Pattern Design Circle Podcast

Something I hear over and over again is, "I didn't get into this because of the business side of things; I got into it because I love knitting!" and I know it's something that most of my audience can relate to. So, chances are pretty high that you don't jump up and down with excitement over "all the legal stuff."

Thankfully, I'm going to introduce you to your new best friend in this ...

It's no secret at all that there can be a lot of "need to," "have to," and "should" ideas that circulate the industry (and our brains) when it comes to running a creative business... and it's not always easy to discern how important those things actually are.

In this podcast episode, we're diving into the topic of industry festivals and events. Is it important to attend these ev...

Maybe your current impression is a bit like mine was, and it feels a bit slimy and annoying. Or, maybe your ready to dive into it and wanting to know all the details. Or, maybe you're not very familiar with affiliate marketing, and you're looking for the basics of what it is, how it works, and how it could fit into your business.

Whichever scenario you find yourself in, this podcast episode is for you. I'm d...

In a world that feels like it's constantly becoming less and less "real," so much of society - and our customers - are craving what's genuine and authentic. But in a world that demands SO MUCH of business owners, how can we possibly do it all?! Showing up online, marketing, creating our products and services, and serving our audience... it can get exhausting wearing all of the metaphorical business hats.

In the previous episode we talked all about who might be watching you, ready to hand you your next great opportunity... but are you ready for it?

In this episode of the Pattern Design Circle, let's chat all about how to be ready so you aren't scrambling to get ready when that opportunity arrives! From your social media to your website, from your patterns to your email funnel, let's talk about what it looks l...

You never know who is watching... and a lot of times this can evoke fear, perhaps even to the point that you choose not to show up. But have you thought of all of the POSITIVE ways people are watching you?

In this episode of the Pattern Design Circle Podcast, we aren't just talking about your ideal customer that's watching you (and falling in love with your work) but also the person who's ready to hand you y...

Accessibility can feel like a huge scope that encompasses so many things... because it does and it is! But in this podcast episode with Renee Van Hoy, Renee breaks down some simple easy-to-implement methods to start making your designs and business more accessible. Not only that, but she provides insight on who this helps, how it helps them, and what a huge difference it makes in their lives and making.

And it impacts ever...

Maybe you're sick and tired of seeing free knitting and crochet patterns everywhere. Or you're trying to figure out why in the world there are so many free patterns out there. Or maybe you're trying to figure out how to utilize free knitting patterns in your business model.

In this podcast episode, we talk all about free crochet and knitting patterns: why (and how) you might choose to incorporate them in you...

We have reached the final of seven episodes in the planning series! However, this one is a little bit different! Rather than talking about planning and goal-setting specifically, we're talking in this episode all about how to make achieving those goals and plans FUN!

Yes, we're talking all about how to make business more fun, even the super boring, frustrating, and overwhelming tasks that you keep avoiding!
<...

Jessica, the knitting pattern designer behind Double the Stitches, started her business as several of us do, with selling hand knit products. However, she was selling knits to photographers for baby photoshoots! In this episode, she shares a few of the challenges with that and how it lead to a pivot designing knitting patterns, leaving her job at a local yarn shop, and diving deep into community building online.

In this ep...

We're a month into the new year. How are your plans going so far? How are you feeling about the next 11 months, or even the rest of the quarter? Whether you feel like you've already fallen off track when it comes to your goals and plans for 2024, or you're worried about it heading that direction, this episode is for you.

In this episode, I talk all about actionable ways to ensure you actually follow through ...

Hortense, the knit and crochet pattern designer behind Knitting with Chopsticks, unexpectedly started her business in 2018, never anticipating it'd become her full-time job. Five years later, designing is her full-time job, plus she hosted her first crochet summit last year, is hosting her first knitting summit February 1-4, 2024, and runs a membership community for knitters and crocheters!

Inside this episode, we ta...

Whether you've been seriously considering translating your knit or crochet patterns or it's never crossed your mind, you are in for an absolute treat in this episode!

Not only is Julie an absolute gem, but she shares ALL about the ins and outs of translating your pattern to another language(s). 
 
In this episode, you will learn:

• Why you might want to translate your patterns 
• How to choose which languag...

Finally! Let's talk about ACTUALLY planning the year. If you've been following along, this is the fifth of a series of podcast episodes all around planning in your business for the new year.

In this episode, we are going to talk about how to actually set goals (and a plan to support those goals) that you're going to be excited about and that feel good to you. We'll be tying together all of the pieces fr...

Confession time: I hate money goals.

Actually, that's not 100% true. I love them and I hate them (and I talk about why in this podcast episode). But either way, I'm over them. I'm over them defining my business. I'm over making them the BIG goal in my business.

And I know I'm not alone.

The truth is, money goals just don't fit everyone. Whether it's your lifestyle, you...

Even with the most thrilling job that you absolutely adore, even with the most exciting plans and goals, the human body needs breaks. And chances are, if you're reading this description and listening to this episode, you are living in a human body. What that means is: you need breaks. You need to create time and space for rest.

I feel like our society is currently facing a crisis of exhaustion, due to a number of reas...

I'm sick and tired of business owners following the "rules" established by other business owners, designers, influencers, you name it. Whomever it is in your sphere that's saying "you have to do XYZ to be successful" or "a successful design business looks like ABC" or "planning the new year needs to include LMNOP."

I'm tired of you feeling less than because you're...

Do you have a habit of setting yourself up for success? I believe many of us are very used to setting ourselves up for failure, or at least make the chances of success more difficult. This is for a variety of reasons: lack of example, lack of clarity and focus, not understanding what our unique definition of success is, and beyond. In this episode I dive into a few ways that we often set ourselves up for failure when planning.
...

We are each on our own journey, and we love to hear about other's journeys: what inspires them, how they got to where they are, if they have any secrets, and more. Last year I hosted a featured pattern designer every month on my Instagram account to talk about all the details that we don't usually see online.

Join us for our twelfth (and final of this series) featured knitting pattern designer, Anna Johanna.
...