Breakthroughs and Business Growth with Catherine Rains

[00:00:00] Made Remarkable Intro: Welcome back and thanks for tuning into the made remarkable podcast, hosted by Kellee Wynne. In today's episode, Kellee is talking with the queen of collage, Catherine Rains to discuss the remarkable breakthroughs her business has gone through and just three years. Cat shares her experience of transforming her art business from struggling to thriving with Kellee's guidance, consistency, and determination. She reveals the pivotal steps. She took to build an online presence and scale her business emphasizing the crucial role of a juicy lead magnet. And how it catapulted her success. 

Check out the show notes and transcripts for more information about Cat. Exclusive promotional offers and any special links mentioned during the episode, Kellee loves connecting with listeners. So don't be shy. Reach out on social media and together let's build a community that celebrates the remarkable. If you want to be notified every time a new episode hits the airwaves, just hit that subscribe button on your favorite podcast platform. Thank you for joining us today. 

And always remember you are made remarkable. Destined to achieve the unimaginable. Now let's get to the good part. Introducing Kellee Wynne and Catherine rains.

[00:01:08] Kellee Wynne: Well, hello. Hello. I'm Kellee Wynn, artist, author, mentor, fiercely independent mother and wife, and the founder of a multiple six figure creative business. And I love my life, but I've been where you're at. I was slogging away at this art business thing for more than a decade. Once I finally connected with my true calling, unlock the magic of marketing and built a system that could scale, while I realize I can make an impact and make a substantial income, I'm finally running a business that I love and it makes all the.

Difference in the world. My biggest dream is to help you do the same. Let this podcast be the catalyst to your biggest success. You already have it in you because you are made remarkable.

So I have Cat on the podcast and she's one of my dear friends now in, as well as being third time in a row, a member of my league, 

[00:02:08] Catherine Rains: and it is a total pleasure to be part of your league for the third year.

I mean, how could I not do that? Because it's, you've changed my life over and over again. You know, I have to tell you, Kellee. That I was meeting with my website designer the other day. And she said, she's so like, she can't believe how I just popped on the scene. Like all of a sudden I'm just exploding.

And I went one, I didn't just pop on the scene. Right. I've been working for like 35 years at this, but I only got traction when I started working with you. That's so, so it actually started in 20, 22 is the beginning of 2022 is when we started working together. And from that point on, that's when it went on overdrive really fast.

And I've been working really hard. 

[00:02:55] Kellee Wynne: You're working really hard. Let's not mince words about this. It's not like it just happened magically. There was a lot of work behind it. You getting clear about what you wanted and working towards that and staying focused has been monumental. 

[00:03:09] Catherine Rains: Yeah. And I didn't, before then I didn't know what steps to take to build an audience, You know, every time you said, okay, you need to build a five day class, you need to get on YouTube, you need to do a weekly newsletter, all of these things I knew in my head, but I didn't really know how important they were, you know?

And so once you said that, and I trust you. And each 1 of those things, step by step led me to really fast growth. At least to me, it's fast growth. 

[00:03:38] Kellee Wynne: I mean, I think going from a very small income from selling art, I mean, I'm not saying like, it was nothing, but it was small in comparison to being able to get over the 6 figure like, within a year, really.

[00:03:56] Catherine Rains: Yeah. Yeah, actually, yeah, the first year with two classes, I made over six figures. Yeah. And then this year we much better. 

[00:04:05] Kellee Wynne: Yeah, multiple. Multiples. We're getting there. We're now changing also your mindset, because when you started, you're like, if I could just make as much as my day job, and then you're like, okay, if I can just make six figures, if I can just, well, I guess I can make more, and now you're like, okay, league, year three, we're going in for the millions.

You and Drew and everyone else in the group, they're like, no more playing small. No more. starving artists. It's like, let's make an impact. I love it. 

[00:04:37] Catherine Rains: Yeah. You know, it's really surprising because I really thought I could, you know, working with you one year, I'd be able to do it. And I did do a lot in one year, tremendous amount.

And then the second year I did a tremendous amount more, but I realized, I really believe it's a three year, four year journey to build it to the point that it's kind of really repeatable, you know? I'm hoping it's not quite so much work. You know, 

[00:05:02] Kellee Wynne: that's the key though. I go 

[00:05:04] Catherine Rains: into year 4. 

