Determination might beat passion, but passion is a fuel for inspiration...

Dylan, all of your videos are so helpful. Hooray, for your success and for us to have access to your coaching program. Your authenticity and expert advice is honest and refreshing, when I am ready for an Etsy Coach, you are my first pick. As a creative, I suffer from what you are speaking of here and need to rethink something's. Also, a side note, my name is Brett, and have had similar experiences with my name and my appearance and expectations. Throughout my entire career from ad agency designer, to aviation, where every other male pilot's name was Brett, and I show up, and they were expecting someone else, still happens today!

I got reminded of the metaverse disaster. Some people at FB apparently were really pasdionate about vr/ nfts and whatnot and wanted to push their vision but 'nobody' in the real world cares

Best advice! I started out trying to create the danty simplicity minimalist designs but honestly, every “omg this design made me $$$$$$ I find super tacky and would NEvER where. On a walk today, it dawned on me that I can’t try to create for me because I am a very conscious spender and I would never be a customer of those styles. That said, I have totally redone my store and am starting fresh!

1st !! This video came a a week late lol. I built a store around a printable niche that I found out with sale samurai that my niche gets maybe 100 searches a month if that and my key words I was using I’m competing with 7 figure shops …

There are shops on Etsy that sell really cool, tasteful, quality stuff and have only a few hundred sales in like 5 years, while other shops in the same category that sell a bunch of ugly crap have hunters of thousands of sales. Mind-blowing really.

There's generally two groups of buyers on Etsy; those who want to buy something as a gift (for example, your grandson turns 5 and he's also growing fast so a shirt is a good choice) and the other group is people who are just browsing to buy clothing that looks good/is something they like. The first group is obviously the more profitable one, since people go on Etsy mainly for gifts (at least with POD). This is just what I've noticed though, there's exceptions to everything.

I really feel this I do two different types of products and one type sells way better but I'm not passionate about it. I have tried to push the other type of products and they do sell but not like other. This video really helped kick me in the pants to readjust my focus to what is actually working.

I love the points you made, business mindset, people look at me like I am crazy when I say it.

Wow! This is the informationI have been looking for. Dylan, thank you so much for the info. I dont usually subscribe to any youtube channels, but your channel is worth it. I have two shops that I open about two years ago and only one has made me 500.00 the other one died, and now I know why. Thank you so much!

Siiiigh…. I am constantly torn between these two mindsets. I KNOW, as a business-person, that I need to make things regular people want to spend money on. I’m not regular people, I don’t like spending money. As a creative-person, I want to make things I enjoy crafting and hope that “my people” show up to buy…. But you’re right. As always. Thanks for the kick in the butt

This absolutely made to most since.This is the first video that is actually sticking in.

I was actually thinking on starting an etsy shop but i dont know what to sell. I had to research my niche but seeing your video enlighten me on things that I really need to sell. I will rethink again and research for something different. I am stuck on what products I needed to sell.

You are absolutely right... What do I do? I started sock shop -- socks with tatoo design

You are so true Dylan. I have to keep reminding myself.

Question: Even if you cater mostly to what "buying customers" want, do you still add in some products to your store that you feel "people like you" would be drawn to?

Thank you Dylan for this video! This is a new perspective that I haven’t thought about before. Could you do a video on ways to research your target customer? I know looking at reviews is one way but sometimes customers don’t go into detail about what they want.

That's a very new perspective for me! It's something different from my beliefs but would definitely think about it.

I used to work in a record store. The owner would sell what sold. He used to joke, if it was up to him he'd load up on Jeff Beck and The Who albums - his fave bands - but they never sold. Instead he never stocked them, and instead loaded up on heavy metal albums, which he hated but sold really well. I know other folks who sell stuff they love, but make no sales. You have remove your emotions. (My boss did have one rule - he refused to sell anything by Skrewdriver, Charles Manson and other scandalous bands.) My ex-gf had a shop of "local art". I was dating her when she was planning the store, before it opened. She told me once she would ONLY sell what she liked. The store lasted a year. By the end, she was using her second job to pay the rent. Emotions and business don't always work together.

I love the way you put this in perspective. I'm looking to start an Etsy store with my wife. This video is a good starting point for us. Thanks for making this video.