Mind Over Medium
A Podcast for artists who want to make money doing what they love. Each week you will learn how to attract your ideal commissions, approach galleries for representation, have a great online launch of your work and how to do it all with less overwhelm and confusion. You will hear from amazing artists who will share how they have built their successful creative businesses. My hope is to create a space where artists and the creative curious can learn about one of the most important tools creative entrepreneurs need in their tool box, their mindset.
Mind Over Medium
Art and Business with Kellee Wynne
Do you ever think about turning your passion for art into a thriving business? Or maybe you're an established artist looking for fresh strategies to take your business to the next level? If you've answered 'yes' to either of these questions, then this episode, featuring the incredible artist and creator, Kellee Wynne, is just what you need. Kellee, who has an amazing journey from joining the army and raising a family, to reigniting her love for art and transforming it into a lucrative career, shares her experiences and provides invaluable guidance for creatives like you.
Kellee introduces us to her unique triangle system that consists of primary content, a captivating lead magnet, and a nurturing newsletter - all designed to keep your audience engaged. She also discusses her own encounters with fear and doubt, and how she assists her clients in overcoming these hurdles. We touch on the significance of shifting our perspective on multi-passionate pursuits and moving away from the starving artist mentality. This conversation will motivate artists to value their work and demand its worth, underlining the fact that financial success in art can boost our voices and influence in society.
In the final part of our conversation with Kellee, we dive into the importance of celebrating wins, maintaining consistency, and finding the right coaches and mentors. Kellee emphasizes acknowledging achievements, big or small, and keeping a consistent creative pursuit. We also explore artists making money without selling art. Through creating lead magnets, newsletters, or other offers, Kellee guides us through alternative revenue streams for artists. So, don't miss out on this game-changing conversation with Kellee Wynne - tune in now!
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Download the Confident Artist Guidebook Here
Welcome to Mind Over Medium, a podcast for artists who want to make money doing what they love. When you tune in a twink you will learn how to attract your ideal commissions, approach galleries for representation, have a great online launch of your work, and how to do it all with less overwhelm and confusion. You will have the opportunity to hear from amazing artists who will share how they have built their successful creative businesses. My hope is to create a space where artists and the creative curious can gather to learn about one of the most important tools creative entrepreneurs need in their toolbox their mindset. Thanks so much for tuning in to Mind Over Medium podcast. Let's get started Today. I'm so happy and honored to be chatting with Kelly Wynn, who you may know as not only an amazing artist but also a creator of so many cool programs, such as the Virtual Arts Summit, the Remarkable League and Color Crush Creative, just to name a few. I really appreciate you being here today. Do you mind introducing yourself, hi Leanne?
Kellee Wynne:Thank you so much. Yeah, I am Kellee Wynne, as you said, and I'm an artist. I was born into a very creative family and, though I knew I wanted to be an artist when I was young, I took a roundabout way of getting there, including joining the Army, having a kid and raising a family and living in Europe and then finally arriving back here in Maryland and three kids later and saying I can't wait any longer, I need to get back to this dream of mine. And I started back up with my art practice, practiced for a while too, which I think it was really an important thing is just getting my feet wet back into the industry. And then I started exhibiting in Maryland and growing from there and learning about all the different aspects of being an artist, all the different ways to make a career out of it, and struggled through most of it, to be honest, to join the club, yeah.
Kellee Wynne:And so I relate so much to the people that I work with because I know that frustration, I know that struggle, just trying to find what lights you up, what you're best at and just even how it works like getting your artwork into a gallery and how do you find the sales even after, how do you sell it online? And I worked through that for a good half dozen years or so before I realized that where my strength was maybe was in teaching and my passion was in teaching. And I still absolutely love teaching, even though I'm shifting how I teach. But for the last six years or so I've been teaching courses online, teaching how to paint. But what I realized through that whole process of building a business is that those principles that I learned on how to sell an art course or market a big program like Virtual Art Summit were the same principles that I needed to have figured out in order to sell my artwork which.
Kellee Wynne:Now I realize there's a connection between it all, but because of that, my favorite thing in the whole wide world and the reason that we know each other is that I've started a coaching program and it's just been, dare I say, remarkable.
Lea Ann Slotkin :Yes, you dare.
Kellee Wynne:Yes, I dare.
Lea Ann Slotkin :Yeah, I was going to say that's how I know you and because I am in your program and it's awesome, and one of the things like when I was deciding like when I don't take a long time to decide on something like if I'm like this feels right, I'm in and I got that vibe completely and I didn't have to contemplate. Really we chatted just to make sure we were a good fit and hit it off. But the one thing that really drew me to your program was your take on, like your marketing method for creatives and for me that's always felt something like. It was something hard to put my arms around and I know you know when you're making something harder in your head than it is, but you still can't figure it out, that's how it's always felt to me, but now I feel like I'm slowly getting my arms around it with your help.
Kellee Wynne:So I think it's huge strides, though, wow. For one launching the podcast, which is amazing.
Lea Ann Slotkin :Oh, literally, Kellee. I've been talking about this for a year and a half.
Kellee Wynne:That's how long it took me to, but I understand that we build up to it and then when we finally do it, it's relief because you're in it. But then you're also in it and it's not an easy job to be running a podcast, let's be honest. But I do find it to be the most rewarding way that I connect with my customers and with my community in general, because there's something so intimate about a podcast and I love that. I get to know other people through that conversation. That's where you don't get that. It's so short on Instagram, boom and it's over. It's 30 seconds later or even a quick scroll. It's rare that we even stop to read someone's caption. But if we choose to tune into a podcast, I just love this format because hopefully everyone who's listening right now feels like they're in the room with us having a conversation, absolutely yeah.
Lea Ann Slotkin :That's what I love about it too, but do you mind taking a minute just to talk through your marketing thoughts and philosophies and methods?
Kellee Wynne:I think one of the reasons why a lot of it was really amazing how many people were ready for the program that I created and it is my first large group program of coaching and the biggest pitfalls I was seeing is the spinning wheels of knowing that they want to either create some or, for most of the people in the program, they've already created courses, they've already created programs, they already have some sort of an offer, but they're really stuck in how to grow. It's okay, I put it out there, but now how do I get people to come to it? And I guess marketing is one of those weird things that I absolutely love. I cracked the code somewhere along the way, so it's been really fun to help the people in the program. All of the league members get really laser focused on who they want to serve, what they're known for and how they're helping people get the transformation they need or how they're serving people, how they're serving, how they're showing up and being that light for somebody else. Once you understand that, then that's when it's about getting clear, focused and then not doing all the other things right. The biggest so many people are like okay, I have this offer and this offer and I'm doing this thing and this thing, and so, instead of actually spending the time to engage with your customer, with your clients, with your community, with just the artist in general, you're spending so much time creating all these other offers that you're marketing and you're messaging. It's so confusing. So what we worked on is this getting clarity, and then a method that I love to use, which I'll probably have to create a diagram for you to share with people later.
Kellee Wynne:So imagine, visually, a triangle. At the top of the triangle, we have our primary content machine, and this is some form of consistent longer format marketing and that's getting your message out. First, of course, you need to know who you're talking to. You have to have the end game in mind, knowing what you're selling. So once you figure that all out, you pick that primary content machine, which could be podcast, blogging, some of these other longer format that's giving you something once a week, once every other week, at the pace that you can manage. That's really getting that clear message out on a regular basis. And then, from that, what's amazing is from that you disseminate that information to other places. You can break it down and put it on Instagram, you can put it in your newsletter. You can pin pins to Pinterest, you can create shorts from your YouTube and put it on Reels, so we have a system in repurposing as well. So it helps us actually make content.
Kellee Wynne:But it's relevant and all paths lead to the next part in the triangle point, which is your juicy lead, which means that knowing where you want to take the customer on the journey you're going to give them that bite-sized piece that's completely relevant, practically irresistible, gives them a good I would like to say like a quick win, because we don't want it to be too long. But that lead magnet needs to be something that they walk away with, their mind changed about something that, something they didn't know before. Now they understand, and so sometimes it's an educational piece, sometimes it's a training, sometimes it's a really good workbook. I have a PDF called 100 Ways to Make Money as an Artist Without Selling your Art, which is a crazy idea, but this helped.
Kellee Wynne:All my customers say, oh, I never saw it that way, and so now I can take that list and see myself in a new light. So feeding something that leads them to where you want them to go and that's, in some ways, it's so good that they can't resist telling others about it. You don't want to give somebody some weak offer, one or two little videos that are mediocre, or you really want to put your best foot forward and make it juicy. And then from that we go to the next point in the triangle, which is your nurturing newsletter, because I think it's really important that we're getting. The whole point of the email is to get them closer to you and putting them on your email list so that you can communicate with them, that you can tell them stories, you can give them ideas, hope and also sell your offer when the time is right, because we didn't start a business to not make money. Otherwise it's a really expensive hobby, right yeah?
