Create & Thrive https://www.createandthrive.com Learn how to turn your handmade hobby into a thriving business with Jess Van Den. Mon, 29 Dec 2025 03:45:23 +0000 en-AU hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://i0.wp.com/www.createandthrive.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/cropped-CT-tree.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Create & Thrive https://www.createandthrive.com 32 32 Jess Van Den false episodic Jess Van Den jessica@epherielldesigns.com Jess Van Den Jess Van Den podcast Create & Thrive https://www.createandthrive.com/wp-content/uploads/powerpress/The_Create_&_Thrive_Podcast_Cover_Sep_2020.png https://www.createandthrive.com/ctpodcast Fortnightly 44243153 I’m Retiring. https://www.createandthrive.com/im-retiring Mon, 29 Dec 2025 00:13:28 +0000 https://www.createandthrive.com/?p=19241

It’s time for a change.

Since I started my handmade business, Epheriell, in 2008, the world has changed so much.

I have changed so much.

In 2008 I was a 27 year old tuition centre manager, living with my English boyfriend in the Brisbane suburbs, and I started making jewellery in my spare time to fulfil a creative urge I had neglected for years.

When I started Epheriell as a hobby business, I had zero idea that I would be here, talking to you, almost 18 years later, after having built a number of different businesses – all in the realm of the handmade sphere – and having turned over almost two million dollars from those businesses in those years.

Wow. I’ve never pulled that number up before! It’s a bit overwhelming to think I managed to create products with my own two hands and one brain, and have been able to make a living from them for all this time.

But.

The world has changed. I have changed. And it’s time for me to move on.

So, as of June 2026, I’ll be retiring from handmade business education, and I’ll be putting Epheriell on indefinite sabbatical.

What will I do next?

I don’t actually know yet.

But we’ve finally reached a point where we are in the financial position to allow me to take a sabbatical where I will have the space to rest, reflect, get the dosage of my MHT right (😆), and decide what’s next for me.

I’ve officially reached middle age this year – I keep joking about the fact that I got my first reading glasses and my MHT prescription in the same week!

I turn 45 in 2026, and like the elder millennial that I am, I have been obsessed with the internet since I first dove into the world of message boards, IRC, fandom, Geocities, Altavista and Ask Jeeves when I was a fresh-faced 15-year-old in 1996.

Did you know, I made my very first website (on Geocities, of course) back in 1996 or 97 – and it was an X-Files fan site? It was pretty popular too! Though of course, the internet was a much, much smaller place back then.

Since then, I’ve launched various blogs, started various businesses, worked for other people’s online businesses, been an affiliate, run a podcast, various YouTube channels, sold jewellery under 2 different brands, sold ads on my own site, launched a membership, sold ebooks and ecourses… I’ve tried all sorts of things and made money online in myriad ways since making that very first website (which, of course, made me zero dollars, but my nerdy friends thought it was cool, so…).

Suffice it to say,  I’ve been here for a long time.

30 years!

I always dreamt of making a living from the internet, and it took me about 12 years to finally crack how to do it properly – which started when I stumbled on Etsy back in 2008 and opened that first shop.

It has been an amazing journey, and I have loved so much about it.

It has enabled me and Nick to live a life we love.

To live in a place we adore.

To have so much freedom of time, to travel regularly to visit friends and family overseas, and to live a low-stress life.

But I’m ready to move on.

I’m also ready to take a break from the internet.

I have slowly faded away from most social media over the last few years.

I have no interest in instagram any more.

I pretty much only use Facebook to find events to attend IRL.

Threads I have been enjoying, because it felt like a breath of fresh air to actually talk WITH people again, but even that is growing thin for me right now.

Don’t even get me started on TikTok (ugh).

I have been putting myself and my face and my life out there on the internet since my early 20s.

But as I get older, and the changes in the online world loom, I feel the need to take a step back and just be again, without sharing things publicly with the world.

It’s time for retreat, recalibration, and reflection.

To decide what I want to do with this next phase of my life.

And to do that, I’m stepping away for a time.

Does that mean I’ll never come back online?

Not at all!

