Calligraphy Biz Corner
Have you been itching to turn your creative passion into a business? You're in the right place! I'm Shaochen, a full-time calligrapher and business coach who built my dream calligraphy business from scratch, and I'm spilling the ink on how you can too!
On Calligraphy Biz Corner, I'll help you navigate the maze of running a creative business, with real-life strategy and mindset magic. With years of experience working with wedding, luxury, and corporate clients, while mentoring hundreds of calligraphers along the way, I know what it takes to build a business that goes the distance.
I'm here to empower you to thrive as an artist and be confident as an entrepreneur. Let's uncover the business that supports the life YOU want and leave the overwhelm and imposter syndrome behind. Your solopreneur journey is about to get less lonely and more fun - welcome to my corner!
Calligraphy Biz Corner
40. Pivoting Into a Booked Out Business She Loves with Kristine Paeste of Kristine P. Calligraphy
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I'm so excited to have Kristine of Kristine P. Calligraphy on as our first guest interview in a year! Kristine's story is a perfect example of how a business can transform based on your interests, your physical wellbeing, and what season of life you're in. From chalkboard signs to digital templates to now running a full-service, large-scale wedding signage business, Kristine walks us through every pivot — including the moment in 2025 when she was ready to give up entirely, and how joining my CEO Partner 1:1 coaching program helped her completely reposition her business, leading to a booked-out 2026.
In this episode, we cover:
- How Kristine's business evolved from a 2017 hobby into full-service wedding signage today
- Why hand pain and burnout led her to pivot into a passive digital template shop — and why that pivot didn't stick
- The moment she realized large-scale signage installs were her true passion (and the family connection behind it)
- What we worked on inside the CEO Partner coaching program to rebuild her positioning, pricing, and clientele in just 12 weeks
- Kristine's advice on whether a coaching program is worth it
🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:
- Connect with Kristine on Instagram @KristinePCalligraphy
- Getting married in Northern California in 2027? Kristine's books are open, inquire at kristinepcalligraphy.com
- Apply for Business Coaching
- Learn about Your CEO Partner 1:1 Coaching (Kristine's Program)
- Learn about Ascent Coaching Program
- Learn about the Pro Wedding Calligrapher course that started Kristine's business
👩💻 Learn From Me:
- Get Hands On Support from Shaochen: Apply for Business Coaching
- Start Your Profitable Calligraphy Business: Join Shaochen's Free Masterclass
- Freebie! Download my free tech guide for the programs you need to run your business
👯♀️ Keep In Touch:
Welcome back to Calligraphy Biz Corner. I'm your host Shaochen. We haven't had a guest interview for the show in, like, a year, way too long, and so I really couldn't wait to release this episode with Kristine of Kristine P. Calligraphy. Kristine's story really showcases how our businesses can change so much over the years based on our interests, our physical wellbeing, and other priorities in our lives. And part of what I love so much about entrepreneurship is that it's not a linear journey, which is probably the reason why I've been at it so long, because I get to decide what to work on and pursue what's interesting to me. But at the same time, when we're in the middle of some of those pivots and changes, it's really easy to feel imposter syndrome, get overwhelmed, or even wanna give up, and that's what happened to Kristine in 2025. She was running a digital template shop when she realized that her true passion was designing and creating large scale signage and installs for weddings, a total 180 from the template shop. But before shutting down her business, she decided to join my CEO Partner one-on-one coaching program, and over 12 weeks we worked closely to change her business model, her positioning, her clientele to be that full service signage business that she wanted, leading her to book out this year, 2026, with those types of clients. It's crazy how much she's accomplished in the past year, all while working her full-time job as well. And in this interview you'll get to hear how Kristine did it. We'll talk about what we did during the coaching program, and what made the biggest impact when she was stepping into this new version of her business. I'm really glad that Kristine followed her passion and didn't give up, because her work is so stunning, and what a gift that the world gets to experience it. Make sure to follow her on Instagram at KristinePCalligraphy, and if you're getting married in Northern California in 2027 and you're looking for bespoke large scale signage and day of details that focus on your love story while incorporating Kristine's unique calligraphy style, her books are now open, so send in your inquiry. Let's jump into her interview
Welcome Kristine!
ShaochenWelcome, Kristine. I am so excited to have you on Calligraphy Biz Corner today. Just to get us started, why don't you tell us a little bit about what you do in your business today, and what your primary services are, and who you serve?
KRISTINEYeah. So I am a wedding calligrapher, and I specialize in l- large-scale signage for weddings and wedding-related events. I am full service based, so when couples come to me, from the inquiry s- stage to the booking process, all the way to production and day-of wedding, I handle everything with them. I walk them through everything. My services are really for couples that are looking for large-scale signage and day-of details, and that is more tied to their love story, and of course adding that calligraphy piece to it. I like to emphasize that a lot with my couples they could truly say that their wedding signage is unique to them because I hand letter. That calligraphy piece adds that bespoke piece to their signage and to their day
ShaochenYeah, I just love checking out your Instagram, all those beautiful installs and walls that you build, and every single one is so different and unique, right?
