The Business of Creativity

Creative Resources

2008-06-02T13:21:00.000-04:00

The Society of Gilders is a non-profit educational organization devoted to the art and craft of gilding. Our mission is to preserve traditional gilding skills and techniques, and to promote the highest standards in the practice of gilding.
The Society offers:

• A unique resource for technical help with gilding issues for gilders, restorers, conservators and all those interested in the gilding arts.
• An opportunity to network with other gilders and clients through SOG events and the website.
• Classes and workshops where you may learn more about the art of gilding and enhance your gilding skills.
• Community gilding projects which provide opportunities for you to use your gilding skills.

Membership is open to any interested individual, institution or corporation.

Marketing Pointers

2008-06-01T14:07:00.000-04:00

Think outside your box. Who is connected to your current clients or the clients of your clients? What would be an unusual place to look for new work?

Start making a list of everyone one and every company that you can link to yourself and your business. It's like Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon but for you. Then, see what you can do to get those people interested in what you do.

Trade Show Successs

2008-05-31T15:12:00.005-04:00

Whether or not to even exhibit at a trade show is another question but once you are there you need to make sure you get the most bang for your buck. Trade shows are overwhelming places and even if someone is really excited about you, their brain may have been overloaded by the time they get home.

Giving out cards or one sheets or postcards is great but you have to do more. What you ask.

Get their contact information.

A simple guest book with a place to put their name and e-mail address is all you need. Then you can e-mail everyone a few days after the show to remind them why they were excited in the first place. This also allows you to track the success of the show by seeing how many of the contacts turn unto sales.

Remember, trade shows may not always pay in the short run so you need to measure how much they make you in the long run and one way to do that is to get potential client information and then follow up.

Stuff You Should Read

2008-05-22T14:07:00.000-04:00

This is actually more than just something you should read, it is something you should act upon.

Orphan Works Bill

This is making a lot of artists nervous and I believe for good reason. Below is a link to send a letter to the House and Senate. I am not going to get into a full debate here, there are plenty on the Internet right now. Let's just say that this has not been fully thought out and it is a lot harder to take something like this back than to take the time to write good and use able law.

Send in your opposition.

Creative Resources

2008-05-21T14:23:00.001-04:00

ArtDaily.Org
Dubs itself the First Art Newspaper on the Net. Includes: Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography, Photographers, Special Reports, Art Fairs and More.

Disconnecting the Internet Might Make You More Productive

2008-05-20T14:10:00.000-04:00

Thanks to PimpYourWork.com for this. It is right on the money. You may not need to disconnect from your computer but even something as simple as setting your e-mail to check for mail every several hours instead of several minutes can make a huge difference.
I’ve mentioned in some previous posts that I live in a Third World country. This means that my area’s phone/internet cables can be stolen at night (presumably to be sold at junk shops) and I’ll be left disconnected from work.

Well, this happened last week.

Surprisingly, my productivity actually doubled. I was producing twice my regular output for the previous weeks of April. Is it possible that severing your connection to the net can make you more productive or is this some kind of fluke? I think it’s possible to be more productive without easy net access, and here’s why:

Your net time becomes precious. To compensate your lack of a connection at home, you probably resort to net cafes, free wi-fi areas, and the like. You can’t exactly sit in these places forever. Ergo, you only do the essential when you’re online. Goodbye to random surfing.

Less distractions. Additionally, when you’re working on your computer, you have less distractions because you’re not connected to the net. No random surfing, Twittering, checking your Facebook messages, or reading RSS feeds. When you’re working with the computer, you’re working with the computer.

Creative Resources

2008-05-19T12:55:00.003-04:00

Since its establishment in 1983, the American Art Pottery Association has continued to bring people together to share their knowledge and interest in art pottery. Operating as a not for profit 501(c)6 business league, the AAPA and its membership enjoys various activities each year such as: annual convention; annual show, sale, and auction of Art Pottery; annual student scholarship award; and the bi-monthly publication of the Journal of American Art Pottery Association (JAAPA).

Working from Home

2008-05-18T13:56:00.000-04:00

It seems like such a good idea in the beginning. No commute, no rent, work funky hours, be there when the kids get home, be there when the cable guy shows up, be there when something is delivered, be there when the pest guy shows up, clean the house before your in-laws show up...

Wait a minute. That list had a lot more personal than work stuff in it. An therein lies the biggest pitfall to working from your home.

Not actually working.

