Extra, Extra read all about it! Some exciting news coming way from For Tha Masses Design. So in October 2020, I was blessed to win a Brit & Co scholarship to take part in Selfmade, a 10-week interactive course aimed at helping female entrepreneurs build their businesses. Not only was it a great experience, it also connected me with other female small business owners going through the same journey as myself. I met other new moms, graphic designers, makers, and a host of other like-minded women. Throughout the experience, I had the pleasure of learning from female leaders such as Joy Cho of Oh Joy, Bozoma Saint John Global Chief Marketing Officer of Netflix, owners of Hello Lucky Cards Sabrina and Eunice Moyle and so many more amazing and inspiring women. During that time, I was still in the early stages of motherhood and on maternity leave from work so I had an opportunity to dive into the course best I could, and utilize as many of the tools that were provided to us such as weekly group calls with your mentor and other students for feedback on your work. Individualized one-on-one calls with other mentors (if you were fortunate to book one) for more focused help with your business goals. Using the tools of Selfmade and the resources at my disposal, my objective was to figure out a way to connect with my audience and clarify who those individuals are. I also needed to gain an understanding of how starting small and using the tools I already have can get me further in this process than I could have imagined.
Since the purpose of For Tha Masses is to create a community by having conversations around shared experiences, how can I merge my current skill set (lettering, graphic design, writing) into a product used to connect people? And that, my friends, is how the idea to create a lettering workbook/greeting card kit was born! In the early days of learning how to letter, one of the most rewarding experiences was using this newly developed skill to create handmade greeting cards for friends, family, colleagues, and getting commissioned to make personalized cards as gifts for others.
Essentially, lettering and card making was an avenue to connect with loved ones outside of screens and artificial communications. The act of receiving something handmade and personalized always left people feeling really valued. So I wanted to create a product that gave people an opportunity to have those same experiences I did when I created my own greeting cards for others.
This process of bringing my very first educational product to life has been nerve-racking, to say the least. I started making the book at the later part of November 2020, and it’s taken almost a year to see this process through. As mentioned earlier, I was still in the very early stages of motherhood and dealing with the challenges of adapting to life’s new demands. I also returned back to my full-time job but was now working from home while taking care of a newborn. My spouse works a long distance from home and we have no family within close range to help with childcare, so my plate was very full over the course of the year.
I tell you all of this to say that though the road to completing this book was rough, filled with obstacles, doubts, lack of sleep and so much more, it was all worth it to get to a place where something meaningful is being put out into the world. There are so many complexities that happen between wanting to do something and getting your life in order long enough to make that dream a reality. There’s always so much happening behind the scenes that are often not shared but is an important conversation to be had when talking about creative entrepreneurship.
In later posts to come, I’ll share more details about the workbook, the greeting card kit, and a slew of other big news that’s been going on behind the scenes. But first wanted to give you all a snippet of what occurred that helped me get on this path that I’m on today. The Selfmade course came at the right time during the pandemic where I was muddling around with my business ideas and unable to find clarification or the right support. Through divine intervention, I was given an opportunity I didn’t think I needed or could qualify for and instead of limiting myself or allowing my doubts or fears to take control, I took a leap of faith and was fortunate that it paid off in the end. Today, I have a clearer vision of my creative career, have garnered support from other like-minded female entrepreneurs, and am on the verge of expanding my business.
I’m so looking forward to what’s coming next and hope you are too! If you want to stay on top of all the latest news and be a For Tha Masses Insider then sign up for the newsletter (Yes, you read that right newsletters are coming). You’ll get first notifications of upcoming product launches, motivational love letters, free downloads, and more. Stay tuned for more!