Student Interview$0 to $6.6k/mo

Alright, three, two, one. Hey, everyone, Harry here today. I have Lori S. with me. We're gonna be talking about how Lori went from zero to about $6,600 in sales in around two months, so... with her original artwork. So before we kind of dig too much further into that, Lori, why don't I just pass it over to you? Can you just introduce yourself, share a little bit about you and your art practice, and what you do?

Sure. Hi, Harry, it is good to be here. I started, I guess I have to go to the beginning where I started this painting behind me. I redid my living room, I painted, and I bought a white sofa, and I went to look for a painting and I looked at all the normal places on Wayfair and online, and I didn't like what I saw. and I thought, well, let me do one for myself. So I-

Have you painted before?

I've always done some sort of art, but not really painted. But I found this. So I started poking around, and I ordered some paint and some canvases, and I started poking around for a method, and I came across fluid art. And if you don't know what fluid art is, it's a means of manipulating fluid paint on a canvas to form a piece of art. You use different densities, you use different additives. You can, to some extent, plan what will happen on the canvas. But to another extent, the paint's in charge. And that's really what I loved about it, that rush of adrenaline when you put the paint on the canvas and you start to move it around, and you really don't know what's gonna happen from one to the next. And that's just so exciting, and the result I think is very beautiful. And so the next step for me was, I thought it was beautiful, but would anyone else. So, you show it around to your friends and you make a few posts on Facebook, and people really loved what I was doing. But I was reluctant to call myself an artist. And meanwhile, I was spending hours and dollars and hours practicing and learning and studying, but I still said I did art, not that I was an artist. And at some point I said, okay, you've put enough into this, you deserve to call yourself an artist. And it was around the same time when I came across your program. And...

Sorry, how long have you been doing this sort of artwork? Has it been not that long, like less than a year or...

No, it's about a year and a half.

Year and a half.

Yeah.

What do you think is kind of unique with your style and your art practice?

Yeah, I mean, there's a lot of fluid artists out there, but the feedback I'm getting is that mine is different. Most of my artwork, I love the ocean, I love the sea and I use a lot of those colors in my artwork and that's... a lot of people love the beach and the ocean and the sea. So that's something that resonates to my customers. It's also very ethereal, some of my paintings, and I find that I can talk to one person and they see one thing in my painting, and I can talk to another and they see something completely different. Because I mean, as you can see, there's nothing in particular in my paintings. So I got the confidence to call myself an artist and I started, I did some paint workshops, and I found that that confidence made all the difference in the world. I knew in my heart of hearts that I had earned that title, and I had the confidence to be proud of it.

That's awesome.

And that was the turning point in my sales. Because as I'm out and about, and I do workshops-

Hey Lori, I love it, we'll talk about the sales. But really quick, before we get into that, take me back to kind of before you were making these sales. What was going on at the time? What were your plans around selling or marketing your art practice before we got started working together?

I really didn't have any. I really didn't have any plans. But it got to a point where I saw one of your other interviews, the guy said, well, there's so much art, I either have to move or sell it. And I filled my one space that I was looking to fill, and I said, well... this is something other people can find joy in. And the very first commission I did, it was kind of a test for me. I knew that I practiced enough to get what I had in my head on the canvas. But could I get what was in your head on the canvas? So my first commission was a challenge, but since then, I always put a little something in the paintings I do that means something only to my client. You would look at the painting and you would never see it. But if it was for you, you would know that that little mark, that color, that stripe, it means something personal. And people loved that I did that.

Would you talk to him about that before the commission or was that kind of a surprise at the end?

No, it just kind of happened. It just kind of happened. So after I did that, and that was kind of like a test for me, the first one I did, it was really a friend, and she said, I love what you do, I love- She was here, she saw this painting, she said, I love it, I want one. And I said, okay, here's- And I said, I'm not gonna charge you for this painting. Let's just go through. And it was again, about the same time I came across your program. And I said, let's just go through the process. Let me introduce myself, and let me talk to you about my art, and let me zone in on what you're looking for, and let's see what I say and what you say, and where we end up. And so that was my test. And once I went through that test, then I did the same thing with other people that I encountered along the way. And the sales went like this.

Yeah, so let me ask you this, a lot of folks out there I think do things similar to you. They get into art for themselves, they enjoy it, and then... Share a little bit about your other professional life, right? Share a little about that. And when did you kind of think, you know, I'd love to do more of this artwork and start selling it and actually make an income from it? Was that something that happened in the last four or five months? Or is that something that was kind of in your mind at the beginning of.

Well, it's something that was in the back of my head. I'm an accountant.

What do you do day to day? Yeah, you're an accountant?

Yeah, I'm an accountant. January is my busy season, so they're like nine, 10 hours days. I have six corporate clients and number of private clients, and in the corporate world, January is tax season. So... But I'd been in this business for many years and the plan was to, I mean, once I... I guess once I figured out where I was, then now the plan has come to be that as I back away from the accounting day to day world, I can be doing something I love on a regular basis and earn money also with that. So that's where I'm trying to set myself up.

Did you have that in mind though, that maybe this is a second career for me when you started painting or was that something that kind of came later as you got further and further?

It just kind of came.

Yeah.

But it only came because I always knew there was something there, but I didn't know what it was. But when I did this, I said, that's what it is. I just knew.

And you're still doing your accounting full-time, more or less?

Well, full-time plus really, yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

So, my life doesn't afford for me to do, I can only do so much art right now.

Right.

But I'm laying the base, and with intention. I'm laying the base, I'm learning the ins and outs of social media and trying to capture the process on film, on video. And then my workshops give me a lot of different leads when... I had a woman.

What's the workshops?

Huh?

What's the workshop? Is that something that you teach?

Yeah, I teach. I teach how to do this on a very high level. And I find... I actually had a woman cry, and she said, Lori, she said, I have kids, I have a job, a husband. I never get to be me anymore. And she said, for two hours while I was with you, I was a kid with crayons coloring outside the line, and I never get to do that. And thank you. I mean, and she cried tears. And so I mean, what could be more rewarding then to bring that joy out of people? So the workshops I've found have been a great way to get leads, because people leave with their paintings, they go home and they show them to a lot of their family, their friends, they hang in their living rooms, and they say, oh, I love that. And what seems to appeal to people about my work is people that want to participate in what hangs on their walls.

Right.

They don't want to go to Wayfair and buy a painting that... They want to participate and they want it to have meaning, and they want to show it off and be proud of it.

Have it be a talking piece.

Yeah, they want to be art collectors. They like to say this is from an artist I know. So I've... I think you take clues from the people you come across as you go through this journey. And if I had been a little further in your program, I think that's what is part of your program, is just listening to your clientele, and figuring out what makes them tick, and then selling to that.

Sure, yeah.

I actually did a display at a spa, and everyone loved my art, but the clientele that came, they were very much into meditation and yoga, and chakras and energy, and even past lives. And one lady looked at one of my paintings, and she said, oh, that's Atlantis. You're from a different world. So I actually did a series, I did a chakra series, and I did an earth element series, and put them to that place and they sold immediately.

Hmm, interesting. Well, before we kind of get into some of the things you've been working on and talk more about some of the stuff, think back to before you and I started working together. Did you have any frustrations or anxieties around the business side of the art practice at that time?

Absolutely. I absolutely did because I was spending a fortune and I was building a supply of art with nowhere to go and no one to enjoy it.

So you were making a lot of art, getting lots of canvases, but it was sitting up in your house?

Yeah, I mean, and I thought, when I look at this painting, I... Well, I mean, that was like a grand personal struggle that I did that. But when I look at it, I smile, and I know a lot of my commissions, they tell me, I look at your painting every day and it just makes me smile. And I thought to myself, well, maybe this can be a business. Maybe I can earn income and share that joy with somebody. Maybe somebody- But it was also abstract.

Did you have to get, like when you were starting in accounting, did you have to get clients for your accounting practice, or is that something that you hadn't... Did you have any sales experience?

No, it didn't quite work that way.

No?

No. I work in the corporate world, so-

Referrals, recommendations.

And I work for an entrepreneur who's always starting something new, so no. The clients just come to me.

Yep.

But I had all this artwork, I knew it brought me joy, I knew the first commission I did brought my client joy, I knew the workshops were bringing joy, but I really didn't know even where to start.

Yep.

And I watched... you can watch a zillion different YouTube channels, and there's a million different fluid artists on Instagram. But I wanted to be a little different in that I didn't want to sell stickers of my art, I didn't want to sell coffee mugs or t-shirts, I didn't want to be on Etsy and this one and that one. There's a number of sites where you can sell your art, and you have to go in every day.

Redbubble and all that, yeah.

I said to myself, I'm either going to go big or go home. So that's why your program appealed to me because I could focus in on going big. And that showed me how to get there.

Well, so let's go back to that. Where did you first hear about us? You remember?

I don't remember. I don't know.

Probably YouTube.

I guess it was YouTube, a YouTube commercial.

Yeah, and what do you think peaked your interest?

Um... Well, to be real honest, I expressed an interest for more information, and I didn't get 20,000 emails from you, I got instead a chance to speak to someone that had a real person who really listened to me. It wasn't like you'd get it when you start out and you start poking around social... You get a thousand people that want to sell you this and subscribe you to that. And you look at them all and you go, well, I don't know. But with your program, I didn't feel pressured, and then I was able to speak to your representative and have a conversation. And he listened to me. He wasn't... I mean, I'm sure his goal was to sell, but it felt more like he was interested in me and where I needed to go more than he was just willing to sell me a thing.

Right, that's cool.

And that made a difference to me.

Yeah, that's cool. Yeah, we try to really view things as a two-way street. There's a lot of people that maybe could have budget, but if we don't feel like it's a fit or vice versa, and so we're always trying to kind of assess that and then if it's a mutual fit and then really lead with value first before we get into talking about numbers and details, and if it makes sense to work together. So that's good. Did you have a chance, did you see any of the interviews, or did you see any of our clients? Did any of that kind of peak your interest when you were starting out?

Yeah, I did. I watched a couple of them, I'm sure I did. And yes, it did, because they were real people like me.

Yep.

They weren't high falutian, artist gallery type of... Maybe they're getting there, but they were like real people like me.

Yep.

They were grassroots people trying to enjoy what they do, love what they do, feel confident with what they do, and earn a living with it as well.

Cool, that's awesome. So let's dive in a little bit more. So the $6,600 in sales, how many pieces was that? Was that what, four or five pieces or...

Um... Four 30 by 40's, and the two series I mentioned, which were smaller.

Gotcha. Do you have any interesting stories or takeaways or thoughts from those sales that you want to share?

Um... Well, one of them... And I do abstract art, and part of my process before I paint is to get to know my client. And there's a woman I worked with years ago, and she saw something on Facebook and she said, oh, I want you to paint me... But, so we went through the process and we picked out colors, she picked out colors, and I typically make a color palette and send it. And I made the color palette, and... we talked a lot about it, and I created her painting, and I sent a picture of it, and she said, oh, I'm so sorry, but I hate it.

Okay.

And I said, well, I used the four colors that you were so specific. I mean, she actually went to Sherman Williams and picked out colors.

Wow.

And I said, I used exactly the colors that you wanted. And she said, no, I wanted something more like this. And she started sending me pictures of log cabins and sunsets and bears. And I had to say, I don't paint log cabins and bears. It's abstract. She said, well... My policy is that if you don't like it, I'll do it again. So I said, okay, let me try again. And so I did it again, and I sent her a picture, and she said, oh, I love it. And then she said, I don't think I like it.

Huh?

By now I'm kind of annoyed. So I said, I really think if you come and see it, you're gonna love it. And she's far away, she's a four or five hour drive from here. I said, but I- And that's a challenge I think a lot of artists face is when you're marketing your work online, it's very difficult to get a good picture of your art.

To visualize what it would be like in your space.

Yeah, the colors don't show. And I'm still learning on that one. But I said, I think if you love this, I think you will like it. And it was the second one, and I was ready either to give her money back or... So I said, just come, and I think you'll like it. I said, I really can't capture all it has in it with this photograph. So she did come and she walked in, and you could tell she was ready to say, I don't like it. And she looked at it and she said, I am in love with this painting. I love it. So, I mean, that was... It had never happened to me before where someone said, I don't like it. And I said, oh my God, what do I do? But she did like it in the end. So that's a funny story from one of my commissions.

I think it's a great story. And I think it shows how... I'm curious, do you ever have in your professional life with the accounting and stuff, I'm sure sometimes you have a client that might be upset or frustrated or have an issue and you had to work with them through that. Is that something you'd face in that part of your life?

Well, it's a little different with accounting because a lot of times my clients don't like what the numbers say, but they say what they have to say anyway. So it's my job to say, this is the law, or this is the way it is.

It's accurate.

And I'm sorry, but this is the story your numbers tell.

Yeah, and I think what I'm getting at is I bet through that experience, you have some good kind of client relationships, people management skills, and so it's cool that you're able to kind of say, hey, let's just come and see it in person, let's see how you think. And it sounds like it grew on them and then it ended up being a win-win.

Yeah, well she loved it. And I don't know, I mean, it's hard to assess yourself in that respect, but I am a person, you get what you get. And if I have something to say, I will say it kindly, but I'm not one of those people that doesn't say something that needs to be said.

Right, right.

So I guess I'm not coming across, just like I kind of said about you guys, I'm not coming across as a salesperson, I'm coming across as a person. And my goal with my clients is to have them feel joy when they look at my painting every time they look at it. Or experience that tearful moment where they were a child with no responsibilities, coloring outside the lines. This lady cried,

Right.

and that made such an impression on me. Something I love to do is something that took her out of her daily grind for just a little bit, and she smiled.

Right.

She smiled enough to cry. So I mean, I'm a real person. And I approach my life, my relationships, and my business in the same manner.

Yeah, that's awesome. That's really cool. That's great. I love that little story. And I think it just shows how, yeah, like you were trying, you're doing your best to accommodate them and make them happy. But you also know when you can just say, hey, I think, with empathy and care,

Right. come and look at this, I think you're gonna like it, and we'll cross that bridge if something else happens.

Yeah, well, it's an interesting process when you're creating a painting for someone and they think they know what they want, but then they want a tan background against a tan wall.

Right.

And I say, well... I show you a tan on tan because it won't pop that way. You need some contrast.

Yeah. And that's a confidence thing too, because as you learn, as you practice, as you go through these experiences with different clients, you become the expert,

Yep. and that's what you pay for.

Yeah, we call it in sales, we call it being a trusted advisor.

Yeah.

If you can reach trusted advisor status, what that means is the person that you're helping, they look at you as a counselor, as an expert, and then they're actually wanting you to challenge them. They don't want you to be a doormat. They don't want you just to be a yes man or a yes woman and do exactly what they want.

Right. And they know that because you're an expert, that you're gonna end up taking care of them and make sure they get a better outcome than maybe they could have even expected or realized they were looking for.

And that's the hope. That's the hope always.

Well, let me ask you this. So I know, Lori, you're just getting started in the program. We were just chatting a minute before this, and now there's a lot more for Lori to dig into in the the program and what we have to offer, but, can you speak to maybe what's one or two things you feel like from the program that have possibly influenced you and helped you make these sales? You mentioned confidence earlier.

Well, yeah, it's the confidence. And it's also having an awareness of your client and of your audience, so to speak. What do they comment on? What makes them pause as they walk by one painting and walk on by the next one? What do they say to you? What questions do they ask? What... So the program, in the first little steps, I mean, it's about who are you selling to? And you have to know who you're selling to. And you don't always get a questionnaire that says, here's who I am.

Right. You have to be aware of those clues, and if you're aware of them, then you can use them. So I think that was a big part of what helped, is just being aware and intentional in my conversations. And that doesn't mean a script. That just means, what do you see in my painting, and what do you like about my painting?

Actively listening, asking good questions, and really caring about what they have to say and not just working on what are you going to say next? And just waiting for your chance to say something.

