When Life Said No, I Did It Anyway.

How a full-circle moment at Ringling College reminded me that every “NO” leads to your next opportunity.

10/14/20254 min read

Last week, I had the opportunity to speak as an alumna of Ringling College of Art + Design during Food4Thought, Ringling’s lunchtime career lecture series. Food4Thought is a multi-week, student-focused program where industry professionals, faculty, staff, and alumni share insights on career-building topics. Sessions are held at lunchtime so students can attend outside of scheduled classes—feel free to bring your lunch, or enjoy the snacks provided! This year’s series focuses on entrepreneurship, helping students develop and share employability skills alongside their creative talents, based on the NACE Career Readiness Competencies. Check out the Food4Thought website here —bios and videos will be posted soon.

I joined the Fall 2025 session to give a talk on Pitching and Selling Your Ideas. It was a full-circle moment—returning to campus not as a student this time, but as someone navigating the real-world creative journey and building a business from the ground up.

And boy, there’s a lot to starting a business.

The presentation centered on turning creativity into opportunities—how to approach your ideas with confidence, curiosity, and perspective. I shared some of my favorite frameworks that have helped me along the way. Here were the highlights.

Perspectives

I showed students a map of the U.S. and the world that illustrates the percentage of artists in the population—less than 1%. That earned a laugh, but it also highlights something powerful: our rarity is our strength. Artists have enormous potential; our value is needed now more than ever.

Know Your Value

Artists are the creatives. Our ideas matter.

But it’s our job to showcase that value—to advocate for our artistry and communicate the impact of our ideas. When pitching to a boss, art director, owner, or investor, your goal isn’t just to sell—it’s to open their minds to what can be created. The biggest part is putting yourself out there and being confident in your ideas. And all you’ve got to do is TRY!

T.R.Y. — Test, Refine, Yield

Test your ideas, refine your approach, and yield results.

P.I.V.O.T. — Persist, Innovate, Validate, Optimize, Transform

Every creative path requires flexibility and the willingness to adapt.

A.E.O. — Art, Execute, Own

You are the leader of your ideas. Lead your art, make it happen, and own your success.

Designing My Own Path

Artists are the creatives. Our ideas matter.

When Ringling invited me to speak, they mentioned students were especially interested in entrepreneurship. I recently hit one year since officially starting my LLC and defining what I want Studio Agnew to be. It’s still evolving—and honestly, I think it always will be. That’s the beauty of entrepreneurship: it’s a long game built on constant learning, adapting, and experimenting.

This wasn’t a path I imagined I’d be on today. But when the job market slows or opportunities don’t appear the way you expect, you have two choices—wait or pivot. I chose to pivot. And in doing so, I discovered that building momentum isn’t about having everything figured out from day one—it’s about showing up, trying new things, and trusting that each small step adds up.

5 Reminders to Keep You Moving Forward

While sharing my story with the students, I realized these are the same truths that keep me grounded in my own creative journey:

Start now, refine later.
You don’t need a perfect plan—you just need the courage to begin.
Momentum matters.
The hardest part isn’t starting—it’s staying consistent. Keep showing up, even when progress feels slow.
Embrace the experiment.
Creativity and entrepreneurship both thrive on trial and error. Every pivot, misstep, and surprise is part of the process.
Redefine rejection.
Every “no” is a redirection, not a dead end. Take the shot, make it, and own it.
N.O. = Next Opportunity.
A “no” isn’t final—it’s simply the universe guiding you toward your next opportunity.

Building Studio Agnew

I’m continuing to build Studio Agnew into a one-stop shop for creativity and imagination—a place where kids and adults can learn, create, and be inspired. Whether through art, storytelling, or design, my mission is to help people rediscover their creativity and see the world through a more imaginative lens.

My DIY kits and interactive children’s books are where I’m starting—tools to spark creativity for an afternoon, off-screen, and filled with hands-on discovery. Each product I develop teaches skills, encourages curiosity, and builds confidence through creativity.

It’s just the beginning. Like I told the students: don’t worry about what other people think. The 99% of the world who aren’t artists can’t define your path. Do it anyway. You don’t need permission. No one can stop you—except yourself.

Keep the Inspiration Coming

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