The solution is pretty easy but it takes a bit of discipline. I talked before about creating a schedule for yourself in "Are Your Running Your Business Like a Horror Film? III". Well, I meant it. If you schedule work and personal time you can still get the benefits of working from home (being there for your kids, getting the cable guy sooner or getting a haircut in the middle of the week) without sacrificing overall productivity.

P.S. If you aren't going anywhere and no one is going to see you, it is OK to work in your PJ's or skip a shower every once in awhile. That is the beauty of working from home after all.

Marketing Pointers

2008-05-17T14:00:00.001-04:00

Do you have a specific client, organization, corporation, designer, or firm you want to hire you?

Court them.

A regular postcard or letter just isn't going to get their attention. You're creative. Come up with something unique and then do it. Make an impression.

Art Break

2008-05-16T14:03:00.000-04:00

Changing New York: Pgotographs by Bernice Abbott. 1935-1938

Hundreds of black and white photographs by Berenice Abbott (1898-1991) from her Changing New York Works Progress Administration/ Federal Art Project. The Library's collection holds about 80% of the project's 302 images; this presentation includes variant and discarded images, plus other work Abbott produced as a project employee.

Image: Berenice Abbott (1898-1991). Blossom Restaurant, 103 Bowery, Manhattan, October 03, 1935. Digital ID: 482799

Creative Resources

2008-05-15T12:53:00.001-04:00

A professional trade association representing the interests of landscape designers, APLD offers a certification program, educational conferences, local chapter involvement, a quarterly newsletter, monthly online publications, listing of members on the website, landscape design awards, and much more.

Art Break

2008-05-14T13:43:00.003-04:00

Art in Second Life

The arts are everywhere even in virtual worlds. Second Life has created an entire art scene which gallery's, shows, theatre, music and more. Check out the blog sl-art-news for some great pictures and links.

Marketing Pointers

2008-05-13T15:22:00.000-04:00

Former clients don't know you want them to refer you unless you tell them.

They aren't mind readers so every once in awhile remind them.

" You were a great client and I would love to work with more people just like you. Do you know anyone else who is looking to have _____ done? I am always looking to grow my business."

The Power of a Second Opinion

2008-05-12T15:00:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Glen at LifeDev for this one.

It’s easy to think of ideas in terms of ownership. “I thought of it first so it’s my idea.” We cling to these ideas because we feel that if we share them, there’s a chance someone will steal them. Or worse… they might hate the idea. So we keep them to ourselves.

Did you know that the term for a “Creative Type” in Swahili translates to “Greedy Idea Monkey”?

Ok, totally made that up. But it should mean that.

As creative people, we tend to get lost in our ideas. We can become consumed by them, thinking that our ideas are the best thing since sliced bread. The next thing we know, we’re so attached to our ideas that any criticism we hear concerning them we take personally.

Yet criticism can sometimes be our best friend, allowing us to gauge what needs to happen before our idea can become really successful. Criticisms help us shape the idea. Yet creative people tend to take criticisms very personally. When it comes to criticizing our ideas… you best watch your mouth.

Read the rest...

Creative Resources

2008-05-11T12:49:00.001-04:00

Professional Photographers of America began providing education and a sense of community to the photography industry since 1880. To those offerings, the association has since added business and personal protection, business discounts, professional recognition, and more. Today, PPA is the world’s largest not-for- profit association for professional photographers, with more than 18,000 members in 64 countries. It is an association that seeks to increase its members’ business savvy as well as broaden their creative scope. It aims to advance their careers by providing them with all the tools for success.

Change is Good

2008-05-10T16:58:00.000-04:00

One of the biggest differences between a successful business owner and one that fails is the reaction to change.

Change can be scary, especially if it involves your artform, something that is often very personal.

I am not suggesting that you change your entire company structure or chuck everything for a new direction every time something doesn't seem to work. I am saying that in order to grow as a business owner as well as an artisan, you must be open to changes.

Many of my coaching clients know that something needs to be done to push their company forward. They are asking for something to change and when I give them a suggestion. The gates just slam shut. They wanted to change something, just not their website or logo or approach to interviews or their prices.

The next time you realize something isn't working for you anymore, take some time to figure out why and then be open to the idea of making the changes needed to fix things. Just because you have always done something a certain way or because someone, sometime told you to do it that way doesn't mean it is right for you anymore.

Art Break

2008-05-09T16:36:00.000-04:00

X-Ray Reveals Ghost Figure

LONDON - Students researching for a new display of Tudor portraits in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery have uncovered a ghost figure which may be Shakespeare's only known patron Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton, which had been subsequently painted over with a portrait of Elizabeth Vernon, Southampton's wife.

