How to Build a Successful Handmade Business By Slowing Down

Welcome back to the She's Crafted to Thrive podcast. I'm your host Nikita Williams, and if you have been around for a long time, welcome back and thank you so much for being such a loyal listener. And if you're brand new here to this tribe of amazing thrivers, welcome. I just want to give a little bit of some background. If you've been following me for a while, you know that I have multiple chronic illnesses and I have been running a business in that lifestyle, if you will. I'm all about doing what you can when you can and honoring and listening to your body. And full disclosure or full transparency, you did not get an episode last Friday because I was going through one of those flare weeks and it experiences where I just really needed to tap in and step back and slow down and not have a podcast episode. It was the week— last week I was supposed to have a solo cast come out, and I have been going through some new challenges with my health that kind of came out of left field, but not really, because when you have a chronic illness, all my ladies say yes, you recognize it can happen at any time.

It's not a matter of why did the flare happen? It's a matter of when is it going to happen?

And when it happens, it usually brings about some new things into the world. And for me, it brought definitely some new challenges because it's some new things that I didn't— I wasn't expecting and hadn't experienced yet before. So just from that standpoint, I gave myself, and hopefully you guys can love and respect that, and I hope you do the same thing. And I hope that empowers you by me just coming here and being that transparent, being like, that's why I didn't show up, is because I am a human being and so are you, and life happens. And I am all about doing what you can when you can. And also, like I said, just leaning into the times when you need to rest and you need to take care of your body. And so that's why you guys didn't have an episode last Friday. You guys will have a solo cast this month at some point, just sharing some more updates about what's going on with me, with my business, as well as what's going on with my health. Because you guys are always reaching out to my DMs on Instagram or sending me emails, just like being so kind. And I just want to keep you guys in the loop because you guys are part of my journey and my community, and I love you for it.

All right.

So this episode, I am so excited because we're having Rebecca Scott on the show. She is from South Dakota. And you guys, her accent is like awesome. Like, it feels like so much fun. It feels like— I was telling my husband, I'm like, she kind of reminds me of Joanna and Chip, like, except on a whole different level of cool, right? And so this episode, we're going to talk to her. She's been in business since 2003, making her own handmade purse and accessories. She is a federally trademarked and direct sale brand, which includes business coaching, a podcast called The Encourager with Rebecca Scott, and a book for mompreneurs. She does all of the things that she's amazing at when it comes to her business from her farmhouse studio, and she remains truly deeply rooted in what she loves, both as a business owner and with her family and her kids and her husband. And she employs an amazing team of creative moms and women who desire to work from home and raise their families while also, you know, taking care of things at home. And her beautiful website and her beautiful bags, like, it's on my list of must-haves, you guys. You gotta go check it out. All her purses and all of the things that she has on her site, for the most part, is handmade by a human being. And I love that. And that's truly at the heart of being, you know, a maker, an artisan. And I'm so excited to have her on the show just from the simple fact of her experience in being in the industry of making handmade products that are absolutely stunning and of high value. And she's going to share with us her journey along this path of building this beautiful business called Rebecca Scott Designs. And I'm just thankful to Danny from The Handmade Seller Magazine who introduced us for having her on the show, for coming onto the show, her saying yes, because she has a busy schedule, as you can imagine, with kids and, you know, running this business with, I think she said about 20 different employees. So how amazing. I cannot wait for you guys to join in and listen to this conversation. She shares at a point, a really pivotal point in her life that makes a huge part of why she does what she does and how she does it. She tells us some things about her, uh, some, some challenges she's gone through and her perspective and outlook on life. It's really, really amazing conversation. I am sure you will find some gems along the way, and I cannot wait to hear what you guys think. So definitely stay tuned. Welcome to She's Crafted to Thrive. I'm your host Nikita Williams, and this show is for all the ladies who are making and creating things that they love. You will hear conversations about the real everyday struggles of juggling life and business while trying to maintain passion and harmony. As women, we have the skill of getting things done, but sometimes we get our own way. It's here where you'll see that you're not alone. You'll discover that success does not mean perfection. Fear and negative thoughts and challenges are all a part of the journey. And on this podcast, you'll find the inspiration and tools you need to have a life and business that thrives. All right, ladies, before we jump into this episode, I want to give a really big and quick shout out to The Handmade Seller Magazine, where artisans and entrepreneurs can go every month to read inspirational business stories from handmade sellers from around the world, learn tips of the trade, get updated on the latest industry news, and get fresh ideas for the upcoming month or the upcoming week. And if you would like to show some love to The Handmade Seller magazine and just join that community, please check out the website handmadeceller.com and use the coupon code SHE'SCRAFTED for 15% off. It's a digital online magazine subscription, and I'm sure you're gonna love it because I know I do. All right, let's hop in.

I am super excited to have Rebecca on the show, ladies, because first, of course, she's been featured in The Handmade Stellar Magazine, who is sponsoring this episode. But her story about bags— I don't think anybody knows this yet, but I have a huge fetish with bags. Like, I shouldn't say fetish. I just love bags. And I love that every piece that you make is handmade. And so I can't wait for everybody to get to know you.

Please tell us.

Who you are and what you do and where you're from.

Well, I can relate. I have more bags than I have hats, shoes, anything. So I love, love purses, and it's like the easiest way to update an outfit, you know. Like, if you're wearing your gray t-shirt but you got a cute bag on, they're like, um, yeah, she tried. So that's, that's why I like a purse. It's like your home away from home. So it's like just makes you feel secure and everything. So I can go on and on about purses. But yeah, my name is Rebecca Scott, and you— we were joking in the pre-interview here that you'll probably hear I'm from the Midwest, I'm from South Dakota, and I love it. And I started— oh my gosh, well, I've been sewing since I was 4 years old. My mom is a master seamstress, and I was a Good 4-Her. That's like a really cool program here. It's all over, but it really needs to be renamed because people think it's about agriculture, and it's not. It's really an entrepreneurial program. It's like, why don't you try animals? Why don't you try sewing? Why don't you try baking? Why don't you try gardening? So it really should be retitled, but that's how I kind of got started. And then I was judged on my 4-H work, you know, at fairs. So then I got better and better because I knew I was being graded, so to say. So I live in South Dakota on a big farm and ranch, and you can see I've got my— a little bit of chore clothes on as well. And so we have animals and we have corn and soybeans, and I have 4 kiddos that run around right next to me if I can catch them. I sew in my studio built onto my farmhouse that my husband so awesomely built on for me because it was really important for me to stay at home with the kiddos. I just didn't want to have to do the daycare scene. Not that that's bad, because I totally get it, and there are days, but I just really wanted to— for them to be with me. And I used to say I always wanted to see their first, you know, I wanted to see their first tooth, I want to see their first word. P.S. I still miss them. So like, if that just gives you like just permission, like, I still miss so many of them. So out of my studio, I've been in business for 17 years now, and I sew and design purses and accessories. And then I too have a podcast. After all this knowledge and mistakes that I made, I thought I better start telling people this so they can avoid them. And so my podcast is called The Encourager and my business is called Rebecca Scott Designs. And because I'm going to launch into more things than just purses, I'm currently working on that right now. Once you kind of get into the role of business, you start figuring out, oh wait, maybe I can acquire a jewelry line and a baby line and a men's line. And I have an all leather line coming out. So it's really starting to steamroll just in the last probably 2 years. And it's pretty darn exciting. As long as I was talking about you know, kiddos and my husband. I also have 20 on my team, and some of them are admin and some of them are seamstresses, and we also in our own homes. Like, we don't have a— other than if they come to the studio to ship or to have a meeting, everybody gets to stay in their own homes and do whatever they love to do. So we were doing the work from home thing long before a pandemic was telling us we had to, and we seriously had it figured out. So we just— we didn't skip a beat during this shut down at all because that's all we need to do.

Wow, I saw that and I was reading about that and I was like, oh, I wish more companies, even small companies, like work like that, just in like embracing people to work in their own environment. It just makes it so much easier and a lot less overhead for you, right?

Like, oh my gosh, well, for sure, as a business owner, a lot more overhead, a lot. I think, you know, they get nervous they won't complete as much or get as much done, and it's actually the reverse of it because you're encouraged to get it done so you can get on to cool stuff in your home or go for that bike ride or go go for a walk with your kids. So I've argued that for years and years, that working from home, not even if it's for yourself, but working from home is way ideal over a building.

Yeah, completely. Well, I am just, I'm just really excited for your story. Your story is like really cool. How your business has kind of transitioned and grown over the years is like, was really inspiring to just listen and to read in the magazine. And I was like, I gotta have her on the show because I feel like there's a lot we can learn through, you know, a business that's been around for a long time, but that started at home and is still at home, which is another amazing thing, especially when it comes to products, right? So throughout your journey with this, what has been some of your, your challenges or fears that you've kind of had to overcome during all of these, this long growth that you've had?

