Pioneer Nation says yes you can

I was trying to decide what to tell you about the Pioneer Nation conference I mentioned last week. I gained a lot of valuable insights and information, but I think the most important thing for you to know is that I went. I took a chance and I gave myself permission to more fully invest in myself as an artist and small business owner. And it felt great.

Kari Chapin

There were inspiring words and a success story from Ohio artists Jen Adrion and Omar Noory of These Are Things, lots of laughter with Kari Chapin, crafty author of The Handmade Marketplace and interesting thoughts from Rena Tom, serial entrepreneur and founder of the co-working space, Makeshift Society in San Francisco. Lots of "go you!" "You're not alone!" type cheering.

A blurry Rena Tom with quote from Anthony Burrill

I did some big picture thinking and planning — but really it was the overall, charging ahead and saying yes!

Maker Works: Crafting a Small Business

If you haven't been to Maker Works in Ann Arbor yet, this Saturday, May 12 would be a great time. They're hosting a grand opening open house and party from 12 to 4 p.m. Maker Works is an 11,000 square foot member-based studio featuring four concentration areas: metal, circuits, wood and craft.  They host classes in each of these areas and on Saturday will be giving demos on the wide variety of tools and equipment they have. This would be a great time to check out the space and get inspired to sign up for the upcoming 9-week workshop series on Crafting the Small Business.

Crafting the Small Business get down to the nitty gritty of running a small business within the handmade marketplace. The handmade marketplace has emerged as a rapidly growing network of arenas for  handmade goods from independent artists and crafters: online marketplaces, individual online stores, indie craft fairs, crafting blogs and independent brick-and-mortar stores.

This workshop series is designed to set beginner and intermediate crafters on the path to financial stability by offering face-to-face time with experts from around southeast Michigan who are well versed in this new handmade marketplace. From craft show organizers and brick-and-mortar store owners to experts at Zingermans and a registered patent attorney, this series is sure to answer questions, inspire those tottering on the cusp of launching their businesses and be a whole heck of a lot of fun.

The sessions take place Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. You can register for the entire series or individual sessions. Details on each session and the schedule can be found here. I will be on two of the panels: The first on July 5 dealing with Pop up Events and Shows and the second on July 19 focusing on the online marketplace. I hope to see you there!