MGIM-MBA | Author & Business Consultant For Creative Professionals

Shows

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists50. Career Advice from an Art Veteran ✏️🗒️ Summer School Interview with Artist Eric McRay ✏️🗒️✏️🗒️ Summer School is now in session! Throughout the month of July, join me here on the Revenue Ready Creative podcast each Monday for conversations with guest experts in art and design who are ready to drop knowledge on topics like building resilience in self-employment, getting your name out there in the community, switching to a value-based pricing model and so much more. Today’s guest is Eric McRay, a celebrated painter and collage artist. Eric has been running McRay Studios for over 25 years. With a BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art, Eric h...2025-07-2825 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists49. Finding Resilience and Community as a Self-Employed Artist ✏️🗒️ Summer School Interview with Painter Pete Sack ✏️🗒️Summer School is now in session! Throughout the month of July, join me here on the Revenue Ready Creative podcast each Monday for conversations with guest experts in art and design who are ready to drop knowledge on topics like building resilience in self-employment, getting your name out there in the community, switching to a value-based pricing model and so much more. Pull up your easel and prep your palette—our guest, Pete Sack, is about to paint a whole new perspective on the value of community, planning, and diversification in self-employment. ✅...2025-07-2118 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists48. Stop Pricing Small. Start Pricing Like a Pro. ✏️🗒️Summer School Interview with Designer Kenzi Green ✏️🗒️✏️🗒️ Summer School is now in session! Throughout the month of July, join me here on the Revenue Ready Creative podcast each Monday for conversations with guest experts in art and design who are ready to drop knowledge on topics like building resilience in self-employment, getting your name out there in the community, switching to a value-based pricing model and so much more. Today’s guest is Kenzi Green, a brand and web designer behind Kenzi Green Design, the host of The Unapologetic Designer Podcast, and the co-founder of The Brief Collective—where she teaches desig...2025-07-1420 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists47. Artist Marketing 101: How to Get Your Name Out There In Your Community ✏️🗒️Summer School Interview with CEO Jenn McEwen ✏️🗒️✏️🗒️ Summer School is now in session! Throughout the month of July, join me here on the Revenue Ready Creative podcast each Monday for conversations with guest experts in art and design who are ready to drop knowledge on topics like building resilience in self-employment, getting your name out there in the community, switching to a value-based pricing model and so much more. Sharpen your pencil and lean forward for today’s episode with Arts Council CEO, Jenn McEwen. Jenn McEwen is the president and CEO of United Arts of Wake County in Raleigh, NC, where s...2025-07-0723 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists46. 3 Ways to Use AI as Your Creative Assistant 🤖Chasing down material costs... Trying to build a timeline you can share with clients... Staring at a blank page when it’s time to write about your work... Spending hours pulling reference images or mockups just to get your ideas across. As a self-employed artist or creative business owner, these kinds of tasks can eat up your energy before you even start creating. That’s where AI comes in—not as a replacement, but as a creative assistant! 🤖 In this episode, we’re looking at practical ways to use AI t...2025-06-3014 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists44. Guidance for Your Q2 Review: No Numbers This Time! 🕊️Hey, Creative Boss! It's Quarterly Review time. A touchpoint in your business, four times per year, in which you assess and evaluate what matters most to you. It's a healthy practice to have these specific touch points to see how far you are with your goals for the year. I'll give you questions and prompts to help guide your Quarterly Business Review. However, this time, we're doing things differently by approaching your QBR with no numbers! Let these equally important questions guide your review: What are 10 things that you’re pr...2025-06-2415 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists43. What’s the True Cost of Your Work? Pricing Formula for Artists 💲When you think about pricing your work, your workshops, your services, and your final collections ... do you just want to throw up? There is so much emotional influence associated with landing on that final number. And that's before even asking someone to pay it... I get it. I’ve been there personally and I see it when I work with artists to define or refine the price points. Coming up with your own pricing and what you’re going to charge for one-of-a-kind pieces, prints, and services shouldn’t be painful. In...2025-06-1720 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists42. How to Plan for Time Off: Tips From Artist Christy King 🏖️When was the last time you took a vacation? Do you have one coming up? Or do you have another type of leave of absence coming up (planned or otherwise) that will definitely interrupt your work? Tune in for a few tips to help you prepare yourself, your inventory, and your customers for any pause in work that might affect your business and availability. This episode includes tips from artist, Christy King, of Chapel Hill, NC. ✅ About Christy King Christy King is a fine artist in C...2025-06-0921 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists41. S.P.A.R.K. Joy in Your Work Again! ✨Feel like you're hitting low point? Are things dull, tired, or totally