Define your own version of success

Success means different things for different people. Heck, success means different things for the same person at different times! So how do you know what is your definition of success?

When I started out, being able to free motion quilt in a fluid pattern (no kinks) was success for me. When I got that, making a quilt that will be accepted in a show became my definition of success. Then it was making a quilt that actually will win a prize some day. My definition of success has been evolving for as long as I can remember. 

When we are making plans for our future, how do we know if the goals we have set will be what success will mean to us? How can we be sure that all the efforts of attaining our goals are not going to waste just because we got our definition of success wrong? Believe me, that can happen.

Today, I am going to give you a small exercise. 

To begin with, take a bunch of papers and a nice pen that you love. Find a well-lit place you are comfortable in and sit down. You can burn a candle that you love too. It helps in calming you down. Turn your phone on silent mode (better, turn it off altogether). You need to be in peace when you are working on this exercise.

Now, read the question and close your eyes to look for the answer. Answer as detailed as you can. Do not keep your answer limited to your business. Health, relationships, finances, spirituality are equally important. Think about your life as a whole as you look for the answer.

If you have unlimited resources, what will your life look like?

Once you can see a clear picture, open your eyes and immediately write down what you saw. Add as many details as you can. What was your house like? What kind of car did you own? What did you wear? How did you look? What were you doing? What was your business like? Write everything you envisioned. 

Take each aspect of your life and write what your successful self was like in that aspect.

• Health
• Marriage
• Kids
• Family & Friends
• Finances
• Business
• Spirituality

Now, it is time to analyze how you felt when you imagined your future self. What were your exact feelings at that time?

Why did you feel like that? Why is it so important? What will happen if what you imagined doesn't come true? How will you feel then? How much will it matter?

Answering all these questions will give you a better vision about what you want. You will have a clearer picture with every answer that you write. 

Now, go get yourself a glass of water. Or go for a walk. You can even take a day off before you work on the next exercise. I want you to give yourself time to let everything that you saw sink in. I want you to dwell over it. I want you to imagine that successful life again and again.

Sit down again and write a letter from your future self to you. What would the successful you tell the younger, struggling you?

Offer guidance, words of encouragement, motivation, suggestions anything that you can. How can your future self help you go from where you are to where she is? 

Have you ever looked out of your windows and not seen them get dirtier, but when you wash them you realize how much your vision was murkier. This exercise helps you clean the windows of your mind. 

It is a spiritual experience. Enjoy it. If you are not good with words, just write the important stuff. Writing will only help you remember what you saw better. The magic is in the visualization.

When you try the exercise, do let me know how it went. Did it help you? Could you see your success better than before? I would love to know!

Tutorial : Lipstick Quilt

This has been the most popular tutorial from my old blog : The Lipstick Quilt. At that time, I made it to go with the Fat Quarter Shop Nail Paint Quilt and they sure were an awesome pair. Just scroll down to learn how to make it. 

Here's the pattern for the Fat Quarter Shop Nail Polish Quilt and here is the  video tutorial.  If you want, they even have a kit for you in the shop!
I just could not leave the Nail Polish Quilt alone. I had to have a Lipstick  Quilt along with it!

Fabric Requirements:

From Caribbean fabric (SKU#9900-86) cut

A - 2 - 14.5" x 2.5"
B - 2 - 2.5" x 18.5"
C - 2 - 2" x 4.5"
D - 2- 1.5" x 2"
E - 2 - 3" x 6.5"
F - 2 - 4" x 6.5"
G - 1 - 4" x 3"

From the Black Fabric (SKU#9900-118)  cut

H - 1 - 4.5" x 5"
I - 1 - 3" x 5"

From the Grey Fabric (SKU#9900185) cut

J - 1 - 1.5" x 5"
K - 1 - 5" x 2"
L - 1 - 3.5" x 2"
M - 1 - 3.5" x 6.5"
N - 1 - 2" x 6.5"

From the White Fabric (SKU#9900-98) cut

O - 1 - 1.5" x 2"
P - 1 - 1.5" x 6.5"

From the Cayenne Fabric (SKU#9900-256) cut

Q - 1 - 2.5" x 6.5"
R - 1 - 1" x 6.5"

From the Tea Rose Fabric (SKU#9900-89) cut

S - 1 - 1.5" x 6.5"

Assembly

Assemble fabric units Q/S/R in that sequence.

Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of Unit G as shown

Cut it 1/4" away from the marked line. Place it on top of the assembled Q/S/R unit as shown
Stitch along the marked diagonal. Cut away corner and press open.

