We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Patti Pan a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Patti, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

Artists and art enthusiasts complain about galleries because they are the industry’s gatekeepers. As members of the industry, we understand why the traditional gallery business model is forced to limit the number of artists that galleries may accept. If galleries do that, there are too many risks, and if they uncover a gem, they will stick to serving the gem rather than discovering other stars.

We understand, but that does not mean we approve of the current model. We look deeper into the industry and figure out ways to do better, serving a larger group of artists, getting them paid, and making their work seen. Then, we figured out the top three challenges for artists. First, organize the artwork and be prepared to show it. Many artists don’t know how or where to start. And they don’t like operational work. Second, they want to show their work to people, especially in person, as much as possible. Thirdly, artists need to handle a lot of other stuff, such as shipping packaging and more, when they sell work. Traditionally, artists can get help from galleries, art dealers, and studio managers. However, it is not affordable for upcoming artists to hire someone. The cut for traditional galleries is usually high.

We target solving the issues in a creative way, leveraging technology. Our artistic intelligence-powered art business management platform helps creators: launch their website and manage their inventory at ease; locate and show their work in alternative spaces and galleries; and gain special offers of art service from our partner.

We want to solve all the heavy-lifting work for artists so that they can focus on creation and telling their stories.

Patti, 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 am the founder of RevArt. Before RevArt, I worked for Fortune 500 companies in business development and marketing. My last job was working for a billionaire. The billionaire family has an art foundation, and they have taken many initiatives to incorporate art into business. That’s how I got in touch with the art industry.

The more I get to know about artists, the more I admire not only their creativity but also their entrepreneurial spirit. Most of them are solo entrepreneurs but lack support. That’s why I want to support them and build RevArt. RevArt is a one-stop platform for artists to manage their business. It is subscription-based. Through RevArt, artists will not only get technical support, such as building websites, managing portfolios, and even launching NFT projects; they will also show their work in our gallery venue network and enjoy discounts for art shipping, giclee printing, and more.

I am proud that we have experienced different challenges and possible business avenues for being artists. We understand artists, their needs, and their aspirations. We treat them as our long-term investment rather than merely users. That’s why we also have a scholarship and residency program to support them.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I started my business in 2020, and my original idea was to open an art agency. Obviously, it did not work out. Under a lot of pressure, my former business partner decided to depart the path, and she took away some of our early clients. It was devastating for me, and I was wondering whether I should stick to my business or not. The journey to get out was not easy. I did two things right.

I kept myself busy. Each week, I set a rough goal, and I told myself that I should do these. Some are not necessarily connected to my business. I started a PPE fundraising campaign to help local small businesses during the pandemic. Every evening, I made a list of what I wanted to accomplish tomorrow so that the next day I could get out of bed rather than staying in and worrying about my future.

The second thing I did was talk with people. I attended and scheduled hundreds of Zoom calls. I went to all the events related to entrepreneurship and startups. Sometimes, it is just for brainstorming and learning from others. It made me feel that I was not fighting alone.

Unexpectedly, the efforts gave me something back. I met my co-founder and figured out my business model after talking with hundreds of people. Also, I built close relationships with local business owners during my little campaign. It led me to more connections, and finally I got a chance to work with some business owners to launch my first partnership gallery in Virginia.

Keeping it going is so important when running a small business. You need to be smart but also have patience. It might take much longer than you thought. Also, don’t be afraid to reach out for help. There are a lot of amazing people, and businesses are willing to support startups and other people’s dreams. That trust and support are some of the most amazing things I have experienced in my life.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

We have been working with artists for many years. Many of them support and promote us spontaneously. When I recall, we have done three things right:

1. We keep our promise. We pay artists fast if they sell art through our network. We always document all the communication and keep the process transparent. When we make promises to artists, we deliver on them.

2. We care about relationships. We treat artists as friends, and we invest in the development of long-term relationships. We organize meetups, informal social outings, and free consultations for artists.

3. Lastly, we keep developing our products. We keep learning about new things happening in the industry so that we can help artists if they want to take a new journey. We become their first business partner when they think of one.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://revart.co
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revart_global/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/revart.co
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/revartco/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX9cNeIerkigqHyF0kkhdhA

Image Credits
All photo credits go to Revart, LLC