uninspired? Do you find yourself in a rut lately? Feel like you’re just going through the motions? If being self-employed—turning your creativity into your livelihood—is starting to wear on you and take it's toll... If suddenly you find that the joy is getting buried under the hustle and you just want the freedom to play again, to try something new without worrying if it’ll sell... This episode is for you. Learn my S.P.A.R.K...2025-06-0312 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists40. From Pop-Ups to Passive Income: Hallie Kohn’s Artist Journey 🎨Today, I’m taking you into a conversation with one of my current clients, Wisconsin-based oil painter, Hallie Kohn. Hallie became my art business coaching client a few weeks after I became her newest collector. Right away, we worked through a visioning exercise that set her up for her own Revenue Ready Plan. Ready to work together to create your own Revenue Ready Plan? 🎨 CLICK HERE TO SCHEDULE YOUR FIRST SESSION! 🎨 Additionally, these episodes will help you to envision your Revenue Ready future: Episode 18: How to Earn More in 2025! Episode 24: Curious a...2025-05-2721 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists39. Your Art Event, Fully Supported—Even on a BudgetYou know those moments when you’ve poured everything into your work — your time, your energy, your heart — and then it hits you: you might be doing too much, stretching yourself too thin, trying to carry every part of this business on your own... Or those long days where you’ve packed up your car, hauled your work, your displays, your tent, and that same folding stool to your booth — and by the time you pack it all back up again, you're completely drained. Not just physically, but emotionally, mentally and perhaps creatively, too. And then there...2025-05-2019 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists38. CALL TO ARTISTS: Request for TopicsClick HERE to Respond to the Request for Topics We've covered a lot of ground in the last 9 months, friend. For artists in business, you'll find the REVENUE READY CREATIVE has you covered for things like: How to get started with quarterly sales tracking Ways to earn consistent sales through passive income Goal mapping, strategic planning, and time management Using AI for productivity How to turn your sales page into something that truly works for you But what ELSE do you want to hear about? What do you want to more of? And wh...2025-05-1203 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists37. How to Navigate Imposter Syndrome for Good!Let's talk about something that hits close to home for a lot of us—especially those who are self employed in creative fields. If you’ve ever found yourself doubting your talents and abilities, feeling like a fraud in your own success, or wondering when people will “find out” you're not as together as they think—you’re not alone. This episode is intended to help you own exactly where you are in your creative journey with confidence because imposter syndrome is something we all experience. There are a lot of things that can get in our way –...2025-05-0518 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists36. Distracted Much? Use THIS to Stay Focused as a Creative in BusinessLet’s face it—distractions are everywhere. From social media scrolls to seasonal mood shifts, staying focused as a creative can feel like chasing light through a fog. But what if the secret isn’t eliminating distractions, but learning to work with them? In this episode, we’re talking about the systems and rhythms that support your creative business—those repeatable processes that let you pause and pick up where you left off with confidence. Whether it’s sending a weekly newsletter, prepping for a collection, or just keeping your client workflow on track, your structure is your safety...2025-04-2816 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists35. How to Get Organized in Your Art Business! Tips From Professional Organizer Tracy HothEach week, I’m thrilled to bring lessons learned and best practices for artists and creative small business owners to your listening ears! Surprisingly, when I look at my podcast episode data, among the most listened to episodes is an episode that starts with "Get Organized." You can find that here: Episode 5, “Get Organized in Your Business with this Sales Tracking Process for Creatives.” While I know you’re here for sales, I wonder if GETTING ORGANIZED in your business is also pulling at your interest... So today, I’m bringing...2025-04-2218 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists34. Artists: Here’s a Pre-Show Checklist Plan for Your Next Event!Congrats! 🎉 You’ve got a show, market, festival, studio tour or workshop coming up. It’s either scheduled with a real date to work towards, or it’s something you’ve imagined, but it’s only a matter of time. Your event is on the horizon. Let’s get you ready, my friend. No need to start from scratch. I’ve got a lightweight plan to share with you that can be used for your first show or your fortieth show. But one thing is true, you can use this plan every time. Mentioned in thi...2025-04-1420 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists33. Inspiration for Your Q1 Review: Peek Into a Profit Planning Session With an Artist CoupleIn the Revenue Ready Creative podcast, "Mon-yay!" is reserved for the first or second Monday of the new quarter. It’s a time to look back at your efforts from last quarter so that you can celebrate your achievements, learn from what happened and make adjustments where necessary. But it’s also a great time to look ahead as you prepare for what will be happening in your creative business over the next three months. You can find specific guidance in Episodes 5 and Episode 21 where I walk you