[00:05:05] Kellee Wynne: Yeah, consistency will certainly help build it faster, easier, less stress, but it's not an overnight thing.

I absolutely agree on that. And there are building blocks that we may hear or talk about. Publicly or, you know, hear a podcast about, but it's like, when you actually have the system all laid out for you and say, okay, this is the process you need to follow. These are the next steps. Okay, you completed that and it wasn't like, and what I mean, well, we'd probably like.

Fall into a pile of mush if we tried to do it all at once. So it's got to be step by step and it does take a process, but like being able to lay out that system and have you implement each piece along the way is how we saw the growth happen faster and faster. And then, doubling your launch and everything like that.

[00:05:58] Catherine Rains: Yep. And I have to keep remembering that now, you know, I have a list on my wall over here. These are the 10 projects I'm going to do this year, and I just have to take, take them one at a time. You know, I've mapped them all out, you know, what month they're going to happen in, but you know, I always underestimate how long everything takes.

So 

[00:06:16] Kellee Wynne: that's a creative problem that I hear very often, whatever we think it's going to take times it by four. 

[00:06:24] Catherine Rains: Yeah, I'm just slow. It's interesting on a little side note, Kellee. So two years ago, almost to the day, you said to me, you need to come up with a free class and you gave me three weeks to do it because I was in your virtual art summit and I needed it done by the day that I was have my classes. So in three and a half weeks, I came up with a five day class that is still running today. And it was like, how in the world did I produce that in three and a half weeks?

I have to remember that I can work fast if I'm under the gun. Yeah, but I'm already working, you know, I work full time and it just takes me time, you know, cause I want to quality effort and everything. It's hard for me to go faster than I am. 

[00:07:08] Kellee Wynne: Well, I mean, the whole point of this is to run the business at your own pace and not run yourself ragged, but it was good to see you get that momentum right out the gate.

And once you had the, what we like to call a juicy lead magnet, out there, your list grew really fast. 

[00:07:25] Catherine Rains: And it's, it continues to grow really fast because of that juicy light lead magnet. So it's pretty amazing. 

[00:07:32] Kellee Wynne: Amazing that it only takes one really good one, one really good one. Well, the other thing we implemented, and of course, anyone who wants to go back and listen to a year ago, a little over a year ago, I had you on the podcast and you were talking about the tune in Tuesdays and the regular consistency of showing up.

You switched platforms though, the first year you were doing a live video every Tuesday on Instagram. And then last year you're like, okay, I'm going to give YouTube a chance. And you started showing up. Every Tuesday on YouTube with a live video that you then had processed and then put up to keep up on your YouTube channel.

And from zero to like, how many thousands of people are already on your YouTube channel?

[00:08:18] Catherine Rains: I have 17, 000 subscribers on YouTube. 

[00:08:20] Kellee Wynne: And it's not even been a year since you launched it. 

[00:08:24] Catherine Rains: No, it's been less than a year. 

[00:08:26] Kellee Wynne: Yeah, because I mean, may or June, I think you started it.

[00:08:28] Catherine Rains: It was May, May 2nd when it started. I wish I had gone to YouTube right away, but it was so intimidating, so Instagram was a toe in the door. But the videos that I do for YouTube are the same that I'm doing for Instagram were the same. Yeah, it just it just that the Instagram videos are lost.

They're gone. I mean, they are on highlights, but it's almost impossible to find them to watch them. So slowly. I am redoing them for YouTube because they're evergreen, you know, it's amazing. 

[00:08:59] Kellee Wynne: Right. 

[00:08:59] Catherine Rains: You know, 

[00:09:00] Kellee Wynne: just as a different game, when you know that it can be searched, it can be easily watched.

[00:09:05] Catherine Rains: And it's the same amount of work, well, not totally it's, it's more work to do YouTube, but the actual demo, I do a demo a week. That's the same work, but in order to promote YouTube, it is, it is bigger. You know, Instagram live, you just go live and you tell people to watch it, but it only lives for the week or maybe two weeks.

[00:09:25] Kellee Wynne: Right. And now you have another thing that's really cool about it too, is you're taking that YouTube channel content and breaking it down so that you can use it as reels as well. 

[00:09:38] Catherine Rains: That's true. . 

[00:09:39] Kellee Wynne: So another cool thing happened besides being able to grow your YouTube to 17, 000. You've had some viral hit reels. 

