Business of Craft

What does it really take to build a craft business that provides the lifestyle you want? Our "guest" has done it all: starting a business from scratch, replacing her income, selling the business, and even retiring early.

Since we're relaunching the Business of Craft podcast, it's my honor to bring on former host and CEO of Stitchcraft Marketing, my friend Leanne Pressly, to unpack the process of building, scaling, and even selling a small business in the craft industry.

Stitchcraft started as a side hustle—something to supplement Leanne's inconsistent income. But over 16 years, it turned into something much bigger than she had dreamed. We'll go back to the beginning, when Leanne had to wear multiple hats and master every aspect of the business. She shares lessons all craft business owners can learn from, like when to (and when not to) pay yourself and how to create products customers actually want.

And, as the new owner of Stitchcraft Marketing, it's only right that we get into the details of the sale—how we structured the process, challenges we had to navigate during the government shutdown, and the biggest misconceptions about buying and selling small businesses. Finally, you'll hear all about what Leanne's been up to in retirement!

Stitch Markers from Leanne:

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How Leanne built a small business that allowed her to retire early

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Structuring the sale of Stitchcraft Marketing and how to know you've found the right buyer

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Which areas of your craft business to outsource first (and when to start)

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How to grow your actual craft sales (not just your vanity metrics)

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The biggest mistake business owners make when choosing products to sell

Schedule Your Free, 30-Minute Consultation with Lisa

Before she became Violent Cat Lady, one of KnitTok's top designers, she was Jade Berghoff, a finger-knitting enthusiast on the school bus and a bow seller in high school. Now, with over 2,000,000 likes and 100,000 followers on TikTok, plus another 66,000 on Instagram, Jade has turned her craft business into her full-time job. She not only designs patterns and knit kits but is also releasing a new yarn line, Bloom, inspired by the Montana wilderness surrounding her backyard.

Welcome to the Business of Craft podcast, where we'll talk about business models, marketing strategies, and crafting tactics so you can grow your business and your passion for your craft.

One viral TikTok video helped Jade go from a full-time marketing job to a yarn-sourcing, pattern-designing, knit-kit-bundling career. Jade grew her business organically, through social views, a (surprisingly powerful) email list, and a focus on her audience, not the view count. If you want to get into the monetization of your following, Jade offers some crucial considerations: Will you be an influencer with brand deals, or will you use the following to monetize your own business? And: why views aren't the point; why Instagram Stories are much more effective than you think, and why being the brand is a double-edged sword (that's worth the balancing act!).

Stitch Markers from Jade:

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Why selling patterns, not production crafts, may be what your audience really wants

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You don't need to go viral to build a following (and a brand), but you do need to do this

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Email is far from dead: how Jade uses it to reach a more dedicated audience than she imagined

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What you should (and shouldn't) be selling on TikTok Shop

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Being the brand: how to grow a business when it relies on your time, energy, and face

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Turning your small craft community into advocates for your products

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Schedule Your Free, 30-Minute Consultation with Lisa

Check Out "Bloom," Jade's New Yarn Line!

Follow Jade on TikTok

Follow Jade on Instagram

Get the Pattern Jade Wore on Today's Show!

Let's jump into today's topic: using your analytics to set your future SMART goals.

In 2023, we surveyed over 900 retail business owners in the craft space. One of the most shocking data points was that only 14% were collecting marketing data — and even more shocking, only 4% were using that data to inform strategy.

Whether your shop is physical, virtual, or a blend of both, this episode is your blueprint to transforming that space into a community-building, customer-magnetizing powerhouse.

Today we're diving into a topic that has completely reshaped modern marketing—influencer and content creator partnerships.

For this season, we're excerpting chapters from our book Marketing Magic for Savvy Craft Businesses that you can purchase on our website http://stitchcraftmarketing.com. This is chapter 14 We call this chapter "Alchemical Alliances," because when you find the right content creator or influencer, it truly feels like magic. Let's break down what you need to know to create those powerful partnerships that can elevate your brand.

Today we're exploring how to scale your brand using digital advertising—yes, the kind that doesn't have to feel like throwing spaghetti at the wall.

So whether you're boosting posts or venturing into more advanced ad strategies like programmatic or geofencing, this episode is your incantation for attracting, converting, and scaling.

This season we're pulling from our book, Marketing Magic for Savvy Craft Businesses, that we released in May of 2025. You can buy a copy from us directly by going to our website http://stitchcraftmarketing.com/magic where you can get it as hardcopy or on kindle edition.

Today we're jumping into the topic of utilizing social media to build your community.

Today's content is a snippet from our book Marketing magic for savvy craft businesses that we released in May of 2025. You can buy a copy from us directly by going to our website http://stitchcraftmarketing.com/magic where you can get it as hardcopy or on kindle edition.

Welcome to Business of Craft, a show designed to help entrepreneurs with fabric or fiber businesses become more successful.

This is our 8th season of BOC and today we have another solocast to cover one of the topics in our new book, Marketing Magic for Savvy Craft Businesses. I'm super proud of this book which my whole team wrote in 2025. The book is available for sale in Kindle and print version (and soon to be audio) on our website or Amazon.

Today we're talking about the topic in chapter 11 of our book, Marketing Magic for Savvy Craft Businesses: Mastering Email Newsletters for Deeper Engagement.

Welcome to Season 8, Episode 9 of Business of Craft. Today we have another solocast to cover one of the topics in our new book, Marketing Magic for Savvy Craft Businesses, that my whole team wrote in 2025. The book is available for sale in Kindle and print version (and soon to be audio) on our website, http://StitchcraftMarketing.com or http://Amazon.com.

