Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in arts but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Mychal Batson, Founder of Discover Dope Creative, located in Mexico City, Mexico.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I'm a creative consultant and multidisciplinary artist (design, illustration, muralist, storytelling). I typically work with small to medium-sized businesses and nonprofits.
Tell us about yourself
I graduated with a degree in Creative Writing, Film, and Graphic Design from Augsburg College in 2010. I knew I wanted to work for myself immediately, but I didn't quite understand HOW. I graduated at the height of the '08 recession, so there weren't many opportunities in any field. I temped, worked as an artist in residence at an HS and Junior High, was a camp counselor, did a little bit of everything, and continued to learn about the many things I was interested in. After a while, I became deeply depressed and began drawing as catharsis. This was around when Instagram really started to take shape. I posted my art there, and eventually, people started asking me to draw for them. That was the beginning of my freelance/entrepreneurship journey.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Definitely growing my clientele. Posting my little drawings on Instagram led me to create marketing materials for the City of Saint Paul, design a Terrazzo floor in a Rec Center, paint a 180 ft mural, and animate an Emmy-nominated cartoon -- and I know this is only the beginning.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Finding clientele lol -- I've never been much of a "businessman," much more of an artist, so dotting my I's and crossing my T's to ensure I can stay afloat and continue to grow has proved most challenging. Albeit a welcomed challenge.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- START -- we often waste months/years THINKING about our business, but we really can't learn the tricks of the trade until we dive in head first.
- DON'T STOP -- being a business owner isn't for the faint of heart. It's REALLY hard. There will be months where you don't make a DOLLAR and months where you make thousands, but we have to trust the process.
- MAKE SURE YOUR BUSINESS IS ALIGNED WITH YOUR SPIRIT -- it takes a long time to make an idea tangible. At the onset, you have to KNOW you're willing to take that journey. It truly has to be something you're passionate about and willing to lose sleep over.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: http://discoverdopecreative.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mycdazzle
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mycdazzle/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mycdazzle/
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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