While you’re here, take a peek at a sampling of excellent press and media coverage our members have received as a result of participating in The Artisan Group‘s opportunities.
“Any business owner who is serious about what they do is looking for that one “thing” that could take them from a little unknown where your mom is your best (and maybe only) customer, to a brand that everyone must have. If your business is selling designs that you create, whether it’s jewelry, clothes, photos, candles, pet accessories (I could go on and on), you know that is an even harder goal to achieve. Competition is fierce in the creative world, but I have a little secret – The Artisan Group.
The Artisan Group, aka TAG, has brought my business from a few customers to literally hundreds, and I’m confident that I’ll be able to say thousands one day soon. My necklace was worn on the hit show The Vampire Diaries, and my earrings are going to be worn in an upcoming episode. That alone has increased my sales and exposure, but there’s even more that I’ve been so fortunate to participate in.
I’ve gifted celebs at events honoring the Cannes Film Festival, The Oscars, and New York Fashion Week. Before TAG I really struggled to connect with the press about my brand. Convincing a writer you’re newsworthy is a challenge I know most businesses struggle with. Participating in events and opportunities with TAG has given me an edge on the competition by using my participation to make the connections with the press that are vital to growing any business.
The Artisan Group, more importantly it’s founder Valerie, has helped take my business to a level I never dreamed I’d be able to reach. Valerie works so hard for each and every member it’s like having your own PR company. Plus, each member is so supportive of each other – no knocking one another down. We build each other up because a group of successful artisans is much stronger than an artisan alone. I’m so grateful and proud to be a part of such a talented and well rounded group of people!”
Courtenay Madsen Courtenay J Designs July 6, 2016
“The day I was accepted into The Artisan Group I was beyond thrilled! My only expectation was that I would now have the opportunities to get SassyBelleWares products into the hands of celebrities. Boy, oh boy was I surprised to find I set my expectation way too low! Of course I have had numerous opportunities to display my pieces at celebrity gift lounges and gift both celebrities and members of the press at these events.
What I did not expect was the constant flow of opportunities to gift the stylists of television shows with the chance to have SassyBelleWares pieces worn on TV. I have already had a bracelet worn on Hart of Dixie and another bracelet is scheduled to be on an upcoming episode of The Vampire Diaries! There are constantly so many opportunities through TAG it is like Christmas morning all the time!
I also had no idea that I would learn so much from the other TAG members. I assumed I would only have communication with TAG’s founder and admins. Nope… TAG is like a huge group of family and friends and the members are constantly supporting each other, giving advice, and sharing business info, suppliers, ideas, trade tricks, etc. All of these perks of being a TAG member are invaluable but the one that has meant the most to me is that my time with TAG has boosted my confidence in myself and my business in a way I never expected!”
Stephanie Hovsepian SassyBelleWares July 6, 2016
“It’s an honor to be a member of The Artisan Group. It was so exciting to participate in GBK Productions Emmy Awards Gifting Lounge. Valerie kept us up-to-date throughout the event of who was stopping by the table, etc. The exposure was fantastic! She also made it easy for us with sample press releases, guidelines and information on anything we needed along the way. But The Artisan Group is not just about getting your work in the hands of celebrities… it’s about community. We all share ideas, give advice, honestly critique each other and support each other. The talent is amazing and diverse. It’s an awesome group. Thank you TAG!”
Ilene Price Ilene Price Designs July 4, 2016
“I happen to be an eternal insomniac and applied (to TAG) very late one night after obsessing over what I would submit. To my surprise the amazing Valerie Guerrero responded herself rather quickly! I was so pleased, it felt like winning a huge prize!
I had done a lot of research on the group and I knew that their focus aligned with my goals. I knew they had a very professional approach to interacting with talent on the artist end as well as celebrities in the film, TV and music world. Immediately Valerie’s interaction with me was amazing!
Having a background as a VP in the high-tech business world,I have worked with C-level professionals my entire career. Valerie is one of the most polished Executives I have met. She is knowledgeable, direct, gives great feedback and most importantly wants you to be successful. I believe that Valerie is a creative person who is dedicated to helping facilitate a team environment that will allow artists to continue to manage their art on their own, while getting great business advice from true professionals.
The team she hand-selects are truly inspiring artists, not just the best of the independent artists on the scene, but the people who are most interested in sharing ideas and helping other TAG members succeed. I have never seen anything like it!! Already I feel like I have made friends with people who will be part of my art world for a very long time.”
Christine Lorenzo SariBlue July 4, 2016
“When I became a member of The Artisan Group (TAG), I quickly realized that it was going to be an exceptional experience. Valerie has created a place for motivated artisans to learn, share expertise, and grow their small businesses. The Artisan Group embodies professionalism in the way it is managed and in the way amazing celebrity gifting opportunities are carried out. Through this group, I have participated in gifting events and gained exposure and press for my business beyond my wildest dreams. I have grown immensely as an artisan and as a business person through my involvement with TAG. Most importantly, I have become a member of a talented group of artists who constantly inspire me to reach for new heights.”
Kathryn Doll Kathryn Designs July 4, 2016
“As a member of The Artisan Group, I can say that joining this group was one of the best things I’ve done for my 10 year old business. The celebrity swag events and one-offs are not only fun and exhilarating, but have done wonders for my marketing and credibility. I frequently get requests for my “Jenny McCarthy Necklace” or my “Zooey Deschanel Earrings.” And, that’s not the only perk to being a member. The whole team is caring, supportive and helpful. I gain insight and get tips on a daily basis. I’ve gained so much confidence in running my hand-made business and also found more satisfaction in my style and design. The Artisan Group is a non-intimidating environment that is run extremely efficiently. Between Valerie and the volunteer admins and coordinators – nothing falls through the cracks! I feel so fortunate to be a part of this fantastic team of artisans!”
Cami Tout Camilee Designs July 4, 2016
“Being a member of The Artisan Group, is the single most wonderful thing that could have happened, for myself and my business. Valerie Guerrero is an incredible leader that sets the tone of this amazing group of artists. The support and interaction with such a talented group of people has been invaluable. There has not been a question that I have asked, or an opinion on a design, that has not been answered and helped with in record time! There are no overblown egos here at TAG. Success for everyone is celebrated equally. For my business, I have been able to participate in several wonderful opportunities, such as GBK’s luxury red carpet celebrity gift lounges. I was excited to offer my jewelry in giftings to Brandi Glanville, Mariska Hargitay, and Selena Gomez. In October 2013, I was honored to have had two of my necklaces selected to be worn on The Vampire Diaries. My sales are constant and growing every month! Applying to The Artisan Group, is without a doubt, the best thing I could have done for my confidence as a jewelry designer and a small business owner. I couldn’t be happier!”
Cindy Arnet Sienna Grace Jewelry July 4, 2016
“Being accepted as a member into The Artisan Group has been an amazing experience. Not only are the members so supportive of one another, they have a variety of experience and are such a great resource for any questions you may have regarding business. Since becoming a member, I have been able to have my designs on display at GBK’s luxury red carpet celebrity gifting suites, as well as having them included in the celeb swag bags at both of these events, and also NY Fashion Week. In addition, I have been able to design items to gift several celebrities and stylists of several hit TV shows and designed an item especially to gift several high profile celebrity Moms for Mother’s Day. I would have never been able to be involved with any of these wonderful opportunities if it wasn’t for The Artisan Group!”
Kimberly Spector Nair & Bjorn July 4, 2016
“The Artisan Group has been absolutely fantastic, not only for my sales, but also as a sounding board for advice, promotion, camaraderie — you name it. I have developed so much as an artist and a business owner because of TAG and, specifically, because of the vision, drive, and dedication of Valerie Guerrero, the creator and leader of this group.
I have participated at all levels, as my business has grown, from having my business cards included in GBK’s luxury red carpet celebrity gifting suites to having a featured spot at these same celebrity events. My levels of participation have been entirely voluntary, of course. One could be a member and gain just from that, at no cost, but that doesn’t make much sense. For me, any costs for my participation are advertising expenses that allow my product to be seen by literally thousands of potential buyers, worldwide who would not be directed to my shoppe otherwise. From GBK’s luxury red carpet celebrity gifting suites, to the Country Music Awards, to having production assistants on shows such as The Vampire Diaries use our products for sets and costumes — there is literally no end to the opportunities available with The Artisan Group.
The small picture is that, yes, part of your participation is that you “gift” products to celebrities who already have a lot of stuff. And yes, they may or may not purchase additional products. (I have had some A-listers purchase from me even months after the event.) But you don’t just sit back and wait. You work hard to publicize this as well, and great things can happen.
So the big picture is that your exposure becomes exponential when the media takes hold. My small hometown paper did a full-page story on my Earth Day celebrity gifting last year, and even a year later, people remember that story and approach me. So my local sales have boomed too. My experience with The Artisan Group and Valerie Guerrero as its amazing leader has been top-notch. Her superb working relationship with organizations such as GBK Productions is not happenstance. She works literally night and day on this, focusing on helping promote you, the shoppe owner, as a true artisan. It’s a juried group, and Valerie is very clear from the outset about her expectations of high quality products, professionalism, and mutual respect. Once you are a member, she is right there with you, 100%. In addition, you have access to such amazing support from literally hundreds of artisans worldwide. For example, The Artisan Group is currently being featured through GBK Productions at the Cannes Film Festival. You should hear the buzz being generated by the European Press about this group. It’s astounding. And by the way, it’s sooo fun.”
Linda Bahr Engelfelt Designs July 3, 2016
“Participating in The Artisan Group has been such a great way to take my jewelry to the proverbial “next level.” Through TAG, I have had the opportunity to display and gift my jewelry at GBK’s luxury red carpet celebrity gifting suites. The media exposure has been tremendous for both of these events, and was completely beyond what I could have ever hoped for. As a direct result of my participation in I had three (out of four) local network television stations visit our retail shop to film segments about my jewelry and my celebrity gifting.
Though the Oscars fell nearly two months after my participation, local media was still so interested in got sparkles’ jewelry that the local Fox TV affiliate aired a segment live from the shop immediately before their Oscar Week coverage. The newscaster wore my jewelry on air during their coverage from the shop.
I noticed a 2000% increase (yes, I said two THOUSAND percent) in hits to my website immediately following the first airing of a televised segment the day of The Golden Globes. Customers literally came in to the shop the day after the first segment aired to buy their “Hollywood Jewelry.” The network affiliate aired a follow up segment two weeks after The Golden Globes detailing how my participation in celebrity giftings has impacted my business, which also resulted in increased sales and hits to my site.
A year later, my business is still feeling the positive impact of that first gifting event. I approached a local jeweler about carrying my line on a wholesale basis, and they quickly agreed to have me come in and show them my lines. I was thrilled when they placed a large order on the spot, and found out later that the main reason I got the appointment in the first place was that the owner had seen the news segments about my participation in these events and liked the story behind my jewelry line. Fast forward nearly a year, and they are one of my biggest wholesale accounts!
In addition to the two large gifting events, I have been blessed to have one necklace (so far!) selected by a television stylist (through an opportunity with The Artisan Group). My original design was worn during Season Five of The Vampire Diaries. Again, the sales and hits to my website were immediate. Within 24 hours of the episode airing, I sold the necklace worn by the main character, Elena. It has been over six months, and this necklace has been shipped to various states throughout the U.S., as well as Germany, France, Norway and Great Britain. My sales for this piece continue to occur regularly, and I attribute that wholly to the opportunity through TAG.
While some of the benefits of gifting events through TAG are quite tangible (increased sales, increased traffic to my website), others are less easily defined but beneficial nonetheless. I have seen an increase in media attention, obviously, but also I believe wholeheartedly that these giftings have increased the credibility of my jewelry. It has created in my clients (retail & wholesale) a trust and sense of professionalism (not to mention desirability) that would have required more work to earn. Now I can let the media attention speak to my customers, and potential customers, on my behalf!”
Kristi Taylor got sparkles July 3, 2016
“Being accepted into The Artisan Group a year ago was the best thing that happened for my handmade business! Valerie Guerrero, the founder and organizer of TAG, works tirelessly to get opportunities for this group and through TAG I was able to have my jewelry gifted and displayed at exclusive invitation-only luxury red carpet celebrity gifting suites hosted by GBK Productions. As a direct result of that participation, I was able to get my pieces worn on air on a local TV show in Dubai, Digital Fashion Week (Singapore), LA Fashion Week and a movie premiere. Yahoo mentioned my jewelry and business in an article, too (how’s that for press?!) I was also lucky enough to have had my necklace worn on The Vampire Diaries.
As a tiny business I would never have been able to afford the costs of attending any of these high-profile events, or even be able to reach out to stylists of shows and/or celebrities or editors of magazines/ newspapers. The exposure and sales that have come because of TAG are beyond priceless!”
Candice D’Mello Vitrine July 2, 2016
“We are a mother/daughter team of jewelry designers and were intrigued by the concept of promotion through The Artisan Group. It was always a goal of our business to try and seek media and celebrity exposure but the costs were prohibitive. As a relative newcomer to the handmade jewelry marketplace we were unsure about applying to this highly sought after juried group but took a chance and we are so glad we did.
The Artisan Group provides superlative celebrity and media gifting opportunities at a variety of levels. It is also an incredibly supportive community with a wealth of information for participants. We have learned so much in our time with The Artisan Group and our business has flourished as a result.
We have participated at the display and celebrity gifting level for both the GBK gift lounge at the Golden Globe Awards in 2013 and the GBK gift lounge for the MTV Movie Awards in 2014. We have found the celebrity recipients to be gracious and supportive of TAG and the concept of handmade.
We have also been fortunate enough to have two necklaces appear in Season Five of The Vampire Diaries. The exposure from this is nothing short of fabulous for a small two-person business. None of this would be possible without the fabulous opportunities for The Artisan Group members and the amazing stewardship of Valerie Guerrero.”
Mila Bartos FizzCandy Jewelry July 2, 2016
“This group is made up of impossibly talented, beautiful, and kind, artistic people. From the beginning I was welcomed in with open arms. Any help you need, the group is there for you with whatever advice and help they can give. If you are just wanting to share some good news, the group definitely wants to hear it so that they can extend their congrats, and virtual hugs. I am so honored to be a member, and cannot wait to see the endless exposure and success that is on the horizon for all of the members. A huge thanks goes out to Valerie for forming The Artisan Group, and making it what it is today. There is no where to go but up from here!”
Maureen Kirchdoerfer Release Me Creations June 24, 2016
“I have only been a member a short time but I have learned so much from this generous group of artisans. I have never seen such a resource and such willingness to share their knowledge–no question is foolish and all are willing to lend a hand to give you the leg up your business needs… I am overwhelmed and thankful I found y’all!”
Diane Perry Catcophony Wearable Art June 24, 2016
“I am a proud member of The Artisan Group. This group of artisans are so talented, so kind and most importantly, so helpful! They truly care, not just about their own businesses, but about other members’ businesses as well! We share our business knowledge and work together as a team. I couldn’t be more happier to be part of this amazing group of talented artisans! I’ve learned so much from each and every one of you and I look forward to many more years ahead!”
Diana Pelliccia-Mueller Bellaroma June 24, 2016