Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sharon Dawson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Sharon, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

It all started as a side hustle over 10 years ago with an abandoned piece of furniture on the side of the road. How could somebody just dump this beautiful sideboard when it obviously had so much life left in it? When it could be transformed into something magnificent and beautiful and useful? That sideboard called to me and I did a u-turn in my little car and shoved it in the back, much to the embarrassment of my kids. I signed up for a chalk painting class and kicked off my upcyling adventures. This was about the time my first marriage was about to come to a screeching halt. I painted in the summertime in my garage studio, selling my pieces to neighbors or consigning to our local antique store. I had a great creative outlet, made a little cash, and emotional coping mechanism as I went through a nasty divorce.

This is not the business I run today but it is the foundation, the starting place for “Accidental ArtMaker”.

When covid started and we were in lockdown, my best friend of 30+ years and I started a livecast/podcast called “Visible, The Podcast for Women in Midlife” . Visible’s mission is to enable women to live the second half of their lives like a motherf*cking fireworks show. We talk about all things of interest to women in mid life, including relationships, health and fitness, beauty, careers, empty nesting, menopause, reinvention, and more. (podpage.com/visible)

In July of 2021 we taped Episode #110 – The 101 on Side Hustles. We interviewed 2 women. One had a side hustle and the other woman Veronica Bahn was a side hustle coach. As we talked about women starting a side hustle, I realized that I was being called to create a business that enabled midlife women to create art. I was having a “product experience that turned into a conversation that then blossomed into ‘well I’ll share it on social media’ and possibly turn it into a business” moment. My product experience was with a company called Iron Orchid Designs. I used their stamps, transfers, and moulds on my furniture pieces and started venturing into other home decor. These products pushed me to create more, and be brave while doing it. I found other women like me in a FaceBook group called Iron Orchid Designs Creative Tribe. A lot of these women were like me- in midlife and discovering their artistic ability and calling. They were creating art with IOD products, passionately, and sharing it with others.

After the podcast and with encouragement only a best friend can give you (“you better f*cking do this, Sharon!”), I decided to scale up my hustle into a small business called “Accidental ArtMaker”. My mission poured easily out as I planned: Accidental ArtMaker loves and supports every woman who is (re)discovering herself midlife or older and is creating art as a way to express that discovery. Just like your own journey, your art is uniquely beautiful too. Embrace it, kindle it, and be proud of it.

I started as an Iron Orchid Designs Stockist selling IOD products. Today I also am a DIY Paint stockist and a Made by Marley decoupage stockist.

Sharon, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

For the last 20 years I have worked as a project manager in the tech world. I have project managed the development of websites, software, smart devices, phone apps, etc. I am currently fascinated with cyber security and manage programs and projects that protect companies from the bad guys. All this to say, I was not a stranger to small businesses much less large corporations. I understood that starting a business was no small thing. I also understood I still needed to pursue my career and be successful in it in order to support my family.

When I started my small business, I still needed to be successful and committed at my project management career. Personal ambition with a mission and organizational success did not have to be mutually exclusive, and I would prove it. I moved from a full time role to a contractor. My contract hours were capped at 40 hours a week and I made excellent money doing work I loved and was great at. This allowed me to invest both time and cash into my small business. It allowed me to hire experts in marketing to enable my small business success by reaching the women I wanted to share my mission with, get them to start creating art with IOD products.

Starting an online business to sell art supplies is very different than painting in your studio garage in the summertime.

I was able to create a Shopify site and list my products. But email marketing, SEO, social media marketing? No time for that much less skill set. I leaned on my career background and project planned how to budget and plan for my own “contractors”. I planned out what expertise to bring in when to slowly build my company and my brand. I searched on Fiverr and through trial and error eventually built the perfect team to compliment my skillsets, budget, and availability.

It started with email, my number 1 way to build my customer base. Integrating Klaviyo (an email platform) with my Shopify site was a no brainer for me and my tech skills. I understood how to set it up and what it could achieve. But writing landing page content, or regular emails? Nope. I started with a copy writer who got me and my brand, my mission. Next was help with Google ads and campaigns. Then Pinterest and Instagram expertise.

I’ve been slowly building my business the last 18 months. Even with hiring experts and the support of my family, I always feel like there is more to do than I have time for. And I am learning to be ok with that. I am seeing my mission come to life. I have women writing to me with how much they love creating art; how it makes them feel better; how it is helping them with struggles; how its been what they have turned to when the kids leave home or other life changing events like divorce or caring for an ailing parent. Women post pictures of their art that they created with products from my website! How awesome is that? I will always get goosebumps when a customer wants me to know how finding my site, my mission, my message has helped her create art. Feel good about herself, giver her courage and inspiration and joy to try something new she wouldnt have dared to before. She is sharing her transformation with me. I know that all of this is not happening in a silo. I know creating art is helping her in her whole life, 360.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

I took $5k from my personal savings. I started out using cash only, refusing to use credit cards or a loan. If I was going to fail, I would rather fail fast and be out cash and not be stuck paying back a loan. I have not made a profit since starting 18 months ago. Any money I have earned (rather, my website), I have reinvested back into Accidental ArtMaker. This gave me confidence and I took out a business credit card a few months ago to earn points. That’s turned out to be a bad idea as I now have let my ideas and brainstorms take over budgeting. I am now scaling back to cash on hand approach.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

I do three things that I believe keep me in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty. 1. Email/newsletters that authentically address challenges women in midlife face: situations that may prevent them from rediscovering themself like fear, lack of confidence or support. Feeling “too old” to start something new. ENcouragement. Connection with other women artists.
2. Lives from my studio where I work on art and talk to my viewers. Both present and future.
3. A hand written note on each packing slip I send out. Welcoming them to Accidental ArtMaker, thanking them for their support. Asking what they are going to create with their goodies and to see pictures of their art. Sharing stories about creating with the products they purchasing.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://accidentalartmaker.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/accidental_artmaker
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AccidentalArtMaker/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharon-dawson-54a138/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AccidentalArtMaker
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/accidentalartmaker/