Well, several different things. So I was told directly and indirectly, you can't be a midwife, you can't be a designer. In the Midwest. You're gonna have to go to the coastlines. And I was like, I don't want to do that because I'm a ranch kid. So like, I need this Midwest. And I knew I was going to marry probably someone with land and the same idea. And so I kind of held on to that, but yet not. I'm also one of those people's like, yeah, tell me I can't and watch me. So it totally worked out. But so I knew that I would— I was going to be able to make it work somehow. And some of the challenges was throughout the years, you know, how can you keep up at a good pace with a handcrafted product, right? So when you walk into a booth, like this woman made everything in here. So how do I outsource but still remain handcrafted? Because I love the quality behind it because I was raised with such a good seamstress. And so I thought, well, I'm gonna hire more women to work from home. And this is so funny because now we're like, yeah, duh, everybody does that. But it wasn't, right?

This was 17 years ago.

So they wanted me to have a facility, they meaning like mentors, advisors, or anybody like, well, if you wanna take this large scale, you're gonna have to have a building. And I kept thinking no, because I'm gonna have to be in that building and I want to be at home. Serving lunch to the kiddos and sewing in my happy place. So I just became very clear about my vision. I want to stay at home, raise babies, and sew. So if I stay true to that, then the rest will start flowing. So every time that question came up again, I was like, that's a great idea, but we're gonna have to shift that idea so that I can stay at home. Now, this many years in business, I am required outside of the home more just for like meetings with the website people and things like that, but But because I've been so firm about it, people will come to me. So the meeting will be in my studio and they know that the work from home model, I have to increase the price of my purses to keep them handcrafted and not mass manufactured. Because if I wanted to scale really, really, really large, yes, I could take it to manufacture, but it would remove so much of the quality and the feeling I want the woman to have that another woman spent time designing this purse that actually the customer designed. So on my website, they pick out the fabric, the style, the leather, the zipper, the pockets. They have lots of— oh, the zipper, my favorite part. So they pick that out, and then we just get to sew it. And so there's a process of like touching that fabric and that material and thinking about, I wonder why the woman chose teal over hot pink. There must be some fun memory. And so I did not want to lose that in a mass-manufactured way. And so I think like we're the queens of handcrafted after 17 years and still being able afraid.

Yeah, totally. I love what you said about you were super clear on your vision and what you wanted, and you stuck with that. You know, so many people struggle with that push and pull, if you will, of what is expected and what people believe can make you successful. Like, you know, it's like totally a mindset place. Like, what do you feel like has really helped you to cultivate that really strong mindset around that?

Probably just keeping my priorities in order. So I have them posted in two places in my home because the first place you post something, you start ignoring, right? Your mind has memorized it. So I place it in two separate places, and it is: I'm a servant of God, I'm a wife to Nicholas, a mother of four, and then I get to be a designer and podcaster. And so as long as those are posted, anything big that comes to me, whether it's for RSD or for the farm or for the family, I go, okay, well, where does this fit? Can I allow time for it? And does this shift what my vision is? And so I had to challenge my own self a couple years back, probably 5 years. I decided I wanted to have a barn studio 'cause we were growing and outgrowing my studio space. And I thought, gosh, we're gonna have to, we gotta think what the next stage is. I needed more storage for one. And I still didn't need the seamstresses in-house, but I thought maybe I'd want like a little boutique spot so they could come and design the purse in front of me, not just at a show or on the website. And so I was like, okay. So I started making plans and I drew up, you know, I started my Pinterest board. I drew up— my husband got really excited because he loves building anything. So he was trying to figure out where it's going to go on our farm here. And then we had to think through like, where are people going to park? And all of a sudden I got a punch in the gut and I thought— and I think the gut is your gut organ. So I was like, okay, I better pay attention. And it was like, if I build this, if I build this, they will come. Do I want them to come? Wait a minute, am I gonna have to be in this space? Well, yeah. And that means my team would be shipping in a building outside of my own current studio. So I naturally would not want to be in my studio if I knew they were there, because for one, I work for myself. For when they are out here, I want to be with women. So I'd go over there And then I thought, okay, so then do the kids go over there? Well, of course they would. But then when I— I think I would feel more pulled in too many directions. And so I said, pause. And my team was like, oh wait, we've already done some like research. And I said, I have no doubt that that facility or that barn will need to happen sometime, but right now it doesn't feel right. I'm not processing. And I still had two little ones at home. So now my youngest will be going to school next year, and I asked for one full year of working from home by myself to find out how efficient am I with my time. Could I be done by 3 PM when the kids are? And why am I asking— keep referring back to that— because become before I am a designer. So I have to ask myself, what kind of mom will I be if I'm outside of this space? And so I'll spend a year getting to discover that and then figure out what that means. Does just mean a bigger storage area? In a bigger shipping area, or does it actually mean a separate building? But so allowing myself to stay clear in my vision, but also not being in denial of what growth may mean and what that looks like.

Wow. Yeah, that's amazing. Yeah, I love that process, and I love that you shared that with us too, because I feel like as women, we kind of struggle with the permission of like changing our mind because, you know, there's like a stigma to women changing their mind and how that's like, oh, they just don't know what they're doing. And it's like, no, we know what we're doing. That's why we're changing We're reconnecting to that gut feeling. So I love that you said that.

Yeah, and I always think it is important to give each other permission to say, you know, from some people's perspective, would have been like, oh, you're afraid of success. No, no, I'm not actually. I'm just deciding what will be best for me in this moment and I can't make a solid decision. So I'm gonna choose to pause, which also is not very popular in the success world, but it was for me. It's popular with my family, with my gut. We're gonna pause. Yeah, but believe me, and if this just gives you a little carrot, we are growing crazy. Like, the business is still thankfully just, just keeps building and building, and even without me building a huge building.

Yeah, yeah. I always tell people it's, it's good to go slow so you can go fast, and sometimes you just have to do that pause.

That's great. That's so good.

Yeah, so I love that. So So through this journey, I can't imagine it's been like a handful of different challenges of working and having women, you know, off, offsite and then family and then kids and all of those different things. Has there been any like fear, like fear from a standpoint of like, am I doing this for the right reasons? Am I missing out? There's a lot of, you know, a lot of people feel like they are, what is it called? Fear of missing out, FOMO. And they're like, I have so much FOMO. And it's like, that can stop people sometimes. Have you experienced anything like that before?

Well, I'm sure I have. You know, in the moment I'm thinking, gosh, I've been really blessed because I feel like the bags after 17 years is just for sure my calling. And I love to watch a woman come alive when they create. So my overarching idea is that I just want people to know the joy they get from creating, whether it's an awesome purse, a recipe, a spreadsheet even. Like, I truly believe that when you create, you will find joy. And so every decision that I make is based around that. So the fear didn't really sink in for me because I know if I kept providing that opportunity for people, I would be successful. But yeah, for sure, with fear of missing out, it's like, should I be on this platform? Should I be on this platform? Should I be on this platform?

I don't know.

I feel like if we're not on there, we might be missing sales. So also it went back to like, okay, how do I prioritize all these different, what is realistic with the 4 kiddos? Should I do Twitter?

No.

And I didn't just make that decision like that. I did a survey, like all of us that are wise, you guys do a survey, ask your customers, where do you wanna see me? What do you think I am missing? They will tell you and then listen and then back it up. So I have a funny story, Nikita, that I think people will really relate to this and it'll give them permission to make really expensive mistakes. So I had a down sales time. This was about '09, and I got all my sales reps together, which by the way is like my twin sister, a cousin, and a college roommate. Like, let's, let's be real. And they're together, and I'm like, okay guys, how can we make more sales? Well, this time it was really popular to still go to homes and have a little trunk show, you know, like Mary Kay and Tupperware and whatever the new age ones are, right? So I said, well, how are we going to book more shows? Because we just need more sales. And they're like, well, they have these really cool catalogs, you know, and what if we made a shiny catalog and then we could take it to office spaces and the secretary could host the party, or whoever was in the awesome cubicle could host a party, and then everybody could order from it and they don't actually have to meet in their homes because we found people were not committing to that. I'm like, a catalog? Yes, that would be fun. We'll have a model shoot, we'll have a layout, we'll still walk them through the design your own process. So I did $6,000, right? I'm gonna be real straight about money because I don't think we're talking about money as women. Like, we're like, oh, we're just kind of general. So I'm gonna tell you the numbers. $6,000 to print, photo shoot, I don't know what else was involved, but I do. But anyway, $6,000. And so then I thought, okay, well, I need to sell $10,000 so that I can like get some steam on this, and then $12,000 by the end of the year. So easy to do, right? Like I was like, we can get a model shoot, we can have somebody lay out the catalog, and then all we gotta do is start selling it. And then I can just create my sweet little goal sheet here. And I'm laughing because all of us are like, yep, make a goal and set the dates and check, check, check, check, check. So I did all of those things, and within the first 2 months, I was like, it is not crawling. First of all, I didn't even like the model shoot. It wasn't me, and that's not why I didn't like it, but it was a 12-year-old kid They just dressed her up like an adult because then they didn't show her face in the suit. And I did not have enough oomph to say, I don't like this, because I wanted to trust her because she'd been in business so much longer, blah blah blah, right? Didn't trust myself. And then I didn't really like how it was laid out, the Design Your Own process. Again, I left what I knew a really good customer experience is, I left it in the hands of somebody else. So learned to trust my experience and my knowledge and what I'm an expert in. An expert is 10,000 hours worth of work. Oh, well, I definitely had that, right? Like, it doesn't mean a certificate, it just means you've had 10,000 hours of it. Are you really good at it? So anyways, so I should— those are my red flags. Anyways, guess how much money I made from the— it ended up being $10,000 in the end because I had a reprint in there. Oh my goodness, it was $610. $610. So I had myself a good cry, and then my husband was like, I'm gonna cry with you. And I I'm the kind, the type of person that's like, moving on, let's make the right decision, right? But because it was so expensive, and I think that's how God lined it up for me, I had to sit with that one. Like, what did I do wrong? Well, I gave what my expert power away, what I knew I could do better.

