“All of the people who come to my workshops are part of a community. Literally, we’re weaving ourselves together.”  In the age of social media, Emily Katz has a unique creative business in that she cultivates connection both online and in-person. ‘Making with’ has been an important aspect of her enterprise from the beginning, and Emily is all about networking and teaching through social media AND face-to-face interaction. So, what’s her story? How did this dual strategy develop? Emily is a creative consultant, interior designer, macramé educator, artist, and Instagram phenomenon. She creates large-scale, custom installations for the likes of Ralph Lauren and teaches macramé workshops all over the world. Emily’s creative business, Modern Macramé, provides ready-made macramé products and DIY materials for crafters and artists. The site also offers online courses in macramé for her hundreds of thousands of followers. Emily’s work has been featured in The Los Angeles Times, Elle Japan, and the London Daily Mail, among many other publications. She is currently on tour promoting her new Amazon bestseller, Modern Macramé: 33 Stylish Projects for Your Handmade Home.  Today, Emily joins me to share her decidedly nonlinear path to founding Modern Macramé, discussing her early entrepreneurial ventures in fashion and her surprising career in music videos. She explains how a desire to reconnect with her mother led her to macramé and describes her first experience teaching macramé in an impromptu class for Japanese magazine editors. I ask Emily about the role of failure in her creative life, and she offers insight around navigating serious challenges—like declaring bankruptcy—with the support of a network. Listen in for an inside look at the process of negotiating a book deal and learn how Emily blends online and in-person networking to build a community-based business! What You’ll Learn How Emily developed an anything-is-possible mindset The process of putting together a book proposal The long process of writing, shooting Modern Macramé Emily’s blend of online and in-person networking The community-building aspect of Emily’s business Connect with Emily Modern Macramé Modern Macramé on Instagram Emily’s Website Emily on Instagram Emily’s Tour Schedule Connect with Beth Beth’s Website Beth on Instagram Beth on Pinterest Beth on Twitter Local Milk Blog Local Milk on Facebook Email hello@localmilkblog.com Resources Mentioned Modern Macramé: 33 Stylish Projects for Your Handmade Home by Emily Katz Alicia Rose on Vimeo Cake’s ‘Mustache Man’ Music Video Beth’s Instagram Preset Collection SCORE Free Small Business Advice Ten Speed Press Nicole Franzen Anne Parker Review Raw Milk on iTunes