Artist & Creative Coach Lea Ann Slotkin on empowering creatives to uncover limiting beliefs

Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business:

I am an artist and Life Coach for creatives. I want to be an example of what is possible for female creative entrepreneurs. As an artist, I create bold and colorful mixed media paintings and collages, and as a creative coach I help artists uncover limiting beliefs and discover a path to a successful creative life and business!

My recent and ongoing art collaborations include Serena & Lily, Framebridge, High Hampton Inn, Post House Inn, Charish, Atlanta Artist Collective.

What excites you about being an Entreprenista League member?

I’m most excited about interacting with like minded female entrepreneurs, being in a space that is safe and supportive. I love the energy a group of creative, ambitious women create, it makes me feel like anything is possible.  Also, I am looking forward to learning from those who are ahead of me on the journey and helping those who are behind me.

What made you take the leap to start your own business?

I was in corporate life for 15+ years and always created ‘on the side’. There were many factors that came together about 6 years ago making it possible to take the leap into owning my own business. I think I’ve always known this was my path but was never sure of the ‘how’. Once I decided to transition to becoming a full time artist I met with a business coach who helped me make a plan – that’s when I discovered coaching and how much value it brought to my life and business.  I decided to bring the two things I love together and I love how both parts of my business compliment each other so beautifully.

What was your background prior to starting your own business?

I studied art management in college so creating has always been a part of my path. I worked in women’s fashion for years, as a visual marketer and account executive for a few different brands. I also spent some time as a manager of an art gallery.  I feel my work history has led me to this place in a way I couldn’t have planned.

Did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

I don’t think I was able to articulate the desire to be an entrepreneur early on in my career, but I always had the desire to do things my own way.

Take us back to when you first launched your business, what was your marketing strategy to get the word out and did it go as planned?

If you are familiar with the saying “throw spaghetti against the wall and see what sticks” – that is what it looked like!

What is the biggest challenge you have encountered along the way and what did you learn from it?

I have 2 answers for this question. 

1. One of my biggest challenges is practicing constraint. It’s very easy to over consume information, courses, social media and feel like you are working. 

2. Allowing all the uncomfortable feelings that come along for the ride and not making those feelings mean something has gone wrong or that it isn’t working.

What is the accomplishment you are the most proud of to date?

This is a good one!  I still remember my first art sale!  I was so amazed and excited. I also love when my coaching clients start feeling proud of themselves and putting their art out into the world.

Do you believe in work/life balance? What are some of your best tips?

Yes, this goes back to constraint.  I like to use the analogy of the size of the purse you carry. If you carry a small purse that only holds your lipgloss, phone and credit card then you make that work for you; if you carry a great big satchel you will put all that plus Advil, a Kindle, 4 lip glosses, a notebook, etc… 

I work very hard to get my work done in the amount of time I schedule for myself to complete it. It isn’t always easy but I find that if I give myself 2 hours to get something done, I will take 2 hours and most of that time is not spent in focused work mode. If I give myself 30 minutes, I will focus and get the work done in 30 minutes.

What’s a piece of advice you can share that you wish you’d known when you first started your Entreprenista journey?

It’s okay not to know the ‘how’ in reaching your big goal.  I bet you know the next right step and if you keep taking the next right step you will get there.

What have you achieved recently that you’d like to celebrate with our community?

I genuinely love when my coaching clients start experiencing their own success and I love when a painting sells!

What’s next for your business? What can we expect to see over the next few years?

My focus for 2022 is building my creative business with ease and fun. I am working on mindset shifts and untangling limiting beliefs around time, money and energy. And of course I want to work with amazing artists to up level their creative practice or business and push my own artistic boundaries!

Learn more about the Entreprenista League and join today!