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ReBloom Podcast: Finding Joy, Color & Confidence with Wendy Conklin of Chair Whimsy
177 Plays2 days ago
What happens when creativity, courage, and a deep love of home collide?
You get Wendy Conklin, better known as Chair Whimsy.
In this ReBloom Podcast episode, Wendy shares her journey from finding a creative outlet to building a joy-filled brand rooted in play, color, and confidence. What began as a weekend upholstery class quickly bloomed into a business that reimagines antique chairs, expands into vibrant art and textiles, and nurtures a thriving community of creative women.
Wendy believes every woman deserves a home that reflects who she truly is—and she shows us how creativity can be both accessible and transformative. From boldly mixing fabrics to trusting your instincts, her work invites us to loosen perfection, take creative risks, and let whimsy lead the way.
Whether you’re a maker, a creative entrepreneur, or simply longing to bring more personality into your home, this conversation is a gentle reminder that creativity doesn’t have to be complicated—it just needs permission. And we all give you that permission to create with joy!
Listen in and be inspired to ReBloom, one joyful project at a time.
Website: https://chairwhimsy.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chairwhimsy/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DIYwithChairWhimsy
Book: https://chairwhimsy.com/book/
Shop: https://www.whimsyandco.com/
Big thank you to our sponsor: Jet Creative: A women-owned marketing firm committed to community and empowerment. Whether you’re launching a podcast or building a website, Jet Creative can help you get started. Visit JetCreative.com/Podcast to kickstart your journey!
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Transcript
Introduction to Rebloom
00:00:01
Speaker
Hey everyone, welcome to Rebloom, the podcast where we explore the power of change, rediscovery and living with intention. That's right. We're your hosts, Lori and Jamie, two friends who really love a good story about transformation.
00:00:17
Speaker
In each podcast, we're going to chat with inspiring guests who've made bold pivots in their lives or careers. They've let go of what no longer serve them to embrace something more authentic, joyful, and true to who they really are.
00:00:31
Speaker
And the best part, many of them reconnect with passions or dreams they discovered as kids. It's about finding the seeds planted long ago and letting them bloom again.
00:00:43
Speaker
So if you're ready for real conversations about reinvention purpose and following your creative heart, you're in the right place. Let's dive in and see what it takes to rebloom.
Conversation with Wendy Conklin
00:00:56
Speaker
This conversation with Wendy, i i just love her point of view. And i love how during the conversation, i think Jamie, you said something about bringing her Wendy magic.
00:01:08
Speaker
Because she really, why I am so inspired by her is how she brings joy and play and color and life and whimsy to everything she does.
00:01:19
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, she does. And this conversation is leaving us more joyful. And I know it will leave you all more joyful too, because she's just incredible. She's had an incredible journey. And it's a journey that each and every one of us can have. It's take finding what you love, starting slowly, doing it, and pivoting along the way, which is what Rebloom is all about.
00:01:45
Speaker
Well, hello, my friend, Lori. How are you today? Jane. Good to see you. We're going to a fun talk today. we are. Happy holidays to our listeners.
00:01:57
Speaker
I cannot believe this, Lori, but we've made it through yet a full year, another full year Rebloom. And so many great conversations. we We both were tentative in the beginning, but these conversations and stories have just fed us. They're wonderful.
00:02:16
Speaker
They have fed us and we have a whole list slated for 2026, too. We cannot wait for season three to begin in the new year. But we're going end on a super high note with Wendy Conklin. Tell us about her.
00:02:32
Speaker
So i kind of stalked Wendy for many years on Instagram. stalked. She has a feed called Chair Whimsy. And so I one time reached out to her in a DM and said, hey, could we do a collaboration? So I ended up doing some fabrics and she created a series of chairs with my fabrics. And I have one in my dining room, which I love. It makes me so happy.
00:02:58
Speaker
But then we've gone on to she was a speaker at... Art Biz Jam last a couple years ago and she also i just worked with her on painting a shed at her her home in New York which was really fun so we just tend to connect with each other off and on and I love watching what she's up to because she's always up to something exciting so Wendy Conklin welcome welcome thank you guys for having me
00:03:31
Speaker
Oh my gosh. Thank you. Now, where are you? Where are you calling in from? i'm calling in from the Austin, Texas area. I'm a native Texan, but I spend my summers in upstate New York.
00:03:42
Speaker
So now I love New Yorkers and we have a, we have a home in New York, but it's in Southwestern New York and it's either New York city or upstate New York, which I've decided there's just two, so two locations in all of New York state. Where it, where are you in the the Adirondacks or where are you in New York?
00:03:58
Speaker
We are. We're at the very base of the Adirondacks, just kind of west of Saratoga Springs, in between Saratoga Springs and Amsterdam. It's another little town. We're kind of smack dab in the middle up on a little mountain.
00:04:10
Speaker
And it's the cutest little cabin that she has shared her decorating
Wendy's Childhood and Influences
00:04:16
Speaker
expertise. So i I know what you're up to now and we'll get there, but we always kind of go back in time And we want to know about little Wendy up to today. So what were you like as a girl and what were you into?
