In our new series, Selfmade U, we’ll tackle the most common questions and pain points that come up for business owners with tips and tricks from Selfmade, a virtual business coaching program, led by Brit + Co founder Brit Morin and sponsored by Office Depot OfficeMax. We’ll hear from Selfmade alum, business coaches, and Brit herself on what it takes to run a successful business and make it as an entrepreneur.
When you’re a creative entrepreneur, the business side of things can get in the way of more rewarding creative time. Paperwork, finances, distribution and marketing the product or service you are selling takes time and effort. But your creative passion is what made you follow your dream in the first place, so how do you ensure you nurture your creativity as a founder?
“I always thought that as a pastry chef that I have to constantly be making new things,” says Jenifer Shwartz, Selfmade alum and founder of Freezcake, which sells fresh-baked cheesecake that’s freeze-dried and packaged to enjoy on the go. “But there's so much creativity in the decision making and different parts of running a business."Jenifer owned a wholesale bakery when the pandemic hit and lost most of her sales, which came from events, catering, and restaurants. She had to think creatively and pivot fast. “I thought, let's start making Japanese cheesecake. I thought it'd be really cool to bring that concept to Miami,” she recalls. She sold the cake through various food delivery services and then, when she fell ill and had to pause her business, she freeze-dried the cake. “When I came back to work, I opened up a bag of the freeze-dried cheesecake, it literally had the same flavor of the fresh-baked cheesecake.” That was her aha moment.
Figuring out how to transition from a wholesale bakery to selling a packaged product in stores was new ground for Jenifer. That’s when she saw an opportunity to apply for an Office Depot OfficeMax scholarship to Selfmade. “Selfmade is an amazing community for women entrepreneurs who provide feedback and support” she says. “Coach Emily [Merrell] is amazing. Her positivity has really helped me to refocus. I took a lot of pitch classes before I actually won the pitch. I don't know if I even would've won the pitch if I hadn't.”
As a Selfmade pitch day winner, Jenifer will use her Office Depot merchandise card to print her brand’s new packaging. “I already feel very proud of what I’ve accomplished but once I got the scholarship, I was like this is what I'm putting this money toward.”
Here are ways that you can nurture your creative side while running a business.
- Focus On What You Love, Outsource What You Don’t. Your unique talent is the creative soul of your business. Focus on your strengths and find others to help on the things you’re less interested or specialized in. “I'm terrible with social media, but I definitely got a lot of help from my Selfmade community,” says Jenifer. Now that she’s not dreaming up new recipes, she’s focused on designing her new packaging too. If you’re on a budget, look at the things that you can outsource that don’t cost too much.
- Write Down Your Accomplishments. When you’re feeling like you’re not getting where you want to be fast enough – entrepreneurship is often a slow process – it can affect your creative mood. Selfmade coach Emily Merrel suggested to Jenifer to write down everything that she did in the last year. “I put together a whole list of things I participated in, because even though my sales weren't in the place where I wanted them to be, when I saw what I had actually achieved, I was like, I can't believe I did all of this!” This visual reminder can give you the creative spark you need to keep going.
- Connect With Other Creatives. Connect with other entrepreneurs who can support you along your journey, through networking events and business programs or creative classes. When her packaging design is complete, Jenifer plans to share it with the Selfmade community for feedback. “It's really amazing to have this network of women,” she says. “To engage with people who are entrepreneurs like yourself, who have that experience, who understand all the same pains that you have, it's great to have that type of network. Selfmade has really been a huge confidence boost,” she adds.
- Find A Creative Outlet. Creators are always going to want to create. Break out of your business comfort zone and try something totally different. You’ll find that another creative outlet can inspire fresh thoughts about your business too. A mom of five, Jenifer says she thinks about creativity now at home with the kids. “We have lots of coloring, painting, clay. It’s a good way for me to get my creative juices out. I was an artist before I was a pastry chef. Now instead of clay, my medium is flour, sugar and butter!”
- Take A Breather. Easier said than done when you’re a busy entrepreneur and, if you’re like Jenifer, a busy mom to boot. “I don't really have much time to recharge and relax but I love having my kids and that, I think, is really important.” Find ways throughout the day to take mini breaks to refuel and recharge, whether that’s just closing your eyes and deep-breathing or taking a walk. Make sure to get some solid shut-eye too by leaving your phone (and work!) outside the bedroom, getting to bed early and avoiding heavy meals and caffeine, and making sure your bedroom is quiet and comfortable.
- Create A Space That Inspires You. Clear the clutter, bring in plants and natural light, create a zone that inspires your creativity, and make sure you have the essentials you need to run your business and accomplish more. Jenifer recently bought a printer and laminator machine from Office Depot to help her run her business more smoothly. “The printer, which was so needed, has been amazing. This is a huge, huge upgrade.”
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