Welcome to the Breakthrough Mastermind Show. I'm your host Jen Argue, and I facilitate masterminds for women entrepreneurs who want to grow their businesses to help others and create financial independence. I'm so excited to invite Heidi Lowe to the show today, Heidi is a member of my mastermind and she just renewed for another year.
And I'm so happy about that. We are going to be talking about abundance for creatives and Heidi owns an art gallery, a jewelry gallery to be specific in her town in DeLouvre and she is very successful at what she does. And so Heidi has all different sides of her business. She has her art studio, her gallery. She does commission, she has her own line of work. She does a workshop for all different types of workshops, where the community can come in and... and design jewelry together and walk home with a beautiful piece that they made themselves. She also has a workshop called lovely rings by hand, and that is such a beautiful, amazing thing that she does.
She lets, uh, people who are engaged or I suppose just want to make rings together, come in an design and make their own wedding bands. So this something it's a private workshop. She does with a couple and they get to use blow torches and actually walk out with wedding bands that they made themselves. This it's an incredible workshop that she offers.
Um, she also does coaching for artists to help them build successful businesses. And she has a workshop that she runs once or twice a year called abundance for creatives. And it's coming up January 22nd I believe so very soon. This one, she's running in-person but it's, it's a workshop that we'll be talking about more in our conversation. Um, so Heidi is someone who I respect so much. She is a doer, she is creative, she is super relational and very smart about her business and her craft. So I'm so excited to have her here today.
Thank you for having me. It's so fun to chit-chat. Yeah! One thing I love to talk about is to learn the story of how you became an entrepreneur.
And I know it's different for a lot of women. Um, you know, the journey that women have in life, I think is sometimes not as straight line as others. And so tell us a little bit about your story.
So I think I've always had these two parts of my brain. I've always had the artists like always making from when I was very little, it was just part of our family life. It was like how we pass time was to make things. Um, and then I've always had the business part too, because even when I was 13, I... my mom had a kid store and I would walk down the street and ask the other business owners. Do you want me to get you lunch or do you need anything for dinner? And they would just look at me like I was some savior who had just walked in the door and then they'd give me 50 cents or a dollar or whatever for going to get the thing and bringing it back.
And, you know, that was just part of my, I didn't think about it, about the money. I just thought like, this is a need that needs to be filled. And then later on I would make earrings and I would go down 10 shops down the street. And I'd say, here's the screen that I stole from my mom that looks pretty and all the earrings are on it.
And the whole screen is a hundred dollars if you'd like it. And they were like, yeah, sure enough. I looked at them like they had three heads. Cause I was like, you mean you're going to buy this. [laughs] And then that was my first jewelry business. I would... you know, make beaded earrings and I would make pretty displays and I'd put my little name on the bottom with my bio and cosmic creations with my name.
And so then I, and then they'd reorder and I thought like, you've got to be kidding me. Like, this is amazing. So I never questioned whether or not this would be. My past, like I knew, I, I knew people, I just knew it was reality. Like, you know, everybody acts like, oh, we'll get a real job. And I was like, but I've had one since I was 13 and it was this job. [laughs]
So... And what I love about that too, is that it was a natural outpouring of you. Uhm, It was very natural. Uhm...uhm... And... and how we say entrepreneurship is always solving problems for other people. And you were doing that from the beginning. Yeah, it's very early age. Yeah! and I could see that, you know, my mom was hungry and she needed food.
So why wouldn't all of these people? And they didn't have a 13 year old kid who could walk down the street. So it was a very easy thing. And making jewelry was just something that I couldn't help, but do so... Um, that is amazing. Did you know when you were, cause I know you went to a college. Did you go to an art college or?
Yeah...I went to Maine college of art in Portland, Maine. Okay. Did you know when you were in college that you would have your own jewelry business or did you think maybe you'll go work somewhere.
Um, I made my first ring in high school, my high school professor. He had all of the tools for making jewelry, like metal sniffing.
And so I begged him for four years. And finally, my last semester he was like, fine, just go in the back and hammer on this piece of silver. And I think I hammered for like four days, like four days straight. And he was just like, she'll get tired. Someday she'll get tired. And I was like, oh no, I don't get tired.
