Creatives on Camera: Artists and Crafters Using Video to Teach, Sell and Inspire Online

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Sarah Sewell grew a Facebook group to nearly 56,000 members. She ran a thriving paid membership of 2,500. She built a handmade business to multiple six figures on Etsy. And she has watched every one of those platforms change the rules on her. 
In episode 68 of Creatives on Camera, Sarah Sewell, founder of Flourish with Sarah and community manager for the Craft Industry Alliance, brings 25 years of hard-won experience to a conversation about what community actually means, why the platforms you built everything on will eventually let you down, and what the creative businesses that survive platform shifts have in common.
She is honest about what worked, what stopped working, and what she wishes she had done differently. If you are a maker, a creative teacher, or a product-based shop owner trying to figure out how to build something that lasts, this conversation will give you a lot to think about. If you are doing everything right online and still not getting traction, this episode is for you.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why building a community is different from building an audience, and why that distinction changes everything 
How to revive a declining Facebook group using education, entertainment, and engagement What to do if you rely on one platform for most of your income or community 
How to build real connection into pre-recorded courses when you are not live 
Why what feels like failure in your creative business is often the most valuable thing that ever happened to you
Find Sarah Sewell at Flourish with Sarah: https://www.sarahsewell.com https://substack.com/@flourishwithsarah Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flourishwithsarah Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flourishwithsarah Threads: https://www.threads.com/@flourishwithsarah
Book mentioned: Raving Fans by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles
https://amzn.to/3V9eQJM
If you are ready to stop relying on platforms and build your own email list, grab the free guide “Your First 100 Subscribers” at
https://www.academyforvirtualteaching.com/f/your-first-100-subscribers
AVT Resources
Academy for Virtual Teaching: https://www.academyforvirtualteaching.com Join Campus Commons (free community): https://www.academyforvirtualteaching.com/f/campus-commons Virtual Teaching 101: https://www.academyforvirtualteaching.com/courses/vt101 Virtual Teaching Business Builder: https://www.academyforvirtualteaching.com/courses/vtbb YouTube for Audience Growth: https://www.academyforvirtualteaching.com/courses/youtube

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In this episode, I'm talking with Lisa Ha of Get to Hooking Crochet — a crocheter who jumped onto social media three years ago just to see what would happen. In this episode, Lisa and I talk about what came next: a viral series, a Quarto Publishing book deal, a co-taught international online course, and a combined following of over 300,000. None of it was planned. All of it was built by being willing to be bad in public first.
This is one of the most honest conversations I've had about what building a creative business actually looks like. We talk about the metrics that matter, the doors worth walking through, and why your why has to be strong enough to carry you through the hard parts.
If you've ever wondered whether selling online is even worth it, or whether you're ready to teach yet — this episode is for you.
In this episode:
Why your sales content will always underperform by vanity metrics, and what to track instead
How Lisa went from "let's see what happens" to published author and course creator with no prior plan
What the "hat over the wall" philosophy looks like in real creative business decisions
Why being clear about who your content is for matters more than being the best at your craft
How Lisa and her collaborator built a pilot online course across a 6-hour time zone difference
Why your why has to be strong enough to carry you through failure and iteration
Want help figuring out what your why is? We have a fantastic little worksheet for that:
https://www.academyforvirtualteaching.com/f/why-keep-going-when-the-going-gets-tough
Find Lisa Ha at Get to Hooking Crochet
https://gettohookingcrochet.com
https://www.gettohookingcrochet.com
https://www.youtube.com/@gettohookingcrochet/videos
https://www.instagram.com/gettohookingcrochet
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579133596909
https://www.tiktok.com/@gettohookingcrochet
Book: Snarky Crochet (Quarto Publishing)

H+H America's (fiber art conference): https://hh-americas.com/
Skool (course platform Lisa is evaluating): https://www.skool.com
Wix (Lisa's current website platform): https://www.wix.com
Mighty Networks (Lyric's community platform): https://www.mightynetworks.com
Zenler (Lyric's course platform): https://www.newzenler.com/invite/7iJFl1
Craftsy (mentioned by Lyric): https://www.craftsy.com

Tutorials, Systems, Templates, Understanding of which of your images go where!
You can find Canva Made Simple at https://www.academyforvirtualteaching.com/courses/canva-made-simple

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>> Register for the FREE webinar: Make an Effective Promotional Video in 3 Easy Steps! You will learn how to get conversions with authentic connections instead of pushy sales!

