two new fantastic lunch forums!

We are quite thrilled to announce the addition of two brand new business-focused lunch seminars for Makerie weekend lead by the darling Jessica Hernandez of Joyfolie and the adorable Andreea Ayers of Launch Grow Joy. Jessica taught our wonderful shoe-making workshops last year & we love that she's coming back in a different capacity. Andreea, founder of Tees for Change, will be such an awesome addition to the weekend too, as both these successful entrepreneurs will be sharing their experiences and successes of how they turned their craft into a booming business. Not only will they have wonderful stories to tell, but a wealth of knowledge to pass along to all of you! 

Turning Your Craft Into a Business

by Jessica Hernandez

Jessica will be sharing the journey of Joyfolie, from a single mom crafter on Etsy to a business of handmade products in the US, to eventually large-scale manufacturing. Joyfolie products have been available via Anthropologie, Gap, Inc. and others. It's her hope to tell the story of Joyfolie to share strategies with those who desire to expand their creative passion on a vocational level, or to simply inspire those who want to be intentional about pursuing their own creative aspirations, whatever they may be.

Becoming a Media Maverick: How to Get Publicity for Your Handmade Products

by Andreea Ayers

Do you want to see your handmade products in national magazines, on celebrities and in the media? If so, this lunch seminar is for you! Andreea Ayers, a mom entrepreneur who has successfully placed her inspirational t-shirts in over 200 media outlets, including Self, Shape, Ladies Home Journal, Redbook, ABC, CBS, NBC and more, will share with you proven publicity strategies that get results. You'll learn about how to make the most of media opportunities, how to find and contact the press to pitch your products and how to leverage your publicity efforts. Andreea currently blogs at www.LaunchGrowJoy.com and her most popular blog post is "Why I ditched the press release - and what I do instead."

Huge heartfelt thank you to Jessica & Andreea for putting together these terrific lunchtime talks!

meet the darling Jessica!

Jessica was one of the first people I contacted about teaching at the Makerie! I had been following her sweet blog for quite some time, and after some back and forth emails regarding an adorable barrette order I had placed with her, I added a p.s. at the end of one of them and asked, "Would you ever be interested in teaching at a creative retreat?" And her response was, "Sounds sumptuous. I'd love to hear more!"

So here we are and couldn't be more excited to have her teaching debut with us this spring in Boulder! As you can oh so clearly see, Jessica's sense of style and originality is second to none. Her shoes are so sought after that they literally sell out in seconds when she lists them on her blog! Jessica built her company, which started as a hobby, as insatiable demand grew for her tiny peep toes, flowered ballet flats, and velvet spat boots. She creates many of her products by hand, but is also working with several manufacturers to transition her designs to firm-soled shoes. Joyfolie shoes have been featured by well-known magazines such as Cookie, Brides, and Pregnancy & newborn and rumor also has it that they may be offered by a large, well-known retailer in Fall 2011. We're so excited to hear who that lucky retailer will be!

But without further ado, get to know the darling Jessica a little more below.

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If you could start your own restaurant, what would it be?
I worked as a personal chef and had my own small company in my 20's so this is a good question for me! I would love to have a small cafe that has fresh, tasty breakfast... rich french press coffee, omelet stuffed crepes, homemade sesame granola, fresh berries. And fabulous lunches with homemade soups, salads with berries and gourmet cheeses, and interesting wraps and sandwiches.

Do you have any phobias?
Not really!

Your true indulgence.
Time to be creative for myself. I almost never do that... or time to repaint a piece of furniture or some other crafty house project.   

Hidden talents.
I know how to use a chop saw, wire a chandelier and work a power drill. I also went to seminary and studied Greek and Hebrew.   

What color shoes are you wearing right now?
Cream knit boots (they are like a glorified wedge flipflop with a sock glued on). I just bought them at Claire's for $10. Don't judge, but I really love that how comfy they are!

If you could give the world one piece of advice, what would it be?
Break your goals up into manageable steps. The life of your dreams in more feasible than you know!

What do you value most in other people?
Vulnerability. I like to connect with people on a real level. I would rather get into an honest debate with someone, than have someone be pleasant but never say how they really think and feel.

What would you attempt if you knew you could not fail?
To be honest, I seldom consider failure an option. Failure is never a dead end, it just means, get up, dust yourself off, and try again... or maybe go about it in a slightly different way. 

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p.s. This is my little flower girl sporting the sweetest pair of Joyfolie shoes. :)