We're so excited to be joined by Suzie Consoli, Founder and CEO of Lawson House, a full-service marketing and design agency based in Atlanta! Lawson House helps businesses stand out and thrive in a competitive market through strategic branding, web design, and high-converting marketing solutions. They transform visions into impactful realities and ensure businesses get the recognition they deserve!

In today's episode, we explore effective marketing and web design strategies for calligraphy businesses with Suzie. She shares insights on the five pages every website should have, advice on selecting the best platform for your website needs, and the most common mistakes she sees businesses making when it comes to creating their websites. Suzie also gives an actionable process for DIY-ing your website, practical tips for SEO, and shares her expert opinion on whether or not to list pricing on your website. 

Stay tuned until the end, when Suzie shares more about her brand new offering, Launch38 -- a truly unique service that will give you brand messaging & design, a website, launch strategy, and content plan in just FIVE days! 

🔗 Links to resources mentioned in this episode:

• Apply for Launch38 here! Use code CALLIGRAPHY250 at checkout for $250 off! 
• Connect with Suzie below: 
  • Lawson House Website
  • Lawson House Instagram
  • Launch38 Instagram
• Try Squarespace for free
• Get a free month of ShowIt

🎙️ In this Episode:

• 00:00 Introduction
• 02:51 Meet Suzie, Owner of Lawson House
• 04:22 The Five Must-Have Pages for Your Website
• 14:50 Practical Steps for DIY-ing Your Website
• 21:09 Choosing a Platform to Host Your Website
• 28:28 What Really Matters for SEO
• 35:39 The Biggest Mistake People Make with Their Website
• 44:14 Create Your Website with Launch38!
• 54:03 Connect with Suzie

Text us a question to answer on a future episode!

Support the show

👩‍💻 Learn From Me:

• Start Your Profitable Calligraphy Business - Join Shaochen's Free Masterclass
• Freebie! Download our free tech guide for the programs you need to run your business

👯‍♀️ Keep In Touch:

• Follow Calligraphy Biz Corner on Instagram
• Follow Shaochen on Instagram
• Visit our website

In today's episode of Calligraphy Biz Corner, we have two very special guests! We're so excited to welcome Courtney and Will, owners of Crew and Co, a hand-lettering business that over the past 10 years, has transitioned from weddings and calligraphy workshops to creating products that encourage families to make scripture a practical part of their daily lives.

Their second book, Abundant Grace, was recently published on April 2nd, and we had the privilege of chatting with them just before it was released! In this episode, Courtney and Will share the evolution of their business, starting with Courtney's beginnings in wedding calligraphy to Will joining the team as they entered the product world by creating children's screen-printed t-shirts. Their inspiring journey leads us to where they are today, which is launching their second book and developing products that bring joy and hope to families through encouraging messages, beautiful designs, and vibrant colors.

Throughout the episode, Courtney and Will expand on the importance of building a business that's aligned with personal values and rooted in authenticity. Tune in to hear their experiences of figuring things out as they go, and their exciting story of navigating the book publishing process for two books, including their latest release, 'Abundant Grace.'

Listen in to the end of the episode to hear how you can win a copy of their newest book plus store credit to crewandco.com!

🔗 Links to resources mentioned in this episode:

• Enter our Instagram Giveaway here!
• Purchase a copy of Abundant Grace
• Check out Crew + Co's products
• Connect with Courtney & Will on...
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • TikTok

🎙️ In this Episode:

• 00:00 Introduction
• 03:28 Welcome Will & Courtney!
• 05:56 Courtney's Calligraphy Beginnings 
• 11:22 Launching Crew + Co & Transitioning to Products
• 15:22 Working as a Husband & Wife Team 
• 19:33 Growing a Product-Based Business
• 35:27 Getting a Book Deal!
• 46:09 Enter Giveaway & Connect with Crew + Co

Text us a question to answer on a future episode!

Support the show

👩‍💻 Learn From Me:

• Start Your Profitable Calligraphy Business - Join Shaochen's Free Masterclass
• Freebie! Download our free tech guide for the programs you need to run your business

👯‍♀️ Keep In Touch:

• Follow Calligraphy Biz Corner on Instagram
• Follow Shaochen on Instagram
• Visit our website

Today, we're talking about everyone's favorite topic! ...Okay, maybe not your favorite topic, but one that plagues all of us: Imposter Syndrome! Tune in to hear our personal experiences with imposter syndrome and of course, both tactical and mindset strategies to combat it. These include methods like looking at the evidence, creating more than you consume, leaning into discomfort, and writing your own narrative. 

