Show Notes: Stop Thinking Your Products Need to Be Perfect Before You Sell Them

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Episode Summary:

In this episode of The Marketing and Heart Podcast, we’re addressing the limiting belief that your products need to be perfect before you can sell them. We’ll break down how perfectionism is holding you back from reaching your audience, how customers are craving handmade authenticity in a world full of mass-produced items, and I’ll share my personal story of how letting go of perfectionism transformed my own business.

Key Takeaways:

• Why waiting for perfection is hurting your business.
• How the demand for human touch and small-batch craftsmanship is growing in a world of mass production.
• The surprising truth about your best-selling products and what it means for you as a creator.
• How letting go of perfectionism helped me grow my business and why it will help yours too.

Transcript:

Introduction

Welcome back to The Marketing and Heart Podcast! Today, we’re going to dive into a topic that hits home for a lot of handmade business owners: the idea that your products need to be perfect before you can sell them.

I’ve been there—when I first started making jewelry, I was obsessed with perfecting every little detail. It felt like if my products weren’t just right, there was no way I could put them out into the world. But what I didn’t realize at the time was that my perfectionism was actually holding me back.

If you’ve ever stopped yourself from launching a product because it wasn’t exactly how you imagined, or you’ve delayed a collection because it wasn’t “perfect,” then this episode is for you. We're going to break down why perfectionism is not just hurting your business, but also robbing your potential customers of the joy your products could bring into their lives.

My Own Journey: From Perfectionism to Success

Let me share a bit of my own story here because I know this struggle all too well. I’ve been running The Wicked Griffin since 2011, and I went full-time with my business in 2016. Before I opened up shop, I had been perfecting my craft as a jeweler for years. And the funny thing is, the thing that was really holding me back wasn’t my skill level or my designs—it was my own perfectionism.

I started making jewelry because I wanted to create pieces that I couldn’t find anywhere else. I thought, "If I can’t find it, I’ll just make it." That’s what led me to open my Etsy shop. I spent years refining my craft, and I was so focused on every tiny detail being absolutely perfect before I was willing to sell anything.

And here’s the thing I had to learn over time: Your business isn’t for you. That was a hard lesson to learn because, as artists, we put so much of ourselves into our work. But at some point, I realized that once you decide to turn your hobby into a business, you have to make a mindset shift.

It’s not about you anymore. Your business is for your customers. Yes, you play a major role in creating those products, and of course, you want to love what you make. But in the end, it’s your customers’ connection to your products that really matters.

And here’s the wildest part: To this day, there are products I’ve listed that I didn’t personally like all that much. I didn’t think they were my best work or that they were “perfect.” But you know what? Some of those products—ones I didn’t love—ended up being my best sellers.

If I had held back because I thought they weren’t good enough, I would have lost out on thousands of dollars. And more than that, I would have missed the chance to share something that clearly resonated with thousands of people.

I’ll tell you straight up: There are products I’ve put out that I still don’t like. I still look at them and think, "This isn’t perfect." But you know what? It doesn’t matter. My customers love them. They’ve brought joy and connection to people’s lives, and that’s what it’s all about.

The Rise of Handmade: Why Your Customers Don’t Want “Perfect”

In this day and age, people are overwhelmed by mass-produced, factory-made junk. If someone wanted something “perfect,” they could go to Walmart or Temu and buy it in bulk. But they’re not doing that. They’re searching for something handmade, something that comes with a human touch.

People are craving connection, and they’re seeking out products that feel personal. That’s why the handmade movement is growing, even in a world flooded with AI and assembly-line production. When people buy handmade, they’re not looking for flawless—they’re looking for heart.

Your customers aren’t coming to you because they want something that looks like it was made by a machine. They’re coming to you because they want something unique, something that tells a story. Every imperfection in your work adds to that story—it reminds people that a real person made this with love and care.

When you hold back because you think your products aren’t perfect, you’re doing more than just holding yourself back. You’re actually taking away the opportunity for your customers to find that special piece they’ve been looking for. You’re robbing them of the joy they could experience from your work.

Imperfection is What Sells

Think about it: When was the last time you bought something handmade? Was it because it was flawless? Or was it because it felt like it was made just for you, because it had that special something that mass-produced items could never replicate?

That’s the magic of handmade. The imperfections, the quirks, the little things that make your work yours—those are exactly the things that set you apart from all the factory-made items out there. And those are the things that sell.

Perfectionism isn’t helping you—it’s holding you back. The sooner you let go of that need to make everything perfect, the sooner you’ll start seeing growth in your business. You’ll attract the customers who value what you’re creating, and you’ll free yourself from the pressure of trying to meet impossible standards.

Call to Action

If this episode hit home for you and you’re ready to let go of perfectionism and start putting your work out there, I’ve got something that can help you. Download my free Mad Hatter’s Guide: The Proven Strategy to Drive More Visitors to Your Etsy Shop or Website with Blogging.

This guide is designed to help you take that next step and start driving traffic to your shop, even if your products aren’t “perfect.” Head to marketingandheart.com to grab your free guide and start taking control of your traffic and your business.

Conclusion

Your customers aren’t looking for perfect—they’re looking for you. They’re tired of mass-produced items, and they want something with heart, with a story behind it. And you have the power to give them that.

If this episode resonated with you, share it with another handmade business owner who might be stuck in the perfectionism trap. And don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode!