We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Brittney Drinkard-Goans. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Brittney below.

Brittney, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

I believe how you view success is liable to change as you grow. When I first started my business, my main goal was to make painting my primary income. I believed that would be my ultimate happiness
regardless of what I would be leaving behind, which was my current job in teaching. When I started
Brittney Drinkard Art, it was tunnel vision to book as much as I could, and I am grateful for all of the
opportunities anyone has ever given me along the way. Now, As I am closer to that goal I have noticed
my view on success is changing. I have taught at this school for 7 years, from middle school to the same high
school. I have watched these students grow, and they have watched me as I developed my art along
with them in the classroom. What I thought was a stepping stone I now see as one of my greatess
successes. I have had the opportunity to help individuals grow, laugh with them, and be there for
some of their most endearing moments. I have also continued to challenge myself in the process in my
efforts to be able to showcase that I can be a talent they can trust. My business is doing well, and I think
a lot of that has to do with the spaces I surround myself in. I have found a place where I am loved, and
needed and that is a catalyst to how I treat every bride, every vendor, and every customer I work with. I
hadn’t planned to work both jobs in the long run, but how could I leave a life so fulfilling. I have noticed
that people like kind, non-judgemental people, and I can thank my surrounding for that. The wedding
business is not for the weak, and teaching can be my escape from that. Also teaching is not for the weak,
however art is my escape from that. I think that if you truly love what you are doing in life people will
gravitate towards that energy. Success is a mindset, and I believe success is where your soul is happy

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 Brittney and I am the owner and artist or Brittney Drinkard Art. I am a wedding/custom artist who provides paintings live at weddings and events, and I also create painting from photographs and the past. I started this company a few years ago with the help of a friend in the wedding business, Shannon Moore. Since I have started my business I have expanded and adapted with what people are interested in. I want to be better every painting, and I believe that has payed off with the relationships created with all of my clients. I would say these relationships are probably one of the things I am most proud of. I am grateful that my dedication and passion has been able to translate and give people the ability to trust me with things so sensitive.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Last year I lost my entire Instagram so it’s been sort of an uphill battle in that aspect. A lot of business is acquired through social media, and this combined with me overthinking every post made it pretty detrimental in the beginning. As shallow as it may seem, a majority of people judge the validity of people based on how many followers they have. I’m still noticing that with my numbers now, but luckily a lot of my clientele is word of mouth also. When this first happened I felt defeated mentally; all of my connections and relationships that I had build for years were gone. Also, my entire audience couldn’t find me anymore because the algorithm was empty. At the end or the day there are obviously bigger things the be upset by, but this did and still has created a gap in business. Although I would have preferred the same numbers of my original following, starting over has changed my outlook which I am grateful for. I’ve learned that things are not that serious, and people don’t always have the see the most perfect version of you. I was so caught up with trying to be as professional as possible that at times I think I missed the most valuable aspects of Brittney Drinkard Art. My business addresses people by their name, not a number. Being more approachable adds value to my business. I refuse to spend so many hours painting something that I find no emotion to, or cannot learn something from. I think this typed of discipline also ensures my clients a good dependable product. I am grateful for a clientele that recognizes what I value, and everyone who has grown with me on my journey.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

I like to treat every client as if they are someone very the close to me. Phone calls are vital in getting to know someone, and although not everyone is a talker, I usually can tell a lot about a person within the first 10 minutes. My clientele has grown because of the way I treat people. If someone trust me with something so special like their wedding or their loved ones, I try to make the available time for them to explain what they are feeling or what they are thinking on the matter. Small details are important because they are what differentiate that painting from anyone else’s wedding or loved ones. The earings, weather, lace detail, shoes, bracelets, or ring makeup, those things matter and are almost always noticed. People appreciate good work ethic, and I can be very critical of myself. I believe that discipline and those qualities are vital to what makes a good painting and product.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.brittneydrinkardart.com/
• Instagram: Brittneydrinkard.art
• Facebook: Brittney Drinkard Art (page)
• TikTok: @brittneydrinkardart

Image Credits
Danielle Quinn Loni Lilley Ashlee Crianza Cerda