“I had always wanted to be a small business owner. I didn’t really know what that looked like, though.”
- Shaochen Wu.
How do you build a successful passion business from scratch?
My guest, Shaochen Wu, is a former tech consultant who worked in a very logic-heavy, left-brained job in Silicon Valley before transitioning to become a wedding calligrapher.
While Shaochen had always dreamed about running her own small business, nothing ever quite seemed to fit… until she discovered calligraphy.
“I had always loved pretty lettering and calligraphy but I didn’t think I could do it, because I actually have really awful handwriting,” Shaochen says. But she signed up for classes anyway. Like me, Shaochen had a long history of signing up for different creative arts… and then eventually drifting away from them.
But calligraphy stuck for her.
“The reason I kind of stuck with it was because it was just such a mindfulness practice for me,” she explains. “Especially being in a stressful job. It was just one of the few ways I found that I could really take my mind off things and really clear my mind.”
Calligraphy made sense as a small business because of the low initial investment. All Shaochen had to do was work on honing her skills and developing her style!
Want to learn how Shaochen took those first steps from falling in love with calligraphy to building an incredible business based on it? Tune into this episode of The Shinah Show to find out:
>> How business owners can learn and grow when faced with fish-out-of-water moments.
>> The basics of building a beginner portfolio — and what you need to include.
>> How to turn your calligraphy skills into actual products you can sell.
About Shaochen Wu: Shaochen Wu is a tech leader turned full-time calligrapher and small business owner. She worked as a consultant to Fortune 500 companies, then led Customer Success teams at Fortune 500 companies and startups in Silicon Valley before transitioning into wedding calligraphy.
Highlights:
01:12 All about Shaochen Wu
02:29 Why calligraphy?
04:34 From fun hobby to creative business
05:38 Personal style & confidence
06:56 First calligraphy clients
08:46 Building a portfolio
10:54 Developing & marketing your products
16:18 Growing & niching down
17:58 Revenue numbers
23:35 Modern Calligraphy 201
26:29 Shaochen’s advice & courses
Links:
https://www.monsteragold.com
https://www.calligraphyceo.com/course
IG: @monstera.gold
Pinterest: pinterest.ca/monsteragold
Learn calligraphy with me: www.freecalligraphyworkshop.com
Follow me!
Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy
Facebook: facebook.com/crookedcalligraphy
Show notes can be fo
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- “How to Become a Calligraphy Pro” Educational Workshop
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