Where the Magic Happens

When the box is opened, the outfit is worn, or the photos are framed—whatever your creative element—having clients select, share, and celebrate your work is one of the most fulfilling aspects of running a business.

Most people quit before they reach this moment because getting here means talking to people they’ve never met and facing rejection. It also means fulfillment, satisfaction, and pride.

As you look to build your business, I encourage you to stop spinning in the comfort of the creative process and step into the power and growth of making client connections. Imagine the impact of your work helping one family today, inspiring one person, or elevating one customer’s experience.

Meeting future clients allows you to talk about your product, see what flows naturally, and determine where you need more thought and practice. You’ll hear questions that never occur to you. Why? Because we’re too close to our work. You don’t know what assumptions you’ve made until someone comments or inquires about something you thought was obvious. This is how we learn. This is how you make your offer more succinct. It’s how you get to your big dreams.

When the voice of doubt creeps in, be proactive and redirect that noise. What if it all goes great?! You’ll meet new people and glean valuable feedback no matter what happens. Like it or not, it’s all tied together. This is the road to success. Be willing to make the video, have the call, and go on the appointment.

From your client’s perspective, they appreciate a genuine conversation over a slick sales deck. They know when you’ve done your research and hear the passion as you share how your product adds value to their life or business. Even if they don’t buy today, this is how long-term relationships are built.

Connection is where the magic happens.

It's Not Downtime; It's Deposit Time

Stepping out onto the back patio, iced coffee in hand, I appreciate the opportunity to dial back the intensity and scale up the creativity. These long sunny days invite us to actively deposit into our creative account. It’s not an actual bank account but the space in your mind that holds all your lucrative, unique ideas.

Eastern Shore, Maryland

If you’re feeling depleted or need a boost, you’re in good company. Spring was a fast-paced season. From planning promotions to writing emails, social media to new product designs, and connecting with customers—all activities that require your unique touch to be memorable. Don’t think of summer as downtime; it’s deposit time.

You can dial it back and infuse the sights and sounds around you to replenish your creative coffer. This season of greater outdoor adventure is your chance to refill the imaginative energy you withdraw all year long.

We’ve learned that this mindset isn’t nice to have; it’s a must-do. Your distinct gifts are what make your work valuable, whether in a career, job, side gig, or full-time business. You need a clear mind and a full creative cup to deliver.

I heard someone recently suggest taking time to learn nature’s first language: silence. See the beauty of what’s unfolding on your neighborhood walk, hiking the trails, or strolling the shorelines. Notice the colorful beach towels and festive umbrellas. Enjoy the patterned plates, vibrant fruits and vegetables at the market, and the bubbly spirits. And, oh, the sunsets.

Mother Nature works hard to inspire you, elevate your thinking, and plant the seeds of ideas destined for your fabulous future. Accept the invitation and slow down long enough to receive it.

For more on this topic - visit our BizCreatv page.

Magazine Picks for a Pop of Inspiration

I’ve been cutting out pictures and pages from magazines since grade school, long before vision boards and journaling were a thing. There’s nothing like an inspiring magazine in your hands to spark creativity. The texture of the paper, the eye-catching photographs, and the content expand our thinking. Beyond the beauty of destinations and lifestyle, we look at content for a fresh take on color combinations, unique locations, outdoor scenes, trends and entertainment settings. It’s like buying a new home; every time you drive by a house, you look at something different. In magazines, every time you flip through the pages, you see something new.

In addition to social media and your industry publications, pick up a magazine that’s beyond the scope of your immediate business to explore a different perspective on what clients are doing, where they are going, and how they’re living. For us, travel, outdoor, cooking and entertainment are all slices of life that our customers enjoy. Unique artisan cups, whiskey tumblers, handwoven linens, and hand-crafted cutting boards are preferred entertainment elements for those who host lively celebrations and give distinct gifts; both are meant to be memorable. Reading the stories and profiles of people and places where your clients and colleagues live, rest, vacation, and work can enhance your content, especially now that our work and personal lives have become so intertwined.

Here are six of our go-to magazine choices to help inspire creative thinking:

Sweet Paul – While the recipe-lovers will surely enjoy this, so will the artists and creatives. The photographs are spectacular; everything from floral designs, custom crafts, upscale flea markets, outdoor chef barbeques and beautiful artisan elements appear on the pages. It’s is a unique publication offering far more than dinner and dessert options.

Afar – A global travel publication written to guide you to your best journeys. These storytellers make you feel like you’re experiencing the flavors and local culture right along with them. Articles range from the backroads of tribal lands in remote territories to the glitz of big-city destinations.

Where Women Create – Advice, lessons-learned, and tips, these pages are chock full of ideas and inspiration from women business owners in their glorious and colorful maker spaces.

Outside – The adventure seekers and explorers will enjoy the trails, tips, and dispatches from the wild. Find stories of those who love to roll up their sleeves for a weekend road trip, aren’t afraid of a little cold weather or rain to reach uncharted waters, or prefer a long mountain trek to the comfort of a beach towel.

Aspire Design and Home – The bright, eye-catching color combinations and distinct design concepts, along with unique editor picks, are as aspirational as the name implies.

Departures – This one is all about luxury travel destinations around the world. The magazine itself is a member benefit of American Express; however, it includes extensive articles on beautiful European getaways, domestic mountain and ski resorts, secluded properties, and upscale lifestyle tips and trends. Despite the obvious commercial connection, it is worth reading.

If you were here to look around my office, you would find pages from these magazines torn out and saved for years in our filing cabinet. You’d also see a metal bucket full of magazines and calendars of all shapes and sizes, along with pages of scenery, design, and inspirational pictures tacked to the corkboard or posted behind magnets. Online may be informative, easy, and even beautiful; however, print speaks to us and stays with us in ways that digital cannot.