Now attach units F to both sides of this assembled unit.

Now, assemble the E/M/P/N/E unit in that sequence.

 

And the D/K/O/L/D unit

And the C/H/J/I/C unit

Now put all these units together as shown

Now attach the two B units to both the long sides

And then attach the A units to the top and bottom. 

Your mini quilt top is ready!

If you do make one, please tag me @shrutinow on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. I would love to see your quilt.

How to make your brand stand out?

You are all in a market with a lot of competition. How do you stand out of the crowd and make your brand seen by your ideal customer ? Today I will give you 7 strategies that will help you do that.

You make awesome stuff! Yes! You. The one who is reading this right now! You do make awesome stuff. I know you are passionate about your work too. So what is holding you back from making profits?

Your brand is not standing out! Do you know that there are hundreds of thousands of small online stores sell handmade goods on Shopify alone? How do you attract your ideal customer to your store? By making your brand stand out.

Earlier branding only meant having a logo and brand colors that reflected in everything from interior to packaging. Today, even though that is relevant that is not enough. You still should have a logo and brand colors, but that is not what is your brand.

Here are my 7 strategies to make your brand stand out :

Have a consistent look. 

It is a good idea to hire someone to do your brand graphics for you when you start out, if you are not very comfortable handling it yourself. If the budget is a constraint, you can always your ways around it by either finding a student ready to work for cheap or bartering your products for the amount. 

A logo, your name in a specific font and brand colors are the least that you will require. Apart from that you will also need some photos that you will use on all platforms where you have presence - blog, social media, store etc.

Make sure you are consistent in your look everywhere. Even on social media, go to your page weekly and look at it. Can you see your brand colors without having to scroll? Is your profile picture the same across all platforms? 

Branding is not about how you look, it is about how your customer feels. So make sure that every place that your customer finds you, he experiences the same feeling. 

Pay attention to detail

Make sure you are looking at every little detail when it comes to your brand. Always look for little things that people will notice. A hand written note sent with every order will guarantee a smile on the customer satisfaction. Can you include a simple free wallpaper design for the customer's laptop or phone with every digital order? Look at every little thing. From the moment the customer clicks on your store link to the moment they receive their product - pay attention to every small detail of every step. It will take your business miles further.

Be authentic

While you are putting up this storefront on your business - your website and social media - don't forget to be authentic. Be yourself. Keep your own voice.

The best way to do this is to ask someone to read it - someone who knows you well - a parent, sibling, friend, spouse anyone. If you do not have anyone who will be willing to do that, read it out aloud. If you find something that does not feel right, change it. Change it till it sounds like something you would say to a room full of strangers. 

When posting on social media, do not pretend to be someone you are not. Curating your feed is excellent, but keep your character. If you are a formal and shy person, don't go all quirky over your feed just because some other successful business is doing it. 

Remember, like every person out there, your brand has a character. It will be reflected everywhere - in words, pictures, emails, products. Make sure that the character is consistent.

Give your customer an experience

Make your customer feel special. Have you ever walked into a store and tried on a piece of clothing which fits you as if it were made for you? I am sure you will buy it even when you do not have to! Because you feel like it was made for you! 

Make your customer feel the same. Make working with you - be it buying or consulting you - an experience that is tailor made for them. Think of ways to do it. Using their name in conversations can be a good place to start. Adding little gifts to their orders that you know  they will appreciate goes a long way too. Or just featuring them in your blog posts or tagging them in photographs. 

Tell your story

You are a part of your business as much as your business is a part of you. Do not hide behind the brand name. Let people see and meet the real you. Talk to them as you, not just as your brand. Interact with them. Let them see glimpses of the strong woman who owns this business. Let them see the Wonder Woman in you!

If you are using your Instagram to promote your products, make sure your face pops up on the screen without the person having to scroll through the feed. That just means that after every 8-10 photos that you share, include one of yourself. 

You can also use the stories section to show your customers some behind the scene action. Show them when you are shipping something out, or even selecting fabrics for the new quilt!

Go ahead, share with them - as you!

Be consistent

Whatever strategy you decide to apply, be consistent with it. Nothing can be more confusing to a customer than a brand that changes its appearance or its theme all the time. Even if you are running multiple businesses, make sure they are highlighted differently. You can use separate titles and tags for them (like I do) or you can even color code them. Whatever you do, be consistent. 

Show up. Every day. Same time. Same place.

If you want your current customers to come back to you, make it easy for them to find you and recognize you. 