And I—

here's the biggest lesson: I did not ask the right audience. I asked my sales reps, what can we do for my sales? Who should I have asked?

Your people.

The people are my customers. Yeah, I should have asked the people paying the bills. And you know what they would have said? I already knew the answer. They would have said, I need a better website. I love this design-your-own experience when I get to see you at a show or at a booth or craft event, but I'd love to do it online in my PJs. And so I already knew that answer, but I didn't ask for an audience. And so my sales reps, you know, they weren't mean-spirited about it, they just thought that would help. And obviously it crashed and burned. So I went to immediately cancel the catalog and started building a website the most affordable way possible because I'd already spent it on the catalog. And that's what boomed my business 5 times was doing the website. So yes, there was a lot of fear around that, to answer your question, like, am I, am I doing the right thing? And I was just so speeding ahead. And my initial problem was I asked the wrong audience.

Oh, I love that story. And I love that you gave the details because yes, totally, women, we don't want to say numbers, we don't want to say any of the things. Sometimes it's like, let's just be real and like, yes, put it out there and what it is so we can all cannot do what I just did.

Laugh at my expense because it's totally okay. You know, like, well, mine wasn't that bad.

I love it. Well, I have heard a lot. I've got an opportunity to interview a lot of women, and a lot of women have shared that, like, that experience. Like, usually the big, the big oopsies in the business is where they gave their power away. Like, they gave the power to someone else to make a decision when they knew, why am I doing this?

Right?

So I love that you shared that, and I love that what you learned from that was like, I'm gonna always stick with what me feels like and also what my customers need. I think a lot of times we allow all of the people and all the shiny objects to kind of make decisions for us, but really we know where we need to make those decisions and focus in. So I love, love, love that story.

I think too, like, go back to asking yourself, well, what am I an expert in? Because it's true that when you get to a certain level, even the beginning of business, you're taking on whatever trend is running, whatever your best friend is telling you, but really narrow for yourself. But wait, wait, which part of this am I an expert at? And trust that, because there are things you won't be an expert at. So ask around, but narrow for yourself. What am I really good at?

Yeah, I love that. That is such great advice because, yeah, we can't know everything. Like, we can't be, you know, all-knowing. Only God is that, right?

And I think it's permission too to say, even if you're not willing to say to yourself, which I hope you are, I'm not good at that, would you please ask yourself if you've done 10,000 hours of it? Because chances are you're good at it. If you spend 10,000 hours at it, whether you want to say it to yourself or not, you got some experience.

I love that. I love that. So good. So how do you find harmony? So a lot of people talk about like work-life balance. I talk about it from a standpoint of harmony because really, do we give equal things to all of the things, or do we find a rhythm in those things that allows the balance, if you will, to be had? So how, how have you found that? Because you're doing everything at home— the family, the kids, the farm, making purses. How How have you made that work for you?

Well, so I'd like to call it harmonizing too. And you know what? Sometimes you're off key. So there's that. Then you have to get back on key, right? I narrow it down to 4 systems. It is your me system, how you take care of yourself, your family system. What is your family about? Like, decide that in advance. Are you guys campers? Are you vacationers? Are you Lego people? Are you board game? Like, decide what your family is about, how you're going to do your laundry, how you're going to cook.

Cook.

Then there's your food system, which believe me, people are like, I don't need to figure out. Yes, you do. You know how much mental bandwidth we take up asking what's for supper, right? So come up with your food system. And then your last system is your work system. How are you going to work? Who, what, when, where, how, how are you going to grow it? And I walk people through this on my podcast. And also I have a master course on it because it's exactly how I do all of these roles, a team of 20, 4 kids, 4 different businesses. How do I do all that? I just continually put them into the systems and find out which system is most broke. So like, if I recognize that the kids are just really undone and we're having tons of tantrums and we can't get people to practices, there is something broke in our family system, whether we're not organized enough, we're in too many things or whatever. So then I go to that system and breaking it down in the systems gives you a little bit more, less chaotic feeling of it's all chaotic. I'm a disaster. Everything is a mess. It's like, wait, hold on. No, just this part. Is a mess, like I'm working too much. So let me take a look at my work system and find out if I need to hire somebody, find out if I need to just wait on an opportunity. If you aren't healthy yourself, which is the me system, you gotta start with that one, kind of like the oxygen mask. You're gaining weight, you're losing weight, you're just not taking care of yourself. You start out at 35% battery every morning instead of 100%. Would our cell phones live? No, they would die. Would we be in a panic? Yeah. So you should treat your body the same way. You need to be at 100% charge so you're not panicking at the end of the day. And so that's how I've really harmonized everything, is going back to which, which system feels off right now, and then chatting with my husband about like, okay, we need to figure out when I can have a bath night because I'm just not taking care of myself like I should.

I love that. I love that. I haven't heard anyone express it that way, like in the— I, I won't say silos, but in their different, you know, individuality.

Oh, I love silos. Yeah.

So I love that. That's really good, good advice. I also think that means that you you really have to be intentional about all of those different things. You really have to be aware and then question yourself, like, why is that happening? What's really going on? So I love that because it incorporates all of that, right? So you aren't spending your energy trying to figure out all of the things. It's just an aspect of the things.

Yes, 100%. It just helps you narrow it down, get one system down, then approach the next one. Because it may be that you're like, all of them are messed up. Okay, well, we're not going to approach all of them, so let's just try your food system, which will give you the most mental bandwidth. Then let's try taking care of yourself. Then let's do the family. And writing it down is a big thing as well, which I'm sure you coach on too, is like, you can't just put it in your head and, you know, it'll work itself out. No, you need to get down, be intentional, and write your systems down.

Yeah, yeah, everyone knows that. Like, like journaling is life, you guys. I don't understand. I don't know if you know that journaling Whether you write it down— and now some of my girls have chronic illnesses, so writing is difficult for them. So I'm like, even if you keep a vocal or a voice memo kind of journal where you're listening and going back and pinpointing those things is really helpful for some of them. So if it's stuck in your head, you just don't— it's too much. It is too much. So I love that. Have you experienced any life hurdles or dealing with anybody living with chronic illness or anything like that, that has maybe been a part of your journey or your family's journey?

Yeah, for sure. So I have— I'm a twin, and then I have two older brothers, and we're really tight siblings. We had a crisis when I was growing up where we grew up on a huge ranch. Both my brothers are in college for ag. They're gonna come back. We're all gonna have this amazing Lifetime movie ranch, right? My dad had a falling out with my granddad, and we moved in 3 days. So So when you are married to the land like that, that's your life, you're not gonna move. Like you never have those thoughts. And my dad, and I honor him for it 'cause it was the best decision, said, "Enough." And he was being abused, he's like, after years, "Enough." So he picked us up and moved us. Well, he says he moved us to greener pastures and he did. And it was good, but it did disrupt a lot of patterns and a lot of what we knew. And my oldest brother suffered the worst from it and he just really never recovered and then got into addictions and then eventually suicide. In 2014, and that wrecked us. Like, it just wrecked us, as it would anybody. So mental health is really important to me, that people take care of themselves. And I've learned so much from it. I have no doubt that he is with Jesus, and he sends me really funny 1980s rock songs to tell me that he's thinking about me. And but it, it paused things for me to remember what are the things that are the most important. And so if I'm going to be intentional about building this business and And what else do I wanna tell these women as long as I have this platform? I'm responsible for telling them about mental health and taking care of themselves and their family members and asking the tough, awkward questions and the uncomfortable questions like, "I haven't seen you happy for quite some time." And getting into therapy and talking. Thankfully, there's so much awareness around it now, but in 2014, it wasn't. And it's still not super, I mean, grieving a suicide is much different than grieving others. Not that they're not more important, that's not what I mean, but it is a raw grieving because it's just raw. And so with that, I thought, well, what am I going to do with this? It's like telling women and to take care of themselves and their families and also getting involved with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. So I have a bag called the Philip Bag after my brother, and $10 of every one of the Philip Bags goes to them so they can do research and get this, what I feel like I'm an expert in, to set up systems. So right now, when someone makes a suicide attempt, you know, they can call the cops or a family member can call the cops, but that's it. There's no follow-up. And they have proven, the Foundation has proven, if there are at least 3 touch points after an attempt, they are like 80% less likely to do it again. And right now there's nothing mandated.