00:04:32
Speaker
oh gosh. So I was really into crafting as a little kid and it was odd because my mother was not that way or into any of that, but I naturally wanted my own little sewing machines. i got one of those little baby kid, kid ones, and I would sew little pillows for my Barbies and little quilts and things like that. um And, ah you know, I like to make things. I like to paper crafts. Some of my favorite little books that I would get from like the Scholastic Book Fair would be, you know, Valentine crafts. And like you would make your own types of different things. And I just loved those kind of books as a kid, you know, and looking back. So I never knew my dad's parents. They both passed when he was young. And, but my grandmother, his mom was a very creative person and she was a hat maker, a hat designer in Dallas. She sewed men's suits, did all kinds of suiting. She painted men's ties. um You know, she could pretty much do anything. And I think I got the gene from her. It's what I, that's what I'm putting together two and two. But as a little girl, like I loved doing all of that kind of stuff. I loved, you know, you know, kind of fixing my bedroom, decorating, things like that. And I would teach all of my little stuffed animals, I would line them up and I had a little chalkboard and I would go through the lesson. So all this was like, giving views into what I was going to become in the future, know. So even though your mom, you say wasn't maybe a crafter or maker, did she support you in that?
00:06:12
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, she, you know, it's, um I guess so. it i kind of just did my own thing, I think, you know, I mean, um it wasn't like I got an overabundance of things, but I had everything I needed, you know, i feel like at the time. so We've had some guests, and it's interesting of our generation, you know, the parents were more get a job, get do something productive. you know It's like art, yeah no. And they finally have pivoted to that art, to their love of art. And i had an artist i had my mother was very artistic. And so it was always, she was always encouraging of that, but I don't i wouldn't say that it was, but it was you know but again, it was also get a real job too. So It was a little bit of it was never a thought ah to to go in into an artistic ah type of career. That was never even a consideration or thought, I think, as a kid. and ah Mainly, just I think that's not what I ever saw. you know I saw teachers. you know I thought I might be a teacher. i thought when I was going away to college, I thought I might go into business at first. was like...
00:07:22
Speaker
So, you know, it's
Career Path and Creative Transition
00:07:24
Speaker
interesting. I was just trying to figure out a way to make a living and do something, not really thinking I could have been an interior designer, but I didn't know anyone was doing that back then. Right.
00:07:35
Speaker
yeah so what did you end up doing Well, I ended up going into getting just kind of a general ed degree, going on and getting my teacher certificate after that so that I could teach and teach elementary school. So that's really where I ended up was a teacher.
00:07:51
Speaker
And um I loved it. I loved planning. I loved the... making everything fun for my students. My goal was to take the most boring class and make it the most exciting. So social studies is something i always hated as a kid because we just read a chapter and took a test. You know, it's just boring. And so I decided i was going to make that my mission when in my classroom. So I taught third grade first and then fifth grade. I taught seventh grade for a year. And I every you know, every with every class, I would just try to make it so fun, not just for the kids, but for myself, too.
00:08:32
Speaker
And it really was fun. ah And the kids really enjoyed it. And I did, too. It was really great. What an incredible teacher. What a goal to be young and to think that way. That's incredible. More teachers like that. That's incredible. It was fun. And once again, we see this time and time again in these conversations, you were laying those breadcrumbs that all culminated together. Together, like you were sewing when you were little, then you became a teacher. And those are all elements of your, your, what you do today. So yeah how did you end up moving into, like, how was Chair Whimsy born?
00:09:10
Speaker
Yeah. So I had, um from being a teacher, i got my master's degree in gifted education and worked with gifted kids and Northwestern University had a program for gifted kids that i helped run the satellite. I was kind of like the principal. I first started as a teacher and then kind of worked my way up and, um,
00:09:32
Speaker
you know, that kind of led into a career of writing curriculum for a company out in California. and so I could write from anywhere. And so we were in Chicago at that time. And then we moved to Texas, back to Texas after my husband was done with grad school. And so I kind of started a new sort of career where I was teaching teachers. I'd write curriculum, write books, and they would buy the books from the company and I go train them. So,
00:09:59
Speaker
I was being a teacher again, but in a different way and writing, which was creative. And I really loved, um, And during that time, back in 2012, I wanted to take an upholstery class. I had always loved chairs and dabbled in it and kind of did them myself trying to figure it out, but not knowing the right way. So for my birthday was coming up and I said, for my birthday present, I want to go take an upholstery course in South Austin. And so that's what I did for six weeks on a Saturday. I spent my entire Saturdays down there learning.
00:10:32
Speaker
And that really... i I took the class twice because I couldn't remember what we would do in the class. Like you'd go home. You'd like, wait, how did I do that? And like, we didn't have any videos to review. I had pictures and notes, but it didn't make sense, you know? So it's all good feedback for when you go to teach it yourself. And um so I ended up retaking the class and,
00:10:55
Speaker
And then it kind of solidified. And my I don't even remember how the name chair whimsy came up, but I was getting some little chairs. I had like five or six chairs around my house. And I thought, well, let's see if I can make my money back. And it was just pure hobby.
