Have you ever tried to start something new, only to be paralyzed by the fear of failure and crippled with anxiety about adding one more thing to your plate?

You are far from alone. Part of that fear & anxiety comes from a lack of confidence – in yourself, your knowledge, and your ability to succeed. And while society has deemed it necessary to have confidence when beginning a new venture, I think it’s total bullshit.

Join me on this episode of The Shinah Show as I share the story of one of my students having the COURAGE (not the confidence) to go from feeling like a complete imposter, to a “just go for it” mentality – all in ONE YEAR’S time! We’ll dive into:

• Confidence vs. Courage – and why courage trumps confidence when starting a new venture every time
• How to build up your courage & fuel your drive to continue
• Why the daily grind of life can cause us to underestimate what can be done in a year’s time
• How to feel the fear, but do it anyway and use the community around you advantageously

I hope this inspires you to GO FOR IT in 2025 so this time next year, you can be your happiest and best self!

Need a little courage to begin your calligraphy journey? Our “Newbie to Pro Calligrapher” Challenge is starting January 13th, 2025! Join us for 5 days of free worksheets, daily live lessons with me, a supportive community of fellow creatives, and some amazing prizes! And this year for the first time ever, one lucky participant will win the Grand Prize - A FREE Pro Calligrapher Course Bundle (worth $997!!). Sign up HERE!

FREE WORKSHOP:

• “How to Become a Calligraphy Pro” Educational Workshop

FOLLOW SHINAH:

• Join our community of creativity-seeking souls over on Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy

SUBSCRIBE:

• Love podcasts? Listen to The Shinah Show wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

Free “Newbie to Pro Calligrapher” Challenge - starts Jan 13, 2025!
Sign up at crookedcalligraphy.com/challenge
--
If you'd love to become a professional calligrapher and make money with a craft you adore, but you’re SCARED to make the commitment and actually go for it…

You must listen to this episode where I give real-life business advice to my student, Sarah, when she emailed me for help.

Find out:

• The magic words I said to her that helped her FINALLY take action
• What she did to land her first brand activation job
• The one kind of SUPPORT you need so you keep taking small steps forward… 

⛔️ Because the only way you're going to actually fail is if you STOP TRYING (or never start trying at all).

FREE WORKSHOP:

• “How to Become a Calligraphy Pro” Educational Workshop

FOLLOW SHINAH:

• Join our community of creativity-seeking souls over on Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy

SUBSCRIBE:

• Love podcasts? Listen to The Shinah Show wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

A personal, off-the-cuff, HONEST look at how I did in my business in 2024. 

Including: 

• How much REVENUE we made (and how I’m feeling about it)
• How I was able to take a whopping 81 paid days off - a completely different measure of success
• The truth about growth and self-healing -  it’s not all peaceful meditation, in fact it can be incredibly tough emotionally

My biggest lessons that I want to share with you this year:

1) Fear never really goes away

2) Transitions take so much longer than we think

3) The thing that makes things hard is when we EXPECT that it should be better
--
Calligraphy Resources:

1. Holiday Shop - 50% off deals through 12/17/2024
2. Free “Newbie to Pro Calligrapher” Challenge - starts Jan 13, 2025!

FREE WORKSHOP:

• “How to Become a Calligraphy Pro” Educational Workshop

FOLLOW SHINAH:

• Join our community of creativity-seeking souls over on Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy

SUBSCRIBE:

• Love podcasts? Listen to The Shinah Show wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

I posted this (kinda salty) Instagram Reel back in May… and boy did people have feelings about it. [Please please please be kind if you're going to comment there!]

Everyone says they want more “authenticity” on social media. 

But what happens when you show up as your imperfect, un-polished self on social media… and people don’t like it? 

This is a SUPER IMPORTANT episode for anyone who wants to show up more, but you’re terrified of what people might say. 

I share: 

• Why this Reel might have been triggering (Was I really an ungrateful, braggy b*tch?)
• Why I posted it anyway, even though I knew it might be controversial
•  The crucial lessons for any business owner wanting to show up more unfiltered on social media

You know what makes social media hard? Pretending to be someone you’re not. I hope this episode inspires you to do less of that, and more of being your brave, true self.

***Previous Episodes about me f*cking up on social media: Episode 44 and Episode 45

--
Our Holiday Shop has 50% off our Engraving & Teaching courses! They're almost sold out so: Click HERE to score all these amazing deals right now! 

FREE WORKSHOP:

• “How to Become a Calligraphy Pro” Educational Workshop

FOLLOW SHINAH:

• Join our community of creativity-seeking souls over on Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy

SUBSCRIBE:

• Love podcasts? Listen to The Shinah Show wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

What if calligraphy is your “thing”, but not necessarily the “thing” that your towns all about? Kind of makes it hard to seek out customers, right? Wrong!

