This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
[Music]
Friends, listeners, thanks for tuning in. I hope you are well wherever you are in the world. It's Chris Guillebeau here, your host of Side Hustle School. We have come to another episode in the segment known as Throwback Thursday. Throwback Thursday slash Where Are They Now, where we take an in-depth look at someone whose story has evolved since we first featured them.
All right, so what have we had recently? Last week we heard from an organizational advisor who starts with home consultations, but then transitions to serving businesses when she spots high demand. So she kind of went from B to C to B to B, business consumer, business to business. Today in our latest feature, another transition, we're gonna hear from a muralist, like an artist who paints murals, who begins offering art lessons as a second side hustle. So when your one side hustle isn't enough, of course you wanna go and get another one.
So let's hear a little bit about this from Matthew Howe. Has he grown and diversified his business? Let's hear directly from him. I'll come back at the end with a quick wrap up. Home Art Biz grows to 40 plus clients.
That is today's episode. [Music]
Hi, I'm Matthew. I'm a muralist and an art instructor. My journey over the past few years has been a canvas of challenges, creativity and learning. I'll try to explain how I turned my love for large scale art into a thriving business.
When I started out, murals were my main gig. I work with local businesses in my city, creating vibrant scenes that reflected each establishment's character. My big break came with a mural for a local cafe, a whimsical scene of a bustling coffee world. This project not only paid well, but also brought my art into the public eye. The problem, however, was that there are only so many murals you can do.
I realized there was a growing interest in my art, not just as a spectacle, but as a hands-on experience. That's when I decided to start offering home art lessons. The idea was to bring the joy and creativity of painting into people's living rooms. Pricing was a bit of a puzzle at first. For murals, I charged based on the size and complexity of the project.
Art lessons, however, were different. I started with $50 for a two hour lesson, which included basic art supplies. But as I got more comfortable, I was able to increase it to $75 and then $90, offering more personalized and advanced lessons. I maintained an active Instagram profile showcasing my murals and snippets from my art classes. But what really worked was the word of mouth from my students and business owners who had commissioned my murals.
They were my biggest advocates for the transition. A memorable moment was during a home lesson with a family. The parents were skeptical about their artistic skills, but as we progressed, they created a beautiful collaborative piece that perfectly captured their family. This experience not only gave me immense satisfaction, but also led to a series of family painting sessions, a new addition to my offerings. Managing both aspects of my business acquired careful planning and time management.
I allocated specific days for mural work, at least when I had a client, and others for art lessons. Keeping a strict schedule was crucial. To avoid overbooking and ensuring each project or lesson got my full attention. I also learned the importance of contracts and clear communication, especially for murals. Outlining the scope of work, timelines, and payment terms upfront saved me from at least two big misunderstandings.
To those venturing into a similar field, my advice is to be flexible, yet organized. Adapt your artistic talent to what your clients need, and be open to evolving your business model. And most importantly, let your passion for art shine through. It's infectious. Today, my side business is not just about painting walls or teaching techniques.
It's about spreading creativity and helping people discover their artistic side. Thanks for letting me share my story. [Music]
All right, big thanks to Matthew for sharing his updates with us. Listeners, let me know what you think, who you'd like to see featured from our archives of more than a thousand stories, more than 2,500 episodes so far, ever since January 1, 2017. Thank you for joining us.
Thanks for tuning in wherever you are. I hope you do one thing today to get closer to a goal that's important to you, and of course, let us know how we can help. We're excited as we wrap up the year and make some big plans for 2024. I look forward to sharing that with you as we go along. New episode every day.
It's always completely free. You can listen wherever you get your podcasts. My name's Chris Guillebeau. This is "Side Hustle School." [Music]
From the Onward Project.
