James McKinven
@jmckinven
Followers
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Following
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Statuses
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I'm building a handmade leather wallet business 👉 https://t.co/gEIXpG5fP7 📈 Making wallets that wear in, not out 🪡 Podcast @indiebitespod + @lmsqueezy 🎙️
Canterbury, England
Joined March 2011
These past 3 weeks I've had an excuse to live out my dream of doing my leather wallet business full-time, and it's been the happiest I've felt in years 😄. Since I made £1,600 in sales in a day from a tweet, they've just kept coming!. Thank you to everyone who has bought one 🙏
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@Apple wanna use this for your advertising? The all products are fine and I’m pretty impressed. Would take payment in more Apple products.
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Guys don’t worry he is sleeping easy and doesn’t feel any guilt. As you can see by the picture I have removed his arms to avoid this happening again.
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And yes that is a £1,500 Apple monitor my cat decided to yeet himself on.
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Fully expected my dad (full apple fanboy and tech lover) to ask if anything was broken, but actually he wanted to see if that cat was okay 🧡
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Excited to launch my latest project 🎉. Doing my bit to stop the madness that is the Blue Yeti.
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My sister has made me a very handy guide to stop me buying things😂
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Does anyone else wake up in the morning and spend 60 minutes just doing absolutely nothing useful?. Doomscrolling, YouTube, wandering aimlessly around the house etc. etc.
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2022 was my first full year as a solo entrepreneur. I made £52,090, which is £12k more than my previous full-time salary 🤯. But it's not all been easy, so I've written a little reflection of how the year unfolded for me:.
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The craziest thing happened yesterday. - @lennysan tweets out asking for gift suggestions. - @onejamesbrowne tweets a link to my wallets. - Lenny orders one straight away. Cue 2,700 people to overnight resulting £686 in sales of handmade wallets 🤯
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Following in @dr's footsteps, I'm joining @lmsqueezy to be a co-host on their podcast, Make Lemonade 🎉. I've edited the show in the past & love how Lemon Squeezy are bringing something fresh the payments game.
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I’m super happy to announce I’m partnering with @emailoctopus as the main sponsor for Indie Bites in 2023 🎉. EmailOctopus are a bootstrapped email platform based in London and wanted to support me by committing to a year-long deal 🤝
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Signed the lease on my first workshop for @whitstablecraft this week ✍️ . This means I can expand out of my living room and make some consistent progress on the wallet brand. It’s not big, it’s not fancy, but it’s mine and I couldn’t be more excited for this year 😊
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@digitaltrouble noooo cats are the best! to him it the monitor was just a shortcut to his destination (the sofa) 😂.
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Since focusing on my pod I’ve made 0 sales from my handmade leather wallet business 🤷 . But, I’ve got a lot of inventory and I’d like to upgrade your pocket. I’m gonna give away 5 of these minimalist card holders - shipped worldwide - to people that like/RT or reply to this 🎉
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And we've made it 🎉 £5k in leather wallet sales in 30 days. I can't believe my eyes 😍. Can't explain how happy this makes me. A big thank you to my mum for not only helping me with finishing and packing orders, but also making the order to push me over the £5k ❤️
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My favourite way to spend a Saturday. With my indie hacker pals co-working in London 🔥
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@CatWorkers Haha it’s my little buddy Alfie! He also plays tennis in his spare time 👀. He helps me podcast with 🎙
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Had the best time yesterday at my cowork space selling my leather goods!. Even created my own packaging and crafted some while I was there 🔥. This was the most fun I've had in a long time.
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@arvidkahl I don’t see any ups here Arvid 😂. To complete the story arc, here is the resolution…
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Spent a few hours with dad today improving his recording setup. This is quite a dramatic change given how it was a few weeks ago, but shows what you can do with 1 video light, a mirrorless camera and some Phillips hue.
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2 weeks ago after speaking with @dvassalo I decided I was going to stop making excuses and create my first info product. Since then I’ve poured all my podcasting knowledge into my new course, which I’m releasing today 🎉. You can get it here:.
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Big news! I've agreed a 12-month partnership with a sponsor for @indiebitespod 🎉. We've just got to agree on the fine print and sign on the dotted line - but I should be able to share next week 😄.
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One of the coolest videos I've seen in a long while, the music, the editing, the trippy af shots, the tech. Just wow. Props to @MKBHD for upping the YouTube game yet again!.
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Wow! It happened 🤯. £1k sales in a day* from my handmade leather wallet brand!. Didn't really think this would ever happen. Thank you everyone 🙏. *has only actually been 12 hours
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Is there a better feeling than internet money?!. I crossed $200 in pre-orders for my podcasting course this morning 😱. It's small, but it makes me so happy!
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Since starting cycling properly I’ve lost about 15kg and found something I really enjoy. This weekend I did my first 100 mile ride and filmed the whole thing 🚲. Was fun to capture, edit and look back on 😊
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I spoke to @BrettFromDJ on @indiebitespod about his incredible growth story with Designjoy 📈. We cover:.💸 Running a 1-person $130k MRR business.🧑🎨 Why he made 70k inspirational quote images.❌ Why he's a terrible salesman.☯️ Different routes to success.
