The Creator's MBA: Mastering Business for Artists

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Taught by Laena McCarthy

Laena is Founder and CEO of Anarchy in a Jar, a jam and mustard company based in Brooklyn. She's an entrepreneur, instructional designer, birth and business coach–empowering people through work, life, childbirth, and transformation. In her private practice, she coaches people who crave financial freedom and an integrated work/life/cycle.

Laena launched her startup, Anarchy in a Jar, in 2009. It has been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Martha Stewart Show, New York Magazine, Food & Wine, and more. Laena's cookbook, Jam On: The Craft of Canning Fruit, was published with Penguin Random House in 2012. Her newest venture is Integrated Hustle, a firm that coaches and educates lean entrepreneurs.

Laena graduated magna cum laude from Mount Holyoke College, received an MS in Information Science from Pratt Institute, has trained as a birth coach and food scientist, and was awarded the United States Antarctica Service Medal by the Department of Defense for her work with the National Science Foundation.

When she’s not making it rain with mustard and startup nitty-gritty, you can find her dreaming about her next adventure and chasing her children around Brooklyn.

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What's an EIN? Are you an LLC? What business insurance do you have? This workshop is for anyone considering starting or growing a creative service or product-based business, such as craftspeople, designers, visual artists, dancers, and musicians. You absolutely can do what you love and make a living, but it takes some groundwork and planning to run a successful creative business. 

In this workshop, you'll learn about the basic components of creating a strong, dynamic business foundation as a working creative. I'll teach you how to organize your business idea into a structured plan, identify and promote your business to potential customers, fulfill the legal requirements of starting your business, and develop your financial projections. We'll also cover the important aspects of obtaining the right permits, insurance, and licenses so you can operate risk-free. We’ll also delve into marketing, branding, and e-commerce.

In this workshop, you'll learn:

  • How to develop a business plan
  • How to determine your legal structure
  • How to set up your bookkeeping 
  • How to get permits and licenses
  • How to market and define your brand

Cancellation policy