BOOK AVAILABLE ON AMAZON: Print-on-Demand Secrets by Zen Watercooler: www.amazon.com/dp/B09L4WZQ9C?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860 We live in an amazing time - you can turn your hobby into a something that makes money! Designing t-shirts, coffee mugs, working on ebay, Etsy, or setting up a print-on-demand business - you CAN do it! Throw in some communication, facilitation, business, finance and wealth-building tips - it's all here at Zen Watercooler. If you want to learn how to navigate the world of passive income, building wealth or making some money doing something you enjoy, this is the place for you. I cover selling, design, marketing, research and so much more. How can you improve? Make this your regular stop for tips and tricks that will help you bring your quest to earn real money to the next level.
Zen Sensei, I started redbubble but gave up. You told me to add at least 1000 designs. After 120, I was exhausted, I looked in my dashboard and I've been there for 3 months without making a single sale. So I quit. 3 months later I saw a redbubble email, so I logged into my account and noticed that I made 8 sales. Well some might say it's not a lot, but personally I was surprised that this thing actually worked for me. My fixed mindset was whispering "you will never make a sale". I got proof that wasn't true. Now I'm so disappointed in myself cuz If I had actually put 1000 designs, maybe I could have made 50 sales or more and some significant money. If only I was patient enough. Well, now I trust myself more and I know it's possible for me too. I'm back on Redbubble and feel motivated. I see also that you started a podcast, that's cool, motivation is all that I needed and need. Thank you again for helping us beginner artists.
Hey Zen, great podcast! I loved the fact you mentioned the feelings you get when you have design ideas flying around your brain. That’s so me and I’m riding the wave at the moment with a cross niche design that I’ve stumbled upon 😊 I also feel the same way when I have sold an item to someone in America. I think to myself, wow someone is walking around proudly displaying my design😊 your right about the sales, it not about the money (more of it would be nice) it’s about some seeing value in what I’ve created that never existed before. I remember I thought of an idea for a book, I got home, designed it, the layout, cover and uploaded to my KDP (which was only around 6 weeks old) and it sold within 2 weeks! This is the greatest time there has ever been to design, create and make a few bucks and help out a fellow human. Sorry this comment has dragged on 😆 I’m on the train commuting home. Thanks again for brightening up my journey 🙏
Great podcast. Staying motivated is one of the hardest things to do when things aren't going as you want them to. Great suggestions. I particularly liked the one about challenging yourself to learn new things. I really need to get to grips with Affinity Designer. 👍
Just started uploading my designs on Redbubble. I love that you say to upload a lot because I have been having a blast. Haha. I originally had a POD shop on Etsy before I realized that Redbubble would be way more fun and convenient because of how many different products your design goes on at once. Thanks so much, I learned even more thanks to your video.
It's a good question - I personally use Everbee for Merch by Amazon, Displate, Redbubble, etc. I also sell on Creative Fabrica so here is a video on how you can use Everbee for that: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-X7_gXagwKsY.html
Hi! I was playing with the studio, but I cannot move anything on the board. Images, text, nothing. Please help! All the blue boxes are unresponsive, and for me to actually select something I have to choose it from the right side panel
Yes at the time of this recording (2021), vacation settings were only for ebay stores (not regular listings). Thank goodness they have changed it now - I agree with you, vacation setting is much easier 👍
@@zenwatercooler where do I do that? And also I just saw that on shop manager in ETSY, I have to pay $20 to open the shop. When I use the ETSY seller app it won’t sign it because “no shop associated with this email address”. I guess I have to pay through credit card to open it.
Also, Etsy ban for literally no reason. They banned my 5 years old 5 star shop where I didn't do anything to violate their rules. I wrote 3 times to the Etsy support, and nobody answered me! (They say that they will answer up to 2 weeks (no)) Also, they kept my money, and they will give them after 180 days! That's ridiculous!
Great timing putting out this video. I have thinking about making free coloring pages by AI. Very imformative and I think I will try this. Great video!
Hi, Mr Watercooler. Do you have any suggestions for research tools? I see Podły, Merch Inf, and Dominator get mentioned quite a lot by others. Thanks! 😁
Hello! That is such a great question that I am doing a whole podcast episode dedicated to tools that I use. Thank you for the suggestion, episode coming shortly!
POD is not passive per se, in that you have to put in a lot of work to with designs, etc. But scaling it is pretty passive. In my old business, I knew there were only so many orders I could process a day without hiring employees (which was not of interest), so my income potential (and my energy) topped out pretty quickly. In POD, I do almost the same amount of work whether I get 1 order or 50. Which is darned nice 🙂
I think a lot of the hate comes from jealousy. I've had my moments of feeling 'hate' towards a successful POD designer, then I would just remind myself that they have been doing this longer, and they are just better than me! It's all about effort, work ethic, openness to learning, and time. I think the hate comes mainly from people who have already given up because they weren't willing to do those things. I don't blame them, as many youtubers will lie about how easy this is. The haters probably feel 'duped' into trying it, and may have wasted lots of money doing so.
I have watched your videos and have learned a lot. The people who are criticizing don't know any better. Please continue with your work, there are people who need you 🩵
Please don't take the criticism to heart. Anyone left peevish and wounded by your map videos will also whine in the comments of vids about colorized blueprints, patent schematics and monochromatic Gothic architecture prints (these clearly aren't as "arty" as their papier-mâché hat collection...). My dad put it into perspective for me years ago: "Those who can, do. Those who can't, critique." The rest of us highly appreciative everything you share. While you do what you love, let them sob into their their flour & newspaper fedoras about how hard and non-subjective this all is.
The people who leave negative messages can kick rocks. Your channel has been great for years now. On another note what you can do about the video(s) with poor audio is edit the title to give a heads up to your viewers And lastly, NOBODY has the final say on what is or isnt art. These are the haters and idiots of the world. Keep doing what you're doing💯🎯✔️
Even with the full POD license it only applies to physical items and not digital. Anything digital needs to be modified regardless of the license type. The problem is people are still taking the designs from CF and selling them as digital items. Which is giving even more people access to those designs and is not in compliance with the license agreement.
ignore the moaners and complainers. They'll always find someone to take aim at. It's their hobby. You're videos are great and you're one of the most useful POD YT channels. Always pleased when I see you've posted another video. And yes maps are art - the detail and craft that goes into creating them is the work of an artist.
LOL , I'm a living proof to make money from knitting, 10 years ago it was very good business. Life happened and I switched to POD, I don't understand t-shirt market, but it's a ton of other products that I sell online every day. And yes KISS is an awesome band 😄
