Creative Business Real Talk

"How do people actually generate a living as a calligrapher? I thought it was all $3 place cards and making a few dollars for painstakingly writing envelopes...” If you've ever thought that, this episode is for you. In this episode, I’m sharing excerpts from 3 different speaker presentations from my “Art & Business of Modern Calligraphy Summit”: (2:38) Shaochen of Monstera Gold share...

Forget the 40-page business plan. Here's what actually works when you're just starting out. In this episode, I'm walking you through my Calligraphy Starter Business Plan: 3 categories, 9 questions, and zero room for overthinking yourself into paralysis. 1. 🖊️Your Product/Service - What to offer first (choose one for now!) - What related upgrades you could add for the same clients -...

What if I told you I sat on something for years that I REALLY wanted to do - but the fear overwhelmed me?  Sounds QUITE the opposite of the, “go for it” and, “YOU can do it” mentality I put out to the world, right?? As comfortable as I look online with a camera in front of me, you should see me at a party… Stuck to my husband. Biding my time in a corner till we leave. Worried no one wants to be my...

Sharing a personal update on what has been the busiest time in my business since my Million-Dollar-Revenue years.  In this episode, I share: A big, exciting project I’ve been working on that has been pushing on the most vulnerable parts of myself My new approach to Facebook Ads and what it’s teaching me The hard personal stuff that has been forcing me to re-prioritize  You never really “arrive” at...

If you've ever caught yourself saying "I'll start getting clients when my calligraphy is good enough" — this episode is going to mess with your head a little. In a good way. In addition to being a former corporate lawyer and now a calligrapher, you might be surprised to hear I also have a Harvard degree in psychology!. And after years of watching my students get hired, I can te...

Mian was a burned-out, unhappy tax lawyer who had quit calligraphy — twice. She had dabbled in it as a kid after her dad bought her a calligraphy set, and again as an adult, but her confidence got the best of her.  After adding the titles of lawyer, wife, and mother, calligrapher got pushed to the backburner. But with one brave, “I’m a calligrapher!” proclamation to a fellow creative years after h...

If feeling “behind” leads to you disappearing... your perfectionism might be quietly sabotaging your life.  In this episode, I’m unpacking the hidden reason so many high achievers quit, disappear, or stay stuck in cycles of burnout and perfectionism (all from personal experience!).  Because the truth is that perfectionism doesn’t create success. It creates shame, overwhelm, and emotional freeze. A...

Think you need to be an expert before teaching calligraphy? You don’t. In this episode of Creative Biz Real Talk , I break down exactly how I taught a fully booked calligraphy workshop (with a waitlist!) —and how you can confidently teach your first class, even if you’re still growing your skills. The secret? You don’t teach everything—you teach what matters (and even if you don’t think teaching i...

Calligraphy engravers are in HIGHER demand right now than ever - and you don’t have to have YEARS of experience to get paid for it! In this episode, I’m breaking down the fastest, simplest path to landing your first paid calligraphy engraving job - even if you’re still a beginner (because people pay for alllll levels of calligraphy - not just master penman status work…). I’ve seen my students with...

Think you need perfect calligraphy and to practice for years and years before you can start a business?  Think again. In this episode of Creative Biz Real Talk , I break down a 6-month roadmap to becoming a paid calligrapher—even if you’re starting from scratch. The key isn’t perfection… It's learning calligraphy and business skills at the same time. If you want to move faster (and skip years...

February and March were some of the hardest months I’ve had both emotionally and in my business - and not for the reasons you might think. On the outside, things looked fine. But internally, I was anxious, losing sleep, and questioning everything. In this episode, I’m sharing a vulnerable, behind-the-scenes look at the story I was telling myself… about my business, my relevance, and whether things...

Still not getting clients… even though you’re “putting yourself out there”? The problem might not be how you're pitching… but who you are pitching to.   In this episode of Creative Biz Real Talk , I break down the 3 most powerful groups of people to pitch to if you want to land more inquiries, better clients, and higher-paying opportunities. This is one of the highest and best leveraging acti...

🎯 Stop “Searching” for Clients — Start Planting the Right Seeds Forget the myth that clients are hiding in some secret club. The truth? You don’t find clients — you grow them through consistent, intentional outreach. In this episode, I’m sharing concrete tips for shifting your mindset so you can get your business up and running (without feeling sleazy doing it)! In this episode, I’m sharing: (:13...

