Coffee Chats Podcast | Business, Marketing, & Relationship Building for Women in Business

Tahjma VanBuren 00:00:00 It has to be like the very best wedding gift that they could not expect.

Jobana Semones 00:00:05 This is an opportunity for you to have a piece of art that you have the ability to tell me what's important, to tell me what's most meaningful to you. And to really highlight one of like, the biggest milestones a person experiences in their life.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:00:31 Welcome to Coffee Chats podcast. Thank you so much for being here yet again. We have another guest, another service based business that I really want to introduce y'all to. We have Joanna Simmons. Okay. Let me give you her whole bio. Let me give you her whole rundown. Again, I don't know what it is about reading in front of other people. Suddenly you become illiterate. So bear with me, Okay. Giovanna Simmons, founder of Giovanna Impressions, is a live wedding painter and artist specializing in capturing cherished moments. She brings joy to couples and events by transforming their special day into timeless, hand-painted keepsakes. That's actually the thing that brought me to you. Beyond live painting.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:01:24 She offers custom illustrations, prints and watercolor workshops, helping others tap into their creativity. Her work is deeply rooted in storytelling and emotion, making each piece as unique as the people she paints. Through her business, she strives to create meaningful art that celebrates love, connection, and beauty of life. Welcome to the show, Giovanna.

Jobana Semones 00:01:48 Thank you so much for having me here. it's definitely my first go round, so I do. I will say this. You know, if there's a little bit of, you know, ums and I forget a little bit of what I'm saying, you know, bear with me. Be patient. Oh, great.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:02:09 First off, I do want to point at you're one of the first guests that mentioned that actually brought on a coffee.

Jobana Semones 00:02:17 Oh yes yes yes yes yes. So I was apologizing because I'm one of those people that do not put away seasonal coffee mugs. I'm a collector. And so right now we have the Christmas edition. Lalalalalala.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:02:33 Oh, I didn't even see that I love that.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:02:37 Very cute.

Jobana Semones 00:02:38 I love coffee, so I always have it handy. It's the only way I can push through each day 100%.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:02:45 So tell me, how are you drinking your coffee today?

Jobana Semones 00:02:49 So today I am. I usually drink it black, but lately I've been in love with the, you know, like, macchiato creamer. So it has a little bit of that and a little bit of milk. So it's been good. It's been true to me.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:03:03 Well, wrong for drinking black coffee. Tried it once. Can't go back.

Jobana Semones 00:03:08 I'm going to be controversial right now. So I used to not. And then another thing that I drink, just basic, you know, no sugar is unsweet tea. I know I'm in the south and I'm over here drinking unsweet tea, so I used to not. I used to not, but I blame my husband. My husband loved black coffee. He loved unsweet to be healthy or, like, health conscious or whatever. And I was like, this is dirt, water, what are you doing? And I would just take a sip just to make fun of him.

Jobana Semones 00:03:43 And eventually it it tricked me. And I was like, okay, this isn't that bad. Yeah, yeah. I'm sorry. I apologize to everyone out there?

Tahjma VanBuren 00:03:56 No issue. Actually. Funny enough. Also have the caramel macchiato creamer.

Jobana Semones 00:04:01 Ooh, it's so.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:04:03 Good.

Jobana Semones 00:04:04 Yeah, I know. See, I know we we vibe. We clicked. I knew it. Same wavelength.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:04:11 Look into your story. Okay, so we know that you are Johanna. Impressions. Owner. Painter. Artist. Business owner. But can you take me back to before all of that happened? How did you get into that space?

Jobana Semones 00:04:30 so it depends on how far you want to go, but I will kind of do very snippets of my life. So I've always been a creative person. As a child, I never like to draw strict stick figures. I always wanted to draw like the 3D hands. Like I would have like a big, like, little turkey looking hand, but I'm like, I'm gonna make it, you know, 4 or 5 with the crayons.

Jobana Semones 00:04:53 And so I've always enjoyed making things out of nothing. I've enjoyed taking simple materials, whether, you know, I used to build kites when I was younger, like I used to take, like, just little sticks and then tissue paper and make a kite that could fly. So I've always been a creator. Never stopped I that's just been part of who I am. And interestingly enough, when I was in high school, in high school, I was doing about 2 to 3 part time jobs because I had to pay for my own car, my own insurance, my own phone bill. Like, you know, my my family was, you know, poor and didn't have many means. So I had to, you know, kind of fend for myself and, you know, try to they provided me with roof. They provided me, with a roof. They provided me with meals. But I had to figure out the extras that I needed. So, I had a friend who was within the wedding industry or her family was, and, her mom did event decorating, and then her brother did wedding photography.

Jobana Semones 00:06:02 So sometimes they would hire me as an, like, secondary assistant to, like, help out when her mom was decorating for like, weddings or events. I would be helping with the florals, helping set up everything. So I was like, I remember being like a kid and being like, oh my God, this is so cool. It's cool to see the transformation of space. It's cool to see kind of the vision that each person has, because I think a lot of especially women or, you know, when they're girls, they're dreaming of like, what will their wedding day look like? So I was able to kind of tap into that side of things. And I loved it. And, you know, her brother kind of took me in and her to be kind of like the assistant photographers or the second shooters. So I learned how to work the camera. I learned how to take pictures throughout an event. So from a very early point, I was kind of introduced to the wedding industry.

