Explore Your Enthusiasm, With Tara Swiger | Craft | Art | Business

In today’s rebroadcast I share the biggest lesson of my biggest gig to date – I taught a three day class at CreativeLive, about creating your best marketing plan. I completely forgot to mention how to GET that class, so here’s the link! Oh, and the lesson I learned: How to be myself. In today's episode, I'll share how the heck I figured out how to Be Myself, and how it totally changed the way I think about things. How to Be Yourself (even when you're a nervous wreck.) Get clear on what you love. Show up and be present. Decide connection matters. How are you being yourself in your business (and life?) How are you hiding yourself? Links mentioned in today's podcast My CreativeLIVE class I Thought It Was Just Me, by Brene Brown My Biggest Lesson of 2012: Connection Phillz Coffee Be sure to share that you’re listening by using the hashtag #exploreyourenthusiasm on Instagram and follow my Stories and vlog for the most up-to-date info during my hiatus!   Listen in at TaraSwiger.com/podcast269

In today’s rebroadcast we are revisiting a topic that I still get asked about every single week: Fear of Success. So let’s dig deeper: What is it? Once you've identified what you're really afraid of (hint: it's probably not “success”), how do you overcome it? That's what we'll cover today. In my experience working with creatives, what looks like “fear of success” is usually a fear of something else: Fear that you need to have the kind of “success” other people want … which doesn't appeal to you at all. Fear that you'll change into something you don't like Fear of being seen, noticed, paid attention to Fear of being overwhelmed Fear of disappointing others (when you're so overwhelmed you can't fulfill expectations) Fear you can't handle it Fear of being “found out” for being not good enough (ie, Imposter syndrome) What are you really afraid of? We'll discuss these fears and how to create the kind of business success you want, even while feeling the fear.   Listen in at TaraSwiger.com/podcast268

In this week's podcast we're revisiting a topic I get asked about a TON: launching! This episode was originally inspired when a Starship captain asked for ideas and resources for launching a new product line and I wrote a long and thorough answer, and wanted to share that with you. This can apply to how you launch a new business (if you already have an audience), how you launch a new product or how you launch a book. We'll cover: How to come up with launch content How to fit it in your calendar How to continuously improve Links mentioned: Market Yourself My email list (sign up at the bottom of this post!) Brunch instead of Launch $100 Start-up   Listen in at TaraSwiger.com/podcast267

In today’s episode we are throwing it ALL the way back to the very first episode of this podcast! I share a little about my goals and dreams for the podcast and my own business journey (up until that point!). As I said at the time: “I want you to know you're not alone, in whatever it is, that feels like a struggle in your creative business: making money, finding motivation, being consistent. More than anything, I hope you like it. I hope this helps us connect in a new way and help you feel supported, encouraged and part of this great community of amazing makers.” Be sure to share that you’re listening by using the hashtag #exploreyourenthusiasm on Instagram and follow my Stories and vlog for the most up-to-date info during my podcast hiatus!   Listen in at TaraSwiger.com/podcast266

You guys, I have been self-employed for TEN YEARS, this week! That is really unbelievable to me, because I had no idea what to expect when I quit my dayjob to make yarn full-time. I have learned so much, struggled so much, and had weird unexpected successes (like improving my credit score, and earning a lifetime achievement award at Midwest Craftcon?). Today I want to look back on it with you, and share some reflections that may help you in your own business journey. I have been running a business full-time, since July 1, 2009. I quit a dayjob in an office, in part because I worked for a state university (an administrative assistant in HR) and the state cut funding, so there was a hiring freeze and a buyout. I applied for buyout and took it (it paid for us to pay off the car, and rent a UHaul to move), because I had grown the business to replace my day job salary most months. I actually talk more about my business journey in the very first episode of the podcast, and you’re going to hear it again next week! A

