looking for work 3

I almost lost it.

 i just thought this work, prospecting recreating a client list business was not going to work but i am have some success and breakthroughs when i least except it.

I've had a speciality painting and finishing business for many years. i've had long running design clients whjose work I've always done and have been busier than i could handle.

econami

many of our designers have slowed down and even have had jobs cancel or delay.

so late last summer I began reassembling a client list.

It's been almost impossible to even get a meeting with a design firm. although most of them are painfully slow. the premium on their time is more because the company's income is less.

I start by sending a hello intro email, then phone with a hello and ask if they would be willing to check out our website and if they had any interest save it to favorites for future use, i'm then calling back to see if I may have a brief appointment to present my portfollio.

Tomorrow we hav e a luncheon at a major la architectural firm, i met a contractor downtown LA who is doing garment district tenant improvements, i met a developer who is considering us for a sales office interior, we are quoting an exterior faux aged finish on an italina restaurant and yesterday i successfully pitched a yogurt store interior....to a guy i met while walking in his store.

it's the same thing. i can phone email, send make post cards... but showing up is 80%

celestekorthasestudio.com

fred waldemer korthase and 2600 trees

today my dad would have been 92.

He made 86 years on this earth, michigan

Happy birthday dad. what a world .

My dad grew up in a farmhouse with no indoor plumbing or electricity. He wound up with a cell phone. he lived during the most amazing advanced in human history.

He fought in wwII. and was so proud of his service.

He raised 4 amazing kids. we are all "kinda different" as they would say in the midwest. blazingly secure in our lives.

My dad was a 4-H leader and pioneer. he raised 4 4-H kids and helped so many more at at his funeral there were no more seats.

He ran the roller rink in the basement of the catholic church. and taught an army of kids to skate and work...by offering every boy who wanted to work a job as a skateboy.

He was an electrician...he loved to work more than anything.

He planted 2600 trees in the last rtwo years of hbis life.

everywhere.

He needed to get the trees in. people are discovering them all the time.

He planted fruit trees that were suppose to take at least 15 years to bear fruit when he was 80.

and got the fruit anyway. I guess he either was optimistic or giving.

I'm going to borrow some of dad's optisism today to keep going forward during this econami. where it seems impossible at every turn, i just have to get those 2600 trees in...

or phone calls or drop off a flyer because I love to work too.

more than anything.

happy birthday dad.

and don't fall down laughing at all the green stuff you hear about. you were green when...

well you get it.

celeste korthase

daughter of fred korthase

showing up is 80%

man...I decided to suit up and show up today. I had an appointment with a salon owner for some work but the appointment was cancelled. i was already dressed and ready to do something so i went out prospecting.

it's easier to hide behind the old, and i mean old, mac, sending out emails and some snail mail but nothing works like showing up. 

"showing up is 80%" woody allen

so out we go, my husband and i. he had an appointment with an apartment owner to see his stained concrete, we got there and the guy couldn't be less interested in my husbands beautiful work. the guy only wanted price, Jeremy gave him and quote and we went on our way but no appointments in mind.

I saw a new building yesterday with a empty sales office in the fashion district. a lightbulb went off in my head that they would like the sales office to sell the rental untils by being beautiful. i found out from  a security guard where the corp office was and just showed up, I had my portfollio books with me and told the guy i was making him the deal of a lifetime.

He sat down with me listened and he considering my proposal.

so that's something

and then we handed out somewhere around 75 flyers in for rent store fronts on melrose, beverly blvd, san vicente and la brea.

I've been doing this work for 30 years and i'm reduced to walking the streets hat  in hand almost begging for work. and we are REALLY good. last year this time i had 5 restaurants at once.

I have emailed, i have called, I have sent out post cards showing our work but I have to believe that showing up at a building that is for rent will ultamatey get a tenant and perhaps if they know about us they will consider us.

I also believe that if there is any work to be had being out there will give me a better chance than the artist sitting home smoking dope.

I'm not accepting this econami, I refuse to participate in the recession.

I will get work

celestekorthasestudio.com

looking for work

This week was rough. i started looking more in ernest for additional work for myself and small crew. I am an artist and decorative finish artisan. (I paint walls), we stain concrete and do venetian plaster.

I'm going through a through look at every type of customer who could use us and do my best to make contact and see if i can get a meeting. everything is a long shot. I keep pushing forward somehow. we could get work from interior designers, architects, landscape designers or contractors. sometimes we get contacted directly by a restaurant that uses us.

for contact I've used a combination of email, phone, and mail. I'm promoting my web site on twitter and facebook. I put an ad in a restaurant newspaper and have called every past client and am looking for new ones.I printed up flyers and walked melrose and put one in every door on melrose ave in la. There usually are no places for rent on Melrose and in a 5 block area there were 29 places for rent.  I sent 38 letter to funeral homes with selected finishes they could use.

my result was one meeting, 2 phone calls 2 emails and over 100 hits on my website. nothing from the funeral homes.

I wrote this to remember what it's like now,and to share with anyone struggling to find work to keep going, keep trying. 

I actually have no results, I've been at this work finding in an extreme phase for 6 months. i believe in myself and my work and i won't give up.

my website is celestekorthasestudio.com