Today we're talking about a tool that's been around since the '90s but still packs a major punch when it comes to marketing your brand: blogging.

Welcome to Season 8, Episode 7 of Business of Craft. Today we have another solocast to cover one of the topics in our new book, Marketing Magic for Savvy Craft Businesses, that my whole team wrote in 2025. The book is available for sale in Kindle and print version (and soon to be audio) on our website, http://StitchcraftMarketing.com or http://Amazon.com .

Hey there, crafty entrepreneurs — it's Leanne Pressly with Stitchcraft Marketing again. If you've ever caught yourself saying, "SEO? I think I set that up years ago," or "I'm not even sure what an algorithm is," then this episode is your cue to step up your digital game.

Because today, we're discussing both topics.

Now, don't worry — you don't need to be a wizard of code. But you do need to understand how search engines and algorithms work for your business — or else they might be working against it.

Welcome to another episode of Business of Craft. Today we have another solocast to cover one of the topics in our new book, Marketing Magic for Savvy Craft Businesses, that my whole team wrote in 2025. The book is available for sale in Kindle and print version on our website, Stitchcraft Marketing - Specialists in social media help for craft businesses - Home or Amazon.com.

Today I'm diving into one of my favorite topics from the book: Generosity Marketing.

We call this chapter "The Generosity Charm" because, truly, this is where the magic starts

Welcome to Season 8, Episode 6 of Business of Craft. Today we have another solocast to cover one of the topics in our new book, Marketing Magic for Savvy Craft Businesses, that my whole team wrote in 2025. The book is available for sale in Kindle and print version (and soon to be audio) on our website, http://StitchcraftMarketing.com or http://Amazon.com .

What are you working toward in your business right now?

Not just surviving or winging it. I mean real, tangible, measurable goals. That's what today's episode is about.

Welcome to Season 8, Episode 4 of Business of Craft. Today we have another solocast to cover one of the topics in our new book, Marketing Magic for Savvy Craft Businesses, that my whole team wrote in 2025. The book is available for sale in Kindle and print version on our website, http://StitchcraftMarketing.com or http://Amazon.com.

"Storytelling" gets thrown around a lot these days. But while that's important--- really important- branding is more than an engaging paragraph on your About page or slapping a fun tagline on your packaging.

Welcome to Season 8, Episode 4 of Business of Craft. Today we have another solocast to cover one of the topics in our new book, Marketing Magic for Savvy Craft Businesses, that my whole team wrote in 2025. The book is available for sale in Kindle and print version (and soon to be audio) on our website, Stitchcraft Marketing - Specialists in social media help for craft businesses - Home or Amazon.com. I'm your host, Leanne Pressly- I'm the founder and CEO of Stitchcraft Marketing and we talk about all things craft marketing here on the show. Today we're asking a really fundamental question. Who is your customer, really?

If you're tempted to answer with, "Oh, anyone who likes to knit," or "People who buy fabric," then stick around — because this episode is definitely for you.

Hi friends, it's Leanne, and I'm back with another episode of Business of Craft. Today, we're opening up the next chapter in our marketing spellbook to explore a little concept we call… Brand Magic — and one of the most powerful tools in that kit: the Know, Like, Trust Loop.

This is our 8th season of BOC and today we have another solocast to cover one of the topics in our new book, Marketing Magic for Savvy Craft Businesses. I'm super proud of this book which my whole team wrote in 2025. The book is available for sale in Kindle and print version (and soon to be audio) on our website, http://StitchcraftMarketing.com/ or http://Amazon.com .

This episode gives you a snippet of the first chapter or the prologue of our book.

Today our guest is Nicole Moore, of Sew Much Moore and Creative Day Job. It wasn't until Nicole left her full-time corporate job in 2013 that she delved into "serious sewing." From craft shows to Etsy, boutique shops, and Amazon Handmade, and a viral YouTube channel, Nicole's first business Sew Much Moore, flourished. While growing Sew Much Moore Nicole learned to leverage technology, conquer overwhelm, and foster a robust online community. Recognizing those same aspirations in countless other talented women, she founded the Creative Day Job—a platform devoted to empowering creative women on the path to transforming their hobbies into lucrative businesses.

Karley Cunningham has been diving into the worlds of business development, branding, and design for over two decades. As the Creative Strategist & Growth Accelerator at her company, Big, Bold Brand, Karley brings her big thinking and innovative problem-solving to the table. She's also a sought-after speaker and mentor, sharing her wisdom with national and international business organizations. Today we're chatting about differentiating your brand.

Today our guest is Richard Parker, the President of Diomo Corporation, who has dedicated his career to advising and mentoring people who want to buy or sell a business. He has purchased and sold 13 of his own companies and understands firsthand the emotional journey that buyers and sellers experience. This is a very relevant topic in the craft industry as many of the businesses are independent and/or family owned. As owners age and are looking toward retirement, there is often a question of how to position the business for sale, or where to even find a buyer? On the flipside, for buyers, who often come to the industry as hobbyists and enthusiasts first, how should they assess a business for purchase?

Today our guest is Pamela Slim, celebrated author and small business expert who has dedicated decades to shaping and enhancing the entrepreneurial ecosystem. She is a co-founder of the KEH community lab in Mesa, Arizona, alongside her husband, Darryl. This innovative hub serves as a grassroots, community-based think tank dedicated to accelerating small business growth. Pam's insights and expertise frequently grace the pages of esteemed publications, including The New York Times, Forbes, and BusinessWeek. She has written several books including "Escape from Cubicle Nation," which was recognized as the Best Small Business and Entrepreneur book in 2009 and her follow up, Body of Work. Her latest book, "The Widest Net," helps you grow your business by connecting with customers outside your usual field of view.