Review

At least once a year, review your brand. Take a good hard look at your brand and ask yourself if you need to make any small or large changes. Confirm that all your posts, products and images are in line with your bigger picture. 

If you need to make changes, either do them subtly (if they are small) one change at a time (eg. changing all blog images) or announce and launch a huge makeover (but make sure you have enough changes that warrant a makeover). 

I am hoping that my strategies help you in making your brand stand out. Do you have any other suggestions that I might have missed? Do let me know in the comments below. Our other readers would love to know.

Top 5 podcasts for the creative entrepreneur

I love listening to podcasts when I am working any kind of mindless task (like cleaning). I also love to listen to them when I am driving alone. Which are my top 5 picks which I feel every creative entrepreneur must listen to?

I love listening to Podcasts that are inspiring and also educating. They help me develop new ideas for my business and also know the latest essential trends.

There are some that I might look up and listen an episode or two of, if I need something specific. But the five that I am listing here are the ones that I absolutely love. I have listened to EVERY one of their past episodes, sometimes bingeing on them for days on end. But I know I am a lifetime fan of these

The Strategy Hour

Description in iTunes : Get actionable strategies and killer marketing tips to grow your creative business inside The Strategy Hour podcast. Say goodbye to the “side-hustle” mindset and hello to getting paid (and paid well) to do what you love. Your hosts Abagail Pumphrey and Emylee Williams from Think Creative Collective share all the ins and outs of their experience growing a successful 6-figure online business. You’ll hear from some pretty amazing entrepreneurs like David Siteman Garland of the Rise to the Top, Nathan Barry of ConvertKit, Natalie Franke of the Rising Tide Society, and Ankur Nagpal of Teachable. These in depth interviews go straight to the meat and potatoes (a.k.a. Actionable steps you can take away and use in your business today). Our episodes cover a wide range of topics, including growing an online audience, email automation, diversifying your products and offers, generating more sales online, social media, outsourcing, affiliate marketing, productivity, systems, and how to treat your passion like the real business it is. It’s time to become a total creative BOSS! Find show notes and resources at thestrategyhour.com.

I love this podcast because it offers clear and precise strategical solutions to a wide variety of issues concerning creative entrepreneurs. As I write this, they have 122 episodes of awesome content that is further supported by their website.

Pursuit with Purpose

Description in iTunes : I know first hand that it’s way too easy to slip into the rat race of competition and comparison. In 2016, I hit my first million-dollar year in my business...yet, I was totally miserable. At the time, I was focused on numbers and status, rather than what would actually bring me real happiness and create an impact in the world. That all changed. This podcast is about my journey to meaning and fulfillment and how you can bring it to your own life - today and every day.

I have been following Melyssa for a while now as a blogger. Her knowledge is immeasurable. I love her podcast because it not just gives me ideas to grow my business but helps me develop the right mindset for it too.

The Goal Digger Podcast

Description in iTunes : Jenna Kutcher hosts the live-workshop style business podcast for creative girl bosses, so you can train from the experts how to dig in, do the work, and tackle your biggest goals along the way.

Jenna is absolutely forthright about stuff and does not beat around the bush. Her ideas are inspiring and her clarity helped me build a strong business. A lot of credit for my success goes to her and her ideas.

Being Boss

Description in iTunes : Being boss is owning who you are and making things happen. Emily Thompson and Kathleen Shannon believe in building a business you love, making bank, and being unapologetically who you are 100% of the time. They have a combined experience and expertise in branding and coaching small online businesses to be more boss in work and life by focusing on "boss" mindsets, habits & routines, tools, tactics & strategies, blended with a little bit of hustle. And they interview other bosses such as Brene Brown, Marie Forleo, Ramit Sethi, Danielle LaPorte, Tara Gentile, and more!

I love the banter and the guest interview on this podcast the most! This podcast it great with ideas and overall inspiration. It actually cheers me up!

Explore your Enthusiasm

Description in iTunes : Let's explore what it takes to craft a sustainable, profitable, FUN business, while staying enthusiastic and motivated. Whether you just opened your first Etsy shop, or you've been selling your art, design or writing full-time for years - you struggle with doubt, loneliness, motivation and getting it all done. In this podcast we'll explore what you REALLY want from your small business so that you can follow your enthusiasm, make your art and make money. Each episode is a mini-lesson in exploring what you want out of your OWN business, so that you can craft a life and business that fills your life with enthusiasm. Find more lessons at http://taraswiger.com

This was the first 'business' podcast I listened to and I loved Tara from the first day. I even bought a few of her products and have participated in few of the challenges that she has hosted. I developed a vision for my business after listening to her podcast.

