We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Alexis Hove a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alexis, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

The definition of success varies from person to person, so I think it’s helpful to write down goals to determine what your version looks like. My version is to make connections with people through art, create a sense of community with other local makers, and make a living doing so.

I think the most important aspect of long term success is to be steady, and not expect it to all happen at once. It takes time to build something cool and you have to be okay with playing the long game. (Which is honestly so incredibly difficult for me. I have no patience!) But I’d say the biggest thing is just not giving up. It’s so easy to get discouraged as any small business owner, but if you trust yourself and what you’re making, it can be done.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Alexis Hove, and I am the owner and artist of Alexis Hove Studio. I was born and raised in a small town in Northeastern Iowa, and after graduating from college moved to Montana and have been here ever since!

I have always been a creative thinker, and use art as a means to communicate. Usually, non-serious things; a play on words or something I find humorous. I’m a big believer in communicating whatever it is YOU have to say. And for me, it’s mostly silly things. My “Tata Tees” are an example of this. Hand sewn patches on 100% recycled t-shirts (yes, you guessed it, in the tata area). Or a “fake cake” which is a functional jewelry/storage box that looks like a sheet cake.

I also paint often and draw, my most popular commissions being pet portraits. By not limiting my mediums I find it easier to match up which form will work best in that instance. It also keeps me more engaged in creating by allowing options when I am maybe not so engaged in one.

Looking at my work, it might be easy to say, “Pick a lane, would ya!?” But everything I make is “me,” and to limit myself by cutting out pieces in hopes to make it less busy would be a less authentic vesion of myself. Creating, in any capacity, makes me happy – so why not share that.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

I’ve found almost all of my new followers and supporters from connections with friends. You hear the word “networking” thrown out often, but not really given examples of what that means or looks like. When you start to talk to businesses and connect with people to get your work out there, you’ll find that there is ALWAYS a connection to someone else, and then someone else, and it makes the world feel a whole lot smaller in a good way. My advice is don’t be afraid to reach out to people! If you’re socially shy, just remember, no one knows what they’re doing! And they’re usually impressed at your initiative to connect – even if that particular opportunity doesn’t work out.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I currently have some of my work in a collective called the “Missoula Makers Collective” (in Missoula, MT) and they offer monthly classes with speakers that come in and talk about management, social media, businesses taxes, all of it. These have really helped me grow as a business owner. The easy part is making art, but the extra marketing and attempting to sell said art can be a major challenge. Local classes like these are a great opportunity to grow in this way and meet other makers in the business.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.alexishovestudio.com
• Instagram: @alexishovestudio

Image Credits
@leannajoyphotography @emilyketteler