It’s summer! And that means it is time for summer reading. This may be the time where you’re spending more time than ever with your family and you just need a break with a book! I get so many questions about how I read so much, what books I recommend, that I wanted to put together a whole resource episode with absolutely everything - my best tips, the tools I use, the sites I read, the books I recommend for your business and for your summer. Usually I talk about running a business and mindset and once a month I share what I’m reading, but here’s the truth: I’m recording this ahead of time before it’s even June, so I can’t tell you what I read in June. And I’m taking a break from the podcast to spend my summer with my foster kids and with lots of books and the pool. But no fear! You’ll still get episodes every single week, because I planned WAY ahead! What better way to go into the summer than to talk about what I love best about summer, which is ALSO the number one key to building my business: books! Everythi

Do you let failure convince you to stop? Is it a sign that you are not going to ever get what you want? Or do you use failure as fuel to push you farther? When I was reading Abby Wambach’s new book Wolfpack, one of the lessons in it really struck me. She said: Use failure as fuel. She talked about how women so often use any failure as a reason they can’t do something. They feel like everything has to be perfect before they have permission to try something or be something. The problem is, success is built on failure. You’ve got to experience failure to get to success. If you let the first failure stop you from going forward, you won’t have any success. As I read, I realized: Oh man, I’ve been using recent failures or just small things like not hitting a small goal, NOT as fuel, but as a kind of proof that I can’t do it. And I know I’m not alone, because so many of you tell me that “Well, I tried that and it didn’t work out, so I’m just not good at it.” or “I guess I can’t have that.” This is something women st

How do you impact those around you? How does that actually work? And how does it feel for those who love you? Today I’m having a conversation with my husband Jay about impact, confidence and more! Episode 258, which came out a few weeks ago, has ended up being SO popular - so many of you are sharing it and talking about it and messaging me about it, it’s making me sooo happy. And it tells me that this way of reframing the sacrifices you make for your dreams as a positive, because it is showing other people what’s possible, it’s inspiring them to dream bigger - we all need to hear that. I was talking to this about Jay, and through the years he’s told me that by following my dreams, well, it’s changed him. So I asked him if he’d come and talk to y’all about it, give you a different perspective, and to give you another boost of permission that YES, you are having an impact (even if it takes 15 years to see the results). Listen in at TaraSwiger.com/podcast262

It's my birthday month, and that means it's time to review my year and share the lessons I learned from another year on the earth. Each year, on my birthday, I share a  bit about my birthday review process. Just like we do at the new year, I look at what was great, what wasn't, and what lessons is my life teaching me? To do this birthday review, I use the monthly questions found in my book, Map Your Business. The book has these questions every month for 12 months, so you can start whenever, and make reviewing your month (and planning for the next) a regular part of your business (and life!). You can find the book at on Amazon. At the bottom of this post, I've linked to all the past birthday posts - they go back 10 years - this will be the eleventh! And I gotta tell you, I read back through last year's transcript and it was SO GOOD. I needed to re-hear the lessons I learned last year! This year, it was epic.  Big big changes in our lives! The not-so-good stuff Before I get to the good stuff and lessons, I want

260: What I’m Reading May 2019 I follow my enthusiasm by reading…a lot. And once a month, I share (some of) the books I read last month and the books I intend to read this month. You can join the informal book club by sharing your own list with me on Facebook and find all the posts here. (The usual disclaimer applies.) What I read Non-fiction: Wolfpack, by Abby Wambach (I liked this book so much, I discussed it in detail here!) Girl, Stop Apologizing, by Rachel Hollis The Child Catchers: Rescuing, Traffic and the New Gospel of Adoption, by Kathryn Joyce All you Can Ever Know: A memoir, by Nicole Chung 1000 Books to Read Before You Die, by James Mustich Novels:  You Will Know Me, by Megan Abbott Paragon Hotel, by Lyndsay Faye American Spy, by Lauren Wilkinson Vengeful, by VE Schwab More on my GoodReads What I was reading in May of last year, and 2017, 2016 and 2015.   Listen in at TaraSwiger.com/podcast260