KRISTINEYeah
ShaochenDo they usually come to you with a vision? Or do you kinda take their ideas and come up with something in return?
KRISTINEI do. Well, a little bit of both, yeah. So during the inquiry process, I, I ask them to provide me, like, a mood board of some sort. And when we have a discovery call, I try and pull in their inspirations, and that helps me put together a proposal that will, will put basically all their visions together. And it also helps them a lot, at least from what I hear from the couples, that visually seeing all of their pieces in one board gives them a better understanding or an idea of what they actually wanted and what they may not want So yeah.
ShaochenSo true. I find it so much easier for people to react to something than to try to like, you know, describe your vision where you could both be describing and saying the same words, but the picture that's coming into your head looks totally different. And so it's so much easier to look at something together
KRISTINEThat happens a lot more than I, I realize now that happens a lot more than it doesn't, so
From Hobby to Business
ShaochenYeah. Exactly. Well, this episode is all about talking about, like, pivots and shifts and transitions that we make in our business journey, and you've been in business for eight years, and so you've seen kind of a number of, like, twists and turns before your business became what it is today. So I thought we could back up and start from the beginning, and kind of give us, like, just a quick summary of what did your business look like when you first started? What kind of things were you doing? And then walk us through the evolution of, like, how you got to where you are today
KRISTINEYeah. Oh, man, I... Lots of micro pivots, lots of shifts throughout those eight years. But I started calligraphy as a hobby in 2017, and 2018 was when it actually became a side hustle. I started doing practice videos, and those practice videos kinda turned into paid personalizations, and the more and more I posted them more people started reaching out. And so I started with chalkboard signs. And looking back, I feel like with a lot of the calligraphers that started calligraphy with me, we all started with those chalkboard signs. I would get them from Michaels, and then I would use chalk pens, and I thought those were, like, the coolest things. And so that was one of the first materials that I started with. I did my first wedding during that year, and then more and more requests started happening for, like, ornaments and doormats. Basically anything that was surface, I would
Shaochenyou, anything you could personalize, yeah.
KRISTINEYes. Man, that was, that was a really fun experiment phase in my, in my business. And then leading to 2019 and 2020, I did my second wedding, and I started experient- experimenting on acrylics and w- mirrors. And I didn't realize paint pens were a thing, and I was so obsessed with how smooth my calligraphy could look. It didn't at first, but how smooth it looked in those different surfaces. And so I started getting really obsessed with how all of that looked and ended up deciding to focus on weddings because more and more requests were coming in for acrylics, so I did different designs and calligraphy styles too. I was, I was experimenting with my calligraphy styles. And then 2021 was when I decided, like, "Okay, this is, this is going somewhere." And that's when I ended up taking the Pro Wedding Calligrapher course that just gave,
Shaochenright
KRISTINEit gave me the foundation of what it actually meant to run a business, and that was, I think, the intimidating part of why it took some time for me to turn it from a side hustle to, like, a full-blown, like, this is, this is what it truly is to run a business.
ShaochenAnd I think for our listeners too, you are actually still technically running this on the side of your nine to five too,
KRISTINEYeah.
ShaochenSo, so you've been growing this business that has n- that's now, like, booming, and you're, like, fully booked on top of your nine to five and managing all of that.
KRISTINEYeah. Oh my gosh. I've been, it, it's, it's al- it's almost like I... Well, let me back up. Back then I was not only doing just my nine to five, I was also a full-time college student, so it was, and then I wanted, I always said that I was full-time in business because it really was a full-time, an additional full-time job. And so now that it's n- it's just my full-time job and then my full-time calligraphy business
Shaochentwo full-time, yeah. Two full-time gigs
KRISTINEOkay. But it's still a lot because now you, I have other things that I need to balance, and now I, I like to say I'm, I'm a full-time bride too, 'cause we're planning for my wedding this year, and so that takes a lot. So it's, it will definitely a lot of shifts and pivots in the last few years. Yeah.
The First Big Pivot: From Handwritten to Digital
ShaochenOkay, so 2021 you took the pro wedding calligrapher course, and it kind of really put you in the mindset of like this is a real business. I'm really transitioning from kind of like doing it as a hobby, doing things for maybe like friends or friends of friends into expanding as a business. How did things shift from there?
KRISTINEWithin that year I was, I was very focused on weddings. I did about, like, 15 weddings by the end of that year, and, like, some minor projects. The following year I started doing more and more weddings as well. And later that year I started feeling hand pains and
ShaochenHmm.
KRISTINEaches that I couldn't explain.
Shaochenis overuse. And this was, this is in 2022
KRISTINEYeah,
Shaochenhappening
KRISTINE2022, and in 2023, I started experiencing more pain. Like, it wasn't going away. And I realized because I was starting to work with larger pieces, like big mirrors and stuff, I was in weird little positions. And, you know, sometimes you look at it and you're like, "Oh yeah, I'm a calligrapher. I just get to, like, sit on a table and write pretty letters and stuff." But that wasn't the case for me. I was in all sorts of different positions, and I was in a tiny studio apartment, like, doing all of those things. And so, my body definitely took a toll. Um, And in 2023, I, I literally went from, like, 30 weddings to I think I did two weddings that year. It was also around the time where my fiancé and I purchased a home. And so there was a new transition, a new pivot in our, in our personal life that affected my business to where I wasn't as active on social media. I wasn't as active with clients or trying to even get clients. I started thinking like, "Oh, is this, is this the end of my business?" Like, not realizing, like, well, you haven't really been active and you have all these that you weren't doing in your business. So like, yeah, that's, that's why you're not getting any leads. But I decided just in a spur of the moment that I got into... Or I was looking through Instagram, and digital marketing was, like, a big thing, and that's when I thought, Oh, maybe templates, like digital wedding templates with my calligraphy may be the way to go." So that was, I think, like, a really big pivot in my business, such a big change from actually doing the calligraphy and being service-based to now basically making it more passive and selling these templates online to where I didn't really talk to couples. They just kind of looked at what I had on my website, and if they like the template, they download they purchase it and download it.
ShaochenRight.
KRISTINEYeah.
ShaochenYou were basically service-based before, more high touch. You're working directly with people, moving into more of a product-based transactional, like e-commerce type of model, right?
KRISTINERight.
ShaochenYeah
KRISTINERight. Right. Yeah, and I, and I thought, "You know what? It may be down the line, this was gonna be something that I could get more time back." But it didn't really, it didn't really last that long. I actually don't remember how long it lasted. but I remember the following year, or maybe later that year, I, I started thinking, I was like, that's when I started thinking, "Oh, this, this, my business may, may not last. I may have to close down," because I sold one template.
ShaochenAnd I mean, did you like the process of moving into a template shop, creating digital templates for people?
KRISTINEI, I did at one point because I, I, I fixate on a lot of things sometimes, and so I have these tiny bursts of moments in, in just my daily life where I fixate. So, like, I was enjoying those, and I was creating and making all these different templates, d- different designs. I was doing mock-ups and stuff, to upload to my website. But after all of that pre-planning, I was almost bored. I was almost like, "What do I do now?" You know, aside from talk about my my new template shop.
ShaochenMm-hmm.
KRISTINEso it-
Shaochencreating more and more designs, right? So that people can, like, find exactly what they're looking for. I think, like, for me personally, the reason why I like being a service-based business or working more one-on-one with couples is that I get a lot of inspiration from them too. Like, I see what their whole vision is, and I'm like, "Oh, this is how I could fit into it," or maybe, like, this material is speaking to me or, or whatever. And so I mean, that's personally, I feel like if, if I were sitting in a vacuum trying to create all these designs, that would be difficult for me.
KRISTINEYeah. At one point I felt like I was stuck creatively, which is weird because, you know, for templates when you're creating different things, it's like you're, at least for me, I was constantly trying to create all these new designs, but I just felt stuck. And even looking at inspiration, like if I were to go to, on Pinterest or like social me- like I couldn't pull any design inspirations from. And I think this was a time where I started to see more large scale signage or like those big seating charts that I was just in so much awe when I And I, I was trying to pull some inspo, but for the most part it was hard to do that at a, with a, with a template
Shaochentemplate that someone can print. Yeah, right. There's also, a limit to, like, how big they can necessarily, blow something up too, so
KRISTINERight. And, and the back end of things of, like, the customer support. Like, what if it doesn't print out well? Like, you can plan it all out. You could list everything of all the different steps that you could take with it, but if you take it to a different print shop or, I don't know, maybe a different Staples or whatever company that does, like, maybe it's different. Their printer is different. You never really know. So that, that, that also was a difficult piece for me to try and anticipate as I was doing
ShaochenHmm.
KRISTINEprep for it
ShaochenYeah, and almost just like letting go of what the end product is gonna look like because truly you have no control once they download the file, so
KRISTINECrossed my fingers every time.
ShaochenYeah, makes sense. What I love about hearing your journey up to this point, so we're kind of in 2023, 2024 at this point, is that you really followed what you were curious about. You followed your curiosity and your exploration, right? Like, you started with chalkboard signs, you moved into acrylic and really fell in love with that. And then the, the templates makes a lot of sense because you were experiencing some, like, physical pain, and so it sounds like exactly what you needed at that time is to actually take a break from using your hands, right? And so were you able to kind of get better as well during that time?
KRISTINEYeah, I was. It didn't hurt as much anymore. And even to this day, it's just like, it's, it's pretty much back to normal.
ShaochenGood. I'm so glad to hear that
KRISTINEand but whi- which is really weird too because I feel like I'm doing more calligraphy now. Well, especially like for my wedding and stuff. But it, it was as if nothing happened. So I, I don't know, maybe it was the universe at that time telling me like, "Hey, we're about to go through something. Let me just make it dramatic and make you go through all these steps to make you realize like, okay, maybe we should, we, this is a time where we're gonna shift."
ShaochenAnd you're probably also a different, you are a different business owner than you were back then. You're, you're charging higher prices, which means you don't have to take on as many clients, and so you're not doing as high a volume of work. Like, there's a number of things as we build our business, we learn to make it more sustainable for ourselves because, like, we have to preserve our bodies, our hands. Like, I was just... I got a massage this week, and I was literally thinking, "I need to figure out if this can be a tax write-off," because
KRISTINEYes
ShaochenI feel so stiff today is because I worked a two-day conference, like, live event. So this is, like, directly tied to my business, right?
KRISTINEIt is
Shaochentruly, like, it is, it can be very taxing on our bodies, and so it is important to, like, give ourselves space and take breaks and, like, not overbook ourselves, as it's so easy to just always want more, more, more in our business sometimes.
KRISTINEYeah, I remember when I was still starting out, that's all... To me, I thought having all of these couples, all these orders was, was like the thing to do, like the go, go, go. But it really does take a toll on your body, and you don't realize it until you're in the middle of it, and you start thinking like, "Oh, my gosh, is this gonna be for the rest of my business career? Like, where, where can I find flexibility in this?" And I was also you know, like, starting i- into my post-college life, and I was thinking of like, when we get married, or when we have kids, and stuff like that, is this going to be an everyday thing, where I'm crouched down on the floor, and my kids are running around in the background?" To me, it wasn't sustainable, looking back now where I am in my business. And so I think having that transition was so good for me, because it gave me time to think. And not having customers or coup- or couples during the template phase of my
Shaochenmhm.
KRISTINEbusiness, think more about like, "Oh, what do I really want," you know, "in my business? It's either I, I keep going, or I just stop my business entirely." And I didn't wanna give up. At one point, I did wanna give up.
ShaochenYeah. No, like, sometimes, like, the, these twists and turns in our business journeys often are exactly what we need, you know?
KRISTINE100%.
Total Business Transformation: Large Scale Signage
ShaochenSo let's pick things up from there. This was in 2025, and this is actually where I kind of enter the picture. You were in my CEO Partner Coaching Program, and that's when we started working together. And I remember this phase where you were in the, in the template phase, but wanting a totally different business. I remember you telling me that you love these big installs, like you said, like, just in awe, like enamored by these installations. And so you wanted to make another pretty big change from doing digital templates that people can purchase themselves to building these, like, really elaborate and unique designs that you go on site to install for people. You touched a little bit on this already, but, like, our listeners a little bit about, like, how you were feeling at that time when we started working together about your business.
KRISTINEI remember that I felt really discouraged during that time because I didn't know where I wanted my business to go. I talked to my fiance at that time, and then he was, he was telling me, like, "W- what do you truly want? Like, if, if you had a dream calligraphy business, what do you want from that? Say you make it, what do you imagine?" And I said I wanted to do big signage. I wanted a warehouse, I wanted a team to help me. And I thought about my dad because he's, he's... All his life he's like, he's a mason, and so he likes building things,
ShaochenCool
KRISTINEand so I thought about him. And I think that's part of the reason why I was really interested in large signage to begin with, because of the building piece of it. Thought about him, and I, I went down the rabbit hole of, like, it could be a family business, it could be all of these different...
ShaochenI love this
KRISTINEAnd that made me so happy. I was like,
ShaochenNah
KRISTINEWe were talking about it, oh, I don't even know for how long. But that made me realize that I wanted to do large signage. And I think the end of that year, that's when I purchased my laser. And I was like, "That's a big pivot." And so by 2025, when you and I started talking about the mentorship program, that was... I felt like that was, like, a big, big change. and I finally started feeling more creative, and the different designs that I started seeing or the inspo that I started seeing on social media, I'm like, "Yeah, I can make that. I can, I can do that. Like, what are the logistics that come into that?" And that's when you kind of helped me bring out all of the little pieces that needed to get to that one big piece. And I remember us talking about, like, the big picture, and I remember you telling me to just kinda break it down piece by piece, and those were the things that I didn't even realize that there were smaller pieces that I needed before we got to those big steps. Because in my head I was, "Yeah, we're doing big signage. Logistics, I'll figure something out."
Shaochenstep one. Big signage, right? Right, right. Yes. That's right
KRISTINEOh, man. But that, after and going through the program, I realized, I was like, "Oh, okay. The minor things, the, the tiny little steps, that's what's led me to where I am now." And I remember looking back at our our roadmap and seeing like, "Yeah, I did do all of these little things."
Shaochenthat's right. Yeah, that's, that's where we started with everything, was just, like, coming up with the three-month roadmap and really just focusing on the next three months of, like, what does it mean to transition into this large signage space?
The Most Impactful Steps
ShaochenOkay, I remember some of the things we did, but what were the things that stood out to you that I feel like really made an impact in making this shift?
KRISTINElet's see. Weirdly enough, it, when I was starting create the brochures, like the service guides and stuff, I actually had completely forgotten about the the vendor list that I had originally from the profiling
ShaochenMm, mm-hmm.
KRISTINEAnd when I started creating a brochure, I was like, "Oh, what am I gonna do with this? Like, I'm gonna put it on Instagram and stuff." And, and to me, at that time, I didn't realize how impactful emails were still
ShaochenYeah.
KRISTINEAnd so
Shaochenright? Yep. Mm-hmm
KRISTINEThe outreach was, I think, the biggest impact for me because soon as I started... And I, I didn't just send it out to, like, my current vendor list. I updated that list.
ShaochenYeah
KRISTINEit, more vendors I'd added plenty
Shaochenyou didn't know yet, right? Like people you ideally wanted to work with. Yeah. Mm-hmm.
KRISTINEI followed them on Instagram. I joined Facebook groups to let people know, like in my local area, like, "Hey, I... If you guys are interested in large scale signage, like this is this, this is what I do. I'm, like, happy to talk about it with you," and stuff like that. So, I joined those groups, and what I found was the email reaching out to these planners actually got me more leads. And even old planners who were like, "Oh my gosh, yeah, I remember working with you. I ha- do have a wed-" "And I have a couple looking for something like this specifically, so let's chat." So at first I was like I don't know with emails," 'cause to me it was, like, intimidating 'cause it felt like a cold call.
ShaochenYeah. Yeah, I get that. Yeah
KRISTINEAnd so when, when I was receiving responses, I was like, "Oh, it's... Okay, like, people actually can see that I, I exist outside of social media," or they, they realize that, oh, there's this vendor that is here in my local area that is literally what my couples are looking for. And I remember you telling me that I'm doing the... It, it's like I'm d- I'm doing the work for them by basically presenting myself like, "Hey, I know you were, you were probably gonna be looking for a signage vendor anyway. I'm, I'm here in your area."
ShaochenExactly. Exactly. I mean, like, okay, so you've heard me say this obviously, but I feel like I shout this from the rooftops is, like, if you are talking to a planner, part of their job is actually to find vendors like us. And so when we just show up in their inbox, doesn't it make their job so much easier than having to, like, go out there and Google for exactly who they're looking for, who it's probably gonna be you?
KRISTINERight
Shaochenso, yeah, I think this is the thing about outreach is, like, our brains, it's so easy for our brains to go straight to, like, "What if they don't like it? What if I get rejected?" And we don't often think about, like, what is on the other side of that? What's the potential that could happen? What are the opportunities that could be on the other side of this outreach instead of potential rejection? And in all the time that I've been doing this, either for my own business or with, like, clients, I mean, honestly, like 100% of the time I hear, "Wow, I got so many more positive responses." I would say, like, there have been a few cases where someone said like, "Oh no, we're not looking for like, a vendor to add to our, our preferred list right now," or something like that. but most of the time it's something positive oftentimes, whatever those fears are outreach don't materialize. And so I'm so glad that you did this and put yourself out there because, like you said, this was so impactful. And I think before we even got to the point of talking about your business, there were some things we figured out in the background too. Like, one of the things we talked about was creating pieces of work to showcase what you wanted to do, because you didn't really have an example of the large scale signage yet at that point, right? And I remember you creating this really beautiful welcome sign that had, like, a light fixture attached to it.
KRISTINEYeah, yeah. I remember, I guess that was one of the things that, like, logistically didn't click in my head when I thought, "Oh, yeah, large scale signage. People are just gonna book you." But if you don't have anything to show for it, then how are they gonna know that that's what you do? And so
ShaochenRight
KRISTINEWhen I started building this, I was like, "Oh." I posted it on Instagram, and people were like, "Oh, she did this." Like, "This is, this is, this is what she actually does." And so, it started to make sense, and it got me a chance to kind of, experiment a little bit more with my laser too because
Shaochentotally
KRISTINEit was-- that was a big investment that I had no idea how to use. And I just kinda, "Okay, yeah, I have a laser. Cool, I'm gonna use it." Do I know how to use it? No. So that was the perfect opportunity for me to kind of, dip my toes in what, what it could really mean to build these large signage. And I remember actually marking the time of how long it was going to take to build these, just so that I have an idea of, like, seeing down the end too. So that was one of the things that we did, or at least you suggested for me to do to, like, to do some time marks,
ShaochenExactly. Yeah, yeah. So the portfolio piece served a couple purposes. It's like we were just saying, people are so visual. It's much easier for them to see something and be like, "Oh, I like this style," or something like this, than trying to imagine it in their head. And also is, like, proof that, like you said, you can do it. And then also, like, from a learning standpoint, you don't want the first time that you use your laser to be for a big client, right? Like, you wanna do the trial and error on your own at home when there's, like, the stakes are really low. You have nothing to lose. It's all about that learning and exploration, not the pressure and the timelines of, like, having a real wedding, around the corner. So, I think what was great about that that I learned from this process too was that you actually didn't have to create a lot of portfolio pieces. You really created that one, was, like, the main one you did, right? And then we got that, like, one-pager or that brochure together, and you put that picture on there. There was a little bit of information about you, and then you just start telling people about your business, and it, it... You, you didn't need to have an example of, like, everything you could create for people to book you for things that they didn't see, if that makes sense.
KRISTINERight
Shaochenconfidence that you could create something that they didn't see, right? And I think that came down to a lot of, probably the work we did in talking about what your, your call process was gonna be, what your sales process was gonna look like with your clients. Like, how you were gonna create mock-ups and designs. I remember talking a little bit about that too, is, like, figuring out how to actually build something that's bigger and create a mock-up for that, right?
