Turning your hobby into a business. That’s often the dream, isn’t it? You have a hobby that you’re really good at and people say to you that it is so good you should sell it. But you have doubts about leaving a secure job and fear of failing at it.
If you ever didn’t think it was possible to live your dream, our guest today will show you that it is.
Today we talk to Diane Hill, Designer, and Owner of Diane Hill, London, Art, Print, and Accessories. She paints bright and beautiful art inspired by a style popular in the 18th Century called Chinoiserie. We’re going to be discussing how she turned a hobby into a successful and profitable business.
Diane will tell you her story, where she started painting murals in her toddler’s room to be featured in Vogue and having her designs sold at John Lewis Brewer and Anthropologie US.
To get started in moving your hobby to a business or if you want to understand the importance of social media, mailing lists, and automation on that journey listen to Diane’s engaging and interesting story about her road to entrepreneurship.
In This Episode
[02:13] Diane’s journey from having an interest in design to having a successful business.
[05:13] How Diane’s tenacity got her dream design job straight from the university.
[07:32] Getting motivated to become a “big girl” and letting go of the fear of starting your own business.
[09:36] The viral moments that made Vogue notice Diane and her work.
[12:02] How social networks like Instagram helped Diane get on the map and create her business.
[15:13] Behind the story of Diane’s first product for sale on her website and how scary it was at the time.
[18:08] Selling to uplift people, how that decision shot Diane’s revenue up, and the ways Diane spread her work further using more social media channels.
[25:59] Although you want to go your own way in business, it is important and valuable to get a job for the experience.
[27:54] How Diane used an effective marketing strategy, networking, scaling and identifying, and taking advantage of great opportunities to grow her business.
[30:34] The value of knowing your audience and creating a persona of your business.
[34:48] Why does “slow and steady wins the race” work for Diane and her business?
[37:56] The need to own your social media audience and learn from past marketing mistakes to understand the new processes in place.
[42:18] Learning how to market differently through email marketing and social media.
[50:24] Business people are just people so your customers should also be treated as such.
[52:19] “I think like you just have to just pick what it is that you love in life and absolutely go for it with everything. “ – Diane
About Diane Hill
Diane Hill is a London-based artist, wife, and mother of two girls. In 2016, she decided to set up her own business, Diane Hill London Art, Print, and Accessories. Here she paints bright and beautiful art inspired by a style popular in the 18th Century called Chinoiserie, which literally means ‘Chinese things’. Her unique method of painting on silk gives a modern touch and she is passionate about sharing her art and skills with all those who enjoy it.
Her motto is “whatever your passion… never give up on it.” especially if you are an artist. Collaborating with incredible brands who share her values, together they have developed a beautiful selection of products using her hand-painted originals, such as wallpaper, fabric, silk scarves, jewellery, and dresses.
Connect With Diane
On her Website
On her Instagram
On her Pinterest
On her Facebook
On her LinkedIn