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Join host Cynthia Kirkpatrick as she interviews legendary artist and entrepreneur Mary Engelbreit, creator of one of America’s most beloved illustration brands. Mary has built a multi-generational empire through greeting cards, calendars, children’s books, licensing deals, retail stores, and a beloved lifestyle magazine. In this episode, Mary shares the simple truth about building a creative business over five decades, from selling hand-drawn cards for 25 cents in high school to creating over 14,000 copyrights.
This episode is essential listening for creative entrepreneurs, artists looking to monetize their work, and anyone building a values-driven business. Listeners will discover how to stay authentic while scaling, when to pivot away from successful ventures that don’t align with your vision, and why imperfection is often the gateway to opportunity. After listening, you’ll have a roadmap for building a sustainable creative business that can weather decades of change while maintaining its core identity.
Early Career Development (07:37 – 18:09)
Business Foundation and Growth (22:47 – 27:34)
Product Innovation and Market Positioning (27:34 – 32:16)
Business Expansion and Challenges (35:23 – 37:02)
Magazine Venture (13:31 – 42:06)
Working Relationship Dynamics (47:16 – 50:22)
️ Creative Process and Production (59:59 – 01:01:36)
Brand Evolution and Product Lines (01:04:34 – 01:06:01)
️ Industry Challenges and Adaptation (44:00 – 58:10)
Business Philosophy and Success Factors (01:07:37 – 01:09:07)
Content Notice
This podcast and all She Lift Project content represents the opinions of Cynthia Kirkpatrick and her guests. The content here is for informational purposes only, and should not be taken as professional advice – financial, legal, medical, or otherwise.
Views and opinions expressed in the podcast and across all She Lift Project media channels are our own and do not represent that of our places of work. While we make every effort to ensure that the information we are sharing is accurate, we welcome any comments, suggestions, or correction of errors.
During COVID we realized that people wanted to have certain services and things basically in their home, but you couldn’t find an avenue where you could find a one stop shop that had everything offered and these people would actually show up.
“All of a sudden, it’s cold. I’m cold and I’m wet and. But my windows weren’t open. I’m like, oh, my gosh, this is not a drill.”
“And when you get into that routine of making sure everybody else is okay and you’re not filling your own cup, then you’re empty. And I think at that point, if it goes on for too long, that’s where silencing happens naturally, where you have no words for yourself because you’ve given it to everyone else.”
The first thing I would say, and maybe the only thing is be curious, ask questions, don’t be afraid to ask a question. And if you’re thinking about it, write it down so you’ll remember it in the future.
“So I took some deep breaths. I walked out, and I was like, okay, meet a wallflower. Cause your best bet at a networking event is meet another person who’s just as terrified as you. Talk to them on the wall and just start chatting.”
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