Margo is joined by the incredibly talented Leigh Standley, founder of Curly Girl Design. Lee has been making waves in the greeting card industry since 2003, creating beautifully crafted cards that resonate deeply. In this episode, Leigh opens up about the evolution of her business through the seismic shifts in technology and consumer behaviors over the past two decades. From the early days of e-commerce to dealing with the challenges brought on by the pandemic that forced a business model...

Margo is joined by Aussie Surface Pattern Designer Rachael King. Obsessed with pattern from an early age, Rachael King grew up watching her talented mother making clothes not only for her and her siblings but for bridal and formal events too. While working in her mom's fabric shop, she mused over how the pattern repeated over the fabric and wondered how fabric was printed and wouldn't it be wonderful to design fabric too? It took another 23 years before Rachael was able to start a diploma in...

In this part 2 of 2 episode, Margo is joined by founder of Lonesome Pictopia, Melanie Nead. Rooted in American tattooing, the wild spaces of the Pacific Northwest, and the belief that all work should be a force for good, Lonesome Pictopia is a woman-owned design collective creating magical worlds with original wallpapers, textiles, and murals. After fifteen years as a custom tattoo artist, Melanie turned her love of plants and pattern to creating one-of-a-kind, hand-painted murals, with an...

Margo is joined by founder of Lonesome Pictopia, Melanie Nead. Rooted in American tattooing, the wild spaces of the Pacific Northwest, and the belief that all work should be a force for good, Lonesome Pictopia is a woman-owned design collective creating magical worlds with original wallpapers, textiles, and murals. After fifteen years as a custom tattoo artist, Melanie turned her love of plants and pattern to creating one-of-a-kind, hand-painted murals, with an eye on releasing a house line...

Margo is joined once again by surface pattern designer, intuitive art maker, and course creator Jessica Swift. As a child, Jessica sported a nearly-permanent Crayola marker stain on her left arm, from pinky to elbows so, naturally, she became an artist. She creates colorful, uplifting artwork and manufactures her own products in her studio in Portland, Oregon. She also collaborates with inspiring companies and publishers to create branded products such as fabric, stationery, puzzles, books,...

Margo is joined once again by artist, metalsmith, teacher, creative business coach, writer, and entrepreneur Megan Aumen. Megan has built a multi-faceted business around her passion for art, design, and creativity. In addition to her eponymous jewelry line and various other creative pursuits (including textile design, painting, and sculpture), she runs Designing an MBA, where she talks and teaches about the intersection of art and business, and Artists and Profit Makers, an online mentorship...

Margo is joined by book-loving, notebook-hoarding literacy teacher educator who is on a mission to change lives one book and one notebook at a time, Stephanie Affinito. Stephanie blogs about the power of leading literate lives and podcasts weekly on books and reading, writing and notebooks and everything in between. Stephanie shares about the transformative power of reading and writing and how her own personal journey of rediscovering creativity through self-expression and the joy of...

The one and only Lisa Congdon is back in the windowsill for an honest conversation on work life balance, creating harmony and ease in life, and what she’s given up in order to have more of what she wants. Illustrator and author Lisa Congdon is best known for her colorful, graphic drawings and hand lettering. She works for clients around the world including Comme des Garçons, Crate and Barrel, Facebook, MoMA, REI, and Harvard University among many others. She is the author of ten books,...

Margo is joined by California photographer and retreat creator and host, Sarah Leader. Sarah received her first camera at the age of 8 and hasn’t stopped photographing since but her why and who she photographs has evolved several times over while still saying true to her own style and uniqueness. She found a passion for empowering women through the art of photography in 2010, which evolved into a retreat offering called "Persephone Unleashed.” Persephone Unleashed was born from Sarah’s belief...

Margo is joined by former Windowsill Chats guest, Lori Siebert. Lori, an accomplished artist with a rich background in graphic design and art licensing, shares the evolution of her creative journey, reflecting on the major shifts in her life post turning 60, from handling significant losses to prioritizing joy and self-care. Together, they share insights into recent personal health discoveries and why they’ve decided to prioritize their health now and how they hope to encourage you to do the...

Margo is joined by tax expert Hannah Cole who specializes in working with creative businesses and mission-driven solopreneurs. A long-time working artist herself, she’s helped tens of thousands of self-employed people skill up with accessible tax and money education, through her Money Bootcamp program, speaking engagements from Florida to Alaska, and on the Sunlight podcast. She is the founder of Sunlight Tax. As artists carve their paths through various industries, they encounter a myriad of...

In part two of this two-part episode, Margo is joined by illustrator, product designer, toy creator, and bookmaker of sophisticated and simple objects that inspire and delight young and old alike, Suzy Ultman. from graphic design to creating educational content for children, Suzy emphasizes the importance of infusing personal beliefs into professional projects and how hardships in her life such as her divorce and the loss of her sister played a role in her own creativity and imparting it on...

In this two-part episode, Margo is joined by illustrator, product designer, toy creator, and bookmaker of sophisticated and simple objects that inspire and delight young and old alike, Suzy Ultman. from graphic design to creating educational content for children, Suzy emphasizes the importance of infusing personal beliefs into professional projects and how hardships in her life such as her divorce and the loss of her sister played a role in her own creativity and imparting it on children....

Margo is joined by fantastical and whimsical artist, Jules Gissler. Jules doesn’t color in the proverbial lines, and she is proud to create art that has a voice and a story. Over the years, my work has taken different shapes, as has she. Jules believes in being braver, bolder, and unafraid to take up space and also the important role humor and connection plays in our evolution. Jules' art is an embodiment of who she is. It’s how she lives her magic, the combination of vulnerability,...

Margo is joined by the cheeky glam ma'am behind the Champagne Fabulous brand of gifts and home decor, Mandi Blackford. Through her brand, Mandi encourages people of all ages to unabashedly be exactly who they WANT to be with her motto "Age Inappropriately.” A watercolor & acrylic artist previously selling under the brand Jetset Barbie Art, Mandi took her creative career to the next level in 2022 when she launched the Champagne Fabulous brand with her first two original products on Amazon...

Margo is joined by certified and credentialed life coach and hypnotherapist, masterful speaker, and courageous communication expert Amy Green Smith. Amy uses her roles as coach, writer, podcaster, and speaker to move individuals to a place of radical personal empowerment and self-worth. With acute focus on helping people “find their voice”, she is highly sought after for her uncommon style of irreverence, wisdom, and humor.   Margo and Amy discuss: Her life crisis moment that led her to...

Margo is joined by listener favorite guest Beth Buffington. Beth is a licensed illustrator, and an online digital illustration instructor, creative coach, and podcaster. Like most creatives, she has been drawing since she was old enough to hold her favorite red crayon. After graduating with a degree in art and graphic design, Beth began her creative career working for “in-house” corporate art departments. 
After years of corporate communications, she decided to focus on her personal creative...

Margo is joined by botanical watercolor artist, teacher and podcast host Ping He. Ping made a career change from flower consultant to botanical artist in 2019 and shortly thereafter launched a successful stationary and gift brand, Ping He Art where she turned her intricate designs into beautiful paper products. Today, her art is available in 150 stores across 12 counties. In 2021, Ping was diagnosed with breast cancer which is when she realized her need and desire to live a life with purpose...

This week Margo and her sister play a bit of a role reversal and Margo is interviewed In the Windowsill! As the creator and host of the podcast, Margo rarely shares intimately about herself but she figured it was time to change that. Margo shares her experience with wire art and the moment a piece of art went from an act of creativity to monetized creativity, working in wholesale, collaborating with artists to create unique retail products, and bridging the gap between creatives and their...

Margo is joined by Shamanic Practitioner and Spiritual Guide Jade Chen. Jade supports and assists people on their healing journey and believes everyone has the capacity to activate the healer within. Her own awakening journey began in 2016 when life took some major turns and she left both a highly financially secure career and a relationship of over 6 years. She felt she had been living her life in a dazed dream; just going through the motions and trying her best to maintain surface...

Margo is joined by artist, designer, and educator Rukmini Poddar. Rukmini’s creative passion lies at the intersection of emotional wellness and creative storytelling which she helps others connect to through her new book Draw Your Feelings: A Creative Journal to Help Connect with Your Emotions through Art. Rukmini found her creative voice through participating in the #100DayProject for over 9 consecutive years and has grown her instagram community to over 100,000 followers. She is best known...

Margo is joined by writer, singer-songwriter, teacher, and coach Marisa Handler. Marisa is the author of Loyal to the Sky, which won a Nautilus Gold Award for world-changing books and her essays, fiction, and poetry have appeared in numerous publications. Her music is also streamed across large platforms such as Spotify and iTunes. Marisa earned her MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, and has received many fellowships in Creative Writing, including a Fulbright and an Elizabeth George...

Margo is joined by Britta Borden-Tabor, a trailblazing digital influencer and empowerment coach whose passion knows no bounds. Britta has dedicated her life's mission to inspiring and uplifting women over 40, helping them uncover their passions and turn their dreams into reality. She isn't just a coach; she's a beacon of motivation, a force of nature, and a true inspiration to countless souls. Through her powerful words and magnetic presence, Britta ignites a flame within her audience, urging...

Margo is joined by fine artist Robyn Thayer. Robyn has been making the world a more appealing place as a beauty maker and storyteller since her first smile. Robyn’s art education is informal and profuse; a daily act. Her favorite artwork is large in scale and she prefers to use acrylics, water-soluble graphite and crayons, to create representational, contemporary abstract paintings. In this way she is able to convey a dreamlike quality- reflecting the innocence and grandeur of where the...