Craft & Commerce Recap 2026: The Power of Showing Up

Craft & Commerce Recap 2026: The Power of Showing Up

Building a creative business can be incredibly isolating, but the antidote isn't hiding behind your screen; it's getting into the right rooms. Too many creative entrepreneurs struggle with inconsistent revenue and a lack of community because they rely on cold, transactional corporate networking tactics that only drain their energy. It is easy to feel stuck when you're aggressively knocking on doors instead of having them opened for you from the inside. In this special solo duo episode, we are pulling back the curtain on our 72-hour experience at Kit's Craft and Commerce conference. We break down the absolute best lessons we learned, from Ellen Yin's game-changing podcast pitching framework to Kit's powerful new "Signals" feature for uncovering high-value leads. Inside this episode, we cover: * Non-Transactional Networking: How to abandon the draining, corporate ladder-climbing approach to conferences and foster genuine, supportive relationships instead. * The Power of Coffee Chats: Why removing the sales agenda and prioritizing human connection on calls is an incredible, indirect sales funnel for organic growth. * Kit's New "Signals" Feature: How to uncover the hidden demographic and psychographic data of your email subscribers to easily identify warm leads. https://kit.com/features/signals [https://kit.com/features/signals] * The Perfect Podcast Pitch: Why no one cares about your media kit and the exact framework Ellen Yin uses to secure immediate "yes" replies. https://www.cubicletoceo.co/shop [https://www.cubicletoceo.co/shop] * The "No Strategy" Strategy: Why leaving room for spontaneity at live events can lead to the most powerful and unexpected business connections. Connect with the Mentions: * Steve Kamb's Book: How to Try Again (http://HowToTryAgain.com [http://HowToTryAgain.com]) * Ellen Yin's Podcast: Cubicle to CEO Connect with Us: 1:1 Coaching: Ready to step out of isolation and scale your business? Apply for 1:1 coaching here: https://www.joandlyndon.com/coaching [https://www.joandlyndon.com/coaching] The Breakroom:Find your people. Join our community of creative entrepreneurs to get our full 2-hour Craft and Commerce debrief and catch our upcoming masterclass on Instagram stories: Step into The Breakroom: https://www.joandlyndon.com/the-breakroom [https://www.joandlyndon.com/the-breakroom] Instagram: Come say hi, ask about a coffee chat, and send us a DM! @joandlyndon (https://www.instagram.com/joandlyndon/ [https://www.instagram.com/joandlyndon/]), & @thesustainablecreator (https://www.instagram.com/thesustainablecreator/ [https://www.instagram.com/thesustainablecreator/]). Interview Us: We love talking about pivoting, working with a partner, and building community. DM us on IG to connect!

How to Stop Winging It and Start Closing w/ Leslie Johnson

As a creative entrepreneur, inconsistent revenue and business anxiety often stem from winging your discovery calls. You know your craft, but sitting down on Zoom to close a package can feel incredibly overwhelming, especially when you encounter the dreaded "I need to think about it" or get ghosted. We often lack the structure to protect our time, leading us to take calls with unqualified leads and hoping our "friendly" approach naturally leads to a sale. High-ticket sales expert Leslie Johnson sat down with us on the pod to hand you the exact, rinse-and-repeat anatomy of a successful sales call. Bringing her deep expertise in contract and high-ticket sales, Leslie shows us how to confidently lead conversations, set the right tone in the first two minutes, and visually close with a customized pitch deck. You will walk away knowing exactly how to pre-qualify your leads, listen strategically, and gracefully handle objections so you can build the consistent revenue your creative business deserves. 🔥 Get The Free Worksheet: Stop guessing what to say on your next discovery call! Grab the exclusive, step-by-step workbook outlining Leslie's exact framework so you can prep with confidence and close your next high-ticket lead. https://joandlyndon.kit.com/4dd13aaee8 [https://joandlyndon.kit.com/4dd13aaee8] Inside this episode, we cover: * [05:58] AI Sales Training: How to use AI tools like Claude to roleplay conversations and practice your pitch before getting on a real call. * [08:13] Pre-Qualifying Leads: Why you should never take a call without a strategic intake form that filters out budget objections early. * [12:35] Setting the Frame: The crucial 1-2 minute window at the beginning of the call where you establish yourself as the expert to lead the conversation. * [22:23] Building the Pitch Deck: How to seamlessly transition from discovery to a visual presentation using the client's exact words to show true transformation. * [36:28] Handling "I Need to Think About It": The conversational pivot to uncover hidden hesitations right on the call before they turn into a ghosted email. * [37:45] The 80/20 Sales Rule: Why speaking only 20% of the time actually increases your authority and opens the door for better conversations. Connect with Leslie Johnson: * Instagram: @LeslieEJohnson [https://instagram.com/LeslieEJohnson] Connect with Us: * 1:1 Coaching: https://www.joandlyndon.com/coaching [https://www.joandlyndon.com/coaching] * The Breakroom: Build your biz in a room of your peers - https://www.joandlyndon.com/the-breakroom [https://www.joandlyndon.com/the-breakroom] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joandlyndon/ [https://www.instagram.com/joandlyndon/], https://www.instagram.com/thesustainablecreator/ [https://www.instagram.com/thesustainablecreator/] * Interview Us: We love talking about pivoting, working with a partner, and building community. DM us on IG to connect!

How to Build and Monetize an In-Person Community w/ Tatiana Forbes

"We are so starved for connection that everyone is trying to almost make up for lost time". You’ve built a business, but right now, it might feel more like a cage of high overhead, constant team management, and endless client calls. It is incredibly easy to feel isolated at the top when you are carrying the weight of a team and watching your profit margins shrink. Sometimes, the bravest and most profitable thing you can do is cut your losses, rethink your structure, and lean into the very things that bring you peace and connection. Tatiana Forbes spent years coaching entrepreneurs in leadership, operations, and team development before navigating burnout, scaling back her company, and founding the Best for Last Run Club. In this episode, she breaks down exactly how she transitioned from a high-stress coaching model to a highly profitable creator business. She shares the exact business systems she uses to organize her in-person community and how you can leverage your CEO skills to secure massive brand deals. 🔥 Get The Worksheet: Stop craving connection and start creating it. If you want to build a deeply loyal, highly engaged local community but don't know where to begin, you need this. Download the free worksheet to design your in-person community: https://joandlyndon.kit.com/026b16d424 [https://joandlyndon.kit.com/026b16d424] Inside this episode, we cover: * [07:22] The Sunk Cost Fallacy in Business: Why forcing a bloated business model to work will drain you, and how to use data and intuition to make a pivot. * [11:57] Redefining Leadership and Team Size: Why hiring based on temporary feelings or convenience can lead to a bloated team, and how to build a streamlined infrastructure without shrinking your income goals. * [24:37] Engineering the Perfect Member Experience: The exact operational systems used to make every new attendee feel seen, from digital QR code sign-ins to dedicated pace group leaders. * [30:42] Monetizing Free Communities: How to leverage a highly engaged niche audience to secure multi-thousand-dollar brand partnerships instead of charging members an entry fee. * [40:30] The Entrepreneur's Unfair Influencer Advantage: Why former and current business owners have a massive competitive edge in influencer marketing due to their deep understanding of strategy and the client journey. Connect with Tatiana Forbes: * Website: bestforlastrunclub.com [http://bestforlastrunclub.com] * Instagram/TikTok: @_tatianaforbes / @bestforlastrunclub * Strava: Best for Last Run Club Connect with Us: * 1:1 Coaching: https://www.joandlyndon.com/coaching [https://www.joandlyndon.com/coaching] * The Breakroom: Build your biz with other creatives: https://www.joandlyndon.com/the-breakroom [https://www.joandlyndon.com/the-breakroom] * Instagram: Come say hi and send us a DM! https://www.instagram.com/joandlyndon/ [https://www.instagram.com/joandlyndon/] & https://www.instagram.com/thesustainablecreator/ [https://www.instagram.com/thesustainablecreator/] * Interview Us: We love talking about pivoting, working with a partner, and building community. DM us on IG to connect!

How to Find Your Hidden Buyers Using Instagram Story Views w/ Alyssa Moorhead

Stop obsessing over viral metrics and start looking for the actual human beings engaging with your content. If you are a creative entrepreneur struggling with inconsistent revenue, it is easy to assume you just need more marketing. But in reality, you probably already have "buried leads" hiding in plain sight. You just lack the structure to track and manage those relationships so that you don't feel isolated in your business. Enter Alyssa Moorhead. As a sales expert who has been in the game for over 11 years, Alyssa runs a "Done For You Leads" agency that manages lead generation directly in the Instagram inbox. In this episode, Alyssa breaks down her highly tactical 30-minute daily sales routine. You will learn how to turn casual chats about coffee into ethical business conversations that convert. She also reveals how to build a simple lead tracker and what you should really be looking for in your Instagram Stories viewers. 🔥 Get The Worksheet: Stop guessing what content will actually drive sales. Grab the exclusive workbook breaking down Alyssa’s highly-converting Content Recipe framework. This tool will help you know exactly what to post to lead to conversations and conversions. Download the free worksheet here: https://joandlyndon.kit.com/ca1d171954 [https://joandlyndon.kit.com/ca1d171954] Inside this episode, we cover: * Defining & Tracking Leads (02:40): Alyssa defines potential, warm, and hot leads. She shares the bare minimum fields you need to track in a simple digital spreadsheet. * Setting Ethical Follow-up Boundaries (10:52): Learn why you must set agreed-upon timelines for follow-ups. This strategy helps protect your sanity and weed out non-ideal clients. * The 30-Minute Daily Sales Routine (16:01): Discover how to prioritize checking your Instagram Stories viewers first. This allows you to capture new potential buyers before the stories expire. * The 8-Ingredient Sales Content Recipe (30:16): Find out the top three pieces of content you need pinned to your feed right now. Alyssa explains how to structure an FAQ carousel that does the heavy lifting for you. * The 5-Step Ethical DM Sales Process (37:26): Master the transition from building rapport to seamlessly asking for consent to share your offer. You will learn how to turn casual chats about coffee into actual business conversations.  Connect with Alyssa Moorhead: * Instagram: @alyssalmoorhead [https://instagram.com/alyssalmoorhead] Connect with Us: * 1:1 Coaching [https://www.joandlyndon.com/coaching]: Ready to step out of isolation and scale your business? * The Breakroom: Find your people. Join our community of creative entrepreneurs: Step into The Breakroom [https://www.joandlyndon.com/the-breakroom]. * Instagram: Come say hi and send us a DM! @joandlyndon [https://www.instagram.com/joandlyndon/], & @thesustainablecreator [https://www.instagram.com/thesustainablecreator/] * Interview Us: We love talking about pivoting, working with a partner, and building community. DM us on IG to connect!

UGC Expert: How I Turn Free Videos Into 12-Month Paid Contracts

Today, we are joined by Belle Grubb, an author, podcast host, and Salt Lake City-based content creator. After recently moving across the country, Belle intentionally embedded herself into her new city by rapidly collaborating with local brands and small businesses. This episode is a must-listen for anyone curious about what it looks like to start pitching and working with local businesses to secure brand partnerships and build genuine community. In this episode: * Belle shares her exact methods for finding and pitching local businesses, which includes driving around to spot mom-and-pop shops, making in-person connections, having her husband call on the phone, or sending a short, sweet DM. * You will learn how to build "relational equity" by vision casting and serving the business first, allowing you to snowball free initial videos into paid, month-long user-generated content (UGC) contracts. * We break down the step-by-step process of fulfilling a local partnership, including why Belle avoids using a media kit in her initial pitch and how she streamlines her workflow using the Edits app. Free Companion Workbook Download the companion workbook based on this interview to plan out your first local business pitch: https://joandlyndon.kit.com/05e6c232eb [https://joandlyndon.kit.com/05e6c232eb] Connect with Belle * Follow Belle on social media: @bellgrub [https://www.instagram.com/bellemgrubb/] * Listen to her podcast: @madetodwellpodcast [https://www.instagram.com/madetodwellpodcast/] Connect with Us * Website: joandlyndon.com [joandlyndon.com] * Instagram: @joandlyndon [https://www.instagram.com/joandlyndon/], @thesustainablecreator [https://www.instagram.com/thesustainablecreator/] Feature Us on Your Show! Interview us on your podcast: We speak on pivoting as a creative entrepreneur, working with a partner, and building communities - shoot us a DM on IG we'd love to chat!