Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Amy Anderson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Amy, appreciate you joining us today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

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?

I’ve always been an artist and specifically a painter. I remember using watercolor as a child and being fascinated with its movement on the page. I am so lucky that my parents kept me stocked with art supplies and chances to take art classes. My elementary art teacher was very influential to me, Mrs. Hart. She once took a piece of mine out of the garbage, framed it, and entered it into a young artist competition. She really grew my confidence as an artist and I’m so thankful to now create joy for others through my art. I believe that everyone has a natural eye for what visuals they like, and a basic ability to create. However, it does take hours of practice to become proficient at something like portraits or developing a unique personal style. It is that practice time that grows your faith and belief in your work. I am really glad to be able to funnel my motivation and ambition into something like drawing and painting, because over time you really do see that improvement and it is something to feel good about. I absolutely love delivering a finished piece to a happy client, and the feeling never gets old. I also paint abstract florals, especially wildflowers, some local city scenes, and the human figure. My figures are a really recent series for me, which I’ve titled ”Silhouettes”, and the lines are minimal and simple. I am exploring how much of a story I can tell with just a few curvy lines. Lately I’ve been incorporating florals into my silhouettes and I’m so excited to see where the series goes. That inspiration comes from a line in one of my poems, “gardens inside”. It is the concept that there is so much growing and blooming and dying inside us all the time, like a seasonal garden that we tend really well at times and allow to be a wilderness at others. My work is very feminine, and I do like bright colors and high contrast but overall I use lots of blues and greens with pops of pink or purple. I prefer having a strong idea behind my visuals, but honestly sometimes its just pretty flowers because they bring me joy!

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

There is a saying about small business that says: your clients will become your friends before your friends become your clients. And while my friends have always been supportive, it is absolutely true that your clients will become close with you. I’ve made so many friendships that began with a painting purchase or art class signup. In general, I send one e-mail newsletter to my clients monthly, through my website on the Wix platform, and it goes to anyone who has signed up for the newsletter or has ever taken a class from me or purchased a painting. My newsletter is the main way I communicate with them and make my announcements, since it reaches all of them directly, and it is where I see most of my financial support coming from. I also post roughly every three days on social media, which is down from every day when I ran a brick and mortar studio. My clients text me, DM me, email me, call me, and keep up with my career long after our initial interaction. I always tell people they can ask me questions, and they do! I love talking about paint supplies and giving feedback on their current work so it’s really a win win. I realized right away with teaching that it was so similar to the customer service jobs I’d had in the past (including four years at the GAP) because you are coaching them and refilling their water cup and really paying attention to their needs during class. I know that’s part of why my clients are so connected to my business- the experience of taking a class or talking about art at a festival or show can touch your soul and be a very ‘true’ interaction. I’ve always been genuine with my students and clients, and that goes a long way to building a relationship. When they ask my advice, I give them the truth about areas to change in their work, and authentic complements as well. Long ago I decided to always be politely honest with students and I know that has made a big difference in their loyalty and also in my enjoyment of our relationship. I don’t dread giving critiques for that reason.

Any advice for managing a team?

I love choosing a team of passionate people that are good at what they do, and have different strengths than I do. I had several teaching artists giving classes at my studio. If they are good at something, let go and let them do it! I always give new folks a thorough tour of all the aspects of the business they are joining, so hopefully they will see the larger picture and really feel invested in it. The people you choose are representing yourself and your brand while you are not present, so it’s important that they believe in the overall mission. If they do, I find they go above and beyond to serve your clients. I always focus on what is most important in this order: the finances, customer service, the marketing, and the condition of the store. If your employee collected a profit and had happy customers (and maybe even snapped some cute photos for social media), I can let it go if they forget to sweep! Make a list of your priorities and make sure to communicate well with your team what you expect. When I first began teaching art at a paint and sip, the owner was wonderful and fun, but had a focus on really cleaning up the paintbrushes. Since I knew that was a sticking point for her, I made it my business to have them spotless and drying flat in the manner she wished. The little things matter when running a business, so expect that sort of communication with your team, and encourage it on both sides!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.artbyamyanderson.com
• Instagram: https://www.instragram.com/artbyamyanderson
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artandsoulbluffpark