Positively Creative

We recently went to Disney and in the process of planning my trip, I stumbled across Lottie. Lottie Guntank designs custom outfits for kids to wear when they go to the Disney Parks. She started designing these amazing custom pieces after being diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder. We chat about her work and how she's grown her business by word of mouth and on Instagram.

About Lottie:Lottie Guntank is a major creative type! Previously working in theatre and the Animation industry, she currently works as an independent designer/business owner and a voice over artist in animation. Lottie also maintains a social media personality, her pages are places of positivity, acceptance and of course; magic!

Website: https://www.littleguntank.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littleguntank/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littleguntank/

To get 50% off your first year with Honeybook, go to positivelycreative.net/honeybook!

About The Positively Creative Podcast:

The Positively Creative Podcast was created by Dorothy Collier, artist of Dorothy Art, for creative entrepreneurs. When Dorothy started having a positive outlook on every aspect of her life, including her art career, the creativity and opportunities started overflowing! Join her as she chats with other small business owners, discussing the ins and outs of how to run a creative business and how they make it in their respective fields.

To learn more about The Positively Creative Podcast, visit our website or head over to our Patreon page! You can also find Dorothy on Instagram at @positivelycreativepodcast and @dorothyart!

Today I talk with Alex Bray of Prairie Letter Shop! We talk about the wedding industry & how it's different from selling any other product. She shares with us about seasons of growth, the difference between a product being profitable and popular, and how to get started in the wedding industry as an artist.

About Alex:Alex Bray grew up on the West Coast, the daughter of a teacher/crafter mom and a film executive dad. Given her family history, it makes perfect sense that she would end up as a teacher-­turned­-creative entrepreneur. With limited television allowed in her household, Alex filled her time with art projects and make believe businesses. Her love for lettering was apparent early on; she lettered her aunt's wedding invitations at the age of 12.

After a stint with Teach for America in the Mississippi Delta and a few more years teaching high school English in Brooklyn, Alex took a leap of faith that landed her in the middle of the country, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she began work as a teacher trainer. A manager noticed her need for a creative outlet, and an Etsy shop was born. Within two months, Alex was surprised to find herself spending many late nights filling rubber stamp orders and lettering envelopes --­­and even more surprised by how much she loved the work despite the long hours. After building her skill and networking with incredible mentors for over a year, she heard God calling her to take another leap of faith into a drastic career change. Alex opened the full­-time doors of Prairie Letter Shop on June 1, 2015.

Most days, you'll find Alex in her quaint midtown Tulsa studio, listening to Spotify or podcasts and sipping just a bit too much coffee as she fills orders. She loves running outside, collects journals and craft supplies, thrives on relational time with clients, and lives for adventures with her handsome husband. Catch up with her on Instagram and drop a line!

Website: http://www.prairielettershop.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prairielettershop/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PrairieLetter

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/magnolialetter/

To get 50% off your first year with Honeybook, go to positivelycreative.net/honeybook!

About The Positively Creative Podcast:

The Positively Creative Podcast was created by Dorothy Collier, artist of Dorothy Art, for creative entrepreneurs. When Dorothy started having a positive outlook on every aspect of her life, including her art career, the creativity and opportunities started overflowing! Join her as she chats with other small business owners, discussing the ins and outs of how to run a creative business and how they make it in their respective fields.

To learn more about The Positively Creative Podcast, visit our website or head over to our Patreon page! You can also find Dorothy on Instagram at @positivelycreativepodcast and @dorothyart!

Today we are talking numbers with Shanna Skidmore. We chat about how to use numbers to understand and grow our businesses. Shanna also breaks down having a life and business you love and why she took a break from social media. This is a great conversation about life, business and money!

