Florence Morin is an artist-turned-engineer-turned-entrepreneur. She graduated from Canada’s Polytechnique Montréal in 2013, solely to comprehend she disliked engineering work. She longed to earn a dwelling from making artwork.
Quick ahead to 2026, and Florence Artwork & Drawing is her on-line artwork faculty, launched in 2020, promoting courses and instruction. Her 10-person staff consists of internet builders, instructors, and help workers.
In our current dialog, she shared her techniques for course content material, buyer acquisition, hiring, and extra.
The audio of our total interview is embedded beneath. The transcript is edited for readability and size.
Bandholz: Inform us about your self and your enterprise.
Florence Morin: I’m a Montreal, Canada-based artist. I based Florence Artwork & Drawing to show of us how to attract.
Instructing artwork was not my preliminary profession. I used to be an engineer, and I used to be hating life. I had to determine how one can earn a dwelling whereas making artwork. And that turned out to be an artwork faculty promoting digital instruction with a bodily journal that individuals obtain at house to discover ways to draw with paper, old-style.
On-line programs are massively common, particularly after Covid. We’re passion-focused for hobbyists. My viewers is a bit older. They need to have enjoyable and develop a ability, not turn out to be professionals. It’s necessary to worth the trouble and the time it takes to be taught abilities, particularly in an AI world the place the whole lot is simple and spontaneous.
At first I used to be each the face of the enterprise and the teacher. But it surely grew to become an excessive amount of work. So I constructed a staff that’s now 10 individuals. We now have tech guys who arrange and handle our web site, which runs on Shopify. Plus two lecturers assist with instruction, grading college students’ drawings, and answering questions. We even have buyer help brokers.
I can now concentrate on creating programs and increasing the model to be extra like an artwork faculty and fewer about me.
Bandholz: Stroll me by means of the product.
Morin: Individuals signal as much as our programs by means of our Fb adverts or our e mail publication. Promoting on Fb has lengthy been our high buyer acquisition channel. Plus I’ve constructed an enormous mailing record.
Early on, my most popular approach to make gross sales was to go stay on a webinar and truly do drawing workouts with attendees. I pitched our merchandise on the finish of the session.
At first we supplied solely digital programs. Attendees might pay by way of a hyperlink I supplied. However getting the signups trusted my doing the stay webinar. In order that’s once I launched the bodily journal that folk should buy from our web site. I did’t have to be there. They subscribe to the journal, which prices $29 per 30 days.
When it arrives of their mailbox, they will open it, attract it, and have some enjoyable. It doesn’t require interplay. My staff coordinates all of it. The journal is simple to mail and requires little stock. I maintain copies in my basement. Crew members have entry and ship straight from my house.
The web programs are dearer, roughly $1,300 per 12 months with stay help, in-depth initiatives, and step-by-step instruction.
The bodily journal is 50% of the enterprise. I periodically meet with my editorial staff — our chief of operations, and contractors who write, overview, and design the content material. The images within the journal are my actual drawings.
Digital courses account for 30% of the enterprise, and the opposite 20% varies.
Bandholz: You champion handmade merchandise. Do you depend on AI for enterprise operations?
Morin: Artists are sometimes shocked and even offended to see a machine do in 10 seconds what it took them 10 years to be taught. We by no means use AI for artwork. Transparency and authenticity are crucial. We respect our clients.
But as a enterprise proprietor, I’m not against utilizing AI for repetitive back-office duties. Nonetheless, our focus is on human connection, valuing time to be taught, and bringing communities collectively.
Bandholz: What’s your long-term imaginative and prescient for the corporate?
Morin: Launching the corporate was about freedom. I’ve realized a lot on the way in which. My aim for the following few years is to make the enterprise much less depending on me so I can work on new initiatives.
A few of my present duties, comparable to advertising and marketing, I can delegate. Though an excellent marketer might be the toughest position to rent. The particular person should know the product and the enterprise and be capable of generate artistic concepts. A number of artists need to be concerned, too.
I’m not contemplating promoting the enterprise. Florence Artwork & Drawing is 80% of my id. Promoting the corporate can be like giving that id to another person. A number of of us I do know who’ve offered a enterprise really feel very empty afterward. If an proprietor desires to promote, she must be clear on what to do afterward.
If I take away my enterprise, who else am I?
Bandholz: The place can individuals join an artwork course, comply with you, or attain out?
Morin: Our web site is ArtetDessin.com/en. We’re on Instagram and Fb, and I’m on LinkedIn.
