Creative Business Real Talk

“ I’m no longer afraid to put myself out there. .. Because of my hearing loss, I’ve always been a little intimidated by new people. But calligraphy has given me a great deal of confidence. And I’m proud of my work.” -  Amanda Nicole Borne Today, I’m talking to my student Amanda - a substitute teacher and calligraphy biz owner who is also dealing with progressive hearing loss.  There’s SO MUCH VALU...

Life is ALWAYS going to get in the way of your dreams. There I said it. I recently hosted my 'Calligraphy Business Inner Circle', where I gathered with a small group of students for an 8-week intensive to set them on their path towards entrepreneurship. As we’re coming down the home stretch, one of the biggest roadblocks we hit was, “life is getting in the way”. Family, friends, work, ta...

In a not-so-distant time ago, I was cowering under my fancy corporate lawyer desk praying no one would find me. I was miserable and dreaded waking up and going to work every day. So I quit, and started working for myself – and then completely burned out and quit that too for a while. So when someone asks me, “Do you regret entrepreneurship?”, that is a VERY good question. It has taken me being emp...

Not many people realize calligraphy goes WAYYYY beyond weddings – and is growing exponentially in almost every place possible. From presidential (and royal) calligraphers, to highly specialized pieces for celebrities & T.V. shows (Bridgerton anyone?), simple “pen and paper” items only scratch the surface of this industry – as well as the things I’ve made throughout my 9 years as a professional...

I’ve never told my whole story in one episode… so here it is. How I ended up as a successful but unhappy lawyer. How I got out. And how I hit the calligraphy business “jackpot”.   Listen to hear:  The REAL reason I decided to quit law (that I’ve never shared before) The humiliating thing I did as a third grader that held me back from becoming an entrepreneur  How much -I- was responsible for my mi...

How I learned to accept my imperfect body…  and how that went hand-in-hand with business growth.  In this vulnerable episode, I share openly about: How growing up Korean-American in this jacked up culture led to seriously disordered eating patterns for most of my adult life What happened when I finally did lose a lot of weight in my 20s… and how it didn’t bring me the peace I desperately wanted  H...

“Settling” for my husband has taught me SO MUCH about business… But letting go of the idea of my “perfect man” not only led me to the love of my life… but it taught me crucial business lessons, too.  So, keep listening to hear: Everything I thought I wanted in a partner and why I was so wrong about most of it My husband’s numerous “disqualifications” and the real drama of letting go of that perfec...

As a recovering perfectionist, the idea of publishing “less than perfect” work felt totally wrong early on in my business.   I would spend hours scrutinizing the tiniest of details, thinking no one would possibly take me seriously (much less buy anything from me!) otherwise. But all those hours spent overanalyzing weren’t getting me any further with my business. So I took a course from one of my b...

“I’m hopeful for the future now…” Jessica has been a middle-school teacher for 20 years, but the last six have been a real struggle.  But CALLIGRAPHY has changed all of that.  Jessica re-discovered the childhood hobby she had loved so much, then decided to enroll in my Calligraphy Biz Starter Guide Course - so she could finally do something more with her passion.  And starting her calligraphy busi...

“What if it goes RIGHT?!?” Jana Ricci began her company “Fishtail Flourish” after stepping away from a 6-figure career as a Director of Marketing. Finally giving herself permission to do something for herself, she became immersed in my calligraphy courses during COVID - and never looked back. Jana spends a lot of her time in (go figure) the small town of Fishtail, Montana. Tapping into her “posse”...

I broke into the calligraphy industry at one of the most ideal times. Instagram videos were on the rise & local maker events were popping up everywhere, giving me the opportunity to network my business. Then COVID quarantined everyone, and people were looking for something to do amidst the stagnant, day-to-day monotony of being stuck inside – and calligraphy’s popularity hit an all-time high....

So you want to start a calligraphy business – that’s awesome! But wait… are there too many calligraphers out there already that it’s going to be impossible to create your own space and stand out in this industry? This was an actual (and legitimate) question I got in my Instagram DM’s by a follower a few weeks ago. She was wondering if the market was too saturated for new calligraphers to make it –...

Who has ever said, “I’d LOVE to do that – but I have no time!” We’ve ALL said it, felt it, and truly meant it.   Time is fleeting in today’s world - we’re constantly running from point A to point B, being a slave to our to-do list of ‘highly important’ tasks. We’re “time famished” – constantly looking to squeeze a few more minutes out of our day. What if I told you that instead of feeling time fam...

