Explore Your Enthusiasm artwork

Explore Your Enthusiasm

136 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 1 year ago - ★★★★★ - 78 ratings

Tap into what makes you feel like YOU by following your enthusiasm. Each week we’ll discuss finding joy, mental wellness and enthusiasm by finding time and energy to do more of what feels fun. Yes, FUN, even in times of big transition, in the middle of caregiving, in your life.
Gardening, reading, sewing and knitting are how I follow my enthusiasm. How do you follow yours?

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Episodes

A week in my garden

August 22, 2022 21:57

You don’t need more time management tips

August 03, 2022 14:34 - 8 minutes - 16.7 MB

If you want to get more done, but you feel burnt out, you don’t need better time management. Apply to join my new program here: https://forms.gle/d5mwsYw1aFqeFCzcA

10 best books for mental health

July 12, 2022 16:01 - 26 seconds - 25 MB

A listener asked me for some book recommendations so here are my top favorites in memoir, non-ficition, brain science and encouragement. Find the entire list of books here:

How following my enthusiasm saved me from burnout

June 28, 2022 16:32 - 16 minutes - 30.8 MB

It’s my hope that by talking about what helped me, I can help you feel less overwhelmed, less disconnected from your life and more tapped into what brings you joy. Let’s just get right into it: Following your enthusiasm, really nerding out is the way to feel like yourself again. If you, like most of us, have had to take on new caregiver roles during the pandemic or this stage of life - maybe it’s kids, a sick spouse, your parents need care. A lot of us are in the stage of life where we just...

WHY I QUIT my podcast & how I’m back (things are changing)

June 14, 2022 18:24 - 30 minutes - 56.9 MB

It’s back, baby! In todays episode I share why I had to stop podcasting, how my family TRIPLED and what’s next for the podcast. Explore Your Enthusiasm was a weekly creative business show for 6 years. We talked marketing, time, goal-setting and profitability in your creative work. And then, pandemic one April, newborn in NICU in July and three more kiddos (under 4yo), in September. But I’m ready to come back. Listen in to what’s changed and what you can expect next.

Garden Tour - early June 2022

June 07, 2022 13:08

Wandering around Asheville | A Birthday Vlog

June 04, 2022 18:23

Turning 40 and spending the day alone in Asheville.

Library Therapy - a giant haul of garden books

June 02, 2022 20:31

Fixed a bad day with a big library haul. I went to my local library (Johnson City Public Library) and getting a big pile of gardening and Permaculture books.

WHERE AM I? A BIG LIFE UPDATE

November 09, 2020 19:10 - 8 minutes - 6.79 MB

Remember when I said the podcast was coming back? That VERY week, I became the mom of three more kids!  Tune in to hear how my family expanded so quickly and what's next.  Don’t miss the next episode and all my news, sign up here: http://taraswiger.com/list Join the Facebook group for recipes and live convos:https://www.facebook.com/groups/essentialenthusiasm/ Follow me on Instagram: http://instagram.com/taraswiger  Find these shownotes (and 300+ more episodes!) here: http://taras...

309: Big Changes!

September 02, 2020 03:19 - 21 minutes - 29.2 MB

I have a baby! I stopped selling my main product! Listen in to learn why!  After publishing an episode every single week for 6 years, the pandemic and life really threw me for a loop and it's been four months since a regular weekly podcast.  Well, I have good news - the podcast is back to it's normal weekly schedule! This week we're going to talk about the big changes in my life in my business, why I made the big changes that I did, and what lessons you can learn from my process. Fin...

308: Favorite books of Spring 2020

July 01, 2020 11:00 - 19 minutes - 26.5 MB

It's time to share my favorite books of March - June. I read 25 books and so many were so good! FInd the full shownotes at TaraSwiger.com/podcast308.  Today's episode is brought to you by Hank Green and his upcoming book A Brilliantly Foolish Endeavor. Find more at HankGreen.com  The books I loved: Home Before Dark by Riley Sager Support indies Buy from Amazon   The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix I talked more about this book in this reading vlo...

307: Business and Mindset Podcasts by Black Women

June 10, 2020 11:00 - 11 minutes - 15.5 MB

As I was thinking about if I wanted to record and what, if anything, I wanted to share, I realized that what YOU come here for is help with your business and encouragement in building it. And the best way I can serve you right now is to tell you other awesome business podcasts to listen to, while I continue my podcast hiatus, specifically podcasts by black women.  Because here’s the thing - we all have implicit (meaning unconscious) biases. These biases affect what we listen to, who we pay...