Whether it’s, “There’s too MUCH competition in my area!”, or “There’s no demand in my area!”, your brain will ALWAYS find ways to cast doubt about being successful.

On this episode of The Shinah Show, I’m sharing my best strategies for finding clients and work despite being in a small town (or one that has NO idea what calligraphy is…). I’m breaking it down into 4 areas of work to explore, including:

1. Engraving & Live Event Calligraphy - how executing a craft with a higher price point can help cut down on the stress of finding a large client base
2. Teaching (even online!) – why sharing your craft can introduce your area to calligraphy & create unique opportunities for workshops (calligraphy on the farm, anyone?)
3. Digital Work – tips on expanding your work via digitizing to increase your client base
4. Small Town Connections – how to use local businesses & shops to your advantage!

I’ve had plenty of students who live in the middle of nowhere and have still found a way to turn a profit with their calligraphy skills. Don’t let the size of your town be the reason that holds you back – because if you truly WANT something, you must put in the work to get there!

Don't forget - The Holiday Shop is open now through December 17th, 2024! It has our best course deals of the year & exclusive bonuses! We’re offering 50% off our workbooks, mini-course, and course trainings we rarely open to the public (including our brand new engraving course!) - all of which can help take your business to the next level! Click HERE to score all these amazing deals right now!

FREE WORKSHOP:

• “How to Become a Calligraphy Pro” Educational Workshop

FOLLOW SHINAH:

• Join our community of creativity-seeking souls over on Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy

SUBSCRIBE:

• Love podcasts? Listen to The Shinah Show wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

I recently asked on my social media for podcast topic ideas - and wow did you guys deliver!

On today's episode of The Shinah Show, I'm sharing one student's struggles with getting her business up and running (and profitable!). She reached out because she is trying to be strategic in her products and offerings to ensure she can actually make money. Does she go for the place cards & gift tags, or focus on the bigger jobs with. more complexity?

This is where there is a BIG divide in the industry - lower skillset products & services vs. higher paying jobs. While one is easier to produce and has a lower barrier of entry, the other requires more time, effort & finesse. So how do you know which one is RIGHT for your business?

Join me as I examine these two highly different niches of the calligraphy industry and discuss:

• What the 'lower' paying calligraphy skills what differentiates them from the higher paying calligraphy skills
• Examples of the products typically produced in each skillset
• The skills that take your calligraphy from pen & paper to the next level (and how it can expand your business exponentially)
• 7 categories of "high paying" calligraphy jobs that can demand top dollar
• How to develop a solid plan to grow your business & manage the 'big picture' stress that can overwhelm so many business owners

I'm so excited to delve into this topic and show you just how many different ways you can utilize calligraphy!

Don't forget - The Holiday Shop is open now through December 17th, 2024! It has our best course deals of the year & exclusive bonuses! We’re offering 50% off our workbooks, mini-course, and course trainings we rarely open to the public (including our brand new engraving course!) - all of which can help take your business to the next level! Click HERE to score all these amazing deals right now!

Graphic Artists Guild Handbook, 16th Edition: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines

Episode 116 - How To Get Live Calligraphy Jobs (And Be Great At Them)

FREE WORKSHOP:

• “How to Become a Calligraphy Pro” Educational Workshop

FOLLOW SHINAH:

• Join our community of creativity-seeking souls over on Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy

SUBSCRIBE:

• Love podcasts? Listen to The Shinah Show wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

**This episode is a replay of episode 48. It has been updated to reflect current course sales & promotions**

The demand for calligraphy workshops (and people to teach them!) is alive and well. BUT I’ve heard from SO many of you that you’re itching to host your own workshops- but paralyzed at the laundry list of to do’s that forms even before signing up your first attendee.

I want more of you to feel EMPOWERED to teach your own classes!! So in this week’s episode, I’m breaking down my own experience teaching workshops, including:

• WHY you should teach calligraphy workshops
• How ‘good’ you have to be to teach (spoiler alert- the BEST calligraphers aren’t necessarily the best teachers!)
• My tips for how to price your workshops, where to host them (sausage restaurants, anyone??), and how to utilize them to grow your business in so many ways!

I’ve packed all this information plus SO much more into my online course “How to Teach Calligraphy Workshops” which is on sale RIGHT NOW in Crooked Calligraphy’s Holiday Shop - open November 13th - December 17th 2024!

The Holiday Shop has our best course deals of the year & exclusive bonuses! We’re offering 50% off our workbooks, mini-course, and course trainings we rarely open to the public (including our brand new engraving course!). 

Click HERE to score all these amazing deals right now! 

