Every three months, you should look at your goals to ensure everything is on track and determine if you need to stay the course or make adjustments where needed. In this episode, LaKaye Mbah and I are doing our six-month check-in. We start by walking you through some of our motivators, mainly saving up for a home. We are both seasoned home buyers, so we know what we want and need. We also are in the market for different types of homes in different areas, and we hope our discussion will help you think through how to plan out your dream home. Additionally, we talk about the specific steps and products we need to execute to generate enough income to put a down payment on our dream homes. We dive into the specifics of the products, steps, and mindset shifts that need to happen for us to be successful. Show notes: NacheSnow.com/139

Studio 78: Branding, Productivity, & Business Tips for Female Creative Entrepreneurs

139. Defining Your Dream Home + Mid-Year Goal Reset

Kelsie McNair is a stained glass designer, photographer, content creator living in Bronx, NY. She started playing with stained glass in 2016 after a six-month residency at the Chrysler Glass Studio in Norfolk, Virginia. Immediately fascinated by the sculptural elements of this art form and the weird, wonderful weight of glass in her hands, she picked up the process right away. Consistently inspired by light, texture, and movement, processes old and unfamiliar, Kelsie hopes to keep pushing herself towards new and fresh glass objects to bring joy not only to herself but to anyone passing through, looking for something special to add to their collection. In this episode, Kelsie chats with us about challenges she had to deal with during 2020 and early 2021 and how it is important to take care of your mental health. She walks us through how she turned her stained glass hobby into a business where she operates as a stained glass designer and educator. We further discuss figuring out your creative language, developing a marketing strategy that makes sense for you, pricing stained glass, and her studio set-up and processes for being as safe as possible. Show Notes: NacheSnow.com/138

138. Starting a Stained Glass Business + The Importance of Mental Health

Aya Paper Co. is a sustainable stationery brand that creates greeting cards and gifts to celebrate the people and moments that matter most. When Founder and Creative Director SaVonne Anderson began conceptualizing plans for Aya, the earth’s well-being was at the front of her mind. As an advocate for environmental justice, she wanted to ensure that Aya Paper Co. didn’t perpetuate climate change and pollution issues, which disproportionately impact communities of color. In this episode, SaVonne and I chat about the importance of determining what’s right for you, choosing your journey, and asking yourself: What do you want? She also gets into the importance of believing in yourself and being comfortable pitching your business. We also get into how she started her business, why it was vital for her to create a brand with meaning, and how mentors have helped her along the way. Show Notes: NacheSnow.com/137

137. Believing in Yourself + Starting a Sustainable Stationery Brand

There is an app for everything, and depending on your industry and personal preferences, it can be hard to find one that you can seamlessly integrate into your current workflow. Nache’ Snow and Lakaye Mbah list their top five (with some bonuses) favorite apps of all time! They have used these software applications for years, except for two, and they help them stay organized and run professional, entrepreneurial endeavors. In this episode, they discuss how they utilize these apps to hopefully help you determine if one or several are right for you. They also discuss the importance of paying for apps annually to save money if you use them frequently. They also talk about avoiding the subscription trap and not paying for something you know you’re not using. Know that many of the apps mentioned have free trials, or a discount affiliate link was provided.   Show Notes: NacheSnow.com/136

136. Top Productivity Apps for Entrepreneurs

She Loves Me floral shop owner Holley Simmons is the daughter of a seamstress who spent her childhood gluing rhinestones on anything she could find. Her enthusiastic team takes just-plucked blooms and lovingly spins them into flower magic for special events, celebrations, and very important deliveries. They work with in-season flowers sourced from several local, women-owned farms throughout the spring, summer, and fall. When winter comes, they do their best to work with American-grown blooms. In addition to fresh-cut flowers, they offer dried floral arrangements, in-person and virtual workshops, as well as micro-weddings. In this episode, Holley chats with us about how teaching terrarium workshops took her from working a 9-to-5 to deciding to open up her flower shop. We talk about how the pandemic forced her to learn more about deliveries, why she is moving from her old place and opening two new locations, and she gives us her tips for styling floral photos. We also talk about taking risks, being authentic, supporting initiatives you love, and moments she decided to go for it! Show Notes: nachesnow.com/135

135. Get Comfortable Taking Risk + Opening a Flower Shop

Some may think personality tests and astrology is a bit too “woo-woo”; however, they can help facilitate self-awareness and introspection. What excites you, drives you, and makes you happy. These personality assessments can also indicate traits you may want to avoid in order to get more done or get along better with others. LaKaye and I both took the Enneagram test (which I love), and in this episode, we break down how our results apply to us and what we’ve learned, and in some cases (LaKaye!), are continuing to embrace. We also discuss astrology and the link between the two assessments. We are by no means experts in the field, just two driven women trying to understand better who we are. Show Notes: NacheSnow.com/134

134. How to Use Enneagram and Astrology for Personal Growth

Jessie Katz Greenberg is a designer and educator currently located in NYC. She specializes in hand lettering and loves getting the chance to incorporate handmade elements into graphic design for a unique final product. She has taught several hand lettering and craft workshops. Jessie has decided that working a 9-to-5 is best for her life and now works for the tech startup, Jumprope, as a DIY Content Director. In this episode, she discusses why she prefers working a 9-to-5 at this time versus being an entrepreneur. It was a bit of serendipity that landed her the job at Jumprope, and we discuss the power of relationship building. Show Note: NacheSnow.com/133

133. Entrepreneurship to Working Full-Time as a DIY Content Director

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 unique and has allowed them to succeed. They all are self-motivated, continue to learn, and are experts in their field. They remind us of what is possible. Show Notes: NacheSnow.com/132

132. Women We Admire & How They’ve Helped Us Achieve Success

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 favorite painting supplies. Show Notes: NacheSnow.com/131

131. Finding Your Artistic Style and Voice

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, making sure your customer service is on point. Lastly, they chat about the importance of marketing and knowing your why. Show Notes: NacheSnow.com/130

130. Hobbypreneur vs Entrepreneur

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 Conference, giving small business owners and creatives support and education through four magical days of craft, business, and wellness workshops at the beach. With the additions of a blog, podcast, online shop, workshops, and a thriving virtual community, the brand became Dear Handmade Life in 2013. In this episode, Nicole chats about why she decided to build a creative community, and she provides tips on how you can too. We get into the business of Craftcation to include her decision to start delegating more after her son was born and the mental impact of having to cancel a fully planned conference due to the pandemic. Lastly, we discuss productivity tips for organizing large events and how Camp DHL will differ from other virtual spaces for creatives. Show notes: https://nachesnow.com/129

129. A Virtual Adult Summer Camp for Creatives!

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 would promote healthy and balanced skin. In this episode, Monique discusses why sustainability is important to her and how she thoughtfully incorporated it into her ingredients, packaging, and shipping. We also chat about her R&D process, the impact of the pandemic and the social justice movement, and tips for pricing and wholesale. Monique clearly lays out how to strategically start a business from conceptualization to execution. Show Notes: NacheSnow.com/128

128. Biochemist to Sustainable Skincare Entrepreneur

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 illustrated cookbooks Mi Comida Latina and Comida Cubana. Both cookbooks feature over a hundred of Marcella’s favorite Latin American dishes captured in vibrant watercolor, ready to be explored. In this episode, Marcella discussed how starting a daily art practice after being laid off from a job she loved led her to create her first cookbook. We discuss her Kickstarter, how she slowly grew her art business, and the importance of in-person shows. She also talks about the impact of the pandemic and the process of switching from in-person to virtual workshops. Lastly, we discuss video tips for courses, finding printers for your products, and what’s going on with her store in Brookland. Show Notes: NacheSnow.com/127

127. How to Turn Your Art Practice Into a Business

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 “team service.” Which team are you on? We don’t get into the weeds of products and service-based business, so I know we left a lot on the table. However, we get into the not-so-good side of each business, how to determine which one is right for you, and share personal stories and dreams. Wherever you are in your journey, we hope this episode helps you decide which one is right for you. Show Notes: NacheSnow.com/126

126. Product-Based vs Service-Based Businesses

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, oECo Studios! This innovative ethical-eco production company creates engaging food and product videos by practicing conscious, intentional, and low/zero-waste production. In this episode, Elise discusses what has happened in life since being on the podcast almost four years ago. Including her journey of being diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome, a form of cancer. This life-changing diagnosis inspired her to think about how she wanted to continue having an impact, leading her to create oECo Studios. We chat about her marketing plan, managing projects, and all the things that come with starting up a new business. She also provides us with some fantastic eco-friendly companies. Show notes: NacheSnow.com/125

125. How a Cancer Diagnosis Led to the Creation of an Ethical-Eco Production Company

What would you do if you could not fail? Studio 78 is a podcast for creative entrepreneurs (artist, makers, educators, coaches, curators, designers, etc.) who want to learn how to make money from their passion. The studio is filled with stories from everyday females with extraordinary stories of entrepreneurship. They share how they’ve achieved success through personal and self-development, productivity, marketing, and determination. Nache Snow encourages you to find and pursue your passion through self-discovery, positive mindset, hard work, and just GETTING STARTED! Prepare to be inspired and walk away with actionable steps to do the thing you've always wanted to do.

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Studio 78: Branding, Productivity, & Business Tips for Femal...

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