Windowsill Chats Margo Tantau

Margo is joined by middle-aged Minnesotan, Author, creative, and Tax Preparer Steve Hoffman. Steve who has always been in love with France, both the country and the idea of it as a place where he can be a better version of himself moved together with his family to the small village of Autignac in southern France, where he quickly realized life there was far from his romanticized expectations. Through cooking what the local grocer suggested and learning winemaking from a neighbor, he discovered the true beauty of a culture deeply connected with its landscape. Steve is a Minnesota tax preparer and award-winning food writer, with his work published in Food & Wine, The Washington Post, and The Minneapolis Star Tribune. His memoir, A Season for That: Lost and Found in the Other Southern France, will be published in July 2024. He shares one acre on Turtle Lake, in Shoreview, Minnesota, with his wife, Mary Jo, their elderly puggle, 80,000 honeybees, and a pair of sandhill cranes
 
Margo and Steve discuss:
Steve’s creative journey and the inspiration that found him
The transformative aspects of his family's extended stay in the Languedoc Region of Southern France
Impact of working in the vines and a village winery on perspective towards wine and winemaking
Changes in travel philosophy after the experience in France
The challenges and rewards of parenting both abroad and at home
How he inspires and encourages his kids in their creativity
Sneak peek of upcoming appearance on The Splendid Table on July 18
Where to find Steve’s work, follow his journey, and purchase his new memoir
 
Connect with Steve:
www.sjrhoffman.com
https://www.instagram.com/sjrhoffman/
 
Connect with Margo:
www.windowsillchats.com
www.instagram.com/windowsillchats
www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill
 

Catching up on all things creative current events and highlighting some fun and interesting articles, Margo is joined by friend and current event co-host Abby Campbell. This week they are discussing the growth challenges Cara has been facing and how we can give grace, Etsy’s updated stance on AI, Sticker Mule's political controversy, how a baseball hit made a beer company millions, and finding inspiration outside of our own online algorithm. 
 
Have a topic or article you want to hear about in a creative current events episode? Send us a DM on Instagram! 



Mentioned in this episode:
 
Cara Facing New Challenges
https://www.fastcompany.com/91157162/the-cara-app-went-viral-now-it-faces-new-challenges
 
Etsy’s stand on AI from their Handbook
https://www.etsy.com/seller-handbook/article/1275449912004
 
More on Etsy & New Naming Categories
https://www.fastcompany.com/91153074/etsy-is-using-humans-to-stand-out-in-an-ai-obsessed-world
 
Etsy’s Ad
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUFvwHBZOgo
 
A Dramatic Reading of a Small Business Customer Service Email
Leigh Standley of Curly Girl Cards
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9nJezDON6E/
 
Ariadne Kritonos on Instagram!
Thanks for the thoughtful discussion, Ariadne.
https://www.instagram.com/ariadnekritonos/
 
Coopers Light - Coors Light’s OUT Campaign
Unintentionally started by Angels Player Shohei Otani
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5GQvqfqRSU
 
 
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
 

Margo is joined by Arianne Foulks. Arianne is the founder of Aeolidia, a Shopify development agency that's been working with creative shop owners since 2004. Her team blends strategy and design to create super-effective Shopify sites, email marketing, and branding. She is also a popular educator and small business enthusiast. As a champion for creative brands, she has a 17+ year reputation for thoughtful redesigns that help businesses level up. She loves having a problem to solve, and has focused throughout her career on building online homes for fascinating people. She is also a mom of two teenagers, enjoys walking, and always has a pile of books by her bed.
 
