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Story by
marymary
Published on January 26, 2009 in Spotlight |
Photo by |
Deb Kessler of FearlessFibers left her 60 hour a week day job to start her own business. She has been successfully selling on Etsy for the past year and half and hasn't looked back since. Deb keeps a pretty flexible schedule and swears by "Word of Click," a marketing term she has coined for online social marketing. Keep reading to learn more of her best marketing tips and advice for others considering taking the plunge!
If you'd like to ask Deb questions of your own or listen in on her advice in real time, we invite you to join us in a follow-up Question and Answer session this Tuesday, January 27th, 2009 in the Auditorium room of the Virtual Labs.
When you first started selling on Etsy, did you have dreams or goals of eventually quitting your day job?
I actually took the plunge and quit my day job before I ever sold a single skein of yarn. This is definitely not a route I’d recommend for most people, but in my situation it was the only way to make it work. In my day job, I usually worked sixty plus hours per week and I traveled frequently, so starting a business on the side just wasn’t feasible. The decision to take the plunge and quit my job wasn’t an easy one. I’d worked in the same field for 17 years and had a thriving career, but each day for about a year I awoke with the same thought in my head: I want to start a yarn business. After a while, I just couldn’t ignore that voice anymore. I’ve been in business full-time for three years now, with the past year and a half or so solely on Etsy.
How did you originally get into working with fiber?
I first learned the basics of knitting when I was seven or eight years old. My mother was part of a PTA show at my school and they were doing a skit based on The Addams Family. In the show, Morticia was often seen sitting in her wingback chair knitting a scarf that was about thirty feet long, spanning across the room. My mother decided that she would have me and my sister knit a scarf like that to use as a prop in the skit. She could have pieced together scarves from a thrift store, but it was the start of another long New York winter and she had two rambunctious little girls stuck indoors much of the time. Setting us to the task of knitting a thirty-foot scarf was a good decision. Wise woman, my mother. I took up knitting in earnest when I was a teenager, but didn’t start dyeing yarn until about five years ago. I’m not entirely sure what bolt of lightning struck me and got me started dyeing, but I was immediately addicted. Two years later, Fearless Fibers was born.
Did you do anything to prepare ahead of time?
There was a limit on how much I could do in advance given the demands of my job, but I did some research, roughed out a business plan, got my business license and DBA (Doing Business As), opened accounts with suppliers, etc. I also spent some time brushing up on the business side of things (accounting, taxes, marketing, etc). I set aside a certain amount to start the business and a certain amount to live for a period of time, and I also set firm financial goals (threats to myself really!) that I would need to reach to justify continuing the business. Much of my plans changed over time, but it was really helpful to have at least some idea of where I wanted to go and how I might get there.
What are the most effective ways you have promoted and marketed your Etsy business? What's your best marketing tip?
The yarn business is pretty unique in this aspect. There’s a huge online knitting community and it seems that every other knitter out there has a blog of their own. This makes marketing a bit easier, because word of mouth spreads naturally and easily as customers post photos and links of purchases and projects they complete. I call it "Word of Click," and it’s a powerful thing. There are also lots of knitting and crochet forums online, some with reasonably priced advertising available.
It’s difficult to think of a general marketing tip, since every shop will be somewhat unique in what works for them. I guess my general tip would be to try to be focused in your efforts. Don’t just jump on every social networking site or every Etsy Team or every business card swap that you see. Go ahead and try a mix of things, but take the time to evaluate what works for you, continue what works best and don’t bother with the rest. Spending two hours a day “promoting” seems like a really bad idea to me. I’ve found it more effective to spend an hour or two a week on “marketing” in a focused and meaningful way.
Would you walk us through what a typical workday might entail?
There is no typical day and I like it that way!
- About the only constant in my days is that I get up early (usually by 6:00 a.m.), deal with any e-mails or orders that came in overnight, and get right to dyeing usually before 7:00.
- I spend the first few hours of the day dyeing and then the remainder of my day is all over the place.
- I only work about six hours a day right now, but I usually work seven days a week.
- By starting at 6:00, that means that by around 10:00 a.m. I have plenty of flexibility to spend a little while working on the books and then go outside and play with my dog (whose name, btw, is Indie, in honor of all of my fellow Etsy sellers).
- Spend fifteen minutes answering e-mail and then knit for a while.
- Spend twenty minutes labeling products or packaging orders, and then I do some vacuuming.
It’s a very relaxed and flexible schedule.
What do you enjoy most about not having a day job? Is there anything you miss?
I love everything about yarn and knitting, so just having that as a core part of my daily life rather than something I have to squeeze in is great. I also love the challenge of running a business. t’s certainly not easy to start up and run a micro business successfully, but that’s half the fun of it. I miss some of the people I used to work with and once in a while I miss the intellectual challenges, but that’s about it.
If you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself, knowing what you know now?
My advice to myself would probably be to start sooner. I took too long worrying about whether it was “fair” to my husband to take such a risk, and whether it was too irresponsible. I should have dived in sooner.
I know a lot of folks dream about taking the plunge, but their personal circumstances aren’t right for that at the moment. My advice to them would be to step back and figure out what you can do now to prepare yourself, particularly from the “business” standpoint. Do you need to learn more about some aspect of running a business? It’s more than just your product that needs to be ready; arm yourself with the skills you need to run a business successfully so that you’re ready if and when the moment is right to do it.
What goals do you wish to accomplish in the coming year?
I’ve got a Spring Lace Club launching for sign ups starting in early February and I’m really excited about it (and, of course, have goals for membership on that). I’m planning a reintroduction of cashmere to my line soon, and I also hope to have fiber for spinning later this year. Basically, I just plan to keep driving forward, keep my shop fresh and interesting with new things to entice yarn and fiber lovers, and hopefully make it through these rough economic times!
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Just "Thank You" to the Etsy Admin and all of the buyers and sellers here for making Etsy a great place both to sell and, of course, to shop!
Thanks to Deb for sharing her story and business with us! Check out the related items below to see some of her work.
You can find some of our previous Quit Your Day Job posts here.
| Tags | fearlessfibers, finer, knitting, Quit Your Day Job, selling, spotlight, success, Virtual Labs Schedule, yarn |
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149 comments Login to add your own!
MoonLightSally
Wow. What beautiful, colorful yarn. An inspiring story as well! Thanks!!
rafya
BrightBlack
I'm drooling over those colorways. :)
Every time I read one of these stories it's inspiring. I'm a WAHM so I don't have a dayjob, but I would love to see my etsy business grow into something that brings me some real income...keep telling me these stories and I'll keep dreaming (and working) and hoping!
beeperbebe
Ryanplz
wow, really nice. :)
very inspiring.
i'm super happy for the people who can make etsy fulltime. :)
EpicBones
omg, good for you!! 60 hours a week? yikes, that is rough. i'm hoping one day i can quit my day job too! Love the work, Fearless Fibers is such a great name too!
nicholasandfelice
Yay Deb!
You are an inspiration and a great Etsyian!I still can't thank you enough for the "word of click" you brought to our Shawl pins and Etsy shop!
thislittle
Very inspiring, sounds like you made the right decision. I hope one day I can look back with satisfaction too. :)
southernladysvintage
kneniu
PALEOLOCHIC
CoventryRoad
JimJuris
Great article and photographs.
I like what you said about not wasting your time promoting but instead on marketing. You know who your target market is and how to find them which is great.
Knight27
Inspiring! I think I'm ready to take up knitting now! Beautiful shawl, I love it.
ArtMind
Love this series! Congrats on taking the plunge and sharing your inspiring story! Wish you lots of luck in future with your own business!
filigreelamps
Good for you!! You only live once and why not have a job you love right?!
autumnsarrival
Jujie
Excellent story, I love that you pointed out that we should arm ourselves with skills to run our business so that one day when the moment is right, we will be ready for it.... smart! and makes me hopeful!
sedruola
It is so inspiring to see this. I recently got laid off and I'm hoping to parlay that into working with my craft (knitting & crochet) full-time. I feel a bit scattered right now, but slowly I think I'm figuring out what has priority and what can be left to later. This article helped me feel like I was on the right track and that things will work out fine.
Thanks for the article!
bbbennyandthejet
i LOVE that first picture of you!! Fearless to be modeling such an outfit as the star of "Quit your Day Job".. haha....
