Today we’d like to introduce you to Loveleen Saxena.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Surendar (my husband) and I were living a dreamy life till Spring 2014. We both had a very stable career when we met in 2012. We fell in love, got married, bought a house and everything was going as per the plan. But then something started changing. Not outside of us, but within us.
I rediscovered my love for art during this time so I started doodling and drawing during lunch time and in the bus. I started sharing it on my first website (www.loveleensaxena.com). But we both somehow started getting restless, anxious, frustrated not knowing why. Like we are missing out on life. So one day in April 2014, we simply decided to just be. Be who we were when we were a child – fearless, curious, adventurous, creative and full of life. And shortly after we decided it is time to leave….leave the comfort of this known to explore the limitless possibilities of the unknown.
After a few months of planning we quit our jobs and packed our bags for a seven month backpacking trip to ten countries. We had never done anything like this before. We were excited and nervous at the same time. A whole new life and adventure was awaiting us and we couldn’t wait to experience it. We traveled to new places, experienced new cultures, stayed in camps, hiked for days, read, tried new food and soaked in the beauty of nature. Everyday I continued to journal my experience in form of drawings. Stepping away from everything opened our mind and soon we noticed ourselves coming up with new ideas about how we want our life to be when we return home.
And it was during this time the idea of the artist marketplace ZILPINI was born. A platform that would make it easier for artists to succeed and connect with the community. We wanted to bring art closer to everyone – because in our heart we believe that everyone is creative! When we came back after our trip, we decided to go back to full-time jobs and spend our spare time in this new venture. I started selling my art at markets, exhibits and started meeting other artists. I started offering coaching to those who want to live with purpose (www.aliveintheflow.com). The more we went to these events, the clearer our vision became. We saw how artists struggle and how challenging it is for them to sell their art.
A year later, in 2016 we both decided to say goodbye to our corporate life and dedicate our time completely to this idea. The name ZILPINI was born shortly after. Through many ups and downs, new frustrations, fears, anxieties and small wins we keep pushing forward. We both are new to the world of entrepreneurship. This past year and a half haven’t been easy but it has been totally worth it. Everyday is a new challenge and a new learning experience. No two days are the same. And we love that. And it’s beautiful to see our idea finally coming to life.
We are launching our marketplace soon. And while we are working through the technical bits before we launch, we are creating a tribe of Changemakers who believe that ART brings JOY to our lives. We are looking for Artists who want share what brings them Joy. We are looking for Explorers who want to discover what brings them Joy. And we are looking for Spacemakers who want to host what brings them Joy.
So if any of you is a Changemaker at heart and wants to join our tribe, visit our website www.zilpini.com for more details. One of my favorite quotes is “the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” That’s what Surendar and I are doing – taking small steps and moving forward to bring more JOY to this world through ART!
Has it been a smooth road?
Its been a great road with small wins, lots of frustrations, challenges, learning experiences and a-ha moments. Our life has turned 180 since we came back from our backpacking trip in 2015. I am pursuing my art, coaching, living more in the flow and we are building a business on an idea that we know will bring creativity and community together. We love every day even though we many times we don’t know what we are doing!
For example, launching a business has so many things – legal, technical, accounting, marketing and we have been in jobs are whole career so we our learning to do it all by ourselves! This has overwhelmed us. But good thing, Houston has so many resources such as Score, SBA and meet up groups that makes it a bit easier when you know you’re not the only one going through all of this!
As an artist, I started making more art while working on ZILPINI. But realized along the way that selling my art is not my long-term vision. It’s inspiring people to live more creatively. Working from home requires a completely different set of mind. Keeping ourselves motivated and disciplined has been a big challenge. But all in all, we do not regret any decision. We have made mistakes but every mistake has made us stronger.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the ZILPINI story. Tell us more about the business.
Our business ZILPINI was established last year and we have been building it for past year and a half. We will be launching it officially soon.
Our vision for ZILPINI is a platform that brings JOY to the community through the experience of ART. Houston has a big art community but we are tired of hearing that field of art is “struggling”. We want to change that. So we are creating this online marketplace that will connect artists with the community. It will make it easier for supporters to learn new art forms from local artists. And it will provide easy access to local businesses where artists can share their gifts.
We are proud of it because we believe in collaboration and helping each other thrive. We believe that only when we do more of what brings us all JOY, then only the world will become a better place. And art plays a big role in bringing joy to our life.
What sets us apart is we will be the one-stop shop where you can find all the artists in various fields (painting, sculpture, food, yoga, meditation etc) in one place. So we will make it easier for you to find artists and learn from them or book their services for your next event.
We believe experiences are memorable not things and we want to make the experience of art easier.
Where do you see your industry going over the next 5-10 years? Any big shifts, changes, trends, etc?
As we move into a world of a shared economy (Airbnb, uber etc) where everyone wants to share what they have instead of buying new things, we feel sharing our gifts is the next big thing. We are already doing that but in a small and scattered way. ZILPINI is going to make sharing gifts and the sense of community and collaboration stronger. We are also leading towards a world where people are simplifying their life. Sharing our gifts will help us create memorable experiences rather than collecting more art or things.
Also, we know recently there has been a rise in small businesses, entrepreneurs, and artists. We feel for years art has been tagged as “starving” career choice and so many parents, children pick up safe option rather than something “creative”. And after a few years, they start getting burned out because they are not doing what they love.
But we know in the next 5-10 years, the field of ART will become a stable career choice. Because platforms like ZILPINI will make art and creativity accessible to everyone. We also know it’s going to get easier to start and run your own business successfully. So more and more people who want to pursue what they love is going to rise. And ZILPINI will be a great platform for them to grow their creative business and find supporters who can learn from them. And for those who can’t pursue their creativity full time, they can still benefit from it by learning from these artists, bringing creativity into their everyday life and live a more stress-free life!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.zilpini.com
- Email: contact@zilpini.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZilpiniChangemakers/
- Other: www.loveleensaxena.com
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