Profile of the founder, Debra Wilson Guttas
• Former career coach and professional speaker for large corporations such as Hewlett-Packard and Intel
• Past Vice President of the Sacramento Chapter of the National Speakers Association
• 15+ years as a successful jewelry artist selling nationwide, and an active, thriving contemporary gemstone jewelry artist!
• Almost 5 years travelling the US sellin
g at art shows and festivals
In addition to my passion for creating and selling gemstone jewelry via my company, YOUnique Gems, I have a passion for helping other artisans succeed in their business. I am always getting questions such as "How did you figure out how to set up your booth?" or "How do you find shows and how do you know which ones are the right ones?" and "How do you know how much you should charge for your product?". So, I thought I'd take my years as a career coach, a speaker and an artisan and combine them to offer my knowledge and assistance to other artisans trying to figure all this stuff out. If almost 5 years on the road doesn't make me an expert on how to set up a booth, adapt to your market and defining your niche, I don't know what does! If you've been thinking about taking the leap to make your art a real business, or if you've been struggling with making it work, this is your opportunity to learn from someone who's learned a lot of stuff the hard way. I'd like to do what I can to make it easier for you! It's my belief that as artists we can make a very good living doing what we love. Sometimes though we just need a little help. Let's convert the "starving artists" of the world to "thriving artists"! Do you just hate the "starving artist" mentality? Learn the nuts and bolts of making a good living as an artist, in a Supportive (and fun) Group Learning Environment, from a veteran in the art world. Whether you’re a “closet artist” ready to make the leap, or an artist who's been struggling to make a living with your art, the Emerging Artisans Network will take you through all the key ingredients to building a successful business doing what you love! Our Emerging Artisans Network Meet-up is the foundation for what will eventually be a world-wide membership network. These mini workshops will focus on topics such as:
1.Transitioning a hobby/craft into a business
2.Picking the right show for your product
3.Creating a booth that attracts buyers and sells product
4.Developing a niche
5.Defining your target market
6.Creating a business plan the “right brain” way
7.Holiday sales planning, and more…
We will bring in experts on numerous topics to share their wealth of knowledge; experts who are well known in their fields. This is current and relevant information that comes first-hand from someone who has learned the hard way and can help you avoid many pitfalls! This is also an experiential group, so plan on attending with the intention of participating. There will be group exercises, hands-on projects and handouts.
