Tori King of Tori Tornado: Building a Bold, Sweary Handmade Brand

Tori King of Tori Tornado: Building a Bold, Sweary Handmade Brand

What does it look like to build a creative business that is colorful, handmade, empowering, and completely true to who you are? In this episode, I’m joined by Tori King, the artist, maker, and owner behind Tori Tornado - a bold paper goods and gift brand based in Skagit Valley that inspires what Tori calls “badassery.” Her work is bright, funny, honest, and often a little sweary, but behind every card, calendar, magnet, and gift is a deeper message about self-worth, humor, and living life on your own terms. Tori shares how she moved from graphic design into handmade goods, how a nickname from her bartending days became the name of her brand, and what it really looks like to run a creative business alongside a full-time job and motherhood. We also talk about markets, wholesale, pop-up shops, letting go of a physical retail space, and why not being for everyone can actually be one of the strongest parts of your business. In this episode, we talk about: • Where the name Tori Tornado came from • What “badassery” means to Tori and how it shapes her brand • Moving from graphic design into handmade paper goods and gifts • Building a bold brand voice that uses humor, color, and swear words • How Tori decides which markets, shops, and events are the right fit • What she learned from having a physical shop and why she recently let it go • Running a creative business while also working a full-time job and being a mom • Growing through wholesale, online sales, and intentional markets • The importance of knowing the difference between revenue and profit • Why using your authentic voice matters in a creative business Favorite quote from the episode: “Badassery is living your own badass life. It’s your choice, your life - not what someone thinks you should do.” Connect with Tori online: Website: https://www.toritornado.com [https://www.toritornado.com/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toritornadocreative [https://www.instagram.com/toritornadocreative] Connect with Julie | Moss Bags: Website: https://mossbags.com [https://mossbags.com/] Instagram: https://instagram.com/moss.bags [https://instagram.com/moss.bags] Photography by Lisa Aamot | https://www.merakiphotographynw.com [https://www.merakiphotographynw.com/]

How Marisa Papetti of Marie’s Bees Grew Backyard Honey Into a Thriving Product-Based Business

Marisa Papetti, founder of Marie’s Bees, didn’t set out to build a large product-based business. What started with honey, beekeeping, family, and caregiving slowly grew into a thriving Pacific Northwest brand with wholesale accounts, farmers markets, in-person events, cooking classes, employees, and a full production setup. In this episode, Marisa shares the real story behind Marie’s Bees - from caring for her grandmother and delivering farm baskets, to discovering the grounding magic of bees, to learning how to build a business that could keep going even when life gets messy. We talk about: * How Marie’s Bees started and the personal story behind the name * What the early days of selling honey and farm baskets looked like * Why Marisa moved from pouring honey at home to a commercial kitchen * How she built systems, hired employees, and stopped doing it all herself * What she learned from past business challenges and burnout * How she works with her husband without stepping on each other’s toes * Why finding your people and building community matters in small business * Her best advice for starting a product-based business today This conversation is honest, funny, and full of practical wisdom for women in small business, especially anyone building a product-based brand, selling at markets, growing a team, or trying to create a business that can last. My Favorite Quotes * “Stop thinking you can do it alone.” * “If you don’t have systems in place for when actual life happens, you’re dead.” * “A good business owner is like a business ninja - you constantly adapt, adapt, adapt.” * “The secret to keeping good people is to take care of good people.” * “You need to prepare to build a business, not build a hobby that has a business name.” * “People have their talents. You have to go with their strong suits.” * “Stop overthinking it. Get out of your own way. Stop being so damn scared.” Connect with Marisa: Shop Marie's Bees online: www.mariesbees.com [http://www.mariesbees.com/] Text Marisa Papetti: (360) 224-2387 Events + Classes: https://mariesbees.com/pages/events [https://mariesbees.com/pages/events] IG: https://www.instagram.com/mariesbeeswa [https://www.instagram.com/mariesbeeswa/] PNW Artisan Marketplace: https://pnwartisanmarketplace.com Connect with Julie | Moss Bags: Website: https://mossbags.com [https://mossbags.com/] Instagram: https://instagram.com/moss.bags [https://instagram.com/moss.bags] Photography by Lisa Aamot | https://www.merakiphotographynw.com [https://www.merakiphotographynw.com/]

