Growing a family while growing a business is no small feat but Kara figured it out and she came on the podcast back in September 2014 to share how she made it all work and made the transition to making a full time living off Etsy in . Running a household, and chasing after two small children may seem tiring enough, but juggling an Etsy business on top of it can definitely pack your day full of excitement, wonder, as well as a little extra chaos (...in a good way, of course). This week I’ve pulled out my original conversation with Kara Lamerato, wife, mother of (then) two little little ones, and owner of the Etsy shop, , where she sells beautifully handmade place card holders, wine bottle stoppers, and wine corks for weddings. Kara opened her shop in January 2011 and she shared her story of how she created a successful full-time Etsy business that enabled her to quit her steady 9-5 job to be home with her kids. Kara’s prior work experience was in the finance industry where she realized that she wanted to be home with her children while also earning an income and fulfilling her creative passion. Doesn't that just scream "Etsy business!!" to you? ;) She explained that her shop initially started as a “side hobby” to allow her to splurge on little things like pedicures and cute sweaters, but after the birth of her first child and the heartbreaking experience of having to leave her newborn child to go to work every day, she decided to hunker down and from there planned to make her Etsy business more successful. Kara's story is truly inspirational and one that I really enjoyed hearing. In addition to learning how she achieved her goal of becoming a work-at-home-mom, she provides helpful tips and advice for new, aspiring, and veteran Etsy sellers with regard to Etsy shop promotion, product photography and much more. Kara’s Vineyard Wedding – Topics Discussed How Kara got started on Etsy and the timeline of her path to Etsy success  Transitioning from a full-time career to becoming a full-time Etsy seller How and why she decided to brand her shop and how that was the turning point of her Etsy business experience Kara explains how long it took her to go from “breaking even” to profitable Where Kara finds most of her inspiration for new products lines Stressful experiences Kara has had while using Etsy and what lessons she has learned from them Shipping challenges and refund policies Etsy shop promotion using Etsy teams and social media Using proper SEO and Etsy relevancy techniques to boost product visibility in the Etsy marketplace Kara's tips and advice for new, aspiring, and veteran sellers Resources Mentioned Photo Editing Programs: Etsy Teams: Newsletters: Best Ways to Reach Kara Lamerato Etsy Shop: Email: KarasVineyardWedding [at] gmail [dot] com Website: Social Media: | | | 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