We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Janelle Simpson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Janelle below.
Janelle, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you find your key vendor or vendors? Maybe you can share the backstory and share some context and the relevant details to help us understand why you chose them, why they chose you, etc.
Finding vendors sounds like an easy task , but if you’re like me and didn’t have too many sources , it could be a struggle at first. Word of mouth is important but putting your business out there and promoting , is all on you. Facebook is definitely a great platform to find vendors. Making a post on Facebook , seeking help to find vendors helped me A-LOT! People reached out from all over New York asking for my availability. My first big collaboration for my Face-printing business , I was honored to be apart of a group that hosts free events for locals. It was a great start .. helped me build the skill of multitasking , to get designs done quicker due to bigger lines , and helped build my confidence with big crowds. Unfortunately as the bookings went on .. I realized they were actually shorting me. I went on to vent to another well experienced/well known face-painter about the situation , they were able to help me realize my worth in the Face-painting industry and really helped me understand that I’m in control and “all money isn’t good money”. That was a HUGE lesson for me because it’s not always about the money for me , I love what I do .. but I had to understand this is a business , and people will take your kindness for granted. That built character, and also built a sense of self confidence and boundaries/standards for MY business when negotiating on collaborations of any sort.
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.
For the readers that may not have read about me before , I am a 26 year old Mother , and self-taught artist from a small town in New York. Art caught my interest at a young age. I was the child always stealing the computer paper to create pictures. But I also was the child that loved everything about colors. At the age of 12 I painted my very first canvas , a sign for my bedroom door decorated for my pet fish. As far as drawing , I didn’t take drawing serious until Middle school (6th grade) .
Long story short , mid year (6th grade) I moved to Florida where I met a friend that challenged me all the time. We would draw pictures of known cartoon characters , then students in the class would vote on who they thought was the best. This actually led to students asking us both to decorate their binders for class. I knew I was a good at drawing , but all the request and feedback really made me FEEL like I was good at drawing.
It wasn’t until my early 20’s when I realized I can turn my skills into a business. I wanted to paint , I was extremely influenced from instagram. I remember acknowledging that I haven’t touched a canvas since I was a child , but I was confident it my drawing. I Sketched out a picture from Google , and I applied the paint. I instantly fell in-love and decided to share it on my Facebook page which unexpectedly blew up. I got request nonstop for paintings and even was asked to host my very own showcase. It sounds like it happened overnight , but it took long hours and dedication to be consistent and stick to the plan.
“PaintedByNell” is my face-painting business. “PaintedByNell” is an ultimate experience for children and adults where i can turn anyone into a beautiful butterfly or Spider-Man for the day. Starting off I was asked to facepaint at a local event with absolutely no experience. That one event led to multiple! It wasn’t a business I had in my plan book but sometimes I feel the universe planted this skill into my hands. I had no idea it would even become this successful nor did I have any knowledge about the industry ; but that didn’t take long.
I did my research and even studied other experienced face-painters techniques, and how they organized their “set ups” at events so that I could be prepared and have the essentials I’d need for any bookings. Having a beautiful attractive set up brings clients and makes not only the children , but the parents comfortable. When people walk past your tent , you want them to know what you do without them having to ask. That was one huge lesson I learned because I started with only myself, skills and some cheap paint. Now I have a tent , chairs , brushes , table , PROFESSIONAL paint , banners etc.
As I said before , Instagram played a huge part when it came to inspiration. I eventually came across epoxy resin art which really caught my attention and eventually become another branch of my business “NellsArt”. Im not sure what it is about the art of epoxy , but it’s something I truly am in-love with. Creating my resin business (“NellsArt”) enhanced my customer service skills and challenged my organization. When I first announced my business I dropped a “Launch” that had various products from ashtrays , trays , and keychains. It went so well I honestly couldn’t believe it. The support was unbelievable and it was time to give them what they were asking for! I watched many videos on YouTube about packaging orders , thank you cards , business cards , how to manage a business and even different designs so I could learn new techniques .. I did a-lot of research before and while being in business because I feel like you can never know it all , there’s always something to learn. I did a-lot of research on algorithms and marketing strategies to enhance my promoting skills when it came to my products as-well as promoting my brand itself. My resin business has grew so much over the past 2 years and I am honestly blessed because it’s not an easy craft to stick with. Its very time consuming and challenging keeping order’s organized, but it’s worth it! That feeling just knowing it’s yours and people love it .. is an unexplainable feeling and it makes you never want to stop what you’re doing.
Being 26 and having these opportunities come my way is honestly a blessing. I thank god almost every morning for even giving me these skills and allowing me to apply it into my life. Im proud of how far I came because I’ve had a lot of restless nights where I did want to give up , there were days were I thought about settling with a job, but I knew I had to keep going. If I couldn’t do it for me I promised I’d do it for my daughter.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
YouTube is my life teacher in disguise! I’ve watched so many videos on how to manage a business, how to promote a brand , how to save money , how to invest into your business and so much more. Anything I felt I needed to improve , I watched a video on it. Believe it or not , “Motivational speeches” literally helped me with self discipline and helped me not give up in the business industry. I once thought it was only hard for me , used to ask that famous question “why is this happening to me”. After listening to those speeches early in the morning everyday , I realized everything comes with solutions. Majority of the wealthy people in this world were completely broke at a time, some even homeless before they became what they are today. Not everyone has a support system pushing them everyday nor does everyone have the sources or money. It’s really up to YOU to create the life you want .. but it’s not okay to be so hard on oneself.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
One important lesson i unlearned was creating anything before receiving a deposit . I had multiple requests when I first started my businesses. I’d make the product/painting , then when it was time to pay/purchase the item , I’d never hear from the person again. I was a little TOO nice in the beginning and didn’t think it was necessary to require a deposit because it felt demanding. Later realizing it’s a principle in business and it secures your time and work you put in.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nells_art_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100067809586177&mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Other: Tiktok – @NellsArt_