Confessions of an Under-Earner

The following reading is an article excerpt from the Amerikan Body Art newsletter written by Erika Harrison.

Hand Henna by Erika HarrisonI happened to be on the Dave Ramsey website, watching a webcast for his “EntreLeadership” series and Dave mentioned that he always asks potential employees and consulting clients what they’re reading. If you’re a business owner, and you’re not reading material meant to teach and inspire you to do better in life and business, you don’t have your eye on the ball. I usually have at least 2 or 3 books sitting on my coffee table….and none of them are fiction. I’m not opposed to reading fiction, but if you’re not where you feel that you need to be, businesswise, and you’re not doing something about it….reading Girl with a …whatever, is not going to get you there.

I am a book junkie, and I prefer an actual book over an ebook, but for those of you on a budget, between free internet podcasts, internet business articles, libraries, thrift stores, and borrowing from friends….there really is no excuse to not be constantly absorbing new information about personal growth, business growth, marketing, finances, and new techniques. You could watch a new YouTube video on face painting every single day and never get through all of the videos that are available.

So, you might be wondering what I’m currently reading…. I have The Courage to Be Rich, by Suze Orman, on my coffee table, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, by John Maxwell, on my iPad, and I just finished Secrets of Six Figure Women, by Barbara Stanny. And in my spare time (lol) I’m listening to Dave Ramsey Entreleadership podcasts. I highly recommend his website if you have any personal finance issues or business finance issues. Using Dave’s methods and advice, our family eliminated all of our credit card debt and we’re well on our way to paying off our student loans and home way ahead of schedule.

Erika Harrison HennaThe book that I just finished, Secrets of Six Figure Women, really had me a bit steamed when I read the first few chapters. I currently earn more than anyone in my family has every earned, and I’m even outpacing my husband who works for a major defense contractor and has been with the company for 20+ years. I would never in a million years consider myself an “under-earner.” But according to Barbara Stanny, I am indeed an under-earner. I have to concede that it’s not like I’m a complete slacker, since according to her definition; probably 99% of people are under-earners. An under-earner is simply someone who has settled for the status quo for the sake of comfort or due to other, often self-imposed, limitations. There are definitely areas that I need to work on.

One limitation that I’ve imposed on myself is the earning potential for my company. Comparing myself and what I do to the serious nature of my husband’s occupation, I have a hard time wrapping my head around a glitter peddler earning more than a defense contractor. Don’t get me wrong….Glitter rocks! But let’s face it; glitter is not exactly a priority in most people’s lives. I often find myself on the losing end of the profit equation because I give my staff raises, and offer new customer perks, but hesitate to raise prices even when I know that it’s needed.

How many of you are afraid to raise your prices because you feel that you would not be able to afford your prices if you were a customer? You have to realize that you don’t place as much value on something that you can easily do as someone who can’t or won’t do it themselves. I use coupons for grocery shopping, even though it takes me an hour or two each week to organize my trips, but then I’m willing to pay someone to clean my house, to mow my lawn, to clean my pool, and to tutor my kids. Sure I can do all of these things myself….but I am willing to pay whatever it takes to have someone else take care of a job that I would rather not do so that I can spend my time doing things that I would rather do. We only have so many hours available to us and we have to choose where our efforts will have the most impact. No matter how tough the economy looks, there will always be people who are willing to pay for your services. You just have to reach those people.

When I first entered the henna industry, henna artists were charging $25 – $35 per hour, while face painters were charging two to three times as much. Fortunately, henna artists have caught on and are not undercharging as much as they used to. For every henna artist in an area, you can bet there are at least a dozen face painters. So why would a henna artist…(Read the rest of the article via the bottom page of Amerikan Body Art’s Newsletter)

Erika Harrison Confessions of an Under-Earner
Written by Erika Harrison.
Check out Amerikan Body Art and their newsletter for more of her articles!

FABAtv vs. FABAIC – Should I do Both?

FABAtv vs FABAIC

When I first dreamed up the idea of FABAtv, I immediately called my aunt and business partner, Marcela. I was so excited, because like most of my crazy ideas, she gets them and gives me great input to get the ball rolling. At first, I heard the hesitation in her voice. I knew her thoughts before she got a chance to voice them. She was worried that FABAtv would take away from the face and body art international convention. After all, why would people attend the convention if they could log on from their own home and take classes whenever they wanted to? Why would anyone want to pay for flights, hotel, registration, ect, if they could save time and money and learn on their own schedule?

FABAIC FunFABAIC Winning Cheetah

Of course these thoughts ran through my mind when I set out to create FABAtv, but my belief is that FABAtv would be a way to fill in the gap before and after the convention. FABAtv is the most practical and beneficial resource we have for painters. The classes are powerful, exciting, and fresh. Every month we offer new classes to inspire you. The FABAIC is a face and body art sleep away camp. It is a vacation for the mind, a creative retreat, and a way to meet the FABAtv instructors that teach you all year long.

FABAIC Alex HansenSo the question is, “Why?” and, “Do I need to have both FABAtv and FABAIC in my life?” The answer is Yes! I am more than just the creator and co-organizer. I am an end user, I am living proof that both the FABAIC and FABAtv work. At the FABAIC I have made friendships, improved my craft, opened international doors, saved money by learning from all of the best under one roof, and used the FABAIC as my annual vacation. At the FABAIC you can challenge yourself by entering one of the many competitions or team up with a new friend and explore body painting. Only at the FABAIC are you able to meet so many great artists from around the globe, paint side by side with them, and leave feeling creatively reinvigorated! The FABAIC is truly an experience I encourage every painter to experience. It is the only event of its kind, where it is totally geared towards learning, visual stimulation, and an overall great time! Imagine sharing ideas with Pashur, watching Yolanda and Lyma sing their rendition of Lady Marmalade, or staying up till 3 am creating a masterpiece with Mark Reid giving you pointers.

FABAIC Clown PalFABAIC Fun

On the flip side, many of us cannot attend the FABAIC for several reasons; Life, finances, kids. So until something gives, FABAtv is your on demand learning and creative inspiration. FABAtv helps keep you motivated and inspired year round. We all crave new ideas or refreshers on faces we see online. At FABAtv we invest a lot of time finding the best teachers to share topics that we want to learn on. Like Georgetter Pressler’s budget costuming or how to apply prosthetics. These classes aren’t taught anywhere else, and only on FABAtv will you find and fall in love with instructors. Not many people knew I was such a talented teacher until they saw me on FABAtv. (Hahahahaha I’m just kidding)

 FABAIC ButterflyFABAIC Artist

In a nut shell, the best investment you can make in your craft, your business, and yourself as an artist, is to attend at least one FABAIC and subscribe to FABAtv. Just because everyone in your neighborhood thinks you are the best, doesn’t mean you can stop learning and growing. The best and most successful entrepreneurs never stop learning. Surround yourself with art, business, knowledge and you will see results immediately.

Happy Painting! xoxoxox HG

 

Take me to:

[button type=”button_solid_dark nocufon” url=”http://www.fabaic.com” target=”on”]Face and Body Art International Convention[/button] [button type=”button_solid_dark nocufon” url=”http://www.fabatv.com” target=”on” ]Face and Body Art Television[/button]

Indie Craft Fairs – The Good, Bad, and Ugly

First of all – what in the heck is Indie? This is the explanation provided by answers.com

  • One, such as a studio or producer, that is unaffiliated with a larger or more commercial organization.
  • An artistic work produced by an independent company or group: “[His film] showed that indies could . . . take in millions at the box office” (Liesl Schillinger).

Usually organizers are crafters themselves. Most of the Indie Craft Fairs I have been involved with are people that create new items out of recycled materials, or are very retro in nature. Several websites, such as IndieCraftShows, or a quick Google search will find you times and places these craft fairs are held.

Pam at Indie Craft FairI got involved with my first Indie Craft fair about 2 years ago. I signed up to do henna at their event. You usually have to buy a booth, which can run from $35-$55 depending on the place. I would not spend much over that for a single event. You want to be able to recover your money you have laid out for the event. I have been promoted for each event which helps build my business connections. Most of my clients are return customers and you also get asked to participate in other events, some larger then the fair you are currently working.

The Good

Usually these people are so much fun to be around and the creativity is amazing. You will make such wonderful connections in your area which can lead to more jobs for your business. Usually you will be the only henna provider for the event. Face painting is not really used at these events unless it is a Halloween show, but if you provide both services, they might ask you to provide both.[clear]

Henna Design Henna on Hand

The Bad

Most of the time these can be outdoor events, which in some areas can be more than a problem. My one fair I always do seems to schedule a huge rain storm with each event. The producer finally found a venue which is indoors. The other bad thing about these types of fairs is that most people are selling wares and you will be selling a service. Henna is more popular in some area than in others. I start my prices at $10.00 per design. A lot of the items sold at Indie Craft Fairs are fairly inexpensive, usually under $10. So your clientele might want to save their pennies to purchase many items, but don’t be discouraged, it can turn out to be a great event for you also.

The Ugly

You buy a booth and you make nothing. This can happen too. If the producer of the show does not promote to the Indie crowd, your show will probably be a bust.

I encourage all of you to check out your Indie Craft market in your area and talk with the producers to get a feel for the need and demand for henna services.

-Pam

Looking for Henna products? Silly Farm Supplies carries several Mehndi/Henna kits and supplies.
Leave a comment below and tell us if you offer Mehndi/Henna services.