Classic: Seasons of Business

April 22, 2020 11:00 - 22 minutes - 31.3 MB

What if you are just not getting things done? What if you just can NOT get things done? Before you start beating yourself up, ask yourself: is this just a season of my life? I recorded this episode over a year ago, when I was a brand-new mom, but it's so appropriate for what we're ALL going through right now - a completely new season in our life and business.    Find the shownotes with the full transcript here: http://taraswiger.com/podcast306

HOW TO FIND ENTHUSIASM IN UNCERTAINTY

April 15, 2020 11:00 - 21 minutes - 29.1 MB

How do you find joy and enthusiasm for anything when everything is turned upside down? That’s what I’ve been thinking about this past week.  As you know if you’ve been listening for a while, my fundamental business belief, what shapes everything I do and how I work with makers and designers, is that your business will thrive and YOU will feel best about it when you follow your enthusiasm. What do I mean by enthusiasm? I like the definition:  intense or eager enjoyment or interest. You ca...

304: How to plan for business during uncertainty

April 08, 2020 11:00 - 16 minutes - 23.3 MB

Welcome to April and the beginning of a new quarter! This is the time where we usually make plans for the coming three months and review the progress we’ve made so far this year but...everything is weird. How do we do that now? In the Starship this week, we’re Map Making - making a plan for the quarter. You can learn more about the Starship here and/or start making your own map with my book, Map Your Business.  I know, nothing is normal right now.  You are staying home, no one in your...

How to make decisions: Ask yourself this question

April 01, 2020 10:00 - 7 minutes - 10.7 MB

How  do you decide what to do next? How do you make a decision? My family has a simple question that we ask to make complex decisions and I’m sharing it with you today.   I want to talk about how you decide ANYthing in your business (or life) and a quick question I use to make better decisions. I’m not even going to make you wait, here is the question to ask yourself: Hard now or hard later?  Over the years of making decisions together, from do we want to get pizza delivered or make din...

3 mistakes to avoid in your handmade business

March 18, 2020 11:00 - 16 minutes - 22.3 MB

Why do you feel stuck? Why isn’t your business growing? It could be one of these mistakes that are common in creative businesses. I want to help you avoid these mistakes, so let’s dive right in.  I’ve been working with product makers - yarn dyers, bag sewers, jewelry makers - and designers and shop owners for the last decade! I’ve been getting up close and personal with them, in my community, the Starship, since 2011. So I have seen a lot of what holds us back in our business, and what to ...

300: Celebrations! How I got here, how I manage my week, and more of your questions answered

March 10, 2020 14:27 - 31 minutes - 43.9 MB

It's the 300th episode of the podcast! OMG! Celebrate with me in this episode as my husband  asks me YOUR questions. We discuss the very twisty journey that brought me here in my business, how I plan my weeks, and how I order my coffee.  You can SEE us answer these questions right here: http://taraswiger.com/podcast300   Help me celebrate by:  Leaving a review on your podcast app!  Joining the free Facebook group where I'll be going LIVE this week with a celebration! 

299: Why Instagram Stories?

March 06, 2020 19:21 - 20 minutes - 28.4 MB

Are you using Instagram Stories? Is it connecting with your customers and helping you reach your goals? Or are you confused about what to do to make it effective? Today I’m going to answer your questions about WHY you should be using Instagram Stories and HOW to make them work for you! Today we’re diving into the tool Instagram Stories and how you can use them to connect with your right customers, build trust and make sales. Head over the to the VIDEO version of this episode to see a wal...

298: How Instagram creates sales

February 26, 2020 12:00 - 21 minutes - 28.9 MB

Is Instagram worth it? How do you make sales with Instagram? I know! This is one of the ongoing questions my students have about any tool, and Instagram in particular. Today I’m going to explain EXACTLY how you can increase your sales by using Instagram. Before we dive into Instagram, we are coming right up on episode 300, and I am including YOU in this episode! To participate, head over to my free FB group: fb.com/groups/taraswiger and the info on how to be involved is right there, pinned...

297: Favorite books of Winter 2020

February 19, 2020 12:00 - 14 minutes - 19.8 MB

What is the best book you’ve read lately? In today’s episode, I’m sharing my favorite books of this winter - from December - February. Every quarter I round-up my most-favorite books and share them here. If you are subscribed to my YouTube channel, you may recognize some of these books, as they were part of my Best Books of 2019. If you like learning about great books and you are NOT subscribed over on YouTube, you are missing out! I share reading vlogs, monthly round-ups, and all kinds of...

296: Fix your mindset

February 12, 2020 12:00 - 18 minutes - 25.2 MB

Now that you’ve worked on your fear, what about your other beliefs that are holding you back? What do you need to believe in order to move towards your goals? Over the last few weeks we’ve been talking about what’s holding you back. We’ve talked about how a lot of you say what’s holding you back is… YOU. Fear is at the heart of a lot of it. Another aspect of what’s holding you back is what you believe - about yourself, your business, and how the world works. This is your mindset, the set...

295: Get out of your own way

February 05, 2020 12:00 - 12 minutes - 17.2 MB

Are you getting in the way of your handmade business moving forward? Yeah, it’s time to get out of your own way. Lately we’ve been doing a series on how to make your 2020 goals come true. In episodes 292 and 293, I gave you lots of applicable, step-by-step advice on how to increase sales, so be sure to head over to TaraSwiger.com/launch if you missed that. But as I said in those episodes, only a small percentage of people will follow through with the action plan. Why? Well, for some ...

294: What's holding you back?

January 29, 2020 12:00 - 14 minutes - 19.8 MB

What’s holding you back? What is keeping you from achieving a profitable, sustainable business that you feel confident in? What is keeping you from working towards your goals every week? We’ve been working on reaching your sales goal, all month. To hear episodes about increasing and sustaining your sales, tune in to episodes 292 & 293. After those episodes, I debated over what to cover next and then I realized: what’s keeping you from your goal is different for everyone. You have your ow...

293: What's next? Continuous sales after launch

January 22, 2020 12:00 - 16 minutes - 22.8 MB

How do you keep sales going? When you don’t have anything new? When you’re not launching? What can you do to stay consistent? Today we are diving in to making more consistent sales! Recently Starship Captain Brenda asked: “I just launched a pattern last week and had a good amount of sales, but now what?” I’m going to share with you what I told her. This is the second episode in a series about reaching your 2020 goal of increased sales. You can listen to the first, which was about lau...

292: Your Launch Plan: 5 steps to growth

January 15, 2020 12:00 - 32 minutes - 44.5 MB

In this episode of Explore Your Enthusiasm, I'm walking you through my Launch Plan Worksheet, so that you can great a clear and thorough plan for your next launch. Find your copy of the worksheet right here. Then track the results and tell me about it! DM me on Instagram!   Listen in at TaraSwiger.com/podcast292

291: How I'm planning 2020

January 08, 2020 12:00 - 31 minutes - 43.2 MB

As a culture we talk a lot about planning the year for about 2 seconds on December 31st and January 1st, but the fact is, when you’re building a business or following a dream, you are planning and implementing a plan all the time! Today I’m going to share how I planned my New Year, warts and all. Welcome to the New Year! Over the years I have written (and recorded) a lot about New Year and seasonal planning, so this year I decided to share exactly what I’m doing, with a bit of my feelings ...

290: Skip the Resolutions, Make a Plan

January 01, 2020 12:00 - 12 minutes - 16.6 MB

Are you setting New Year’s Resolutions? Have you in year’s past? How’s that worked for you? What if we stop with the resolutions and instead we actually transform our lives in 2020? You find ALL of my resources for creating a great year at taraswiger.com/2020goals So the problem with resolutions, I’m sure you already know, is that they don’t work. Think about it- have you ever met someone who said “I made a resolution and reached it!” No, because the way we set resolutions, the word...

289: How to decide on your next goal

December 18, 2019 12:00 - 14 minutes - 19.4 MB

Are you stuck between two really great ideas? Wondering if you have to choose or if you should just do them both at the same time? How could you choose between them? Today I’m going to help you answer one of the BIGGEST questions I get about creating do-able plans for your next goals: Do I have to pick just one and how the heck do I do that?! In my book Map Your Business and in my Starship Program, you begin by getting clear on your big vision. Then you set a goal and break it down into ...

288: How I use planners in my business - Asana edition

December 11, 2019 12:00 - 24 minutes - 33.2 MB

How do you keep track of all the moving parts in a recurring or upcoming projects? What if you’re waiting on other people to do their part before you can do your part? I do this with project management apps, so today we’re going to make it a bit less overwhelming and how to pick the software that will help you. This week I’m answering the question that occurs after you make a map - how the heck do I keep track of all the moving parts? You see, in my book Map Your Business and in my Stars...

287: How I use planners in my business - paper planner edition

December 04, 2019 12:00 - 20 minutes - 27.8 MB

How do you turn your to-do lists into a plan? How do you know what to do every day? How do you fit your work around non-work appointments and responsibilities? This is what we’ll talk about this episode. This week I’m answering the question that occurs after you make a map - how the heck do I follow through on this every day? You see, in my book Map Your Business and in my Starship Program, you begin by getting clear on your big vision. And then you set a goal and break it down into step...

286: Favorite books: Autumn 2019

November 27, 2019 12:00 - 12 minutes - 17.3 MB

It is time for my seasonal round-up of the very best books I’ve read. We’re talking sequels that live up to your hopes, toddler parenting books and of course, mysteries and thrillers. Usually we talk about building a creative business, goal-setting, marketing, and confidence. But we also love to read and talk about books! For the past 6 years I've shared my monthly reading list on my blog, and since January 2018, I've shared that list on the podcast (Starting in episode 192). I've heard fr...

285: Mental health during the holidays

November 20, 2019 12:00 - 16 minutes - 22.7 MB

It’s mid-November, the holidays are upon us, so I wanted to check in - how are you feeling? REALLY? Are you feeling scrambled or stressed or depressed or anxious? Let’s talk this week about how to stay emotionally and mentally healthy during this busy season in both your business and your life. I’m not a mental health professional or a doctor. I am your big sister or best friend who is here to remind you to take care of yourself. If you want to hear more about my own mental health advent...

284: You have more than enough time

November 13, 2019 12:00 - 16 minutes - 22.5 MB

You have more than enough time. Yeah, I know, it feels like you don’t have any time. But today we’re going to talk about why you believe that and how you can change it. Today we’re going right into tough love territory I know it feels like there's never enough time. With kids and work and starting your business, it can all be super-overwhelming. Since becoming a parent, I have learned that it can be shockingly hard to even find time to take a shower. I get that. You believe you don’t h...

283: How to make time to APPLY what you learn

November 06, 2019 12:00 - 15 minutes - 21.5 MB

You have just read a great business book, or attended a workshop or joined an online class… but how do you get your investment out of it? How do you APPLY what you’ve learned? How do you make sure that it makes a difference in your business and your life? Today I’m answering a question a Starship Captain recently asked after she read a great book - how do I APPLY this to my business? You see, I’ve thought a LOT about how to make business education and information applicable. I’ve built i...

282: Get your shop ready for the holidays

October 30, 2019 11:00 - 21 minutes - 29.5 MB

Happy Holidays! Ok, so I just filled your heart with dread, didn’t I?! If you are a shopper, it’s annoying to see ANY holiday stuff months before the holiday begins, it’s like Live in the NOW, man!... but if you own and run a shop, it is VITAL to plan for your holiday season… starting right about now. This week I am going to help you make a PLAN for getting everything out of the holiday season that you want to! We’re going to set a goal, creating a vision for what you want out of the sea...

281: How to invest in your business

October 23, 2019 11:00 - 13 minutes - 18.3 MB

I recently made a big decision about an investment in my business. And I spent the last week talking to makers about how to know WHEN something is the right investment in their business business. When I opened the Starship to new members last month, this is the question that most people have - how do I decide if this is the right investment for me, right now? Our conversations have me reflecting on how I make these decisions in my own business, and how anyone knows that anything is the “...

280: Biz lessons from (foster) parenting

October 16, 2019 11:00 - 23 minutes - 32 MB

So hey, I became a parent this year! I parented 5 kids in 12 months, not concurrently but consecutively. And in this year of parenthood, I have learned a LOT about myself, my worldview, my marriage AND my business. Today I want to share what parenting has taught me about business. This episode is ultra-vulnerable, because I usually talk about stuff that I know quite a bit about, that I’ve researched and experienced. Well, parenting is not really my expertise. And I’m gonna be honest - I ...

279: How to survive social media burnout

October 09, 2019 11:00 - 15 minutes - 21.1 MB

Are you DREADING logging on to IG? Has it been WEEKS since you posted to your Facebook page or group? Honey, you are not alone. It is totally normal to get burnout, and this week I'm going to help you avoid it and deal with it when it happens, and I'm going to give you a dose of tough love! Today's episode is brought to you by my darling patrons, you can join them in supporting the show, at Patron.com/Taraswiger, for as little as $1/mo. It is sooo easy to get burnt out with social medi...

278: Business Plans: Sneak peek into our business plan (+ how to make your own)

October 02, 2019 11:00 - 27 minutes - 37.8 MB

Today is kind of a part 2 to last week’s episode, where we talked about if you even need a traditional business plan. Last week I walked you through what to do for an effective plan, if you don’t need a traditional one. You can find that at taraswiger.com/podcast277 That episode is going to help 98% of you, my readers, get super-clear on where your business is and where it’s going and how the heck to plan that out. But if you DO need a traditional plan, today I’m not only going to tell y...

277: Business plans: Do you need one?