Lea Ann Slotkin :So a jobbie that I like to cover Make a little money, but not quite so.
Kellee Wynne:It's a jobbie, Not quite even enough to cover the arts with one, but if we're in business, we want to make money on it, and what's really amazing is that we have customers that really want what we're offering, whether it's our artwork or it's an art course or it's a coaching program or it's some other service. Like. I came up with 100 different ways. So there's really some crazy fun ideas in ways that you can build your business and then from that you go back up to the point of the triangle, which means you're telling them about your primary content machine on a regular basis. Okay, guess what blog post I just posted? Guess what YouTube video, whichever it is that you're doing.
Kellee Wynne:So in my case, for example, I have a podcast, like you, so I create the podcast and from that I have talking points. I encourage people to take my 100 ways PDF. They get on the list. I nurture them on the newsletter, I tell them about the next podcast that's come out and that keeps them in the loop and keeps us connected so that I can always say you need any help.
Kellee Wynne:What are you doing? Sometimes I have workshops for you offers, sometimes I have paid offers, and so this is just keeping that no trust factor available. But it's a good system that works because once you figure it out, you can also hand off parts of this to other people, and that's one of my biggest pieces of advice for those who have started a business start considering early having support and help. So this works the same way, whether you're selling art or you're creating a course is what can you offer that would help your customer? Could it be a guide in how to hang the artwork? Could it be maybe a beautiful booklet showcasing how your print service might be able to create the ideal size, color and dimensions for their decorating project? You've got to really think outside of the box, and then you're going to get a monthly screen saver picture.
Kellee Wynne:That's not enough. It's got to be something that's changing the way they think and giving them an a-ha, a quick win, or even a transformation of some sort that says I didn't see it that way before and now I see it, and that really helps. And so then they know that whatever comes next is incredibly valuable.
Lea Ann Slotkin :And don't you think it's important too? That's awesome, and that's what I was like? Yes, that's what I want. Don't you think it's important to be willing to try something, test it, see if it works or not, and not make it a big deal if it might not work, because I think that's where the people fall off real quick. They're like I tried one thing and it didn't work. Oh, and it's no, you got to keep trying. You do have to keep trying Everything we do.
Kellee Wynne:we keep trying. Whether it's the primary content machine, if the message isn't resonating and people aren't connecting, then you adjust your sales again. If it's your juicy lead magnet, then if people aren't saying ooh, I need that, then what? Your first line is to change the offer sales page right. Make sure the words are expressing exactly why they might want to actually give their email to you. And if that's not working if no matter how you change it and present it, it doesn't seem like an offer that people are interested move to the next idea.
Kellee Wynne:Get a group of your ideal clients in front of you and have conversations with them about where their biggest troubles are, what their desires are, what their pain point is or just honestly. It's not always about being in pain, but it's like this desire. Maybe your ideal customer really wants to showcase home and so getting in front of them and showing them and teaching them, asking what is it that you need to know about buying real art or prints or product, that would help you make a decision. So once you ask people, then maybe you can create the product that they actually want.
Lea Ann Slotkin :Yeah, and I think too. Just going back to not making it a problem if your first couple of ideas don't land and then maybe once something does land, you go back to those and maybe those will. So it's just not making it an issue.
Kellee Wynne:Yeah, we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to get it right the first time, and what we've been working on a lot in the league is test and get the feedback and test again, Because that's really the best that we can do, whether it's what we're saying on Instagram, or it's how we're talking to our customer, or the offer that we're making, or even the art that we're making. It's okay, I put it in that frame, but that didn't really go well. But I found that when I put it in this frame, it sounds like hotcakes. This is just a little example. It's like you are being rejected. You just haven't found the audience right. You haven't busted out in the show lights yet, so it's not you it's the problem. It's not the offer that's the problem. It's just adjusting along the way until you find what works. I went through a lot of different offers before I figured out what worked.
Lea Ann Slotkin :Yeah, that's just what you have to do.
Kellee Wynne:Yeah, test, get the feedback. It's all just information and then you go from there and you make the next move.
Lea Ann Slotkin :Yeah, I like to trick my brain and think of it as a big experiment. I'm like we're just experimenting to see what works. So it takes that pressure off a little bit, Absolutely, and really that's what you're doing.
Kellee Wynne:That is. That's a whole game of businesses. I know Nation. The only reason I got to this point was testing a whole lot of ideas. Yeah, Please.
