EtsyBABY Founder and Team Leader

Her name is Jen Herrington Goldschrafe and she is the founder and team leader of EtsyBABY, the owner of Goldtone Designs on Etsy and the owner of Goldtone Designs.com

Jen is a native of Long Island, New York, where she grew up and as of the last nine years has been a transplant to a suburb outside of Atlanta, Georgia.

Jen is married to Richard, her husband of 12 years, with whom they have a young daughter, named Erin.


EtsyBABY:
"Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer some questions about yourself, the type of work you do and how EtsyBABY was created. I know a lot of our readers have never heard your story and I am sure they are interested in hearing what you have to say."

"Describe the type of work you do."

JHG:
"I am a proud designer, seamstress, a graphic artist and founder of EtsyBABY."

EtsyBABY:
"What type(s) of medium do you use?"

JHG:
"I am a quilter, seamstress and a computer geek, so I would say fabric and my computer."

EtsyBABY:
"When did you realize you had a talent for sewing?"

JHG:
"I had to work really hard at sewing. Let's just say that I wasn't a great success in Home Economics in school. I took a lot of sewing classes and had a few sewing machine casualties, but I eventually got the hang of it a few years ago! I have a few hundred books on quilting and sewing in my studio. I think that helped me to further my technique for sewing."

EtsyBABY:
"Okay, I have to ask the one predictable question of all crafters. What was the first thing you made?"

JHG:
The first thing I made was a nursing pillow which I had sewn entirely by hand when my daughter, Erin, was just a baby."

EtsyBABY:
"What was the first piece of work you sold professionally?"

JHG:
I sold my first nursing pillow in 2001."

EtsyBABY:
"How did you discover Etsy?"

JHG:
"In July of 2007, I had been reading an article in TIME Magazine that talked about an up and coming company on the Internet that sold only handmade items online. I ran to my computer and typed the link into my browser and I have never looked back."

EtsyBABY:
"So, when you discovered the potential for selling on Etsy for yourself how did you decide on nursing pillows and toys to market?"

JHG:
"When my daughter, Erin was born I realized she needed something to support her neck while she was in her car seat. I searched in the retail stores and I couldn't find a travel pillow for infants. I went home and made my first neck support pillow for my daughter. It only made sense to sell the original item I had made on my own and I knew there was a market for them. The toys are somewhat a new addition to my shop. I wanted something soft and colorful to compliment my pillow line."

EtsyBABY:
"What has been the biggest challenge of your career to date?"

JHG:
"My biggest challenge was switching careers! I was a psychology major in college and I planned to specialize in forensics. My dream was to work as a criminal profiler. While I was in college I got married and moved to Georgia from Long Island two years later. Our daughter was born in 2000 and Goldtone Designs was born a year later. I always tell myself, and anyone who will listen, that I am going to go back to school and complete my degree."

EtsyBABY:
"Let's talk about your brain child, EtsyBABY. How did you come up with the idea for EtsyBABY?"

JHG:
"When I started selling on Etsy I wanted a built in support system. A place where a group of designers, that specialize in baby products, could get together and brainstorm, promote each other and make some good friends. At the time there wasn't anything in existence, so in October of 2007 I created EtsyBABY."

EtsyBABY:
"How did you come up with the name EtsyBABY?"

JHG:
"Looking back now I wished I had been a little more creative than I was. With that said, combining Etsy and baby just worked as a team name."


EtsyBABY:
"What was the process like for you to build EtsyBABY from one to over 275 members?"

JHG:
"The process was a very long one! For the past year and a half I have worked up to 40 hours a week on EtsyBABY promotions, the website and promoting the team and its members. Currently EtsyBABY has a wonderful group of moderators that help start our team promotional thread each day, which takes a bit of the pressure off of me."
(Amy Rose Designs, Baby Cheeks, LuLus Wobbies, Imogens Garden & Totz Hatz)


EtsyBABY:
"What has been the hardest part for you with regards to maintaining your personal life, your Etsy store and the team?"

JHG:
"The hardest part for me has been not to neglect my personal life and my own business. I admit my personal life and Goldtone Designs took a back seat to EtsyBABY for the last 20 months.
This summer I made some necessary changes and now my personal life has all my attention and Goldtone Designs has started accepting wholesale orders. EtsyBABY is strong, large and is a successful team and I have a wonderful group of members who keep it running smoothly!"

EtsyBABY:
"EtsyBABY is coming up on its 2nd birthday. How do you intend to celebrate the occasion?"

JHG:
"Since EtsyBABY will be in the terrible two's stage, I would like to have a team wide sale on all items that age appropriate for a toddlers second year of life. I've decided we can have a virtual birthday party with balloons and party favors, so there is no mess to clean up later!"

EtsyBABY:
"If you knew then what you know now about EtsyBABY, would you do it all over again and would you change anything?"

JHG:
"I would love to fast forward to our 1st birthday and start from there. We finally got it all together in 2008 and 2009!"

EtsyBABY:
"What has been the best part about EtsyBABY for you?"

JHG:
"Meeting all of the wonderful artists that have joined the team and the I have made a few friends for life!"

EtsyBABY:
"Do you have any advice you would offer to a new seller joining EtsyBABY or in the general field of selling on Etsy?"

JHG:
"Be ORIGINAL!! Have EXCELLENT photos! A good way for driving traffic to your shop is to start a blog and join a social network. Marketing, packaging and customer service is a must to be successful as well."

EtsyBABY:
"Jen, thank you so much for a wonderful interview and I sure EtsyBABY will continue to be successful in the future with you behind the wheel as well as the talented team of EtsyBABY sellers who are apart of it."

JHG:
"Thank you for the honor of being interviewed."