“A Leap from Oncology Leader to Creative Entrepreneur: A Pandemic Silver Lining” with Dolores Esparza
Pictures Courtesy of Dolores Esparza
Dolores Esparza made a name for herself in the world of oncology nursing before reinventing herself as a creative entrepreneur. She launched her art company during the covid pandemic after five decades of making significant contributions to cancer center operations. This fulfilled a lifelong dream of creating joy through painting. This ambitious transition from science to art presented many challenges including social media overload and skill set retraining as a business owner.
Can you tell our readers about your background?
I have a master’s degree in nursing even though my first choice was an art degree. I spent fifty years serving as a cancer leader or “crusader” as some like to call me. In brief, I opened new cancer centers, served on national cancer committees, did public speaking, wrote articles and edited two books on cancer. My first choice was to major in art but I sacrificed my dream based on my need for financial security. I never gave up the art dream so I took art courses and painted as often as possible in hopes that one day I could devote full time to my passion. That opportunity came during the pandemic.
What inspired you to start your business?
In 2019 when the covid pandemic started I was working for a cancer center in Los Angeles. As patients stopped going to the doctor’s office due to fear of contracting the virus the census dropped and lots of staff members were placed on furlough to balance hospital budgets. I was one of them. I saw this as a sign that I needed to put my plan into action.
Where is your business based?
My business is based in Aguanga, California, a little know mountain enclave between San Diego and Palm Springs. It is an equestrian community with a fishing lake, mountains and hiking trails. I moved here because it is peaceful and inspiring. The one downside is that I have to travel to Temecula to do all of my shipping and framing. Another piece of advice is not to move and start a business while experiencing a pandemic. I could not have predicted the pandemic when I purchased my new house.
How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?
It seems that I did everything at once because it happened so fast. First, I had to think of a name and I made a list of 50 plausible names and landed on Dolores Esparza Art. I opted to use my name as the company name to leverage the visibility that I had worked hard to cultivate during my professional nursing career. Following that decision I applied for my sales permit, opened a merchant bank account and developed a website. A logo and website proved to be holdups which in hindsight were not urgent. I recommend working from a checklist with timelines and contact data for resources.
What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?
I am still working on this one as I strive to help new collectors find my art so they can love it and ultimately buy it. I use personal contacts that I made in the cancer business. In addition, I do local art shows. These are physically draining but I get to meet locals and generally enjoy my experience. I have learned not to take large pieces to these shows because they do not fit in small cars. I carry business cards to the grocery store, post office and while eating out for chance meetings.
What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?
My biggest challenge has been overcoming the need for perfection. Let me explain, I wanted to have a perfect website, perfect logo, perfect painting frames and a perfect studio before launching my business. I learned that I wasted time by not posting my work on Instagram and Facebook. I attribute this in part to feeling intimated in using social media. The fact that I was out of my comfort zone scared me. To get over the fear of this technology I took courses to learn how to use Facebook and Instagram business pages.
How do you stay focused?
A calendar is my friend because I tend to multitask and sometimes, I go down a rabbit hole. I divided my week into time blocks. Wednesday is for office work, shipping, appointments, visits to the framer, and calls. Mornings are for yoga, meditation, inspirational walks, and warm-up painting exercises. The afternoons are for painting and photographing art.
How do you differentiate your business from the competition?
I believe that my unique painting style which is impressionistic, colorful, and has a tropical flair differentiates me from other art businesses. I know that my art will not appeal to all and the challenge is to find my special collectors. When I pivoted from a representational style to one that is impressionistic it paid off. The best comment that I have heard from a follower is “I recognized your painting the minute that it came across my feed”. To me, that is a win.
What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?
I have to say that my list of personal contacts has been the most successful. My first collectors came from my list. At first, I thought they were buying my art because they felt obligated somehow. Now I am learning that collectors buy because of a compelling story behind the artist and the painting. An image on a canvas has to tug at the heart. It reminds the collector of a memory, a place, or a favorite day in their life. It’s love at first sight.
What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?
Simply stated my advice is to not be afraid to fail. Fear of failure causes paralyzing. You are not alone in your venture. Reach out to others who have walked in your shoes.
What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?
I use Instagram daily so it’s my favorite app at the moment. I love the Artsy blog because it gives me exposure to global contemporary art that is fun to look at. My favorite book is Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon. It’s a short read but it confirmed that I have the right to experiment, go wild with creativity, and paint what I want.
What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?
My accountant has been an invaluable educational resource as I learned all of the tax rules and accounting skills. Creative minds prefer to paint and brush to excel spreadsheets and tax forms. However, survival is contingent on cash flow, expense tracking, and other numerical formulas. I learned that it’s best to set up templates to facilitate year-end tax accounting and just fill in the blanks. Quicken Books is a useful tool for this. In addition, I really like my Facebook art groups because I can get immediate answers to questions that I am stuck on.
Who is your business role model? Why?
My business role model is an artist, Amira Rahim who turned her art into an international business. She changed her style from representational to abstract and her sales went through the roof. She is represented by multiple art houses and sells prints as a passive cash flow source. I want to achieve the same goal and that is why her story speaks to me.
How do you balance work and life?
This is easier said than done. The use of a weekly schedule helps my family and I stay on track. I post my work blocks on my studio door while working. They know that the studio is my new office. All family matters are handled during off-hours. A bonus for me is the flexibility in planning days off to paint and visit friends now that I am a master of my calendar.
What’s your favorite way to decompress?
I hike and admire nature as a source of creative inspiration. I drink coffee outside in the morning and in the evening, I enjoy watching sunsets full of magenta, orange, yellow and blue hues.
What do you have planned for the next six months?
My goal for the next six months is to increase my inventory by 50%. In addition, I will increase my presence on Instagram and post every other day. This is a change for me as I have not been consistent and diligent in posting my work. I was reliant on my website for sales but it takes work to drive traffic to it. The third goal is to add passive cash flow sources with sales of prints and art merchandise.
How can our readers connect with you?
I love to mentor and am willing to share my knowledge with others who are going thru the same experience. Contact information below:
https://www.facebook.com/doloresesparza.art
Twitter handle @ DoloresEsparza8
Links to be added: