Someone asks what you do, you take a half-second pause. Then you say it almost apologetically, "I make things, Jewelry, mostly. Well, I sell some of it. It's kind of a side thing." Kind of a side thing. You have been doing it for three years. You have returning customers. People tag you in photos of your work. Last month, you made more from your craft than from two days at your day job. But still. Kind of a side thing.

My family is full of talented craftswomen who have struggled to convert their talent and passion for financial gain. But frankly, they...