Digitizing Art For A Business with Sally King McBride of The Letter Nest

May 2, 2023

When Sally’s friends and family started having children, she looked for gifts that would be meaningful and lasting. As an artist, she decided to create watercolor name paintings. Soon, the commissions started flooding in and she had a proof of concept for a business.

In today’s episode, we sit down with Sally King McBride, founder of The Letter Nest, a brand of educational and elevated alphabet art. She shares her biggest wins, how her parents fostered her abilities, the mission behind The Letter Nest, and so much more

“My parents always treated my artwork very seriously. And as an academic course for much of my schooling, and it was never thought of as ‘Oh, that’s her side hustle,’ or, ‘Oh, that’s her hobby.’ I can’t stand that word. This was always my occupation. I treated it that way. And so do they.” – Sally King McBride

This week on Startups in Stilettos:

Sally tells us what she didn’t know before launching her business (3:09)
Sally shares her biggest wins (5:11)
Sally discusses how she knew to go full-time with the Letter Nest (7:30)
Sally shares what her parents did to set her on the Entreprenista path (12:10)
Sally goes in-depth about the interpersonal skills she has learned (15:29)
Sally discusses the mission behind her business (17:27)
Sally shares where she gets her inspiration from (20:11)
Jess talks about how much free content to give away to your audience (23:02)

Resources Mentioned:

Our Favorite Quotes:

“I took my first commission for professional painting when I was still in high school.” – Sally King McBride
“My work is as much about the teaching as it is about the joy, and they have to go hand in hand or you will not get the child’s engagement.” – Sally King McBride
“There is a litmus test for whether there can be a full alphabet around something.” – Sally King McBride

Join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

Connect with Sally King McBride:

Connect with your Startups in Stilettos hosts:

Get Featured on Startups in Stilettos

Want a chance to be featured on Startups in Stilettos? We’re currently accepting applications from our Entreprenista League members to be featured on the show! Think of the Entreprenista League as your team members in what can be a lonely startup founder’s journey. You’ll have access to a private community of like-minded female startup founders who are making an impact in business every day, special discounts on business products and solutions, exclusive content, private events, the opportunity to have your story featured on our website, social channels – and, of course, the Startups in Stilettos podcast – and so much MORE!

Grow Your Startup with Startups in Stilettos

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Startups in Stilettos, powered by the Entreprenista PodcastNetwork. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more startup founders, like you, and have a chance to win a one-on-one mentor and strategy session with Stephanie Cartin.

Join us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. And for even more exclusive content and information – and to get access to the 8 Secrets to Success in Your Business video course and worksheet – visit our website.

Share it!

Posted in Startups in Stilettos

Disrupting an Industry with Alexandra Keating of Uni

Like many Entreprenistas, Alexandra always knew she wanted to run a business, and she has—multiple businesses, in fact. When she became obsessed with the fact that the personal care industry uses a lot of single-use products, she knew the solution and she knew her next business. Today, we sit down with Alexandra Keating, founder of…

The DHL Express GoGreen Giveaway is Helping Entreprenistas Go Global in a Sustainable Way

In Partnership with DHL Express We speak to eCommerce founders every day that are looking to launch, scale and grow their businesses. One of the biggest things to consider for growth: international shipping – but the question remains, how do small businesses ship internationally and is there a way to do so sustainably? In a…

How to Deal with your Team’s Burn Out

As an Entreprenista, your business is not just a job, it’s a passion. You put in long hours, sweat and tears, and endless effort to make it successful. However, this can often lead to burnout, especially during times of high stress. And with May being National Mental Health Awareness Month, it’s important to address this…

Tapping Into The Creativity with Catalina Escallon of Noodo Studio

While Catalina Escallon is an artist, and by definition, a creative person, she realized that a lot of people did not view themselves that way as they got older. So she and her partner decided to start a studio that helps people realize that there are many ways to be creative. In today’s episode, we…

Building Your Personal Brand with Stacey Ross Cohen of Co-Communications

Stacey grew up around entrepreneurs, so it’s safe to say that being a business owner is in her blood, and she has been doing it successfully for well over two decades. But her newest passion is helping the next generation make sense and leverage the digital age to build a personal brand that helps them…

Learning The Heart and Soul of SEO with Meg Clarke of Clapping Dog Media

Like many Entreprenistas, Meg left the corporate world once she had kids and started to work on her own. She had experience with web design, so that’s what she did, before she realized that having the perfect website is meaningless if no one finds it. So she dug in and learned everything there was to…

Social Media Marketing 101 with Sarah Bugeja of Later

Sarah has spent her career constantly learning new skills—both on the job and off—to further her career. She also mastered learning when it’s time to move on to the next opportunity. Now she’s here to share her story and also her tips and tricks regarding all things social media. Today, we sit down with Sarah…

Mamaprenista Candice D’Angelo reflects on Launching ‘The Selling Lab’

Below is a brief introduction about Candice D’Angelo and her business, The Selling Lab: Candice D’Angelo – a corporate dropout with 12+ years of sales experience – is the founder of The Selling Lab, a sales training agency where online and offline businesses alike come to level up their sales skills and build custom trainings.…

Founder Jené Hernandez, of Mixology Marketing, on Helping Businesses Stand Out and Achieve their Marketing Goals

Hello Jené! Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business: As one of the leading marketing agencies in Los Angeles, Mixology Marketing blends creativity and strategy to create bespoke marketing experiences for our clients. From digital marketing and social media to content creation, website development, and impactful events, we take a unique approach…

How To Create The Best Brand Message For Your Business with Xindi Soh of By Xindi

Over the course of her business, Xindi has had to confront herself and get a grasp on who she is, what she stands for, and what she wants. But the ride hasn’t always been what she was expecting. Now she preaches leaning into the hard stuff and believing in yourself, and it seems to be…

How To Find Unique Ways To Fund Your Business with Arion Long of Femly

Our Entreprenista of the Year: Arion Long has always been an overachiever; she started college at 15 years old. But one thing that threatened to hold her back was her periods. After going to many gynecologists, she found one that not only listened to her, but told her something that would change the course of…

Katherine Wallisch on Empowerment Consulting for Parents and Clinicians of Non-Speaking Children

Hello Katherine! Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business: As a speech-language pathologist specializing in Autism and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), I have created a comprehensive empowerment program for parents and clinicians. My name is Katherine Wallisch, and I am the mother of a 7-year-old son and a 3-year-old daughter. Growing…

When Being an Entreprenista is in Your DNA with Carrie Shaw of Copper

Carrie’s career path is quite the story: she started in product management and stayed in that for over a decade before switching to marketing and falling in love. After she had been with Copper for a couple years as CMO, she was offered the CEO position and almost turned it down, but she didn’t. Now…

Founder of “Inside the Bubble with Harli G”, Harli Gawronski, on Providing Ambitious Women a Platform

Hello Harli! Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business: I am a Podcaster, Purpose Cultivator and Human Resource Business Partner. My credentials include RightPath, SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP), and DiSC Trainer. I am passionate, energetic, and purpose-driven all while maintaining authenticity. I don’t make excuses for who I am and will not…

Kristen Elworthy on Founding Seven Hills Communications and Embracing Her Desire to Story Tell

Hi Kristen! Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business: I’m Kristen Elworthy, and I’m the founder of Seven Hills Communications. We’re a PR micro-agency that works with mostly female-founded and mission-driven companies and personal brands in both the consumer and B2B space. Our wheelhouse is working with startups and emerging brands, and…