and make at work and then going home to sew the designs I thought of. Eventually, I was working more hours at the magazine, but I quit when I was booking more gowns at $3000 a dress. It was a sign, it was time to let go of the day job.

For more information on Jennyvi and her designs visit www.jennyvi.com
Follow Jennyvi’s blog at www.jennyvidizon.blogspot.com
Become a Facebook Fan at http://www.facebook.com/jennyvicouture
Visit Jennyvi’s Etsy shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/jennyvi

Nancy Williams, Owner of Gift of Travel said, “I have actually launched two different companies. My first entrepreneurial effort launched in 1995 www.honeyluna.com. Initially, I kept my day job until we had positive revenue flow. Slowly I cut back my hours at my day job to part time. After I received an angel round of investing I was able to devote full time (and then some!) to HoneyLuna. Then after my divorce, I needed to earn a bit more income than I was able to pay myself with HoneyLuna. I lived in Marin County – expensive! Most of my revenue went back into the company to expand. HoneyLuna was viable, but I just needed more dollars for myself, so I waitressed for 2 years. (LOVED IT!) After selling HoneyLuna I launched a new company Gift of Travel. In order to pay the bills as Gift of Travel grows to positive cash flow, I am consulting for the company that is currently running HoneyLuna. I definitely love being an entrepreneur and would rather do whatever it takes to make my companies work than be employed by/for someone else!”

For more information on Nancy and Gift of Travel visit www.giftoftravel.com

Colleen Lloyd-Roberts, owner of Top Notch Nail Files said, “I continued another home based business, a network marketing company so I could grow a team and earn residual income. I knew that residual income would provide me long term working capital for my dream business. In months where it was really tight, I paid the most important bills first. I knew how long I had until the phone, lights, gas, etc. would get cut off, so I would rotate each month what bill needed to get paid. I needed money to reinvest in inventory and only the bare necessities to grow my business – nothing extravagant. By rotating my monthly payments, I never got cut off on anything, I was able to grow my business, and now I have a very successful web-based business. I also did do some trade shows, because that was instant money as well, that I could use to reinvest in my business and pay the most pressing bills.”

For more information on Colleen and Top Notch Nails visit www.nailfile.net
Become a Facebook Fan at http://tinyurl.com/39ke9ey
Follow Colleen on Twitter at http://twitter.com/teamtopnotch

Julie Barnes is the author is this post. Julie is excited to be living in Generation E – the age of the Entrepreneur. As a writer, she enjoys writing about all aspects of the entrepreneurial journey. She enjoys interviewing entrepreneurs whose experience and wisdom can inspire others to follow their entrepreneurial dreams. Julie lives and works in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, KS with her husband Ron, lovable dog Hank, and sweet kitten Sammy. You can visit her site at www.julieabarnes.com. Follow Julie on Twitter at @JulieBarnesKS. Become a Facebook friend at Julie Barnes.

This is the 6th and final installment in a series of stories from entrepreneurs who have not let limitations in life and business stop them from reaching their goals of owning a successful business.

In this installment, you’ll meet Gabrielle, who went from stay-at-home mom to successful business woman. Keely, who is building a business on limited funds, Isabelle, who knew there was no alternative, but to succeed, and Jamal, who decided to create his own job opportunity after a lay-off. Read on to get your inspiration and remember – With determination and hard work; the road can lead you to Success!!

Gabrielle Napolitano, Owner of Still Hip, a kid’s resale boutique said, “Boy have I overcome some crazy things! The short of it is, I opened my business with a partner and a year later my husband left me, he ruined my credit and my business partner decided she no longer wanted to be a part of the store!” Gabrielle went from stay-at-home mom to single parent running a business completely on her own.

Visit Still Hip’s website at http://stillhipbrooklyn.com
Follow Still Hip on Twitter at http://twitter.com/stillhip
Become a Facebook Friend at http://tinyurl.com/28c7hzc

Keely Capel, Owner of BidABooking, an online auction for holiday property rentals said, “I set up my business 15 months ago even when the banks only offered 50% of the capital investment we required. I have managed to get the business off the ground by being resourceful and negotiating as much as I can on fees for services and purchasing and where ever possible looking for free options. Growing the company with such a limited budget has been tough. I have had to rely on friends and family to support me and have used personal credit cards when funds have not been available to us. We are currently seeking external investment as a way to expand the business as the banks are not prepared to increase their lending to us and personal funds are now limited. Although this is also proving a challenge. The experience however has taught me to think outside the box, never except the first offer and has provided me with even more determination to succeed in what I am doing.”

For more information on Keely and BidABooking visit http://www.bidabooking.com/
Follow BidABooking on Twitter at http://twitter.com/bidabooking
Become a Facebook Fan at http://tinyurl.com/2dk5jqn

Isabelle Thomas Duston, the Founder of Apps of All Nations LLC, a producer of applications for the iPhone and the iPad said, “I live in the US, but I am French. In the height of the recession, I realized I needed to leave my husband but had no way of supporting myself financially. Additionally, I wanted to stay in the US to continue raising our two young children. These were limitations I was able to overcome by starting my own company, Appsofallnations. I realized that by starting my own business I could both obtain my own visa and become financially independent so I could support my family. This proved to be very challenging because in order to be approved for an E2 visa you need to invest about $100,000, hire 2 people, and be profitable within 1 year. However, I was able to do it and my business is going extremely well. It enables me to use my creativity and ingenuity, as well as to apply my philosophy of life to my business and management style. This philosophy focuses on the importance of empowerment, collaborative team work, virtual and international teams, and giving to important causes. 5% of the sales of my applications are donated to important causes of my choosing. I believe that bad economic times are actually the best times to start your own business. If you are out of job and need to support yourself like I was, that’s when you get the highest level of personal implication, because you have to make it. There is no easy alternative, so you are driven to find the energy within yourself.”

