Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in arts and crafts but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Susie Sahim, founder of PaperDemon LLC., located in San Jose, CA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I run an online art and writing community called PaperDemon. We help inspire neurodivergent artists to create through Art Role-Playing Games. We host fun, creative challenges where artists and writers draw or write about their own original characters and earn virtual items for participating. Our community members collaborate with other artists to fight against monsters and earn points.

PaperDemon's customers include players of our Art RPG as well as owners of other Art RPGs who use our online game tracking tools to help them run their art games online.

Tell us about yourself

I have ADHD, and when I was growing up, I struggled a lot to form friendships. I was frequently bullied, which severely impacted my self-confidence growing up. It was through art that I started to build my self-confidence.

I wanted to build a community that would support neurodivergent artists to help them get motivated, build confidence, and find acceptance. I hear so many stories from other artists online who have been cyberbullied in other art communities and struggle to feel accepted. I want to be the resource that I needed growing up. That's why my staff and I work very hard to maintain a positive and accepting community where neurodivergent creators can feel comfortable expressing themselves without judgment.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is helping young artists turn around their self-talk from negative to positive. It feels amazing to see artists who are stuck and hard on themselves grow and find self-confidence and self-acceptance. If I make a difference in one person's life, it will have been worth it!

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

The hardest thing as a business owner is marketing and hiring the right people. Art, web development, and community building are my strengths. But I am not at all good at marketing. I've had to rely a lot on hiring the right people to make up for my areas of weakness. We're still trying to figure out a scalable and cost-effective marketing strategy.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Start. A little bit each day can make a difference in the long run. Don't wait until the conditions are right.
  2. Delegate. Your time is valuable. Estimate what your hourly worth is and hire out anything else that can be done for cheaper. For example, if your knowledge and expertise put you at $50 an hour, hire someone at $20/hour for tasks that require less expertise.
  3. Get a coach. If you struggle to believe in yourself, having a coach can help a lot. I worked with an ADHD coach with a specialty in mindset who guided me a lot in the early years.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Mental health is a huge focus for our community. We frequently talk about mental health topics as it pertains to creators on our Youtube channel. This diverges from what is seen in a lot of other communities where you're discouraged from talking about your personal problems. Instead, we talk about mental health openly and support each other with compassion and resources.

When you build a community, the community members will follow your lead. If you want your community to be kind and compassionate, bring on board kind and compassionate moderators. You'll start to see the community self-regulate. Members will take cues from you and your team and reciprocate your kindness to others.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.paperdemon.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paperdemondotcom/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paperdemon/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.