The Best Advice I've EVER Received

I was watching "Talking with Chris Hardwick" the other day, and his guest was James Corden.  Now James Corden is not my favourite late night host. For me it basically goes Seth Meyers, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, and then maybe James Corden.  Anywho, I was watching these two chat, and Chris finished the interview with a question which basically got down to "what's the best advice you've ever got?"  And James answered about how his Dad used to say that the difference between doing something and not doing something is doing something; so DO SOMETHING! 

So that got me thinking.  What's the best advice I've ever received?  What mantra, or motto, do I try to live by or remember.  And I instantly grabbed my laptop to start writing.  Because I LOVE this piece of advice, and for some crazy reason I had never really shared it.
After high school I decided to not go to university straight away because I didn't know what I wanted to take.  So I got a job for an outbound telemarketing company.  Which meant I spent my 8 hour day calling, mostly Americans, trying to sell them stuff, usually a credit card.  After a few months I scaled down to half days because it felt like I was losing my soul.  I hated when people hung up on me.  I took every swear, every hang up, every angry word personally.  Those people on the end of the line clearly  hated me, thought I was a horrible  person, and I deserved an awful fiery death.   One day it really got to me and my supervisor noticed.  
She came over and asked me what was wrong, and I explained how frustrated I was because people kept hanging up on me and I couldn't make any sales (Type A goal driven personality over here!).  All around me my peers were succeeding, while I was failing.  

My supervisor asked me, "Can you control when someone gets upset with you?  Can you control the someone hangs up on you?" And I answered, "well no...." (there was a "but" coming but she cut me off). Exactly, she said.  You can't control if someone hangs up on you.  But you can control moving on to the next call, and maybe that next call will be the sale.  Control what you can control.
CONTROL WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL!
This was a LIFE changing phrase that had, literally, NEVER crossed my mind.  I was (am) so Type A, so gripped by fear, so gripped by needing to control my world around me so I felt comfortable and safe, I felt the need to control everything, including other people, that I never thought that I COULDN'T control other people! But when I really let it sink in, she was right.  I couldn't control if that person hung up on me.  I couldn't control them.  I can ONLY control HOW I react and deal with the situation.
Now lemme tell ya, this has changed my life!  Do I remember this on a daily basis? No, I'm a human, and I fail all the time.  Like when I'm on a plane, sitting on the tarmac, and I need to get off to make my connection...yeah I'm freaking out and I wish that I had control over the plane!   But I TRY to remember to control what I can control.  Somedays it's easier than others.  And I know to some of you, with self esteem and confidence, this is probably the LAMEST revelation a person could ever have.  But for someone like me, who needs people to like her, desires people to love her, who needs exterior confirmation of a job well done, being able to LET GO of the idea that I needed to control everything was revolutionary for me. 

So maybe there's a pre-teen, or a teenager you know who could really use this motto...or a gal in her early 30's still trying to navigate what 'being an adult' is all about.  Would you share this with someone who could use a little pick me up? A little reminder that they only have so much control over this giant thing we call life.  What's the best advice you've ever received?  Share it in the comments below!

How To Be a Great Vendor

*NOTE: this post has been sitting in my drafts folder for like....forever.  Meaning I've really been thinking about it. Enjoy!*
I considered titling this blog "How Not To Be a Giant Flake"  But then I was worried that some people might not appreciate my humour.  And then I thought, well if you are offended by that, we probably can't be friends.  I'm just kidding...my point is...none of us WANT to be a flake... but...
...most of us can remember a time when we were total flakes.  Bailing on a friend's request for coffee.  Not picking up a phone call  (GUILTY!!!!)  Spacing on an important date. We all know it's not cool,  but when it comes to the handmade world, your word is a bond, especially when you're applying for markets.
By no means am I the definitive authority on Do & Do Not's when applying for markets, but I think we can all use a little reminder to make sure we're working together for a respectful, inclusive handmade community. So I wanted to share some of my tips to be an awesome vendor (who gets great reviews and gets invited back!)

1).  Don't Apply If You Can't Committ to the Show Maybe you're clean out of stock.  Maybe you're going on holiday the weekend before the market.  Don't bow to the pressure of applying for that market.  I know it's hard - I also want to do all the things all the time.  

