A Makers’ Studio Launch Teaches DIY Business

A couple of months ago, I shared my new business endeavor ~ A Maker’s Studio. Since then I’ve shared several DIY project posts and YouTube videos using the products. Today there are no DIY projects, no videos, no tutorials. Today I have to share the amazing weekend I spent in Memphis, Tennessee, at the official A Makers’ Studio Launch.

If you’ve ever been to a company conference ~ my lifestyle blogger friends from Haven know exactly what I’m talking about ~ you learn a ton of how~to’s, product information and meet other folks in your field or company. You listen to amazing speakers who offer advice, encouragement, and resources. We did all those things at the AMS Launch. But the most important part, the part that made this experience so special, wasn’t about product usage or how~to.

The most important takeaways from Launch weekend were the intangibles, the powerful messages and the sharing of very special people who believe that you can and will be anything you want to be. A Makers’ Studio Launch was all about people, passion, and purpose.

A Maker’s Studio Launch ~ People, Passion, Purpose

Most companies have a business model and usually it starts with product and profit. Yes, every company has to offer a service or products. And, of course, every company needs to make a profit to stay in business. But how often has a company stated and affirmed that the most important things are people, passion and purpose?

The People

Amy Howard, the founder of A Makers’ Studio, is a believer in people. It’s no wonder that the company’s mission statement starts with people, women, in particular.

A company that believes in people has its priorities in the right place. People are the movers, the shakers, the motivators; Amy calls us difference makers. People who want to make a difference in the lives of their own families, their friends, and even strangers are the people who will support you, nurture you, and encourage you.

A Makers’ Studio Launch weekend gathered women (There were several husbands there, too.) from all walks of life: the extroverts, the introverts, the shy and the outgoing, every decade from their 20’s to their 60’s, from every region of America; those who work outside their homes and the stay~at~home moms; those who have had their own businesses and those who never did; those who are very creative and those who barely know how to hold a paintbrush. We are all different and we loved it.

What we did have in common was our belief that we could do whatever we set our minds to do. We loved the opportunity that Amy Howard envisioned and has made come true. We all want to be difference makers.

The Passion

I’ll be honest. I don’t think I’ve ever met a more passionate woman than Amy Howard. She is firmly dedicated to the belief that every woman can make a difference in her family, her home and her community. Her passion is contagious. You could not be in a room with her and not feel like you can move mountains.

What’s your passion? What’s the why behind all your hard work, the reason for getting up every morning, the reason for your excitement each day. (I wrote about WHY in this post.) Last January, after reading Simon Sinek’s Start with Why, I went through the process of finding mine. Here’s what I wrote:

My WHY: I believe that everyone can create a beautiful home without spending a ton of money if they have the tools to create it. I believe that I can inspire and teach people how to create pretty things for their homes. 

That’s my passion and thankfully, it fits exactly with the passion of A Makers’ Studio. Your passion is not my exact passion and may not be Amy’s exact passion. But I promise you this: in A Makers’ Studio you can find your passion. If no one in the room at Launch on Friday knew what their passion was, we all sure did when we left on Sunday afternoon.

And you know the great thing about passion? It energizes you. You don’t feel tired when you have passion. You may get disappointed or sad at what life throws at you, but passion creates the determination to get right back up. Passion reminds us that who we are is so much more important than what we do. Passion creates purpose.

The Purpose

Having a purpose and a goal is a wonderful thing. Purpose gives life meaning. We can have more than 1 purpose in our lives and we all do. To be the best mom, wife, daughter, citizen, friend. I’m adding be the best difference~maker to my list. Sharing this opportunity is a fulfilling purpose. Creating a beautiful home that is welcoming and open is a purpose. Being a faithful child of God is a purpose. Growing every day as a person and as a creative is a purpose.

The purpose of A Makers’ Studio is to provide an environment where women can have their own business. To do that, the company does the hard work for you, so you spend less time on logistics, technology, and marketing and more time on creativity and helping others.

Many companies have charities and causes they support  Another purpose of A Makers’ Studio launch and one that makes it really stand out is the commitment to stop human trafficking. Amy and her husband Gene are leaders in this effort in Memphis; they mentor and encourage young women who have been victims of this vicious abuse. A Makers’ Studio has funded the production of a beautiful line of high~quality candles ~ the brand name is Re~New~All ~ as a way to provide purpose, work and financial self~support for these women. I’m proud to be a part of this effort. By the way, the candles are beautiful and all 8 scents smell wonderful.

And the Rest of the Story? Product

Notice what I haven’t mentioned? Product and profit. In most companies, product and profit are the most important. Don’t get me wrong ~ we want to have the highest quality products to promote and we all want to make money for our time and efforts. We spent workshop time during the weekend using some of our awesome products and creating home decor items. (Gilding is my favorite new project!) I couldn’t use or recommend the products if I didn’t think they were fabulous. 

A Makers’ Studio is committed to developing and producing the highest quality, most usable and environmentally safe DIY products on the market. Keeping the line relatively small enables Makers to master them so we can teach others how to create beautiful home decor or make gorgeous gifts.

We believe that if you have a passion to create and you share that passion with people, you have a purpose of being a difference~maker. The products you use, promote and sell will result in profits for you.

Oh, that word “sell”. Technically, we are selling a product. But first, we are teaching and mentoring. If we take the word sell out of our vocabulary and focus on sharing and teaching, we will be difference makers.

A Final Word

It’s not easy to express in words all the emotions that were shared last weekend in Memphis. Over the last few days, I’ve listened as other Maker Bosses in attendance tried to express their feelings about Launch on our private Facebook Page (the most supportive group on the planet). I was there and listened to speakers like Karin Conlee, Bob Willumsen and our sales director Michelle Parker; I understand the difficulty in explaining how powerful it was.

True story: Tuesday night late I received an email from a lady named Cindy who found my blog on a search for stencils, read a little about A Makers’ Studio and wanted more information. Wednesday morning I emailed her back with more details and told her to call me. A few minutes later she did and we talked for almost an hour. She saw the opportunity and felt the purpose and passion. On the phone, she literally joined A Makers’ Studio online! For me, the people, the passion, and the purpose came together with someone I didn’t know existed 24 hours earlier. How is that for being a difference~maker?

I’ve tried to do a good job of sharing my experience at A Maker’s Studio launch. Now it’s time to get busy ~ hosting Gatherings, Pop~Up Parties, and Heart Gatherings.  If you have even 1% interest in learning more about A Maker’s Studio, do yourself a BIG favor and email me or call me direct at 214-202-3564. You have nothing to lose.

As someone has said, if you don’t do anything, you will still be in the same place as you are today tomorrow.