Read more.

Marketing Pointers

2008-05-08T15:11:00.000-04:00

Don't just send out a postcard or e-mail because it is "time". Have a purpose.

The purpose can't be hire me. Nice try though.

Give them some new information or a product to try or a special deal. Anything than just your contact information.

Keep Up With Your Industry

2008-05-07T12:24:00.001-04:00

No matter what your discipline, there are professional groups, conventions, magazines, websites, blogs, seminars, classes and more that cater just to you. So why haven't you joined, attend or read these?

Being a working artist/artisans is lonely and hard enough. Don't isolate yourself as well. I know I have written about this before but it is just too important to not to mention again.

You need to know what is going on in your industry. You could be missing out on great contacts, a new product, a trend or just plain old support. So...

I am starting a list of creative resources, starting with one that has helped me along the way.

Today's creative resource is:

SALI, a group for the professional and hobbyist in the world of decorative painting. There are Chapters, a newsletter, quarterly magazine and a great convention.

Missed You at the Retreat

2008-05-06T12:17:00.003-04:00

I have been offline for a bit getting ready for The Business of Creativity Retreat. I am working on the schedule for the next one so let me know when you want to come and visit.

It was a great success and has given me tons of stuff to write about so keep checking back for some wonderful gems of wisdom and observation.

P.S. Why weren't you at the retreat? See you next time, right?

Say My Name...Save My Name...

2008-04-24T14:35:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Dean L. at Prosperous Artists for this one

Stop thinking about Beyonce for a moment. We can always go back to her later …

Start thinking about how many people you know. The number of contacts made between you and all the people you’ve met over your lifetime, if we could count them all would be staggering. OK, let’s just limit it to those you’ve met over your professional career? Now, what have you done with the information you’ve received on all these contacts … and what are you doing with all that valuable data?

Let’s make it a bit easier - just think of the last few months … how many stacks of business cards, piles of flyers and scraps and scrapes of data have you accumulated that aren’t effectively working for you? Please … I’m not trying to guilt or shame anyone here … just make a point.

One of the most important steps in the evolution of Roundtable P&P has been and continues to be how do use the data of the people with whom I come in contact. I will confess it is an ongoing situation I have to solve, and my best success has come at points when I’ve effectively solved it.

Here’s the three questions to ask yourself …

How many contacts do you have … your best guess is probably wrong if you don’t generally know - you may have more or less. Right now, I have about 6,500 contacts, from various sources. But my main list is about 3K.
How do you work with them … are they all over the place, or are they in some sort of system that makes sense for you to work with. I will discuss this in future blogs, but useful data is more effective then collected data.
What is it you want them to do which they are not … and don’t say “make you money.” You need to develop a personal process of understanding who all these people are, what are their value to you and how best to work with them.

So, as you exchange business cards when you network, pay attention to them. Pretend each initial contact information is worth $5. If you grow and develop the list, it could be worth thousands of dollars or more if you can grow them into a life long clients.

I will share more about the ways in which we work with this data … and that’s all any of it is right now - raw data … in the next few weeks. We will talk about CRM’s, Email Blasts and working your lists … and I mean lists plural. YOUR ACTION STEP: Pay attention over the next few days to the ways you come aware of new people and then how you collect information about the people with whom you come in contact.

– Dean L.

Things that make me say UGGGGGGGGGGGG

2008-04-24T10:52:00.002-04:00

There was a great article in BusinessWeek "Creative Artists Confront Sales Anxiety". You should read it, but that is not what made me write today. This comment about the article is making me write.

Cristobal Senior
Feb 9, 2008 12:41 AM GMT
Ms. Miller is deeply confused about the concept and definition of Art, which is certainly not about trinket making and fantasy jewelry designs. Art is about conveying in the highest esthetical form visions and messages about the salient aspects of human life and nature. Artists shoudn't be afraid of sales because good art is not made for sale but to be meditated upon and for the stimulation of the spirit. That artists need an income? Yes they do but there are many ways of providing this income in an advanced civilized society that pursues higher forms of living. And if worse comes to worst, good art will always "sell" easily.

Here is my response. I tried to be nice but this kind of thinking is exactly why many artists and artisans are afraid to or don't know how to make a living doing what they love. "Art" or "art" is not some sort of competition about who can be the most transcendental or suffer the most

The previous comment ruffles my feathers a bit. There shouldn't be a competition about what is "real" art (or art with a capital "A"). We are all creating and need to support each other in that endeavor. Being creative and making money is not a bad thing or selling out. It is doing what you love and making a living. Until all creative people stop judging and start supporting each other, how can we expect the rest of society to support the arts as well? This is exactly why artist is the only profession with the word "starving" in front of it. "Artists shouldn't be afraid of sales because good art is not made for sale but to be meditated upon and for the stimulation of the spirit." That is nice, but it hard to stimulate a spirit when you can't pay your rent. All the "great artists" that we know today, Picasso, Rembrandt, van Gogh are only known to us because they or someone else marketed and sold their work.

Are You Running Your Business Like a Horror Film? V

2008-04-22T13:35:00.001-04:00

Now you are working more hours than you ever would in a "regular job". So why is that?

You are afraid that if you stop for even one day, this precarious tower you have built will come crashing down.
You feel guilty because you should be working hard. If you took time off that would be slacking.
You don't actually know what you have to do or when it has to get done so you just keep working and hope it all happens when it is supposed to.
You truly believe that working 24/7 is the only way to make money in a creative business.
You are stuck in a cycle of too much work and then not enough.

Last but not least, #5.

This is so common. You market and get a bunch of work. You get caught up in the jobs. One day the jobs are over and you have no work. You market feverishly for more jobs, you get them and stop marketing. One day you run out of jobs so you start marketing again...

Ugggggggg!

This is a fairly long discussion and you can read and hear all about it in The Hearty Artist Toolkit. Here are the nuts and bolts of it all.

You have to balance your work and marketing. There will always be ups and downs but if you consistently market, even during the busy times, you will consistently get work. This does mean taking 2-4 days a month for just marketing but it is so worth the more consistent cash flow.

Marketing is part of your business, just as much as creating and doing your books and meeting with clients. So set up a schedule to market yourself and you can spread out your work time and down time.

2008-04-20T13:25:00.000-04:00

Lisa just commented on one of my posts and I just had to comment on it.

I don't have a business for my art.
I give it all away to family/friends/anyone who'll take it. My other artist friends give their creations away as well.
Just never thought anyone would give a "plug nickle" for anything I paint or sketch.

This is so common and the very root of why there is a term "starving artist" out there. Society often doesn't value our work but we don't either. Every time you give away your work you are actually de-valuing it.

You have to be paid.

No, this is not selling out. It is reality. The reality is that your talents and the years and effort you have taken to hone them are worth something but, no one else will believe that until you do.

Start thinking of yourself as a true professional. You have spent as much, if not more, time honing your skills as a doctor or lawyer or architect has spent. You would never assume they would give their services away. So, why should you give yours away?

Are You Running Your Business Like a Horror Film? IV

2008-04-19T13:02:00.006-04:00

Now you are working more hours than you ever would in a "regular job". So why is that?

You are afraid that if you stop for even one day, this precarious tower you have built will come crashing down.
You feel guilty because you should be working hard. If you took time off that would be slacking.
You don't actually know what you have to do or when it has to get done so you just keep working and hope it all happens when it is supposed to.
You truly believe that working 24/7 is the only way to make money in a creative business.
You are stuck in a cycle of too much work and then not enough.

And now for # 4...

This is a common issue for many business owners, not just creative ones. Let's face it, it is scary to own your own company and depend on yourself to pay the bills. This fear sends many business owners into a working frenzy.

There is always something to do and you have been told over and over again that you have to work hard, really hard, to earn money on your own. This goes back to what I discussed in #2 to a certain extent. But it is even more than feeling like you are slacking. It is a true belief that if you are not working on the things on your list at all times, your business will fall apart.

Don't get me wrong, you do have to get those things done and in a timely manner but "timely" and "right this second" are not the same thing.

This is not emergency surgery, it is a business. No one will die is you don't call them back in the next two hours or if you take a Saturday with your family and wait until Monday to work on your website.

Many successful business are run with people taking vacations and the office closing over the weekend. Your business can too. You just have to let go and let it.

Are You Running Your Buiness Like a Horror Film? III

2008-04-03T11:20:00.005-04:00

Now you are working more hours than you ever would in a "regular job". So why is that?

You are afraid that if you stop for even one day, this precarious tower you have built will come crashing down.
You feel guilty because you should be working hard. If you took time off that would be slacking.
You don't actually know what you have to do or when it has to get done so you just keep working and hope it all happens when it is supposed to.
You truly believe that working 24/7 is the only way to make money in a creative business.
You are stuck in a cycle of too much work and then not enough.