Margo and Arianne discuss:
Arianne’s creative history of crafting beaded jewelry and zines in her childhood to transforming the online presence of creative e-commerce businesses
How she cultivated her niche in the e-commerce industry
The challenges of selling unique products in a market flooded with mass-produced items
The power of storytelling in e-commerce.
Core values and how they guide Aeolidia
the significance of having a minimum viable product
continuous evolution of brand voice
How and why her team switched to a four day work week
how to avoid scope creep and set good expectations when working with clients
Using the Entrepreneurial Operating System to run a business
 
Connect with Arianne:
https://aeolidia.com/
https://www.instagram.com/aeolidia/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ariannefoulks/
 
Connect with Margo:
www.windowsillchats.com
www.instagram.com/windowsillchats
www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill

Margo is joined by friend and former guest, Michael Schultz. Michael is the co-owner and creative eye of Cursive New York, which operates 2 stores in New York City. Cursive is a tightly focused concept with the simple mission of cultivating joy. Michael, along with his husband, Douglas Duncan, have established Cursive as a strong and forward voice in the industry where they offer gift, stationery, home and lifestyle products and is constantly evolving. Cursive operated in New York City’s iconic Grand Central Terminal for 11 years and within ABC Carpet & Home for 15 years, until the Covid-19 pandemic upended those long runs. Making lemonade out of lemons, Schultz and Duncan doubled down on New York and opened 2 shops in New York’s West Village neighborhood, 4 blocks apart. One shop is true to the original Cursive vision, while Cursive Home is the brand's extension into home goods.
 
Margo and Michael discuss:
Going all in on yourself, trusting your gut and having confidence in your creativity
The thin line between inspiration and imitation within the digital landscape
The risks of looking too closely at others' work and what it can lead to
The importance of developing a unique point of view
The patience and vulnerability required to pave your own path in the creative industry
Maintaining confidence in one's original work even if it isn't immediately recognized 
Strategies that artists and designers can use to cultivate their own original ideas
Setting yourself apart as a leader and visionary by thinking two steps ahead
 
Connect with Michael:
www.instagram.com/cursivenewyork
www.instagram.com/curisvenyhome
 
Connect with Margo:
www.windowsillchats.com
www.instagram.com/windowsillchats
www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill
 

Join Margo and Abby Campbell for another creative current events catch-up! They discuss boosting self-confidence by ditching "imposter syndrome," explore innovative product design, and highlight the winners of Penguin Books' 2024 Cover Design Contest. They also delve into the latest trends in the art world and share personal anecdotes on overcoming creative blocks. Tune in for insightful discussions and actionable tips to fuel your creative journey.
 
Mentioned: 
https://www.reddit.com/r/DefendingAIArt/comments/1da6ctq/cara_was_doomed_to_fail_from_the_beginning/
https://www.creativeboom.com/tips/how-to-be-more-confident-as-a-creative/
https://www.creativeboom.com/news/penguin-reveals-the-winners-of-its-2024-cover-design-award/
https://www.bandanaofthemonth.club/
https://hudsonvalleyseed.com/pages/call-for-art
https://sowtrueseed.com/pages/art-call
https://www.westcoastseeds.com/pages/artist-packet-contest
 
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
 

Margo is joined by one man band, Dan Checkers otherwise known as Dan & Drum. Releasing his debut album in 2017 with no label, connections, or many friends for that matter, he was surprised to see it get millions of streams in the first year, thanks to creators like Jenna Marbles featuring the music. Since then, he's been consistently releasing music, earning 10s of millions of streams across platforms, while touring across the US. Since COVID, he's been selling personalized songs to fans that are then publicly released later- which he finds to be his most artistically fulfilling venture to date!
 
Margo and Dan discuss:
His path into music and niching into personalized music
The power of networking and connections in the music industry
How he transformed challenges brought on by the pandemic into an opportunity
His process of songwriting
His belief in the personal being universal
Personal struggles with depression and how a gift from his mom became a crucial outlet
How social media algorithms can be leveraged to build an audience
Potential benefits and limitations of signing with a music label
 
Connect with Dan:
https://www.dananddrum.com/personalizedsongs
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1ZajCRAa7VEcTytwxzr20a
https://www.instagram.com/dananddrum/
 
Connect with Margo:
www.windowsillchats.com
www.instagram.com/windowsillchats
www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill