Quilting Friends and Getaways
Quilting friends and business. I’m not sure I can make a better combination of words.
What’s better than being an entrepreneur surrounded by people who GET YOU?
This past week I invited a few quilterpreneur friends for a get-away in Utah. We snuck away to the mountains for a trial of sorts.
I have thought about hosting quilt business retreats for alumni of my Quilt Pattern Writing and Craft to Career courses. I wasn’t sure how it would go, or if the people coming would benefit from the retreat.
So I did a soft opening, if you will. A sample retreat with some alumni from my courses.
I tell you what – WE LOVED IT! This is definitely something that will be happening in the future again!
QUILTY BUSINESS RETREAT WITH QUILTERS CANDY
Here is a summary of what we did at our retreat:
- Made a yearly outlook for our quilty business.
- Met with Mixhers owner, Jess Toolson, and asked questions about how she grew her business.
- Visited the Riley Blake Designs design office.
- Took photos at Sundance.
- Recorded a podcast episode together.
- At yummy food.
- Talked and laughed.
- Got good sleep.
I wanted attendees to meet people and make connections. Riley Blake was amazing to visit. We left inspired and with some new ideas.
Hearing from Jess of Mixhers, a female entrepreneur in another industry was amazing. One of the best ways to grow your business is to look at other industries and see what is working and then apply it to your business.
I also wanted everyone to feel rested, well fed, and to leave with ideas and inspiration. It turned out that all of this made for one amazing quilterpreneur retreat!
Visiting with Jess Toolson of Mixhers
WHO CAME TO THE QUILT RETREAT
1. Casey Cometti of Well Spring Designs.
2. Jessica Rose of Quiltd Studios.
3. Kelsey Swatske of White Rose Designs.
4. Liza Taylor of Liza Taylor Handmade.
WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT ON THE PODCAST
When you listen to the podcast episode, you will get to meet each person at the retreat.
We chatted about our business, goals, and a glimpse into what has helped grow our businesses the most. HINT: think email.
Here are the links that each person mentioned as moving the needle most for email growth.
1. Casey Cometti – FREE QUILT PATTERN.
2. Jessica Rose – FREE SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT PLANNER and FREE CUSTOMIZABLE QUILT LABELS.
3. Kelsey Swatske – PERFECT FLYING GEESE GUIDE
4. Liza Taylor – FREE EPP HEXIE BLOCK GUIDE to go with her COTTONWOODS QUILT PATTERN.
WHY IT WAS A SUCCESS
It’s easy to mix people together and have it go . . . not so well.
What made this quilterpreneur retreat a success was the people. Each person who came is wonderful!
Casey is all smiles. She truly is as friendly as she looks. What you see is what you get. She encourages and makes everyone feel welcome. She also gave us some sneak peeks of what she’s been working on, and her style is so on brand! It’s definitely exciting to see someone so genuine and kind come up with such beautiful designs and ideas.
Jess is such a talented visionary. She is talented with marketing and tech. She would often say, “This is so basic, I can’t believe I’m sharing this.” And usually none of use knew what she was showing us. It’s just natural for her! She also has a drive that is unquenchable, and I love it!
Kelsey is driven and skilled quilter. I don’t know how Kelsey got all of her quilting knowledge and skills, but my goodness, does she have them! Not often do you see someone with the skills Kelsey has mixed with her drive and ambition. It’s amazing to see her wheels turn and she comes up with business ideas.
Liza is a thoughtful artist. She has an eye for beauty and has an aesthetic that is so uniquely her. Her eye for color and pattern creation has helped her find success. She’s one to keep an eye on. She is quietly coming up with amazing collaborations and business ideas all while mixing in her brand and eye for beauty.
WANT TO JOIN NEXT TIME?
Because this ended up being such a success for each of us, I am planning to do more of these in the future!
I will open up applications for future retreats for all alumni of either my Quilt Pattern Writing Course or my Craft to Career Course.
Knowing that all participants have a base knowledge that is the same will make sure that everyone gains more from the retreat.
For alumni, I HAVE EXCITING NEWS! There will be a retreat coming up this October. The location and dates will be emailed out to all alumni in May 2022. Watch your inboxes!