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You are the hero your business has been waiting for.
You know the story.
It all starts with an inexperienced protagonist in a small village. They are unassuming, hard-working, and dedicated. There's more out there in the world that they're hungry to see, but will they ever have a chance to experience it for themselves?
They continue on with their day-to-day tasks until one day...everything changes.
A guide reveals themselves and their secrets, and all of a sudden, our protagonist finds themselves outside the bounds of the world they've always known. Thrown into an adventure they didn't ever expect to be on, they are pushed to grow and learn. They become the hero that the world so desperately needs at that very moment.
The part of the story that you probably didn't realize, however, is that our protagonist, our hero, in this story is...you.
Can you hear that?
You are being called to something greater than dye lots, spreadsheets, or stitch counts.
You are being called to dream bigger than you ever dared and to define the path that leads right to your ideal future.
Are you ready to accept the call?
For best results, please hit "play" before reading futher.
Prepare to discover...
Your Epic Business
A guided adventure to take you, a fiber business owner, from the life you have to the life you only dreamed could be possible.
Where are we going?
To the beginning of possibilities.
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Develop a concrete vision of the most impactful, broad reaching, fulfilling version of your business.
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Get to know your customer intimately. Figure out what they need and why you’re the one to give it to them.
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Create an actionable plan with date-specific to-do items.
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Plan the tools, education, experiences and connections you need to reach your goal.
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Get practical about what your business will look like now, five years from now, and far into the future.
How will I know if this is right for me?
It's time to level up.
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You're self-motivated, self-educated, and scrappy.
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Your business is up and running, and you're hungry for more.
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Your sales are high enough to be encouraging but you're not there yet.
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You thrive with a clear plan and a team behind you.
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You're kind of a dork and you're down for a fantasy adventure.
Who is leading the way?
Meet your guides.
Jen Parroccini
Knitwear Designer / Consultant
Jen is in business to give knitters the tools to make the handknits they deserve. For her, knitting is political - giving us the power to abandon fast fashion, honor our bodies, and participate in a movement that values the work of women and elevates a global community of makers.
In addition to her educational weekly newsletter, Jen writes knitting patterns, teaches, and offers consulting & grading services for both knitters and designers.
Anastasia Williams
Business Coach / Marketing Expert
Anastasia is here to help fiber business owners dream big and take action. She believes the value issues in this industry start and stop with us. The idea that making is "women's work" has gone on for far too long and it's time to shed that skin for one that recognizes the importance of craft.
Anastasia's marketing agency, M1R Marketing, offers resources and services for business owners to improve their marketing skills. She also runs a group coaching membership, the Fiber Business Collective, for all owners in the fiber arts industry.
How will we get there?
This isn't just a workshop - it's an experience.
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Over the next three months, you’ll join a powerful microteam of co-adventurers (this is your party!).
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You’ll meet in a private online tavern (Slack) to receive mini-quests (discussion prompts and suggested readings) and to get to know one another in preparation for The Big Adventure.
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To prepare you for The Big Adventure, you’ll receive a toolkit by mail, including a workbook and provisions.
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On Day One of the adventure, your Guides will take you through three hours of instruction, reflection, and planning.
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On Day Two, you’ll have the option to share your vision, unveiling your big vision and enlisting the ongoing support of your party.
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We’ll keep the tavern open for a while after The Big Adventure, so that you can continue to connect and support each other in a familiar environment.
What else do you want to know?
What is the benefit of doing this work now?
September through January: Sweater Weather. The season when this industry puts up its strongest performance, and also when the competition is the tightest. We work ourselves to the bone, and it can make or break our financial year.
We’ve all been there, looking at the season unfolding, wondering “are these offerings right for the season? Will I ever be ready on time? I only have so many minutes per day, am I using them in the best possible way? What should I have done differently to be ready for this now?”.
A great Sweater Weather season doesn’t happen by accident, and it doesn’t happen by keeping your nose to the grindstone, too busy with the day to day to step back and survey the future. As impossible as it seems, we have to carve out time now to bring our ideal next year into focus.
Another question to ask yourself is, "If not now, then when?"
Couldn't I just do this stuff on my own?
Of course you can! If you’ve made it this far, you’re scrappy and hardworking and determined with every fiber of your being. Trial and error works. But it takes a very long time and you’ve got to kiss way more frogs along the way. And... it’s hella lonely.
Over the last few years, we’ve read dozens of business books, experimenting, taking the bits that are good for heart-led fiber business and systemizing them, and leaving the rest. We’ve interviewed oodles of small fiber business owners, learning about what really works and what’s a distraction. We’ve coached others through difficult spots as they’ve grown, changed, and risen to the challenge of making their small businesses into bright spots in the lives of their customers.
But also, we’ve both created small businesses that feel like home, that meet our financial goals, and that are led from a place of uncompromising values. It is possible. A program like this is a jumpstart, turning your investment into a couple years of lessons learned the easy way over the course of just one season.
I'm an introvert and I'm busy; if I only attend the two days of live sessions, is it still worth it?
We aren’t going to sugar coat this part. Magic happens when we pair with peers, and it’s an important part of this experience.
The peers you’ll encounter in this group are especially precious, because they are just like you - deeply invested and driven, eager to collaborate, and working from their values. And yet, they’re coming from all different parts of the industry. Can you imagine what happens when you get a bunch of dyers and designers that are all hungry to collaborate in the same room, knowing each other well enough to have frank, honest, hopeful conversations?
After years of convening groups, we can tell you what happens. New ideas get implemented, fast. Some of the most well organized, professionally marketed, top-notch collaborations in this WHOLE industry come together - without paying for a single ad. You’re going to make friends - the kind that gently hold your feet to the fire but also remind you to rest. You’re going to go from working alone to having a team.
PS - you don’t need to be endlessly engaged with the group to make it ‘worth it.’ But we find that group members who engage with openness, curiosity, and generosity at least once a week over several weeks are the ones who make the biggest strides in their businesses.
What all do I get?
This experience starts with a box sent to you in the mail that includes a printed version of your "One Workbook to Rule Them All", a suggested reading list, access to a music playlist to get you inspired, and some extra treats to help you feel immersed in your adventure.
You will also receive access to a private Slack group (the Tavern!) with your co-adventurers, and of course, the actual workshops! Day one will last for three hours and day two will last for two, totaling five hours of study together.
What is my investment?
You can adventure with us at the Early Bird price of $189 through September 6th.
Starting September 7th, the price increases to $224.
Payment plans are available to help make the cost more manageable for your budget.
What are the dates of the adventures?
Party A's adventure is:
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October 8th from 12pm - 3pm CST
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October 9th from 12pm - 2pm CST
Party B's adventure is:
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November 5th from 12pm - 3pm CST
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November 6th from 12pm - 2pm CST
Party C's adventure is:
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November 12th from 12pm - 3pm CST
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November 13th from 12pm - 2pm CST
Anything else we haven't covered?
Email any other questions directly to Jen & Anastasia at yourepicbusiness@gmail.com