By Allison Albery
Q: What inspired you to join the MVE-Lab?
A: My wife Barbra encouraged me to join the MVE-Lab because she wanted to take the class for her small business and thought I would also benefit.
Q: Can you tell us about your business and how it has evolved since participating in MVE-Lab?
A: My business is Art for Eternity LLC, and I am an artist. In the past, my goal was to create art in an attempt to win local art competitions and hopefully sell my paintings. The MVE-Lab helped me focus on what was necessary to develop a professional business mindset. An important component of the MVE-Lab is developing a pitch to describe your business or a product in a concise manner. I used the skills developed through the MVE-Lab to practice the pitch explaining my painting “Dynamic Sunset” during ArtPrize 2024 in Grand Rapids Michigan. I had a story, I knew my customer and what they needed to see and hear in order to gain their vote for this prestigious international competition, and it paid off I won the 2024 People’s Choice Grand Prize of $125,000. One of the directors of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum where my work was displayed said that I had one of the best delivered pitches he has ever heard.Part of the MVE-Lab is planning for growth, and after decades of thinking small, my business is going to experience exponential growth. I expect to see my company transform from a hobby to a million dollar international business in the next ten years thanks in part to the MVE-Lab.
Q: Would you recommend the MVE-Lab to other entrepreneurs?
A: I would recommend the MVE-Lab to entrepreneurs who will take the time to dig into the material and do the homework. You get out of it what you put in. Knowing yourself, your unique business, and how to grow is what the MVE-Lab is all about.
NEU 