Those are my top 5 podcasts for creative entrepreneurs. Which are your favorite ones? 

Why do I make portrait quilts?

I love making portrait quilts. I have made over 60 portraits - in various forms on over 25 quilts. Ever since I started making portrait quilts, I have enjoyed the process thoroughly! And I can see myself making lots of them in the future too.

I have made portrait quilts using eight different techniques so far. 

• Raw edge applique
• Reverse Applique
• Thread Sketching
• Cartoon (Carol - Mamacjt - style)
• Cartoon (Carol Ann Vaugh style)
• Pixelated Picture (a spin on Sandra Bruce Style)
• Pixelated Picture (pattern made via YouPatch.com)
• Abstract Expressions (based on the work of Canadian artist Martina Shapiro)

My first attempt at quilting was way back in 2012, when I made the portrait of Rohit's Great Grandfather. I wanted to make it as a gift to all the men in the house on the occasion of the family business completing 100 years! Short on cash because of leaving my job in 2009, I decided I will make a gift for them using my skills. It took a grueling 3 months of working 5-6 hours everyday to make this quilt using 3500+ pieces of fabric in over 30 shades of grey!

I loved it but also knew that if it took that long to make a portrait quilt, I'd never make it again.

I raked my brain hard, and came up with an easier solution. But I wasn't sure it will work. I was a complete novice in quilting. There were masters around me who were making portrait quilts for ages. My architect's brain was telling me it will make the process so simple and fast, but my brand new quilter brain thought someone must have thought about it right. Why haven't they done it before me?

By 2013, I had gathered enough courage to just try out my idea. If it did not work, I would just  chuck it away and no one would be any wiser. I made a portrait of Steve Jobs. It came together absolutely fast. Just 7 days of working 1-2 hours every day! 

I knew I had found something that I would definitely want to pursue. Now that the execution part had been made easier, I loved making portraits. I have made about 18 individual ones and one large quilt with 35 portraits on it using this technique. 

In 2014, I wrote my eBook : ABOUT face and self published it. In it I share my process of making a portrait quilt, easy enough even for a confident beginner. I conduct classes based on this technique and my students successfully complete their 2 color portraits including the quilting in two days!

It feels amazing to take these women from - I have never sketched before, will I be able to do this? - to - I cannot wait to make my next one! 

If you have every wanted to make a portrait quilt, I would highly recommend trying my technique. It is super fast, relatively easy and after the initial stitching part - actually a portable project! You can buy it by clicking the link Learn to Quilt at the top of this page.

Around the same time, I also experimented in making abstract portraits and loved it! It was like painting with fabric! I came across a painting by Martina Shapiro that I loved. I contacted her for the permission to make a quilt based on that and she gave it to me.  I went ahead and instead of just copying her portrait and making a quilt based on it, I understood her process and made an original artwork based on that. It was total fun!

I continued experimenting with portraits making them in the various different techniques I mentioned above. Every time it was fun to see it take shape and get the character of the person who the quilt was made of.

Like the pixelated portrait of Pappa - the father of my mentor in architecture. This was a whooping 4095 2.5" squares put together in 8 x 8 blocks of 8 x 8 squares each!

Aadi's portrait was made based on Sandra Bruce's Material Matrix technique. I met her on my first trip to the USA and she very generously guided me to make it. 

Portrait of my friend Shradha was made for a swap and I actually wanted to order one from Carol (Mamacjt) when I visited her blog, I came to know that she had passed away. So I just decided to make one and dedicate it to her. 

I made a couple of portrait using the technique I learnt in the Craftsy class with Carol Ann Vaugh. 

In my quest to find more ideas to teach portrait quilts, I made one which is easy enough to come along in about 3-4 hours.

Every portrait quilt that I make is special to me. I enjoy every moment of making it. It connects me to the person I am making it for. And I enjoy having that skill to convert a picture into a quilt that can be cherished by the families for generations!

Have you made a portrait quilt? Do you love making them?

How to deal with failure?

We all fail. I have failed, numerous times, and at some point you will too. It is what you do after that matters. Today I will talk about how you can make your failures work for you.

You have worked hard on your business. And in spite of pouring in everything you had you failed. Be it a failure to sell your stuff in the craft fair, or not being able to achieve your goals. Here's what you can do to not just help you deal with failure, but learn from it and turn it around into your biggest success.

