Positively Creative

Today we are talking numbers with Shanna Skidmore. We chat about how to use numbers to understand and grow our businesses. Shanna also breaks down having a life and business you love and why she took a break from social media. This is a great conversation about life, business and money!   About Shanna:Hey! I’m Shanna, a business strategist & financial coach.I believe you can make money doing what you love. You just need some tools to get you there. If you've ever dreamed of starting your own business, or you're in the weeds of growing that business of your dreams now, then we're gonna get along just fine!

After working alongside thousands of creative entrepreneurs on their business strategy and financial goals, I took the most confusing, frustrating, frequently asked (and frequently wine-and-tears accompanied) business concepts—financial planning, productivity, strategy, scale, mindset—and simplified them.  My husband says my creative genius is simplifying complicated things. I like that.
 
After ten yea

On today's episode, I chat with Hope Taylor about how she went full-time in her photography business at age 18, why workshops and conferences are so important and how to decide which one's to go to, and how she makes her business work. She also gives us some great tips for social media and how to make it easier for your business. It was so fun to chat with our first photographer on the show!   About Hope:A few years ago, if you had told me I’d have the opportunity to be a full-time photographer and business owner, I would have laughed. Because, you see, a few years ago I was just a high school student with a part-time job at a retail store. My life was a constant race between stocking shelves, studying for AP classes, getting to cheer practices, rushing through the halls and applying for universities. The thought of being an entrepreneur seemed daunting and far off, if not impossible. But, God laid on my heart that maybe something should be different. Maybe the college I committed to attending wasn’t where I

On this episode of Positively Creative, I talk with Katie Salmon of Katie Does Marketing about how to create a promotional calendar, why it's important to your business and how to know what and when to post. Katie also shares her thoughts on Instagram, email marketing and how to engage without feeling like you are constantly self-promoting. Be sure to grab Katie's free guide in the links below!   About Katie: Hi, I’m Katie! I help shop owners and makers sell their products. When I was a pre-teen I decided to be a fashion designer. I bought a sketchbook, learned to sew, and spent my babysitting money on a “Teen Vogue” subscription. I was sure I was just a few years shy of my “Project Runway” debut.…But it only took me a few weeks as a fashion merchandising student at the University of Georgia to conclude that I would, in fact, be a horrible fashion designer. (Turns out loving soft, pretty things doesn’t mean you’d be great at creating them.) The creativity I lacked to design a dress, though, found full express

On today’s episode of Positively Creative, I chat with Emily Kerr-Finell about the mission of  Wholesale In A Box and we really dig deep into wholesale: how to know if you are ready for wholesale, how to get started, and how to find retailers. This is such a candid conversation about wholesale, tradeshows, and how to pitch to retailers, that you won’t want to miss!   About Emily: Wholesale In a Box was started by Etan and Emily, a husband-and-wife team. We're traveling homebodies with a love for station wagons, the Catskills, cooking, and brainstorming on our porch. Between the two of us, we have worked in high-powered management consulting, managed ops at startups, and helped artisans of every size create a business they love. But in 2015, we kept noticing makers who struggled to grow wholesale, sometimes closing their businesses when they failed. So we started tinkering with solutions -- at the time, nothing like Wholesale In a Box existed. Once we struck on the method, we started super-small, working with

Today's incredible conversation is with Carrie Schmitt. We talk about how she found art, how it saved her life and the way she paints intuitively. Carrie also shares about her retreats, how to stay connected to our art, and how to be creative when time is an issue.   About Carrie: I began painting in 2009 after being diagnosed with a life threatening allergy to heat while living in my hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio. Bedridden and unable to go outside for months, one day a voice popped in my head and said, “Now that your life is over, you might as well do what you want and paint.” Thankfully, I listened. Painting became a therapeutic practice and act of tenderness amidst the darkness. Today, I am a full time artist, art retreat facilitator, and author of Painted Blossoms: Creating Expressive Flowers with Mixed Media. I currently live in Seattle, WA. I license my art for home decor, clothing and other lifestyle products with companies such as Hallmark, Dianoche Designs, teNeues Publishing, and more. Stores that

