Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Delores Orridge Naskrent, Owner of DeloresArt, located in Brandon, MB, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
My business is called DeloresArt. I am a licensed artist who works primarily with the gift and home decor industries. I have opened my own School of Art with over 120 classes teaching everything from surface pattern design to trend forecasting, illustration to entrepreneurship, and every form of illustration in our industry.
Tell us about yourself
I was a student of graphic design back in the late 1970s. I learned all of the traditional ways to create illustrative art and all aspects of graphic design. In the late '80s, I was recommended for the teaching job of the teacher who had taught me. I got the job over 30 other applicants because of my work experience and my reputation at the school. In the first year, I was there, I was introduced to digital graphic design and have used Adobe Illustrator since its inception.
Throughout my years of teaching, I also maintained a freelance business and even partnered up with a couple of friends to start a new business. I now work completely on my own. I have illustrated for now over 45 years. I have always loved to share what I know, as was my habit throughout my 30-year teaching career. I retired in 2017, and within a couple of years, I also threw my hat into the online education game. It has been enormously rewarding and lucrative. Who knew?
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Being "discovered" by the owners of Hallmark stores in Winnipeg. This launched my art licensing career. I now have two agents repping me and selling my work all over the world.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Compartmentalizing the work is a challenge. I sometimes work 12-hour days, seven days a week. More recently, I have been trying to give myself more "time." My husband and I are now both cancer survivors and on our bucket list was to travel more.
We bought a modest second home in Florida, and we go there now to avoid the winter. We travel with a pull trailer so we can go off on many junkets to explore. Winter has already arrived here! We will go south from mid-December to the end of March. I take my work with me wherever I go.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Believe in yourself even when you are making no money. Stick with it! Don't give up.
- Diversify your income streams. They all ebb and flow over time, so the ability to pivot is essential.
- Surround yourself with good people who support you. I couldn't do what I do without my husband picking up the slack. I hire out whenever it gets to be too much.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.deloresart.ca/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deloresnaskrent/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deloresartcanada/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dnaskrent
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/delores-naskrent-966b1288/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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