Hey Circle,

Welcome to November!

We’re approaching the busiest time of year for many of us – especially makers who are marketing to Christmas buyers.

With that in mind, our focus this month is on selling at markets and shows.

There is just one workshop for you to take this month – and I’ll also be sharing more tips for how to sell well at markets/shows in the Facebook group during the month, so make sure you have your notifications switched on over there!

To kick things off, I’d love to see YOUR market stall set-up if you’ve already got one – you can share a photo or video under this post.

I’d love to hear from all of you who are regulars at markets over in the Facebook group this month – please don’t hesitate to share your experience and knowledge with the newbies who might be thinking about diving in to their very first market.

We’ll have our regular live calls again this month – dates and times below!

See you in the Circle,

Jess x

• RSVP for the live calls on Facebook here:

  • Call #1
  • Call #2

We’re starting a NEW focus inside the Circle today!

This month, we’re focussing on selling at markets & shows

We have 1 workshop to take this month, and I’ll be sharing tips throughout the month in the Facebook Group, too.

You can take the workshop here right now!

Hey Circle,

Welcome to September!

This month, we are starting to gear up for the busiest time of the year.

It’s also been a big month of business uncertainty and stress for many of us, with the fallout of the US government’s decision to remove the de minimis exemption on tariffs, which has meant many of us have had to stop shipping to the US for the foreseeable future.

I did a video explaining it here, if you haven’t seen it.

This has been a huge blow to many of our businesses (mine included) so I thought this would be a good month for us to take a breath, and tackle the topic of mindset.

To that aim, there’s a new course, where you will be guided through 4 workshops on different elements of mindset, including strategies to reduce stress & relax, challenging negative self-talk, overcoming analysis paralysis, and confronting whether a loss of passion for your biz means its time to throw in the towel (usually, it’s not!).

Also, in case you missed it last month, I will be heading to the UK to visit family and friends for a month in early September, and I’ll be back early October – so I won’t be doing any live calls this month. 

I will still send you a monthly email at the start of October, and we’ll have new courses those 2 months, but I’ll be taking time off from any scheduled live events as I don’t know what I’ll be doing when! 

I will also be taking some total time off during this period (and be unavailable on FB and email), but Penny will be here to assist you if necessary, but I’ll give you the exact details later this month. 

Keep an eye on the Facebook groups for dates, as it depends on a part of my trip that hasn’t been finalised yet.

See you in the Circle,

Jess x

We’re starting a NEW course inside the Thriver Circle today!

This month, we’re focussing on our mindset.

The course has four lessons:

• Strategies to Reduce Stress & Relax
• How to overcome negative self-talk and a lack of confidence
• 9 Steps to Overcome Analysis Paralysis
• What to do when your passion for your biz wanes

You can access the course here.

What’s happening in the Thriver Circle Forum

• Suzie wants to know – what countries do you ship to, and why?o y (Search for ‘Belgium’).
• Nyssa’s wondering which direction she should take her business for the rest of the year (Search for ‘renovations’)

P.S. To find the above posts in the Facebook forum, just look for the magnifying glass symbol, then enter the suggested search term to find the relevant post.

Hey Circle,

Welcome to August!

This month, we’re going to focus on preparing for the holiday season ahead. 

It may seem early, but the earlier you plan, the better prepared you will be once the time comes.

But first, a few pieces of news.

1. In case you haven’t heard, the US is going to remove the de minimus tariff exemption come August 29th. If you ship anything to the US, or you’re in the US and order supplies from overseas, this will affect you, and you need to prepare for it. I did a video detailing why this is a huge challenge here.

2. I will be heading to the UK to visit family and friends for a month in early September, so I won’t be doing any live calls that month. I will still send you a Monthly email at the start of September and October, and we’ll have new courses those 2 months, but I’ll be taking time off from any scheduled live events as I don’t know what I’ll be doing when! I will also be taking some total time off during this period, and Penny will be here to assist you if necessary, but I’ll give you the exact details in the September Monthly email.

See you in the Circle,

Jess x

We’re starting a NEW theme inside the Thriver Circle today!

This month, it’s not a course, but a challenge!

We’re focussing on preparing for the holiday season ahead.

So, there are 2 parts:

1. Take the How to Prepare for the Holiday Season Workshop
2. The Holiday Prep Challenge will be happening next week inside the TC Facebook group!

Over 7 days, we’ll be working through all the crucial steps you need to take to ensure you have a successful (and smooth) holiday sales season.

We’ll cover EVERYTHING you need to do in order to get organised so you feel calm, confident, and in control this holiday season.

We will be discussing and focussing on this theme here in the Circle throughout August – including 2 live coaching calls with me and your fellow Circle members (dates and times below).

If you have any questions or thoughts you’d like to share that pop up while you’re taking this course – make sure to come over and share with us in the private members-only Facebook Forum!