We hope this episode helps you feel less alone when it comes to dealing with imposter syndrome, serves as a reminder that YOU have something unique to offer, and encourages you to lean into discomfort because it's a sign of big growth potential!

🔗 Links to resources mentioned in this episode:

• Shaochen's Pro Wedding Calligrapher Course
• Alane's Flourish in Biz Mentoring Program

🎙️ In this Episode:

• 00:00 Celebrating 2 Months - Thanks for Listening!
• 02:42 What is Imposter Syndrome?
• 05:40 Strategy 1: Look at the Evidence
• 11:14 Strategy 2: Create More Than You Consume
• 16:26 Strategy 3: Lean into the Discomfort
• 25:09 Strategy 4: Write Your Own Narrative
• 30:43 Now, go share your gift with the world!

Text us a question to answer on a future episode!

Support the show

👩‍💻 Learn From Me:

• Start Your Profitable Calligraphy Business - Join Shaochen's Free Masterclass
• Freebie! Download our free tech guide for the programs you need to run your business

👯‍♀️ Keep In Touch:

• Follow Calligraphy Biz Corner on Instagram
• Follow Shaochen on Instagram
• Visit our website

In our first-ever guest interview episode, we're highlighting the unique journeys of three successful calligraphers as they transformed their calligraphy hobbies or side hustles into full-time businesses! We chat with Hannah of Tally Mark Calligraphy, Dani of Paper Cliché, and Alice of Penned by Alice about what prompted them to take their businesses full-time, the challenges they faced, and their advice for anyone considering making calligraphy their sole source of income. 

From Hannah's transition from an athletic trainer to a wedding and live-event calligrapher, to Dani's shift from bartending to running an intentional stationery business, and Alice's move from a finance career to balancing calligraphy with motherhood, these stories emphasize the importance of passion, community support, strategic planning, and showcase how different each of our journeys are. 

We hope this episode encourages you to take things one step at a time, focus on your specific goals, and trust the process to achieve your dreams!

🔗 Where to find our guests:

Hannah of Tally Mark Calligraphy:

• www.tallymarkcalligraphy.com
• Follow Hannah on Instagram!

Dani of Paper Cliché:

• www.papercliche.com
• Follow Dani on Instagram!

Alice of Penned by Alice:

• www.pennedbyalice.com
• Follow Alice on Instagram!

🔗 Links to resources mentioned in this episode:

• Shaochen's Pro Wedding Calligrapher Course
• Alane's Flourish in Biz Mentoring Program
• Rising Tide Society

🎙️ In this Episode:

• 00:00 Introduction
• 02:04 Redefining Identity with Hannah of Tally Mark Calligraphy 
• 22:26 Leading with Alignment with Dani of Paper Cliché
• 42:38 Running a Biz as a Full-Time Mom with Penned by Alice
• 01:02:08 Key Themes and Takeaways

Text us a question to answer on a future episode!

Support the show

👩‍💻 Learn From Me:

• Start Your Profitable Calligraphy Business - Join Shaochen's Free Masterclass
• Freebie! Download our free tech guide for the programs you need to run your business

👯‍♀️ Keep In Touch:

• Follow Calligraphy Biz Corner on Instagram
• Follow Shaochen on Instagram
• Visit our website

Buckle up for a spicy episode! 🔥 After a few teaching-heavy episodes, we're spilling the ink on our top pet peeves as wedding calligraphers! From misspelling "stationery" to referring to calligraphy as a "font" to ghosting, join us for some real talk about what it's like being a calligrapher in a world where we constantly have to explain what we do (JK! Kind of...).

Of course, this wouldn't be a Calligraphy Biz Corner episode if we didn't also share our learnings and ways to mitigate some of these pet peeves! Tune in to hear our biggest frustrations, join in as we laugh about them, and then hear how we combat them. 

