Consulting for Creative Business Owners with Nicole Stevenson

I (Nicole) will work with you to create actionable solutions to issues you’re having with your creative business so you can take your next big step and attain your goals.

If you’d want to:
-Figure out your next steps to take your business to the next level
-Define and achieve your goals and be accountable
-Grow your business with calculated risks and get rid of what’s not working
-Organize your business for maximum productivity and success
-Create realistic to-do lists
-Rekindle your passion for your business

Then… let’s make it happen!

This session includes:

1. In the initial consultation inquiry email Nicole will get to know what issues you’re facing in your business.

2. Nicole researches your business and issues and sends you customized questions specific to your needs.

3. Nicole prepares a detailed presentation that includes answers to your questions, actionable next steps as well as resources to solve your problems.

4. You and Nicole meet (over the phone or video chat) for a one-hour mentoring session which includes a review of the presentation as well as brainstorming and answering on the spot questions.

5. After the mentoring session, Nicole will send you a copy of the presentation as well as any resources, worksheets or other materials you need to for your next step.

I specialize in helping creative owners with:

-STRATEGY + PRODUCTIVITY: organization, time management, goal setting, self-care and accountability.
-SALES: retail and wholesale sales, craft shows, trade shows, working with reps, running an online shop and in-house sales
-MARKETING/SOCIAL MEDIA: press kits and releases, pitching, social media organization/management, DIY PR and newsletter content/creation
-FINANCIAL: pricing, accounting, Quickbooks, analyzing profit and loss, invoicing and budgeting
-MULTIPLE INCOME STREAMS: teaching in-person workshops, creating online courses, speaking at events, creating kits & patterns
-PRODUCTION: hiring employees, delegating work, implementing deadlines and sourcing materials
-WRITING/BLOGGING: online copy including creating a compelling about page and product descriptions, blogging and guest posting, editorial calendars, working with sponsors
-EVENT PRODUCTION: planning, organizing, promoting and producing off-site events like workshops and retreats as well as securing sponsors

Client Testimonials:

“Nicole helped me figure out where to begin with my business when I was completely lost and felt paralyzed, not knowing where to start. She sent me questions to consider before our call which set the tone for our conversation. I could tell she cared about helping me and wanted to give me all of the tools I would need to succeed. Nicole took the time to answer my long list of questions, providing solutions for every problem, and gave me the confidence I needed to get out there and start selling my work! She also gave me recommendations for using social media to my advantage and the best way to approach retailers.  I especially appreciate the list of resources with books, online workshops, and articles.  I feel like I have someone one my side who has been there before and is really rooting for me. Her coaching was invaluable and money very well spent!” -Gay Heit (Heit Ceramics)

“I’ve been running my art business for six years in a sort of “fly by the seat of my pants” manner and felt ready to be more intentional in shaping the future of my business. I contacted Nicole after bingeing on her amazingly educational podcast, “Dear Handmade Life“.  Throughout our consultation it was obvious that Nicole had really gotten to know my work and my business – she looked at everything that I had put out into the world, on social media and my websites along with the information that she had gathered from our pre-consult email questionnaires – and she worked it!!  She had ideas, strategies, answers and most importantly, a naturally caring and helpful sensibility that created a space for my own answers and realizations to emerge along the way. Sometimes you need an objective and experienced voice and a thoughtful conversation with an honest and sharp person to allow questions to form and answers to surface. My two consultations (yes, I went back for more!) were so incredibly helpful and inspiring! Thank you Nicole!!” -Sarah Martinez (Sarah Martinez Art)

I’m not going to tell you to “jump and the net will appear”. Don’t leap unless you have a net. I’ll guide you through defining and building the net that will catch you when you take the next big step and start working smart.

I love mentoring other creative business owners through sharing what I’ve learned in the nearly 20 years that I’ve been running my own businesses.

During those years I have:
-Exhibited at 40+ trade shows
-Sold my products at 200+ craft shows
-Had my products carried at 250+ retail stores worldwide
-Co-produced 70+ craft and art shows including Patchwork Show
-Co-produced Craftcation: Business + Makers Conference
-Served as CEO for two six-figure companies
-Served as editorial director for the Dear Handmade Life and guest posted on dozens of influential blogs
-Managed finances including profit and loss, pricing, budgets and accounting
-Received an offer to buy my business from a multinational Fortune 500 company
-Written press releases and designed press kits that resulted in features in 100+ press outlets
-Managed 120,000+ social media fans and newsletter subscribers including content creation and design
-Secured large sponsors like Mailchimp, Scotch, Shopify, CreativeLive, Etsy, Craftsy, Fiskars, Darby Smart and Creativebug for events
-Managed a staff of 10+ employees
-Taught hundreds of in-person craft and business workshops and created + launched three successful online courses including one for CreativeLive
-Owned two brick and mortar shops
-Recorded 70+ podcast episodes
-Received BA and MA degrees