Hi everyone, Tania here... Kerry's encouraged me to share some good news with the team since I’ve learned a few things through launching my mentorship program, so in case you find any of this helpful, I’m happy to share. Background: I soft-launched my mentorship program for artists by listing my services (currently 2 program options) on my website on the last week of December… and last week I booked two new clients! *the crowd goes wild* 🎉 One is a paying client, and the other is an art student looking for mentorship through her college art program. I’ve been wanting to redirect my community-service efforts specifically to the arts, so this feels like a win, even if it’s not a paid gig. The paying client found me through IG - he started following me in December and expressed interest in mentorship when I hinted my program would be dropping soon - so I tried to keep him warm until the soft-launch when he could shop my services in my storefront. And it worked. Here’s what I learned in the process of converting him from follower to paying client: ✅ Some potential “clients” will feign interest in you/your product in order to suck your energy dry ➡️ ...being wary of this, I engaged in conversation with this client by exercising boundaries around my response times and frequency of communication. I maintained a friendly-yet-professional tone when chatting. Not all followers are potential clients, knowing who’s “worth” chatting with calls for following your gut - I’ve been burned before, but in this case, investing my time in chatting/building connection and conversation within healthy professional boundaries ended up being worth it. ✅ He expressed concerns about the cost of my program ➡️ ...and instead of lowering my pricepoint for him, I gently encouraged him to invest in himself, if he wanted to. There was no attempt to hard sell, I didn’t defend my pricing. My rates are not negotiable just because they’re inaccessible to some people. I wanted him to know that other clients are paying this rate - I wasn’t desperate to secure him as a client and he knew I was able to fill his potential spot with someone else.

This is for anyone who has ever doubted themselves. I spent most of my career convinced I wasn’t creative. Surrounded by designers, writers, and photographers making magic, I thought my role was simple: help them do their thing and stay out of the way. When you’re surrounded by naturally gifted people, it’s easy to believe you don’t belong. That’s the story I carried for years: no design background, no writing degree, no clue what a past participle is. Creativity just wasn’t my thing—or so I thought. When you're surrounded by naturally gifted people, it's easy to tell yourself you're not that person. Not your thing. Stay in your lane. But here's what I learned ( sadly, very late ): Being creative isn't about being the best. It's not about perfect grammar or fancy degrees. It's about having something to say and finding your way to say it. Turns out, I'm a writer. No qualifiers needed. Not because I'm technically brilliant - any English major would have a stroke reading some of my sentences. I'm a good writer because I am an effective communicator. Because sometimes I manage to say something that matters. And yes, because people pay me to do it. If I could become a writer without the traditional path, what else could I create? This question changed everything. Once I understood that being "qualified" wasn't the key to creating value, I started seeing possibilities everywhere. Writing wasn't about mastering rules - it was about connecting ideas with people who needed them. I can do that. What Else Can I Do? We live in a time where technology is tearing down the walls between idea and creation. Tools that once required teams of experts are now available to anyone willing to spend a few hours learning the ins and outs. AI can help code. Design tools are more intuitive than ever. The gap between imagination and reality is shrinking daily. So here I am, the guy who spent years thinking he wasn't creative enough, building things I never thought possible. Apps. Websites. Communities. Me, solo, with nothing but curiosity and modern tech as my team.

If anyone was around, I’ll jump on the coffee call in a couple hours.

Hey guys, going to post some things today, starting to fill out the landing page content section, and I do have that coffee hour in the schedule. I know a few of us have talked about finding a more convenient time for those and to do some coworking. Should I leave this today and I can chat with anyone who needs has questions. Or should I wait again until we have more members and better times?