We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Aynsley Weiss a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Aynsley thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What do you think it takes to be successful?
I believe that success is more accurately represented by a spectrum, rather than a singular, or universal point.
For some, success is only realized upon completion of a project, that is, seeing it arrive at a favorable conclusion. In contrast, I interpret success from a very different perspective, as something attained through the daily pursuit of individual goals, ideas, or passions. My personal successes have primarily manifested in the daily grind and the conclusion of small projects within my business, instead of a reaching a climactic zenith where everything aligns perfectly. This paradigm requires heart, discipline, and an overwhelming amount of passion, which to me summarizes the essence of success.
Aynsley , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am Aynsley Weiss, creator of AynsleyArtist, an online shop where you can find art to inspire your life. My artwork ranges from nature-themed illustrations and quotations surrounded by supportive designs, to highly detailed patterns splashed across large canvases.
I am passionate about life, living It to the fullest, and spreading good vibes every step of the way! My creations are an extension of this outlook and seek to reciprocate that message of positivity.
From a young age my artistic interests were nurtured, and once I was older, my mother encouraged me to share my art through the creation of a small business. I embraced this advice, though admittedly knew nothing about being an entrepreneur! I opened my shop on Etsy Marketplace, and have been presenting my art through their platform for the past 4 years, with hopes of establishing my own website as my brand continues to grow.
Some of the most meaningful work I engage in is working with clients on commissioned projects. Recently, I designed a pair of patterned sweatpants for a client. It was such a joy to dialogue regarding their ideas and experiment with various design interpretations, finally sending them the finished product.
When customers shop at AynsleyArtist, they can expect a high quality product that was designed with intention and heart. They are also dealing with a real person, supporting a dream that has the potential to affect people for good!
We’d love to hear your thoughts about selling platforms like Amazon/Etsy vs selling on your own site.
I currently use Etsy Marketplace as the platform for my shop AynsleyArtist. As a budding entrepreneur still in the throes of creating a brand, Etsy has equipped me with the necessary framework for successful marketing of my small business at this time.
Etsy excels at presenting itself to the novice business owner, taking care of all the confusing details, such as payment and shipping costs, and leaving the fun elements like product photography and branding to the user. I love the easy layout of the website, not to mention the abundance of educational videos and articles at your disposal. Additionally, there is no fee associated with set up, or any hidden fees moving forward. You simply pay to keep your listings active, and a small percentage of every sale goes to Etsy, making it perfect for startups with very little revenue to spare!
Because Etsy is a marketplace, there is lot of competition from other creators, making it difficult to be seen on the platform, which means you have to master search engine optimization quickly in order to be seen by potential customers.
I love using Etsy at this time and appreciate its contribution to my business, but am still looking forward to the day when AynsleyArtist.com is a reality!
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Resilience, now there is a word I like! This is a trait you must possess if you are going to make it in the small business world.
For me, resilience has been learned through an annual market that takes place in my town every fall. During the first year after establishing my business, I prepared in advance for this event, setting myself up for optimal exposure and significant art sales. At the end of the market day, having spent over 5 hours interacting with customers and presenting my creations, I had made a total of 2 sales. I ended the day pretty disappointed, feeling like a failure, and doubting whether or not I was pursuing anything worthwhile.
I didn’t give up after this first experience, but instead made improvements to my sales approach for the same event when that time of year came around again. I purchased pretty tissue paper, made snacks to engage potential customers as they shopped, and even offered a raffle prize. At the end of my second attempt at the fall market, I was met with some improvement, making closer to 10 sales for the day. Again, it felt like so much work for so little reward, and I walked away from the event dissatisfied with my lack of success.
They say the third time is a charm though! My sales improved, my setup expanded and presented my material in a new way, and I even experienced returning customers. People who had either purchased from me or seen my art in the past years finally came over and interacted with my shop. Not only were they excited to see me presenting my work again, they manifested this excitement by taking home some of my creations with them.
The moral of the story is, don’t give up…ever. Even when challenges arise that make running a small business stressful, potential customers are out there, simply waiting for the push that your presence can provide, which can create a ripple, leading to an unstoppable brand.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.etsy.com/shop/aynsleyartist
- Instagram:@aynsley.artist
- Facebook: AynsleyArtist
- Youtube: @AynsleyArtist
Image Credits
Photography can sometimes be my favorite part of the job, all of these pictures were taken by me. Fun fact: my sister does most of the modeling for me which is so nice!