In my last Interview Takeaways post I highlighted a few different interviewees and different bits of advice they offered. But today I want to focus on just one new interview takeaway because I have found it to be extremely valuable and I hope you will check it out.
April recently interviewed Jessika Hepburn of Oh My Handmade Goodness for ARTrepreneur and they spoke about making connections within the handmade community.
Some of you may already know about it, but if you don’t, I implore you to check out Jessika’s weekly Twitter chats. Every Thursday from 1-2pm EST Jessika hosts a chat for people in the handmade community to come together and talk about relevant topics. Each week there is a different theme or topic of conversation and different people come to chat (although there are lots of regulars.)
You might be thinking that you kinda already chat with handmade community members on twitter and so what is the point? The point is that Jessika has, through the facilitation of these discussions, brought people together and given them a place to connect but also discuss, ask and nurture their businesses and the community it operates in.
Through these chats new ideas, collaborations, projects, products and businesses have come about. Tons of brainstorming happens right in front of your eyes! It’s amazing! People become friends and supporters of each other. Newbies meet people who have been around a while and people with ideas meet people who want to make ideas happen. People come with insights or concerns, questions or helpful bits of advice. There is a place for everyone and it’s really fun and it’s very very valuable.
Jessika is all about making connections and creating community. She does so on her blog and she does so on Twitter during her weekly chats and beyond. Her influence resonates with those who connect with her and they go on to make more connections as well.
Through Oh My Handmade Goodness I have found people who I have hired and people who I love to chat with and people who I now follow.
There might be something exciting, or someone exciting, waiting to connect with you! Join Jessika and company for the next Twitter chat using the OMHG hashtag ( #omhg )on Twitter next Thursday at 1pm! Follow Jessika now and she will probably tweet a reminder!
Can’t join us? Wish you were there for the others? Jessika posts transcripts and highlights on her blog after the chats!
Hope to see you there!
I LOVE the #omhg chats:)! Yay for Jessika:)!
I will be there!
Thank you so much Danielle for this wonderful article on our #omhg chats! I am definitely going to be sharing & linking to this one-you really managed to articulate the reasons our chats are amazing. I think they are a little hour of real community and I have been so happy to see relationships and businesses growing from them. What was started as a fun way to bring people together has become something really valuable (and still fun!). I can’t wait to see what happens with our chats in the future: )
I will definitely be there!