Congrats on your success & on such amazing yarn!.. makes me want to eat it all up (totally a compliment) .. :D
sherrytruitt
knitnpurlzen
Congrats on all your success Deb! I love the picture of you in your respirator - pretty much sums up the life of a yarn dyer! Continued success to you...your yarns are lovely!
missindie
how awesome :] good for you Deb!
This is such an inspiring story.
Best of luck to you!!
gloilocksandbody
FearlessFibers
Thanks to all for your kind words!
And yes, bbbennyandthejet, I had to grit my teeth a bit to share that first photo with everyone, but I figured you all deserve to see the truth of the "glamorous" life of an indie dyer rather than a picture of me looking all prettied up and posing politely :)
4TheSparrowsNest
I LOVE that picture of Deb with the respirator mask!! So funny!
SVKS
Glad to hear you followed your inner voice. I am trying to figure out how to follow my Int. Design inner voice, it keeps ON GETTING LOUDER..
eclecticquirky
very very inspired. I am so glad you took the plunge and did it!
SquaresOfFlair
Beautiful yarn! Congratulations on your success! Thanks for sharing your story.
AwApplesauce
I love these! I always read every one. What I always end up wondering, though, is the absolute nitty-gritty details. Do I need to file papers somewhere? Do I need a loan? Do I need to build up an inventory beforehand?
beautifulbridget
custombeaddesigns
Great article and beautiful yarn. How wonderful that you could follow your dream! Congratulations!
ClowerCottage
Thanks for sharing your story. Knowing a little more about you makes your already lovely yarn even nicer. Best wishes for continued sucess to you and all us "creatives"
bethtastic
I sincerely hope that "someday" I too can do this fulltime. I love my dayjob, but I love creating more. I'm using this as fuel. Awesome interview.
nahteshop
Nice yarn.. I hope to one day be doing this full time.. how sweet it will be..
PhineasandLou
christinececelia
cleobelle
galit
sillylittlelady
This article hits close to home, as a knitter, spinner, dyer, this was so wonderful to read, thank you so much!
PeppermintDaydreams
fantastic story!
thanks for the advise on the business side of things.
oxChristy
babyjewlz
Wonderful and inspiring story! Such beautiful fibers in your shop.
LeftHandHats
Wow. As much as I love to crochet, I would never have thought of dying yarn! It's so funny how we find our calling!!! Your yarn is beatuitul!
MyissaG
TheCottageCheese
Such lovely yarn! Even more than I already had the desire, now I really want to take up knitting!
BlackStar
Great interview! And I love your self portrait. :)
Here's to continued success.
Snowberrylime
jodieflowers
theaxx
My mom would freak if she sees these delicious yarns. Am sending her the url right away!
MapleShadeKids
So glad you listened to your inner dream and took the plunge! :) It sounds like you do it well too! Thanks for sharing!
AntoinetteDesign
Wow, such beautiful yarn!! My fingers get all twiddly thinking about all those colours! Congrats on following your own path, and building a great business...such an inspiring story (I love the QYDJ stories...they are my required reading each week!) Thanks, and good luck!
breadandroses
atomicblue
Woot woot, yarn! I too heeded the "inner yarn voice" and started spinning last fall. Good to see more yarn featured, and that you take dyeing safety very seriously. Particulate masks are key when handling dye powders.
I have been a self employed fiber artist since 1991, and am glad to see others are making the plunge!
southerngirls
pandoraslocker
ellesroom
dragonhouseofyuen
The first photo is fantastic Deb! I never knew dyeing was so hazardous! (all those tiny particles) and I loved the story of your very wise mother!
Where is the very long scarf now?
and great that you have made a success of it all,
best wishes, Annette
heartfeltvintage
sveltlan
i read these articles to keep me focused and inspired...thanks for sharing your experiences!
BeeGracious
skiingweaver
Hooray, Deb! Congrats on the article! I've loved your yarn from the get-go... Glad to hear cashmere will be making a reappearance!
TheLaughingHeart
NatashaDesigns
Iammie
HungryDesigns
Amazing. it gives me hope that one day i could quite my day job! ^_^
lichtensteiger
zombuki
I'm such a junkie for this feature :3 I'm always inspired when I'm done reading!
JoOliveWorkshop
As a new etsy seller I really appreciate your views on marketing - too much time spent "establishing" yourself can often mean less time for doing what you do. Thanks!
CrochetRoanoke
Thanks for sharing your story and insight as well as your wonderful talent. I'm inspired and enlightened!
LeahSutton
jacinta11
Thanks for showing us the 'behind the scenes' glamor involved in being a colorist!
romantiquejunk
Thanks for sharing your success story - I feel more informed about the business side and inspired too.
ArtWhims
paperhill
lorikoop
Wow! Thanks for inspiring us on our journey. It's true... you only live once! Do just one little thing everyday, and you'll get there. "Baby steps" they call it. You show us it IS possible, and that's terrific!! Congrats on creating your dream life.
crazy4wind
Great story and success! Love the colors! I will let my knitter friends know about your yarns!!
tinafeltmaker
Ah, we should all be so brave! Thanks for the inspiration. Love the mask.
ConstantGalore
Absolutely amazing! What an inspiration. You have a gorgeous collection of yarns and beautiful patterns. Great job!
I would love to see these Quit Your Day Job articles go into a little more depth as far as the financing behind quitting one's day job. I know everyone has their own needs for getting rid of their jobs, but I often wonder just how feasible quitting a day job is to sell crafts/supplies for most people. It's a dream of mine, so I want all the info I can find! :)
alfalfalovesme
So glad to continue to hear great stories on Etsy about how people have been able to focus fully on their passion!
Yay!
recessionproof
Definitely an inspiring story. I am in the same position - just left my all-consuming job to go to work for myself. I am right at the starting line with my business and it is so encouraging to read success stories like yours! Thanks for sharing!
whatchamacallit
This is a great story and inspiration. I love your ideas. I love your yarn.
eclecticthings4u
One of the first articles I have read... Nice job very inspiring and WOW what beautiful yarn...
LaurieSarahDesigns
wow! Truly and inspiration. Marking your shop as a fav right now :-)
sweetestpea8950
Your yarn is absolutely breath taking. Thank you for sharing your story.
DAINTYCROCHETBYALY
Really an inspiration, congrats! :-) a great future to you! ;-)
BululuGems
daisymadedesigns
Wow I just want to gobble up all your skeins...I dabble in knitting and love what I have done and feel like a kid in a candy store when I go places like your shop which accounts for my yarn supply....but I am trying to be a jeweler and contain my desire to dabble in too many things. But you make it almost impossible NOT to order! Thanks for sharing your success story and the best to you in 2009!
edenscolors
Wonderful story! I need to learn the how to's of business and make my own success. Hope to learn more about marketing in the near future. your yarn is beautiful!
timeforbeads
ExoticFlavour
KalliopeGifts
ooooh, delicious colors! Best of luck for your continued success!
rschreiner
rachelmaydesigns
Love the yarn and the schedule-or lack thereof. Great for artists.
It's nice to know that there's hope in today's bleak economy.
Rachel May
planetdestiny
I love how inspiring this series is. It motivates me and keeps me going...creatively that is! Thanks for sharing your wonderful story.
dawndolls
This is so inspiring! I am 100% new to this and I'm learning the process of etsy selling. But reading stories like yours, I know I should just "keep on truckin" because I've dreamed of doing this special project for close to four years, and it's just time! So thanks for sharing your story and smile cause you do inspire others ;)
bijougirldesigns
Great story. I love your take on focused marketing and your coined phrase "word of click."
larkspurfunnyfarm
Great to see another who has the dyeing bug - I thought I was the only one who really could not get a schedule. Thanks for sharing and keep up with your path - it may not be easy but it is yours.
realisationcreations
Wonderful! Always delighted to read about artists all over the world who are now free from the 9-5!
PeculiarForest
slippedstitchstudios
Karramandi
What a wonderful inspiring story. I love reading how others have taken the plunge and then wished they'd done it sooner because they are enjoying life so much more.
Jenifersfamilyjewels
I always find these stories so inspiring! *sigh* Some day you will be interviewing me!
yummyink
esmeraldadesigns
Cool-awesome article and fresh perspective on marketing...I agree with you!
kreatedbykaren
I love your things and I am so happy for you. You inspire me!
CarolBradley
thesmilingfoxstudio
Wow! What gorgeous yarns, and great designs. An inspiring article.
InspirationByKaren
Very nice story! The colors of your yarn are lovely~ I can only hope that one day soon this will be me telling my success story!
Ebrown2503
meringuedesigns
What beautiful products you carry! Good grief, I can't even hold a knitting needle so I'm left to simply admire your yummies.
GemmaBeads
darkogirlie
silverdaisy13
KDemARTe
theduskyjewel
Very inspiring story and beautiful yarn. Congrats on your success!!
orsinimedici1951
I applaude your chutzpah in daring to follow your dream!! Don't think for a minute that that year of dreaming was wasted! I've seen that magic in my life too!! Yarn on!!
scrapbookcompleted
I say it every time, but I love the "Quit Your Day Job" stories! Your yarn is yummy! Makes me want to take another stab at knitting! I admire your brave move to quit your 60 hour/wk job and dive into your own business. Congrats and thanks for inspiring in the Etsy community!
bikermommat
Thanks for sharing your adventure! It is nice to see people who inspire others! Your yarns are certainly beautiful, even my boys liked the colors! May God continue to Bless you with Success!
treeformjewelry
I loved this article. It is so great people to hear a success story like this!
JulsFantasyFlowers
Kudos to Deb Kessler fo making it work, she is a innovative woman!
handbagcave
wow I love your story! Great of you to take the risk. I also had some doubt as if it was fair for hubby...we are still discussing that point, lol but I took the pledge and I am waiting for my sales. I can't deny it feels good!
thyme4creating
Thank you for an inspiring, helpful article. I am a knitter too, knitting mainly for gifts and charity. Your yarns are beautiful.
maiziedesigns
What an inspiration. Thanks for sharing and your products are gorgeous!!
SudzNThings
I love all the colors, I am just now learning to crochet so all the choices are mezmerizing
BluCille
Is the mask a joke? I had to wear one of those sanding and refinishing walls at my parents house!
desertsoapstone
I'd have to say your yarns are the best I've seen so far. I agree with one of the above comments, "it makes me want to take up knitting," or in my case, get better.
kalody
Wow - I would like to just be able to say I have sold one item on etsy but I haven't. I would like to see a hit on my site that wasn't me for a change! But your story is inspiring.
retroeuropa
Thankyou and for admitting to vacuuming! Gorgeous Lace, mythic beauty! Story and products inspiring!
waisze
heartartexpressions
Navare
Thanks for this article and for addressing some of the legal things you had to take care of. I quit my job and started my etsy business without any money to invest, so I'm counting on my tax refund to take care of the business license and other fees. I was also working too many hours, but always had my eye on my own business, when I realized enough was enough, and just took the leap!
smallestfriend
dizzydezign
Love th article. I am also 'addicted' to yarns and knitting, so I know the feeling
Isabelcards
your yarns are lovely. The shawl you show reminds me of a "spider's web" shawl that several Russian friends of mine sport. Have you ever heard of this? They are very delicate, warm, and beautiful.
thanks for your inspiring story-
conversationpiecestw
NannysDesigns
Thanks for the great ideas, I'm just starting out and there is so much to learn. Your yarns are beautiful. I am also a knitter and have put in my favoite,
heathermwhiting
As a frequent customer of Fearless Fibers I have to say that Deb has some of the most amazing color and yarn around, she one of my favorite Indy dyers. I love that she was profiled like this! Way to go Mrs. Fearless.
Heather
hipclothing
thehauntedstudio
We want to dedicate ourselves 100 of the time to art but for now we can say we dedicate 60% and love every minute of it since our minds never quit thinking about that next original idea.
MyJunkyTrunk
Thanks so much for sharing your story! I especially loved your advice about diving in sooner rather than later if you want to do this full time. Life always gives us so many reasons and excuses to wait until tomorrow. I've learned that after you have taken a little time to think things through, gotten some sound advice, and prepared as much as possible, you just have to take a leap of faith! Far too often, it is the paralysis of analysis that kills a dream. Congrats and continued success!
LotusJewelryThreads
Thanks for the advice about focusing on business goals...It scares me to death, but it's good to
know! :)
TheRusticRoosterFarm
Thank you for this inspiration. I Hope I am atleast half as successful as you.
Heathersclayworks
LHogan
enchanteddolls
Thanks for your inspiring take-the-plunge story. One of the amazing things about etsy is not having to wait for the craft show to roll around (and then it rains!)
Tepuisjewelrys
lorirodgersart
I am going to go find my needles and look at your site. Absolutely gorgeous!
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