Jobana Semones 00:06:58 Yeah, you were, but I never yeah, yeah. I, you know, never would have have I guessed that I would have kind of ventured into the wedding industry myself. because it was always kind of like a hobby or a side gig that I had. And fast forward, I ended up in the corporate sector where I was, you know, I it's interesting. I was in the financial realm completely like when, when 83, 60 from like where the creation starts and, where maybe dullness and a little bit of soul crushing work begin.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:07:40 It is.

Jobana Semones 00:07:40 Definitely.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:07:41 More creative, for sure.

Jobana Semones 00:07:43 But not not really. I did a lot of wonderful things where I was able to help a lot of families. I did a lot of like the lending pieces, helping people through navigating budgeting and their financial well-being. So it really kind of made me think about, like, the money side of things, because as a business owner, I think that's important. And often it's one of the things that we overlooked at how to plan for that.

Jobana Semones 00:08:09 But, then I transitioned into marketing because the, the job that I was in kind of saw my creative spark and my innovations and, you know, I kind of work up the corporate ladder and ended up in, in marketing, and I got to do a lot of really cool things with them. I got to, you know, create a mascot. I got to create a financial education program for kids. So all of that was great. But as many people who have worked a 9 to 5 job you are very limited into what you can do, and your time is not yours. And if you're not careful, you know you can experience burnout. And so I did become a little bit stifled, I think, in my being. And I felt that I was burning the candle at both ends. And I remember that around the pandemic, I saw a video of like, live wedding painting. And I was like, that is so cool. Like, I would have never like it made me think of Bob Ross.

Jobana Semones 00:09:18 And I was like, this is kind of like somebody being Bob Ross at a wedding. How cool is that? And of course, me being me, I was like, I wonder what if, could I do it? And I'm like, maybe I'm not fast enough. But I managed to find a few brides that, you know, I was like, hey, I'm kind of starting out. Obviously I'm not going to charge the price, but can I try? And that's kind of how I started doing it. I started doing it as a side business or a side gig as I was working my corporate job. It was a little bit hectic because I could only do so many events, right? And at my job I was working definitely more than 40 hours a week, so I it was a lot. But that's how I transitioned into it. I realized that there was demand for it in in the wedding industry. It's something unique. It's not something that everyone can do. So I was like, you know what? You haven't painted in a long time because, you know, throughout that whole entire gap between the photography and, and the, you know, setting up as a decorator all the way until, you know, ten years later, I had not painted, I had not drawn.

Jobana Semones 00:10:31 That was like the love. And I went away from that because when I got home, I was like, so tired. I didn't have the inspiration or any music that would allow me to kind of tap into that creativity. But, I kind of just pushed through and I was like, you know what? I could do this fully. You know, I can incorporate all of this, and I have the means to do it as far as I'm a go getter. Yeah. I'm going, you know, I'm going to find ways to talk to people, to find spaces and and just, you know, do what I do best. And it's like, make things. Create things. Things that are beautiful. Things that are emotional. So long story, I know.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:11:20 I know, I think your story mirrors so many other people's story who go into entrepreneurship and especially service based businesses. A lot of times we're our every single time we're taking something from our own creativity, from our own intellectual property and producing it because we either had a we saw a problem that we couldn't find the answer that was already created for us.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:11:44 So like, I'm I'm just going to do it myself. Or it was similar to what you were talking about, which was a little bit of burnout. And there's a piece of you that's missing that you're not able to tap into. And I think we all experience, unfortunately, some gap in our time for our career, but then generally into our personal lives where we're not able to truly exist as we are.

Jobana Semones 00:12:11 But I think that's important, because then you don't take for granted the opportunity that you have when you decide to make that next step. Yeah. You know, like, I feel like if you don't experience the kind of lack of. A, I guess, lack of independence when you don't have that, feeling that you're being pushed and pushed and pushed, you know, to your limits. You realize that if you can do this for someone else's business, there is no limit to what you're able to stand for if it's for yourself and your family. Right.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:12:53 Right. It's kind of like a kind of like our villain story.

Jobana Semones 00:13:00 Yeah. That's like the origin story, right? Yes.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:13:05 we're trying to figure out how I am.

Jobana Semones 00:13:07 Batman.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:13:08 Yes. We we need some kind of push, and you don't really know what your capacity is. Like you said, until you know what your capacity is. and I think a portion of that is, I think you have to be an employee for other people before you can actually try and lead yourself. Lead other people, lead your clients. So I think that was a very important aspect of what you do.

Jobana Semones 00:13:40 So yeah. Yeah.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:13:42 For better or for worse.

Jobana Semones 00:13:44 Yes. And also, I think it's one of those things where you have to be pushed to your limits to feel this comfort, to truly figure things out, because when you're comfortable enough, you're not willing to take the necessary steps. You're more likely to say, well, it's not that bad, or I've been doing this for, you know, ten, five years. What's another five more? I can continue doing this.

Jobana Semones 00:14:12 But I think it's important to understand that limit and using that energy that you have built up to just recreate yourself into who you want. Because when you're younger, you don't really have that understanding of self. So you choose a career based on a person who didn't understand or know the world or experience the world. But now you have the option to do that. So. Yeah I know.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:14:40 Dang. take that note and take it to therapy.

