Paper Talk

Making changes is difficult, but necessary. Shifting direction can help you uncover your why and get closer to what will bring you true joy.

In our latest episode of Paper Talk, we wrapped up Season 5 by talking about how our whys have shifted and how we made changes accordingly. You don’t have to keep doing the same thing out of obligation or because you think it will get better with time. Even small tweaks here and there can make a world of difference. If you never change, you’ll never discover something new that could get you closer to your why.

If you’re still struggling to hone in on what exactly it is that draws you to paper flowers, spend some time with our Why Worksheet and listen to the episode for tips about making those difficult changes.

► How our whys have shifted over time and why that’s a good thing.
► Even more about what you can do to find your why, if you haven’t yet.
► How to focus your work to find joy and avoid burnout. 
► Recommended listening and reading for finding your artistic vision.

If you can’t listen right away, know that you’re not alone in struggling to figure this all out! You will get to your why, and these three tips will help. 

You may look at other established paper florists and think they have it all figured out. We bet that’s not true. Even after spending a lot of time and energy to uncover what makes her happy, Quynh shared on the episode about how she’s still struggling to figure out which direction to go.

“It’s so hard when…you go around in this eternal circle asking yourself, ‘Am I doing the right thing?’ And imposter syndrome comes up because you’re circling back and forth. And I’ve been in that place before, and sometimes you just need to stop and you need to work really hard to get out of that cycle.” -Quynh Nguyen

Most of us will feel imposter syndrome at some point. If you get caught up on “I shouldn’t be here; I don’t deserve this,” then you’ll never get to your why. 

Stopping those thoughts is easier said than done, but you can listen to Episode 80 about Overcoming Imposter Syndrome for even more help.

Talking through your struggle is a vital part of this journey! That’s one reason why we started Paper Talk. We wanted to share what we’re going through with you because it’s beneficial for everyone to hear about these difficulties.

We have also relied heavily on mentors to guide us as we make changes to our businesses. Their advice is invaluable. You really can’t fake experience, but a mentor can offer a bit of theirs to help you along.

You might not be in a position to find or pay for a mentor, but you can find someone who can listen. Your partner or spouse or sibling might not fully understand the world of paper flowers. That’s okay! Sometimes simply saying things out loud can help you find clarity.

You might not yet recognize your why, but it’s there. On the podcast, we talked about some of the guests we’ve had on over the years and how their focus has changed over time.

“Three years ago [our podcast guests] would have had no idea they would go in this direction, and yet it is to some extent consistent with their core why. It’s just their why is manifesting itself in different ways.” -Jessie Chui 

Some of those guests knew what their why was three years ago. Some didn’t, but it was still there. There is a reason you are drawn to paper flowers. You just need to narrow down what exactly it is so that you can pursue it. Listen to the episode to hear even more about how to uncover what it is about the various aspects of being a paper florist that brings you joy. 

Join our Facebook group where you can share, connect, and grow with us. Please also consider donating on our website to help us keep producing great content like this. Thank you for your support!

www.papertalkpodcast.com

Many of us rely on word of mouth to advertise our paper flower businesses. Clients are going to trust a friend’s or event planner’s advice over a random ad any day.

But where do you start? How do you connect with people who can recommend your work?

In our latest episode of Paper Talk, we talked with Rebecca Grant of New Creations Weddings. She is a very recognized and respected wedding planner in the Seattle area, but that wasn’t always the case. Like all of us, Rebecca had to start her business from scratch. 

She shared fantastic advice for anyone building a creative business. Listen now to learn how to cultivate a positive reputation as you navigate difficult decisions, adverse situations, and that often feared yet crucial piece, networking. 

► Rebecca’s journey to becoming a well-respected wedding planner.
► How to evaluate if you should take that next big leap with your business.
► What to think about when investing money in your business.
► How to network successfully, even if you’re an introvert!
► Why and how Rebecca is partially pivoting to wedding venue ownership.

If you can’t listen right away, here is a peek at our conversation. Rebecca shared four specific reasons to evaluate when thinking about quitting your day job and jumping fully into your creative business. The last one was, as Rebecca said, “Network, network, network, network, network, network.” 

A great way to build up your paper flower business is to network with other people in the wedding industry. Here are three things you can do to better connect with other professionals at networking events:

Start with who you know! On the podcast, Quynh recommended bringing a friend along to networking events. If you’re new to these types of events, or you’re on the introverted side, a friend can help you feel less awkward and alone. 

It’s also much easier to gush about your friend’s accomplishments, and vice versa. Chat to your friends in the industry to see who would be willing to go with you. Make sure that you know all about their work and they know about yours. 

“It’s great to have friends that push you and are constantly driven themselves. It’s just really fun to be a part of their energy and push you to the next level, too.” -Rebecca Grant

As Rebecca shared on the episode, the wedding networking events that she attends frequently draw in well over fifty people. Even if you only meet half of them, that’s still a lot of new faces and details to remember. 

The solution? Take notes! Add their contact info to your phone, and attach a photo of their business card and a quick note of who introduced you and what you talked about. Also include a photo of them so you don’t forget what they look like. You can look for a headshot on their social media or website, or you can ask to take a selfie—and don’t feel bad about that request! Rebecca told us that she loves promoting these networking events on social media, because it encourages other people to join in later. She would gladly take a photo with a small group and that gets tagged at the event on Instagram.

When individual businesses are built up, the entire industry benefits. Those with more experience in the wedding industry or other creative fields know this, and they will more than likely be very happy to chat and take a photo with you.

If you meet somebody and they make an impression on you, message them. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. You want to strengthen the connection you made so that later on you can reconnect more easily. 

Your message can be as simple as this: “Hello! It was great meeting you at [the event]. I enjoyed connecting with you about [subject]. I’d love to chat more sometime and work together in the future. Hope you’re doing well!” 

Rebecca receives many emails from various businesses wanting to work with her. As she said in the episode, she’s not going to recommend a business she doesn’t know to her clients. But by following these simple suggestions, you can network with people you want to work with. 

“If you want to work with me, meet me! Get to know me.” -Rebecca Grant

Learn even more about networking and taking that next leap with your business by listening to the episode now.

Also, here's the PDF format for THE WHY WORKSHEET that you can download for free.

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About: 

Rebecca Grant is a tenured wedding planner in the Seattle market, planning weddings now for almost two decades. She is currently serving as President on the WIPA Seattle board, has been previous Chapter Director for Wedding Network USA, a featured contributor on King 5’s New Day NW, along with countless other features through Seattle Times, Lynnwood Times, Event Pros, and so many more. She was also one of four wedding industry pros that worked with the Governor’s office through the 2020 pandemic to fight for the safe reopening of weddings and events with WSWEA. 

She and her husband are the owners of Twin Willow Gardens, a wedding and event venue based out of Snohomish, WA. When she’s not working, she enjoys time with family and friends, plus spending time with her two golden retrievers, Barley and Ginger.

Learn more about:

WEBSITE: newcreationsweddings.com

INSTAGRAM: @newcreationswed

FACEBOOK: facebook.com/newcreationsweddings

PINTEREST: pinterest.com/NewCreationsWed

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Do you ever worry that you’re committing time and money to the wrong job? 

Even if you know that you love paper flowers, how can you be sure that you’re in the right specialty within our industry? 

How can you avoid investing too much in a path that is ultimately a dead end?

In our latest episode of Paper Talk, we chatted with the lovely Susan Beech of A Petal Unfolds. She told us about her process of putting together and publishing her new book, and she shared her journey of discovering which artistic medium was the right fit for her. 

We’re all about finding your why this season, and a huge part of that is being in the best job for you. Listen now to hear how paper flowers clicked for Susan and how you can evaluate which industry or speciality within paper floristry is right for you. 

► How Susan knew paper flower making was right for her.
► Details about her book writing and publishing process.
► How your unique background plays an important part in your career.
► Where to find the best visual references when you can’t access fresh flowers.

If you can’t listen right away, start with these three tips to get you thinking about whether you’re in the right place for your career. 

In the exciting world of paper flowers, we’re pushing boundaries all the time. In the episode we chatted about the amazing growth that we’ve witnessed in our industry in a very short period of time. Discovering new uses of paper flowers happens because people like you try something!

On a personal level, you will also benefit as you explore new areas of our craft. You won’t know if something works until you try it. You won’t know if you love something until you roll up your sleeves and do it. 

To get to that excitement stage, try something new. It’s how we all discovered paper flowers initially. We weren’t born making them. We had to push the boundaries of what we knew first.  

As you navigate new areas of your career, pay attention to whether something is simply not for you or if it’s really just beginner’s nerves. Susan touched on this when she told us about how she began teaching.

“When I first started teaching, I wouldn’t say I was a huge natural at teaching—standing up in front of people and teaching a class. But over the years I have had quite a lot of experience with teaching workshops, so I have built up my confidence quite a lot. I can run a class now without getting nervous.” -Susan Beech 

Trying something new is uncomfortable. That doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s not for you. While you don’t want to invest too much into a pursuit that’s not right for your business, do give yourself enough time to get comfortable with the skills needed for it. 

Find ways that you can practice a new skill like teaching without putting too much time or money on the line. We’re creatives, so get creative!

Once you try that new skill, you have to give yourself time to think about it. This is where the sometimes difficult work of untangling your feelings comes in. Will you like teaching if you get more comfortable with it? Or will it always feel like a drag? 

In the episode, Susan told us about her experience trying new tactile mediums. You can hear more on the podcast, but in short, she could feel that paper flowers were special.

“It felt different. I think it’s the excitement thing. I could see potential, and I could see opportunities, and it was exciting to make as a creator.” -Susan Beech

If Susan hadn’t been paying attention to how she felt, she wouldn’t have worked this out. We’ve talked a lot about self-reflection this season because it’s such a critical step to focusing on your why. Sometimes we’re so busy and stressed out that we can easily miss what our gut is trying to tell us. 

Listen to hear even more about how Susan could tell that paper flowers were right for her, and how you can discover the best path for your career.  

Also, here's the PDF format for THE WHY WORKSHEET that you can download for free.

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About Susan Beech: 

Susan Beech is a paper artist with a degree in Fine Art from the University of Brighton. She is the founder of the studio A Petal Unfolds, teaches paper flower making workshops in London and Paris, and has taught for brands and institutions such as at the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Financial Times. Her commercial clients include Liberty London and Martha Stewart Living. 

Learn more about Susan Beech:

WEBSITE: https://www.apetalunfolds.com/

INSTAGRAM: @apetalunfolds

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www.papertalkpodcast.com

Do you feel excited to start your day? 

Do you look forward to your work?

Do you feel fulfilled? 

If you answered no to any of those questions, you need to follow your why back to the person you want to be.   

In our latest episode of Paper Talk, we chatted with Eileen Lim of Miss Petal & Bloom. She was a delightful early guest on this podcast. We couldn’t wait to have her back again to talk about her new book and her why. She beautifully told us how she got back to her true self by making paper flowers and running her business. You’ll glean useful tips on how to become the best version of yourself, as well as a peek at the process behind photographing and writing a craft book.

► How to express your best self and your best qualities in your job.
► What Eileen’s why is and how she found it.
► How she found her aesthetic and showcases her style.
► Details about what you can learn from Eileen’s upcoming book.
► Why taking your own photos can be a strength and how to do it well.

If you can’t listen right away, here are three things we discussed about how Eileen built her career so that she loves who she is as a person. Read her advice and hear even more on the episode.

We’ve mentioned it before this season, but finding your why takes time. You can’t sit down and figure it all out in an hour. 

On the podcast, Eileen reiterated this piece of wisdom. She had to take the time to dive deep into paper flowers in order to find that she loved it. She had to try things out. She had to fail and succeed at different times. And very importantly, she had to reflect on what exactly she liked along her paper flower journey.

But it’s worth it! The hard work of self-reflection can lead you down the path that’s right for you. It will avoid costly detours and lead to a happier life.

“I do like the person who I am when I’m making flowers and when I’m my own boss.” -Eileen Lim

Eileen shared how she was so miserable at her first job out of college that her parents could notice a big change in her demeanor. She wasn’t her regular cheerful self. 

Our loved ones can often see what we can’t. Ask what they’ve noticed. Do you seem more relaxed in certain situations? Do they notice something that really stresses you out? Listen to their feedback. 

Do keep in mind that one person’s opinion isn’t necessarily what you should do. But if multiple people are noticing the same thing, that’s a good opportunity to sit down and think about how exactly you could incorporate their advice. 

Simply talking it out with a friend can help you get closer to your why, even if they don’t offer any concrete feedback. Find someone you trust to talk about your paper flower journey with.

Once you’ve done the difficult work of self-reflection and eliciting feedback from loved ones, you need to take action. 

Taking that leap into the unknown can be scary! You might not be ready to jump into the deep end, but you should make changes where you can. 

You’re going to make mistakes. That’s okay. We all do. You can learn from them and do better in the future. 

“Even though it’s challenging and even though I make mistakes, at least I can say that I stay true to myself and I’m happy with who I am.” -Eileen Lim 

Also, here's the PDF format for THE WHY WORKSHEET that you can download for free.

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About Eileen Lim: 

Eileen Lim is the paper artist behind her whimsical online moniker ‘Miss Petal & Bloom.’ Based in Singapore, she is a full-time, self-taught crepe paper artist and has crafted blooms for brands such as Gucci, Bvlgari Parfums, Jo Malone, The Body Shop, Keds, Coach, Olivia Burton, and many more. She loves to teach and hopes to share the joy of crafting through her online courses, as well as her new book 'Crepe Paper Blooms, Bugs and Butterflies' (to be released May 2022). 

Learn more about:

WEBSITE: www.misspetalandbloom.com

INSTAGRAM: @misspetalandbloom 

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www.papertalkpodcast.com

The world of crepe paper has grown so much in recent years. 

Paper florists are being seen and celebrated outside our industry, and supplies are becoming ever more accessible. That includes changes to which crepe paper is available.

In our latest episode of Paper Talk, we chatted all about the foundation of our craft: paper! We discussed where the newish 90 gsm Italian crepe fits in, how to improve colorfastness, and lots of tips for how to use all of the weights. Listen now to get back to the heart of what we do and what we love about crepe paper. 

► Some big places outside our industry that have featured paper flowers recently.
► How we use each weight of crepe paper and practical tips for each.
► Where to start with coloring crepe paper and preserving color.
► Why experimentation is so vital to paper flower making.

If you can’t listen right away, here are three reasons why you should start experimenting.

Experience is the best teacher. We and other teachers can guide you in the right direction, but trying it yourself is going to give you the most encompassing and useful knowledge. 

“It’s so satisfying once everything falls in place and you’re like, ‘That paper’s good for this. I know the properties of that paper. I know the qualities. I know what it can do, what it can’t do. What are its limitations, what are its strengths.’ And I think that requires you to get your hands on it and work with it and also fail.” -Jessie Chui

Get your hands on the different weights of paper. Experiment! Make mistakes! You’ll learn something valuable with each project that will make your future work even stronger. 

You can hear what we’ve learned through experience with crepe on the episode.

Breakthroughs in how we use crepe will never happen if we don’t experiment! Paper artists are constantly innovating because they try new things. Our industry would be static if we didn’t. There’s no creativity or joy in doing the same thing over and over again without any innovation.

“That’s the fun part about paper flowers. Just like in nature, none of my paper flowers are exactly the same.” -Quynh Nguyen

We all benefit from this as we share our discoveries with one another, as well. You don’t have to do all of the experimenting on your own. When we all take on some of the experimentation, our entire industry benefits. 

Do keep in mind that you don’t have to share everything you learn. As Jessie said on the podcast, she doesn’t want to share how she makes her pansies. They are so important to her signature look, that she wants to keep what she’s discovered about making them to herself. That’s completely fine! Do consider where you can share and don’t keep everything to yourself.

No two paper florists are the same. All of us will prefer different papers, flowers, glue, techniques, and on and on. That’s how it should be. We aren’t a factory trying to make all of our paper flowers come out the same. 

That does mean that no one else can figure out what works best for you. You have to experiment with various crepe paper to see what you like and what will look best for your aesthetic. This takes time and practice, but the results are completely worth it. 

As we discussed in the episode, you can become a more well-rounded paper florist by understanding all of the weights and how they best work for you. 

Also, here's the PDF format for THE WHY WORKSHEET that you can download for free.

Join our Facebook group where you can share, connect, and grow with us. Please also consider donating on our website to help us keep producing great content like this. Thank you for your support!

www.papertalkpodcast.com

How do you learn when no one will talk to you? 

 How do you build up an industry when no one trusts one another?

 In our latest episode of Paper Talk, we chatted with Marlena Colazo of Blossoms by Marlena. We are always so struck by her confidence. She shared all about the challenges that have helped her forge that confidence, plus how she has built her knowledge and grown her business even when doors were shut in her face. 

 Even if you feel alone, you can make progress by looking in different places and trusting yourself to keep growing. Marlena went from novice to being featured by Bloom TV Network. She did this by following a unique path that only she could forge, and you can do the same.

► Marlena’s journey from engineer to felt flower artist.
► How she learned skills when other artists wouldn’t share knowledge.
► The ways she’s built up trust in her own industry.
► How felt has been an important part of parenting her son with autism.
► Which hot glue gun Marlena recommends (a must for felt!)

If you can’t listen right away, here is a look at just a few of the things that Marlena has done to find her own path and help others on theirs.  

One of the best teachers is experience! It’s always nice when you can learn from an expert, but sometimes that’s not feasible. Marlena tried asking other felt artists about things, and they frequently worried that she would copy their work. 

So she learned on her own. She ripped flowers apart. She tried new kinds of felt. Through trial and error, she figured out what worked for her. 

Along the way, she found her unique style. Having that distinct look means that she doesn’t worry about others copying her. You can hear in the episode how she now shares the knowledge that she wished she had back in the beginning.

“I don’t mind sharing some of my providers, because I know I have my own style. Even if I give you the exact felt, you can buy it, but you can’t create what I do. I’m not afraid of you copying me, because even if you go with the color, it’s not going to be the same as me. Always, people will know which one is the copy.” -Marlena Colazo

Putting your work out into the world means exposing your art to criticism. Sometimes you can learn from this. Oftentimes, it’s just plain mean. 

When Marlena encounters mean comments, she responds. She thanks the person for sharing their opinion, and then she moves on. She keeps in mind that for every negative person, there are multiple people who do love and buy her work. 

You can hear more about how she responds and some of the benefits of doing it this way by listening to the podcast.

Marlena has tried her hand at other artistic endeavors. She tried paper flower making, and she’s currently in a class creating edible flowers for decorating food. These undertakings are not always successful.

“I never learned how to make paper flowers, because I was ripping the paper up. I was like, ‘No this is not for me. I need to go back to felt.’” -Marlena Colazo

That doesn’t mean that Marlena didn’t learn anything, though! As we discussed in the podcast, we frequently use sewing and painting skills for creating our paper flowers. The same holds true for felt artistry or really any skill. You will be stronger if you draw experience from outside industries. That’s how innovation happens, and that’s how you can learn when doors in your own community aren’t opening.

Listen to the episode to hear more specifics about how Marlena joined and learned from other groups, as well as how she started to build more trust in her own felt flower community. 

Also, here's the PDF format for THE WHY WORKSHEET that you can download for free.

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About Marlena Colazo: 

 Flowers are always a good Idea. 

 That’s my phrase every time someone asks me why. I’m Marlena, mom of 2 who stumbled upon and started making some of my favorite flowers with felt. Some could say I breathe flowers, and I spend too much time buying wool felt. I use the flower making process as a way to tamp down stress and worries of everyday life. 

My life around Autism and my journey learning a second language complements who I am as a person and what I transmit to you with my flowers. 

Find me over at @bloomtvnetwork. I have a channel with them, and I’m part of the team  experts. I teach you fun DIY and my ways to use felt and make easy flowers! Hope to see you there! Use code: marlenac2022 to save when you subscribe! 

Instagram as @blossoms_bymarlena 

Pinterest @blossomsbymarlena 

Facebook @blossoms by Marlena 

Fb group @blossoms by Marlena & Friends 

Learn more about Marlena Colazo:

WEBSITE: blossomsbymarlena.com/

INSTAGRAM: @blossoms_bymarlena   

FACEBOOK: facebook.com/blossomsbymarlena

PINTEREST: pinterest.com/blossomsbymarlena/_shop/

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Join our Facebook group where you can share, connect, and grow with us. Please also consider donating on our website to help us keep producing great content like this. Thank you for your support!

www.papertalkpodcast.com

Is it taking longer than expected to find your why? 

Is your paper flower business growing more slowly than you’d like? 

Do you feel like you’re making too many mistakes?

Maybe it’s time to stop and smell the roses.

In our latest episode of Paper Talk, we spoke with Deane Bautista of Deaney Weaney Blooms. Her paper flower journey has been a winding path, not a straight road, but she doesn’t regret that! Those twists and turns helped her discover her why and focus on what would most bring her joy in her work. 

Whenever we chat with Deane, we’re always amazed at how much grace she has when faced with stressful situations. As our conversation revealed, a big reason why she is able to do this is because she embraces the journey.

► How to take your time and enjoy the journey of finding your why.
► Using your creativity to conquer business and administrative issues.
► Why it’s okay if you can’t completely jump into your paper flower business right away.
► How to create more written content with less work.

Listen now if you need encouragement about your winding path and take the equivalent of a deep breath with Deane. Here’s a preview of some of the things you’ll learn to do on the episode:

We often expect teenagers to have a solid idea of what they want to do for a career. As many paper florists can attest, what we study in college or our first adult job very often isn’t what we are doing now. And that’s okay! You can take your time.

“It took years for me to realize that this is what I want to be when I grow up.” - Deane Bautista

Deane shared how she knew years ago that she wanted to make paper flowers, but it didn’t happen right away. She couldn’t drop everything and focus only on her small business. She took small steps that added up over time. 

Listen to the episode to hear what those steps were and which ones were absolutely crucial to building her career.

Sometimes we do things that end up being a bad fit for us. That doesn’t necessarily make it a mistake, though. 

Deane shared about the corporate day job that she worked while starting her paper flower business. The corporate job wasn’t a good fit, but she doesn’t regret it. Without it, she would not have figured out just how important being creative in her work is to her. That’s her why! 

On the podcast you can hear more about how Deane’s day job helped her paper flower journey flourish in the long run. It’s okay if you can’t jump completely into your creative business right away, as Deane’s story illustrates so beautifully. You can use it as a learning opportunity and a jumping off point.

Many of us just want to “make, make, make,” as Jessie put it in the episode. The business side of things can be tricky for creatives who just want to create! Sometimes, the best choice is to work your way around an issue. It might be worth it to pay someone to write your blog posts, for example. Other times, however, you might need to reframe your fear. 

Deane told us about her initial fear of interacting with people at craft shows. Like many creatives, she’s an introvert. Chatting with people about her art sounded daunting. But she tried it and ended up loving it. She discovered another piece of her why:

“The affirmation from people who see it, they’re like, ‘Oh, that’s beautiful.’ That’s what adds to the spark or the joy of my why.” - Deane Bautista 

You can reframe your fear as a skill that needs to be learned, rather than something that will always be terrifying. Listen to the podcast to hear our discussion about when you should push yourself to try something you fear and when it’s okay to avoid something that just isn’t for you. 

 Also, here's the PDF format for THE WHY WORKSHEET that you can download for free.

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About Deane Bautista: 

Deane (Dean) Bautista is the designer and founder of Deaney Weaney Blooms, a paper flower studio based in Rochester, NY that offers beautiful handmade paper flower decor and blooms, as well as paper flower workshops and digital templates. 

After years of working as a visual merchandising and exhibition designer, she explored and fell in love with the craft of making paper flowers when she moved to the U.S. from the Philippines five years ago. 

When she’s not making her flowers or designing a flower template, she’s either chasing her two-year-old daughter, Sofi, or binge-watching Korean dramas.

Learn more about Deane Bautista:

WEBSITE: www.dwblooms.com

INSTAGRAM: @deaneyweaneyblooms

FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/deaneyweaneyblooms

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Join our Facebook group where you can share, connect, and grow with us. Please also consider donating on our website to help us keep producing great content like this. Thank you for your support!

www.papertalkpodcast.com

Where do you go from here? What’s next for your paper flower business? How do you want to grow?

If your mind goes blank or you feel anxious when thinking about these questions, it might be time for an outside perspective. 

In our latest episode of Paper Talk, we chatted with Amy McGee of Botanical Brouhaha. She’s been a guest on the podcast before, and she’s been an even more integral part of Paper Talk behind the scenes. We felt overwhelmed. We didn’t know where to focus our energy. Amy stepped in as our mentor and has helped us refocus on what we want from our partnership and for our individual businesses. 

No matter what point you’re at with your creative business, you have growing to do. A mentor can help you focus on where you want your journey to take you and how to get there. 

► Questions to ask yourself to find the right path for your future.
► Why an outside perspective on your business is so important.
► Qualities to look for when choosing a mentor.
► How to make business partnerships work well.
► Amy’s new program, Circle, and how it differs from other programs.

If you can’t listen right away, here’s a peek at three reasons why a mentor can help shape your business. Hear even more on the episode.

As Amy said on the episode, you could organize your pantry on your own, but there’s a reason why people pay others to do it for them. They realize that it’s just not going to happen anytime soon! 

A mentor can do the same thing for your paper flower business. 

“That’s part of what’s really great when you talk to someone on the outside of your particular business… It helps us cut to the chase and expedite the whole process.” - Amy McGee

A mentor will force you to carve out time to think about difficult questions. They push you to make decisions. They help you get back to that why we’ve been talking about this season.

Listen to the episode to find out what you should look for in a good mentor to make sure you find someone who will do all those things and more.

You can read self-help books and take classes. You can set aside time to think about important questions. And you can make real progress on your own. 

But sometimes you hit a roadblock and need to get out of your own head. If you’re stuck on a hamster wheel of constant work, you can miss a lot. An outside perspective can help you zoom out and see the bigger picture. 

Amy has helped us do exactly that. You can hear more about the specifics on the podcast, but to put it simply, she helped us put into words what we really want. It sounds simple, but it’s so difficult to do without that outside view. 

This reason might not seem very important on the surface, but having your decisions validated can make a world of difference. It provides motivation to keep going, and it just feels good. 

We are social creatures. There’s a reason why it can be so fulfilling to build a partnership or community. A mentor can be another cheerleader in your life, one whose opinion often means even more to us since they have more experience. Being celebrated by someone who you admire is a fantastic feeling. 

We discussed Amy’s new program, Circle, on the podcast, and how important it is to find people who can celebrate you. You’ll want to hear all about what makes her program so special for fresh florists and what you can implement on your paper flower journey. 

Also, here's the PDF format for THE WHY WORKSHEET that you can download for free.

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About Amy McGee: 

Amy McGee has a broad range of experience in the floral industry. She entered the industry when she began growing and selling cut flowers from her first home-based business, The Cutting Garden. Her love of floral design blossomed while providing arrangements of her locally grown flowers to an upscale bed and breakfast. This venture eventually led her to open Bliss Flower Studio where she focused primarily on weddings and events, but also delivered custom arrangements and operated a floral subscription service.

Amy made the difficult decision to close Bliss Flower Studio in 2008 in order to spend more time with her family, but could not completely leave the “flower people” she had come to love. In an effort to stay connected to the industry, she started Botanical Brouhaha in 2009. 

In 2017, Amy joined forces with Maria Maxit and Landon McGee to create the Botanical Brouhaha Podcast which highlights the stories behind the floral industry. When Maria went on to pursue other ventures, Maggie Bailey joined Amy as co-host of the podcast. Amy's latest venture, Bloom Trust Co, launched in 2020 with a mission to bring floral resources and community to floral designers, farmer florists, and hobbyists.

Amy has two grown sons and currently lives and gardens in Texas with her husband. 

Learn more about Amy:

WEBSITE: botanicalbrouhaha.com and bloomtrustco.com

INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/botanicalbrouhaha

FACEBOOK: facebook.com/botanicalbrouhaha

PINTEREST: pinterest.com/bbrouhahablog 

PODCAST: botanicalbrouhaha.com/botanical-brouhaha-podcast

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www.papertalkpodcast.com

How do you stick to a goal and see it through to the end? 

It’s really hard! We all want to build new habits and skills, and we all have projects we want to finish. 

In our latest episode of Paper Talk, we chatted about how Quynh is participating in The 100 Day Project. It was founded by Lindsay Jean Thomson as a way to commit people to working on a specific project daily for—you guessed it—one hundred days. 

Quynh’s goal is to work on video: shooting, editing, sharing, all of it. You can hear more about how she’s doing this, including lots of tips that you can use for editing and posting your own videos. 

► What The 100 Day Project is, and how Quynh is participating.
► Tips for using Instagram Reels.
► How and where to edit videos, including stabilizing shaky video.
► What to look for in a camera and what to avoid.
► How we’ve been pampering ourselves lately

 If you can’t listen right away, get started with these three things we love about The 100 Day Project that you can use to accomplish goals and finish projects.

 To reach the end, you have to take lots of steps. If you don’t want your project to take years and years, or never get finished, you have to make consistent progress. The 100 Day Project is great in that it pushes people to do something everyday. That’s how habits are formed. That’s how you move steadily towards the finish line.

“I think that’s one of the biggest things about creating, is being consistent. So everyday doing something.” -Jessie

If you have something you’d like to work on, setting a daily goal is a great start. Quynh committed herself to taking a video everyday. That’s a flexible goal that doesn’t have a huge time commitment. You don’t need to set aside hours and hours a day if you’re being consistent daily.

Quynh uses the hashtag #The100DayProject to tag her progress on Instagram. Everyone else participating does the same thing. If you miss a day, people might notice. That pressure can be a useful tool when trying to accomplish something. It motivates you to keep up.

“It’s so hard to be accountable just to yourself.” -Jessie 

In your own life, you can find ways to build in this accountability. For example, we have long leaned on each other for advice, collaboration, and very importantly, a way to keep each other on track. When someone else knows about your goal, you’ll be much less likely to skip out on those smaller steps since you’ll know they’ll ask about them soon! 

Your music teacher was right. You need practice!

“I just know in past things that I’ve done, the more that I do it, the more time that I touch and repeat it and practice and practice, the better I’m going to be at it.” - Quynh

The more you work towards your goal, building in consistency and accountability, the easier it will become. Practicing those good habits will lead to them feeling more natural, just a regular part of your day. And as you work regularly towards a goal, you’ll get better at that skill! It’s a win all around.

