315: Turning Art into Business with Amy Keever

Summary: Welcome to another great episode of Startup Junkies! On this episode, hosts Davis McEntire, Jeff Amerine, and Victoria Dickerson sit down with Amy Keever, owner of Amy Keever Gallery, a unique Parisian art salon located a block off the Bentonville square. Amy is a primarily self-taught glass mosaic artist of twenty-one years who prides herself in creating one-of-a-kind heirloom pieces. Throughout the episode, Davis, Jeff, Victoria, and Amy discuss balancing a business that is also your creative outlet and how to reignite your creativity when you’re feeling uninspired.   Show Notes: (1:02) Introduction to Amy (1:11) About Amy and Amy Keever Gallery (2:54) Being a Business Owner and an Artist (4:56) Future Plans for Amy Keever Gallery (6:20) The Gallery’s Ideal Customer (8:38) Balancing a Business as Your Creative Outlet (10:57) How to Refuel Your Creative Side (13:04) Mentoring Young Artists (15:12) What Comes Next  (18:20) Advice to Aspiring Artists (21:14) Closing Thoughts   Links: Davis McEntire Jeff Amerine Victoria Dickerson Amy Keever Amy Keever Gallery   Quotes: “As a small business owner, you don’t have that boss to tell you, ‘This is how you have to do this.’ So, setting up systems was a big deal for me. I have a vision book that I keep the year’s goals and everything in.” - Amy Keever, (4:06) “I think when you have a passion like that, it’s really hard, you’ll do anything to keep that. I’ve always said my dream is like a baby and it’s my job to protect that baby…There are some things that are not fun, but I know they get me to my end goals.” - Amy Keever, (8:38) “I always said I wasn’t necessarily the most academic teacher, but I could motivate a kid. I think so much with life is about validation. If you can say, ‘Hey you’re valid just as you are,’ that’s a huge thing to be able to conquer.” - Amy Keever, (13:05) “I would be true to myself and not feel like I had to validate myself to the rest of the world to be able to go forward in what I’m doing.” - Amy Keever, (17:31)