Mandated.

Like, they make the one phone call and that's it, or they show up at the house and that's it. And what I want them to do is have it mandated in every single state in the United States that after one of those, then a mental health professional calls them, the police force calls them, a doctor— a medical doctor calls them— and a therapist. Like, if there could be 3 to 4 phone calls methodically made in a system after an attempt, we could seriously reduce suicide in America. Wow.

Wow. Well, first I want to I am sorry for your loss.

Thank you.

Because that is a— that's— you're right, that is a different kind of grief completely. But I also love that you've turned that pain into a passion, you know, really talking with others and sharing that story because even that is hard to do. And then to create an avenue to bring more awareness and to help that research, I think that's just beautiful that that's what you're doing. And, you know, mental health is one of those things that doesn't get enough, even though it is like way more talked about I mean, especially now that Meghan and Harry are now on, you know, that's what they're talking about. Like, it's more about like, that was a mental health situation, but there are so many different areas when it comes to mental health that doesn't get talked about. I talk a lot about mental health when it comes to chronic illness. You know, you get a diagnosis and they just send you off. There's no— it's a terminal diagnosis. That's like, we don't have a solution for you. There's not a system to come back and be like, hey, maybe you need to see a therapist. That doesn't happen. And you don't even realize those are things that you need to deal with until like maybe years down the road and you're in severe depression. You're trying to figure out, I know my chronic illness creates pain, but I didn't realize it created pain in my head and how I think. Mental health in all of the areas of our lives is really important. So I love that that is a focal point for you. And it also changes the way we live when we focus on how are we treating our thoughts and our minds and all of those things. It's like, how am I actually dealing with what's going on? And also helps us to create more awareness with the people in our, in our spaces so that we can check in. And it's not like, you know, I'm trying to get in your business. It's just I'm getting in on you. Right.

So yes. Yes.

Yeah. Yeah. So for you, what are some tips and tools that you really feel like help you throughout your journey to build what you're building right now and where you're going?

Being clear on your vision. So, and here's the thing, it doesn't have to be this super sexy overarching business vision. Mine was to stay at home, sew, and raise babies.

That's it.

So staying clear on your vision, making sure you attract the right people that will trust your expertise so that you're not all of a sudden going, well, maybe, maybe I should do that. Like trust your experience, which by the way, remember expert is just 10,000 hours and we've all done 10,000 hours of something, right? So that makes you an expert. Get this pretty little plaque, but in your heart, you know that you're an expert at it. So own what you're an expert at. And then what was the last question?

Tools for your business.

Tool. Make sure you understand, and I hate using this word because it's kind of overused, but your business model. And it sounds so like man in a suit at a bank. But understand that your business model can change and should based on what's going on around you. And so give yourself permission to go, you know what? I don't wanna be just online. I actually like seeing people. So I am gonna book a show at a craft event, even though my team's like, ugh, that's a lot of work. That happens to me. And I'm like, you guys, I love it. I need to hit the road and I wanna see the customers up close and personal. So they're like, okay, we will do that. So allow yourself permission within your business model to introduce things that may be different and you may not make any money yet, but maybe you'll learn something at it and decide if it's a wing that you wanna take on or something that needs to drop off. So those are some of the tools, just constantly asking myself, is this a, you know how they say, is this a sacred cow? Like, am I doing this just because we've done it for 17 years or is this actually working? So ask yourself that as well.

I honestly have never heard that saying.

That must be a Midwest thing. You can't have a sacred cow. You gotta butcher the sacred cow. Like you can't have one thing that's all your eggs in that one basket, that one platform that you're always on, that always grosses you the most, that one show that you always do. Make sure you're diversifying.

Oh, I love that. Yeah. I think it's really good in the beginning to kind of find your feet with that. Like when you are trying to figure out where your people are, but as you grow, I totally love that advice. You need to like spread your wings and find that diversity in a different way. But I love that advice and I will have to like, I literally have never heard that before.

Oh, just Google it. You'll be like, oh, that's what it means. And it's actually comes from another country and I, I read it somewhere at the time, but it made a lot of sense to me with my background. I'm like, oh yeah, totally true. You said something that made me think too, allowing yourself, you know, to visualize that you're still in the first 3 years of business. You know, 17 years in business, I still feel like I'm like, ooh, what is that book? What is that course? What is that? Because I do want to keep learning similar to how you are in that first 3 years. And so you're also like you said, spread your wings. Don't be like, well, I'm an expert and so I know how to do it and this is how we're going to do it. Wait, but what if you had the curiosity that you did when you were only 3 years in and you were worried about making payroll? So make sure to just kind of keep that curiosity and that surge of entrepreneurism like your first 3 years.