350 place cards, 110 welcome cards, 40 table cards, and 8 menu templates later… I just completed my first $10k corporate calligraphy job in quite some time - And I am TIRED… Trust me, I don’t say this to brag – I say it to show all of you aspiring creatives and calligraphers that these jobs ACTUALLY exist. It’s not uncommon to find big brands with a company portfolio requiring calligraphy for thei...

Imagine if listening to this podcast *right now*, could change the entire trajectory of your life?? That’s what happened when Magda - podcast listener turned calligrapher & businesswoman - tuned into the 1st episode of "The Shinah Show" after my 9-month hiatus… with no other intentions than having something to break up her day amidst working her corporate job, folding laundry & c...

Growing up as a first-generation Korean-American, I was raised to believe that meeting “perfect” milestones would make me happy. There was never any letter other than an A on my report cards, a number other than 1600 on my SATS (and PSATS), or a university I attended with a ranking less than #1 in the nation (ok, don’t hate me – I promise it’s not all sunshine and rainbows). But while I was on thi...

I’m back for Season 3!   “I’m realizing that this is my damn business, and I can take it in any direction I want.” - Shinah The theme for this season is ANTI-PERFECTIONISM Season 1 was launched at the peak of my “pandemic success” - million dollar years, thousands of students, so much exposure through ads and social media Season 2 was the year of “coming back” after burnout and a long break … and...

I’m taking a little break from the Podcast and here’s why…  “This is the scariest thing I’ve ever done and I’m terrified.” - Shinah FIRST: Crooked Calligraphy is NOT going anywhere In fact, I’ve created a brand-new FREE CALLIGRAPHY STYLE MONTH for March 2024.  ✍️ So, if you want free lessons on how to think about style BUILDING BLOCKS, so you can level-up your CONFIDENCE and go after truly dreamy...

Let’s get into part 2 of how to start a calligraphy business with arguably one of THE most important things – how to attract customers & keep them with the services you’re providing! There is a LOT that goes into starting a business – which might sound incredibly scary. But this is stuff though where you actually need to show up and courageously keep trying. Of course, you don’t need to do EVE...

I’m de-mystifying the legal & financial steps to officially setup your calligraphy or art business.   “I promise, by the end of this episode, this stuff will feel less overwhelming and more DOABLE.” - Shinah If you’ve ever dreamed of making money with your art, but this scary logistical stuff is what’s stopping you, grab a notepad ‘cause we’re getting into the nitty gritty! LEGAL SETUP Choosin...

Betcha didn’t know I was a huge fantasy nerd🤓… and other (maybe) interesting facts  In today’s light-hearted episode, I share 13 things you probably didn’t know about me! Including: The 21 countries I’ve traveled to The martial arts black belt I never use… What I do in my 40s that I would NEVER DARE to do in my 20s Hopefully you feel like you know me a little better. If there’s anything that surp...

What could you accomplish if you no longer feared failure? "I’m more open than ever to feeling it ALL… success, disappointment, shame, and extraordinary gratitude." - Shinah If you go after something brave and a little unusual… you WILL face failure and disappointment.  Here’s what I do so that those feelings make me stronger, instead of crushing me: Three PRACTICAL things I do to re-fra...

"I made more money than my husband, for the very first time in my life... with calligraphy!" - Priscilla Basilio, Crooked Calligraphy Student Today, I’m interviewing someone who went from:  Not knowing anything about calligraphy... to Bringing in more money with her calligraphy business last December than her husband did with his full-time job!  Priscilla of Priscilla Basilio Design Stud...

If you’re afraid to follow your creative dreams, I’m going to give you some perspective today that will totally DISARM your fear (and it’s not what you might think). I’ve been encouraging people to go after their creativity in the form of calligraphy for 8 years now. I’ve sold courses that cost $500 or more – and I’ve also heard EVERY excuse under the sun why people don’t want to take that first s...

Genell of @speciallyinked is a BRUSH PEN calligrapher ( yes, not all calligraphers use pointed pen !) who started her calligraphy journey as a fun venture - unaware of her savvy marketing skills at the time. She had never really thought of herself as “creative”. But after taking my Modern Calligraphy 201 course (and showing her friends her progress along the way) Genell finally gained the confiden...