About this episode
Fabric artist triples revenue to $25K using one Instagram hack after losing 3,000 followers overnight Karen Payton lost her Instagram following but discovered Facebook groups were her goldmine. She shares how pivoting to the Grateful Dead niche, embracing custom commissions, and nurturing superfans built her $25K/year fabric art business. Key Topics: - The Instagram hack that forced a profitable pivot - Song commissions: Turn lyrics into best-selling art - Building superfans who share every post for 2+ years - Why "it's supposed to be hard" is actually good advice - From $9K to $25K using Facebook groups strategically Guest: Karen Payton, Fabric Artist (@karenpayntonartist) Timestamps: 00:00 The 3-year grind reality check 02:33 What is fabric art? (recycled clothing technique) 07:40 Art Storefronts as your "bandmate" 10:42 The long game mindset shift 14:56 Instagram hack disaster becomes opportunity 18:53 Custom commission breakthrough 23:02 Free contest generates $3K commission 27:07 Nurturing 5 superfans into buyers 30:25 Breaking into advanced artist strategies