Tim Gunn Says Thanks

May 9, 2012 in etsy, tips | 1 comment

How did a Jersey Shore girl like me get a Thank You email from Tim Gunn himself? My story starts online…

Tim Gunn; in golf club cover form

I subscribe to a little service called HARO (help a reporter out) where news outlets and others go to get credible sources for all different types of stories. Usually i am there looking for places to promote my golf club covers but this time I saw something else that sparked my interest. A producer on a television show was looking for “bottom heavy” women to give dressing advice. I sent in my name and crossed my fingers.

You may have guessed, i was selected to be a part of the show, and to my excitement I would be on The Revolution on ABC with the one and only fashion guru Tim Gunn!

This was an opportunity I could not pass up. I needed to get one of my golf club covers in the hands of such an influential man. I got to work on an adorable little guy in Tim’s signature suit and tie. I wrapped it up in tissue and boxed it tight with one of my “laws of golf”. I even included one of my handmade cards with a personal message of thanks.

The day of the of the makeover, we were dressed up, painted and sprayed, then trotted out on stage and sent home. I only spoke to Tim on stage and barely at that. I had so hoped to get a photo with him and to give him his gift. On our way out I asked the producer to pass along the gift, and I hoped it would end up in Tim’s hands, not the trash.

Side note: he did quote me, saying in his intro that i described my wide hips as the “suburban sprawl”. And yes, i did say that to the producer when she interviewed me.

email from Tim Gunn, HOLLA!

The next day an email arrived from my friend the producer. Your show will be on the air June 1st, she said, but nothing of the present I had left. Then the surprise of a lifetime in my inbox, an email from the man himself, Tim Gunn, written directly to me. He even called my work superb! gotta love that!

Be sure to watch The Revolution on June 1st to see myself and the other “models” get our makeovers. Big thanks to Alison Hoffman (Crafty is Cool) for the idea, be sure to buy her book when it comes out in 2013.

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You Don’t Know Nothin’

April 18, 2012 in blog, etsy, tips | No comments

The other day I talked about how much you already know, but what about those things you don’t know? How do you even figure out what that is?

When I started making golf club covers, I read every blog and book I could find about selling handmade. I filled my head with so much info I could burst. I still subscribe to tons of them and learn new things all the time. Now I am pretty confident that i know the ins and outs of selling online, though i may not apply this knowledge all the time.

HOWEVER, I know little to nothing about brick and mortar, good old fashioned marketing and sales. Every attempt i have made to sell in craft fairs and consignment shops has been a complete flop. I know it is not because my product has something wrong with it, my online success has proven that. It has to be because I have no idea what I am doing.

This is when consulting with an expert can be invaluable. How do you find that help? There are a ZILLION people who would be happy to take your money and do the dirty work for you. I narrowed down the choices by talking to people who have used experts in the past. Then I shortened that list by talking to them myself.

I am hoping that soon you will see Tracey Knits custom golf club covers available for order in pro-shops all over the US. What is your goal you would like an expert help you to achieve?

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Know It All

April 16, 2012 in blog, etsy, tips | 1 comment

You know more then you think about marketing your online business.

How do i know this? Because you are on my blog right now reading about how much you know. This means you probably follow me on twitter, facebook, my newsletter or ravelry. You may have found this article through google or a yahoo search. But for sure it means that you know how to use the internet.

You found me, how do people find you? The same way.

When i opened my Etsy shop to sell hand-knit golf club covers 2 years ago I thought I would never be able to connect with people in the vast sea that is the internet. Little did I know that I already had the tools to find my audience. I joined in the conversation on Twitter. I found friends on Facebook. I shared stories and patterns on my Blog. Not hard work, just extensions of things I was already doing with pictures of my children.

What was the hardest part? just realizing that i already knew what I was doing.

What do you know? How can you use it to promote your business?

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