[00:09:49] Catherine Rains: I actually had, it was just one reel that I posted three times with big gaps in between. So it was a bubble, how to make papers with bubbles.

And I posted it at very opportune times. And the first time it hit like three million, the second time it hit six million. Wow. And there was one in between there. But it, it gave me very fast growth because this time last year, I think I had 33, 000, maybe 36, 000 on Instagram. I now have 106 on Instagram. 

[00:10:24] Kellee Wynne: I know.

I looked at that the other day and I was like, 

[00:10:26] Catherine Rains: Oh, but it's all because of a bubble reel, you know? And I've been trying to repeat that, like, how do you get another bubble reel? You know, like, I mean, I, I do have some 

[00:10:42] Kellee Wynne: general, you do consistently post reels and your reels are getting views. And just by doing that on a regular basis, that continues to help grow your following.

But the key is that those followers then need to be converted to leads, which a lot of people don't know that word in the art industry, a lead is somebody who has the potential to be a customer. And you can actually contact them through your list. You have their name. And their email and you have your collage kickstart.

That was the free course we were talking about the juicy lead magnet. And that's always going out. Plus you're using many chat to get people to say, yes, I'm interested in the free guide. Plus you show up in their inbox occasionally and be like, Hey, by the way, I just want to make sure you know that this option is here.

So you're really doing the legwork to build the email list, which started. What was the starting point of that email list, less than a thousand? 

[00:11:38] Catherine Rains: When I started with you, I was under 2, 000, which I thought was amazing that I was at 2, 000. And now I'm at, I'm approaching 17, 000. 

[00:11:48] Kellee Wynne: Yeah. On your email list.

[00:11:51] Catherine Rains: In two years. Yeah. 

[00:11:53] Kellee Wynne: That's pretty amazing. That's incredible. And that was until just recently, not even with ads. Yeah. 

[00:12:00] Catherine Rains: Right. I just started doing ads. That's right. It was all without ads. 

[00:12:03] Kellee Wynne: Yeah. So that's, that's a key in the third year. We got to get to the ad growth to putting our money back into marketing and ads.

[00:12:10] Catherine Rains: Yeah. The ads with a, with a juicy leads magnet is like, okay, now we're talking cause you know, it's the same lead magnet I had two years ago yet I'm reaching a much faster audience than I had before. So that's pretty cool. I love it. I want to for doing that for me with me in partnership with me, because all of those things wouldn't have happened you know, I always say to you, Kellee, that I'm talking to you kind of what's fire under me every single by the way, every time.

This is including the very last time we met, and I have to calm myself down. It's okay. You don't have to do it all right now, but it does. It does push me forward really fast. You know, I have to keep modulating because I can't do it all at the same time. I love all the ideas and I think they're all possible, but I also want to live the same life.

Right. And I'm doing I'm pretty much what I always say to you is that whatever you tell me to do, it's what I'm going to do, and because I do it, that's what's happened. This is what's happened. 

[00:13:16] Kellee Wynne: Yeah, I am encouraging you to do it at the same pace. I promise, but we do have forward thinking and that's what's really cool about getting into these, like, cool little masterminds of groups with the league and our, our coaching program is we are able to actually take everybody to a higher level because we've got the power of all of us together.

So the education that I've been working on with you and Drew and then the league in the second year and now moving into the third year is exactly what I put in Build It Remarkable, which is the accelerated version without like the high end touch of coaching, but it's all the information and it's more accessible for those who don't have the budget for the mastermind.

What would you say are some of the. Best takeaways that you've had from the education that you've learned, some of the systems, the marketing and such.

[00:14:12] Catherine Rains: I think the biggest thing I got out of every year that I've worked with you, but kind of like culminates with now, is that this is not a one year process. Building an art business is multi years. And I honestly didn't believe that every year. So the first year I worked with you, I was thinking, Hey, I have it second year.

I thought, okay, I've got it. But there's so many steps to making an art business so that it's completely sustainable. That it's a long term gig, you know, and as you said, there are many steps. I didn't take them all at the same time. Each one was in bite sized pieces.

With your encouragement, you said, okay, this is the first thing. And like, for me, the first thing really was getting a juicy lead magnet and I'd had lead magnets before, but it wasn't enticing. They weren't something that people were like, Oh my God, I have to have this. And basically my lead magnet is something that I could charge for.

