6 Things I Would Do If I Were A Hand Type Artist, Graphic Artist or Calligrapher

Yesterday the weather was beautiful, so Brooke and I made ourselves some iced coffee and sat on the front porch while June napped upstairs.  I just recently purchased multiple copies of the #ASKGARYVEE book, and prior to sitting on the front porch I had just finished reading chapter 1.  When it comes to business books I like to read chapters and then spend a day or two thinking about what I read.  I want to actually retain the information and not just consume it.

The last two sentences of the chapter say,

"Bet on your strengths.  It's an underrated business strategy in a world where we so many people are obsessed with fixing their weaknesses they give short shrift to the skills they were born with."

A photo posted by T.J. Mousetis (@tjmousetis) on

So, on the front porch with iced coffee in hand I asked Brooke, "What are my greatest strengths?"

Without hesitation Brooke said, "Your ideas, your decisiveness and your ability to solve problems."  She continued and said, "You have the ability to think of something someone or some business should do within seconds of hearing about the business or the problem they are having."

We sat and talked about that for a while and I started to ask her questions like, "How can I use those three strengths to help others?" Part of what I want to do is have short 1 on 1 sessions with people, which you can read about here - One on One.  I already have about 10 scheduled and I am pumped!

I came up with another idea which leads me to the point of this post.  Periodically, I am going to try to write out ideas for businesses that I have nothing to do with.  I sell t-shirts and have tons of ideas for my company, but I can't help and think sometimes, "If I owned a food truck I would..."

Because walk in love. does deal with hand type and graphic artists I thought I would start there.

So, here are...

6 Things I Would Do If I Were A Hand Type Artist/Graphic Artist/Calligrapher*

*Please note that I am not any of these.  I do some graphic design for walk in love. when I am working on t-shirts, etc, but these aren't my professions.  You can't hire me as a graphic artist and there is no way you'd want me to write anything for you, especially in calligraphy.  I have no dog in this fight or skin in this game.

1. I'd start trending. 🔥

The very first thing I would do is start trending.  When phrases like, "Damn Daniel. Back at it with the white vans." set the internet on fire I would stop what I am doing and design the popular phrase for my Instagram.  Not only does a viral phrase instantly connect with a person scrolling through their feed but it also opens the slight chance for a blog or news site to use it when they talk about the famous video.  More people are searching and using the hashtag and scrolling through it so you have potential to grab more fans.  I wouldn't just jump on viral phrases.  I would do it with trending events, moments, etc.  For example the oscars were a few weeks ago.  If I were a hand type artist I would have had the the phrase on my feed, "And the oscar goes to.." the night of the oscars with the question in the text, "Who do you think is going to win?"  Creating something for my followers to connect with.  Then the next day I would have had a piece that said "Congratulations Leo!" or "I'm King of the World!" since it was such a big deal that he finally won!  Engage with trends whenever you can.

2. I'd get moving. 🌀

We are living in a more video heavy social media age at the moment.  Snapchat is proving that people want to watch videos all the time.  Facebook feeds are mostly videos and GIFs are starting to take up more and more digital space.  I know that elaborate motion text is not an easy skill to acquire, but simple moving GIFs are easier to create than you think with Photoshop or different apps.  I'd start moving my text from time to time just to show a variety in the content I am producing.  It might catch the eye of a fan that has scrolled by 50 still images before getting to your moving one.

3. I'd Show How I Do What I Do 🎥

I'd use Snapchat and Instagram to shoot really short videos of myself creating.  People love behind the scenes looks at a skill they don't have.  If you can draw or write well, especially calligraphy, people will go nuts over that.  If you are more skilled on the graphic design end do some screen captures of the work you are doing in photoshop.  Show people that you are a person with a really cool skill

4. I'd Do A LOT Of Stuff For Free! 💰

I'd post an Instagram today and say, "I want to write as many of your favorite phrases as possible.  Comment below with them and I will get to as many as I can and send you a direct message of the piece when I am done."  Then I would spend all day with a bunch of paper and a scanner or iPad pro and hammer through them.  I am doing two things by spending my time and energy on this.  First, what I am doing is practicing my skill and honing my craft, and second, I am creating an amazing experience for someone.  Next time they hear someone say, "I need a new logo" or "We are looking for someone to design our wedding invitations." They might be quick to tell the story of the phrase you wrote for them.  Write people's names, kids names, favorite bible verses, addresses, whatever you can to engage with them and give them something one of a kind and custom.  Designing things for people just takes your time, you don't have to spend any money, except on paper, but it's worth it!

