459 | What Happens When You Built a Successful Business You No Longer Want to Run with Lisa Congdon
Today I'm talking with someone I've admired for a long time— artist, author, illustrator, and creative entrepreneur Lisa Congdon.
Lisa has been building businesses around her art for nearly 20 years, and in this conversation we talk about something that I think a lot of established brand owners will relate to, and that's what happens when you've built a successful business but you realize it's no longer the business you want to run.
Lisa recently made the decision to close her retail business after 20 years, not because it was failing, but because she wanted more time and space to make art and pursue the work that really energizes her.
I appreciate how intentional she was about that decision.
She didn't just burn everything down and hope for the best, like some of us feel like doing every day, but she looked at her finances and considered other revenue streams.
She created a plan and gave herself and her team a runway.
We also get into how Lisa developed a recognizable artistic point of view, why making work that actually means something to you can create a stronger connection with your customers, and the difference between trend-driven, trend-agnostic, and trend-informed.
There are so many good nuggets in this conversation about building a product brand that works commercially while still staying true to your creative voice and knowing when it's time to make a change.
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MEET LISA
Lisa Congdon is an internationally recognized, award-winning artist & illustrator known for her vibrant graphic style and her exploration of joy, liberation, and inclusion. Her clients include The Library of Congress, the U.S. Postal Service, Google, Amazon, REI, MoMA and Wired, among many others. For twenty years, Lisa owned a stationery and gift brand under her name, which she recently closed to focus more intensely on her fine art practice. She is the author of ten books, including Art Inc. and Find Your Artistic Voice. Self-taught, Lisa did not gain significant career momentum until age 40, making her path an inspiring example of creative reinvention. Beyond her studio practice, Lisa is recognized for her leadership in mentoring and social justice advocacy. In 2021, Adweek named her one of the “50 Most Inspiring People and Companies According to Industry Creatives,” and in 2026 she was selected to the Eames Institute Curious 100 list.
CONNECT WITH LISA
WEBSITE: https://lisacongdon.com | INSTAGRAM: @lisacongdon | SUBSTACK: @lisacongdon | The Greater Goods Alliance
Connect with Katie Hunt
Katie Hunt is a business strategist, podcaster, mentor and mama to four. She helps product based businesses build profitable, sustainable companies through her conferences, courses and coaching programs.
Website: prooftoproduct.com | Instagram: @prooftoproduct
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This week’s podcast episode features someone I've admired for a long time— artist, author, illustrator, and creative entrepreneur Lisa Congdon. Lisa has been building businesses around her art for nearly 20 years, and in this conversation we talk about something that I think a lot of established brand owners will relate to, and that's what happens when you've built a successful business but you realize it's no longer the business you want to run.