Avsnitt
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This week on the Artist Academy Podcast, I finally let my husband take over the interviewer seat and ask questions. We polled the Artist Academy about what questions they had regarding art, business, personal life, and what itās really like living with a busy artist.
My husband, Ryan Sanders, has been asking for this for a while, so I finally obliged him with some time to talk into the microphone. If youāve ever met Ryan in person, you know his gift for gab. Heās way more of a personality than I am, has tons of sales advice, and keeps me laughing day in and day out.
Youāll find this episode entertaining at the least. Youāll also hear a bit more about my daily life, work habits, what itās taken to grow an art business alongside our growing family, and so much more.
Let me know if Ryan should never, ever again take over the interviewer position or if you laughed at all during our conversation. Both are likely.
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Take advantage of 35% off Artist Academy Memberships: https://andrea-ehrhardt.mykajabi.com/birthday
In todayās episode of the Artist Academy Podcast, I explain how I really felt painting on a roof and all the emotions that came with putting myself in an uncomfortable situation.
I also touch on a subject thatās been on my mind lately: the difference between a boss and employee mentality. This is a topic thatās not often discussed, but it needs to be looked at from an aerial perspective.
Making the shift from working for someone elseāshowing up and doing a job weāre told to do day in and day outāto working for ourselves is no small jump. Itās a mindset shift that can hold you back in your art business if youāre not aware of it. Here are some examples:
Employee Mentality:
Listening to bad advice, then blaming that for why things didnāt work outLooking for someone to tell you what to doComplaining when things donāt go your wayBoss Mentality:
Owning up to your mistakesMaking your own scheduleRealizing that your efforts directly affect the outcome of your businessListen to todayās episode to hear my examples and all the other details!
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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This week, Iām going to be going over all of the possible birthday week specials/discounts Iāve considered putting out this week, and which ones Iāve chosen & WHY.
35% off Lifetime Membership & 1-on-1 Coaching: Click here
35% off 1-Year Artist Academy Membership: Click here
NEW: ABC Coloring Book! Click hereIf you were to ask me, āWhat do you want for your birthday?ā I would immediately say, āPlease donāt buy me something. I have an Amazon account, and I donāt need any more material things, ever. What I really want is to make a $h!t ton of sales within my business.ā
Thereās something about getting that confirmation email that someone has bought something I offer. It gives such a blast of energy!
I have a goal to hit $200k by Jan 1st, so when I sit back and ask myselfā¦ āWhat can I put out thatās going to help me hit that monetary goal? But also, what do I really WANT to promote? What feels good to shout out to the world? Say somebody is going to give me extra money during my birthday week, what do I want to trade it for?ā
What do I offer currently? Letās make a list:
Murals/LogosArtist Academy Membership (1 year - 35% discount $155 = $289)Mural Money Book (Last year = signed copy)Prints - Canvas/paper art prints, alphabet series poster, custom name prints (Past years = 35% off)NEW: Coloring Book! (Please leave me a review for my birthday! Incentive: $5 off the next book I put out - Simply send me a screenshot of your review)NEW: 1-on-1 Coaching (35% off Lifetime Membership to the Academy - Be coached by me for the entire year!) $3,500 - 35% off ($1,225) = $2,275Frankly, these are things that I need to promote more often. So, why not give myself a reason to speak about it via a special offer during the week where Iām getting the most attention and my energy is at its highest?!
Steps I need to take in order to make this successful:
Iāve given my audience a heads-up that the birthday specials are coming (girls have booked the 1-on-1s already)Only booking 1 small mural job this weekCreate videos/photos (some scheduled ahead of time) to promote this HEAVILYCreate a calendar of planned posts: Monday - Announce all of them, Tuesday - Promote the 1-on-1 coaching and membership option, Wednesday - Promote the coloring book, Thursday - Membership reminders, Friday - Coloring book reminders. Last chance emails!
Link in my Instagram bioI know that itās only going to work if Iāve been showing up consistently throughout the year.
Listen to todayās episodes to hear all of the details!