00:11:10
Speaker
And so I decided I'm just going to open an Etsy shop. So I did. And like, I remember my friend was telling me I was at her house and i was trying to decide on what my shop name would be. And she said, I just came up with it. Chair whimsy. And I don't even remember this, but she swears this is what happened. I trust her. But um so I put my chairs up there, opened my little shop, still had my good career.
00:11:33
Speaker
And like in two weeks, I had a chair that sold. And i was like, oh, my gosh, how do I ship this to New York City? I was wondering. All the problems. All like, you know, you jump before you're thinking. like, I'll figure it out We figured it out. But I learned a lot of mistakes, learned from a lot of mistakes, too. But. um So then I started getting more orders for my chairs and my love of my job kind of started going down and the love of doing chairs kind of started rising. But then it was the problem of how can I make enough money to replace my salary? Because, you know, i i couldn't I wasn't working for fun. You know, I paid the bills. And, um, so that took a long time.
00:12:15
Speaker
It took me about six and a half years before I could quit my day job. So it was long and it was hard, a lot of tears, you know, um, because I wanted to do it so bad and I just couldn't afford to do it. But finally I got there, you know, uh, so that's kind of how it all has, you know, and it just keeps going, you know, so I'm still doing chairs. I'm still loving it and everything.
00:12:39
Speaker
Yeah. At that time, were you just selling the chairs that you upholstered? I was, yeah, just selling the chairs that I would do. i I learned that like doing a lot of custom orders was something that people really wanted. They wanted something unique. They wanted something to fit their decor or just something made just for them.
00:13:00
Speaker
So that was a really popular thing. You know i I love that you you said and you shared that you you know you needed to work because you were paying the bills. And we have many guests who listen and many guests who have been on here who that, in fact, is reality. And they can't just you know quit the day job and just have fun being creative.
00:13:20
Speaker
But you did it in just such a smart way, too, which is, you know, yeah, you maybe didn't, maybe you wanted to quit a few years earlier, but there is a reality there. But you kept going. And the thing that I know our listeners, several, you know, many of our listeners know, and we know is that just like you said, like, oh shoot, now I got a ship a chair, like whoopsie. And so that, that margin that you maybe built in for profit just went down the, down the tubes because you just spent it in shipping whatever. And so you, and that's part of growing a creative business is, you know, you can't quit it, quit it all and put all your eggs in one basket. Sometimes you do need to Take it slow, learn from your mistakes and then grow accordingly. The other thing that that points out to me, which is so true, is that I think a lot of people, they are stopped in doing something because they think they have to have it all figured out before they take the plunge. Where really you learn so much more by actually doing and, you know, you you make those mistakes, yes, but you learn from them and then the next time you know to do it much better.
00:14:32
Speaker
Yeah, the knowing is in the doing. Exactly. like And I just, I remember at the beginning, i was thinking, oh, I should have gotten an MBA. I'd be so much better at this. But now i know better. Now I know that, no, exactly the way I did it was the right way for me. Because...
00:14:50
Speaker
I had to figure it out along the way. i had to pivot quickly and I could because it was just me I had to listen to feedback from what people wanted and then change my business model. You know, i didn't even know I had a business model, but I did. i was doing it, but I was figuring it out. And that really was the best thing ever for a creative business is being able to pivot, being able to to make it up as you go. because you will be more creative in your marketing. i mean, it just benefits you rather than feeling like it has to be done a certain way because you never stand out if you're doing it just like everybody else.
00:15:30
Speaker
Well, you're so right. and And, you know, Wendy, you said something that's so critical is you listened. You know, sometimes I think creatives go in and say, this is what I'm going to do, period, end of sentence, and then they move forward and they don't listen to feedback. And I have to say, your friends and family are all going to tell you you're amazing. right. You're amazing. We love that. Yes. And thank you. I need that pat on the back, particularly if I've had a bad day.
00:15:54
Speaker
But by listening to that and just by going slow like you did to your point, then you could make those adjustments. And yes, maybe you had a great idea, but now you've turned it into a great business.
00:16:07
Speaker
Right. And I think there's a way to to listen and do what your customers want, still do it in your way. Yes. Because you've got your style, you've got your outlook, your viewpoint on what you're creating. That's what makes it super unique. and but But also being able to pivot, oh, they want it this way. Okay, I can do it. Not being offended that it wasn't exactly the way I wanted it to be, but but taking it as, okay, this is how I can make some money doing this and enjoy my job.
00:16:36
Speaker
So you within this business, I watch you and I see you pivot time and not pivot. They're like little nuances to your business and things you're adding. So can you talk about some of the things that you've, you've added on to chair whimsy?