Lea Ann Slotkin :Yeah, exactly. Let me ask you this question how do you help an artist who is afraid to take the next step in their business?
Kellee Wynne:Maybe this is a little unconventional, because that's usually the mindset, obviously Not just like, do I ask what you're all about here? We're gonna let tech trip us up and say, oh, I don't know how to use the platform so I can't do it. But and I hear that all the time it's like I don't know how to film a video yet or edit it, so I can't do this. The tech is easy to learn. Google it, youtube has the videos. You don't even need a course to learn how to do that kind of stuff at all. But that's fear coming up and whether it's.
Kellee Wynne:I even had a client say the other day I'm actually embarrassed to share my art because I feel like I'm bragging, I'm like, but you're an artist and you wanna sell art, so you actually have to show up. And a lot of that is because maybe we're doing something new, that the people around us that we love or afraid they're gonna judge us, or even people we don't know are gonna judge us. So we have all this outward fear about other people that we've internalized. So we've made it so much about ourselves, right. We've made it so much about how am I gonna feel, how am I gonna show up? What are people gonna think? And so anything that you say I can't do it because it's not perfect, I can't do it because I don't know tech, it's usually coming back to your own fears that are throwing up this.
Kellee Wynne:So the way I usually break down that wall is to say, like I said, this is a little incommunitional. I'm excited, you're excited. It's a long time, I think. How many people are you robbing from that experience by not showing up as you? How many people need what you have to offer? How many people's lives will be so thrilled to just be able to hang that painting in the room? Learn how you made that brush stroke? When you think that it is wrong or hard to sell, what you're actually saying is that you're depriving other people of the gifts and talents that you have brought into this world. That's where my homemade, remarkable philosophy comes from, and so once you stop and you say, oh, wait a minute, I can actually make a difference in people's lives by just showing up and making the offer, then it's not about you anymore. Yeah, it's how you serve.
Kellee Wynne:And that just once that happened in my mind because I had a hard time, like three years, of resisting doing this program, because I had those same fears. But when I saw people come back to me, my clients come back to me, and be like this changed my life, then I have to stop and say, okay, this isn't about me anymore. I wanna serve so that other people can have that joy, other people can have that success, can finally find the financial freedom, can finally feel confident to be a proper business owner Like something joyful and saying I'm an entrepreneur and I'm doing it. When I see other people doing that, then I know me.
Kellee Wynne:Creating the remarkable league or build it remarkable or any of my other programs is yes, of course, it's something that I've put together, it's something I've worked hard for, it's my knowledge and I'm showing up for it, but I'm doing it for them. Once I do that, then any resistance I feel, then I realize that I'm in service. That's my goal is to be in service. So even if what you're doing is creating art, you were given that gift for a reason. You have that joy and that desire for a reason that art deserves to be seen and loved by other people, and so that's how I help people, I help my customers. I help clients get over that hump because as soon as they break down their own involvement and they just see it as service, it shifts the whole narrative. It doesn't feel selfish anymore, it doesn't feel so icky and it almost like maybe there's an obligation that you need to do the thing you were called to do?
Lea Ann Slotkin :Yeah, definitely. It's interesting too, because most of us who are doing this we do have some sort of calling, like something that's in us that we really want to get out into the world. But then, when we're faced with getting it out into the world, we're like so you pull back. One question I always like to ask my coaching clients about similar things. I'm like, let's get real detailed on what's the worst that can happen. If you're on social media and it helps just normalize that you don't even know really what it is Like. When you say I'm afraid to put my work out there, what does that even mean? Let's get really clear and deal in facts. Your brain's offering up that there's something scary out there because you've not done it before, or, yeah, you're new or whatever. But if you get super factual about it, it's really not much to it. It's fascinating.
Kellee Wynne:What is the worst that's gonna happen. And if you're afraid that it's your friends from college or your parents that are gonna judge you, then you don't have to block them and you don't have to unfollow them, but you can mute them so that they're not seeing every post that you make. Yeah, or you can block them and just give yourself a little freedom to not worry about what they think anymore. Honestly, their fear is just. If they have any hesitation, it's just their own personal fear for you because they love you so much. That's true. At least, that's what I'm gonna hope, that's.
Lea Ann Slotkin :I know we can choose things. That's funny. You say that I was working with a coach a year or so ago and I had this big mental block about this girl I went to high school with who I will not name we don't even follow each other but in my mind, like somehow I had made it like if she sees it, then she's gonna criticize her judgment. Yeah, so it's just really funny and fascinating how our brains work.