Speaker 3 00:14:47 That's good.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:14:47 That's very good. okay, so you have rediscovered the creative and you've rediscovered the artist, and you interact with these ladies for the first time. That has to be like, the very best wedding gift that they could not expect. What is that conversation like for them?

Jobana Semones 00:15:09 So for many, I think it's really neat to have someone at their event for their guests entertainment. Their their like because not many people get to see an artist create and like on site or like see a person that they can see it through videos, but it's not the same as seeing someone in person, just creating something out of nothing.

Jobana Semones 00:15:34 But as far as like what the conversation looks like for their specific piece. I come from a point of. This is an opportunity for you to have a piece of art that you have the ability to tell me what's important, to tell me what's most meaningful to you, and to really highlight one of the biggest milestones a person experiences in their life. And so it is really an exciting moment. And I always end up with just such happiness and like feelings in my tummy, like little butterflies in my tummy, because I get to kind of talk through some of the options, like some people decide, like, you know what? I envision the first kiss. You know, that's that's the moment that I want to capture. And I'm like, okay, so tell me a little bit more about it. Like, is it a soft and tender kiss like, is that the mood or is it a dramatic dip? You know, because you have people with different personalities and I just never know until I have the ability to kind of have that discussion and conversation with the couples I worked with of like, kind of what their vision is.

Jobana Semones 00:16:48 And then I can then later make sketches, make suggestions, and kind of guide them through the process to ensure that they're not limiting themselves. Right. Because so often people are like, well, I want to make sure I remember everything. So can I put the cake? Can I put, you know, the little details in your, your event or day? And I'm like, you're going to have photos probably that have the cake that have, the decoration of this thing. But this is a piece of art that is going to hang whether you decide to put it in your living room or in your bedroom. What do you want that piece of art to say about you? Is it a celebration of the union of the couple? Is it a celebratory piece of being with the people that you love? And so my job is to make sure that I understand what's most important to them. My job is to understand and maybe extract the vision, because sometimes I think people see examples and they're like, this is what I want.

Jobana Semones 00:17:56 But I'm like, this is what you've seen. Is that what you want?

Speaker 3 00:18:00 Yeah.

Jobana Semones 00:18:01 Just because you've seen something doesn't mean that there isn't another possibility that hasn't been created yet. So that's kind of how the experience goes. And I would say a lot of people are very happy. I have some like mothers or I've even had, bridal parties like friends of the groom or, or the bride get together and collaborate so that they can pay for that experience for the couple. So it's it's truly like an amazing thing because you kind of you see the connection that that they have with the people around them. but yeah, it's, it's, it's an awesome experience to have that discussion with them. And that's a little bit of how that discussion goes. Sorry, I, I go on tangent sometimes. So you have to stop me. You have to pull me okay.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:18:50 Editing me here. All the Gen Z folks are using the little mics, so I thought I would give it a try. One of the easiest ways to grow your audience without spending hours creating content is just talking, getting in front of the right audience, and having a conversation kind of like the one you're listening to right now.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:19:14 Podcast interviews. They are chef's kiss for this. Perfect for this. But here's the thing. Guesting on podcasts podcast isn't just about showing up and talking. It's about turning those interviews into real business growth. Listen, I send out one simple, actionable podcast guesting prompt every single week. It always features something you can do in 15 minutes or less, but creates long term impact if you want in. Sign up using the link in the description. It costs you nothing but your commitment to leveling up your marketing strategy as a podcast guest. All right. Back to the show. No. You're good. You're actually perfect for podcasting because we have. Thank you. Stretching something into this one little note into something else. as you were talking, I was thinking about how that experience mirrors so many other people who provide a service. Yeah, for me, it looks like I'm. If I'm producing your podcast, I don't want you to feel like you have to create a mel Robbins version or a Dave Ramsey version of podcasts or what? Whoever you're thinking of, I don't want you to feel like that.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:20:34 You have to create that because those are cool. But they don't have a business like yours. They don't have a personality and a brand like yours. So how do we dial this in and replicate it for something that's manageable for you? But then also that's working to be able to show your personality, capture and capitalize you who you are.

Jobana Semones 00:20:58 And I will give you a shout out, Tajima, because I will say that you were so meticulous and thoughtful about, you know, allowing me to see a little bit more of the back process. Give me some suggestions on some of the conversation pieces that we would cover, which I will say is helpful to a lot of small businesses that are not familiar with this type of style, so at first I was intimidated. I will not lie, I was nervous. I was like, I don't know how I'm going to do with this. I'm probably going to embarrass myself. But you know what? It's okay. This is a new experience. You go, girl, you go and get it.

Jobana Semones 00:21:36 But you have sent so much information for me to be able to, like, be thoughtful about our discussion and be able to think because people work in different ways. And to your credit, I think business owners have different personalities. So I like to see like an outline of some of the things that we might discuss. So I can kind of have some time to think and be like, oh, but I don't like having prescriptive answers or prescriptive answers. I want it to come from the heart. Right now, there's other people that like to have that ability to plan ahead because, you know, some people can't answer on the spot, you know? So I think you do a really good job. Like you're amazing at what you do.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:22:20 I appreciate that. I'm going to clip that. I appreciate that.