Business Growth and Coaching
00:16:54
Speaker
Yeah, so one of them was teaching upholstery, an online class. um And that that came out of, you know, a few people were were really my business coach at the time. i had finally forked over money and paid for a business coach. I remember it was like $2,700 for the year, and I thought it was going to kill me to do that. Like, I just didn't feel like I had the money, but I knew, like i was at the pivotal point where I quit my job,
00:17:22
Speaker
And I was going all in. And I remember i was like, oh my gosh, this is so much money. But like I made it back really quick. All the tips, all the tricks, all the things that she taught me and she pressured me to do an online course. And I was like resisting, like nobody's going to want this. And she's like, no, this is what they want. I'm like, yeah, but it's going to ruin my chair sales. And she, like all the the classic things that I thought back then, but it was like, no, there are certain people who do not want to make their own chairs. They're going to buy them from you. And then you can earn money from people who could never afford your chairs, you know, and and you could teach them. And so I said, okay, you know, I'm going to, I'll do it, but then I'm going to blame you when this doesn't work. And it worked. I mean, that was, a it was, you know, and it's really good to have mentors. It's good to have business coaches.
00:18:10
Speaker
who have really good creative business insight. And that's really what she had for me. And so thanks to her, you know, I did that. And then people would ask me, oh, but I want to learn where you get your fabrics. So I put together like a mini course on sourcing fabrics online.
00:18:29
Speaker
And um to help people to know this is how I do it, you know, and so it was really it's been a really good like one little courses led to another and so I've got a whole bunch of them now. But my main one is the DIY of Pulse Before Beginners. And I teach people who want to do chairs like what I do because they're fast, they're quick, and they can make such a huge difference in your space and make you so happy when you walk into your breakfast nook and you see these cute chairs like, oh, this is great, you know, and knowing that you did it yourself, you know. And then there's people who who want to turn it into a business like what I've done. And so that's great, too, is encouraging them and helping them to not –
00:19:08
Speaker
make all the mistakes that I did. They can get there quicker if, if they will listen, you know, to don't do this because I made all the mistakes, you know? Uh, so, but it was good for me.
00:19:19
Speaker
I have three chairs in my basement. I am a chair collector and yeah I need to take your DIY course and learn how to do it because I would love to have my own fabrics and make my own chairs. Not as a business because it'll have too many other things going on, but i I want to take it. Well, and you can do it.
00:19:39
Speaker
I need to do it. I have more chairs than I know what to do with, too, because I love I love chairs. In fact, I have one without a seat. So I'm thinking, OK, how do I either get it to Wendy or figure it out? But, you know, Wendy, it's it's interesting. I shared this earlier that I gave away a how to thing years ago and I thought, oh, I can either do that.
00:19:58
Speaker
and oh, I'm giving all the information away. And I always say the wheel has been invented. What you realize is that people are never going to do exactly what you're doing. They don't want to be chair upholsters. They just, as you said, they either want to buy it or they want to do their own. They don't want to start business or do anything that way. So yeah. yeah It's interesting too, because you know what I, I don't ever get threatened by someone copying my chairs. It's going happen. Right. Um, I don't get it. I don't get threatened or worried because the thing, you know, I'm moving on to the next design. I'm always thinking about the next thing because that's what feeds my energy and no one can take what's up in my head. Like my creativity, no one can copy that. Like, ah and that's what makes me happy and gives me life.
00:20:49
Speaker
I feel. and and so that core of who I am, and I think that all artists can feel that way, that that core of who you are, um you know, is special to you.
00:21:01
Speaker
And I think that that was going to help us. Absolutely. Let's take a quick minute and thank our amazing sponsors. Jet Creative is a women owned marketing firm committed to community and empowerment since 2013.
00:21:16
Speaker
Are you ready to rebloom and build a website or start a podcast? Visit jetcreative.com backslash podcast to kickstart your journey. They will help you bloom in ways you never imagined. And bonus, our listeners get an exclusive discount when you mention Rebloom.
00:21:35
Speaker
And don't forget to subscribe to this podcast and follow us on Instagram and Facebook at Rebloom Podcast. Thanks to our sponsors and thanks to you for joining us today.
00:21:47
Speaker
So, Wendy, another pivot that I've noticed that you've made, which I think is really smart, is you've been hosting retreats for women entrepreneurs. Can you talk about how that came to be?
00:22:00
Speaker
Yeah. So my friend and i we met each other through our previous careers. She was a sales rep for the company and I would go do trainings for her. And so we got to be friends and we would share, you know, as our friendship, I'd see her and go do trainings with her clients. And then we would, you know, go out to dinner or something afterward. And we began talking about what we really wanted to do. And that's, this is, you know, my dream of doing chair whimsy full time was always there. And she had, dreams of being full time entrepreneur as well. And so over time, i ended up quitting my job first, and then she quit after me, you know, but we had all these conversations, we're always afraid of what was going to happen, you know, and that kind of stuff. if, you know, if it didn't work out and, and everything, but, um, so we just have been friends for a really long time, probably more than 12 years. And we had been talking back, uh, before COVID even about getting together, maybe doing some kind of retreat for women who also want to have a creative, uh, type of job.
00:23:09
Speaker
And, um, Or at least approach it in a creative way. And so in 2021, that summer, we got together and we started planning. We said, we're going to do it this next spring. We're going the spring of 22. We're going host a retreat for, you know, women who want to be either if they have a creative business or they want to have a creative business. We want to have them come. And so.