But if you're not ready, be real about. It's not gonna be good for you, and you know it...deep down, you know it's not going to be fun.  You're gonna be stressed and end up resenting the market.  And you're going to be in a bad mood the day of the market, and that affects the vendors around you AND the shoppers.   Keep the love alive for your business and don't put so much on your plate.
2).  Don't Apply and then Recind your Application prior to the application closing date

See #1.  But really.  Let the application close.  If you get selected for the market, graciously bow out and let the next person on the waitlist take your place.  Applying and pulling out before the close of the applications just looks bad. It also makes you look unorganized; like you don't have your poop in a group.  (PS How much do I LOVE the phrase "get your poop in a group"? ROFL) Maybe you don't think this is a big deal, so let me put it another way.  Imagine you applied for a job on Monday, and the posting was accepting applications until Friday.  Now imagine you calling the store/office on Wednesday to tell them you DON'T want to apply for the job.  Think about how that manager would interpret the situation.  Then imagine in 6 months you applied for that job again....?!?!?

To me, this is what it looks like when you apply for a market and then cancel before the applications close. It's weird. It's unprofessional. It's unorganized. Mostly, it's confusing. And it telegraphs to me as a market organizer that you didn't really think about what applying to the market meant and entailed.  This also might affect you if you want to apply for that same market in the future!  Remember, it's a small community - you always want to put your best foot forward.  Honesty is the best policy (see #5).
3). Actually read the Terms & Conditions
Hands up, we're all guilty. But only frustration comes from NOT really  reading the terms and conditions.  
"No, you can't have a refund. " "Yes, you have to donate 30 Swag Bag items. " "No, you won't have room to bring your farmhouse kitchen sink in addition to the 8ft table that's being provided."


Markets have terms and conditions for a reason, usually because they had that EXACT thing happen to them in the past! So terms & conditions come from learning experiences-not evil vengeance.  As a vendor I get A LOT of emails in a short period of time because I only sell from September to December.  These emails are long, detailed, and from multiple events.  YOU MUST READ EVERY SINGLE ONE! Maybe a few times - I have done this more than I'd like to admit.  I think I read the email, when in reality I scrolled through it while I was watching TV....and then I have to go back because I can't remember what time set up started ;)   

Here's what I do - make a folder in your inbox where you put all your contracts and info emails from each market, each season.  That way if you do forget something like where you're supposed to park on the day of the market, you know where to go and find the information instead of bothering the organizer, who already sent you the information you needed. And yes, I know, of course it's much easier to fire off an email to the organizer who no doubt knows exactly the answer to your question.  But they're busy. And they already sent you that information.

4). Don't Be Late                               This should seem obvious. It's not.  

Don't be late with anything.  If you have to pay by next Friday, make sure you pay by Thursday.  If you have to be at the venue by 9:15am be there by 9am, even if you have to wait in your car until the doors are actually open (I do this ALL THE TIME). EVERYONE'S time is valuable, not just yours! Be respectful.  If you're running late because of a traffic accident, deathly ill child, or your car broke down, phone the organizer.  Being late because you didn't get up early enough to grab a coffee is NOT OK!  Not having enough time to set up is a detriment to you and the market.  Think about when you're running late for work, how stressed you get, and how that affects your WHOLE DAY! Think your sales are gonna be good in that emotional state? Nope. Every market is like your first day of work for a new employer.  You want to show up on time, look the part, be ready to work, and generally be awesome. 
5). Be Honest Easier said than done, I know.  Especially when you think you might hurt someone's feelings.  Maybe you applied for two markets, got in to both, and now you have to back out of one? Or maybe finances are tight and you need some extra time to pay?  Don't fib your way through an email to try to save my feelings.  You know how you can usually tell when your kid/friend is lying...yeah, same here.  Just be honest in your email.  In MOST cases (actually I would like to say ALL cases, because I have YET to meet a market organizer who is 100% heartless) the market organizers are here to help you have a successful event.  If that means you need a payment plan, need a couple extra days, just be honest with us because we want to help you! Seriously.  I believe that most markets truly want their vendors to succeed and have fun. I know that Jill & I have an "intense" application and a stricter payment deadline than other markets, but that doesn't mean we're ogres! 

OK, sometimes, on Monday morning before coffee, it's border line. But honestly, we're here for our vendors and we really value the relationship we build with them, because without vendors we're just two crazy ladies in an empty hall. 
Did I miss any key tips that you think new vendors should know before jumping in to the handmade world?  Disagree with me? LOL Or did I hit the nail on the head?  Let me know in the comments below!

It's a Sign

Hey Y'all! Happy March!  We just got a featured Post on Crafty Affaire Market's Facebook Page for our totally awesome banner!  Woo!

Remember this bad boy?

This is the new sign we made for our booth.  We really loved our old sign-it was coral, it was bunting, it was....hard to read.  Well that's what people told us. Oh, and their necks craned like puppies looking at a treat while they tried to read it. So we knew we had to change it!

We loved it and it fit our brand image but people couldn't read it, it was hard to hang up, and it got a bit washed out on a white background.  Sadly, our banner wasn't working.  

That's a hard thing to hear as a business owner;  that customers don't love something you made and that represents you  :(   So much work and effort went into creating this banner, it was hard to give up.  It IS important to remember that if it's not working, we have to let it go.

We took this situation and turned it into an opportunity for us to revamp our booth and sign!  

Firstly, we thought about how we wanted to be represented.  I'd recently had custom stamps made to use on my bags and tags so we chose to echo the look of the tags on our banner (BRAND CONSISTENCY!)  And we used the same font and same cameo silhouette logo.

We considered ordering a banner, but to keep costs low and have ultimate control over the final outcome we chose to make it ourselves.  Everyone's had that moment where you design something, send it to the printers and it never turns out the way you wanted :( We used my Silhouette Cameo to cut out a template for the letters and lined it up on the fabric.   For full details of how to make your own banner, check out Jill's post.

We attend shows that use both black and white pipe and drape, so we wanted something that would stand out on either colour.  Black fabric with white paint was a bold choice.  We chose classic colours with a lot of contrast.   This way if we ever chose to change our colours we wouldn't have to make a new sign.  We decided to edge the banner with some burlap ribbon so that it would stand out on black draping.

We made the sign about 6 feet long and 2 feet wide.  This gave us enough room to make the letters readable and to fill up the back of our booth. I know a lot of people put their banner on the front of their table, which I kindly advise against (if you have an option). It's too low to read.  People will have to back away from your booth/table to read it...and well, then they're far away from your goodies. If the show is really busy, there will always be people in front of it, and people just won't know who you are.

Due to not having a back wall, we had to hang our banner in front (less than ideal!)

Another key thing to remember when making your sign - think about how you'll hang it.  If we were to do it again, we might consider adding a couple of grommets to give it more durability when hanging.  

Remember our coral bunting sign?  Can you find it in the last picture with the sign on the back?  Yup!  We turned it around and used it for an extra pop of colour in our booth...and it gave us a NEW idea for our booth next year.  My booth design is constantly evolving, but I know this sign is here to stay.  It's bold.  It tells everyone who I am.  It associates a font and logo with my business (and then I use the same font and logo EVERYWHERE! Brand consistency and image.)

We hope this helps you with your branding and booth planning.  For more tips on how to make your booth its best, check out this post!    

We'd love to know which tip was most helpful for you! Leave us a comment and feel free to link to pics of your booth so we can ooh and aah!

Craft Sale Tips - Your Booth

Hi all you West Coast Leslie readers! I'm Jill, Leslie's little sister and I thought I would take over Leslie's blog today to start sharing some of tips and tricks we learned last year doing our first craft sale. 

(That's me!)