5. I'd Reach Out To Everyone! 👋

I'd start reaching out to blogs, Instagram accounts, local businesses and just tell them, "Hey my name is TJ and I do custom design/hand type/calligraphy.  I am not selling anything right now but if you ever need a banner or Instagram to say something custom let me know because right now I am just trying to grow my business and would do it totally FREE, no strings attached.  Here is a link to my portfolio, let me know if you are interested! xoxo, gossip...I mean..T.J."  If you want to get really hardcore I would look into the business and find their mission statement and maybe design it or write it all cool and include that in the e-mail, telling them they can use it for free, you just enjoyed the practice.  There are also apps out there that provide overlays for photos, like the walk in love. VRSLY app.  Reach out to those apps and let them know you'd love to submit something.  We've had so many young artist take over VRSLY for a week and grow their reach and engagement.  Most people will say, "No." but some will say, "Yes." and then you have a piece that is out there in their circle.  It's door to door sales in the digital age and it will help grow your business more than anything you are probably doing today!

6. I Wouldn't Take Myself To Seriously. 😛

We get it.  You can write the word, "wanderlust" and go to Unsplash and put it over a photo of someone wrapped in a blanket on the edge of a cliff....But so can 9,040,305 other hand typers.  This advice is similar to the get trending advice, but have a little more fun with your craft.  If you follow me on Snapchat you know that Brooke and I eat a lot of Snack Trays.  If I was a hand typer I would write out things like, "SNACK TRAYZ FOR DAYZ" to add some light heartedness to my feed.  If you are super into New Girl at the moment, maybe take a few of your favorite quotes and post them.  Something to make people smile will always be more memorable than the 9,000th version of something everyone else is doing.

Again, I am not a graphic designer, hand typer or calligrapher so I have no skin in this game.  I just want to share my ideas, which Brooke says is one of my greatest strengths, so take the ideas or leave them.  It's what I would be doing if I were one.  Hope it helps you grow your business.

And since I was inspired to start these types of post by the #ASKGARYVEE book I want to give away a copy.  To enter just comment on this post with what business you'd like me to share my ideas on.  Thanks!

9 ALBUMS THAT I LOVE RIGHT NOW! // V. 5

Back at it with the 9 albums!  Thanks to Tess Buckwalter + Jeff Sheldon who made recommendations that made volume 5.  Enjoy and let me know what you think!


Maybe Next Week You Should Focus All Your Time On Your Product....

When people ask me, "What's the secret?" to running and growing a business, I usually chuckle because there isn't a big secret that all successful entrepreneurs are holding on to and having secret meetings about. Really, there isn't.

But ready, I am going to share the big secret I do know works with you, right now, totally for free.

Have a great product, great customer service and work your butt off for years and years and years and years and years...

Mix in a few mistakes and a dash of dumb luck and you just might have some success.  Unfortunately, a lot people will fail as entrepreneurs.  That's the cold, hard truth of running a business.

I think one of the biggest mistakes young entrepreneurs make is focusing way too much on the digital presentation of their product instead of their actual product.  They jump from having an idea or product one day to selling that idea or product the next day, instead of taking time to focus on perfecting that idea or product so that it sells better in the first place.

I like to call them "instant businesses".  It's the photographer that has never taken a good photo, or the calligrapher who just bought their pen last week and took a 30 minute online class.  The examples are endless and I am sure you see them all of your newsfeed.  Honestly, I totally get it.  Starting new things is very exciting!  We get all pumped up with an idea, we put on some T-Swizzle, click around on a website creator for 30 minutes and think to ourselves, "Okay there are 7 billion people in the world.  If only 1/2 a percent of the entire population buys my $10 product I will make $350,000,000. Wow! That's going to be so easy! I am going to be so rich and buy a boat, or pet Elephant! I HAVE MADE IT!"

Let's pump the brakes for one hot second though. While that logic is air tight (😂), I don't think it's going to be as easy as you think!   I get that it's easy to think about the theory behind who is going to buy your stuff and what you are going to make, but again, it's just not that simple.

Instead of letting excitement be the only thing that drives you, which will fade by the way, let's focus on part of that secret to success I shared earlier.