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Well this was surreal and awesome. At Indie Beers last night and found myself in a group where everyone had a Whitstable Craft Co wallet 🤯
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After much consideration, I’m delighted to announce I’ve signed an exclusive deal with Blue to use only the Yeti in all upcoming podcasts. I had my reservations about quality, but after they presented me with a massive wad of cash, I put those reservations aside.
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Spent the weekend launching a new project: 🎉. It's a directory of all the books recommended to me by guests on my podcast, Indie Bites. What do successful folks @csallen, @arvidkahl, @robwalling + more read? It's all here.
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Just found @steveschoger's refactoring UI YouTube videos and they are so satisfying. This is so good to watch. Nice work!.
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Just crossed 100k downloads on @indiebitespod 🎉. Thank you to everyone that has tuned in over the past couple of years and supported the show. It means a lot 🙏
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Just got my biggest ever podcast sponsorship for Indie Bites 🤯. I now don't need to worry about outreach for the next 4 months 🙏
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Had my best month ever of downloads for Indie Bites 🎉. That +37% MoM growth 🤯
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Last week I left my contract job, so I'm fully indie right now 🎉 . However, I do need to pay the bills 😬 . I'm going to have a crack making a living doing the thing I love - creating podcasts. I already have 2 clients, but I'll need 3 more to cover expenses 🤞.
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The sales are slowing down now but what an unbelievable day. This has put the biggest smile on my face and has given me a new lease of life for Whitstable Craft Co,. £1,638.98 in revenue in one day. Beating my entire YTD revenue and 3x last year 📈. Will update you on costs!
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It’s my birthday 🥳. Think I might treat myself to clearing all my browser tabs today 🎉.
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My new podcast is happening 🎉. It's coming out this Friday and I'll share all the details tomorrow 😄. Feels great to be back in the co-host seat!.
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My new podcast is out now 🎉. It’s called “This Indie Life” and my co-host is…. 🥁. @dagorenouf 🔥. First episode is live and ready to go into your podcast feeds:. (we're on twitter too 👉 @indielifepod)
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One of the best things about running a handmade leather wallet business is you can make lovely gifts for your family. These are the only two Whitstable Craft bi-folds that exist in the world and I made them for my uncles 😊
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Booked in some awesome guests for @indiebitespod over the next few weeks 🎉. - @shl (Gumroad).- @petersuhm (Reform).- @KennethCassel (.- @damengchen (Testimonial + more).- @joshuaanderton (Meeps).- @joshgonsalves_ (Contraverse).
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I got featured in the local paper 😱. The editor reached out to me to showcase some of my work for @whitstablecraft and a journalist came to my flat/studio to interview me. Having something printed like this is special. This wallet business is the most rewarding thing I do 😁
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How does @aarondfrancis produce a podcast, make YouTube videos, launch a new course AND have a full-time job (with twins and twins on the way)?!. Something has to give. Excerpt from @indiebitespod ep 96
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My salary over the years:. 2016: £17,000 - marketing apprenticeship.2017: £23,000 - first agency job doing HubSpot CRM work.2020: £40,000 - in-house marketing manager.2021: (£?) weird hybrid freelance / part time year.2022: £52,000 - first year self-employed.
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Last night I sat down for 4 hours and created my new personal site. I'm pretty proud of it 😄. Made completely in Notion 🤯.
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Just returned from a 5 day road trip with my dad around Ireland 🇮🇪 . We haven’t been on a father-son trip for 10 years, so this was well overdue. Lots of beer, laughs and sketchy driving roads ❤️
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How did the launch go for my course?. From a financial standpoint, it failed 🤷♂️. 5 sales and $175 on launch day. I wish it had done better, but it's not all bad 👇
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This month officially has the most downloads ever for Indie Bites 🎉. Announcing the new long-term sponsor tomorrow to celebrate. Can you guess who it is? 👀
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Haven't spoken about this recently but having a down week mentally. Happens from time to time and I know that part of my life hasn't been eradicated completely. Recording with @dagorenouf about it in 25 mins. Just know if you're also feeling like this you're not alone.
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Had a blast in the French Alps last week for my first time skiing ⛷️. I went with a group of 12 founder friends - all met through indie hacker meetup @IndieBeers 🍻 . We drank beer at Apres, shipped in the evening and ate our body weight in Raclette. What a trip 💯
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Pretty happy with how my product photography is turning out!. Still a long way to go with this but nice to be able to confidently do them myself 😄
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I’ve not been feeling my best the last few days, so I made a tiny tote bag. It’s so cute 😊. Everything hand cut, stitched and finished.
