In this episode of Let’s Talk Shop, I’m joined by illustrator and calligrapher Kate, the creative mind behind Peggy and Kate. Kate’s nostalgic, story-led cards, prints, and wrapping paper all begin as hand-painted illustrations, capturing the small glimmers of happiness in everyday life.

We talk about how she’s grown her wholesale to around 50 stockists, the reality of doing just one trade show a year, and why she’s never really felt “ready” – but started anyway. From learning the ropes at her first Top Drawer, to creating visual cues (including her “f*** it button”) to push through fear, Kate shares how imperfect action and small steps built her confidence and her brand.

If you’ve ever hesitated to pitch, felt vulnerable about sharing your work, or wondered whether you need to wait until you’re “ready” – Kate’s story will resonate. And if you want support to take bold action this season, make sure you join me for my free workshop Cracking Christmas: Build Your Sales Plan for Your Best Q4 Yet on Wednesday, 24th September at 11 AM UK time.

👉 Sign up here: smallbusinesscollaborative.co.uk/workshop

00:00 Welcome to Let’s Talk Shop

00:28 Meet Kate: The Illustrator Behind Peggy and Kate

01:02 Kate’s Journey into Illustration

01:57 Navigating Wholesale and Trade Shows

03:07 Starting the Business: Challenges and Learnings

07:56 The Evolution of Social Media and Marketing

08:56 Lessons from the First Trade Show

13:22 The Importance of Honesty and Learning on the Job

14:45 Overcoming Vulnerability in Sharing Work

14:54 Building Confidence Through Imperfect Action

15:54 The Power of Sharing Work in Progress

18:54 Visual Cues and Overcoming Fear

21:43 The Importance of Pushing Yourself

25:03 Starting Small in Wholesale

26:43 Proudest Moments in the Wholesale Journey

28:59 Where to Find and Buy My Work

• Kate’s website: katepeggycronk.com

• Follow Kate on Instagram: instagram.com/peggyandkate

• Wholesale on Faire (direct link, no commission): faire.com/direct/peggyandkate

• Sign up for Cracking Christmas: smallbusinesscollaborative.co.uk/workshop

• My website: smallbusinesscollaborative.co.uk

• Follow me on Instagram: instagram.com/smallbusinesscollaborative

Over the weekend, my Instagram account was hit with thousands of spam followers and over 1,000 spam comments – right as I was gearing up to launch my free Cracking Christmas workshop.

In this short solo episode, I share:

• What actually happened and how Meta responded (spoiler: not well)

• Why the experience reminded me never to rely too heavily on one channel

• The importance of owning and nurturing your own audience

• What I’m doing differently for my launch – and why I’m not changing my big goal

If you’ve ever felt stuck depending on social media, or worried about what happens if things go wrong on a platform you don’t control, I think this will resonate.

And if you want to feel more confident and in control of your wholesale sales this Q4, join me for my free workshop:

🗓 Wednesday, 24th September

⏰ 11 AM UK time

Cracking Christmas: Build Your Sales Plan for Your Best Q4 Yet

Sign up here: https://www.smallbusinesscollaborative.co.uk/workshop

00:00 Introduction: My Instagram Nightmare

00:49 The Spam Attack Unfolds

01:15 Meta’s Disappointing Response

01:48 The Emotional Impact of Spam Comments

02:29 Reflecting on Social Media

03:05 Support from the Community

03:42 Turning a Crisis into an Opportunity

04:08 Upcoming Workshop: Cracking Christmas

04:53 New Initiatives: Telegram Channel

05:37 Staying Resilient and Adapting

07:10 Final Thoughts and Future Plans

• Sign up for Cracking Christmas:

  https://www.smallbusinesscollaborative.co.uk/workshop

• Follow me on Instagram: instagram.com/smallbusinesscollaborative

• My website: smallbusinesscollaborative.co.uk

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Kate Stewart, founder of Factory Floor Jewels. Kate creates contemporary jewellery using mixed metals and reclaimed materials, with stories that trace back to her childhood and her father’s engineering background.

We dive into:

• How storytelling shapes her collections and makes them stand out to buyers

• The role trade shows have played in building trust and long term stockist relationships

• Why persistence (without pushiness) is key to reorders

• How markets and events feed into product development and retail insights

• Kate’s proudest wholesale moments, from landing major galleries to seeing her work in Tate Modern

This is a brilliant listen if you want insight into building a strong wholesale brand that retailers remember and reorder from.

Timestamps

00:00 Welcome and introduction

00:23 Upcoming free workshop: Cracking Christmas

01:29 Meet Kate from Factory Floor Jewels

02:50 Kate’s journey and inspiration

04:02 Wholesale and retail strategies

07:16 Trade shows and branding

11:45 Storytelling in jewellery collections

16:08 Building relationships with retailers

18:55 Persistence and motivation

24:17 Proudest moments and conclusion

Build Your Sales Plan for Your Best Q4 Yet

📅 Tuesday 24 September, 11:00 AM UK time

🎟 Free to join: www.smallbusinesscollaborative.co.uk/workshop

If you’re feeling behind on Christmas, this session will help you reset, refocus, and create a simple, realistic wholesale sales plan for your busiest quarter.

We’ll cover how to:

• Put your existing stockists at the heart of your Q4 strategy

• Scale your outreach using your AW range

• Map out a follow up plan that feels natural (and gets replies)

• Create a wholesale marketing calendar you’ll actually follow

Join live for access to a Wholesale Toolkit with time saving templates, live mini audits, and Q&A.

Website: www.factoryfloorjewels.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/factoryfloorjewels

Buyers: find Factory Floor Jewels on Faire by searching the brand name

I’m Therese Oertenblad, founder of Small Business Collaborative, and I help product based business owners grow their wholesale with clarity and confidence.

Website: www.smallbusinesscollaborative.co.uk

Instagram: www.instagram.com/smallbusinesscollaborative

Free workshop: Cracking Christmas — www.smallbusinesscollaborative.co.uk/workshop