In this episode, Dorothy Shain shares about her life in Greenville, SC, how she discovered she could have a career in art and how she views her style and voice. We also chat about collaborations that have shaped her business, how to overcome the fear of rejection when seeking partnerships and why building connections is important.   About Dorothy: Dorothy Shain, a Greenville, South Carolina based artist, has a dynamic portfolio.  She graduated from Southern Methodist University in 2012 with a B.A. in studio art. From her collages and patterns to her landscapes, Dorothy’s exploration of mediums is reflective of the colors, textures, and patterns drawn from her adventures around the globe.  Heavily influenced by her travels, which commenced during a college Semester at Sea, Dorothy has taken her experiences back to her studio allowing the art to reveal the inspirations and influence of the cultures, people and places seen. She is constantly fueled, as an individual and an artist, by traveling to new places, mee

Today's episode is one for the books!  Host Dorothy Collier moderates Pro Panel: Market Booths, hosted by Creative Works & Tuesdays Together.  Panelists Sarah Baumann of Signet Sealed, Josh Samuels of EllaJude, Samilia Colar ofTextyle, & Mary Claire White of Falling into Place share their wealth of knowledge on the nitty gritty of craft festivals and what it takes from A to Z.  They discuss application tips and tricks when trying to get into juried shows, on why applying early to shows matters, how to prepare your product before the show and how to display it within your booth once at the art fair, how to sell to customers and so much more!     $15 e-book on how to sell at shows Positively Creative Newsletter - Subscribe for awesomeness!   On Today's Show: (5:00) Dan with Creative Works, Conference in October (10:00) Introductions, how many shows the panel does a year, and first mishaps (22:00) Application process and finding shows  (26:00) Zapplication (28:00) Sourcebook (32:00) How do you prepare y

In this episode, Cindy Hohman of Art Marketing Project shares about the importance of knowing how to market your fine art business. We chat about branding, find your unique style and ideal buyer, and the importance of authenticity.   About Cindy: You’re passionate about creating art and I’m passionate about helping you make a living. As the founder of the Art Marketing Project, I am dedicated to helping creative entrepreneurs thrive. I have committed most of my career to working in the visual arts and with artists. I also gave birth to a fine artist, who is attending art school and planning to make a living with her art. As you can see, I have a vested interest in the topic! After spending years as a graphic designer and working in non-profit organizations, I took a position at the Art Students League of Denver, where I managed marketing and promotions for their fine art school and summer art festival. After that, I landed my dream job at the Denver Art Museum, where I managed advertising and promotions. I ha

On this episode of Positively Creative, Evelyn Henson shares about developing products & figuring out how to ship them. Evelyn also talks about the pros of dropshipping products, how she leverages her shopify store, and the trial and error of being a business owner and how she uses her mistakes to grow!   About Evelyn: Brushed with a love for all things creative, I grew up in Columbus, GA. After my 3rd grade teacher pulled me aside for writing "too small" (I had just made tiny handwriting the classroom trend), I probably should have known I would be an artist of some sort, but it took me about a decade after that day to finally pick up the paintbrush. I first discovered my love for painting when I attempted a floral still life as a Mother's Day gift in 2012 after two friends kindly gave me an old box of paints they didn't want. I honestly haven't been able to put down the paint brush since---there's something about art that brings out my happiest, brightest self.   I started selling my work in May 2013 fo

On this episode of Positively Creative, Maggie Covert LeBlanc of Walking Man Studios talks with us about being an artist in New Orleans, keeping her business going while experiencing a family tragedy and how her art helped her heal after the loss of her niece. We also chat about her custom work and her adorable dog series!   About Maggie: Maggie Covert received her Bachelor’s degree from Maryland Institute College of Art in Interdisciplinary Sculpture with a Concentration in Book Arts. She was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her home has made a huge impact on her art, as the culture, vitality, and architecture are hard to escape. Since Hurricane Katrina, Maggie has been exploring the ideas of losing the contributing factors that make a place home. She has been drawn to the repetitive nature of disastrous events along with the governmental, social, and geographic reactions to these.   Her most recent work channels the whimsical nature of New Orleans’ architecture and characters. She continues to be

On today’s episode of Positively Creative, Taylor Lee walks us through her struggle with an eating disorder, her experience with art therapy, and finding community and her voice through art. We also talk about how to learn from others without copying and how developing your style is an ongoing process.   About Taylor: Taylor is a self-taught artist who inherited her love for painting from her grandmother. She was born in North Carolina, but is currently on a road trip across the United States with her husband and their pug, Frida. Her second love is writing and she is currently working on a book to release in 2018. She struggled with an eating disorder for over ten years, and surviving it has made her strong in ways that she never imagined were possible. Body positivity is a major theme in most of her work, especially her portraiture and floral pieces. Her paintings evoke emotions that we feel every day and each piece has a story and is created specifically to awaken the soul within.   Website: http://www.tay

