Lettering Works Business Journal - September in Review
Where did September go? I am currently scouring my calendar and income and expense spreadsheets wondering just where did I spend all this time that somehow amounted to a full month since I last sat down to recap what I’ve been working on? Do you ever have a month like that?
It seems that I spent the majority of the month transitioning in to some pretty big programs that I am committed to for the remainder of the year. We also lost a true hero Ruth Bader Ginsburg, which was a tough loss during these already stressful times.
If you’re new here, welcome to my business journal. This ninth edition of the monthly business journal blog post celebrates the wins and serves as a space of reflection of this business journey.
Before this month, I hadn’t really shared that I earned six figures in gross sales last year. It was HUGE for me - back in 2016 my gross sales were less than $15K). I’ve been feeling inspired to explore an opportunity to teach others how to do the same for their own arts businesses.
These cards were the foundation of Lettering Works and are getting a facelift (which by popular vote includes removing the embossed border).
The Big Wins
I signed up for Digital Course Academy with Amy Porterfield and committed to creating and launching my first course. This $2K investment is just what I needed to push me from countless course ideas to focusing how I can best show up and serve with my experience and knowledge.
I reimagined the original line of Lettering Works greeting cards (the original product that started this entire business) into a more streamlined offering. The embossed border will be retired, but still available on custom orders. Transitioning to working with a local printer motivated me to rework popular designs and select the best six to serve as the foundation for the new line. I just got the samples yesterday and they look AMAZING.
“Bent…not broken” Scoliosis Warrior T-Shirt Design. Purchase a t-shirt via Etsy.
General Updates:
I developed new series of artwork to support USPS. You can read about best ways to support our beloved postal service and see all the designs here. Also on this topic, make sure you are planning how you will be voting.
New Product Developments! In addition to the greeting cards, a new Chicago Style Pizza Patch went into production (available for pre-order here), and new scoliosis designs were turned into t-shirts and stickers.
We launched Up Beet Jams’ new branding. You can see the beautiful result in our recent blog post. Working with Jam was a blast and it has been a joy to see her meal delivery service take off in Peoria.
I applied, got accepted, and enrolled in a program called ScaleUp run by the Women’s Business Development Center in Chicago. It’s a 9-week program to help me revisit my business model and identify opportunities and strategies for growth.
I presented to an entrepreneurship class at Bradley. I love sharing my experiences to inspire aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners to follow their own passions. If you need a speaker for your organization, feel free to send me a message. I was also invited for a live interview on Ethical Leaders Live where I talked about ethics in art and business.
I’m working on the Annual Report for the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism. This is my third annual report I’ve designed for them (even though no lettering is involved). I always say yes to their projects because I deeply appreciate their strong communication and organization skills.
I paid my quarterly taxes! For all my self-employed friends, we can commiserate on this dreaded activity together. For everyone else, just know that getting these payments organized and in on time is something to be proud of!
I attended a variety of professional development events including Tuesdays Together virtual meetup, Creative Mornings Field Trips (on writing marketing emails and doing deep work), two Sunnyside Chats, Femmebought presentations and community meetups, AIGA Mentor Program meetups (I’m in the fall program, which meets weekly and kicked off this month), P5 Project Masterclass with Forbes Riley, WIBC lunch and learn, CEO Days, and a Market Opportunity Tool workshop series. All these plus adjusting to ScaleUp and the Digital Course Academy coursework have me learning so much!
I started a new Facebook group for artists interested in making a sustainable living from their art. Request to join the Six-Figure Arts Business group or share with a friend who might be interested.
If you’ve made it this far, you know that I’ve got a lot of learning and big things in the works. I am excited to see what October (and turning 27) brings.
If you or someone you know would like to work on a project with me, send me a message via the website contact form and I’ll get back to you promptly. I have some immediate availability in October and am specifically ready to take on some new custom brand development projects.
