We were lucky to catch up with Erica Soto recently and have shared our conversation below.

Erica , appreciate you joining us today. Looking back, do you think you started your business at the right time? Do you wish you had started sooner or later

If I could go back in time, I wish I would have started my business sooner. Waiting was a decision that fear decided. When I started my business, it was under the encouragement of a good friend and mentor who held my hand and told me exactly what to do to get started. Before then, I was at a low period in my life. I’ve always been a hustler and usually had some kind of part-time job that was flexible so that I could manage the kid’s school schedule. During the pandemic bills were piling up. I had no money coming in and no job prospects and felt like I didn’t have answers to any of the questions in my life. What’s the right thing to do? Where do I apply? Who wants to work with a mom like me? I had myself a pity party and when I was done crying, I dusted myself off and got to work on myself. If I started sooner, I believe I could have had a team developed at this point, so that I could have more freedom of time. But right now, I’m just a one-woman show trying to take on the world one painting at a time. But I guess life doesn’t always give you just what you want, but what you need. Starting my business in my thirties has allowed me so much experience. All of those roles afforded me the skill set needed to eventually run a business as an artist. But, when you think of that question they ask when you’re in elementary school, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I never had the answer, until now. An artist! And now with my work, I feel like I’m healing that lost little girl who was just looking to be seen and heard. Despite that little girl having a late start, I’m making sure she’s going places she never dared to dream!

Erica , 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 name is Erica Soto and I am an artist and a therapeutic art life coach. I have been painting, crafting, and creating since 2004 and was a manager of several children’s event spaces. Having children and a busy family life led to those jobs coming and going. But over the years those jobs had me take on mural projects, painting on canvas, developing arts and crafts programming, birthday party planning, and styling and decorating for events. I now own a business called Enjoy Erica Art Studio, where we bring art workshops and paint parties to you online or in person. I was already crafting, creating, and hosting events for fun, and with the help of a great mentor and Westchester County’s Program, Launch1000, I was able to develop my hobby and ideas, into a viable art business. We offer Paint and Relax corporate wellness workshops, Therapeutic Art Classes for Senior Citizens, Art events for apartment communities, business networking events, educational workshops for children, and we host Paint Nights at local businesses, bars, and restaurants to partner and support them. The opportunities that art can create are endless, so we customize art programming as well. I have a creative approach to many of the workshops and empathy and understanding that helps me share the joys and benefits of creating through art. I also receive a lot of opportunities because I am a woman minority-owned business. My family is of Puerto Rican descent so being bilingual is always a plus for any business event. I’ve been lucky enough to work with NYC’s Office of Labor Relations through their Be Well/ Work Well Initiatives doing Paint and Relax corporate wellness workshops. I have partnered with Ikea to do a paint event to celebrate Pride Month. We have recurring classes through WJCS and Yonkers NNORC as well as Yonkers Public Library and Bronxville Public Library. I have also worked with the amazing people at Sparc Inc. where we do virtual art classes for their developmentally disabled participants. My most proud place to work at the moment is with the seniors at Westchester Nursing and Rehabilitation. They really make me feel so fulfilled and proud of the work I do.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

I was lucky enough to be part of a program through Westchester County called Launch 1000. Once I completed all the steps of the business accelerator and met all the criteria required, I was awarded a grant that took my humble idea of doing online art workshops, to an in-person business. When I first started the program, I had no idea what I was getting into, but the people at Entrepreneur Ready did just that. Made me ready to spread my wings and fly. They really dove into figuring out who you were, what you wanted, what your skill set was, and what was a viable idea. I found my sweet spot and honed in on just one idea, despite my urge to try and do a million things. The grant and the networking with other like-minded entrepreneurs who were also going through the program jumpstarted my business and gave me an opportunity to make my idea work! Make yourself an expert on everything free that your city, county, state, or federal government may offer for small businesses. There are people like NYC’s SCORE program or WEDC that are looking for entrepreneurs and small business owners who need a helping hand. There are networking groups that want to see you succeed. There are so many resources like Udemy, Coursera and Colleges that offer classes to level up your business knowledge. You just have to start looking.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

My business was really just a small side hustle. My friend and mentor knew I was artistic and asked if I could put together an online art workshop for a corporate event. I said sure, not really thinking too much about it. I had done a free in-person class just for fun at work and for a staff holiday party at my son’s school, so doing it online seemed like a breeze. I was so nervous, but I made it work, and they asked me back. Soon it had been a year of working with them. Then came Launch 1000. And the next big step after that became networking with people. Soon after, I joined my own networking group called thenetworks.org, which I found through a free online Facebook event. (If it’s free it’s for me!) That led me to my next opportunities. And last but not least, LinkedIn! If you are a professional, an entrepreneur, or a small business owner, you need to make yourself a profile on LinkedIn. LinkedIn has connected me to so many free events, resources, other entrepreneurs, podcasts, professionals, clients, and opportunities, and is an amazing place to establish a reputation when you may not have had a platform to do so before. I’m still working on my social media presence, but Instagram has also given me the most connections when meeting with people, collaborating, and connecting with people and peers. One part of my business experience is about people getting to know each other and the second part is being prepared with experience and knowledge to offer and deliver a service professionally. Mean what you say and deliver an exceptional experience. There’s been some hiccups along the way, but all in all, everything is a learning experience.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.enjoyericaartstudio.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enjoyericaartstudio/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/enjoyericaartstudio
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/enjoyericaartstudio/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/enjoyericaart
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6elXkK0k0Z95UJj9Q3Qn2g

Image Credits
All photos were taken by me.