It all started with three paintings for my own house; Biggie, Childish Gambino, and Drake. As people visited, requests for different rappers came in and my brand grew. When Sarah Albert's friends started introducing her as “This is Sarah, she paints rappers” Sarah knew she had found a fun niche and it's what she has stuck to.
- CEO Hack: (i) TikTok (ii) Using the resources around me
- CEO Nugget: Don't panic, it's all going to come together
- CEO Defined: Being flexible, hospitality, and knowing the work you put in will get out
Website: http://sarahpaintsrappers.com/
http://www.etsy.com/shop/sarahpaintsrappers
Instagram: @sarahpaintsrappers
Two viral TikToks made at her events:
https://www.tiktok.com/@styled2be/video/6897678252693785862?source=h5_m&is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v3
Check out one of our favorite CEO Hack’s Audible. Get your free audiobook and check out more of our favorite CEO Hacks HERE
Transcription
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00:18 – Intro
Are you ready to hear business stories and learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and level up your business from awesome CEOs, entrepreneurs, and founders without listening to a longer, long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresh values your time and is ready to share with you the valuable info you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO podcast.
00:46 – Gresham Harkless
Hello. Hello. Hello. This is Gresh from the I AM CEO podcast and I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Sarah Albert of Sarah Paints Rappers. Sarah, it's great to have you on the show.
00:55 – Sarah Albert
I'm so excited to be here. Thank you.
00:57 – Gresham Harkless
Definitely super excited to have you on. And before we jump in, I want to read a little bit more about Sarah so you can hear about all the awesome things that she's doing. It all started with three paintings for her own house, biggie, childish, Gambino, and Drake. As people visited, requests for different rappers came in and her brand started to grow. When her friends started to introduce her, they said, this is Sarah and she paints rappers. I knew and she knew that she had found a fun niche and it's what she's stuck to. Sarah, great to have you on the show. Are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?
[restrict paid=”true”]
01:26 – Sarah Albert
I am. Absolutely.
01:28 – Gresham Harkless
Awesome. Well, let's do it then. So, I know I touched on what I like to call your CEO story with Ledger to get started. Could you take us through a little bit more about that? What led you to get started with all the awesome work you're doing?
01:36 – Sarah Albert
Of course. It's so weird to hear the word CEO like me, but like I said, I did a few in college. It kind of became a niche like what people introduced me to, which was just like fun, not like a joke, but it was kind of a joke with me and my friends. We were like, this is Sarah Sheeping's rappers. Then I had college spring break my senior year and I really wanted to go. So I painted Post Malone and I sold it to ten people and that paid for my college spring break. I thought that was the coolest thing ever.
02:06 – Gresham Harkless
Nice, right?
02:08 – Sarah Albert
And it's so funny how big it is now in comparison to that. But I graduated college, I joined hospitality, where I worked 60 hours a week. So I really didn't have a lot of time for SPR, but when I did, I paid it every once in a while. I would do commissions and I would do different art festivals. In Atlanta, they had a few where I would just plan it for the whole weekend. And, like, there were like, art vendors, food vendors, all different things. And I did that, and that went really well. It was. That was kind of my play on, do I do this or do I not do this? It was kind of like testing the water and seeing people walk past my sign. Like, every single person who read Sarah paints wrappers. It started this conversation, and that's when I was like, wow, I really do think I have something here, and played with it a little more. In my next year of college, I moved to the next year of out of college, moved to DC, had an even busier job, and then got furloughed. So then I had all of this time that I had never had before because of the pandemic. I kind of panicked at that point and flew home to my parents and I had, like, a ton of my painting supplies there.
At that point, I reached out to all these people who, throughout the year had asked for commissions, and I responded, and I was like, I finally have this time to do it. I did, like, eight commissions, and they all took 30 hours each in a row, which I've never usually done, if I do, like, one painting, I kind of, like, lose my creative juices. I'm really, like, glad that I got to do eight in a row. And then my mom came up with the idea of doing paid-by-number kits, and I was like, this will go nowhere. I didn't think anyone would want to buy it, that my grandma would buy it, and that would be kind of the end of the day. I sold, like, 100 really fast, and that's where the paint-by-numbers came from. I think that's what turned it from an Etsy side hustle to like, hey, this could really sustain me. And then I was bartending, and one of our managers was like, I need an idea for people to come and do this outside but socially distance, like something that's fun, but they're going to stay in their seat. And that's where I came up with paint and sips. And that got big so fast that I quit bartending. And then I did. I've done my art business full-time for eight months now. It's crazy.
04:40 – Gresham Harkless
Yeah, that is, that's awesome. That's what I would definitely say. I appreciate you sharing the whole entire journey as well, too, and even talking about how, you know, you kind of tested it out just to see before you jumped into it, because I think so many times people think, you know, you hear and hear all the success that you've been able to have. I think it was, like, from zero to 60, and it was a process, it sounds like, for you to kind of definitely get to where you are, right?
05:02 – Sarah Albert
People are like, oh, it's so cool you're an entrepreneur, but it's a really. I panicked. I, like, I didn't have a job. I had to figure out where my rent was coming from. I'm lucky enough that it's something I loved, but it wasn't like, oh, I'm gonna quit my job and pursue my passion. It was, okay, where's my rent bill? You know, where's that coming from? It ended up being my art.
05:22 – Gresham Harkless
Yeah. And often, what they say, necessity can be the mother of invention. And as somebody who has been laid off and been in, you know, dire situations and frustrating situations, it's definitely, you know, great things have come about from there. So it's great to hear how you kind of been able to kind of, you know, turn that around and do all the awesome things that you're doing. So I know you touched on a little bit on, like, how you work with your clients and how you serve them. Could you take us through a little bit more about what we can find on your site and all the awesome things you're doing?
05:48 – Sarah Albert
So I have an Etsy account that has my paint-by-number kits and my canvas prints. It's funny, I was so excited about being a canvas print business, but now at this point, I'm almost exclusively a paint-by-number business. I have.
06:03 – Gresham Harkless
And what do you mean by paint by number?
06:05 – Sarah Albert
So I turn my paintings into paint-by-number kits. So it's, my friend is a graphic designer, and she took my paintings and did an outline of them, and then we matched them to the 16 colors that are in most of my paintings. And people can do, like, paint by numbers at the home of my art.
06:24 – Gresham Harkless
Nice.
06:25 – Sarah Albert
Yeah, it's really fun. I've sold, I think, over 500 of them since I started, and I have those available on my website. I do paint-by-number events where I travel between DC, Atlanta, and New York, which has been so fun over the pandemic. And, yeah, I used to do art festivals and conventions. Hopefully when that comes to play again. I'll be back doing those.
06:55 – Gresham Harkless
Yeah, well, no, I appreciate, you know, hearing the different ways you've been able to kind of, you know, take, you know, what you said was that that passion that you had, and it kind of has manifested itself into so many different ways. It definitely sounds like there's just, like, a lot of different opportunities that you have potentially brewing just by having, you know, leaning into your passions and now being able to kind of take care of all those important things.
07:17 – Sarah Albert
Right. And it's all about, like, who you meet at your different events. And, like, those have led to so much, like, so many good ideas and so many different parts of my business. Just, like, taking other people's ideas into consideration.
07:28 – Gresham Harkless
Yeah, absolutely. And I appreciate you for mentioning that because I think so many times, too, you hear the phrase kind of like there's nothing new under the sun. But sometimes the best inventions are, the best kind of innovations, I should say, are sometimes when you see something someplace else and then you incorporate it into your business, it might be a completely different industry or completely different idea, but sometimes just having that spin on it is where things come from.
07:51 – Sarah Albert
How can I make this better?
07:53 – Gresham Harkless
Yeah, absolutely. So I wanted to ask you now for what I call your secret sauce. This could be for yourself or the business or a combination of both, but what do you feel kind of sets you apart and makes you unique?
08:05 – Sarah Albert
TikTok. So I invited a DC influencer to one of my events. They were the cutest couple. They came and did an awesome video about one of my events and tagged my Instagram. In it, I had 1000 followers. By the end of the next day or the end of the weekend, I had gained 2000 followers. I want to say it had 100 views on the views on TikTok. I paid nothing for them to come to my event. And that's where my whole business has grown so much. Just getting different TikTok influencers to come to my event. Good for them, and it's good for me because they get a lot of followers. The restaurant I'm doing, the event gets a lot of feedback, and I haven't paid for marketing since I've used TikTok.
08:57 – Gresham Harkless
I wanted to switch gears a little bit, and I want to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So this could be like an app, a book, or a habit that you have, but what's something that makes you more effective and efficient?
09:08 – Sarah Albert
I mean, I would go back to that, what I just said, TikTok, but also using the resources around you so my best friend Gabby, she's in sales, so I use her. My other friend is really analytical, so I use him for my finances. My mom is so creative. She came up with my paid-by-number ideas. Everything creative-wise, I bounce off her. My dad is my, like, peace of, not peace of mind. Like, my realistic soundboard. Like, I'll call, I want to do this huge thing. Let's just send it. He's like, okay, let's talk about the numbers. Let's talk about a similar event you've done before. He grounds me and helps me decide whether is a good idea or a good risk to go forward with. So instead of paying for marketing or paying for someone to do your SEOs, just see who you already have in your back pocket and take advantage of that and use their advice as well. And Google.
10:09 – Gresham Harkless
Yes, absolutely. And I wanted to ask you now for what I call a CEO nugget. So this could be a word of wisdom or a piece of advice. It might be something. If you were to hop into a time machine, you would tell your younger.
10:20 – Sarah Albert
Business self, don't panic, it always comes together. I have done it for ten months full time where it's like, obviously my rent payments are relying on it and, like, my normal lifestyle. And at the beginning of every month, no matter what, I'm like, this is the month. People are gonna be over it. Like, this is a month. Events aren't gonna sell out. I wanna say, like, I've learned from it, but I haven't yet. But every month I'm like, this is it. Like, I go in panic mode the first seven days of the month, and then by the end of the month, it always comes together. Doubled my sales goals in the past few months. And so just, like, it's going to come together, don't panic. Like, trust your business.
11:08 – Gresham Harkless
Yeah, I love that. And was there anything that you kind of do regularly to kind of make sure that you get, I don't know the word I'm going to say. Unpanic. That's the first word that comes to mind. So that you can not, you know, let that kind of take you from the work that you've been able to do and the things that you've been able to build.
11:26 – Sarah Albert
I think just write down what I already have set in stone. I know I'm going to get money from this event that's already coming. I know I'm going to post this and it's going to lead to this many sales. These are the things I have every month that are, I want to say, standard that I'm going to get every month. And this is what I have to do to reach these goals. And as long as I do them, it's going to work out. It's like, what work you put into it, you're gonna get. That's what you're gonna get. That's one of my favorite parts about being my own CEO. My own. It's like, one of the worst and one of the best parts.
12:05 – Gresham Harkless
Definitely appreciate that. And I wanted to ask you now what I call my absolute favorite question. We touched on this a little bit, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO, and we're hoping to have different, quote-unquote, CEO's on the show. So, Sarah, what does being a CEO mean to you?
12:20 – Sarah Albert
I think being my NCO is being flexible. Knowing what I put into my work, I'm going to get out. Just to me, which is the coolest thing. Getting to meet new people is huge for me. The interactions I have as being my own boss, I think that's it. Yeah. Just the flexibility is this whole new world for me because I've always worked so many hours in my past jobs, which I've loved. I love hospitality. I love my art. Either way, I have, like, two awesome options for my career, but I've never had this. Like, I want to go out on a Friday, and that's okay because, on Saturday, I'll double-time my work. You know, like, I can decide when I'm putting the work that I need to put in goes in.
13:10 – Gresham Harkless
Yeah, that makes so much sense. I love that definition, that perspective. And for lack of being, you know, for not trying to sound cheesy or anything, it's kind of like you're an artist and you get to kind of paint the picture of your day and what you're trying to do to impact. And as you said, if you decide that you want to do something on Friday, you have that opportunity to put in that work and that time and energy on another day, and you kind of can kind of paint that canvas how you want it to be painted.
13:31 – Sarah Albert
It's funny, sometimes my roommate will come home and, like, all I've done is paint all day, and I have my coffee, and I've been painting all day, and that's my job. That's what pays my bills, is I sit down and I watch a movie, and I paint who I want to paint. And that's the weirdest reality for me.
13:49 – Gresham Harkless
Yeah, absolutely. But it's so interesting. As much as things have changed, as you mentioned, TikTok being a huge part of your secret sauce, and how now at this time, you can go direct to consumer. You have all these tools that are available to you to reach directly to those who potentially might want your products and services. That's never been. That's unheard of. Now it's something that we're living in right now.
14:12 – Sarah Albert
I think the TikTok community and I can't make my videos. I wish I could. I wish I was better at it. But the TikTok community, like, really amps up small businesses. Like any small business. I've seen, like, nail salons grow, I've seen, like, pizza shops grow these, like, small delivery charcuterie boards. Like, people want, like, extra. I think, like, they're doing that extra interaction on small business websites, that extra, like, that extra share where I don't think you see that in Instagram, Facebook, other social media. So that's a really weird, cool feature of TikTok and their community.
14:50 – Gresham Harkless
Yeah, it's definitely exciting. You get that opportunity to build that true community as well, too, and support, you know, different initiatives as well. So truly appreciate that, Sarah, and I appreciate your time even more. What I wanted to do is just pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional that you can let our readers and listeners know and of course, how best they can get a hold of you and find out about all the awesome things that you're working on.
15:12 – Sarah Albert
So the best way to contact me is my Instagram. Sarah paints wrappers. I have a website as well that has some of my package details for virtual events, for in-person events, for my calendar. But honestly, I would always say my Instagram is my best form of contact. And I have my email on there linked as well, and my Etsy rappers.
15:34 – Gresham Harkless
Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. And to make it even easier, we'll have the links and information in the show notes too, so that everybody can get a hold of you, but truly appreciate all the awesome work that you're doing. I look forward to having you back on to hear how much more growth you've had as well, too, and looking forward to the next time we speak. So thanks for taking time out.
15:50 – Outro
Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes Google Play and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE, and leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.
00:18 - Intro
Are you ready to hear business stories and learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and level up your business from awesome CEOs, entrepreneurs, and founders without listening to a longer, long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresh values your time and is ready to share with you the valuable info you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO podcast.
00:46 - Gresham Harkless
Hello. Hello. Hello. This is Gresh from the I AM CEO podcast and I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Sarah Albert of Sarah Paints Rappers. Sarah, it's great to have you on the show.
00:55 - Sarah Albert
I'm so excited to be here. Thank you.
00:57 - Gresham Harkless
Definitely super excited to have you on. And before we jump in, I want to read a little bit more about Sarah so you can hear about all the awesome things that she's doing. It all started with three paintings for her own house, biggie, childish, Gambino, and Drake. As people visited, requests for different rappers came in and her brand started to grow. When her friends started to introduce her, they said, this is Sarah and she paints rappers. I knew and she knew that she had found a fun niche and it's what she's stuck to. Sarah, great to have you on the show. Are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?
01:26 - Sarah Albert
I am. Absolutely.
01:28 - Gresham Harkless
Awesome. Well, let's do it then. So, I know I touched on what I like to call your CEO story with Ledger to get started. Could you take us through a little bit more about that? What led you to get started with all the awesome work you're doing?
01:36 - Sarah Albert
Of course. It's so weird to hear the word CEO like me, but like I said, I did a few in college. It kind of became a niche like what people introduced me to, which was just like fun, not like a joke, but it was kind of a joke with me and my friends. We were like, this is Sarah Sheeping's rappers. Then I had college spring break my senior year and I really wanted to go. So I painted Post Malone and I sold it to ten people and that paid for my college spring break. I thought that was the coolest thing ever.
02:06 - Gresham Harkless
Nice, right?
02:08 - Sarah Albert
And it's so funny how big it is now in comparison to that. But I graduated college, I joined hospitality, where I worked 60 hours a week. So I really didn't have a lot of time for SPR, but when I did, I paid it every once in a while. I would do commissions and I would do different art festivals. In Atlanta, they had a few where I would just plan it for the whole weekend. And, like, there were like, art vendors, food vendors, all different things. And I did that, and that went really well. It was. That was kind of my play on, do I do this or do I not do this? It was kind of like testing the water and seeing people walk past my sign. Like, every single person who read Sarah paints wrappers. It started this conversation, and that's when I was like, wow, I really do think I have something here, and played with it a little more. In my next year of college, I moved to the next year of out of college, moved to DC, had an even busier job, and then got furloughed. So then I had all of this time that I had never had before because of the pandemic. I kind of panicked at that point and flew home to my parents and I had, like, a ton of my painting supplies there.
At that point, I reached out to all these people who, throughout the year had asked for commissions, and I responded, and I was like, I finally have this time to do it. I did, like, eight commissions, and they all took 30 hours each in a row, which I've never usually done, if I do, like, one painting, I kind of, like, lose my creative juices. I'm really, like, glad that I got to do eight in a row. And then my mom came up with the idea of doing paid-by-number kits, and I was like, this will go nowhere. I didn't think anyone would want to buy it, that my grandma would buy it, and that would be kind of the end of the day. I sold, like, 100 really fast, and that's where the paint-by-numbers came from. I think that's what turned it from an Etsy side hustle to like, hey, this could really sustain me. And then I was bartending, and one of our managers was like, I need an idea for people to come and do this outside but socially distance, like something that's fun, but they're going to stay in their seat. And that's where I came up with paint and sips. And that got big so fast that I quit bartending. And then I did. I've done my art business full-time for eight months now. It's crazy.
04:40 - Gresham Harkless
Yeah, that is, that's awesome. That's what I would definitely say. I appreciate you sharing the whole entire journey as well, too, and even talking about how, you know, you kind of tested it out just to see before you jumped into it, because I think so many times people think, you know, you hear and hear all the success that you've been able to have. I think it was, like, from zero to 60, and it was a process, it sounds like, for you to kind of definitely get to where you are, right?
05:02 - Sarah Albert
People are like, oh, it's so cool you're an entrepreneur, but it's a really. I panicked. I, like, I didn't have a job. I had to figure out where my rent was coming from. I'm lucky enough that it's something I loved, but it wasn't like, oh, I'm gonna quit my job and pursue my passion. It was, okay, where's my rent bill? You know, where's that coming from? It ended up being my art.
05:22 - Gresham Harkless
Yeah. And often, what they say, necessity can be the mother of invention. And as somebody who has been laid off and been in, you know, dire situations and frustrating situations, it's definitely, you know, great things have come about from there. So it's great to hear how you kind of been able to kind of, you know, turn that around and do all the awesome things that you're doing. So I know you touched on a little bit on, like, how you work with your clients and how you serve them. Could you take us through a little bit more about what we can find on your site and all the awesome things you're doing?
05:48 - Sarah Albert
So I have an Etsy account that has my paint-by-number kits and my canvas prints. It's funny, I was so excited about being a canvas print business, but now at this point, I'm almost exclusively a paint-by-number business. I have.
06:03 - Gresham Harkless
And what do you mean by paint by number?
06:05 - Sarah Albert
So I turn my paintings into paint-by-number kits. So it's, my friend is a graphic designer, and she took my paintings and did an outline of them, and then we matched them to the 16 colors that are in most of my paintings. And people can do, like, paint by numbers at the home of my art.
06:24 - Gresham Harkless
Nice.
06:25 - Sarah Albert
Yeah, it's really fun. I've sold, I think, over 500 of them since I started, and I have those available on my website. I do paint-by-number events where I travel between DC, Atlanta, and New York, which has been so fun over the pandemic. And, yeah, I used to do art festivals and conventions. Hopefully when that comes to play again. I'll be back doing those.
06:55 - Gresham Harkless
Yeah, well, no, I appreciate, you know, hearing the different ways you've been able to kind of, you know, take, you know, what you said was that that passion that you had, and it kind of has manifested itself into so many different ways. It definitely sounds like there's just, like, a lot of different opportunities that you have potentially brewing just by having, you know, leaning into your passions and now being able to kind of take care of all those important things.
07:17 - Sarah Albert
Right. And it's all about, like, who you meet at your different events. And, like, those have led to so much, like, so many good ideas and so many different parts of my business. Just, like, taking other people's ideas into consideration.
07:28 - Gresham Harkless
Yeah, absolutely. And I appreciate you for mentioning that because I think so many times, too, you hear the phrase kind of like there's nothing new under the sun. But sometimes the best inventions are, the best kind of innovations, I should say, are sometimes when you see something someplace else and then you incorporate it into your business, it might be a completely different industry or completely different idea, but sometimes just having that spin on it is where things come from.
07:51 - Sarah Albert
How can I make this better?
07:53 - Gresham Harkless
Yeah, absolutely. So I wanted to ask you now for what I call your secret sauce. This could be for yourself or the business or a combination of both, but what do you feel kind of sets you apart and makes you unique?
08:05 - Sarah Albert
TikTok. So I invited a DC influencer to one of my events. They were the cutest couple. They came and did an awesome video about one of my events and tagged my Instagram. In it, I had 1000 followers. By the end of the next day or the end of the weekend, I had gained 2000 followers. I want to say it had 100 views on the views on TikTok. I paid nothing for them to come to my event. And that's where my whole business has grown so much. Just getting different TikTok influencers to come to my event. Good for them, and it's good for me because they get a lot of followers. The restaurant I'm doing, the event gets a lot of feedback, and I haven't paid for marketing since I've used TikTok.
08:57 - Gresham Harkless
I wanted to switch gears a little bit, and I want to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So this could be like an app, a book, or a habit that you have, but what's something that makes you more effective and efficient?
09:08 - Sarah Albert
I mean, I would go back to that, what I just said, TikTok, but also using the resources around you so my best friend Gabby, she's in sales, so I use her. My other friend is really analytical, so I use him for my finances. My mom is so creative. She came up with my paid-by-number ideas. Everything creative-wise, I bounce off her. My dad is my, like, peace of, not peace of mind. Like, my realistic soundboard. Like, I'll call, I want to do this huge thing. Let's just send it. He's like, okay, let's talk about the numbers. Let's talk about a similar event you've done before. He grounds me and helps me decide whether is a good idea or a good risk to go forward with. So instead of paying for marketing or paying for someone to do your SEOs, just see who you already have in your back pocket and take advantage of that and use their advice as well. And Google.
10:09 - Gresham Harkless
Yes, absolutely. And I wanted to ask you now for what I call a CEO nugget. So this could be a word of wisdom or a piece of advice. It might be something. If you were to hop into a time machine, you would tell your younger.
10:20 - Sarah Albert
Business self, don't panic, it always comes together. I have done it for ten months full time where it's like, obviously my rent payments are relying on it and, like, my normal lifestyle. And at the beginning of every month, no matter what, I'm like, this is the month. People are gonna be over it. Like, this is a month. Events aren't gonna sell out. I wanna say, like, I've learned from it, but I haven't yet. But every month I'm like, this is it. Like, I go in panic mode the first seven days of the month, and then by the end of the month, it always comes together. Doubled my sales goals in the past few months. And so just, like, it's going to come together, don't panic. Like, trust your business.
11:08 - Gresham Harkless
Yeah, I love that. And was there anything that you kind of do regularly to kind of make sure that you get, I don't know the word I'm going to say. Unpanic. That's the first word that comes to mind. So that you can not, you know, let that kind of take you from the work that you've been able to do and the things that you've been able to build.
11:26 - Sarah Albert
I think just write down what I already have set in stone. I know I'm going to get money from this event that's already coming. I know I'm going to post this and it's going to lead to this many sales. These are the things I have every month that are, I want to say, standard that I'm going to get every month. And this is what I have to do to reach these goals. And as long as I do them, it's going to work out. It's like, what work you put into it, you're gonna get. That's what you're gonna get. That's one of my favorite parts about being my own CEO. My own. It's like, one of the worst and one of the best parts.
12:05 - Gresham Harkless
Definitely appreciate that. And I wanted to ask you now what I call my absolute favorite question. We touched on this a little bit, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO, and we're hoping to have different, quote-unquote, CEO's on the show. So, Sarah, what does being a CEO mean to you?
12:20 - Sarah Albert
I think being my NCO is being flexible. Knowing what I put into my work, I'm going to get out. Just to me, which is the coolest thing. Getting to meet new people is huge for me. The interactions I have as being my own boss, I think that's it. Yeah. Just the flexibility is this whole new world for me because I've always worked so many hours in my past jobs, which I've loved. I love hospitality. I love my art. Either way, I have, like, two awesome options for my career, but I've never had this. Like, I want to go out on a Friday, and that's okay because, on Saturday, I'll double-time my work. You know, like, I can decide when I'm putting the work that I need to put in goes in.
13:10 - Gresham Harkless
Yeah, that makes so much sense. I love that definition, that perspective. And for lack of being, you know, for not trying to sound cheesy or anything, it's kind of like you're an artist and you get to kind of paint the picture of your day and what you're trying to do to impact. And as you said, if you decide that you want to do something on Friday, you have that opportunity to put in that work and that time and energy on another day, and you kind of can kind of paint that canvas how you want it to be painted.
13:31 - Sarah Albert
It's funny, sometimes my roommate will come home and, like, all I've done is paint all day, and I have my coffee, and I've been painting all day, and that's my job. That's what pays my bills, is I sit down and I watch a movie, and I paint who I want to paint. And that's the weirdest reality for me.
13:49 - Gresham Harkless
Yeah, absolutely. But it's so interesting. As much as things have changed, as you mentioned, TikTok being a huge part of your secret sauce, and how now at this time, you can go direct to consumer. You have all these tools that are available to you to reach directly to those who potentially might want your products and services. That's never been. That's unheard of. Now it's something that we're living in right now.
14:12 - Sarah Albert
I think the TikTok community and I can't make my videos. I wish I could. I wish I was better at it. But the TikTok community, like, really amps up small businesses. Like any small business. I've seen, like, nail salons grow, I've seen, like, pizza shops grow these, like, small delivery charcuterie boards. Like, people want, like, extra. I think, like, they're doing that extra interaction on small business websites, that extra, like, that extra share where I don't think you see that in Instagram, Facebook, other social media. So that's a really weird, cool feature of TikTok and their community.
14:50 - Gresham Harkless
Yeah, it's definitely exciting. You get that opportunity to build that true community as well, too, and support, you know, different initiatives as well. So truly appreciate that, Sarah, and I appreciate your time even more. What I wanted to do is just pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional that you can let our readers and listeners know and of course, how best they can get a hold of you and find out about all the awesome things that you're working on.
15:12 - Sarah Albert
So the best way to contact me is my Instagram. Sarah paints wrappers. I have a website as well that has some of my package details for virtual events, for in-person events, for my calendar. But honestly, I would always say my Instagram is my best form of contact. And I have my email on there linked as well, and my Etsy rappers.
15:34 - Gresham Harkless
Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. And to make it even easier, we'll have the links and information in the show notes too, so that everybody can get a hold of you, but truly appreciate all the awesome work that you're doing. I look forward to having you back on to hear how much more growth you've had as well, too, and looking forward to the next time we speak. So thanks for taking time out.
15:50 - Outro
Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes Google Play and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE, and leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.
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