Windowsill Chats Margo Tantau
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Windowsill Chats is a podcast for artists and creatives who are curious about what it's like to live, work & walk a creative path. You'll find honest stories, refreshing tips, artistic business advice and real conversations with global artists & makers just like you. Host Margo Tantau, a 30+ year Creative Director, Product Designer & maker, is a cheerleader for your success. Come grab a cuppa & join her in her sunny windowsill.
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Singing Success to Jewelry Brilliance: Dani Paquin on Creative Fulfillment, Community Building, and Two Decades of Agapantha Jewelry
Margo is joined by Jewelry Designer Dani Paquin. Dani founded Agapantha Jewelry in April of 2004 after 6+ years of living as a touring singer-songwriter. While it was an incredible, dream fulfilling time, people don't love paying for music and the hustle was unsustainable. Between tours, Dani started working for a couple of designers, assembling jewelry and found that it was fun, creative, she was good at it, and people were willing to pay for it. She did music and jewelry for a while, semi-retired from music, opened an adorable vintage shop in Brooklyn, and eventually found her way into the full time flow of entrepreneurship. In 2010 she moved back to her home state of California and Agapantha has been headquartered in Torrance (Los Angeles County) for the past 14 years. In that time, the style of jewelry has changed dramatically and landed where it is currently - delicate, modern, layering jewelry - handmade in her production studio using primarily sterling silver and 14k gold filled materials.
Margo and Dani discuss:
Her journey from music to crafting exquisite, delicate, and modern jewelry
How she built a successful business through innovative strategies, combining wholesale, retail, and unique events
Diversifying offerings so all the eggs aren't in one basket
The future of her brand as she ventures into fine jewelry
The intricacies of running a creative business
The importance of customer interaction and the challenges of navigating tough economic times
Hiring a team and the importance of finding people that are better than you
The incredible community she's built through initiatives like "Flash Sale Friday" and the Agapantha VIP club
And more
Agapantha is carried in boutiques all over the world, including the Agapantha showroom. Dani’s business model is fluid, allowing for change and flexibility, but combines wholesale, retail, online, and events including activities such as piercing, laser engraving, and forever jewelry.
Connect with Dani Paquin:
www.agapantha.com
www.instagram.com/agapanthajewelry
www.tiktok.com/@agapanthajewelry
Connect with Margo:
www.windowsillchats.com
www.instagram.com/windowsillchats
www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill
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The Art of Well-Being: Jennifer Brinley on Nature-Inspired Design and the Impact on Brain Function and Health
Margo is joined by artist and designer for the gift & home decor industry, Jennifer Brinley. Jennifer has been in the industry for over 20 years with a degree in Studio Art from UC Santa Barbara and she believes well designed products can bring moments of joy. Her creative path took her to graduate school for architecture before promptly dropping out after learning advanced math was involved to pass "structures." She then bounced around with a variety of jobs to save money to go to Europe for 3 months with a childhood friend. After Europe, came the quandary of what to do next and decided she would go back to school to become an art teacher. A want ad looking for a T-shirt designer led to quickly creating a fake portfolio and she began designing T-shirts for Crazy Shirts as well as getting a business license to sell her own T-shirts. She met her licensing agent by chance making color copies at Kinkos and today her designs have been on everything from tableware, gift mugs, kitchen textiles, rugs, fabrics, placemats, trays, coasters, gift bags, flags, art poles and planters.
Margo and Jennifer discuss:
Finding inspiration in nature and how one of her best selling products is a nature inspired design
Balancing creativity and business in the art world
The importance of staying informed and interested within one's industry
Fueling passion through seeing others' work and new trends
The impact of art and design on behavior and well-being
The benefits of engaging in art daily for brain stimulation
Biophilic design and nature's calming effect on the brain
Studies on neuroaesthetics (the measurable changes that occur in the brain while looking at art, design, architecture, interior design, etc)
Connect with Jennifer:
https://www.instagram.com/jenniferbrinley/
Connect with Margo:
www.windowsillchats.com
www.instagram.com/windowsillchats
www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill
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Finding Beauty in Everyday Life: The Power of Creative Practice and the Art of Noticing with Mary Jo Hoffman
Margo is joined by artist, photographer and author Mary Jo Hoffman. In her previous life, Mary was an aerospace engineer until one day she decided to take up a daily practice of photographing something in nature. This daily practice turned into STILL Blog, profound revelations about the connectedness of all things, the importance of place, and her own life. Her new book, STILL: The Art of Noticing, features 275 of the most stunning photographs Mary Jo has accumulated over thousands of consecutive days of daily shooting accompanied by perceptive, deeply felt, and oftentimes humorous essays illuminating the insights gained through this daily creative practice. Mary Jo has enlisted the help of her husband, Steve, and their two children on this creative endeavor. What started out as a way to practice for retirement, has turned into a second career! Mary Jo's photos will have you looking at your own backyard in a different way and noticing much more than you ever did before.
