The Creative Leap → Mimi Chao’s Journey from Legal Expert to Full-Time Illustrator

Mimi is a former lawyer who found her way back to her childhood dream of creating art and stories.

Fast forward, she's now working full-time as an illustrator and creative small business owner. She is self-taught through many in-person & online classes, books, and personal experimentation.

She likes to sketch with pen and pencil and finish work digitally on the iPad. She loves to draw characters in nature. fantastic worlds and daily life moments. She mentioned that she's inspired by books, design, nature, and philosophy.

Mimi's work is a reflection of her journey. She created a brand & studio called Mimochai , where she's able to explore her creativity and share her learnings. She likes to incorporate themes of exploration, mindfulness, and wonder in her work. And with this, she hopes to encourage others to take on the adventure of their own lives.

Mimi's a dreamer but she's also embodying a practical woman (as a former lawyer).

These are just a few of the building blocks she’s honed over time to transform her childhood dream into a thriving business.

1. Sharing quality over quantity works online

Mimi managed to create a strong brand for MimoChai without being loud on social media. Currently, she's posting content 3-4 times a month to a few social media platforms.

Coming from my own observations, the way she shows up online is a major contributor to that success. She received the know, like, and trust factor from her audience by sharing content that reflects her personality and is suited to her lifestyle. She posts mostly about her works but she incorporates herself and sticks to her brand's message with her storytelling.

I'd say, she's pretty chill with her social media usage. And I believe she's very intentional and strategic about it.

2. Creating an email newsletter to share her new art and studio updates

By being able to reach and nurture her people via email, it's possible for her to not participate in the social media's content creation hamster wheel.

For inspiration, here's my experience as her newest newsletter subscriber:

Anyone visiting the website will be invited to sign up for the newsletter. When they choose to do so, they'll receive free resources (I like the desktop wallpaper!) that are related to what she's selling. This serves as a thank-you gift for new subscribers.

It's also a smart addition to give away a discount voucher/code to motivate new subscribers to make their first or next purchase.

3. Monetizing her works in mostly passive ways using multiple platforms

Mimi created various offers for her audience under her shop. She's put in the upfront works and designed them to be sold 24/7 whether she's asleep or not.

As of today, she's got:

Studio library . She created a community for artists and alike, several courses, and other resources. She then offered it as a MEMBERSHIP (hosted on Patreon & her website).

Regular store . Directly from her website, the audience can easily purchase her illustration works in different formats (wall art, signed prints, etc).

Affiliates . She did this by creating classes under a certain platform or for software that she uses. An example of this is when she created a Drawing Fundamentals class on Skillshare (where I first saw Mimi and her works).

"From my own experience, I always encourage anyone who wants to pursue their dreams to just go for it. And not just in a wistful way, but in a practical way. Make a plan, take action, learn from experience, and keep growing. There’s no need to aim for overnight success. Learn to have a beginner’s mind. Build your dream life step by step. Stay in the present moment, focus on consistent growth, and enjoy the journey. It’s okay to fail. It’s okay to be scared. Just keep moving forward. I hope my story can show that it’s all possible." - Mimi Chao

Mimi created a sustainable small business for herself. And I believe it's not at all by chance. She builds it in a way that aligns with her business goals and personal values.

P.S.

Inspired by Mimi's creative business model? Need an extra hand with any of the elements mentioned in this article? I can help!

But first, see if we're a good match. Visit my profile here and say "Hi!" ??