Yeah, I mean, it's just... It's having an intentional conversation, and that's... if you looked it up in a dictionary, I'm pretty sure it would say, look the person in the eye, and speak, but then be sure to listen. And I mean, just being aware of that and knowing what you're listening for can make a big difference in where you go.

So what else? Do you think there's any other areas of your life or your business that have improved?

I think that's enough.

I do too. Do you feel like you have a sense that you can do this? You're on the path and you just keep putting one foot in front of the other, it's just gonna happen?

Yeah, I absolutely do. I feel... like I said, there's challenges. One of my biggest challenges is that I think I need to put more out on social media, but I have not figured out how to take an overhead picture of me doing what I do. When I do, people love that. I think it can be a great sales tool. But I need to work out the technology there to get that on video.

We should talk about that on a Q&A call or offline.

Okay.

'Cause I think there's a lot of artists that are interested in that type of thing, kind of like doing those motion capture videos and stuff.

Yeah, I mean-

I think every niche is a little bit different, like it might be worth testing, but I think a lot of times it attracts other artists. And what I would encourage you to do is see if you can get more photos of your collectors, either with the art or enjoying the art, or photos of you making the art, and it doesn't have to be all video, it can be stills and snapshots. So anyway, we can talk more about all that after this for sure.

Okay, that's be great.

That's great.

But I think the biggest thing besides what I've also mentioned was the confidence. Just the confidence to call myself an artist, the confidence to create an intentional plan for building this business, and then you have these little successes along the way and it reinforces that what you're doing is working.

Did you feel like, yeah, did it help you increase your confidence around asking for more money for your pieces at all?

Yes.

Yeah?

Yeah, it did. Because again, I wanted to go big or go home. And there's a million artists out there doing something like what I do, but they run a rat race. Either they're running to craft fairs on the weekend, loading the car and unloading and... And if I walked by an artist at a, we have a farmer's market, how's your sales? Oh, they're not good. But they do it every weekend. I didn't want to be that person.

What's that, the definition of insanity is just doing the same thing over and over with no results.

Yeah, with no results.

Expecting a different...

Yeah. So my plan intentionally has always been to go for the big ones, and I mean, I also enjoy the large canvas anyway.

Just to give you some encouragement, I think where your price point is right now, it's still not as big as it can be. There's more, it can get bigger.

Yeah, well...

So, if you want to, only if you want to, but we can talk more about that as well. Okay, sounds good.

Nice, I feel like I kinda cut you off there. Was there anything else you wanted to say?

No, I think that's it. I mean, it's just, it's I think it's all about having an intentional plan, listening to the cues that are in front of you that you don't always notice it unless you're trained to notice them, and going forward with confidence.

I love it, I love it. I think that's a really nice succinct way of putting it. So do you feel like you've gotten a return on your investment or are on the path of doing so?

Yeah, absolutely. And I just can't wait 'til I have time to dive more into the rest of the program that I didn't get to yet.

Yeah, yeah. There's more to come for sure.

Yeah. So thinking back to when you were talking to Cheery, who's on my team, why did you decide to do business with us?

Well, I think we covered that. I liked that he listened to me. I liked that he was a real person. I liked that I didn't get 20,000 emails from you trying to sell me something that I didn't even know what it was. I had the call, we talked about it, and I don't know. It just... I felt comfortable with it.

So you liked that relationship based approach. And that you felt like you'd be talking to people, it wouldn't be like you're out on your own or something.

Yeah, I mean, I look at the Facebook group, and you see the comments, and you are always fast to respond with answers and information. You can learn a great deal from other artists because we're all the same. We're all struggling in the same world. We have different paintings and we have different mediums and we're in different geographical locations, but in here we're all the same.

Yep, and the people that you're trying to reach, they're all human beings too. And they all wanna feel heard, they wanna feel special, and they wanna build relationships with you as the artist. And so, yeah, there's a lot of principles that are common.

My father, just for your information, was the Vice President of Quaker Oats marketing.

Really?

Yeah. He had an exhibit at the 1964 World's Fair.

Oh, wow.

I was the first child ever to eat Captain Crunch cereal as a test.

Wow.

I still have the little boat and the whistles and the watch. And so my father was in marketing and sales. Now, he sold dog food and he sold life, and oatmeal, and all that. But he always said to me, Lori, it's how you make people feel, not what you're selling.

Yep. It's how you make them feel. And that's always stuck with me. That I could be selling anything, but if I make you feel awful, you don't want it, even if you really want it.

Right.

So in all my life, it's not what you look like, it's not what color your hair is, or how fancy your diamonds are. It's how you make people feel that matters. And I think it's no different when you try to sell your art.

Yep.

You want to make people feel like you want to bring them joy.

One hundred percent.

You blend that with the confidence... What did you call it, an informed consultant?

Oh, a trusted advisor.

Yes. You combine that with the confidence to know that you have done what it takes to be that trusted advisor and that you care. I think it's a great combination, and it's a win.

It is. Yeah, it's like, confidence doesn't mean being arrogant. It doesn't mean being bossy. It means just being self-assured, like sticking up for yourself and challenging and pushing where you think it's gonna help the other person or where it's in their interests and stuff like that.

Right.

And that's the thing that, people respond to that so well. There's a study that they did, a scientific study they did on different sales archetypes, and they had different types, one of them was kind of like a doormat, like yes person, and then another was this challenger archetype. And that's the one that, across all industries, performs better, has the highest close rates, and also has the longest relationships with their clients. So it's kind of that trusted advisor archetype. Anyway, just as a fun little factoid.

Yeah.

Yeah, so it might be redundant, but would you recommend others work with us?

Absolutely.

What sort of artists do you feel are a good fit?

Well, any artist that is committed to creating a business plan. And it's a little... I know some people are very focused on business plans and I have a planner and a goal setter and I have all that on the table. But art is so abstract, and I think... you come to this table as a creative. And you may not necessarily have any experience in business or sales. And so if you try to take that creativity and make a business of it, you have to have direction and guidance. And so I think it's always good to start with a plan. I think it's good to have experts around you and peers around you that can bounce concepts off of, you can ask questions of, and to help you, help to tell you where to think, where to focus, and what works.

Yep. So absolutely, I think it's a great program for anyone.

Yeah. No, I think you nailed it, and I would just add, I think to one of your earlier points, it's like, you have to be somebody who is at least open to the idea of building relationships with your collectors, like really actually caring about the other person. And if you have this vision or this idea that you can just spend all day painting and never talk to anybody and somehow make a living out of your artwork, it's like, you kind of have to shake that off.

Yeah.

And at least be, even if you're like, you know what? I don't know how I'm gonna do it, but at least I'm open, I want to learn, I know that's important, I want to be able to build relationships with people and do that quickly and with intentionality, then that's going to be huge. That attitude, I think is big.

I think, as with anything that you're learning, you need to be a sponge, and you need to soak up all you can get from whoever you can get. And in that process, you may take some of what someone says and you might discard something they say, because it's not your style. But learn it all, read it all, listen to it at all, ask it all. And... you have to... you have to have some intention and some focus and then if you're open to it and you're a sponge, you can learn so much from our conversations, from your program, from the other artists on Facebook.

Right.

In the Facebook group. And that, I mean, it can do nothing but good for your process.

Yup. So let me ask you this. Why should an artist who's listening take action right now?

What is the question again?

If there's an artist who's listening to our conversation, why should they take action right now?

Well, because... because, I think if that person is looking for direction, is looking for information, is looking to take their creativity and do something with it, you have to take intentional steps. And the first step to understanding and starting any process is learning where you're going and how you're going to get there. So, I mean, why wouldn't you? Why wouldn't you take the step to learn from people that have been there, from experts such as yourself, from other artists that are on the same journey? Why wouldn't you?

Yeah. Yeah, I think a lot of times we get this idea that if we're starting our own art practice, our own business, like it has to be totally alone, like we have to be this iconoclast, everything has to be independent. But once you realize that there's other people that are kind of going through the same challenge you're going through, and if you can go through it together, it makes such a difference, you know?

And I mean... I think most people would say the art business, isn't a lonely business. It's a social thing. It brings joy, it brings... I mean, people don't go to art galleries by themselves. They go with their best friend or their partner. And then they talk about what that painting does to me. They see art in your home when they're there for cocktails or dinner. They watch you doing a demonstration and they they don't stand back and go, oh, they come up to you and go, well, how do you do that, and why do you do that? And they want to talk to you. So they're there for... you can, if you know what to listen for, you can learn so much. So why wouldn't you train your mind to listen for what matters?

Well, so this has been great, Lori, I'm really enjoying chatting with you. So kinda as we wrap this up, what do you think your... what's your number one piece of advice for artists who are listening out there right now?

I think I put it on Facebook the other month. I said, you're worth it, ask for it.

Yes, just ask for it.

And you'll know when you're worth it. When you get the degree in the mail, when you get the certificate, when you've painted for hours and hours and hours and days, and years. You know in your heart of hearts when you're ready. And once you get the, you're worth it, then find the confidence to ask for it. I mean, there's a little offensive little song on TikTok now, it costs that much because I'm worth it. I left out a few words. But I mean, think about it. You absolutely have the right to ask for all the knowledge, all the sweat, all the tears, all the tries, all the fails, all the successes. You absolutely should get paid for that. I mean, for my accounting clients, if you talk to me on the phone for five minutes, that's an hour, because I'm there for you. I'm available for you for that whatever.

That period.

So, I mean, you're worth it, ask for it.

No, I think that's a great message. It's... the way I look at it is, it's like, you don't know what you can make unless you ask for it, right?

That's right.

You may have doubts, you may have fears, you may say, there's no way I could do it, I haven't been doing it long enough. Or I don't have the degree or don't have the certification. How can I ask for this? But if you can just work on your mindset and really just give yourself positive self-talk, work on your beliefs, even if you have none of those things, you can be pleasantly surprised when people say yes. And sometimes they won't say yes, you're not gonna make every sale. But if you can have that confidence, and you make that ask for that higher amount, and you do it three times, four times, five times, 10 times, you're gonna eventually get somebody to say yes, and it's going to be the biggest boost, biggest wind in your sails, and then you're gonna have more and more.

I mean, I don't blink anymore. And I don't.... I price my paintings on, and I have like an accountant's formula in my head, but I don't blink.

Good.

If you don't want to pay this much for the painting, then you can go to Wayfair.

Sure, yeah.

Then you're not my client.

Right, right. Yeah, and it's no hard feelings, no burning of bridges.

No.

It's just, hey, it's not a fit right now.

No. But I also have the confidence, and this might sound conceited or something, but I also know that when you come in my house and you look at a painting, you're gonna go, oh, I might... I kind of wanted something more individual than what I got. But, so I mean... It just unfolds. If you're intentional and you're knowledgeable, and you're open to getting knowledge from every place you have available to you, I think it just happens.

Yeah, awesome.

It just, everything falls into place.

So let me ask you this. What do you have in mind for the next six to 12 months? What's your vision for the next year?

Well, I am tempering my art. I still get the itch to paint almost daily. But I've set a goal for myself that I would do two workshops a month, and they're a small group, there are only four, but it's incredible, the people I meet through those connections. And of course COVID has changed things around a little bit. So, but my intention, my plan is to do two workshops per month and try to have a commission each month.

Yeah. That's what I was gonna say, is like some sort of goal around predictability now. Like let's just keep consistency. And then once you have predictability, then you can focus on growing that if you want to, or you can dial it up and down as needed.

I actually, I go to the Caribbean, to Belize actually, a small island, in February every year. And I have friends down there, and I've been going there for a number of years. And my friend, she said, would you teach us, would you do a paint workshop there for us? She said, we could do it on the beach. And I was like, okay, that's my dream.

That'd be fun, take a lot of photos.

So next month we'll be doing a workshop from the beach.

Nice, awesome. Well, hey, if anyone wants to learn more about you, Lori, where can they find you online?

I am at seasidesoulart.com. I have a Facebook page, Instagram. So there's ways to message me, a number of different ways.

Awesome, well, great, well, good stuff. Thanks so much for chatting,

Thank you, Harry. and looking forward to see what happens next.

All right, thanks. Take care.

Bye.