Secondary Colors with Nick Kuchar and Friends

As 2025 heads off into the sunset Nick, Dale & contemporary fine artist and digital creator Alimo close out the year discussing the highs and lows of opening a new retail shop, the future potential of NFTs, and how best to maximize your lightning-in-a-bottle moments. And most importantly, how many burritos will your next project bring you?? Alimo shares the conversion ratio on this important quest...

Ever wonder what really makes your art stand out at a market event? Nick, Tracey, and Dale catch up on recent events in episode 38. From booth creation and setup, to on-site activations like live screen printing for Nick's new limited edition "Mango Season". We share what's been working, what we're still dialing in, and a few book recommendations that are shaping how we approach business and creat...

Entrepreneur and Sunrise Shack co-founder Travis Smith joins Nick, Tracey & Dale to discuss 5 key elements you can implement to make your small business grow and hit it's full potential. The fellas deep dive into being resourceful, not afraid of failing, emotional connection with customers, your brand's authenticity, developing unique concepts and networking. Travis and Nick also discuss the impor...

Hau'oli Makahiki Hou and Happy New Year, friends! Nick, Tracey & Dale kick off 2025 by taking a moment to discuss art milestones from the last 12 months (most notably opening up a pop-up shop at Ala Moana Center!) Looking to potentially expand your art business to a brick and mortar location? The episode is packed with details and lessons learned in opening a retail shop (in one day, mind you!)  W...

Olympic gold-medalist Carissa Moore joins Nick, Tracey & Dale for an insightful chat for episode 35! As a multiple-time world champion surfer and non-profit founder, she not only showcases incredible talent in the ocean but also serves as a role model for the next generation.   Her commitment to empowering young surfers, especially girls, is evident through her involvement in her "Moore Aloha" fou...

Join artist, Surfer Towel owner, and all-around awesome human Christie Shinn as she teams up with Nick and Dale for an in-depth exploration of Rick Rubin's #1 New York Times bestseller, "The Creative Act: A Way of Being." This book addresses many of the challenges that creatives face across all genres. Whether you're a longtime fan or just discovering it, the trio shares valuable insights on its r...

Kailua's own Brodie Perkins joins the guys for episode #33! As an amazingly talented 3D Digital Sculptor, Brodie has designed and created toys for the likes of Disney, Hasbro, McFarlane Toys, DC Comics & more. He shares how his ability to adapt and morph his own career over the years not only made him pliable but enabled him to get to his level of success today and work on childhood favorites (lik...

E- commerce  expert and Co-Founder of  www. JustStartUp.com , Desiree Shank joins Nick & Dale for episode 32 of Secondary Colors! Desiree shares her wealth of knowledge on which KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) help best measure the success level of digital marketing campaigns and how to effectively utilize social media to drive traffic and sales.  She also gives specific case studies of how she...

Nick, Tracey & Dale are back in this advice-packed episode of Secondary Colors! From public speaking, to managing staff meetings and client giveaways to the daunting task of hiring a new employee - the gang discusses all the pitfalls and highlights of navigating the world of small business ownership in 2024.    Come join us, friends!  Recorded in sunny Kailua town, O'ahu @ the Nick Kuchar Art & De...

Nick, Tracey & Dale welcome June Shine's Creative Director, Kahana Kalama to episode #30 of Secondary Colors! Kahana delves into the many skills needed for a successful middle-man between marketing teams and artists - aptly comparing the ability to do so as it to it's own language. Having worked many times with Nick (for JuneShine's can art designs) he provides the best practices for the push-and-...

Maui-based artist Welzie returns to Secondary Colors to discuss his perspective of life after the tragic fires that swept Maui on August 8th. From the importance of establishing your creative community to helping children heal through art, Nick & Welzie have a heartfelt one-on-one about the ways we can learn and grow from moments like this through out life and the power of speaking positivity. Joi...

Nick, Tracey & Dale are back from their summer-long hiatus to discuss the whirlwind of these last few months. From the excitement of meeting wild deer (and even wilder robots) in Japan, to the devestation brought on by the Maui fires and the surprising challenges that come with fundraising, this episode is a candid catch up between the guys packed with unsolicited advice. Nick shares tips they lea...

Hailing from the streets of Yokohama, Japan (which might explain some of the audio quality, sorry) Nick sits down with several of his friends and fellow artists for this special Green Room Festival edition of Secondary Colors! Nick chats mastering the freelance life and giving back to the Pacific Islander community with Shar Tuiasoa AKA Punky Aloha ( https://punkyaloha.com ), to unlocking the chea...

What's going to take your art business to the next level? Brittney Heyd of Hawaii's Mana Up ( https://manauphawaii.com ) joins Nick, Tracey & Dale to share tips and advice on how to do just that! From ways to begin your art business journey, to the importance of telling your personal story and creating a narrative behind everything you sell - Brittany and the guys discuss it all. Plus, new prints...

Pricing our work can be one of the most difficult things in our daily process...it doesn't have to be!  Take advice from Nick & Jaz's about becoming a confident freelancer in this conversation geared toward empowering creatives.  Jaz offers a free pricing calculator on her website & encourages our listeners to know their worth. She also gives tips on how to move their business forward.  The duo di...

Creator of TheVectorLab , Designer Ray Dombroski joins Nick, Tracey & Dale for episode 24! Ray's extensive background in the surf apparel industry started in 2002. Since then he has designed for many top brands in California and Hawaii, such as Quiksilver, O'Neill, Billabong, Rip Curl, Ocean Pacific and Local Motion. He shares his successes and hardships that lead him to finally establishing The V...

Freelance Artist and Designer Matthew Tapia ( www.instagram.com/ MatthewTapia ) joins Nick, Tracey and Dale for episode 23! From his large scale work including the iconic "Wish You Were Here" at the Surfjack hotel pool to his role on the team for MLB's Cleveland Guardians rename and a variety of branding & lettering projects in-between, Matt shares what he's learned in the many steps along the roa...

The guys ring in the new year with Hawai'i-based graffiti artist Melon James ! Melon shares his personal story of his gang-filled past in the streets of Chicago, to life in the military and his eventual new beginnings on the isle of O'ahu. Weaving perseverance and artistic skill, his inspirational journey has turned a strong passion for graffiti and art into a successful career. Nick, Tracey & Dal...

Tis the Season to be ... Podcasting! Nick, Tracey & Dale look back at the last 20 episodes of Secondary Colors and share their favorite moments from all the guests and good times that they've shared.  We cover everything from crafting a great portfolio to show your clients (with Noa Emberson) and how to handle hard challenges and make difficult decisions (with career coach Maria Brophy and Juneshi...

Photographer Asia Brynne joins us for episode 20 to give her advice on being a successful commercial photographer. She talks diversifying your business and navigating the fine line of work you're passionate about with work you can make a living off of. Asia also provides practical tips for shoot day and the gang all chats about crafting your dream career through the winding road of entrepreneurshi...

Artist Jonas Claesson joins the guys to share words of wisdom on how to get helpful direction and quick feedback from your clients (from the initial design brief!) to revision stages and presenting the finished product. They talk ways to avoid creative burnout and the amazingly coined feat of learning how to "fail forward." Even Jonas' worst fail ever comes with practical advice you can take and a...

An often requested topic from our listeners, this deep dive takes us into Web3, NFTs and art on the blockchain. A must listen convo with guests Eric & Noah of Collective Strangers serves as a great intro-guide for creatives entering the space! The team also talks new studio releases, physical vs. digital collecting and Nick's upcoming NFT PFP collaboration with Collective Strangers (Sneak peak @ w...

Onward Creative Art Director and Artist Noa Emberson joins us to discuss the ins and outs of working with clients and gives practical tips on successfully directing a design team. How do you avoid an endless loop of revisions? How do you get properly compensated for your work? What does a client look for in a designer or creative agency? This one is a topical, insightful look into the way a creati...

After a long hiatus (thanks, COVID) the boys are back in town with episode 16! Nick & Tracey sit down with producer Dale to answer all your "Ask Me Anything" submissions from social media. From business tips to family life, and never discussed before topics, the guys reveal a plethora of fun facts about the adventures of Nick Kuchar Art & Design Co. Join us now, friends!

We dive headfirst into the intriguing life of renaissance man Brian Bent. From kookboxes to homemade hot rods, family-band punk rock and his myriad of creative ventures. The gang goes deep on advice for positive thinking during the darkest of times (even during tragic family loss) and how the right mindset to constantly put yourself out there can lead you to unexpected success. Nick, Tracey & Dale...