00:23:35
Speaker
Um, so we did it and we've done it. We just hosted one back in October. Um, we've done some one day events. That's a, that's a three day event, but we've done some one day events. We've got another one coming up at the end of February and we're actually hosting it at my home. So we can fit about, we can fit 30 people, but that's max. You know, i don't have any more chairs or space for more than that. Um, So we've done it before and we've sold out and it's just a one day event.
00:24:02
Speaker
It's much cheaper and much more affordable because it is just a one day thing. But it's been so rewarding to see women get ideas through, you know, the things we're presenting and then the conversations that we're having, the brainstorming that's happening and just getting to see your business through different eyes, you know, We always leave those retreats so inspired by the women and what they're going to end up doing. And we've had some people go on to do like cookbooks, be in Southern Living, you know, magazine. You know, we've had a lot of we've seen a lot of success. So it's it's very rewarding and really, really fun.
00:24:44
Speaker
That's amazing. So you came and spoke at Art Biz Jam, which was a conference that I had been hosting for a long time. um It was a business for artists, but now I do the Rebloom conference and we're doing our second one next May.
00:24:59
Speaker
You would be an amazing speaker. We already have our speaker lineup for this this next one, but... yeah Would you consider Oh, yeah. I would love it. That'd be fun. because they are amazing Because it's those types of women that you talk about. And Lori and I both work with them and teach them independently in different areas, you know, different ways, um just different groups. And everybody, it's interesting. They want to do well. and But sometimes we just need that encouragement and some tools in our tool belt to do it. Absolutely. we've got the talent. Absolutely.
00:25:34
Speaker
And it's just, and it's that leap of faith that sometimes you need to take. And that's what we saw that at the Rebloom conference last year, Lori, these women who just were so, they were so ready after to just go and do it because they heard from everyone else that it's not always easy.
00:25:53
Speaker
It's, it but you know what, if you have that passion in your heart and you want to do it, just keep, keep trying, keep going keep and do it, do what you need to do. Mm-hmm. Yeah, it's like you borrow encouragement from other people when you see their dreams and what they're doing. It's like you can ah you can borrow that for yourself and give yourself the confidence to do it. That's a great way of putting it. It is a great way to put it. Exactly. So another thing that we kind of collaborated on is you reached out and you have a shed that you wanted to paint a mural on it near your New York home.
00:26:29
Speaker
And what was really fun for me to see is, you know, i I gave you some designs to consider and coached you through on the process, but you so made it your own.
00:26:41
Speaker
And now you recently came out with a whole collection of product with your own art on it. And that was so fun for me to see you taking that step. So talk about what that's been like for you.
Artistic Exploration and Textile Ambitions
00:26:55
Speaker
So I started taking art lessons about a year and a half ago, a little over a year and a half ago. And I take it from Kim Parker is my teacher. And I've always loved her art. Yeah. um I used to use her fabrics. I have her wallpaper in my shop. Love her work. i I know she's amazing. And I didn't realize she taught adults, but we get on FaceTime every week for an hour and she teaches me. And it's, it's real organic. It's been really good. It's, she's pushed me to create my own look. And so anyway, but I had never done a mural before.
00:27:34
Speaker
And so i was really nervous. And, you know, we thought, you know, at first we thought maybe you would come. But then I thought, well, maybe I could just get coached on this. And, you know, we could just say it's a collaboration. And that turned out to be the best thing ever, because it took me a long time to finish this mural. It took me three and a half weeks. because I worked on it bits at a time. But it was so good for me because like you talk about like what what I just said about borrowing the confidence from somebody. Like you told me what paints to get. OK, got that, you know, and then i started and it was just one of these things like we can dread, dread, dread doing something because we're scared. is It's what it is. You know, we're scared. It may not turn out we're scared. Maybe we don't have it in us to do it.
00:28:22
Speaker
But at the end of the day, i' like, I've got to get this done. You know, I promised my audience I was going to do it. I need to turn this eyesore into something. So I got out there with my chalk. I started chalking out.
00:28:33
Speaker
things and erasing certain things and and trying. And I just got out the paint. was like, all right, I'm going paint this little area just see how it looks. And as I started going, I started realizing, oh, maybe I should switch this color or maybe I need this flower here. And and then it just kind of, you know, blossomed. So I had a really good starting base, which thank you for that. And then the confidence that that gave me to just Jump off the deep end, you know, and just, all right, Wendy, just do it, you know, and, you know, if if it doesn't turn out, you can paint over it. Not exactly.
00:29:09
Speaker
and But it was hard because my whole neighborhood could see what I was doing. And there were some ugly parts of that. You know, I don't know. if I'm sure your paintings are never ugly, but I. Yes, they are. There's always a messy middle. Okay. always i I definitely was experiencing that. And it's a little humiliating when everyone can see it and you can't hide it. But um it was just funny because I didn't know, like, you know, we're, so we're near this tiny, tiny lake. We're across the street from the lake. It's about one hundred yards. We have lake access. And so we're this little community, this little dirt road that goes around the lake. And, um, So it's a small group of people. There are some people who live there permanently. Some people come only for the summer. Some people only come on the weekends because they live 30 minutes away. And so it's their camp. They come. And, um,
00:30:00
Speaker
So there would be people coming up and down and walking their dogs or whatever, and they would yell, I love what you're doing. i was like, oh oh, thank you. Because, you know, they're more conservative up there. Right. So I was just kind of nervous. Like, are they going to think I'm creating an eyesore? I don't know.
00:30:16
Speaker
And then the FedEx guy went running by in his truck and he yelled that he honked and yelled out, I like the mural. you know So it's just so funny. And these are men saying these things. So i was like, okay, well, i'm not going to worry about it anymore. So that gave me confidence too. But um yeah, I just ended up finishing it finally. And...
00:30:36
Speaker
I felt it was such a huge accomplishment because it had seemed so daunting and so hard before I started. I'd never done anything that big. And now that I've done that, I'm like, oh I can do that. You know, i I can do this again if I ever needed to. So it was really fun. And I feel like that hard experience jumped me, um just kind of accelerated um my not only my confidence but my painting ability you know my my skill it was really good for me that's amazing that's great that story encapsulates so much because it was something you wanted to do you promised your audience you would do it so that kind of forced you to do it yeah um but you faced your fear and then
00:31:25
Speaker
It's it brought joy to so many people, which that's why I love doing public art and murals, because you're interacting with the community in such a fun way. i i love that about it. But then it kind of I feel like it pushed you and led to what more of what you're doing with your art. Yeah. So one dream I've always had is producing my own textiles and wallpaper and home, home items. And that's where, that's my intention. That's, that's the direction I'm going or i want to go. Like, so I'm i'm starting at this point and um that is where I want to get to. I'm not there yet, but I would love to produce my own textiles, my own tabletop designs, you know, placemats, napkins, tablecloths, home decor. um I would love that. And so we called this new little baby part of my company, Whimsy and Co. and really,
00:32:33
Speaker
even chair whimsy can fall under whimsy and co in a way. So we'll see where this goes, but you know, because it's been a dream to learn to paint and I can check that box off. I'm learning and I'm growing and learning new things about myself, but not just that, but I ended up um really expanding
00:33:01
Speaker
my creativity and my confidence. And, um, I have been, is also been a very healing process for me too. You know, I had a kind of a, ah parts of my childhood was very unhappy. Um, I had a difficult parent that I had to survive, you know, and, um,
00:33:26
Speaker
And it has helped me to heal from that in ah in a very unexpected way, I think. So it's more than just, yeah, I want a product line. Yes, I would love that.
00:33:39
Speaker
And I hope that someday I can get that. But it it has helped me as a person, if that makes sense. And because it is when you get in your own little world and you get in that state of flow and you're working, there are just things I think that happen emotionally to us, you know, that that can do it. And so I know that the art has definitely done that for me. And and so I, since I wanted to take these lessons and I've, I've been doing it, it was like, okay, either i crawl in a hole and I don't show anybody any of this, or I just got to put it out there and show people and see if anybody likes it. And I, I just, I mean, I would show little things in my stories, you know, just to connect with my audience and let them know what's going on in my life. You know, Oh, I'm painting this. What do you think? Um,
00:34:31
Speaker
But some people were messaging me saying, oh, I'd love to buy some of your art. And i was like, really? You would? but So I had a few messages like that, but there was no guarantee that anyone was going to like anything. you know i mean, my teacher loves my art, but...
00:34:45
Speaker
I mean, would she really tell me if she didn't? I don't know. i think she probably, I don't know. Maybe she wouldn't encourage me as much or whatever if she didn't like it. But um it's kind of like a parent, you know, to their kid. Like what you were saying before. They're not going to tell you it's bad. um But, you know. But you're doing all the... But you're doing all the things, Wendy, just even like you started Chair Whimsy. You know, you found something you were passionate about. And I love, there's two things, that two pivots you've made along the way. One was to take the the class, the the leadership class, and then the other now is this art class.
00:35:20
Speaker
And I think along the way, Lori has, i have, we're always investing in ourselves. Yeah. And that's something that as we grow, i mean, I'm taking a class right now for photography. I take constantly, I'm taking photography classes or whatever they may be.
00:35:36
Speaker
and And it is. It's an investment in myself, but then my art gets better because of it. Yes. And I think we sometimes forget that that's so important. But also to your point, too, and I think it's so beautiful. We've talked about this a lot, about how important creativity is to our mental health, how important it is for healing. Right. And I wish our listeners could see Wendy and sitting in bright pink and lovely colors. And, and it's, and she, it, there's a joy joy. There's a joy about you just based on how we surround ourselves and what we do.
00:36:10
Speaker
And I was, i was forced into that yeah like because I was, because, because of my home life, like my,
00:36:21
Speaker
kind My outlook has always been like, how can I have more fun? How can I be happier? How can I bring more joy into my space? um Because I didn't have that. you know so it's it And so you know at this point, I'm not mournful of my past or the the mother that I had.
00:36:44
Speaker
i am grateful because it made me who I am. Yeah. I would not have done all of this. i would not have created chair whimsy. would not have this pink wallpaper behind me. Like I would not have any of this. I'm convinced if I did not have the parent that I had. And, and so, you know, I think this should become a book someday. I'm just not ready to write it yet. Cause I don't completely understand it or have my head all around it. But I do know that creativity, it does heal.