Sales in the Background: How to Make Your Email List Work While You’re Not

You started growing your email list… now what? In this episode, I’m talking about the next step after list-building: setting up email automations that help your business keep working even when you’re not manually sending every single email. Because your email list shouldn’t just sit there waiting for you to remember to send a newsletter. With the right automations in place, your email can welcome new subscribers, bring interested shoppers back to your site, recover missed sales, and follow up after someone buys. And no, your emails don’t always have to be long, emotional, or packed with personal stories. Sometimes the best sales email is short, clear, and direct - with one goal: getting someone curious enough to click over to your website. In this episode, I’m sharing: * Why growing your list is only the first step * What email automations are, even if your platform calls them flows, sequences, or workflows * Why business and marketing are a numbers game * The 4 foundational automations I’d start with: welcome, abandoned cart, browse abandonment, and post-purchase * How these automations support the full customer journey: acquire, recover, reengage, and retain * Why post-purchase emails have become one of my favorite ways to connect with Moss Bags customers * Why simple, repeatable systems help your business keep moving without everything depending on you doing more Favorite takeaway: A newsletter is something you send. An automation is something you build. And when your automations are working, your email list becomes more than a list - it becomes a system that supports your business. Join the Waitlist: I’m currently building The Email Flow Fix [https://heyjulie.systeme.io/flowwaitlist], a fast-action course for product-based business owners who know email matters but don’t want to figure out every automation, email, and setup step from scratch. Join the waitlist to be the first to know when it’s ready: https://heyjulie.systeme.io/flowwaitlist [https://heyjulie.systeme.io/flowwaitlist] Start Your Store on Shopify [https://shopify.pxf.io/oN4ZDY] The ecommerce platform I use and recommend for product-based businesses. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Connect with Julie | Moss Bags: Website: https://mossbags.com [https://mossbags.com/] Instagram: https://instagram.com/moss.bags [https://instagram.com/moss.bags] Photography by Lisa Aamot | https://www.merakiphotographynw.com [https://www.merakiphotographynw.com/]

Start Growing Your Email List Before You Think You’re Ready

Have you ever been told, “You need to grow your email list,” and immediately thought, “Okay… but how?” In this episode, Julie shares why one of the smartest things you can do for your small business is start growing your email list before you feel fully ready - not when your website is perfect, not when your product line is huge, and not when you have a complete email strategy mapped out. You’ll hear the imperfect way Julie started her own list, why email gives small business owners more control than social media alone, and how to start inviting the right people in without overcomplicating it. In this episode, we talk about: * Why your email list is one of the few marketing assets you actually own * How Julie started her list imperfectly and barely emailed it at first * Why social media is great for discovery, but not something you fully control * Why unsubscribes are not always a bad thing * Why a healthy, engaged list matters more than a huge list * How to give people a clear reason to join your email list * Where to place your sign-up form so people can actually find it * Why your list can grow while your business grows Best quote from the episode: “People are busy. They don’t need another email just for the sake of getting another email. So if you’re asking someone for their email address, ask yourself: what am I giving them in return?” If your newsletter list is tiny, untouched, or still just an idea in your head, check out The Email List Growth Fix [https://heyjulie.systeme.io/elistsales] - Julie’s beginner-friendly guide for small product-based business owners who want to grow an email list full of people who actually want to buy from them. The Email List Growth Fix A simple 5-day system to start growing an email list full of future buyers. https://heyjulie.systeme.io/elistsales [https://heyjulie.systeme.io/elistsales] Start Your Store on Shopify [https://shopify.pxf.io/oN4ZDY] The ecommerce platform I use and recommend for product-based businesses. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Connect with Julie | Moss Bags: Website: https://mossbags.com [https://mossbags.com/] Instagram: https://instagram.com/moss.bags [https://instagram.com/moss.bags] Photography by Lisa Aamot | https://www.merakiphotographynw.com [https://www.merakiphotographynw.com/]

Marketing, Wholesale, and AI for Small Businesses with Jessi McNeal Marketing + Bookkeeping

In this episode of Hey Julie by Moss Bags, I’m joined by Jessi McNeal of Jessi McNeal Marketing + Bookkeeping. Jessi started as a maker, artist, singer, and songwriter before evolving into marketing and bookkeeping support for other small businesses. Today, she helps product-based business owners with websites, email marketing, wholesale pitching, bookkeeping, and the behind-the-scenes systems that make business feel less overwhelming. We talk about what makers often overthink in marketing, how to start when everything feels like too much, what’s working in wholesale and direct-to-consumer sales, and how small business owners can use AI without losing their own voice. In this episode, we talk about: * Jessi’s journey from music and art to product-based business * Why her handmade pet products gained traction * The reality of labor-heavy products and burnout * How she shifted into marketing and bookkeeping support * What makers are overthinking in their marketing * Why your website is often the best place to start * Wholesale pitching tips for makers and product-based brands * How to use Faire without losing track of your margins * Why email marketing still matters * How AI can help small businesses without replacing their voice Favorite quote: “Deep breath, number one. Quiet the voices. Maybe take a little Instagram break from all the business influencers and your peers, and just get a little quiet.” Connect with Jessi Website: jessimcneal.com [https://www.jessimcneal.com] Instagram: jessimcnealmarketing [https://www.instagram.com/jessimcnealmarketing/] Start Your Store on Shopify [https://shopify.pxf.io/oN4ZDY] The ecommerce platform I use and recommend for product-based businesses. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Connect with Julie | Moss Bags: Website: https://mossbags.com [https://mossbags.com/] Instagram: https://instagram.com/moss.bags [https://instagram.com/moss.bags] Photography by Lisa Aamot | https://www.merakiphotographynw.com [https://www.merakiphotographynw.com/]