We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Katelyn Cummings. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Katelyn below.

Katelyn, appreciate you joining us today. Getting that first client is always an exciting milestone. Can you talk to us about how you got your first customer who wasn’t a friend, family, or acquaintance?

My first client actually came as a full circle moment. I made my first ever calligraphy doodle while sitting at my desk, passing the time until 5:00 rolled around. Word had gotten around the office that I was the girl who “wrote pretty” after I began hanging my practice work in a corner of my office and people began to notice. This led to me doing free birthday cards, posters, etc. I was happy to do these projects because I got a chance to continue practicing a hobby that was quickly becoming a passion. Fast forward approximately eight months after resigning and starting a new role, my old colleague reached out to me, who now was the director of his own building, to create a welcome sign and multiple chalkboard menus for his community’s holiday open house. This was my first ever business client that I actually created my first invoice for. I was so nervous, yet excited because I knew this was just the beginning of my calligraphy business.

Katelyn, 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 Katelyn Cummings and I am a self-taught calligrapher based out of Charlotte, NC. Starting out as nothing more than a doodle back in 2018, as I continued practicing, my passion for this newfound interest came quickly and naturally. I became obsessed with the decorative hand lettering and the many forms that it could take on. As I shared this newfound hobby with friends and family, I began getting opportunities to create welcome signs for their different events. Most popularly, I’ve created acrylic welcome signs for birthdays, baby showers, and other parties, using an oil based paint pen to write. As my skills have continued to grow, I’ve had the opportunity to work on chalkboard signs and glass surfaces as well. It wasn’t until last year that I landed my first business client and things have progressively taken off from there. This year, I’ve had my first return client and have worked with two couples to create a welcome sign and seating chart for each of their wedding days, which is something I’ve always looked forward to being able to do. I specialize in adding that extra special spark to people’s events!

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Comparison is truly the thief of joy. We all know it, but it can be easy to fall in the comparison trap and I found myself in that forbidden territory. Not long after connecting with other calligraphers on social media through my business page, KayC Calligraphy, and seeing how amazing their work was, the thought of not being good enough creeped its way into my thoughts. It wasn’t until I met another local calligrapher at a coffee shop, that I realized my work will always have a space in the calligraphy community.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Word of mouth, word of mouth, word of mouth! It’s been such an imperative part of growing my small business and connecting myself to new opportunities. Through word of mouth and networking, I’ve been able to connect with event planners and others that are either seeking a calligrapher for their personal request or knows someone who is seeking a calligrapher. Social media is a huge too, but can be more challenging creating a digital footprint.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/kayc.calligraphy?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064517456668&mibextid=LQQJ4d