through an exercise for your Quarte...2025-04-0815 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists32. Not Quite Ready for Professional Photography to Enhance Your Online Art Business? This Interview with Photographer Amy Paulson Will Help!You're busy providing OTHER people with creative services and solutions, but have you ever taken time to do the same for yourself? In today's episode, I interview photographer Amy Paulson who helps you see the value of investing in brand photography for yourself and your creative work. Photography is SUCH a powerful element of your online art business. Why wouldn't you want to invest there? Well, as you'll hear in this episode, there are a lot of things that hold us back from taking this leap even though the return on effort (ROE...2025-03-3125 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists31. The Top Mistakes Artists Make in Their Online Business and WebsiteAre you struggling to get more sales online? Ever wonder how website might be contributing to that struggle? Let's talk about the top mistakes artists make in their online business, and particularly in their website. And guess what… I’ve made quite a few mistakes myself! I’m hear to spill the beans… Share the deets… I'll tell you where I messed up and what I forgot to account for, confessional-style. And I’m not stopping there... I’m bringing in observations from other people mistakes too...2025-03-2418 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists30. How to Make It Easy to Get Art Sales From Your Website 🍀What happens after someone clicks the call-to-action button on your art website or your workshop sales page? Where does it take them? What’s the workflow? And more importantly —how does payment get into your business bank account? Let’s take a look at that today as we march forward with all things sales pages for artists this month. Today, I’ll teach you how to be super tactical with your sales page so that you have a process that works, and takes that sale straight to the bank for you! Stick wit...2025-03-1717 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists29. An Unconventional Way to Write Your Art Sales Page (6 Tips to Make Selling From Your Website Easier) Do you wish your website could actually help you sell more art? Do you wish your online presence could attract more buyers and sales? Are you ready to stop wasting time on a website that doesn't convert? Then you’re in the right place! As we continue with "all things sales pages" in the month of March, I’m excited to dive into a super important topic – web copy – the written content, or “copy” used on webpages. Since every website is a work is progress (and a sales page is no different) w...2025-03-1018 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists28. 3 Must-Do’s for Artists and Creative Business Owners to Plan for Online Sales StrategicallyPretend we just developed YOUR Revenue Ready plan. And from that plan, you decide that you want to bring to life a new online offer or service for people to engage with, buy from you, sign up for what you offer, book, schedule. Whatever verb you want to insert there. How do you plan for this new line of business to be profitable for you? Is it possible to plan for it? Or does it simply happen organically? In today’s episode, we’re talking about what you can do to plan for online...2025-03-0317 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists27. Are Early Retirement and Financial Freedom Possible When You’re a Self-Employed Artist?It’s always helpful to hear different perspectives, especially when it comes to money-related planning for the future. Hi! I’m Heather Allen, your personal professor of revenue readiness. I help artists and creative business owners to identify and optimize their revenue and income potential. And today I’m bringing a special guest into the classroom today to share a vision for what early retirement can look like. Pamela Reed is a certified life coach and financial strategist with a passion for helping others experience abundant wealth. Her journey toward financial freedom began early in her fed...2025-02-2426 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists26. Daily, Weekly and Monthly Time Management Tips for Creative SolopreneursRaise your hand if time management seems to be a constant battle for you. If you find yourself wishing you had more time... "If I just had more time I could get these things done." Or feeling like the day has gotten away from you. Everything you were planning to do will have to wait until tomorrow or the next day. Or from time to time, you find yourself unsure of how to start your day and get into a place of productivity. ✅ Today I’m sharing some daily, weekly and monthly time management tips to help you...2025-02-1721 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists25. Achieve Continuous Success With This Goal Mapping Framework for Self-Employed Visual ArtistsIt’s time to flip the idea that all goals are a single, one-time event, or the final destination of the journey. 👀🙈 Instead, let’s recognize that some goals can be seen as a process that allows you to make improvements and optimize for continuous wins. ✅ After all, isn’t it better to take what’s working and use it to consistently achieve results? That’s what we’re talking about in today’s episode of the Revenue Ready Creative podcast. I'll introduce you to the Continuous Goal Mapping Framework which is being used by artis...2025-02-1017 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists24. Curious About Passive Income on Etsy? Find Inspiration From My Interview With Jackie ButlerWhen you work with me to create your Revenue Ready Plan, you might identify Etsy as a good passive-income option for the future you envision. Or it might already be part of your revenue mix and you’re looking for ways to optimize what you already have. Passive income gives you what you’ve been looking for all along – consistent, predictable revenue that gives you more STABILITY and general ABILITY to pour time into the creative work and people you love. There are many passive income options out there (Check out Episode 23). As y...2025-02-0323 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists23. 