1. Accept it. The first thing you need to do after you have failed is accepting your failure. Accept that things did not go as you thought they would. Own it up. Do not blame anyone or anything else (we will analyse the failure later). Once you have accepted the failure you will be better prepared for your success.  

2. Don't make it personal. Remember every moment that even though what you have done failed - your actions - its not you who failed. Separate yourself from your failure and then you will be able to look at it with a more critical approach.

3. Look at it from a bird's eye view. First, learn to look at it in a disconnected manner - like it is someone else's problem. Now analyze it to find the why. Make a list of all the reasons you come up with. 

4. Look for solutions. Now look at your list and find multiple solutions for every situation. Were your products too costly for the crowd at the craft fair? What can you do to reduce the cost? Were you not able to promote your webinar on social media? Can you create a strategy to do that or maybe hire someone to do that? Find multiple solutions for each of the reasons.

5. Learn from it. Now make a list of changes that you can make right now based on your findings that will prevent the same kind of failures in the future. And then, implement them, right now. 

6. Do not dwell on it. Don't spend your time thinking about your failure. Look forward to implementing the changes and seeing yourself succeed. Do not let the negativity pull you down. Like you would do when you fall down while walking, get up, dust off the dirt, look at why you fell and keep walking ahead.

I am hoping my six-point plan will help you get over your recent failure and gear up for success in your business ahead. Is there anything else you might want to add?

Is your mindset business ready?

When you start a business, you have so many things to worry about. Thinking about your mindset does not even touch your mind (forgive my lame attempt at a joke). You are more focused on launching your idea and seeing it reach the most number of people and hence earn more profits!

But do you know that by not having the right mindset while starting your business you are doing much more harm than you can imagine? I'll explain how in just a few minutes.

Starting a business makes you very much vulnerable. You feel exposed. You feel like every little thing you do - your products or services, your marketing, your ideas, skills, hell, even the way you dress is up for criticism. It is too easy to be overwhelmed by all of it. And even easier to loose your confidence.

The only thing that can help you not fall prey to it is changing your mindset. I know ow scary it is to start a business. And how even more scarier it is to tell everyone about it. Shifting your mindset will help you deal with your fears and anxieties better.

So how can you actually shift your mindset so that you are business ready?

Start your day well.

Always start your day doing the things that you love to do. I wake up and meditate at least for 10 minutes before I do anything else. It recharges my mind and clears space for ideas. I have realized that ever since I started meditating, I have been better at distancing myself from negativity. Starting your day doing something that you love uplifts your mood instantly and gives you the tempo to go through the day at full speed!

Be ready for change.

In business changes come everyday. In form of customers, products, processes or even currency (remember 8th Nov 2016, Indians?) or taxes. Be ready for changes at the most inconvenient times. If you are working honestly and to your best capacity, no change can harm your business. Any upheaval that  might occur will only be temporary. Train your mind to change your approach from time to time. 

Stay connected with the present.

Living in the present might be the most simple idea that I am suggesting, but we all entrepreneurs are so fascinated by our goals and dreams that we tend to forget about the reality sometimes. We tend to focus on the goal itself. But, I urge you to focus on the efforts to achieve the goals instead. Sometimes we also keep on worrying about what the future might hold. More often than not, our worries are completely irrelevant. Train your mind to concentrate on the present. It will take you a long way in your business.

Find motivation.

Look for motivation around you. Talk to yourself using positive sentences. Don't say "I don't want debt" Say "I want enough money to be debt-free". Throughout the day, congratulate yourself (and your staff) on things that you do right. 

Listen to music that makes your blood rush.

Music plays a huge role in my day! I love listening to songs that inspire me. "I am woman" by Helen Reddy is one of my favorite ones. The lyrics make me feel proud to be a woman and they inspire me to help other women achieve their dreams!

Conquer your fears.

And its not just for taglines. (Dar ke aagey jeet hai - Success comes just after crossing fear). Learn to be scared to your bones and yet doing it. Just go ahead and do it. Do not say you cannot, till you have done it at least once - be it anything - public speaking, exhibiting your work or even investing in your business.

Own up.

Stop blaming other things or people for your problems. Own them. Own your successes too! Be responsible. Train yourself to look for the real source of the problem and work pout ways to find a solution. 

Stop comparing.

Stop comparing yourself to others. Work out your own goals and your plan of action to attain them. Compare yourself only with your past self. If you want to know more about how to stop comparing yourself to others, check out my blog post here. 

I am hoping my tips will help you develop a business ready mindset. Do you have any more tips to add to my list?