Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sanique Olkuch. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Sanique, appreciate you joining us today. Can you take us back in time to the first dollar you earned as a creative – how did it happen? What’s the story?
The first dollar I earned was actually $75. I received a commission to do a poem in calligraphy. It was a referral from another calligrapher who was no longer taking on those kinds of commissions anymore.
It was a poem written by a dad who has lost a child before the end of the pregnancy so he wrote a poem to their lost child. It was a very touching experience because I had never seen anything like that before. I felt like I had to handle it with so much intention and just be present and be mindful while I was working on it because I know what the words meant to him.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a Miami-based calligrapher and engraver who specializes in luxury hand-lettered calligraphy and freehand engraving services for weddings, brand activations, corporate gifting, and special events. I help corporate and private clients elevate their special occasions with hand-written envelopes, placecards, or one of a kind personalization of wine, champagne, spirits, or fragrance bottles.
When I was younger, I was obsessed with letters. I loved tracing them, decorating them with floral doodles, and I even tried practicing writing letters with my non-dominant hand because most of my family is left-handed. About five years ago, I was looking for a creative outlet because I didn’t feel particularly creative but needed a stress reliever. I tried many different creative pursuits until I founded calligraphy and it was the perfect fit! I started Sanique Calligraphy because I want to share my passion for this beautiful art form with the world.
The main thing I want my potential clients to know is that if they have a project in mind, I would be happy to help them bring it to life because sometimes you just need to have the idea and the right person to help you make your vision a reality.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
The two books that impacted my management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy the most are “Atomic Habits” by James Clear and “Profit First” by Mike Michalowicz.
As an entrepreneur, there are just a multitude of things that need to get done every day and only one person to do them all. It can be overwhelming to think of everything that need to be done but if we take small steps by building small habits and add those habits on to habits we already have, it’s amazing how much we can accomplish.
From Profit First, I learned the idea of ‘paying your profits first” which helps to counteract the “starving artist” mentality where we start with our income and then subtract all our expenses and if anything is left over, then we take a profit. When I learned to start with profit first, I ensured that my business is sustainable because 1. I’m making a profit and 2. my business is more lean since I have to stick within a budget to be able to cover all business expenses.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Starting a creative business is not always easy but I have learned to take the difficult lessons along with the wins. One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced was when I first started putting my calligraphy out there. In the very beginning, I tried to partner with a local stationer because I thought that would be the perfect place to start. She directly told me that my work was too basic for her clients. I was so heartbroken that it took me a long time to start showcasing my work after that. I didn’t let that set me back forever though. I took the response as motivation to work harder and I have since been able to collaborate with other stationers who value my work and have been able to land jobs with clients like Patron, Diptyque, and Victoria’s Secret!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.saniqueandco.com
- Instagram: @saniqueandco
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saniqueandco
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanique-ol-852731254
Image Credits
@ladybrandboss