I know, I know I could, cause people love it. But it does get people to know who I am and then they trust me, it's that whole thing that no trust like thing, you know, that once they see, oh, she is going to produce something good. And if I pay her for something, it'll be that quality. And I know I just didn't have to be juicy.

It had to be juicy and I didn't know what juicy was. Right. Until you told me to make a class in three and a half weeks. It's like, okay. 

[00:15:42] Kellee Wynne: Now. No, I'm not that tough on everybody who comes through my programs. I know we all have different paces, but I also feel like sometimes people sit and wait a little too long to take that next step that they need to step through.

Yes, take, but I love that you've been proactive the whole way through and there have been times where whether it's health or scheduling or travel is like slowed you down a little, it never stopped you and you continue to grow year after year. And I love seeing where you're going to go to the next time too.

Right? So that's just to me. It's really exciting to see your growth and know that. These ideas, the things that I've been through that I've processed, I've grown my business with when put into systems really work for other people as well. 

[00:16:30] Catherine Rains: Yeah. And it's interesting just working with you, whether it's made remarkable or build it means the same system is that when you say something, because you have walked the walk, You say it and I believe you.

Honestly, I mean, whenever you tell me to do, I just trust it's the thing to do. And I do it and I don't need anyone to hold me accountable, you know, cause I have the hardest boss there is. It's me. I just need someone to say, this is the next step. Okay. Do that one. Okay. Here's the next step.

So I just don't know the steps. to get to where I want to go, I don't want to be a starving artist and for the first time, you know, the last year I can say that I'm an abundant artist, but before that I was making peanuts, I definitely could not sustain on what I was making before.

[00:17:23] Kellee Wynne: Yeah, in all the years that I was working hard at selling my art, I never came close to the kind of income I made from doing online digital products courses and coaching and, and summits and all the other things that I've worked on. I found that it was so much more, I don't know what the right word is, the income that you can make off of a, Something that you do once and you can sell over and over again.

Yes, there's still always marketing involved, but it's not the same as creating a painting and selling a painting and trying to make the 6 figures off of doing that. I believe people can. But there's far fewer people who can make that 6 figures off of painting. And selling art, then all the other creative things that we can put together and think outside of the box, which is what I'm most passionate about thinking outside of the box.

And what was really cool was, as we grew the 1st year, it was 4 of us. The 2nd year we had 18. And everyone was like, but how's this going to work if we're all doing the same thing? And it was not long before everyone was like, everyone's doing something different. We all have a different point of view, a different way of building our business, a different angle that we're taking.

And it looked, it just looked different for each of us. And there was room for everyone to grow. 

[00:18:43] Catherine Rains: Right. We all had, we were working on a same kind of business model, but our art is different, how we take it as different. Right. Our juicy lead magnets. We're all different. We're hitting different markets.

You know, we have different, people that are attracted to who we are. 

[00:19:01] Kellee Wynne: Yeah, so if you could give any advice to those listening who are thinking about if they're on the fence, is this for them? What would you have to say?

[00:19:11] Catherine Rains: I would say, personally, I wish I had done what I did with you. Five years ago, 10 years ago, I wish I hadn't waited so long.

 I was so intimidated by the idea of putting money into any kind of coaching and I had done it before, but doing the build it model just propels you so much faster, you know? So the investment is very, very small compared to what you can get on the, on the other end, because, you know, I was just talking to an artist yesterday and she said, she knows what to do.

Like she really does know what to do, but she's not doing it. But being in a system, where, you are being led down a path, like here's step one, here's step two, here's step three, there's just something magical about that and you're working with other people, there's a community of people all supporting each other to do that. If you want to be an abundant artist and not a starving artist, there are many, many routes to take. But this is a really viable one. And I probably decided like three years ago, right before I started working with you that I would rather teach people how I do my art than sell my art.

I make a bigger impact in the world by showing you how to do it, make it your own rather than having, you know, one offs people selling, you know, selling my art. One day I probably will sell my art again. 

[00:20:35] Kellee Wynne: Yeah, 

[00:20:35] Catherine Rains: but that will just be a side thing, you know, teaching art. I never thought I was going to be an art teacher.

That was never on my radar, but it doesn't feel like I'm an art teacher. It feels like I'm an art motivator. I'm an artist. 

[00:20:49] Kellee Wynne: I love that description. So one thing with clarity, like I don't actually teach people how to film record. Or create the course itself. I really focus on how to the building blocks of building a business, your marketing, your message, how you do a launch, how you get the sales.

That's the part. The engine behind the whole system is what I like to work on. How do you see other than the fact that. You know, I am for artists and I teach marketing skills. How do you see me and my program, the build it system that I've created different from the other programs you've taken because you have taken other business courses specifically geared towards artists.

[00:21:33] Catherine Rains: Build is different because what you're teaching is how to build an online presence and then sell that presence through some kind of course. Whereas the other thing, other courses I had taken on art business were really about selling art. It's a very different kind of thing. And, even though I followed everything that those, I had two other courses, the other courses taught me to do, I still wasn't making a living.

You know, I was launching collections of art in a very sophisticated way and I sold a lot of art and I still couldn't make a living. So, the difference is, there's so many routes to make living as an artist and selling how to do art is a viable option.

And that to me is. What you teach, you know, how do you actually, turn what you do into teaching other people how to do what you do and scale it, 

[00:22:32] Kellee Wynne: right? The marketing skills behind how you build an actual business and not just. Here's how you sell your art. I really wanted to differentiate that.

It's the building blocks for business and forgive me because this isn't putting down any other program. There are really some lovely programs out there, but it's a lot more than how do you take some nice pictures and design your website? That's not what my program's about. My program's really about who is this, For how are you going to get the message out there?

How are you going to build that list? How are you going to grow your audience? How are you going to launch it and sell it and have people say yes, because you hit all of the right keywords, the right emotional connections, whatever it is that's needed. It's a whole different way of running a business than it is of building an Etsy shop, for example.

And that's a huge. shift from where most people as artists think that's the route they're going to go when they finally realize that, no, I don't just want to be an artist who sells something. I want to create a business, right? 

[00:23:39] Catherine Rains: A business that's scalable, you know, that's an unlimited amount of people, could actually buy what you're selling. Offering. Cause when you sell art, you're kind of a factory, you have to keep producing art, which by the way, I love producing art, that's why I'm an artist, but it's hard to make enough art. To the right price point at the right price point. And eventually, you know, maybe, that will be a route I take down the road.

I see myself making a lot more art, but in this season of my life, building a business is art. It's incredible, juicy art. Everything I'm doing, what you just said is I think the biggest thing I didn't realize 3 years ago is, you know, people always say you have to have a newsletter and build an audience.

I had no idea what it meant to build an audience. You know, the 1st time you said you need to go live on Instagram. So people know who you are. I thought you were nuts. And I also knew it was true. Because a little nuts. Well, cause it was scary. That's a scary thing to do. But you know what, what you do and build it is you break it down into pieces.

Like, okay, here's the first piece. Here's the second piece. So it's not like you just like thrown out to the wolves. At least it wasn't for me. You know, I felt very, it was very systematic. and doable. 

[00:24:55] Kellee Wynne: And here you are. I'm so incredibly happy for you too. So if anyone doesn't know who Cat Rains is, by all means go find her on Instagram and YouTube.

You go by Cat Rains on your Instagram? 

[00:25:13] Catherine Rains: Yep, YouTube and Instagram are the same thing. Cat Rains dot artist. Cat Rains dot artist. 

[00:25:18] Kellee Wynne: So if you aren't following her, then it's time. It's time and you are a col collage master and you give very generously all year long. And you have one gorgeous signature course that launches at the beginning of every year, plus a couple other little surprises coming along this year.

Yep. For other, more bite-size courses that people can enjoy from you. 

[00:25:45] Catherine Rains: So indeed, and I would love people to take my free class. Yep. College kickstart, I mean, that's, that's always available. 

[00:25:51] Kellee Wynne: We'll put that link in the bio and in the emails and everything else to make sure people know. And I'm just so glad I get another year with you, Cat.

[00:26:01] Catherine Rains: Yay, me too. 

[00:26:02] Kellee Wynne: And we'll talk to you soon. 

[00:26:04] Catherine Rains: Very soon. Bye bye. 

​ 

If you'd like to listen to or learn more about the podcast visit https://www.maderemarkable.com/blog  for our show notes and links to the main players.