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If you think YouTube only pays off once you hit monetization, this conversation with Beth Ann Williams will show you why that's backwards.
In this episode, Beth Ann Williams and I talk about what YouTube actually does for a creative teaching business, and why it has almost nothing to do with subscriber counts or ad revenue. Beth Ann holds one of a handful of invitation only seats inside YouTube's top tier Creator education program, which means she's learning how the platform really works straight from the people building it, then translating that into something the rest of us can actually use.
We get into why monetization is a bonus and never the goal, why giving your best content away for free brings in paying students instead of losing them, and the realistic, sustainable posting pace that grows a channel without taking over your life. I also share what happened when I used Beth Ann's framework to restart a channel I'd left dormant for years.
If you've been putting off YouTube because it feels confusing, overwhelming, or like it only rewards people chasing virality, this episode is for you.
In this episode:
Why monetization is a bonus, not the goal, of building a YouTube channel for your teaching business
Why giving valuable, complete content away for free brings in paying students instead of losing them
The realistic, sustainable posting pace that grows a channel without burning you out
How to set up your channel so YouTube finds your exact audience
Why your email list, not YouTube itself, should be the real engine of your business
Find Beth Ann Williams at Beth Ann Williams Quilts:
Website: https://bethannwilliams.com/
Shop: https://shop.bethannwilliams.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BethAnnWilliamsQuilts
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beth-ann-williams-84928671
Instagram: [GUEST LINK PLACEHOLDER — confirm before publishing]
Facebook: [GUEST LINK PLACEHOLDER — confirm before publishing]
Links mentioned in this episode:
No additional outside tools, books, or resources were mentioned in this episode beyond what's listed above.
If you're ready to build a YouTube strategy that actually supports your teaching business, Beth Ann's YouTube for Audience Growth course is open for registration right now:
https://www.academyforvirtualteaching.com/courses/youtube
If registration has closed by the time you're listening, join the Academy for Virtual Teaching newsletter and you'll hear the moment it opens again:
https://www.academyforvirtualteaching.com/f/teacher-funnel
Learn more about the Academy for Virtual Teaching: https://www.academyforvirtualteaching.com
Join Campus Commons (free!): https://www.academyforvirtualteaching.com/f/campus-commons
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lyrickinard/
Facebook: [LYRIC FACEBOOK LINK]
Never stop creating,
Lyric
00:00 Why YouTube feels confusing and unprofitable
01:37 Beth Ann's invitation-only YouTube Creator program
06:43 Why monetization isn't the real goal
07:55 What YouTube actually does for Beth Ann's business
10:56 Why Beth Ann left Instagram and Facebook for YouTube
12:54 Setting up your channel so YouTube finds your audience
14:56 A sustainable posting pace that won't burn you out
21:31 Lyric's own experience restarting her channel
27:47 Why giving content away for free brings in paying students
33:14 Join YouTube for Audience Growth
Tutorials, Systems, Templates, Understanding of which of your images go where!
You can find Canva Made Simple at https://www.academyforvirtualteaching.com/courses/canva-made-simple

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>> Register for the FREE webinar: Make an Effective Promotional Video in 3 Easy Steps! You will learn how to get conversions with authentic connections instead of pushy sales!

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You know you should be teaching online. But every time you think about building a school, you get stuck. What platform? What do I charge? How do I even start?

In episode 65 of Creatives on Camera, Felicia Lo, the founder of SweetGeorgia Yarns and the School of SweetGeorgia, shares exactly how she went from dyeing yarn at her dining room table to running an online learning community with over 115 courses. Felicia's path wasn't polished. She started with a Patreon just to test whether anyone wanted an online school. She let her early supporters watch her learn how to make video. And she navigated four different platforms over ten years before finding what works.

What makes this conversation different is the specifics. Felicia shares her actual pricing structure, how she thinks about community versus content, and the mental hurdle of letting go of the things she built herself so she could focus on the work only she can do. Whether you're a fiber artist, quilter, maker, or creative teacher of any kind, this is a real look at what building a sustainable online teaching business actually takes.