Jobana Semones 00:22:26 You should.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:22:28 because I think we're crafting an experience for people consistently. It's the same thing as before. We sit down all. I mirrored this very similar to how you know, how on LinkedIn everybody's like, schedule coffee, cat coffee chat, coffee, chat.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:22:44 You're gonna do all of the deep dives in the world to figure out who this person is before you even meet them. And it's the same thing when it comes to the work that you're doing. Because you. I'm I'm certain that you probably do some version of research on that person to figure out how do I make them feel as comfortable as possible. And now I'm curious about how this experience goes out beyond weddings, because I'm thinking about, like, I've worked at nonprofits and how cool would it have been if we had somebody sitting there creating an image or a painting of a gala where a whole bunch of people got together to solve this problem? How cool would it have been for somebody's grand opening of their, what is it, spa esthetician. That just came to mind. but some version of somebody's grand opening. It's so transferable.

Jobana Semones 00:23:42 Yeah. So a lot of people have this conception that live painting is just for weddings, which is kind of what we see out there, but it could be used for so many different types and styles of events.

Jobana Semones 00:23:55 I actually did one. Was it last year? It was last year, with the Hispanic League here in Winston-Salem. So I was a beneficiary as a student back in the day. And so, you know, they allow a lot of people who maybe don't have the means or have that family support that they can, utilize to, you know, move forward with their education. And as a person that benefited from that program, I think it's really important to give people that same opportunity. If you're able to and you're placed in a position where you can do so. So I reached out to them and I was like, hey, this is kind of what I do. Wouldn't it be cool if I did a live painting? And maybe that piece was auctioned off so that it could raise funds for the scholarships? And so I was able to do that, and somebody did buy the piece. And I think that's, you know, one way to do it. because I can't, I can't get paid for services that I do.

Jobana Semones 00:25:05 So, like one of the misconceptions is that, oh, well, you can, you know, provide your labor labour for, you know, in exchange for credit for like tax purposes. But we actually can't do that. Like the government would not recognise my Labour, like if they would just recognise the materials, the cost of the materials. However, if it's a piece that is created and then auction off like that has a tangible sum. You know, somebody bought it for that specific amount. but, you know, there's just so many ways in which, you know, galas where I can either do the illustrations for, guest. some people want, like that extra VIP experience so I can do minimalist guest portraits where I'm able to take pictures of people and then do, like, really quick renderings of them. And, you know, like, a lot of people are dressed to the T's and to the nines and they, you know, this is a perfect time to get a portrait done, you know? so there's so many events.

Jobana Semones 00:26:11 Grand openings of small businesses. maybe they want to do a piece that they want to hang in their office, and they want to have people see how it started. And then every time people walk into their business, they see the piece that was created and kind of celebrates that first step, you know, into their, business endeavor. So there's so many opportunities, opportunities to utilize the live painting experience as a way to further and elevate an event. I don't know if that answered. Yeah. I think.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:26:45 Where were you eight years ago? I'm thinking how many dry events I have been to. And I'm thinking of of very specific meetings I've been in where people were trying to figure out, okay, well, I want people to support this. I want people to feel excited and energized to be here because it's a it's a networking event or it's a, a gala, like I mentioned. How do I make this a little bit more fun? And having those little pieces outside of a photo booth, outside of a random person taking pictures of you eating your salad and chicken that would have been so perfect that would have been perfect.

Jobana Semones 00:27:28 Yeah. So, you know, that's something I, I always welcome any ideas that people have because people come up with unique experiences as well. Like there's things that like I said, there's there's things that have been created. There's things that you have already seen. And I think as an artist and a person who caters to just engaging, interactive activities that deal with art. Yeah, I kind of ask people, take it a step further. Like what haven't you seen, you know, what have you imagined? We'll find a way to make it happen. So, I'm always like, okay, don't look at what hasn't been done. Look at what's possible. I feel like that should be kind of my slogan, but.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:28:12 I like that. Okay. In my internet sleuthing, I found something called Izzy Easel. Can you tell me what that is?

Jobana Semones 00:28:24 Yes. So easy. Easel is. So my husband, my husband is a very supportive, the most adorable and the most supportive husband there is out there.

Jobana Semones 00:28:38 I don't think I would have been able to get to where I'm at professionally, mentally, if it wasn't for his support. And this man has seen many stages, many unfinished businesses and business plans on my end. As a creator, as a creator. I have created so many things and I was like, this could be a thing, this could be a thing. So he has seen throughout the. We've been together for about ten years. He hasn't seen the the person who had wanted to do a a photography business. He has seen the person that had wanted to do, who hadn't painted earrings. He saw the person that wanted to do hand-painted ornaments, which I did do. and there was like so many things that he saw, and each one, he would gift me something that would help me start that journey. So every single time. So I remember when I wanted to start my photography business. He gave me like, books on, like, Photoshop and like, you know, different and like photography, like how to, like, play with lighting, lighting and stuff like that.

Jobana Semones 00:29:51 He didn't have to do that. But like, he genuinely listens to me and he's like, well, I think I saw this. I thought this might be helpful. So he's that type of person. And so I was like, you know, maybe I could do live painting, but, you know, I don't have an easel. I guess I would need an easel. I would need like this. But I'm like us too much to plan. And, you know, it was one of those things that I had voiced out as a. This could be a thing, right? Next thing you know, he's like, honey, he's. I was like, yeah. He's like, close your eyes. I'm like, okay. And I opened them and he's holding this like little French easel and he's like, ta da! So you can start your, like, painting business. And I was like, that's so sweet. And so I named it Easy Easel because it was easy to set up, easy to like, tear down.

