Business of Craft Episode 65 Felicia Lo on Intentional Growth

WELCOME TO EPISODE #65 OF BUSINESS OF CRAFT

My guest today, Felicia Lo, is the founder and creative director of Sweet Georgia Yarns. Since 2005 Felicia and her team have focused on bringing “unapologetic colors” for fiber enthusiasts. Felicia is the author of Dyeing to Spin & Knit: Techniques & Tips to Make Custom Hand-Dyed Yarns. She is also a lecturer and  teacher and has offered classes through Craftsy/Blueprint, and her new venture, the School of Sweet Georgia.

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#1 I love that your origin story includes a pretty compelling path toward a more “lucrative” career in pharmacy. I know there are so many listeners out there that are maybe in a similar boat… They yearn for the creative, artistic life but they’re worried about being a starving artist. What advice do you have for those people? [2:38]

#2 I read that after some initial success you were already feeling burnout so you just up and hit the pause button and took a year off in 2007. How did you find the courage to walk away from the momentum? [6:50]

#3 I personally feel like there is a tipping point at which a business just gets too big and you lose the whole soul of the business at the expense of growth. You’ve obviously grown at a fairly robust clip. How do you ensure that you hold that center of the soul of SweetGeorgia? [12:00]

#4 For those listeners who might not be familiar with your business and your brand, they should know Felicia is a force of talent when it comes to creating color and I wonder where your personal inspiration comes from when you’re designing? [14:23]

#5 Do you have any other ‘Slow-movement’ ideologies or paradigms that you subscribe to in order to keep SweetGeorgia running at a pace that feels right? [16:38]

#6 I’m really curious about the notion of building a business that runs without you. You seem to be the kind of creative entrepreneur that has figured that out. What was the turning point for you between working IN your biz and working ON your biz? [23:15]

#7 I know that consistency is something you’ve prioritized… in both the product you’re selling but also with your brand and messaging. I bet you’re going to tell me that this was an intentional decision on your part to move slowly to retain consistency? [27:16]

#8 I know you love to teach and I’m super excited to have you tell us about your latest venture which is the School of SweetGeorgia! [31:20]

#9 What is the financial model for that like, can you share that? [34:50]

#10 You’ve got 13 employees now and you’re a mom,so your plate is full. How do you handle the burnout when it comes now? [35:40]

#11 One of the challenges I think that comes with success is deciding on where the path leads and unless you have  super strong vision, mission and values for your business, you can get distracted chasing shiny squirrels. How did you determine that the school was the right path vs. something else? [40:14]

#12 I always end with a quirky question and I understand that you used to also be a competitive ballroom dancer and that you’ve said everything you needed to learn about business you learned from being the president of the ballroom dance club at university. Tell us more about that! [44:00]

Additional Resources

Connect with Felicia Lo SweetGeorgiaYarns | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube