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

Meghan, appreciate you joining us today. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

I am far happier as a small business owner than when I had a 9-5 job. Once I began working for myself, it became clear that a regular job is not right for me. Even though I work longer hours and make far less money, my anxiety has never been lower and my energy has never been higher. I do something that fills my cup everyday, and I can structure my days in a way that works for me.

I have ADHD, which means a 9-5 often gets boring quickly. As a small business owner, I don’t have that problem. There is always something I can improve in my business and there is always something I don’t know enough about; I am constantly being challenged. The workday and deadline structure of a regular job were also huge pain points for me. But as a small business owner, I’m able to build freedom within my schedule to work on tasks when I feel inspired rather than on an arbitrary deadline set by someone else; I’ve built systems that keep me on track, but those systems don’t work within a regular workplace.

Meghan, 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?

I graduated from college in Spring of 2020. With the pandemic I had a lot of free time to spend alone, so I took an online silversmithing course on how to make a simple sterling silver and stone ring. Silversmithing quickly became a passion, turning into a side-hustle at the end of 2020. A year after learning how to silversmith, I quit my 9-5 and began building Meghan Elisabeth Art (MEA) full-time.

I make minimalist and artisanal sterling silver & turquoise jewelry. Each piece is entirely handmade & one-of-a-kind, showcasing the natural beauty of each stone through unique combinations & delicate sterling silver designs. Slow-made with quality materials, MEA jewelry is crafted to be worn with pride and adored for years to come.

It is uncommon to come across delicate turquoise jewelry and minimalist asymmetrical statement pieces. I have not seen the simple and unique delicate style consistent throughout my work reflected by other artists. The stones are the inspiration behind each design, where the stone color & shape inspire their unique combinations.

Entering 2023, I am transitioning my business to be fully online as I travel the United States full-time. I will be living on the road in a truck camper with my partner & two dogs. My partner and I missed traveling with Covid, and wanted to prioritize our love for the outdoors more consistently in our daily lives. We’ll be traveling to see the natural sites of the United States over the next two years and my studio will be set up at whatever campground we happen to be at.

I already draw from the simplistic & subtle beauty of color in the outdoors to inspire the combinations of stone color & shape in my work, so I’m excited to see how my work changes as I travel to new places. Moving forward, I will be releasing work by state traveled, with each piece named after the exact location it was made. I hope to bring my customers along with me in my travels, connecting them to the places that inspired each one-of-a-kind piece.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

My audience on social media is by no means large, but it was done organically and intentionally. My goal with social media has always been to reach the people who really connect and engage with my work — I would far rather have a small active audience over a large passive audience.

I personally believe the best way to build this audience is to do so slowly and to do cool things offline. This doesn’t mean you need to share every part of the things you’re doing, but the people you meet while doing those things are where you’ll find your foundational audience.

So be sure to have your socials on your business cards, have some QR codes when you’re at markets, and find ways to present your work in physical locations and market yourself on platforms that aren’t social.

Building on social platforms is also doable, but I personally believe it should be approached as a value-added platform used for forming connections and cultivating relationships first. So share those cool things you’re doing in your everyday life and build trust with your audience — let them know there’s a person behind the business.

If you make it fun to follow you, you’ll form the know, like, and trust relationship with followers necessary to create a lasting and repeating customer relationship.

People are on social media to escape, not to hear us pitch our products! Connect with your audience, and it will grow authentically.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I am currently going through a large pivot in my business and life. Over the next few years I’ll be traveling full time out of a truck camper with my partner and two dogs — and I’m taking the business on the road with me. This is a huge transition that is going to have a major impact on how I run my business and approach my life.

A good portion of my income has been from in-person markets and events, and this transition will force me to pivot fully online. I am expecting a lot of challenges entering this year, but the goal of this transition is to align myself with my values, doing what feels good and exciting. This will undoubtedly change my business, but the risk of doing so — if it works — will create a business that feels good.

I am tired of the hustle culture surrounding small business owners and the only metric of success being our income. That is not why I started this business — I started it because I wanted more freedom to structure my life as I wanted to, and to do what makes me happy everyday. This transition will create more space to incorporate those values into my everyday life, and I hope this pivot will reap the fulfilling rewards I am seeking.

Contact Info:

• Website: Meghanelisabethart.com
• Instagram: @meghanelisabethart
• Facebook: Meghan Elisabeth Art
• Other: Pinterest: @meghanelisabethart

Image Credits
Camille Docena: https://www.camilledocena.com/