Visit Apps Of All Nations at http://www.appsofallnations.com/
Follow Isabelle on Twitter at http://twitter.com/iCooking

Jamal Hipps, a marketing and advertising entrepreneur, launched his company MPYER (“empire”) with a specific vision in mind: to help their clients find their own niche or personal ‘secret’ within their industry. Jamal, who uniquely can always be seen wearing a touch of orange (his company’s color), leads MPYER with the marketing mantra of uncovering those hidden treasures of clients – discovering the secret that strengthens the bond between clients and customers and identifying the specific wants and needs between the two.

Surprisingly, MPYER was born thanks to a major setback. In April of 2008, Jamal was laid off from his job at Regions Bank as its Area Marketing Manager – after being with the company since his college years. That’s when he was given the opportunity to enter the industry on his own, determined to establish his own marketing and advertising agency (a goal of his since he was 25). Through diligent networking and several phone calls and emails, Jamal was able to meet with industry professionals who provided insight and direction for his future plans. He decided to create his own job opportunity, and MYPER was born. The company assists its clients with a wide array of services, including event planning, crisis management, graphic design throughout Nashville and nationally. Now, Jamal boasts excellent clients and a great team to work with, and advises that everyone take the risk and jump into entrepreneurial waters themselves.

For more information on Jamal and MPYER visit http://www.mpyer.com
Become a Facebook Fan at http://www.facebook.com/MPYER
Connect on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/in/jamalhipps

Julie Barnes is the author is this post. Julie is excited to be living in Generation E – the age of the Entrepreneur. As a writer, she enjoys writing about all aspects of the entrepreneurial journey. She enjoys interviewing entrepreneurs whose experience and wisdom can inspire others to follow their entrepreneurial dreams. Julie lives and works in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, KS with her husband Ron, lovable dog Hank, and sweet kitten Sammy. You can visit her site at www.julieabarnes.com. Follow Julie on Twitter at @JulieBarnesKS. Become a Facebook friend at Julie Barnes.

This is the last in a series of interviews with Etsy entrepreneurs.

It was through social media that Kathy Swenning first heard about Etsy. Kathy is a polymer clay artist that specializes in custom beads and jewelry. In this interview, learn how Kathy started her Etsy Shop – Roz Petalz Studio.

What brought you to become an Etsy shop owner?

I heard about Etsy from a fellow crafter on a social networking site. I was tired of the high fees on Ebay, so I gave it a try.

How do you market your business?

Facebook, My Space, Business cards handed out at local fairs & included in my packaging (from all online sales).

How has social media helped your business? What have you found works best for your store?

Facebook has proven to be helpful. I can link my Etsy items to post when they go up in my shop. They also have a helpful Etsy app. I have gotten several custom orders that way – my page is set to public so anyone can view it.

What is your favorite part of being an Etsy store owner?

Low fees – no charge for store setup, etc. I especially like the “Street Teams”. I belong to two – PCAGOE (polymer clay artists guild od etsy) and Ct. Etsy Team I have participated in promotions and shows as a result of this.

What are some of the ways that you find Etsy helps in your success as a store owner?

Etsy promotes alot on their own – our success is theirs! Also the Virtual Labs has lots of good tips and ideas that have helped me along the way with suggestions for picture taking, tagging & more. The Custom section has also allowed some additional sales.

What advice would you give new Etsians just starting out?

List a few items each day instead of all at once, so you don’t get buried in the “pile” of new listings. Also, make sure your name reflects your business. I changed mine as a matter of fact due to advice from fellow Etsians. I was using my Ebay I.D. (KathyS711); decided it was better to be more recognizable to Etsy customers. Buyers on Ebay want something for nothing. Etsy buyers appreciate handmade!!!!!!

How did you come up with your shop name?

Roz Petalz Studio is the name of my business – named for my daughter, Hannah Rose.

How do you brand yourself to make your shop unique?

I make my product speak for itself. My items are one of a kind and affordable.

Do you feel a sense of community among the Etsy shop owners?

Yes! I have had strangers contact me with advice, etc just because they wanted to help a fellow “Etsian”. I have also done the same.

How do you connect with your buyers?

I respond ASAP to purchases and custom requests, etc. I include a thank you note and small “freebie” with every item. I also wrap my items with attractive packaging, etc. Most importantly, I ship FAST & leave feedback as soon as I get paid.

Visit Kathleen’s Etsy shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/RozPetalzStudio
Follow the Roz Petalz Studio blog at http://rozpetalzstudio-kathys711.blogspot.com/
Visit the Roz Petalz Studio website at http://www.rozpetalzstudio.com/
Become a Facebook Fan at http://www.facebook.com/RozPetalzStudio

Julie Barnes is the author is this post. Julie is excited to be living in Generation E – the age of the Entrepreneur. As a writer, she enjoys writing about all aspects of the entrepreneurial journey. She enjoys interviewing entrepreneurs whose experience and wisdom can inspire others to follow their entrepreneurial dreams. Julie lives and works in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, KS with her husband Ron, lovable dog Hank, and sweet kitten Sammy. You can visit her site at www.julieabarnes.com. Follow Julie on Twitter at @JulieBarnesKS. Become a Facebook friend at Julie Barnes.

This is the 5th in a series of stories from entrepreneurs who have not let limitations in life and business stop them from reaching their goals of owning a successful business.

In this installment, you’ll meet Tiffany, who didn’t let cancer stop her from landing her product into CVS; Lisa, who didn’t let lack of time stop her from growing a successful business, and Savannah, who went from nearly bankrupt to millionaire in under a year. Read on to be inspired and remember – Kick those obstacles to the curb!!

Tiffany Krumins, creator of Ava the Elephant said, “I created a product that makes medicine time fun for babies, children and parents! Ava the Elephant is a friendly elephant that talks and then dispenses medicine to the child. I was shocked that there was nothing on the market that made it a pleasurable experience for children. Last year I pitched my idea to investors and was able to secure the $50,000 needed to bring it to market. However, two months after I started the process I was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 28. I decided to push through and continue working at my “paying job”, do all things necessary to start my business, raise my new daughter, have surgery, radiation and recovery all at the same time! CVS will be our first large retailer. It retails for $9.99. They are also available for purchase on our website.”

For more information on Tiffany and Ava the Elephant visit http://www.avatheelephant.com/

Lisa Tener, Book Writing Coach, and Author said, “My biggest limitation was time, when my son was younger. So I built my business slowly. And it took time. Some of the keys were: – appreciating every payment that came in, no matter how small and seeing it as a victory! – sticking with my vision, even when others wondered how it would ever work. – Finding good mentors – finding supportive women entrepreneurs to brainstorm with and support each other. – I value the flexibility of owning my own business. Once I had more income, I began to outsource. I help people write and publish their books. I serve on the faculty of Harvard medical school’s CME publishing course and also teach my own book writing courses locally and by teleseminar. I also help people with book proposals. My clients have been published by Random House, Simon and Schuster, Prometheus, Karnac books, Atria Books, and Beyond Words.

Visit Bring Your Book to Life at www.Lisatener.com/book
Follow Lisa’s blog at http://www.lisatener.com/blog

Savannah Ross, a real estate investor and trainer went from nearly bankrupt to multimillionaire in under a year through real estate investing. Savannah had to overcome many obstacles that included the near death of her youngest son, a house fire, and an impending divorce. Savannah now runs the Rich Mom Corporation which teaches people about investing in rental real estate.

For more information on Savannah and Rich Mom visit http://www.richmom.com
Follow Savannah on Twitter at http://twitter.com/TheRealRichMom
Become a Facebook friend at http://tinyurl.com/26x53fd

Julie Barnes is the author is this post. Julie is excited to be living in Generation E – the age of the Entrepreneur. As a writer, she enjoys writing about all aspects of the entrepreneurial journey. She enjoys interviewing entrepreneurs whose experience and wisdom can inspire others to follow their entrepreneurial dreams. Julie lives and works in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, KS with her husband Ron, lovable dog Hank, and sweet kitten Sammy. You can visit her site at www.julieabarnes.com. Follow Julie on Twitter at @JulieBarnesKS. Become a Facebook friend at Julie Barnes.

This is # 12 in a series of interviews with Etsy entrepreneurs.

Ella Averbukh, a New York-based knit apparel and accessories designer, was on a quest to figure out how she could earn a living using her creative skills. She found the answer in Etsy. In this interview, learn how Ella is building a brand using her combined creative skills and interest in her Etsy store – Ellita’s Flying Snail.

What brought you to become an Etsy shop owner?

I have always been interested in design, fashion, and art; continuously searching for my own artistic identity, and questioning how one can earn a living by honing their creative side. When I heard about Etsy, my interests merged, and I found the answer. So here I am!

How do you market your business?

There are many ways one can promote their business online. Besides Etsy, I also post my work on such sites as www.trunkt.org, www.senseoffashion.com, www.dawanda.com, www.wholesalecrafts.com. Facebook is another site that is quite useful, as I can upload images of my work on the assorted fashion communities’ pages and interact with people with similar interests, thus promoting my work. And of course, wearing my own designs draws immediate attention; and since I always have a batch of business cards with me—the marketing is also always on the go!

How has social media helped your business? What have you found works best for your store?

Social networking definitely helps my business. I often attend NYC fashion events where I mingle with people interested in style and fashion, thus assembling either creative collaborations or business connections, while promoting my work at the same time. I also attend various trade shows and trunk shows in and around NYC, and I try to plan attending similar events—when I travel—in Europe.
　
What is your favorite part of being an Etsy store owner?

My favorite part of being an Etsy store owner is playing the major role in the little world I created, combining all of my skills and interests. I love interacting with my customers and with the fellow Etsians. I draw constant inspiration through this communication, and not only for my creativity, but also for the appreciation of beauty in the minds and hearts of others.

What are some of the ways that you find Etsy helps in your success as a store owner?

Etsy has many promotional tools which are quite useful. One of such features is “Treasuries,” wherein the items from various stores are combined into a beautiful mosaic to be posted on the front page. Etsy shop owners can also promote their work by featuring one of their items in the “Showcases” and “Gift Guides.” Etsy administrators could also select Etsy shop owners to be the “Featured Sellers.” Featured sellers are asked to give an interview about their work and the experience of being the Etsy shop owners, and the interview is posted on the front page for two days. This usually attracts attention of many people to the shop, thus increasing popularity and sales. An interview about “Ellita’s Flying Snail” shop can be found here: http://www.etsy.com/featured_seller.php?featured_user_id=5311402

What advice would you give new Etsians just starting out?

My first advice to the new Etsy shop owners would be to come up with their own authentic look and style in their designs, something that can stand out among other products. Having good quality product photography is crucial, as the buyers want to have a clear image of what they are getting. Photography, as well, can help define the store’s brand style, so that when people browse the items on Etsy, the image of the product will let the customers recognize the store right away.

How did you come up with your shop name?

“Ellita” has been my nickname forever, and I always had an affinity to the symbol of the snail with wings (I have no idea what it symbolizes, I just love it!) Together it came to be “Ellita’s Flying Snail.”

How do you brand yourself to make your shop unique?

I have previously described how photography could be crucial in creating the brand image of the store. I can also add that I have an affinity towards Renaissance, Victorian, Art Nouveau, and Steam Punk influences in fashion, and my designs reflect it. Finding models for the pictures that resonate with these fashion periods in their look also contributes to the creation of the whole “feel” of the brand.

Do you feel a sense of community among the Etsy shop owners?

Absolutely. As I mentioned before, communication with other Etsy shop owners is one of the best Etsy features, as it contributes to the sense of community and provides continuous feedback.

How do you connect with your buyers?

I always attach a hand-made tag to each item with the shop’s logo and the name of the design. I also make sure to gift-wrap each item and include a thank you card with each order.
　
Visit Ella’s Etsy shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/Ellita

Julie Barnes is the author is this post. Julie is excited to be living in Generation E – the age of the Entrepreneur. As a writer, she enjoys writing about all aspects of the entrepreneurial journey. She enjoys interviewing entrepreneurs whose experience and wisdom can inspire others to follow their entrepreneurial dreams. Julie lives and works in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, KS with her husband Ron, lovable dog Hank, and sweet kitten Sammy. You can visit her site at www.julieabarnes.com. Follow Julie on Twitter at @JulieBarnesKS. Become a Facebook friend at Julie Barnes.

This is the 4th in a series of stories from entrepreneurs who have not let limitations in life and business stop them from reaching their goals of owning a successful business.

In this installment, you’ll meet Andria, who didn’t let Hurricane Katrina end her dream; Steffany, who persevered through the limitations that resulted in a growing business, and Peter, who overcame what many would consider a disability. Read on to get your required dose of inspiration and remember – Anything is Possible!!

Andria Lewis, a wedding and event designer, made the leap into from corporate America sales into entrepreneurship in February 2005, six months before Hurricane Katrina hit. With only one client and a will to work, Andria relocated to Memphis to start her own wedding and event planning business. Not only is her five-year old business thriving, but she used her pitfalls to sustain and grow business while striving to stand out in a world full of wedding planners. This year, her growth as an entrepreneur and her efforts to remain diligent have allowed her to expand her clientele into corporate events, add 5 new staff members and move into a small office space. Andria is currently planning the wedding of Golden State Warriors NBA player Monta Ellis and his fiancé Juanika.

Visit Andria Lewis Events Website at http://alewisevents.com/
Become a Facebook Friend at: http://www.facebook.com/andrialewisevents
Follow Andria Lewis Events on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/alewisevents
Check out the Planner Pages blog at: http://www.theplannerpages.com/

Steffany Boldrini, Entrepreneur and Creator of EcoBold said, “I launched www.ecobold.com on my own and have gone through lots of limitations. The biggest one is that I wanted to make the “amazon.com of green products” but could not find a good technical partner that was driven enough and passionate about the subject. I looked everywhere for one year, I met 20-30 people and nobody was a good fit. So I started thinking about how I could launch the site on my own, without an engineer. After a few weeks the idea of doing video reviews came to my head. I posted internships for video guys. After us shooting over 20 reviews, his camera pooped out and all videos were lost. So I decided to buy a camera, tripod, I learned how to edit, got samples, and here the site is! It’s only 6 months old, growing, and it’s on the first page of Google for several keywords, and many people like it .”

Visit EcoBold’s website at www.ecobold.com
Follow EcoBold on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ecobold

Peter Geisheker, a marketing expert and CEO of The Geisheker Group Marketing Firm said, “My limitation is that I stutter. I was told it would be very difficult for me to build a successful business because of my stuttering. I turned around and built a very successful international marketing firm. The secret of my success is I am very determined and I love to prove people wrong when they try to put a limitation on me. When somebody tells me I cannot do something, it makes me want to do it twice as much just to prove them wrong. When a person tells me I can’t do something, they are giving me a tremendous amount of inspiration to prove them wrong. My biggest motivator in life was reading the book, “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill. It showed me that average people can accomplish anything they set their mind to as long as they believe in themselves.”

Visit The Geisheker Group’s website at www.geisheker.com.
Follow The Geisheker Group on Twitter at http://twitter.com/geisheker

Julie Barnes is the author is this post. Julie is excited to be living in Generation E – the age of the Entrepreneur. As a writer, she enjoys writing about all aspects of the entrepreneurial journey. She enjoys interviewing entrepreneurs whose experience and wisdom can inspire others to follow their entrepreneurial dreams. Julie lives and works in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, KS with her husband Ron, lovable dog Hank, and sweet kitten Sammy. You can visit her site at www.julieabarnes.com. Follow Julie on Twitter at @JulieBarnesKS. Become a Facebook friend at Julie Barnes.

This is the eleventh in a series of interviews with Etsy entrepreneurs.

Katy Mims was looking to add more retail sales to her South Paw Studios Jewelry business when she decided to start her Etsy shop. Kathy uses only the finest Swarovski Austrian crystals, glass pearls, fresh water pearls, Balinesian beads, Venetian glass, sterling silver, semi-precious and precious stones, and vermeil in her handmade jewelry. In this interview, learn how Katy started her successful Etsy shop – South Paw Studios – that has customers from all over the world.

What brought you to become an Etsy shop owner?

I decided to add Etsy as another facet to my business because I needed to add more retail sales to my business plan. Etsy was the key! I had been hearing about Etsy for a while, and just decided to join one day. It was VERY difficult at first to figure out how to get noticed and get sales, but with drive and 100’s of hours of research I broke the code and figured it out and haven’t looked back.

How do you market your business?

I market my business using Social networking, and I take out a few online ads once and a while. During the holiday season I step it up a notch and do more online ads. I also send out a quarterly newsletter to my customer base. This newsletter consists of new products, upcoming events, and usually a sales code so they can get something free or for a percentage off. For my local customers, I send out postcards for any local art shows that I am doing and I tell them where I sell at local galleries and museum shops.

How has social networking helped your business? What have you found works best for your store?

I love social networking. It really is a way to network for online stores. Really it is the new “business lunch meeting” or “dinner party”. Online stores don’t get out much to do face to face networking, so the new life of social networking has opened that door. I have a blog that I try to tend to once a week, I use facebook and twitter; a combination that has been very successful for me.

What is your favorite part of being an Etsy store owner?

On the personal side of being my own boss and having a successful Etsy shop, I really realized when my son was born, if I didn’t feel like working after not sleeping all night – that was ok. As a family we didn’t have to worry about maternity leave, or missing out on work or child care. That was all part of the plan and has worked out beautifully. Now my son is 3, and I haven’t missed a thing. On a business side, Etsy opens up a whole new realm of customers that never would have known South Paw Studios existed. I have mailed orders all over the world, from Spain, to Israel. It really is very exciting to see.

What are some of the ways that you find Etsy helps in your success as a store owner?

Etsy has made me a more successful business owner because it generates more retail sales for me. Etsy does this by having its hand in all the cookie jars, all over the world, funneling all these buyers into one central location. With Etsy drawing in consumers of handmade goods, and marketing to businesses like me that supply them, it is just a match made in heaven. It just makes perfect sense.

What advice would you give new Etsians just starting out?

My advice is to have good photography. I invested in a great Nikon SLR camera, and it has been worth every penny. I have been in the jewelry business 13 years and counting, and this camera is one of the best business decisions and money well spent, ever.

How did you come up with your shop name?

My store name, “South Paw Studios”, means that I am a lefty. It originated as a boxing and baseball term for someone that is left handed. I felt that my business name should be more than just Katy Mims jewelry, I needed something that I could identify with, and that other people would notice too.

How do you brand yourself to make your shop unique?

I feel that I offer functional jewelry that you can wear everyday with jeans and a simple white t-shirt, yet you can wear it to a formal function if preferred. I don’t want my customer to seem pressed on the thought of “I love this necklace, but where am I going to wear it?” I want them to be more, “I love this necklace, and I can wear it with anything”. I want there to be “No Fuss”. Jewelry shouldn’t be complicated, it should be enjoyable. That is why I feel I create jewelry that is much more appealing and affordable to a wider range of woman, from the younger jewelry lover to the seasoned shopper.

Do you feel a sense of community among the Etsy shop owners?

The sense of community is huge! Even though none of us ever meet, we are a big part of each others’ lives. I am an active member of two Etsy teams; The Etsy Twitter team and the Full Time Etsy Crafters team (FTEC). Both teams are so supportive and offer all kinds of business advice, and we are all in the same boat so they “just get it”. Some other people that I talk about Etsy to just look at me with a stare in their eye, and say, “what is it called again?” They just can’t grasp that it really propelled my business to the next level. So the Etsy community fills that part of my life. We all live and breathe our craft and are so passionate about it. Knowing that others are out there just like me, makes me feel a little less crazy and a lot more normal.

How do you connect with your buyers?

To connect with buyers, I always enclose a special hand written note, thanking them for their order and hoping to see them again soon. I use my own South Paw Studios note pads that are printed with my business logo and websites and I include a few business cards. For the holiday season I always include holiday gift tags too. The jewelry is placed in a special made, silver foil-stamped gift box and is lined with white tissue. All gift boxes come with a silver bow. People just love it when they get to “open” a gift, it makes it more exciting. I can’t tell you how many times I have received compliments on my packaging. It really is something I take great pride in. It really shows to the customer that I spare no expense when they buy something from me. I also encourage customers to sign up for my quarterly newsletter – which they can do from my blog – and to find me online on Twitter and Facebook.

Visit Katy’s Etsy shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/southpawstudios
Visit the South Paw Studios website at http://southpawonline.com/
Follow the South Paw Studios blog at http://southpawstudios.blogspot.com/
Become a Facebook Fan at http://www.facebook.com/SouthPawStudios?v=wall
Follow South Paw Studios on Twitter at http://twitter.com/southpawstudios

Julie Barnes is the author is this post. Julie is excited to be living in Generation E – the age of the Entrepreneur. As a writer, she enjoys writing about all aspects of the entrepreneurial journey. She enjoys interviewing entrepreneurs whose experience and wisdom can inspire others to follow their entrepreneurial dreams. Julie lives and works in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, KS with her husband Ron, lovable dog Hank, and sweet kitten Sammy. You can visit her site at www.julieabarnes.com. Follow Julie on Twitter at @JulieBarnesKS. Become a Facebook friend at Julie Barnes.

Sotiria Krikelis started One Life, Live-It, Inc. after experiencing the wrath of corporate America. Sotiria knew she had to make a change. In this interview, learn how Sotiria launched her flag-ship product, Relax Missy – a foldable ballet flat providing everyday wearable luxury for the modern woman unwilling to walk in high heel agony. Relax Missy was honored to be included in the gift bags for Neutrogena brand ambassadors Hayden Panettiere and Vanessa Hudgens, during the Neutrogena Wave for Change campaign that was held this past Saturday in Los Angeles.

Tell us about your business and how you came up with your business name “One Life, Live-It, Inc.

