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 Us:

• Start Your Profitable Calligraphy Business - Join Shaochen's Free Masterclass
• Book More (and better!) Clients with Ease - Join Alane's Group Coaching Program Waitlist
• Download our free tech guide for the programs you need to run your business

👯‍♀️ Follow Us:

• Follow Calligraphy Biz Corner on Instagram
• Follow Alane 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 Us:

• Start Your Profitable Calligraphy Business - Join Shaochen's Free Masterclass
• Book More (and better!) Clients with Ease - Join Alane's Group Coaching Program Waitlist
• Download our free tech guide for the programs you need to run your business

👯‍♀️ Follow Us:

• Follow Calligraphy Biz Corner on Instagram
• Follow Alane 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 Us:

• Start Your Profitable Calligraphy Business - Join Shaochen's Free Masterclass
• Book More (and better!) Clients with Ease - Join Alane's Group Coaching Program Waitlist
• Download our free tech guide for the programs you need to run your business

👯‍♀️ Follow Us:

• Follow Calligraphy Biz Corner on Instagram
• Follow Alane 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 Us:

• Start Your Profitable Calligraphy Business - Join Shaochen's Free Masterclass
• Book More (and better!) Clients with Ease - Join Alane's Group Coaching Program Waitlist
• Download our free tech guide for the programs you need to run your business

👯‍♀️ Follow Us:

• Follow Calligraphy Biz Corner on Instagram
• Follow Alane 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 Us:

• Start Your Profitable Calligraphy Business - Join Shaochen's Free Masterclass
• Book More (and better!) Clients with Ease - Join Alane's Group Coaching Program Waitlist
• Download our free tech guide for the programs you need to run your business

👯‍♀️ Follow Us:

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