Your actual product or service.

Imagine if you just focused on your product or service all next week, or month, and not on how it looked on Instagram. Would you make changes to how you do something or find a better way to do it?  Would it open up your mind to how it fits, looks, smells, etc?  Would you realize that there is something you say or do with a client that makes them uncomfortable?  Just imagine how much you would grow as a business owner if all next week you called up old clients and asked them how you could improve.  You think that would help more than posting 30 Instagrams about how "busy" you are? I'd bet my pet elephant that it would.

Now, I know that I am always talking about how important social media and interaction is today to grow a business, but it's not the most important thing.  That would be the actual thing you are trying to sell, your goods or services.  Focus on that, have a little patience, and you will see your business grow.

For the past few months, Brooke and I have been having some work done in our kitchen.  We had a wall removed, a dishwasher installed, a new island put in, some electric work fixed and a new backsplash installed.

We hired Josh Strayer, owner and operator of Home Improvement Services. The work he did on our house was incredible. HIRE HIM. He was so easy to work with and very detail oriented.  He kept our house clean while working, kept us in the loop and never made us feel dumb when we didn't understand what in the world he was talking about.

Now if you look at Josh's social media "presence" it is basically non-existent, which is not good.  I know he is working on a website to improve that presence, which is good!  But even with a lacking social media presence, Josh is awesome because his product is fantastic!  So, every time someone comes into our house and comments on our kitchen, Brooke and I are quick to sing his praise, and that's not because of his social media, but because of his product!

Seriously, if you live in the Lancaster area, hire Josh!  He's fantastic!

Now, let's say Josh had a great blog and social presence but did a crappy job on our house.  I would never recommend him and his business.  Your social "prestige" will only take you so far.  If you have a bad product people will start talking about it.. and at that point, the jig is up!

There are far too many entrepreneurs or wannabe-entrepreneurs out there who are so focused on the presentation of what they are doing without having the actual skill, service background or quality product to back it up.

Never stop focusing on your product and service.  It will do so much more than having a million followers ever will.  Once you have a great product, then yes, start talking about it and focus on growing that following. But, growing a following with out a great product is like building a house on a crappy foundation.  It's going to fall apart at some point.

My challenge to you is this: to spend all next week focusing on your product, the very thing it is you sell.  Call up some past clients, e-mail several customers, run a survey online or read your reviews and comments.  Find out where you can improve and spend next week improving.  If you are just getting started, then spend next week and the next 100 weeks after that, perfecting your craft.

I have been selling t-shirts for 10 years and just last week I ordered a handful of new samples of tees, because I wanted to see if they were softer, more comfortable or would work for what we do.  I always want the walk in love. product to improve because that is IT -- the "BIG" secret to growing your business.

Brooke will be posting a complete before and after on her blog when she gets around to it, so I will just use two Instagrams to show the great work Josh did!

BEFORE:

A photo posted by T.J. Mousetis (@tjmousetis) on

AFTER:

A photo posted by T.J. Mousetis (@tjmousetis) on

How Brooke and I Met.

Lately, I have been answering a lot of questions on Snapchat (which I love to do by the way, so keep them coming!).  One question I'm asked a lot is, "How did you and Brooke meet?"  In Snapchat, I keep the answer short because I don't want to type it all out... because that's what blog posts are for!

So, here is the full story of how Brooke and I met.  Hold onto your hats, tissues and anything else around you because this is the greatest, most epic, incredible love story ever told in the history of time.  Are you excited?

We met on Facebook.....

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

I'm just kidding, well sort of.

Brooke and I actually first met very briefly when I was in 5th grade and she was in 3rd grade.  Our families went to the same church and one evening my family had The Courtney's over because my younger sister Samantha and Brooke had become friends at church.  The year was 1995.  The top song in 1995 was "Gangsters Paradise" by the rapper and poet Coolio.  It was also the year we were introduced to Woody and Buzz in the cinematic masterpiece, Toy Story.  Clearly, a good year all around.

Brooke's first memory of me was the following:  I came running up the stairs from our basement at full speed, asked my mom a question, and then turned around and ran back down the stairs.  That was it.  Our first meeting and Brooke's first memory of me.