I incorporated my business back in November 2007. The idea of Relax Missy was in the back of my head, but it was just that, an idea. My company name was important to me because I wanted it to represent what I was about. Some people name their business after themselves, but for me there was more meaning to it. I had just experienced the wrath of the corporate world in a hospital setting and I was completely disgusted with it. There were many names that I chose before settling on One Life, Live-It, Inc. that had the same meaning, but they were all taken and I had to think of something else. The name “One Life, Live-It” embodies everything that I believe in. Life is essentially short, and if we don’t seize the moment every minute, life will pass us by and before we know it we will be 70 and say “How did I get here?” I didn’t want that to be me. I made this decision at 24 years old. I remember reminiscing about being 21 and thinking where the time went? It had passed me by and I didn’t embrace my life – this mental note along with my negative hospital experience led me to say I really have one life, so I better live it, without any regrets.

Your flag-ship product is the Relax Missy. Tell us about your product and where it can be found.

Relax Missy is a foldable ballet flat providing everyday wearable luxury for the modern woman unwilling to walk in high heel agony. Relax Missy is sure to be the next wardrobe staple for every woman with a love affair of out-of-this-world stilettos, or as I like to call them, “15 minute shoes.” Ladies, you know what I’m talking about! It’s double duty fashion that folds up neatly in half and fits in a small, satin, carry pouch. They can be stored in a gym bag, hand bag, glove compartment or wherever your feet desire. Change into them for a lunch time walk, driving, subway commuting, or anytime you want to avoid those blisters. They are real ballet flats that can be worn all day, everyday, and then have the perk of folding up for easy storage.

They can be purchased at www.RelaxMissy.com and can soon be found on www.Shoebuy.com as well as www.AudreyShops.com.

How much research and development was involved in the product?

There was an enormous amount of time and effort dedicated to the entire development process. My background has nothing to do with entrepreneurship or design or manufacturing, therefore, I spent extra time figuring out how this was all done! I would say a solid two years was spent on research and development. Initially, my plan was to manufacture Relax Missy in the states and I spent six months researching and calling every factory I found, but none of them worked out. After six months, I discovered 99% of shoes are outsourced, and so, I went back to square one to research manufacturing in China. This was my biggest obstacle because I had absolutely no idea how to find a factory in a different country and communicate my idea to them. Another six months was spent researching, and again I was empty handed. It wasn’t until I came across internet platforms which connect you with Chinese sources that I was actually making some progress. Utilizing Skype and email are some of the best ways to handle business with overseas factories – it’s all done via internet. No expensive phone bills!

The next step was explaining my idea through designs and words. Creating something that is brand new and never before been made is more difficult than I thought. The factories were handing me samples previously made before I reached out to them that fit my description, but this was not up to par for my standards. I wanted my own design and something truly unique. The design process was another year long obstacle.

What advice would you give an entrepreneur wanting to launch a product idea?

Research, research, and more research! Nothing bad can come from this. Reach out to other entrepreneurs, send them an email or call them. It’s always great to listen to advice from others who have been in your shoes and you may even partner up for future events. If you believe in your business idea then never give up, no matter what anyone says. There are many people who want to see you fail and it will be much easier for you to fail than to keep going, but if you really want to live out your dream, don’t stop. The minute you stop taking action is the minute your business fails.

Find books that are in your field and read them thoroughly for tips and tricks. Align yourself with online forums where you communicate with other entrepreneurs and share advice, most likely you will learn something you never knew before and engage in conversation. Exhaust all avenues of help from SCORE to SBC to BAR Association (they set me up with a free lawyer), ask anyone you find in your path for advice. Oh, and if your shy – throw that out the window. If I can sum up being an entrepreneur in one word, it would be: Hustler. This is exactly what you must do to survive.

What have you learned during the start-up phase of your business?

Work never stops! Weekends are gone because you will find yourself working on something because you don’t have time during the week. Money is scarce as a start up and you have to get creative. One of the best things to do is to utilize students. Students are eager to do freelance work for a small price or even for free just to say they worked with X company and place that on their resume. Reach out to local colleges and place flyers on their bulletin boards; you will get a ton of interest and possibly an intern. Research is another major point that I learned will always benefit you and prepare you for your future plans.

Where there any online resources that you found helpful?

I didn’t realize how many websites exist catered to start up businesses. Internet was never a resource I spent a lot of time on, that is, until I started my business and I spent all hours of the day on it. One of the greatest websites, and I say this repeatedly, is the Mommy Millionaire forum for entrepreneurs. Even though I am not a mother, I found the website to be informative on the “how-to’s” of business. Another website I frequently visited was GetYourBizSavvy.com where I always read articles on entrepreneurs that gave me the momentum to keep going and never stop in times of frustration.

Have you always been entrepreneurial?

This is a big fat NO! My parents were not entrepreneurial, nor did they encourage it. My mother was in the fashion business when she came to New York, but that didn’t last long once she started having children. My parents are both immigrants from Greece and I grew up with the notion of go to school, study hard, become a doctor, and become successful. This is the way it was done; as far as I knew. I have been working since I was 16 years old and I never once thought about owning my own business until I was closing in on graduating from college. And now, I have so many ideas from a skincare line to restaurants. I caught the entrepreneurial bug and there is no turning back.

Is there anything you would like to add?

There is an infinite amount of opportunities in the world for everyone. I’ve realized that if you want something bad enough, you’ll figure out a way to achieve it and overcome all obstacles. A successful business isn’t created overnight. A successful business starts with one person, a thought, and taking action. Apple was started by one person in a garage years ago and then grew. Everyone should look at the small things a business does to accomplish their goals and not how huge the corporation is in its current time.

Thanks Julie for the opportunity to share my experience with the www.GetYourBizSavvy.com readers and hope to inspire them to achieve their goals.