Are you apologizing for following your dream, for taking the time away from your family + friends, for taking selfies or for following your own path? Are you apologizing out loud “sorry for another post but…” or are you apologizing with your actions and attitude (trying to physically to shrink yourself - sorry for taking up space!). If you wanna move forward with your business or even your life, it’s time to identify your apologies and move to being unapologetically YOURSELF. I have been thinking and writing about the need to be unapologetic for a very long time. And I have been working on being unapologetic about who I am, for even longer. Now, before we dive into this week’s episode, I want to share that I have been working on a new e-course about self-care and you can get it, for free, at TaraSwiger.com/takecare. If you’re struggling with confidence, motivation, and focus, it may very well because you need to take care of yourself. The course focuses on my favorite tools for taking care of myself, which in

Who does your work have an impact on? We've talked before about what you might give up in order to fulfill your dream. But what are you creating? What are you gaining? How is your work impacting others? Get ready to fall in love with your dream a little more, and get fired up. You know what I realized the other day? This month this podcast is FIVE YEARS OLD. I have written, recorded and produced a weekly episode every week for FIVE YEARS. Yay! I wanna celebrate! How can you help me celebrate? Share the show! Take a screenshot of your phone or picture of what you're doing while you listen and share it on Instagram and tag me and the show! I'm @taraswiger and the hashtag is #exploreyourenthusiasm. Leaving reviews helps others know they should tune in - you can do it on iTunes or over on YouTube, just give it a thumbs up! The last few weeks we've talk about time and balance and sacrificing things so you can get stuff done. And it's easy to focus on what you're taking away or losing out on while you're working. M

How do you balance business and family? How do you balance alone time with together time? What if you just need to be alone to work on your business but you feel like you should be with your family? Today, I'm going to give you a super honest answer. Ya ready? So let’s start by being honest about balance: it’s not real. Or at least, this ideal goal of work-life balance, where you’re always happy with how much time and energy you’re spending on each area of your life and it always feel balanced and equal – that ideal is not a goal worth pursuing, if it even is possible. Why? Because life is full of curves and changes and YOU are not balanced. What you want is not balanced. When I talk to you about balance, what you tell me is that you want the projects you care about to get more energy. You want to feel like you’re connected with your partner and kids. You want to feel enthusiastic and in the flow with your work. You don’t want to give 50% to family and 50% to work and then where is your self-care and FUN goin

When I asked on Instagram what the most-pressing issue in your business was, I got one answer over and over and over: TIME. Time to do everything you want, time to grow your business, time for a business after the day job, time to post regularly, there's just not enough time. This week we're going to talk about how to have enough time, no matter the season of life you're in. Before we get into today’s lesson, I want to tell you that I’m doing a free workshop answering your questions on how to use my favorite tool for motivation and productivity and feeling better: essential oils. You can sign up at TaraSwiger.com/eo. If you are like most of my Instagram friends, you constantly feel there's never enough time. Just not enough! Between life, and family and maybe a day job, and growing a business, let alone adding the things you want to do - like exercise and reading and going out with friends - there's just never enough time! And girl, I feel you. When we had the 2 year old and she was home with me 24/7 for a mo

I follow my enthusiasm by reading…a lot. And once a month, I share (some of) the books I read last month and the books I intend to read this month. You can join the informal book club by sharing your own list with me on Facebook and find all the posts here. (The usual disclaimer applies.) What I read This month I got kinda book-crazy and attempted to read 40 books in the 40 days of Lent. I'm at 32 books right now, and I have about a week left, so it's possible I'll get there. For more on what I'm reading (in real-time!), follow my Stories on Instagram. Non-fiction: We're Going to Need More Wine, by Gabrielle Union The Body is Not an Apology, by Sonya Renee Taylor Dream More, by Dolly Parton First, we Make the Beast Beautiful, by Sarah Wilson I'd Rather be Reading, by Anne Bogel (free on Kindle Unlimited!) Well-Read Black Girl, by Glory Edim Novels: Foe, by Iain Reid Give Me Your Hand, by Megan Abbott My Sister the Serial Killer, by Oyinkan Braithwaite More on my GoodReads Listen in at TaraSwiger.com/pod