I love that. That's really good advice too, because you have also a different like drive during the first 3 years too. You're like trying this and trying that and you're kind of just like You're in the grit. And I think sometimes we do get a little complacent in our comfortable spot, right? And usually that's when stuff hits the fan. You were like, why did that hit the fan? And I don't know what I'm doing. So I love that advice. That's really great. So I have one last question for you. And it's like just joy. What brings you just so much joy in your life?

Oh, well, so many things. So I would first say it's Jesus. I always end my videos by saying, if you wonder where all this light and energy comes comes from.

It's Jesus.

Know him, love him, and pursue him. So that's, that's where a lot of my joy comes from. But I've got some really awesome kiddos that just remind me of, again, his glory. Like, all the funny things they come up with— they're like really ninja inventors with, I mean, hot glue and sewing machines. My 4-year-old will sew like no big deal. Put her foot on the pedal and she's sewing and creating. So that gives me a lot of joy that they see the creative process being so joyful. So that gives me a lot of joy. Sunshine, living in the Midwest and all the four seasons gives me all the joy. But for my business, again, it is seeing a woman's face light up when she gets her purse that she designed, that she was responsible for creating. And you just naturally see them throw their shoulders back and they're like, "Dang, I got this." And so that drives me every single morning. It's like, what kind of feeling can I give this woman through a purse? Because to be honest, I'm a creator by nature and I love to design anything. So if I would've chosen jewelry or if I would've chosen hats hats or clothes or whatever it is, I just want that woman to feel that I'm gonna throw my shoulders back because I got this. And so for me right now, it's purses, and that gives me a lot of joy.

That is so awesome. I love that. I love that. Yeah, there is something about when you find a purse like that is like super your personality and quirky. Like, my husband always laughs at me because when we go and we're looking for purses, I'm like, I wish I could make them because because half of the purses don't ever feel like me, but I'll just pick one after like for a long time being like, you know what, I'm just pick one. But when you do find that purse that you feel like is super your style and it's your vibe and all that stuff, like you like will keep that bag forever.

And I always, oh, this is true. And I always make the argument too is like we tend to buy a bag because it's either cute and trending or we identify like we wanna have a Coach bag 'cause we wanna identify with them. But that's not saying anything about you. It's just saying you spent a lot of money on it. So we design purses that are both stylish, so they are cute and they're trending, but they are also organized because that's part of the purse battle too, right? You can buy the black nylon one that's completely gross, but it does keep you organized, so it's like you gave up. Or you can buy the Target bag that's trendy, but it's going to fall apart. So we strike a note right between them where they're handcrafted. And then even one layer deeper is that it defines more of who the woman is and less about about the company behind it. Like, the moment they say, oh, I designed this, and leave my name off, I'm a winner.

That is amazing. That is amazing. So tell us how we can find you on the social platforms and all of that, Jess.

Awesome. So it's called Rebecca Scott Designs, and my website is shoprsd.com. So that's shoprebeccascottdesigns.com. We have a new website rolling out, so I'm super excited about that, to experience that design-your-own experience. So it's like an illustration of purse, and then you pick out the fabric and it starts appearing on the purse. So really cool there. And then on Instagram, we are also Shop RSD. You can think of it like SD is in South Dakota, and then you'll hear my thick accent. And then let's see what others— we're on Pinterest, all of those. And then my podcast is called The Encourager, and that's available on any podcast, um, app that you have on your phone. And that is more of just my like simplistic, practical tips. It's the only thing I know to coach on is how to do it simpler and better and but still be really focused on family. And so I also have a digital course coming out with that. So if you go to theencouragerpodcast.com, you'll get the details on that.

I love that. We are very aligned in that. I'm all about keeping it simple, keeping it connected, and being purposeful. I love that. I am so excited. I am so excited we got to chat today and you got to share some more of your story and your experiences. I really do appreciate your time and, and all your energy.

Oh, thank you. It's Jesus.

All right, ladies, that's a wrap. I hope you enjoyed this conversation with Rebecca and myself. It was a pleasure getting to know her a little bit more and hearing more details into her journey. If you would like to connect with our future guest Rebecca, go ahead and check out our show notes at sheescrafted.com and go ahead and click the links in there and show her some love and follow her on her journey as well. Thank you so much to The Handmade Cellar Magazine for this amazing sponsored and collaboration podcast episode. And as always, ladies, remember that yes, yes, yes, you are crafted to thrive.