For more information on Sotiria and Relax Missy visit http://www.relaxmissy.com
Follow Relax Missy on Twitter at http://twitter.com/relaxmissy
Become a Facebook Fan at http://tinyurl.com/3yj7lql

Julie Barnes is the author is this post. Julie is excited to be living in Generation E – the age of the Entrepreneur. As a writer, she enjoys writing about all aspects of the entrepreneurial journey. She enjoys interviewing entrepreneurs whose experience and wisdom can inspire others to follow their entrepreneurial dreams. Julie lives and works in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, KS with her husband Ron, lovable dog Hank, and sweet kitten Sammy. You can visit her site at www.julieabarnes.com. Follow Julie on Twitter at @JulieBarnesKS. Become a Facebook friend at Julie Barnes.

Craig Wolfe is the owner of CelebriDucks, the original creator of the first ever collectible celebrity rubber duck. Craig’s ducks include some of the greatest icons of film, music, athletics, and history. In this interview, learn how Craig took an idea of making rubber ducks that looked like celebrities and grew it into a business that to date, has created over 200 different CelebriDucks and pioneered a whole new collectible.

CelebriDucks are so unique. How did you come up with the idea?

At the time I was the largest publisher of artwork from television commercials in the country having created the first ever animation art lines for Coca-Cola, Anheuser-Bush, M&M/Mars, etc. But a friend, a little drunk, had this idea of making rubber ducks that looked like celebrities…and I thought why not!….I mean we didn’t create the Coke Bears or Bud Frogs, etc..so how cool would it be to have our own brand…and a very fun and whimsical one at that!

How did you turn this idea into a business?

Well, I had no idea how to do this kind of manufacturing as I was a publisher. But I eventually found a factory to make a Betty Boop for us. I chose Betty as I had called King Features and spoke to their director of licensing, Ita Golzman, a wonderful woman. I could tell speaking to her on the phone that she thought I was a bit out there but suggested I make one and get back in touch, figuring she’ll never hear from me again. Surprise!…I actually found this factory to make a prototype and sent it to her. I came in one morning and there was a message that she got the duck and thought it was very cute and wanted to talk…and the rest as they say, is history!

When the Philadelphia 76ers read about us a few years later, they asked us to do Allan Iverson complete with all his tattoos, cornrows, earring, etc., I knew it would be quite the challenge. But we did it. And honestly, when we got done with it, it looked more like him than he did! The event was a huge success and then all these other professional sports teams came calling. At that point, I felt it was time to sell off the animation side of the business and become all ducks!!

Your ducks include everything from college sports teams to various celebrities. How do you decide who is going to get a rubber duck created from their likeness?

You know a lot of people contact us, but we don’t always come to a financial arrangement that seems right so we might walk away. Most often we just look at classic characters that we like…people and universities we want to work with. We probably turn down 90% of the people who want to be part of our line. It’s just so much work…like 4-6 months to do a duck. The level of detail in our sculpting, painting and packaging is off the charts and is a lot of hard work so we try to choose carefully.

What is the next step after deciding on a likeness? For example, for the Michael Jackson Thriller duck, what legalities are involved before the duck is created?

Once we decide on someone, it’s a matter of working out licensing agreements. The one with Michael was interesting. It was such a huge hit for us. I actually worked with Michael when he was working on His Black and White album and I was marketing the artwork for The California Raisins. Michael loved his raisin statue. Then a few years ago I started working with him again with his agency in Europe. After his passing, I contacted them again and they were very happy for us to finish up what we had all started. Sadly, they lost the rights to a US group and thus we lost the rights. So once that first edition sold out, that was it. People still ask us for them all the time as it was one of our most popular ducks ever. Hopefully, one day we’ll work things out with the new agency.

How long does it take to go from rubber duck idea to a finished rubber duck ready for sale?

I would say around four months is the fastest. We spent nine months on The Wizard of Oz! Honestly, if I knew how complicated it was to make one duck; I don’t think I would ever have gotten into it. I mean I absolutely love it now, but what a learning curve!

You have now ventured in the Green market with The Green Gram. Which includes Mr. Green, the world’s first rubber duck made from 100% recycled material. The Green Gram was also named one of the Top 100 Gifts by Entertainment Weekly. What made you decide to add a Green line?

Actually, all our ducks won that award from Entertainment Weekly. For Mr. Green, well, people were asking us if we could do a “green duck for a long time and it seemed like a good thing to do. But wow, this may have been the most difficult duck we ever did. We had to use a whole different type of mold….and working with recycled material is so tricky. But it’s one of our top selling products and the only 100% recycled duck in the world. I’m not sure anyone else is even going to attempt it to be honest. And the soap that is handmade for us one bar at a time of an elderly lady in the mid-west is amazing…it’s our own scent and it’s fantastic and really is great for any skin type….so it’s been a very cool project.

Tell us about your Chocolate line that includes the Cocoa Canard rubber duck.

Well, I love chocolate. And we didn’t see any chocolate themed rubber ducks out there, so we came out with our Cocoa Canard. (Canard is French for duck by the way). We also came up with this line of high end Belgian chocolate that has our signature duck logos on each piece. Then we designed matching French chocolate shop packaging for the duck and chocolates. And then we designed this Canard Gram stationary. So someone can send a gift of our rubber duck, Belgian duck chocolates, and a personalized note to anyone anywhere in the country….it’s just such a fun and unique gift.

Do you create custom rubber ducks for customers?

This is a huge part of what we do here. We do them for NBA, NHL, MLB teams plus universities. We also do them Fortune 500 companies. If you go to the custom duck section on our website you can see a sampling of what we have done. It’s quite extensive and we’re always working on new ones. We just finished a very large one for a top Malaysian rock band, plus our new ones for Kikkoman and SeaWorld arrive this week!

What advice would you give someone that has an idea for a massed produced item?

Do a lot of research! Really make sure you have the right manufacturing partners and start slow and really test your idea. I of course did none of that so it can also work when you do it all wrong!! But they say hindsight is 20/20 and I’ve definitely learned a lot. But maybe one of the reasons why I was able to survive and learn from my mistakes is that I always tried to keep my overhead low and try not to spend money stupidly. I also realized early on that we had something different and unique here so I was willing to stick with it long enough to allow it to take root….patience, grasshopper!

Is there anything you would like to add?

Yes, in the end, it’s great to find something you can do as a job and feel passionate about every day. I feel very grateful for that. But it’s good to also know that no business can ultimately fulfill you. Your ultimate goals have to do a little deeper. For me understanding more about spiritual matters, love, compassion, and taking the time to set up my business such that my estate passes to a non-profit are very important. If you aren’t using your life to learn more about yourself and more about what you can do for others, it doesn’t matter how successful your business is…you will never really succeed as a human being….if anything…a good business gives us the foundation and means to make better choices in life.

For information about Craig and CelebriDucks visit http://www.celebriducks.com
Follow CelebriDucks on Twitter at http://twitter.com/celebriducks
Become a Facebook Friend at http://www.facebook.com/CelebriDucks

Julie Barnes is the author is this post. Julie is excited to be living in Generation E – the age of the Entrepreneur. As a writer, she enjoys writing about all aspects of the entrepreneurial journey. She enjoys interviewing entrepreneurs whose experience and wisdom can inspire others to follow their entrepreneurial dreams. Julie lives and works in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, KS with her husband Ron, lovable dog Hank, and sweet kitten Sammy. You can visit her site at www.julieabarnes.com. Follow Julie on Twitter at @JulieBarnesKS. Become a Facebook friend at Julie Barnes.

This is the tenth in a series of interviews with Etsy entrepreneurs.

Marisa Haedike is the artist behind Creative Thursday, an online art boutique. Marisa started Creative Thursday while still working in the corporate world. An artist at heart, Marisa designated Thursday as her creative outlet day. Creative Thursday has grown into a full-time business that includes artwork, children’s books, podcasts, workshops, e-courses, and an Esty shop. In this interview, learn how Marisa went from the 9 to 5 grind to thriving artist.

How did you begin to build your business?

I began podcasting in 2006 and was encouraged to start a blog as a way to promote the podcast. I was hesitant to start a blog because I had not been much of a journaler, but I discovered I could use the blog as a way to do these daily paintings. I learned about daily paintings in a magazine article when Domino magazine was still around. They where featuring these artist, who were doing daily paintings and using their blogs to post them. That inspired me in as a way that I could express my creativity. I could put art work up on the blog without doing much writing and also promote the podcast that I was doing. What came out of the daily paintings was a new art style. There is something to be said for setting down and making yourself create every day. Things happen. Things evolve. I developed these characters. I was having so much fun painting and they started to sell. My work before was more collage based. A little bit more abstract and impressionistic. I started working on these characters, and they really took hold.

When did you start selling on Etsy?

The success of my new art style, this is what led me to Etsy.

How have you grown your business into the success it is?

With minimal advertising on my part, aside from contributing to the online world, letting people know I was there, and having my work shown at Velocity Art and Design, along with the few wholesale locations I had. That was it. That in itself is pretty amazing. I had no budget for advertising, so everything I did was self generated.

As a creative entrepreneur, how do you structure your day/week?

The first thing I’m trying to implement is limiting my online time. I check email twice a day. I’m also the kind of person who finds it helpful to stay in one mode for a period of time, to really get the momentum going. I try to do my shipping and preparation for shipping all on the same day, so I’m in shipping mode. If I’m in creative mode, I will set aside a day for painting. If I’m in teaching mode, I will set aside the day to focus on the classes that I am teaching and sharing information. I also try to work around my own personal time clock. I tend to have lulls in the afternoon, so I’ll work in the mornings and later in the evenings.

Do you miss anything about having to go to a j.o.b.?

No, of course there are times when knowing what my paycheck is going to be at the end of the week would be very helpful. Other than that, nothing really. I’m fortunate to live in Los Angeles. I have enough of a community. I have a lot of creative people that I can see in person, which ironically, the more that I’m online, the more I realize how valuable in-person relationships are. Ultimately, that can never be replaced. I have a sense of community, so the coworker I don’t miss because I see people.

What advice would you give new artist?

Love what you do!

For more information on Marisa and Creative Thursday’s visit http://www.creativethursday.com/
Visit Marisa’s Etsy Shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/creativethursday
Follow the Creative Thursday blog at http://creativethursday.typepad.com/
Check out Marisa’s e-course’s at http://www.creativethursday.com/teaching.htm
Follow Marissa on Twitter at http://twitter.com/creativethurs
Become a Facebook friend at http://www.facebook.com/people/Marisa-Cummings-Haedike/1003524340

Julie Barnes is the author is this post. Julie is excited to be living in Generation E – the age of the Entrepreneur. As a writer, she enjoys writing about all aspects of the entrepreneurial journey. She enjoys interviewing entrepreneurs whose experience and wisdom can inspire others to follow their entrepreneurial dreams. Julie lives and works in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, KS with her husband Ron, lovable dog Hank, and sweet kitten Sammy. You can visit her site at www.julieabarnes.com. Follow Julie on Twitter at @JulieBarnesKS. Become a Facebook friend at Julie Barnes.