About Shanna:Hey! I'm Shanna, a business strategist & financial coach.I believe you can make money doing what you love. You just need some tools to get you there. If you've ever dreamed of starting your own business, or you're in the weeds of growing that business of your dreams now, then we're gonna get along just fine! After working alongside thousands of creative entrepreneurs on their business strategy and financial goals, I took the most confusing, frustrating, frequently asked (and frequently wine-and-tears accompanied) business concepts—financial planning, productivity, strategy, scale, mindset—and simplified them. My husband says my creative genius is simplifying complicated things. I like that. After ten years in the financial industry, I knew firsthand that a few simple (but not easy) steps had the power to transform a story. I helped failing businesses start thriving in less than 12 months. I served burned out creative professionals helping them to take month-long sabbaticals in less than 12 months. I saw women feel proud of the money they were contributing to their household. Now I teach those steps to as many creative entrepreneurs as I possibly can.

Website: https://shannaskidmore.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shannaskidmore/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shannaskidmore

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/shannaskidmore/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTMB8So9Q5H9ameE3HX679w

Links:

Google Keep

The Blueprint Model

To get 50% off your first year with Honeybook, go to positivelycreative.net/honeybook!

About The Positively Creative Podcast:

The Positively Creative Podcast was created by Dorothy Collier, artist of Dorothy Art, for creative entrepreneurs. When Dorothy started having a positive outlook on every aspect of her life, including her art career, the creativity and opportunities started overflowing! Join her as she chats with other small business owners, discussing the ins and outs of how to run a creative business and how they make it in their respective fields.

To learn more about The Positively Creative Podcast, visit our website or head over to our Patreon page! You can also find Dorothy on Instagram at @positivelycreativepodcast and @dorothyart!

On today's episode, I chat with Hope Taylor about how she went full-time in her photography business at age 18, why workshops and conferences are so important and how to decide which one's to go to, and how she makes her business work. She also gives us some great tips for social media and how to make it easier for your business. It was so fun to chat with our first photographer on the show!

About Hope:A few years ago, if you had told me I'd have the opportunity to be a full-time photographer and business owner, I would have laughed. Because, you see, a few years ago I was just a high school student with a part-time job at a retail store. My life was a constant race between stocking shelves, studying for AP classes, getting to cheer practices, rushing through the halls and applying for universities. The thought of being an entrepreneur seemed daunting and far off, if not impossible. But, God laid on my heart that maybe something should be different. Maybe the college I committed to attending wasn't where I was supposed to be. Maybe, just maybe, the way I pictured my life was not what He had mapped out for me. So, one morning, I made a big decision: I was revoking my admission to a 4-year business university and pursuing this crazy, seemingly unattainable dream full time. And I was going to chase after those dreams like a freight train. I feel so thankful every day to have the opportunity to do what I love through serving and loving my clients. And while photography is something that I love and adore - creating lasting relationships with my clients is where my heart will always lie. And, in my journey to pursue my purpose and build a business rooted in love, I've found an even deeper passion for educating and equipping other photographers to do the same.

Website: http://hopetaylor.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopetaylorphotography/

Links:

Senior Photography Online Course use discount code "podcast" for $379 offer

Planoly

Display Purposes Hashtag Generator

To get 50% off your first year with Honeybook, go to positivelycreative.net/honeybook!

About The Positively Creative Podcast:

The Positively Creative Podcast was created by Dorothy Collier, artist of Dorothy Art, for creative entrepreneurs. When Dorothy started having a positive outlook on every aspect of her life, including her art career, the creativity and opportunities started overflowing! Join her as she chats with other small business owners, discussing the ins and outs of how to run a creative business and how they make it in their respective fields.

To learn more about The Positively Creative Podcast, visit our website or head over to our Patreon page! You can also find Dorothy on Instagram at @positivelycreativepodcast and @dorothyart!

On this episode of Positively Creative, I talk with Katie Salmon of Katie Does Marketing about how to create a promotional calendar, why it's important to your business and how to know what and when to post. Katie also shares her thoughts on Instagram, email marketing and how to engage without feeling like you are constantly self-promoting. Be sure to grab Katie's free guide in the links below!

About Katie:

Hi, I'm Katie! I help shop owners and makers sell their products.

When I was a pre-teen I decided to be a fashion designer. I bought a sketchbook, learned to sew, and spent my babysitting money on a "Teen Vogue" subscription. I was sure I was just a few years shy of my "Project Runway" debut.…But it only took me a few weeks as a fashion merchandising student at the University of Georgia to conclude that I would, in fact, be a horrible fashion designer. (Turns out loving soft, pretty things doesn't mean you'd be great at creating them.)

The creativity I lacked to design a dress, though, found full expression in Marketing 101 and I fell in love with the strategies that help creative people like you sell their "stuff." Because business isn't exactly an "If you build it, they will come" scenario, right? Your target customers are ready for your unique brand to meet their needs. But it's not always easy to let them know you exist.

I started Katie Does Marketing to help shop owners and makers develop a marketing plan that gets their product in front of the right people at the right time to make a sale. So whether your brand has been around for decades or you don't even know where to start, I'm eager to help you take the next strategic step.

Let's get started!

Website: http://www.katiedoesmarketing.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katiebsalmon/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiebsalmon

Links:

Free Guide How to Plan Better Instagram Posts in Less Time: katiedoesmarketing.com/pcpodcast Really Good Emails: https://reallygoodemails.com/

To get 50% off your first year with Honeybook, go to positivelycreative.net/honeybook!

About The Positively Creative Podcast:

The Positively Creative Podcast was created by Dorothy Collier, artist of Dorothy Art, for creative entrepreneurs. When Dorothy started having a positive outlook on every aspect of her life, including her art career, the creativity and opportunities started overflowing! Join her as she chats with other small business owners, discussing the ins and outs of how to run a creative business and how they make it in their respective fields.

To learn more about The Positively Creative Podcast, visit our website or head over to our Patreon page! You can also find Dorothy on Instagram at @positivelycreativepodcast and @dorothyart!

On today's episode of Positively Creative, I chat with Emily Kerr-Finell about the mission of Wholesale In A Box and we really dig deep into wholesale: how to know if you are ready for wholesale, how to get started, and how to find retailers. This is such a candid conversation about wholesale, tradeshows, and how to pitch to retailers, that you won't want to miss!

About Emily:

Wholesale In a Box was started by Etan and Emily, a husband-and-wife team. We're traveling homebodies with a love for station wagons, the Catskills, cooking, and brainstorming on our porch.

Between the two of us, we have worked in high-powered management consulting, managed ops at startups, and helped artisans of every size create a business they love. But in 2015, we kept noticing makers who struggled to grow wholesale, sometimes closing their businesses when they failed. So we started tinkering with solutions -- at the time, nothing like Wholesale In a Box existed. Once we struck on the method, we started super-small, working with just 4 makers from our kitchen table. As we watched them thrive, we knew it was time to develop the software and training materials, and take the company full-time and nationwide.

Today, Wholesale In a Box has worked with more than 400 makers, artists and designers around the world. We've helped makers quit their day jobs, triple revenue, and stay small when it was right. But everything we do today is as passionate and personal as it was from Day One. And we still work from our kitchen table most of the time.

Website: http://www.wholesaleinabox.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wholesaleinabox/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wholesaleinabox/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/wholesaleinabox/

Links:

5 Tiny Steps Challenge: http://www.wholesaleinabox.com/5tinystepschallenge

To get 50% off your first year with Honeybook, go to positivelycreative.net/honeybook!

About The Positively Creative Podcast:

The Positively Creative Podcast was created by Dorothy Collier, artist of Dorothy Art, for creative entrepreneurs. When Dorothy started having a positive outlook on every aspect of her life, including her art career, the creativity and opportunities started overflowing! Join her as she chats with other small business owners, discussing the ins and outs of how to run a creative business and how they make it in their respective fields.