We are kicking off season 2 with Molly Hatch! Molly is a full-time, studio potter whose work has been seen in stores like Anthropologie, Land of Nod, and Target, just to name a few! Her designs have expanded beyond tableware to a variety of lifestyle products and Molly’s collections of home goods are bringing her modern yet traditional designs to the contemporary home. In this episode, we chat about how Molly started working with Anthropologie and how she's been able to grow her brand while licensing her work. About Molly: Born the daughter of a painter and an organic dairy farmer, Molly was raised to be creatively industrious. Using her imagination and love of drawing to make everything from her well known idiosyncratic ceramics to quirky pen-and-ink drawings. Molly’s craft is finely honed, her designs whimsically literal and pop-culturally on-point. Working from her home studio, Molly began making her living as a full-time studio potter in 2008. Her formal education in ceramics and drawing resulted in the d

In the last episode of season 1, I am sharing my "aha" moments and reflections of 2017.  I have so many things mentally on my plate that I need to purge the physical things around me.  I share my struggles of being my own boss, how I happily don't get everything done each day, and why I share my daily journal in Instagram stories.  Much much more as well!  I'll be back in early January 2018 with many new interviews for you!  Happy holidays, y'all! www.dorothycollier.com On Today's Show: (2:00) Make what you want to make. (7:00) Why am I doing what I'm doing?  "I'm not myself when I'm not creating." - Dorothy (10:30) Emily Jeffords' episode on her lifestyle (12:00) Being your own boss and thinking I can "do it all" (14:00) Andy J Pizza Creative Pep Talk (15:00) No one knows what all you didn't get done that day (16:00) It takes a village (19:00) For me to be the best mom that I can, I need to be creating. (22:00) Emily with EmKat Design (25:00) My Dorothy Art Instagram Stories - daily journal  (26:30) Liana Ka

Dorothy sits down with Maria Brophy, an artist consultant and author of Art Money Success.  Maria has dedicated her life to figuring out the strategies on how to make a good living by being an artist.  Maria shares with us how to bring your thoughts back to what you want, and to not focus on what isn't serving you.   For more Maria Brophy: http://mariabrophy.com/ Shop the book, Art Money Success Drew Brophy's Artwork: http://drewbrophy.com/   On Today's Show: (4:00) Maria's background and book, Art Money Success (5:00) running your art business like a business (8:30) "money is a form of love" (11:00) commission policies and systems in your business (15:00) positive thinking and protecting your mind (24:30) Bob Proctor, You Were Born Rich (26:00) pursuing ideas and goals (30:00) getting what you want plus some (35:00) unconventional ways to sell your art and getting paid for charity (40:00) streams of income (46:00) email marketing and seo  (50:00) reproductions (53:00) What's your business model? (58:00) pric

Dorothy speaks with Carolyn Keating of Wholesale for Creatives, which offers support, strategy, and systems for product based business owners.  We dive in with wholesale pricing, working with rep groups, and chat about how many products you need to start a wholesale line. For more information: http://wholesale4creatives.com/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/thewholesalecollective/ On Today's Show: (6:00) how she started in the retail world (13:00) is your business set up for wholesale? (14:00) Wholesale for Creative's offerings (14:30) Perfect Your Pricing Course (16:00) Wholesale Pricing (19:00) Wholesale Terms to Know (32:00) How many items do you need to start wholesale? (35:00) Wholesale shows and walking them first (43:00) Working with Rep Groups (51:00) Sourcing (58:00) Nicole Schwartz - lawyer for product based businesses, Heather Crabtree's Savvy Group, Creative Biz Rebellion    