Like this doesn't happen. [laughs] And so he finally, he realized like, she's not going to get tired and here I am today, still making rings. [laughs] And so that was my first intro to jewelry. And like, once I saw it, heard it was over, I was like, you mean, I can like make magic happen here. Like, are you kidding me? And so I would, my whole world, like I can make this beautiful, meaningful, like I can put whatever I want into it and then give it to a person.
And then they take that feeling with them. And then that is like imbued in this thing. Like I was like, I was just blown away. I was like, jewelry is the perfect gift giver. Um... And I love gift giving, so by the time I was going to college, I already knew I was going to Maine College of Art because basically I had a really good view of the Harbor from my studio.
And so I already knew I was going there and really, I just ended up, you know, you have to take core classes and I took all the core classes, but I knew I would end up in the jewelry studio. And once I was in the jewelry studio, I mean, my goal was to have my own business. I wanted to work for other businesses.
My goal was to really have my own business. Mm... mm... I love that. And I love how you were talking about how you put all this meaning and this feeling into what you're creating and that somebody else gets to have that. And it reminds me of... these different aspects of your business. I didn't say this in the intro, but I love the different aspects of your business and that you have a gallery.
You have a jewelry line that you make, that's your design. You also do philanthropic work, where there are fundraisers in the community and you make jewelry pieces as part of the fundraisers to help others and raising money towards the needs and the community. Um, I love too that you have this, this business called lovely rings by hand, where you help engaged couples design and make their own wedding bags.
Tell me a little bit about that. So that class, it's a workshop, but it's threeish hours, sometimes four, sometimes two and a half, but it's one of those things that... I just hate to think of somebody going into a shop and going all of that one, just like the other one, just like the other one. There's just not any energy in it.
So the class they pick, whether they want two millimeter or three millimeter, whether they want it rounded or flat, they pick the metal; white gold, yellow gold, rose gold. And then I have it in the gallery when they get there and we meet in the studio and I walk them through the process of making a ring. And, you know, some jewelers are like, well, you can't teach people how to make a ring in that period of time.
But that's how I learned. I learned to make a ring. I teach six year olds and 10 year olds and a hundred year olds to make rings. So you can teach someone and you can walk them through it. They're making it, but I'm helping them. And by the time they leave, they have made either each other's rings or their own rings, depending on the couple.
Um, and it's, you can tell it's just like this. They've put their love and energy into the rings. So it has this whole other meeting and it usually goes in their wedding story and may be the major part of their wedding story. Like they're not having a big wedding, but this was kind of their thing that they did for themselves.
So it becomes part of their long-term meaning and it, it becomes the symbol for real, the symbol. Mm... That is amazing. I think, and this is a private workshop. This is just, yeah, the two people creating this thing that's going to be on their bodies forever. Mm... This, this wedding band and the experience of making that together.
Early in your relationship and thinking, as you grow through the years, like I've been married to my husband over 30 years now. And you know I, I still think about the story behind the ring when he picked up my ring and what he told the jeweler and just how special that is. Every time I look at my ring and to think you're helping create that...
In another dimension, like even greater because they're actually making it. And that's really something. Yeah, and I always talk about energy and if I'm making a... you know, engagement ring for someone, like if I'm having a bad day, I don't want to work on that project. You know, I don't want to, I think like our energy carries and jewelry is a huge carrier of energy because it's something we wear all the time.
Like you can bring grandma's rings into a medium and they'll get a lot from them because she carried them with her every day. And so I just think. You need to put good and positive and loving energy into wedding rings. Like you don't want them just to be off of a conveyor belt. So, uhm... And it, and I truly believe that to my core.
So this is the embodiment of like your good energy going into your ring. Hmm. That's really beautiful. And I imagine that you get a lot of commissions to have people who bring their grandma's jewelry to you and want to keep wearing it, but in a different design. Yes, we do a lot of that. Um, you know, either someone's mom passes or someone's dad or grandma, or, you know, they inherited a piece of jewelry or they found a piece of jewelry and, um, you know, it's fun.
We get to like take, sometimes I don't let them take it apart because like the actual piece is so gorgeous. So we've actually like adjusted it in a way that it still talks to them. But if it's a piece that's okay. Like its not, an actual piece that I could never create again, then we can take it apart. We can use the diamonds, the gold, the platinum, and we get to, you know, make it to be something that they want to wear every day.
