We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kate Eckard a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Kate thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

The thought of getting a “normal” 9-5 is something that has crossed my mind many times in the last 5 years of being a small business owner. Benefits, consistent paychecks & not having everything riding on my shoulders are all very compelling arguments, but what about the freedom to be creative, set your own schedule and do exactly what you want to do? Every day I wake up and I get to decide what I want to do with my business, what direction do I want to go in? And because of that I’ve had many evolutions in my branding as it’s an ever-changing journey.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Kate & I am a 25 year old that never enjoyed having to work for the man. This adventure started 5 years ago in my sketchbook when I thought I could turn my doodles into stickers. I created an Etsy (@happylittledesign) and listed my stickers which quickly evolved into digital portraits, clothing, jewelry, paintings & eventually an entirely new photography business. As you can imagine the quality of your product photos on Etsy is very important, so after a few years I decided to invest in camera equipment to make my product photos the best they could be. In the process I decided to dive into photography more & started doing client photos, landscape photography & more. I am always striving to expand my skillset, products & services that I have to offer to my clients. Currently I am a full time Etsy seller, artist & photographer working out of my camper that I reside in. I create makeshift studio sets in my camper & produce all of my inventory for @happylittledesign in it as well.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Marketing. Plain and simple, using the technology that we have right now to promote ourselves all over the world on social media is a game changer for modern entrepreneurship. My biggest growth has occurred on TikTok and I would highly recommend using it for growing your business. Pinterest is always a great platform for the more creative fields.

Have you ever had to pivot?

In early 2020 my biggest revenue source was doing custom digital portraits for my clients. My Instagram feed was entirely digital & used to promote my graphic art. I decided to step back from those commissions and really focus on my physical products and that was a huge shift in my business as a majority of my Instagram followers had found me through digital art. The shift led to a massive decrease in engagement on that account and after deciding to add paintings, new stickers & improved clothing to my portfolio I thought it was time to start a fresh account highlighting where I am at now in this journey. So I left my 4,000 followers to create a new space for me to express myself as an artist, and even though I sit humbly with about 40 followers now I am so glad I did. I don’t feel held back now by self-imposed expectations of what those people were following me to see.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.happylittledesigninc.etsy.com www.gracehoneyphotoandfilm.mypixieset.com
• Instagram: @happylittledesign & @gracehoneyphotoandfilm
• Facebook: @happylittledesign & @gracehoneyphotoandfilm
• Other: TikTok: @happylittledesign & @gracehoneyphotoandfilm