And on to #3.

Between your business and your life it can often feel like your head is going to explode and just the thought of writing out everything you need to get done can make you nauseous. Well, get the bucket ready because here is what you need to do.

Write down everything you can think of that needs to get done. I mean everything. Just purge your brain of all of it. Do not put it in any particular order or try to organize it, just get it down. (You may need a big piece of paper for this.)

Now you need to decide what categories your life fits into. Examples: marketing, kid time, personal time, paperwork, client visits, home time, and finally creating ( you know, the thing you say you do for a living). Then get a bunch of different colored highlighters and color code each category. Yeah, color!

Get out your calendar and color code sections of time for each category each week or month and start plugging the stuff on your purge list into their proper color codes.

Here is the big trick, once a section of time is color coded, it can not be changed. I mean it. If you have marketing time set aside, you can not deal with the cable guy. If you have personal time scheduled, you can not meet with a client.

You will mess this up at first but the longer you do it the better things will get.

P.S. Re-look at you schedule every few months to make sure the current configuration still works for you.

Are You Running Your Business Like a Horror Film? II

2008-03-21T15:54:00.008-04:00

Now you are working more hours than you ever would in a "regular job". So why is that?

You are afraid that if you stop for even one day, this precarious tower you have built will come crashing down.

You feel guilty because you should be working hard. If you took time off that would be slacking.
You don't actually know what you have to do or when it has to get done so you just keep working and hope it all happens when it is supposed to.
You truly believe that working 24/7 is the only way to make money in a creative business.
You are stuck in a cycle of too much work and then not enough.

I tackled #1 in the last post so here goes with #2.

Anyone who has decided to run their own company is already a bit of an overachiever. Think about it, it would be kind of nice to go to work every day, work 8 hours and come home and not think about it again until the next day but then again...

That would also make you NUTS!

Here's the problem. You believe, for whatever reason (you can go to therapy to figure it out), that you are nothing if you don't work hard, really, really hard. You also believe that success can only be achieved by spending every available moment working. This is so ingrained in you that you actually feel guilty when you are not working.

You feel guilty if you get your hair done or go to the doctor or watch a movie or visit a spa. Your time off isn't even time off because you spend the whole time thinking about what you should be doing for work.

I am giving your permission right now to take time off. In fact, you don't have a choice anymore because you are actually hurting your company if you don't. You are not slacking if you take time off, you are investing in yourself which is an investment in your company.

You must take time off and be ok with it or you will burn out. If you burn out all this work you have been doing will have been for nothing because you won't have a company anymore.

Learn what makes you guilty and why. The Business of Creativity Retreat.

Are You Running Your Business Like a Horror Film?

2008-03-14T16:21:00.011-04:00

Time off? No, I must work. I must work all the time or I will never make enough money and I will never be successful. I am running my own company here, everything will fall apart if I don't works nights and weekends and holidays and when I am sick.

Wait a minute. Why did you decide to create your own company? I bet one reason was so you could control your own time and now you are working more hours than you ever would in a "regular job". So why is that?

You are afraid that if you stop for even one day, this precarious tower you have built will come crashing down.
You feel guilty because you should be working hard. If you took time off that would be slacking.
You don't actually know what you have to do or when it has to get done so you just keep working and hope it all happens when it is supposed to.
You truly believe that working 24/7 is the only way to make money in a creative business.
You are stuck in a cycle of too much work and then not enough.

I am going to tackle these one by one in the next few posts. So let's start with #1.

I could write about this forever but lets boil it down to the essentials which

are fear and lack a knowledge.

It is like the woman running in a horror movie. The minute she looks back, she trips and the killer gets her. Many creative businesses are run the same way. Just keep moving forward and something good is bound to happen but don't ever look back and try to figure out what did and didn't work in the past. It is just too scary.

I have coaching clients who have been doing this for years. At least it feels like movement and if you don't stop, you can't take time to reflect on your success or happiness or lack of either.

Lack of knowledge has nothing to do with your artistic ability. Most creative people take classes in their art form all the time. They are always learning new skills and techniques. I am speaking of a lack of business knowledge.

I am not suggesting you go get a business degree, I am suggesting that you learn how to run your company. What you need to do and why. That may mean not taking another creative class and instead investing in your

success as a business owner.

Throw yourself forward by attending The Business of Creativity Retreat.