Margo and Mary Jo discuss:
Her creative path and how she went from aerospace engineer to photographer and author
The importance of continuing the creative process despite life events
Creating a memory grid
The concept of 72 microseasons and how it impacts her creativity and photography
Benefits and challenges of committing to long-term creative projects
Licensing Deals, her experiences in working with Target and West Elm
Maintaining a creative life while raising a family and the impactful legacy that can leave for children
The intricacies of finding beauty in everyday life,
Her new book, Still: The Art of Noticing
Connect with Mary Jo Hoffman:
https://www.instagram.com/maryjohoffman/
STILL: The Art of Noticing
http://eepurl.com/bTvh4n (Newsletter)
Connect with Margo:
www.windowsillchats.com
www.instagram.com/windowsillchats
www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill
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Creative Current Events: Non-Competes, AI, and Burnout with Abby Campbell
Trying something new this week with a new little episode format! In this episode, Margo is joined for a short conversation with fellow creative and friend of the Windowsill, Abby Campbell. They explore a few recent articles and subject matter that they’ve been chewing on such as the recent FTC ruling banning non-compete agreements, a Harvard Business Review article on combating burnout, and a fascinating tech piece on Nightshade—a new tool designed to protect artists' works from AI exploitation.
Have a topic or article you want to hear about in a creative current events episode? Send us a DM on Instagram!
Connect with Abby:
https://www.abbyjcampbell.com/
https://www.instagram.com/ajcampkc/
https://www.pinterest.com/ajcampbell/
Connect with Margo:
www.windowsillchats.com
www.instagram.com/windowsillchats
www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill
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Pivot, Profit, and Purpose: Emily McDowell on Reclaiming Joy in the Creative Journey
Margo is joined by friend of the Windowsill, Emily McDowell. As an advisor, thought partner, and coach, Emily McDowell helps save creative entrepreneurs’ time, money, and sanity, and helps product-based brands succeed. As founder of the stationery brand Em & Friends, she created Empathy Cards, a more honest and supportive alternative to traditional sympathy cards, which drew organic coverage by hundreds of major media outlets in 22 countries and inspired a sea change to the industry. As a writer and illustrator, her work has gone viral countless times, and for over a decade, she’s been known for creating products that make people wonder if she’s been reading their diaries. Emily is also the co-author and illustrator of There Is No Good Card for This: What to Say and Do When Life Gets Scary, Awful, and Unfair to People You Love, and offers unsolicited advice, cautionary tales, and missives from the great adventure of midlife in her Substack newsletter, Unqualified.
Margo and Emily discuss:
Her experiences in going viral unexpectedly
the mental shift from creating for joy to creating for profit and how it affects the process and output
The transition from owning a stationary company to creative coaching
Challenges and revelations in manufacturing
Keeping creativity alive amidst business endeavors
Inclusivity and diversity in creative communities
The psychological and creative benefits of engaging in non-monetizable creative activities
Her experience in exiting/selling a business and having a non-compete agreement
Licensing creative work
Connect with Emily:
www.withemilymcdowell.com
www.thegreatergoodsalliance.com
www.emilymcdowell.substack.com
Connect with Margo:
www.windowsillchats.com
www.instagram.com/windowsillchats
www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill
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The Artist's Path to Financial Stability: IRA Insights, Maximizing Benefits, and Reaching Full Creative Potential with Hannah Cole
Margo is joined again by tax expert for creatives, Hannah Cole. Hannah specializes in working with creative businesses and mission-driven solopreneurs. A long-time working artist herself, she’s helped tens of thousands of self-employed people skill up with accessible tax and money education, through her Money Bootcamp program, speaking engagements, and through her podcast. Margo and Hannah unpack the complex world of finances, exploring the impactful financial habits that can safeguard your future, the emotional hurdles around financial literacy, and how shifts in mindset can lead to financial empowerment. They also dive into the importance of IRA contributions and the significant tax advantages they offer, the impact of non-compete laws on wages and even some antitrust law news.
Margo and Hannah discuss:
Why understanding and managing finances can feel particularly hard for creative businesses
Some of the mental shifts necessary for artists to tackle financial understanding and planning effectively
Non-compete agreements
Antitrust laws and how small businesses are currently being impacted
Understanding state business licensing and quarterly taxes for freelancers
Daily investment tips to potentially reach a million-dollar retirement fund
Hannah’s advocacy for basic, proven investment methods over complex strategies
Why you should focus on minimizing fees and long-term wealth building
Sign up for Money Bootcamp with Hannah and receive $100 off by using code WINDOWSILL at checkout!
Connect with Hannah:
https://www.sunlighttax.com/
https://www.sunlighttax.com/podcast
https://www.sunlighttax.com/deductionsguide
Free class on-demand: go.sunlighttax.com/register
Connect with Margo:
www.windowsillchats.com
www.instagram.com/windowsillchats
www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill