The Shinah Show
Shinah Chang
How exactly does someone with zero business or artistic training launch and grow a $900k business and build a life full of creativity and freedom? That’s exactly what The Shinah Show explores. Every week, I (Shinah Chang, a former corporate lawyer turned wildly successful calligrapher and calligraphy teacher) share a lesson that I learned along my journey. Maybe you feel like you’re stuck in a life that doesn’t light you up inside. Maybe you’re craving more creativity, but you don’t think you’re “artistic” or “talented” enough to really go after it. Here’s some good news: you are NOT stuck. You CAN break out of unfulfilling routines and get more creative joy in your life! And I want to support you in your own journey to unleash your creativity and true self-expression.
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Top 10 The Shinah Show Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best The Shinah Show episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to The Shinah Show for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite The Shinah Show episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
How to Start a Calligraphy Business (Getting Customers)
The Shinah Show
02/20/24 • 37 min
Let’s get into part 2 of how to start a calligraphy business with arguably one of THE most important things – how to attract customers & keep them with the services you’re providing!
There is a LOT that goes into starting a business – which might sound incredibly scary. But this is stuff though where you actually need to show up and courageously keep trying. Of course, you don’t need to do EVERYTHING when you’re first starting out- but you need to know the IMPORTANT things to do to establish yourself (and I’m here to tell you what they are!).
In this episode of The Shinah Show, I break down the essential things you should do when starting your business to attract and keep customers. We’ll cover:
- Why developing your brand identity FIRST will make everything else infinitely easier
- The art of crafting your online presence via a website (and all things social media)
- The “who/what/where” of finding your ideal clientele
- How to keep customers using the “5 P’s”
- A Cliff’s Note’s version of the beast that is Etsy
I promise following this outline & narrowing down your to-do list will help save you from slipping into decision-making paralysis, and allow you to streamline your customer acquisition strategy. It's not nearly as overwhelming or scary as you think - and totally doable. If I can do it, you can too!
Read a Blog version of this Podcast right here!
RESOURCES:
Check out Episode 52 if you're a brand new beginner HERE!!
Wanna hear more about the Pros & Cons of Etsy?? I break it all down in Episode 77!
FOLLOW SHINAH:
- Join our community of creativity-seeking souls over on Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy
SUBSCRIBE:
- Love podcasts? Listen to The Shinah Show wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!
FREE WORKSHOP:
- “How to Become a Calligraphy Pro” Educational Workshop
FOLLOW SHINAH:
- Join our community of creativity-seeking souls over on Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy
SUBSCRIBE:
- Love podcasts? Listen to The Shinah Show wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!
Your Fear is Not Special
The Shinah Show
01/17/24 • 19 min
If you’re afraid to follow your creative dreams, I’m going to give you some perspective today that will totally DISARM your fear (and it’s not what you might think).
I’ve been encouraging people to go after their creativity in the form of calligraphy for 8 years now. I’ve sold courses that cost $500 or more – and I’ve also heard EVERY excuse under the sun why people don’t want to take that first step on their creative journey.
All those objections have one common thread – they are born out of FEAR.
Join me in this podcast as I share with you:
- The craziest objections I’ve heard born out of fear, and how people overcame them
- Why you should acknowledge your fears, but not let them run the show
- How to find YOUR own definition of creative success
- How to utilize your fear objectively as a tool rather than run away from it
I hope this episode shows you that your fear is not that special – or unique for that matter. Don't buy its bullshit, and certainly don’t let it keep you from your dreams.
My FREE “Newbie to Pro Calligrapher” Challenge is going on RIGHT NOW through January 19th!! I'm teaching daily calligraphy lessons throughout the week that culminate in my LIVE webinar - where I show you how to go from a totally new calligrapher to owning your own business in SIX MONTHS!
There is still time to catch up & join in on the fun - all for FREE! Register HERE!
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FOLLOW SHINAH:
- Join our community of creativity-seeking souls over on Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy
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SUBSCRIBE:
- Love podcasts? Listen to The Shinah Show wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!
FREE WORKSHOP:
- “How to Become a Calligraphy Pro” Educational Workshop
FOLLOW SHINAH:
- Join our community of creativity-seeking souls over on Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy
SUBSCRIBE:
- Love podcasts? Listen to The Shinah Show wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!
Business 101: Phase 1
The Shinah Show
08/23/23 • 33 min
Have you ever tried to start a business, but became paralyzed at the OVERHWHELMING list of to-do’s??
Trust me, I’ve been there. In the 8 years I’ve spent building Crooked Calligraphy, I’ve realized there are 3 distinct stages of building a business- exploring, refining, and mastering. Join me in this episode as I guide you through the 1st stage- EXPLORING!
In stage 1 (where most of you probably are), you can often feel as if most of your days are spent throwing spaghetti at the wall. You definitely DON’T have it all figured out- but here’s the thing ... YOU DON’T HAVE TO!
In part 1 of this 3-part series, I explain how to master the art of dividing your time and efforts into 3 ‘buckets’ to help you get your business off the ground:
- Bucket 1 - Figuring out what your main product or service is going to be and how challenging it will be to bring it to fruition for your customers
- Bucket 2 - Organizing your time, deciding how much of it you can dedicate to this new venture, and tracking how much money you’re ACTUALLY making (compared to the time you’re spending on it)
- Bucket 3 - Learning how to SELL your products/services (by far THE MOST IMPORTANT thing to master!), getting into the ‘customer mindset’, and where & how to find customers!
I also let you in on a few of the things that SHOULDN’T be taking up your time (newsflash- that catchy logo isn’t nearly as important as SELLING your products!).
And don’t forget to join me next week to learn about stages 2 (PLUS be the first to hear all the details of the launch of my Signature Style & Business Courses in just a few weeks!!).
Wanna learn calligraphy and how you can turn it into a money-making business??
Watch my FREE workshop HERE
FOLLOW SHINAH:
- Follow along with my Radical Business Experiment of 2023 over on Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy
SUBSCRIBE:
- Love podcasts? Listen to The Shinah Show wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!
FREE WORKSHOP:
- “How to Become a Calligraphy Pro” Educational Workshop
FOLLOW SHINAH:
- Join our community of creativity-seeking souls over on Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy
SUBSCRIBE:
- Love podcasts? Listen to The Shinah Show wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!
Instagram for Artists in 2023
The Shinah Show
08/15/23 • 40 min
Instagram is NOT what it was in 2015- YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THINKING THAT!
In the 8 years I’ve been using the platform to grow my business, IG has gone from static photo-only posts, to high-quality reels using trending audio, lightning fast transitions, and catchy hooks.
When it comes to growth on Instagram, I’ve experienced it ALL. Stepping back, I have realized that finding a solid, specific goal of what you want to get out of the platform is the BEST way to use Instagram to your advantage- without burning out in the process.
Join me in this episode to discuss:
Instagram in 2015 vs. 2023 and my timeline of growth
How creators have changed the way they use the platform and how to use the algorithm to your advantage (because whether we love it or hate it, it’s here to stay!)
What is working for me and my 2-fold strategy to gain new followers, as well as keep the ones I have
Simple, concrete content ideas to jump start your Instagram growth and keep up with the trends (I promise I’m not going to tell you to just use trending audio!)
Personally, I feel one way Instagram has changed for the better is allowing small business owners and creatives to connect to each other easily. I am so thankful to hear from other creators and know I am not alone in my struggles. I hope this episode allows some of you to do the same, and inspires you to reach out to others in your field 💕
Link to Inkwell/Vonart Youtube interview cited in the show!
@vonnart @inkwell_illustrations
LINK TO MANYCHAT
(affiliate link)
Wanna learn calligraphy and how you can turn it into a money-making business??
Watch my FREE workshop HERE
FOLLOW SHINAH:
- Follow along with my Radical Business Experiment of 2023 over on Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy
SUBSCRIBE:
- Love podcasts? Listen to The Shinah Show wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!
FREE WORKSHOP:
- “How to Become a Calligraphy Pro” Educational Workshop
FOLLOW SHINAH:
- Join our community of creativity-seeking souls over on Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy
SUBSCRIBE:
- Love podcasts? Listen to The Shinah Show wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!
From Beginner to Pro Calligrapher (four student stories)
The Shinah Show
06/06/23 • 21 min
“YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS NEEDS TO SEE THAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE DOING IT... BEFORE YOU CAN GO FOR IT!” - SHINAH
Today, I’m bringing you something different.
FOUR SUPER-RELATABLE STORIES of women who started as calligraphy beginners, and are now Calligraphy Professionals.
All four purchased the Pro Calligrapher Bundle in April 2022 and have already booked their first clients and are actively growing their businesses.
- Sher Pierre - Left-handed school teacher who always had good handwriting, and is now working to turn that passion into a more creative career
- Nikki Davis - Graphic and web designer who started with copperplate, but wanted a more expressive and versatile style. Now, she incorporates calligraphy into her biz, creates fonts, does signage and more
- Stacie Nomura - Special Ed teacher who lives in a small community in Hawaii and is going for her callig biz even though she NEVER thought entrepreneurship was open to her
- Mara Buhrmeister - Has a business degree and does marketing as her day job and is now using networking to get her first calligraphy jobs.
Why do I try my best to share a variety of student stories every time I market my calligraphy courses?
Because your subconscious needs to see that SOMETHING IS POSSIBLE before you can even START to think about going for it yourself!
Having the right info and support can make things possible in your mind that you NEVER thought were possible before. So if you’ve ever dreamed of making money doing a craft you love, you’ve gotta check out:
PRO CALLIGRAPHER BUNDLE OF COURSES
Gives you everything you need to go from complete calligraphy beginner, to developing a signature style, to SELLING your calligraphy so you can start to bring in some fun side income. 👉 crookedcalligraphy.com/courses
***DOORS CLOSE SUNDAY, JUNE 11, 2023 at 11:59PM ***
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FOLLOW:
- Follow along with my Radical Business Experiment of 2023 over on Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy
SUBSCRIBE:
- Love podcasts? Listen to The Shinah Show wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!
FREE WORKSHOP:
- “How to Become a Calligraphy Pro” Educational Workshop
FOLLOW SHINAH:
- Join our community of creativity-seeking souls over on Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy
SUBSCRIBE:
- Love podcasts? Listen to The Shinah Show wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!
REMIX 1: Identifying What's Holding You Back
The Shinah Show
12/06/21 • 20 min
“How do you get over all of the doubts and all of the objections and just do the d*mn thing?”
- Shinah
You might be a little surprised to see this episode — yes, last week’s episode WAS the season finale of Season 1 of The Shinah Show. I’ve had such an amazing time creating this first season and am so grateful for all of the subscribers, reviews, five-star ratings, and support that I’ve received over the last few months.
After I finished recording the last episode, I sat down and thought about it a little bit more — and I decided that I didn’t want to leave you hanging for all of December!
I’ll still be taking a bit of time off to recharge and gear up for Season 2, so my team and I have put together four “remix” episodes to help you keep your creative juices flowing through the holiday season.
Each remix episode will feature handpicked insights, stories, and tips plucked from the last 35 episodes. If you’ve missed out on any past episodes, this month will be a great opportunity to hear the best nuggets of advice from Season 1. If you caught the show every week, these remix episodes will remind you of the tips and tricks that you may have forgotten — and help you keep those creative fires burning!
Tune into this episode of The Shinah Show to find out:
- The secret Season 1 theme I uncovered while choosing clips for the remix episodes
- What you can expect from December’s remixes, episode by episode
- How to get over the destructive perfectionism that may be standing between you and achieving your goals
Highlights:
00:34 Intro
01:49 The hidden Season 1 theme
03:11 Remix overviews
04:07 Remix #1 breakdown
05:19 Work out your want muscle
13:59 Inspired perfection v. insecure perfectionism
17:56 Recap & three questions
Links:
Learn calligraphy with me: www.freecalligraphyworkshop.com
Follow me!
Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy
Facebook: facebook.com/crookedcalligraphy
Show notes can be found at theshinahshow.com
Watch these episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVJJZS9jYDmzePAnaGDiFuw
Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel, and ring the bell for notifications so you never miss an episode!
FREE WORKSHOP:
- “How to Become a Calligraphy Pro” Educational Workshop
FOLLOW SHINAH:
- Join our community of creativity-seeking souls over on Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy
SUBSCRIBE:
- Love podcasts? Listen to The Shinah Show wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!
Selling at Craft Fairs - Essential Advice
The Shinah Show
10/18/21 • 31 min
“The point of this isn’t actually to bring in a lot of money... the point is to get your name out there!”
- Shinah
We’re entering into the holiday season, and you know what that means! It’s time for craft fairs and holiday markets! For creative entrepreneurs, this can be a very lucrative period of the year, and a time where they get the opportunity to meet and make connections with new (and potential future) customers.
If you’re just starting out on your creative entrepreneurial journey and aren’t sure how to best tackle the craft fair season, don’t worry.
I’m here with practical, tactical advice to help you make the most of this time — and these tips work for all types of crafting, not just calligraphy!
I actually owe a lot of my own success to participating in a pop-up market during the first year of my business.
In this episode, I’m going to share some of the lessons that I learned from my pop-up experience, and break them down into digestible, actionable steps — everything from how to set up your table and display to how to price your goods!
Tune into this episode of The Shinah Show to find out:
- How I used my first pop-up market experience to create concrete deadlines and an ambitious goal during my start-up stage
- The most effective way to display your stuff — and how much inventory to bring
- What to consider when setting your pricing — and how to prepare to take payments
Highlights:
00:33 Intro
02:21 Prepping for Unique LA
06:07 My pop-up market experience
07:24 Time commitment v. sales
08:56 Setting up your space
10:51 Vertical space + signage
12:30 Be prepared to edit
13:53 Choice overload
15:00 How much inventory to bring
17:13 Pricing
18:48 Sales tax + payment methods
19:54 Customization
21:39 Do a live show
23:59 Build your list
24:49 Beyond sales
28:15 It’s possible!
Links:
Learn calligraphy with me: www.freecalligraphyworkshop.com
Follow me!
Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy
Facebook: facebook.com/crookedcalligraphy
Show notes can be found at theshinahshow.com
Watch these episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVJJZS9jYDmzePAnaGDiFuw
Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel, and ring the bell for notifications so you never miss an episode!
FREE WORKSHOP:
- “How to Become a Calligraphy Pro” Educational Workshop
FOLLOW SHINAH:
- Join our community of creativity-seeking souls over on Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy
SUBSCRIBE:
- Love podcasts? Listen to The Shinah Show wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!
Calligraphy Myths That Aren’t True
The Shinah Show
09/27/21 • 22 min
“I actually think of calligraphy not as handwriting, but more as drawing.”
- Shinah
It’s time to bust some calligraphy myths!
I know there are a lot of people out there, right now, who LOVE to follow calligraphers on Instagram and dream about having the skill to create beautiful invitations, greeting cards, or shop signs — but are afraid to pick up a pen themselves because they’ve heard and believed a misleading myth about calligraphy.
I know this, because they reach out to me via email, DMs, and in person to explain that they’re curious to try it, but feel like they’ll be a failure because of [INSERT MYTH HERE].
I’m going to tell you right now: don’t believe what you’ve heard!
These myths have no bearing on how quickly or successfully you’ll pick up the skill.
For example, you definitely do not need to have great handwriting in order to write beautiful calligraphy — they’re two completely different skills! Full disclosure: my handwriting is not great. So please don’t let this myth hold you back from picking up a pointed pen and following your dream.
In this episode, I bust five of the biggest myths that keep people from trying calligraphy. So if you’re curious but have been hesitating... then this episode is for you!
Tune into this episode of The Shinah Show to find out:
- Why you shouldn’t be intimidated by calligraphy’s long history and stodgy background
- You do NOT have to be right-handed to become a skilled calligrapher!
- Why calligraphy is not cursive writing — and how it’s actually closer to illustration!
Highlights:
00:32 Intro
01:39 Good handwriting not required!
04:58 Calligraphy isn’t old-fashioned
07:16 It takes less time than you think!
10:21 Modern Calligraphy 101
11:00 Southpaws welcome!
14:54 Calligraphy is in demand
18:23 Your brain will hold you back
20:17 Believe in yourself
Links:
Modern Calligraphy 101: https://moderncalligraphy101.com
Learn calligraphy with me: www.freecalligraphyworkshop.com
Follow me!
Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy
Facebook: facebook.com/crookedcalligraphy
Show notes can be found at theshinahshow.com
Watch these episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVJJZS9jYDmzePAnaGDiFuw
Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel, and ring the bell for notifications so you never miss an episode!
FREE WORKSHOP:
- “How to Become a Calligraphy Pro” Educational Workshop
FOLLOW SHINAH:
- Join our community of creativity-seeking souls over on Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy
SUBSCRIBE:
- Love podcasts? Listen to The Shinah Show wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!
I Took a 6-Week Break (here’s what I learned)
The Shinah Show
09/20/21 • 22 min
“I want to learn how to be happier with exactly what I have.”
- Shinah
I have a bit of an update for you this week. I was hit by a pick-up truck while cycling on vacation recently — yes, I was wearing a helmet. Yes, physically, I’m okay.
