The Crafty Mariana Podcast

In this solo episode, Mariana reflects on the biggest lessons from 2025 after opening a studio, navigating major health challenges, and rethinking how she runs her workshop business and the Crafts Workshop Academy. She shares three shifts: build for sustainability (not intensity), choose clarity over endless ideas, and remember that workshops are a community business. Plus, a glimpse into 2026: travel, collaboration, hiring support, and expanding Field Notes. What we cover in this episode ✎ a quick recap of 2025: opening a studio, health challenges, and the reality check that followed ✎ lesson 1: stop building for intensity and build for sustainability ✎ protecting your energy as a real business asset ✎ the peru reset: what shifted after time offline and away from the noise ✎ lesson 2: clarity is more valuable than ideas ✎ the shadow side of always seeing how things could be better (and how it affects satisfaction) ✎ lesson 3: a workshop business is a community business ✎ why people don’t just buy a craft, they buy a feeling ✎ what to expect in 2026: systems, hiring, collaboration, and travel starting July ✎ Field Notes: the vision for documenting and analyzing workshops around the world ✎ a life-first reflection: what do you actually want your life to look and feel like? Mentioned in this episode ✎ a related episode on the “two lanes” of workshop businesses (community-first vs experience-first) [episode like here]✎ sign-up to the Crafts Workshops Community [in this link]✎ sign-up to the Crafts Workshops Academy [in this link] Resources for your workshop business 📌 Free Guide: How to Start Your Own Workshop Business [link here] Stay connected with Mariana 🌎 Website: craftymariana.com 📷 Instagram: @craftymariana🎨 Facebook Community: Crafting Workshops Community 📩 Exclusive content, resources, and deals: craftymariana.com/newsletter Let’s make this interactive Have questions or topics you want covered in future episodes? DM me on Instagram or email [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review or share it with a workshop friend. And if something landed for you, send me a message with your biggest takeaway :)

In this episode of the Crafty Mariana Podcast, Mariana sits down with Lucy Dujmovich, artist and founder of Studio Inner West in Sydney. In three years, Lucy has hosted 5,000 plus students, built a team of six, added mobile and corporate bookings, and launched a high-touch six-week program that teaches artists how to run profitable workshops. She shares the real numbers behind opening a studio after lockdown, how she engineered a welcoming beginner experience, and why online education unlocked multiple 40k months in 2025. Whether you’re testing your first resin class or scaling to corporates and retreats, you’ll love Lucy’s simple systems, distribution-first mindset, and grounded take on growth without burning out. What We Cover in This Episode ✎ Origin story - art school, small-business jobs, graduating into lockdown, and choosing to invest in a studio ✎ Naming and location for SEO - why “Studio Inner West” helps people find you ✎ First hits - resin homewares as a fresh alternative to paint-and-sip fatigue ✎ Safety and materials - choosing low-fume, food-safe resins and teaching a proper briefing ✎ Distribution that works - ClassBento for early discovery, platform vs widget fees and when each makes sense ✎ Offer ladder - adding foam clay and punch-needle tufting for lower ticket options ✎ Hiring and capacity - moving from solo to a team of six so weekends are sustainable ✎ Experience design - shelf of examples, signature scent, Pinterest prompts, photos at the end, asking for reviews ✎ Social proof engine - how Lucy passed 700 five-star reviews by making it a step in the flow ✎ Corporates and privates - Google, Canva, Apple, Amazon, banks, and why most deals came inbound ✎ Mobile, festivals, retreats - doubling delivery without a bigger lease and turning trips into paid craft holidays ✎ The numbers - 20k startup cost paid back in 2 months, about 150k in ticket sales year one, multiple 40k months after launching a six-week online program ✎ Mentors, SEO, ads - the marketing stack that leveled up year two and beyond ✎ Admin realities - bookkeeping, invoices, and building systems so you still get to teach ✎ Studio footprint - why she’s keeping classes intimate instead of upsizing the lease ✎ Where students get stuck - social media anxiety and what actually moves tickets ✎ One piece of advice - you only need to be a couple of steps ahead and open to questions Connect with Lucy ✎ Instagram: @studioinnerwest ✎ Website: studioinnerwest.com Resources for Your Workshop Business 📌 Free Guide: How to Start Your Own Workshop Business Stay Connected with Mariana 🌎 Website: craftymariana.com📷 Instagram: @craftymariana🎨 Facebook Community: Crafting Workshops Community📩 Exclusive content, resources, and deals: craftymariana.com/newsletter Let’s Make This Interactive! Have questions or topics you want covered in future episodes? DM me on Instagram or email [email protected]

