We recently connected with Sara Meinkinh and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Sara, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

I grew up visiting Florida every summer. My mother and I always visited local shops that supported local artists over the years. We developed relationships with those business owners and the artists. It was always a highlight to come back each summer and visit them again. When I decided to leave the healthcare arena I knew I wanted to tap back into my creative side and open a shop that supported local artists and create an environment where customers could visit, bring their guests, and experience art! My art gallery and shop provide an opportunity for people to learn about art, experience art, and purchase art for their home at an affordable price. The art gallery and shop are a comfortable, inviting space that people will want to spend time at, and return over and over again.

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

I grew up with the arts being an integral part of my life – music, theater, and art. I went to UMKC’s Conservatory of Music to receive a BA in Music Therapy, focusing on geriatrics – specifically those living with dementia. For over 30 years that was my focus – more so in the administrative side. After Covid, I decided to leave the healthcare world and tap back into a more creative venture – and the dream of my business became my focus and the rest became Sea Dreams by Sara. I’m most proud of the relationships I’ve built with the artists who have chosen to be part of the gallery and shop. Like in healthcare, I’ve earned their respect by working diligently to support the roles they play in the success of my business. I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty, put the hours in, promote the artists and shop in every way possible – all doing so in a positive, uplifting way.

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

I have had a love/hate relationship with social media. It’s a necessity that serves us well. I have found that it’s important to always keep things real, and provide the element of being human. It took me a while to get comfortable with being in front of the camera – sharing my story, sharing what’s happening at the store, creating nuggets to catch the attention of those watching – but when I started having people come into the shop and say how much they enjoyed them – I knew I had to capitalize on that. I did a whole pirate section prior to a sailing trip I was going on, and I’ve actually had customers ask when I’m doing more pirate videos! That made me laugh – but I was proud that my vulnerability paid off. And who knows, maybe there will be more pirates!

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

There are a few things that I’ve focused on to ensure my business’s reputation is steadfast.

First and foremost – you have to take care of those that are the foundation of your business. My artists ARE my business. My customers ARE my business. It’s that simple. Everyone that walks into the gallery and shop receives the ultimate customer service experience. Everyone is important – whether they buy or not – they’ve chosen to walk into the gallery and for that I’m forever grateful! I want not only the art lovers to have a great experience, but those visiting a gallery for the first time leave with a desire to visit us again! Customer service isn’t what it used to be unfortunately – but it’s alive and well with us!

Secondly, I’ve tried to surround myself with a community of support – network groups of likeminded people. Everyone networks but when you find a group that truly supports each other for everyone’s gain instead of their own – that’s huge! It’s important to support the community, and organizations that are working to assist others. We support area nonprofits both in-house as well as through fundraising events that we sponsor at the gallery. It’s important to give back.

Lastly, you must be grateful. I’m very aware that while I’ve done a lot of the grunt work to make my business successful, I didn’t do it alone. Acknowledging that it takes multiple hands to build anything, shake those hands, and hold on to those hands during the successes and challenges is imperative. We all hold each other up and support – and I’m forever blessed.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.seadreamsbysara.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seadreamsbysara?igsh=eDZzZGN3NThrcXAx&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094188912659&mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Other: https://g.co/kgs/w5oUzXt

  https://www.tiktok.com/@seadreamsbysara?_t=ZP-8xnq5vIMhag&_r=1