🔗 Links to resources mentioned in this episode:

• Download Shaochen's FREE Ghostbusting Guide

🎙️ In this Episode:

• 00:00 Introduction
• 05:08 Pet Peeve #1 - Stationary vs. Stationery
• 07:23 Pet Peeve #2 - Not Being Tagged in Photo Credits
• 12:02 Pet Peeve #3 - Flowers that Cover up Calligraphy on our Signage
• 14:04 Pet Peeve #4 - Referring to Calligraphy as a "Font"
• 17:26 Pet Peeve #5 - "The invites will end up in the trash"
• 21:14 Pet Peeve #6 - Clients that Don't Have a Budget
• 25:45 Pet Peeve #7 - Ghosting
• 40:10 Key Takeaways 

Text us a question to answer on a future episode!

Support the show

👩‍💻 Learn From Me:

• Start Your Profitable Calligraphy Business - Join Shaochen's Free Masterclass
• Freebie! Download our free tech guide for the programs you need to run your business

👯‍♀️ Keep In Touch:

• Follow Calligraphy Biz Corner on Instagram
• Follow Shaochen on Instagram
• Visit our website

As a follow-up to Episode 3, we're sharing the mistakes we've seen and made when growing a calligraphy business, and what to do instead!

In this episode, we talk about three key mistakes that calligraphers should avoid in the growing phase of their business, such as not niching down and not having proper systems in place. We also chat through actionable things to consider during the growth phase to help set your business up for maximum success. These include the importance of getting clear on personal financial goals, identifying what you want your business and personal life to look like, investing in professional growth, finding community, and outsourcing.

If you're ready to take on more clients, increase your revenue, or expand your services, this episode is for you! 

🔗 Links to resources mentioned in this episode:

• Learn more about Alane's 1:1 Flourish in Biz Mentoring Program
• Learn more about Shaochen's Pro Wedding Calligrapher course
• Need help with pricing? Check out the Creative's Pricing Toolkit!

💻 Software Programs Mentioned

• Calendly for meeting scheduling
• Zapier for connecting different applications
• Honeybook CRM free trial and 25% off
• Dubsado CRM free trial and 20% off

🎙️ In this Episode:

• 00:00 Introduction
• 02:47 Mistake #1 - Not Niching Down
• 06:23 Mistake #2 - Comparing Your Biz Growth to Others'
• 12:08 Mistake #3 - Lack of Systems 
• 21:14 Do #1 - Get Clear on Your Financial Goals
• 26:37 Do #2 - Build Your Business on What You Want Your Life to Look Like
• 30:05 Do #3 - Lean on Community to Accelerate Your Business
• 39:14 Do #4 - Invest in Your Professional Growth
• 48:37 Do #5 - Outsource to Maximize Your Money-Making Time
• 01:00:35 Final Thoughts

Text us a question to answer on a future episode!

Support the show

👩‍💻 Learn From Me:

• Start Your Profitable Calligraphy Business - Join Shaochen's Free Masterclass
• Freebie! Download our free tech guide for the programs you need to run your business

👯‍♀️ Keep In Touch:

• Follow Calligraphy Biz Corner on Instagram
• Follow Shaochen on Instagram
• Visit our website

In today's episode, we're sharing mistakes we've seen when starting a calligraphy business, and what to do instead.

We've pinpointed five "mistakes" to avoid, such as an overemphasis on perfectionism, comparison with others, and allowing negative feedback to affect your dreams. We also highlight the problem of calculating prices based on others’ and encourage you to consider your own personal costs and skill level when setting your prices. 

But we're not just here to share what you shouldn't do! We're giving practical steps for calligraphers who are ready to transition from hobby to business, such as the importance of exploration (listen in to hear Shaochen's potato story!), creating a portfolio, registering your business, separating your finances, and getting customer reviews early on. 

If you're ready to turn your calligraphy hobby into a flourishing business, then this episode is for you! Heck, even if you're a seasoned pro, you may learn something new... We know that we both definitely did!

🔗 Links to resources mentioned in this episode:

• The Creatives Pricing Toolkit
• Take action now - grab a spot in Shaochen's workshop

🎙️ In this Episode:

• 0:00 Introduction
• 02:11 Mistake #1 - Waiting for Things to Be Perfect
• 05:56 Mistake #2 - Comparing Yourself to Others
• 08:28 Mistake #3 - Letting Negative Feedback Crush Your Dreams
• 14:38 Mistake #4 - Basing Your Pricing Off of Others
• 18:55 Mistake #5 - Not Thinking Through Use Cases
• 24:03 Do #1 - Talk About Your Biz
• 27:07 Do #2 - Explore, Experiment, and Explore Some More! 
• 30:23 Do #3 - Build Your Portfolio
• 33:23 Do #4 - Make Your Biz Legal
• 37:43 Do #5 - Collect Reviews
• 39:49 Start Your Business Today

Text us a question to answer on a future episode!

Support the show

👩‍💻 Learn From Me:

• Start Your Profitable Calligraphy Business - Join Shaochen's Free Masterclass
• Freebie! Download our free tech guide for the programs you need to run your business

👯‍♀️ Keep In Touch:

• Follow Calligraphy Biz Corner on Instagram
• Follow Shaochen on Instagram
• Visit our website

Reflecting on 2023 and Planning for 2024: Business Goals and Success Measures

We're bringing that new year energy into today's episode, and sharing our top tips to help you rock 2024!

Before you dive into goal-setting, we encourage you to reflect on the previous year, both intuitively as well as by looking at your numbers. Using Shaochen's New Year's Reflection Guide, we're diving into three questions to ask yourself as you're doing your 2023 reflection, the three numbers that you should review in your business, and the three questions to ask yourself as you're setting goals for the new year. 

As examples, we're sharing our answers to each question and how we will use our 2023 reviews to inform our goals and actions for the next year. Get ready to hear our transitions within the calligraphy biz world, expanding our focus from wedding calligraphy to business education, and the importance of aligning your business goals to your personal values and desired lifestyles.

We'll also dive into the importance of tracking business metrics across marketing, sales, and client experience for more informed goal-setting. Grab your notebook and pen, because this is a juicy one!

And stay tuned until the end of this episode, where Shaochen is spilling the ink on a brand new offering that will help you get super clear on your financial goals for 2024!

🔗 Links to resources mentioned in this episode:

• Download Shaochen's Reflection Guide
• Turn your goals into actionable steps with Shaochen's workshop 
• 25% off your first year of Honeybook
• 20% off your first month or year of Dubsado
• 30% off QuickBooks for 6 months

🎙️ In this Episode:

• 00:32 Introduction
• 04:50 Three Questions for Reflection
• 22:27 Reviewing & Understanding Your Marketing Metrics
• 30:34 Reviewing & Understanding Your Sales Numbers
• 33:00 The Power of Reviews in Your Client Experience
• 36:45 Looking Ahead
• 50:00 Preparing for Your Best Year Yet

This episode may contain affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase using the link, we earn a small commission. We only share products that we use ourselves, and we think it would be of benefit to you! 

Text us a question to answer on a future episode!

Support the show

👩‍💻 Learn From Me:

• Start Your Profitable Calligraphy Business - Join Shaochen's Free Masterclass
• Freebie! Download our free tech guide for the programs you need to run your business

👯‍♀️ Keep In Touch:

• Follow Calligraphy Biz Corner on Instagram
• Follow Shaochen on Instagram
• Visit our website

The Beginning of Calligraphy Biz Corner: Meet Your Hosts and Learn Their Stories

Welcome to the very first episode of Calligraphy Biz Corner! We're your hosts, Alane and Shaochen, two full-time wedding calligraphers and business educators, and our mission with this podcast is simple: to guide calligraphers through the maze of running a creative business, complete with real-life strategy and mindset magic.  

Here's what to expect in our first episode: we're sharing more about our personal journeys with calligraphy and spilling the ink on how our passions evolved into entrepreneurship. You'll also hear how we initially connected way back in 2020 and how our collaborations over the years have led to the birth of Calligraphy Biz Corner. 

Our episodes will be packed with real-life stories and practical tips, so rest assured that whether you're a budding beginner or a seasoned pro, they'll be something for everyone in the calligraphy industry!

🎙️ In this Episode:

• 00:32 Welcome to our Corner!
• 03:10 Shaochen's Story
• 09:15 Alane's Story
• 14:11 The Birth of Our Collaboration
• 18:02 What to Expect from Calligraphy Biz Corner

Text us a question to answer on a future episode!

Support the show

👩‍💻 Learn From Me:

• Start Your Profitable Calligraphy Business - Join Shaochen's Free Masterclass
• Freebie! Download our free tech guide for the programs you need to run your business

👯‍♀️ Keep In Touch:

• Follow Calligraphy Biz Corner on Instagram
• Follow Shaochen on Instagram
• Visit our website