Studio 78: Ignite Your Passion, Amplify Productivity, Achieve Success

It's essential to take a step back and celebrate the women who have influenced or inspired you to achieve greatness. Ask yourself: what is it about them you admire, and what attributes have you absorbed to help you achieve your goals? In this episode, we decided to list well-known figures that have impacted our lives and who continue to motivate us. Each of them has a special sauce that makes them...

Tafy LaPlanche is an Afro-Latina portrait artist based in NYC and Savannah, Georgia. She paints vibrant portraits that embrace the culture of her subjects and who they are. In this episode, she walks us through her journey and how her experiences developed her artistic style. We also discuss how she began marketing her work, determining her pricing structure, and of course, we had to end with her...

In this latest episode of Nache' and Lakaye conversations, they discuss their interpretation of labels used for creatives, including hobbyist, artist, hobbypreneur, entrepreneur, and small business owner. The lines between them can sometimes get a bit fuzzy. They also provide the pros and cons of turning a hobby into a business and some tips to keep in mind when you get started, for example, makin...

Nicole Stevenson and her team curate events, education, and community for creatives and passionate small business owners through Dear Handmade Life (DHL). Nicole started with her aunt, who has since moved on, by initially creating a tiny holiday craft show called Patchwork Show. Over the next decade, Patchwork Show evolved into a multi-city biannual festival. In 2011, they launched Craftcation Con...

After leaving a ten-year post working in cancer immunotherapy as a biochemist, Monique Kofsky decided to combine her knowledge of chemical reactions in the human body with the importance of using great ingredients. She entered the fascinating world of soap making and spent the next year developing a gentle formulation made with high quality, fragrance, and harsh chemical-free ingredients that woul...

Marcella Kriebel has always been an artist and foodie. She moved to Washington, DC in 2009 for an internship at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. While the Oregon native continues to live in the city to this day, frequent visits to the Pacific Northwest and abroad keep the creativity flowing. Her studio is located on the Arts Walk in the Brookland neighborhood of DC. She is the author of the il...

I'm excited to have LaKaye Mbah come on as a recurring guest co-host this season to discuss various topics that impact creative women. You're getting an inside peek at how I chat with my business besties. Yes, you will hear a lot of laughter and jokes! This week we're covering product-based businesses vs. service-based businesses. Though we have dabbled in both, I'm "team product," and Lakaye is "...

Remember Elise Smith from episode 38? She is the owner of Winnie's Bakery, a food writer, recipe developer, and set stylist. With over ten years of working in the food industry—she has had the pleasure of working with major commercial brands. Her work has been featured in numerous Baltimore/DC local and national publications. She now has a new endeavor under her belt, owner of a production company...

Justine Swindell is a DC native multidisciplinary artist fusing retro vibes with visual storytelling. She collaborates with businesses, publications, and everyday people to create vibrant branding designs, murals, and illustrations. Through pop-ups events, art shows, and workshops she sells and teaches art along with showcasing how art can be used to inspire and have an impact. In this episode, we...

Nache Snow is ending the year by chatting with Monique Malcolm of Pimp Your Brilliance. We discuss what we thought  we were going to accomplish in 2020 and what really happened. We also reflect on what we learned about ourselves during the pandemic and the importance of doing what you want to do and figuring out how you want to show up. Some of our goals include making and selling our physical and...

Amanda Reid is the creator and founder of Amanda Reid Designs based in Austin. Amanda has been painting and creating for over 10 years, but fell in love with calligraphy and lettering in 2015 after taking a few classes to DIY her own wedding. During the day, she works in the clinic and hospital setting as a Doctor of Physical Therapy. In this episode, Amanda discusses how she balances being a phys...

Janine Vangool chats about how hard work, taking risks, and perseverance allowed her to build a successful magazine. We discuss why she prefers smaller more intimate communities, her creative process, and how she stays organized. Additionally, she shares why her subscription model allows her to create content specifically for her readers without having to cater to advertisers. Show Notes: nachesno...