Kellee Wynne:Our brains wanna protect us, absolutely. That's the primal part of us. Yeah, they wanna protect us, and so we're gonna come up with these reasons to keep us safe. Being part of the community has always been like an evolutionary trait of human nature, and so if we're doing things that we feel will get us expelled from the community, then fear is good, and then Absolutely. So where is that safety? It's that moment where, like you said, what's the worst that's gonna happen? Someone's gonna unfollow me If I post that and they don't like it, and that's what happens, and you know what it works. But guess, what also happens is the right people will start following you.
Lea Ann Slotkin :Yeah, your people will find you. Your people will find you. Yeah, it's really super interesting.
Kellee Wynne:The imposter syndrome is real, no matter what level you're at, and that just shows you're human and you're here.
Lea Ann Slotkin :Yes, welcome to the club of being human.
Kellee Wynne:Well being human. Now put that away and let's focus on what you were born to do. What you were born to do.
Lea Ann Slotkin :Yeah, here's a question I have for you. You seem to generate a lot of ideas. How do you choose the ones you'll focus on?
Kellee Wynne:I can't even begin to tell you how hard the one bit of advice that I'm like, I am so determined to coach everybody Do less. Focus on that. One thing One quote that I heard was if you have diluted focus, you get diluted results. So it's so hard.
Kellee Wynne:As creatives, we come up with so many ideas. I have 10 new ideas every morning when I wake up and then I take a shower and I've got 20 more on top of that and it's like all these ideas are always generating. I can make this course, I could show up to do this, I could create. It's never ending and they all sound brilliant and, in all honesty, once you're in a system, you can make almost anything work if you do it right. But then what do we choose?
Kellee Wynne:It's been a big fault of mine, because I tried to do too much and then I burn out and then I want to do nothing. So I've finally gotten to the point this year where I know, even though all these other ideas would be super fun making products and working with art consultants and I don't know I have a new art course idea once every week All these ideas would be super fun, but I have to go back to what was it that I committed to myself and committed to my customer, and where am I meant to serve right now? And then I just have to, literally I have to force myself. I actually have a virtual assistant that's now been promoted to my basically my business manager. She's my lifesaver and I told her if I, when I come to you with a new idea, you have to just tell me no, yeah, yeah, that's good, and she's like okay, and I've actually watched her say.
Kellee Wynne:I said what if I just participate? She's no, I'm like you're right, I have a plan and I know that I need to follow this plan because, even though all the other things would be fun to do and they'd probably be great successful, they'd help people this was the path that, like. I literally felt inspired to take this path and if I deny it now, then I feel like I'm, at least for the next couple of years. I feel like I'm putting a big middle finger up to the spirit who sent that message to me. So I just have to let it go. I keep notebooks, I write down all the ideas in theory and tests. This is it for now, not forever.
Lea Ann Slotkin :This is it for now. It sounds like a great plan that you've tried and tested and it's working.
Kellee Wynne:Yeah, and I'm finally letting go of things that I need to let go of.
Lea Ann Slotkin :Yeah that's good. That's good stuff. You work with a lot of different artists, so I'm curious to know do you ever see a common thread with mindset patterns or ways of thinking, like when they're in it? Is there anything that kind of ties us all together?
Kellee Wynne:Well, the question you asked me before is what do I do when I have too many ideas? Because we always have so many ideas. But I'm really proud of the people in the remarkable league right now who have been really good at cutting off all those edges and focusing. I think wanting to be multi-passionate and finally realizing that's the quickest path to burnout is probably one of the most important things to have a shift around mindset. Another thing that's really important is it's really easy to end up in burnout if you are taking on too much, and we always think that we can take on everything and do it ourselves. The other thing I find a struggle for most artists, most creatives or business owners is trying to do all of the jobs, wear all the hats and thinking either A only they know how to do it or only they can do it whether it's posting a message, writing the email or answering the customer or they think it's going to be too much work or too hard to pass it on to someone else. The setting up those systems early and learning to trust that other people have your back. It might take a while to find the right virtual assistant, but that mindset of I'm in it all alone will lead you to burn out so quick Between the multi-passionate that we want to do all the things and that I'm going to do all the things and do it only myself. Those two things are a recipe for disaster Once you start learning to focus in on just a couple of great projects and not all the things, and do the part that you do best, which only you can do. Only you can make the art, but someone else can frame it and pack it and ship it and hang it and answer the customer emails. Someone else can help you with the tech. Someone else can help with the design. Someone else can do the photography. There's so many other things that other people can do and do better than you that will leave you with so much more energy to do the part that only you can do, that that you are meant to do. Talk to the customer coach, the person, show up to help the community, those kinds of things.
Kellee Wynne:Then I would say the other big mindset problem is money.
Kellee Wynne:If we wanted to go down that path, I have no idea why we all still think we're supposed to be starving artists. I know it's just such a trope, but even when we say no, we shouldn't have to be starving artists. There's such a limiting belief in how much we can ask so many times we come with it. We're coming from the consumer point of view of how much could I afford, so maybe it's only worth that much. When we forget people will drop like $800 on a new coach handbag every other month and say, ok, if they can do that, if they can spend $200 on an evening out to eat, then surely you don't have to minimize the value of a piece of art that's going to far outlast the couch that it's going to end up right, or the cost of the time it takes for you to actually teach somebody how to do something. I just think there's a long way to go in the whole creative community as a whole, as business owners, for us to elevate where we are and how much our value is.
Lea Ann Slotkin :Yeah, I agree, I totally agree, that was good. Yeah, I was, that's a whole other episode right?
Kellee Wynne:Yeah, for sure We'll have to we'll do that.
Lea Ann Slotkin :We'll schedule that one. I was dropping work off today for a show that I'm going to be in and she was talking. She said something about what I do. I'm like I'm an artist and I coach other artists in helping them create a successful business and she said oh yeah, I just read something that only 10% of artists working artists can make an actual living and I'm like that's just wrong. It shouldn't be that way.
Kellee Wynne:Yeah, and I don't even know that 10% is accurate.
Lea Ann Slotkin :I agree. I don't know where she came up with that she doesn't make any money at all.
Kellee Wynne:Yeah, but I would say that 1% of 10% might be making a and what is a living wage now?
Lea Ann Slotkin :Yeah.
Kellee Wynne:Let's be honest barely cuts living a comfortable lifestyle with how much everything costs.
Kellee Wynne:Yeah, yeah it's true, I don't see anything wrong with making a good income, because what happens when I make a good income? I'm providing security for my family, and that's really important to me, absolutely, whether it's for my parents. I'm also recontributing it back into society. It comes through me and passes on to the other small businesses that I support, everything that I do. Now, if I'm generating that income, I can give more, and so once I got that grasp that making money isn't bad money in and of itself, it's just the person who holds it.
Kellee Wynne:How do you use it? You can use it as a tool for good or you can use it as a tool to do bad, and so we always put such a negative connotation on earning money. And yet when you have money, you have a bigger voice in society, so you can use that money to affect things. And once I realized that I was like okay, so I can change things around me, I can make things better for other people. So once I started seeing it that way, I don't know, it shifted, and I love the fact that I support a whole bunch of women who are part of my business and that make income.
Kellee Wynne:So there's a whole, there's like layers we just scratch the surface Absolutely For sure of only 10% of artists are making any money at all, and that was a struggle that I really went through until I started doing art courses is on a good year I'd make maybe 20 or $22,000, which, after I've paid for everything, I was still in the hole. His framing isn't cheap and showing up to do a gallery show isn't cheap and transporting isn't cheap and the supplies aren't cheap. And then you have all the software and by the time you're done it's okay. I might break even at that. So obviously, making $20,000 a year isn't enough as an artist. That's just barely funding the business. So that's where I say then it's a jobbie, like you said. Yeah, it's a jobbie, it's a job, hobby and it's expensive.
Kellee Wynne:A lot of work and it was incredibly painful at times. Honestly, so much like. I was so determined I would figure it out and I would contribute to my family and that I would help pay for my kids college and that I would be able to take care of my parents as they're aging. I would figure it out. Come hell or high water, I was going to figure out how to make money as an artist, but there was many years where it's just like I am working 60 hours a week or more for nothing and it was like now I realized that I could have gotten there a lot quicker by getting help, like actually learning from a coach. And once I started doing that and connecting the dots and listening to podcasts. Honestly, that was one of the first things that I did was listen to podcasts to learn, and I still do that to this day. One of my greatest resources. Then things were able to move a lot faster.
Lea Ann Slotkin :Yeah, we all have to start somewhere and, being a beginner at something, there is a learning curve. So I don't yeah, so that's just a part of the gig, but I do think there are things you can do to help yourself move forward faster. Gosh, I wish I'd done things differently at the beginning.
Kellee Wynne:That's why we have the tools to be able to help other people.
Lea Ann Slotkin :Yeah, absolutely I'm grateful.
Kellee Wynne:I'm not saying as much, as I grew through that pain and it was all a learning experience. If I like now with the knowledge I have, I probably could have gone a lot further with selling art and whatnot, but I don't have any regrets in that. Yeah, I'm not. It's a pathway. It's how we get to where we're going. It's part of the growth. I just really don't want other people to have to be stuck in that Cause. I know people have been doing it for 20 or 30 years and they never get out of that cycle and I don't. I really don't want that for artists who have a passion for creating a business with their work. It's not for everyone. Some people make art, sell it occasionally and it's and that is wonderful they have a job hobby.
Lea Ann Slotkin :Yeah, and that's all it.
Kellee Wynne:There's not one thing wrong with that Right, but if you don't have a huge desire to turn it into a big business. That's totally fine. But for the rest of us, like me, stuck in that year after year cycle of I am going to figure out how to break this cycle and craft the code which, by the way, it's just hard work and showing up in consistency. But I would eventually figure that out for myself so that I didn't have to go be a manager at Starbucks and work at 6 am and probably 4 am in the morning I don't know what time you guys start at Starbucks being a barista, but, oh, my goodness, that was just like only my mind was my alternative and I wanted to figure this out, and I would love to help more people figure this out so that you have the kind of freedom and flexibility that working for yourself offers.
Lea Ann Slotkin :Yeah, definitely. Yeah, it's been my experience that you are an amazing encourager. Have you always been this way? Did you have someone that did it for you? Did you have that model? Tell me about that.
Kellee Wynne:I definitely think my parents have always been really good encouragers and my husband's an extremely motivational guy, which is good. He's the one who holds me accountable. But I think if I go back to childhood, many call me bossy, and I'm okay with that now, because bossy means I could finally step into my own words. I connected the dots and it wasn't that I needed to be in charge or in control of anything, I just wanted to see other people. When I was a kid, I just wanted to see other kids having success and joy and fun and play. So I would create the carnival, I would create the parade, I would create the whatever. I was always the one who was there saying we can all do this. And so I look back and I connect that now to yes, I am strong-willed, but it's the thing that serves me now. So my goal has always been, I think, since I was a kid, is to just be able to be the cheerleader for others.
Lea Ann Slotkin :That's a real gift and as someone in your circle, I really feel that, so I appreciate it.
Kellee Wynne:Oh, thank you, I love it. I love what I'm doing now so much. Sometimes my husband or my mom will be like you were on call for six hours today. Are you okay? Are you exhausted? I'm like, yeah, normally I would be, but when I'm talking with this group, I feel exhilarated. I'm seeing all these lights, almost as if, like I can see the fireworks going on in my heads and they're making connections and they're making progress so fast that I'm just like I live for it. I live for it and I love it. Like obviously that's why we connected so well is because you know my heart's in it.
Lea Ann Slotkin :For sure, yes, yes, and it comes through absolutely.
Kellee Wynne:And I know you're that kind of person too, and that's why you keep showing up for the people that you serve as well.
Lea Ann Slotkin :Yes, yeah, it is pretty amazing when it's like it clicks and you're like because you can see it for them. Yeah, but you can see it, you can hold that space for them, that I have no doubt that my clients are going to figure it out, so being able to hold that belief for them is such an amazing thing.
Kellee Wynne:Yeah, it's something that I've had to train myself. So the weird thing is that there's so many business gurus and I put the air quotes around that there's so many people teaching business and I feel like it can be very convoluted and almost pyramid schemie Feels a little off sometimes when I'm watching this happen. And yet many of them, even the big names, have good advice, but it's very general advice and there's just part of me that watches this. Okay, so you've opened this giant course and you've taken thousands of people in, whether they're qualified or not, and I'm just watching all of this coaches, coaching, coaches to be coaches and then you're like is this a legitimate business or am I in a multi-level marketing? Yes, and so it actually took me three years to get to the point of no.
Kellee Wynne:This is legitimate if you're coming at it from the right place in your heart of service, and that you actually have real advice and can. You can help people change their lives. And since I can see that, like you said, when I see the light go off, I see the transformation, I see people coming together in community, I see everyone in the league supporting each other and making progress, and I'm like okay, but it took me so long to get over that fear of the scummy part of the industry and realize there's still a wholesome part of it. It's still a heartfelt, soul, felt, spirit led part of the industry that I can choose to be that part. That's why I'm always transparent. I will always be honest with people. I will not just take somebody into a program when they're not ready. Then I know if I'm showing up and I'm doing it out of service and I'm doing it because I care about that transformation, then I get to see that happen. Then I know that I'm on the right path.
