In just 3 years, Jen Duffin from Nova Mercury has built a thriving weaving business, and a thriving Instagram following.
I love her bright, colourful, organic style, and when I discovered her on Instagram, I knew immediately that I wanted to chat to her on the show!
Jen has over 81k followers on Instagram, as well as a super-successful Etsy shop – she was even nominated in the Etsy Design Awards.
We had a fun, in-depth chat about why she started (by accident, and motivated by dealing with a chronic health issue) how she manages to run a business and raise 2 kids with a partner who travels a lot, why she diversified into both handmade and supplies, and we both agree about putting boundaries around your work – so you can enjoy your life.
You can listen to this episode below, or on your fave podcasting app!
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Highlights from this episode:
- Jen got into macramé to make plant hangers for her house and did not start with an eye to creating a business.
- After the birth of her second child, Jen started selling her works and built her own business to work from home and have a flexible schedule.
- “Monetising your creativity is a tricky business” {Jen}
- Some of Jen’s favourite projects are where she collaborates with a client to decide on the colours and story of a work.
- Jen now provides kits and supplies in addition to her finished pieces.
- “I realised that I really like having the supplies to sell because it creates a revenue stream for me that’s not contingent on my creativity” [Jen]
- Jen finds Instagram is a very effective tool for her business and uses it in conjunction with Etsy to sell her pieces.
- “I build my Instagram time into my work day” {Jen}
- Jen is organised with her workday and works weekdays and while her children are at school.
- “I don’t think you should be on your phone or computer all day and not have access to having some downtime. That’s not good for anyone. {Jen}
- Building a business with an “always available” mindset is not sustainable and can lead to burnout.
- “I’ve been in business for almost 12 years now and I don’t answer emails on weekends. And my business is still fine.” {Jess}
- “It’s fibre art, it’s not an emergency. I think people can wait a little bit and its okay” {Jen}
- To get the most out of Instagram educate yourself about how it works. Aim for engagement and people liking and commenting.
- Be consistent and post regularly on Instagram. Jen posts at the same time every day as part of her workday.
- “Learn to use stories to engage with your followers. If you are a maker or artisan or you have any kind of skill and you are willing to skill share even a little bit people love that and it’s a great way to get engagement.” {Jen}
- You don’t need a fancy camera to take great Instagram photos—Jen uses her phone.
- “Be dedicated and try not to be thrown off your path by either your successes or failures.” {Jen}
