Hello out there to anyone who might be reading this! (PS: Is anyone reading this??)
Well, things have certainly been plugging along here at Alycia Yerves Creative and a LOT has happened over the 4 months since my last post. More on that in a post later this month. But, for now, let me fill you in on a few resources and content I am really loving right now. I'm calling this stuff "inspir-educ-ational" b/c it inspires AND educates, and for a new business owner like myself-- that is priceless.
For a few months now, I've been a member of this incredible (and private) Facebook group called The Rising Tide Society -- comprised of over 60k users who are all creatives and entrepreneurs, and who believe that a rising tide lifts all boats. Community over competition. The user's experience levels run the gamut from total newbies to established, successful professionals and run across many industries and niche markets as well. Everything from photographers and calligraphers to fashion designers and interior decorators to caterers and bakers to jewelers and candlemakers to marketers and writers to painters and graphic designers to gardeners to event planners to sculptors to videographers and on and on and on. You get the picture.
To say that I have learned a lot from these talented and generous strangers would be the understatement of the century. It has been so refreshing to see the more experienced creatives being willing to answer even the most basic of questions from a newbie. And to see the more middle of the road users be able to confidently bounce ideas off peers in their industry and discuss struggles. Everyone is encouraging and empowering, and REAL. Eager to help each other figure out whatever problem is at hand. I cannot recommend it enough. If you are a creative and/or solopreneur -- go find your local RTS chapter and join up. But at the very least, join the Facebook group.
Anyway -- one day, in a particular comment thread I was reading responses to, people were discussing pricing and billing and how to charge what you really feel your time / skill / experience / expertise is worth. KNOWING your worth. And being confident and bold enough to charge accordingly. Someone happened to paste a video into the comments (a video that was over 36 minutes long, omg) of a classroom lecture on this topic. I didn't know anything on the speaker or school or really anything, but judging from the excited and amazed comments on the video, I decided I needed to carve out 36 minutes of my late night phone-scrolling time and watch it.
This was life-changing.
The video (which I've posted below) features Chris Do (business designer, brand strategist, artist, entrepreneur) who founded Blind, Inc. and works with The Futur. I immediately loved this lecturing and teaching style, and was so drawn into everything he was explaining regarding struggling with appropriate pricing, managing tough client questions, confidence issues, and other key areas.
Talk about going down a YouTube rabbit hole!
I ended up finding The Futur's YouTube channel which was jam-packed with incredibly helpful videos to assist me in tuning up my pricing structures, design work, client experience, on-boarding process, and more. I am currently in the process of watching through the entire channel and taking notes-- implementing new skills and ideas where ever and however I can-- and I want to write and talk about the process. This is my own version of Julie & Julia!
Here is the video that kicked off my schooling... go ahead and watch. I'll wait.
...AWESOME, RIGHT?!?!?!?!
And then, as part of my Rabbit Hole journey, I found Chris's video series with Marks and Maker founder, designer Melinda Livsey. This series is really where I experienced several lightbulb moments, because this ongoing series features Chris tutoring Melinda in many different aspects of owning and running a creative business. So many of the questions / concerns / thoughts / instincts / fears Melinda mentioned, were things I have also experienced. It was almost as if she was inside my head, asking on my behalf! Honestly, it was kinda creepy. But I also LOVED IT. I recommend watching the first video in the series, which I've pasted below, because it really kicked me in the pants. Warning, it's 47 minutes long... but go make some coffee and grab your notebook and invest the time. Isn't your future worth it? (Plus, it's shorter than an episode of House of Cards).
Let's watch:
AREN'T YOU INSPIRED?!?!?! And educated???? Inspir-educ-ational, like I said :)
Conveniently, the ongoing series with Melinda is a ready-to-go playlist which you can find here. I recommend watching one episode each morning as you're making your breakfast and getting ready to start your day. You'll be SO pumped.
In addition to the amazing resources I've found in Chris, Melinda, and The Futur, I also have learned a ton from 2 other cool ladies, in particular:
Megan describes her company as "a creative studio helping you do business well." I stumbled across her site some time last year and was immediately inspired by not only the vibe and branding consistency that was carried throughout, but also her fun and conversational style. Seeing that she was a young entrepreneur in the creative space, whose company's personality seemed to be a reflection of her own personality, was something that I was able to easily relate to. I began following her career, observing her methods and messaging, and checking out some of her "biz besties" (i.e., fellow entrepreneurs she has done business with, who she recommends). I've also discovered some cool resources, webinars, and conferences thru Megan's suggestions and tips, which have been added value for me. She was also how I first learned about styled stock photography, and flatlays. In short, Megan rocks! I highly recommend to take some time looking through her awesome site, because it is jam-packed with excellent ideas and resources, as well as her beautiful work :) Check her out below:
2) Allison Marshall (aka Wonderlass)
I found Wonderlass by happy accident, while browsing for some unique styled stock photography for my business. I was specifically looking for images that used more of the bright and bold colors I had in mind-- but it was proving to be a challenge because most of the sites and examples I'd found were featuring more of that pastel and refined look. Don't get me wrong, that stuff is gorgeous too and definitely has its place-- I see so many sites and social media accounts that use photos like that, and they're stunning and convey a very distinct vibe-- but it just wasn't me. Luckily, I found some super fun, colorful, bright, and funky stock photos that Allison was giving away as a free download. I loved them! I was like, I have to find out the face behind these fun photos. Lo and behold-- Allison/Wonderlass is exactly who I expected she would be: a wonderful, colorful, magical unicorn (who also wants to help you have an awesome, creative business):
This is just a snippet from the world of solopreneur business content that I've been immersing myself in. Hopefully you've found some value in these awesome people and resources-- and maybe even discovered some new mentors to follow! :)
Do you have a favorite blogger / content creator / website / YouTube channel / podcast to recommend for other creative business owners? I would love to hear about them! Please comment and tell me all about it.
Thanks for reading this far-- more coming very soon, as I start to make blogging a more regular thing! :)
-alycia.