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Todayās interview is an inspiring story of adventure with artist Julie Kluh. Julie has traveled and lived all over the world via sailboat and now paints beautiful, ocean-themed oil paintings for collectors. Talk about living the dream!
This interview is actually one from back in 2020, so I took a look at what Julie has been up to lately, and sheās still painting water! I sometimes envy artists who find their one and only niche and stick with it, because you can see the mastery in their craft, having painted the same type of thing over and over and over.
But thereās one new thing I noticed that sheās been up to, which is making rug prints of her art. She has her beautiful wave paintings printed on giant rugs for your home, and they are stunning! I love seeing artists grow and evolve and create new, unique things with art.
I know youāll enjoy this replay of an interview I did over four years ago with the amazing, adventurous artist Julie Kluh.
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This week on the podcast, Iām celebrating 11 years of full-time creativity/entrepreneurship by sharing some of my highest and lowest moments. I sat down to make a list of the fun, scary, trying times aaaaand some are pretty juicy.
I open up about some REALLY tough times where on the outside it looked like I was having the time of my lifeā¦ when in reality, looking back, it was my lowest point.
Thereās so much to learn from making mistakes and being in such a low spot in life, so Iām pulling back the glitter and rainbows to share my tough moments with you.But itās not just a sad Sally vibe, donāt worry. I share some of my highest, most prized moments too, AND how I landed the big opportunities! Learn from the things I did wrong and right in this weekās episode.
If you want to hear a really juicy episode from years past, listen to this one where I took a customer to court: Episode 198!
See the upcoming Mural Meetup schedule: www.artistacademy.co/meetup
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Todayās interview is an episode from 2020, where I had a very real conversation with wildlife artist Sophie Green. Check her out!
Iāve followed Sophie online for the past four years, and the amount of growth sheās had with her art business has been so well-deserved. I remember messaging her a little over a year ago about how much her paintings have transformed from very good to extremely good.
Sophie has always been a realistic wildlife artist, but her paintings have taken on an almost lifelike feel lately. Thatās in large part due to the habits and persistence sheās applied to growing her business, all of which she talks about in this interview.
Sophie is another one of those artists I would ask to hang out with in real life if she didnāt live all the way across the pond. Sheās very real in how she talks about how much painting actually sucks in the middle of the process, and how business tasks arenāt the most fun thing, etc.
I know youāll enjoy this interview with Sophie Green.
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This weekās episode is the first of many solo episodes youāre about to experience for the remainder of the year. Iām going to be testing out the approach of giving you one solo episode per week that is brand new, while also bringing back an interview I did with a past artist guest (likely from three years ago or more) each week.
Why am I doing this?
Because I polled my audience (you), asked what you wanted, and you responded. So, Iāll be giving you what you asked for.My energy is super high right now, and Iām a big believer in feeding off other peopleās energy because I practice it myself by listening to other podcasts. So, Iām showing up here for you to do the same with me. Take it! Take my LFG energy and go out to paint, sell, promote, and make money this holiday season! NOW is the time to put your head down and promote like youāve never promoted your art business before.
If you need MORE borrowed energy and a roadmap for how to promote, sell, email, etc., I have that for you inside ArtistAcademy.co with our 4th Quarter Success Plan. Itās a proven roadmap on how to navigate the holidays, complete with templates on how Iāve done it (and made money from it) in the past.
Onto todayās topicā¦
Eliminate indecisiveness by polling your audience. Simply ask them, āWhat do you want?ā
Tip #1: Giving them A, B, or C choices is a much better approach than simply asking a blank question.Tip #2-3: Listen to todayās episode to hear all about it!If youāre doing this for yourself, who cares what anyone thinks?
If youāre doing this to make money, your audienceās participation matters.Listen to hear the ways Iāve polled my audience in the past in order to make more money and lead a more stress-free art business.
Upcoming Birthday Specials:
35% off the 1-Year Artist Academy Membership
35% off the Lifetime Membership to the Artist Academy + Coaching with me for a year!