FREE WORKSHOP:

• “How to Become a Calligraphy Pro” Educational Workshop

FOLLOW SHINAH:

• Join our community of creativity-seeking souls over on Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy

SUBSCRIBE:

• Love podcasts? Listen to The Shinah Show wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

Brand activations (aka “Live Event Calligraphy”) can be a super fun & lucrative job in the calligraphy industry – if you’ve got the skills to deliver the goods!

Brands frequently collaborate with calligraphers to personalize their products with everything from pointed pens & brush pens, to glass engraving, at live in-person events. As far as locations? They are only limited by your imagination! Both my students & I have been hired for activations at duty-free shops in the airport, food & wine events, weddings, plenty of department stores, fancy boutiques, and even liquor store events!
 
Join me on this episode of “The Shinah Show” as I share my tactical tips for landing, executing, & being in-demand live calligraphy events, including:

• The 3 ways you can go about getting hired for events 
• The many unique calligraphy applications you can stack in your skillset & offer (everything from heat foiling to wood burning and beyond!)
• How much you can expect to be paid for a variety of jobs & your talent level
• Why “understanding your role” is the MOST important part of the job & how professionalism can lead to you being in-demand by brands

Activations can often be intimidating if you haven’t done them – which is why I’m taking you behind the scenes and pulling back the curtain on the industry standards & practices so YOU can be set up for success!

In the coming weeks, I’ll also be exploring the courses that are going to be in my “Holiday Shop” (opening soon!) and sharing more tactical advice on the podcast about how to utilize them to break into the world of calligraphy!

FREE WORKSHOP:

• “How to Become a Calligraphy Pro” Educational Workshop

FOLLOW SHINAH:

• Join our community of creativity-seeking souls over on Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy

SUBSCRIBE:

• Love podcasts? Listen to The Shinah Show wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

Yep, you read that title right.

If you thought the idea & success of Crooked Calligraphy just fell into my lap, you might wanna settle in for an eye-opening episode.

In October of 2013, depressed and burnt out, I flat out quit my 6-figure job as a corporate lawyer and went from a completely independent & successful career woman, to living in my best friend’s spare bedroom with NO direction in my life. It took me nearly 4 years of rest, resetting, and a whole lot of trial and error until I could even turn a decent profit and finally feel “successful”.

I rode the prosperous wave and threw myself all-in to Crooked Calligraphy –generating over $1 million in revenue – before I decided to blow my life up all over again.

Join me on this episode of The Shinah Show as I share my 11-year journey of highs & lows in the world of entrepreneurship, and the lessons I’ve learned along the way including:

• The many phases of Crooked Calligraphy and how I derived confidence during each of them
• The most strategic things I spent money on 
• Why your business should never determine your worth
• What one thing studies are showing is the most important in peoples’ lives (and how I’ve started to incorporate it into my own)

Make sure you stick around until the end to hear what the current phase of my business is looking like– and what my husband building a 20’x30’ dance floor in my backyard has to do with it 😉

Link to Episode 102 - "Lawyer to Calligrapher - My Story"

FREE WORKSHOP:

• “How to Become a Calligraphy Pro” Educational Workshop

FOLLOW SHINAH:

• Join our community of creativity-seeking souls over on Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy

SUBSCRIBE:

• Love podcasts? Listen to The Shinah Show wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

“Us small business owners are over here thinking that if we make a mistake, if we have a failure, if something doesn’t go the way we wanted it to… it means something catastrophic about us.”

Most businesses statistically fail. So how do the other businesses succeed you ask? Because most of them are products of business owners who have failed previously.

In Silicon Valley, failed businesses are considered a badge of honor. However, as female small business owners, oftentimes we beat ourselves up over the slightest tinge of failure (especially those of us who are perfectionists). We need to STOP beating ourselves up when we screw up!

In this episode of The Shinah Show, I’m sharing with you my best advice for reframing your mindset and picking yourself up when the inevitable bump in the road occurs. We’ll dive into:

• The LONG list of BIG business owners who have burnt millions of dollars trying to establish successful businesses (you won’t believe some of these names)
• How your failures in business don't determine your self-worth
• Just how many times I have started and failed to create a thriving business
• Why we need to “normalize” failure

There is only one way to learn business – by DOING it. No amount of research and reading will replace the tangible, hands-on learning that must take place to successfully establish a company. So, get out there and move through it – even if its messy & uncomfortable – and create your own badges of honor.

FREE WORKSHOP:

• “How to Become a Calligraphy Pro” Educational Workshop

FOLLOW SHINAH:

• Join our community of creativity-seeking souls over on Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy

SUBSCRIBE:

• Love podcasts? Listen to The Shinah Show wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!