Even though it's summertime, we're busy gearing up for this year's fall, winter, and holiday markets!  Last year we did one big planned show (Crafty Affaire), and then a couple more later that happened to just come up.  This year our plans are bigger and better than last year.  
I figured that we're probably not the only ones that are thinking about this right now, and I definitely have some tips from experience that I haven't really seen anywhere else in my research.  Ready? Let's go!
Plan your product line - Pick a few main items!!! The very first craft sale I did on my own was a few years back now and it was a bust for a couple reasons - one, it just wasn't the right crowd, most people weren't interested in buying (more show research might have helped here) but two - I was selling a bunch of different items.  People are easily overwhelmed.  Your product should draw them into your booth.  From a distance your customer should be able to see what you're selling.  You will make more sales like this and it will make your life easier! 
Here's what my booth looked like for that show:

Here's the booth Leslie and I set up last year:

Even with the pinky instagram filter you can easily see that the WCLD booth is much more coherent than my Envirocraftiness booth.  

Pre-plan your display Know how much space you're working with, what display items you want, and where your product is going to be.  Set it up at home and then take photos so that  a) you can use them when applying for shows (if required) and  b) if you have family or friends helping you set up it's a good reference for them to know how to help.  
Will your booth look identical to your photos? Probably not, but that's okay! 
Here's Leslie's at home set up of her booth

Throughout the show you might need to move product based on what's selling or not selling.  Don't be afraid to deviate from your plan! 

When planning your display, here's a few things we like to keep in mind:

1) Does it look too perfect? You want people to touch and interact with your product.  If you can get people to pick up, feel, try on your product, you're much closer to making that sale! (more on that in the next post about sales!) It should be accessible.  Customers shouldn't have to wait for you to get something down for them to look at - some people WILL NEVER ask, and you just lost a potential sale.

2) Is all that really necessary?  Obviously you want to show off your product in the best way.  However depending on the length of show, the size of your booth, and what your product is, an elaborate setup may not be worth it.  I would  personally not be the vendor hauling a dresser to a show that's less than 16 hours, and even then, I'm not sure this would be my best strategy!!  Leslie and I have revamped this year's booth to include wine crates which both create depth and dimension, still allowing us to show off the product (you don't want your display to outshine what you're selling), and as a bonus, we can pack product in them.   Same goes for the trunk Leslie found, I foresee that being a great way to store additional inventory! 

Avoid clutter.  People get overwhelmed easily.  If you're not able to put all your merchandise out make sure you're familiar with your inventory so that you can grab it when a customer can't quite find what they want. 

What works to display jewelry is not going to work for big crocheted scarves, or handmade soap.  Look for ideas from people who sell similar or similar SIZED items as you.  ie what works for baking might also work well for selling soap!  

3) Does your customer know what you're selling?  This may sound obvious, but we were at a market where this one vendor had a phenomenal set up, but, we asked each other "do you know what she's selling?" 

4) Is your design appropriate for you product? This one has two meanings.  First you want your booth to represent your brand.  You want your colors and logo to stand out.  One mistake we made was that people struggled to read our "West Coast Leslie Designs" banner - we'll be revamping this for sure!  While we wanted that cute bunting banner which matches our brand image, it caused confusion and could better represent the WCLD brand.   

Secondly, the branding of your business should match the product you sell.  For instance, a booth across from us sold dog treats.  Here's a pic of their setup:

Simple, clean, and you can see the product and price list right out front, and they have a great visually attractive and self explanatory sign right there!  PS. These guys from Sparky Snacks were some of the awesome people we became friends with at the show! 

Now think of how it would look if they had a crafty vintage setup like our WCLD booth...weird right?  Make sure your design matches what you're selling.

5) Don't forget that YOU are part of your display!

Don't have so much "display" that there's no room for you.  Don't sit behind a table piled high with product.  Make sure you have ample room to move around, access your product and are available and approachable to help customers.  Wherever possible, wear your product (if it's wearable!)...and this leads me into my favorite selling tip:

Before I tell you what my FAVORITE selling tip is I want to give you a sneak peek at what's coming up:

Updated West Coast Leslie Designs booth - see how we've revamped our booth for 2014 and applied these tips

Leslie and Jill's best tips to selling like pros and making your sale fun and profitable! 