To learn more about The Positively Creative Podcast, visit our website or head over to our Patreon page! You can also find Dorothy on Instagram at @positivelycreativepodcast and @dorothyart!

Today's incredible conversation is with Carrie Schmitt. We talk about how she found art, how it saved her life and the way she paints intuitively. Carrie also shares about her retreats, how to stay connected to our art, and how to be creative when time is an issue.

About Carrie:

I began painting in 2009 after being diagnosed with a life threatening allergy to heat while living in my hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio. Bedridden and unable to go outside for months, one day a voice popped in my head and said, "Now that your life is over, you might as well do what you want and paint." Thankfully, I listened. Painting became a therapeutic practice and act of tenderness amidst the darkness.

Today, I am a full time artist, art retreat facilitator, and author of Painted Blossoms: Creating Expressive Flowers with Mixed Media. I currently live in Seattle, WA. I license my art for home decor, clothing and other lifestyle products with companies such as Hallmark, Dianoche Designs, teNeues Publishing, and more. Stores that carry my art products include Target, Kirklands, Pier 1 Imports, and World Market.

Website: http://www.carrieschmittdesign.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carrieschmitt/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarrieSchmittArtAndDesign/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/carrieart/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carrie-schmitt-75aa9162/

Links:

To get 50% off your first year with Honeybook, go to positivelycreative.net/honeybook!

About The Positively Creative Podcast:

The Positively Creative Podcast was created by Dorothy Collier, artist of Dorothy Art, for creative entrepreneurs. When Dorothy started having a positive outlook on every aspect of her life, including her art career, the creativity and opportunities started overflowing! Join her as she chats with other small business owners, discussing the ins and outs of how to run a creative business and how they make it in their respective fields.

To learn more about The Positively Creative Podcast, visit our website or head over to our Patreon page! You can also find Dorothy on Instagram at @positivelycreativepodcast and @dorothyart!

In this episode, Dorothy Shain shares about her life in Greenville, SC, how she discovered she could have a career in art and how she views her style and voice. We also chat about collaborations that have shaped her business, how to overcome the fear of rejection when seeking partnerships and why building connections is important.

About Dorothy:

Dorothy Shain, a Greenville, South Carolina based artist, has a dynamic portfolio. She graduated from Southern Methodist University in 2012 with a B.A. in studio art. From her collages and patterns to her landscapes, Dorothy's exploration of mediums is reflective of the colors, textures, and patterns drawn from her adventures around the globe. Heavily influenced by her travels, which commenced during a college Semester at Sea, Dorothy has taken her experiences back to her studio allowing the art to reveal the inspirations and influence of the cultures, people and places seen. She is constantly fueled, as an individual and an artist, by traveling to new places, meeting new people, and being outdoors. These three things constantly remind her of her place in the world and her connection to it.

Website: http://www.dorothyshain.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dorothy_shain/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dorothyshainart/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/dshain/

Links:

Silk Scarves by Dorothy Shain in collaboration with CITY Boots: https://cityboots.com/collections/city-scarf

This 100% silk scarf is inspired by the beauty of Texas and the love of exploration. With your scarf, we hope you take a little piece of Texas wherever you go. 100% silk, 34"x 34"

To get 50% off your first year with Honeybook, go to positivelycreative.net/honeybook!

About The Positively Creative Podcast:

The Positively Creative Podcast was created by Dorothy Collier, artist of Dorothy Art, for creative entrepreneurs. When Dorothy started having a positive outlook on every aspect of her life, including her art career, the creativity and opportunities started overflowing! Join her as she chats with other small business owners, discussing the ins and outs of how to run a creative business and how they make it in their respective fields.

To learn more about The Positively Creative Podcast, visit our website or head over to our Patreon page! You can also find Dorothy on Instagram at @positivelycreativepodcast and @dorothyart!

Today's episode is one for the books! Host Dorothy Collier moderates Pro Panel: Market Booths, hosted by Creative Works & Tuesdays Together. Panelists Sarah Baumann of Signet Sealed, Josh Samuels of EllaJude, Samilia Colar ofTextyle, & Mary Claire White of Falling into Place share their wealth of knowledge on the nitty gritty of craft festivals and what it takes from A to Z. They discuss application tips and tricks when trying to get into juried shows, on why applying early to shows matters, how to prepare your product before the show and how to display it within your booth once at the art fair, how to sell to customers and so much more!

$15 e-book on how to sell at shows

Positively Creative Newsletter - Subscribe for awesomeness!

On Today's Show:

(5:00) Dan with Creative Works, Conference in October

(10:00) Introductions, how many shows the panel does a year, and first mishaps

(22:00) Application process and finding shows

(26:00) Zapplication

(28:00) Sourcebook

(32:00) How do you prepare your products for a show?

(38:00) packaging, giveaways, and pricing

(41:00) What's in your show bag?

(43:00) What goes into building your booth?

(51:00) Falling Into Place Displays

(55:00) Booth signage and booth placement

(1:05:00) Why "I'll be back..." is a lie

(1:06:00) What is your sales approach when people come into your booth?

(1:14:00) show specials

(1:18:00) e-book on how to sell at shows

(1:18:00) Renegade Pinterest board

(1:19:00) show insurance, collecting sales tax

(1:27:00) Southern Artist Facebook group

(1:30:00) "Spilling out" of your booth

(1:32:00) taking payment on the phone vs. ipad

(1:35:00) setting up inventory in Square

(1:36:00) sources for packaging - ULine, Clear Bags, Nashville Wraps, Bags Unlimited, Planet Packaging in Memphis, Papermark

(1:38:00) price points that sell, your prices in regards to wholesale, undercutting your competition

(1:42:00) Have you ever run into theft?

(1:44:00) Bringing animals to festivals

(1:47:00) brand identity

(1:51:00) Where do you sit in the booth?

(1:54:00) network issues when taking credit cards

(1:56:00) how much product do you put out?

(1:58:00) admission ticket to get in to shows vs. free to general public shows

In this episode, Cindy Hohman of Art Marketing Project shares about the importance of knowing how to market your fine art business. We chat about branding, find your unique style and ideal buyer, and the importance of authenticity.

About Cindy:

You're passionate about creating art and I'm passionate about helping you make a living. As the founder of the Art Marketing Project, I am dedicated to helping creative entrepreneurs thrive.

I have committed most of my career to working in the visual arts and with artists. I also gave birth to a fine artist, who is attending art school and planning to make a living with her art. As you can see, I have a vested interest in the topic!

After spending years as a graphic designer and working in non-profit organizations, I took a position at the Art Students League of Denver, where I managed marketing and promotions for their fine art school and summer art festival. After that, I landed my dream job at the Denver Art Museum, where I managed advertising and promotions. I have also served on the board of the Art District on Santa Fe and presented marketing workshops for Boulder County Arts Alliance and Arts Longmont.

Website: http://artmarketingproject.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artmarketingproject/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artmarketingproject

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/artmarketingproject/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cindy-sewell-hohman-1118797

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrDI7ixqNiHQF-FDWc0MYrA

Links:

To get 50% off your first year with Honeybook, go to positivelycreative.net/honeybook!

About The Positively Creative Podcast:

The Positively Creative Podcast was created by Dorothy Collier, artist of Dorothy Art, for creative entrepreneurs. When Dorothy started having a positive outlook on every aspect of her life, including her art career, the creativity and opportunities started overflowing! Join her as she chats with other small business owners, discussing the ins and outs of how to run a creative business and how they make it in their respective fields.

To learn more about The Positively Creative Podcast, visit our website or head over to our Patreon page! You can also find Dorothy on Instagram at @positivelycreativepodcast and @dorothyart!