I might decide to start up my YouTube again. Or to launch something totally new.

And it doesn’t mean I’m disappearing today.

But I am aiming to be on sabbatical by the winter solstice here in Australia, which is June 21st, 2026.

Why am I telling you so early?

Because I’m going to offer a bunch of things for the last time, and it felt disingenuous to do so without being upfront about it.

I’ve always tried my best to be honest and keep firm grip on my integrity in a space where that seems to be increasingly rare.

I want you to know what’s happening, and why, so you can prepare and be aware – and if you so choose, to take advantage of my offers with full knowledge.

If you are in my community, or are one of my students, Thriver Circle members, or Epheriell customers, here’s the timeline of exactly what’s happening.

Timeline

December 2025

Thriver Circle final launch – December 29th till January 7th.

If you join at this time, I will unlock the full Your Year to Thrive course, so you will have just under 6 months to work through it at your own pace during this time (which does mean doing 2 lessons a week instead of 1 should you want to). You will have full access to all other courses and workshops, and I will still be running 2 live calls each month until the end of May, and I’ll be active in the FB group community.

February 2026

Set Up Shop runs for the final time – February 9th till March 10th.

April 2026

I will offer shop critiques until April 6th, then they will no longer be available.

May 2026

I will offer the Wholesale Know-How course until May 4th, after which it will no longer be available.

June 2026

The Thriver Circle will close forever on June 8th, 2026.

Members will no longer have access to any aspect of the Circle, including the FB group, courses, workshops, podcasts. All memberships will be cancelled and all payments will be stopped by this date at the latest. I encourage members to cancel their membership when their May payment is deducted, as you will then stay an active member until the shut-down should you so wish.

I will archiving all my social media – bar YouTube (I’m leaving all my free videos up) in June.

Epheriell will be placed on sabbatical on June 8th, 2026.

This will give us time to process any final orders by the time I take sabbatical.

(I’m not ruling out opening Epheriell again in the future, but it will be a long while – probably at least 18 months – until I do so – unless Nick decides he wants to run it without my input, but he’s gotten himself a good permanent part-time government job so that will probably keep him busy enough!).

On June 21st I will hopefully be done with all the work to wrap up the businesses, and will be stepping away from all social media for at least 6 months and taking a sabbatical from work and the online world. 

 

I’m not going to lie, I am simultaneously elated and terrified to take this step.

I’ve been feeling the urge to move on for a while now, but the circumstances were not in alignment until now, and I know that if I don’t take advantage of this opportunity, I will regret it immensely.

I’m excited to take my first real break from paid work since I was 16, and I’m so thankful to Nick for joyfully supporting me in this choice.

I want to take a moment to thank him, publicly, for all the work he has put in since this all began back in 2008.

Not only in the business – of which he has been an employee for over a decade now (and let’s be honest, an unpaid helper before that) – but in our life together.

He has been unfailing in his support – both emotional and practical – from day 1.

He has been the main home manager – taking care of the fundamentals of life like cooking, cleaning, shopping, mowing, repairs… all of those ‘mundane’ things that most women have bear the mental load of, even when they are working as well.

He’s freed me up to manage and run the businesses – and we have assisted each other in our respective spheres all this time.

It’s going to be quite the dynamic shift as he goes ‘to work’ (even though he’ll still be mostly working from home, thankfully!) and I take on more of the domestic load for the first time in our relationship.

I couldn’t have a more supportive partner in business and life, and I am so grateful every day that we chose to travel through life together.

Thank you so much, Nick, for all that you are and all that you do. I love you, and I couldn’t have done this without you.

 

So – I’m not going anywhere just yet, but I wanted you all to know what 2026 has in store.

I will still be here, enthusiastically running my businesses and helping you for the first half of 2026, and I will treasure the chance to work in this space – and with you – for these last few months.

It’s been an amazing career, and it wouldn’t exist without you.

I want to say thank you to YOU.

To the 6,000+ people who’ve bought a piece of Epheriell jewellery.

Thank you for trusting us to make a treasured piece of jewellery. Particularly those of you for whom we’ve made wedding rings. Every one has been special and we’ve been honoured to make it for you.

