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134. Hayley King (AKA FLOX) on creating collections, building a team, and 20 years as an artist

Episode 134 • 12th March 2025 • Brand Your Passion • Maker & Moxie

Hayley King: You don't have to have a career or a single career these days. Everything really crosses over and it's okay to put something down and start something up again. A lot of the skills that you can learn from one course or from one part can translate completely across to a number of different disciplines.

Hollie Arnett: The voice you just heard is Hayley King, also known as Flox is an artist and business owner currently in her 20th year. She specializes in hand painted commissions, large scale murals, and producing seasonal luxury bag and personal stationery collections. In this episode, you are going to learn the lessons learned over 20 years as an artist.

The most important part of creating physical products. How a team and a physical location changes your creative business. The step by step process of creating new product collections. What a professional artist credits their marketing success to. What goes into a rebrand after 20 years in business. And so much more.

Now, if you are ready, let's start the episode and talk to Flox. Okay. Welcome to the show. I'm so excited to have you here and talk about your brand.

Hayley King: I'm as equally excited to be here to talk to you. Yay! Thank you. Okay.

Hollie Arnett: So the people have heard a bunch about you already in the intro. I just want to dive in and start talking to you about your brand and your business and all the great things.

So let's talk about your visual brand, because currently that is beautiful. You have the most gorgeous typography and color palette and an amazing logo. So I would love to know the kind of evolution of that brand from. The beginning, how did it start and get to where it is now?

Hayley King: Of course.

th year in business: 2025

Certainly in the last, I would say three to five years I've spent a lot of time. Trying to elevate the brand and to take it to the next step. So and part of that was rolling out a brand new website and having new logos created and just coming up with a fully professional and yeah, I think the work that we've achieved collectively as a team certainly in the last two years, I would say actually is reflective of what you are seeing now.

Yeah, the brand, it is me. It is my artwork. That's what it centers around and my roots are as a street artist and I still to this day paint murals, which is a, a really big part of the overall brand, the practice, my passion. And so I guess from, really humble beginnings out there on the street painting walls and playing around with the aerosol can and now moving into an era where Phlox has become a bit of a household brand name here in New Zealand offering beautiful high end products and also maintaining A certain sense of integrity in terms of where I feel like I sit in the New Zealand art world.

I will always paint, I will always create, and I'm so fortunate to wake up every morning and to, be able to do that every day in my life. Not that I do get to paint every day because there's lots of different hats that, that I have to wear on the daily, but yeah I'm really grateful.

Hollie Arnett: Yeah, incredible. I think it's so cool to hear and great for people also to hear that your brain doesn't have to be like where it is now. In the beginning you started, it was what it was. I would love to hear a little bit more about how you did that first thing, it's taken you the last couple of years to get it to where it is now, even.

So it's a great reminder that Yeah, it doesn't have to be perfect in the beginning. You just want to get started. And then also it takes time to elevate it and to get it to a point where you feel like it really does reflect you. I love hearing that. And yeah, it sounds so in the beginning, when you first started, were you doing all of that yourself, the design, the branding all of that sort of work?

Hayley King: Yes, absolutely. You nailed it. In the beginning, your resources are limited and your your, the money that you can spend in on outsourcing, for example is limited. I. I've always been a hard worker and I never once thought that it would be easy and I was up for the challenge of doing everything in the beginning and that was everything from my own books to cleaning the toilets, um, yeah it's certainly been a journey and, um, yeah for other artists or other brands out there or other people that are wanting to get something started, you, you can't expect to be, the hero first thing you've got to work hard and you've got to go through all of those.

You've got to make mistakes to, to understand where you are going and what you want to achieve.

Hollie Arnett: Absolutely. Yeah. So you said that this current brand that you have, you've been working on it with your team over the last couple of years. Tell me about how that kind of iteration came to be, how you knew it was time to update it and then what you did in the process to create what you have now.

Hayley King: Yes. So I think in terms of the branding and the elevation, a lot of that drive comes from the product part or the product component of my business. As time has gone on and I often I've made connections with suppliers up in China, Hong Kong, and India, and I guess as those relationships, Thicken over time you then start to reflect back on, okay, now I'm doing luxury bags.

How do I want people to perceive me? And where I'm sitting compared to where I was five years ago. So I think it, it felt natural for me to be asking myself and my team those questions and I feel like that is just an ongoing part of. Having a brand, like it's a constant shift and cycle and things are just moving very fast all the time.

And I think perhaps that's one of my best attributes is that I'm willing to move along and not get too stuck and comfortable. Yeah, I think that the products most definitely has had, quite a significant impact on brand perception and brand elevation. And then of course, like the other side of what I do is, Picking up the spray can and painting and, getting really tactile with things and just going completely back to my roots.

That part of the business or the aesthetic more importantly, the stencil as a, as an art form that has also developed over the years. And I feel like my color palettes and my my concepts and everything that sort of drives. Some of the decisions in my mark making has elevated and maybe it's not a case of elevation maybe it's just a case of getting older and perhaps wiser and some of my decision making and so I think that part of the business absolutely feeds back into that need or that desire to Yeah, elevate the brand and create a different kind of perception on Where I sit within the New Zealand Context.

Hollie Arnett: Yeah, that makes so much sense. And I think, especially when you say you're starting to make these more luxury items and things like that, that you want a brand that reflects that and fits that. And like you said, positions you and gives you that, the perception that you want to have. I.

Hayley King: Yeah, I agree. I also think that I am thinking globally now. I'm starting to feel like I'm on this precipice. I actually considered this pre COVID and then of course COVID slowed everything down again or rather Minimize risks at that time. But yeah, I think the decisions that I'm making in terms of the brand and the products that I'm going with and the supplies that I'm working with hopefully like my larger goal, my bigger plan is to be able to export these products to the world.

I want someone in the UK or someone in the US to be able to, Pick up a phlox bag or a piece of stationery and feel connected to it. Not just, a lot of the concept around the collections that I'm releasing these days are very much inspired by Aotearoa, but it's a fine line walking between, representing my home country and my roots here in this beautiful land, but also creating pieces that.

Just in general inspired by nature and that a more global market can connect with.

Hollie Arnett: Yeah, that's so exciting. Yeah, can't wait to see it all around the world. So in relation to that, thinking about, people on the other side of the world, picking up things that you have made and probably, stockists.

It's all around the world using your branding and things like that. What would you say have been some of the things that have helped you and your team when it comes to your branding to keep things consistent and that you think will help, when you do send things around the world what are some of those key things you think have helped the most?

Hayley King: At the moment we don't have any stockists. outside of New Zealand. So that's where I want to go and what I want to be able to do. So I want to essentially be manufacturing and then distributing from those points of manufacture wherever they need to go in the world. So setting up different 3PLs in different countries.

Yeah, so I think the most interesting part of that conversation currently is that we've brought on, it's just having people around you that are specified in what they do, because half the time I feel like I'm completely out of my comfort zone and I've got no idea what I'm doing. So I. I have a business mentor and I'm working with a consultant who's getting me set up with a new 3PL here and in New Zealand.

So it's about not feeling bad about asking dumb questions all the time. Yeah. And really. Getting in there with just asking questions and bringing people on board that are really good at what they do and letting them guide you through some of those steps. So I think that probably at the moment, that's what's helping us drive forward and move forward collectively as a House of Flocks team.

Yeah it's bringing in the right people.

Hollie Arnett: You obviously, you have a team. How do you know that you're ready for a team and who you need to hire as an artist?

Hayley King: You know what, the, I think the hardest person to hire is the first one. When you go from being a sole trade and you're doing everything yourself, and then you realize, I think it's when you're, the time that you're putting in, the time and energy it's starting to outweigh the fact that, you could be outsourcing that and, Yes, you do have to spend a bit of money, but that obviously frees you up to be able to push the business forward and to really drive it.

So yeah, it's a bit of a tricky one and it's a long time ago now that I hired my first person, but I feel like it's a little bit like that as for every employee. It's Oh, okay. I don't have time to do my socials anymore. Guess what? I need someone to do to jump on that. And it's always baby steps too, I think that's a really good piece of advice that I once got there's no, don't put big timelines on things, like it's great to have goals and it's good to have reasonable goals, but they must be flexible.

And if you move, yeah. reasonably slowly and keep an eye on things then you won't over commit cause that's the scary part, isn't it? It's over committing and then freaking out that you can't afford to have this person on board. So yeah, it's about keeping a close eye as much as you can.

Hollie Arnett: Yeah. If you don't mind me asking, who do you have on your team now as an artist? What kinds of people do you have helping you out?

Hayley King: Yeah, absolutely. I've got a studio manager, so I have a physical showroom in Gray Lynn which doubles as my workspace as well. So at the back I can paint and everything, which is fantastic.

The physical shop showroom, or we actually call it the studio that is managed by somebody. Her name's Roo and she's fantastic. So she manages, she's like customer sales and online inquiries and that sort of thing. And then I have someone on socials and basically marketing. So she'll do MailChimp, socials.

She's actually working quite a bit back end. On the new website, which has been fantastic. And then I've just got someone doing all my bookkeeping. Beyond that, everyone else is like contract based. Graphic design work, I contract out. And then we'll be, we're actually going through a really big shift in terms of business model at the moment and we're becoming our own wholesale distribution company.

So we had someone else in the mix doing that for quite a few years. And we decided that, no, that control needed to come back in house. So we'll be. Working with what is called a 3PL, a third party logistics here in Auckland. So yeah, contracting to them. So they're part of the mix now as well.

Hollie Arnett: Yeah, that's good. Just great to hear for other artists who might be thinking like, I think I need some help. What kinds of people could I hire as an artist? And also interesting to hear the balance of having full time people or actual employees, and then contracting out for projects that you don't need all the time.

I think that's really helpful information. Thank you for sharing that. And you mentioned your physical space, House of Logs. I think there are probably a bunch of artists also who are like, that's my dream. I'd love to have a studio or a physical shop or something. So how has that changed your business?

And you're like creative process having a physical space for your shop and your studio.

Hayley King: Yeah, really interesting question. I think that it's been hugely beneficial to have that space because I've been in there for about 16 years now. And to have. A consistent space where people know that they're going to see flocks artworks because that is the only place in the country and we'll keep it that way That exclusively sells the artworks.

So products are available all through the country But the artworks themselves are only available there. So and it's not a flash shop either it's relatively well set up. Roo does an amazing job setting all that stuff up, but first and foremost, it is a working studio space.

So sometimes people walk in, it's a bloody mess, but people quite like that because they can see that things are happening and that sort of, they feel like they're a little bit behind the scenes almost. Yeah I think also since COVID physical aspect of having a store has changed dramatically with how people spend, and the statistics that we're getting through the reasonably new website now really back that up, I think what did they say about 80 percent of our people?

sales come from online now compared to 20%. But there is still an element of come and meet the artist or come in and see artworks in the flesh. That's always you can't beat that. Yeah, but can you beat it? That's a really big question. I'm not sure. Cause there's so many incredible tools that we are using to really create a shopping.

experience through the website. And I think that is, I guess those attributes or those tools that are available to brands, that'll just be, there'll be more and more available to us as time goes on. AI and all the rest of it is just an absolute game changer. For example, I use an app called Smartest so I don't have to go and take photos of my artworks and beautiful interiors anymore and everyone knows that being able to see a bag or a piece of artwork or whatever it is in a space or in a photograph that portrays real life that really helps to sell that piece and it really helps to create the the magic or to inspire the buyer.

