Taking Action and Turning Art into Business with Grace Casey of Paper Clouds

The Women in the Arena

Paige welcomes 2024 with an insightful conversation featuring her hometown friend Grace Casey, founder of Paper Clouds.

In this episode, Grace unveils the genesis of her craft kit company during the unexpected free time of 2020, stemming from her long-standing passion for art that took a backseat to a corporate career. Grace shares the challenges of navigating the business landscape, from overcoming administrative hurdles to embracing consistent growth.

The duo delves into the success of Paper Clouds' resin craft kits, highlighting the appeal and community-building potential of these creative offerings. Grace candidly discusses the struggle of balancing priorities as a mom, wife, and business owner, emphasizing the need to focus on essentials amid myriad business opportunities. She also recounts her organic expansion, bringing in part-time employees to fill skill gaps and contribute to Paper Clouds' growth.

This episode is a captivating journey through the entrepreneurial highs and lows, offering a glimpse into the dynamic world of creative business ownership and life as a woman leader.

Takeaways:

1. Sometimes, all you really need to do is take action. Overcoming procrastination and self-doubt often involves realizing that you can make progress simply by doing.

2. In the hustle of life and business, understanding the importance of prioritizing essentials is crucial. Focus on what truly matters, cutting out non-essentials to streamline efforts and achieve meaningful goals.

3. Recognize the value your work or passion can bring to others. Whether through craft kits or any endeavor, providing genuine value builds a community and fosters connections, turning your passion into a meaningful contribution to people's lives.

In this episode:

[1:10] Paige and Grace dive into 2020–a year of unexpected free time for many. Grace shares how her passion for art, which she initially set aside for a corporate career, resurfaced during the pandemic. She opens up about the challenges of starting a business amid uncertainty, highlighting her decision to seek guidance by enrolling in Paige's coaching program.

[4:26] Paige delves into the challenge of building momentum, asking Grace how she navigated uncertainty. Grace shares that while creative aspects flowed naturally, she initially procrastinated for months, fearing the complexity of administrative tasks which later turned out to be more manageable than anticipated.

[15:38] Grace highlights the triumph of Paper Clouds' resin kits, detailing the enchanting transformation of epoxy resin from liquid to solid, crafting stunning coasters and jewelry trays.She shares her vision of fostering a sense of community through workshops, and meeting diverse requests—from individual crafters to corporate events seeking unique team-building experiences.

[19:20] Grace gets candid about the struggle of narrowing down priorities while navigating business growth and personal life. She acknowledges the challenge of steering clear of "shiny things” and looks forward to how motherhood can help her prioritize the ‘essentials’.

[25:24] Grace recounts how she organically expanded by bringing in two part-time employees–a friend with superior sales skills and a Chicago-based Instagram follower eager to be part of Paper Clouds. Paige wraps up the conversation by exploring the big-picture hopes and dreams for Paper Clouds over the next five years.

Resources

1. The Women In The Arena

2. Listen on Apple Podcasts

3. Listen on Google Podcasts

4. Listen on Spotify

5. Watch on YouTube

6. Grace Casey

7. Paper Clouds

Quotes

1. “Sometimes you probably think, it's not necessary, right? Like I have a million other things to do, especially if you have a family. So, why invest? But really, it's like the ultimate form of self care because you're helping yourself de-stress, you're helping yourself create dopamine, and creativity can come in so many different forms.” - Grace Casey, Owner & Founder of Paper Clouds

2. “I feel like our ideas are given to us for a reason. And it's not meant for anybody else. So it's our job to see it through..” - Paige Rene, Host

3. “I'm definitely still learning. It's going to be a big learning process once there's a little crying baby in the mix as well. It's honestly been a little daunting thinking about how I'm going to manage everything with a child. But I was listening to your earlier podcast episode with Nicole Calhoun, and she was talking about how she has three boys, runs a yoga studio and also had another job. And I was like, ‘Okay, you know what? Women do this. I can do it. We can do it.’” - Grace Casey, Owner & Founder of Paper Clouds