Gabbi Lancaster spent most of her life working as an after-school art teacher for kids and adults, but always struggled to pay her bills. When COVID put an end to her side job as a house painter, she invited all of her contacts to a private Facebook group where she would provide art and creativity prompts, and suddenly had over 300 signups. Now, at Art of Flow, she provides her members with fun and…
Gwynn Carla Jones ran several different businesses in her early twenties, but nothing quite felt right. She tried to create recurring revenue by launching a membership focused on DIY building projects, but she found herself overwhelmed and struggling after a messy launch. In 2020, she closed that membership, and was working as a VA and delivering groceries to try to keep a roof over her head. Now, at The Girl with a Glowforge SVG…
Trupti Karjinni started dabbling in watercolors to get a sense of calm and release. She created an Instagram account to post a picture of her art each day, and soon found herself with over 10,000 followers and people reaching out to buy her art. She found a community and a long-overdue sense of belonging. Now, at Thrive with Trupti, she provides aspiring watercolor artists with online training. She offers classes, focuses on colors and…
Infertility issues strained Maritza Parra’s marriage and gave her such bad panic attacks that she was unable to continue running her brick and mortar business. One day after divorce court, she had an epiphany, and she started using creativity to remember the simple truths she needed to hear. Soon, she was teaching this life-changing technique to others, and the resulting momentum led her to become a life coach. Now, at Heartwork Journaling University, she…
Sasha Sousa always loved theater, but became a secretary and got a job in internal audits to pay her bills. When she learned about becoming a bridal consultant, she launched an event planning business and soon discovered her knack for speaking. Now, at Consultancy for Creatives, she guides creative event professionals that are struggling to level up their creative business. She helps them get visibility, build confidence, increase sales, and expand their reach in ways…
After several years of growth, Susan Bradley’s shoe company experienced a sudden downturn in sales. It felt like things simply weren’t working like they used to. And when she learned that her 77-year-old mother now did all of her Christmas shopping online, Susan knew she needed to make a big change. She spent the next year growing her Facebook presence and building up her email list to 18,000 subscribers. Now, at The Social Sales…
Manu Muraro spent 15 years as a creative marketer for Cartoon Network. After she got laid off, she went to a startup, but the experience of being on all the time while holding a baby in her lap left her feeling exhausted, burned out, and unsatisfied. She decided to look slowly for another job and freelance until she found her next role. However, freelancing naturally led her to launch a membership business. Now, at…
Encouraged by her parents, Gail Sibley studied art, then started to build a following for her hand painted tiles and pastels in the markets of Salt Spring Island. People began to ask her to teach, but she found herself limited by the number of people she could serve in a single class. Now at How To Pastel and the Gail Sibley Art School, Gail provides her students who want to take the next step with…
Marisa Cummings got a degree in advertising because she feared she’d never be able to make a living as an artist. However, the older she got, the more inspired she felt to share her story as a self-taught artist and bring people along on that journey, which led her to create her first course. Now, at The Expansive Artists, she provides aspiring artists with workshops, courses, and community to empower their own creative lives. She…
As a stay at home mom, Joy Anderson struggled to create side income participating in MLMs and selling thrift store finds on eBay. When she left a failed marriage, she knew she needed to provide full-time income to support herself and her three kids, so she started a preschool. Now, at Start Your Preschool, Joy helps parents just like her stay home, create consistent income, and make a difference in their children’s lives. She…
