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

Meredith, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear your thoughts about making remote work effective.

Well that’s an easy question for me. In 2019 I took “ Lil Angel Pet Boutique and gallery on the road. I went from a brick and mortar store to a remote company doing solely pop-up events that don’t cost any money from me. Therefore boosting my sales. That is the biggest benefit. The downside of going remote is not being able to communicate with my customers daily in person. I miss that!!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I absolutely adore painting pets! My passion for both people and their furry friends led me to create Lil Angel Pet Boutique and Gallery. It all started with a simple idea – custom canvas pet portraits based on photos. Clients would share a picture of their beloved pet, and I’d create a beautiful piece of art in whatever size they wanted.

Over time, my little venture has blossomed into something truly special. Now, I offer 11 different products featuring my pet portraits! Can you believe it? From cozy coffee cups to stylish tote bags, I’ve found so many fun ways to showcase these adorable animal faces. Let me give you a quick rundown of what I paint:

• Wall art that’ll make any room feel like home
• Coasters to keep your table safe in the cutest way possible
• Ornaments to add some furry cheer to your holidays
• Wooden trays perfect for serving breakfast in bed (to you or your pet!)
• Display plates that are too pretty to use
• Tote bags to carry your essentials (and show off your pet)
• Coin purses for all your loose change
• Larger purses for, well, everything else!
• Wine glasses to make your evening sip extra special
• Champagne flutes for those big celebrations
• Beer glasses for casual hangouts with friends
• Coffee cups to start your day with a smile
• Umbrellas to brighten up even the rainiest days
• And even jean jackets for the ultimate pet-lover fashion statement!

It’s been an amazing 20-year journey, and I’ve had the pleasure of popping up all over Colorado. You might have spotted me in hotel lobbies, at outdoor events, in cozy wine bars and cellars, or at heartwarming rescue group gatherings. I’m always excited to see where my pet portraits will take me next!

I just love bringing joy to pet owners by capturing the unique personality of their furry, feathered, or scaly friends. It’s more than just painting – it’s about celebrating the special bond between pets and their humans. So, tell me, do you have any pets you’d love to see immortalized in art?​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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

There are several effective strategies for keeping in touch with clients and fostering brand loyalty:

1. Regular communication:
– Send personalized emails or newsletters with updates, tips, or exclusive offers
– Use social media to share relevant content and engage with customers
– Implement a customer relationship management system to track interactions

2. Loyalty programs:
– Offer rewards, points, or special discounts for repeat customers

3. Exceptional customer service:
– Provide prompt, helpful responses to inquiries and issues
– Offer multiple support channels (phone, email, chat, social media)
– Follow up after purchases or service interactions

4. Personalization:
– Use data to tailor offers and communications to individual preferences
– Remember customer preferences and past interactions

5. Feedback and improvement:
– Regularly solicit customer feedback through surveys or reviews
– Act on feedback to improve products/services

6. Exclusive events or content:
– Host special events or webinars for loyal customers
– Provide early access to new products or features

7. Consistency in brand experience:
– Ensure all areas reflect your brand values and messaging

How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.

I sell on my own site and redbubble.com for pod. My main stream of income comes from word of mouth and repeat customers. I have tried many other platforms but have found only redbubble to be profitable. You upload your design and size it onto 98 products. You add keywords and you put the price you want. They give you back the percentage you want. You have control. They do a very good job marketing to overseas so you are constantly getting paid thru getting orders. The cons to using is you need a lot of different images for sale. I have 1,200 images now.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lilangelpetboutiqueandgallery.com
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/meredithbrooksartist/
• Facebook: http://facebook.com/lilangelpetboutique
• Youtube: http://utube.com/@MeredithBrooks-p3u
• Other: http://redbubble.com/people/angelportraits/shop