Jennifer Coots Marketing Class - Spring 2011 - Institute of American Indian Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico
On Wednesday, March 30th, I was invited to present my business’ marketing plan for the Marketing Class taught by Jennifer Coots. I created this marketing plan last year Spring 2010. This marketing plan has helped change the way I have run my business. I also attribute my acquisition of a First Peoples Fund grant to having learned so much about running a business through these classes I had taken at IAIA.
During the Fall and Spring 2010 semesters at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, I completed a 5-course business certificate. I have been a self-employed artist working in a variety of artistic mediums since 1977 and I had not any formal training in the area of running a business. I shot from the hip, attended the school of hard knocks and didn’t ever question why I hadn’t ever taking any classes and lessons…until I took these classes! What a difference!
It was so much fun doing this presentation for this Marketing class. Jennifer distributed a copy of my Marketing Plan to the students; that was pretty cool. Little would I know that a plan I created last year would be an example for other artists in this very same class. I just loved sharing my intentions, my experiences and my success. It’s been a year since I laid out this plan. I have accomplished every marketing method I had outlined in my Marketing Plan last year. (Golly, you’d think I was proud of myself!–Of course I am! Who wouldn’t be!?) When the students asked what my most valuable marketing method has worked for me; I answered: (surprisingly enough) my blog! — And I told them why…
You may be only five courses away from creating a successful business of your own. The Institute of American Indian Art’s College of Contemporary Native Arts is offering a Business and Entrepreneurship Program, to art students and small business owners seeking to develop their business skills and discover their inner entrepreneur. Courses cover issues relevant to artists and Native-owned businesses, but non-Native students and non-art related business owners will also benefit from the business and entrepreneurship certification earned through this program.
Jennifer Coots in her office at the Institute of American Indian Arts
Jennifer Coots brought this program to IAIA; I wish I had been educated way back when I first began supporting my family via my art. I encourage every artist who is serious about making a living doing what they love to do, to do themselves a favor and sign up for these classes IAIA has to offer. The unique thing about these classes is we learn differences in values in Western vs. Native American ways of going about our lives and business, as there are some real conflicting issues that may or can, inhibit us from moving forward with our work.
Learn more about the Business & Entrepreneurship Program: visit IAIA’s website or contact Jennifer Coots at jcoots@iaia.edu or 505-424-2356
By the way, Jennifer Coots lived in Juneau, Alaska pretty near 20 years. She was a fisherwoman and aspired to becoming a musician/singer/songwriter. She got side-tracked when she moved to the Navajo reservation to take care of her mother who was diagnosed with cancer. While living on the reservation, Jenn saw the level of poverty and she wanted to do something about it. She had the idea that the local artists needed to learn business sense, so she set out on a mission to finish her degree in Business and assist her fellow Native American artists to bring up their level of existence, workmanship and craft.
Jennifer Coots’ vision is totally awesome. I would take up her classes again if I wasn’t on to learning more about the art of business while doing the business of art!