Have I Got a Deal For You!

The "downside" if you will, of making glass art is the necessity to sell it to a) make money and build a business, b) use up the glass I have (that's the theory) so I can buy more and c) avoid having a huge stockpile of nice, pretty, shiny stuff. However, there is one slight little issue: I'm not wild about selling (or marketing myself). When I think of selling I think of the typical pushy salesman leaving the customer being taken advantage of and that is someone I don't want to be. However, a fact of reality is that if I don't sell/market myself, I'm as affective as being the sole occupant on a deserted island for moving my wares. So guess what my coaching call was about this week? Yep, selling/marketing.

I am learning that the key is to sell/market authentically and the only one who can really market my product is me. The whole deal is to show my excitement and passion for what I do and what I make and (key point here) is to be rock solid confident that what I make is darned fine stuff. Ok, the last point I need to work on, but get me on the subject of glass, I light up like a Christmas tree on steroids. There is one other key factor and that is to be unattached as to whether the person buys in or not which can be trying when a show is going slow. However, I learned from my coaching call is to "get it out there" and be real.

As of today, my wares are now in Gypsy Chicks, a New Age store in Stony Plain and I'm excited about it as the owners are fantastic and the store has a good feel about it. Not only that I made a pipe (yes the herbal smoking variety, but what herb is used is not up to me), couple of them actually, and I posted the pictures on my Facebook page. Within a couple of hours, one was sold and I had inquiries about more of them. I think the Universe is trying to tell me something.

As for my training, I'm having the best year ever and I'm really happy about where I'm at and what I'm doing. I love my fan, love designing a form for it, and am very glad I made the weapon change. A couple of weeks ago, I gave wheat the boot and that's been going much better this time around. Last time I switched a starch for a starch and my body revolted. This time, I'm high raw and my body is very happy about that. Life is grand.
Sherri Donohue