Jobana Semones 00:30:46 and it really was the beginning of German impressions. Like, as it stands, it's. And I know that there's many, especially women in business that struggle so much to start their own journey. And I know that I'm very fortunate to have a person like my best friend to, like, be that level of support to to just see a vision, not knowing where it will lead. He's like, here we go again. Another roller coaster ride.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:31:20 Yeah.

Jobana Semones 00:31:21 And even though he has been on so many roller coaster rides, he never once was like, you know what, honey? You what? What happened to this business? What happened to this other business? He's just one of those, like, okay, you want to do something? Play, play, play and do your thing. Who knows? This might be something that really goes, you know, and grows into something bigger. And this was the one time that I actually stuck with something. And the one thing that actually propelled me to move forward with, you know, just saying enough is enough.

Jobana Semones 00:31:58 Here's my My resignation letter. And it's time to focus on me and on my business, for me and my family. So but it was basically a, a gift from my husband and kind of the first step into this entrepreneurial journey of mine. So very special. I still have it. It's breaking down now, like the I've used it so much that now like this one screw is like not working. So every time I I'll like pull, pull, put up the strap and the thing just goes and I'm like, okay, it unscrews I put it back on, I move a little bit and it just goes out like the little light just goes out and I'm like, I think I need a new one. It's time. That is wonderful.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:32:45 That is so beautiful. And, that is a gift that I'm so glad that you have him as a person in your life. A lot of people start businesses, and their family and their friends don't actively support them. You can post something. And there's I feel like we've all seen that post of somebody saying, my family and my friends aren't just liking the post, they aren't just sharing the post or buying whatever that thing is.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:33:12 At the end of the day, we don't really create businesses for our people, but it's the best version. When you can have somebody in your life and in your close circle that can really feed into and pour into the gift and the, what you want to do, your vision. Okay. Editing one more time. Me and the tiny microphone are back. You ever feel like you're showing up on podcast, putting out all these episodes on different people's podcast episodes, your own podcast, creating content, but it's not really doing much for your business. Yeah, it's visibility, but it's is it actually leading to deeper relationships. Is it actually growing your audience? Our clients actually ready to sign on the dotted line because they listen to your podcast. That's exactly what we figure out in a podcast strategy session in one hour. We build a clear return on investment driven plan to make sure every interview or episode moves your business forward. Want to see if this is the right move for you? Schedule a coffee chat using the link in the description.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:34:28 All right. Back to the episode.

Jobana Semones 00:34:30 Yeah, and honestly, I can speak to that. Where? There. You know, and it's funny because it is the same people that say you have a talent, you you have a gift, you should do something. You do something. And it's like all it takes is for them to like a post. All it takes is for them to, be at an event that's free, you know, for them to attend just to be there and hype you up. You know, you're really not asking for any. Like buying a service or product. Because like you said, sometimes they're not the target audience. They're not the people that are intended to consume the goods and services that you provide. But at the same time, they have friends that might. And it's like, if you share my work, if you, you know, hit like it's it's a very simple thing that you can do to like show that showcase, show that support, but also just help out my business, like in like a meaningful way.

Jobana Semones 00:35:28 Because we all know that, like, being out there is really what's going to, like, help you grow and and find the people, the right people that are there to, that need your services or that need, what what you're providing. So. Yeah. Yeah.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:35:44 Very true, very true. So correct me. I'm I'm I'm doing the math. It sounds like you are entering like your four third or fourth year of business, and somewhere in that third or fourth year, 3 or 4 years, you feel you went 100% full time.

Jobana Semones 00:36:03 Yes. Yes. so math thing. Math thing. I'm good. Sometimes. Sometimes I'm not. But this one is simple enough, so I. I've been in business for about four years, but full time. I transitioned about seven months ago. So, I made the leap last June. So middle of June. It was a big moment. And, you know, it wasn't during a time where I was like, super busy. Yeah, but I decided that it was a good time to build the structure, kind of build the foundation for what I would need, improve my website, improve a lot of elements within it.

Jobana Semones 00:36:45 and then plan out what I wanted to do for the future. You know, how would I grow? What type of services I would provide in addition to live painting. So it was important, but it's scary. It's challenging, but definitely rewarding.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:37:00 You wake up every day and do it.

Jobana Semones 00:37:03 Yes.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:37:03 Scary, but doing it anyway. What are the specific challenges that you've found yourself trying to juggle through in the last couple of months?

Jobana Semones 00:37:14 Okay. So consistency. Consistency I think is one of the challenges that I have to battle. And also, and I guess when I say consistency is, you know, how will I show up for my business each day? Yeah. You know, what micro habits do I want to put in place and and make sure that I'm disciplined enough so that I can run a business that is there for when people need me, you know? also consistency in posting. I am the worst social media poster so far, but that's because I focused a lot of my energy and just building the underlying structure, which is a good thing.

Jobana Semones 00:38:05 It's like, yes, because like, you know, I could post and I could, you know, hit a moment where, like a lot of people are asking for orders or doing all this things, but like, if I don't have the structure to support that level of demand, then I may ruin my business because then there's disappointment in people. So it's kind of giving up a little bit of the income or a little bit of the the time that I would otherwise have to, to ensure that I have systems in place to protect me and ensure that I can meet the demand that's out there. and then another challenge that I think it's been difficult is understanding. Limiting myself. Not fully. Not having my calendar be book all the time. Like if I see a gap. I think there's a tendency for business owners to be like. But there's money to be made here. And or if you see that there's a slim month or two in the future that the need to, like, discount your services or the need to like, just fill it with filler.

Jobana Semones 00:39:19 And there I think is a need for showing restraint in those moments because while it might benefit you for that limited time, it could be something that could hurt your business overall.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:39:36 Yeah.

Jobana Semones 00:39:37 And so I think for me that's probably one of the biggest challenges is like being able to be disciplined and showing restraint and being true to my vision of the type of business I want to build. And I think that that's difficult for me. I think that's difficult for many business owners because you think about it and it's like you want to take on any job that will provide for your family.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:40:02 Yeah.

Jobana Semones 00:40:03 And sometimes you have.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:40:04 To do that in a way because it feels like, yeah, I don't say yes right now. I don't know when this opportunity is going to come back.

Jobana Semones 00:40:12 Right, right. And I think, you know, sometimes people don't have that choice and they have to do it, you know, because they have a family to support. And I do that. I, I'm still responsible for bills.

Jobana Semones 00:40:26 Like I still pay my half of the portion. That was kind of the agreement I set with my husband because like, I've, you know, I grew up in a household where I was always independent and where I always kind of had to meet my needs. And this has been a dream of mine. This has been something that I've been very passionate for. And if that's something that I was really passionate for, and I think it was helpful that I was in the financial sector because it opened up my eyes to so many things where I deprive myself of certain things. Like, I have a 2011 Camry that I've driven for like five, six years. It's paid off. I'm going to continue having it. It has some bumps. I don't care, like I don't care what people think of me, because I remember being like, I'm going to put the extra money that I would have to pay on a car payment, or it's building a security net for my business. So right now, you know, I don't want to tap into some of that savings, but if I have to to like offset some of the, you know, desire to be like, I have to make keep making income, I have a little bit of a security net that I set for myself.

Jobana Semones 00:41:33 It's not huge. It's not like something that's going to sustain me for like a, you know, 2 or 3 years, but it's something that it's is going to give me a little bit of peace of mind. so I would say if there's anyone out there that is passionate about something wants to start a business, sometimes it's okay to say no to some of the things that really don't add happiness or value to your life. To me, it's not important to have the best car or the biggest house or, you know, having what meets meets my needs is important, but there's so much that you can utilize. The the money is a means of like, freedom. and I think being able to kind of set that money aside, help me do that. And so that's why now I'm very intentional about not taking on any job, because in the end, it would hurt me because in the end, you want to make sure that the people that you're partnering with and the brand that you set for yourself is consistent.

Jobana Semones 00:42:37 Yep.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:42:39 But a person. The introvert in me is like high fiving you. The person who. So when? So you were as you were talking. I heard a couple of different things. One, I have at being an introvert and a business owner who also does podcasting. A lot of people immediately want to assume that you are marketing as a whole. People won't assume that you are going to be an extrovert. You're going to be here. They're everywhere. And it. There's a time period where I was like, okay, well, I need to be everywhere. I need to be doing everything. But that wasn't helpful to me. And I also wasn't helpful to my clients. It wasn't helpful to yeah, the vision that I had for my business and for the people that I want to impact. So bravo for you for really sticking to that. Truly sticking to that, especially with the the money aspect. There's a lot of different creatives who are out here who. They haven't quite found the the balance between those two things.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:43:43 And it.

Jobana Semones 00:43:43 Sounds like it's.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:43:44 Hard.

Jobana Semones 00:43:46 I'm still figuring it out. I think I have some things figured out. I have some others that I haven't. I don't think anyone can quite say, you know. I have it. Chef's kiss. It's. I can tie a bow to it. I think it's an ongoing process. you. I think one is limited by the choices that we make or that we are able to make. and I'm not one of those people that value money. Like, I think money is just a means to do the things that you really want to do, or you know, how you use that money to leverage some of the experiences you want to have, etc.. So given that I don't really have that. I like money. I, you know, people want to give me money is great, but at the end of the day, you know, being able to understand why you're wanting to do something. Like, for me, I'm getting to do a job that I love and I get paid for it.

Jobana Semones 00:44:45 So that's like an extra bonus. But in the end, I have to provide for my family. And that's goal one. Goal two is I love experiences. I was I neglected to have like really great vacations with my family because we didn't vacation. We just worked. Yeah, I worked all of my life. And so now I'm like, I would be willing to sacrifice what people think of me. Like, I, I'm going to be in like an old beater car, but you know what? I'm going to go and save up to to go into an international trip, you know, somewhere cool that I haven't been to. But really, money is a way to put into a pot of like what drives your happiness. And I think when people are able to identify what is their happiness like for me? Having experiences. Spending time with the people that I love. And now I have a little bit more time to. Do that. So you know, what do you want to use money for? What is the the.