7 Ways to Add Passive Income to Your Art BusinessAre you struggling to balance creativity with financial success? Do you like the sound of passive income but don’t know how or where to start? Do you dream of consistent income year round, not just during market and festival season? Feeling like there isn’t enough time to start something new in your creative business? Then this episode is for you! Today, we’ll dig into 7 ways to add passive income into your art business. But if you really want to add additional revenue into your busines...2025-01-2722 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists22. Considerations for Your Mission and Vision StatementHaving a mission and a vision statement can be a powerful tool for the impact you want to make in the world. From an personal perspective, both give you something to fall back on when you need a reminder of your "Why." For other people, like customers and future employees, your mission and vision statements can provide clarity and direction. People can get on board when they see that what you're doing aligns with them personally. Join me in this episode as I share two powerful experiences that transformed how I think of...2025-01-2019 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists21. Guidance for Your Q4 Review: Sales Tracking for Commercial Artists, Makers and DesignersNeed some guidance for reviewing your Q4 sales, communications, and overall efforts? Fourth quarter is the busiest sales time of year for big box and small retailers alike. Many artists, crafters, makers, and designers find themselves overwhelmed by all of the activity, last minute sales and commissions, not to mention personal obligations that come in October, November, and December. You might recall this topic from Episode 05. Get Organized in Your Business with this Sales Tracking Process for Creatives. In Episode 05, I outline a sales tracking process you can use every quarter to review...2025-01-1320 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists20. Artists, Here's a Plan for Keeping Your New Year's Goals All Year LongA common challenge we all experience with New Year's goal setting is figuring out how to sustain that energy and intention beyond the start of the year. You’ve seen those ads or memes about the new exercise bike or treadmill blending in with the furniture, being used as a clothes rack because over time, those exercise goals either change or fade away. Today, let’s talk about your plan for making your new years goals stick. You’ve got the goals, the intentions, the vision. Now lets get you a follow...2025-01-0617 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists19. What Do These 2025 Creative Small Business Predictions and Trends Mean for You?Hearing or reading about economic trends and predictions might cause you to think a little differently about how you’re doing things in your business. And how to prepare for uncertainty and change... After all, if you’re a commercial artist, designer, or creative business owner, get this – your customers are part of the economic trends you’re hearing about. So today I’m going over some of some buyer trends that are predicted for 2025 that might apply to you depending on where you are in the world – or more importantly, where your customers are in the world...2024-12-3022 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists18. How to Earn More in 2025A new year is on the horizon. Pretty soon you’ll be starting a new semester of learning, testing, and growing in your creative business. But before that semester begins, let’s kick off this episode with a Pop quiz! Question: A self-employed artist wants to earn more in the year ahead. Should she: Have a revenue-ready plan that will lead to higher earning potential Asses the areas in which she wants to grow to see what’s working and what is not Raise her prices for services, product offerings and artwork Stop doing things that take en...2024-12-2318 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists17. Turn End-of-Year Overwhelm and Anxiety into ProductivityCalling all workaholics! For creative small business owners, the end of year rush is particularly overwhelming. There are a lot of overlapping priorities. You’re wrapping up work, business, project commitments, commissions... You’re trying to make sales while gearing up for a new year with a desire to do things differently in your business. On top of all of that, you might have family commitments that require your attention – whether you’re keeping young children occupied while they’re out of school, caring for older parents who need extra support. Maybe you’re somewhere...2024-12-1622 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists16. How to Get More Commission Sales — Managing Client Expectations (Part 2)Today’s episode is the second in the series, and it’s all about the customer’s point of view. If you're ready for more commission sales in 2025, then put on your customer hat (maybe it’s a fuzzy red and white hat for the holidays) and think about the custom commission process from the buyer’s point of view. Here's the common challenges with this. As sellers, it doesn’t always come naturally to see your own business from your customer’s point of view. In this episode, I walk through the customer's sear...2024-12-0920 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists15. How Much Does a Custom Art Commission Cost? Managing Client Expectations (Part 1)Okay, here’s a common scenario: Someone out of the blue contacts you or stops by your booth at an art fair. They’re curious about how much it might cost if they hired you to make something for them. They want to know what the cost of a commission is. So what do you say? While it might be tempting to give them a solid number up front, doing so might actually limit you in the long run. Or worse, it might cause them to ghost you if they’re making...2024-12-0217 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists14. Thinking of Starting a Paid-Membership Community? Interview with Jewelry Artist Christine MighionIf you're curious about what it takes to start and maintain a paid membership community as part of your business offerings, today I’m chatting with just the gal for you. Since 2004, Christine Mighion has been hand crafting each piece of jewelry in her Northern Indiana studio. Using gold, silver, semi-precious and precious stones, her line is a balanced vision of organic and modern. Imperfections and irregularities that mimic the course of nature greatly inspire Christine. Her jewelry has been featured in numerous national and international fashion and lifestyle magazines including Lucky, Shape, Vogue, and The Knot. ...2024-11-2521 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists13. All the Planning in the World Means Nothing Without THIS One ThingWelcome back to class. Today, we’re talking about ONE KEY THING that’s absolutely essential to successful planning. All of the best planning in the world can go straight out the window if this one thing isn’t there. I’ve experienced it. You’ve experienced it. So let’s talk about the difference between having this one critical piece in place and not. With your best work, creative projects, sales, commissions, and opportunities ahead of you, this is one topic you won’t want to miss. Next Steps: Find...2024-11-1808 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists12. What's in Your 2025 Creative Online Business Budget? (Here's my 2025 Budgeting Wishlist!)Raise your hand if you have a clearly defined budget and a strategy for investing in yourself as a small business owner in the year ahead. I don’t see a lot of hands up. Let me rephrase... Raise your hand if you’re not quite sure what to budget for, business-wise, or where to make minor shifts and adjustments to invest in yourself and your creative business. Okay, more hands are up now. When it comes to business budgeting, most people keep on keeping on with what they’re doing without...2024-11-1122 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists11. Clear the Clutter to Be Ready for Creative Abundance.mp3When you’re in business for yourself, wearing so many hats, doing everything yourself or delegating to a few reliable individuals, everything depends on your energy, your focus, your drive, and your ability to create. Creative small businesses ask a lot of their creator. Which is why we’re diving into one of the biggest contributors to distraction, lack of focus, underlying stress, and overstimulation according to many, many studies. We’re talking about the clutter and distractions that are begging for your attention – demanding attention constantly. We’re also talking about the different...2024-11-0420 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists10. How to Manage Clients and Customers Through the Original Artwork Commission Process as a Professional ArtistLet’s say it’s Monday morning and you open your inbox to find not one, not two, but three emails from customers who want to hire you for a commission of original artwork. What do you do? Do you know how to get those new customers from their commission inquiry email all the way through your process to the final product? Is there a customer service or communication layer built into your creation process that keeps clients informed along the way? Are you keeping communication in mind to instill THEIR trust and confidence in the pr...2024-10-2823 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists09. Unsure of Which Passive Income and Creative Business Opportunities Are Worth Your Time?You’re in a creative field so chances are, you have many skills and talents that you’ve turned into income at one point or another. Freelance work doesn’t scare you. You’re up for the challenge. You’re a creative professional in a gig economy, and you’re not alone. A few questions for you to consider: Do you ever find yourself so excited or overwhelmed with ideas for what you want to make or do NEXT that you’re just paralyzed? Are all of the options and possibilities for HOW you can put your creativity...2024-10-2117 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists08. How to Earn Consistent Sales and be "Revenue Ready" as an Artist, Maker, Crafter or Designer in BusinessWhether you’re an artist, crafter, designer, or graphic designer, being "Revenue Ready" is essential for consistent sales and business growth. In this episode, we’re diving into the most critical areas for any creative business owner to have in place in order to ready for that next sale and to get sales consistently. I’m going over some key points and recommendations to help you achieve that outcome, including: Attitude and openness to being in service of others Clarity on your revenue streams and what you offer Audience awareness to know the in's and out...2024-10-1426 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists07. The Surprising Truth About Happiness and Purpose PLUS Hurricane Helene Relief for ArtistsToday we’re talking about the surprising truth about happiness and purpose through lessons from the