Alright, now here's what you've been waiting for.... one of my favorite sales tips of the weekend:

Be a walking model.  Wear sellable items and DO sell the shirt off your back (or scarf around your neck, as the case may be).  Often people were drawn to the scarf I was wearing, they can see how to wear it, how it fits, how it works with your coloring, etc.  If they express ANY interest in the piece you're wearing, take it off, offer it to them to touch, try on, etc.  This works for some people, but not for others.  If the customer feels awkward about buying "your" item.  Casually put it down on the table and keep helping them.  Once the scarf is on the table, BOOM! it's back to being part of the merchandise and it's not longer a weird "personal issue."  Chances are they will buy it.  

A big part of being successful with this technique is to look well groomed.  Obviously for your show you want to look good, but if you notice, all the pics of me I'm wearing my hair up.  I shed like MAD! Nothing is ickier than stray hairs on things you want to buy.  So in order to sell the scarf I was wearing, it definitely helped to be well groomed and not be overly scented (good or otherwise)!

I'm headed out to Vancouver to hang with Leslie and work on our fall strategy towards the middle of the month, definitely be sure to come back and check out our progress and great tips to make your sale more successful too!

What have you found works for you when designing your booth? What ideas have flopped? Share with us in the comments! 

Who Am I? Why Am I Doing This? Do I Even Want To Do This?

I don't like blogging.  I shouldn't say that.  I don't like blogging when I feel like I'm not connecting to anyone.  I don't like doing things that don't impact others.  That's something I've always loved to do.  I have always had a desire to make an impact.  Something.  Whether it was in a dance performance on stage, whether I'm teaching a student, writing a birthday card, or cooking a meal, I want you (yes you!) to walk away with more.

So when I started West Coast Leslie Designs, I just knew I wanted to make things.  I wanted to make things that other people liked as much as I did.  I loved the feeling of wrapping up in a big cozy scarf, that encircled me and made me feel warm, safe, happy, and felt like home.  (ah that concept of "home"!  It's maybe the best thing ever-to feel at home).  So I started making scarves, and selling a few scarves; to an Aunty, to a former student's parent.  Then I thought, well I could really do this. So I made more.  I applied to 1 (ONE!) craft fair, I got in, I started my Facebook page (it was slow-it's still slow), someone saw it and asked to sell my stuff in their store.  At the same time a really good friend of mine started a VERY similar business to mine (albeit in a TOTALLY different geographical area, but an area I still had strong ties to), and she started a Facebook page and she starting selling her items.  WHOA! Talk about a major self esteem blow.  When I looked at what she was doing all I could think was "she has a better name than I do, a better logo, better merchandise, better prices", and it seemed (to me) that she was WAY more successful than I was. 

All the while I kept making and feeling the pressure to be "legit".  A pressure I put on myself, a pressure that was being fed by comparing myself.  I felt like I couldn't make an impact unless I seemed credible.  People wouldn't accept me and my brand if I didn't have a business card.  People wouldn't purchase from me if I did have a website; an online store.  

So I rushed. I'll spare you the gory details (e.g. buying things, then having to call the web company to ask for a refund as I was NEVER going to learn how to use WordPress). I jumped in-DIVED in really (that's how I roll-no time to think, I have an iDEA! LOL) And now I feel the need to step back. Do I love the name West Coast Leslie Designs? (well that Leslie part is kinda cool, but it sure is LOOOOOOONG, especially if I hand write all my tags) Does a vintage looking silhouette represent my brand?  What the hell is my brand?  How do I find out what my brand is without shelling out thousands of dollars to people who claim to know all about online marketing and strategy (ps if you've spent any decent amount of time working in retail, you already know A LOT of it!)  I love coral as a colour, but does it have the long term appeal I'm looking for.  Will this font last the test of time, or am I going to have to re-brand myself in 2-3 years?  It's daunting and scary, and I look at people on the web I admire and feel bad about myself because (I feel) I'm not making the impact that they are.  I read the copy (that I wrote) on my website and think "Who wrote this? This feels fake-that's not how I talk. I think some of these things, but not all of them." I look at my website and wonder if it represents who I am, what I want for others, and what I can offer you! 

I think for many of us (online, blogger types, crafty types) we look for how we can make a difference.  We want to make a difference.  Our souls crave to make a difference, even if just in a couple of people.  And that's what I'm going to try to do.  So don't mind me, the gal in the corner over thinking EVERYTHING but also trying to go with her gut, with her intuition.  Being genuine about myself and what I do.  