And he still has that, you know, connection to their family past or their, you know, whatever it is, but it also. Um... Is a way that they would like to really wear it, whether that's a pendant or a ring or whatever. Mm...mm...mm... So as we talk about, you know, the different parts of building a business in a successful way. I often see it as there are two different skills, there's the soft skill and the hard skill.
And oftentimes we're always just looking at the hard skill, but I think the soft skills are so important to like who you are and what, you know, what is it that can't really be taught technically, but you have adapted to help build success in your business. What would you say some of your soft skills are that have really helped you?
Um, I would say that being able to connect easily. Like it's a very intimate business, like I had no idea when I went into a how intimate it is. And I didn't know, I was such an intimate person. Like I have no interest in the weather or like what, yeah, sure. We can do that. But like, I don't really care. And so I, uh, I dive right in, I mean, if we're doing a commission, we're creating a poem really in the beginning, you know, I don't put it like that we're kind of creating a poem, but we are, we're answering three questions that let me know who you are and what you're about and what this piece is symbolizing for you and what this is helping you through or getting you to, even if it's just, you want this piece of great jewelry, like it still is a moment in time.
And so I want to talk to people about that. So being able to be intimate quickly in a really, uhm, thoughtful way is I think one of my soft skills, um, and then just actually being interested in people. Like I actually, I really actually care who these people are, even though sometimes it's like two hours has passed and I think, oh my gosh, what have I been doing talking to this person for two hours. Um, but it's those relationships we're so important in the pandemic. Like if I hadn't built those, I don't know what I would have done. And one other soft skill I think is just actually I realized when the pandemic hit like that, I'm kind of conservative, which I didn't financially conservative.
So having like the shoestring and just continuing this shoestring mindset throughout, like, I didn't know how conservative I was, which is something. Yeah, it was eye-opening, but it really helped me because I had a savings that I could then tap into to be able to run my business for a while and pay my employees and make sure that I was okay and make sure we had what we needed and my rent was paid and those types of things.
So when people called and said, can we pay your rent? We know you're an artist, I said... no, just buy jewelry, you know, like just thank you... thank you... thank you... thank you, but buy jewelry. So that was a really aha moment for me. I was like, oh, and I'm going to keep that. Mmm... What? what an incredible thing that those soft skills are really what carried you through one of the hardest times in our lifetimes, the pandemic. Yeah!
And to be an artist in a pandemic, like, are you kidding me? [laughs]. Right... right... right... And your... nobody needs me, [laughs] but they do, but they don't even know why, but... [laughs] yeah, right, right, that's incredible. And relationships go so much farther than we ever give credit to. But like just being in real authentic relationships with our customers with our community and with our fellow business people.
I mean, it's just really great. Yeah. And that was something I definitely felt throughout the whole pandemic was that those relationships that I had invested in, in different ways and, and knew those people, they... they really showed up. So kindly during this time that was so unsure. Hmm, that's beautiful. I love that.
What about a hard skill? What's a hard skill that really helped you build a successful business. Well, I mean, making actually knowing how to make jewelry and actually having a standard for making jewelry that is high so that, you know, people are really getting. What they signed up for, which is a really meaningful and well-made piece and knowing all the ins and outs of that.
So I would say that's my definite hard skill and always learning about that. Always, um, wanting to learn about jewelry making. So like the other day I was looking on a website to find a class that I want to take. And then also always learning about business. Like I've always felt behind the eight ball, which I don't know if I was, but I always felt that way.
So I was always looking for classes on how to understand what I didn't know. So, um, uhm... So... so learning, uhm... learning... getting the education, being an expert in your craft. Yeah. Yeah. I think that's so important. Um, it, it can be really easy as a business owner to swing one way or the other, like, um, really focused on your craft and learning how to do it better and better versus... focusing on marketing and trying to make sure that you're known for your craft and, uhm... And as you grow, you know, hopefully, you know, both of those things can elevate at the same time. But I think the balance between the two is... is important to how have you handled that balance. Um... I just always have those two things.
I think I've... I mean, I remember...[laugh] I remember, like googling... why, what was it? PR calendar. And like, I remember just googling these things. And I was like, well, if I was in a big business, they would have a person for this. So like, what does that person do? And I mean, it felt, and it was hard to find. I feel like it's easier to find now, but like, it was really hard to find... what that...
Looked like, like, I mean, I've created my funnel. I call it, I didn't know it was called a funnel, but like, I was like, okay, this is, it goes to the local paper. It goes on our pod or on our blog, it goes out to our email list. Then it goes on our social media 1, 2, 3 times. Um, you know, and we talk about it in person.
Like, so I've created my funnels, but I had no idea what a funnel was. So like looking up these things that you don't even know what they're really called. You think somebody knows what it is, but you don't even know what they can do. And so just being kind of diligent about, I'm going to figure this out and figuring it out.
And then in the meantime, having a business that has enough word of mouth that you're like you're doing okay. So that was always our way of growing was, you know, I mean, I don't think people took us seriously in the very beginning, I mean, we had this tiny building, like, they'd come up. It's like, what is she doing?
But I don't myself very seriously. So when they walked in the door, they understood like, no, no, we're not, we're not, not serious here, we're serious. [laughs] And so I think them just like, and then they would get a piece and then they would tell their friends. So we were working in two different ways and we're still working in multiple ways like...
We have multiple publics that we're meeting, like the art jewelry public as one of them and the art jewelry community, and then our local public and our local community. So we're always reaching both sides. Mmm... I think that's a very special skill that you have to be able to be invested in your community, but also be invested in the art world at large, whether it's with other artists or people who...
Promote art, curate art, love art for their own selves. Mmm... I think that that's a real skill that you have to be able to walk in both of those worlds and to be a leader in both of those worlds, because I really see you as a leader in what you're doing, especially, um... I was watching you go through, uh, earrings galore, which happened last fall, or, you know, at the end of the year, um, how you were able to bring together a lot of different earing artists and help them display their work and, you know, get more eyes on their work was pretty amazing.
Well, that show is... I see my gallery like when I went into business as a gallery owner, I really saw myself as a bridge. Like I didn't want to be only in the art jewelry world and only speaking to people who were buying my $5,000 pieces or $50,000 pieces. I really one and to walk people into our dual rate.
So to like have them understand that the piece can be more than the value of the diamond and the value of the gold, or it can be more creatively driven or more meaning driven than just, you know, the value of it's materials. So I see myself as like this little bridge and I, so I'm, you know, I love the art jewelry world.
I love the pieces and the thoughtful artists that we show. I mean, they are some of the most thoughtful artists in the whole art, contemporary art world. And yet people don't know about them, it's crazy, unlike... They don't even know that our jury actually exists. So I want to take these people who are coming in maybe completely fresh and walk them across so that they can like, get a glimpse of like, oh, what's happening over there.
And then as they come in 1, 2, 3, like they're like, Hmm, maybe I can't wear that, but it's cool. And then maybe they get to like, well, maybe I can wear the earrings. Like maybe those are they're colorful and maybe I could wear those. And then eventually... they're like, oh, what's bad about like what she doing there. And so I just love being that like guide across, like you just get to like, take people to see this thing that they might never have seen.
Yeah... yeah... I think you can relate to both, both sides, mm... You know, saying that you're a bridge, you can relate to the person on this side, you can relate to the person on this side and you can inspire both. And I think just being able to relate to both and to be able to inspire both is a beautiful quality of yours.
And another thing I love about you is that you really believe in abundance for creative people versus scarcity that you don't have to be a starving artist. And you've done a lot of coaching for other artists to help them lean into building their businesses and thinking more abundantly. And I know you just started this course as well or workshop.
Do you want to tell me a little bit about that? Yeah. I have been teaching it now in different formats for probably like... I don't know, five or six years, but we're having, uh, one day in depth, like more flushed out, um, version of it. And it's coming up on the 22nd of January. It's an in-person, so, you know, we've been doing a lot virtually, but I just wanted to get like the in-person energy and the aha moments being very shared.
So it's at the studio, it's a one day event, it's, um... Really deep diving into the fact that artists are allowed to be business owners and they're allowed to be abundant and they, that can take many forms. They can make one piece a year and sell it for a lot of money or they can make, uh, many small pieces and sell them for less.