Get Out of Your Business Vacuum

2008-03-07T10:47:00.008-05:00

I had my monthly decorative painters chapter meeting this Monday. It made me remember why I joined the group in the first place. This particular meeting was a round-table and we each talked a little about ourselves, what we do and what we are planning for the future.

It was so refreshing.

As creative business owners, we often spend a lot of time by ourselves or with people who are paying us or who we are trying to get to pay us. That gets lonely but more than that, it puts you in a professional vacuum.

Being in that kind of vacuum is just plain dangerous for your business. Not only do you need to support on a personal level, you need support on a business level as well. That is why I strongly encourage you to join a professional group and get a mentor or coach. This not only provides you with support but it is also a way to hold yourself accountable to your goals and business practices.

If you are not already part of your professional organization, join it. If you don't already have a mentor or coach (you don't have to pay one but I am available), get one.

Money... Scared Yet?

2008-02-29T09:42:00.011-05:00

Most people are scared of money. They are scared to ask for it, to earn it, to understand it or even just discuss it.

When was the last time you sat down and asked someone you consider successful how they make and manage their money?

"I could't do that, it would be rude."

Why? Because your parents told you not to talk about it, because society say being wealthy is bad (more on that in another post), because you are afraid of the answer.

Think about it for a second. Everyone says they want to make money but most people (especially creative business owners) don't track what they spend or make on their business. They don't understand how their money works, how much they really need to make and they are certainly not comfortable discussing money with clients. It took me years to figure this out. It wasn't until I started working with my mentor Kirstin Carey that I started to be honest about money.

I was so bad that I ran my business for several years without putting any data into my accounting software until right before taxes were due so I monitored how much I was making by checking my bank balance using my ATM card. Bad idea but it wasn't as scary as seeing the truth.

I have been giving out "homework" as it were, at the end of some of these posts. Today's is to sign up for Kirstin's phone seminar "Pricing & Fee Setting for Creative Services". Don't forget to tell her Amy says "hi".

Want Business? You have to ASK for it.

2008-02-25T21:07:00.004-05:00

What, ask for business? But if I am good people will know and then word will spread and then I will make money.

If only that were true.

There are plenty of moderately talented people out there who make a lot of money and plenty of extremely talented people who barely scrape by. Fair, no, but true. So, why does this happen?

It happens because the successful ones ask for the jobs and ask to be paid. This is the thing that scares the bejibers out of most creative people. The fear of rejection stops them from even asking and then they don't get work which makes them even less sure of themselves which means they are less likely to work which means their self esteem goes down which means they... You see the vicious circle.

I know I just made it sound easy. Want to work, just ask. But it actually does work.

I just started a marketing campaign for my husband's lighting design company. A new law was just passed allowing cities and towns to choose and maintain their own street lighting. So, I starting sending out letters and e-mails. Just a simple letter, asking them to work with my husband. I sent the first set of e-mails last Thursday and already we have received 4 serious inquiries. Not bad if I do say so myself and that is only one county.

Do you think these town councils would have come to us? Probably not or it could have taken months or years for them to even start working on their street lighting. So, I asked them to hire him.

Who do you want to hire you? Go out and ask them.

Stuff You Should Read 1

2008-02-22T17:30:00.007-05:00

Business is About Results, not Excuses!

Ed Rigsbee is a great guy and knows his stuff. Don't let his target audience make you nervous. This article applies to everyone from a one person company to one with a staff of hundreds.

What is Success?

2008-02-21T21:00:00.008-05:00

Well, I was getting ready to start off all serious like but I just spoke to my sister of "Go Big or Go Home" fame and she gave me another tip so, we will see how this works out. (Little sisters do actually know something sometimes.)

In addition to painting murals and running my and my husband's businesses, I also help creative people get over business hurdles. I did almost everything you could possibly do wrong when I started my company, Ketteran Studios, so I decided to help others avoid my mistakes. Stay tuned to the blog to learn who and what helped me.

I just spoke with a client a few days ago and we started talking about success. What is it?

Yeah, yeah. I know, lots of money. But that isn't everything. What else does success mean to you? This client is also a muralist and while money was important, when she really started to think about it a whole bunch of other stuff came out too. People loving her work, working with families, having time off ( "real" time off not just a few hours a week) and feeling in control, just to name a few.

I always give my clients homework so here is yours. Take some time and decide what success means to you. After all, how do you you when you have become a success if you don't know what a success is.

Click Here to find out about Go Big or Go Home