#520 Miriam Schulman: How Can Artists Price to Sell?

Miriam Schulman is the author of Artpreneur, founder of the Artist Incubator program, and a longtime artist and business coach, and we spoke about how creatives can build profitable businesses without underpricing, chasing social media, or waiting to feel ready. After starting on Wall Street and changing direction after 9/11, Miriam realized she was not living her purpose and began applying “time tested strategies for selling” to her own portraits.Her approach centers on pricing, belief, emotional selling, and implementation. She challenges the idea that “cheaper is easier to sell” and explains why buyers often need products to feel “reassuringly expensive.” Miriam also breaks down the belief triad: believing in yourself, believing in what you sell, and, most importantly, “belief in your buyer.” Instead of selling only benefits, she argues that people buy how something makes them feel and what it says about them.We also spoke about the five foundations she sees behind a successful creative business: production, pricing, prospecting, promotion, and productivity. Miriam shares examples of artists who grew from $13,400 in gallery sales to over $90,000 in a year, or made $19,000 in one month without relying on Instagram. Her point is clear: “You don’t need more information. You need implementation.”For listeners, this episode offers a practical reset on selling creative work with stronger pricing, better buyer psychology, less dependence on social media, and a clear next step to continue learning from Miriam through The Inspiration Place Podcast.Key takeawaysStop assuming cheaper prices make selling easier.Build belief in yourself, your offer, and your buyer.Sell the feeling, not only the product benefit.Focus on implementation, not more information.Do not build your business around social engagement.Use pricing to create trust, not insecurity.