September 25, 2019 11:00 - 36 minutes - 50 MB

Do you need a formal business plan? If not, how can you plan your business so it’s profitable and successful? How will you measure if it IS successful? Today's deep dive into business plans comes to you because my Boss-Level Patrons voted that I make this episode this month. Several years ago I created a video where I shared the process of making the business plan to buy the comic shop that my husband worked at. When I made the video we were in the middle of planning to buy the shop, whi...

276: Q+A: promotion, saying no, and balancing multiple businesses

September 18, 2019 11:00 - 31 minutes - 43 MB

What is the BEST tool to promote your business? How do you say NO without losing customers? How do you balance multiple businesses? Today I am answering YOUR questions in this Q+A episode! Thank you to my Patrons:  Brenda Erin Marianne Weber of MWsDesigns Sarah Schira of Imagined Landscapes Kim Werker Rowena Roberts Most weeks I teach a lesson to help your creative business, but today I am answering YOUR questions! I gathered questions from my community of supporters on Patre...

275: What I Read: Summer 2019

September 12, 2019 11:00 - 30 minutes - 41.4 MB

First off: Thank you Patrons!  Racheal Herron, author of Stolen Things  CC of Geeky Girls Knit Ana of RagTyme Design Jana Ford I read a LOT this summer, today I'll share my very favorite memoirs, mental health books and a lot of brand-new thrillers. For the past 6 years I've shared my monthly reading list on my blog, and since January 2018, I've shared that list on the podcast (Starting in episode 192). I've heard from a lot of you, that you love to talk books with me, so I'm makin...

274: How to recover from summer

September 04, 2019 11:00 - 29 minutes - 40.5 MB

Hello! I am back! After a summer of pre-recorded episodes and rebroadcasts, I am back with you in nearly-real-time! Today we are going to talk about how to recover from your summer - whether you took time off, or you got tons of work done, or you did a bunch of craft shows or you went on vacation - how do you get back into it and move forward and reach your goals for the year? Today I'm going to give you an update on my summer, we're going to talk about how to learn from the summer and mov...

273: Pressure to be perfect (rebroadcast)

August 28, 2019 11:00 - 21 minutes - 29.5 MB

In this week's rebroadcast we're tackling the pressure to be perfect. Do you know that feeling? Are you feeling pressured by Instagram to pretend like your life is perfect? Today we’re going to talk about this pressure for perfection and at the end of the episode I’m going to share where I’ll be next. I've been hearing a lot that there is this pressure, from Instagram and Pinterest (and the internet in general) to be perfect, to edit your life perfectly, to have a perfect house and perfe...

272: Stretch Goals (rebroadcast)

August 21, 2019 11:00 - 14 minutes - 19.8 MB

This week's rebroadcast is all about stretch goals, and reaching for them. Did you set a stretch goal this year? How do you know what the right amount of stretch IS? How much is too much? What is ridiculous and what is a good kind of challenging? Today I'm going to answer a question I got in the Starship, my online community, about Stretch goals. How much is too much? What if you're just being delusional? Is there a way to know what's realistic? I struggled with this question for a whi...

271: Get over your fear of dissaproval (rebroadcast)

August 14, 2019 11:00 - 10 minutes - 14.1 MB

Are you unsure of your next step, because you’re afraid of the reaction you’re going to get? Are you avoiding rejection, because you want to have the approval and acceptance of your customers and audience? Yeah, me too. In this rebroadcast, covering how to get over your fear of disapproval. It's a great follow up to last week's podcast on how to stop seeking approval in the first place. You can find the original episode here. Today we’re going to talk even MORE about Rejection – so much ...

270: Stop Seeking Approval (rebroadcast)

August 07, 2019 11:00 - 31 minutes - 43 MB

In today's rebroadcast I'm sharing why (and some tips on how) to stop seeking approval so that you can build a great business. You can find the original episode here. Here’s a dichotomy: You want to listen to your customers and your audience, to give them what they want, to create an awesome business. But yet, needing their approval has you frozen or afraid or feeling kinda needy. How do you balance this? In the last week of 2017, I did a live video (you can watch it at the show notes fo...

269: Be Yourself (rebroadcast)

July 31, 2019 11:00 - 23 minutes - 32.9 MB

In today’s rebroadcast I share the biggest lesson of my biggest gig to date – I taught a three day class at CreativeLive, about creating your best marketing plan. I completely forgot to mention how to GET that class, so here’s the link! Oh, and the lesson I learned: How to be myself. In today's episode, I'll share how the heck I figured out how to Be Myself, and how it totally changed the way I think about things. How to Be Yourself (even when you're a nervous wreck.) Get clear on what ...

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