book, “Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier,” written by Arther C. Brooks and Oprah Winfrey. If you have a vision for your life but believe there are barriers keeping you from achieving a more satisfied and happy outlook, this is the episode for you. Links to the book and workbook are below. I encourage you to order both and put in the work to respond to the prompts. You have the power to get you...2024-10-0721 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists06. Artists: Use this Repeatable Framework for Monthly and Quarterly Sales Reviews, Projects, Plans, and PivotsWelcome to Episode 6! If you haven’t had a chance to listen to Episode 5 which is called, “Get Organized in Your Business with this Sales Tracking Process for Creatives,” that’s a great episode to listen to BEFORE you get into Episode 6. Episode 5 is highly tactical. I lay out how you can prepare for your end of month or end of quarter sales review and what you can do to get started with your quarterly and monthly sales numbers, what they mean to you now and what that means for Q4. Today’s Episode ca...2024-09-3016 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists05. Get Organized in Your Business with this Sales Tracking Process for CreativesWelcome to Episode 5 and Happy Mon-yay to you! Today we’re taking a gentle stab at a topic people typically dread – bookkeeping, sales tracking, looking at your numbers, and doing a little spreadsheet administration. Somehow we’re nearing the end of September. So in the coming weeks, you might want to set aside some time to review the last month and quarter. In the first week of October, give yourself dedicated time to review sales that came into your art business during the quarter before across all of your sales platforms. We’re g...2024-09-2323 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists04. How to Use AI to Increase Productivity as a Self-Employed Artist, Designer, or Creative Business OwnerWouldn’t it be nice to have a little extra support with some of those routine administrative tasks you do on a daily, weekly, monthly basis without having to pay someone to do them? I’ve got you covered. In this episode, I'm sharing how AI can help you increase productivity as a self-employed artist, designer, marker or creative business owner. You'll learn about a few key AI concepts including what use cases to use AI for, how to write prompt frameworks, and what to do when you have a repeatable prompt that's worth saving. 2024-09-1619 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists03. 8 Guiding Principles for BRAVE Creative WorkWelcome to Episode 3! Today we’re talking about 8 guiding principles that you can call on to support your productivity and your courageous, brave work. Brave work is often about doing the next thing even through the discomfort of it. The 8 guiding principles we’ll discuss today are prerequisites that lay the groundwork for your vision. They are foundational guidelines that might already exist in your life in one form or another. Time to grab your spiral-bound notebook and fine Sharpie. Take some notes while you dive into the episode. 2024-09-0916 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists02. Creative Business Owners – Use THIS 3-Step Framework to Make Your Introduction MemorableToday we’re digging into a simple structure that you can use to make your introduction and your “about me” more memorable. This will be especially helpful if you already have shows, festivals and holiday markets scheduled for the upcoming Fall season leading up to the holidays – which is a super busy time in which you’re sure to meet some new people and potential buyers. I’m sharing with you a framework that takes into account the person you’re speaking to in a way that can actually set you up for word of mouth marketing and business po...2024-09-0222 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists01. How I Became a Professor of Revenue ReadinessIf you've ever taken time to reflect on all of the different steps you've taken to get to where you are now, then you know that there are many things in life that we simple can't plan for... Sometimes it takes arriving at a destination or milestone to recognize that all of the experiences leading up to NOW make you who you are. I can't want to tell you all about my experiences leading up to starting this podcast in Episode 1. Thanks for tuning in! Next Steps: Find more information a...2024-09-0121 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed Artists00. Welcome to Class! Ready to Transform the Business Side of Your Art Business?Hi! Welcome to class today. I’m Heather, your host, coach, and Professor of Revenue Readiness. And I’m so glad you’re here. Make yourself comfortable because we’re at the very beginning of something that has the potential to be quite powerful. We’re at a unique point in your journey as a creative business owner. Whether you’ve been in business for 10+ years or you’re just starting out, the path of creative business ownership is not for the weak. It is for the bold, the daring, and the visionary. And I’m...2024-08-3104 min

REVENUE READY CREATIVE | Grow Your Art Business Online, Art Business Coaching, Increase Productivity, Passive Income for Self-Employed ArtistsRevenue Ready Creative Podcast TrailerYou’re a creative business owner living in the best time to be discovered and have your work found in person and online. There are opportunities abound to connect with your audience and patrons. But as a small business owner... there's a LOT of pressure to do more than create. Lay down that paint brush, slab of clay, soldering tool, or pair of scissors. Take a DEEP BREATH in and out. You are seen. And you don't have to do it all alone. Join former college instructor, aut...2024-08-3004 min