Smart Creative Women

People can get stalled when it comes to marketing their businesses and themselves and I don't want that to be you! Today I am going to introduce (or re-introduce) you to Tom Henell, my better half!

In this video he is giving out tips as well as explaining what you can expect in his Marketing 101 class on atly.com.

His course has 5 parts. While he teaches some of the same principals in the Smart Creative Style course, this is an expanded look that focuses on the principles you need to market your creative business. He feels strongly, like I do, that your business is unique and it is up to you how to apply these principals but understanding them is crucial to your success! We both believe that adjusting the way you think about marketing can go a long way into developing an ease when promoting your business. Let's get to a place of ease around this subject!

HI!! Excited to tell you about the new workshop I launched over on atly.com!

I call it a workshop since it is self paced and fast. There are 3 parts, lots of videos and activities and thecost is $38. Don’t let fast fool you, the activities in the workshop can take months to master and they are exciting. Who doesn’t want to know what makes them tick? I want you to unearth what your passion is or if you happen to have TOO many passions and ideas, you will be able to narrow them down and get started!

Tune into today’s video as I explain a bit more! Click here to find out more and to sign up!

What does it mean to have passion, a passion or to live with passion?

It is when you are applying your energy towards something that puts you at ease and pushes you to grow at the same time. The word PASSION is certainly thrown around a lot and I think there is a misconception that once you get the golden fairy dust of passion in your life that suddenly all doubt and complication will be whisked away BUT that’s not REAL life. (Read this post to see what I mean!) I give lots of tips on spotting pitfalls that are so important!! We want nothing to get in your way (including yourself) so we take on that inner critic and put exercises in place that will help you build your instinct muscle! It’s time to start living a life of passion today, the choice is up to you!

Today’s interview is with Abigail Kiefer from the start up Red Clay Design. Red Clay Design reached out and said they watched the show and wanted to get together. I started researching Red Clay and this is what they have to say about their business, “Our platform simplifies product design, connecting freelance designers with iconic brands and providing tools to manage the process.” Cool!

Then I saw the word “crowd sourcing” (insert screeching halt) It’s a hot button topic for me and one I generally keep to myself.

So I got on Skype with Abby and started grilling her (in a Monica sort of way!) Abby and her team have built a high end design resource for manufacturers and they are trying their very best to respect all parties involved. Not an easy task but they are working at it with passion. The Red Clay platform marries companies and designers AND is paying designers (starting small but hoping for it to grow) for work even if the design is not ultimately chosen!

I ask a lot of questions as skeptical novice and an unspoken defender of creatives getting paid their worth. Listen in as she explains the process and the thoughts behind what they are trying to accomplish by bringing good design to the marketplace in a more efficient manner.

Abby explains all the ideas and motivations behind this matchmaking platform. She did not shy away from any of my novice (and somewhat skeptical questions!) Abby stepped up to bat and is tackling life and her business head on. I so appreciate her coming on and having a discussion about manufacturing, design, freelancing, retail and how it is morphing and Red Clay Design wants to play a part in it. Watch or listen in and tell me what you think!!

Girl crush time! I have Anahata Katkin from Papaya with me today and you are going to love her and all her creative business wisdom! Anahata started Papaya with her mother out of their home and grew this business so smartly, knowing just when to expand and just when to hold steady. I REALLY appreciate what she shares in the interview and I know you will too!! You will LOVE hearing what she has to say about her own creativity, copycats and the gift industry! She is a woman who has found her audience and remained true to her aesthetic while allowing her self to grow and change as an artist. Awesome artist, awesome person, smart cookie!

I just had to pop in and say HELLO today! I am in the process of moving forward on a BIG project after having to be really patient while waiting for the puzzle pieces to come together. So today I want to talk about the “in between time!” Oh man, sometimes trying to find answers to questions is HARD! You ask, “What do I do next? How do I show up as my best self? Can I do this? SHOULD I do this?” I get it! Boy, do I get it! Today I want to offer some thoughts (and encouragement) on what I think is the difference between waiting which can be a static and having patience, which I believe, is active. Patience involves listening and TRUSTING, it might involve seasons of education and even some silent seeking. You don’t give up when you are being patience, you have faith that your answers will come!

Tune in and see what I mean! Have you had seasons in your life that involved patience? Let me know in the comments!

You are going to eat this one up! Margo Tantau is so creative and has an eye for talent! Wait until you hear how I first “found” her. Her story is a terrific example of how your life’s journey sets you up forwhere you are supposed to be, you just have to be open to it! In this interview she shares what she loves and doesn’t love seeing in an artists portfolio! This chat will definitely inspire you to be yourself and forge your own creative path! Margo is the VP of Design and Creative at Midwest-CBK and could not be more down to earth and more “for you!” She is dying for you to show up as the creative person you are intended to be. Listen in as she shares her start and how she has developed her “eye” over the years. I love love what she is doing in this position and so will you!

If you desire to hone your own talents into a “look” and style that is uniquely your own get on the Smart Creative Style list! It goes live in Aug! Join me for a journey that is all about discovering YOU at your very best!

Befriending your fear might just be the fastest way to move past it. I figure if FEAR has so many other friends (like doubt and procrastination) why not embrace it so you can control its destiny? In this video, I talk about some of my favorite tips on how to deal with fear and one specific TRAP that can keep you from moving towards your destination. Let’s avoid traps, please!

I also have a BIG announcement (when and why-yes there is a specific WHY!) about my e-course SMART CREATIVE STYLE . I believe HOW to show up for yourself and how you earn money COUNTS! This is not the time to be a cookie cutter creative! Authentic is NOT just a buzz word. As a creative we need to strive for originality and as entrepreneurs, we are the leaders of our own brands and our businesses! I agree with Tom when he says “Nobody knows your business better than you do!” That means you need a course that helps you figure out what that looks like for you as an individual! No more batching and lumping everyone together. You are unique and so is your creative voice, it should be nurtured!

I had some fabulous help putting together this course and have had some incredible and humbling reviews. You can read posts by Gabriella Buckingham, Tory Higa from the last class, explaining what the course did for them. Chanel Christoff Davis even made a VIDEO montage expressing her style!! How fun is that?

Part of the BIG news is that we are planning on running the next course as a fundraiser for a dear friend and teacher from the course Khali Whatley. Don’t miss this!

What happens when girlfriends come together with a good (and SMART) idea? Magic! Meredith Walker and Amy Poehler (Yes, Amy Poehler the actress and funny lady) met while working at Saturday Night Live (which I am sure is a mixture of wild torment and wild fun) They became fast friends and as they talked about the lively free moments of their youth they wondered when and why they started “holding back” their personalities as they became women. Then they got the idea to help girls (ok and grown women) maintain their sense of selves, to laugh, explore and embrace who they really are.

These ladies want to celebrate individuals who are changing the world’s by simply being themselves.

Well, YOU KNOW I am all over that, right? This is a really enjoyable (lots of giggling) conversation. Grab a cuppa and have a good time. You JUST might see yourself somewhere in this talk!

Amy’s Smart Girls, it’s a show, it’s a movement, it is something that you need AT EVERY AGE! You can watch their YOU TUBE channel here. Some of their shows are Ask Amy, Smart Girls at the Party, Operation Nice and a Google hangout #SmartGirls. This is a REALLY good show/website to pass on to any adolescent girl you know (or to a mom of one!)

Last week, I told you about Great.ly and what this global online marketplace was doing for talented creative makers like yourself. Now I get to sit down with Great.ly’s founder Sarah Bryden-Brown and get ALL THE DETAILS!

First of all it is a terrific way to shop and help all your favorite bloggers who spend a lot of timescouring the globe for interesting and gorgeous items to make some income! And it can give you the opportunity to be one of the makers that gets introduced to a global marketplace on a larger scale. Hooray!

I have told so many creative women (makers) to try to get their goods into the hands of bloggers who have spent hours and hours cultivating and gaining the trust of their audiences. Great.ly provides and easier way for you to do that! You provide wholesale (time for you to think this aspect through) items into a Makers studio and then Tastemakers market your items in their boutiques and on their platforms. You make, they sell and you both benefit.

In this interview, Sarah answers all the questions that I could think of (and you know I can think of ALOT!) She discusses how the idea originally formed, whom she has brought on board, what it means to have certain items “exclusive” to a tastemaker.

AND in case you did not read last week’s post, I have my own boutique on Great.ly! You can shop via my boutique here. This means so much to me. I LOVE finding out just how talented the audience of Smart Creative Women is so it is a complete, full circle moment for me! This is a fabulous opportunity to bring your sexy, talented self to a new and exciting marketplace.

I am thrilled to have a site like this be introduced! It really does connect the dots for people who love building communities and for people who to love to create! Tune in so you hear it all from Sarah herself.

You know my MANTRA: TELL A FRIEND, YOUR SISTER, YOUR MOM people who like to find unique items for their homes, for their children and for themselves!

Want to know the power of a good cocktail pitch? When I met Jennifer Tress at a cocktail party recently, she told me she authored a book titled "You're Not Pretty Enough" words uttered by her ex husband as an excuse to his infidelity. Wow! Bam! Instant sisterhood! Turns out her book is a hilarious anthology of all her life's awkward turning points. What she did not realize was the how those words put together in a sentence were lodged in so many women's minds.

Can understanding how people find you online changes lives?

Turns out, yes! When Jennifer built her website to promote her book, she began to see people finding her through organic search engine phrases like "Am I pretty enough?" That started the You're Not Pretty Enough Action Movement. Jennifer Tress is an independent consultant who has worked with Fortune 500 companies, global non-profits and the U.S. Federal government. Her true passion is as a writer and in this interview she tells how self publishing her book via Amazon's CreatSpace has led to a national movement, speaking gigs and ...wait for it...a TV Show! Keep your eye on Jennifer, this girl is goin' places! And did I mention that the book is really funny?! You can get it in paperback or in a Kindle version.