Kellee Wynne:I think that's really important for everyone, when they're creating a business for themselves, that they're coming from a place of integrity.
Lea Ann Slotkin :Absolutely yeah. I think it's really important too, if you're someone who's looking for some support and you've never hired a coach or worked with anyone. Interview a bunch of people. Listen to the podcast yes, but yeah, listen to their podcast. Most people have like a clarity call or something. Yeah, act, because we don't all connect and not everybody's a good fit, and that's fine. That's why there's different choices for people. So I think that's really important to figure out what works for you, what resonates.
Kellee Wynne:Yeah, different personality types will resonate better with certain people.
Lea Ann Slotkin :Absolutely. What advice. I just have a couple more questions. I want to be respectful of your time. What advice would you give for a new artist or creative person just starting out?
Kellee Wynne:Oh, I'm going to say probably something you've heard before, but it's consistency. It's just showing up for yourself over and over again and if you're new at starting a business, it's just showing up, showing up and posting it, showing up and sharing it, showing up and talking about it. And it's those who do it day in and day out, live it and breathe it. Yeah, sure, we need our boundaries and take some breaks, but I think it was just me knowing that I was in it for the long haul and showing up and sharing, and it took a long time and I was okay with that. But that consistency of making art, sharing art, making art, sharing art and then eventually getting the point of selling it, it's just that consistency is the most important thing that you can have in your practice.
Lea Ann Slotkin :Yeah. I think, those are wise words. That's good advice. I love to ask people this question how do you celebrate your wins?
Kellee Wynne:I buy more art supplies.
Lea Ann Slotkin :Yay, of course I should have known the answer to that.
Kellee Wynne:And it just depends on how big or how little the win is. We just finished the virtual art summit, which it is the last year I'm hosting it. I had to decide, in order to move forward with Made Remarkable, that I would put that to the side. But when it was done I did. I bought art supplies. Sometimes I will promise myself my big trip for the year like whatever trip I'm going to take will come at the end of a really busy season, so that I know if I can just get through this, I'll take a trip. But sometimes the wins are little. Sometimes it's just shutting down for a whole weekend and just binge, watching some television and, yeah, coming up with my dogs and my husband and going for a hike in nature. It might just be like tuning out and just tuning into life.
Lea Ann Slotkin :It sounds like you're purposeful about it, though, big or little, which I think is really important.
Kellee Wynne:Yeah, I have learned to celebrate the wins more now. I think there was always like I did it, and now I'm going to move on to the next one, which I still have to do, but I at least paused to reflect on what I've actually been able to accomplish, because if we don't stop, it feels like we're working for nothing, and there have been I glossed over some really big wins in the past. I was published, I have a book and that was super exciting and I almost brushed it off when it launched because other things were happening in my life and there was so much busyness going on and I don't know. Maybe I was going through one of those phases of minimizing myself. But I'm shifting how I do that now and buy more supplies, of course.
Lea Ann Slotkin :There you go. That's really good. Let me encourage you to, yes, definitely celebrate the wins, no matter the size. I think it's really important. Yeah, I agree, this has been delightful. I could talk to you all day. It's so fun.
Kellee Wynne:And good thing that we do get to talk to each other at least once a week.
Lea Ann Slotkin :I know it's amazing. What would you like to share with people? Where they can they find you? What do you have going on?
Kellee Wynne:I'm just going to encourage you to come a little bit into my triangle yeah, my triangle of my little marketing triangle, of your primary content machine, my primary content machine, and join me and listen to the made remarkable podcast.
Lea Ann Slotkin :Link everything.
Kellee Wynne:Yeah, and see if there's a place for you on the list. 100 ways to make money as an artist without selling your art. You can go to maderemarkablecom, slash 100. And it's there.
Lea Ann Slotkin :Yay, it's just been a delight.
Kellee Wynne:Awesome.
Lea Ann Slotkin :Yeah, I will talk to you soon. Thank you so much, leanne. Yeah, you have a good evening. Thank you so much for listening to Mind Over Media and Podcast today. If you found the episode inspiring, please share it with a friend or post it on social media and tag me on Instagram at Lea Ann Slotkin, or head to my website, wwwleannslotkincom. To book a discovery call to find out more about working with me one on one. You can also head to my website to get a great tool I've created for you to use when planning your own online launch of your artwork. It's an exercise I've taken many of my coaching clients through and it's been very helpful. It's my way of saying thank you and keep creating.