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3 full days of crafting and I’ve got 33 Castle wallets made 🎉. My hands now hurt but it’s the most satisfying feeling knowing these will be in the hands of people around the world next week 😊
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1 week later, all 39 wallets handcrafted from scratch, finished and shipped out to their new homes 📭. This has been the most exciting week I've had in a while and it's given me the confidence to make a thing of this leather wallet business. Thank you to everyone that ordered 🙏
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The recent sales meant I was able to afford a machine I’ve been dreaming of ever since I started leather crafting 🤩. It was shipped in from the US and it weighs a whopping 50kg. I’ve nicknamed it “The Beast” and I love it 😻 . Thank you for the support 🙏
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Just found out I can see all my sites on Fathom from one view 🤯. Calling this mission control 💻. Perfect for all us indies with our many side-projects!
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30,000 downloads on Indie Bites!. To the moon (but bootstrapped)🚀
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Got my first ever sale of the course + the consultancy call 🎉. This is 10x the amount of the day 1 price 🤯
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Recording episode 100 of @indiebitespod today 🎉. To mark the occasion, I'm bringing back my very first guest (and sponsor), @charlierward. Charlie has been key in the growth of the indie hacking scene in London. Anything you want to ask him or me for this episode?.
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As if I didn't have enough podcasting in my life, I figured I'd start another one 👀. This time with a co-host, @dr🎉. It will be a behind the scenes look at how we grow our indie businesses. My podcast and Dan's SaaS products. Short, 20 min episodes. Raw content. More info👇
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Sunday evenings crafting 😊. It’s organised chaos I promise 🔨
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After 1 year of making the @indiebitespod, I've published 31 episodes with 20,767 total downloads and made £2,290.45 in revenue. It's been a year of ups and downs, but here's how it happened 👇
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I've just crossed $1,000 in sales for my course 🤯. This has by far exceeded my expectations (especially after the launch) and that feeling of "passive" income from something you've made online is incredible. Thank you to everyone who has bought it (especially @mijustin) 🙏
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It’s crazy when you start selling stuff you realise how little you actually need. It actually feels better the less stuff I have.
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I’ve taken some time off Twitter and it’s been nice. Recently indie hacking has been feeling like a constant uphill battle and I’m wondering if I’m cut out for it. Still trying to figure that out. I’m still working (with a trip to Rio) & did a mini UK road trip. Back soon 🔜
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Last week I shared I'd made £5,195 in revenue from leather wallets in the past 30 days. But, ecomm revenue is not free money. In those same 30 days I spent £5,416, making a -£221 loss 😢. Biggest costs:.- Leather £1,724.- Tools £1,437.- Shipping £1,066.- Packaging £421.
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My mum rarely gets the credit she deserves in helping my out, especially with the leather craft business. More than likely if you've ordered in the past 6 months, she's had a hand in finishing and packing your wallet 🧡
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Time to turn this stunning side of leather into some wallets 😊. Can’t think of a better way to spend an evening!
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After 8 weeks of rebuilding myself after burnout, I've finally managed to publish an episode of @indiebitespod, and it's a cracker!. I spoke to @tinyprojectsdev on his physical business, selling projects and making $10k in a weekend 🚀 🌮.
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Woke up this morning and fancied a new watch strap. So I made myself one 😄
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I'm just 3 orders away from making £5k in the past 30 days 😱. Today is the last day to place an order for international shipping, so lets see if I can make it 👀
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Indie Bites is closing in on 100,000 downloads 👀. I *could* hit this milestone by Monday, when I can announce the new long term sponsor 🤭
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Inspired by Stefan, there have been some wallets mysteriously left behind through my journey to the pub…
@jacksbridger @jmckinven Brilliant. Great stunt for you @jmckinven - strategically drop/leave some wallets throughout London and put a message inside.
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Guys I'm editing this @arvidkahl episode and it's an absolute gem. I am struggling to cut down some of his insights. You know some people repeat the same thing over and over, just in a different way?. Yeah, Arvid doesn't do that. It's just all good shit.
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I’ve just spent a week in Spain with no laptop, no work commitments and just chilled 🏝 . Read my book, swam, laid on the beach, drank beer with the fam 🍻 . Feel rested and relieved. Looking forward to getting back to things next week 🚀
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I might have joined a company to become a co-host for their podcast 👀. Can you guess who it might be?.
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Dad nailed his first ever 5k today, after starting the coach to 5k programme!. So bloody proud of him 🔥
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I'm about to hit a huge milestone! 2k followers on Twitter 🎉 . 90 days ago I started to take Twitter more seriously and it's absolutely paid off. New friends, new clients, more fun 💯
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Can’t stress enough how amazing the indie community is here on Twitter ❤️ . Since Monday, when I tweeted about my finances, this is what’s changed:. - 6 new podcast editing clients.- 2 new podcast sponsors.- £300 of wallets sold.- A successful internet bootfair.
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Running a craft fair today in Bromley! Here at the lovely @ContingentBrom coworking space until 5pm. And father came to visit 😎
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Sold my motorbike this morning 😢. Down from 4 vehicles at the start of the month, to 0 today. It’s sad, but more monthly payments reduced.
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