I met Serena at FierceConLA 2019 and instantly fell in love with her artwork. After spending two plus days together and getting to know one another we agreed to collaborate and she agreed to become part of Kuel Life and the curated Kuel Shop experience.
You can shop her gorgeous, moving, giclee art prints and cards in the Kuel Shop.
Serena West:
KUELLIFE: What type of business do you own/run?
SERENA: I’m an artist, so you’ll find me in my studio creating paintings and drawings that empower and connect us women, while examining relevant issues that especially affect us as females.
KUELLIFE: What prompted you or drove you to become an entrepreneur? When?
SERENA: I guess it would be mostly because I hated the 9-5 of other jobs, and felt the need to be creative, which many other positions didn’t allow for. So, I went back to school and then started my own mural painting business back in 2001. I’ve since paused to have children and then I pivoted in my business and artistic vision, where I now create art that tells stories and is fueled more by my own creative voice.
KUELLIFE: What’s your biggest struggle?
SERENA: As a mom of two young boys and a solopreneur, my biggest struggle is finding enough time to both produce the art and manage the business side of things.
KUELLIFE: What is your biggest fear as an entrepreneur? How do you work through it?
SERENA: My biggest fear as an entrepreneur is not being found on saturated social media platforms. I’m still learning, and I look to other successful women for ideas. I’m continually trying to forge collaborations and simply refuse to give up, even though there are days I may feel like it.
KUELLIFE: How do you measure your success?
SERENA: I think success has many facets. I feel successful in my art if I make someone feel better by looking at a piece I’ve created, or if I make them stop and think about an important issue. I feel successful in my business if I make enough profit to live a comfortable life and create more free time to spend with my children.
KUELLIFE: Finally, what advice would you give other women about taking an entrepreneurial path?
SERENA: I’d give advice that has been given to me. That is,
- Do something that you love so that you won’t lose passion for it, even if the bills aren’t being paid at first.
- Be willing to connect with mentors, and pay for or exchange services in order to learn their tips for reaching success quicker, and avoiding the mistakes they made in their businesses.
- Find a way in your business that you can give back to others.
SHOP SERENA’S ART: PURCHASE WITH A PURPOSE
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