Creating Your Own Path

Today's show is the first in a three-part series featuring Rebecca Plumb and Meghan Phillips. Together, they run Honey Agency, which is a creative agency based out of Sacramento that focuses specifically on food and beverage brands. They are also the masterminds behind Sacramento’s Creative Mornings chapter. In the interview today, we talk about their past corporate careers and why working for a larger company helped them both develop professionally. We also chat about how a branding agency brands itself, why being too “on the nose” with your branding can be a turn-off, and why hiring incredibly talented people has driven much of their company’s success. SHOW NOTES: Honey Agency Honey Agency on Instagram, Pinterest + Facebook Rebecca on Instagram Meghan on Instagram Sonoma State Chico State Java City Cupcake Vineyards The Creative Digest (Extra interview snippets + the CYOP Slack Community!) You can also find the full episode + show notes at creatingyourownpath.com.

Today’s show is the first ever co-hosted episode of CYOP! I’m excited to bring the Melanie Biehle back on the show every so often as a cohost. She is an incredibly talented artist and designer and she’s also the 2017 CYOP Artist Resident. In the episode, we step away from the interview format and just have an open discussion about what’s going on in our respective businesses right now, some of the big changes we’ve both made over the last few months, and how it’s all shaking out. SHOW NOTES: Check out Melanie's art Melanie on Instagram, Pinterest + Twitter Melanie's pop-up event in Seattle Me on Instagram, Pinterest + Twitter My office hours Google Hangouts Slack Melissa Camilleri Anicich Steph Jagger Thanks to Sandra + Adina for asking awesome questions! The Creative Digest (Extra interview snippets + the CYOP Slack Community!) You can also find the full episode + show notes at creatingyourownpath.com.

Today’s show is our first Tuesday Tips + Tricks episode of the season and it’s sponsored by Twenty20, which is a stock photography site where creatives like us can go to find inspiring, authentic stock photos taken by real-world photographers. I was pretty excited when the team at Twenty20 reached out about sponsoring the show. I’ve been having trouble finding the time to stage all of the photos I need to go along with my written or audio content, but I was also really interested in finding out more about the company. So, I wrangled an interview with Co-founder and CEO Matt Munson to see if he could share, not only the company’s backstory, but also some best practices for using stock photography in our businesses. SHOW NOTES: Twenty20.com/cyop Twenty20 on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest + Twitter Tarte Yogurt More about the transition from Instacanvas Today’s episode is brought to you by Twenty20, where creatives go to find inspiring, authentic stock photos taken by real-world photographers. Head to Twenty20

On today’s show, we’re back one final time with Micaela and Dawn Marie Hoo, the mother-daughter team behind the skincare line Drifter Organics. Last week, Micaela and Dawn Marie shared how they funded the launch of their brand and were incredibly generous in sharing the resources and tactics they found useful as they navigated their crowdfunding campaign. And after all of that, I was super curious to know what might be next for these two. Today, we talk about their plans for Drifter Organics moving forward, why wholesale has become a pretty attractive option for them, how Micaela plans to juggle all of her passions and career goals, and some really solid advice for anyone out there who wants to start something from scratch. For more, head to creatingyourownpath.com. SHOW NOTES: Oh My Drifter Micaela on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter + Facebook Drifter Organics Drifter Organics on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter + Facebook Brit + Co. Remake Festival West Coast Craft Dandelion Post Be Clean Legion Good Earth Natu

Today we’re back with Micaela and Dawn Marie Hoo, the mother-daughter team behind the skincare line Drifter Organics. In last week’s show, we heard how Micaela’s career began and what led the two to launch the new brand. If you haven’t had a chance to hear to that episode, I’d recommend going back and listening to it before you listen to today’s show. Today we’re getting into the funding model for Drifter Organics. Micaela and Dawn Marie opted to use crowdfunding to launch the company and they are going to be sharing a lot of the benefits and challenges involved with funding a business that way. We also chat about why crowdfunding isn’t always about money, why running a campaign can be such an emotional rollercoaster, and how the two prepared themselves to make their campaign successful. SHOW NOTES: Oh My Drifter Micaela on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter + Facebook Drifter Organics Drifter Organics on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter + Facebook Drifter Organics Kickstarter campaign Creative Live crowdfunding cou

Today’s show is the first in a series with mother-daughter team Dawn Marie and Micaela Hoo of Drifter Organics. Drifter Organics is an all-natural skin care line that launched after a very successful Kickstarter campaign. You may also know Micaela from her popular fashion and lifestyle blog, Oh My Drifter. In the interview, we talk about how Micaela got started with her creative career at the young age of 14 and how her mom, who was at stay-at-home mom at the time, was able to be there for Micaela as she explored her creativity. We also get into how they work together as a team on Drifter Organics—especially since they have very different work styles and personalities—why they launched a skincare line when it was clear that Micaela’s first loves were photography and design, and why Micaela’s whole career is about asking—for help, for opportunities, for support, and more. SHOW NOTES: Oh My Drifter Micaela on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter + Facebook Drifter Organics Drifter Organics on Instagram, Pinterest, Tw

We're officially getting into the swing of things this season and today’s show is our first full-length episode featuring the first ever CYOP Artist Resident, Melanie Biehle. Melanie is an artist and designer based in the Seattle area whose work is full of bright colors and bold patterns. In the episode, we talk about Melanie’s long and winding path to becoming an artist, the process behind the work she creates, and why she isn’t emotionally tied to the term fine artist. One of the things I find most intriguing about Melanie is how open she is to trying new things—from new mediums to interesting sales channels. We also talk about how that mindset was expressed in her application for the CYOP Artist Residency and why she was ultimately the best fit for the show’s fourth season.   She’s incredibly talented, kind, and funny and I’m really looking forward to working with her this year. SHOW NOTES: Check out Melanie's art Melanie on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter Alt Summit Minted Society6 RedBubble Saatchi Art Th

In today's episode—the first of Season 4—I'm sharing a few details about what you can expect from CYOP in the months to come, why I'm not throwing a huge party to celebrate hitting 100 episodes, a recap of everything that's gone down in the last several months, and a peek at next week's interview with CYOP Artist Resident Melanie Biehle. From signing an office lease and writing a book to launching an artist residency and creating a new community for CYOP listeners, I'm sharing a lot of fun new projects. However, I'm really excited for you all to hear what's in store for the fourth season of the show. SHOW NOTES: Season 3 Finale 100 Days of Discussion CYOP Artist Residency Melanie Biehle The Creative Digest (w/ access to the new Slack Community!) As always, you can find all recent and past episodes of Creating Your Own Path at creatingyourownpath.com.

On today's show—the 99th episode of CYOP and final episode of Season 3—I'm sharing three of the big lessons I've learned over the last three seasons of producing a podcast. In the episode, I tell you my download numbers and why they matter, the original purpose of the show, the humbling side of podcasting and why getting to know those of you who listen each week has offered up the biggest lesson of all. Thank you for another great season, everyone! For the full episode + show notes, please visit creatingyourownpath.com.

Today I’m chatting with Ginger Elizabeth Hahn of Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates here in midtown Sacramento. In the interview, we talk about Ginger’s past and how it shaped her love for food. We also discuss the realities of going to culinary school and the many (many) jobs Ginger took on before starting her own brick and mortar business. What struck me most during this interview is the way Ginger made things happen—even when she was stuck in the business catch-22 of needing start-up capital to launch something, but needing to launch something successful in order to be approved for start-up capital. I also really appreciated her honesty about the challenges she’s worked through as her business has grown, her dedication to quality in both her products and her team, and her ability to see both the big picture and the finer details of her work. For the full episode + show notes, please visit creatingyourownpath.com.

Today I’m chatting with Chandra Greer, owner of Greer Chicago, which is a stationery store in the windy city. She was recommended to me by Jessica Murnane of the One Part Podcast and I’m so happy Chandra and I had a chance to connect. She is full of thoughtful advice and has a really simple, yet lovely goal that drives her brand. In the interview, we chat about Chandra’s choice to leave a lucrative job in advertising to open her store and what she’s learned in the last 15 years. She also talks openly about the mistakes she made early on, how she keeps her creativity flowing while managing the business side of her business, why it’s critical to have a support system and how she’s built such an awesome team of employees. For the full episode + show notes, please visit creatingyourownpath.com.

Today’s guest is jewelry designer Jen Moulton! She's been on the show before (Episode 65, if you want to catch up) and I was excited to snag just a little bit of her time to talk through a big announcement she made recently—she's just opened a physical storefront! I knew I wanted to chat about both the how and the why behind her decision to open this shop. In the interview we talk about the type of retail shop she’s opening and how the opportunity came about. We also dive deep into the fear involved in taking big leaps, why it’s often important to start before we’re ready and how Jen anticipates her shop opening to change the way she works. For the full episode + show notes, please visit creatingyourownpath.com.

Today’s guest is Rosa Ng of Young & Able. She's the first in a new segment focused on those who create physical retail experiences. Young & Able is both an ecommerce and pop-up retail experience full of carefully curated items. In the interview, Rosa talks about the many facets of her brand and why she chose to build a platform for the creative community instead of diving into her planned career in fashion design after graduating. She also talks about the importance of testing our ideas, how she manages her pop-up shops—which are really one part event and one part retail shop—and why she believes in setting realistic goals in everything she does. You can find the full episode + show notes at creatingyourownpath.com.

Today’s guest is Brooke Barker of the Instagram-account-turned-book, Sad Animal Facts. I’ve been following Brooke’s Instagram feed, which as you’ll hear in the episode, I came across while we were both participating in The 100 Day Project last year. Sad Animal Facts is a project that is exactly what it sounds like; facts about animals that are a little bit sad or melancholy, but with Brooke’s quirky humor driving the treatment of each fact. Her illustrations are adorable and the facts are things that are funny-slash-sad because they’re true. In the interview, Brooke and I discuss how her one-a-day Instagram project turned into a book in just over a year, how she’s navigated the new-to-her realm of book publishing, and why she believes in exercising your creative muscles by trying to incorporate new mediums and projects the mix. We also talk about Brooke’s other work and how, even though she gets to work primarily on fun and funny projects, she still has to walk the line between humor and professionalism in he

Today’s guest is illustrator Becky Simpson, whose work is a little cheeky and a little quirky, and completely relatable—especially for the ladies tuning in today. If you spend any time on the internet you may have seen Becky’s hilarious “Should I Wash My Hair Today?” flow chart. She’s also created other flow charts that have become favorites, like “Should I Check Email Right Now?” and “Should I wear Pants Today?” I’ve been wanting to get her on the show since last year and I’m so excited to share her story with you! In the interview, we talk about process and giving yourself the time to explore creative ideas when they make an appearance in our lives. Becky also goes into detail about her first book deal and how she was able to bring that book to life even though she didn’t have a large number of blog readers or social media followers. One thing I really appreciated hearing from Becky is how she’s been able to incorporate her brand of humor into all of her work without feeling as though she’s sacrificing prof

Today’s show is one of the few episodes I’ve had so far with a repeat guest! If you’ve been listening to Creating Your Own Path from the beginning, you know that Janna Marlies Maron and her husband Jeremy Maron were the very first guests to be featured on the show in Episode 1. When Janna reminded me that she would be celebrating five years of publishing her literary non-fiction magazine, Under The Gum Tree, this month I knew I wanted to chat with her for this particular segment. In the interview, we talk about how Janna’s multiple sclerosis diagnosis not only played a role in her professional career, but also helped her realign her priorities in both life and business. We also chat about her publication and what it means to write and read true stories, the business side of producing an independent literary arts magazine, and the importance of being patient when it comes to realizing your goals. Please find the full episode and show notes at creatingyourownpath.com.

Today I’m chatting with Tina Essmaker of The Great Discontent. Tina and her husband created the online and print publication because they wanted to talk to others about the highs and lows of creative work. In the interview, Tina talks about the big changes she had to make in her own life before she could pursue the work that was right for her. She also talks about the importance of getting out of your own way, the realities of using crowdfunding to finance creative work, and why she believes in the power of picking one thing and doing it really well before adding elements to the mix. For the full episode + show notes, please visit creatingyourownpath.com.

I’ve got Chris Brown of Refueled Magazine on today's show to talk about his beautiful quarterly publication, which is all about community, heritage, and discovery. In the interview, we chat about the importance print publications as they fit into the context of truly experiencing the stories and art we consume. Chris also talks about the balance between doing what fulfills us creatively and focusing solely on what the audience wants or needs, how successfully selling a neighborhood newspaper at a very young age cemented his love for storytelling, and why he has taken Refueled in a slightly different direction this year. You can find the full episode + show notes at creatingyourownpath.com.

Lizzy Okoro of Bunch Magazine is joining me on the show today to kick off a series dedicated to those who create print publications. With Bunch Magazine, Lizzy has built entire company based on the idea that creative endeavors and business acumen are not mutually exclusive. In the interview, Lizzy chats about how she came to the realization that her creative passions didn’t have to be relegated to hobbies—that she could actually build a sustainable business around them. She also goes into the details behind the growth of Bunch over the years, how she and her team share stories across multiple mediums and why she’s found it so crucial to be mindful about how she approaches the business. You can find the full episode + show notes at creatingyourownpath.com.

Today's guest is actor-turned-author Lisa Jakub. If you’ve ever seen Mrs. Doubtfire or the original Independence Day, you’re likely familiar with her early work. I came across Lisa a few years ago on Twitter and she has since completely changed careers. She’s now a writer living thousands of miles away from Hollywood. When I read Lisa’s book, You Look Like That Girl…, in which she details her major life and career shift, I knew I wanted to have her on this segment of the show. You might think the story of an actor-turned-writer would be completely un-relatable, but that couldn’t be further from the truth in this case. In the interview, we chat about how Lisa got into acting at the age of four and how she handled the period of time between leaving Hollywood and where she is today. We also talk about the tools Lisa used to understand how she could view success outside of the world of acting and filmmaking, why she feels it’s important to talk about the difficult times she’s faced over the years and what she’s w