Dayna Isom Johnson: On Creativity And Home Trends

By  Laurie Gunning Grossman
Dayna Isom Johnson, Etsy's Trend Expert Dayna Isom Johnson

"Dig back into your seven-year-old self and ask yourself what made you happy when you were a kid, what you made," says Danya Isom Johnson. "And then you can spark that creativity again, and then you can bring it into your adulthood, like, you know with creating these spaces in your home, that like you said, don't need to be designated rooms. You can just use a little slice of a corner."

On the Being Home With Hunker podcast we feature Etsy's in-house trend expert Dayna Isom Johnson. Dayna (who is also a judge on NBC's "Making It," a crafting competition hosted by Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman) has been at Etsy since the early days — over 10 years.

As Etsy's trend expert, she is passionate about connecting shoppers with products that complement their personal style. She keeps her finger on the pulse ... and that's no small feat with 5.2 million business owners on Etsy! But working with the sellers is what she loves.

Dayna believes that everyone is creative, even those who say they don't have a creative bone in their body. She encourages us all to reconnect to when we were children and to remember what made us happy when we were younger. And then, we can bring a piece of that into our home spaces.

We talk about home trends, how she created her position at Etsy, her list of favorites (books, music, scents, and Etsy finds) — and we also hear about her experience in becoming a landowner for the first time, including the powerful story behind buying this special piece of land.

We Also Talk About ...

  • The initial spark that brought her to Etsy — and
    how she started in PR and Marketing
  • The magical moment that led her to create a new position
    for herself as Etsy's trend expert.
  • Growing up in rural Virginia and how that
    inspired her creativity and imagination.
  • How she "discovers" the trends on Etsy through
    data and discovering the "why" behind the trend.
  • How she uses her home, for work, for meditation,
    for her daily rituals, including her morning routine. (Starting her day with
    positivity is very important.)
  • How food and fellowship are at the forefront in
    her home.
  • The meaning and energy that comes with handmade items.
  • Her favorite music she likes to play at home; her
    favorite book; favorite home scent; favorite houseplant; and, of course, her favorite finds
    at Etsy.
  • The number one reason that keeps her proud to be
    working at Etsy.

Learn More About Dayna Isom Johnson

If you want to learn more, read more, discover more about Danya Isom Johnson, visit any of these places:

​Being Home With Hunker​ ​is a new podcast where we explore the idea of "home" – not just as a place where you live, but as an expression of your identity. Each week we talk with designers, creatives, and artists about who they are, how they create meaningful spaces, and what "being home" means to them.​

​If you like what you hear, please rate and review the podcast, hit subscribe/follow, and share with a friend. When it comes to podcasts word of mouth is how most people will find the show. It really does help. Visit​ ​Hunker.com/podcast​ ​where you can find, follow, and listen to our show.​

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