How This 42-Year-Old Earns 6 Figures/Year From Her Sewing Blog, Etsy, and YouTube

Nikki Schreiner has at all times had a really busy life, homeschooling her household, shifting round as an Military spouse, and giving again to her group. And thru all of it she’s at all times had a interest she beloved: stitching.

Someday she determined to start out a stitching weblog: Pin Cut Sew Studio. She went on to open an Etsy retailer and begin a YouTube channel, and grew all of them slowly and steadily. 

She experimented with totally different methods and realized loads of essential classes alongside the way in which, which she shares on this very sincere and galvanizing interview.

At this time, Nikki runs her 6-figure/12 months enterprise out of a teeny tiny stitching room in her home.

Maintain studying to search out out:

• What occurred to her first weblog
• What was the catalyst for creating her stitching weblog
• How she actually began to earn cash
• The place her earnings comes from
• How she views web site visitors
• What number of hours per week she works
• Her ideas on search engine optimization
• Her distinctive strategy to key phrase analysis
• How she finds content material concepts
• How she builds relationships vs. hyperlinks
• How she markets her weblog, YouTube channel, and shops
• Her ideas on checklist constructing
• The assets and instruments she swears by
• Her primary problem to this point
• Her biggest accomplishment
• Her largest mistake
• Her recommendation for different entrepreneurs

Meet Nikki Schreiner

I’m Nikki, an Military spouse and mother of three teenagers, whom I’ve at all times homeschooled (one has graduated, so solely two left to go)! 

We’ve lived in seven states and at present reside in Louisville, KY, which is our favourite up to now and the place we plan to remain if Uncle Sam permits. 

Whereas stitching is my high interest and now my enterprise, I additionally love images, studying, home initiatives, visiting cool cities across the US, the humanities, the outside, enjoying tennis, board video games, the New York Occasions crossword, and… the checklist goes on. 

I’ve at all times been an individual of many pursuits and by no means met a interest I didn’t need to strive. It’s a present and a curse! 

Why She Created Her Web site

I began a weblog within the early 2000s, when running a blog was simply turning into a factor. I blogged about household and residential life, with stitching content material sprinkled in. 

Quick ahead a number of years and I continued to weblog casually in that method, however didn’t actually have the time or inclination to monetize it, as I used to be busy homeschooling my youngsters and shifting round a bunch. 

As soon as all my youngsters had been just a little bit older, I attempted my hand at a multi-level advertising firm. I found that I used to be truly extremely motivated by the incomes potential, however that whilst I grew a really giant downline, the earnings I used to be incomes was not rising in any respect. 

The construction in place was designed to maintain me striving whereas having no precise management over the expansion of “my” enterprise. This will likely appear unrelated to what I’m doing now, however I really feel it’s essential to say it as a result of the expertise was the catalyst for Pin Cut Sew. 

In most methods, I’m not tremendous pleased with having been concerned with an MLM, however I’m additionally very grateful for that point as a result of it taught me what I used to be able to and helped me to see that I had enterprise potential and that I truly favored the instructing half and the enterprise features of that entire expertise. 

Whereas I used to be nonetheless striving to get someplace in that MLM, I actually wanted a brand new laptop computer. 

I made a decision to show a number of youngsters’ stitching camps that summer season as a result of 4 weeks of camp would earn me sufficient to purchase a brand new MacBook. 

After these 4 weeks, I not solely had a brand new laptop computer, I had a complete new marketing strategy. 

I stop the MLM and set to work. I continued scheduling and instructing stitching camps and lessons for teenagers out of my house, whereas concurrently beginning a brand new stitching weblog and, at my husband’s prodding, a YouTube channel, all below the title Pin Lower Sew Studio. 

Issues didn’t take off for me instantly, however the regular earnings from stitching lessons was an effective way so as to add some extra cash to our household’s total earnings. 

In the meantime, I steadily labored on my weblog and YouTube channel, rising an viewers but in addition studying to steadiness all of this with three extra strikes, homeschooling, my husband’s deployment, after which Covid. 

I had stopped instructing lessons when my husband deployed and have targeted solely on creating on-line content material since 2019.

Three years in the past, I began creating PDF printable variations of the tutorials I’d been posting on my weblog and YouTube channel and opened an Etsy shop. 

