We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Johanna Milani. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Johanna below.

Johanna , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

When I was coming up with my small business, I wanted a name that represented me as a creator without being my actual name, as well as a name that didn’t restrict or limit the type of crafts I wanted to create. In addition to now being a small business owner, I am a singer and actor who still dreams of being on Broadway, but I am very happy performing around my community. Because of this background I knew music had to be a factor. Music is an integral part of who I am as a person. Songbird developed out my love of music combined with the nickname my father gave me as a child: Little Bird. I had recently lost my father when I started my business, so this way I could have a part of him with me on my business journey. After I had Songbird, the rest was easy. Like I said, I didn’t want to restrict my creative outlet, which is why I went with Creative Designs instead of Songbird Paints, or Songbird Sews for example. It kept my options open, which has served me well since I use a variety of crafting methods for my business!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am an extremely small crafting business. I started back during the summer of 2019 while I was pregnant with my first son. It began with me wanting to make decorations for my baby shower. I had been a teacher, but I had the left the profession to be a stay at home mom, and I needed something to fill my days. I began experimenting with painting mason jars. I was so nervous about showing off my creations because I did not think I was a good painter at all. I had been told all throughout elementary school that drawing, painting, etc. were not my strong suits. So, needless-to-say, I was terrified when I first tried it out. But my hobby soon became a passion, and I started showing off my jars to friends, family, and the response was positive! So my husband helped me brainstorm business names, and I set up an Etsy shop, as well as an Instagram and Facebook account. Though, I loved painting jars, it was not the most lucrative business venture. After I gave birth the fall after I started, I kind of slowed down till the following year once the pandemic hit. I got more adventurous with my painting, though, I still wouldn’t say I was the best painter on the market. Fast forward to the winter of 2021, my Etsy shop only had 4 orders (5 sales), since I opened back in 2019. I definitely needed to change something. I had gotten a Cricut machine the previous Christmas, but I hadn’t used it much since I gave birth to our second son shortly after. So I began using it. I pushed the jars aside and started making ornaments for the holidays, but the real revamp of my business came January of 2022.

It was almost exactly a year ago when I joined TikTok, and made my first pair of earrings. I was still doing other crafts on the side, but it was clear, almost immediately, that my earrings were about to be more popular than anything I had made previously. I began with faux leather earrings. I was having so much fun using my Cricut and its software to design and create a whole line of earrings. My little business started taking off! As I continued making earrings, I started following other makers on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook who made jewelry. During the summer of 2022, I made another artistic leap, and began working with Polymer Clay. I had joined some groups that helped me get started, and I just started experiementing. Soon clay took over my business. Although I still make faux leather earrings, some keychains, and other items occasionally, I now specialize in polymer clay earrings and jewelry. It has taken my Etsy shop from 5 sales, to over 300 in one year. I should also mention that I do this all by myself. I am still a SAHM, and I am the sole creator, social media manager, sales person, etc. for my business. Sometimes it is hard to find the time to work on my business because of all the demands of being a mom, although I wouldn’t change my situation for anything. I know it’s going to take time, and hard work, but I’m trying to build this business for my kids. To show them that a little hobby that you’re passionate about can grow if you work hard enough.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

When I first started I was mainly on Instagram. I would post all the time, and I joined these follow trains because I was naive and thought that the more followers I had, the more my posts would be pushed out. They do not work. Follow trains are mainly filled with bots these days, and even though my Intagram has almost 2,000 followers (it’s been stuck there for years now since I stopped my follow trains), my posts rarely get more than 10 likes. I wish I could start over and just build my Instagram up naturally. That is how I have done it with TikTok. When I started TikTok at the beginning of 2022 I wanted to grow it naturally. I didn’t want to participate in any follow trains. I wanted to try and figure out how to reach people naturally by just doing what I love: crafting. I do not have a huge following on social media. My TikTok has roughly 2250 followers, that I grew organically. It is a slow process. My best advice is to just have patience and post as much as you can. Videos do not have to be perfect. I have found that my videos with the least bit of effort tend to do the best. It takes a lot of patience because some days views are low, you’re posting 3-5, and you don’t get any sales. Then you have days where your views skyrocket and sales boom. Take the good with the bad because whether we like it or not, social media is a game changer for small businesses.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

Most of my customers are actually repeat customers. They are always giving me inspiration for new creations, and marketing tips. I stay in touch with them through social media mainly. They give me shout outs on social media, and vice versa. I have a VIP group on Facebook, Songbird VIPs, where they get exclusive first looks on new products I’m working on, they also get a special VIP discount through my Etsy shop (SongbirdDesignsStore). I am lucky that a lot of my customers happen to be friends. At first I had the toughest time marketing to friends and family, and actually asking them to pay me. It felt so strange, but my friends who happen to be loyal customers are constantly texting me with new ideas, or sending me TikTok’s, pictures, and more ideas on what to make or how to make my product better. I value them so much. My growth this past year is definitely due to their support and encouragement.

Contact Info:

• Website: SongbirdDesignsStore.etsy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/songbirdcreativedesigns/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/songbirdcreativedesigns
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@songbirddesignsstore

Image Credits
Headshot Only: Ian Galligan