Sparkle and Thrive

[Episode 64] We ask alumni Karin Lemke and Sarah Marriott how social media is working in their businesses and spread some festive cheer with their fab offers

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Episode notes

We love the festive season here at TechPixies, and, this year, we feel a bit of sparkle is needed more than ever 🎄. So, big up to all those who’ve put up their Christmas decorations, tucked into a mince pie (or two – we won’t judge), and are ready to don a Christmas jumper for Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day. 

But if your gift list is looking as forlorn as a Christmas tree on New Year’s Day (come on, you can do better than gifting a box of chocolates and a poinsettia to Grandma), you’re going to love what we have in store for you. We might be right in the middle of our brilliant Changing Careers series on the Sparkle and Thrive Podcast, but the TechPixies we’re featuring this week haven’t just changed careers, they’ve started businesses, too. What’s more, they’re here to offer you, our lovely listeners, a 10% discount on their fab products (and you don’t even have to have been good to benefit 😂. Just use the code TECHPIXIES)!

Karin Lemke and Sarah Marriott are the queens of personalised gifts (who doesn’t love a bespoke gift at Christmas?). Karin’s business – JustGiftMe – allows customers to create an avatar of a loved one and have it stamped on items such as pencil cases and mugs to greetings cards. Names and messages can be personalised for that ‘just for you’ gifting flourish (no more losing your kid’s water bottle on the football pitch or having someone mistakenly swipe your laptop case).  It’s a world away from Karin’s previous career working in the music and corporate events industries. 

Sarah also experienced a massive shift in working life following a devastating fibromyalgia diagnosis. She set up Treasured Branches after creating a beautiful family tree for her mother’s birthday,  unleashing the creativity that lay within.  She now crafts bespoke family trees in gorgeous ink and watercolour (we’ll let you guess who’s bought one for their family here at TechPixies HQ!).

Here’s why you need to tune in:
In this week’s episode, you’ll not only hear Karin and Sarah’s stories as they navigate the joys of being in the personalised products game, but you’ll also learn how social media is working in their businesses. It should also give anyone with a creative streak a much-needed boost to know that being stuck in the daily grind –doing the 9-5 on someone else’s watch –isn’t the only way to make a living. You can break free, and you can plough all that energy into doing something for yourself. Here’s to 2021 being the year you make your business dreams come true. 

Here’s what to listen out for:

[02:00] Karin’s story of setting up her business will sound familiar to many. 

[10:37] Hear how a devastating diagnosis thwarted Sarah’s desire to return to work after a career break to raise her kids. 

[16:31] Karin describes the joy of getting new customers. 

[20:12] Sarah describes how she is diversifying her product range. 

[22:12] Hear Karin showing off her fabulous products. 

[26:10] We find out what’s possible with Sarah’s bespoke family trees. 

[31:12] Learn Karin’s thoughts on how social media is working for her business.

[35:13] Hear Sarah describe how she is using social media in her business. 

Don’t forget! There’s a 10% discount available to listeners at both JustGiftMe and Treasured Branches this month. Use the code TECHPIXIES. We’re off to get our orders in while you press play now.

For links and resources mentioned in this episode, please visit our website.