This episode isn’t about my physical injuries.
It’s about the emotional impact of major events. (And yes, there are valuable lessons in this episode!)
The years of 2020 and 2021 have been anything but uneventful. And almost 2 years worth of crisis after crisis, ongoing stress, and massive uncertainty... that leaves an emotional mark.
The impact of these years, the passing of my 40th birthday, topped off with the emotional aftermath of my accident... I’m not ashamed to say that it led me to a total emotional meltdown.
I had zero motivation to do anything. Especially not for my business.
I needed to hit pause and process everything.
I stopped showing up on Instagram. I stopped working on building my business. I let my team take the reins and I just let myself take a break. And I’m here to tell you — when you’ve spent your whole life focused on productivity, taking that time off is HARD.
But it’s also SO necessary, sometimes.
Tune into this episode of The Shinah Show to find out:
- The 3 most important lessons I learned from allowing myself to just rest
- Why you should wait until after you’ve recovered from burnout before making big decisions
- Why it’s important to step back occasionally as a leader — and what you (and your team) will gain
Highlights:
00:33 Intro & update
03:10 Impacts of 2020 & 2021
04:19 The meltdown & pause
05:40 The business break
07:55 Learn how to be happier
10:07 Don’t burn it all down!
11:36 Treat yourself better
12:37 Stepping back as a leader
14:10 No one right way
16:24 Recap
Links:
Learn calligraphy with me: www.freecalligraphyworkshop.com
Follow me!
Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy
Facebook: facebook.com/crookedcalligraphy
Show notes can be found at theshinahshow.com
Watch these episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVJJZS9jYDmzePAnaGDiFuw
Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel, and ring the bell for notifications so you never miss an episode!
FREE WORKSHOP:
- “How to Become a Calligraphy Pro” Educational Workshop
FOLLOW SHINAH:
- Join our community of creativity-seeking souls over on Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy
SUBSCRIBE:
- Love podcasts? Listen to The Shinah Show wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!
3 Beginner Biz Mistakes I Made (so you don’t have to!)
The Shinah Show
10/16/24 • 29 min
This episode is a small preview of my full, in-depth "Calligraphy Business Made Simple Training" - CLICK HERE TO WATCH IT FOR FREE
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Starting a business isn’t necessarily hard because of the knowledge you need to run it. But rather because you need to look inside yourself and find the courage and strength to face the hard things.
Let that sink in for a minute. Because that’s just one of the lessons I’ve learned throughout my 9 years of entrepreneurship.
On today’s episode of The Shinah Show, I’m sharing with you the 3 biggest mistakes I made when starting out – because more than anything, I want to teach other budding entrepreneurs what REALLY matters when you’re just getting your feet on the ground.
I’m breaking down not only the biggest, but the toughest lessons I had to learn, including:
- Why your opinion of what’s ‘sellable’ doesn’t really matter
- How doing allll the things is sometimes less productive (and can lead to burnout)
- What planting seeds and business have in common (stick with me on this one!)
And if you’re feeling lost in the overwhelm that comes with saying ‘yes’ to becoming your own boss, you are so not alone – and I want to share some words of wisdom with you.
My Biz Webinar showcases my very best tips & tricks to establish your own business (in only 6 months nonetheless), and its all yours – for FREE. Click below to watch it until Sunday, October 20th 2024!
This is all leading up to the start of my Holiday Sales Bootcamp starting Sunday, October 20th 2024 as well, where I’ll be personally guiding this session’s students from product inception, to sale! Click HERE for all the details!
FREE WORKSHOP:
- “How to Become a Calligraphy Pro” Educational Workshop
FOLLOW SHINAH:
- Join our community of creativity-seeking souls over on Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy
SUBSCRIBE:
- Love podcasts? Listen to The Shinah Show wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!
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FAQ
How many episodes does The Shinah Show have?
The Shinah Show currently has 123 episodes available.
What topics does The Shinah Show cover?
The podcast is about Entrepreneurship, Podcasts, Business and Career Change.
What is the most popular episode on The Shinah Show?
The episode title 'Starting My Biz All Over Again' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on The Shinah Show?
The average episode length on The Shinah Show is 26 minutes.
How often are episodes of The Shinah Show released?
Episodes of The Shinah Show are typically released every 7 days.
When was the first episode of The Shinah Show?
The first episode of The Shinah Show was released on Mar 25, 2021.
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