Wednesday, July 21, 2010

#169 unofficial etsy featured seller - LBrandt

#169 unofficial etsy featured seller - LBrandt
Date joined etsy- 1/6/08
Sales to date - 540-Give us some basic info about you: name, where you live, kids/pets, favorite ice cream flavor, etc.

Hi all! I am Lindsay Brandt. My little family of five and our Vizsla dog just moved from Arizona to Utah. I am a proud wife of a serving solider. Love Music, photography, miniatures, and modern architecture.

-Describe an average day in life of "you".

I slide. I do monkey bars. I merry-go-round. I bike ride. I explore. I teach. I cook. I clean. I chauffeur. I doctor. I write. I listen. I photograph. I account. I create. I love... all because I get to be a mother. It’s all in tackling another day’s adventures. My three little ones, 6 years and under, are the ones who fill my days with excitement and fresh new possibilities. They LOVE my creations.

-Were you creative growing up/what did you enjoy doing?

I spent numerous childhood summers sitting at a card table. My sales consisted of: handmade pixie sticks, otter pops, creepy crawlers, and boondoggle bookmarks (convo me if you are interested in any :D I was eager for success. My parents encouraged my persistence in all entrepreneurial endeavors. When I stumbled upon Etsy, my mind went into a blitz! I knew then that I had to get a shop going full speed. It was certainly an opportunity come true!
-How long did it take for you to get your first sale on etsy?

I remember calling my husband in pure excitement when that first sale came. It happened about a week after opening up shop.

-Top 5 favorite foods, tv shows, and bands?

My top (random) five foods would have to be See's candies, avocados, garden tomatoes, garden strawberries, and peaches.
Top 5 movies: Big fish, The Nightmare Before Christmas, 500 days of summer, Zoolander, Emperor's New Groove.
Top 5 bands: Coldplay, Sting, Sarah Mclachlan, Rascal flatts, Peter Cetera

-Is there anything you'd like to try your hand at doing? Knitting, baking, soap making, wood working, an instrument, etc.

Being that my top priority at this point in time is my kids, I have a list going of all the things I plan try. Ceramics, sewing, photography, living off the grid, taking up violin, designing modern miniatures and children's clothing, and writing are a few on the list. :)



-What would you suggest to new etsy sellers to promote their shops?

Try your best to make your shop look somewhat professional. In the forums I often read about the consequences of poor banner design and the lack of product representation, (which is especially hard for me.) It needs to be picturesque and thematic. When I finally listened, I noticed a rise in sales. A disheveled shop is awfully uninviting. Blog, facebook, twitter, are all very big in helping people notice you.

3 etsy shops you just LOVE?

oh boy! If there is SO much talent on Etsy that If I HAD to narrow it down to just three, I might say..
Smashing
element clay stuido
Anikaeaster

-One year from now, I hope...

In one year I hope to be alive and still sane following my love's deployment. :)


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Have an etsy shop with over 300 sales and want to be a featured seller? Contact me at phletcher@gmail.com
As always, thanks for reading :)