Business Journal: a place to celebrate wins & reflect - 25th Edition

January’s highlights included bringing back Self-Made Artist Academy, seeing my stickers at the Chicago History Museum, reflecting on 2021, hosting the first Friendly Artist Hangout, and enjoying Chicago despite the cold.

The Big Wins

• Enrolled 16 students in Self-Made Artist Academy. The third cohort of SMAA kicks off on February 1st and will be filled with a variety of artists and creatives ranging from musicians to designers to painters to fiber artists.

• Saw my stickers at the Chicago History Museum! Their gift shop has nine custom designs - St. Valentine's Massacre, Al Capone, Yellow Dress Illustration, Beige Uniform Illustration, Colorful Skirt Illustration, Fashion Illustration Group, Chicago History Museum Building, Chicago History Museum Logo, and Rolleiflex Camera - in addition to some of our best sellers.

• Created a new and updated informational PDF for Lettering Works outlining our refined offerings for 2022, which include branding for artists and creatives, contract lettering for agencies, wholesale and custom merchandise, and online courses.

General Updates + Accomplishments:

• Reflected on 2021 which was the third year in a row that I hit over $100,000 in gross revenue in business. I took time to look into the numbers and reflect on lessons learned. If you’re interested in the breakdown: design services made up 54%, wholesale made up 32%, teaching made up 10%, and products made up 4%.

• Wrapped up one branding project and started another. I completed a logo for a special cause and kicked off a new logo design for a local organizing company that will be celebrating their twelfth business anniversary in February. I also made great progress on other ongoing design and lettering work.

• Started a new habit: listening to a new book summary each weekday via Blinkist. After listening to over 60 audiobooks last year (with my goal of reading daily), I reflected and realized that I wanted to shift my focus to truly learning something new each day. Blinkist helps you understand books and podcasts in 15 minutes, which has been a perfect addition to my morning routine.

• Enjoyed Chicago (despite the cold). Highlights included exploring the Chicago History Museum, Chicago Cultural Center, Art Institute (with friends!), and going to a movie as well as enjoying food from some favorite spots like Lula Cafe, Pars Cove, Big Jones, and Bungalow by Middle Brow, as well as trying some new spots like Giant, Crosby’s Kitchen, and Owen & Engine. Fun fact: Did you know one of my hobbies is to review local businesses on Google? Google tells me I’m in the top 10% of contributors in the Chicago Metropolitan Area. #ShowYourLoveForLocal

• Set up a shop on MSA Marketplace which is a perk of being a new vendor member of the Museum Store Association. Museum members can conveniently shop Lettering Works via the platform here (and all others looking for wholesale can learn more on our website or find us on Faire).

• Got my COVID-19 booster. I choose to get vaccinated to protect myself and my community, especially those who can’t get vaccinated or haven’t had success with the vaccine working for them, like organ transplant recipients.

• Hosted the first Friendly Artist Hangout to connect with artists and share successes and struggles. I also shared knowledge with artists through an Instagram Live and two blog posts: The Evolution of Lessons Learned in Business: Shifting Beliefs Over 5+ Years in Business and Still Doing Free Work As An Artist in 2022? Read This.

Who knew that January in Chicago could be so successful and also filled with fun adventures despite the often freezing temperatures? I most appreciated the initial slow pace coupled with my focus on opportunities for growth this year.

In February, I am most looking forward to teaching artists through the Self-Made Artist Academy course as well as escaping the cold and taking some vacation days in sunny Florida.

Thank you for being here, for supporting me, and for following along with my journey.

PS - Have a project you’d like to chat about? Grab your free 20-minute project consultation + ensure your project gets on my calendar in 2022. Bring on all the logos, branded merchandise, + brand identity projects… let’s make some beautiful + impactful things together.