130 – Goodbye for now

Laura 0:00 Today’s episode is a little different. Nikki and I have some news to share about the future of Startist Society. Nikki 0:07 It’s not the kind of conversation we ever thought we’d have when we started this podcast, but here we are. Laura 0:11 And while it’s bittersweet, we want to be honest with you about where we’re at and what’s happening next. Laura 0:22 Hi, this is Laura Lee Griffin Nikki 0:24 And this is Nikki May with the Startist Society, inspiring you to stop getting in your own way and start building an art biz and life that you love. Laura 0:33 We are artists who believe strongly in the power of community, accountability, following your intuition, taking small actionable steps and breaking down the barriers of fear and procrastination that keep you stuck. Nikki 0:46 Follow along with us on our creative business journey, as we encourage you on yours. Laura 0:55 So here’s the reality. Over the past year, it has become nearly impossible for Nikki and me to coordinate recording sessions consistently. Nikki 1:02 When I made the decision to live full time in my bus and travel, I knew it would change, well, a lot of things in my life. What I didn’t fully anticipate was how challenging it would make maintaining regular commitments like this podcast. Laura 1:16 And between my demanding day job schedule and Nikki’s nomadic lifestyle, finding times when we’re both available, have good internet connections and can dedicate the focus time this podcast deserves, has become incredibly difficult. Nikki 1:28 We’ve tried everything, scheduling weeks in advance, recording multiple episodes in one session when we can connect, even attempting to record while I’m parked at truck stops with questionable wifi and 30 diesel engines idling nearby. Laura 1:43 Remember that episode when we could hear trucker generators going on in the background? Nikki 1:48 What do you mean that one time? Yeah, that one never made it to air, though the bourbon reference in that episode was particularly inspired by necessity. Laura 1:58 Well, the truth is, we’ve been struggling to maintain the quality and consistency that you deserve from us and that we expect from ourselves, Nikki 2:06 And rather than continuing to stress out about it or to deliver subpar content, we decided it was time to be honest with you and with ourselves. Laura 2:14 When we started Startist Society back in 2020 we had this vision of creating a resource for artists who felt stuck or overwhelmed in building their creative businesses. Nikki 2:25 And looking back at the 130 episodes we’ve created together, Laura 2:28 130 Nikki Nikki 2:29 130 Laura 2:30 Wow. Nikki 2:30 I think we’ve accomplished that. We’ve covered everything from overcoming perfectionism to building websites and marketing. Laura 2:38 We’ve interviewed incredible artists and entrepreneurs, shared our own messy journeys and hopefully helped some of you feel a little less alone in this creative business adventure. Nikki 2:47 Some of my favorite moments have been when listeners reached out to tell us about their wins, like landing their first licensing deal, launching their email list, or finally finishing that collection they’ve been procrastinating on. Laura 2:59 Or when they shared their struggles and realized they weren’t the only ones dealing with imposter syndrome or pricing anxiety or the overwhelm of trying to do all the things. Nikki 3:09 We’ve laughed together. We’ve laughed at each other. We’ve learned together, and we’ve definitely consumed way too much bourbon together. Well, mostly me on that one, it was Fireball for you, Laura, Laura 3:25 Yes, Fireball for me. But we’ve also grown together. I mean, when we started, I had no idea how to edit audio, and you hadn’t even bought your bus yet. Nikki 3:34 And now look at us. I’m a full time nomad. You’ve moved to a new city, built a new studio, and we’ve both evolved so much in our creative businesses. Laura 3:43 So what does this mean for the podcast? Well, we’re officially going on hiatus. We’re not deleting anything or shutting down completely, but we’re also not promising a specific return date. Nikki 3:54 All 130 episodes will remain available wherever you listen to podcasts. That’s hours and hours of content covering business strategies, mindset shifts, technical tutorials and inspiring interviews. Laura 4:07 The show notes and resources on our website at startistsociety.com will stay up, including all of those free downloads and checklists that we’ve created for you over the years. Nikki 4:17 And our Startist Society Facebook group will remain a place for artists to connect, ask questions and support each other. We might not be dropping new episodes, but that community can continue without new episodes. Laura 4:29 We’ll still pop into the group from time to time to say hi and answer questions when we can. As for what’s next for each of us individually. Nikki, you want to go first? Nikki 4:37 Sure. I’ll be continuing my bus adventures, traveling around the country, and you can follow along on my instagram @nikkimayart. I’m still also doing web design and branding work for artists and small businesses. You can find more about that at nikkimay.com. I’m also really close to launching that Shopify, print on demand shop that I’ve been talking about for like, two years, I swear. Laura 5:04 You swear? Nikki 5:05 I swear. Laura 5:08 Well, I’m going to be focusing more on my own art practice and finally launching that collection I’ve been talking about for how long now? Nikki 5:16 A while, Laura, a good long while. Laura 5:19 Fair. You can find me on Instagram @lauraleegriffin, and my website is lauraleegriffin.com I’m also planning to finally get serious about sending regular emails to my list, you know, practicing what we preach? Nikki 5:34 What a novel concept. Laura 5:37 And who knows, maybe once I get better at managing my time and Nikki figures out the logistics of consistent recording from the road, we might surprise you with a special episode or even a comeback. Nikki 5:47 Never say never. After all, we’ve surprised ourselves plenty of times over the past few years, Laura 5:52 So we want to thank every single person who’s listened, shared our episodes, left reviews, joined our Facebook group, or sent us messages over the years. Nikki 6:02 This podcast has been such a joy to create, and the community that formed around it has been beyond what we ever imagined when we hit record on that first episode. Laura 6:11 You know what I’ve learned from this whole experience, Nikki? That it’s okay to start something without knowing exactly where it’s going to lead. Nikki 6:17 Absolutely. And it’s also okay to pause something when it’s no longer serving you the way it once did. That’s not failure, that’s being honest about your capacity and priorities. Laura 6:27 We’ve spent years telling you to stop getting in your own way, to take action even when it’s imperfect, and to build sustainable, creative businesses. Nikki 6:34 And part of sustainability is knowing when to step back, reassess and make changes that honor where you are in life right now. Laura 6:42 So we’re practicing what we preach. We created something meaningful for over four years, and now it’s time to focus our energy elsewhere. Nikki 6:49 Before we sign off, we want to leave you with a few final thoughts that capture what Startist Society has always been about. Laura 6:54 First, don’t wait for perfect. We didn’t have all the answers when we started this podcast, and you don’t need all the answers to start your art business, launch your website or put your work out there. Nikki 7:05 Second, community really matters. Find your people, whether that’s in our Facebook group, at local art events or in online spaces. You don’t have to figure everything out alone. Laura 7:17 Third, take small, actionable steps. You don’t have to overhaul your entire business or create 50 pieces for a collection. Just do the next small thing, and then the next, and then the next. Nikki 7:29 And fourth, set boundaries and honor your capacity. Don’t burn yourself out trying to be everywhere and do everything. Focus on what matters most to you and your business. Laura 7:39 And finally, keep creating, keep making art, keep building the business and life you love. That’s what this has always been about. Nikki 7:47 So this is a goodbye for now, rather than a permanent farewell. Who knows what the future holds. Laura 7:52 The most important thing is that we’re not disappearing entirely. You can still find us in our individual creative endeavors, and the content we already created isn’t going to go anywhere. Nikki 8:03 And remember, the whole point of Startist Society was to help you stop getting in your own way. Laura 8:07 Use the resources we’ve created. Go back and listen to episodes that resonate with you and where you are right now. Nikki 8:14 Keep moving forward, even if it’s just tiny steps. That’s all any of us can really do. Laura 8:18 Keep creating, keep growing, keep building. Nikki 8:22 And when in doubt, remember that bourbon helps. But more importantly, community helps. Progress over perfection helps, and taking small, actionable steps helps. Laura 8:33 Thank you for being part of this journey with us. Thank you for your questions, your stories, your wins and your vulnerability and sharing your struggles. Nikki 8:41 You’ve helped us make this podcast what it is, and we’re so grateful for every single one of you. Laura 8:46 This is Laura Lee Griffin. Nikki 8:47 And this is Nikki May, signing off from wherever the road takes us. Laura 8:51 Stay creative, stay inspired, and, most importantly Nikki 8:54 Stop getting in your own way. Nikki and Laura 8:55 Thanks for listening Nikki 8:58 and we’ll see you Laura 8:59 somewhere, Nikki 9:00 somehow, Laura 9:01 sometime.