Let's meet...Susan Sheehan

I am somewhat in awe of anyone who makes lampwork beads, so let's meet Susan Sheehan


Quickies for starters:

Cats or dogs?
I’m a cat. I prefer solitude, and tend to walk off on dogs when they get needy. I stop listening and wander away. It’s not even a conscious effort. But once in a while I do crave attention and go cuddle up to a loved one. My poor husband… he's a dog.

Fruit or chocolate?
I’m afraid chocolate is put into my mouth every single day. I love all sorts, hot, melted, milk, white, dark, and spicy dark versions are my current favorite.

Favourite colour?
All shades of green. More often than not I’m wearing green and if one were to see my glass you would instantly know this by the number of bins that contain green glass rods.



Bath or shower?
I’m terribly lazy with this one. I would love a bath but refuse to wait for the tub to fill. So I stand in the shower a long time.



What brought you to Etsy? Tell us about your shop. Do you sell anywhere else?

I came to Etsy looking for another online sales site. It took me about 6 months to figure out I needed to devote time and energy to my shop and it has really been a great place for me. I do sell from my site and at local bead shows, but Etsy has turned into my number one sales venue.

What’s the favourite item you’ve made so far?

I love making floral beads. I’ve been making them for a few years now and I never seem to tire of making those little dots look like flower petals. There is something zen like about the process of placing, melting and playing with the heat to get them to look just so.





What has been the most useful lesson you’ve learnt (about Etsy) so far?

Be involved! The more I read, explore and work with my teams, the better my shop seems to do. I feel as if there is always a new strategy or effort to be discovered and made. Fortunately I love the scavenger hunt nature of online marketing, because it seems to be what works for me.




If you could start again, is there anything you’d do differently?

I would have joined at the very beginning. I love being part of a growing evolving site and wish I had participated from day one.


How do you see your store developing?

I always have a few steps planned for the future. Right now I plan to develop my jewelry a bit more and delve deeper into what styles and shapes work well for designers. What better way than to try to be one myself? While I don’t expect to create as fabulously as most of my customers, I do hope to inspire new designs ideas for them as well as fine tune my beads to be what everyone can’t live without.




What have you been doing today that I’ve interrupted?

I should be taking pictures. But it’s cold outside! You are much more fun.





What’s your top marketing tip for today?

I suggest one research successful sellers in an unfamiliar category. Write down what things make their shops a bit different from the rest. What are the shops features that excite you? Where else can you find them? What do they do that makes them shine?. Take the information and determine how it could work for you. I find thinking outside the box this way can really give you a feel for adapting marketing strategies and finding neat ideas that work.

Thanks for all that fantastic advice Susan! I've been sneaking a look into your shop profile, and discovered this special offer:

This March it's all about YOU! Pamper yourself a tiny bit this month. Each day I will offer an "All About You" deal. It could be anywhere in my shop. So treat yourself today, because this month it's all about you dear buyers.

*pssst* - Did you know that Susan Sheehan offers specials through her mailing list? Sign up here

Susan Sheehan