Easter Wreath

Usually I'm talking about yarn, and hooks, and crocheting, but today I'm actually sharing an easter wreath I made.  It was pretty quick to put together - it had to be because my life is ramping into high gear, it's competition time!  But first the wreath....

I had purchased those plastic refillable easter eggs from Target.  48 for like $3?  Sweet deal!  Then I picked up a foam wreath from Michaels for $9.99.  Thankfully I had a 20% off coupon, so I actually paid $8 (still too much for foam, but whatever!)  

I started by wrapping some pink, sparkly ribbon I had on hand around the wreath.  Silly me I thought it would get all the way around...NOT!

Ha ha ha, silly me.  Then I decided to wrap washi tape around the bare foam so you couldn't see the white through the eggs.

I also wrapped the washi tape around the eggs to give them a bit more punch!  Plus, I have a lot of washi tape ;) Then I just glued the eggs around the bottom of the wreath.  

And here's the final product!

I love it so much.  Because of the foam base it's super light AND it was quick and inexpensive to put together. It's such a great pop of colour on my grey front door! Happy Easter.

Have you made an Easter wreath?  Be sure to leave me comment with a link to you project-I'd love to see it!

Yarn It All!

Life has been a little crazy over here, but I wanted to fill you in on a great series happening over at Bugaboo, Mini, Mr & me, aka Kim.  She's got an amazing yarn series gong on right now called Yarn It All, chock full of great yarn projects, including yours truly!  Head on over to Kim's blog to check out what I'm sharing today!

And be sure to check out all the great 

projects happening over there in the next few weeks!

Birds of a Feather

Since "starting" my business, I've known that part of my brand is proudly Canadian.  I'm Canadian, I hand make all my products in Canada, and I made a conscious decision to have my products in Canadian stores.  

One such store is the independently owned, shoe store Modern Sole in Sherwood Park AB (Edmonton, essentially).  Modern Sole is a great shoe boutique with awesome brands, including mine!  Check out what they have to say about West Coast Leslie Designs on their blog.  They're great gals and I'm so lucky that they were the first retailer to carry my products!  Like this new spring scarf that's in store today!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Fraser Valley Women's Expo

I'm so excited to be a part of the Fraser Valley Women's Expo.  I hadn't originally planned to be at the Expo, it was just one of those things, that by knowing the right people and spending tonnes of time online, led to this fantastic opportunity!

This will be the largest show I have to prepare for.  I'm not even sure I'll be ready!?!? It's at a weird time so I'm not sure if my scarves will sell well, or if they'll suffer because of the weather?  I am adding some new goodies to my inventory, and just to tease you I've put some pics for you to enjoy!

Plus I'll be restocking my classic basket weave scarves, as well as adding some kids hats!  I made these fingerless gloves for a friend and I'm thinking about making some, but I definitely need input from you guys!  Do you like the fingerless glove trend?  Hate it?  More importantly, would you buy a pair?

I'm looking forward to meeting a lot of new great vendors and clients!  If you'd like to place a custom order for boot cuffs please email me (I haven't had time to make enough to put them on my online store) 

Fraser Valley Women's Expo

Friday February 28    4:00pm-10:00pm

Saturday March 1     10:00am-6:00pm

Sunday March 2       11:00am-5:00pm

Top 5 Posts of 2013

Happy New Year!  Wow! Welcome to 2014.  

I have so many plans for 2014 - some personal, some business, some random ( I really know how to overload my plate!)  But as we start a new year I wanted to share my 5 top posts from 2013.

We have a tie for 5th place....

Check out this quick and easy hostess gift (100 views)

And this DIY Photo Board also hit 100 views

My first crochet pattern was a hit in 2013 (150 views)

 

This simple iPhone update hit 205 views

Runner up to most viewed blog post is my Turban Earwarmer (509 views)

And the most viewed blog post from 2013...

Microwave Potato chips with a whopping 702 views!

Thanks so much.  

I can't wait to continue sharing a little bit of everything with you this year!