One of Paducah's coolest new business is Ephemera Paducah - an art workshop space. In our newest herPaducah installment, owner Kristin Williams shares her journey to opening the business of her dreams!

Three years ago when I first decided to open my own business, I thought, “You’ve got this, sister.” After all, I’d spent years as a consultant helping other businesses to build and make adjustments to their strategic plans.

As it turned out, I knew a lot about running a business in theory, but little did I know the challenges that awaited me in opening the artists’ workshop and studio space that I now own today, Ephemera Paducah. 

Looking back I can appreciate the fact that ignorance is bliss. Had I known the trials that awaited me in these first two years of running Ephemera Paducah I might have been too intimidated to take the first step. Yet, here I am beginning my third year, recruiting national art instructors to teach classes and workshops in my studio and running a retail shop, selling art supplies to the regional art community that surrounds me. 

While the path to success has been filled with ups and downs, I’m pleased to say that today Ephemera Paducah is doing well. It’s not unusual to have a class full of folks from Chicago, Atlanta, Louisville, Memphis, Evansville and party beyond attending these national art workshops. In fact, about 80% of my business is now coming from out of town visitors. 

I’ve been able to do this using a variety of digital media sources to promote my business. I’ve also had to learn how to think differently about my business. What works for one art instructor doesn’t work for all of my classes. So today I’m celebrating 50 something years of life and working to keep up with all of the new information and marketing tools that await me. 

I’m in the business of being creative and that doesn’t simply apply to the art classes I offer at Ephemera Paducah. It means I have to use creative problem-solving techniques when my business needs a boost. I can’t allow myself or my marketing efforts grow stale. Rather, I must always grow and always be open to new ideas. 

So as I celebrate starting my third year in business, I’m encouraging other women to be brave and to try something new. While being a business owner is not always an easy task, it’s one that I love.

I’ve always loved to dabble in art and to experiment with new art supplies. Now I get to do that every day as part of my job. What’s not to love about that?  Being successful is as much about learning how to adapt as it is about having a great plan in the first place.

Check out the latest class offerings at Ephemera Paducah!