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

Lara, appreciate you joining us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

When the pandemic happened, a lot of small businesses suddenly grew and thrived because everyone was doing a lot more shopping online. I know hundreds of small business owners whose businesses grew exponentially during the first 2 years. As a life/business coach and a handmade seller, my businesses thrived during this time. However, there was a big shift once 2022 arrived.

I ended 2021 having covid and being diagnosed with Long Covid and POTS (Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome). I was exhausted all of the time, my heart raced simply by standing up, vision problems, insomnia, etc. 2022 started off miserable. I continued with my clients and made products for my Etsy shop when I was able. It has been an unexpected and frustrating adventure to try to adapt to a literally “overnight” chronic illness.

This fall sales were slow and it continued through the holidays. I did ok. My clients did ok but nothing like it has been in recent years. I started to consider if going to work for someone else out in “the world” was what I needed to do to thrive and make money. Having a steady income and benefits sure sounds appealing at times; especially now that I have this permanent health condition with no cure.

A good friend of mine (and client) who has a brick and mortar shop and I sat down and had our yearly “meeting of the minds” about business. In our conversation, it became clear to me that working for a corporation and not for myself does not give me the grace and flexibility I need for my new lifestyle. Being an entrepreneur, coach, and maker allows me to take a nap in the middle of the day if I need one and I can work until 2am on orders if needed because my insomnia will have me up then anyhow.

My new understanding and personal experience as someone with a chronic illness allows me to empathize with those who have lifestyles and challenges that keep them from holding traditional jobs and 9-5 work hours and help them to find their own entrepreneurial path that they can thrive in.

As a maker, I am working to create product lines that I can sell wholesale and still have a healthy profit margin. My sweet friend is my first wholesale client.

For those who work regular jobs, many find great satisfaction and security in knowing where they stand. I think that is great for them. Being an entrepreneur is not for everyone. I think it is healthy and wise to look at options every so often. Sometimes new opportunities that never occurred to you happen and take you in a direction you never expected. I’m going to continue being an entrepreneur, coach, and maker. My boss (me) is compassionate and understanding of my abilities, downtime, and crazy hours.

Lara, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I have been a maker since the mid 70’s when I got my first Sew Perfect Sewing machine and started designing clothes for my Barbie. I also learned how to crochet that year. It has been a passion of mine forever. I have had many different businesses in my life but the past 5 years or so, I have really focused on bohemian/boho clothing and decor. Sewn, crochet, machine embroidery, and sublimation. I love it all. I love creating that beautiful piece that my customers don’t realize they need. It isn’t what you see in the box stores. It has a uniqueness to it that they are looking for to help express their own love of art, color, texture, etc.

As a life/business coach, I focus on makers. I have been a life coach for 11 years. I love the idea that a life coach takes who you are “right now” and helps to take your strengths and grow them. As a coach for makers, I understand the maker ego. We HAVE to make the things but we are our own harsh critic and diminish the value of what we have created. Understanding that mindset helps me to refocus my client’s mindset so they see their value, the value of their creations, forgive themselves, and have patience when something they create doesn’t fly off the proverbial shelf.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

In December, 2021, I caught covid. I did everything I could to stay healthy but it somehow got me anyhow. It is 13 months later and I still have not recovered from it. I went from working long days making all the things and having multiple clients to often working from my couch, laying down and balancing my laptop on my knees because if I sit up, my heart rate will increase by 60 beats per minute and I will feel horrible.

I have changed my product lines and the types of coaching I do to accommodate my new terrible normal. My day starts around 12pm instead of 9am like it used to. I often have to rest or take a nap in the middle of the day because I have absolutely no energy. I am up until 2 or 3am because, even with sleep aids, I cannot fall asleep at night so I create products from about 10pm until I’m ready to try and sleep.

I have had to adapt and readapt my mindset, and habits to be able to keep doing what I love. It is not on the same scale that I was able to do it before but I am still working. I will not let long covid and pots completely stop me from doing what I love.

We’d love to hear your thoughts about selling platforms like Amazon/Etsy vs selling on your own site.

I sell my handmade items on Etsy. There are some who just don’t like Etsy and feel they are not a fair platform to sell on. I understand why they say that but it does not change the things that keep me on Etsy.

*Etsy drives its own traffic. Most businesses don’t have an instant following. Etsy allows visibility while you create your own following on social media.
*They take care of state sales taxes. I don’t have to keep track of collecting or remitting taxes. There are still other tax things I am responsible for but sales tax isn’t one of them.
*Etsy is a good place to test and see if handmade entrepreneurship is for you. It is not “if you list it, they will come” but it is a good place to experiment, figure out who your target market customer is, what they want, love, and need, and understand what it means to offer great customer service.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.laranoelle.com www.serenityboheme.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/laranoellecoaching www.instagram.com/serenityboheme
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/laranoelleconsulting