Manic Monday: Katrinna Louise

Katrinna Louise
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What got you started with selling online? What inspired you to put yourself out there?

When I started making jewelry, I had no intention of selling online. I thought it would be a hassle, expensive, etc. So, I sold to co-workers, friends, and family. I eventually started gaining a HUGE inventory, and decided that I needed to find other ways to sell. That's when I heard about Etsy. I signed up for an account, and voila! It was so easy to use! Compared to trying to make my own website, using Etsy was fantastic. There's a wonderful community of talented people from many parts of the world. I'm so happy I came across it. I wasn't too sure how my designs would go online, since I'd never done any market research or any marketing related activities. I didn't have many sales when I began, but I did get noticed by some lovely people's treasuries and blogs. Those are the people that helped me keep going. Now, I'm a marketing student, and I love the marketing and sales aspect of my business.

What is your absolute favorite piece in your shop(s)?

My favorite piece would have to be the pine cone charm necklaces. There is a few of them, and they are all different, 100% OOAK. I love how simple, dainty, and fun they are.

What's the most important thing that you've learned through your experience selling and promoting yourself online?

Never give up. Work hard. Enjoy it. Running an online shop can be a lot of work - there's always a new marketing blog, newsletter, or website to check out or promote yourself on. If you don't sift through the material, you can get covered by it! The key for me, that I've learnt, is that I need to pay attention to information that is relevant to what I do. Experiment, to see what works for me. Trial and error. And always get out there. 

What is your favorite quote (funny, inspirational - anything!)?

In high school, I used to write this quote everywhere: "Curiosity killed the cat, but the cat came back, the very next day." I used to love it because my nickname was Kat, and I was obsessed with cats for that reason. I thought it was a funny quote, since cats have nine lives, and (possibly) could come back.