We recently connected with Brandi Stimpson and have shared our conversation below.

Brandi, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

I can 100% say I am truly happy as a creative artist, however there are times the thought of having a regular career may be an easier path.

I’ve been running my own businesses for over 17 years and it’s not as easy as some may think. My latest business has been a larger struggle with the thoughts of “is this worth it”? Lately it has been harder and harder to be seen on social media and advertise to others. I believe that is what has made me question whether the time invested in the business side “marketing/selling/etc” is worth it.

I had an amazing Human Resources career before venturing out on my own as a Photographer and now Etsy shop owner. I loved my past career and going to and from a 9 to 5 with not much more thought as to where my next paycheck was coming from was so nice. And that might be super easy to go back to at times but overall the freedom and schedules are what keep me going on my path of entrepreneurship!

It’s so rewarding when others enjoy your art that you have created. The kindness and encouragement from others is amazing. Being able to schedule your life the way you see fit is HUGE! It is the #1 reason I continue to try to learn all the marketing/selling side of things. My husbands schedule is wild and being able to work around that in my business is our largest reward. It may not be the easiest at times but it is definitely so worth it. It is also so amazing building a business and watching it come to fruition!

Brandi, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My husband and I are empty nesters with two amazing kids and 2 grand daughters. My husbands job has very odd and demanding hours which left me to have many hours to fill on my own! I owned a Photography Studio in our hometown for 17 years and had learned so much regarding starting a business.

I am not one to have idle hands so I started another small business. I have always been in love with home decor and styling my home to give me inspiration and that feeling of comfort and coziness. This led me to creating items that I love for my home and the thoughts of starting to sell some on Etsy.

During the pandemic and I had many hours to learn the Etsy side of business and learn a bit about marketing in today’s online world. My items fit in with the boho coastal farmhouse styles and are minimalistic in nature and accent homes very well. People are tending to focus more on natural items and bringing nature into their homes for that hygge feeling! I also focus on customer service and making my clients experience the best I can.

Learning Etsy was way more than I ever anticipated but a fun challenge and I ending up really enjoying it. My shop got consistent sales and I was able to retire from Photography and work only on my Etsy shop. My followers love the texture and warmth my items add to their own homes and I absolutely love when my items are gifted and shared.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I have grown up with creatives and love the community that surrounds that. I believe showing up for the artists you love, sharing their work & always telling others is the the most kind thing you can do for them. Referrals are the best advertisement anyone can have and it means everything to share and speak to others about someone or small business you enjoy!

Is there a mission driving your creative journey?

My goals have changed so much over the years but I keep my vision board right above my computer in my office. I have been blessed to meet many goals with my creative journey in this business as well as my photography business. But todays goals are to continue to learn, create and earn enough to get my husband and I to retirement while being able to spend our time with family! My mission is to find a way to create a small business group of creatives to help and inspire each other and build a community so that entrepreneurship is a bit less lonely.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.etsy.com/shop/simplystyledart
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/simplystyledart
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/simplystyledart
• Other: www.simplystyledart.blogspot.com

Image Credits
All images were taken by me.