In this solo episode, Mariana reflects on the biggest lessons from 2025 after opening a studio, navigating major health challenges, and rethinking how she runs her workshop business and the Crafts Workshop Academy. She shares three shifts: build for sustainability (not intensity), choose clarity over endless ideas, and remember that workshops are a community business. Plus, a glimpse into 2026: travel, collaboration, hiring support, and expanding Field Notes.
What we cover in this episode
✎ a quick recap of 2025: opening a studio, health challenges, and the reality check that followed
✎ lesson 1: stop building for intensity and build for sustainability
✎ protecting your energy as a real business asset
✎ the peru reset: what shifted after time offline and away from the noise
✎ lesson 2: clarity is more valuable than ideas
✎ the shadow side of always seeing how things could be better (and how it affects satisfaction)
✎ lesson 3: a workshop business is a community business
✎ why people don’t just buy a craft, they buy a feeling
✎ what to expect in 2026: systems, hiring, collaboration, and travel starting July
✎ Field Notes: the vision for documenting and analyzing workshops around the world
✎ a life-first reflection: what do you actually want your life to look and feel like?
Mentioned in this episode
✎ a related episode on the “two lanes” of workshop businesses (community-first vs experience-first) [episode like here]
✎ sign-up to the Crafts Workshops Academy [in this link]
Resources for your workshop business
📌 Free Guide: How to Start Your Own Workshop Business [link here]
Stay connected with Mariana
🌎 Website: craftymariana.com
📷 Instagram: @craftymariana
🎨 Facebook Community: Crafting Workshops Community
📩 Exclusive content, resources, and deals: craftymariana.com/newsletter
Let’s make this interactive
Have questions or topics you want covered in future episodes? DM me on Instagram or email hello@craftymariana.com
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review or share it with a workshop friend. And if something landed for you, send me a message with your biggest takeaway :)
