Finding clarity as an aspiring business owner can feel overwhelming. Especially if you have no one to talk your thoughts with. The truth is, whether you’re in the beginning stages of planning a business, or a seasoned entrepreneur, kicking around ideas with a content strategist can help you gain clarity about how to market your products and services.
I schedule a brainstorming session at the outset of working with each new client because of how powerful these conversations are. They help you come up with a content strategy you can stick to. And they help connect your content plan to your marketing goals.
Now, meet Megan, an artist who creates ornate calligraphy and intricate baskets from repurposed materials. Megan balances her time between art, her three children and other responsibilities. And she’s in the beginning stages of planning her creative business. She was struggling with finding clarity as an aspiring business owner. But it was good timing. As she was wrestling with different ideas, she won a free consultation I was offering and we were able to talk through them together.
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Megan on her creative process and work
Megan says, “I enjoy making pointed pen calligraphy, baskets, and origami. I have no business. I don’t even have the contiguous time to work on my projects reliably. But over the years, I’ve stolen moments to build a modest amount of skill, and I’ve reached a point where I feel ready to participate in artistic online communities.”
I got to work with Megan on developing an Instagram strategy that would be easy to stick to. Megan was a total Insta beginner, but she was ready to dip her foot in the pool.
The goal was to get her artwork out there and build a following first.
She says, “I’d love it if [my art] could become a source of income one day, as well (that’s the dream, right?)– but for now, I want to share work, get ideas, learn techniques and troubleshooting, and to get encouragement from other people who enjoy working in the same broad areas as I do.”
Before our strategy call, Megan sent over example photos of her artwork. She is an extremely intentional person, and that also shows in the type of art that she creates. So I knew it was important that her Instagram strategy was also intentional. Not that she couldn’t experiment, but that she wanted to have a plan that felt authentic and would help her move toward her goals.
When available, Megan uses found objects like pine needles to craft her baskets.
Seeing Megan’s art helped me start brainstorming ideas and I made notes. I loved wrapping my head around this strategy since I have a special place in my heart for artists and creatives. I have a fine arts photography background myself, and now I’m a content creator and strategist specializing in content repurposing. I love tying all these aspects together when I can!
After I’d had a think, Megan and I got on a call to talk through everything and create a plan.
How did Megan feel about the experience?
“I had the incredibly good fortune to win one of the 5 slots for a free consultation in a giveaway Willow hosted earlier this year. And honestly, when I won the slot, my first inclination was to apologize for taking the space because I’m not a professional and I was pretty sure I wasn’t worthy of Willow’s expertise and limited time. That’s where I was coming from.”
“And Willow was kind, calm, reassuring, and gracious. She treated me with the same professionalism and care (I believe!) that she gives regular clients, and it was just wonderful.”
An example of Megan’s calligraphy and the type of message we all want to send occasionally.
Finding clarity; So, what did we talk about?
I sent Megan an agenda before our call so she could take a look and ask questions. Some of the things we talked about during our call included:
- Choosing a good profile photo and username
- How to build know, like, and trust through her content
- How to create themes (also called content pillars)
- How to create community
- How to use and keep track of hashtags
- How to encourage followers to connect elsewhere, such as through an email list or blog
- How to feature her artwork in a way that’s representative online
That last point needs some clarification. Viewing artwork online is quite different from seeing it in a physical space. Since I have a photography background, I had some ideas to help Megan best present her artwork in the online space.
Here are some of the tips I shared with Megan
- Ground your pieces in space because it’s helpful to see the physical context in gauging their actual size. Also, take close-up photos of interesting details.
- Use a simple background for more complex pieces so that we can focus our attention on the pieces themselves.
- Photograph each art piece separately so the viewer can focus.
- Show your functional art pieces in use.
- Choose an outdoor setting with even light to take photos.
The session helped Megan gain clarity about what she offers
Sometimes finding clarity as an aspiring business owner is about understanding what you offer that’s different from anyone else. Aside from the concerns above, we also talked about some of the themes I saw in Megan’s artwork. She discusses them below:
“Willow helped me think through different elements in my work that might make me a bit unique my love of repurposing everyday objects, for reduced consumption, and the nostalgia and memento-keeping that I incorporate in some of my baskets.”
“For example, I made a series of small coiled baskets for my parents which used the (rinsed and dried) coffee filters from our morning pots of coffee together while they were visiting. And those are pieces that they use at home and remind them of our relationship, of the good times we have had together, and the good times we will share again.”
