Give me a Reason

Give me a reason to feature you in my blog. No begging allowed. What do you offer that makes you stand out in a crowd, either personally or in your business? This was the subject of a post in my blog. Tell me what you do to go above and beyond and you may get a feature here on North Shore Clay and Craft. Thanks and I look forward to hearing from you!

Etsy Feature Artist

Here we go folks! I found a fabulous new shop and couldn't wait to share it with you! It's a wonderful little shop called Maudes Place and you can visit her at http://maudesplace.etsy.com/ but let me tell you a little bit about how Amber got her start in the jewelry business!

It all began when she was about 10 years and was making bracelets from colorful string and attempted to sell them in the neighborhood. She was a business person even then. A few years later her Dad bought her a jewelry kit and she started making her own earrings and a dream was born...

After her first daughter was born she was inspired to finish college and the desire to create was once more lit inside. Amber has a passion for music and listens while she creates her beautiful pieces that you can find at http://maudesplace.etsy.com/ and the item names are often inspired by the music she listens to.

Amber is a stay at home with 2 beautiful girls and creates at night after her children are in bed. She is the queen of multitasking and while she was writing this article for me she was typing, playing soccer with the kids and singing songs to her children. Wow!

Her creative process has been a healing one for her and writing or creating her fantastic jewelry designs http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=13441650

is a positive way for her to release all the wonderful, beautiful energy that she has inside.

Oh, before I forget, all you Pittsburgh Steeler fans, http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=17210901 get in here to Maudes Place. I'm pretty sure she will have something you like...Go Steelers!

It's been my pleasure to get to know Amber and her shop a little better. I bought a gorgeous necklace from her and it arrived in a beautiful little sparkly bag with a Thank You note. She took the time to make me feel very special and I know that she puts her heart and soul into all that she does. Take a minute and look her up. You'll be glad that you did.

What Sets You Apart?

It's no secret that our economy is in tough shape. And with so many jobs being lost you need to do something that sets you apart. You absolutely need to be indispensible and have a high level of emotional intelligence. Meaning, you need to "click" with your customers and really be in tune with their needs. It's not possible to read their minds, but you need to try.

Think about what makes you unique. What do you bring to your customers that no one else can. Every day you should be asking yourself and thinking about why you should be the "go to" person and go above and beyond everyday.

If you want your business to grow you need to be producing at a level that is above and beyond all the time.

Take advantage of different ways to improve your skill set. Get involved in different projects, take some classes, get yourself noticed.

In todays economy doing a good job is not good enough, you've got to be great.