00:37:16
Speaker
It does heal people. So i I reached out to you to be on the podcast because you recently, you took all that beautiful art you've been creating while learning and you were brave and put it on product and did a product release. so yay. And they're adorable. They're so adorable. And your work is so happy and I can't wait to see it on your chairs and on your walls. So how has the launch gone and how has it felt putting it out there?
00:37:48
Speaker
It went really, really well. just So I did a three day, you know, pop up shop online to see, you know, what do people even like? I don't even know. Or do they like anything? I don't know. And, you know, again, you have to just keep betting on yourself. and And if no one had liked anything, then that's good feedback too. It's like, okay, right so maybe this isn't going to work and that's all right too. At least I know. But to be afraid and to not do it is not an option, right? So you can't go around living your life that way. But yeah, it went really well. We are just now shipping out things starting today. And then over the next couple weeks, as more products come in that I've ordered, we'll be shipping out. So I did tea towels. um I did an apron design. I've got two more new apron designs that I think everyone is going to die over when I get them. I cannot wait to show everyone.
00:38:42
Speaker
um I have, of course, my prints. Um, and I have some journals and greeting cards that I've done. and so, yeah, it's been, it's been really good. It's been good feedback. Um, some people are like, I'd love to have my greeting cards blank on the inside. And I didn't even think about that. was like, oh, okay. So maybe next time when I do them, maybe I'll leave a blank, you know? yeah Um, but it's been fun to figure that out. Now the business hat is coming on and it's like, all right, how do I get my costs lower?
00:39:13
Speaker
you know, to make more of a profit, to make this worth my while, you know, now I'm testing, but now it's like, all right, so I gotta, I gotta, you know, figure out my profit margin a little better. And now that I know what is more popular than other things. Um, so now, now it's all figuring that out and shipping, of course. Yeah. Yeah. Always shipping. Always shipping. Yeah. I just finished our calendar and it costs just about as much to ship the calendar as it does to print the calendar. shipping as long Yeah. it's the passenger
00:39:47
Speaker
But, um but you know, that's, and that's a perfect way to do it too, is to start slow, test the market. And it's not people judging you as much as they're showing you what is really popular now, because there's,
00:40:02
Speaker
Things shift all the time and colors and styles and and that just helps you to really focus in and be, as you said, financially smarter about how you're structuring this new business.
00:40:13
Speaker
I also think you've done just a brilliant job of connecting with your community through social media. And i i believe that when your audience connects with you as a person, they want to support you.
Authenticity and Social Media
00:40:28
Speaker
And you you are pretty vulnerable. You know, you put it out there that this is kind of scary for you. And yeah people come to rally around you when you share that. I i believe Yeah, i I have like, I'm only going to do social media if it can be authentic for me. Like if I can really connect with people and it can be relationships. because Who has time for that? um If if you, you know, and so what's the point? Yeah.
00:40:59
Speaker
I really, I mean, like I get DMs every day that I respond to. I respond to all my comments. It is me posting. It is me putting up the content. Like I do it because of relationships and connection. And I got to say, i have the nicest audience. They are so kind, so nice. And then I connect with other people through email every week. I have an email email. that I send out every Sunday, usually some kind of DIY project or inspiration or or something that i that I talk about to inspire them to live better lives.
00:41:32
Speaker
um And I will do this as long as um it can be authentic and as long as people want it, you know, and then when they don't, um I can be done.
00:41:44
Speaker
a I love that. And I, so I teach at the New York Botanical Garden, I teach social media, and I need to just take that little snippet right there and play it for all of them because they're all artists. And I was teaching them about being authentic and about the power of the direct message and about community. And it doesn't matter that you've got 50,000 followers, as long as you if you've got 50 followers that are connected to you and support some of you and it's community and that's your community, that's a win. And you're putting yourself out there authentically. And you said that so beautifully. And then of course, then there's the other opportunity to reach out to people via newsletter, but that is just, it's, you thank you. Thank you for saying that. i yeah yeah you know Everyone thinks you need a big audience in order to sell, but you do not. You need, you need the right audience, the people who want to be in your world. And, um,
00:42:38
Speaker
You know, i mean, when people unsubscribe from my list or unfollow it, okay, good. You know, you're not, yeah, yeah it's it's fine with me. And honestly, the bigger the audience you have, the harder is to get engagement. Like, It is i would you know it is what it is. i And I built my audience and I'm grateful for all of them, but most of them don't see my posts and that can be very aggravating. So having um ah ah a smaller list or a smaller group of followers is actually can be a very powerful thing. Your engagement can be really high and you can get just the right people who love your art or love what you do to to engage with you.
00:43:20
Speaker
And just one more thing in the, in the realm of Wendy things you've done. You also wrote a book. Yeah. So like what your book about yeah. Share with us about the book.