Jobana Semones 00:45:48 Your your type of happiness. Once you're able to define it, you'll find that it's easier to. Know how to spend your money or where to put your money. Where you can kind of. Reel it back.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:45:58 Right. Dang. Okay.

Jobana Semones 00:46:02 Okay. Sorry. It turned into a money podcast.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:46:04 No, I'm.

Jobana Semones 00:46:06 It's part of my background. It just comes out.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:46:08 I think that's a good experience to have and a good knowledge to bring. To the forefront. Because like I said, so many people haven't, figured out how to. Maneuver that I got into business to solve this one particular problem, not to. Necessarily know the books of everything. But now this is a skill that I have to cultivate. And that's true for so many other people. Life coaches.

Jobana Semones 00:46:35 Or surround yourself with people that have those skills, you know, like and this is how business owners can really tap, you know, tap into your community. You're not going to have the answers to everything. That's tapping into your local community.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:46:49 Very, very true, very true. Your wise counsel.

Jobana Semones 00:46:55 So I don't know about that, but okay.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:46:59 what is something you wish you knew before starting your business? even if it's something about the clients that you have. What? What's something that you wish you knew?

Jobana Semones 00:47:13 I think I wish I knew how to better take care of myself physically.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:47:18 Okay.

Jobana Semones 00:47:20 Okay. So hear me out. So, what I took for granted as an artist who didn't do art full time, and then transitioning as an artist who does art full time is that I do this motion with my hand often, and I have my hand up for like eight hours straight, six hours straight. What do I what should I have done? I should have, like, exercised my arm and strengthened my arm so that it didn't get tired of the repetitive motions that I wasn't accustomed to. You know, a lot of people get carpal tunnel. They get like some form of, you know, I don't know, they start having experiences, negative experiences with their joints.

Jobana Semones 00:48:09 And I think what I wish I would have known is that I should have prepared my body for the type of movements that I'm not now I'm doing. I used to sit around in the office a lot, but the way that I used to sit in an office versus how I sit when I'm painting, like sometimes I'm bending down. So, you know, I've started to notice that my arm is achy, my neck is a little bit stiff in different ways that it wasn't. So what I wish I would have known is how to exercise prior to transitioning fully, so that my arm and my body was better prepared for the types of, motions and the how I would the types of positions I would be for prolonged periods of time. So now I'm trying to exercise it a little bit and, you know, do like little weights. And it's funny because you don't think about it as like, you're an artist, you shouldn't do this. Like, but no, you know, it depending on the type of business that you own, especially if you have something where you have repetitive motions like, I think you should look into what types, what parts of your body are going to be using.

Jobana Semones 00:49:23 And you know, the more you use you have, the more wear and tear there is going to be. So how do you mitigate and kind of counterbalance that that type of strain on your body? So I know it's not what you were expecting, but it was.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:49:39 True because even down to I'm sure that's true for photographers and event planners, people who are standing all day, all day. But then even for someone like me, I had to actively. I felt silly, and having this conversation makes me feel a whole lot better about it. Really, because I'm sitting here for like eight, ten hours a day trying to just typing away, move in on the computer, and then I said, okay, talk to me. You have to figure out how to build a little bit more activity into your day. So even if that's you scheduling ten minutes every two hours for you to walk around the house just for the sake of walking around the house.

Jobana Semones 00:50:18 Absolutely.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:50:19 Do it.

Jobana Semones 00:50:21 Absolutely. Yeah.

Jobana Semones 00:50:22 And I think that's the most difficult time because it only takes ten, 15 minutes really to like, you know. But, I think it's so important because when you think about it, we only have one body. And if I hurt my arm or my hand, there goes my livelihood. I have to do something different. So, you know, I think physical health and and just, you know, being having a little bit of activity walking around. I think for me, YouTube has been a big source of, like, just different exercises I can do, to help out with some of the, the pain or possible pain that I may experience. I have a little heating pad that I put on my shoulder, just like before I go to sleep. It's. It's amazing. Oh, I feel so old. Sometimes. I'm like. I'm like, I shouldn't be feeling this way, but here I am, and it's okay. I'm here to tell everyone it's okay. It's normal.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:51:23 Yes.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:51:24 There is something. As you get older, there's something to the people telling you. Please make sure you're going to sleep. You cannot survive on three hours of sleep every day. Please make sure you're drinking your water. Please make sure you're getting these steps in all of these health things that you're thinking. I'm young. I don't have to worry about that. No. Do it now.

Jobana Semones 00:51:45 Yes, yes. Once again, preparing your body for future wear and tear.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:51:50 Yes. So last question. Before we get to our faith note what is something that you really want your current and future clients to know about the work that you're doing?

Jobana Semones 00:52:03 Okay, so I think what I want them to know is that the type of work that I do is really focused on connecting to the emotional and meaningful parts of whatever it is they want to represent as an artist. I feel like it's important for me to take on an interpretation of what they see their vision, and turn it into something that people are able to look at, and it's it's something that's beautiful, something that is true.

Jobana Semones 00:52:42 I don't know, sometimes I feel like art is truth and, you know, it's somebody's truth. And I think whenever someone partners with me, it's something that I want them one to have a person that is truly there to listen, to, understand. I've had like, I remember there was a bride who kind of gave me, you know, kind of like this unrestrained, like, be creative. Like, you have full creative license to do whatever you want with a The piece of art. This is the moment I want to capture. She wanted to do, like, a soft embrace. She was like, soft embrace. Watercolor. The rest is up to you. And so I started asking questions, and I was like, is there anything that is meaningful to you that whether that's in your wedding day or maybe it's not a part of your wedding day? maybe it's somebody that can't be there and you want a way to celebrate them. Like, you know, I try to ask probing questions that can, like, make people think and really dive deep into who they are and their love and and what is what are they connected to the most? and this particular client, her grandmother, had just passed away before their wedding.

Jobana Semones 00:54:08 And she was like, I love my grandmother. My grandmother was like, MVP, and I want a way to remember her. and she's like, now. One thing I do know is that she loves butterflies. Is there a way to incorporate butterflies into my piece? So it's really amazing to be able to, like, turn something like a moment, a cherished moment, turn into a piece of art. But on top of that, be able to add elements that maybe cannot be photographed, elements that otherwise would not exist, and be able to provide somebody with a solution that it's like. But it can happen. Like I'm able to, to to place something within this piece. And so I guess what I want them to know is that, you know, whenever somebody partners with me, whether that's a bride, whether that's a business owner looking to have a personalized painting for their office or their home, That they're not partnering with just a part of an artist that's going to create for the sake of creating, like, I really want to partner with you.

Jobana Semones 00:55:24 I want to get to know you. I want you to become my best friend. So that way, you know, whatever I create is truly reflective of your vision. That's truly reflective of how you feel at the moment or what you want your art to feel when you look at it. So, if you want just a, you know, an artist that can do something like that's photocopy of something, I'm probably not the best artist for that. there's a lot of talented artists that can create, like, photorealistic, paintings of, photos for me. I really want to emphasize that the type of work that I do is more of the the type of work that taps into people's souls and spirits. Like, I want to create something that's. Ethereal and and something that has is packed with meaning. Like that's truly something that's telling your story with one image or maybe multiple. Who knows? But I guess that's what I would say.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:56:32 I love that that truly encapsulates how I think of the work that you do in a perfect, perfect way.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:56:41 I'm so excited for the people that get the opportunity to work with you. so that was like so it made me all warm, and now it almost feels like the faith note is not necessary.

Jobana Semones 00:56:55 Right?

Tahjma VanBuren 00:56:57 like I mentioned before, my business, this podcast, we really run off of the idea of everything that's in Matthew 1720. If you have the faith of even just a mustard seed. You can move the mountain and tell it to go from here to there. And I believe that business owners, and especially service based business owners, we're constantly moving mountains because we just have this little piece of faith that tells us, girl, get up because you got something to do today. You have people's lives to impact today. So what? What's the faith? Note that you want to leave us with today.

Jobana Semones 00:57:37 So mine's not a very specific quote or, you know, reading or anything, but hopefully it will still help somebody somewhere out there. And that is that everyone has been gifted a talent, a gift, something that they're really good at.

Jobana Semones 00:57:56 And like, I think everybody knows what that is. Maybe you, you're you've been blessed and you have multiple things that you're really good at and you can combine them. But I think it is important that you understand that that is a gift that you have. No one else has. You know you've been given this opportunity. So don't be afraid to chase it. Don't be afraid to use it and share it with the world, because there's people out there that need you. There's people out there that would benefit from this gift that you have. So don't be afraid of using your natural talents. Don't be afraid of polishing those talents, because in the end, it's there for a reason. You know it. I don't think it was up to chance for you to have it. If not, everybody would have the same gift. Very, very. And I think that we become a better world when we're able to kind of weave all of our gifts together for the benefit of the whole. So Don't.

Jobana Semones 00:59:08 Don't leave it unused. Use your gift. I left mine unused for a while. And it hurt. It hurt me? Yes. And it. You know. And like you were saying eight years ago, I could have been it at your events there.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:59:23 But I'm so glad that you were here. have you read The Giver, the book or seen the movie? It's one of those books.

Jobana Semones 00:59:31 I have, I have, I have.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:59:34 As you were talking.

Jobana Semones 00:59:35 I read I think I read it in middle school. Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah.

Tahjma VanBuren 00:59:39 Yes. As you were talking, I immediately thought about The Giver and how everybody I don't remember the plot of it specifically, but everybody had a role that they needed to play, but they needed to really unearth the fact that, hey, this is what you bring to the table. Shine in that. Shine the lamp.

Jobana Semones 00:59:58 Yes, yes. If you have a vision of something, just go for it. Have a plan, but go for it.

Tahjma VanBuren 01:00:07 Calculated risks.

Jobana Semones 01:00:09 Yes.

Tahjma VanBuren 01:00:10 Jovana, thank you so much for being on the show.

Jobana Semones 01:00:15 Tasha, thank you so much for having me. This has been truly a pleasure. It's been a great experience. And, you're a lovely host, so I couldn't have done it without you.

Tahjma VanBuren 01:00:26 Bye, y'all. You've been listening to Coffee Chats podcast from IMO's Management, a marketing agency serving small business owners. This episode was written, hosted, produced, and edited by me, Tajima Van Buren. If you want to learn more about anything you heard on the show, schedule your coffee chat using the link in the description. We'll talk all things podcasting and how to use it as a true marketing strategy for you and your small business. Go to Imas management. Com for further information. Thank you to our listeners for supporting the show by.