Can I share an awesome project with you? I keep pinching myself to make sure that it’s really happening… and that I was chosen to be a part of it.
Here’s a little back story…
There is a project in Cincinnati through ArtWorks called CincyInk. You can read all about it at that link, but I’ll sum it up quickly. ArtWorks asked people to submit reasons why they love Cincinnati. 1,000+ entries later, the info was passed on to a poetry collective, Chase Public, who crafted the most beautiful poem about Cincinnati. This poem, titled “Seven Hills and a Queen to Name Them” can be seen in its entirety here.
This poem was intended be be shared publicly and that’s where I come in. No, I didn’t get a phrase of the poem tattooed on my body like some, but I was chosen to participate in the public art part of the project.
37 outstanding artists were chosen to illustrate assigned stanzas from the poem, to be displayed around downtown Cincinnati. Talk about a humbling experience… the talent in this group was unreal. The best part… we had complete creative freedom!
My stanza was “I drive Montgomery Road to our centennial house. From the porch, I hear the baby cry, a new squall storming old plaster.” And, while I found this to be challenging, I think my artwork turned out just lovely. I even got some hot pink in there. (duh) You can see this artwork in person at 13th and Vine downtown. And of course there are 36 other pieces to hunt down as well. Make a day of it!
18 DecGift Tags 2014
A present for your presents! Have fun with these free printable tags to use on your gifts now… or anytime! This is my way of thanking you for a great year! And I’m patting myself on the back for making that glittery bow too! Download here.
18 DecArtWorks Installation
Over the summer, I had the honor and privilege of working on a huge project for ArtWorks Cincinnati. I lead a team of student apprentices over 6 weeks to complete a massive graphic installation at the Duke Energy Convention Center. Our objective was to highlight some of Cincinnati’s landmarks. First we created an icon system of some famous structures. With the icons in place, we created coordinating artwork to cover 50+ huge glass panels. We even included quotes from locals about why they love Cincinnati… a fun touch! Check out the end result in the beautiful photos below, courtesy of J. Miles Wolf Photography. Or, check out this video clip of me on the local news!
17 SepPoop’s Scoop: Saying Goodbye
Today, I’m closing a chapter in what has been my favorite blogging experience. I’m sad to say, that our beloved Poop (my dad) passed away in March very suddenly. Today would have been his 63rd birthday. To honor him, I’ve created, with the help of my family, the final Poop’s Scoop. So without further ado, I give you…
63 THINGS POOP WOULD WANT YOU TO KNOW!
If you liked today’s post, please share it and let me know what you think of these 63 bits of wisdom in the comments. Do you have a favorite?
26 MaySmall Business Bodyguard
For a long time and despite a handful of bad experiences, I did business without a contract. I always knew that I needed a contract, but the task of creating one was pushed aside with all of my other well-meaning, I’ll get to it some day, list of to-dos. That was until I ran across The Small Business Bodyguard.
For anyone starting a business.
Selling something online.
Selling something offline.
Running a website.
Pitching services.
Writing eBooks.
Launching products.
Designing.
Collaborating with others.
And selling anything to anybody.
(Even if it’s only an innocent little PDF and your mom is the only customer.)
YOU NEED TO GET YOUR LEGAL DUCKS IN A ROW.
(AND THEN STOP USING THAT METAPHOR INDEFINITELY.)
If you fall into those categories and you need a boatload of awesome, easy to digest, legal advice (including templates!) here’s my secret and one of the only online business-y products I’ve ever purchased that was totally WORTH IT!
22 JanPoop’s Scoop: 7 Tips for a Great Day!
Well, you’ve heard from him before, but allow me to introduce my dad, Jerry (a.k.a. Poop, as his girls have lovingly nicknamed him). Poop has been around the entrepreneurial business block and he’s here to share some tips about how to have a great day!
You’re going to want to bookmark today’s Poop’s Scoop! If you’ve ever been in a slump or feel overwhelmed, just follow these 7 steps and you’ll be on your way to turning your day around! So without further ado… I give you, Poop’s Scoop!
1. Tell yourself that you’re gonna have a great day!
Look in the mirror and tell yourself you’re gonna have a good day… and believe it! Do it twice! Do it throughout the day. If you don’t do this, you may end up having a bad day and not even realize it.
2. Make a list of the 10 most important things to do.
Jot down a list of the 10 most important things you’ve got to accomplish. Start working on this list and focus on crossing off the most important items. Don’t try to attack all 10 things at once. Focus on one. Don’t deviate from the list. You may only cross 4 things off the list. If you don’t get to something on your list, never lie and don’t make excuses. Admit that you got stuck or that you’ve fallen behind. Clients will more than likely be understanding if you’re striving to give them excellent service. Always tell the truth. No one can argue with the truth.
If there’s something scary on the list (ex. paying taxes / IRS woes) get it off your list! Take care of it! A problem starts as a circle. Knock these things off the list when they are small circles. If you don’t take care of it, those circles grow into bigger circles, bigger problems. You know in your gut what you’ve got to take care of. If you attack these problems, you’ll feel so much better about yourself.
3. Turn off distractions.
Be careful of all of your devices. Shut ’em down. How serious are you about getting your work done? You’ve got interruptions, but don’t go there. It’s hard to stay focused when you’re looking at something that has nothing to do with what you’re trying to accomplish.
4. Don’t be a Debbie Downer.
People might listen to you, but nobody likes it. No one wants to be around it. Don’t go there. Don’t be that person. Don’t feel sorry for yourself.
5. Budget your time.
Limit useless conversations. Think of a football game. Some teams can make a touchdown in seconds and some teams can play a whole game and never score.
6. Focus on what you’re good at.
Get back to the core of what you’re good at. Only you know what that is. Get back to your passion!
7. Take a 15 minute walk.
A walk will help to clear your mind. The only thing you have in your life are your thoughts. A brief walk can become a habit. This is time to focus on your passion. No agenda… just allow time for yourself. Get off the merry-go-round for a minute. Feel the zest of life!
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Let me know what you thought of this post in the comments below and don’t forget to sign up for e-mail updates as well! Until next time…
16 JanInside the Studio
It’s always fun to get a sneak peek into somebody’s studio. So today, I’m sharing a little photo collage of images from my office where I spend so so so many hours making the magic happen for all of you! So, without further ado… here’s my studio!
29 JulPoop’s Scoop: Quitting
Allow me to introduce Jerry Geroulis, my dad! My sister and I have lovingly nicknamed him Poop. Poop owns an auto-body repair shop with his brother, Sam and lots of employees. I grew up watching the story unfold… from my parents not being able to afford junk food (my great-grandma would supply my mom with potato chips), carpooling with a station wagon that was lucky to make it up hills and my dad working all hours just to make ends meet. Today, my dad owns his dream home, buys trampolines on a whim for his granddaughter and is my #1 source of inspiration and advice.
We’re tackling a tough topic today. Quitting. Yeah, you don’t like thinking about it, but I just know the thought has probably crossed your mind. I talked with Poop tonight about his thoughts on quitting:
Q: How many times did you feel like quitting before you became successful?
A: I was eating lunch with my brother in the back of a Subaru and we talked about how we could make more money flipping hamburgers even after three years into the business. We never had that conversation again.
Q: And the next time you felt like quitting?
The fire department came in and let us know that we needed an air-system that would cost $300,000 to install. I replied, “I’ve never heard of a fire in a body shop in this county.” The response, “Well, we don’t want one.” That was a time that I was gonna walk out of that shop and never walk back in.
As it turns out, like everything else, you take life one day at a time and things work out. Don’t panic. Go with your gut.
Q: What if you go with your gut, but you feel like your gut is betraying you?
A: No, that’s not possible. Not possible. You just didn’t stick it out. Go with your gut. It will always work.
Q: What if your gut has put you in debt?
A: That’s okay. That’s what makes the world go ‘round. I was always in debt. Always. Starvation mode. To start the business I sold the Corvette I completely restored.
Q: Mom chimes in with a question: What about having supportive spouses?
Spouses are not necessary. Just kidding… gotcha there! (my mom pretends to hit Poop with a frying pan and calls him an ass, for a really fun interview party bonus!). But, sometimes the people closest to you can unknowing hurt you because they don’t have the same drive that you have. So be careful who you share your dreams with.
Q: What if you think you’re failing?
Stick it out.
Q: And while sticking it out… what should someone do to motivate themselves?
Well, I do believe that after you’ve tried everything there’s no reason that you can’t treat yourself to something, whatever that may be. There’s no one who’s going to come out of the woodwork and pat you on the back. You used to get a pat on the back at your other job… but that pat on the back is so expensive. You’ve paid dearly for somebody to tell you, “Good job, worker!” But you don’t need that pat on the back. You reward yourself by your achievements and they aren’t gonna come overnight. It’s so slow.
Q: What if someone does all the right things? Working hard, learning, rocking their business… but has no money to show for it yet?
Then I say to you, you haven’t done it long enough. We live in this world of instant gratification. Everything happens at its own pace. You have to wait for it.
