Paper Talk

What if your purpose is not something you need to find, but something you already live every day without the words for it? This week, co-host Jessie Chui introduces a guest who changed the way she understands her own work: Catherine Lash, a writer, speaker, and workshop host who helps people reconnect with what genuinely drives them.

Catherine shares the surprisingly simple process behind her Artist Statement of Purpose workshop, why it takes only about ten minutes to reach your purpose, and why she turned a $1,200, eight-week program into a one-hour workshop that anyone can access. She shares her path, from wedding photographer to producing a wedding show for 19 years, nearly losing everything while chasing trends that weren't true to her, and stripping her business back to its foundation. Along the way, she created her own paper flower installation to hold on to who she was.



"Everybody has a purpose. You feel it, you live it, you actually just don't have the words for it." - Catherine Lash



We talk about the difference between an artist statement and a purpose statement, why fulfillment happens only when you put your purpose into the world, how knowing your purpose helps you say no, and how to stop comparing yourself on Instagram. Catherine also challenges the three of us to find a collective purpose for Paper Talk and our Mastermind.



Timestamps:

00:28 Welcome Catherine Lash

00:49 How Jessie discovered Catherine's workshop

03:26 Why your why changes from season to season

04:11 Purpose should be accessible to everyone, and all you need is a pen and paper

07:58 Fulfillment: why purpose must be delivered to someone else

09:23 How Catherine found her own purpose

12:08 Losing herself, nearly going bankrupt, and stripping back to the foundation

13:48 The Paper Flower Project

19:20 A challenge: finding a collective purpose for Paper Talk and the Mastermind

20:13 Why a simple process still needs time and guidance

24:19 Artist statement vs. purpose statement

25:35 Catherine's workshops for artists, individuals, and groups

28:19 Using your purpose to decide when to say no

28:50 Social media, comparison, and coming back to your foundation

31:24 What is in our shopping carts

38:36 Thank you and goodbye



About Catherine Lash:

Catherine supports individuals through her workshops, as a writer and speaker, reconnecting with what genuinely drives them- their purpose- enabling them to create greater meaning, make a positive impact, and maintain their authenticity.

Through her proven methodology, Catherine is able to take her audiences from purpose as something abstract to something human-sized and deeply personal that they can put into action for individual and collective well-being and flourishing.

Her workshops run every month for individuals, and she hosts private workshops for social groups, community organizations, and corporate teams to build deeper connections within the group so they can keep evolving as they work toward a collective purpose.

She also loves making paper flowers!

Learn more about Catherine and her Lead with Purpose workshops here: https://www.catherinelash.com/registration and follow her on Instagram as @catherinelash.



What’s in our Shopping Cart:

Paper Talk is supported by our community of readers and listeners. When you click on our affiliate links, we may earn a commission for qualifying purchases made through Amazon.com, Shareasale, or similar affiliate marketing programs. This commission goes directly into the maintenance of this website and our podcast.

Jessie - Global Datebook Elementary School Planner 2026

Sara - Catherine Lash’s Artist Statement of Purpose Workshop



Listen and Subscribe:

Paper Talk is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and wherever you listen to podcasts. Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review! It helps other paper flower artists find our community.



#PaperFlowers #PaperFlowerBusiness #PaperTalkPodcast #PaperFlowerArtist #CrepePaperFlowers #HandmadeBusiness #PaperFlowerCommunity #SmallBusinessPodcast #ArtPodcast

What happens when an online community finally meets in person? In this episode, Quynh, Jessie, and Sara welcome two members of the Paper to Profits Mastermind, Cher Lutz and Sandy Goetz, who joined us for our first in-person retreat in Seattle.



We share our favorite moments from the weekend: a first night of wine, cheese, and easy conversation, practicing our elevator pitches over lunch (yes, even we were nervous), a charcuterie board activity that turned strangers into collaborators, and a dreamy afternoon among the dahlias with photographer Yvonne Wong.



Then Cher and Sandy open up about why they keep coming back. Cher talks about finally finding people who understand the challenges of running a creative business. Sandy, now two and a half years into the Mastermind, names the one thing that changed everything for her: accountability. Without it, she says, she would still be asking, "I have a business name, now what?"



"You've given me the confidence to put myself out there and make myself and my art known." - Sandy Goetz



We also talk about why building structure is so hard when no one hands you a schedule, how three mentors can shorten your learning curve, and why our WhatsApp group chat has become everyone's favorite cheering section. Plus, what is in our shopping carts, including a cordless glue gun, a book about paper collage pioneer Mary Delany, and grow lights for Seattle's dark winters.

Curious about the Paper to Profits Mastermind? Learn more at https://www.papertalkpodcast.com/mastermind.



Learn more about Sandy Goetz and Cheramie Lutz:

Sandy’s Instagram: @goetz_bespoke

Sandy’s Website: Goetz Bespoke

Cheramie’s Instagram: @withlovecheramie



Timestamps:

00:28 Welcome Cher Lutz and Sandy Goetz

01:16 Favorite moments from the Seattle Mastermind retreat

06:53 Why Cher and Sandy have stayed with the Mastermind

10:39 Accountability goes both ways: mentors as coworkers

12:33 Looking outside your niche and getting three perspectives

14:07 Where Sandy would be without the Mastermind

14:50 Building structure when no one gives you a schedule

18:19 Cheering each other on in the group chat

20:40 What would make the Mastermind even better?

21:47 What is in our shopping carts

27:24 Thank you and goodbye



What's In Our Shopping Cart:

Paper Talk is supported by our community of readers and listeners. When you click on our affiliate links, we may earn a commission for qualifying purchases made through Amazon.com, Shareasale, or similar affiliate marketing programs. This commission goes directly into the maintenance of this website and our podcast.

Quynh: Sansi Grow Light https://a.co/d/01fXxqfi

Jessie: KT Tape

Sara: Vivaia Round-Toe Stretchy Wool Knee-High Boots (Filipa)

Sandy: HOTO cordless auto-dispensing glue gun (found at Costco)

Cher: The Paper Garden by Molly Peacock, about Mary Delany



Listen and Subscribe:

Paper Talk is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and wherever you listen to podcasts. Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review! It helps other paper flower artists find our community.



#PaperFlowers #PaperFlowerBusiness #PaperTalkPodcast #PaperFlowerArtist #CrepePaperFlowers #HandmadeBusiness #PaperFlowerCommunity #SmallBusinessPodcast #ArtPodcast

For the first time in nine seasons, we are turning the mic over to you! In this rapid-fire Q&A, Quynh, Jessie, and Sara answer questions sent in by listeners, Mastermind participants, and friends. We talk about what we wish we knew before going full time with our art, whether you need to be "artsy" to become a paper flower artist, and exactly where we buy our crepe paper and cardstock in the US and Canada.



"The thing I wish I knew before I went full time is that I'm allowed to do it." - Sara



Then we get honest about money: our worst paid and highest paid jobs, from a $1 flower order that ended in a complaint to a $70,000 production job that tested every limit of Quynh's hands and timeline. Sara shares the business advice that changed everything (templates and passive income), Jessie reveals the unexpected tool she now brings to every workshop, and we close with the paper flower trends we are loving right now, plus what is sitting in our shopping carts.



Have a question you want us to answer next? Submit it at papertalkpodcast.com. The form is right on the home page!



Timestamps:

00:00 Welcome to our first ever rapid-fire Q&A

01:15 What is one thing you wish you knew before going full time with your art?

03:57 Do you have to be artsy to be a paper flower artist? (Jessie)

05:30 Where do you buy your paper? Our crepe paper and cardstock sources

09:28 Worst paid job ever vs. highest paid job ever

18:16 The best piece of business advice Sara ever got

19:35 What did you buy with your first paycheck?

21:50 A tool Jessie never expected to fall in love with

23:27 A skill outside of paper flowers Quynh wishes she had time to learn

24:22 Do I have to show my face on Instagram? (Sara)

25:42 Paper flower trends we are loving right now

31:13 What is ahead for Season 9, and how to submit your questions

31:50 What is in our shopping carts



What's In Our Shopping Cart:

Paper Talk is supported by our community of readers and listeners. When you click on our affiliate links, we may earn a commission for qualifying purchases made through Amazon.com, Shareasale, or similar affiliate marketing programs. This commission goes directly into the maintenance of this website and our podcast.

Quynh Conversation: How to Connect with Anyone & Make Every Interaction Count by Vanessa Van Edwards

Jessie: Dragon Touch / I ended up buying a 15” Skylight



Listen and Subscribe:

Paper Talk is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and wherever you listen to podcasts. Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review! It helps other paper flower artists find our community.



#PaperFlowers #PaperFlowerBusiness #PaperTalkPodcast #PaperFlowerArtist #CrepePaperFlowers #HandmadeBusiness #PaperFlowerCommunity #SmallBusinessPodcast #ArtPodcast

It's here, Episode 200. Quynh Nguyen, Jessie Chui, and Sara Kim kick off Season 9 of Paper Talk Podcast by pausing to celebrate a milestone eight years in the making, and to tell you exactly why we’re devoting this whole season to celebrating your wins.



We take a trip back to where it all started, a paper flower masterclass in Seattle in April 2018, where makers flew in from all over the world just to make paper flowers together in person. That single weekend became the reason Quynh and Jessie wanted a way to stay connected between workshops, and Paper Talk Podcast was born, with the name itself coming from a suggestion by Jessie's husband, Warren. We also look back on original co-host Priscilla Clearfield, who was part of the show from Episode 1, and reflect on the two years since Sara Kim joined full-time as a host.



We share our favorite memories across 199 episodes, from checking back in with returning guests to see how their businesses evolved, to Sara's own path from three-time guest to co-host. We also open up about our Paper Talk Mastermind retreat, where members met in person for the first time after a year of meeting online, and talk about why that kind of community, geeking out over a shared, sometimes lonely, creative business, is at the heart of what we’ve built.



"I hope our podcast really brings in that coworker feeling in the background, talking about the logistics of business. Sometimes it's a little venting, sometimes it's a little celebrating our achievements." - Sara



This season is all about celebrating wins, the big ones and the small ones. You can now submit your own art or business questions at papertalkpodcast.com for a new rapid-fire Q&A segment throughout the season. And we will end every episode with a new closing question: what's in your shopping cart right now?



Timestamps:

0:01 – Welcome to Season 9 and the Episode 200 milestone

0:46 – The origin story: a 2018 paper flower masterclass in Seattle

2:37 – How the podcast got its name, with help from Jessie's husband Warren

3:41 – Original co-host Priscilla, and two years of Sara as a host

6:05 – Announcing the Season 9 theme: celebrating small and big wins

6:34 – New segment alert: submit your questions for a rapid-fire Q&A

8:17 – Favorite memories from 199 episodes

11:26 – Reflecting on the Paper Talk Mastermind retreat

18:31 – A look ahead at Season 9

20:18 – Introducing the new closing question: what's in your shopping cart?



What's In Our Shopping Cart:

Paper Talk is supported by our community of readers and listeners. When you click on our affiliate links, we may earn a commission for qualifying purchases made through Amazon.com, Shareasale, or similar affiliate marketing programs. This commission goes directly into the maintenance of this website and our podcast.

Jessie: A Foamworks foam board cutter, for mounting 24x36 inch prints ahead of her November show

Sara: This matching bridal party pajama set from a brand she recently discovered

Quynh: The Midori undated 2027 planner, as she considers a switch from her longtime Hobonichi



Listen and Subscribe:

Paper Talk is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and wherever you listen to podcasts. Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review! It helps other paper flower artists find our community.



#PaperFlowers #PaperFlowerBusiness #PaperTalkPodcast #PaperFlowerArtist #CrepePaperFlowers #HandmadeBusiness #PaperFlowerCommunity #SmallBusinessPodcast #Episode200

Quynh, Sara, and Jessie close out Season 8 of Paper Talk Podcast with a heartfelt recap of their favorite guests, paper flower business lessons, and news on Episode 200.

It's officially a wrap on Season 8, the longest season Paper Talk Podcast has ever recorded at 25 episodes! In this finale, hosts Quynh Nguyen, Sara Kim, and Jessie Chui sit down to reflect on the season's theme of community, revisit their favorite guest conversations about building a paper flower business, and share what's coming for Season 9, including the Paper Talk Mastermind and a giveaway to celebrate Episode 200.



"I think the longer you're in this community, just like any other community, there's always a rotation of people. It's always interesting to me, as to why people start what they do and then also leave what they do." — Jessie



What You’ll Hear in this Episode:

Why "community" became the throughline of Season 8, and how it evolved into something bigger than they expected

Sara's favorite episode of the season, with guest Margie, on "It's Okay to Walk Away" (Episode 190), and what it taught them about burnout and the reality of running a paper flower business

Jessie's favorite conversations with paper flower artists who became mothers this season, including Poy T. Granati, Laura Richey, and Carissa Wu, and how each of them redesigned their business around motherhood

Quynh's highlights: the legacy of Aleene's Tacky Glue with guest Tiffany Windsor, and floral mechanics with Hitomi Gilliam

A first look at Season 9 and the Episode 200 giveaway launching in September

Updates on the Paper Talk Mastermind, including the upcoming retreat and how to join the waitlist



The Best Thing We Bought that Bring Us Joy

Quynh: TRX straps

Jessie: TSN Subscription

Sara: Trader Joe’s Striped Mini Canvas Tote Bag

Paper Talk is supported by our community of readers and listeners. When you click on our affiliate links, we may earn a commission for qualifying purchases made through Amazon.com, Shareasale, or similar affiliate marketing programs. This commission goes directly into the maintenance of this website and our podcast.



-----------------------------------------------------

JOIN OUR PAPER TALK MASTERMIND!

If you've been running your paper business solo and you're tired of figuring out pricing, marketing, and selling alone, then this is for you. The Mastermind is returning in the Fall 2026 and we saved you a seat!

Starting September 8, we are leading a 6-month Mastermind for paper artists ready to build something sustainable. You'll meet twice a month with us and a small group of paper artists tackling the real stuff: pricing, social media, selling your work, newsletters, and building confidence in your business.

We’ll have honest conversations, dive into practical strategies, and be with people who actually understand what you're building. Registration begins in August. Get on the Waitlist!

-----------------------------------------------------

🎙️ Listen and Subscribe

Paper Talk is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and wherever you listen to podcasts. Don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a review! It helps other paper flower artists find our community.



Keywords: #PaperFlowers #PaperFlowerBusiness #PaperTalkPodcast #PaperFlowerArtist #CrepePaperFlowers #HandmadeBusiness #PaperFlowerCommunity #SmallBusinessPodcast