If you're ready to start mapping out your own online teaching business, grab this free resource: 12 Questions to Ask Before You Build Your Course.
https://www.academyforvirtualteaching.com/f/12-questions-before-you-build-your-course

In this episode, you'll learn
How Felicia used Patreon to validate her online school idea before building it
Why community is more important than content for student retention
How to structure pricing with multiple entry points (from $5/month to all-access)
The university/alumni model for keeping members connected even when they're not taking courses
Why letting go of doing everything yourself is the only way to scale
How reframing yourself as "the guide, not the hero" eliminates camera fear.

Find Felicia Lo at SweetGeorgia:
School of SweetGeorgia: https://www.schoolofsweetgeorgia.com
SweetGeorgia Community: https://hello.sweetgeorgia.co
SweetGeorgia Yarns: https://sweetgeorgiayarns.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweetgeorgia/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sweetgeorgia

00:00 Introduction to Felicia’s yarn business
06:01 Book led to in-person teaching requests
08:30 Why filming herself felt terrifying
09:12 Testing an online school on Patreon
17:26 Community experience versus static information
28:29 Focus on the work only you can do
28:55 Why online teaching is more sustainable than in-person
29:29 Online access matters for teachers and students
35:20 Why being real matters more than ever
36:24 Live discussion turns content into experience
Tutorials, Systems, Templates, Understanding of which of your images go where!
You can find Canva Made Simple at https://www.academyforvirtualteaching.com/courses/canva-made-simple

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>> Register for the FREE webinar: Make an Effective Promotional Video in 3 Easy Steps! You will learn how to get conversions with authentic connections instead of pushy sales!

Fan Mail? Feedback? Suggestions?
If you've ever held back your best free content because you were afraid it would kill your sales, this episode is going to change your mind.
Haley Hatcher is the founder of Heart Centered Podcasting, a done-for-you podcast strategy and production agency for established entrepreneurs. She is also the reason Creatives on Camera exists. In episode 64, Haley and Lyric talk about what actually happens behind the scenes of launching and running a podcast, and why so many creative business owners hold themselves back out of fear.
The core idea we come back to again and again is generosity. Haley believes in what she calls the law of compensation, the idea that whatever value you put into the world comes back to you. She also tackles the fear so many artists and makers carry, that giving away free tutorials means people won't buy their classes, and explains why the opposite is actually true.
This one is for you if you've been sitting on a podcast idea for years, or if you've ever second guessed sharing your best free content because you were worried it would cost you a sale.
In this episode:
Why a small, loyal podcast audience can lead to high ticket sales
The mindset behind Haley's "law of compensation"
Why teaching for free builds trust instead of losing you customers
How to batch and systematize your content so you never fall behind
What metrics are actually worth tracking, and which ones to ignore
What to plan for before you ever hit record on episode one
Find Haley Hatcher at Heart Centered Podcasting:
Haley's DIY podcasting course https://www.heartcenteredpodcasting.com/podcast-launch-course
Website https://www.heartcenteredpodcasting.com/
Free resources https://www.heartcenteredpodcasting.com/free-resources
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/heartcenteredpodcasting
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/haley-hatcher/

Links mentioned in this episode:
Buzzsprout  https://www.buzzsprout.com
Asana  https://asana.com
ClickUp  https://clickup.com
Notion  https://www.notion.com
Trello  https://trello.com
Bandcamp  https://bandcamp.com
If you're ready to put this into practice, grab my free guide, Your First 100 Subscribers, it's the exact, no-following-required roadmap to your first 100 real subscribers.

https://www.academyforvirtualteaching.com/f/your-first-100-subscribers 
This is an 18-page, step-by-step guide for starting a brand-new email list, including no-cost lead magnet delivery options for anyone with zero budget and zero tech experience. No following required, just a real plan to get your first 100 subscribers, people who actually want to hear from you.

Tutorials, Systems, Templates, Understanding of which of your images go where!
You can find Canva Made Simple at https://www.academyforvirtualteaching.com/courses/canva-made-simple

Let's Connect!
Join The Academy for Virtual Teaching
Instagram
Facebook

>> Register for the FREE webinar: Make an Effective Promotional Video in 3 Easy Steps! You will learn how to get conversions with authentic connections instead of pushy sales!