How can you plan for your business when everything in your life is uncertain? When you’re not sure where you’ll be next week or next month? You may be great at planning normal life, but what about when there’s a family illness, a new baby, a new job, a big move, a divorce, or just the uncertainty of life? Let’s talk through how to ride these waves of uncertainty. As you know, I’m in a really uncertain season of my life as a foster parent. Heck, as you listen to this, my whole family may have changed shape (again!). How can you plan for just running your business or growing your business when everything is so uncertain? Week to Week Here are my suggestions: Make a list of what is the core function of your business and what has to be done to make sales. Ruthlessly cut everything else. Remind yourself that this is just for now. For this season. Things will change, you’ll have more certainty and then you can add back in all the not-mission-critical-top-priority stuff. Each week, look at what’s ahead on your cale

Ever wonder what it’s like to work with me?  Or to work with your spouse? Today we, both Jay and I, are going to answer your questions! Jay has worked in my business on and off for years, and in the last few years we have had a lot of new adventures - from working full-time in my business, to pursuing his dream to open a comic shop, to fostering babies! In this episode we answer questions about guilt, what it’s like when one of us gets to follow our dream (and the other doesn’t), the hardest part of working together full-time, how Jay feels about me being in the limelight, the best part of foster care, why we rent, and the real work Jay has had to do as we make huge changes in our life. And yeah, we talk about how the patriarchy feels some kind of way about a husband working for the wife, and why we just don’t care. We wrap up with our advice for couples who want to work together. Thank you to listeners who asked their question: Bylaurenbarber Twinsetjan Lea-ann (Knitting Today) Michelle (Made by Mee) Dawn  

I’m gonna be honest: For years I have been teaching about confidence, here on the podcast, at conferences. So I was surprised to find: I had totally lost my confidence. Today I’m going to share how I lost it and how I’m getting it back. Hopefully it will help you locate your own confidence. First: What do I mean by confidence? Let’s define it here, because it’s easy to misunderstand. And I’ll be honest, I meet a lot of women who say they can’t move forward until they’re more confident and in my work, I’ve just found that’s not entirely true. You are probably confident ENOUGH to at least do SOMETHING. So let’s define it: Confidence, in the terms I’m talking about, is what psychologists call self-efficacy - you have the power to do something. You believe you can do it and affect the outcome. It’s NOT believing you can do EVERYTHING. You may be confident in your cooking, but not have confidence in your business. You may be confident in your writing, but not in public speaking. Another thing: Being confident does

I follow my enthusiasm by reading…a lot. And once a month, I share (some of) the books I read last month and the books I intend to read this month. You can join the informal book club by sharing your own list with me on Facebook and find all the posts here. (The usual disclaimer applies.) What I'm reading: Brown White Black: An American Family at the Intersection of Race, Gender, Sexuality, and Religion, by Nishta Mehra A Life in Stitches: Knitting my way through love, loss, and laughter, by Rachael Herron (Rachael's Cypress Hollow novels I mention) In Conclusion, Don't Worry About It, by Lauren Graham The Mere Wife, by Maria Dahvana Headley First Impressions: a novel of old books, unexpected love and Jane Austen, by Charlie Lovett Convenience Store Woman, by Sayaka Murata The Lies We Told, by Camilla Way Wish You Were Here, by Rita Mae Brown Transcription by Kate Atkinson Fussy Cutter's Club, by Angie Wilson Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters, by Sherri Lynn Wood Links: IndieBound - use it to find books

In celebration of my 250th episode, I’m answering your questions! Last week I asked my Instagram followers to ask me question and I will answer them today! We’re going to talk about how to stick with a schedule, how my schedule has changed with a toddler and how we decided to do foster care. If you’re not following me on Instagram, I’m @TaraSwiger and I share more on all these topics every single day in my stories, along with my knitting and sewing projects and my reading list,  so go follow and then comment on my last post to say hello! The questions I answer in this episode: From @bandofweirdos: Congrats, that's a ton of episodes! I so admire your consistency