To every person who’s read my blog posts, my emails, listened to my podcast, or watched a YouTube video – I hope something I said has helped you!

I have put so much free content out there over the years that honestly, you could have built your whole business using just that (and I know people who have, because they’ve told me!).

But, most deeply, I want to say thank you to the thousands of past and present students who have paid me actual money to teach and help you grow your businesses: all I can hope for is that I haven’t let you down.

I hope what I shared made a difference, I hope it was valuable, and I hope that you continue to chase your dreams, whatever they may be.

I have always loved the handmade community – there are still so many genuine, creative, wonderful people making things with their hands and hearts.

And in this ever-more-digital and fast-everything world we live in, I think handmade has more value than ever.

May you all continue to add your unique beauty to the world.

Now I’m going to sign off before I make myself cry.

Keep Thriving,

Jess

The Thriver Circle is open now, for the last time.

Join Now

 

Then and Now

 

Nick and I in 2008, at the housewarming for our first rental together. This is where I started Epheriell. I made the seaglass necklace I’m wearing – some of my early jewellery incorporated seaglass found at my local beach.

Nick and I in 2025, in Dubrovnik. We were on one of our month-long overseas trips, visiting family and friends in England and Croatia.

 

Listen or Watch 

]]> Jess Van Den full 19:20 19241 How the end of the de minimus tariff exemption will affect your business. https://www.createandthrive.com/how-the-end-of-the-de-minimus-tariff-exemption-will-affect-your-business Tue, 05 Aug 2025 05:51:14 +0000 https://www.createandthrive.com/?p=19234

As of August 29th, 2025, the de minimus tariff exemption ends for EVERYONE.

This will affect both product-based businesses shipping TO the US, and product-based business IN the US who buy materials from outside of the country.

And that’s not even the worst part – because your customers might end up paying WAY MORE than just the tariff fee for the next 6 months.

You can listen to the podcast below, or on your fave podcast app – or you can watch it on YouTube!

Keep thriving,

Jess

✨P.S. Thriver Circle members, if you haven’t already, make sure to check out our newest mini-course – ​Fundamentals of Selling & Launching Online​!

If you’re not already a member, you can ​join right now​ and get immediate access to this and all our other mini-courses and workshops.

Support the show

 

Watch on YouTube…

Listen Now

]]> Jess Van Den full 8:52 19234 This reminded me why I started the Thriver Circle in the first place… https://www.createandthrive.com/this-reminded-me-why-i-started-the-thriver-circle-in-the-first-place Thu, 05 Jun 2025 22:14:00 +0000 https://www.createandthrive.com/?p=19203
Hey Thriver,
 
At the moment, a group of us inside the Thriver Circle are working through The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron.
 
Yesterday was our second zoom catch-up, and as we were talking, one of our group started talking about how thankful she was to be there, because in ‘real life’ she had nobody to talk to.
 
No-one who is a fellow artist. No-one who values creativity. No-one who understands the struggles we have with our inner critic.
 
There’s something so powerful about being in a space with other people who just nod and say ‘yes, we understand, because we’ve felt the same way!’.
 
And it hit me.
 
THIS is why I started the Thriver Circle.
 
Back in 2015, the world was a different place.
 
Social media was there, sure, but it was still challenging to really connect with other artists, creatives, makers – especially those who also wanted to turn their hobby into a business.
 
Most people around us ‘in real life’ simply did not get it.
 
They didn’t understand that it was even a possibility – let alone a realistic one – or a way to actually make some real money.
 
I still remember, one Christmas, when a cousin asked me ‘so how’s the jewellery thing going’ and I replied with how much I’d made that year.
 
I could see how shocked he was! And I’m not gonna lie, that gave me a little thrill. 
 
Yes, see – I’m not just kidding myself or wasting my time. 
 
I’m building something real here.
 
But, inside the Circle, you won’t get that sort of attitude. Because we know. 
 
We understand. We agree – and we’re aiming for the same goals!
 
If you know me at all, you’ll know I’m not going to sit here and tell you that it’s easy. 
 
It’s not.
 
