174: Fall Q&A: Your Burning Questions Part 2
See the show notes for this Episode here.
This transcript has been automatically generated.
Bonnie Christine:
Hi there. Welcome back to The Professional Creative. Today, we're diving into your questions again. So if you missed last week's episode, we're doing a 2 part listener q and a. Now last week, we talked about some incredible things like, what's my take on AI and art? And also some more vulnerable things like, what am I still working on? What feels like a very low point for me in my professional journey? And what are some things that I'm still working towards achieving? That was last week. This week, we're diving into a whole new set of incredible questions that you submitted. So So I don't know if you know that you can submit questions for the podcast, and you can. I would love to hear more about really what you want to hear about.
Bonnie Christine:
So you can do so by going over to bonniechristine.com/links. And you'll find a link there for submitting a question for the podcast. If you're on Instagram, you can also find that link right inside my bio if that's easier, and I'm just @bonniechristine on Instagram as well. So are you ready to dive in? I'm Bonnie Christine, and this is where all things creativity, design, business, and marketing unite. I'm a mama living in a tiny town tucked right inside the Smoky Mountains, running a multi 7 figure business, doing the most creative and impactful work of my life. But when I first set out to become an entrepreneur, I was struggling to make ends meet and wrestling with how to accomplish my biggest dream of becoming a fabric designer. Fast forward to today, I'm not only licensing my artwork all over the world, but also teaching others how to design their creative life and experience the same success. I'm here to help you spend your life doing something that lights you up.
Bonnie Christine:
I'll help you build a creative business that also creates an impact, changes people's lives, gives you all of the freedom you want, and is wildly profitable. Welcome to the Professional Creative Podcast. Becca says, where do you see yourself and your business in 10 years? Okay, Becca. Truth be told, I really struggle with 10 year visions because at this point in my life and my business, I almost have 20 years of experience, almost. And so there is quite literally no way that I could have seen where I am at that 10 year increment. Like, I can't even imagine. I can't even conjure it up in my mind. And so I struggle with a 10 year goal quite immensely.
Bonnie Christine:
I can do a 1 year goal really well. I can do a 1 year goal really, really well. And so this past year, we stretched ourselves on the team to do a 5 year, really map of goal setting. And this was fun because we have some really, really big, big things that we would love to accomplish as a team, And there's really never a place to put them in a calendar year because, like, our plate's pretty full. And so it was fun to have a 5 year because then you could place them on the calendar. Like, maybe in year 3, we're really focused on this, which would set us up perfectly for this happening in year 4, which means that maybe, maybe, maybe this could possibly happen in year 5. And so I love a 5 year goal. Now I like to work with numbers and make data driven decisions.
Bonnie Christine:
And so for many, many years, I doubled my income every year, really from the time that I started my business to the point that I hit, oh, I'm not sure, maybe 3 and a half 1000000 of gross annual revenue for the business, something like that. And then the percentage just started to come down a little bit at a time, and I think that that's probably pretty normal. I I don't think you can double forever and ever and ever. So every year for a 5 year goal, we typically expect a 30% growth, and that's really across the board. So not only in revenue, but also in email list growth, in social media followers, in organic traffic growth. I think 25 to 35% is a really good, growth indicator, meaning that's pretty good growth. Like, oftentimes, we're just happy to do the same year over year, let alone grow. So it's a bit of a stretch goal, but I do think it's something that is possible.
Bonnie Christine:
So I would say start there. Look at where you are this year, where you were for the last couple years, what was your growth percentages, and then you can decide if you wanna be aggressive and try to double, if you wanna be gentle and just try to do the same, or if you wanna do something in the middle to grow sustainably. And then you can map out the next 5 years. And then when you see those numbers, if you hit, let's say, 30% growth in all those different areas, what else does that make possible? So let's say in year 3, you hit 50,000 subscribers on your email list. Well, what does that make possible? Kind of a lot. And so you can kind of, like, iterate off of that. So I don't think I really answered your question. I don't see myself in 10 years.
Bonnie Christine:
I see myself in 5 years. And at that point, I would love to be in a new home. We're probably gonna be building in the next couple of years. Super excited about that. My children are gonna be teenagers, which is insane, so I see myself just really soaking up every moment that I can with them. And then I see myself in publication in some way, published or in broadcasting. In some capacity, that's all I'll say. Okay.
Bonnie Christine:
Shannon says, what strategies do you use to ensure student success when planning the immersion course? So it sounds like, Shannon, you might know that we really measure our success by the success of our students, meaning I'm not just interested in in students' money. Right? I'm very much interested in their success. And so we really decided that because if our students are finding success, really means that we're doing everything else well. We're attracting students. We're teaching them well. We're graduating them well. They're finishing the course, and they're moving on to find success. So we spend a lot of time and intention in this area.
Bonnie Christine:
A couple of things that we do is gamify the course, meaning in several different ways, we try to strategize how how could we make this fun to work through? How could we reward people for finishing a lesson or finishing a module? How could we how could we reward them for finishing the course? And then how can we help them moving forward? So Flourish, our membership, is open only to alumni, and it's super affordable after the course if you wanna come into the membership for long term growth and support and strategy. And so that membership is a great way for us to really just continue on to encourage success in all of our students. And then, of course, we want to tell and celebrate their stories. And so Flourish in my mind is really helping people implement what they learned in the course in a long term way. So 18 months down the road, when it's time to negotiate a licensing contract, we're there for you. And when you have maybe a brand new collection and you took immersion 3 years ago and you really need someone's eyes on it, you need feedback on your work, we're there for you. And so that is really the strategy for making sure that our students find success and they have support when they need it. Great question.
Bonnie Christine:
Okay. Mafi says, have you ever been indecisive about what you should focus on in your career, educator or artist or something else? Yes, Mafi. Like, all the time. You've probably heard me say that I truly believe that having ideas, it's really our superpower as a creative. We have no lack of ideas. We have so many different things we could do. But focus is our kryptonite. It is so incredibly difficult to figure out what is the best thing to do and in what order should I do them in.
Bonnie Christine:
So this is a whole topic in and of itself, and it's tricky. So I make mistakes all the time. I try to think through this, but somewhere in about q2 of this year, we really decided that our focus needs to be to focus, meaning get really, really clear about what we're doing, who we're serving, how we're helping, and what we're doing next. Because as your business grows, you just have so many different things that you could do. Your list really needs to look like this, like could, could, could, should. Could, could, should. Could, could, could, could, should. And pull all the should do's out and do those first at least.
Bonnie Christine:
And then really, really think through the could do's because you it will serve you well to be really focused. And so this year, it's meant that we've had to make some really, really big decisions, some really hard decisions, some things that we were going to do that we decided not to, some things that we were doing that we decided to stop doing. I'll do an episode about all of that soon. But it's all been in works towards getting really focused. And so I think that it's probably pretty normal to, at some point, maybe every year, just be like, oh my goodness. How did I start doing all these things? What do I need to trim? What do I need to, cut out? What do I need to simplify? What do I need to really get focused on? If you're an artist or designer dreaming of seeing your work on products in the real world, like fabric and wallpaper and greeting cards, but maybe you're struggling to break into the world of licensing? Listen up. The art licensing industry can feel like almost an exclusive club with gatekeepers and confusing entry points, but I found a way to simplify everything. Imagine pouring your heart into your art only to see it gather dust.
Bonnie Christine:
That is not what we want. Maybe you've tried posting on social media, setting up an online store, sending out emails, but it feels like shouting into the void. The art world is confusing, and breaking into licensing isn't just about talent. It's also about finding the right partners that are the right fit. Now, I've been in the same boat. I've spent tireless hours researching, compiling lists, learning how to approach companies. Then one day, I had tremendous success. So after so much trial and error, I signed my first licensing deal, then another and another.
Bonnie Christine:
Today, my artwork is licensed all over the world, and I wanna help you achieve the same success. So I've taken what I consider the most difficult part, and well, I've done it for you. I've poured over a decade of experience in developing the Ultimate Licensing Handbook. This is a curated list of over 400 companies across 17 plus industries, so you don't have to. This handbook is so much more than a list. It's a comprehensive resource that is going to help you eliminate the guesswork. It includes pitch templates that get results and step by step guidance on how to approach companies. If you've tried compiling this information on your own, you know how time consuming it is.
