The Alignment Retreat

Create a business that works for you, your art, and your life!

with Megan Auman

When it comes to your creative business, do you feel stuck, overwhelmed, or frustrated?

Are you stuck, unable to grow your revenue, and unsure of the next steps to take?

Maybe you're feeling overwhelmed by all the ways you could be making money from your art and you aren't sure where you should be focusing your time and energy.

Or perhaps you've built a business that sort of works, but you spend a lot of time doing things that leave you feeling frustrated and you aren't spending nearly as much time making work that you love as you thought you would be.

Whether you're struggling to get your business off the ground or muddling through your next pivot, it can be overwhelming to figure out what you should and should be working on. So you look around at other peoples' businesses (that you think are successful) and model yours after that. But that brings its own set of problems.

The reality is there’s no one right model when it comes to your creative business. The one that's best for you is a unique blend of your creative passions and processes, your business model, your personality and skills, and your market.  

I call this Alignment, and chances are, if you’re feeling stuck in your business, you haven’t found it yet.  

So with all those options, how do you know what’s best for you and your creative business?  

Well, you can keep muddling through, guessing, and tweaking but never quite reaching your goals. Or you could bring in a trusted advisor who's an expert at building creative businesses and helping artists and makers navigate the pitfalls (real and internal) that hold their businesses back.

And that's why I created this retreat. Whether you just need a few tweaks or a major overhaul, I want to help you find the ideal business strategy for you so that creativity and cash can really start to flow.  

With so much on your plate, it can be hard to find the time to step back and look at the big picture of your business. But if you aren’t seeing the results you want, that’s exactly what you need to do.  

That’s why I’ve structured The Alignment Retreat as a two-day, virtual retreat, so you can carve out the time to focus and reflect.  

How it works:  

The Alignment Retreat features six virtual sessions spread over two days. During that time, we’ll identify where the bottlenecks are in your business and creative process so that you leave with a fresh focus (and a guide) on how to move your business forward.

In Day 1: Session 1, we'll dive deep into your Personality, identifying your strengths and figuring out where your business sends you into the dreaded Zone of Frustration. (Or, as some of us like to call it, the Zone of "F this!") You'll identify ways to pivot your business towards your strengths and eliminate the things that cause you frustration.

In Day 1: Session 2, you'll look into what your business is all about (what I call your Domain) to make sure it's most in Alignment with your Personality. You'll figure out what parts of your creative process were actually set up to cause you frustration and figure out how to bring your unique passions and creative gifts together in a way that feels right to you.

In Day 1: Session 3, we'll start to look at the Economics of aligning your Personality and Domain. You'll figure out the ways to get paid for your work and we'll do some (gentle) math to make sure it's all possible.

In Day 2: Session 1, you'll dive deeper into your Models - the ways your business makes money - and figure out exactly how you'll get paid for doing your best work. You'll eliminate models that send you in to your Zone of Frustration and figure out the best models for your Personality and creative work.

In Day 2: Session 2, you'll dive deep into the Market for your business. You'll figure out WHO will buy your work, exactly WHY they value it, and how to reach them! You'll ensure that you're targeting a Market that's in Alignment with your Personality and Domain, not one that leaves you feeling frustrated and depleted.

In Day 2: Session 3, you'll tie everything together to create both a Creative Production and Marketing Plan so you can leave feeling ready to take action on your business! You'll feel able to move your business more into Alignment than ever before, so you can create a business that not only makes you money and supports your creative work but leaves you feeling happy and fulfilled at the end of each day!

Frequently Asked Questions:

Who is the retreat for?

The Alignment Retreat is for anyone who identifies as creative and wants help navigating their business. This could mean traditional artists and makers (like painters or jewelry designers) but can expand to include designers, creative coaches, store owners, service providers and others. In our first session, we had two jewelers, two painters (one who is also an online teacher), a knitwear designer and yarn store owner, and a writer and writing coach who also makes scarves!

When are the sessions and how long will they last?  

There will be three sessions each day. The first will be from 10 AM to 12 PM Eastern Time. The second will be from 1 PM to 3 PM Eastern Time. The third will be from 4 PM to 6 PM Eastern Time. All sessions are recorded and you have access to them for as long as you're a member of Artists & Profit Makers.  

Do I need to be there live the whole time?  

In order to get the most benefit, you should plan on committing the full two days. But all the sessions will be recorded in case you can't make it live.  

Those dates don’t work for me. Will there be others?  

I'll only be doing the Alignment Retreat once a year, but when you join Artists & Profit Makers, you'll get access to the recordings of the Alignment Retreat to work through the process for yourself. (And you can ask follow-up questions and get feedback in the A&PM forums!)

I can’t carve out two full days because I have a day job, kids, etc. Is there another option for accessing the content?  

Yes! When you join Artists & Profit Makers, you'll get access to the recordings of the Alignment Retreat to work through the process for yourself. (And you can ask follow-up questions and get feedback in the A&PM forums!)

The retreats are in the middle of the night where I live. Will you ever be holding one at different times?  

Unfortunately, no. I’ve picked the schedule I have for what’s best for me while trying to accommodate as many times zones as possible. (The times should work for everyone in the US, Canada, and Europe with a bit of flexibility.) If you are outside of those time zones, click here to join the waitlist for the course version, which will be easier to access.

How do I know if the Alignment Retreat is right for me?

The Alignment Retreat is designed for artists, makers, designers, and creatives who are feeling stuck in their businesses. Because these are small groups, I'll be tailoring the content to exactly what you need to help you get unstuck and create a plan for your creative business. If you're not sure if the retreat is right for you, email megan@craftmba.com with your questions, I'm happy to answer them!