I’m not going to tell you success is guaranteed – it’s not.
 
I’m not offering a quick fix, a miracle cure, or any sort of ‘secret’ to success.
 
I’m here offering three simple things.
 
A plan. A community. My support on your journey.
 
I will teach you what has worked for me and for thousands of others. 
 
I will support you in your learning journey to speed it up and make it smoother for you.
 
All while being part of a group of makers who get you – and who know what it is to dream what you’re dreaming. 
 
Because they’re dreaming it, too.
 
Come join the Circle, and let’s dream a little (or big) dream – together.
 
~ Jess x
JOIN NOW

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]]> 19203 The Thriver Circle is closing… https://www.createandthrive.com/the-thriver-circle-is-closing Thu, 05 Jun 2025 00:14:41 +0000 https://www.createandthrive.com/?p=19202

Hey Thriver,

The doors to the Thriver Circle are closing soon.

Not for good! But for a good long while.

Back in 2015, when I first opened the Circle, I used to open the doors for new members four times a year.

This was wonderful – because every quarter, we had a new, fresh influx of enthusiastic makers-in-business, ready to grow their businesses together!

But, after a few years, I found the pace of ‘launching’ the Circle every quarter to be a bit overwhelming.

So, I threw open the doors, and recommitted to having it available at all times.

Which was wonderful in other ways – especially because it meant that you could join whenever the time was right for YOU.

But – it also meant that I had to always be marketing.

And – as a business owner yourself – you know how draining marketing can be.

This year, I revamped the Circle, and relaunched a new and improved space for makers to come together and learn from me and each other in a supportive community.

I’m so happy with how the Circle is now… but honestly?

I’m also burnt out on the endless content marketing treadmill.

So – I’ve decided to change things up.

I want to keep devoting my time and energy to those of you inside the Circle – to keep showing up on live calls, answering your questions in our forum, creating courses and content for you, and helping our creative community to keep thriving.

And in order to do that, I’m slowing down a bit on my free content for the rest of this year.

I’m not sure exactly what that’s going to look like – but what I DO know is that I am going to close the Circle to new members for a while, so I can devote my time and energy to those of you who have chosen to work with me inside that space.

So, as of June 15th, the doors to the Thriver Circle will be closing.

I may possibly open them one more time before the end of the year, but I’m not 100% sure on that right now.

This is a transitional time for my business, and I want to be open and honest with you as to what that looks like.

We don’t always have to have all the answers right now – even when we’ve been in business for over 15 years, like I have.

Business is about constantly learning and experimenting, and trying new things to see what works – for both us and our customers.

And what is working for me right now is to take my foot off the free content creation treadmill that I’ve been on for over 10 years.

I want to spend my time and energy on YOU – you who have chosen to work with me, who have chosen to trust me to help you grow a thriving business.

So, if you would like to join us:

  • to take the Your Year to Thrive course
  • to work directly with me and our committed group of makerpreneurs
  • to learn from our upcoming mini-courses on money & pricing, marketing & social media, preparing for the holidays (and much more!)
  • to grow your handmade business in a smart, sustainable way

…then now is the time.

JOIN NOW

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]]> 19202 Are you doing the WRONG marketing? https://www.createandthrive.com/are-you-doing-the-wrong-marketing Mon, 12 May 2025 19:14:00 +0000 https://www.createandthrive.com/?p=19169

There are 2 business models you might be using for your handmade business.

1. You make products that people want to come back for over and over again.

2. You make products that people will most likely only buy once (or maybe once or twice).

Which one are you – and are you using the right marketing channels for your business model?

Today I’ll outline the difference between these two models, and explain which marketing strategies you should use for each.

You can listen to the podcast below, or on your fave podcast app – or you can watch it on YouTube!

Keep thriving,

Jess

✨P.S. Thriver Circle members, if you haven’t already, make sure to check out our newest mini-course – ​Fundamentals of Selling & Launching Online​!

If you’re not already a member, you can ​join right now​ and get immediate access to this and all our other mini-courses and workshops.

Support the show

 

Watch on YouTube…

Listen Now

]]> Jess Van Den full 9:01 19169