Bonnie Christine:
It would take months. In fact, we've estimated that this handbook will save you over 463 hours of work, and it gives you direct access to the companies that can take your career to the next level. So are you ready to take the next step? Visitbonniechristine.comforward/handbook to get your copy of the Ultimate Licensing Handbook and get instant access to all of these resources that we've poured so much into so that you don't have to. Remember, there's room for you, and I'd love to help you get started. Jennifer says, what were the pivotal standout moments that defined your professional growth? Were there people who came in and out of your life who helped shape your professional career in those standout moments? Yeah, Jennifer. Absolutely. I'm gonna actually take you way back to my very first podcast episode. Episode number 1 is called starting at 0, and it actually breaks down all the things over the last decade plus that have been pivotal moments for me.
Bonnie Christine:
So you're gonna love that episode, but I can also talk about a few people. I mean, I won't spend too much time on this. There's so many people. First of all, my mom and dad. My dad is an incredible entrepreneur, and so is my mom. And they both just made me believe that I could, that I should do something that I love and that I could do anything I wanted to. And they really led by example, and it was beautiful to see. The next was someone that I met really early on in 2012.
Bonnie Christine:
Long story short, my husband was a cycling coach for many, many years, and one of his athletes that he was, coaching training for a big event, I used to go drive SAG for them, which means that I drove a car behind them as they rode their bikes with, like, food and clean clothes and spare tires. So it meant that I had a lot of time in the car to think, and specifically, I had a lot of time with this man who David was coaching. His name was Matt, and he Matt was just amazing. He was the wealthiest guy we had ever met in our entire lives. David and I were making, like, $30,000 a year at the time all of this happened, and Matt just kept asking questions. He was impressed with kind of what I was doing, and he coached me from a business perspective. And he is sort of, like, just in the car while we were driving to and from places. I would pick his brain, And David was there as well.
Bonnie Christine:
He would pick his brain. And so he really introduced me for the first time to the concept of residual income, which is do the work once and get paid for it over and over and over again. And so or another way to say that is, like, what could you do that you could earn income on while you sleep? So a really simple example of this would be something like an ebook or some kind of digital download that you create and list for sale, and it can get purchased at any time, day or night, by anyone in the world. Right? So that is residual income. You did the work once. You can get paid for it over and over again. And then also recurring revenue. So recurring revenue is a little bit different.
Bonnie Christine:
It is money that is, going to come month after month. It's somewhat predictable. So that's like a subscription based service, like you might pay for Netflix or something like that. That would be recurring revenue. Now passive income is something completely different, and I think passive income gets used when people really need really mean residual income. True passive income is something like what you earn off of an investment that is sitting in the bank somewhere. It's like truly, truly passive. Residual income does require some work and upkeep and customer service, but still the concept is is there, and it's really strong.
Bonnie Christine:
So, anyways, Matt taught me all about this, and it is what, encouraged the idea of my membership, which I started in 2012. And it was the first time that I had had any type of predictable income in my business ever. And I just really started to obsess over what revenue streams could I establish that were either recurring or residual and really stopped trading time for money, and that changed everything. And then the 3rd person I would say is Stu McLaren. Stu is an educator. He's an incredible guy. He, teaches the membership experience, if you've ever heard or taken that course. But he's also my business mentor.
Bonnie Christine:
I'm in his mastermind called Impact, and he has just shown me over the years what's possible, what it looks like to lead with integrity, what it looks like to lead with a whole heart, how to make difficult decisions. So it's so important that you have these type of people in your life. Okay. The next person is didn't put their name in. So I'm not sure who you are, but I loved your question. Do you have a morning practice or ritual that helps you set your day up for success? So I do. I have one that I prefer and don't always get to, but truly when I do it, it's like the best day ever, and then one that I default to when things are busy. So I'll start with the one that I default to.
Bonnie Christine:
The one that I default to is that I wake up around 6:30. I typically get to sit with David and have coffee, wake the kids up by 7, get them ready for school out the door, and then I go work out at 8:30. And so that puts me to my computer by around 10 in the morning, and I do that one every single day no matter what. A, I love my morning routine. I love working out in the morning. I do CrossFit, which is super community driven, so it also feels like time with the people that I love and cherish the most. And so that is typically my morning routine. It sets me up for success and mental clarity for the day.
Bonnie Christine:
Now if I'm on my game, which is probably half the time, I'll wake up much earlier. I'll wake up, let's say, between 5 and 5:30, and that gives me an entire hour to sit and read in the morning. I love to do a devotion, read the Bible, then read at least, like, 10 pages of a book that I'm trying to read, typically a business book, and then do some writing. I think writing is best in the morning, and I have a lot of writing projects on my doc, everything from our weekly newsletter to, team updates to a book to magazine articles and all kinds of stuff. And so that's what I really, really, really love to do. But I'm also adamant that I get, like, I mean, at minimum, 8 hours of sleep up to 10 hours, you know, especially on the weekend, but in the week, if I can get 8 to 9 hours. So I've gotta go to bed pretty early if I'm gonna get up at 5:30. Okay.
Bonnie Christine:
The next one says, what does work family life balance look like for you on a day to day basis, and how and when do you generally find time to connect with your family? So this is fairly easy for me now because my children are in school. Before they were in school, my whole goal was to work with them alongside me. But when they're in the home, it is hard because it really just looks like you're looking at a computer unless I'm working on artwork, which is fun. But, it came with a lot of, like, you know, I don't know, interruptions, which were always welcome but made things difficult. So now that they're in school, I just simply work while they're in school. And so I really do as hard of a transition as I can at the end of the day to truly kind of close down my work and transition to family life. And so I try. I don't I'm not a 100% perfect at this, but I try really hard not to multitask once I have transitioned to family time.
Bonnie Christine:
Nobody wants distracted multitasking mom or wife. Right? So I try to close down for the day. Now, if my children have something going on, if they're at, you know, sports practice or something, you'll find me with my laptop open. But if it's family time, it's family time. And I try to be really intentional about being present in the moment. Brendon Burchard teaches how to transition well. Literally, there's, like, a practice that you kind of step away and, like, close your eyes and think about letting go what you were just working on and, like, inviting the next thing that you're going to be doing. And so you could do that a you could give that a quick Google and dive into it.
Bonnie Christine:
I think it's a really important lesson. My last question comes from Natasha. Do you still love to roost? I've been following you since 2013 and was originally drawn to your blog, Going Home to Roost, because it was so lovely to find another person who valued home and creating a home. I wonder if you're still a homebody, and do you love to do all the things that you shared in the early years, like sewing and cooking and homemade crafts and more? Oh, Natasha. I do. I'm a homebody to the core. I want to be home at all times if I could. We are going to be building a home in the next year or 2, and the goal is to have my studio back at home.
Bonnie Christine:
I currently have a studio in the downtown area of our small town, but I very much want to be back at home for all my work. And so that's a huge goal. I do roost. I you might remember that I used to have chickens, and I have them again. This is the 1st year in many, many years, but we have about 16 chickens and 9 ducks, and we have absolutely adored having them in our yard again. My kids have adored having them, and then I garden. I do a really big garden every year. You can see a lot of it.
Bonnie Christine:
Over on Instagram, I try to share the garden quite a lot. I do, I don't know. I used to do, like, mostly vegetables, and then I started doing more and more flowers. So it's about half and half now, vegetables and flowers for, like, a pick a picking garden or a cut garden, if you will. I don't sew too much anymore, but my daughter does. So we still have a sewing room. I I don't actually really enjoy sewing anymore. I think I might have done too much of it early on.
Bonnie Christine:
And then when my kids were really little, I kinda packed it up for you know, it's just complicated to sew with little children. But my daughter has fallen in love with sewing, and so she makes all kinds of things. And, of course, I help her, and so we do still sew. I cook every single night. I love to cook. It's like the time that I just get to be, with food and family and in the kitchen, and and I love, love, love to cook. So yes to that. And then homemade crafts.
Bonnie Christine:
Yeah. So we we have this huge craft room. My daughter, again, she's 9, and she's more creative than me and my mom put together times 10. I cannot believe what comes out of this girl. She is a creative, like, just she's incredible. Cannot wait to see what she does when as as she grows up, but, she's constantly crafting, and then I get to come help lots and lots of times. Like, we just made a 100 soy candles for a school project or a little school shop that she got to sell. We do all kinds of stuff.
Bonnie Christine:
So yes. And, also, thank you for this question because it's making me remember that it's important to share those things as well. And I'll try to do better at sharing more of the roosting that we're doing because it's in my core who I am. My friends, I hope you enjoyed this. I sure did. If you have a question you would love to hear about, go over and submit it. You can find the link to do so at bonnie christine.comforward/links. My friends, create the beauty that you want to see come alive in the world, And remember, there's room for you.