You just work harder. You hit it harder. You go after this thing with a vengeance. You live and die by it. You’ve made this commitment to yourself. You don’t give up. Keep on keepin’ on. Make it happen. Because you’re smarter than that.
The easiest thing is to quit and throw up the white flag and go back to work for somebody else. But you’ll never be happy. You’re always gonna have that feeling that you let yourself down. But it’s out there. It’s out there. Keep plugging along even if it seems impossible. It will happen. Don’t give up.
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Let me know what you thought of this post in the comments below and don’t forget to sign up for e-mail updates as well! Until next time…
23 JulMeeting Moby
Thirteen years ago, something awesome happened. I met Moby.
Now, I know we’ve probably all been lucky enough to have a brush with fame. I’ve had several myself living in New York City, working for a magazine and just getting lucky. I’ve got real pictures of George Clooney and Ryan Gosling to prove it. But whatever… it all means nothing… except for the night that I met Moby.
I’ll tell you the story and then I’ll tell you why it matters.
I was in college without a care in the world except for a few things:
1. I cared that my freaky makeup was perfect at all times. (Glitter eyeshadow? Oh yes, please!)
2. I cared enough to excel in design school.
3. I loved electronic music.
Enter Moby. I was obsessed with Moby’s music… still am. Moby is amazingly talented and nothing I can say in this sentence will sum it up… so go have a listen for yourself.
When I found out that Moby was touring and coming to a venue near me… I flipped out and rounded up a couple of friends to go with me. Bush was headlining, but I could have cared less.
Let’s jump to that night. I went to the show 110% positive that I would meet Moby. Seems realistic, right? In a crowd of thousands, I would somehow wind up one-on-one with this guy. I had no doubt in my mind and I’m even more sure that my friends thought I was crazy.
Fast forward… Moby’s show was over (amazing!) and I knew it was crunch time. We left the venue early and headed outside. And then, it started to happen… the magical series of events that would lead me to Moby.
I saw a group of people that just seemed “up to something.” I headed over to them and they informed me that someone was having Moby sign some of their stuff. I knew I was getting warm. I made myself part of this group. Then, that someone came outside and asked, “Would you guys like to come with me to meet Moby?”
I followed the group. I felt like an outsider, but I was not about to remove myself from them out of fear that I didn’t belong.
We headed backstage and there was Moby. Cue the craziness… “Can you sign this… Can you… Can you…!!!” The swarm had descended and it all felt very wrong to me. Who were these demanding people? Did they even care at all about the music or this man?
I decided that even though I walked in with this group. I didn’t want any part of it. I stayed behind, kept to myself and thought, “If I have to act like a crazy person just to get an autograph, no thanks.”
When the swarm was happy, they walked out. And there I was with Moby. Last in line with nothing but some kind words for him. “I’m honored to meet you,” is what I came up with and it took all I had to spit it out. Looking back, I could have come up with something a little more witty, but whatever!
Moby asked me if I had anything to sign. I pulled out my favorite notebook and he doodled a “Little Idiot.” for me. And then, he gave me a KISS!! Okay, it was on the cheek… but still. I’m lucky I didn’t die right on the spot. I have to believe that, for a second, Moby just kinda liked the awkward girl who came in with nothing but some nice words (and killer eye-makeup).
So, I know you are asking… What does this have to do with anything, Sara? What’s your point? How does this relate to business, me, design, anything at all.
The answer is everything.
I didn’t know it at the time, but this story is full of valuable lessons that I carry with me to this day. And they are:
1. Believe anything is possible without a shadow of a doubt. Wanting something is different from truly believing in something.
2. Follow the crowd, especially when they are on the right path, but don’t lose yourself. Don’t be afraid of breaking away and know when to do what’s best for YOU.
3. Good things come to those who are passionate and know their stuff. You’ll end up just where you need to be at just the right time. It’s probably not luck at all.
4. Be prepared for opportunity to strike. Make sure you have your “favorite notebook” equivalent ready at a moments notice.
5. This isn’t the ME show. Selfishness will get you nowhere. Doing nice things, saying nice things and treating everyone with respect will get you far. Smiles are good too.
6. One “little idiot” can make a big difference in someone’s life.
Does this post inspire you? Has something awesome happened to you just because you knew it would? Share your stories in the comments below and stay in the loop by signing up for my emails.
8 JulFresh Facebook Cover
Hello gang! I’ve designed a FREE Facebook cover image just for you! So go ahead, treat yourself to a fun new look on your business or personal page! And if you like the artwork, please let me know in the comments below or share this post with your friends!
