Latest / The Modern Etsy Seller Podcast / EP 1. Welcome to The Modern Etsy Seller Podcast | Etsy Print on Demand for Busy Women

Transcript

EP 1. Welcome to The Modern Etsy Seller Podcast | Etsy Print on Demand for Busy Women · The Modern Etsy Seller Podcast

• 0:04
  SPEAKER_00: Hey there, and welcome to the Modern Etsy Seller, the podcast where busy women build, grow, and profit on Etsy.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_00: I'm your host, Melissa Carroll, a full-time teacher, a busy mom, and an Etsy seller who's built two successful Etsy shops in the small moments of everyday life.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_00: Here you'll find simple strategies, real behind-the-scenes insight, and the clarity you need to stop second guessing and start moving forward.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_00: One intentional step at a time.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: Let's get to it.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_00: Hey there, and welcome to the first episode of the Modern Etsy Seller Podcast.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Melissa and I'm super excited to be here.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_00: I'm even more excited that you're here with me.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: In this introductory episode today, I'll tell you a little bit about who I am, a bit about my Etsy journey and how I got to this place today.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_00: And I'll share what my hopes are for this podcast and what you can expect from it week to week.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_00: Like so many of you, I wear a lot of different hats, but most importantly, I'm a mom and a wife.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_00: My husband and I will celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary this summer, and together we have two teenage daughters who keep us very busy.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_00: In addition, I'm a middle school teacher at a local public school.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: And finally, I run two successful Etsy shops.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_00: I opened my very first shop with a digital product focus two and a half years ago.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_00: Then about a year later, I opened my second shop, and in this shop, I focused on print-on-demand giftable products.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: As of this recording in March of 2026, between the two, I have over 8,000 sales and have earned over$175,000 in revenue.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_00: I'm obsessed with my Etsy businesses.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_00: I love them and I still cannot believe that I have come this far.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_00: When I set out, it was to earn extra income for my family, and that is what these shops have allowed me to do.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_00: So now I want to help other people, other busy moms, other teachers, other women who want or need to earn extra money for their family to do the same because it is so possible.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_00: I am a testament to that.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_00: When I opened my first shop in October 2023, I knew very little.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_00: I did know that I wanted my store to sell digital products, but I had a lot to learn, both about selling on Etsy in general and about creating digital products.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_00: And so I started learning.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_00: I learned through videos and through podcasts, through trial and error.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_00: I made a lot of mistakes.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_00: I took a lot of wrong turns and detours, but I kept going and I'm so glad that I did.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, and fun fact, because this is a podcast, um, and I said that I learned through podcasts, but prior to beginning my Etsy journey, I had never listened to a podcast before.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_00: Ever.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_00: But I had decided that I wanted to listen to something that could help me as I was driving to and from work every day.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_00: And so I came across how to sell your stuff on Etsy and started listening to it.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_00: And I still listen to it today.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_00: So shout out to Lizzie, my mentor from afar, who has no idea of the impact her and her guests have had in my life.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_00: It was a very, very slow start, my Etsy journey.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_00: And after about five months and three sales and hearing about print on demand in a few podcast episodes where I had said, I am never going to do that, I decided to explore it a little bit.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: I added some print on demand t-shirts to my store.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I chose t-shirts because that's what everyone was teaching and seemed to be having success with.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_00: So that's what I decided to go with.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_00: Over the next few months, some of the t-shirts started selling, and so did one of the small business bundles that I had created earlier on.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_00: Then at the end of August 2024, 10 months after opening my first Etsy store, and as my new school year was starting, I decided to open up a second shop.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_00: At that point, I had sold 28 t-shirts and 25 of the small business bundles, plus those three early products.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_00: I decided I wanted this new shop to be strictly print on demand, but I did not want to sell t-shirts.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: I wanted to sell giftable products that could be personalized.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_00: With this shop, I was able to take a year's worth of learning and apply it.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_00: I still had a lot more to learn at that point, especially about print on demand, and I continued to make mistakes and grow from them.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: But that shop started making sales within its first month and then quickly grew after that.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I opened in August and I had two sales in that August and then 43 sales in September.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: It continued to grow into Q4 and the holidays and through early 2025.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: Then in July of 2025, I added a second giftable product.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_00: Up until that point, I was only selling one product type, and now I was adding my second product type.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_00: Today that shop has earned almost$150,000 in revenue.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_00: And back in the digital shop, at the start of 2025, I removed those t-shirts in order to keep it strictly digital.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_00: Then back in March of 2025, I began creating bundles in a new niche, and they started selling quickly.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_00: They grew that shop from about 200 sales to 2,400 sales in a year.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_00: Like I already said, I am obsessed with these shops.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_00: I love them.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_00: They have brought me the extra income I was after when I started.
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_00: But beyond the money, and I know money is certainly the main driver for most of us, but beyond that, these businesses have brought me so much confidence and they are so fun.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: They've given me a creative outlet and they've ignited an entrepreneurial fire that I always knew was actually there.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_00: And they've allowed me to dream big, really, really big.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_00: And they brought me here to you and to this podcast where I hope to have the same impact that Lizzie and her podcast had on me.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_00: So if you are someone who wants to start an Etsy shop or to grow the one you already have, then you are in the right place.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_00: So now that I told you a little bit about my story, I want to tell you what you can expect from this podcast as we move forward.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but first the name, the modern Etsy seller.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_00: Why did I call it that?
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_00: Um I picked that name because of what a modern Etsy seller stands for to me.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_00: And uh when I think of a modern Etsy seller, I think of today's busy woman who is figuring out a way to make an idea she thought of or a dream she has a reality.
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_00: And she's not waiting for the perfect time or the perfect circumstances to do it.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_00: Most of us aren't starting with unlimited time, perfect conditions, or a completely clear path forward.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_00: We're figuring this out alongside real life, our jobs, families, responsibilities, and everything else that fills our days.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_00: We're not afraid to learn as we do.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_00: We seek and use the tools that are available to us today.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_00: We test ideas, we adjust, improve, and most importantly, we evolve.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_00: As Etsy changes, as the market changes, as our life circumstances change, and all of those things inevitably do change, we evolve.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: And that's what being a modern Etsy seller means to me.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_00: And whether or not you see yourself as a modern Etsy seller now, if you stick around here long enough, I promise you will.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_00: So five things that I want you to walk away with each week.
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_00: First, I want to give you clarity and focus.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_00: There is so much information out there about how to sell on Etsy and especially about print on demand.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_00: And most of it is good information, but there's too much.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_00: And a lot of it contradicts each other.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_00: Not because one's right and one's wrong either.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_00: A lot of the time, both things are right.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_00: Both strategies will help move the needle.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_00: Both products will sell, both workflows will get the job done.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_00: My goal here is to help you cut through that noise and zero in on what will work for you and your shop based on your time and your resources.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_00: Second, I want to give you real strategy and direction.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_00: Because when you're building a business in the margins of your life, you cannot afford to spend your limited time on things that don't actually grow your shop.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_00: Strategy helps you be intentional about how you spend your time.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_00: Systems help the work get done faster.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_00: And without both, even the most motivated seller will find herself floundering and likely quitting before she even gets to see what she was actually building.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_00: Third, I want to give you confidence.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_00: Confidence in your ideas, confidence in your ability to build something real, and confidence to trust yourself, to do this your way, on your terms, in a way that fits for you.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_00: Because one of the biggest things that holds sellers back isn't lack of knowledge, it's second guessing, second guessing themselves, wondering if their idea is good enough, if their shop is good enough, if they are good enough.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_00: And I want this podcast to be the thing that quiets that voice and replaces it with the belief that you absolutely can do this.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_00: Fourth, I want to give you inspiration and momentum because Etsy businesses aren't built overnight.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_00: They're built through consistency, idea by idea, listing by listing, sale by sale.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_00: And it's not always easy, but it is worth it.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_00: So we will talk about mindset and self-care, and you will hear stories from women just like you who have found success.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_00: And finally, I want to give you community, a place built on honesty, where we tell the truth as we know it about what this journey actually looks like, the good, the bad, and the ugly.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_00: A place that reminds you we are in this together and that there is enough space for everyone who wants to to find success with Etsy and Print on Demand.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_00: You will always have me in your corner, and as our community grows, you'll have each other as well.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_00: So most of the episodes will run about 20-ish minutes, long enough to go deep, but short enough to finish on your commute.
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna have solo strategy shows where I break down ideas and approaches you can apply directly to your shop.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_00: And then there's gonna be times where I bring in guests, other sellers who are in the trenches right alongside you, plus experts who can help you build a stronger business.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_00: Because running an Etsy shop touches on so many other areas, and sometimes you need to hear from someone who really knows their corner of the world.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_00: But no matter the format, every episode is designed to give you something useful: a takeaway, a shift in perspective, or a new step you can take in your business.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks so much for spending this time with me today.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_00: It honestly means the world that you chose to press play and be here at the very beginning of this journey.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_00: If you enjoyed this episode, make sure you follow the podcast wherever you listen so you don't miss future episodes.
• 10:02
  SPEAKER_00: And if you know someone who's been thinking about starting an Etsy shop or building something of their own, consider sharing this episode with them.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_00: Let's get them in on this from the beginning.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks again for being here and welcome to the Modern Etsy Cellar.