Mugs & Marketing: Creative Business Chats with Ashley & Alisha

Ever wondered how to turn your handmade creations into a real business? In this episode of Mugs & Marketing, Ashley shares her experience selling handmade yoga mat keychains, while Alisha walks through what she's learned building her full-time pottery business.We cover everything from choosing between Etsy and your own website to printing shipping labels, understanding sales tax, and avoiding some of the beginner mistakes we both made along the way.Whether you're making pottery, jewelry, crochet, woodworking, candles, or any other handmade product, this episode will help you feel more confident about taking those first steps.In This Episode☕ Ashley's accidental yoga mat keychain business☕ Why Etsy is a great place to start☕ When it makes sense to build your own online shop☕ Shipping labels, Pirate Ship, and USPS Click-N-Ship☕ Product photography tips☕ Wholesale orders: yes or no?☕ Sales tax and business licenses (our experiences—not legal advice!)☕ How to know if your hobby is becoming a real businessResources Mentioned📌 Ashley's Yoga Mat Keychain Tutorialhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amlHtshW1Y8📌 Pirate Shiphttps://www.pirateship.com/📌 USPS Click-N-Shiphttps://www.usps.com/ship/welcome.htm📌 Big Cartelhttps://www.bigcartel.com/📌 Digital Product Downloadhttps://getdpd.com/Favorite Takeaway"You don't have to have everything figured out before you start."Most creative businesses begin with curiosity, a simple idea, and learning as you go.Connect With UsAshley🌿 https://ashleyrosehagen.com📷 @ashesyogaAlisha🏺 https://alishahagenart.com📷 @alishahagenartIf you enjoyed this episode, we'd love for you to follow the podcast and share it with another creative who's thinking about selling their handmade products.

Thinking about leaving your full-time job to start a creative business?In this episode of Mugs & Marketing, Ashley and Alisha share their experiences transitioning from traditional employment into self-employment and the lessons they learned along the way.From unexpected financial realities and productivity struggles to finding community and learning how to stay focused, we're talking about the real side of entrepreneurship that doesn't always show up on social media.Whether you're dreaming about starting an art business, yoga business, online business, or creative side hustle, this episode will give you an honest look at what the transition can actually look like.In This EpisodeWhy building a business takes longer than most people expectThe difference between busy work and money-making activitiesSocial media pressure as a creative entrepreneurLearning to create your own deadlinesThe surprising realities of health insurance and self-employmentBuilding friendships and community while working from homeWhy focus is more important than doing everythingHow mentors, books, podcasts, and courses helped us growAdvice we'd give someone considering the leap into entrepreneurshipFavorite Takeaway"You overestimate what you can accomplish in a week and underestimate what you can accomplish in a year."Building a business isn't usually about overnight success. It's about consistent action, learning, and staying in the game long enough to see results.Mentioned in This EpisodeAshley HagenWebsite: https://ashesyoga.comInstagram: @ashesyogaAlisha Hagen ArtWebsite: https://alishahagenart.comInstagram: @alishahagenartConnect With UsWe'd love to hear from you!Have you made the transition from employee to entrepreneur? Or are you thinking about it?Send us a message on Instagram and let us know what's been the most surprising part of your journey.If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow the podcast and share it with a fellow creative entrepreneur.

In this episode of Mugs & Marketing, we're sharing Alisha's entrepreneurial journey and how she went from elementary art teacher to full-time pottery artist.What started as a degree in animation eventually led to a career in education, a free kiln, a classroom full of curious students, and an unexpected love for clay.Alisha shares the twists and turns that led her to leave teaching, start selling pottery, join art markets, and build a handmade business from her backyard studio in Albuquerque, New Mexico.If you've ever wondered whether it's too late to start something new, or if your creative path has taken a few unexpected turns, this episode is for you.In This EpisodeGrowing up as the "artsy twin"Attending art school for animationWhy animation wasn't the right career fitGoing back to school for art educationTeaching high school and elementary artLearning pottery alongside her studentsThe free kiln that changed everythingLeaving a stable teaching careerStarting a pottery business from scratchSelling at art markets and onlineFinding community as a creative entrepreneurFavorite Takeaway"You don't have to start doing the thing you're known for when you're five years old."One of the biggest themes of this episode is that creative careers are rarely linear. Sometimes your future business comes from an unexpected hobby, opportunity, or curiosity that appears much later in life.Mentioned in This EpisodeAlisha Hagen ArtWebsite: https://alishahagenart.comInstagram: @alishahagenartAshley HagenWebsite: https://ashesyoga.comInstagram: @ashesyogaComing Up NextNow that you've heard both of our stories, we're moving into more specific creative business topics, including schedules, productivity, multiple income streams, marketing, and the realities of running a business as a creative entrepreneur.If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow the podcast and share it with a fellow artist, maker, or creative business owner.

In this episode of Mugs & Marketing, we're diving into Ashley's entrepreneurial journey and the winding path that led her from a small town in Minnesota to building a successful online business helping yoga teachers and wellness professionals.Ashley shares how an early interest in graphic design and marketing eventually combined with her love of yoga, teaching, and technology to create the business she runs today.We talk about quitting a stable full-time job, becoming a full-time fitness instructor, moving across the country, navigating major life changes, and how building an online business gave her the flexibility she needed as a mom.If you've ever wondered whether your previous experience "counts" or if you're capable of building something different for yourself, this episode is for you.In This EpisodeGrowing up in a small Minnesota townStudying graphic communications and marketing in collegeWorking in a university marketing departmentQuitting a stable job to teach yoga full-timeTeaching 10–20 fitness classes per weekMoving to Washington and starting overBuilding an online business while becoming a momThe impact mentors and business coaching had on her growthHow YouTube helped expand her reachWhy marketing skills matter for creative entrepreneursA Favorite Takeaway"You don't need the entire roadmap. You just need the next step."One of the biggest themes of this episode is that entrepreneurship rarely follows a straight line. Many of the skills Ashley uses in her business today came from experiences that didn't seem connected at the time.Mentioned in This EpisodeAshley Hagen / Ashes YogaWebsite: https://ashesyoga.comFree Morning Movement & Meditation ClassesAshes Academy MembershipConnect With UsAshley: @ashesyogaAlisha: @alishahagenartComing Up NextNext episode, we're flipping the script and sharing Alisha's story—from elementary art teacher to full-time pottery artist creating mugs, selling at art markets, and building a handmade business from her backyard studio.If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow the podcast and share it with a creative friend who might need a little encouragement on their business journey.

Welcome to the very first episode of Mugs & Marketing! In this introductory episode, twin sisters Ashley and Alisha share who they are, what they do, and why they decided to start a podcast together.While both sisters run creative businesses, their paths look very different. Ashley is a digital entrepreneur, yoga teacher, and business coach who helps wellness professionals build online businesses through websites, courses, memberships, and marketing. Alisha is a full-time pottery artist based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, creating handmade mugs and pottery from her backyard studio and selling through art markets, Etsy, and her online shop.Together, they discuss the similarities and differences between physical product businesses and digital businesses, the realities of working from home, and why they believe creative entrepreneurs need both creativity and marketing to succeed.This episode is the perfect starting point if you're a creative entrepreneur, artist, yoga teacher, maker, or small business owner looking for encouragement, honest conversations, and practical insights about building a business around your passions.In This EpisodeWhy Ashley and Alisha decided to start Mugs & MarketingThe story behind the podcast nameWhat Ashley does as a yoga teacher and online business coachHow Alisha transitioned into full-time pottery and handmade productsThe biggest differences between digital and physical product businessesWhat a typical workday looks like for each of themSelling pottery through Etsy, art markets, consignment shops, and online storesBuilding an online business through courses, memberships, and coachingThe importance of marketing for creative entrepreneursWhy flexibility and work-from-home lifestyles matter to both of themTheir favorite hobbies outside of businessWhat listeners can expect from future episodesResources MentionedAshley HagenWebsite: https://ashesyoga.comInstagram: @ashesyogaAlisha Hagen ArtWebsite: https://alishahagenart.comInstagram: @alishahagenartWhat's Coming NextIn Episode 2, Ashley and Alisha dive deeper into their personal histories, how they got started in business, why they moved away from their hometown, and the winding path that led them to where they are today.Enjoyed this episode?Be sure to subscribe to Mugs & Marketing so you never miss a weekly conversation about creative business, marketing, entrepreneurship, handmade products, online business, and turning your passions into income.