Create Your Own Business League

All of us in the Creative Business League (CBL for short) agree that being a member of our group has changed our business immeasurably for the better. For me in particular, having these dedicated, passionate, funny, powerful, encouraging women at my back has given me so much inspiration and kept me going through many a difficult time.  When someone tells me they are about to start a business, my best advice is to find a peer group and meet regularly.  In this post I’d like to share some of the factors and structures that have helped make the Creative Business League so invaluable to all of us.  My hope is that it might inspire others to form their own inspirational, supportive and wildly successful business groups.  

What does a business league do?

The CBL does and is many things.  Here are just a few:

• We are a pep squad who will shout about one another’s many successes
• We are a critical-thinking testing ground for new ideas
• We are accountability partners for goal setting
• We are a brain trust of freely-shared ideas, inspiration and information
• We are support group for when the going is tough (which is a lot)

Who should be in your group?

When looking for members for your group, try to pick people who are in similar industries but are not the same.  The CBL is made up of maker businesses, but we have so many different kinds of amazing products that we learn from one another’s unique niches.  We gain common ground  by all understanding the challenges of manufacturing and selling a product, but we would lose unique perspectives if we all were making the same type of product.

I think one of the reasons The CBL gels so well is that we all began our businesses at roughly the same time.  All of us are between six and ten years into our businesses.  For the most part, we all met each other by doing craft fairs, which meant that we were all at about the same stage of our businesses.  This has been key for us- we encounter the same obstacles at roughly similar paces, so we can learn from each other as each one of us hits a growth point.  

How many members should you have?

We’ve discovered that seven members is the perfect number for our group.  Each member gets dedicated time to talk at each meeting, and each person’s voice and opinion is heard.  At the same time, our group is large enough to have varying opinions and perspectives.  Having less than ten members also keeps scheduling relatively easy.  We can usually find one night each month where everyone can get together.  It's been key to our growth and bonding to have every member at every meeting.

What do you do at your meetings?

Our meeting structure has been essential to our success.  Each monthly meeting follows the same structure, and allows us to be social, get updates on each other's businesses, and go deep on a few larger topics.  A typical night is outlined below.

7:00-8:00 Wine, Dinner and Catching Up

This is the part of the night were we visit, eat something super delicious, and just relax.  Getting to be social with one another really makes it fun- it’s definitely not all business all the time.

8:00-9:00 Check ins

Each member gets 5-10 minutes to tell everyone what is going on with their business this month.  This is the time we share successes, what unique challenges we are facing, and in general unload everything that’s been swirling around our to-do lists for the past month.  Usually no feedback is given unless it’s asked for.  After we hear from everyone, we usually break for dessert and more wine.

9:00-10:00 Delving Deep

This is the time we set aside to go more in depth on a series of rotating topics that we agree upon ahead of time.  Any member can propose a topic.  We might have a general talk about pricing, legal structures, or any other business topic.  Someone might present new information they’ve learned from a class they took or a show they’ve been to.  We might also tackle a specific problem someone needs help with.  This is our time to really get into one or two bigger idea or issues.  

What else do you do?

Each year we plan two retreats.  In January or February we all go away for the weekend and really dive into goal setting and business strategy.  We also eat amazing food, usually stay in a gorgeous remote cabin, and unplug and relax.  It's a great way to get the new year off on the right foot for our businesses.  In July, we usually do a less-elaborate single day retreat.  This is a time to check in our on yearly goal progress and refocus if things have veered off track.  

If you have any questions about forming your own group, don't hesitate to post in the comments section.  If you have a business or are thinking of starting one, you've got nothing to lose- go find your people!

DIY Editorial Style Photo Shoots

Over the last few years, whenever the topic of my website comes up, I’m often asked “Who does your photos?” People are sometimes surprised that I do all* of them in house. First off, let me say that before I started Etta + Billie, I had zero experience with photo shoots. Over the last four years, I’ve come up with the concepts, worked on styling, scouted locations and even taken a few photos myself. I’ve utilized the existing skills of my employees such as photography and photo editing. Though it’s a serious process and takes some planning, I think an in house photo shoot is completely doable and the most cost effective way to get fresh material for your website and other marketing purposes. Plus, it’s kind of fun. Read on for my tips for doing your own editorial style photo shoot.

Why?

Why are you taking these photos? Are you creating images for your website, marketing materials, press materials, or all of the above?
Once you answer these questions, you’ll be able to start planning your photo shoot. My recent shoot was for holiday and for products that I haven’t yet featured on the homepage of my website. The photos will be used to add fresh content, highlight limited edition product and for marketing materials like holiday postcards.

Etta + Billie Holiday Shoot Set Up

What?

What product are you going to shoot? Is this a seasonal shoot? General product shoot?
The answers to these questions will not only influence what product you are actually going to shoot but also where you’ll take them and how they’ll be styled. Need inspiration for styling a shoot? Get yourself over to Pinterest! Months before a photo shoot, I search certain terms like “editorial” and “holiday” to find image inspiration. I look for shoots that flow with my branding. I keep a private board for all my photo finds, organizing them by season. This makes it easy to reference while I’m setting up a shoot and I can share the images with my staff/photographer so we are all on the same page about the “look” I’m trying to achieve. Once you know what you want to accomplish, you can start making a “shot” list and collect objects/materials you think you’ll need.

Note: Be sure to share your shot list with your photographer.  

Setting up holiday photo shoot 2014

When?

When are you going to do the shoot?
The answer to this question really depends on question number 1 and 2. Think about editing time, vendor lead times for marketing materials as well as any press lead times. If you’re shooting Xmas holiday images and you also want to pitch to press, you really need to do your shoot in June (early July at the latest) since national magazines will be finalizing their holiday issues by the end of July.  

Where?

Where will the photoshoot take place? Is there a certain look you are going for?
Some shoots require simple backdrops (see the photo above - taken on the concrete floor of the loading dock the building where my studio is located), others may need specific surfaces such as a marble counter top, bathtub or a leather couch. For the more complex locations, think about friends or family who may have spaces that would work for the look you’re after. I’ve done at least four shoots at friend’s homes. The key to any location is natural light. Other location options: hotel rooms, airbnb’s or your own apartment.

Note: all the shoots I’ve ever done take far longer than I think they will. Be sure to give yourself at least 4-8 hours depending on how many images you want to get. For my holiday shoot last year, it took about 6-7 hours to get about 4-6 usable images. This is especially true if you are not using a professional photographer and are also going to style everything yourself.

Shane Izykowski's photo equipment + the necessary coffee

Who?

Who is going to do the shoot? Are you going to take photos yourself or hire someone? Will you need help styling or setting up your shoot?
If you have a nice DSLR camera (or access to one) and know how to use it, there is no reason you shouldn’t do the photos yourself. Just keep in mind that this will definitely take longer and you’ll probably still need to do all the editing yourself unless you have a VA or a friend who is will to take that on. If you’re like me and have VERY basic camera skills, consider hiring someone or ask a friend that you know has a passion for photography. Through my network, I’ve found some great photographers that were really reasonable priced. Don’t know anyone with mad photo skills? Consider contacting your local community college, art school or university. There may be a student who is willing to work for less so they can build their portfolio. Another way to reduce cost is to share a photographer with a fellow maker.

Note: if you’re hiring a photographer, be sure that you can check out their work in advance and contact references.

Other bits of advice:

• Bring multiple units of each product you're planning to photograph, just in case.
• Bring more props than you think you’ll need.
• Build in time for a break, especially if you get hangry.
• Overestimate how much time you’ll need for each part of the process.
• Refer to your shot list often. This helps keep you on track and you’re less likely to miss something important

I know there is a lot to think about when setting up a photo shoot but I hope this helps you feel a bit more confident about process. You can do it!

*current images on my site are thanks to the very talented sister duo Lydia & Emilie

Balancing Work and Life When Working From Home

It seems that more than ever people are talking about work/life balance. It’s a continual struggle, and that balance only seems more and more elusive as our lives get busier and busier. Taking a break from work is important for maintaining mental health, for viewing problems with a fresh perspective, and of course, for maintaining relationships with the people in your life.  It’s also a particular challenge for those of us who work from home.

There are so many advantages to working from home. The commute is A-MAY-ZING. I never have to pack a lunch. I can run loads of laundry while I’m logging wholesale orders. I never forget anything at work. That said, there are plenty of downsides as well. When your office is your house, your work and your life are always vying for your attention: that laundry is calling when you’re trying to create your new line sheets, and that new collection is pulling you toward the studio when you want to read a book with your kids. So how do you prevent your home life from becoming all about work? I can’t pretend that I have the answers, but I have come up with some strategies for myself to keep from going completely insane.

1. Get out of the house.

This is probably the very most important thing for me to do every day. It doesn’t need to be a hike, or even a long walk. I just need to get out of my house for 20 minutes and do something completely unrelated to work. For me, it works best if I get out first thing in the morning.  It pushes me to get dressed and when I return (coffee in hand, of course) it feels as if I’m entering the work part of my day.

2. Set firm boundaries for yourself.

With work within reach at all times, I find it really hard to resist the pull to complete just. One. Last. Thing. If I’m not careful, I can be sucked into the vortex of my workspace and never get the break I know I need. I’ve found that I need to set some rules for myself about when I need to step away from the bench and end my workday. During the week, I don’t work after 9pm, and on the weekends I designate one day when I don’t touch work at all. OK, OK, sometimes when I’m facing a crazy deadline I break these rules, but I really do try to abide by them for my own mental health and the mental health of those in my family.

3. Make time for transitions.

When you’re commuting from work to home, that commute time can serve as an opportunity to unpack and process your day and set your goals and intentions for the next day. I like to think of it as transitioning from “work brain” to “home brain” and vice versa.  When your commute consists of walking from one room to the next, there’s no built-in transition time, so I find that I need to carve it out for myself. In the morning, my coffee run is my time to think about what I need and want to accomplish in the day ahead, but in the evening I have to be more creative about finding time. Some days I find a quiet thinking space when I’m driving to pick my kids up from school, on other days it might be when I’m cooking dinner for my family.

4. Find coworkers.

The lack of coworkers can be one of the most positive and most negative aspects of working at home. On the one hand, you are not forced to share a cubicle wall with someone who has no volume control during phone conversations. On the other hand, you have no one with whom to gather around the water cooler to discuss the latest episode of OITNB. Because of this, working from home can be isolating. Furthermore, I find that since there aren’t coworkers to meet with, I feel pressure to work continuously throughout the day- no excuses because no distractions, right? Wrong. Interaction with others, especially those who understand your business and its challenges, is an integral part of preventing work from usurping more power than it deserves. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to find yourself some coworkers. For example, there are coworking spaces popping up all over, such as Makeshift Society in San Francisco (and now Brooklyn as well). Another way to find coworkers is to join a business group. For me, the Creative Business League has been a great way to celebrate and commiserate with other makers hustling to build their businesses.   

Overall, balancing work and life needs to be a more intentional process when home is your workplace. Natural limits that exist when you work outside the home are just not going to be there, so you have to be diligent about creating them for yourself. For me, striving for this balance is an iterative process- as my work and home lives shift and change, I need to step back and tinker with the systems that I’ve put in place. I’d love to hear- how do you strike a balance when you’re working from home? Share your ideas and strategies in the comments.