creative canadian women

Gail Taylor left behind a successful career as an investment advisor to go all in with music - in her 50s! Now, as a Canadian songwriter, author, keynote speaker and entrepreneur, she's a passionate advocate for the power of music to inspire change.  Her new book, Curve Balls, is coming to shelves soon thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign that raised $10K.

In this episode, Gail shares her remarkable story and her tips for using Kickstarter. We talk about her journey from her early years using drugs as a form of escape, to becoming a successful investment advisor and then her pivot to music. She shares the behind the scenes of the Nashville music industry, how she uses music to help others, and the ins and outs of launching a creative project on Kickstarter.

This is a great episode for creatives who...

• feel a big change is out of reach
• are curious about getting their own music made
• have thought about using crowd-funding to launch their own creative projects
• are always curious for ways they can turn their creativity into multiple revenue streams
• would like to use their creative skills to foster positive change for others

This episode is brought to you by our Premium Subscriber Community on Patreon and Buzzsprout

For a summary of this episode and all the links mentioned please visit:
Episode151: Creative Canadian: Songwriter and Author Gail Taylor

You can find Gail at gailtaylormusic.com as well as @gailtaylormusic on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, and TikTok. You can also connect with her on LinkedIn.

You can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.

You can connect with the podcast on:

• Instagram at @andshelookedup
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp

For a list of all available episodes, please visit:
And She Looked Up Creative Hour Podcast

Each week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love.

Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

This week, Melissa and Heather do a brief recap of what they did in their creative businesses in 2023 and what they are focusing on for 2024. But at the heart of the episode we get into the trends we're paying attention to in our creative businesses - including a very frank (and possibly surprising?) discussion about generative AI and how we feel about it. 2024 has the potential to be a huge year of change for a lot of working creatives - whether we like it or not!

This is a great episode for creatives who...

• like to hear about what others are working on in their creative businesses (because we're both nosy parkers lol)
• are wondering what they need to focus on or be aware of in 2024
• are feeling very nervous and unsettled by the use of AI

This episode is brought to you by Fine Lime Designs Illustrations

For a summary of this episode and all the links mentioned please visit:
Episode150: Trends We're Paying Attention to in Our Creative Businesses in 2024

You can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.

You can find Heather at heatherlynnetravis.com or on Instagram @heathertravis.

Support the show

You can connect with the podcast on:

• Instagram at @andshelookedup
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp

For a list of all available episodes, please visit:
And She Looked Up Creative Hour Podcast

Each week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love.

Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

Transformational Coach Geneviève Retzlaff joins the show this week as part of our short January series on staying optimistic and energized in a month that can be dull, cold and dreary. 

In this episode, Gen is here to help us lean into change in order to have fulfilling creative careers and lives. Whether you're thinking of leaving a traditional career to start a creative business or, you want to ramp up a side business or, you've already got a creative business but it's just not lighting your fire anymore, Gen helps us through the roadblocks we tend to put in place for ourselves!

This is a great episode for creatives who...

• are feeling change is in the works but are feeling fear and resistance
• need strategies and tools to help them embrace change
• struggle with self-awareness (which is needed to embrace change)
• need help instigating change even though they may not be in a position to make the leap right now
• are the bottleneck that stands in their way
• would like to learn how strategic planning, goal setting and hiring help can all help you set change in motion 

This episode is brought to you by Fine Lime Designs Illustrations

For a summary of this episode and all the links mentioned please visit:
Episode149: Leaning into Change for Creative Fulfillment with Geneviève Retzlaff

You can find Geneviève at genevieveretzlaff.com and grow-better-together.com. You can also connect with her on Instagram at @genretzlaff_career_coaching, or @grow_better_together, on  Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube

You can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.

You can connect with the podcast on:

• Instagram at @andshelookedup
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp

For a list of all available episodes, please visit:
And She Looked Up Creative Hour Podcast

Each week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love.

Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

Inspirational speaker and certified life coach Sara Fisher joins the show this week to talk about the Law of Vibration and how we can use it to foster both personal growth and growth in our creative practices.

We all start January off with the best of intentions but when the winter blues set in, it can be easy to get sidetracked and and feel like nothing has changed and nothing is moving forward. Enter Sara and her fresh perspective to self-development. We talk about the Law of Vibration, the Law of Attraction and manifestation -  and how they all work together. And just as importantly we talk about why you still need to do the work in order to grow and create change in your business.

This is a great episode for creatives who:

• are curious about the Law of Attraction and manifestation 
• want to learn more about the Law of Vibration and why understanding how it works is critical to the Law of Attraction and manifestation
• need help forming new habits (and breaking habits that are not helpful)
• struggle with imposter syndrome and comparison-itis
• would like to learn how to reframe situations in order to foster growth
• need help quieting the ego and learning to embrace mistakes

Tune in to learn more!

This episode is brought to you by Fine Lime Designs Illustrations

For a summary of this episode and all the links mentioned please visit:
Episode148: The Law of Vibration and Your Creative Practice with Sara Fisher

You can connect with Sara Fisher on Instagram at @vibinhighclub

You can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.

You can connect with the podcast on:

• Instagram at @andshelookedup
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp

For a list of all available episodes, please visit:
And She Looked Up Creative Hour Podcast

Each week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love.

Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

With so many of this season's guests asking me off air whether or not they should start a podcast and how to get started, I thought it might be time to do an episode on the ins and outs of podcasting for a creative business. So today, with 140+ episodes under my belt, I take a deep dive into the pros and cons of podcasting for creatives, and how to get started if 2024 is the year you give it a go!

This is a great episode for creatives who:

• have been thinking about starting a podcast
• are wondering about the pros and cons of podcasting
• want to know how much work it can be
• want to know what to look out for and consider before getting started
• want to know what they need to actually get started
• are curious about the different styles of podcasting
• want some interviewing tips

Tune in to find out everything you need to know about starting a podcast in 2024!

This episode is brought to you by Fine Lime Designs Illustrations

For a summary of this episode and all the links mentioned please visit:
Episode147: Starting a Podcast for Your Creative Business

You can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.

You can connect with the podcast on:

• Instagram at @andshelookedup
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp

For a list of all available episodes, please visit:
And She Looked Up Creative Hour Podcast

Each week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love.

Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

We've all thought about how great it would be to have a piece of content go viral on social media. There's that whisper deep down that if we could just get a million eyeballs on our business, everything would change - for the better. But what really happens when you go viral? And are you - and your creative business - actually prepared for it if it happens? Melissa and Heather dive into "going viral" and share two very different case studies!

This is a great episode for creatives who:

• wonder what makes content go viral
• wonder what actually happens when a video or post goes viral - does it change everything?
• want to make sure they're prepared if content does go viral
• wonder if you need viral content for your business to succeed

We tackle all of these concerns and more! Tune in to find out how!

This episode is brought to you by Fine Lime Designs Illustrations

For a summary of this episode and all the links mentioned please visit:
Episode146: So You Think You're Ready to Go Viral?

You can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.

You can find Heather at heatherlynnetravis.com or on Instagram @heathertravis.

You can connect with the podcast on:

• Instagram at @andshelookedup
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp

For a list of all available episodes, please visit:
And She Looked Up Creative Hour Podcast

Each week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love.

Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

This week, healthy aging advocate Zanna Reza joins the show to talk about shaking up the system so we can grow older on our own terms. In a world where getting older (at any age) can come with a lot of stereotyping and discrimination, we talk about why we, as women, need to own our age - and the wisdom we've earned every day. In this conversation we discuss the importance of staying passionate, curious and creative at every stage in life - and why all humans need to feel a sense of purpose at any age!

Zannat Reza is a healthy aging advocate and the Director of the Future of Aging social impact team at SE Health, a not-for-profit, home health social enterprise.

This episode is brought to you by Fine Lime Designs Illustrations

This is a great episodes for creatives who:

• struggle with appreciating the wisdom they've accumulated - and sharing it with the world
• who worry it's too late to try the next thing
• need a confidence boost 
• are afraid of showing up as their true selves - especially as they get older
• dread the next milestone birthday - be it 30, 40, 50 and beyond.
• are afraid to own their age

For a summary of this episode and all the links mentioned please visit the full show notes at:
Episode 145: Own Your Age and Your Wisdom with Zannat Reza

You can learn more about the work Zannat does at SE Health's Future of Aging website or through her podcast, The Future Age. You can also connect with her on LinkedIn.

You can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.

You can connect with the podcast on:

• Instagram at @andshelookedup
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp

For a list of all available episodes, please visit:
And She Looked Up Creative Hour Podcast

Each week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love.

Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

Creativity shows up in many forms and this week Jacqueline Nicosia, the co-owner of Ardo Hospitality Group, joins the podcast to chat about the creativity that goes into crafting the perfect guest experience - and the perfect cocktail! This busy mom of two who co-owns her business (which includes 3 Toronto restaurants and a food import company) with her chef husband talks with us about:

• fostering creativity with her team in order to make magic for Toronto diners night after night
• separating work and family while running a family business
• how financial restraints can actually foster creativity 
• embracing making money
• the importance of giving back while lifting women up in an industry that's notoriously male dominated and her work with Let's Talk Womxn

This episode is brought to you by Fine Lime Designs Illustrations

This is a great episodes for creatives who:

• create in a field where women aren't highly visible
• work with (or are considering working with) their spouse or romantic partner
• are involved in a family business
• work with a team of creatives (or would like to start building a team)
• struggle with balancing creative work and family life
• ever think about how the art of running a business is just as creative as creating a painting or writing a novel

For a summary of this episode and all the links mentioned please visit:
Episode 144: Jacqueline Nicosia of Ardo Hospitality Group

You can connect with Jacqueline  via her instagram account: @jacqnicosia as well as checking out Ardo Restaurant, Dova Restaurant and the soon to open Bar Ardo.
For more information on Let's Talk Womxn in the Toronto area, reach out directly to Jacqueline.

You can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram

You can connect with the podcast on:

• Instagram at @andshelookedup
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp

For a list of all available episodes, please visit:
And She Looked Up Creative Hour Podcast

Each week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love.

Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

Toronto based registered social worker and psychotherapist, Yu Tong Hannah Lin, joins Melissa to explore how we, as working creatives, can manage and overcome the ongoing challenges perfectionism and burnout present to our work.  Hannah shares valuable insights that will help us understand and identify when perfectionism and/or burnout are creeping into our lives and businesses (and what to do when it's impacting our work).  And, she shares some of the proactive steps we can all take to protect our mental health, our creativity and our businesses.

This episode is brought to you by Fine Lime Designs Illustrations

This is a great episodes for creatives who:

• have, or are, struggling with either perfectionism or burnout (or both)
• need help identifying signs or patterns that might signal perfectionism or burnout are creeping in
• need help with breaking the cycle of burnout (it is often cyclical)
• are feeling challenged by societal and cultural expectations that push them to "get it right" or "do all the things and do them well" all the time
• need some actionable tips  and steps to take to manage perfectionism and burnout in their work and life
• would like to work with a mental health professional but aren't sure how to find the right person

For a summary of this episode and all the links mentioned please visit:
Episode 143: Overcoming Perfectionism & Burnout with Hannah Lim

You can learn more about Hannah and her practice at her website www.yutonghannahlin.com.  Follow her on Instagram  @hannahlin.therapy

You can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.

You can connect with the podcast on:

• Instagram at @andshelookedup
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp

For a list of all available episodes, please visit:
And She Looked Up Creative Hour Podcast

Each week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love.

Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

As working creatives, giving our audience, clients and supporters the opportunity to connect with us on a deeper level is so important to building a healthy business. But equally important, as women, we need to get past our fear of taking up space and instead, embrace being seen. Intimate portrait and personal branding photographer Michele Matues joins Melissa in this episode to share her journey as a photographer who empowers women and  to show us how much getting out from behind our work and in front of the camera can mean to our business... and to ourselves.

This episode is brought to you by Fine Lime Designs Illustrations

This is a great episodes for creatives who:

• struggle with putting themselves in front of the camera to promote their business
• prefer to take a backseat to the work they create
• need some DIY tips to get more comfortable in front of the camera and take their own photos and videos
• would like to hire a photographer but aren't sure where to start
• would like to have professional photos done but are intimidated by the process

For a summary of this episode and all the links mentioned please visit:
Episode 141: Stepping Out From Behind Your Work with Michele Mateus

You can find Michele's intimate portrait photography at  www.mateusstudios.com and her personal branding work at www.michelemateusphotography.com. Follow her on Instagram  @mateusstudios or @mateuscoaching.

You can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.

Support the show

You can connect with the podcast on:

• Instagram at @andshelookedup
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp

For a list of all available episodes, please visit:
And She Looked Up Creative Hour Podcast

Each week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love.

Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

Have you ever wondered what goes into planning and executing an your own art exhibition? This week Heather Travis joins Melissa to talk about the behind the scenes journey to her upcoming, 3 month solo exhibition at Ontario's Bruce County Museum and Cultural Center.  She shares how the opportunity arose, how she developed her very personal exhibit theme, secured  grant funding and was able to take 9 months away from active client work to produce 35 large scale canvases! We also get into the very personal aspect of this exhibit as well as using creativity as a way to process events,  deal with grief and trauma and as a road to rebirth.

This episode is brought to you by Fine Lime Designs Illustrations

This is a great episodes for creatives who:

• have pondered having an exhibit of their work or creating a large body of work around a theme
• have wondered what would be involved in mounting their own exhibit - from marketing to logistics to finances to actually creating the work!
• are looking for some very fun marketing ideas for their work - exhibit or no exhibit
• need to hear how amazing things can come without social media
• have been listening to Heather on the show for the last 3 seasons and would love to hear a deep dive into her painting and her process and how she creates for a living.
• wants to be inspired 

For a summary of this episode and all the links mentioned please visit:
Episode 140: Behind the Scenes of a Solo Art Exhibition with Heather Travis

You can find Heather at heatherlynnetravis.com or on Instagram @heathertravis.

You can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.

Support the show

You can connect with the podcast on:

• Instagram at @andshelookedup
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp

For a list of all available episodes, please visit:
And She Looked Up Creative Hour Podcast

Each week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love.

Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

Toronto based sisters Katrina and Lexie von Hahn have known for years that they wanted to create a business that reflected their Latin American roots and that has resulted in Gallola - a fashion and lifestyle brand they recently launched with their first product: a shoe they designed that's inspired by the timeless Argentine carpincho style and handmade in Mexico.  

In this episode we talk about:

• Lexie and Katrina's individual journeys that have taken them around the world
• starting a fashion and lifestyle brand from scratch 
• manufacturing your own designs
• how crucial building a network is for a young business
• not being afraid or too shy to reach out and ask other female business owners for help
• the importance of research
• working with family and being a new mom with a new business
• bootstrapping a creative business that manufactures product and much more! 

This episode is brought to you by Fine Lime Designs Illustrations

For a summary of this episode and all the links mentioned please visit:
Episode120: Katrina and Lexie of Gallola: Starting a Fashion & Lifestyle Brand From Scratch

You can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @finelimedesigns.

You can find Gallola at gallola.com or on Instagram @gallola.

You can connect with the podcast on:

• Instagram at @andshelookedup
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp

For a list of all available episodes, please visit:
And She Looked Up Creative Hour Podcast

Each week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love.

Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

Do you get caught in the branding trap that many creative businesses find themselves falling into? The one where you get so wrapped up in the physical assets of your brand that you forget about what branding actually is? Your logo? Not your brand. Your website colours? Not your brand. They're physical assets OF your brand. So what is your brand? Melissa and Heather Travis dive into the less obvious (but extremely critical) aspects of branding from telling your story, to creating a mission statement and even choosing who your business works with and how you treat your contractors and employees!

This is a great episode for those creative business owners who are struggling with the deeper aspects of their branding or new business owners who are not even sure where to begin with their branding (hot hint: it's not your logo!)

For a summary of this episode and all the links mentioned, please visit:
Episode 61: Your Logo is NOT Your Brand

SUPPORT THE PODCAST: Did you know you can now directly support the podcast and help us keep creating great content you want to listen to? And get access to exclusive bonus content? You can help here.

You can connect with the podcast on:

• Instagram at @andshelookedup
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp

For a list of all available episodes, please visit:
And She Looked Up Creative Hour Podcast

Each week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love.

Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

Whether you sell paintings or photography sessions, hand poured candles or graphic design services, getting traffic to your website or even your Etsy shop is probably one of the biggest challenges you face.  No traffic, no sales! Enter the world of blogging...

One thing professional bloggers know how to do is drive traffic - their income is directly tied to their website traffic!  So let's take a tip from them and examine how blogging can really help you boost your website traffic, build brand awareness and visibility, establish you as an authority in your niche and develop customer and client relationships.

Did you know you can now directly support the podcast and help us keep creating great content you want to listen to? And get access to exclusive bonus content? You can help here.

This episode is brought to you by Fine Lime Designs Illustrations

This episode is for those who...

• struggle to bring traffic to their website
• struggle with hard selling
• are looking for ways to build customer/client trust
• want to decrease their dependence on running social media ads
• are looking for ways to establish themselves as an expert or authority in their field
• want to build brand awareness and increase their visibility
• want additional ways to reinforce their brand values
• would like to save some time through repurposing content 

For a summary of this episode and all the links mentioned please visit:
Episode 135: Blogging to Build Traffic & SEO For Your Creative Business

You can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @mhchipmunk.

You can connect with the podcast on:

• Instagram at @andshelookedup
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp

For a list of all available episodes, please visit:
And She Looked Up Creative Hour Podcast

Each week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love.

Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

Award winning documentary filmmaker and former Canadian Olympian, Phyllis Ellis, joins me in this episode with the release of her latest film, Category: Woman. We dive into the big themes of the documentary (gender and gender equality, body autonomy racism) as well as the power and challenges of telling stories - whether they're your own or belong to someone else.

Did you know you can now directly support the podcast and help us keep creating great content you want to listen to? And get access to exclusive bonus content? You can help here.

This episode is brought to you by Fine Lime Designs Illustrations

This episode is for those who...

• are interested in the process of filmmaking
• tell stories through their creative work 
• are curious how they can use their creative powers to bring important issues to light and foster change
• struggle to balance both immerse themselves in and distance themselves from the subjects of their creative work
• have experienced trauma while creating their work

For a summary of this episode and all the links mentioned please visit:
Episode134: Documentary Filmmaker Phyllis Ellis

Learn more about Category: Woman
Watch the Film:  Category Woman 

You can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @mhchipmunk.

You can connect with the podcast on:

• Instagram at @andshelookedup
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp

For a list of all available episodes, please visit:
And She Looked Up Creative Hour Podcast

Each week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love.

Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

Food photographer and photography educator Darina Kopcok joins Melissa for this Creative Canadian Women episode where they discuss how to generate quality client leads for your creative services business OR your product business as well as how to grow your revenue streams by offering education resources to other creative service providers and makers in your niche.

In just one year as a food photographer, Darina was able to match her full time corporate income. She did it by investing in her skills and the help of a photography business coach who got her dialed into her pricing and helped her identify - and connect with - her ideal clients.

Did you know you can now directly support the podcast and help us keep creating great content you want to listen to? And get access to exclusive bonus content? You can help here.

This episode is brought to you by Fine Lime Designs Illustrations

This episode is for those who...

• creative service providers who struggle to book themselves out
• creative service providers who are caught in the budget pricing cycle and need to find better paying clients
• makers and artists who want to investigate B2B (business to business) revenue streams (corporate clients)
• aren't sure if they need a formal education in their chosen field
• are considering teaching other creatives in their niche - either with business basics or craft basics

For a summary of this episode and all the links mentioned please visit:
Episode133: Food Photographer Darina Kopcok

You can find Darina at darinakopcok.com (portfolio) and gastrostoria.com (blog and photographer education resources)  as well as on Instagram,.

You can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @mhchipmunk.

You can connect with the podcast on:

• Instagram at @andshelookedup
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp

For a list of all available episodes, please visit:
And She Looked Up Creative Hour Podcast

Each week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love.

Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

How do you manage inventory and demand in your creative business? Do you use and market a scarcity model? An urgency model? Or an always available model? This week Melissa and Heather  walk you through each of these and outline the pros and cons of each as well as showing you how you can use a mix of all three in your creative business!

This episode is brought to you by Fine Lime Designs Illustrations

This is a great episode for creatives who:

• have wondered if it's better to create urgency or scarcity around a product or service through limited availability or to have an "always available" or evergreen model
• make one of a kind products (ie paintings, pottery etc)
• have consistent best sellers
• want to have multiple options when it comes to where they sell their products
• are considering adding wholesale or in person markets to their revenue streams
• are looking for better ways to manage their creative time vs their admin time

For a summary of this episode and all the links mentioned please visit:
Episode132: Inventory & Marketing Models for Creative Businesses

You can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @mhchipmunk.

You can find Heather at heatherlynnetravis.com or on Instagram @heathertravis.

You can connect with the podcast on:

• Instagram at @andshelookedup
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp

For a list of all available episodes, please visit:
And She Looked Up Creative Hour Podcast

Each week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love.

Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

Can I use that in my work?

Have you ever asked yourself that question about somebody else's work? Or has somebody asked you that question about your work? What happens when somebody uses your stuff without asking you? How do you get copyright? Is it different in Canada from the US?  What does it mean to sell your rights to somebody? What is licensing?  What happens to your copyright when you die? Today Canadian copyright lawyer Lesley Ellen Harris joins Melissa to answer all your burning copyright and IP (intellectual property) questions in this absolutely jam packed episode!

Did you know you can now directly support the podcast and help us keep creating great content you want to listen to? And get access to exclusive bonus content? You can help here.

This episode is brought to you by Fine Lime Designs Illustrations

This episode is for those who...

• don't know what copyright is and why it's so incredibly important if you're selling anything you create
• aren't really sure what they can legally use in their work and art
• don't understand the difference between selling the rights to your work vs licensing them
• are curious about estate planning around your body of work
• don't know what to do when somebody uses their work without permission
• are wondering if they can use Mickey Mouse, Baby Yoda, Alice in Wonderland or other characters in their work - even if it's just to sell at a craft fair
• wonder how international copyright works

For a summary of this episode and all the links mentioned please visit:
Episode131: Copyright and Creativity with Lesley Ellen Harris

You can find Lesley at copyrightlaws.com as well as on LinkedIn

You can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @mhchipmunk.

You can connect with the podcast on:

• Instagram at @andshelookedup
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp

For a list of all available episodes, please visit:
And She Looked Up Creative Hour Podcast

Each week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love.

Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

Are you a photographer, designer of any kind, writer or other creative services provider? This week Melissa and Heather are talking about how you can create products to sell alongside your creative services and open up new revenue streams - great for your slow season, to have earning income while you continue to serve clients or to help you break through the income ceiling a lot of us hit when doing client facing work.

Not a creative services provider? Don't worry - a lot of these ideas will work for any type of creative business: maker, artisan, musician.  Don't rely on one chicken to fill all your baskets. Have multiple chickens and multiple baskets!

This episode is brought to you by Fine Lime Designs Illustrations

This is a great episode for creatives who:

• have hit an income ceiling with client work
• would like to have other revenue streams running to offset the times when they can't do client work or it's a slow season
• want to add another layer of stability to their business

For a summary of this episode and all the links mentioned please visit:
Episode130: Creating Products for Your Creative Services Business

You can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @mhchipmunk.

You can find Heather at heatherlynnetravis.com or on Instagram @heathertravis.

You can connect with the podcast on:

• Instagram at @andshelookedup
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp

For a list of all available episodes, please visit:
And She Looked Up Creative Hour Podcast

Each week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love.

Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

When Stefanie Henderlin first started formulating her products it was with an eye to helping her midwife clients. But, she quickly discovered just how much she loved the process and the result was the birth of Mangata Apothecary where she's 'bringing botanicals back" to a new generation of families and individuals. Stefanie shares her journey and how failure has resulted in growth for her and her business to the point where she's now auditioning for Dragon's Den and sourcing investment to scale!

Did you know you can now directly support the podcast and help us keep creating great content you want to listen to? And get access to exclusive bonus content? You can help here.

This episode is brought to you by Fine Lime Designs Illustrations

This episode is for those who...

• are curious about what it takes to start a formulated product based business
• are afraid to pitch themselves for funding, PR or even help help from other small businesses 
• wonder if working with a mentor is right for them
• are curious about government and NGO resources available to female business owners in Canada
• need a pep talk on the importance of perseverance, why it's totally ok to fail and how that can push you forward, and why embracing who you are and being all in with your life is the right thing to do - different is good!

For a summary of this episode and all the links mentioned please visit:
Episode129: Stefanie Henderlin of Mangata Apothecary

You can find Stefanie at www.mangataapothecary.ca as well as on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok and YouTube.

You can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @mhchipmunk.

You can connect with the podcast on:

• Instagram at @andshelookedup
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Tik Tok at @AndSheLookedUp

For a list of all available episodes, please visit:
And She Looked Up Creative Hour Podcast

Each week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love.

Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.