But there... You know, making a living. And so really talking to artists and talking to them about what people ask them, like, well, are you going to get a real job? Or, you know, your parents who are like, ah, is this a job? But like, you know, and so like really getting them comfortable with the answers to that and getting comfortable with themselves and what they, what they're issues or what they were told about money.
Um, but then also what they do with time and who they are like... I mean core values when I had that exercise and did that for the first time, I was like, oh, this is why I do this the way I do it. This is why I'm so interested in the gift because that's just part of my core value of connection and generosity.
And so like these aha moments that happen in this class and they, I took an AIPAC workshop, which is a year along in coaching. So it's a very in-depth classes, somethings come from there. Some things come from other things that I've taken. Some things I've made up myself, but they're all exercises in like, why do I do what I do?
And how do I become the best version of that? And let people know. Mm... It sounds like it's both practical and an inner transformative experience. Yes, that's what I've heard. That's what I hope. [laughs]
And I think it's so good for creatives now. Okay. Let's just back up a second. Well, let me finish that sentence. [laughs] I think it's so good for creatives to take time out, to do this. My impression, um, I have a family member, who's a creative, I mean, we're all creatives, right? but... One who is specifically an artist. And I think it's so important to step away from your craft and really invest in yourself and dive deep into those things that you were just talking about.
And also, like you said, you give practical tools to... helps the artist have conversations, respectful conversations with others, where sometimes it might be easy to feel defensive or attacked or, um, patronized or whatever, but it gives you, it empowers you to be able to hold a conversation that really shows respect for your craft and helps others enter into that as well.
In your mission? Yeah. Okay. So this was my question. [laughs] How would we define a creatives it's through your workshop is called abundance for creatives. Who is that for? I defined it as, you know, artists like artists who are dealing in any version of art, so high end or, you know, only dealing in galleries or museums.
And then those who are going to fairs or working, you know, have their own shop, but... what I realized is that other people wanted to take it. So I didn't, you know, I didn't limit it to that. And then I had people who are restaurant owners take the class and people who are, uh, you know, they're a lawn care person took the class and a yoga teacher and an artist and the... Um, a dog trainer, you know, so like, oh, I was like, wow, this was a little different than I expected, but it was all of them got something and all of them have written me something and said, you know, my trajectory changed when I took that class. I saw... my, I took the time for myself, which I think is huge and we don't do enough.
And the questions you asked me allowed me to. Think bigger and actually look at this other direction to be able to move into it. And what I have now, maybe a year or two later, is directly related to what we talked about in that class. And that was with the restaurant owner or the yoga teacher. And so a massage therapist, you know, we created packages for her.
And so what she's selling now is totally different than what she was selling when she took the class. So it was way broader, I think you have to be creative to have a business. Uh... And so, although I know you're supposed to be talking to a niche market and they just invited themselves and I was happy to have them so...
I think that's exactly the way it works. Right? When we speak to everybody, no one listens. But when you pick a niche, all of a sudden everybody listens. Yes. [laughs] It's so funny, but it's every time. Mm... Yeah. Yeah. Oh, I love that, okay... so as we wrap up. I want to thank you so much for joining me today and sharing all your wisdom.
I feel like the things that you talked about are so important for people with any type of business brick and mortar service online, all of the above. These principles are so good and so solid, and they have proven themselves to you by getting you through the pandemic in a great way. And you're still growing and every year has been stronger and stronger for you, which is such a testament to, to you.
And the focus that you've had, so thank you so much for sharing that. Also, how can people get in touch with you, whether they might, uh, be an artist and want to take that abundance class? Maybe they stumbled upon us somehow and are getting married and wanting to do wedding bands or have a commission jewelry, or just want to dive into your own line of jewelry.
How can people... get in contact with you. So the easiest way is just the website heidilowegallery.com, I'm on Instagram and Facebook and other places as Heidi Lowe. Um, but I'd say that the website is probably the easiest, heidilowegallery.com. It tells you all of what we do and, and you can check out areas galore on there and different things.
So I love that, great! Thank you so much, Heidi. Thank you for having me, it's such an honor to chat to all in the afternoon today. Wonderful!
I'm so grateful that we had Heidi on the show today. All the links to her website and her workshop and her social media accounts will be in the show notes. And if you are looking for more support challenge and inspiration and running your online business, I would love to have you apply to my mastermind.
Check it out! @jenargue.com
