We recently connected with Hannah Sanders and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Hannah thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

Hand lettering was my saving grace in college. As a double major, you can imagine extreme burnout was not difficult to come by. I began teaching myself to hand letter as a means of escaping the mounds of homework and research papers. Before I knew it, hand lettering had become my greatest form of self-care. It challenged me to slow down, clear my head, and deeply appreciate the quiet moments. I’ll be real: I didn’t have the best track record for sitting still, so I needed the challenge and mindset flip. Rather than shoving self-care to the side and only using it as a reward for hard work, I began prioritizing it through hand lettering. It taught me that I am incapable of doing my best work if I’m not first pouring into myself. It taught me that self-care is not selfish, it’s necessary. My passion is utilizing my artform as a means of inviting burnt out people (like I was) into a lifestyle of self-care.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I’m Han, a hand lettering artist and instructor whose greatest passion is challenging women to make self-care a priority in their lives. I started hand lettering when I was a sophomore in college as a way to escape the stress of endless research papers, homework, and complete burnout. It served solely as a creative outlet, but I completely fell in love with it! In fact, I loved this new form of self-care so much I thought, “Why not make this my job?” So I did. I founded Hannah Elaine Lettering, a small business with which I’m able to create custom hand lettered pieces for the best clients out there. Taking someone’s vision and helping them bring it to life brings me the utmost joy – whether it’s a unique seating chart for a sweet bride or a portrait of someone’s most precious childhood home.

However, as much as I love creating custom pieces, my true passion lies within the hand lettering workshops I host nationwide. These workshops are intentionally centered around self-care, so I’ve incorporated even the smallest details to make that known. These details touch on all five senses: from sipping on a glass of wine, to enjoying my hand lettering music playlist, to breathing in the scent of lavender as you write. In each workshop we walk through the basics of hand lettering and floral sketching, then create a framed piece or journal to take home. Think wine and paint night, but it’s hand lettering and self-care. That’s what makes my workshops different. My heart is to pour into those who are experiencing burnout and challenge them to view self-care differently. Hand lettering has taught me that self-care should be treated as a priority, not a reaction to exhaustion. It’s taught me to simply slow down and know myself well enough to take care of myself. Treating self-care as a priority has truly given me a healthier life: my relationships have formed deeper roots, my mentality has shifted positively, and my body has thrived. I want those who attend my workshops to experience that and leave feeling encouraged to better treat themselves. I strive to redefine the stigmas surrounding self-care one workshop at a time!

How did you build your audience on social media?

I’m still a relatively new business, and this year I was able to double my number of followers on Hannah Elaine Lettering’s Instagram. As I’ve grown, the biggest thing I’ve learned is that potential clients want to feel like they know you and trust you before partnering with you. If people feel like they know you well enough to call you a friend, they will be much more likely to purchase from you! Utilizing social media has been one of the best forms in doing just that – it’s been a space where I’ve been able to build that trust and set the expectation that working with me is an experience, not just a one-time purchase. I’ve authentically presented who I am as the person behind the small business rather than presenting the small business alone. People want to support other people, and potential clients buy into your why, not your what. If you’re social media marketing strategy highlights who you are as a person and emphasizes why you do what you do, you’re golden! Then adding value is key in maintaining that relationship. I do that by gifting my potential clients with hand lettering tips and tricks, free downloadable practice sheets, ideas for incorporating hand lettering at weddings, etc. Adding this type of value and free information only grows the trust between me and my audience!

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

Outside of fostering relationships on social media platforms, the best way I keep in touch with my clients is through my email list. Email lists get such a bad rap, and that’s because people are going about them all wrong. I see email lists as a means of going above and beyond with past clients – a means of servicing and spoiling them. Email lists are meant to make your clients feel exclusive and special, so I try sending my emails with that mindset. Once a month, those on my email list receive a freebie from me and a blog post with hand lettering tips and tricks. Freebies range from hand lettering practice guides to traceable sheets they can print off and frame. They are always the first to know about upcoming workshops or products. My email list is a way to delightfully surprise and service the ones who have been so supportive of my business! In sending these emails, the trust and brand loyalty only grows stronger. All clients are great, but statistically a business’s greatest customers are the ones who come back. Maintaining that trust and loyalty is essential!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hannahelainelettering.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/hannahelainelettering?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Image Credits
– Rachael Leigh Photos (photos 1-6) – Terri Calla Photography – Liz Louise Photography (last 2 photos)