“Or the baskets I’ve recently been making using wine corks I’d been saving up from our home consumption. I love working with those corks, because of how many subtle variations of color, date, design, and height I can play with in an otherwise simple basket.”
“The dates on the corks, for example-I’ve made a basket for my husband with the birth years of our children showing, with the different hues of purple peeping up from the base.”
“And I’ve made one as a plant pot, which not only protects the surface underneath from any scratches, but allows plenty of ventilation to complement cork’s natural resistance to mold and mildew. (That one used some home-processed yucca and pampas grass in the core, but I much prefer using my homegrown lavender stalks and raffia, which is much easier on the hands.)”
An electrifying idea
Megan says, “One suggestion Willow raised was the possibility of memorial basketry with different elements such as clothing or hair, or baskets incorporating fabric from baby clothes or blankets“ and this absolutely electrified me when she said it, because one of my first projects was trying to figure out how to process the massive amounts of artwork my children made that were so hard to throw out, but that I couldn’t keep stockpiling. (I still don’t have a method I’m happy with, but I’ll have to get back to experimenting.”
Whether you’re an artist or an entrepreneur, you always have something unique to share with the world. Developing and refining your unique offer is often a continual process. But talking it through with another professional really helps you gain clarity. I offer a free 30-minute strategy call to assess whether we’d be a fit to work together.
I’m reminded of how much power there is in these conversations. By talking with Megan, and really every time I speak with a client on a brainstorming or strategy call.
Megan continues, “I did make a paper and fabric scrap basket for my father about ten years ago, and in spite of grandchildren playing with it and daily duty as a catch-all on his bedside table, it looks like it did on day one. So Willow’s comment showed me that she really understood where I was coming from, and it gave me courage to pursue this idea with other parents or people with loved ones.”
After our call, Megan had actionable next steps
I wanted to make sure that this conversation wouldn’t make Megan feel overwhelmed. So, I emailed her after our call–”Do you feel that you have clear next steps to act on?”
Megan replied, “Yes! I even accomplished one! I changed my “@finsta” account to @megan_lavelle_creative on Instagram, so I can be easily identified and found! Also, I posted a photo of an illuminated letter I made, and I successfully tagged a few relevant people. That was a big deal for me!
Also, Megan mentioned, “I’m now in the earliest stages of learning how to post things on Instagram. It’s a humbling start, but I’ve got some tutorials lined up and I plan to learn how to make Reels next (thanks to Willow’s suggestions). So, becoming competent with the Instagram platform is the first project.”
I also noticed that she added a fun profile photo and is no longer anonymous.
Real-world next step: ask for the order
On our call, Megan mentioned that she had brought handmade baskets to local businesses. But she hadn’t made it clear that they were samples of what they could order from her. She was afraid to mention that she was actually open for business and was just hoping they’d guess. So, being more clear about the fact that she could create made-to-order baskets was another goal.
Megan says, “…gifting a basket or artwork to a select local business with the right vibe and actually saying I’m taking commissions is the goal. I’ve given small pieces of work to different business owners in the past, but never with that key sentence. And I think it might help- I’m learning to use my words!”
I asked Megan, would you recommend other entrepreneurs work with me on something similar?
“ABSOLUTELY. For someone with an established business and tangible plans, Willow would be an incredible resource in streamlining thoughts, and getting you to the next step in whatever your path may be. She’s great, and I’d recommend her to anyone like that.”
“I came at Willow as a truly chaotic neutral, and somehow, even this brief initial consultation gave me “the permission” from myself to move forward, the confidence from consulting someone who does work with professionals that my work can reasonably interact in the realm of other online creatives, and the gentle direction that I need at my truly initial steps in this journey.”
“But I also want to take a moment to say that I think she could be a great resource for folks like me, who exist in a liminal sphere between things, alongside careers or side businesses or personal advancements we’d like to get to someday, but who have no idea how to start that journey.”
“It’s been an incredible gift, honestly, and I would love for other people like myself to have that opportunity. Trust me, Willow has space for you where you are. She’s professional, chill, experienced, and patient. I’m a significantly less chaotic neutral force now, thanks to her.”
So Megan, do you have any other thoughts you’d like to share?
“If you aren’t sure if Willow can help, try an initial consultation. It can be so challenging to find this kind of support in our communities (or lack of communities), and the opportunity to access Willow’s skillset and encouragement is invaluable. Do yourself a favor, wherever you are in your journey.”
Thank you, Megan, for the kind words! And, whether you’re working on finding clarity as an aspiring business owner, or you’re further on your business journey, please do schedule a free strategy call with me. We’ll discuss how I can support you in whatever phase of business you find yourself!