00:43:33
Speaker
Yeah. So it's called life whimsy, how to work, play and think more creatively. And so it is about all of the ways that, you know, we, we can become more creative as a thinker, um, strategies, things we can do,
00:43:49
Speaker
how to you know, play more in your life, because I think play is the thing that brings us a lot of joy and satisfaction in life. And how can we be more creative in our play? And how can we be more creative in our work? And so it's really broken into those three parts. And especially as an entrepreneur, I mean, it's hard being an entrepreneur. You know, this is not easy street, right? So, I mean, how can we make it more creative and more fun and more joyful in our work? And so I just try to share tips and strategies for the ways I've done it with a whole lot of inspiration along the way. It's a full color hardback.
00:44:27
Speaker
And I think we're getting close to being sold out of them, you know. So I don't know. Maybe there needs to be a reprint or a second edition or something like that. Amazing. That's fabulous. Fabulous. yeah There is such a common thread in everything you're sharing about what you said, put more play, more joy, just thinking back to you as a teacher, an elementary school teacher teacher and how you approach that. That is a common thread. It seems that's gone throughout your life.
00:44:55
Speaker
So I think as you get older, um, you know, you start understanding yourself better. You start understanding why you have done the things you've done, why you respond to things the way you do, why you create the world around you the way you've created it.
00:45:12
Speaker
And i I know that's definitely true for me. Like, I wish I could have been more self-aware in my 20s. Isn't that the truth? Yeah, I know. I don't think anyone in their 20s is self-aware. So I can't give myself a break. Yeah.
00:45:27
Speaker
I think that's when we all need to learn. That's when we're all learning to grow up. And, but, you know, to Lori's point, and it is such, it's it's such so beautiful listening to you say it like you took just school now you could have gone and and been a teacher and, know,
00:45:42
Speaker
taught that history lesson, given them that test, but you brought your own Wendy magic into the classroom. And her point is right. Everything that you've done, it's not, well, yeah, you could have just reupholstered a chair, but you reupholstered it with fun fabric. and then And then each step is really bringing that beautiful soul and joy that you have to it, which is making the world a better place. That's what, yeah. How can, I think my viewpoint is how can I push those boundaries just a little bit, you know, make it a little different, you know, right. yeah
00:46:16
Speaker
We see it and I love it. you We do. So what does 2026 look like for you, Wendy? What's happening in 2026? Well, um I'm not quite sure yet I know that I can tell you one thing that's happening here ah in two days is I'm doing my first art show at live in person at a friend's shop. And so by the time everyone hears this episode, it will have happened. So that's something a little nerve wracking. So I keep pushing myself. But I think I can see foresee like more little pop up shops in line online and in person. With my art, I'll continue doing chairs. I will be back in my cabin doing some fun projects this summer.
00:47:01
Speaker
um And I'm not really sure yet, but I think I'm going to keep trying to take some baby steps more toward the things I want as far as fabrics, designs, things like that. So I'm excited about it. We'll see. We'll see what happens. And, ah you know, I'll kind of go from there.
00:47:20
Speaker
Steps forward and goals. Amazing. and Amazing. So I'm going to offer this. If you want to send me a painting or something and I'll build it out into a repeat for you that you can put into Spoonflower, you could do it now with what you have. Okay.
00:47:39
Speaker
So pick something and send it my way and i'll i'll okay we'll do that for you. Okay, it's a deal. That is so cool. Well, Wendy, thank you so much for sharing your journey with us. And you've given our listeners so much to think about and, you know, investing in themselves, pushing those boundaries, putting out your joy, taking baby steps, taking big steps, learning, you know, facing fear and doing it anyway. Do it anyway. And, you know, just the, and you, and I'm sure when you started chair whimsy, whimsy and co probably wasn't even a thought, but it's amazing how one thing can lead to another can lead to another. And here you are. Yeah.
00:48:24
Speaker
Yeah. Cause you, do you have any advice that you like to follow yourself or you like to give to others at a retreat or things that you think about? Yeah. I think like,
00:48:35
Speaker
You know, if if mostly artists listen to this, what I would say is, you know, putting your art and your joy out into the world, you know, I know it feels risky and it's scary and stuff for us, but I'm telling you what, the world needs it more than ever.
00:48:50
Speaker
They need your creativity because you do not know there are so many people who are hurting and struggling. And that is the joy that you just don't know. I get so many DMs and messages from people telling me their life story and things they've been through. And life is hard for some people, very hard. And so just realize that when you put your things out there, you're helping people.
00:49:14
Speaker
the world live a better lives. You're giving them joy that they need. It's not just to be kept for yourself. I think you need to share with everyone. Share your joy. love it. i love it. we'll So agree. So agree. Well, thank you so much. And to our listeners, thank you for an amazing two seasons. Lori, can you believe it?
00:49:37
Speaker
Woohoo! And way more to come. we're ending this season with a really great one. We are. So happy holidays, everyone. And peace, love, and re-blue.
00:49:50
Speaker
Life is too short not to follow your passions, so go out there and let your heart plant you where you are meant to be and grow your joy. We will be right here sharing more incredible stories of reinvention with you.
00:50:04
Speaker
Make sure to subscribe to our podcast so you never miss an episode of Rebloom. Until next time, I'm Jamie Jamieson. And I'm Lori Siebert. Peace, love, and Rebloom, dear friends.