Our guest today is Miriam Schulman, a portrait painter who has had her work displayed in galleries and collected internationally. While this might seem like an unlikely guest for a thought leadership podcast, she is also the author of Artpreneur: The Step-by-Step Guide to Making a Sustainable Living from Your Creativity, host of the Inspiration Place podcast and creator of the popular online art class site, the Inspiration Place. Lots of people have incredible talent. Unfortunately, most creative talent goes overlooked and underappreciated. Miriam shares how the same creativity that feeds your talent can be turned into a survival strategy - through clever marketing. The ability to try new things and be creative can trump a lack of experience (even in marketing!), if you are willing to do a little hard work. Miram discusses her book launch, and how she is marketing her book using the same advice she offers others. In addition, she shares strategies that her book launch team uses, including pre-order bonuses, social network campaigns, and other incentives that help her get reviews and buzz - before the book even hits store shelves. Whether you are an artist seeking advice on making your passion profitable, or a traditional thought leader trying to spread the word about your content, this conversation has some incredibly useful advice you can put into action right away! Three Key Takeaways: *  Cheaper is not always easier to sell. Regardless of price, your audience must understand how your offerings will benefit them. *  Friends, family, and co-workers will be happy to share your works, but you can make it easy for them and increase the odds of them sharing by writing a blurb for them. *  Book reviews are an important part of a launch strategy.  They create social validation for those who are not familiar with your work.