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The And She Looked Up Podcast
Every other week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love. Your host, Melissa Hartfiel, left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, illustrator, writer, community co-founder and has owned and operated a multi-six figure a year creative content business. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.
Episodes
203 episodes
EP182: Building a Resilient Creative Business Through Trade Wars and Chaos
Recording this week's episode felt like a moving target! I recorded it on Feb 8th and the news moves so fast that it was hard to keep up. I'm sure you'll notice a few things in here that have since changed. Having said that, this we...
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Season 6
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Episode 182
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56:40
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EP181: Creative Canadian: Author Susan Wadds Builds Safe Creative Communities
Winner of the 2024 Canadian Book Club Awards for fiction, Susan Wadds, author of "What the Living Do", shares her inspiring journey from aspiring poet to published novelist. But we also discuss the power of community and connection in the creat...
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Season 6
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Episode 181
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1:06:43
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1224 Subscriber Soundbite: Tariff Uncertainty - What Can Artists & Makers Do?
Canadian small business owners - including artists and makers - are facing the uncertainty of potential US tariffs in 2025. So what can we do? While we have no say in whether or not another country decides to levy tariffs against u...
Subscriber Episode
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Season 6
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Episode 1224
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26:40
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EP180: Looking Back at 2024 and Ahead to 2025 in Our Creative Businesses
As we close out 2024, Heather and Melissa reflect on the ups and downs of the past year and look ahead to what's coming in 2025. This episode highlights the core theme of finding joy amid challenges as we close out one year and being another.
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Season 6
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Episode 180
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1:06:46
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EP179 Creative Canadian Women: Kim Fahner - Poet, Author and Community Builder
Award winning poet and writer Kim Fahner joins the show this week to share her creative journey and discuss the importance of forming a community of our peers. Forging nurturing and supportive connections with other creatives in a country as va...
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Season 6
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Episode 179
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56:06
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To Discount or Not to Discount in Your Creative Business?
With Black Friday coming up quickly and market season in full swing, should you discount your creative work? There's a time and a place for discounts. This week we go over the pros and cons of offering or granting discounts and why it is SO cru...
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Season 6
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Episode 178
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39:06
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1124 Subscriber Soundbite: Subscriber Q&A - Wholesale Tips
Thanks to Patreon supporter Sonia for this month's question. Sonia would like to get her cards and other products into local stores and was looking for some wholesale tips!
Subscriber Episode
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Season 6
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Episode 1124
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30:10
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EP177: Beka Shane Denter Explores Canadian Creativity in Bloom Across Canada
If you need a good dose of hope and inspiration this week, then Episode 177 is for you. Canadian writer and author Beka Shane Denter joins the show to talk about her latest book, Bloom Across Canada - an inspirational collection of conversation...
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Season 6
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Episode 177
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49:16
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1024 Subscriber Soundbite: From Puppy Chaos to Bold Business Decisions
Getting it in under the wire this month! A little behind the scenes with my fluffy new studio intern and then getting into some words about making strategic investments in our creative businesses and how taking very calculated financial risks i...
Subscriber Episode
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Season 6
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Episode 1024
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17:23
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EP176: The Power of Rituals in our Creative Practices
In this week's regular season episode, Melissa and Heather explore the transformative power of intentional rituals in our creative practices. Rituals are different from habits. And, there's real science behind them and how they affect our brain...
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Season 6
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Episode 176
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59:13
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Prep for the Holidays EP13: Payment Processor Freak Outs at Markets (and how to avoid them!)
For Week 13 of Prep for the Holidays we're talking about how to accept payments at your holiday events, markets and pop-ups. You're going to need a payment processor! And if you've already got one, you've probably had at least one freako...
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Season 6
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Episode 175
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15:00
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EP174: Making a Pivot and Fashioning a Collaboration with Rebecca Rowe: Creative Canadian Women
In this week's regular season episode, classically trained fashion designer Rebecca Rowe joins the show to talk about how she pivoted her business (and how a disaster pushed her to embrace that pivot full force!) from a designer to a stylist wh...