In this episode of the Crafty Mariana Podcast, Mariana sits down with Kayla Jagusch, founder of Even Numbers, a Milan-based creative community known for vision boarding nights, “speed-date-in-art,” bag-charm labs, and their lush “linger longer” still-life sessions. What began as a four-person paint night in Kayla’s living room became 60-person gatherings across Milan, Paris, and New York, plus brand collaborations with Dr. Martens & Uniqlo. Kayla shares how she turned a solo move to Italy into a community, why brand activations fund the mission while community events build the soul, and the practicalities of running 4 to 5 events a month, while growing a business, without burning out. Whether you’re testing your first living-room workshop or mapping a multi-city calendar, you’ll love Kayla’s grounded business model, host-with-heart philosophy, and portable-format tips! What We Cover in This Episode ✎ Kayla’s origin story: New Jersey to FIT textile design, luxury fashion, Milan, and the first living-room workshop ✎ Naming “Even Numbers”: the triplet backstory and designing for balance and belonging ✎ From 4 seats to 60: taking people from online to offline and building trust in a new city ✎ Signature formats: vision boards, bag charms, “speed-date-in-art,” Creatives Connect, and “linger longer” still-life ✎ Business model that works: brand activations, team and private events, community nights ✎ Capacity and energy: why 4 to 5 workshops per month is a healthy ceiling for a hands-on host ✎ Multi-city operations: Milan, Paris, New York, venue scouting with local allies, research on Instagram ✎ Travel logistics: choosing light, modular projects and reusing materials across dates ✎ Pricing realities: smaller European spaces, seat caps, and why community nights aren’t the breadwinner ✎ Creative practice vs operations: guiding not grading, keeping personal art alive in small daily ways ✎ Momentum moments: iBlues in-store lab, Uniqlo launch, Dr. Martens activation, 400-person weekend ✎ Near-term vision: 3-month planning cadence, launching a membership, building a small team, dreaming of a dedicated space ✎ Industry trends: the offline connection wave, differentiation through hosting style and communication Connect with Kayla ✎ Instagram: @kaylajag • @evennumbers.milano ✎ Website: evennumbers.art ✎ Even Numbers Substack: evennumbers.substack.com Resources for Your Workshop Business 📌 Free Guide: How to Start Your Own Workshop Business Stay Connected with Mariana 🌎 Website: craftymariana.com📷 Instagram: @craftymariana🎨 Facebook Community: Crafting Workshops Community📩 Exclusive content, resources, and deals: craftymariana.com/newsletter Let’s Make This Interactive! Have questions or topics you want covered in future episodes? DM me on Instagram or email [email protected]