• RSVP for the live calls on Facebook here:

  • Call #1
  • Call #2

What’s happening in the Thriver Circle Forum

• Julia had an unfortunate experience with someone insulting her work, give her some love and support (we’ve all been there). (Search for ‘TROLL’).
• Marianne asked if anyone has any updates on the European GPSR – have you managed to work out a solution for it? (Search ‘GPSR’)
• Cynthia shared her experience using chatgpt to help her brainstorm keywords (Search ‘chatgpt’)
• Nyssa talked about trying a new Maker’s Market near her (Search ‘Maker’s Market’)
• Leanne got accepted to a premier market and shared some of her new designs! (Search ‘debut’)

P.S. To find the above posts in the Facebook forum, just look for the magnifying glass symbol, then enter the suggested search term to find the relevant post.

Hey Circle,

Welcome to July!

It’s been a big month – we welcomed a bunch of new members, I closed the Circle doors for a few months, and we’re heading into the second half of 2025.

The cold winter winds are blowing down here in the Southern Hemisphere, while those of you in the North are enjoying the balmy midsummer days!

Did you set any goals or intentions for the second half of the year?

I set my quarterly goals on the winter solstice. It’s a good time to let go of things no longer serving you – which is why I decided it was a good time to ‘break up’ with my niche over on my YouTube channel so I can talk more broadly about living a creative life!

If you missed my announcement, where I explain what I’m doing and why, you can watch it here.

It’s a risk – both creatively and financially! – but what’s life without risk?

Do you have any creative risks you’ve been yearning to take?

See you in the Circle,

Jess x

We’re starting a NEW course inside the Thriver Circle today!

It’s called Marketing Fundamentals

We’ll dive into more detailed things like social media, social proof, PR etc. later in the year, but we’re going to start with the basics.

There are 4 modules, and 4 lessons:

• You Don’t Have to Market the Way Everybody Else Does
• Discover Your Ideal Customer
• How to Discover your Ideal Keywords
• Craft Your Ideal Marketing Plan

By the end of this course:

• You will be clear on your Money Mindset, and how that might be holding you and your business back
• You will have assessed your current financial position and how you are managing and tracking your business expenses
• You will understand the art and science of pricing handmade goods

The course is available now, so you can do it all in one day, or spread it out over the month – it’s up to you.

We will be discussing and focussing on this course here in the Circle throughout July – including 2 live coaching calls with me and your fellow Circle members (dates and times below).

If you have any questions or thoughts you’d like to share that pop up while you’re taking this course – make sure to come over and share with us in the private members-only Facebook Forum!

Start the new course here.

RSVP for the live calls on Facebook here:

• Call #1
• Call #2

What’s happening in the Thriver Circle Forum

• Rachid asked for some feedback on rug photos. (Search for ‘RUGS’).
• Katie asked – what do you think about loyalty schemes? And do you have any good examples? (Search ‘LOYALTY’)

P.S. To find the above posts in the Facebook forum, just look for the magnifying glass symbol, then enter the suggested search term to find the relevant post.

Hey Circle,

Welcome to June!

It’s coming into midwinter here – a time of reflection before the rebirth, and I am making a big change in the Circle (more on that below). 

You might also notice that both of our calls this month are at the end of the month – this is because I’m currently undertaking a skin cancer treatment on my face, (which means I’ll look a little bit terrifying for a few weeks), so I’ve placed the calls when my face should be mostly healed.

I hope those of you in the North are enjoying your spring weather, and are feeling motivated!

Are you ready to tackle an important topic – money and pricing?

Let’s get to it…

We’re starting a NEW course inside the Thriver Circle today!

It’s called Money Mindset, Management & Pricing

There are 3 modules, and 6 lessons:

• Money Mindset
  • Why you Need to Stop Feeling Bad about Charging Money for your Craft
  • How your Money Story Could be Holding you Back
• Money Management
  • Financial Analysis – Get on the Right Track!
  • How to Manage your Money Now You’re Self-Employed
  • Bookkeeping Basics for your Handmade Biz
• Pricing
  • The Art & Science of Pricing

By the end of this course:

• You will be clear on your Money Mindset, and how that might be holding you and your business back
• You will have assessed your current financial position and how you are managing and tracking your business expenses
• You will understand the art and science of pricing handmade goods

The course is available now, so you can do it all in one day, or spread it out over the month – it’s up to you.

We will be discussing and focussing on this course here in the Circle throughout June – including 2 live coaching calls with me and your fellow Circle members (dates and times below).

If you have any questions or thoughts you’d like to share that pop up while you’re taking this course – make sure to come over and share with us in the private members-only Facebook Forum!

The Circle Doors are Closing…

The doors to the Thriver Circle are closing soon. 

Not for good! 

But for a good long while. 