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Season 6
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Episode 174
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54:02
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0924 Subscriber Soundbite: Why I Think Long Form Video Might be Important
Sorry for the late episode but here I am! I've been thinking a lot about long-form video (think YouTube) the last six months or so. Mostly why I think it could be important for creatives in this age of AI, IP theft and the need to double down o...
Subscriber Episode
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Season 6
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Episode 824
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14:27
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Prep For the Holidays EP 12: Prep Your Online Shops for the Holiday Rush
It's Week 12 of the Prep for the Holidays minisode series and it's time for us to prep all our online shop for the holiday rush. Whether you sell on Etsy, eBay, your own website or any other online platform, there a few things you'll want to ma...
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Season 6
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Episode 173
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14:59
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EP172: How to Increase Your Average Order Value and Boost Revenue in Your Creative Business
In this week's regular season episode we're covering the powerful impact that increasing Average Order Value (AOV) can have on your bottom line with 15 ideas for you to try in your creative business.I share my own experiences as an illu...
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Season 6
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Episode 172
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1:02:56
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Prep for the Holidays EP11: Market Booth Planning & Prep! Tips for Makers, Artists & Creatives
For Week 11 of the Prep for the Holidays minisode series, I'm focusing on market booths! Now is the time to start planning this year's booth, buying or making any display items you might need, thinking through your signage, ordering bus...
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Season 6
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Episode 171
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12:16
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Prep for the Holidays EP10: Tips for Planning Your Holiday Promotions
In Week 10 of our Prep for the Holidays series we're talking about planning and preparing your holiday promotions now, to reduce stress later! There's lots of actionable tips to plan all your holiday promotions - including Black Friday, ...
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Season 6
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Episode 170
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20:12
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EP169: Season 6 Opener: Creating and Recreating Our Own Creative Process
In the Season 6 opener of the podcast, Melissa and Heather jump into the deep end to talk about creating our creative process. When was the last time you questioned why you create the way you do? Have you mixed things up lately? Moved your desk...
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Season 6
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Episode 169
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1:19:56
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Prep for the Holidays EP9: Plan Your Calendar by Working Backwards.
It's Week #9 in our Prep for the Holidays series! To make sure you're on top of all your key deadlines and dates this holiday season, start by working backwards from December 31st. I'll walk you through key dates to make note of and how to ensu...
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Season 5
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Episode 168
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12:26
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0824: Subscriber Soundbite: Welcoming the Real New Year
September is one of my favourite months of the year - it has always felt like the "real" new year to me! This is when my creative energy tends to come roaring back after the heat of summer and when I'm wanting to learn or try new things. It's a...
Subscriber Episode
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Season 5
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Episode 824
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17:20
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Prep for the Holidays EP8: Applying to Holiday Markets
For Task #8 in our Prep for the Holidays checklist I'm putting the focus on getting your holiday market applications in - for makers, artists and creative service providers (yes, there's room for you, too!). While it may be too l...
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Season 5
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Episode 167
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19:19
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Prep for the Holidays EP7 Pitching Yourself for Holiday Gift Guides
We're up to Task #7 in our Prep for the Holidays checklist for creatives. If you want to broaden your reach and get new eyes on your work this holiday season, it might be time to pitch yourself for holiday gift guides! Like a lot of holiday sea...
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Season 5
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Episode 166
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13:29
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Prep for the Holiday EP6: Early, Essential Marketing with Pinterest and Blogging
We're up to Task #6 in our Prep For the Holidays checklist for creatives. This week, we're working on early marketing tasks with two powerful platforms that need time to reach their full potential. We're talking about blogging and Pinterest - a...
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Season 5
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Episode 165
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12:16
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Prep for the Holidays EP5: Get a Jump on Holiday Marketing with Product Mockups & Samples
Getting featured in print & digital gift guides, getting accepted into big holiday craft markets or selling your items in small boutiques for Christmas all require a lot of advance prep work - that happens way earlier than we think!
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Season 5
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Episode 164
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15:25
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Prep For the Holidays EP 4: Packaging & Shipping Materials
You know what you're going to be making and selling for the holiday season - but do you know how you're going to package it up for selling and shipping?In this week's Prep for the Holiday's episode, Melissa walks you through the process...
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Season 5
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Episode 163
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26:02
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