What if one $497 investment could completely change your life? In this episode, Jessica Wofford shares how our Modern Calligraphy 201 course helped her go from burnt-out teacher to a full-time luxury calligrapher . She now works with dream brands like Dior, Prada, and Nordstrom… all while raising three kids and homeschooling. And she says investing in herself was THE KEY. It took her from 1-2 jobs...

What if you don’t think you’re creative… but you try anyway? And end up making an extra $10K in just two years?! On this episode of Creative Biz Real Talk , I’m sitting down with Danielle Williams… just 18 months after our first interview!  After starting calligraphy during the pandemic, Danielle still felt she needed guidance to help level up her skills. Within months of investing in our Modern C...

If you’ve been practicing calligraphy for months but still feel like a beginner… you’re not alone. Many calligraphers get stuck in the same cycle: worksheets, copying alphabets, trying flourishes—and never quite feeling confident enough to put their work out there. In this episode of Creative Biz Real Talk , I’m breaking down why so many calligraphers get stuck in beginner mode…and the shift that...

What if you could make $10,000+ from ONE corporate calligraphy job? In this episode of Creative Biz Real Talk , I break down how calligraphers can land high-paying corporate clients and luxury brand projects —and why these opportunities can be very different from weddings or individual commissions. Join me as I share my stories of being hired by corporate brands, the pro’s and con’s of working wit...

What if your middle school hobby suddenly became your real life job as an adult? In this episode of Creative Business Real Talk , you’ll hear Mian’s powerful, non-linear journey.  From loving calligraphy as a kid, to building a word-of-mouth side hustle whilst working as a tax lawyer, to quitting for nearly 10 years to focus on her family and career and thinking she was done with calligraphy - Mia...

If you’re stuck wondering what to sell as a beginner calligrapher, chances are you’ve considered envelopes… which are actually one of the first things I sold as a brand new calligrapher! Envelopes are an easy way to generate some of your very first sales.  And in this episode of Creative Biz Real Talk , I share a smarter, simpler way to think about calligraphy envelopes - not as your “end goal”, b...

If you’re overwhelmed thinking about your creative portfolio and don’t know where to begin, please know you ARE NOT ALONE! Your portfolio isn’t a scrapbook of everything you’ve ever made. It’s a sales tool. And if it’s not bringing in inquiries, it’s probably not structured as well as it can be. In this episode of Creative Biz Real Talk , I’m sharing: (2:50) How to make a portfolio if you don’t ha...

If you’ve been putting off building your first website for your creative business because it feels overwhelming—you’re not lazy or behind. You’ve just been given advice meant for established businesses, not beginners. In this episode of Creative Biz Real Talk, I’m breaking down what your first website actually needs, what you can safely skip, and how to get something live fast —without branding pa...

Lots of my students have become successful Pro Calligraphers, but WILL IT REALLY WORK FOR YOU? I got some very good questions recently from a busy mom who wanted a reality check and asked me: What’s a realistic first-year income for a 5-10hr/week side hustle? Can a busy working mom really make this work? How can new calligraphers stand out and get clients ? Should a new business start with local s...

What if your breakthrough was just two simple steps away? This week on Creative Business Real Talk , you’ll meet Sophilia - a student who proves that you’re closer than you think. She enrolled in our Modern Calligraphy 101 Program in January 2025.  By October 2025, her calligraphy was pro-level. But she still felt stuck, unsure, and desperate for direction. So I gave her two clear action steps… an...

There’s nothing “wrong” with you if you haven’t found your “creative passion” yet! In fact, let’s stop thinking about creative passion in a romantic fantasy, fairytale prince kinda way and let’s actually make it HAPPEN for ourselves (‘cause women in our middle years know how to get shit done, right?) In this episode of Creative Business Real Talk, I’m busting three myths that keep us from sticking...

Who makes more $$$? An accountant or a calligrapher? In this inspiring episode of Creative Business Real Talk , I sit down with Laura Hess of Getrie’s Calligraphy - a former accountant who took our calligraphy courses in 2020 thinking, “I’m not even artistic.”   Fast forward to today: she quit her 20-year corporate job, runs a thriving calligraphy business, and now earns way more PER HOUR for her...