How To Be A Handmade Boss
Whether you’re a complete beginner on Etsy, or want to scale your handmade business to multi-6 figures, the “How To Be A Handmade Boss” podcast gives you actionable advice and workshop style full length episodes to grow your handmade business on Etsy and beyond.
We get it. Starting or growing a handmade business can be really overwhelming, and sometimes you feel like you have an expensive hobby rather than a profitable business. If you have questions like “How can I make sales in my business?” “How do I start a handmade shop?” “How can I make this passion my full-time gig?” or “How do I sell my crafts online” then you’re in the right place boss!
I’m Steph, a multi 6-figure handmade business owner (in the top 0.1% of all shops on Etsy), bestselling author of “How to be a handmade boss”, visionary and coach behind Handmade Bosses.
However, It wasn’t always rainbows and unicorns though. Today, my business(es) are bustling, but way back in 2014 when I started, it was HARD. Favourites but no sales, slow sales and low profits seemed in the beginning, like the trajectory of my business. Luckily following the system I’ve now curated, All of that changed and I went full-time in my handmade business in 2016.
Let’s focus on turning your passion into profit, because the world really does need these special creations that you only bring to life.
How To Be A Handmade Boss
#97 - Future-Proofing Your Etsy Shop: Navigating 2026's Secret Unannounced Updates
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
You keep hearing rumours about Etsy updates, fee changes, algorithm tweaks and “big changes coming in 2026”… and it’s enough to make any seller panic.
In this episode, I’m breaking down how to future-proof your Etsy shop without trying to predict every update or burning yourself out in the process.
We’ll talk honestly about why Etsy is always changing, what you can and can’t control, and how to build a business that doesn’t fall apart every time Etsy moves a button.
You’ll learn:
• Why waiting for Etsy to “settle down” is a trap
• What future-proofing actually means (and what it doesn’t)
• How to stop relying on Etsy search as your only traffic source
• Simple ways to start owning your audience with email
• Product and SEO strategies that survive algorithm changes
• How to build a money safety net so slow months don’t derail you
Helpful resources mentioned in this episode:
👉 The Makers List Kickstart Kit
Learn how to build an email list that you actually own (without tech stress):
https://www.handmadebosses.com/offers/KM79eUH7/checkout
👉 Social Media Sidekick (SMS)
Done-for-you monthly content so you can show up consistently without overthinking:
https://www.handmadebosses.com/sms
This episode is for handmade sellers who want to move into 2026 feeling calmer, more prepared, and more in control of their business.
🎧 Plus, I’ll give you simple, practical homework you can actually do this week.
If Etsy changes make you nervous, this one will steady your head.
If social media feels harder than it should, especially when summer routines start getting messy… this is for you.
Fix Your Socials Week starts Monday 20th July… it’s a free challenge for handmade business owners who are fed up with overthinking content, disappearing when life gets busy, and still not seeing enough sales from their socials.
Because you don’t need to post more for the sake of it.
And you definitely don’t need to spend your summer glued to your phone.
You need a simpler plan.
One that helps you stay visible, show up clearly, and know what to post without it taking over your life.
Inside Fix Your Socials Week, I’ll help you work out what to post, what to stop faffing with, and how to make your socials easier to stick with, so you can get back to making.
No fluff.
No pressure.
No trying to keep up with everyone else.
Sign up free at www.handmadebosses.com/fixyoursocials
The link’s also in the show notes.