I, unfortunately, have no memory of this first moment in our history, but Brooke has a short five second vivid memory of it, which is odd for Brooke.  She will be the first to admit she doesn't have a great memory, so I think I can explain her remembering this for one of two reasons.  1. She secretly knew that I was the man she was going to marry and she was in awe of me, or 2. She was in amazed at the size of my head as a fifth grader and shocked that I didn't topple down the stairs like a slinky.  Either way, that is Brooke's first memory of me.

Fast forward to 2008, when the hit song was "Low" by Flo Rida featuring T-Pain, and we were introduced to Wall-E a cinematic look into the future of the human race... 😂 ... but, seriously.

It was April of 2008 and in the previous six months I had been fired from an internship, ended an engagement and moved back into my parent's basement, finding and taking the first job I could get, which was in a warehouse.  It was not exactly the most exhilarating time to be T.J. Mousetis.  It's actually really hard to believe that all of that only happened 8ish years ago.  It seems so much longer.  And yes, you read that correctly, I was engaged once before.

I remember one night specifically, sitting on the bed in my sister's room, on my laptop and while watching TV.  It's actually really weird that I would be in my sister's room.  Normally, I would just watch TV in the basement or living room, but for some reason, on that night, I was up in her room.  It was at a time in my life where I didn't know what walk in love. was going to be.  Walk in love. originally started as a fundraiser for a mission trip to Siberia, Russia. I had traveled to Russia twice now, both funded by walk in love. sales, and a third trip was coming up in July.  I knew that I loved selling shirts, but outside of friends and family, business wasn't exactly booming -- mostly because it wasn't really a business.  It had just been a fundraiser for the past three years, but I wanted it to be more.  Around this time I had decided to order new, softer shirts with what I called "better designs."  Looking back at the designs I have to laugh!!! Because they would NEVER EVER MAKE THE CUT NOW, but I was young and learning - still am learning!

That night I was trying to think of ways to take walk in love. up to the next level.  I thought better photos would do the trick and Brooke's name popped into my head.  We were Facebook friends and back in 2008, when Facebook was the thing you just added anyone you knew because it was so cool.  Well, because of that, I knew that Brooke was a photographer, so while sitting on my sisters bed I looked her up on Facebook.

This was her profile picture at the time and I can't help but smile every time I see it.  I remember thinking as soon as it popped up, "I have a crush on her."  No joke, that was my first thought.  It was crush at first sight.   So, I mustered up all the courage I could and sent her a message.  Unfortunately, due to Facebook changing the way they do their messaging, I've lost the original message I sent, but I can guess it went something like this...

Hey Brooke,

I see you are a photographer.  You might not know me but I am TJ and we go to the same church.  I sell the walk in love. t-shirts and was wondering if you would want to trade photos for free shirts or something, whatever, if you want, no big deal, I LOVE YOU, oh my gosh, this is weird, you are so pretty, okay cool, bye.

-T.J. *In my mind - NAILED IT*

To my surprise, she said yes! And then we started chatting it up on Facebook.

I decided to ask her if she wanted to "hang out" before did the photos.  In one of our conversations leading up to this hangout, she had told me that she never had a $1 McDonald's ice cream sundae, so I suggested McD's as our first date spot... Seriously, how did we end up getting married?

On May 18th, 2008, Brooke and I met at McDonalds.  She was wearing a pink t-shirt with chocolate bunnies on it that made me laugh.

I  didn't show up with a funny t-shirt, but instead, showed up with a dirt-stache because I was participating in Moustache May.  Yep, first date at McDonalds and I had an 18 day old dirt-stache.  I did buy the sundaes though, so... totally redeemed myself!

We sat at McDonalds and talked about our jobs, families and lives.  After we enjoyed our ice cream, I asked her if she wanted to go to a park and keep talking, so we went to Reidenbaugh Elementary school and sat on the swings and continued to talk for a few hours.  She had her camera with her that night, so I asked her if she would take my Moustache May photo for the next day.  Yeah, it was a daily photo posting event.  I wish they would bring it back, maybe someday!

In that parking lot at Reidenbaugh Elementary, Brooke took her first, of many many, photos of me, dirt-stache and all.

A few days later I came over to her house for a second date and that's when I told her I loved her.  I was madly in love with her from the moment we started talking, and still am to this day as I listen to her read to our daughter in the room next to me while writing this.

Five months later, I asked her to marry me in October 2008 and seven months after that we got married in May 2009.

I can't help but smirk at that little smirk on my face in that photo.  Your life can change in a moment.  It had not been a great year for the young man in that photo, but one encounter, with one person, changed it forever and I thank God every day for that. 

So to answer the question, "How did you and Brooke meet?", I guess I'd have to say "I originally met Brooke for five seconds in 1995, then again in May 2008.  After our second meeting, my life has never, and will never, be the same."

Cavities

Yesterday morning I had several cavities filled.  I hadn't been to the dentist in a few years, which I am definitely kind of embarrassed by.  I could make a lot of excuses as to why I didn't go, but when it comes down to it, it's simple - I just didn't make it a priority. I finally went for a cleaning on Monday, and not to my surprise, I have cavities.

But back to yesterday - while I was laying in the chair with a numb face and nine different attachments shoved into my mouth, I realized the error of my foolishness.  The suffering I was enduring in the chair, as they told me to open my small mouth "wider! wider!", while shoving a freaking drill into my mouth, WAS NOT WORTH IT!

As God as my witness I will never miss a dentist appointment again.  I will floss and use mouth wash every night.  I will do all that I can to prevent future cavities from forming.  Side note, my dentist didn't ask if I drank lots of coffee, so I'm taking that as a good sign that I can keep drinking it!  Praise the Lord!

Getting a cavity filled is such a good metaphor for our lives.  How often do we go through life ignoring something that needs to be addressed in our life because we don't like, it makes us uncomfortable or it's not exciting?  In my short thirty years on earth so far, I have never learned the lesson that "avoiding a problem usually makes it better".

But we do it in all areas of our lives.  We ignore our physical health and often end up with diabetes just because we are overweight.  We ignore our spiritual health and feel alone in the wilderness, instead of attached to an all powerful and loving God.  We ignore the health of our relationships and end up in a distant, bitter, underwhelming, emotional draining relationship - be it marriage, dating or friendship.

We let cavities destroy areas of our lives until it's too late, or almost too late.  When it's too late and we actually lose a tooth, or relationship, or area of our heart, we feel broken, incomplete and usually really embarrassed.  If you have ever lost something in your life because of your own foolishness, then you know exactly what I mean.  It's the worst feeling.  I remember feeling that way over and over again in high school and college when I was giving into temptations that I knew were wrong.  I was losing a part of my heart and it was awful.  I've also lost friends and relationships because of my own foolishness and it's horrible.  Some of us may try to blame the system, the other person or circumstance, but when decay eats away at us, it's normally our fault and ours alone.

When there is still a chance to salvage and repair the decay, it is usually really painful.  It's sitting in a dentist chair while a drill grinds away your teeth, hard conversations with loved ones, or starting to diet and eat healthy.  All of which are hard things to do, but THEY ARE ALWAYS WORTH IT!  I have never met anyone who was upset that they worked through a problem or got healthy. Never!  I have also never met anyone who is mad that they still have all their teeth.

I am so glad they rooted out the decay in my teeth and filled my cavities yesterday.  If not, the decay would have spread and spread and I would have eventually lost some teeth.

Don't let decay spread in your body and heart.  Root it out and take care of it.  Have that hard conversation with your loved one, start that healthier lifestyle, pursue holiness.  Do it and do it now.  Today!  Don't wait and end up living part of your life with decay eating away at your heart. It's not worth it!

When the doctor came in after my initial cleaning to tell me I had cavities he told me, "We can fix the cavities, but your teeth will not be as strong.  Your mouth will always be stronger with what is originally there."

I almost started crying because I started to think about the way we were created.  We, humans, were created to walk the gardens naked and unafraid with our creator.  When sin enters our hearts, decay happens, and it'll never be as strong as what was originally there, EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT GOD LOVES US SO MUCH HE SENT JESUS.

Unlike my teeth, my heart has the opportunity to be restored to its original purpose, to have a naked and unafraid relationship with my loving Creator.  Jesus is the only thing that will fill those cavities in our lives back to their original strength.  He is the only one that can take the decay called sin, which has burrowed it's way into our hearts, and make it stronger, back to it's original creation.

I want to be more aware of the decay in my life so I can root it out and cover it with the love of my Savior.  I don't want to live with it.  I want to live how I was created to, not with decay, but with and in the loving arms of my Creator, naked and unafraid.