For a very long time, I had prevented promoting something as a result of I believed that folks wouldn’t pay for what was already elsewhere on the Web without spending a dime. I used to be useless improper. 

I made gross sales the very first day and have bought tens of 1000’s of my printable patterns to this point. 

How A lot She’s Making

I name myself the poster little one for gradual and regular progress over time. 

It’s been 7 years since I first began my weblog and YouTube channel, and I not educate stitching lessons however have grown my online business to a degree the place it’s a big second earnings for our household. 

Since opening my sample store three years in the past, my earnings has greater than doubled annually, and this 12 months, 2024, will probably be my first six-figure 12 months. 

My largest supply of earnings is sample gross sales, which I promote on each Etsy and my very own Squarespace website. 

I’ve two bodily sample booklets that I mail out, however in any other case, my complete store is of digital gadgets. The 2 outlets collectively earn between $6k and $9k in these summer season months, then these earnings simply double and even triple over This autumn, when persons are shopping for patterns to make for the vacations. 

This can be a screenshot of my Etsy sample gross sales, which accounts for two-thirds of my gross sales between each websites. 

My different sources of earnings are YouTube AdSense and my weblog adverts by SheMedia. YouTube adverts fluctuate vastly all year long however appear to have held regular at or round $2k every month this 12 months up to now, then that quantity climbs to $3 to 4k in This autumn. 

My weblog adverts earn $400 to $700 per 30 days. This quantity is low in comparison with many bloggers, however I’ve opted to pour into YouTube and my sample store, utilizing my web site extra as a hub for my content material, gross sales pages, store, and to develop my electronic mail checklist, quite than placing all my consideration on getting visitors from Google and Pinterest. 

We’ve in all probability all heard the saying that what we water will develop, however I feel we will take a look at it from the other viewpoint as properly. Discover what’s rising, and select to water that. 

In my case, YouTube grew very simply in contrast with weblog visitors, so I shifted my focus to that, utilizing it to drive visitors to my store and web site. 

In any other case, I earn a meager quantity from affiliate gross sales and some selective sponsorships. 

I’ve chosen to maintain sponsorships to a minimal as a result of I discovered that I don’t wish to work with deadlines! I feel it’s crucial to know your self and never settle for simply any income source if it should make you depressing within the course of.

As for visitors, in line with Google Analytics, my web site has had 414k guests within the final 12 months. This isn’t a metric I test fairly often, actually. 

Advert earnings is simply additional for me, however my store gross sales are my bread and butter, so these are extra essential numbers for me to trace. 

My YouTube channel performs very properly, at 106k subscribers and over 5,000,000 views! 

I’m very pleased with what I’ve grown there; it’s such an incredible group of individuals, and it’s been very profitable at driving individuals to my web site to buy my patterns and be part of my electronic mail checklist.

I work about 20 hours per week, on precise stitching initiatives and sample making, and on filming and laptop work. I do know this as a result of, after I arrange an LLC this 12 months, my accountant had me do a wage examine and I needed to calculate on a regular basis I spend. 

Nikki’s Principal Advertising Technique

I’ll by no means cease encouraging extra bloggers to take the leap into video content material. I feel including video content to my strategy early on, despite the fact that it took a number of years for me to start out taking it extra critically, is what has led to a lot of my success. 

Video just isn’t solely prioritized in Google search outcomes, YouTube is second solely to Google as essentially the most visited web site on the planet. 

Many bloggers I’ve chatted with about video really feel very nervous about placing their faces on the market for the world to see, however I hope extra will get previous that and provides it a strive. 

I struggled to start out, too, however movies at the moment are the a part of my enterprise that makes me really feel most linked to my viewers.

Her Ideas on search engine optimization

search engine optimization has at all times been a secondary consideration for me and in gentle of the latest modifications to Google search, I consider this has labored in my favor! Whereas I do attempt to write weblog articles in a method that they are going to be present in search outcomes, I’ve not prioritized search engine optimization over writing what my viewers will need and revel in. 

As a result of my weblog incorporates articles and tutorials that embody accompanying movies and are distinctive concepts, my website didn’t get hit negatively by the latest useful content material replace. 

That stated, I think about my web site extra of a hub for my complete enterprise, and website visitors just isn’t one thing I focus massively on at present. I put most of my vitality into YouTube viewership and store gross sales. 

I do suppose understanding search engine optimization and the way it works is essential, however I don’t suppose it ought to develop into a blogger’s complete marketing strategy. 

At all times diversifying the place your visitors comes from and the place you’re posting your content material, plus understanding what your viewers desires, is a way more dependable technique. 

I’ll add that Google clearly isn’t the one website with an algorithm. YouTube has its personal set of search engine optimization optimization pointers, as does Etsy, as does Pinterest, and so forth. Studying the perfect practices for every platform you’re utilizing is essential as properly. 

Key phrase Analysis

My key phrase technique is the reverse of how I’ve seen many bloggers working. 

I’ve already defined that search engine optimization optimization just isn’t my high precedence. That signifies that, quite than in search of out the “low-hanging fruit” of matters to cowl in my weblog utilizing instruments and key phrase searches, I first decide what my viewers desires to learn or watch, then I discover the key phrases that pertain to what I’ve created in order that I can be sure I cowl these within the put up, to ensure that it to carry out higher in search outcomes. 

I feel others in inventive niches would agree that you need to discover that candy spot between what you need to create and are naturally engaged on, and turning that into content material that conjures up others and meets their wants. 

Certainly one of my favourite methods to search out matters is by taking note of the feedback I obtain in my movies and looking ahead to peoples’ ache factors. 

If there’s a query being requested a number of occasions, or a tutorial individuals hold asking for, that’s my cue to create content material round it. Merely asking your viewers what they’d wish to see or what they suppose is the toughest a part of (fill-in-the-blank), will be an effective way to assemble content material concepts as properly.

Hyperlink Constructing

I’ve no fancy technique for hyperlink constructing. 

I discover it’s a lot better to permit this stuff to occur naturally, and by nurturing relationships with different individuals in your area of interest, they may certainly occur naturally. 

Instagram is nice for this, in my expertise. 

On YouTube additionally, I point out and hyperlink to different channels I’ve gotten an concept from. This leads naturally to others reciprocating and once they do, I obtain hyperlinks, then visitors, then gross sales. As an added bonus, I’ve made mates! 

Her Content material Creation Course of

I think about every new video the start of a circle of content material. 

For instance, if I create a video tutorial for YouTube, I point out and hyperlink to the printable model of the sample for the challenge in my store. 

My store web page is certain to say that there’s a video tutorial accessible, and I additionally create a blog post across the tutorial, embedding the video within the put up, writing some details about it, together with supplies and additional suggestions, and likewise linking to the sample there. 

So my YouTube channel, my weblog, and my sample store all have coated the identical challenge, and all three are linking to one another in a round trend. 

Lastly, I ship an electronic mail publication linking to the brand new challenge video, put up, and sample. Ideally, I’ll additionally create a social media put up for varied platforms, however since these don’t usually drive gross sales for me, I forgive myself if I don’t. 

I’m just one individual, in any case, and I focus most on what strikes my enterprise ahead within the largest methods.

This technique covers all my bases and serves individuals who devour content material in all types of the way. 

Some individuals choose to observe, some wish to learn, some like the data of their inbox, some need the printable model. I attempt to cowl the content material so that everybody can devour it of their most well-liked method.

Her E-mail Record

Like many bloggers, I didn’t perceive the worth of an electronic mail checklist till it was confirmed to me! 

I resisted for some time, however I began an electronic mail checklist earlier than I actually felt like I had a lot to supply and now I’m so glad I did. 

I’ve over 10,000 electronic mail checklist subscribers and I develop this checklist in a number of methods. 

I do have a pop-up on my web site that performs fairly properly. I even have an possibility to hitch my electronic mail checklist when anybody purchases from my Squarespace store, which is an enormous purpose why I wish to have my very own store along with Etsy, the place it’s a lot tougher to get individuals over to my website and my electronic mail checklist. 

Lastly, I often make a challenge on YouTube and supply a free printable instruction sheet for it. As a way to get the freebie, individuals need to jump over to my store, which I hyperlink to within the video description, and once they get the freebie from my store, they virtually at all times choose into my electronic mail checklist. 

I like my electronic mail checklist as a result of when I’ve launched a brand new sample, or have one thing to share or announce, it’s such a quick strategy to make my followers conscious and to make gross sales. 

I feel bloggers typically draw back from utilizing electronic mail as a result of they don’t need to be “salesy,” and I perceive, nevertheless it helps to do not forget that these individuals need to be in your checklist. They selected it, they count on your emails, and persons are sensible sufficient to know that they are going to be bought to by electronic mail. It’s actually what they signed up for! 

In fact, it is best to fluctuate your emails and never promote one thing in each one, however don’t let the worry of annoying individuals hold you from utilizing your checklist to its full benefit. 

I resisted for a very long time, however now I’ve realized that if I’m having a gradual week and have to up my earnings actual quick, sending a easy electronic mail is my first and most suitable choice. 

Nikki’s Favourite Sources

I do have some podcast and channel suggestions, however first I need to say that so as to be a superb content material creator, you need to be a content material shopper. 

In case you had been becoming a member of a jazz band however by no means listened to jazz music in any respect, you wouldn’t be anticipated to develop or develop into an professional. You’d be a poser and would in all probability make a idiot of your self. 

The identical is true for content creation. 

If you wish to be a superb blogger, learn blogs. If you wish to be a superb YouTuber, watch good YouTube channels in all types of niches. 

Discover their storytelling strategies, their pacing, their B-roll, their tone, and ask your self how one can enhance your content material with the concepts you collect. Consuming content material after which utilizing that to enhance your personal is the easiest way to get good at it. 

For running a blog, I like The Blogger Genius Podcast, Pat Flynn, and naturally Area of interest Pursuits! 

It’s so inspiring to listen to about different bloggers’ journeys as a result of I’ve typically felt like my path to success was very gradual in contrast with others. Listening to the massive number of tales out there may be at all times so encouraging. 

For YouTube, I like Assume Media for normal YouTube how-to-succeed recommendation, and Ali Abdal for productiveness. There are a lot of channels I watch and am impressed by although, in many various niches.

First, I couldn’t dwell with out Canva Pro, and I’m certain many entrepreneurs agree. It’s virtually too good to be true. It has every little thing I want for graphics of all types. I exploit it for weblog graphics, YouTube thumbnails, and I even create all my stitching patterns in Canva Professional. 

Second, I’m an enormous fan of Squarespace. 

I do know many bloggers sing the praises of WordPress, however I’ve been a Squarespace consumer for eight years and haven’t had a single difficulty with it. I don’t need to cope with fussy plugins or pay for exterior instruments. 

It hosts my web site, weblog, sample store, and my electronic mail checklist multi functional place. It’s user-friendly and trendy, and so they’re at all times including new options that sustain with web site wants and developments. 

So for many who wrestle with the educational curve of WordPress or discover it overwhelming, I hope you’ll give Squarespace a strive. 

Third, I’ve realized to make use of Procreate on my iPad up to now 12 months and was in a position to create some bodily stitching how-to booklets, drawing all of the graphics and illustrations myself utilizing Procreate. 

I’ve even turned some unique, niche-specific art work into stickers to promote in my store and postcards to ship with my bodily sample booklets. In order that’s been a enjoyable instrument to be taught and I’m excited to see what else I can do with that. 

Her Largest Problem

I feel I’ve had two large challenges, the primary being my restricted time. 

It’s been actually laborious at occasions to verify I’m prioritizing the appropriate issues in my life, and likewise giving my enterprise the time it wanted to take off, particularly within the earlier years when it wasn’t incomes a lot of an earnings. 

I’ve a really full life outdoors of running a blog, so I’ve to verify I’m not getting annoyed after I don’t really feel like I’m in a position to work as a lot as I’d wish to. 

It’s been useful to be taught to make use of the pockets of time I’m granted between my different commitments, although. 

Via my youngsters’ teen years, I’ve spent a lot time sitting within the automobile whereas they’re at varied actions (the factor nobody mentions once you develop into a guardian is how a lot time you spend within the automobile throughout their teen years), and I realized to make use of these occasions to put in writing weblog content material or edit YouTube movies. 

And I nonetheless homeschool my final two teenagers, so we frequently do college at espresso outlets so I can do laptop work whereas they do college. Becoming my work into my life, quite than the opposite method round, is what’s saved it sustainable for me. 

The second problem I’ve to say is that of comparability. 

