I've recorded conversations with some amazing creative people with specialties in topics related to sewing stuffed animals and running a creative business. Here are the direct links to those posts if you'd like to listen:
Carol Cruise: In February of 2012 I interviewed veteran plush pattern designer Carol Cruise about her career creating sewing patterns for stuffed animals.
BariJ: In March of 2012 I talked to surface designer and sewing pattern designer BariJ about selling patterns through wholesale distributors.
Shawn Smith: In August of 2012 I spoke with toy designer and founder of Shawnimals Shawn Smith about getting your toy designs manufactured and distributed.
Stan Smith: In October of 2012 I recorded a video chat with Stan Smith about the ideas he writes about on his blog, Pushing Social, which focuses on effective blogging for small and micro businesses.
Jonathan Marcus: In November of 2012 I spoke with Jonathan Marcus, the CEO of Goodsie, about why small businesses should have their own online storefronts in addition to maintaining a shop on a larger platform like Etsy.
Workshop By Abby: In December of 2012 I hosted a workshop on creating and self-publishing sewing patterns. Claire Chambers was my guest.
Jon Crawford: In January of 2013 I interviewed Jon Crawford, Founder and CEO of Storenvy. We talked about this unique ecommerce platform and what it has to offer small businesses.
Ignite Boston: In January of 2013 I spoke at Ignite Craft Boston at MIT. In this 5 minute talk with 20 slides I explain how I became a soft toy designer and craft book author.
Chris Marinic: In February of 2013 I interviewed Chris Marinic, Founder and CEO of CraftHub. We talked about automating ditital file delivery for Etsy sellers.
Judy Novella: In February of 2013 I interviewed Judy Novella, Marketing Manager for Fairfield Processing, a leading manufacturer of polyfil stuffing. We chat about the history of polyfil, how it's made, and the types of polyfil currently available.
Ellen Lumpkin Brown: In February of 2013 I chatted with Ellen Brown, owner of The Doll Loft, to find out what it's like have a booth showing dolls and softies at Quilt Market, the largest fabric trade show in the United States.
Rhya Tamasauskas: In March of 2013 I interviewed Rhya Tamasauskas, one of the founders of a a plush toy business based in Toronto called Monster Factory. We talked about the growth of a small business and bringing plush to the retail market.
Lauren Vanell: In April of 2013 I had a great chat with independent plush toy designer Lauren Vanell about making large scale custom plush for clients and galleries and having plush toys manufactured overseas.
And there's more to come! If you have an idea for more of someone you'd like to hear from, please get in touch.