Back in 2015, when I first opened the Circle, I used to open the doors for new members four times a year. 

This was wonderful – because every quarter, we had a new, fresh influx of enthusiastic makers-in-business, ready to grow their businesses together! 

But, after a few years, I found the pace of ‘launching’ the Circle every quarter to be a bit overwhelming. 

So, I threw open the doors, and recommitted to having it available at all times. 

Which was wonderful in other ways – especially because it meant that you could join whenever the time was right for YOU. 

But – it also meant that I had to always be marketing. 

And – as a business owner yourself – you know how draining marketing can be. 

This year, I revamped the Circle, and relaunched a new and improved space for makers to come together and learn from me and each other in a supportive community. 

I’m so happy with how the Circle is now… but honestly? 

I’m also burnt out on the endless content marketing treadmill. 

So – I’ve decided to change things up. 

I want to keep devoting my time and energy to those of you inside the Circle – to keep showing up on live calls, answering your questions in our forum, creating courses and content for you, and helping our creative community to keep thriving. 

And in order to do that, I’m slowing down a bit on my free content for the rest of this year. 

I’m not sure exactly what that’s going to look like – but what I DO know is that I am going to close the Circle to new members for a while, so I can devote my time and energy to those of you who have chosen to work with me inside that space. 

So, as of June 15th, the doors to the Thriver Circle will be closing. 

I may possibly open them one more time before the end of the year, but I’m not 100% sure on that right now. 

This is a transitional time for my business, and I want to be open and honest with you as to what that looks like. 

We don’t always have to have all the answers right now – even when we’ve been in business for over 15 years, like I have. 

Business is about constantly learning and experimenting, and trying new things to see what works – for both us and our customers. 

And what is working for me right now is to take my foot off the free content creation treadmill that I’ve been on for over 10 years. 

I want to spend my time and energy on YOU – you who have chosen to work with me, who have chosen to trust me to help you grow a thriving business. 

I’ll be announcing this publicly tomorrow, but I wanted to give you a heads-up first, so you know what’s happening.

See you in the Circle,

Jess x

Start the new course here.

RSVP for the live calls on Facebook here:

• Call #1
• Call #2

Hey Circle,

Welcome to May!

We’re quickly approaching the middle of 2025, and time is whizzing by.

How is your business going so far this year? It’s been a tough one for many. 

Remember – don’t hesitate to come into the Circle Facebook Group any time you need some help or advice on your business – that’s what it’s there for! 

We have that group not only so I can answer your questions, but so you can find support from your fellow makers. No matter what challenge you’re facing in your business, chances are some of us have faced the same thing.

We’re starting a NEW course inside the Thriver Circle today!

It’s called Fundamentals of Selling & Launching Online

There are 3 modules:

• Online Business Models
• Product Photography
• How to Develop & Launch a New Product Line

By the end of this course:

• You will know which business model suits you
• You’ll be clear on the importance of product photography, and know the basics of how to take and edit quality product photos
• You’ll understand how to plan and implement a product launch

The course is available now, so you can do it all in one day, or spread it out over the month – it’s up to you.

We will be discussing and focussing on this course here in the Circle throughout May – including 2 live coaching calls with me and your fellow Circle members (dates and times below).

If you have any questions or thoughts you’d like to share that pop up while you’re taking this course – make sure to come over and share with us in the private members-only Facebook Forum!

The Artist’s Way

We have just begun working through The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron inside the Circle!

If you’d like to join us, further information is here.

We have just started with a preparatory week – everything in the book up to the start of ‘Week 1’.

We have a course chat inside the Thriver Circle Facebook Group – look for the Chats section and for the chat with the lightbulb icon to join in.

I will be posting in the FB group at the start of each week as a reminder of what lesson we’re up to that week!

LIVE CALL: We are having a live call on Zoom for those of us participating in The Artist’s Way at the start of Week 2 of the course (so we can review the Preparatory week and Week 1). 

This will be at the following time, and I will put a link in the Artist’s Way chat inside the Thriver Circle Facebook group before it begins:

• Aus: 10:30 am AEST on the 20th of May
• USA: 8:30 pm EDT on the 19th of May
• UK: 1:30 am BST on the 20th of May

RSVP for the call here.

I’m excited to work through this, and I hope you join me!

See you in the Circle,

Jess x

P.S. Start the new course here.

RSVP for the live calls on Facebook here:

• Call #1
• Call #2

What’s happening in the Thriver Circle Forum

• Julia shared a lovely Brand Board that she made after taking the April course! Go check it out and give her your feedback. (Search for ‘FINLAND’).
• Cynthia is looking for a simple google sheet or excel template for tracking inventory – do you have any suggestions? (Search ‘INVENTORY’)

P.S. To find the above posts in the Facebook forum, just look for the magnifying glass symbol, then enter the suggested search term to find the relevant post.