Starla Moore

It’s your LAST CHANCE to vote for your favorite Etsy shops!

The first-ever Seller’s Choice Awards is taking place this Friday, April 10th. From beautiful artistry, amazing seller-stories, and unforgettable marketing, these sellers have truly shown what it means to be an All-Star!

You have until Thursday at 5pm EST to cast your vote.

🏆 Click HERE to access the poll: form.jotform.com/260905644209054

Under each poll, we have included shop links to each contestant.
There are 15 total categories.
To cast a vote, simply click one image of the shop/listing you would like to vote for.

1 month ago | [YT] | 18

Starla Moore

Over 170 sellers entered 15 unique, beautiful, or even WACKY categories.

And over the weekend, Marc and I spent over 12 hours looking through every single one of them. From listings, to About sections, photos, and branding, we deep dived into every single shop that submitted with a fine tooth comb, argued a LOT (some we just couldn't agree on), and ultimately passed 5 sellers per category into the finals who best represented their chosen category.

But now our part is finished and we are passing the torch to you.
Because ultimately, this is the SELLER'S Choice Awards. 
And to make this amazing award show possible, we need YOUR votes!

🏆 Click HERE to access the poll: form.jotform.com/260905644209054

Under each poll, we have included shop links to each contestant.
There are 15 total categories.
To cast a vote, simply click one image of the shop/listing you would like to vote for.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to comment below!

1 month ago | [YT] | 30

Starla Moore

I am very saddened by the announcement made by the Go Imagine team last night.


For those who are not already aware, GI was a platform meant to rival Etsy as a handmade marketplace. We have hosted multiple collaborative events with the GI team over the last few years, in hopes that our community could assist in the overall growth and expansion of their marketplace.



It seems that many factors contributed to this overall decision to cease operations, and while I am saddened by the news, I am also not overly shocked, as I've noticed a steep reduction in community efforts, advertising, and support efforts over the last year. I could feel the support beams of the platform becoming exhausted, and I know many of our own Alpha Community members voiced similar concerns.



When I first began working with GI, I was told by Jon that their business model had a countdown to success where, if thresholds could not be met by X-date, the marketplace would not be able to continue. Based on their recent announcement, I can only assume that their deadline was not met.



Regardless of this, I loved the overall mission, philanthropic ethos, and the level of support GI provided to the small seller community they had built. And I am truly sad to see so many sellers lose a sales platform that they loved.



Unfortunately, I do not have any answers to the questions many of you likely have. I have not had communication with the GI team for quite some time.

However, their team has stated that they are still available for questions and assisting their sellers in transitioning.


You can find their full closure article here: https://goimagine.com/goodbye



For support-related questions not addressed in the above article, you can reach out to their support at: support@goimagine.com

3 months ago | [YT] | 51

Starla Moore

This year, with so much going on in the world, I would like to focus on community efforts through my platforms. Obviously, if you're new here, you may not be aware of some of the things Marc and I already do, so I'm going to list all of our efforts and resources below.
Aside from what we already have (and with the mindfulness that we are quite time-poor), are there any community aspects that you'd like to see us expand into? Is there anything the Alpha community is currently lacking that would be helpful? Let us know in the comments!
And if you need links to anything mentioned below or weren't aware they existed, please comment so I can make sure you get them!


CURRENT COMMUNITY AVENUES AND EFFORTS:

-Weekly Friday Bean Live Stream on YouTube

-Weekly Thursday eRank Q&A Live Stream on the ‪@eRank‬ YouTube
-Weekly YouTube video here on my channel (quick tutorials, news, etc)
-The Handmade Alpha Facebook Community group
-The Handmade Alpha Discord Server (a social media alternative)
-My email list (news, live stream/video announcements)
-Monthly charities (connected to every weekly Friday Bean)
-The Alpha Patreon (allows you to serve as a paid sponsor for our content with the benefit of exclusive incentives)
-An active presence on Instagram, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads, X, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.
-Plus, the free downloadable resources I offer (Marketing Calendar PDF, Etsy SEO'oodles, 30-Day IG Challenge, Alpha Reading List, Swipe Files, etc).

3 months ago | [YT] | 48

Starla Moore

Hey Alphas 🐺✨

Quick heads up: tomorrow, January 15th is Day 4 of the ‪@eRank‬ 10-Day Challenge, and I’m doing a live branding session at 3:00 PM EST.

If you’ve been wanting your shop to feel more “legit” at first glance (and convert better without you adding more listings or reinventing your entire life), this one is for you. I’ll be breaking down the psychology of branding... specifically how to create instant trust, reduce buyer hesitation, and increase the likelihood that customers actually hit “Add to cart.” These are the subtle signals that make shoppers feel safe buying from you, even if they’ve never heard of you before!

And if you’ve missed the first few days, you’re totally fine. The challenge is happening right now, but you can catch up anytime using the resource link here: erank.com/10-day-challenge

This program is designed to help Etsy sellers gain a deeper understanding of Etsy SEO and perform a complete shop audit. You’ll also discover keyword strategies and best practices to help you get ahead in your niche.

Each day, you’ll get actionable tips and guided tasks. There are live Q&A sessions with our coaches and bonus resources to support you throughout the challenge.

Also... it’s completely free!!!! Just show up, grab the prompt for the day, and make progress.

See you tomorrow at 3 PM EST 💛
xoxo,
Starla 🐺

4 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 20

Starla Moore

eRank is turning 10.... and we’re celebrating with a 10-Day Etsy Challenge to kick off the new year.

No signup. No forms. No pressure. Just show up.

Starting Monday, January 12th, we’ll post one simple daily challenge prompt: tiny actions that actually move the needle in your shop without making you feel like you need to redo your entire life.

There will also be multiple livestreams during the challenge so you can work along with us, ask questions, and get a little pep talk while you’re at it.

I highly recommend bookmarking the challenge page so it’s easy to pull up every day.
Challenge page link: erank.com/10-day-challenge
We can't wait to see you there! 👀

4 months ago | [YT] | 41

Starla Moore

The Alpha Discord is BACK and better than ever!

Marc has put a ton of time into rebuilding the Alpha Discord server, including new channels to chat and discuss. This will be especially helpful for those who don't use Facebook and want an alternative way to ask for help.

JOIN HERE: discord.gg/b3ypvhEA98

"Wait - What's Discord?"
Think of Discord like an old-school chatroom. There are different "channels" (basically different sections labeled by topic) where you can chat with other sellers, ask questions, and get feedback.

It is a great alternative for those who prefer a lighter, less stressful place to chat without all the drama of social media.


See you on the inside!

4 months ago | [YT] | 19

Starla Moore

Just a heads up that there is no Friday Bean today. ❤️ Enjoy your holiday everyone!

5 months ago | [YT] | 124

Starla Moore

Hey Alphas, quick heads up because something not-so-fun is happening.
Someone made a fake Gmail address pretending to be me and has been emailing people in our community. The address they’re using is starlamooreteam@gmail.com
which is clearly not me (who the heck is my "team"??? Marc? Bubbers? lol!)
They’re also using my profile photo.
To be super clear: I will only ever contact you from an official Handmade Alpha Academy email that ends in @handmadealphaacademy.com.
Example: starla@handmadealphaacademy.com
I will never sell one-on-one services, private calls, consultations, or anything like that. If you ever get an email that feels weird, spammy, or off, please just email me directly and ask. I’m always happy to confirm whether something came from me.
If you do get one of these scam emails, don’t click anything. Screenshot it, send it to me, and I can walk you through how to file a quick Gmail report so we can get these accounts shut down as fast as possible.
Stay safe out there and thank you for looking out for each other. Love you all. 💚

5 months ago | [YT] | 78

Starla Moore

POLL: How do you feel about the growing use of AI in handmade, digital, or print-on-demand product creation?

Do you see it as a helpful creative tool, a threat to originality, or something in between? I'm keeping this poll unbiased in hopes that I can collect some good, juicy data about the current atmosphere of the platform.
Please keep the comments civil.

6 months ago | [YT] | 36