Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kristen Sachs. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Kristen, thanks for joining us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?
Being a crochet artist brings me so much joy. As for wondering what it would be like to have a regular job, I already know because that’s what I used to do! Back in 2013, I was working full-time as a technical writer for a large utility company. My family’s life was unexpectedly turned upsidedown when my husband sustained a spinal cord injury leaving him paralyzed from the neck down. I left my job to take care of him. Because his care requires someone to be with him 24/7, I wasn’t able to return to a full-time, out of the house job, so I started my crochet business, partly as a way to help support my family financially, but also as a way to fulfill my own creative needs. Being able to have a creative outlet helps bring balance to my life which is often heavy with caregiving responsibilities.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’ve been crocheting for most of my life, and I’ve always been drawn to making fun, whimsical pieces. In 2021, I started making crochet football players after making one for my husband for his birthday. They caught they eye of football fans, and the high demand transformed my business. My goal for each doll is for them to be instantly recognizable, so I put a lot of detail into each player I make.
The personal connection I’ve been able to create with customers is one of the aspects I’m most proud of. Because I’m a small business, I interact with customers on a very personal level. Getting their feedback is so important to me. Often customers will send me pictures of them with their dolls. They even take them to football games and send me photos. Each and every photo and message warms my heart!
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
While I don’t have a large following on social media, I feel I do have a tight-knit, targeted following. And that happened once I really started focusing on creating specific, sport-related crochet dolls. And since I also am a huge football fan, it allows me to be 100% authentic when interacting on social media. My advice for building a social media presence is simple: be yourself. Because that will attract people who like you and like what you’re creating. Don’t be too focused on trying to get millions of followers. A smaller number of followers who are genuinely drawn to you will mean more to your business than a larger number who is only marginally interested.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
My business mission is to make things that make people happy. I think there’s so much value in spreading love and joy in what you put out into the world. Of course I also look to build my business each year, though for me it’s important to balance financial gain with personal fulfillment. I’m not necessarily looking to build something huge, and I think that’s okay.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.yetiorknot.etsy.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yetiorknot/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/YetiOrKnot
- Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yetiorknot_kristen?_t=8kByKW3ckA6&_r=1