While balancing a full-time job as a lawyer, Heidi Nielson runs two part-time businesses on nights and weekends. The first is Desert 2 District, where she creates desert-inspired illustrations and celebrates lawyers of color. The second is her mixed media art business. She is creating a body of work that is a meditation on the things we carry from generation to generation, reflecting and celebrati...

Remember Alana Rivera from episode 84 of the Studio 78 Podcast? She's back!! If you haven't listened to that episode, Alana started her natural body care line, Etta + Billie, back in 2009. She infuses some of the yummiest food smells—lavender, grapefruit, bergamot—into delicious body care products. I asked her to come on again to discuss what she's been doing to stay afloat during the pandemic. In...

Chandra Osann is the owner of Big Girl Press. She sells hand lettered stickers, digital prints, and apparel. She is a creative who uses her passion for words and lettering to uplift, inspire, and empower others, whether it be through quotes, Scripture, or illustration.  In this episode, Chandra discusses why she decided to open up an Etsy shop in 2020 to sell hand-lettered products. We discuss her...

Azhelle Wade has worked in the toy industry for over 10 years with companies like Toys R Us, Party City, and Madame Alexander. She has 3 patented toy products, multiple design awards, and is the host of the Making It In The Toy Industry podcast. This toy industry expert is here to help you prioritize your to-do list, teach you to think like a buyer, and virtually hold your hand during the toy deve...

LaKaye Mbah is a fine-art photographer who specializes in editorial style portraits. Using magazine layouts and her client's personalities as guides, she strives to bring out the best version of everyone she photographs. She photographs women, high school seniors, families and business imagery. In this episode, I've invited my good friend Lakaye Mbah back (listen to episode 05) to chat about educa...

Rose Pearlman is an artist, teacher, and textile designer.  With a background in fine arts and a love of well designed functional objects, her creations blur the lines between art and craft and push the boundaries with non-traditional techniques and materials.  Rose teaches monthly rug hooking workshops in and around her home in NYC, and also welcomes commissions for one of a kind constructions in...

Photographer and Interior Designer Shakira Hunt has a background in architecture, interiors, and photography which gives her a unique perspective on project work and the finished product. Recently, stepping into full-time entrepreneurship, Shakira focuses on capturing the culture and essence of community within brands and organizations.  In this episode, Shakira discusses feeling unfulfilled in he...

Toni Lipsey, TL Yarn Crafts, shares how she diversifies her income selling digital products on various platforms, how and why she made the decision to go full-time with her business, and the importance of getting paid properly. We also discuss the impact of the pandemic on her business and how to appropriately support minority businesses. Show Note: nachesnow.com/113

Studio 78 Podcast host, Nache' Snow, talks about some life events to include a hysterectomy to relieve pain, a move during COVID-19, and a divorce from someone she still considers her best friend. Though 2019-20 has proved to be full of change amongst other unexpected events, she discusses the importance of remaining resilient and having the courage to make significant life changes while also figu...

Morgan Harper Nichols is an artist and poet whose work is inspired by real-life interactions and stories. Morgan spent the first couple of years of her professional life as a college admission counselor, and then, as a full-time touring singer-songwriter and musician. It was on the road that she cultivated her curiosity and passion for writing, art, and design and slowly began to share her work on...

Welcome back Nicole Crowder from  episode 62 ! Nicole is an independent furniture designer and upholsterer behind Nicole Crowder Upholstery based in Washington D.C. She has been upholstering furniture for clients since 2013. Her list of clients includes residential, commercial, and hospitality, as well as small design collections. Previously Nicole was a Photo Editor in the publishing industry, wo...

In this episode, I talk to you about the power of the Enneagram personality test, how to pivot your goals to adjust to COVID-19, the importance of continuous education, why you need to get into the right mind space, and why you need to take action today. I also provide six items entrepreneurs should do this week to gain traction. Show notes: nachesnow.com/109

By day Nicole Capó Martínez is a florist and retail manager; on nights and weekends, she moonlights as a writer, artist, and model. She wrote a manifesto for radical self-love, What Makes You Soft. This collection of poetry and short essays is a guide for your journey towards discovering yourself. After Hurricane Maria, she wrote Mother's Tongue a memoir in essays and poems on growing up in Puerto...