I’m back with the LAST episode in my “Business 101” Series! So far, I have guided you from the “explore” phase, through the “refining” phase, and now onto the “mastering” phase of building a well-established creative business.  Very few people get to the “mastering” phase- because it doesn’t just require working on your business, but rather yourself. This phase is not for the faint of heart❤️(you WILL have to get your face out there, be comfortable with rejection, and be prepared to make...

We’re onto phase 2 this week of Business 101- Refining! So you’ve explored and gotten your business off the ground- bravo!! You’ve found some customers, created a few product offerings, and have the framework established to build your business… now what?? In this week’s episode, we dive into phase 2 of my 3-part Business 101 series- refining! We’ll discuss what it looks and feels like to start honing in on the important tasks and trusting your decision-making capabilities more. I break down...

Have you ever tried to start a business, but became paralyzed at the OVERHWHELMING list of to-do’s?? Trust me, I’ve been there. In the 8 years I’ve spent building Crooked Calligraphy, I’ve realized there are 3 distinct stages of building a business- exploring, refining, and mastering. Join me in this episode as I guide you through the 1st stage-  EXPLORING!  In stage 1 (where most of you probably are), you can often feel as if most of your days are spent throwing spaghetti at the wall. You...

Instagram is NOT what it was in 2015- YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THINKING THAT!  In the 8 years I’ve been using the platform to grow my business, IG has gone from static photo-only posts, to high-quality reels using trending audio, lightning fast transitions, and catchy hooks. When it comes to growth on Instagram, I’ve experienced it ALL. Stepping back, I have realized that finding a solid, specific goal of what you want to get out of the platform is the BEST way to use Instagram to your...

Is my business feeling more joyful these days?“If you look at the numbers, I’m FAILING hard. But, there are so many ways in which I’m wildly succeeding…” - ShinahIt’s time for a deeply personal and vulnerable evaluation of how I’m doing on my year-long RADICAL BUSINESS EXPERIMENT.  You know, the one where I declared that I would be running my business differently this year? (Less shoulds, more messing about). Tune in to hear: My real revenue this year compared to 2022 and 2021 (it’s kinda...

EVER DREAM OF DOING CALLIGRAPHY FOR A LIVING?“A calligraphy business was not something that crossed my mind at all when I started… I have terrible handwriting. Little did I know, two months later, I would leave my job to pursue calligraphy full-time.” - Shaochen Wu, Monstera Gold These four women show it’s totally POSSIBLE to do calligraphy as your main profession💪 Laura of @gertiescalligraphyMelissa of @houseofdanaus Jane of @theoxfordcalligrapherShaochen of @monstera.goldIn this panel...

How do you end up running a nationwide calligraphy workshop biz with your  bestie? “We just put this first class together, winging it the whole time… and 60 students showed up.” - Meg Chaloner, Sip & Script Founder Today I’m talking to the co-founders of Sip & Script! Meg Chaloner and Julie Mancini - who met in 2015 when they were the only calligraphers at a wedding vendor fair in Boston. They hit it off right away and had the idea to host a calligraphy party for addressing Christmas...

If you struggle with practicing calligraphy (or anything else!) consistently…“You’re not lacking in discipline. What’s stopping you is perfectionism.” - ShinahI hear from so many people that they WANT to get good at calligraphy… and they know that it takes PRACTICE…. but they just never get around to actually doing it.  Well, spoiler alert: MORE DISCIPLINE IS NOT THE ANSWER! Today, I’m helping you make practice more ENTICING… so you actually do it! My experience using willpower to practice...

THE LEGAL STUFF IN BUSINESS CAN SEEM REALLY SCARY. “There’s a big difference between law in THEORY and law in PRACTICE. Dealing with legal stuff on a human relationship level makes it much less intimidating.” - Shinah Today, I’m giving you a casual legal education =)  Some of you may know that I used to a corporate lawyer. So I want to break down all the scary “law” stuff in plain terms that you can actually understand.  What’s the goal of a contract if you DO NOT WANT TO END UP IN COURT?How...

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN A CLIENT REFUSES TO PAY YOU? “Looking back, the money was not that big a deal. It was the mental anguish that was the most painful part.” - Shinah Today, I’m telling the dramatic story of how I worked my butt off as a new calligraphy business owner… and an unscrupulous client took advantage of my naïveté and REFUSED TO PAY ME.  The FOUR CRUCIAL LESSONS I learned from the whole, gut-wrenching experience? Always get a CONTRACT signed: Here’s a great CONTRACT TEMPLATE just...

Calligraphy Business Model Options “Most beginner creative business owners spend all their time trying to increase followers without understanding WHY” - Shinah Come get an inside peek at the overall STRATEGY I’m thinking through for my calligraphy business. If you’re a new or growing calligraphy business owner, and you’re not sure if you’re spending your time in the right way… this will help you think BIG PICTURE, and take more confident steps towards INCREASING REVENUE:   The “spaghetti...

“I’m thrilled with our sales results, even though they're lower than we're used to... and here' s why” - Shinah If you’re interested in the true behind-the-scenes of “big” business results… this episode is for you.  I chat openly and honestly about:  The RESULTS (in real dollars) of our recent sale of calligraphy courses - the first real launch we’ve done in over a year. The big lesson I learned about PRICING and VALUE - yes, you can totally sell a calligraphy course for $1000… if the...

“YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS NEEDS TO SEE THAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE DOING IT… BEFORE YOU CAN GO FOR IT!” - SHINAHToday, I’m bringing you something different.  FOUR SUPER-RELATABLE STORIES of women who started as calligraphy beginners, and are now Calligraphy Professionals.  All four purchased the Pro Calligrapher Bundle in April 2022 and have already booked their first clients and are actively growing their businesses.  Sher Pierre - Left-handed school teacher who always had good handwriting, and is now...

“Focus on these two core things, and don’t let the rest of the business details bog you down” - Shinah In today’s episode, I’m breaking down exactly how to launch your CALLIGRAPHY STARTER BUSINESS.  It’s easier than you think, and will get you crucial learning and skills to continue building.  First, I bust the MYTH that you have to have everything figured out and polished-up before launching your business is FALSE. Hear more about “up-and-coming” businesses and how they’re a natural and...

“YOU can sell your calligraphy without having an official business - but you’ll want to weigh the pros and cons” - Shinah If you’ve ever dreamed of selling your calligraphy to make some extra cash, but you don’t want the hassle of a full-on, official business, this super practical episode will help you weigh the pros and cons.  How the IRS defines hobby v. business for tax purposesThe PROs and CONs of creating an official business in order to sell your calligraphyUnderstanding the LETTER of...

“The goal is not to get a place where everything is zen. But, to reach acceptance that life is hard and that is beautifully ok.”- Shinah It’s been TWO MONTHS since I came back to my calligraphy business, determined to run it with more freedom and experimentation and joy.  Many of you might have been  (rightly) wondering, “But don’t you still have to make money somehow?” And that, my friends, has been the anxiety spiral that has consumed me for the past two weeks.  Because business is NOT...

As a creative entrepreneur, what do you do when you launch a product or offering... and the SALES DON'T COME IN?? After 7 years of entrepreneurship, as a professional calligrapher then as a calligraphy teacher, I've run into this situation once or twice... and it just happened AGAIN, with a new training I recently launched.  I share three important lessons that helped me keep going, and eventually makes 12 sales of the training (instead of just giving up, which I was close to doing).  The...

The demand for calligraphy workshops (and people to teach them!) is alive and well.  I’ve heard from SO many of you that you’re itching to host your own workshops- but paralyzed at the laundry list of to do’s that forms even before signing up your first attendee. I want more of you to feel EMPOWERED to teach your own classes!! So in this week’s episode, I’m breaking down my own experience teaching workshops and how it propelled me into owning a million-dollar business. I’ll tell you: WHY you...

“Who do you need to be in order to make a million dollars?” When you’re starting a creative business, it’s the latter part that’s the real hang up. You’ve found your creative passion, but then you get stuck on the actual business part of it… I recently offered 12 creative entrepreneurs a free coaching session to help them work through their business hang ups. Through each session, I found a common thread of issues plaguing these owners… “Whenever I scroll on Instagram, I get discouraged...

“If you’re curious if someone can totally disappear from their business for 9 months, and then come back and still sell stuff right out of the gate… here’s your answer...” It’s been a little over a month since I’ve made my official return to social media and my calligraphy business. There’s been a whole lot of good, a little bad, and even some ugly moments during this ‘Radical Biz Experiment’ I launched a mere 6 weeks ago.  In this episode, I break down: The content I’ve produced and how...

Join me in part 2 of "My Major F*Up", where I share one of my BIGGEST f*ups in my creative business to date 🤦🏻‍♀️ I posted Crooked Calligraphy's "worst review of all time" that one of our calligraphy students left in our “Student Survey” that we ask all our students to complete at the end of the course. I thought that if I blurred out the reviewer’s name enough to make it unrecognizable, it would be ok to post. Turns out, I was absolutely wrong. In my haste, I didn't consider the impact...

Join me for this 2-part saga where I do something new and bold and scary and vulnerable.... and find out I royally f*cked up while doing it and hurt a couple people. In PART 1 I talk about how I shared the WORST (but most valuable), 1-Star review our Modern Calligraphy 101 course has ever gotten in 6 years and 4,500 students. And the three reasons why I did it: 1) To be more TRANSPARENT in my marketing 2) To lead with VULNERABILITY 3) To show my students and audience that we're not...

After 8 years of working with a life coach, quitting a lucrative law job to build up a million-dollar calligraphy business, and then taking a huge, risky break from that business…  I think I’ve finally figured out the BEST WAY to make DECISIONS for myself.  …And it’s not “trust your feelings” or “what does your body tell you?” Because here’s something I’ve learned: a decision that is absolutely right for you can feel absolutely TERRIBLE in your body. And a decision that is wrong for you can...

Today I answer YOUR questions about the 9 month break that I took from my business, Crooked Calligraphy.  What did the day-to-day look like?What creative projects did I do?How was my wedding?Was it hard to actually relax and do nothing?How did I prepare myself financially?Listen in for my honest, unscripted answers. PLUS - I'm opening up my calligraphy courses one last time with personalized feedback! Doors close March 8, 2023 - check it out at crookedcalligraphy.com/courses Follow along...

An impromptu start to Season 2 of the Shinah Show. I'm back from a 9-month break from my calligraphy business... and I want to do things differently this time around. More informal, organic and off-the-cuff. Tune in to hear more about my Radical Business Experiment of 2023 and how I'm approaching Instagram differently these days. I also explain why I'm giving myself a 5 out of 10 for how I'm doing so far... Follow along with my business experiment on Instagram:...