We knew after I began this entire factor that it couldn’t value our household cash, as a result of we didn’t have additional to spend on it. I didn’t take running a blog programs or purchase additional instruments or subscriptions that so many had been touting because the keys to running a blog success. 

And I additionally knew that I couldn’t go full-on boss babe, as a result of my greater dedication was to my household and group. 

As a result of these limitations, my path to success felt a lot slower than others’. Whereas others had been climbing the ranks to the nice advert networks in 12-18 months, I labored for five years earlier than incomes a part-time earnings on-line, and 6 years earlier than my earnings reached full-time, life-altering numbers. 

My husband inspired me to maintain going so long as I used to be having fun with it, and to not fixate on the numbers, and it could succeed ultimately. 

It wasn’t costing us extra to take care of it than it was incomes, in any case, and it additionally gave me such a inventive and mental outlet when a lot of my life revolved round my youngsters, so why not hold going?

I’m glad to say he was proper. 

Her Best Accomplishment

I’m most proud that I’ve reached this level with my integrity intact and my work/life steadiness below management. 

I actually attempt to counteract a lot of the buy-this-now influencer tradition and as an alternative promote frugality, creativity, utilizing what you may have, and making what you’re keen on, by my movies and content material. 

I’ve accepted just one sponsored video supply and rapidly determined that type of content material isn’t for me. I actually really feel that consumerism within the US is uncontrolled in each aspect of our lives and I actually don’t need to add to that chaos. 

So to have constructed a enterprise that earns an earnings from one thing I actually created, in a method that feels very sincere, is particular to me. 

The truth that I’m working at one thing I completely love doing is icing on the cake, and it’s not misplaced on me what a present that is.

It’s tougher and tougher in America for households to dwell on one earnings, and my household and I are simply so grateful for what this enterprise has supplied for us. 

What She Needs She Knew When She Began

I want I might have recognized that it’s okay to filter out the gurus and the boss babes and do issues my very own method. 

search engine optimization and sure different issues are essential, sure, however they’re not as essential as your personal uniqueness. 

There was a few 12 months after I tried to weblog the rote method, with key phrases and ideal search engine optimization, and never solely did it really feel inauthentic and boring to me, it didn’t end result within the progress that I skilled when I discovered extra of a steadiness between what I wished to put in writing and movie for my viewers, and ensuring it acquired seen by stated viewers by search engine optimization and advertising. 

“Be your self,” is what I might say to myself again then. 

Nikki’s Principal Mistake

My largest mistake was not selling digital patterns earlier! 

Folks like to spend cash. As a frugal individual myself, I didn’t know this easy reality about human nature. I assumed for method too lengthy that folks wouldn’t purchase what I might make, or that they’d suppose I used to be money-hungry, or that the way in which I knew methods to make patterns wouldn’t be skilled sufficient. 

Oh, if solely I’d began sooner! 

Worry of what individuals would suppose and say to me held me again for a very long time. As soon as I jumped in, I instantly kicked myself for not beginning this a part of my enterprise years earlier. 

Her Recommendation for Different Entrepreneurs

On-line content material creation is an ever altering discipline, as everyone knows. In case your sole supply of earnings is adverts or associates, or should you’re simply beginning out and that’s your plan, I’d urge you to suppose once more. 

The times of simply incomes a full-time earnings from adverts alone are over for most individuals, and affiliate applications should not what they was. 

Bloggers have realized over the previous 12 months, we’ve got zero management over Google and different algorithms and in case your complete enterprise is banking on these platforms, you would lose every little thing with one little algorithm replace.

So, my finest recommendation is to determine what you may promote. Construct an viewers of true followers by your character, find out about storytelling, make distinctive content material that’s interesting, develop into your model, take note of what the wants of your viewers are, after which make them a proposal. 

Create an incredible digital product for them. Your viewers received’t even need to be very giant earlier than you can begin incomes an earnings. 

And, because it goes hand in hand with the above recommendation, you should begin constructing an electronic mail checklist as early as attainable. 

Even should you don’t have a lot to say to them within the early days, begin constructing it anyway and also you’ll thank your self later. 

Your merchandise and your electronic mail checklist are two issues you may have management over, so if every little thing else modifications tomorrow, your corporation will probably be simply effective.