See the upcoming Mural Meetup schedule:
www.artistacademy.co/meetup -
Iāve decided that this year I am kicking it INTO GEAR for the 4th quarter, and in this weekās podcast episode Iām sharing with you exactly what that means...
How can you create a high-energy vibe for your life and business?
How can you use that vibe and energy to gain momentum, and then maintain it throughout the week, month, quarter, or year?
Letās dive into everything surrounding the topic of kicking our butts into gear to crush our goals!
Listen to this weekās episode to hear all the ways Iām doing this in my own life and business.
ALSO, here are the locations and dates for the upcoming 2025 Mural Meetups:
Costa Rica - Jan 6-13
10 spots available
Spray class taught by Kole TrentTulum, Mexico - Jan 20-25
8 spots availableBarcelona, Spain - March 10-14 - $100K Club Meetup
Invite OnlySt. Croix, Virgin Islands - April 1-5
15 spots availableSpringfield, Missouri - June 5-6
15 spots availableListen to the details and go HERE to see all the Mural Meetup info.
Upcoming Birthday Specials:
35% off the 1-Year Artist Academy Membership35% off the Lifetime Membership to the Artist Academy + Coaching with me for a year!Keep a lookout for the email shouting out when the birthday specials go live!
www.ArtistAcademy.co -
This weekās episode features Canadian artist Jackie Knauer. Painting windows is Jackieās forte, so we dive straight into the technical side of how to paint so both sides are visible to the viewer.
Jackie has a unique way of going about painting windows and shares everything from the step-by-step strategy to what specialized paint (and markers) she uses. I guarantee you will take something new from this interview, even if youāve been painting windows for years!
Let me know what you think of this weekās episode with Jackie Knauer.
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This weekās episode features Michelle Poli, or, as you may know her, Paint by Mish. We get into some very real talk about what itās like getting started with painting windows, including how to pitch yourself, what supplies to use, and how to price.
Michelle was inspired by window painting master Scot Campbell (arenāt we all?!), who came on the podcast in previous years. Listen to Scotās episode here š Window Painting with Scot Campbell - Replay
Iāve never tried using an airbrush but plan to in the near future, so I had all the logistical questions ready for Michelle. She happily answered them and SO MUCH MORE.
Listen to hear all of her tips and tricks for window paintingānot just this holiday season, but year-round!
Mentioned in this episode:
Airbrush Gun: Iwata Eclipse
Airbrush Paint: Createx -
This weekās episode is a small peek into a training we did recently inside the Artist Academy, all about finding and expanding your energetic minimum/maximum capabilities.
This is not a visionary exercise, but rather a tactical strategy that will leave you saying, āI need to do this in order to make $$$ next month.ā
This is just 20 minutes of an hour-long training we did inside the Artist Academy, so if you want more info on this topic and many other business trainings like it, apply today: www.ArtistAcademy.co.
Your energetic minimum is the minimum amount of effort you're conditioned to put in, knowing you will expect a certain outcome. There's no wondering if things will happenāyou just know. You know because it's happened so many times before that you're now accustomed to giving out the effort needed to meet that minimum.
An energetic maximum is the maximum amount of money, jobs, or opportunities that you think you are capable of achieving at this moment in timeānot in the future, but right now. Listen to hear what my energetic minimums and maximums are and how you can figure out and expand yours too!
www.MuralMoney.co -
This weekās episode features muralist team Sascha and Tashi Styliano. I really enjoyed hearing all of the behind-the-scenes information on subjects like pricing, ads, what itās like working with a partner, and how they relocated from South Africa to Cyprus all while keeping up the pace of full-time muraling.
If youāre looking for some motivation to start muraling, this is the episode for you. Both artists were such a joy to chat with, and so personable. With over 50 years of experience in the industry between them, they are an overflow of information on the subjects of painting and marketing.
Let me know what you think of this weekās episode with Sascha and Tashi Stylianou.
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Making $100,000 in your art business is the goal of many, but few (in comparison) seem to achieve it. Why is that? I asked members of our Artist Academy $100k Club: āWhat is the one thing that contributed to your success the most this past year?ā Their answers will motivate you!
Shoutout to the $100k Club members featured in this episode:
Lacey Crime
Rich Marks
Samantha Cox
Samm Wehman Epstein
Chelsea Blosil
Ryan Benefield
Crystal Jane Frye
Dani Romay
Jodi Trujillo
Hibaaq Ibrahim ($200k)Listen to hear the special sauce that took each of them over that $100k hurdle!
Get more art business coaching: www.ArtistAcademy.co
Be one of the first to get the Mural Co. Palette: www.muralcoproducts.com
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This weekās episode is a coaching call with Artist Academy member Brian Fritz. Brian is an artist at the beginning of his art journey, and we all know how mentally taxing that time can be. The beginning months or years of starting any business are extra exciting, hopeful, and frustrating. That time specifically is THE time to lean on a mentor, not when youāve already somewhat established yourself and have something to brag to a mentor about. We donāt care how good or not good at painting you are; we care about helping you through the toughest times.
Brian is interested in gaining more customers and supporting his lifestyle with art income through canvases, prints, and murals. We chat about how to talk to customers, pitch ideas, and promote his art.
If youād like to sign up for a one-on-one with me, you can do so within ArtistAcademy.co. I offer these to members for a small fee at any time. Sometimes it helps to have someone experienced look at your business from the outside and tell you the exact next steps to take.
A mentor can see the future of your business more clearly than you can because theyāve already been where you are and have navigated the hurdles to get to the other side. If youāre someone who could use some direction, I highly encourage you to seek out a mentor, whether itās me or someone who does the thing you want to do. It can make all the difference and get you to where you want to be faster.
Let me know what you think of this weekās sneak peek into a coaching call with Brian Fritz.
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This weekās episode of the Artist Academy Podcast is all about the things that influence my art business but are not exactly business-type tasks. Itās no coincidence that when my non-work life is in check, my productivity seems to be at its highest. Things like personal, mental, and health-related obstacles can dent my goals, and they definitely have done so this year.
Iām not much into opening up about personal issues. Iād rather stay very positive and business-oriented, but I think shining a light on things outside of work, and showing how they can be beneficial to the numbers $$$ Iām able to produce every month, makes a good point when it comes to taking care of the rest of life.
Itās kind of like the phrase, āHappy wife, happy life,ā but rather, āHappy life, happy business.ā Listen to hear the obstacles Iāve been thrown this year and how Iām overcoming, moving on, and using them to better my business.
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This weekās episode features illustrator and educator Scott Rempe. Scott gives actionable tips for you to take away and use within your art business to land more jobs! We go over how to have conversations with customers, what questions to ask, and even how to ask leading questions that position you as the expert.
I remember my first few conversations with customers on the phone, where I would be so excited to have someone interested in me painting for them that I wanted to show up and immediately get started. I didnāt know what to ask ahead of time, and I didnāt care. It wouldāve saved me so many headaches, and I wouldāve gotten paid so much better if I had valued my art enough in that first initial conversation to set boundaries and expectations.
We dive a bit into pricing and the red flags to pay attention to when having that initial budget conversation with potential customers. Let me know what you think of this weekās episode all about having better conversations and valuing your art with Scott Rempe.
www.scooterinkillustration.com
www.MuralMoney.com
www.ArtistAcademy.co -
This episode was done a bit differently with Ekaterina Sky taking over the interviewer position to ask me questions about podcasting. She is starting a podcast of her own, so this is mostly an episode where you get to be a fly on the wall to hear how I started/grew/promoted this podcast in the early days and now. Youāll get a lot of surprise behind-the-scenes facts!
If youāre not interested in starting a podcast, but are interested in starting something on the side, I know youāll find this conversation enlightening. I talk about what it takes to add a side job on top of full time muraling. It was A LOT to get used to, but Iāve fell into a groove nowadays that makes podcasting feel *easy.* However, the organization, processes, mindset, and consistent work habits that it took to get there were a journey.
