Linda Harrell of IndieCEO: Helping Handmade
November 25, 2009 | By
Linda Harrell is fully qualified to help the many indie artists who have come to rely on her sage advice and experience. Her blog, IndieCEO, offers readers insight into the ‘Art of Independent Business’ and her own love of making and selling jewelry makes her advice even more relevant. Let me introduce Linda, her work and her passion to you, in four parts.
Wendy T. Gibson: Linda, do you work at home?
Linda Harrell: I do. I have a full time job as strategic marketing communications consultant for small businesses locally (Lakeland, Florida). I work ongoing specifically for a large land real estate firm here in town. I handle their company marketing and also am project manager for a custom GIS mapping environment project. Plus I have a few other clients with projects here and there.
WTG: And you make jewellery?
LH: AND....I make jewelry to stay sane!
WTG: How and why did you get into marketing?
LH: Marketing was an evolution. I have a degree in Interior Design from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana and had a good career with corporate and hospital interior work in Chicago and San Francisco. Then I stopped work to raise our son. When I got back into the workforce the office computer was king and I absorbed graphic design software like a sponge. For years I was a graphic designer. THEN an employer discovered I could "write." I never knew! So now I was doing copywriting. It all came together when I was in a creative department for a small food manufacturing company locally. The president/CEO was a brilliant marketer and she took me under her wing. I learned and learned. I eventually became marketing communications manager for this company, whereby we had small budgets to look like the big guy and went head to head with the likes of Kraft and stood our ground marketing wise. That is where I learned my street-smart marketing.
WTG: Wow, okay! And the jewelry making started when?
LH: Well, jewelery has always been on my mind. Years ago, I wanted to take jewelry classes in college but my dad, a Professor, said to stay practical.
WTG: lol! We have all heard that.
LH: So I have always whipped up something jewelry-ish for outfits all my life.
Stay tuned for part 2 of this interview and in the meantime, visit Linda at the following places!
http://www.lindaharrell.com
http://www.gallerialinda.com
http://IndieCEO.blogspot.com
http://gallerialindashowcase.blogspot
http://www.twitter.com/linda_harrell
http://www.twitter.com/galleialinda
http://www.twitter.com/indieceo
Wendy T. Gibson is the Crafty Canadian! Her light-hearted creations online here: http://www.artfire.com/users/WingedHeartStudio
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