From Passion to Pofit... From Artist to Entrepreneur

You get what you ask for. It's a cliche, I know. But over the last few years I have learned both how true it is and how easy it is not. Because in order  to get what you want, you have to first know what you want. And sometimes, we just don't know. Let me give you an example.

One thing on my bucket list was swimming with dolphins. This just sounded so magical to me, and I imagined a rush of wind in my hair and an instant bond with this creature who I would feel deeply connected to. So on a trip to Hawaii I booked a swim with a dolphin. I spent months looking forward to this day. And then day came, and I was standing in a freezing cold pool with my husband, son, and a line up of other people waiting for their turn with the dolphin. And in that moment all I thought was this: "I am standing in a pool full of dolphin shit. These dolphins live in this pool, and do their business in this pool. And it am standing in it." When the dolphin finally came my way, I felt no instant bond, but an instant terror, as this dolphin was freaking huge. I mean, it was a BIG dolphin. And I was like, get me the hell out of this freezing cold pool of feces and away from this giant animal that could kill me in an instant. Not the dream I had imagined.

I was NOT smiling like her.

However, in the last few years I have gotten better at recognizing what I truly desire. Last year I realized that I craved a community of other artists around me to support me as I become a working artist. So I attended an amazing art retreat, where I met 30 kindred souls. And when I got back home, I connected with another amazing local artist, Kathleen Tennant, who lived up the street from me. And these connections have helped me as I walk this new path. We have supported each other, cheered each other on, and provided critical advice and feedback for each other. It made me realize how important it is to build a strong community when you are pursuing your dreams.

My wonderful friend, artist Kathleen Tennant

So now I have a team of other artists around me, and I have launched Princess Monsters from A to Z successfully. The next step for me is learning how to manage this business. I have gone from spending most of my time creating to spending most of my time marketing, processing orders, trying to keep track of inventory, and wondering how I am going to keep track of finances. And any work-life balance has gone out the window. I am up working In the middle of the night because my brain won't shut down. I don't mind feeling like this for a short while, but at some point I am going to have to learn how to manage this all in a way that I get some down time or I will burn out.

  

With all these thoughts whirling around in my mind, I stumbled upon an upcoming conference put on by the Women In Business Network called "Passion to Profit." I knew as soon as I read the title that I needed to go to this conference. After reading more about the speakers I was even more sure. From Passion-to-Profit: Smart Growth Strategies, brings together some of  North America’s top female entrepreneurs to talk about how they built their empires and provide real world skills for women interested in turning their passions into profit. Their panel consists of an impressive array of entrepreneurs whose years of experience can help me figure some of this business stuff out. As an artist, business stuff is not exactly my specialty. But I have all of my funds sunk into product right now, so where was I magically going to come up with funds to attend a conference?

Sometimes you just have to ask for what you want, right? Well I asked the universe to find a way for me to attend, and it came through. I woke up to an email inviting me to attend Passion to Profit in exchange for writing some blogs about it. Finally, this blogging thing is paying off! Not only do I get to attend, but I get to tell you all about it! Passion to Profit is an amazing opportunity for women entrepreneurs to grow their networks and find the support and training they need. It is being put on by the Women in Business Network on Monday October 20, 2014 at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel – Vancouver, BC. 7:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. The registration fee is $200 and includes a 1 year membership and FREE child care for the day. If you follow this link and register with the code PassionPartner you can get the whole day for only $100!

  

I can't tell you how excited I am to be in a room full of business women and soak up some of their know-how. If this sounds exciting to you too, check out the list of speakers that will be attending at this link. And if you can't be there in person, check back here next week and I will tell you all about it. And remember to ask for what you want, you never know what could happen!