Itās easy to look at something like a podcast, course, painting style, or something you know very little about and say: āThat looks easy enough. I think Iāll try it!ā Gotta love optimism. But the reality of exactly how many hoops there are to jump through to get something off the ground is what I bright to light in this episode. Take a listen!
www.MuralMoney.com
www.ArtistAcademy.co -
This weekās episode of the Artist Academy Podcast shines a light on the negative side of owning your own art business. We often chat about how AMAZING working for yourself is, but nobody can argue that entrepreneurship comes with a heavy mental load at times.
The 3 things that led me to reeeally dislike my art business (and at times still do) are:
1. Overbooking
I would schedule every weekday (and most weekends) back to back with projects to fit in as much work as possible! This led to an overly crammed schedule as soon as one project went over, or the weather didnāt cooperate, or a personal matter came up.FIX: I only schedule 1 project per week nowadays even though I have half the week open. Why? Because life happens. Customers ask for more details, rain days cause the schedule to be flip-flopped, kids get sick, etcā¦ But with a semi-open schedule, when life happens, itās okay.
2. The āShould-To-Doā List
There are endless amounts of things on my list of business improvement ideas.
I should be posting more reels.
I should be learning something new.
I should be focusing more on YouTube.
I should be adding things to my website.
I should be making more/updated tutorials.FIX: I finish the things I started before starting yet another new thing. I created a baseline of āthings to get done this weekā to feel productive, instead of focusing on the things I havenāt done or need to do.
Listen to todayās episode to hear the 3 things I make sure to get done every single week!
3. Uncertainty
There are so many ways to go about creating an art career. Which decision will make me the happiest, and most fulfilled, all while being the most profitable??
Will I have work next week/month/quarter/year?
How do I grow my business? What is the right next step?FIX: Go on a walk to help my brain think more clearly. Get real with myself about what would make me happy and not contribute to a survival mode mentality. Listen to this weekās episode to hear exactly how I talk myself out of overwhelm and uncertainty!
www.MuralMoney.com
www.ArtistAcademy.co -
This weekās episode is yet another addition to the Quit Your Day Job series, where I interview current members of the Artist Academy to discuss how they recently quit their day jobs to pursue art full-time.
Making that leap into full-time creativity after spending years working for someone else can be a rollercoaster of emotions, but Summer Paradiso is handling it with supreme optimism. Summer joined the Academy around a year and a half ago and started absorbing all of the art+business content to get a full understanding of what it would take to sell her art and promote her business to the point of supporting her family with a paintbrush.
With two toddlers at her side and a full-time teaching position to fill her day, Summer made some free time in the early morning hours to devote to commissions and growing her business. Listen as she shares what the journey has been like so far in terms of what sheās temporarily giving up in order to gain a new life with flexibility, more family time, and the ability to create meaningful art for her newfound customers.
Let me know what you think of this weekās episode with Summer Paradiso.
www.MuralMoney.com
www.ArtistAcademy.co -
This weekās episode features professional calligrapher, author, and educator Margaret Shepherd.
Throughout her 55-year career, Margaretās calligraphy is currently in the collection of the Smithsonian Museum, the Rare Books Department of the Boston Public Library, along with freelance work for multiple colleges and law firms. She has taught workshops and given live calligraphy demonstrations to artists across the world, stemming from Boston all the way to Uzbekistan. Margaret has written 20 calligraphy books in her lifelong career and has a lot of information behind what it takes to make a career out of lettering.
This interview is like talking with my grandmother about the stories of her early art career. Even though I have no interest in switching from murals to calligraphy, Margaretās advice made a few light bulbs go off in my head of ways to incorporate lettering even more into niche painting. For example, she talks about lettering envelopes for weddings, which would be a great addition for wedding portrait painters to add as a package deal.
Thereās so much value in talking with artists who have made a FULL career in the arts because theyāve seen it all. Iād like to have a cup of tea with Margaret one day to chat more about some of the ways sheās made a name for herself in her niche, written so many books, and overall has had a very fulfilling career with calligraphy.
Let me know what you think of this weekās episode with Margaret Shepherd.
Margaret's website: https://margaretshepherd.com
Margaret's new book: Learn American Calligraphy - Visa fler
