Q4 is almost here, and this year I’m approaching holiday marketing for Moss Bags a little differently.

Instead of constantly creating new products, posting more, or immediately reaching for another sale, I’m narrowing in on the products I already know people love - and working on getting those best sellers in front of more people.

In this episode of Hey Julie Simon, I’m sharing what’s actually working inside my handmade business right now: pitching Moss Bags for holiday gift guides, learning to do my own PR after a very expensive experience with a PR agency, using ChatGPT to help uncover potential media opportunities, and building a system where PR, SEO, email marketing, and our website all work together.

I also share why I’m paying more attention to backlinks and third-party mentions, how I’m thinking about product discovery in both Google and AI search, and why a great feature doesn’t have to result in an immediate sale to be valuable.

If you own a handmade or product-based small business, this is a behind-the-scenes look at my Q4 game plan - while I’m right in the middle of testing it myself.

And if you have a PR tip, gift-guide resource, or pitching strategy that’s working for your business, send it my way. I’d love to keep adding helpful resources for other small businesses.

Learn more about Moss Bags and Moss Dogs at https://www.mossbags.com + https://www.mossbags.com/pages/moss-dogs

What really makes a small business stand out at a farmers market? In this episode, I’m chatting with Sarah Dylan Jensen, Executive Director of the Snohomish Farmers Market and host of The Market Maven podcast, about the behind-the-scenes work of building a thriving market, supporting small businesses, and creating real community.

We talk about:

• how Sarah found her way into farmers markets and grew into her role
• what successful vendors do differently
• common mistakes newer vendors make
• why showing up early, prepared, and engaged matters
• how storytelling can help your business feel more human
• why community and collaboration are such powerful growth tools
• what Sarah has learned from working alongside so many makers and small businesses

Favorite quote:

It’s such a good reminder that people connect with what feels real - not necessarily what feels perfectly polished.

Connect with Sarah at yourmarketmaven.com, on Instagram at @yourmarketmaven, and through Facebook @themarketmaven

Connect with Julie | Moss Bags:
Website: https://mossbags.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/moss.bags

Photography by Lisa Aamot | https://www.merakiphotographynw.com

What if creativity didn’t have to feel productive, polished, or perfect - but instead felt like a way back to yourself?

In this episode, I’m joined by artist, author, and creative guide Flora Bowley to talk about the heart behind her upcoming Creative Revolution Tour - a 7,500-mile journey with seven stops across the country, including six one-day immersive workshops and a five-day retreat at the Omega Institute in New York. The tour is designed to bring people together in person to create, move, connect, and step away from the pressure of perfection. Each gathering is meant to feel welcoming whether you consider yourself an artist or not.

We talk about why gathering in person feels so important right now, creativity as a lifeline, what happens when we loosen our grip on perfection, and simple ways to reconnect with your creative spark when you’re feeling disconnected. Flora also shares how the tour came to life, what she hopes people carry home with them, and why creativity, connection, and community feel like such an important response to this moment.

And because we always like to talk a little business around here, we also get into Flora’s journey of building a life around her creative work, how she slowly transitioned into supporting herself as an artist, and why staying connected to what feels alive has shaped the way she continues to grow and evolve.

If you’ve been feeling creatively stuck, disconnected, or simply ready for a reset, this conversation is a beautiful reminder that you don’t have to wait until you feel ready. Sometimes you just have to start.

Connect with Flora Bowley
https://florabowley.com/we-are-the-revolution/
https://www.instagram.com/florabowley

P.S. You may notice a few audio imperfections in this episode - we chose to keep the conversation as-is because we had so much fun, and there was just too much goodness to leave out.

Connect with Julie | Moss Bags:
Website: https://mossbags.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/moss.bags

Photography by Lisa Aamot | https://www.merakiphotographynw.com