Every now and then, I receive requests to have specific Etsy sellers on the podcast as my guests from the amazing listeners of the show – people like you! I absolutely love when you all send a request for a guest that you’d like to learn more about on the podcast! My guest this week is here by special request from a number of you and she is Julie Ann, the artist, illustrator and owner of the Etsy shop , where she sells beautifully crafted, straight-forward sentiments, stocking stuffers, gift items, and holiday and greeting cards. Julie Ann has been selling on Etsy since 2008 and, to date, has over 63,000 sales. What started out purely as a hobby quickly turned into a fun and very lucrative business. Over the last 4 years, Julie Ann’s shop has enabled her to work full-time as an entrepreneur, and she shares some very valuable insights on what she believes made her business so successful. In 2013, Julie Ann wasa featured seller in the Etsy  blog series! Today, we discuss how that happened and how being featured has impacted her business, shop views, and sales. We discuss how the market for greeting cards has changed over the years, launching new product lines versus individual products throughout the year, as well as how she runs and prepares her business during vacations and holidays. We also talk about her pricing strategy, the SEO techniques she has learned over the years, and how keeping lists has helped her not only run her business smoothly, but also keep a healthy work-life balance as an entrepreneur. [bctt tweet="Take advantage of the freedom that owning a business can give u. It’s ok 2 take a break from ur #Etsyshop" username="ConvoMePodcast"] Julie Ann Art – Topics Discussed Why Julie Ann finally decided to turn her passion hobby into a full-time business What she initially sold on Etsy and how her product lines have changed over the years Why she believes the age of her shop may give her business an edge over the competition We discuss the difference between launching new seasonal products vs full product line launches as well as the pros and cons of each technique How and when Julie Ann decides to discontinue a product or product line SEO and how putting her Etsy shop on vacation mode has impacted her business as well as what steps she takes to overcome that challenge Julie Ann shares how her cross-country move has impacted her business and what planning strategy she used for her business before the big move How/when she realized her business was ready to be part of the Etsy wholesale opportunity Julie Ann Art – Resources Mentioned Craft Fairs: Educational Courses: Blogs: Melyssa Griffin’s blog – Other Tools: Dymo Label Writer 4XL Label Printer – at and | Affordable 4x6 Shipping Labels from Julie Ann's Etsy Shop Shout-Out Her best friend’s Etsy shop: – for beautifully hand-crafted, laser engraved wedding hangers, cocktail stirrers, and more Contact Julie Ann Website: Instagram: Email: Julie [at] JulieAnnArt [dot] com Please take a minute to subscribe and leave an honest review of the podcast in and . That really helps to get the word out about the show. Connect With Me: Twitter: Follow Facebook Group: - This is where I'm connecting with you after the podcast. Lots of fun convos here too! Facebook: Like the Pinterest: Instagram: Google+: Email: Use the OR interview [at] convome [dot] com