Dorothy had the pleasure of sitting down with sisters Katherine Vergos Riederer and Anna Vergos Blair of The Art Project to talk about their brick and mortar business, an art studio for kids!   They share how the idea came to be, getting started with building the studio, and the day to day activities and events they offer. For more information visit: http://www.artprojectmemphis.com/   “MAKE ART. LEAVE THE MESS.  Paint. Glitter. Glue. Chalk. Sand. Classes. Retail. Digitization. Coffee. Snacks. Beer.” -The Art Project   On Today's Show: (6:00) How the idea for The Art Project came to be (7:00) From working at the Rendezvous in Memphis https://www.hogsfly.com/, fashion design assistant at Ralph Lauren, and being an attorney   (11:00) The Art Project’s location in Overton Square (12:00) Researching with artists, art teachers, parents (13:00) Blueprints with intention of what the children will be doing in the space (16:00) Coming up with crafts and art projects, themes of the week and process based projects (19:3

Dorothy had the chance to sit down with Beth Winterburn, an abstract fine artist and discuss how she started creating abstract thanks to a friend's request.  Beth discusses how she prices her artwork and how she releases collections online, which helps with seasons of creating, packaging, uploading online, and helps give herself breaks. For more Beth Winterburn: http://www.ebw-artwork.com/ (3:00) Art 101 elements and principles of art as her guide (5:00) @ebw_artwork (6:00) Beth's art background (17:00) growing her studio from kid mode (19:00) her first abstract piece 4 years ago (20:00) started selling from Instagram, her online portfolio (26:00) using acrylic inks (31:00) starting to sell at festivals, Double Decker, Memphis Maker Market (33:00) went to workshops and one-on-one online classes, learning taxes and being a small business owner (34:00) good advice on pricing her artwork  (36:00) on selling artwork at restaurants, currently selling her artwork at Catherine & Marys, River Oaks (37:00) Falling

Dorothy chats with Jessica & Clifford Huizenga of The Confetti Bar on how Jessica got the ball rolling so quickly, transitioning to The Confetti Bar as her full time career within 6 months.  Clifford is a digital wiz and has created a wonderful site with great SEO.  Clifford is a "personal believer in that a lot of the web field should be demystified and there's a lot of things people don't realize what they could do if they spent a little time learning how things work."   For more Confetti Bar: https://www.theconfettibar.com/ https://www.instagram.com/theconfettibar/ On Today's Show: (9:00) Jessica's creative past and present  http://jessicaserrahuizenga.com/ (11:00) Cliff's role on the backend of the site and heavy customization with gravity forms through Wordpress (15:00) Custom confetti vs ready-made and seasonal mixes of confetti (18:00) The Confetti Bar's Instagram and streamlining with Planoly (23:00) Ranking high in Google (29:00) Creating styled photos for Instagram with confetti & writing no

Today's episode is a fun conversation with fine artist Deanna Hamsley about the art world and how she has grown her following and her customer base by giving Facebook followers a Call to Action, showing her work at local art shows, and getting her start by hosting workshops.  We all know that as a full time artist, we are juggling all the things in every aspect of our business, but Deanna has us beat.  She paints in her sleep!  For more Deanna Hamsley: https://www.deannahamsleyartwork.com/ Deanna Hamsley Facebook Page For more Positively Creative: www.positivelycreative.net www.instagram.com/positivelycreative www.instragram.com/dorothyart   On Today's Episode: (7:00) on juggling all the things (9:00) hosting workshops with wooden word art (10:00) the strength of Facebook advertising (13:00) The name Grace Given Gifts (17:00) the commitment and investment in people through posting on her Facebook page (24:00) giving a call to action on Facebook  (28:00) having customers commit with commissions and taking paym

On today's episode Dorothy speaks with Kristin Vermilya on product photography, brand photography, on launching her podcast, How to Fail, and on blogging tips.  Through her photography she helps connect your brand by sharing your personality with your dream audience and your communities.   http://www.kristinvermilya.co/ http://www.howtofailpodcast.co/ https://www.instagram.com/kristinvermilya/ On Today's Show: (7:00) her photography tiers on product photography (8:00) on figuring out your brand (9:00) how to set up a DIY product photoshoot (10:00) seamless paper a continuous white backdrop (11:30) how to edit photos on your iPhone (12:00) a color story app (16:00) her take on flat lay photos and donuts (17:30) Planoly, an app that plans your Instagram photos!  A MUST NEED! (18:00) brand photography (22:00) DIY stock photography for artists and makers (24:00) How to Fail! Podcast (28:00) one of Kristin's recent failures (30:00) on Instagram following (37:00) Creative Biz Rebellion (42:00) blogging tips, Think