Listen to the podcast to hear more about the skills Quynh has been building on her 100 day journey, plus lots of tips she’s picked up along the way.

Also, here's the PDF format for THE WHY WORKSHEET that you can download for free.

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Join our Facebook group where you can share, connect, and grow with us. Please also consider donating on our website to help us keep producing great content like this. Thank you for your support!

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Artists need to eat. 

While we create paper flowers because we love our art and touching people’s lives in a unique way, we also have bills to pay.

Can you do both? Yes!

In our latest episode of Paper Talk, we talked with Janna Willoughby-Lohr of Papercraft Miracles. Starting back in her college days, she set the rules for being an artist and building a successful business at the same time. As she put it, “I wanted to be an artist, and I didn’t want to be a starving artist, because that’s terrible.” 

Janna made the right choices at the right time so that she could take advantage of opportunities that stayed true to her why and made financial sense. Listen now to get a shot of confidence for how you can do the same thing.

► Jenna’s paper flower journey and the why that’s fueled it.
► Why being open to new opportunities is critical for building a business. 
► How Jenna made her appearance on a discovery+ TV show.
► Her advice for where to start when trying to grow your business.
► How Janna became a meme.

If you can’t listen right away, here are three things we discussed on the episode to get you started.    

One way that Janna has helped her business grow is by being open to new kinds of opportunities. 

She has received many requests over the years for things that were outside of her norm. That’s how she discovered paper flowers! A client asked if she could make them, and she said yes knowing that she’d have to learn something new. That led her to discover yet another medium that she now loves. 

You can listen to the episode to hear many more examples, from being on a discovery+ show, to fulfilling an order for half a million seed bombs for Lowe’s. Each time she pushed the boundaries of what she did, and doing so paid off in big ways in the end. 

When a potential client comes to Janna with a crazy request, rather than thinking about all the ways it won’t work, she focuses on what might work. 

Maybe she’ll try something that fails. Then it’s just back to the drawing board. Maybe she’ll try something that ends up being fantastic and leads her somewhere even better.

“I really try not to be that person who thinks of all the reasons it’s not going to work.” -Janna

With a positive attitude and a problem solving mindset, you’ll face more challenges—which means you’ll overcome more challenges! Your skill set will grow, and your business will grow. 

No business is built in a day. That’s especially true when you’re forging a new path, which many of us in the paper art world are doing. 

On the episode, Janna told us that she didn’t pay herself until very recently. Every penny of profit she made went back into building up her business. She avoided debt and was able to invest in things that helped her paper business grow in the long term. 

You might not be in the right financial situation to do that, and it simply might not be the right choice for you. However, being patient is definitely the right path for all of us. Even if you were somehow able to work on your paper flower business 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, it would still take time to grow into what you envision. 

Listen to the podcast now to hear even more about how Janna has focused on her why all along her journey, and how her business is all the better for it.

Also, here's the PDF format for THE WHY WORKSHEET that you can download for free.

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ABOUT Janna Willoughby-Lohr: 

Janna Willoughby-Lohr is an artist, poet, musician and entrepreneur from Buffalo, NY. Her company, Papercraft Miracles, specializes in handcrafted paper art that brings meaning to people's lives. She was awarded a $25,000 Ignite Buffalo Grant in 2018 and was named 40-Under-40 from Stationery Trends Magazine in 2019. She’s worked with large brands such as Twitter and Capital One. In 2021, her team created 500,000 plantable seed bombs for Lowe’s Spring Garden Giveaway event. Janna was also a contestant on Meet Your Makers Showdown, a new crafting competition TV show that is streaming now on discovery+. 

She is the host of Reach the Stars Podcast—which features inspiring stories of persistence, passion and purpose. Janna leads the membership committee for the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO’s) Buffalo/Niagara Chapter and is a founding member of their Diversity & Inclusion Task Force. She has also served two terms on their board of directors.

Janna's home and studio are in an old department store in Buffalo where she lives with her husband and three little kiddos. She likes bright colors, giggling, and things that are small.

Learn more about Laura Richey:

INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/papercraftmiracles

FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/papercraftmiracles

WEBSITE: www.papercraftmiracles.com

COURSES: www.papercraftmiracles.com/workshops

PODCAST: www.youtube.com/channel/UCD-Jz9RgAwJGfd0x_vm-Cwg

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Join our Facebook group where you can share, connect, and grow with us. Please also consider donating on our website to help us keep producing great content like this. Thank you for your support!

www.papertalkpodcast.com