In this episode of the Crafty Mariana Podcast, Mariana sits down with Susan Schwager, the Sydney-based creator behind heart-led inner child workshops that blend craft, connection, and gentle facilitation. After a life-shaking accident in 2023, a family trip to Lapland and Disneyland reawakened Susan’s sense of wonder. Back home, she bottled that feeling into intimate women’s workshops that now sell out and spark real friendships. Susan shares exactly how she ran her first trial at home, pitched her first venue, priced those early tickets, and kept momentum going with simple Instagram boosts and comment-triggered DMs. We dig into the experience design that makes her events feel safe and special — a short inner child meditation, permission-forward facilitation, journaling or foam-board collage with nostalgic stickers and a closing share that helps strangers feel seen. She also opens up about rest, feedback loops, space holding, and the venue evolution from cafe to bookshop to a small white-box gallery that fits her brand and the work. Whether you’re early in your journey or exploring how to bring more soul into creative experiences, you’ll love Susan’s clarity, courage, and practical steps. What We Cover in This Episode ✎ The Disney parade moment that sparked Susan’s mission to honor the inner child ✎ First steps that worked: 5-venue outreach, Eventbrite listing, pricing the very first tickets ✎ Experience design: opening story, short meditation, full permission to play, and a closing share ✎ The craft formats: joy journals or foam core boards with stickers, trinkets, and hot glue ✎ Safety and space holding: why one man with a camera changed her ops approach ✎ The perfectionist sticker problem and how permission dissolves creative fear ✎ Marketing that’s enough: small Instagram boosts, “comment a word” CTAs, 3-week promo cycles ✎ Venues that match the vibe: cafe to bookshop to a small gallery that photographs clean ✎ Fashion crossover: a 21-day dress-up challenge to practice being seen ✎ Retreat vision: partnering with an inner child healer for a 2-night play and healing format ✎ Lessons learned: rest, feedback, icebreakers, and getting comfortable being uncomfortable ✎ CWA takeaways: pricing spreadsheets, costs per head, and the confidence to pitch venues Connect with Susan ✎ Instagram: @susan.schwager ✎ Workshops and tickets: [view here] Resources for Your Workshop Business 📌 Free Guide: How to Start Your Own Workshop Business📌 Free Spreadsheet: Figure Out Your Numbers! Stay Connected with Mariana 🌎 Website: craftymariana.com📷 Instagram: @craftymariana🎨 Facebook Community: Crafting Workshops Community📩 Exclusive content, resources, and deals: craftymariana.com/newsletter Let’s Make This Interactive! Have questions or topics you want covered in future episodes? DM me on Instagram or email [email protected]

In this episode of the Crafty Mariana Podcast, Mariana sits down with Liz Chick, founder of RecCreate Collective in New York City, a creative hospitality studio known for its club-style events, intentional facilitation, and community-first approach. What began as Liz experimenting with natural dyes in a tiny apartment became a beautiful, one-of-a-kind studio space and a growing team hosting 15–20 events a month. Liz shares the real story behind finding and securing the studio, building early momentum with collage mornings, and evolving into RecCreate’s signature “club” format that blends guided structure with open creative play. We dig into experience design elements like opening ceremonies, meditations, conversation prompts, and end-of-night mini galleries that help strangers feel safe, seen, and connected. Liz also opens up about bootstrapping, seasonality, collaborations, team building, and balancing accessibility with profitability through scholarships, community events, and creative pricing models. Whether you’re dreaming of a studio, hosting workshops already, or exploring how to scale without losing soul, you’ll love Liz’s honesty, practicality, and heart. What We Cover in This Episode ✎ Liz’s origin story: from natural dye experiments to landing a dream studio space ✎ The first “collage morning” and how it evolved into RecCreate’s club format ✎ Experience design: opening ceremony, meditation, prompts, inspiration, and gallery share ✎ Scaling with intention: from one-off collabs to repeatable internal programming ✎ Building a small-but-mighty team and the systems that make 15–20 events/month possible ✎ Operations realities: inventory, storage, organization, and studio upkeep ✎ Growth without ads: TikTok to Instagram pipeline, niche NYC “things to do” features, and word of mouth ✎ Private vs public events and how corporate work sustains accessibility ✎ Seasonality truths and using slower months for camps, R&D, and refinement ✎ Numbers mindset: pricing, margins, and why knowing your costs changes everything ✎ Accessibility ecosystem: volunteers, community nights, sponsorships, and scholarships ✎ The future: a “RecCreate ecosystem,” Substack projects, office hours, and finishing what you start Connect with Liz ✎ RecCreate Collective Site✎ @reccreate_collective (Instagram) ✎ Substack: Muse-ing (creative digest) ✎ Creator resources: Craft Employed posts and office hours with Liz Resources for Your Workshop Business 📌 Free Guide: How to Start Your Own Workshop Business 📌 Free Spreadsheet: Figure Out Your Numbers! Stay Connected with Mariana 🌎 Website: craftymariana.com 📷 Instagram: @craftymariana 🎨 Facebook Community: Crafting Workshops Community 📩 Exclusive content, resources, and deals: craftymariana.com/newsletter Let’s Make This Interactive! Have questions or topics you want covered in future episodes? DM me on Instagram or email [email protected]