KRISTINEI'm starting to remember now with, with, like, those tiny, tiny little steps of am I going to be using, like, Canva to do these mock-up? Or
ShaochenRight. Yes
KRISTINEis the proposal process going to look like?
ShaochenYep
KRISTINEwhen they book, like, what is the actual process? How do I bring the couple in to see what their signs are going to look like? How do I assure them? Like, all these questions started coming up.
ShaochenYes
KRISTINElike, I didn't have to think about those until maybe a little bit later, but the outreach really did help because now it's like, okay, it's go time. Like, you- you put yourself out there, now you're
Shaochenpeople can book you.
Getting to Goal Faster: Follow Through & Accountability
KRISTINEIt was a really great experience thinking back on how I did it, because it was, I, I felt like it happened so fast
ShaochenYeah, it d- totally did. I remember, when we were still in the program together, and this is a 12-week program, you were already like, "I'm booking the clients that I wanna be booking already." And like within six months, you were delivering on these, like, projects that you had only imagined at the beginning of the year. It was incredibly fast turnaround. And I think, too, what was really successful in that was that we would talk about, we would break down the steps, like you said. We would really break it down into small pieces, and then we would decide what to do next, and you would go and do them. And I think that is huge, is, like, the follow-through, right? Like, we can have all the plans in the world, we can have all the roadmaps, but if the action and the follow-through isn't happening, then just gonna sit in the spreadsheet.
KRISTINEYes
Shaochenlike, you made it happen, and so, like, kudos for y- to you to actually, like you said, putting yourself out there, putting the brochures together, talking to the people, having the conversations. And that's how you learned a lot, too, and iterated on what that process looked like. 'Cause every time you had a conversation, you kind of figured out, "Okay, this worked well or this didn't. I wanna try something different next time." And that's all it is in our business, is, like, constant iterating, right?
KRISTINEAnd, and I think I remember talking about the accountability piece of it for me too, because I... F- for me as a, this is my personal experience, but like sometimes it can get really lonely being a business owner because you, you wanna do all these things. You're planning all of this stuff, and then sometimes it's just like, oh, you know, you get way into your head about like all these what ifs, but having someone to talk to and telling you like, "You know, this, these are your steps," and then being accountable for what you need to get done and then actually the follow-through piece. Because a lot of the things that I planned back then what makes my business a little bit different now is, is, is the follow-through. I would just push... Back then, I would just push some things off to the side, like the little things, what, what we, what we talked about earlier. And I was like, "No, I don't need to do a brochure. I don't need to update my website and the copy and the pictures. Like, it's fine the way it is," you know? But if I
ShaochenMm-hmm.
KRISTINEwanted to make this business expand and grow, like I had to do those minor, tiny, little details. And the accountability piece really helped me because I had someone to support me on the back end and was, was, was there to go through my lists and, and say like, "How is this going?" you
ShaochenYeah.
KRISTINEThat's why, that's why I was there because I knew that I needed someone to kind of push me to do the little things. And now I have this, this incredible business that I just truly love, love, love now, and there's that I Does help.
Shaochenyou.
KRISTINEI just, I, I, I just wanna let you know that. And having someone being there and, and seeing your every step and pushing you makes a big difference in your business. Like, you don't have to go through it alone.
ShaochenYeah,
KRISTINEjust
Shaochenknow every Monday I'm gonna be like, "So what we working on this week?" Like, when I work on a project with someone else too, I feel like, like, a level of accountability to them as well. And then I would say, too, being able to talk through things and, like, bounce ideas and work through things together so that you're not stuck. I think that's the other thing that's hard for people is when they work on their business and they know what they wanna do next, but they might not know how, or they get stuck on it. Like, I remember one of the pieces we were talking through was, like, pricing, and I
KRISTINEOh yeah
ShaochenI can't remember if you had a minimum at that point, but, like, we definitely needed to set a new minimum 'cause you were offering totally different services now. so we really had to talk through, like, what that looked like, and really what everything that entails in a large build. Because there's so much more when it also inc- incorporates on-site installation, too, right? And then strike at the end of the night. There's all these things that you weren't doing before that needed to be taken account into pricing to, again, make this a sustainable business and priced in a way that you weren't having to, like, work every single weekend or, or have double header weddings, you know, every week.
KRISTINERight. Right. And when we, when we were thinking about those, those prices, I was like, I, I remember you gave me a number, and I'm like, "That's, like, big." But then going through the price book, I, I, I see, like, visually yes, the, it is a big price, but you have to consider all of these tiny things, or not tiny, but like
ShaochenI remember we listed out, yeah, all the factors that went into it. Mm-hmm
KRISTINEmind blown because I get, again, I was like, "One big step. I'm doing large signage." I wasn't thinking of tiny things. And so when we broke it down, I, I had more clarity on how much I, I, I needed to price certain things. And at one point, I remember last year I was like, "Oh, maybe I do need to raise my minimum because it's starting to, The de- the demand is starting to get really high. And we need to make adjustments, and, you know, the cost of materials have changed over time
Shaochenwood started getting more expensive or something like that, yeah
KRISTINEYeah, like I had to do some backend research. I had started listening to, like, economic podcasts or something.
Shaochenamazing.
KRISTINEOkay. I assume that because whatever, wherever our state of the economy is, like materials and cost of goods are gonna go up, and so I-
ShaochenAnd the tariffs. Oh my gosh, yeah.
KRISTINEI had to consider that in my business. And, and I walked into Lowe's one day and I was like, "Oh, it's not as full as I had originally seen it like a month ago," or stuff like that. There
Shaochenshortages
KRISTINEAh, I really had to consider all of these different things that you normally wouldn't think about when you're seeing a wedding signage. And so the price factors into all of that, and your decisions factor into all of that. So it's one of the surprising things that I learned as I progressed my business
ShaochenYeah. I mean, hearing, I feel like hearing you talk about your business today, and it's been about a year since we worked together, just, like, gives me goosebumps 'cause you're such a different business owner, right? Like, you really are, like, just the leader of your business. I... You sound so confident. You know exactly what you're doing. You're an expert, even though you've only been doing the large signage for about a year
KRISTINEYeah.
Shaochenjust incredible how much you've grown.
KRISTINEYeah, I, it's, I re- remember how I wasn't as confident when I first talked to c- couples booking me last year. And I would stutter. I would think about, like, "Oh my gosh, what they if they ask me all these different questions?" Like, "Am I gonna know the answer to it?" And, and stuff like that. But now I, I have an understanding. I have more clarity of what I can offer them, and it's also gotten to the point where I know that I can't be the wedding signage vendor they're looking for. So I would, I would refer them to other amazing calligrapher artists or, or wedding vendors that could provide them the exact service that they're looking for. And so that clarity has, has helped me Little bit more confidence. I mean, don't get me wrong. I, there's still those days where I'm like imposter syndrome is just taking over. But for the most part, I feel like I, I have that clarity, and knowing that exactly what my business or what I can provide for the couples, and the services that I provide. And it, it's a big change from how I was started my business, or even when I first started Large Signage.
ShaochenYeah. And that does make such a difference when you can quickly decide a business owner that, like, this is not the couple for me, because that saves everybody's time, and it saves your energy, and it opens up more space and opportunity for finding the clients that are perfect for you,
KRISTINEYeah, and, and because I was doing those outreach too, I think it really did make a difference because that, that outreach with the vendors, I've befriended so many signage makers around the area, and been like, "Hey," send them a quick message just like, "Are you available for this date?"
ShaochenYeah
KRISTINEhave- same with me, and it's, and it's I- I love the idea of community over competition because There's room and space for everybody.
ShaochenAbsolutely. Yeah, like, and never underestimate the, like, value of those connections because so many referral jobs come through that network, and I have something similar here in Denver too. And there's so many jobs just being passed around because we kinda know amongst our community who's gonna be the best person for this job. So yeah, love that. Okay, so it sounds like you're in a really good place with your business right now, and I heard you say you really love it. I'm curious, you know, hearing your vision that you described in the beginning to your fiance, which by the way, kudos to him for asking you that question of like, what would it look like if you succeed? Because I think a lot of times we fixate on what happens if I fail, and we don't flip that question around to say like, "What does it look like if I succeed?" And what if I let myself imagine what that really could look like? And so I'm so glad that he asked you that. But I'm curious, like, are you open to sharing, like, where you go from here? Are you happy with where you are right now? Are you imagining expanding more? Like you talked about having a team, a warehouse, all these things. What's the, what's the next big step for Kristine?
KRISTINEOh, man. I know this year I've actually minimized my couples and that part of that is because of my wedding. Now thinking about 2027 and the following years forward, I do want that consistency, and the next step would probably be leaving my full-time nine-to-five job and taking this full time.
Shaochengosh, so exciting. Well, you've spoken it into existence on this podcast now And we're
KRISTINEYes.
Shaochenit into the universe
KRISTINEYes, that's exactly why I'm saying it out loud.
ShaochenYes
KRISTINEjust... A, a couple days ago someone had, had talked to me about about my career in, in my nine-to-five, and As that person was talking to me about it, I, I, I looked at him and I was like, I was like, "This sounds great, but I don't know if this is where I want to be at the point in my life." Because I just kept thinking about my business at the back of my head. I was like, my plan was to make my business full time. And so when this career opportunity was presented to me, I already knew that it wasn't what I wanted. Now I knew that. If you were to ask Kristine, like, five years ago, I'm like, "Yes. Yes. Take me up the corporate ladder." Like-
Shaochenright. But I love, I love that we give ourselves the space to change our minds and to decide something different for what we need in, in whatever season we're in. And, and that's sometimes why I don't really like making five-year plans or even one-year plans because, like, what's the point when I'm probably gonna change my mind by then anyway?
KRISTINEOh, yes. I am constantly changing my mind every single day. But the interesting thing about w- my plans for my business is that this is something that I don't think I'd ever change my mind on, because I truly now want it to be full time. So I'm working. That's the next big step.
ShaochenSo exciting. Oh my gosh, yay. Yeah, and I think being an entrepreneur allows you within the space of entrepreneurship to be changing. Like, I just passed seven years in business, and my business doesn't look like when I first started either. I'm much more in the coaching education space now, which I love. And I think part of the reason why this is the longest job I've ever had is because I get the freedom and the space to make those decisions based on what I need. So I'm so excited for you. I remember when we were doing our onboarding form for the COO Partner Coaching Program, you had put wanting to go full-time, but I think there wasn't a timeline at that point, 'cause I remember asking you that question. When we were having the conversation, the sense I got was that it felt like it was something you wanted in the future, but it felt distant. Like, you didn't know how to put a timeframe around it because it still felt,, really ambiguous. And so I'm really excited to hear that it's feeling more concrete. That's a huge one
KRISTINEYes. Yes, yes. And ag- again kudos to my fiancé who's just asking me all of these hard questions that I'm sort of asking myself, but I'm just, like, pushing off to the side of, like, do I really, you know, want, want to do this full time? But he's the one that's really The person that's encouraging me nonstop and telling me, "Hey, look at the big picture. Look at your goals. What is it truly that you want in your life that will make you happy?" Like, g- this business is what truly makes me happy. When we think about our plans as, like, having a family or, like, you know, when, when our kids are older or whatever, like, is this something that you still wanna do? And I'm like, yeah, 'cause my brain is very creative, and I want to keep funneling into that creativity. And you never know, I might not do large-scale signage down the line. I might be completely different. I might end up doing something more in the education piece, and, I'm open to that. And that's the fun thing about entrepreneurship, that you never really know.
ShaochenYeah
KRISTINEand for some people, it could be intimidating, I have to admit that there are some fears into that because it's the unknown. But when you start focusing on, like, the positive things that can come out of that, that gives me the energy to, to keep going and to j- to just plan it out and see what happens. And it's also
ShaochenYeah
KRISTINEhelpful to have someone that's supportive, not just in business but, you know, in your personal life, that really sees the ins and outs of what you're actually doing to get to that next step
ShaochenYeah, I was gonna say he sounds like a great partner. I'm very
KRISTINEYes sir
ShaochenCongratulations on your wedding. So this has been just an incredible conversation, and I've loved hearing more about your journey There were definitely some gems in there that I didn't know about from when we worked together in coaching, and this has just been really fun to hear, especially about, like, the early days and why you went into a template shop in the first place and all of that. So thank you for taking the time to share all of this with us, esp- especially since you have three full-time roles right now.
Should You Hire a Coach?
ShaochenSo to wrap up our conversation, I'm curious, as someone who had never been in a coaching program prior to joining my CEO Partner Coaching Program, have any insight or advice for somebody who might be considering joining a coaching program or just, like, curious about it for helping to grow their business?
KRISTINEYeah. I, I, I think the biggest thing is investing in your skill and investing in your business will always be worth it. And we talked about, like, those tiny little steps to get to the big step that I wanted. If you're kind of stuck in that, in that what's next phase, having someone there and keeping you accountable, guiding you through the process will always be worth it. So take the leap. Just do it because it, I can't emphasize how much worth it it is to have a partner. And I mentioned this earlier about how being a business pro- um, uh, owner could be a little lonely, and you could be into your head so many times in a day that sometimes you're just, like, stuck in this, this, this what's next. Like, w- you're in paralysis mode. But it, it really does help to talk things out with someone, and I think that's what the coaching program has really helped me get to where I am right now, the accountability piece of it, the, the feeling of, of clarity that these tiny steps is going to get to where I actually want in my business. What really helped me during the coaching program was that you met me where I was in my business. I was looking for something very niche, and you guided me through the entire process, and that's something very unique to me, and that could be very helpful for others that could be in the same boat. I don't think I'd be where I am in my business if you didn't help me break down the specific questions that I had to get to the next step
ShaochenThank you for sharing your experience, Kristine. I I love that. What I personally love as a coach and having working with coaching clients is that we work on the big picture, the strategy, the vision, and we also really dive into the nitty-gritty and being able to, like, work on all those levels and then, like, the mindset in between. I feel like the mindset that it really takes to sometimes step out of your comfort zone, like we were talking about, or, push yourself to do that follow-through. Like, that's where I feel like a lot of the magic happens, too. Because when we are able to talk through some of the mindset blocks, That's not gonna impact you only in the program, but also, like, far beyond as a business owner, too, and to really get to the point where you feel really confident about yourself as somebody who leads the business, who makes decisions and things like that. So that's kind of what I hope everybody leaves with coming out of my coaching programs, so. But yes, if you're listening to this, episode and you are curious about coaching, I would love to have a conversation with you. You can find me online at monstera.gold, and shoot me a DM, and I can tell you about my CO partner coaching program or my Ascend coaching program. Thank you so much, Kristine, for joining us on our show. I'm so excited to share your story with everyone. It's so inspirational to see how you have shifted and grown through this journey, and I'm so excited for what comes next for you and Kristine P. Calligraphy.
KRISTINEThank you so much for having me. This has been a really great, like, reflective time too, just, like, remembering what I've done in, in my past business, and it's just been a, it's been a great conversation. So thank you for having me