In saying that, like, all of the products at the moment, we are still physically lifestyle shooting those. So we'll set up in a hotel room and we'll shoot and yeah, really create a vibe. But, yeah, with the artworks yeah, we're able to, once I've clear cut and I've got my image sorted, like a nice hero shot, I can chuck that into the Smartest app and, put it in a number of different interior contexts, which, help for that online situation in terms of buying.

Hollie Arnett: Yeah, I love that way of thinking of, if we know that it's shifting and more people are now shopping online, how do we make that experience the best and maybe the most like tactile that we can without it being physically in person? So whether that's, yeah, through these kinds of apps or whatever you're doing.

It's a great way to think about it of how can I make that experience really cool. Hopefully, yeah,

Hayley King: it's pretty cool. It does get me excited, the things that we're able to do now as artists. And that app I can put in a photo of. A client's living room if I want to and then that puts the artwork into their living room.

Oh my gosh, you can't beat that. I used to sit there on Photoshop and do it for them. But now it's just, it's so easy, which is it just frees up so much time.

Hollie Arnett: Yeah, that's amazing. And we've talked a lot about the products that you make. Obviously you do the artworks and the commissions and all those things too.

What would you say you've learned, if there's any key lessons you've learned from taking the more traditional kind of work that you do and starting to apply that to physical products? Have you had any good lessons from that process?

Hayley King: Always lessons. The biggest hurdles have been in terms of connecting with suppliers.

One is connecting in the first place. And two, it's creating a rapport and, you're, it's a huge level of trust that you're putting into these manufacturers and suppliers. And we most. Definitely have had some major hiccups with products coming into the country. We had a whole container of bottles from China that the bamboo lid on them had gone moldy in, in sync because it had been sitting in Singapore for too long.

There's things that happen along the way that you cannot. You just, yeah you don't know what is around the corner. All you can do is base every decision that you make on the experience that you build up over time. Yeah, so we do feel like we're in a really good position now because we've got incredible suppliers and we don't have too many suppliers either.

So we've really just stripped that back. And yeah, just. Excellent. They've got wonderful English and they're just very easy to communicate to and they get it, so when you feel like you've found that guy or that, that team it, it does, it's a really good feeling. Yeah Look, so many mistakes and yeah, learning curves along the way in terms of products for sure.

And, we are such a small marketplace here in New Zealand as well. It's a hard one to navigate because there are MOQs, which is minimum quantities that you've got to be ordering offshore. You can't do everything because these guys are supplying, some of the big guys all around the world.

So yeah, we still do have our restrictions, I believe.

Hollie Arnett: Yeah. So it sounds like those. Finding those people and then committing to those relationships and building those and having a few really good key relationships rather than like loads of kind of relationships sounds like the key there.

Hayley King: Absolutely. You're right on it.

Hollie Arnett: Yeah. Awesome. With the products and things, you do lots of things. You have the commissions, you do collaborations, you do workshops, you're creating new collections, all these things all the time. How do you know when to add something new to your business? When do you, yeah, how do you know that?

Hayley King: I don't think I'll be adding anything new anytime soon. I think, what's happened rather than adding on. I'm refining. There's only so much I can physically and personally do myself. And there's only so much I can outsource. And so I think rather than that sense of, I still want to expand, but rather than bringing in other parts of the business, it's more about refining and really concentrating on, those facets of the business that are current.

So yeah, like you say there's workshops, which is. That's part of my passion, my kaupapa is to share and pass on and it always has been. I think I've been teaching workshops now probably for 15 odd years and it's an absolute pleasure. So you've got workshops and then you've got the whole product collections.

Artworks, murals, private commissions. So I think that might be it. Oh, and collaborations, is it's other category, the likes of Blunt Umbrella and I don't know, working with Air New Zealand in the past and yeah, all sorts. Yeah, that, that is enough for my plate. And it's not like I'm doing every single one of those things on, at any given time.

They are the cornerstone of, of the brand and that one of them might be sparking up at any given time and the other ones are resting, if that makes sense.

Hollie Arnett: Yeah.

Hayley King: Yeah, but yeah there's certainly quite often, I sent my team, we have a weekly WIP, which is a work in progress meeting, and I updated them with a current list of projects that we have on, and normally it's sitting between 10 and 20.

So there is a lot going on at any given time.

Hollie Arnett: Yeah, wow. I think that very like interesting to hear because in my mind, I'm like, I assume that's like good for business, right? If when something is, one thing is quiet, you might have more to do on like more murals or more commissions. And then the products will pick up around gifting times and things like that, maybe?

Does that seem right to you that like the, having that diversity helps in terms of business?

Hayley King: Yes, absolutely. It all ebbs and flows. So for example, I'm in mural season I call it at the moment because it's hot and you can achieve a lot when the weather's good. That kind of picks up a bit more in the summertime and then.

the gifting or the sort of the products that's based on this sort of three cycles there throughout the year. And those are based around the New Zealand gift fairs. So one's coming up early March and then we've got another one in June, I think, and then the last one's in August. So we want to make sure that we've got something fresh to add in terms of product range.

To current product ranges. So our retailers, when they come and visit us at the gift fair, there's always something fresh going on and something new to offer them.

Hollie Arnett: Yeah. That's a cool, kind of way to structure or think about scheduling your year. Cause I think probably a lot of artists are like.

What do I work on when, or when do I bring in new products or like that kind of thing. So it's cool to hear okay, maybe if you have something like the gifting fear, or maybe you're thinking about, like the general gifting times throughout the year, like Christmas and all those sorts of things.

Hayley King: Absolutely. Yes. That

Hollie Arnett: can be an interesting way to think okay, I need to be ready before that. And then this time of the year and that time of the year.

Hayley King: Yeah, I think the downside to working with suppliers offshore is that there is, it's a massive lead time I think you've got to allow for 90 days on the boat, for example.

So you would, you'd have your key dates throughout the year, but then you're literally reverse engineering back from each and every one of those dates, so that you've got samples on that stand for that gift fair. Yes. Boat times 90, but then you've got before that, you've got all design time and sampling that sort of thing.

back. We've just finished the: 2026

Yeah.

,: 2026

Hayley King: Yes, that was a massive tick. It really was. So yeah, feeling ahead of the game, I'll have to start working on the next diary and calendar probably in August, September of this year. So

Hollie Arnett: yeah, good insight for anybody listening who wants to get into like products or.

Do that more that to start thinking way ahead of time than you think you need to.

Hayley King: Yes, absolutely. Especially with the dated the dated products. So diary and calendar cause they, they have a short lifetime.

Hollie Arnett: Yeah,

Hayley King: because they're released and then, nobody wants to buy a diary in February.

Some might buy a diary on sale in January if there's any left, which there weren't any this year. So really your sale bracket is October, November, December leading up to, Christmas really. Yeah.

Hollie Arnett: Okay. So you just. I'm going to say recently, but a while ago, release your new collection the Ahi collection to celebrate 20 years of being an artist, which is incredible.

So what did the process look like of creating that new collection? Obviously you probably started it a long time ago, but yeah, what was that like?

Hayley King: Yeah my process for products is very much so linked to my art making. And the reason for that is the pro the products need to represent the artist and the artwork.

And I want for. That authenticity to come across with the products, you might be buying a bag, but you're buying into the brand that started out as just a street artist on the street, picking up a spray can, and that's very much part of who I am and who the, what the brand is about today, even, so creating a range there's quite a few boxes to tick almost systematically.

Bye. I will fly up and visit suppliers and go to trade fairs and source products that I've got on my radar and then think about how I can customize them and bring them into the whole flocks realm. Perhaps more than usual, I will have What I call a hero artwork already completed that will inspire that entire range.

And it might, it's not going to be like, here's my hero artwork. I'm going to go, and this is what I used to do by the way. I'm going to take that hero artwork and I'm going to go plonk, plonk, plonk on each single item. It's a little bit more refined these days. So I'll create a hero artwork that will have different layers and elements.

And those elements can be pulled out separately and used maybe in a more simplistic form for the products and. Inside of that Hero artwork, I'll also be selecting Hero Pantones for the range, if that makes sense. Yeah, so it, it does for sure start with artwork and in terms of process and in terms of creating a collection and then Now that we've got this incredible brand kit that it's like a set of guidelines and rules that even I can go back to and go, oh, okay, no, that bag's not meant to have that kind of logo on it.

It's meant to have our sort of more fashion logo on it in a, in metal form or, creating that brand kit and creating those guidelines has also helped inspire my design and my artistic process when designing those products as well. And then it's interesting because then I may follow through and come up with the first a first sample range, and then sometimes that inspires me back, which I've literally just done.

I've pulled colors out of ahi again and remixed those into four hand painted artworks, which I've sent down to the Wellington Art Show, which is I think it's on this weekend. So it's very much roundabout and the, they do from a product and an artwork perspective, they do tend to inspire each other both ways.

Hollie Arnett: Yeah, that's really cool. I love, obviously hearing the whole processes is really interesting, but also yeah, that point that you make about, making these products and then getting re inspired by what you've made is really cool and it sounds like it's definitely that cyclical process of okay, create art, go and find the products.

We want it to put it on, to put it on, create those and use the brand guidelines to refine things and make sure that it's working with everything and then get re inspired and start the process all over again. That's cool. I love

Hayley King: it. Absolutely. Yeah, no, it feels good to be able to, just stay on the wheel and for it to just just cyclically move and develop and not necessarily like I, I felt like earlier I, I may have created collections and then jumped completely away from that and aborted once that sort of season was over and gone to something completely different over here. But now I feel like I'm on this really nice.

slow moving treadmill where I'm creating these collections and I'm allowing them to inspire me back and to further develop new collections from there. So it does feel good like that.

Hollie Arnett: Yeah. I, as you were talking, I was thinking about how that's such a nice, like natural evolution of your style and your brand rather than, yeah, I can imagine that if do a collection and then change to something completely different that, is.

Maybe jarring for you and your audience or just like very different, right?

Hayley King: I agree. I agree. Yeah, absolutely jarring for audiences because it's like, Oh my God, what is she doing now? Rather than Oh, okay. This completely makes sense. This is great. And I can, this is an elevation of, style and sophistication. And, I like to think that's happening to me personally, too. I'm getting older, man. Hopefully I'm getting a little bit sophisticated. Yeah.

Hollie Arnett: That's what I always talk about with like branding is that we evolve as people, we grow, we learn, we level up, we change. And so our brands and our style and everything should evolve with us.

We're not like. McDonald's or something that has to stay the same all the time forever. It's no, we're artists. And so what we put out there should reflect who we are and where we're going and how we're growing. It's cool to hear that's happening for you and that it's been. Good.

Hayley King: Yeah. Yeah. And, not only is, are we changing, the person or the the team behind the brands that the audience is changing to, like they're buying habits and seasonal colors and what's happening with interiors and architecture, all of that stuff is so incredibly inspiring.

And I'm always looking at trends and what's happening. Out there in some of those other, creative industries. I don't want that to completely dictate what I do because that would take away the authenticity of me picking up spray can and painting what I want to paint, but that is also on my radar and that does also inspire, some of the decisions that I'm making.

Hollie Arnett: Yeah, I think that's such a great point because as an artist, not only are you an artist, but you're in the business of, like you say, interiors, fashion, all of these different arenas when you're selling products or paintings, or you have to think about where your art is going and who's buying it and what that is looking like.

So I love that you're. Paying attention to that and learning from that and like incorporating that into your work, even, not dictating it, but paying attention to it. Okay. So thinking about like your audience and all of those things obviously your marketing to your audience has been going quite well.

You have 27, 000 Instagram followers the last time I saw. And you're obviously doing a lot of other marketing. You said the person on your team does like MailChimp and things like that. What would you say are some of the strategies that have worked the best for you? And yeah, any in particular that are not social media are interesting too.

Hayley King: I have a love hate relationship with social media.

Hollie Arnett: You and every artist I talk to.

Hayley King: I'm just fortunate that I don't have to have my head in there. And I've got the lovely Erica that, oh, she's incredible. She's worth her weight in gold, but what has been very successful for me over the years is, The narrative, the authenticity of what I love doing and, I, every day I feel like I'm, I've got, I'm waving the flag for New Zealand art and I think that from small beginnings, back in the day.

How I said, I just, I picked up a spray can and I started painting walls and I became very drawn to it. And I loved that it could connect with wide community. And yeah, I think it was accessible, that's another major thing as well. Like galleries can feel quite intimidating for the vast majority of people.

So I thought if I'm putting art on the street, then that means everyone can see it, So I always I felt my marketing strategy, and I never paid anything either for the first, I don't know, 10 years, was me out on the street or me painting murals. Pushing the name flocks and yeah, creating art for the people and not waiting for people to come to me.

Yeah, so I do feel like that really got me started and that really got word out about this artist flocks. People started seeing birds and flowers on the street where they wouldn't necessarily normally see that. Back in the day, it was quite graffiti dominated as well. Having something really feminine and nature inspired was, quite different.

And, But nowadays yeah I certainly do pay for marketing and a lot of that, I would say most of the money that I spend is in house with Erica, and so she really takes care of some beautiful marketing campaigns that we send direct to our MailChimp sign up users. And we are using Google Ads now and she's really dominating the stats and really figuring out who our audience is.

She knows much more than I do. So Yeah money is being spent for sure and, but I do feel like I had a real leg up for the, in those first 10 years where, I could do it on a grassroots level and I feel like the name got out there really organically. But Instagram and online I do, videos, reels are always, they get more reach, that space is just changing on the daily.

So apparently the latest thing is slideshows. That's what's getting the most reach. Huh. But I listened to this amazing podcast the other day with some business guru who was being interviewed on diary of a CEO, which is my favorite. And he was saying the next. The next best thing now I podcast people want, that they want to know and I want to hear your voice and I want to know some insights and really connect with you.

Yeah. And I thought, Oh, wow. That's interesting. I'm about to go on one of those.

Hollie Arnett: Yeah.

I think that's all like really great reminders for artists that like. I think a lot of artists currently with social media and all of that are trying to go viral on social media and get global ASAP and reach people all around the world and all of those sorts of things. But it's a great reminder that I think even now, whether it's, doing murals or whatever, but getting into your community and.

Doing local things can actually make a really great impact and get you started really effectively. And then the, the social media and things can support that and can help you to grow that. But just a great reminder that, yeah, getting your work in your local community and getting in front of people in that way.

Is really powerful.

Hayley King: Yeah, absolutely. That direct one on one or me in terms of workshops, that is, or yeah, being in front of a mural and painting and allowing for viewers to see the process unfold from over the course of a few days, that's gold, when do you ever get to see an artist work from.

From start to finish and so I've, I think I've always just focused on the physicality of my practice and the, the socials and everything is just. I guess naturally progressed from that. We do have some little tactics that we use when we want to grow social media and that normally revolves around us.

creating some kind of value for community or customers or followers. And we'll do lots of giveaways and give back. And, whether it's like for mother's day or if I've just released a new print for example, and I'll do a giveaway there. And yeah, so I really do feel if there's something of value that you're offering your people then, and they're going to get something out of it, then that's where it's at, right?

Hollie Arnett: Yeah, definitely. I love that. I love hearing some, yeah, some technical things like the giveaways or I'm giving back and those sorts of things are great ways to grow your social media and things. I love that. So a couple of last questions for you. One is, are there any kind of miss, errors that you've made or mistakes that you think you have learned a lesson from that you could share with the people?

Hayley King: I think the mistake, if I want to call it that, or learning curves have been To create a life for myself that's well balanced. There has been times over the years where, it can all really get on top of you. And, I'm a mum as well. I have two boys. And it's been Really challenging over the years and there's been, higher level pockets of this, but finding that beautiful synergy or, of work life balance and that's just like an ongoing thing.

And I'm sure every creative or every business owner out there probably struggles to varying degrees with that same thing. Yeah, I don't feel like I've. made any mistakes. And everything I do is for my kids, everything that I am creating now, I want to leave a legacy for them. So yeah, I think I've just, I've got a radar on myself consistently.

And that, to make sure that I'm here and I'm giving them the time that they need. And. Make, making sure that I'm present and having some time off too for myself. Yeah.

Hollie Arnett: Yeah. I think that's great. Yeah. Listen for anybody listening, because whether you are a mom or not, or a parent or not either way, like you said, there are so many times where things can just pile up as an artist and when you're wearing so many hats.

You're creating products and doing marketing and all of these things. It really can pile up on you if you're not careful. I think that's a great reminder to, I like the idea of having a radar on yourself. Yeah. Where am I at? What's going on? Yeah. Okay. And my last question for you. What is one piece of advice that you would give to artists who are wanting to brand their passion?

Hayley King: That's a hard one. I think not to look too far ahead. How we were talking before about the baby steps and setting some goals. And not, but not too many, just yeah, baby steps and also I think in the beginning prepare to do the mahi, you're gonna, you're gonna have your fingers in some pies and I think it's really good to keep doors open.

I've always said to students that I've worked with in the workshops and this question comes up a fair amount and it's good to keep doors open. And if, for example, if you're studying fashion design that doesn't mean you have to be a fashion designer. It's going to give you a whole bunch of skills that you're going to be able to cross over into pretty much any other artistic discipline you want.

So I just feel like. You don't have to have a career or a single career these days. Everything really crosses over and it's okay to put something down and start something up again because I feel like, nothing ever goes to waste and certainly in the creative sector. And I think that a lot of the skills that you can learn from one.

Course or from one part can, translate completely across to a number of different disciplines. Fingers in the pies, definitely be prepared to do the mahi and yeah, just write some goals and be kind to yourself.

Hollie Arnett: I love that. Last one. They're all great, but also, yeah, being kind to yourself, a great addition.

Yeah. It's hard work sometimes being an artist, but if you be kind and remember to do all those little things that you just said I think that's awesome. Thank you so much. This has been so great. I personally have loved talking to you and learning more about your business and how you do things and how your brand has evolved and all of those things.

And I know that everybody listening is going to have the same experience. I will leave a bunch of links to your stuff in the show notes for anybody listening, go and check out the new Ahi collection and everything else. That Fox is doing, but is there anything you want to tell the people or anything you want them to go and check out?

Hayley King: I guess they could go and have a look at the new website. I'm still calling it a new website, but I think we launched it in October last year, so it still feels very much a baby, but it's I'm very proud of it. It took months and it really has I feel like it's taken us to the next level.

So if you have some time, go and check out the Flux website.

Hollie Arnett: Go and check it out for just to enjoy it. But also. As an example of an artist website, it's incredibly, it truly is incredible. I think you definitely have taken it to the next level. And it's such a great example of how you can present all your work and your story and everything.

And as I said, I was wowed by the branding. Definitely great to go have a look.

Hayley King: Awesome. Thank you so much, Hollie. Thank you for having me on.

Hollie Arnett: Thank you for joining me.

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